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 reversible physical change, the stimuli-sensitive polymer material being located at a core of the stimuli-sensitive composite fiber, the stimuli-sensitive polymer comprising a first shape in the absence of an external stimulus and a second shape in the presence of the external stimulus, wherein the second shape is an expansion of the first shape;
- and
- a second polymer material having a third shape that is mechanically engaged with the first shape of the stimuli-sensitive polymer material and a fourth shape that is mechanically engaged with the second shape of the stimuli-sensitive polymer material.
A garment comprising a stimuli-sensitive composite fiber capable of undergoing a radial mechanical 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;
- and
- a second material that is adjacent to and is mechanically engaged with the first material, wherein the physicochemical change in the first material causes the radial mechanical change in the stimuli-sensitive composite fiber by causing a mechanical shift in the second material, thereby radially exposing one of the first material, or the second material, or both.
A stimuli-sensitive composite fiber capable of undergoing a radial mechanical 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;
- and
- a second material that is adjacent to and is mechanically engaged with the first material, wherein the physicochemical change in the first material causes the radial mechanical change in the stimuli-sensitive composite fiber by causing a mechanical shift in the second material, thereby radially exposing one of the first material, or the second material, or both.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.