Load bearing system, and an article including such load bearing system

1. A load bearing system comprising:

a load-bearing textile strap;

said strap comprising a woven portion having warp yarns extending along a longitudinal direction of the strap interlaced with at least one weft yarn, said woven portion of the strap having a first width;

said strap having a non-woven portion, said non-woven portion of the strap comprising only at least a portion of the warp yarns;

in said non-woven portion of the strap, said warp yarns being transversely spread over a second width greater than said first width of the woven portion; said warp yarns being maintained transversely spread by: adhesive bonding, or being attached to a support surface with stitches.

2. A load bearing system according to claim 1 , wherein:

said warp yarns of said non-woven portion of the strap are maintained transversely spread by adhesive bonding.

3. A load bearing system according to claim 1 , wherein:

said warp yarns of said non-woven portion of the strap are maintained transversely spread by being adhesively bonded to a support surface.

4. A load bearing system according to claim 2 , wherein:

said warp yarns of said non-woven portion of the strap are maintained transversely spread by being adhesively bonded with a film of glue.

5. A load bearing system according to claim 1 , wherein:

said warp yarns of said non-woven portion of the strap are maintained transversely spread by being attached to a support surface with stitches.

6. A load bearing system according to claim 1 , wherein:

said non-woven portion of the strap is an end portion of the strap.

7. A load bearing system according to claim 1 , wherein:

said non-woven portion of the strap is an intermediate portion of the strap, between two woven portions of the strap, said intermediate portion of the strap having warp yarns extending along a longitudinal direction of the strap interlaced with at least one weft yarn.

8. A load bearing system according to claim 1 , wherein:

said non-woven portion of the strap is encased in a flexible casing.

9. A load bearing system comprising:

a load-bearing textile strap;

said strap comprising a woven portion having warp yarns extending along a longitudinal direction of the strap interlaced with at least one weft yarn, said woven portion of the strap having a first width;

said strap having a non-woven portion, said non-woven portion of the strap comprising only at least a portion of the warp yarns;

in said non-woven portion of the strap, said warp yarns are spread transversely over a second width greater than said first width of the woven portion;

a cushioning pad positioned adjacent said non-woven portion of the strap.

10. A load bearing system according to claim 9 , wherein:

said cushioning pad is adhesively bonded to the non-woven portion of the strap.

11. A load bearing system according to claim 1 , wherein:

said non-woven portion of the strap includes no weft yarn extending from said woven portion of the strap.

12. A load bearing system comprising:

a load-bearing textile strap;

said strap comprising a woven portion having warp yarns extending along a longitudinal direction of the strap interlaced with at least one weft yarn, said woven portion of the strap having a first width;

said strap having a non-woven portion, said non-woven portion of the strap comprising only at least a portion of the warp yarns;

in said non-woven portion of the strap, said warp yarns are spread transversely over a second width greater than said first width of the woven portion;

said load-bearing strap comprises a strap of a climbing harness.

13. A load bearing system according to claim 1 , wherein:

said load-bearing strap comprises a shoulder strap of a backpack.

14. A load bearing system according to claim 1 , wherein:

said load-bearing strap comprises a waist belt of a backpack.

15. A climbing harness comprising:

at least one of a waist belt and a pair of leg loops; at least one of the waist belt and the pair of leg loops comprising

a load-bearing textile strap;

said strap comprising a woven portion having warp yarns extending along a longitudinal direction of the strap interlaced with at least one weft yarn, said woven portion of the strap having a first width;

said strap having a non-woven portion, said non-woven portion of the strap comprising only at least a portion of the warp yarns;

in said non-woven portion of the strap, said warp yarns are spread transversely over a second width greater than said first width of the woven portion.

16. A climbing harness according to claim 15 , wherein: the climbing harness comprises said waist belt, said waist belt comprising said load-bearing textile strap.

17. A climbing harness according to claim 15 , wherein:

the climbing harness comprises said pair of leg loops,

each of said leg loops comprises a load-bearing strap according to claim 15 .

18. A load bearing system according to claim 1 , wherein:

said comprising only at least a portion of the warp yarns in said non-woven system consists of all or fewer than all said warp yarns extend through said non-woven portion of the strap; and

none of the at least one weft yarn extends within said non-woven portion of the strap.

19. A load bearing system according to claim 1 , wherein:

said warp yarns of the strap extend continuously along both said woven portion and said non-woven portion of the strap.

20. A load bearing system according to claim 1 , wherein:

each of pluralities of adjacent pairs of said warp yarns are spaced apart in said non-woven portion of the strap greater than in the woven portion of the strap.

21. A method of making the load bearing system according to claim 1 , said method comprising:

weaving an upstream portion of the strap by interlacing said at least one weft yarn with said warp yarns;

interrupting said weaving by discontinuing said interlacing of said at least one weft yarn to thereby create said non-woven portion of said strap.

22. A method according to claim 21 , said method further comprising:

after said interrupting said weaving, resuming said weaving to create a downstream portion of the strap.

23. A method of making the load bearing system according to claim 1 , said method comprising:

removing every one of at least one weft yarn along a portion of an initially continuously woven strap to produce said non-woven portion of said load-bearing textile strap.

24. A method according to claim 21 , said method further comprising:

spreading apart adjacent pairs of said warp yarns in said non-woven portion of the strap; and

securing said adjacent pairs of warp yarns in a spread-apart configuration.

25. A method according to claim 24 , wherein:

said securing said adjacent pairs of warp yarns in a spread-apart configuration comprises stitching said spread-apart warp yarns to a support surface.

26. A method according to claim 24 , wherein:

said securing said adjacent pairs of warp yarns in a spread-apart configuration comprises adhesively bonding said spread-apart warp yarns to a support surface.

27. A method according to claim 23 , said method further comprising:

spreading apart adjacent pairs of said warp yarns in said non-woven portion of the strap; and

securing said adjacent pairs of warp yarns in a spread-apart configuration.

28. A method according to claim 27 , wherein:

said securing said adjacent pairs of warp yarns in a spread-apart configuration comprises stitching said spread-apart warp yarns to a support surface.

29. A method according to claim 27 , wherein:

said securing said adjacent pairs of warp yarns in a spread-apart configuration comprises adhesively bonding said spread-apart warp yarns to a support surface.

30. A load bearing system comprising:

a load-bearing textile strap comprising warp yarns and at least one weft yarn;

said strap comprising a woven portion, said woven portion comprising a plurality of adjacent pairs of warp yarns extending along a longitudinal direction of the strap interlaced with said at least one weft yarn;

said strap further comprising a non-woven portion, said non-woven portion of the strap comprising no weft yarn;

in said non-woven portion of the strap, of said plurality of adjacent pairs of warp yarns being transversely spread apart to provide the non-woven portion of the strap with an increased width relative to a width of the woven portion of the strap; said plurality of adjacent pairs of warp yarns being maintained transversely spread apart by: adhesive bonding, or being attached to a support surface with stitches.