Environmentally responsive fibers and garments
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorPatrick Williams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a dynamic fiber/yarn capable of changing in response to external stimuli. The fiber/yarn in accordance with the present invention undergoes a radial symmetric change. The fiber/yarn in accordance with the present invention may be heat sensitive, moisture sensitive, magnetic field sensitive, electromagnetic field sensitive, etc.
Claims20
A stimuli-sensitive composite fiber comprising at least two different types of polymer materials:
- a stimuli-sensitive polymer material capable of undergoing a cross-sectional reversible and radially symmetric physical change, the stimuli-sensitive polymer material being located at a core of the stimuli-sensitive composite fiber, the stimuli-sensitive polymer material comprising a first cross-sectional and radially symmetric shape in the absence of an external stimulus and a second cross-sectional and radially symmetric shape in the presence of the external stimulus;
- and
- a second polymer material having a third cross-sectional and radially symmetric shape in the absence of the external stimulus and a fourth cross-sectional and radially symmetric shape in the presence of the external stimulus, wherein a transition from the third cross-sectional and radially symmetric shape to the fourth cross-sectional and radially symmetric shape in the second polymer material is induced by the change from the first cross-sectional and radially symmetric shape to the second cross-sectional and radially symmetric shape of the stimuli-sensitive polymer material.
A garment comprising a stimuli-sensitive composite fiber capable of undergoing a cross-sectional and radially symmetric reversible physical change, the stimuli-sensitive composite fiber's cross-sectional area comprising:
- a first material at a core of the stimuli-sensitive composite fiber, the first material capable of undergoing a physicochemical change in response to an external stimulus, wherein the first material comprises a first cross-sectional and radially symmetric shape in the absence of the external stimulus, and wherein the first material comprises a second cross-sectional and radially symmetric shape in the presence of the external stimulus;
- and
- a second material comprising a third cross-sectional and radially symmetric shape in the absence of the external stimulus and a fourth cross-sectional and radially symmetric shape in the presence of the external stimulus, wherein the second material is adjacent to the first material, and wherein in the presence of the external stimulus, the physicochemical change in the first material causes a mechanical shift in the second material from the third cross-sectional and radially symmetric shape to the fourth cross-sectional and radially symmetric shape.
A stimuli-sensitive composite fiber capable of undergoing a cross-sectional and radially symmetric reversible physical change, the stimuli-sensitive composite fiber's cross-sectional area comprising:
- a first material at a core of the fiber, the first material capable of undergoing a physicochemical change in response to an external stimulus, wherein the first material comprises a first cross-sectional and radially symmetric shape in the absence of the external stimulus, and wherein the first material comprises a second cross-sectional and radially symmetric shape in the presence of the external stimulus;
- and
- a second material that is adjacent to the first material, and wherein in the presence of the external stimulus, the physicochemical change in the first material causes a mechanical shift in the second material from a third cross-sectional and radially symmetric shape to a fourth cross-sectional and radially symmetric shape.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.