Method of forming a woven textile

Claim 1

A method of manufacturing a woven textile having a structural member integrally woven therein, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of warp yarns; (b) displacing a first group of said warp yarns in a first vertical direction relative to a second group of said warp yarns, to create a first shed between said first and second groups of warp yarns; (c) passing a weft insertion shuttle through said first shed, in a first weft shuttle direction, to form a weft yarn; (d) displacing a third group of said warp yarns in a second vertical direction relative to a fourth group of said warp yarns, to create a second shed between said third and fourth groups of warp yarns; (e) passing said weft insertion shuttle through said second shed in a second weft shuttle direction, opposed to said first weft shuttle direction, to form an additional weft yarn; (f) repeating steps (b)-(e) a predetermined number of times to obtain a predetermined number of weft yarns; (g) subsequent to step (f), displacing at least a first single given warp yarn in one of said first and second vertical directions, relative to a remainder of said warp yarns, to create a structural member receiving gap; (h) subsequent to step (g), passing a structural member insertion shuttle through said structural member receiving gap in a first horizontal direction to dispense a wire-like structural member into said receiving gap; (i) subsequent to step (h), replacing said at least first single given warp yarn in the other of said first and second vertical directions relative to the remainder of said warp yarns, to secure said member; (j) subsequent to step (i), displacing all said warp yarns in an identical vertical direction; (k) subsequent to step (j), passing said structural member insertion shuttle past said warp yarns without interweaving therewith; (l) again repeating steps (b)-(e) to obtain said predetermined number of weft yarns; (m) repeating steps (g)-(k) with at least a second given single warp yarn which is spaced from said at least first given single warp yarn displaced in initially performing step (g) by a predetermined distance, said predetermined distance and said predetermined number of weft yarns together defining a non-orthogonal angle between said structural member and said warp yarns and a complimentary non-orthogonal angle between said structural member and said weft yarns.

Claim 2

A method of manufacturing a woven textile having a structural member integrally woven therein, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of warp yarns; (b) displacing a first group of said warp yarns in a first vertical direction relative to a second group of said warp yarns, to create a first shed between said first and second groups of warp yarns; (c) passing a weft insertion shuttle through said first shed, in a first weft shuttle direction, to form a weft yarn; (d) displacing a third group of said warp yarns in a second vertical direction relative to a fourth group of said warp yarns, to create a second shed between said third and fourth groups of warp yarns; (e) passing said weft insertion shuttle through said second shed in a second weft shuttle direction, opposed to said first weft shuttle direction, to form an additional weft yarn; (f) repeating steps (b)-(e) a predetermined number of times to obtain a predetermined number of weft yarns; (g) subsequent to step (f), displacing at least a first single given warp yarn in one of said first and second vertical directions, relative to a remainder of said warp yarns, to create a structural member receiving gap; (h) subsequent to step (g), passing a structural member insertion shuttle through said structural member receiving gap in a first horizontal direction to dispense a wire-like structural member into said receiving gap; (i) subsequent to step (h), replacing said at least first single given warp yarn in the other of said first and second vertical directions relative to the remainder of said warp yarns, to secure said member; (j) subsequent to step (i), displacing all said warp yarns in an identical vertical direction; (k) subsequent to step (j), passing said structural member insertion shuttle past said warp yarns without interweaving therewith; (l) again repeating steps (b)-(e) to obtain said predetermined number of weft yarns; (m) repeating steps (g)-(k) with at least a second given single warp yarn which is spaced from said at least first given single warp yarn displaced in initially performing step (g) by a predetermined distance, said predetermined distance and said predetermined number of weft yarns together defining a non-orthogonal angle between said structural member and said warp yarns and a complimentary non-orthogonal angle between said structural member and said weft yarns.

Claim 11

A method of manufacturing a woven textile having a structural member integrally woven therein, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of warp yarns; (b) displacing a first group of said warp yarns in a first vertical direction relative to a second group of said warp yarns, to create a first shed between said first and second groups of warp yarns; (c) passing a weft insertion shuttle through said first shed, in a first weft shuttle direction, to form a weft yarn; (d) displacing a third group of said warp yarns in a second vertical direction relative to a fourth group of said warp yarns, to create a second shed between said third and fourth groups of warp yarns; (e) passing said weft insertion shuttle through said second shed in a second weft shuttle direction, opposed to said first weft shuttle direction, to form an additional weft yarn; (f) repeating steps (b)-(e) a predetermined number of times to obtain a predetermined number of weft yarns; (g) subsequent to step (f), passing a structural member insertion shuttle across said warp and weft yarns in a first horizontal direction to dispense a wire-like structural member, said wire-like structural member having a plurality of recessed attachment points which are substantially parallel to said warp yarns and aligned with one of said first and second groups of warp yarns; (h) subsequent to step (g), repeating one of step (g) and step (e) to secure said wire-like structural member, at a given one of said attachment points, with at least a given weft yarn; (i) subsequent to step (h), displacing said structural member away from said warp and weft yarns so as to prevent interference with weaving; (j) again repeating steps (b)-(e) to obtain said predetermined number of weft yarns; and (k) repeating steps (g)-(i), as needed, with at least an additional given weft yarn which is spaced from said at least first given weft yarn used in initially performing step (h) by said predetermined number of weft yarns, at a location corresponding to a predetermined number of said warp yarns, said predetermined number of weft yarns and said predetermined number of said warp yarns together defining a non-orthogonal angle between a global axis of said structural member and said warp yarns and a complimentary non-orthogonal angle between said global axis of said structural member and said weft yarns.

Claim 12

A method of manufacturing a woven textile having a structural member integrally woven therein, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of warp yarns; (b) displacing a first group of said warp yarns in a first vertical direction relative to a second group of said warp yarns, to create a first shed between said first and second groups of warp yarns; (c) passing a weft insertion shuttle through said first shed, in a first weft shuttle direction, to form a weft yarn; (d) displacing a third group of said warp yarns in a second vertical direction relative to a fourth group of said warp yarns, to create a second shed between said third and fourth groups of warp yarns; (e) passing said weft insertion shuttle through said second shed in a second weft shuttle direction, opposed to said first weft shuttle direction, to form an additional weft yarn; (f) repeating steps (b)-(e) a predetermined number of times to obtain a predetermined number of weft yarns; (g) subsequent to step (f), passing a structural member insertion shuttle across said warp and weft yarns in a first horizontal direction to dispense a wire-like structural member, said wire-like structural member having a plurality of recessed attachment points which are substantially parallel to said warp yarns and aligned with one of said first and second groups of warp yarns; (h) subsequent to step (g), repeating one of step (g) and step (e) to secure said wire-like structural member, at a given one of said attachment points, with at least a given weft yarn; (i) subsequent to step (h), displacing said structural member away from said warp and weft yarns so as to prevent interference with weaving; (j) again repeating steps (b)-(e) to obtain said predetermined number of weft yarns; and (k) repeating steps (g)-(i), as needed, with at least an additional given weft yarn which is spaced from said at least first given weft yarn used in initially performing step (h) by said predetermined number of weft yarns, at a location corresponding to a predetermined number of said warp yarns, said predetermined number of weft yarns and said predetermined number of said warp yarns together defining a non-orthogonal angle between a global axis of said structural member and said warp yarns and a complimentary non-orthogonal angle between said global axis of said structural member and said weft yarns.