Filamentary seaming element for an industrial fabric and industrial fabric seamed using the element

A seaming element for seaming edges of an industrial textile, the seaming element comprising a continuous filamentary structure deformedly set in an elongated configuration, the continuous filamentary structure comprising a plurality of looped segments alternated with connecting portions, wherein

• (i) each connecting portion is spaced apart from each adjacent connecting portion and is configured to separate adjacent ones of the looped segments alternately into a first layer of looped segments and a second layer of looped segments;
• (ii) each looped segment comprises a looped outer free end portion and two leg portions, each leg portion extending in the respective one of the first layer and the second layer from the outer free end portion to an adjacent one of the connecting portions;
• (iii) the looped segments of the first layer are coplanar in a first plane and are aligned with each other at their respective outer free end portions, and the looped segments of the second layer are coplanar in a second plane substantially parallel to the first plane and are aligned with each other at their respective outer free end portions;
• (iv) each connecting portion extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the respective adjacent leg portions;
• and
• (v) the outer free end portions of the seaming element are constructed and arranged to be securable directly to a selected first edge of the industrial textile, such that the connecting portions of the seaming element are engageable in securable alignment with the corresponding connecting portions of a complementary seaming element correspondingly provided at an opposing second edge of the industrial textile, the connecting portions together defining a continuous longitudinal channel.