# US 12,110,618 B2 · Knitted fabric structure, socks, arm cover, leggings, and shirt > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,110,618 B2 - Document ID: US12110618B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/087,144 - Filed: 2022-12-22 - Published: 2023-08-10 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2022-02-04 - Assignees: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Kenichiro Takumi; Ryosuke Ebina; Tsuyoshi Soeda; Masayuki Tsuji - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110618B2 ## CPC - D04B 1/16: synthetic threads - D04B 1/24: wearing apparel - D04B 1/12: characterised by thread material - D04B 1/18: elastic threads - D10B 2331/041: derived from hydroxy-carboxylic acids, e.g. lactones - D10B 2401/13: anti-allergenic or anti-bacterial - D10B 2401/16: antistatic; conductive - D10B 2401/18: including electronic components - D10B 2501/02: Underwear - D10B 2501/043: Footwear - D04B: KNITTING - D10B: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES ## Abstract A knitted fabric structure that includes a piezoelectric yarn having a piezoelectric material that produces a surface potential by input of an external force from an outside of the piezoelectric yarn; and an elastic yarn having stretchability knitted together with the piezoelectric yarn, wherein the piezoelectric yarn has a mixing ratio of 5% or more based on a whole of the knitted fabric structure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A knitted fabric structure comprising: a piezoelectric yarn comprising polylactic acid as a piezoelectric material and that produces a surface potential by input of an external force from an outside of the piezoelectric yarn, the piezoelectric yarn having a first loop; wherein the first loop does not include an elastic yarn; and an elastic yarn having an elongation recovery rate of 40% or more, the elastic yarn having a second loop, wherein the second loop of the elastic yarn is hooked to the first loop of the piezoelectric yarn, wherein the piezoelectric yarn has a mixing ratio of 5% or more based on a whole of the knitted fabric structure, and wherein the elastic yarn has a mixing ratio of 35% or more based on the whole of the knitted fabric structure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The knitted fabric structure according to claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric material is in the form of electric field producing filaments. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The knitted fabric structure according to claim 2, wherein a number of the electric field producing filaments in the piezoelectric yarn is 2 or more. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The knitted fabric structure according to claim 2, wherein the electric field producing filaments are in a twisted form in the piezoelectric yarn. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The knitted fabric structure according to claim 2, further comprising a dielectric around the electric field producing filaments. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The knitted fabric structure according to claim 1, wherein the mixing ratio of the piezoelectric yarn is 65% or less based on the whole of the knitted fabric structure. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The knitted fabric structure according to claim 1, wherein the elastic yarn is one selected from the group consisting of a yarn containing polyurethane, a nylon yarn having a woolly finish, and polytrimethylene terephthalate as a core yarn. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The knitted fabric structure according to claim 1, wherein a degree of crystallization of the polylactic acid is 20% or more. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The knitted fabric structure according to claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric material does not comprise an additive. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The knitted fabric structure according to claim 1, wherein the surface potential is 0.1V or more. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The knitted fabric structure according to claim 1, wherein a fiber strength of the piezoelectric yarn is 1 to 10 cN/dtex. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The knitted fabric structure according to claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric yarn is arranged at a position where the knitted fabric structure is subjected to stretching during the wearing of the knitted fabric structure. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The knitted fabric structure according to claim 12, wherein the position where the knitted fabric structure is subjected to stretching during the wearing of the knitted fabric structure is on a toe side of a ball of a foot. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A sock comprising the knitted fabric structure according to claim 1. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A leggings comprising the knitted fabric structure according to claim 1. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) An arm cover comprising the knitted fabric structure according to claim 1. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) A shirt comprising the knitted fabric structure according to claim 1.