PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-10568396-B2
Application Number: US-201515501926-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Woven material including bonding fibers

Abstract:
A woven material (100) including bonding fibers (108) and a method of reinforcing woven material using bonding fibers is disclosed. The woven material (100) includes a plurality of warp threads (102), and at least one weft thread (104) coupled to the warp threads (102). The woven material (100) also includes a plurality of bonding fibers (108). The bonding fibers (108) are positioned in parallel with the warp threads (102), and/or in parallel with the weft thread(s) (104). Additionally, the bonding fibers (108) are formed from a material having a melting temperature that is lower than a melting temperature of the material(s) used to form the warp threads (102) and the weft thread(s) (104) of the woven material.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A woven watch band comprising:
 warp threads; 
 at least one weft thread coupled to the warp threads, the warp threads and the at least one weft thread forming:
 a first uniform portion having a uniform width defined by opposing first edges of the first uniform portion, the first edges extending along a first length of the woven watch band; 
 a second uniform portion having the uniform width defined by opposing second edges of the second uniform portion, the second edges extending along a second length of the woven watch band; and 
 a tapered portion having a varying width defined by opposing third edges of the tapered portion, the third edges extending along a third length of the woven watch band, the second uniform portion being positioned between the first uniform portion and the tapered portion; and 
 
 a bond formed between the warp threads and the weft threads from melted bonding fibers positioned within only the second uniform portion and the tapered portion and at least one of:
 in parallel with the warp threads, or 
 in parallel with the at least one weft thread. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The woven watch band of  claim 1 , wherein the bonding fibers include a melting temperature lower than a melting temperature of the warp threads. 
     
     
       3. The woven watch band of  claim 2 , wherein the melting temperature of the bonding fibers is lower than a melting temperature of the at least one weft thread. 
     
     
       4. The woven watch band of  claim 1 , wherein the bonding fibers include a material selected from the group consisting of polyamide, polyester, polypropylene, and thermoplastic polyurethane. 
     
     
       5. The woven watch band of  claim 1 , wherein the warp threads includes a material selected from a group consisting of polyamide, polyester, and polypropylene. 
     
     
       6. The woven watch band of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one weft thread includes a material selected from a group consisting of polyamide, polyester, and polypropylene. 
     
     
       7. The woven watch band of  claim 1 , wherein the bond is positioned within only a portion of the woven watch band. 
     
     
       8. The woven watch band of  claim 1 , wherein the bonding fibers are positioned on an exterior surface of the woven watch band. 
     
     
       9. The woven watch band of  claim 8 , wherein the bonding fibers are transparent. 
     
     
       10. The woven watch band of  claim 8 , wherein in response to the bonding fibers being positioned in parallel with the warp threads, the at least one weft thread is coupled to the bond. 
     
     
       11. The woven watch band of  claim 1 , wherein the bonding fibers are surrounded by the warp threads, and
 wherein the bonding fibers are substantially surrounded by the at least one weft thread coupled to the warp threads. 
 
     
     
       12. The woven watch band of  claim 1 , wherein the warp threads further comprise:
 a first group of warp threads; and 
 a second group of warp threads surrounding the first group of warp threads. 
 
     
     
       13. The woven watch band of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one weft thread further comprises:
 an interior weft thread portion coupled to the first group of warp threads; and 
 an exterior weft thread portion coupled to the second group of warp threads. 
 
     
     
       14. The woven watch band of  claim 12 , wherein the bonding fibers further comprises at least one of:
 a first collection of bonding fibers surrounded by the first group of warp threads, or 
 a second collection of bonding fibers positioned between the first group of warp threads and the second group of warp threads. 
 
     
     
       15. A method of reinforcing a woven watch band, the method comprising: providing the woven watch band including:
 warp threads; and 
 at least one weft thread coupled to the warp threads, the warp threads and the at least one weft thread forming:
 a first uniform portion having a uniform width defined by opposing first edges of the first uniform portion, the first edges extending along a first length of the woven watch band; 
 a second uniform portion having the uniform width defined by opposing second edges of the second uniform portion, the second edges extending along a second length of the woven watch band; and 
 a tapered portion having a varying width defined by opposing third edges of the tapered portion, the third edges extending along a third length of the woven watch band, the second uniform portion being positioned between the first uniform portion and the tapered portion; and 
 
 positioning bonding fibers within only the second uniform portion and the tapered portion; and 
 melting an entirety of each of the bonding fibers. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the positioning of the bonding fibers further comprises at least one of:
 positioning the bonding fibers in parallel with the warp threads, or 
 positioning the bonding fibers in parallel with the at least one weft thread. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein in response to positioning the bonding fibers in parallel with the at least one weft thread, at least one of:
 positioning the bonding fibers within at least a portion of a width of the woven watch band, or 
 positioning the bonding fibers within at least a portion of a length of the woven watch band. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the melting of the bonding fibers further comprises:
 exposing the woven watch band including the bonding fibers to an external heat source; 
 liquefying only the bonding fibers positioned within the woven watch band using the external heat source; 
 bonding the liquefied bonding fibers to at least one of:
 the warp threads of the woven watch band, or 
 the at least one weft thread of the woven watch band; and 
 
 discontinuing exposure of the woven watch band to the external heat source to allow the liquefied bonding fibers to harden.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This Patent Cooperation Treaty patent application claims priority to U.S. Non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 14/735,095, filed Jun. 9, 2015, and titled “Woven Material Including Bonding Fibers,” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/035,401, filed Aug. 9, 2014 and titled “Woven Material Including Bonding Fibers,” the disclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The disclosure relates generally to a woven material, and more particularly, to a woven material including bonding fibers and a method of reinforcing a woven material using bonding fibers. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Conventional woven material or fabric is used in a plurality of applications or industries. For example, woven material is used in clothing/apparel (e.g., shirts, pants, skirts, etc.), in fashion accessories (e.g., bracelets, watch bands, necklaces, etc.), in electronics (e.g., woven conductive layers, protective outer sheath for optical fiber cables), and other various industrial applications (e.g., rope, tape, protective gear, household/kitchenware, etc.). Due to the many uses and applications, conventional woven material is manufactured using specific material and/or manufactured to include specific physical properties. For example, where the woven material is used to form a bracelet or necklace, it may be desired that the woven material be flexible to contour around the surface in which the woven material is worn (e.g., wrist, neck). Additionally, it may be desired that the woven material forming the bracelet or necklace be durable, flexible and/or capable of withstanding typical wear/treatment of a bracelet or necklace. Furthermore, it may be desired that the woven material forming the bracelet or necklace be capable of forming unique designs or cosmetic embellishments including unique color patterns or portions having varied dimensions (e.g., tapered portions). 
     In order to form the unique designs or cosmetic embellishments, the threads (e.g., warp, weft) of the woven material are altered or adjusted. For example, in order to form a portion of a bracelet or necklace that includes a varied dimension, a tapered portion must be formed in the woven material. The tapered portion may be formed by increasing the distance between warp threads in the woven material, while continuing to weave the weft material through the warp threads. By increasing the distance between the warp threads of the woven material, the overall thickness or width of the woven material may also increase. 
     However, by increasing the distance in the warp threads of the woven material, the fiber density of the woven material in the tapered portion may decrease. As a result of the decrease in the fiber density in the tapered portion, the woven material becomes substantially less rigid in the tapered portion. This may ultimately result in the weakening of the woven material at the tapered portion, the undesired movement of the woven material at the tapered portion and/or an unwanted visual or cosmetic deformation of the woven material at the tapered portion. 
     SUMMARY 
     A woven material may include a plurality of warp threads, and at least one weft thread coupled to the plurality of warp threads. The woven material may also include a plurality of bonding fibers. The bonding fibers may be positioned in parallel with the plurality of warp threads, and/or in parallel with the at least one weft thread. 
     A method of reinforcing woven material. The method may include providing the woven material. The woven material may include a plurality of warp threads, and at least one weft thread coupled to the plurality of warp threads. The method may also include positioning a plurality of bonding fibers within at least a portion of the woven material, and melting the plurality of bonding fibers positioned within at least the portion of the woven material. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows an illustrative front view of a wearable band formed from a woven material, according to embodiments. 
         FIG. 2  shows an enlarged tapered portion of the wearable band including woven material as depicted in  FIG. 1 , according to embodiments. 
         FIG. 3A  shows a cross-section view of a portion of the wearable band of  FIG. 1  taken along line CS, according to embodiments. 
         FIG. 3B  shows a cross-section view of a portion of the wearable band of  FIG. 1  taken along line CS after a melting process is performed, according to embodiments. 
         FIG. 4A  shows a cross-section view of a portion of the wearable band of  FIG. 1  taken along line CS, according to additional embodiments. 
         FIG. 4B  shows a cross-section view of a portion of the wearable band of  FIG. 1  taken along line CS after a melting process is performed, according to additional embodiments. 
         FIG. 5  shows an enlarged tapered portion of the wearable band including woven material as depicted in  FIG. 1 , according to another embodiment. 
         FIG. 6A  shows a cross-section view of a portion of the wearable band of  FIG. 1  taken along line CS, according to further embodiments. 
         FIG. 6B  shows a cross-section view of a portion of the wearable band of  FIG. 1  taken along line CS after a melting process is performed, according to further embodiments. 
         FIG. 7  shows a cross-section view of a portion of the wearable band of  FIG. 1  taken along line CS, according to another embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  shows a cross-section view of a portion of the wearable band of  FIG. 1  taken along line CS, according to additional embodiments. 
         FIG. 9  shows an enlarged uniform portion of the wearable band including woven material as depicted in  FIG. 1 , according to additional embodiments. 
         FIG. 10  shows a flow chart illustrating a method of reinforcing a woven material. This method may be performed on the woven material as shown in  FIGS. 2-9 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to representative embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the following descriptions are not intended to limit the embodiments to one preferred embodiment. To the contrary, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as can be included within the spirit and scope of the described embodiments as defined by the appended claims. 
     The following disclosure relates to a woven material, and more particularly, to a woven material including bonding fibers, and a method of reinforcing a woven material using bonding fibers. 
     In a particular embodiment, the woven material may include bonding fibers positioned in parallel with a plurality of warp threads, and/or in parallel with at least one weft thread. The bonding fibers may be formed from a material having a melting temperature lower than the melting temperatures of the material forming the warp threads and weft threads of the woven material. As a result of the positioning and melting temperature of the bonding fibers within the woven material, the bonding fibers may be melted, without melting the warp threads and weft threads, to bond and/or reinforce the warp threads and weft threads of the woven material. That is, the bonding fibers woven into the woven material may be melted to substantially bond the warp threads and weft threads, and ultimately may increase the rigidity of the woven material. Where woven material is used to form a structure that includes a tapered portion, bonding fibers may be included in the tapered portion of the woven material, and may be melted to increase the rigidity of the tapered portion of the woven material. Furthermore, the bonding fibers may be positioned within or adjacent to the exterior surface of the woven material, and may not be visible. As such, the cosmetic effect of the exterior surface is unaffected by the melting of the bonding fibers within the woven material. 
     These and other embodiments are discussed below with reference to  FIGS. 1-10 . However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these Figures is for explanatory purposes only and should not be construed as limiting. 
       FIG. 1  shows an illustrative front view of a wearable band  10  including woven material  100 , according to embodiments. In non-limiting examples, wearable band  10  may include a decorative band (e.g., wristband, armband, headband, necklace, etc.), a watch band, and a wearable band for holding an electronic device including, but not limited to: a smartphone, a gaming device, a display, a digital music player, a wearable computing device or display, and a health monitoring device. As shown in  FIG. 1 , wearable band  10  may include a watch band. 
     Wearable band  10  may include coupling component  12  positioned at distinct ends  18 ,  20  of wearable band  10 . Coupling component  12  may be included within wearable band  10  to coupled ends  18 ,  20  and/or secure wearable band  10  to a user. Coupling component  12  may be any suitable coupling mechanism or embodiment capable of releasably coupling ends  18 ,  20  of wearable band  10 . In a non-limiting example, as shown in  FIG. 1 , coupling component  12  includes a plurality of holes  22  formed through wearable band  10  adjacent end  18 , and a buckle clasp  24  positioned at end  20 . When wearable band  10  is worn by a user, end  18  is positioned through engagement buckle clasp  24 , such that a portion of buckle clasp  24  may be positioned within one of the plurality of holes  22  formed through wearable band  10  to secure wearable band  10 . End  18  may be further secured to wearable band  10  using reed loop  26  positioned substantially around wearable band  10 . Reed loop  26  may include an opening (not shown) located between wearable band  10  and reed loop  26  configured to receive end  18  and/or position end  18  against a portion of wearable band  10 . As discussed herein, reed loop  26  may also be made from woven material  100 . By making both wearable band  10  and reed loop  26  from woven material  100 , the cost and/or time of manufacturing wearable band  10  including reed loop  26  may be substantially reduced. 
     In another non-limiting example, not shown, coupling component  12  may be a hook and loop fastener system positioned at end  18 , and a ring positioned at end  20 . When wearable band  10  is worn by a user, end  18  is positioned through the ring and folded, such that hook portion may contact and/or be coupled to loop portion of the fastener system, to secure wearable band  10  to the user. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , wearable band  10  may include a tapered portion  28  positioned between end  18  and end  20 . More specifically, tapered portion  28  may be positioned between uniform portions  30  of wearable band  10 , where tapered portion  28  includes a varying width in wearable band  10 , and uniform portions  30  include a uniform width in wearable band  10 . As discussed herein, woven material  100  may form tapered portion  28  in wearable band  10 . Tapered portion  28  may be included within wearable band  10  based on, at least in part, the function and/or intended use of wearable band  10 . In a non-limiting example where wearable band  10  includes a watch band, tapered portion  28  may be included in wearable band  10  to position and/or secure a watch casing including a display (not shown) on wearable band  10 . In an additional non-limiting example, where wearable band  10  includes a band for holding an electronic device, tapered portion  28  may provide additional surface area for holding and/or coupling the electronic device to wearable band  10 . In a further non-limiting example, where wearable band  10  includes a decorative band, tapered portion  28  may provide additional space to provide a visually appealing decorative element or item (e.g., logo, jewel, graphic, etc.). 
     Although shown substantially in the center or middle of wearable band  10 , it is understood that wearable band  10  may include one or more tapered portions  28  included in end(s)  18 ,  20 . In a non-limiting example, tapered portions  28  may be included at end(s)  18 ,  20  to aid in securing the coupling component  12  to the wearable band  10  and/or to aid in the ease of inserting end  18  into and/or coupling end  18  to coupling component  12 . Additionally, tapered portion  28  may include a converging taper. In a non-limiting example, and distinct from  FIG. 1  which shows tapered portion  28  as a diverging or widening taper, tapered portion  28  may include a portion of woven material  100  that may converge and/or may have a width smaller than the width of the uniform portions  30  of wearable band  10 . 
       FIG. 2  shows an enlarged portion  2  of wearable band  10  including woven material  100 , as depicted in  FIG. 1 . More specifically,  FIG. 2  shows an enlarged view of a portion of tapered portion  28  of wearable band  10  formed from woven material  100 . Woven material  100  of wearable band  10  may include a plurality of warp threads  102  and at least one weft thread  104  coupled to the plurality of warp threads  102 . More specifically, woven material  100  may include the plurality of warp threads  102  positioned along the length of wearable band  10 , and at least one weft thread  104  positioned perpendicular to, and coupled to, woven or interlaced between the plurality of warp threads  102 . It is understood that the plurality of warp threads  102  may run the entire length of woven material  100  forming wearable band  10 . Additionally, it is understood that the at least one weft thread  104  may include a single thread that may be continuously woven between the plurality of warp threads  102 , or may include a plurality of threads that may be woven between the plurality of warp threads  102 . The weft thread  104  woven between the plurality of warp threads  102  may form consecutive cross layers with respect to the plurality warp threads  102  in order to form woven material  100 . Woven material  100 , as discussed herein, may be formed using a suitable weaving technique and/or weaving machinery. In a non-limiting example, woven material  100  may be formed using a dobby loom. 
     It is understood that similarly named components or similarly numbered components may function in a substantially similar fashion, may include similar materials and/or may include similar interactions with other components. Redundant explanation of these components has been omitted for clarity. 
     Additionally, it is understood that the number of threads shown in  FIG. 2  to form woven material  100  may be merely exemplary. That is, the number of warp threads  102  and weft threads  104  shown in  FIG. 2  may be merely exemplary for clearly and completely describing the disclosure, and may not represent the actual number of warp threads  102  and/or weft threads  104  used to form woven material  100 . In a non-limiting example, woven material  100  may be formed from more than 200 warp threads  102  and a single weft thread  104  coupled to, woven or interlaced between the plurality of warp threads  102 . 
     The warp threads  102  and the weft thread  104  may be formed from or include a polyamide (e.g., nylon) material, a polyester material or a polypropylene material. Warp threads  102  and weft thread  104  of woven material  100  may also be formed from any other suitable polymer material that may include similar physical characteristics as polyester and/or polypropylene. As discussed herein, the material forming warp threads  102  and weft threads  104  may also include melting temperatures between approximately 180° C. and approximately 260° C. Warp threads  102  and weft thread  104  may be formed from the same material or may include distinct materials when forming woven material  100 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , tapered portion  28  of woven material  100  forming wearable band  10  may be formed as a result of increasing the distance (D) between the warp threads  102  of woven material  100 . That is, in order to form tapered portion  28  of wearable band  10 , the overall width of woven material  100  is increased by increasing the distance (D) between each of the plurality of warp threads  102 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the portion  106  of woven material  100  not included in tapered portion  28  may include a first distance (D 1 ) between each warp thread  102 . In comparison, the portion of the warp threads  102  forming tapered portion  28  of woven material  10  may include a second distance (D 2 ) between each warp thread  102 , where the second distance (D 2 ) is greater than the first distance (D 1 ). 
     By increasing the distance (D) between each of the plurality of warp threads  102  to form tapered portion  28 , the fiber density of woven material  100  may be decreased in tapered portion  28 , which may ultimately make woven material  100  less rigid at tapered portion  28 . To provide additional rigidity to tapered portion  28 , woven material  100  may also include a plurality of bonding fibers  108  (shown in phantom). As shown in  FIG. 2 , the plurality of bonding fibers  108  may be positioned in parallel with the plurality of warp threads  102 . More specifically, the plurality of bonding fibers  108  may be positioned in parallel with the warp threads  102  and may be positioned within tapered portion  28  of woven material  100 . As a result of forming the plurality of bonding fibers  108  in parallel with the warp threads  102 , the bonding fibers  108  may be positioned along the entire length of wearable band  10  formed from woven material  100 . As discussed herein, the plurality of bonding fibers  108  may also be positioned in parallel with the at least one weft thread  104  (see,  FIG. 5 ). Additionally, it is understood that woven material  100  may include bonding fibers  108  positioned in parallel with the plurality of warp threads  102  and in parallel with the at least one weft thread  104  (see,  FIG. 7 ). 
     The plurality of bonding fibers  108  are shown in phantom as a result of bonding fibers  108  being positioned within woven material  100  and/or wearable band  10 . That is, and as discussed herein, the bonding fibers  108  may be substantially surrounded by the warp threads  102  and the weft thread  104  of woven material  100 , such that bonding fibers  108  are not visible and/or included in the exterior surface of wearable band  10  formed from woven material  100 . However, and as discussed herein, the plurality of bonding fibers  108  may be positioned in and/or may be exposed on an exterior surface of woven material  100  (see,  FIG. 4A ). 
     The plurality of bonding fibers  108 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , may be formed from or include a polyamide (e.g., nylon) material, a polyester material, a polypropylene material or a thermoplastic polyurethane. The material forming bonding fibers  108  may also include a melting temperature substantially lower than the melting temperature of the material forming the warp threads  102  and the melting temperature of the material forming the at least one weft thread  104 . In a non-limiting example, the melting temperature for the plurality of bonding fibers  108  may be between approximately 90° C. and approximately 160° C. As discussed herein, by including a melting temperature substantially lower than the melting temperature of the remainder of the material (e.g., warp thread  102 , weft thread  104 ) of woven material  100 , the bonding fibers  108  may be melted without altering the physical appearance and/or characteristics of the rest of woven material  100 . Additionally as discussed herein, the melting of the bonding fibers  108  may provide rigidity to woven material  100  forming wearable band  10 . 
       FIG. 3A  shows a cross-section view of a portion of the wearable band  10  of  FIG. 1  taken along line CS. The cross-section view of  FIG. 3A  may be taken at a crossing of woven material  100  prior to the transition or position change of the warp threads within the woven material  100 . That is, and as discussed herein, the plurality of warp threads may be coupled to, or continuously woven with (e.g., above, below) at least one weft thread to form woven material  100 . As such, in the cross-section of woven material  100  in  FIG. 3A , the warp threads are depicted as being in an instantaneous position about the weft thread, prior to and/or subsequent to the warp threads being woven through the weft thread. It is understood that the position of the warp threads in  FIG. 3A  is not permanent, and/or the warp threads are not fixed in the depicted position. 
     It is also understood that the number of threads shown in  FIG. 3A  to form woven material  100  may be merely exemplary, and may not represent the actual number of warp threads and/or weft threads used to form woven material  100 . In a non-limiting example, woven material  100  may be formed from more than 200 warp threads and a single weft thread coupled to, woven or interlaced between the plurality of warp threads. In conjunction, the spacing between the warp threads and/or weft threads as shown in  FIG. 3A  may also be merely exemplary for the purpose of clearly and completely describing woven material  100 . It is understood that the space between the threads of woven material  100  may only be large enough to couple and/or weave at least one weft thread through the plurality of warp threads (e.g., 200 warp threads) to form woven material  100 . Additionally, the spacing between the threads of woven material  100  may be substantially minimal such that a user may not be able to see through woven material  100 . 
     As discussed herein, wearable band  10  may be formed from woven material  100  including a plurality of warp threads  102  and at least one weft thread  104 . Woven material  100  may include a first group  110  of warp threads  102 , and a second group  112  of warp threads  102  substantially surrounding first group  110  of warp threads  102 . That is, first group  110  of warp threads  102  may form an inner portion of woven material  100 , and second group  112  of warp threads  102  may form an outer portion or an exterior surface  118  of woven material  100 . The first group  110  of warp threads  102  may not be seen by a user of wearable band  10 , and the second group  112  of warp threads  102  forming exterior surface  118  of woven material  100  may be seen by the user of wearable band  10 . 
     Additionally, as shown in  FIG. 3A , woven material  100  may include a single weft thread  104  coupled to, woven or interlaced between first group  110  and second group  112  of warp threads  102 . More specifically, the single weft thread  104  may include an exterior weft thread portion  120  coupled to the second group  112  of warp threads  102 , and an interior weft thread portion  122  coupled to the first group  110  of warp threads  102 . As a result of weft thread  104  being a single thread, exterior weft thread portion  120  and interior weft thread portion  122  may include, in part, a double weave or thickness of weft thread  104  when forming woven material  100 , as shown in  FIG. 3A . By including first group  110  and second group  112  of warp threads  102 , and exterior weft thread portion  120  and interior weft thread portion  122  of weft thread  104 , woven material  100  may not include the need for filler material (see,  FIG. 4A ), and/or may not include additional structure support and/or stiffness. 
     Weft thread  104  may be continuously woven through and/or coupled to warp threads  102  to form the various layers or rows of woven material  100 . That is, and as discussed herein, woven material  100  may be formed by coupling or continuously weaving weft thread  104  through the warp threads  102  to form various layers of weft thread  104  woven through the plurality of warp threads  102 . As such, and as shown in  FIG. 3A , weft thread  104  of woven material  100  may include a prior layer portion  121 , which may form the beginning of weft thread  104  for the displayed or current layer, and a subsequent layer portion  123  positioned opposite prior layer portion  121 . Prior layer portion  121  may include a portion of weft thread  104  that may be included in the prior layer of woven material  100 , and previously woven through the warp threads  102 . Conversely, subsequent layer portion  123  of weft thread  104  may be woven through the warp threads  102  of the displayed or current layer of woven material  100 , and may be positioned to be subsequently woven through the subsequent layer of woven material  100 . 
     Bonding fibers  108  may also be formed in woven material  100 , as shown in  FIG. 3A . The plurality of bonding fibers  108  of woven material  100  may include a first collection  124  of bonding fibers  108  substantially surrounded by the first group  110  of warp threads  102 . As shown in  FIG. 3A , the first collection  124  of bonding fibers  108  may also be positioned within interior weft thread portion  122  of single weft thread  104  of woven material  100 . That is, the first collection  124  of bonding fibers  108  may be positioned within woven material  100  between the warp threads  102  and may not be coupled to the single weft thread  104  of woven material  100 . As such, the first collection  124  of bonding fibers  108  may be contained within an inner portion of woven material  100 , and may not be seen by a user of wearable band  10 . The first collection  124  of bonding fibers  108  may include substantially similar characteristics as the bonding fibers  108  discussed herein with respect to  FIG. 2 . For example, the first collection  124  of bonding fibers  108  may be formed from a material having a melting temperature substantially lower than the melting temperature of the material forming the warp threads  102  and the melting temperature of the material forming the weft thread  104 . 
     Additionally as shown in  FIG. 3A , the plurality of bonding fibers  108  may also include a second collection  126  of bonding fibers  108  positioned between the first group  110  of warp threads  102  and the second group  112  of warp threads  102 . The second collection  126  of bonding fibers  108  may also be positioned between the interior weft thread portion  122  and the exterior weft thread portion  120 , and may be substantially surrounded by the exterior weft thread portion  120 . Similar to the first collection  124 , the second collection  126  of bonding fibers  108  may not be coupled to the single weft thread  104  of woven material  100 . Additionally, as a result of the positioning of the second collection  126  of bonding fibers  108  within woven material  100 , the second collection  126  of bonding fibers  108  may not be positioned on the exterior surface  118  of wearable band  10 , and/or may not be seen by a user of wearable band  10 . Like the first collection  124  of bonding fibers  108 , the second collection  126  of bonding fibers  108  may include substantially similar characteristics as the bonding fibers  108  discussed herein with respect to  FIG. 2 . That is, the second collection  126  of bonding fibers  108  may be formed from a material having a melting temperature substantially lower than the melting temperature of the material forming the warp threads  102  and the melting temperature of the material forming the weft thread  104 . Additionally, first collection  124  and second collection  126  of bonding fibers  108  may include substantially similar or distinct materials, so long as the melting temperature for each material is lower than the melting temperature of the materials of the other components (e.g., warp thread  102 , weft thread  104 ) forming woven material  100 . 
     As discussed herein, the bonding fibers  108  may be formed from a material having a melting temperature substantially lower than the melting temperature of the material forming the plurality of warp threads  102  and the at least one weft thread  104  of woven material  100 . As a result, bonding fibers  108  may be substantially melted within woven material  100  without negatively effecting (e.g., melting) the plurality of warp threads  102  and the at least one weft thread  104 . 
       FIG. 3B  shows a cross-section view of a portion of the wearable band  10  of  FIG. 1  taken along line CS, after a melting process has been performed. As shown in  FIG. 3B , bonding fibers  108  may be substantially melted within woven material  100 , and may form a bond between the warp threads  102  and/or weft thread  104  of woven material  100 . More specifically, bonding fibers  108  may be melted within woven material  100  to form bonds between the warp threads  102  and/or weft thread  104  of woven material  100 , without melting, or more generally, changing the characteristics (e.g., strength, position, state, etc.) of warp threads  102  and weft thread  104 . The first collection  124  of bonding fibers  108  may substantially bond the first group  110  of warp threads  102  that may be substantially surrounding the first collection  124  of bonding fibers  108 . More specifically, as shown in  FIG. 3B , when melted, the first collection  124  of bonding fibers  108  may substantially bond the first group  110  of warp threads  102 , and interior weft thread portion  122  of the single weft thread  104 , which may also substantially surround the first collection  124 . 
     Additionally, second collection  126  of bonding fibers  108  may substantially bond the second group  112  of warp threads  102  of woven material  100 . More specifically, as shown in  FIG. 3B , when melted, the second collection  126  of bonding fibers  108  may substantially bond the second group  112  of warp threads  102 , and exterior weft thread portion  120  of the single weft thread  104  of woven material  100 . Furthermore, second collection  126  of bonding fibers  108  may substantially bond first group  110  of warp threads  102  to the second group  112  of warp threads  102 . That is, as a result of positioning the second collection  126  of bonding fibers  108  between the first group  110  and second group  112  of warp threads  102 , the second collection  126  of bonding fibers  108  may form a bond between the first group  110  and second group  112  of warp threads  102 . This bond between the first group  110  and second group  112  of warp threads  102  formed by the second collection  126  of bonding fibers  108  may negate the need for a connection yarn (not shown) to be formed within woven material  100 . The connection yarn of woven material  100  may connect or couple the inner portion (e.g., first group  110  of warp threads  102 , interior weft thread portion  122  of single weft thread  104 ) of woven material  100  to the outer portion (e.g., second group  112  of warp threads  102 , exterior weft thread portion  120  of single weft thread  104 ) or exterior surface  118  of woven material  100 . In a non-limiting example, not shown, second collection  126  of bonding fibers  108  may not form a bond between the first group  110  and second group  112  of warp threads  102 . In this example, a connection yarn may be formed within woven material  100  to connect or couple the inner portion and the outer portion of exterior surface  118  of woven material  100 . 
     As discussed herein, bonding fibers  108  may be melted within woven material  100  by exposing wearable band  10  to an external heat source (not shown). The heat source may heat the woven material  100  forming wearable band  10  to a temperature above the melting temperature of the material forming bonding fibers  108 , but substantially below the melting temperature of the materials forming warp threads  102  and weft threads  104 . In a non-limiting example, bonding fibers  108  may be formed from a nylon (e.g., polyamide) material which includes a melting temperature of 100° C., and the warp threads  102  and weft thread  104  may be formed from a polyester material including a melting temperature of 180° C. In the example, in order to melt bonding fibers  108 , without substantially melting the warp threads  102  and weft thread  104 , woven material  100  forming wearable band  10  may be exposed to an external heating source (not shown) which may raise the temperature of the woven material to 105° C. As such, after a predetermined period of time, bonding fibers  108  may be substantially melted, while warp threads  102  and weft thread  104  of woven material may be substantially unaffected. 
     The bonding of the components (e.g., warp threads  102 , weft thread  104 ) of woven material  100  may be dependent, at least in part, on the characteristics of bonding fibers  108  and/or the process of melting bonding fibers  108 . For example, the bonds formed between the components of woven material  100 , may be dependent, at least in part on: the size/dimensions of bonding fibers  108 , the number of bonding fibers  108  positioned within woven material  100 , the positioning of bonding fibers  108  within woven material  100 , the physical/chemical characteristics (e.g., expansion characteristics) of the material forming bonding fibers  108 , the exposure time to the external heat source, the temperature of the external heat source, the size/dimensions/quantity/formation of the woven material  100  and its components (e.g., warp threads  102 , weft thread  104 ), etc. 
     By melting bonding fibers  108  to form bonds between the plurality of warp threads  102  and/or the at least one weft thread  104 , woven material  100  may be provided with an increased stiffness and rigidity. More specifically, by melting bonding fibers  108  formed within tapered portion  28  of woven material  100 , as shown in  FIGS. 1-3B , the plurality of warp threads  102  and/or the at least one weft thread  104  of woven material may be substantially bonded together, which may result in additional stiffness and/or rigidity for woven material  100 . This may be substantially beneficial in tapered portion  28  of woven material  100 , which may be formed by increasing the distance between warp threads  102  and ultimately decreasing the fiber density for woven material  100 , as discussed herein. That is, the bonds formed within tapered portion  28  of woven material  100  by melting bonding fibers  108  may substantially increase the rigidity or stiffness of woven material  100  at tapered portion  28 , and may ultimately minimize or eliminate the negative effects or aspects (e.g., weakening, undesired movement, visual or cosmetic deformation) associated with forming tapered portion  28  within woven material  100 , as discussed herein. 
       FIG. 4A  shows a cross-section view of a portion of the wearable band  10  of  FIG. 1  taken along line CS, in accordance with another embodiment. As shown in  FIG. 4A , and with comparison to  FIG. 3A , wearable band  10  may include a single layer band formed from woven material  100 . More specifically, wearable band  10  may only be formed from second group  112  of warp threads  102  and exterior weft thread portion  120  of weft thread  104 . As a result, woven material  100  may include an opening  128  formed through wearable band  10 . As shown in  FIG. 4A  the opposite exterior surfaces  118  of woven material  100  may be separated and/or substantially surround opening  128  included within woven material  100 . Woven material  100  including opening  128  may include optional filler fibers  130  (shown in phantom) positioned within opening  128 . As shown in  FIG. 4A , filler fibers  130  may be positioned in parallel to the warp threads  102  of woven material  100  and may be substantially surrounded and/or contained within woven material  100  by the plurality of warp threads  102  and weft thread  104 . Additionally, filler fibers  130  may not be woven into woven material  100  or the various components (e.g., warp threads  102 , weft thread  104 ) forming woven material  100 . Rather, filler fibers  130  may be positioned within woven material  100  to provide additional support and/or structure to wearable band  10  formed from woven material  100  by filling opening  128  of woven material  100 . 
     Where woven material  100  includes opening  128 , bonding fibers  108  may be positioned on exterior surface  118  of woven material  100 . More specifically, as shown in  FIG. 4A , where woven material  100  includes opening  128  and only second group  112  of warp threads  102  and exterior weft thread portion  120  of weft thread  104 , bonding fibers  108  may be positioned on exterior surface  118  of woven material  100 . Bonding fibers  108 , as shown in  FIG. 4A , may be positioned parallel and/or integral with the plurality of warp threads  102  of woven material  100 . That is, bonding fibers  108  may be positioned adjacent to and within the plurality of warp threads  102  used to form woven material  100 . As such, and distinct from  FIG. 3A , weft thread  104  of woven material  100  may be coupled to bonding fibers  108  as well as the warp threads  102 . More specifically, as shown in  FIG. 4A , weft thread  104  may be coupled to, woven or interlaced between the warp threads  102  and bonding fibers  108  positioned on exterior surface  118  of woven material  100 . Weft thread  104  may be coupled to bonding fibers  108  in a substantially similar fashion or using a similar technique as coupling weft thread  104  to the plurality of warp threads  102 , as discussed herein. As similarly discussed herein with respect to  FIGS. 3A and 3B , and discussed in detail below, bonding fibers  108  may be positioned on exterior surface  118  of woven material  100 , and coupled to weft thread  104  to substantially increase the rigidity or stiffness of woven material  100  at tapered portion  28  (see,  FIGS. 1 and 2 ). 
     Bonding fibers  108  positioned on exterior surface  118  of woven material  100 , as shown in  FIG. 4A , may be formed from or include a substantially transparent material. More specifically, bonding fibers  108  positioned on exterior surface  118  of woven material  100  may be formed from or include a substantially transparent material including a polyamide (e.g., nylon) material, a polyester material, a polypropylene material or a thermoplastic polyurethane. Where bonding fibers  108  are positioned on exterior surface  118 , it may be desired to form bonding fibers  108  from a transparent material, so that bonding fibers  108  do not disrupt the pattern or cosmetics of wearable band  10  formed by the plurality of warp threads  102  and/or weft thread  104 . That is, by forming bonding fibers  108  from a transparent material, bonding fibers  108  unmelted or melted, as discussed herein with respect to  FIG. 4B , may not undesirably change the pattern and/or color of woven material  100  forming wearable band  10 . 
     Similar to  FIG. 3B ,  FIG. 4B  shows a cross-section view of a portion of the wearable band  10  of  FIG. 1  taken along line CS, after a melting process has been performed. As discussed herein, woven material  100  forming wearable band  10 , as shown in  FIG. 4B , may only include second group  112  of warp threads  102 , exterior weft thread portion  120  of weft thread  104 , and (melted) bonding fibers  108  substantially surrounding opening  128 . As shown in  FIG. 4B , bonding fibers  108  may be substantially melted within woven material  100 , and may form a bond between the warp threads  102  and/or weft thread  104  of woven material  100 . More specifically, bonding fibers  108  may be melted within woven material  100  to form bonds between the second group  112  of warp threads  102  and/or exterior weft thread portion  120  of weft thread  104  of woven material  100 , without melting, or more generally, changing the characteristics (e.g., strength, position, state, etc.) of warp threads  102  and weft thread  104 . In a non-limiting example, bonding fibers  108  may also be melted to bond a portion of the filler fibers  130  (shown in phantom) to warp threads  102  and/or weft threads  104  forming exterior surface  118  of woven material  100 . 
     As similarly discussed herein with respect to  FIG. 3B , bonding fibers  108 , as shown in  FIG. 4B , may be melted within woven material  100  by exposing wearable band  10  to an external heat source (not shown), and heating the woven material to a temperature above the melting temperature of the material forming the bonding fibers  108 . Additionally as discussed herein, the woven material may also be heated to a temperature substantially below the melting temperature of the material forming the warp threads  102  and weft threads  104  to ensure warp threads  102  and weft thread  104  are not melted along with bonding fibers  108 . The bonding of the components (e.g., warp threads  102 , weft thread  104 ) of woven material  100  as shown in  FIG. 4B  may be dependent, at least in part, on the characteristics of bonding fibers  108  and/or the process of melting bonding fibers  108 , as discussed herein. 
     By positioning bonding fibers  108  on exterior surface  118  of woven material  100 , and subsequently melting bonding fibers  108 , wearable band  10  formed from woven material  100  may include an increased stiffness and rigidity, as discussed herein. More specifically, by positioning and subsequently melting bonding fibers  108  on exterior surface  118 , woven material  100  may be provided with additional stiffness and rigidity, as a result of the melted bonding fibers  108  forming a hardened shell or exoskeleton on exterior surface  118  of woven material  100 . With comparison to  FIG. 3B , bonding fibers  108  positioned on exterior surface  118 , when melted, may form hardened portions of exterior surface  118  of woven material  100 , that may be exposed. The hardened, exposed portions of exterior surface  118  may provide increased rigidity to woven material  100 . This may be substantially beneficial in tapered portion  28  of woven material  100 , which may be formed by increasing the distance between warp threads  102  and ultimately decreasing the fiber density for woven material  100 , as discussed herein. The bonds formed within tapered portion  28  of woven material  100  by melting bonding fibers  108  may substantially increase the rigidity or stiffness of woven material  100  at tapered portion  28 , and may ultimately minimize or eliminate the negative effects or aspects (e.g., weakening, undesired movement, visual or cosmetic deformation) associated with forming tapered portion  28  within woven material  100 , as discussed herein. Additionally, the positioning and subsequently melting of bonding fibers  108  on exterior surface  118  of woven material  100 , may allow woven material  100  to be an acceptable material for forming reed loop  26  (see,  FIG. 1B ), which may require additional strength and rigidity to maintain its shape during use of wearable band  10 . 
       FIG. 5  shows an enlarged portion  5  of wearable band  10  including woven material  100 , as depicted in  FIG. 1 . More specifically, and similar to  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 5  shows an enlarged view of tapered portion  28  of wearable band  10  formed from woven material  100  according to an additional embodiment.  FIG. 5  depicts distinct features and/or additional embodiments of woven material  100 . That is,  FIG. 5  depicts the plurality of bonding fibers  508  (shown in phantom) positioned in parallel with the at least one weft thread  104  and/or positioned perpendicular to warp threads  102  in tapered portion  28  of woven material  100  forming wearable band  10 . Also distinct from bonding fibers  108  depicted in  FIG. 2 , and as discussed in detail herein, bonding fibers  508  may be positioned only in a portion of the entire length of wearable band  10  formed from woven material  100 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , bonding fibers  508  may be positioned completely within tapered portion  28  and portions of wearable band  10  positioned directly adjacent to tapered portion  28 . Bonding fibers  508  may be formed within woven material  100  in a substantially similar manner and/or using a substantially similar technique as discussed herein with respect to bonding fibers  108  shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3A . Additionally, bonding fibers  508  may be formed from substantially similar material as bonding fibers  108  shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3A . As such, redundant explanation of these features is omitted for clarity. 
     The plurality of bonding fibers  508  are shown in phantom as a result of bonding fibers  508  being positioned within woven material  100  and/or wearable band  10 . That is, and as shown in  FIG. 6A , the plurality of bonding fibers  508  may be formed as a weft thread (e.g., weft thread  104 ), and may be coupled to the plurality of warp threads  102  of woven material  100 . As such, bonding fibers  508  may not be visible and/or are not included in the exterior surface  118  of wearable band  10  formed from woven material  100 . However, and as discussed herein with respect to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the plurality of bonding fibers  508  may be positioned in and/or may be exposed on an exterior surface  118  of woven material  100 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 6A , a cross-section view of a portion of wearable band  10  of  FIG. 1  taken along line CS is shown according to additional embodiments. More specifically, and distinct from  FIG. 3A ,  FIG. 6A  depicts a cross-section view of tapered portion  28  of wearable band  10  formed from woven material  100 , where woven material  100  includes bonding fibers  508  positioned in parallel with weft threads  104  and/or perpendicular to warp threads  102 . As shown in  FIG. 6A , and similarly discussed herein, woven material  100  may include the first group  110  of warp threads  102  which may form an inner portion of woven material  100 . Additionally, woven material  100  may include the second group  112  of warp threads  102  substantially surrounding the first group  110  of warp threads  102 , where the second group  112  of warp threads  102  form the outer portion or exterior surface  118  of woven material  100 . Warp threads  102  and weft threads  104 , as shown in  FIG. 6A , may be substantially similar to and/or may include substantially similar characteristics as the warp threads  102  and weft threads  104  discussed herein with respect to  FIGS. 2 and 3A . For example, warp threads  102  and weft threads  104  may be formed from a material having a melting temperature that is greater than the melting temperature of the material forming the bonding fibers  508 . As such, redundant explanation of these features is omitted for clarity. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6A , woven material  100  may include weft thread  104  and bonding fibers  508  coupled to the plurality of warp threads  102 . As similarly discussed herein with respect to  FIG. 3A , weft thread  104  may include exterior weft thread portion  120  coupled to, woven or interlaced between the second group  112  of warp threads  102 . Dissimilar to  FIG. 3A , weft thread  104  may not be coupled to the first group  110  of warp threads  102  of woven material  100 . That is, as shown in  FIG. 6A , bonding fibers  508  (single fiber shown) may be coupled to, woven or interlaced between the second group  112  of warp threads  102 , positioned within an inner portion of woven material  100 . As a result of bonding fibers  508  being positioned within an inner portion of woven material  100  and/or coupled to the first group  110  of warp threads  102 , bonding fibers  508  may not be seen by a user of wearable band  10 . 
     Similar to weft thread  104 , as discussed herein with respect to  FIG. 3A , bonding fibers  508  positioned in parallel with weft thread  104  of woven material  100  may include prior bonding fiber layer portion  521  and subsequent bonding fiber layer portion  523  positioned opposite prior bonding fiber layer portion  521 . Prior bonding fiber layer portion  521  and subsequent bonding fiber layer portion  523  of bonding fibers  508 , as shown in  FIG. 6A , may function substantially similar to prior layer portion  121  and subsequent layer portion  123  of weft thread  104 , as discussed herein. That is, prior bonding fibers layer portion  521  may include a portion of bonding fibers  508  that may be included in the prior layer of woven material  100 , and previously woven through the first group  110  of warp threads  102 . Conversely, subsequent bonding fibers layer portion  523  of bonding fibers  508  may be woven through the first group  110  of warp threads  102  of the displayed or current layer of woven material  100 , and may be positioned to be subsequently woven through the subsequent layer of woven material  100 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 6A , weft thread  104  and bonding fibers  508  may be two distinct threads and/or fibers coupled to, woven or interlaced between the first group  110  and the second group  112 , respectively, of warp threads  102  in woven material  100 . That is, when forming woven material  100 , weft thread  104  and bonding fibers  508  may be coupled to the plurality of warp threads  102  using substantially distinct threads, fibers and/or materials. However, it is understood that weft tread  104  and bonding fibers  508  may include a pre-manufactured, single thread or fiber that may be coupled to the plurality of warp threads  102  to form woven material  100 . That is, the single thread or fiber forming the weft thread  104  and bonding fibers  508  may include a pre-manufactured thread including alternating portions of material similar to the material forming weft thread  104  and bonding fibers  508 , respectively. In this embodiment, the portions of alternating material may include a predetermined length corresponding to the weave pattern and/or process of woven material  100 , such that when the single thread or fiber is being woven around the first group  110  of warp threads  102 , the material of the single thread corresponds to similar material used to form bonding fibers  508 . 
       FIG. 6B  shows a cross-section view of a portion of the wearable band  10  of  FIG. 1  taken along line CS, after a melting process has been performed. As discussed herein, bonding fibers  508  may be substantially melted within woven material  100 , and may form a bond between the warp threads  102  and/or weft thread  104  of woven material  100 . More specifically, bonding fibers  508  may be melted within woven material  100  to form bonds between the warp threads  102  and/or weft thread  104  of woven material  100 , without melting, or more generally, changing the characteristics (e.g., strength, position, state, etc.) of warp threads  102  and weft thread  104 . As shown in  FIG. 6B , bonding fibers  508  coupled to the first group  110  of warp threads  102  and/or positioned within an inner portion of woven material  100  may be melted to substantially bond first group  110  of warp threads  102  to each other. 
     Although shown in  FIG. 6B  as only bonding the first group  110  of warp threads  102 , bonding fibers  508  may bond every component of woven material  100 . That is, in another embodiment where bonding fibers  508  are coupled to the first group  110  of warp threads  102 , the process of melting bonding fibers  508  may result in the formation of a bond between the first group  110  of warp threads  102 , the second group  112  of warp threads  102  and/or weft thread  104  coupled to the second group  112  of warp threads  102 . As discussed herein, the portion of woven material  100  that may include the bond formed by bonding fibers  508  may be dependent, at least in part, on characteristics of bonding fibers  508  such as, the size/dimensions of bonding fibers  508 , the number of bonding fibers  508 , the physical/chemical characteristics (e.g., expansion characteristics) of the material forming bonding fibers  508 , the exposure time to the external heat source, the temperature of the external heat source, the size/dimensions/quantity/formation of the woven material  100  and its components (e.g., warp threads  102 , weft thread  104 ), etc. 
     As similarly discussed herein, forming bonds between the components (e.g., warp threads  102 , weft thread  104 ) of woven material  100  by melting bonding fibers  508  may increase stiffness and rigidity in woven material  100 . More specifically, by melting bonding fibers  508  formed within tapered portion  28  of woven material  100 , as shown in  FIGS. 5-6B , the plurality of warp threads  102  and/or the at least one weft thread  104  of woven material may be substantially bonded together, which may result in additional stiffness and/or rigidity for woven material  100  forming wearable band  10 . 
       FIGS. 7 and 8  show cross-section views of a portion of wearable band  10  of  FIG. 1  taken along line CS, according to additional embodiments. As shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , bonding fibers  508  may be positioned parallel to weft thread  104  and perpendicular to the warp threads  102 , as similarly discussed herein with respect to  FIGS. 5 and 6A . However,  FIGS. 7 and 8  may include additional embodiments distinct from one another, and distinct from the woven material  100  shown in  FIG. 6A . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , weft thread  104  may be coupled to inner group  110  of warp threads  102 , and may be positioned within an inner portion of woven material  100 . Additionally, bonding fibers  508  may be coupled to, woven or interlaced between the second group  112  of warp threads  102  of woven material  100 . As a result of coupling bonding fibers  508  to the second group  112  of warp threads  102 , bonding fibers  508  may be positioned within an outer portion or exterior surface  118  of woven material  100 . As similarly discussed herein with respect to weft thread  104  in  FIG. 3A , bonding fibers  508  coupled to the second group  112  of warp thread  102  may be positioned within exterior surface  118  but may be substantially covered by the second group  112  of warp threads and/or may not be visible to a user of wearable band  10 . Bonding fibers  508  coupled to the second group  112  of warp threads  102  may be melted to form a bond between the second group  112  of warp threads  102 . Additionally, in some instances, bonding fibers  508  may be melted to form a bond between the second group  112  of warp threads  102 , the first group  110  of warp threads  102  and/or weft thread  104  coupled to the first group  110  of warp threads  102 . 
     Woven material  100 , as shown in  FIG. 7 , may also include bonding fibers  108  (shown in phantom) positioned in parallel with the plurality of warp threads  102 . Bonding fibers  108  positioned in parallel to warp threads  102  may be substantially surrounded by the first group  110  of warp threads  102  and weft thread  104 , as similarly discussed herein with respect to  FIG. 3A . Additionally, bonding fibers  108  may be positioned within woven material  100  and may include substantially similar material and/or function as similarly discussed herein with respect to the first collection  124  of bonding fibers  108  in  FIG. 3A . As such, redundant explanation is omitted herein for clarity. 
     In another embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 8 , weft thread  104  (see,  FIG. 3A-7 ) may be completely replaced by bonding fibers  508 . More specifically, bonding fibers  508  may be coupled to, woven or interlaced between both the first group  110  and the second group  112  of warp threads  102  for forming woven material  100 . As such, a distinct weft thread  104  may not be necessary in forming woven material  100 , as shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 8 . Bonding fibers  508  may include a plurality of bonding fibers coupled to the warp threads  102 , or may include a single bonding fiber  508  coupled to warp threads  102 , as similarly discussed herein with respect to weft thread  104  of  FIG. 3A . Bonding fibers  508  may include an interior bonding fiber portion  532  coupled to the first group  110  of warp threads  102 , and an exterior bonding fiber portion  534  coupled to the second group  112  of warp threads  102 . When melted, bonding fibers  508  of  FIG. 8  may form a bond between warp threads  102 . More specifically, interior bonding fiber portion  532  may form a bond between the threads included in the first group  110  of warp threads  102 , and exterior bonding fiber portion  534  may form a bond between the threads included in the second group  112  of warp threads  102 . Additionally, interior bonding fiber portion  532  and exterior bonding fiber portion  534 , separately or together, may form a bond between the first group  110  and the second group  112  of warp threads  102  of woven material  100 . 
     Bonding fibers  508 , as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , respectively, may be melted using any suitable melting technique and may provide increased stiffness and rigidity to woven material  100  forming wearable band  10 , as discussed herein. 
     As discussed herein, bonding fibers  508  may be formed within only a portion of woven material  100 . More specifically, where bonding fibers  508  are positioned in parallel to weft thread  104  and/or positioned perpendicular to warp threads  102  of woven material  100 , bonding fibers  508  may be selectively positioned in predetermined portions of woven material  100  forming wearable band  10 . As discussed herein, portions (e.g., uniform portion  30 ) may not necessitate the need for increased stiffness and/or rigidity, and therefore woven material  100  forming wearable band  10  may not include bonding fibers  508  in those portions. 
       FIG. 9  shows an enlarged portion  9  of wearable band  10  including woven material  100 , as depicted in  FIG. 1 . More specifically,  FIG. 9  shows an enlarged view of uniform portion  30  of wearable band  10  formed from woven material  100 . As discussed herein woven material  100  of wearable band  10  may include a plurality of warp threads  102 , at least one weft thread  104  coupled to the plurality of warp threads  102 , and bonding fibers  508  positioned within woven material  100 . Similar to  FIG. 5 , bonding fibers  508 , as shown in  FIG. 9 , may be positioned parallel to weft thread  104  and/or may be positioned perpendicular to the plurality of warp threads  102 . However, bonding fibers  508  may only be positioned in a portion of woven material  100 . That is, bonding fibers  508  may only be positioned in a first section  936  of uniform portion  30  of wearable band  10  formed from woven material  100 . As shown in  FIG. 9 , and with continued reference to  FIG. 1 , first section  936  of uniform portion  30  of wearable band  10  may be positioned directly adjacent to tapered portion  28  of wearable band  10 . As such, bonding fibers  508  may be included in woven material  100  forming first section  936  of uniform portion  30  of wearable band  10 . As discussed herein, bonding fibers  508  including in woven material  100  forming first section  936  of wearable band  10  may be melted and may increase the stiffness and rigidity of woven material  100  forming wearable band  10 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , a second section  938  of uniform portion  30  of wearable band  10  may not include bonding fibers  508 . More specifically, the portion of woven material  100  included in second section  938  of wearable band  10  may not include bonding fibers  508  positioned parallel to weft thread  104 . As a result, second section  938  of uniform portion  30  of wearable band  10  may not be exposed to the heat source, and/or may not be provided with an increased stiffness and rigidity from melting bonding fibers  508 . As such, where tapered portion  28  of woven material  100  forming wearable band  10 , and first section  936  of uniform portion  30  may include increased stiffness and rigidity from melting bonding fibers  508 , second section  938  of wearable band  10  may remain substantially unchanged (e.g., maintain stiffness). 
     Similar to  FIG. 2 , it is understood that the number of threads shown in  FIGS. 3A-9  to form woven material  100  may be merely exemplary. That is, the number of warp threads  102  weft threads  104 , and/or bonding fibers  108 ,  508  shown in  FIGS. 3A-9  may be merely exemplary for clearly and completely describing the disclosure, and may not represent the actual number of warp threads  102 , weft threads  104  and/or bonding fibers  108 ,  508  used to form woven material  100 . It is also understood, and discussed herein, that reed loop  26  (see,  FIG. 1 ) may be formed from woven material  100 . As such, any of the various embodiments of woven material  100  discussed and shown in  FIGS. 2-9  may be used to form wearable band  10  and/or reed loop  26  of wearable band  10 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 10 , a method of reinforcing a woven material  100  ( FIGS. 2-9 ) is now discussed. Specifically,  FIG. 10  is a flowchart depicting one sample method  1000  for forming a reinforced woven material, as discussed herein with respect to  FIGS. 1-9 . 
     In operation  1002 , a woven material may be provided. The provided woven material may include a plurality of warp threads and at least one weft thread coupled to the plurality of warp threads. In an embodiment, the warp threads may include a first group of warp threads positioned within an inner portion of the woven material, and a second group of warp threads substantially surrounding the first group of warp threads. The second group of warp threads may form the outer portion or exterior surface of the woven material. The at least one weft thread may be coupled to both the first group and the second group of warp threads. The woven material including the first group and second group of warp threads may be substantially similar to the woven material discussed herein with respect to  FIG. 3A . In another embodiment, the woven material may include the warp threads and weft thread positioned around filler fibers, where the weft thread is coupled to the plurality of warp threads. The woven material including the filler fibers may be substantially similar to the woven material discussed herein with respect to  FIG. 4A . 
     In operation  1004 , a plurality of bonding fibers may be positioned within at least a portion of the woven material. More specifically, the plurality of bonding fibers may be woven into the woven material during the formation of the woven material, such that the bonding fibers are positioned within at least a portion of the woven material. The positioning of the plurality of bonding fibers within at least a portion of the woven material may include positioning the plurality of bonding fibers in parallel with the warp threads of the woven material and/or positioning the plurality of bonding fibers in parallel with the weft thread of the woven material. Where the bonding fibers are positioned in parallel with the warp threads, the bonding fibers may be positioned within an entire length of the woven material. Where the bonding fibers are positioned in parallel with the weft thread, the bonding fibers may be positioned within at least a portion of the width of the woven material and/or within at least a portion of the length of the woven material. The bonding fibers may be formed from a material distinct from the material used to form the warp threads and the weft thread of the woven material. Additionally, the material used to form the bonding fibers may include a melting temperature that is lower than the melting temperature of the material forming the warp threads and the weft thread. The positioning of the bonding fibers within the woven material may form a woven material substantially similar to the woven material discussed in  FIGS. 2-9 . 
     In operation  1006 , the plurality of bonding fibers positioned within at least a portion of the woven material may be melted. That is, the woven material including the plurality of bonding fibers may be exposed to an external heat source, and the bonding fibers positioned within the woven material may be substantially liquefied using the external heat source. By liquefying the bonding fibers positioned within the woven material, liquefied bonding fibers may form a bond between the plurality of warp threads and/or the at least one weft thread of the woven material. That is, the liquefied bonding fibers may form a bond between a group or all of the warp threads and/or may form a bond between a group of the warp threads and the weft thread. To solidify and/or ensure a bond is formed within the woven material using the bonding fibers, the woven material may only be exposed to the external heating source long enough to melt the bonding fibers, but not melt the warp threads or weft threads of the woven material. As such, the exposure of the woven material to the external heating source may be discontinued after the bonding fibers are melted within the woven material. This may allow the liquefied bonding fibers to harden and form bonds to the warp threads and/or the weft thread of the woven material. 
     By weaving bonding fibers into a woven material, a component formed from the woven material may be reinforced and may be provided with additional or increased stiffness and rigidity. Additionally, where the bonding fibers woven into the woven material are formed from a material having a melting temperature lower than the melting temperature of the material forming the warp and weft threads of the woven material, the bonding fibers may be melted within the woven material without melting the remaining components of the woven material. This may result in maintaining the structural characteristics of the warp and weft threads of the woven material, while simultaneously forming bonds by melting the bonding fibers. Additionally, where the bonding fibers are included within the woven material (e.g., not exposed), the bonds may be formed by melting the bonding fibers without changing the appearance or aesthetics of the woven material. Alternatively, where bonding fibers may be exposed or positioned on an exterior surface of the woven material, the bonding fibers may be formed from a transparent material. As a result, the bonding fibers, formed from the transparent material, may also be melted without changing the appearance or aesthetics of the woven material. 
     The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the described embodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the specific embodiments described herein are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not targeted to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20150712
Publication Date: 20200225
Grant Date: 20200225
Priority Date: 20140809
Inventors: HAMADA, YOJI
COXETER, PETER F.
SU, Ying-liang
SIAHAAN, EDWARD
MATTSON, WHITNEY D.
MATSUYUKI, NAOTO
Assignee: APPLE INC
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Family ID: 53758538