Foam nodes for creating stand off on apparel items
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsYuki Aihara, Alice Fockele, David Turner, Carmen L. Zolman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Aspects herein relate to apparel items and apparel systems that utilize applied or printed foam nodes to provide, among other things, stand-off between an apparel item and a wearer's skin surface. One or more of the foam nodes, or areas of the textile surrounding the foam nodes, may be perforated to provide a fluid communication path between an inner-facing surface and an outer-facing surface of the apparel item. The communication path may be used to facilitate air exchange between the external environment and the wearer's body and/or to provide an exit path for moisture vapor generated by the wearer.
Claims17
An apparel system comprising:
- an inner article having an inner-facing surface and an outer-facing surface, the inner article comprising a first set of foam ink nodes located on the inner-facing surface of the inner article, wherein a portion of the first set of foam ink nodes comprise a perforation extending through the respective foam ink nodes and the inner article to form a fluid communication path from the inner-facing surface of the inner article to the outer-facing surface of the inner article;
- and
- an outer article configured to be worn over the inner article, the outer article having an inner-facing surface and an outer-facing surface, the outer article comprising a second set of foam ink nodes located on the inner-facing surface of the outer article.
An upper-body apparel system comprising:
- an inner article in the form of a shirt, the inner article having an inner-facing surface and an outer-facing surface, the inner article comprising a first set of foam ink nodes located on the outer-facing surface of the inner article, wherein a portion of the first set of foam ink nodes comprise a perforation extending through the respective foam ink nodes and the inner article to form a fluid communication path from the inner-facing surface of the inner article to the outer-facing surface of the inner article;
- and
- an outer article in the form of a shirt and configured to be worn over the inner article, the outer article having an inner-facing surface and an outer-facing surface, the outer article comprising a second set of foam ink nodes located on the inner-facing surface of the outer article.
An apparel system comprising:
- an inner article having an inner-facing surface and an outer-facing surface, the inner article comprising a first set of foam ink nodes located on the inner-facing surface of the inner article, the inner article further comprising a second set of foam ink nodes located on the outer-facing surface of the inner article wherein one or more of the first set of foam ink nodes and the second set of foam ink nodes comprise a perforation extending through the respective foam ink nodes and the inner article to form a fluid communication path from the inner-facing surface of the inner article and the outer-facing surface of the inner article;
- and
- an outer article configured to be worn over the inner article, the outer article having an inner-facing surface and an outer-facing surface, the outer article comprising a third set of foam ink nodes located on the inner-facing surface of the outer article.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.