US20180249772A1

US20180249772A1 - Transformable clothing

Info

Publication number: US20180249772A1
Application number: US15/902,110
Authority: US
Inventors: Helen KOO; Jason Lin; Jasmine Zhou
Original assignee: University of California
Current assignee: University of California
Priority date: 2015-08-25
Filing date: 2018-02-22
Publication date: 2018-09-06
Also published as: WO2017035356A1

Abstract

A transformable garment that folds and envelops the wearer with a garment body with panels that use origami folding and shape memory alloy (SMA) elements to assist to transform the garment from an expanded state to a retracted state is provided. Garment designs with transformable panels and sleeves can benefit those who have trouble dressing by allowing the garment to wrap around and fit the wearer without outside help. These types of clothes are expected to be beneficial for people with Cerebral Palsy (CP) and also for populations with other body movement disorders and elderly people.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a 35 U.S.C. § 111(a) continuation of PCT international application number PCT/US2016/048702 filed on Aug. 25, 2016, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, which claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/209,457 filed on Aug. 25, 2015, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Priority is claimed to each of the foregoing applications.
The above-referenced PCT international application was published as PCT International Publication No. WO 2017/035356 on Mar. 2, 2017, which publication is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF COMPUTER PROGRAM APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present technology pertains generally to garments and manufacturing methods, and more particularly to special transformable clothing that folds and envelops the wearer including fabric panels with origami folding with movable shape memory alloy (SMA) elements that can be used by the elderly and physically handicapped and methods of fabrication.

2. Background Discussion

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is caused by a lesion in the undeveloped brain that can manifest from early childhood. CP affects body movement, muscle control, muscle coordination, muscle tone, reflex, posture, and balance. People with CP disorders generally show disturbances of sensation, perception, cognition, communication, and behavior as well as display epilepsy and secondary musculoskeletal problems. People with CP commonly have trouble putting on and taking off their clothing, one of the major tasks in daily life. Garments that are easy for people who have CP to put on and take off will increase their independence and quality of life as well as respect their dignity.
Similarly, thousands of people each year suffer brain damage from accidents, stroke, tumors and other conditions. Such damage to the brain can result in the partial or full paralysis of appendages on the right or left side of the body. These patients have difficulty dressing themselves because of the restricted movement of their limbs or body and the inability of the patient to perceive and control the relative position of their limbs or to balance theft body.
Likewise, many other people have difficulty in dressing themselves who are permanently or partially incapacitated due to age, senility, arthritis, or other conditions that limit the movement or control of their torso, arms and legs. The relatively routine tasks of slipping a top over the head and insertion of the arms in the sleeves cannot be accomplished because of pain or the inability of raising the arms over the head.
Persons with CP and other movement disorders, who are not capable of dressing due to pain, joint stiffness or through the loss of use of all or part of certain limbs, require a caretaker to dress them or to assist in dressing them. Not only is it difficult for those with these physical conditions to perform the simple task of dressing, it can also be extremely difficult for caretakers to dress such persons due to the pain, loss of motion or the absence of control of the body and limbs of the person. These physical conditions require considerable effort on the part of both the caregiver and the impaired individual to accomplish the simple task of dressing.
Since individuals with these limitations due to pain, restricted motion or lack of control are not able to insert their limbs into the openings of a conventional garment, they do not attempt to wear conventional apparel and are left to wear bulky, oversized or loose fitting garments that are easier to place on the body. Such ill-fitting clothing also draws attention to the fact that the individual has a disability and may be a source of embarrassment or result in feelings of helplessness.
Accordingly, there is a need for clothing that can be easily put on by persons with pain or motion limitations or their caregivers that is fashionable and does not draw attention to the limitations of the wearer.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present technology provides transformable garments that are designed for persons having limited manual dexterity or movement that can be easily applied or removed by the wearer or by a caretaker of the wearer. The transformable garments may be designed as a whole body covering such as a robe or as an upper body covering with sleeves such as a shirt or jacket or as a lower body covering with legs such as trousers. The transformable clothing folds and envelops the wearer with a garment that has different collapsible panels of fabric with origami folding that can compress or expand with the movement of shape memory alloy (SMA) elements actuated by a controller to change the size of the panels and thereby the whole garment.
The origami corrugation pattern is a collection of creases or folds in the plane of the fabric or other flat material of the panel, sleeve or leg portion of the garment. The fabric panels preferably have origami like corrugation patterns that can elongate or shorten along the sequence of folds to compress or expand the panel. The corrugation pattern allows the patterned material to compact efficiently and to greatly reduce the surface area of the panels. The patterned panels may be incorporated vertically, horizontally or at other angles in the garment to allow the garment to generally conform to the body shape of the wearer.
Proper positioning of SMA elements with the panels provides control over the panel movement and the degree of opening of the panels by the actuation of the controller. The controller may also monitor sensor data that is received from optional temperature, pressure or other sensors in various alternative embodiments.
The controller selectively controls the closing or opening of the panels with one or more buttons that actuate the shape memory elements to conform the overall size and shape of the garment as determined by the comfort of the wearer. In some embodiments, the sleeves of the garments can be transformed from a short sleeve configuration to a long sleeve configuration and back again. Likewise, trouser embodiments have legs that can transform from a short leg configuration to a long leg configuration and back again.
The SMA elements are preferably configured to contract or expand from an at-rest position to an actuated position with the transmission of an electrical current from the controller. The transmitted electrical current is sufficient to heat the SMA element beyond a threshold temperature to an actuated state and the cessation or reduction of the current to cool to below a threshold temperature to return to an at rest position. In one embodiment, the application of an electrical current to the SMA element causes the element to contract in the actuated condition and to expand or elongate in the at-rest position. The SMA elements may be curved, bent or linear.
The functional panels can be incorporated in a wide variety of garments as well as in applications that are not related to apparel such as a curtain which changes according to a determined level of heat and sunlight or a panel incorporated in a surface covering for enclosing an item of furniture.
In addition to providing transformable clothing to individuals with physical limitations, the technology can be applied to various other kinds of garments such as firefighter's uniforms, special uniforms for workers in extreme environments, aesthetical transformable clothes and armor.
According to one aspect of the technology, transformable garments are provided that can be worn and removed by wearers that have limited mobility and are not able to raise their arms or perform other movements required to put on conventional clothing,
Another aspect of the technology is to provide a transformable garment that incorporates collapsible panels with origami like corrugation patterns that can compact tightly.
A further aspect of the technology is to provide transformable garments with collapsible elements that can be controlled simply by the wearer.
Another aspect of the present technology is to provide a garment that can be placed and removed on a wearer with a minimum effort by the wearer or a caregiver,
Further aspects of the technology described herein will be brought out in the following portions of the specification, wherein the detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing preferred embodiments of the technology without placing limitations thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The technology described herein will be more fully understood by reference to the following drawings which are for illustrative purposes only:

FIG. 1A is a schematic representation of a transformable garment with sections representing three different corrugation pattern profiles shown in FIG. 1B through FIG. 1D and magnetic fasteners according to one embodiment of the technology described herein.

FIG. 1B is an origami design for the corrugation profile that can be used in the sleeves of the garment embodiment shown in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1C is an origami design for the corrugation profile that can be used in the front panels of the garment embodiment shown in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1D is an origami design for the corrugation profile that can be used in the back panel of the garment embodiment shown in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2A is a schematic front view of the garment shown in FIG. 1A with the front of the garment open and relaxed configuration and the sleeves in a contracted configuration.

FIG. 2B is a schematic back view of the garment shown in FIG. 1A with the back panel of the garment in a relaxed configuration and the sleeves in a contracted configuration.

FIG. 3A is a schematic front view of the garment shown in FIG. 1A with the front of the garment in a closed and relaxed configuration and the sleeves in a contracted configuration. The arrows indicate the closure of the garment with fasteners.

FIG. 3B is a schematic back view of the garment shown in FIG. 2A with the back panel of the garment in a contracted configuration and the sleeves in a contracted configuration. The arrows indicate the direction of closure of the back panel of the garment.

FIG. 4A is a schematic front view of the garment shown in FIG. 3A with the front of the garment in a closed and relaxed configuration and the sleeves in a relaxed configuration. The arrows indicate the direction of relaxation of the sleeves of the garment.

FIG. 4B is a schematic back view of the garment shown in FIG. 3B with the back panel of the garment in a contracted configuration and the sleeves in a relaxed configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring more specifically to the drawings, for illustrative purposes, embodiments of the methods and resulting structures are generally shown. Several embodiments of the technology are described generally in FIG. 1A through FIG. 4B to illustrate the transformable garments, devices and methods. It will be appreciated that the methods may vary as to the specific steps and sequence and the devices may vary as to structural details without departing from the basic concepts as disclosed herein. The method steps are merely exemplary of the order that these steps may occur. The steps may occur in any order that is desired, such that it still performs the goals of the claimed technology.
Turning now to FIG. 1A, one preferred embodiment 10 of a transformable garment structure illustrating three different panel types with three different corrugation profiles according to the technology is schematically shown. By way of example, and not of limitation, the technology will be described with reference to a jacket or top, that will assist those who have trouble dressing. The garment is wrapped around the wearer and conformed to the body of the wearer with collapsing panels without the need for outside assistance. The jacket can be easily put on and removed by users who have difficulty moving their arms and legs. Although a jacket is used to illustrate the technology, similar designs for other articles of clothing such as trousers or dresses may be fashioned using the same types of panels and fastening schemes.
In the embodiment 10 shown in FIG. 1A, the garment is configured with a left sleeve 12 with a central opening 14 and a right sleeve 16 with a central opening 18. The garment also has a top edge 20 that can be placed at the neck and a right side edge 22 a left side edge 24 that can be aligned and reversibly coupled with one or more fasteners. In one embodiment, the side edges 22, 24 are stiffer than the material of the rest of the garment to assist in the alignment and reversible coupling of the edges together but are also flexible so as not to interfere with the comfort of the wearer when coupled.
The arms of the wearer will be placed through the central openings 14, 18 of the left and right sleeves 12, 16 and the shoulders and back will engage the interior surface 26 of the garment. The sides of the garment are wrapped around the torso of the wearer and the right side edge 22 is brought in proximity to the left side edge 24 and coupled together with at least one fastener. Preferred fasteners include magnets, hook and loop fasteners and clasps.
The garment illustrated in FIG. 1A has a back panel 28, a right front panel 30, a left front panel 32 and sleeves that have origami styled corrugations with shape memory alloy (SMA) elements so that the panels can increase or decrease in size thereby reducing the bulk of the garment to fit the form of the wearer. Origami corrugations 50, 60, 70 in the panels and sleeves allow for the expansion and contraction of the front and back panels and sleeves, trouser legs or neck elements of the garments.
The actions of closing and opening of the front fasteners, widening and narrowing the front and back panels and shortening or lengthening the sleeves are shown in FIG. 2A through FIG. 4B. The garment shown in FIG. 2A has front panels 30, 32 and back panels 28 that are in the fully relaxed position and the sleeves 12, 16 are in the fully contracted position. The controller 34 is preferably mounted on the garment interior or in a pocket near the left side edge 24 in this embodiment so as not to be visible from the exterior. However, the controller 34 can be placed anywhere on the garment to accommodate the limitations or comfort of the wearer. In addition, control buttons may be separate from the controller 34 and located at convenient locations on the garment.
The controller 34 is connected to the shape memory alloy elements that control the change in shape of the elements. In the illustration of FIG. 2A, each front panel 30, 32 has an upper SMA element 36 and a lower SMA element 38 that are controlled by the controller. The sleeves have one or more SMA elements 40. The back of the garment with the back panel 28 and back SMA element 42 in the relaxed configuration are shown in FIG. 2B. The sleeve SMA element 40 and the back SMA element 42 are also operably connected to the controller 34.
The embodiment shown in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B uses magnets as fasteners to reversibly couple the right side edge 22 and the left side edge 24 together enclosing the body of the wearer as indicated by the arrows. Once the side edges 22, 24 are joined by the fasteners, the controller 34 can activate the upper and lower SMA elements 36, 38 causing them to shorten and reduce the surface area of the two front panels 30, 32.
As shown by the arrows in FIG. 3B, the actuation of the back SMA element 42 causes the back panel 28 to retract and reduce in size. It can be seen that the fit of the garment around the body of the wearer reduces in size with the actuation of the front and back SMA elements and the folding of the panels.
Finally, the length of each of the sleeves can be relaxed by the activation (or deactivation) of the SMA elements 40 in the sleeves by the controller 34 as shown by the arrows in FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B. The length of the sleeves can be controlled to adapt to any desired length and each sleeve can be elongated to a different length to accommodate the needs of the wearer by the controller 34. The sleeves may also be fully retracted to facilitate removal of the garment by the controller 34 as well as shown in FIG. 2A.
The garments can be constructed with panels of different sizes, shapes, locations, numbers and direction of movement. For example, in one embodiment, the garment is fashioned with many contracting panels, each with a comparatively small surface area rather than using one large panel. The SMA elements associated with each of these panels are connected to the controller 34 and may be individually controlled. The reduction in the overall surface area of the garment upon actuation by the controller, the location of the retractable panels or cylindrical elements and the degree of movement of the SMA elements can be engineered for a wide range of body types and limitations.
Selection of the materials and the selection of the corrugation profile of the panel elements can also be engineered to provide specific ranges of movements and dimensions. If a comparatively wide panel is desired, then a corrugation profile with larger folding elements and thinner materials may be selected. Selection of the corrugation profile and materials for smaller panels may also be engineered for resting and expanded dimensions, stability and ease of recovery.
The corrugation profiles of the panels are preferably origami folded flat panel designs that reliably and efficiently reduce the exposed surface area of the panels and are responsive to the expansions and contractions of the SMA elements.
Origami is the name of the ancient Japanese art of paper folding that involves the formation of creases in a flat sheet of paper. Creases along line segments can be folded in a “mountain fold” to form a protruding ridge or folded in a “valley fold” to form an indentation or valley formation. Origami like patterns are formed in the fabric and these patterns can elongate or shorten along the sequence of folds. The corrugation pattern is a collection of creases or folds in the plane of the fabric or other flat material. The pattern in the material also allows efficient compaction of the fabric material at various positions between fully opened and fully dosed positions. The reliability of the widening or narrowing of the panel is also improved by the stability and integrity of the material folds in the origami pattern,
Three different corrugation profiles are illustrated in FIG. 1B through FIG. 1D. The origami corrugation profile 50 shown in FIG. 1B is particularly suitable for forming cylindrical sleeve, hood or leg elements. The corrugated cylinder can compact efficiently and the retracted sleeve is not too bulky. The design of the front panels 30, 32 has a corrugation profile 60 as shown in FIG. 1C. The origami corrugation pattern 70 that is used with the back panel 28 is shown in FIG. 1D. However, although these panel corrugation profiles are used to illustrate the panels, there are other suitable origami designs that can be contrived or used besides those shown in FIG. 1B through FIG. 1D.
A shape memory material has the ability to regain its permanent shape after a deformed state that seems irreversible that is triggered by an external stimulus. The shape memory material responds to an external stimulus by changing its physical properties, which results in a deformation or deflection of the structure and the permanent shape returns again when the stimulus is removed. For example, a shape memory alloy (SMA) is generally a metallic material that is typically deformed at a relatively low temperature and returns to a previous starting shape upon heating. The external stimulus can be an electric current that creates Joule-effects in the SMA.
Other SMA materials may have an elongated length in an at-rest configuration and a retracted length upon actuation. The transition between the permanent shape and the temporary shape can be triggered by an external stimulus to the SMA such as changes in the flow of an electric current transmitted through the SMA material.
Shape memory alloy materials have been shown to demonstrate two types of memory effects: a one way memory effect and a two way memory effect. The one way memory effect typically involves the movement from a deflected or temporary shape back to a permanent shape, usually by heating above a threshold temperature and is used for a one time memory actuation. In contrast, the two way memory effect can cycle between two permanent shapes that have been imposed on the SMA material. The first permanent shape results at a high temperature and the second permanent shape results at a low temperature. The two way memory effect is preferably exploited to move the panels, sleeves, legs or other parts from a first position to a second position and back.
Some SMAs, such as those including nickel titanium alloys (e.g., Nitinol), can be drawn into fine wires; wires with triangular, square, hemispherical or rectangular shaped cross sections, and ribbons etc. The SMA wires can also be coned or bent. The shape memory alloy (SMA) element can also be made from any functional SMA materials such as Ni—Ti, Ni—Ti—Hf, Ni—Ti—Pd, Ni—Mn—Ga, and Ni—Fe—Ga.
The SMA wires can be sewn into or applied on the material of the patterned panel or coupled only to the material-panel junctions. Actuation of the SMA wires by the controller results in the contraction or expansion of the SMA wire depending on the configuration. The SMA elements can also be connected the controller with conductive wires to allow the positioning of the controller at any desired location on the garment.
The controller 34 preferably has a low profile and retained within a pocket or sleeve in the garment. The controller 34 is preferably detachable to allow removal for laundering of the garment. In one embodiment, the controller 34 has a power source and computing device that is preferably coupled to SMA elements with thin wires or other conductor to control the actuation of the SMA elements. The computing device of the controller is preferably programmable. In one embodiment, the garment also has temperature or pressure sensors that are connected to the controller. The panels can be expanded or actuation of the SMA elements stopped if the sensors indicate a temperature or pressure that exceeds set limits, for example.
Accordingly, the technology described herein comprises transformable clothing that folds and envelops the wearer using panels with origami folding and shape memory alloy (SMA) elements to assist those who have trouble dressing by allowing the garment to wrap around and fit the wearer without outside help. These types of clothing designs are expected to be beneficial for people with CP and also for populations with other body movement disorders and elderly people.
The invention may be better understood with reference to the accompanying examples, which are intended for purposes of illustration only and should not be construed as in any sense limiting the scope of the present invention as defined in the claims appended hereto.

EXAMPLE

In order to prove the concept of the device and the fabrication methods, a transformable garment was produced using the design of FIG. 1A and tested. To demonstrate the technology, a unisex styled jacket was designed in size 10 and a flat pattern making technique was applied to produce collapsible panels. Locations on the garment where movements would be most likely to occur were evaluated giving due consideration to tilted angles and movement ranges of the torso, neck, shoulders, arms, and hands.
Various types of fasteners, including buttons, hook and eyes, zippers, hook and loop, snap buttons, and magnets, were investigated for use with the garment. Among them, magnets were chosen for fasteners because of their light weight and ease of control. Also, the use of magnets allowed the two edges of the garment fabric to be coupled together simply by pulling them together and orienting the magnets. The half-inch square magnets that were selected were inserted and mounted inside of the fabric on the side folded edges.
The base sleeves were designed to be shortened to make it easy for the wearer to put their arms through, and, after the garment is put on, the sleeve part can be lengthened to cover the arms. Panel locations, number and sizes were also determined as part of the design.
Origami corrugation patterns allow for expansion and contraction of the panels. This technique was applied to fabric for shortening or lengthening the sleeves, closing and opening the fasteners, and widening and narrowing the back panels. Various origami patterns were experimented with to develop the design, and the origami corrugation pattern 50 was used to prepare the sleeves 12, 16, pattern 60 was used for the front panels 30, 32 and pattern 70 was used for the back panel 28. These patterns were chosen for their ability to expand, stability, and ease of recovery.
For each panel and sleeve, the fabric material was folded along the creases of the selected panel corrugation pattern and ironed to flatten the edges, and stitched along the folded lines in the back of the fabric. The stitch lines were applied following the folded edges of the fabric to create special thin tunnels for inserting coiled SMA wires.
SMA elements were incorporated to transform the origami fabric so that it moved more effectively to allow for ease in wearing the garment and closing the fasteners. The SMA materials selected remembered their original shapes. Thus, after the alloy was bent or twisted, it returned back to the original shape when it was heated. By employing SMA in the folds of fabric, the fabric could be transformable from a loose or open state to a tighter or closed state and back again. Therefore, it was demonstrated that people with physical limitations could put the garment on and take it off by simply pressing a button.
The speed and compaction of the corrugated panels by the changes of the SMA elements are influenced by the weight of the fabrics that are used for both the panels and the sleeves or legs of the garment. The fabric weight is differentiated by fabric structure such as weaving type, yarn denier, and layers of fabric. After experimentation with different types of fabrics, crispy and lightweight synthetic fabrics were chosen for the garment and panels. The fabric that was selected was typically used for sportswear and functional garments and resists tears and abrasions. These characteristics allowed the fabric to sustain the folded origami shapes and the light weight of the fabric enabled easier fabric transformation requiring less power for actuation of the SMA elements.
Different diameters of the SMA elements were also tested. Diameters of SMA elements ranging from approximately 0.012 inches to approximately 0.0297 inches were tested. The first SMA element that was tested could be sewn directly on to the fabric using a regular sewing needle. The thinness of the SMA wire was beneficial to simplify the process of incorporating it into fabrics. However, the light weight SMA did not have enough bulk and movement to lift the fabric and transform the panel shapes.
The second SMA element that was tested was 0.0297 inches diameter and had enough Nitinol memory to allow the garment to return to its original shape at about 30° C. In addition, various other configurations of SMA wire applied to the jacket along with different origami techniques were evaluated. The finalized locations for the placement of SMA elements on the panels were two lines along each torso front panel for fastener closure, one for each sleeve, and one element on the bottom of the center back piece as seen in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B.
It will be appreciated that various activation means known to those skilled in the art could be used to control the current and voltage across the SMA elements. In one embodiment, an Arduino pro mini (5V/16 MHz), a mini PCB, a momentary push button switch, and a voltage regulator for 5V was used to minimize the electronic parts. Table 1 shows an example of Arduino code that was used.
From the description herein, it will be appreciated that the present disclosure encompasses multiple embodiments which include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. A transformable fabric for a garment, the fabric comprising: (a) a flexible fabric material with a plurality of origami-type corrugations; and (b) at least one shape memory alloy (SMA) element anchored to the corrugated flexible fabric material; (c) wherein the fabric material is transformable from a first state to a second state by passing an electric current through the SMA elements.
2. The fabric of any preceding embodiment, wherein the shape memory alloy elements are embedded within the corrugated fabric to facilitate expansion and contraction of the fabric material.
3. The fabric of any preceding embodiment, wherein the shape memory alloy elements are reversibly transformable between contracted and expanded states by passing an electric current through the SMA elements.
4. The fabric of any preceding embodiment, further comprising conductive wires coupled to the shape memory alloy elements and attached to the fabric material.
5. The fabric of any preceding embodiment, wherein the corrugated flexible fabric material comprises a fabric sheet with a top edge joined to a bottom edge to form a corrugated cylinder configured to expand and contract axially.
6. The fabric of any preceding embodiment, wherein the shape memory alloy (SMA) element is made from a material selected from the group of materials consisting of N—Ti, Ni—Ti—Hf, Ni—Ti—Pd, Ni—Mn—Ga, and Ni—Fe—Ga.
7. A transformable garment, the garment comprising: (a) a garment body with a pair of appendage openings; and (b) a plurality of collapsible panels fixed in the garment body, each panel comprising: (i) a flexible fabric material with a plurality of origami-type corrugations; and (ii) at least one shape memory alloy (SMA) element anchored to the corrugated flexible fabric material; (c) wherein the fabric material of each panel is transformable from a contracted state to an expanded state by passing an electric current through the SMA elements.
8. The garment of any preceding embodiment, further comprising: one or more fasteners mounted to a right edge and a left edge of the garment body configured to reversibly couple the right and left edges together.
9. The garment of any preceding embodiment, wherein the fastener is a fastener selected from the group of fasteners consisting of: hook and loop fasteners, magnets and clasps.
10. The garment of any preceding embodiment, wherein the shape memory alloy elements are embedded within the corrugated fabric of each panel to facilitate expansion and contraction of the fabric material.
11. The garment of any preceding embodiment, wherein the shape memory alloy (SMA) element is made from a material selected from the group of materials consisting of Ni—Ti, Ni—Ti—Hf, Ni—Ti—Pd, Ni—Mn—Ga, and Ni—Fe—Ga.
12. The garment of any preceding embodiment, wherein the shape memory alloy elements are reversibly transformable between contracted and expanded states by passing an electric current through the SMA elements.
13. The garment of any preceding embodiment, further comprising: a controller operably coupled to the shape memory alloy (SMA) elements; and a source of electrical current connected to the controller; wherein movement of electrical current through the SMA elements is controlled by the controller.
14. The garment of any preceding embodiment, further comprising conductive wires attached to the garment body material and operably coupled to each shape memory alloy element and to the controller.
15. The garment of any preceding embodiment, further comprising: a left sleeve joined to a first appendage opening of the garment body; and a right sleeve joined to a second appendage opening of the garment body.
16. The garment of any preceding embodiment, each sleeve comprising: a corrugated fabric sheet with a top edge joined to a bottom edge to form a corrugated cylinder configured to expand and contract axially; and at least one shape memory alloy element mounted to the corrugated fabric cylinder reversibly transformable between contracted and expanded states by passing an electric current through the SMA elements.
17. A transformable garment, comprising: (a) a garment body with a pair of appendage openings; (b) a left sleeve joined to a first appendage opening and a right sleeve joined to a second appendage opening of the garment body; (c) a plurality of collapsible panels mounted in the garment body, each panel comprising: (i) a flexible fabric material with a plurality origami-type corrugations; and (ii) at least one shape memory alloy (SMA) element anchored to the corrugated flexible fabric material; (d) a controller operably coupled to the shape memory alloy (SMA) elements; and (e) a source of electrical current connected to the controller; (f) wherein movement of electrical current through the SMA elements is controlled by the controller; and (g) wherein the fabric material of each panel is transformable from an expanded state to a contracted state by passing an electric current through the SMA elements by the controller.
18. The garment of any preceding embodiment, further comprising: one or more fasteners mounted to a right edge and a left edge of the garment body configured to reversibly couple the right and left edges together.
19. The garment of any preceding embodiment, wherein the fastener is a fastener selected from the group of fasteners consisting of: hook and loop fasteners, magnets and clasps.
20. The garment of any preceding embodiment, wherein the shape memory alloy (SMA) element is made from a material selected from the group of materials consisting of Ni—Ti, Ni—Ti—Hf, Ni—Ti—Pd, Ni—Mn—Ga, and Ni—Fe—Ga.
21. The garment of any preceding embodiment, each sleeve further comprising: a corrugated fabric sheet with a top edge joined to a bottom edge to form a corrugated cylinder configured to expand and contract axially; and at least one shape memory alloy element mounted to the corrugated fabric cylinder and the controller; wherein the corrugated cylinder is reversibly transformable between contracted and expanded states by passing an electric current through the SMA elements.
Although the description herein contains many details, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the scope of the disclosure fully encompasses other embodiments which may become obvious to those skilled in the art.
In the claims, reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more.” All structural, chemical, and functional equivalents to the elements of the disclosed embodiments that are known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the present claims. Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element herein is to be construed as a “means plus function” element unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for”. No claim element herein is to be construed as a “step plus function” element unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “step for”.

	TABLE 1

	//Test 1 of contractions.
	//PWM the power through port 3. Try: 128.
	const int BUTTON_PINa = 8;
	const int BUTTON_PINb = 7;
	const int SMA_PINa = 3;
	const int SMA_PINb = 5;
	void setup( )
	{
	Serial.begin(9600);
	pinMode(BUTTON_PINa, INPUT);
	pinMode(BUTTON_PINb, INPUT);
	}
	void loop( )
	{
	int vala = digitalRead(BUTTON_PINa);
	int valb = digitalRead(BUTTON_PINb);
	if(vala==HIGH)
	{
	digitalWrite(13, HIGH);
	analogWrite(SMA_PINa, 200);
	Serial.print(“high\n”);
	}
	else
	{
	digitalWrite(13, LOW);
	analogWrite(SMA_PINa, 0);
	Serial.print(“low\n”);
	}
	if(valb==HIGH)
	{
	analogWrite(SMA_PINb, 200);
	}
	else
	{
	analogWrite(SMA_PINb, 0);
	}
	Serial.flush( );
	}

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A transformable fabric for a garment, the fabric comprising:

(a) a flexible fabric material with a plurality of origami-type corrugations; and

(b) at least one shape memory alloy (SMA) element anchored to the corrugated flexible fabric material;

(c) wherein the fabric material is transformable from a first state to a second state by passing an electric current through the SMA elements.

2. The fabric of claim 1, wherein the shape memory alloy elements are embedded within the corrugated fabric to facilitate expansion and contraction of the fabric material.

3. The fabric of claim 1, wherein the shape memory alloy elements are reversibly transformable between contracted and expanded states by passing an electric current through the SMA elements.

4. The fabric of claim 1, further comprising conductive wires coupled to the shape memory alloy elements and attached to the fabric material.

5. The fabric of claim 1, wherein the corrugated flexible fabric material comprises a fabric sheet with a top edge joined to a bottom edge to form a corrugated cylinder configured to expand and contract axially.

6. The fabric of claim 1, wherein the shape memory alloy (SMA) element is made from a material selected from the group of materials consisting of Ni—Ti, Ni—Ti—Hf, Ni—Ti—Pd, Ni—Mn—Ga, and Ni—Fe—Ga.

7. A transformable garment, the garment comprising:

(a) a garment body with a pair of appendage openings; and

(b) a plurality of collapsible panels fixed in said garment body, each panel comprising:

(i) a flexible fabric material with a plurality of origami-type corrugations; and

(ii) at least one shape memory alloy (SMA) element anchored to the corrugated flexible fabric material;

(c) wherein the fabric material of each panel is transformable from a contracted state to an expanded state by passing an electric current through the SMA elements.

8. The garment of claim 7, further comprising:

one or more fasteners mounted to a right edge and a left edge of the garment body configured to reversibly couple the right and left edges together.

9. The garment of claim 8, wherein said fastener is a fastener selected from the group of fasteners consisting of: hook and loop fasteners, magnets and clasps.

10. The garment of claim 7, wherein the shape memory alloy elements are embedded within the corrugated fabric of each panel to facilitate expansion and contraction of the fabric material.

11. The garment of claim 7, wherein the shape memory alloy (SMA) element is made from a material selected from the group of materials consisting of Ni—Ti, Ni—Ti—Hf, Ni—Ti—Pd, Ni—Mn—Ga, and Ni—Fe—Ga.

12. The garment of claim 7, wherein the shape memory alloy elements are reversibly transformable between contracted and expanded states by passing an electric current through the SMA elements.

13. The garment of claim 7, further comprising:

a controller operably coupled to the shape memory alloy (SMA) elements; and

a source of electrical current connected to the controller;

wherein movement of electrical current through the SMA elements is controlled by the controller.

14. The garment of claim 13, further comprising conductive wires attached to the garment body and operably coupled to each shape memory alloy element and to the controller.

15. The garment of claim 7, further comprising:

a left sleeve joined to a first appendage opening of the garment body; and

a right sleeve joined to a second appendage opening of the garment body.

16. The garment of claim 15, each sleeve comprising:

a corrugated fabric sheet with a top edge joined to a bottom edge to form a corrugated fabric cylinder configured to expand and contract axially; and

at least one shape memory alloy element mounted to the corrugated fabric cylinder reversibly transformable between contracted and expanded states by passing an electric current through the SMA elements.

17. A transformable garment, comprising:

(a) a garment body with a pair of appendage openings;

(b) a left sleeve joined to a first appendage opening and a right sleeve joined to a second appendage opening of the garment body;

(c) a plurality of collapsible panels mounted in the garment body, each panel comprising:

(d) a controller operably coupled to the shape memory alloy (SMA) elements; and

(e) a source of electrical current connected to the controller;

(f) wherein movement of electrical current through the SMA elements is controlled by the controller; and

(g) wherein the fabric material of each panel is transformable from an expanded state to a contracted state by passing an electric current through the SMA elements by the controller.

18. The garment of claim 17, further comprising:

19. The garment of claim 18, wherein said fastener is a fastener selected from the group of fasteners consisting of: hook and loop fasteners, magnets and clasps.

20. The garment claim 17, wherein the shape memory alloy (SMA) element is made from a material selected from the group of materials consisting of Ni—Ti, Ni—Ti—Hf, Ni—Ti—Pd, Ni—Mn—Ga, and Ni—Fe—Ga.

21. The garment of claim 17, each sleeve further comprising:

at least one shape memory alloy element mounted to the corrugated fabric cylinder and said controller;

wherein the corrugated cylinder is reversibly transformable between contracted and expanded states by passing an electric current through the SMA elements.