RESILIENT THREE-DIMENSIONALLY SHAPED FIBER NETWORKS WITH IMPROVED COMFORT AND AESTHETIC PROPERTIES, IMPROVED METHOD OF MAKING SAME AND ARTICLES CONTAINING SAME

摘要

A three-dimensionally shaped fiber network structure having both resiliency and improved softness and aesthetic properties is composed of a deformed textile fabric formed from at least one monofilament and at least one multifilament yarn and having a plurality of deformations formed as a two-dimensional array in a base region of the deformed textile fabric. The deformed textile fabric is preferably a knitted or a woven fabric. The network structure is made by forming a deformable fabric from the monofilament and the multifilament yarn and then subjecting the deformable fabric to an area-enlarging deformation process, e.g., a thermomechanical process, to produce the deformed textile fabric having the deformations formed in a base region thereof. The three-dimensional network structures may be used in a variety of articles, including cushioning materials, impact-absorbing materials, and load-bearing materials.