Seam for an industrial fabric and seaming element therefor

A seamed nonwoven industrial textile, comprising:

• a nonwoven industrial textile having a first seamable edge, a second seamable edge, a first substantially planar outer surface, and a second substantially planar outer surface;
• and
• a first seaming element and a second seaming element together joining the first seamable edge and the second seamable edge, each of the first and second seaming elements including:
• an elongate body having a first end, a second end, a first lateral edge region, and a second lateral edge region, the second lateral edge region having an inner surface;
• and
• at least one channelled protrusion along the first lateral edge region,
• the elongate body of each the first and second seaming elements having optical properties so as to be transparent to an incident laser energy/radiation and comprising a laser-weldable polymeric film on at least a portion of the inner surface of the second lateral edge region, the layer of laser-weldable polymeric film being laser energy absorbent, the layer of laser-weldable polymeric film being laser welded to the first and second substantially planar outer surfaces proximate the first seamable edge, the layer of laser-weldable polymeric film of the second seaming element being laser welded to the first and second substantially planar outer surfaces proximate the second seamable edge,
• the at least one channelled protrusion of the first seaming element being engaged with the corresponding at least one channelled of the second seaming element such that the protrusions are securably aligned together.

A seamed woven industrial textile, comprising:

• a woven industrial textile having sets of interwoven yarns defining a first seamable edge, a second seamable edge;
• and
• a first seaming element and a second seaming element together joining the first seamable edge and the second seamable edge, each of the first and second seaming elements including:
• a U-shaped elongate body having a first end, a second end, a first lateral edge region, and a second lateral edge region, the second lateral edge region having an inner surface;
• and
• at least one channelled protrusion along the first lateral edge region,
• the U-shaped elongate body having optical properties so as to be transparent to an incident laser energy/radiation and an inner surface and comprising a laser-weldable polymeric film on at least a portion of the inner surface of the second lateral edge region, the layer of laser-weldable polymeric film being laser energy absorbent, the inner surface second lateral edge region of the first seaming element being laser welded to the outer surfaces of the first seamable edge, the inner surface second lateral edge region of the second seaming element being laser welded to the outer surfaces of the second seamable edge, and the at least one channelled protrusion of the first seaming element being engaged with the corresponding at least one channelled of the second seaming element, such that the protrusions are securably aligned together.

A seaming element being configured to be laser welded to and joining a first seamable edge of an industrial textile to a second seamable edge of the industrial textile, the seaming element comprising:

• a U-shaped elongate body having a first end, a second end, a first lateral edge region, and a second lateral edge region, the second lateral edge region including a first inner surface and a second inner surface,
• the first lateral edge region including at least one extension member that defines a longitudinal channel between the first end and the second end and is configured to extends from the first seamable edge,
• the U-shaped elongate body having optical properties so as to be transparent to an incident laser energy/radiation and at least a portion of each of the first and second inner surfaces of the U-shaped body including at least one layer of a laser-weldable polymeric film, the layer of laser-weldable polymeric film being laser energy absorbent that provides a laser-weldable interface between the seaming element and the industrial textile, the seaming element being configured to enclose and be laser welded to the first seamable edge;
• and
• the at least one extension member being engagable with a corresponding at least one extension member of a complementary seaming element being configured to be laser welded to the second seamable edge, such that the extension members are securably aligned together.