Adaptive Apparel Textile Structure for Insulation and Moisture Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Athletic apparel textiles often fail to adapt to changing environmental conditions, such as rain, sunlight, or wind, leading to inadequate insulation and moisture management, which can impact comfort and performance.
Innovation Solution
Development of textiles with yarns that undergo dimensional transformation in response to physical stimuli like water, temperature, or air movement, altering permeability and texture to enhance insulation and moisture management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional athletic apparel textiles are used, then the apparel provides basic coverage and comfort, but the textiles fail to adapt to changing environmental conditions, leading to inadequate insulation and moisture management
Solution Approach 1:
The textile incorporates yarns with dimensional transformation capabilities that allow the fabric structure to dynamically adjust its properties in response to environmental stimuli such as water, temperature changes, or air movement. This dynamic adaptation enables the textile to automatically modify its insulation and moisture management characteristics without external control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes physical or chemical parameters of the yarn materials that change in response to environmental conditions. These parameter changes trigger dimensional transformations in the yarns, which subsequently alter the textile's permeability, texture, and other functional properties to match the environmental context.
2Adaptability or versatility
If textiles with fixed structure are used, then the manufacturing process is simple and cost-effective, but the textiles cannot modify their properties in response to physical stimuli
Solution Approach 1:
The textile incorporates yarns with specialized dimensional transformation properties into specific locations within the fabric structure where adaptation is most beneficial. This localized approach allows the textile to gain adaptive capabilities without requiring the entire fabric structure to be complex, maintaining manufacturing feasibility while achieving functional versatility.
3Speed
If tight-fitting elastic textile is used, then wind resistance is minimized and performance is enhanced, but the textile provides inadequate insulation when environmental conditions change
Solution Approach 1:
The textile maintains a tight-fitting elastic structure for aerodynamic performance but incorporates yarns that can dynamically alter the fabric's insulation properties. When environmental conditions require additional warmth, the dimensional transformation of the yarns modifies the textile's thermal characteristics without compromising the snug fit needed for wind resistance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The textiles effectively adapt to environmental conditions by changing permeability and texture, providing improved insulation and moisture management, thereby enhancing the comfort and performance of athletic apparel.
Implementation Method 1
The yarns have a first set of dimensions when unexposed to the physical stimulus, and the yarns have a second set of dimensions when exposed to the physical stimulus
Implementation Method 2
altering permeability and texture to enhance insulation and moisture management
Implementation Method 3
providing improved insulation and moisture management
Data Source
AI summary
An article of apparel is disclosed that includes a textile with at least one property that changes upon exposure to a physical stimulus. The textile has a modifiable structure formed from one or more yarns that exhibit a dimensional transformation upon exposure to the physical stimulus. The yarns have a first set of dimensions when unexposed to the physical stimulus, and the yarns have a second set of dimensions when exposed to the physical stimulus. The structure of the textile is modified by exposing the textile to the physical stimulus such that the yarns transform from the first set of dimensions to the second set of dimensions and change the property of the textile. Reinforcing structures, incisions, partial incisions, and coatings may also be utilized to enhance the textile structures.