Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47G—HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT
  • A47G9/00—Bed-covers; Counterpanes; Travelling rugs; Sleeping rugs; Sleeping bags; Pillows
  • A47G9/08—Sleeping bags
  • A47G9/086—Sleeping bags for outdoor sleeping
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A41—WEARING APPAREL
  • A41D—OUTERWEAR; PROTECTIVE GARMENTS; ACCESSORIES
  • A41D31/00—Materials specially adapted for outerwear
  • A41D31/04—Materials specially adapted for outerwear characterised by special function or use
  • A41D31/06—Thermally protective, e.g. insulating
  • A41D31/065—Thermally protective, e.g. insulating using layered materials
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A41—WEARING APPAREL
  • A41D—OUTERWEAR; PROTECTIVE GARMENTS; ACCESSORIES
  • A41D31/00—Materials specially adapted for outerwear
  • A41D31/04—Materials specially adapted for outerwear characterised by special function or use
  • A41D31/10—Impermeable to liquids, e.g. waterproof; Liquid-repellent
  • A41D31/102—Waterproof and breathable
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A41—WEARING APPAREL
  • A41D—OUTERWEAR; PROTECTIVE GARMENTS; ACCESSORIES
  • A41D31/00—Materials specially adapted for outerwear
  • A41D31/04—Materials specially adapted for outerwear characterised by special function or use
  • A41D31/12—Hygroscopic; Water retaining
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B7/00—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
  • A43B7/34—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with protection against heat or cold
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
  • E04H15/00—Tents or canopies, in general
  • E04H15/02—Tents combined or specially associated with other devices
  • E04H15/10—Heating, lighting or ventilating
  • E04H15/12—Heating
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A41—WEARING APPAREL
  • A41D—OUTERWEAR; PROTECTIVE GARMENTS; ACCESSORIES
  • A41D2400/00—Functions or special features of garments
  • A41D2400/10—Heat retention or warming

Definitions

• Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to a fabric or other material used for body gear and other goods having designed performance characteristics, and in particular to methods and apparatuses that utilize a pattern of heat managing/directing elements coupled to a base fabric to manage heat through reflection or conductivity while maintaining the desired properties of the base fabric.
• heat reflective materials such as aluminum and mylar typically take the form of a unitary solid film that is glued or otherwise attached to the interior of a garment, such as a jacket.
• the purpose of this layer is to inhibit thermal radiation by reflecting the body heat of the wearer and thereby keeping the garment wearer warm in colder conditions.
• these heat reflective linings do not transfer moisture vapor or allow air passage, thus they trap moisture near the body.
• use of heat reflective materials during physical activity causes the inside of a garment to become wet, thereby causing discomfort and accelerating heat loss due to the increased heat conductivity inherent in wet materials. Further, these heat reflective coated materials impair the ability of the material to stretch, drape, or hang in a desired fashion.
• Figures 1A illustrates an upper body garment such as a coat having a lining of base material with heat directing/management elements disposed thereon, in accordance with various embodiments;
• Figures 1 B - 1 E illustrate various views of examples of patterned heat directing/management elements disposed on a base fabric or material, in accordance with various embodiments
• FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate examples of patterned heat directing/management elements disposed on a base fabric, in accordance with various embodiments
• Figures 3A - 3E illustrate examples of patterned heat directing/management elements disposed on a base fabric, in accordance with various embodiments
• Figure 4 illustrates an upper body garment such as a coat having a lining of base material with heat directing/management elements disposed thereon, in accordance with various embodiments
• Figure 5 illustrates an upper body garment such as a coat having a lining of base material with heat directing/management elements disposed thereon, in accordance with various embodiments
• Figure 6 illustrates an upper body garment such as a coat having a lining of base material with heat directing/management elements disposed thereon, in accordance with various embodiments
• Figure 7 illustrates an upper body garment such as a coat having a lining of base material with heat directing/management elements disposed thereon, in accordance with various embodiments
• Figures 8A-D illustrate various views of a patterned heat management material as used in a jacket, in accordance with various embodiments;
• Figure 9 illustrates an example of a patterned heat management material as used in a boot, in accordance with various embodiments;
• Figure 10 illustrates an example of a patterned heat management material as used in a glove, where the cuff is rolled outward to show the lining, in accordance with various embodiments;
• Figure 11 illustrates an example of a patterned heat management material as used in a hat, in accordance with various embodiments
• Figure 12 illustrates an example of a patterned heat management material as used in a pair of pants, in accordance with various embodiments
• Figure 13 illustrates an example of a patterned heat management material as used in a sock, in accordance with various embodiments
• Figure 14 illustrates an example of a patterned heat management material as used in a boot, in accordance with various embodiments.
• Figures 15A and B illustrate two views of a patterned heat management material as used in a reversible rain fly (Figure 15A) and as a portion of a tent body ( Figure 15B), in accordance with various embodiments.
• Coupled may mean that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact. However, “coupled” may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but yet still cooperate or interact with each other.
• a phrase in the form "A/B” or in the form “A and/or B” means (A), (B), or (A and B).
• a phrase in the form "at least one of A, B, and C” means (A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C), or (A, B and C).
• a phrase in the form "(A)B” means (B) or (AB) that is, A is an optional element.
• a material for body gear may use a pattern of heat management material elements coupled to a base fabric to manage, for example, body heat by directing the heat towards or away from the body as desired, while still maintaining the desired transfer properties of the base fabric.
• a plurality of heat management or heat directing elements 10 may be disposed on a base fabric 20 in a generally non-continuous array, whereby some of the base fabric is exposed between adjacent heat management elements.
• the heat directing function of the heat management elements may be generally towards the body through reflectivity or away from the body through conduction and/or radiation or other heat transfer property.
• the heat management elements 10 may cover a sufficient surface area of the base fabric 20 to generate the desired degree of heat management (e.g. heat reflection toward the body to enhance warmth, or heat conductance away from the body to help induce cooling).
• a sufficient area of base fabric may be exposed to provide the desired base fabric function (e.g., stretch, drape, breathability, moisture vapor or air permeability, or wicking).
• the base fabric may be a part of any form of body gear, such as bodywear (see e.g. Figures 1A and 4-13), sleeping bags (see e.g. Figure 14), blankets, tents (see e.g. Figure 15B), rain flys (see e.g. Figure 15A) etc.
• bodywear see e.g. Figures 1A and 4-13
• sleeping bags see e.g. Figure 14
• blankets see e.g. Figure 15B
• rain flys see e.g. Figure 15A
• Bodywear is defined to include anything worn on the body, including, but not limited to, outerwear such as jackets, pants, scarves, shirts, hats, gloves, mittens, and the like, footwear such as shoes, boots, slippers, and the like, sleepwear, such as pajamas, nightgowns, and robes, and undergarments such as underwear, thermal underwear, socks, hosiery, and the like.
• outerwear such as jackets, pants, scarves, shirts, hats, gloves, mittens, and the like
• footwear such as shoes, boots, slippers, and the like
• sleepwear such as pajamas, nightgowns, and robes
• undergarments such as underwear, thermal underwear, socks, hosiery, and the like.
• single-layer body gear may be used and may be comprised of a single layer of the base fabric, whereas other embodiments may use multiple layers of fabric, including one or more layers of the base fabric, coupled to one or more other layers.
• the array of heat management elements may be disposed on a base fabric having one or more desired properties.
• the underlying base material may have properties such as air permeability, moisture vapor transfer and/or wickability, which is a common need for body gear used in both indoor and outdoor applications.
• the separations between heat management elements help allow the base material to have a desired drape, look, and/or texture.
• the separations between heat management elements help allow the base material to have a desired stretch.
• Suitable base fabrics may include nylon, polyester, rayon, cotton, spandex, wool, silk, or a blend thereof, or any other material having a desired look, feel, weight, thickness, weave, texture, or other desired property.
• allowing a designated percentage of the base fabric to remain uncovered by the heat management material elements may allow that portion of the base fabric to perform the desired functions, while leaving enough heat management material element surface area to direct body heat in a desired direction, for instance away from or toward the body of a user.
• the heat management elements may be positioned in such a way and be made of a material that is conducive for directing heat generated by the body.
• the heat management elements may be configured to reflect the user's body heat toward the user's body, which may be particularly suitable in cold environments.
• the heat management elements may be configured to conduct the user's body heat away from the user's body, which may be particularly suitable in warmer environments.
• the base fabric may include heat management elements disposed on an innermost surface of the body gear such that the elements are disposed to face the user's body and thus are in a position to manage body heat, as discussed above (e.g. reflect heat or conduct heat).
• the heat management elements may be disposed on the exterior surface of the body gear and/or base fabric such that they are exposed to the environment, which may allow the heat management elements, for example, to reflect heat away from the user, while allowing the base fabric to adequately perform the desired functions. In some embodiments, the heat management elements may perform these functions without adversely affecting the stretch, drape, feel, or other properties of the base fabric.
• the heat management elements may be an aluminum-based material (particularly suited for reflectivity), copper based material (particularly suited for conductivity), or another metal or metal alloy-based material.
• Non-metallic or alloy based materials may be used as heat directing materials in some embodiments, such as metallic plastic, mylar, or other man-made materials, provided that they have heat reflective or conductive properties.
• the heat management elements may be permanently coupled to the base fabric in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to gluing, heat pressing, printing, or stitching.
• the heat management elements may be coupled to the base fabric by frequency welding, such as by radio or ultrasonic welding.
• the heat directing properties of the heat management elements may be influenced by the composition of the base fabric or the overall construction of the body gear.
• a base fabric may be used that has significant insulating properties.
• the insulative backing/lining may help limit any conductivity that may naturally occur and enhance the reflective properties of the heat management elements.
• the base fabric may provide little or no insulative properties, but may be coupled to an insulating layer disposed on the side of the base fabric opposite the heat directing material elements. The separate insulation layer may help reduce the potential for heat conductivity of the elements and enhance their reflectivity.
• the heat management elements may become more conductive as the air layer between the garment and the wearer becomes more warm and humid. Such examples may be suitable for use in cold weather applications, for instance.
• a base fabric may be used that has little or no insulative properties.
• the base fabric and heat- directing elements may aid in removing excess body heat generated in warmer climates or when engaging in extreme physical activity. Such embodiments may be suitable for warm weather conditions.
• the heat management material elements may be applied in a pattern or a continuous or discontinuous array defined by the manufacturer.
• heat management material elements 10 may be a series of dot-like heat reflective (or heat conductive) elements adhered or otherwise secured to the base fabric 20 in a desired pattern.
• Such a configuration has been found to provide heat reflectivity and thus warmth to the user (e.g., when heat reflective elements are used), or, in the alternative, heat conduction and thus cooling to the user (e.g., when heat conductive elements are used), while still allowing the base fabric to perform the function of the desired one or more properties (e.g. breathe and allow moisture vapor to escape through the fabric in order to reduce the level of moisture build up).
• heat management material elements may be arranged such that they are in connection with one another, such as a lattice pattern or any other pattern that permits partial coverage of the base fabric.
• the configuration or pattern of the heat management elements themselves may be selected by the user and may take any one of a variety of forms.
• the configuration of the heat management elements 10 disposed on a base fabric 20 used for body gear may be in the form of a variety of geometrical patterns (e.g. lines, waves, triangles, squares, logos, words, etc.)
• the pattern of heat management elements may be symmetric, ordered, random, and/or asymmetrical. Further, as discussed below, the pattern of heat management elements may be disposed on the base material at strategic locations to improve the performance of the body wear. In various embodiments, the size of the heat management elements may also be varied to balance the need for enhanced heat directing properties and preserve the functionality of the base fabric.
• the density or ratio of the surface area covered by the heat management material elements to the surface are of base fabric left uncovered by the heat management material elements may be from about 3:7 (30%) to about 7:3 (70%). This range has been shown to provide a good balance of heat management properties (e.g., reflectivity or conductivity) with the desired properties of the base fabric (e.g., breathability or wicking, for instance). In particular embodiments, this ratio may be from about 4:6 (40%) to about 6:4 (60%).
• the placement, pattern, and/or coverage ratio of the heat management elements may vary. For example the heat management elements may be concentrated in certain areas where heat management may be more critical (e.g.
• different areas of the body gear may have different coverage ratios, e.g. 70% at the chest and 30% at the limbs, in order to help optimize, for example, the need for warmth and breathability.
• the size of the heat management elements may be largest (or the spacing between them may be the smallest) in the core regions of the body for enhanced reflection or conduction in those areas, and the size of the heat management elements may be the smallest (or the spacing between them may be the largest) in peripheral areas of the body.
• the degree of coverage by the heat management elements may vary in a gradual fashion over the entire garments as needed for regional heat management. Some embodiments may employ heat reflective elements in some areas and heat conductive elements in other areas of the garment.
• the heat management elements may be configured to help resist moisture buildup on the heat management elements themselves and further enhance the function of the base fabric (e.g. breathability or moisture wicking).
• the base fabric e.g. breathability or moisture wicking
• the heat management elements may have a maximum dimension (diameter, hypotenuse, length, width, etc.) that is less than or equal to about 1 cm. In some embodiments, the maximum dimension may be between 1 -4 mm. In other embodiments, the largest dimension of a heat management element may be as small as 1 mm, or even smaller.
• the topographic profile of the individual heat management elements can be such that moisture is not inclined to adhere to the heat management element.
• the heat management element may be convex, conical, fluted, or otherwise protruded, which may help urge moisture to flow towards the base fabric.
• the surface of the heat management elements may be treated with a compound that may help resist the build up of moisture vapor onto the elements and better direct the moisture to the base fabric without materially impacting the thermal directing property of the elements.
• a compound that may help resist the build up of moisture vapor onto the elements and better direct the moisture to the base fabric without materially impacting the thermal directing property of the elements may be treated with a hydrophobic fluorocarbon, which may be applied to the elements via lamination, spray deposition, or in a chemical bath.
• the heat management elements may be removable from the base fabric and reconfigurable if desired using a variety of releasable coupling fasteners such as zippers, snaps, buttons, hook and loop type fasteners (e.g. Velcro), and other detachable interfaces.
• the base material may be formed as a separate item of body gear and used in conjunction with other body gear to improve thermal management of a user's body heat.
• an upper body under wear garment may be composed with heat management elements in accordance with various embodiments. This under wear garment may be worn by a user alone, in which case conduction of body heat away from the user's body may typically occur, or in conjunction with an insulated outer garment which may enhance the heat reflectivity of the user's body heat.
• the heat management elements may be applied to the base fabric such that it is depressed, concave, or recessed relative to the base fabric, such that the surface of the heat management element is disposed below the surface of the base fabric.
• This configuration may have the effect of improving, for example, moisture wicking, as the base fabric is the portion of the body gear or body gear lining that engages the user's skin or underlying clothing. Further, such contact with the base fabric may also enhance the comfort to the wearer of the body gear in applications where the skin is in direct contact with the base fabric (e.g. gloves, mittens, underwear, or socks).
• Figures 8-15 illustrate various views of a patterned heat management fabric used in a variety of body gear applications, such as a jacket ( Figures 8A-D), boot ( Figure 9), glove (Figure 10), hat ( Figure 11), pants (Figure 12), sock (Figure 13), sleeping bag (Figure 14), tent rain fly (Figure 15A) and tent ( Figure 15B).
• Each of the body gear pieces illustrated include a base material 20 having a plurality of heat management elements 10 disposed thereon.
• the principle embodiments described herein include heat management elements that are disposed on the inner surface of the base fabric, in various embodiments, the heat management material elements may be used on the outside of body gear, for instance to reflect or direct heat exposed to the outside surface of the gear.
• base fabric and heat reflective elements may be applied to an outer or exterior surface of the body gear, such as a coat, sleeping bag, tent or tent rain fly, etc in order to reflect heat away from the user.
• the body gear may be reversible, such that a user may determine whether to use the fabric to direct heat toward the body or away from the body.
• An example of such reversible body gear is illustrated in Figure 15A.
• the heat management elements may be included on one side of a tent rain fly.
• the rain fly may be used with the heat management elements facing outward, for example in hot weather or sunny conditions, in order to reflect heat away from the body of the tent user.
• the tent rain fly may be reversed and installed with the heat management elements facing inward, toward the body of a user, so as to reflect body heat back toward the tent interior.
• FIG. 15B illustrates an example wherein at least a portion of the tent body includes a fabric having a plurality of heat management elements disposed thereon.
• the heat reflective elements are facing outward and may be configured to reflect heat away from the tent and thus away from the body of the tent user. In other embodiments, the elements may be configured to face inward.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Epidemiology (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Professional, Industrial, Or Sporting Protective Garments (AREA)
• Laminated Bodies (AREA)
• Gears, Cams (AREA)
• Outer Garments And Coats (AREA)

Priority Applications (10)

Applications Claiming Priority (17)

Publications (3)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Cited By (14)

Families Citing this family (7)

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• 2010
  • 2010-05-07 WO PCT/US2010/034124 patent/WO2010129923A2/en active Application Filing
  • 2010-05-07 JP JP2012510030A patent/JP2012526008A/ja active Pending
  • 2010-05-07 DK DK10772916.2T patent/DK2427070T3/da active
  • 2010-05-07 KR KR1020107019339A patent/KR101184872B1/ko active IP Right Review Request
  • 2010-05-07 RU RU2011148764/12A patent/RU2506870C2/ru active
  • 2010-05-07 CN CN2010900005212U patent/CN201967719U/zh not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2010-05-07 CA CA2761171A patent/CA2761171C/en active Active
• 2014
  • 2014-08-18 JP JP2014165943A patent/JP2014237919A/ja active Pending
• 2016
  • 2016-11-11 JP JP2016220379A patent/JP2017043880A/ja active Pending

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