Foam Node Apparel Stand-Off for Cooling and Cling Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional athletic apparel often lacks stand-off, which can lead to cling and reduced evaporative cooling, and existing methods for creating stand-off are labor-intensive and expensive.
Innovation Solution
The use of foam nodes applied to the inner-facing surface of apparel items, which expand to create a space between the apparel and the skin, incorporating a foaming additive in ink formulations that are activated to form cells or microspheres, providing stand-off and potentially perforated for air and moisture exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional athletic apparel is used without stand-off, then the apparel structure is simple and manufacturing is easy, but evaporative cooling is reduced and cling perception increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies porous foam nodes (made from materials like polyethylene foam, polypropylene foam, or open-cell foam) to the inner-facing surface of apparel panels. These porous materials create air gaps that facilitate evaporative cooling while maintaining a simple manufacturing process through adhesive application or thermal bonding, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and cooling performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The foam nodes act as an intermediary layer between the apparel fabric and the wearer's skin, creating a thermal and moisture management interface. This intermediary structure provides stand-off distance for evaporative cooling without requiring complex apparel construction, thus improving cooling performance while keeping manufacturing straightforward.
2Reliability
If foam nodes are applied to create stand-off, then evaporative cooling and air circulation are enhanced, but manufacturing complexity and production time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The foam nodes are pre-cut to specific shapes and sizes before application to the apparel panels. This preliminary preparation allows for standardized, repeatable application processes that reduce manufacturing complexity during assembly. The nodes are then applied using adhesives or thermal bonding methods that integrate seamlessly into existing apparel production workflows.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent varies parameters such as foam node size (e.g., 0.5-5 cm diameter), thickness (e.g., 1-10 mm), density, and material composition to optimize cooling performance for different apparel applications. By adjusting these parameters, the solution can be tailored to specific performance requirements without fundamentally changing the manufacturing approach, thus managing complexity while maintaining effectiveness.
3Reliability
If foam nodes with larger stand-off distance are used, then air circulation and cooling are improved, but the apparel becomes bulkier and less form-fitting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies foam nodes selectively to specific high-contact or high-heat areas of the apparel (such as underarms, back, or thigh regions) rather than uniformly across all surfaces. This localized application provides targeted air circulation and cooling where most needed, while maintaining a form-fitting profile in other areas, thus balancing cooling efficiency with aesthetic and fit requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The foam nodes create stand-off primarily in the z-dimension (perpendicular to the apparel surface) rather than expanding the apparel in the x or y dimensions. This vertical positioning of air gaps enables effective air circulation for cooling without significantly increasing the overall footprint or bulk of the apparel, preserving a form-fitting appearance.
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 foam nodes effectively reduce the perception of cling and enhance evaporative cooling by creating a space for air circulation, while also providing an insulative effect by trapping warmed air between layers, thus improving wearer comfort and cooling efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
foam nodes applied to the inner-facing surface of apparel items, which expand to create a space between the apparel and the skin
Implementation Method 2
incorporating a foaming additive in ink formulations that are activated to form cells or microspheres
Implementation Method 3
providing an insulative effect by trapping warmed air between layers
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects herein relate to apparel items and apparel systems that utilize applied or printed foam nodes to provide, among other things, stand-off between an apparel item and a wearer's skin surface. One or more of the foam nodes, or areas of the textile surrounding the foam nodes, may be perforated to provide a fluid communication path between an inner-facing surface and an outer-facing surface of the apparel item. The communication path may be used to facilitate air exchange between the external environment and the wearer's body and/or to provide an exit path for moisture vapor generated by the wearer.