# US 11,993,873 B2 · Reversible textile transformation

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- Number: US 11,993,873 B2
- Document ID: US11993873B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/016,149
- Filed: 2020-09-09
- Published: 2021-03-11
- Granted: 2024-05-28
- Earliest claimed: 2019-09-09
- Assignees: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Ministry of Supply
- Applicants: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Ministry of Supply Inc.
- Inventors: Skylar J.E. Tibbits; Jared Smith Laucks; Schendy G. Kernizan; Lavender Rose Tessmer; Carmel Marie Dunlap; Gihan S. Amarasiriwardena
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993873B2

## CPC

- D04B 1/16: synthetic threads
- D04B 1/22: specially adapted for knitting goods of particular configuration
- D10B 2401/04: Heat-responsive characteristics
- D10B 2403/0114: with one or more yarns appearing predominantly on one face, e.g. plated or paralleled yarns (for pile fabrics D03D27/00, D04B1/02, D04B21/02; for intarsia fabrics D04B1/126)
- D10B 2403/021: Lofty fabric with equidistantly spaced front and back plies, e.g. spacer fabrics
- D10B 2403/0231: including contracting yarn, e.g. blister fabrics
- D04B: KNITTING
- D10B: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES

## Abstract

Knit textile structures are formed of a yarn made of composite fibers, which is an active material within the knit structure that transforms in response to a change in temperature. In combination with non-active fibers and performative knit structure, this contraction can enable changes in the fabric that are adaptive to changes in environmental conditions during wear.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A knit fabric comprising:
a first and second yarn knit together;
wherein at least one of the first and second yarns comprises a plurality of fibers that are composites of first and second polymers arranged side-by-side in cross-section;
wherein the first polymer comprises a black pigment;
wherein the first and second polymers are polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), or polyamide (PA); and
wherein the knit fabric curls from 34° to 297° upon exposure to infrared radiation that causes a temperature change from −5° C. to 30° C.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The knit fabric of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fibers of the first yarn have an S-twist.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The knit fabric of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fibers of the second yarn have a Z-twist.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The knit fabric of claim 1, wherein the first and second polymers are the same polymer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The knit fabric of claim 1, wherein the first and second yarns are knit in an alternating arrangement.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The knit fabric of claim 1, wherein pairs of the first and second yarns are knit in an alternating arrangement.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The knit fabric of claim 1, wherein the first and second yarns are knit together with a third yarn that is not a composite material.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The knit fabric of claim 1, wherein the first polymer absorbs more infrared radiation than the second polymer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The knit fabric of claim 1, wherein the second polymer comprises a white pigment.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The knit fabric of claim 1, wherein a cross section of the fibers comprise a greater amount of the first polymer than the second polymer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The knit fabric of claim 1, wherein the first and second polymers have linear coefficients of thermal expansion that differ from 1×10−5/° C. to 20×10−5/° C. at room temperature.