# US 2020/0399795 A1 · Coiled actuator system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0399795 A1 - Document ID: US20200399795A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/009,099 - Filed: 2020-09-01 - Published: 2020-12-24 - Earliest claimed: 2017-04-10 - Assignees: Other Lab, LLC - Applicants: Other Lab, LLC - Inventors: Brent Ridley; Jean Chang; Shara Maikranz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200399795A1 ## CPC - D02G 1/205: {After-treatments for fixing crimp or curl} - D02G 1/0286: {characterised by the use of certain filaments, fibres or yarns} - D02G 3/02: Yarns or threads characterised by the material or by the materials from which they are made - D02G 3/326: {the elastic properties due to the construction rather than to the use of elastic material} - D02G 3/36: Cored or coated yarns or threads ({D02G3/34, D02G3/40 take precedence}; elastic yarns or threads D02G3/32) - D02G 3/38: Threads in which fibres, filaments, or yarns are wound with other yarns or filaments, {e.g. wrap yarns, i.e. strands of filaments or staple fibres are wrapped by a helically wound binder yarn; (D02G3/32 takes precedence)}; (covering endless core threads with fibres by using open-end spinning techniques D01H4/00) - D02G 3/406: {where the polymeric solution is removable at a later stage, e.g. by washing} - D06M 11/05: with water, e.g. steam; with heavy water - D06M 11/84: combined with mechanical treatment (combined with mechanical tension, e.g. mercerising D06M11/40) - D06M 2101/20: Polyalkenes, polymers or copolymers of compounds with alkenyl groups bonded to aromatic groups - D06M 2101/32: Polyesters - D06M 2101/34: Polyamides - D10B 2321/06: polymers of unsaturated alcohols, e.g. polyvinyl alcohol, or of their acetals or ketals - D10B 2331/02: polyamides (D10B2331/08 takes precedence) - D10B 2401/024: soluble - D10B 2401/04: Heat-responsive characteristics - D10B 2501/00: Wearing apparel - D02G: CRIMPING OR CURLING FIBRES, FILAMENTS, THREADS, OR YARNS; YARNS OR THREADS - D06M: TREATMENT, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE IN CLASS D06, OF FIBRES, THREADS, YARNS, FABRICS, FEATHERS OR FIBROUS GOODS MADE FROM SUCH MATERIALS - D10B: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES ## Abstract A method of generating a coiled actuator fiber that includes twisting a fiber to generate a twisted fiber; wrapping the twisted fiber around a core yarn or fiber to generate a coil in the twisted fiber, which generates a coiled twisted fiber; setting the coiled twisted fiber by heat or chemical treatment; and removing at least a portion of the core yarn or fiber to generate a coiled actuator fiber. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of generating a coiled actuator fiber comprising: twisting a fiber to generate a twisted fiber; wrapping the twisted fiber around a core yarn or fiber to generate a coil in the twisted fiber, which generates a coiled twisted fiber; setting the coiled twisted fiber by heat or chemical treatment; and removing at least a portion of the core yarn or fiber to generate a coiled actuator fiber. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the core yarn or fiber is removed through at least one of the following: (a) dissolution; (b) chemical reaction; and (c) melting. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the direction of the wrapping is the same as the direction of the twisting. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the direction of the wrapping is the opposite of the direction of the twisting. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein setting the coiled twisted fiber is carried out prior to the removing at least a portion of the core yarn or fiber to generate the coiled actuator fiber. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the coiled actuator fiber comprises a coil spring index (C) greater than 1.7. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the coiled actuator fiber comprises a thermal expansion coefficient having a magnitude of 1000 μm/m/K or more. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein space between neighboring coils of the coiled actuator fiber is such that thermal actuation of the coiled actuator fiber in an unloaded state brings the neighboring coils into contact with each other above 10° C. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A method of constructing a thermally adaptive fabric comprising the method of claim 1 and further including: generating a thermally adaptive fabric including a plurality of coiled actuator fibers generated by at least a portion of the method of claim 1, wherein the coiled actuator fiber is at least partially responsible for thermal adaptation of the thermally adaptive fabric. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1, 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the removing the at least a portion of the core yarn or fiber occurs after generating a thermally adaptive fabric including the plurality of coiled actuator fibers generated by at least the portion of the method of claim 1. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein a thermal adaptation of the thermally adaptive fabric causes the thermally adaptive fabric to increase insulation capability of the thermally adaptive fabric in response to a decrease in temperature of an ambient environment that the thermally adaptive fabric is present in. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the thermally adaptive fabric is generated through weaving or knitting. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of coiled actuator fibers comprise a thermal expansion coefficient having a magnitude of 1000 μm/m/K or more. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of coiled actuator fibers comprise a thermal expansion coefficient of having a magnitude of 2 mm/m/° C. or more. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A method of constructing a thermally adaptive garment comprising the method of claim 1 and further including: generating a thermally adaptive garment including a plurality of coiled actuator fibers generated by at least a portion of the method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of coiled actuator fibers are at least partially responsible for thermal adaptation of the thermally adaptive garment. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the thermal adaptation of the thermally adaptive garment causes the thermally adaptive garment to increase insulation capability of the thermally adaptive garment in response to a decrease in temperature of an ambient environment that the thermally adaptive garment is present in. ### Claim 17 A method of generating a coiled actuator fiber comprising: twisting a fiber to generate a twisted fiber; coiling the twisted fiber to generate a coiled fiber; and setting the coiled fiber by heat or chemical treatment to generate a coiled actuator fiber, wherein the coiled actuator fiber comprises a thermal expansion coefficient having a magnitude of 2 mm/m/° C. or more, and wherein the coiled actuator fiber defines space between neighboring coils of the coiled actuator fiber such that thermal actuation of the coiled fiber actuator brings the neighboring coils into contact with each other above 10° C. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the coiled fiber is physically constrained during the setting such that a temperature change during the setting does not physically bring the neighboring coils into contact with each other based on the physical constraint of the neighboring coils. ### Claim 19 A method of generating a coiled actuator fiber comprising: generating a coiled actuator fiber having coils that define physical space between the coils when: a. the coiled actuator fiber is at 27.0° C. and b. is unloaded, and setting the coiled fiber actuator by at least one of either: a. heat or b. chemical treatment, while the coiled actuator fiber is under physical constraint that prevents actuation of the coiled actuator fiber during the setting. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the physical constraint is provided by a core yarn or fiber that prevents actuation of the coiled actuator fiber during the setting.