Loop textiles have many applications. As an example, terry cloth loop textiles have been used for cleaning purposes. However, the terry cloth loops do not always provide a surface sufficient for scrubbing a surface. Therefore, there is a need for loop textiles having different characteristics for engaging another item.

Brief Description Of The Drawings FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention, illustrated as a loop textile.

FIG. 2A-F are enlarged cross-sectional views of a filament from a loop of the textile in FIG. 1.

FIG 3 is a block diagram, illustrating one embodiment of the method of forming the textile in FIG. 1.

Detailed Description Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention, illustrated as the textile 100. The textile 100 generally includes a base substrate 110 with a first surface 111 and a second surface 112, and a plurality of loops 120 extending from the first surface 111 of the base substrate 110.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the base substrate 110 is a knitted cloth formed from a plurality of substrate yarns 113. Although the base substrate 110 is illustrated in FIG. 1 as a knitted cloth, the base substrate 110 can be any material that provides a flexible cloth-like base from which the loops 120 can extend. For example, the base substrate can also be woven, non-woven, foam (open or closed cell), film, or any other similar web-like material. In one embodiment, the base substrate 110 is absorbent. In another embodiment, the base substrate 110 can retain small particles.

The loops 120 are a yarn that originate and extend outwardly from the first surface 111 of the base substrate 110, and return into the first surface 111 of the base substrate 110. The loops 120 have a height and width that is generally sufficient to receive material within the loop 120 when the textile 100 passes over another surface. In one embodiment, the height of the loop 120 is between about 0.1 millimeter and about 5 millimeters, and the width of the loop 120 is between about 0.1 millimeters and about 5 millimeters at the widest point. In another embodiment, the height of the loop 120 is between about 0.3 millimeter and about 3 millimeters, and the width of the loop 120 is between about 0.3 millimeters and about 3 millimeters at the widest point. In a particular embodiment, the loops 120 extend about 1.0 millimeters from the base substrate 110, are about 0.8 millimeter wide at the widest point.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the loop 120 is a mono-filament yarn. However, it is contemplated that the yarn forming the loops 120 can be either a mono-filament yarn or a multiple filament yarn. In one embodiment, the yarn forming the loops 120 have at least one filament with a denier per filament of at least about 10. In another embodiment the yarn forming the loops 120 have at least one filament with a denier per filament of at least about 20. In one embodiment the yarn forming the loops 120 have a denier per yarn of no greater than about 500 in one embodiment, and about 1000 in another embodiment. In one embodiment, the yarn forming the loops 120 are stiffer than the material of the base substrate 110.

The loops 120 can be positioned on the base substrate 110 in a regular pattern, a random pattern, overlapping, separated, freestanding, or in any other desired configuration. In one embodiment, the loops 120 are positioned on the base substrate in a rectangular grid with about six rows of loops per centimeter in one direction (the wide direction of the loops), and about seven and one-half loops per centimeter in the other direction. It is also contemplated that the plurality of loops in the present invention can be combined with other material, such as loops of material other than the loops described herein.

Referring now to FIG. 2A-F, there are shown enlarged cross-section of various embodiments of filaments that can be used in the yarn of the loops 120 from FIG. 1. In FIG. 2A is illustrated a filament having an elliptical cross-section. In FIG.

2B is illustrated a filament having a rectangular cross-section. In FIG. 2C is

illustrated a filament having a square cross-section. In FIG. 2D is illustrated a filament having a tear drop shaped cross-section. In FIG. 2E is illustrated a filament having a crescent shaped cross-section. In FIG. 2F is illustrated a filament having a multi-lobe cross-section, such as a tri-lobe cross-section.

In one embodiment, the cross-section of the filament (s) forming the loop 120 have an aspect ratio of greater than about 1.2, as illustrated in FIGS. 2A-F. In another embodiment, the cross-section of the filament (s) forming the loop 120 have an aspect ratio of greater than about 2. As used herein an aspect ratio shall mean the width of the cross-section at its widest point divided by the width of the cross- section at its narrowest point. In another embodiment, the cross-section of the filament (s) forming the loop 120 have at least one corner edge, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 B-F. In yet another embodiment, the cross-section of the filament (s) forming the loop 120 have a cross-section with at least a portion of the cross-section being concave, as illustrated in FIGS. 2E-F. As used herein, concave shall mean a shape that the outer perimeter extends within a straight line drawn between any two points on the outer perimeter.

In an embodiment where the loops 120 are formed of mono-filament yarns, the cross sections of the filaments can either be all one type of cross-section, or multiple cross-sections can be used for the filaments forming the various loops 120.

In an embodiment where the loops are formed of multiple filament yarns, the cross sections of the filaments forming the yarns can either be all of one type of cross- section (homogeneous), or multiple types of cross-sections (heterogeneous).

Additionally, the various loops 120 can be yarns of different filaments, including any combination of homogenous yarns and/or heterogeneous yarns. Furthermore, the various loops 120 can be combinations of any of the mono-filament yarns and multiple filament yarns.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a block diagram of a method 200 of forming one embodiment of the textile according to FIG. 1. The method 200 illustrated in FIG. 3 generally includes the steps of acquiring a sheet of polymer material 210, slitting the sheet of polymer material into strips 220, and forming a base substrate and attaching the strips of polymer to the base substrate as loops extending from the base material 230.

In step 210, the acquired sheet of polymer material can be a polymer that is extruded, cast, blown, or that is formed in any other manner that produces a sheet of polymer. The polymer can be polyethylene, polyester, polypropylene, or the like.

The thickness of the sheet can be from about 0.0005 inches to about 0.005 inches.

In one embodiment, the film is about 0.0015 inches thick.

In step 220, the sheet of polymer material is slit into individual filaments, in one embodiment, a long sheet of polymer material is unrolled and engages a row of knives that slit the sheet of polymer from its original width to many strips of the polymer material, the number of strips determined by the number of knives. The width of the filaments can be from about 0.002 inches to about 0.25 inches. In one embodiment, the individual filaments are strips of polymer that are about 0.0145 inches wide.

In step 230, the forming a base substrate and attaching the strips of polymer can be performed by double knitting the base substrate, tucking the strips of polymer into the base substrate, and knitting the polymer strips into the base substrate as loops. In one embodiment, the polymer strips are attached as loops to the base substrate by attaching a first section of a strip of polymer to the base substrate 231, bringing the strip of polymer around a sacrificial yarn, attaching a second section of the strip of polymer to the base substrate on the opposite side of the sacrificial yarn from the first section of the strip of polymer 232, and removing the sacrificial yarn from between the strip of polymer and the base substrate to form a loop of the strip of polymer 233. In a further embodiment, the step of removing the sacrificial yarn is performed by dissolving the sacrificial yarn.

The present invention can also be better understood by reference to the following example. A polymer sheet was acquired of a polyester film being about 0.0015 inches thick. The polymer sheet was slit into filament strips of about 0.0145 inches wide. A base substrate was formed from a substrate yarn of textured filament polyester yarn, having 34 filaments per yarn at a yarn denier of 150 (such as Dacron 56T by DuPont). The filament polymer strips were attached to the base substrate by tucking the filament polymer strips into the base substrate as it was being formed, and knitting the filament polymer strips into the base substrate around a one ply, 40 denier per filament, 12 filament sacrificial water-soluble poly (vinyl alcohol) yarn (such as Solvron by Nitivy). The sacrificial yarn was removed by immersing the textile into a hot water scour of 160F. After formation of the loops by dissolving the sacrificial yarn, the textile was dyed, slit to proper width, dried, and cut to the appropriate size.