Moisture-Responsive Garment Stand-Off Bladders to Reduce Cling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional garments use static structures for a fixed stand-off between the garment and the wearer's body, which may not be ideal for varying needs such as warmth and insulation depending on activity levels.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating fluid-filled bladders made from materials like thermoplastic polyester elastomer that change shape in response to moisture, allowing the garment to transition between a flat and convex form to adjust stand-off based on moisture exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If static structures such as spacers are used to achieve stand-off, then the garment structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the stand-off distance is fixed and cannot adapt to varying activity levels and moisture conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by using a fluid-filled bladder that can dynamically change its volume and shape in response to moisture exposure. The bladder transitions from a collapsed state (low stand-off) when dry to an expanded state (high stand-off) when exposed to moisture, allowing the garment to adapt to varying activity levels and moisture conditions without requiring complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by utilizing the moisture-sensitive properties of the film material forming the bladder. The material's physical parameters (volume, shape, thickness) change in response to moisture exposure, enabling the stand-off distance to vary automatically based on environmental conditions and wearer activity levels
2Adaptability or versatility
If a fluid-filled bladder is used to provide adaptive stand-off, then the garment can adapt to varying moisture conditions and activity levels, but the garment structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies flexible shells and thin films by using a thin film material to form the bladder structure. The film is sealed to create a flexible, moisture-responsive chamber that can expand and collapse easily. This approach simplifies manufacturing compared to rigid structures while maintaining the adaptive stand-off functionality through the film's inherent flexibility and moisture sensitivity
3Temperature
If the stand-off structure is made to extend greater distance in z-direction for enhanced insulation, then insulation performance is improved, but the garment becomes bulkier and less comfortable during high activity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by creating a stand-off structure that dynamically adjusts its extension distance in the z-direction based on moisture conditions. During low-activity periods with lower moisture exposure, the bladder expands to provide greater stand-off distance and enhanced insulation. During high-activity periods with increased moisture, the bladder collapses to reduce bulk and improve comfort, thus adapting to varying thermal requirements
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 adaptive stand-off feature provides enhanced insulation and air circulation, reducing cling and promoting evaporation of perspiration while redirecting precipitation, and can be zonally positioned for optimal performance.
Implementation Method 1
the outer layer formed from a film material that undergoes a change in dimension in at least a z-direction when exposed to moisture to cause the fluid-filled bladder to transition from a first shape to a second shape
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects herein are directed to garments that incorporate adaptive stand-off structures in the form of fluid-filled bladders that transition from a first shape to a second shape when exposed to moisture in the form of, for example, perspiration. When the fluid-filled bladders are in the first shape, the fluid-filled bladders are generally planar with a surface plane of a textile layer forming the garment so that the garment comes into contact or near contact with the wearer's body surface. When the fluid-filled bladders are in the second shape, they extend in a z-direction away from the surface plane of the textile layer forming the garment such that the textile layer is spaced apart from the wearer's body surface by the stand-off structures to reduce cling and facilitate the evaporation of perspiration.