Insulating Cloth Laminate With Air Gap for Lightweight Warmth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat-retaining clothing with padding between outer layers faces issues such as padding leaning or migrating due to weight, bulkiness, slow drying, and high maintenance, especially with cotton or feather fillings, which limits compactness, quick-drying properties, and cost-effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A laminate structure with a first and second outer layer and an inner layer, where the inner layer's thickness is greater than the cloth thickness, forming a space between the outer layers, and using a thread material of single or combined fibers, with a three-dimensional crinkled or textured surface for enhanced heat retention and compactness, allowing for quick drying and reduced maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cotton padding is used for heat retention, then heat retention is improved, but weight increases and the clothing becomes bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from traditional cotton/feather padding to a synthetic fiber cloth (polyester, nylon, etc.) with specific thickness and thermal insulation properties. This material substitution maintains heat retention while significantly reducing weight and bulk, allowing the inner layer to provide thermal insulation without the drawbacks of conventional padding materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite laminate structure combining three different cloth layers (first outer layer, inner layer, second outer layer) with distinct functions. The inner layer specifically uses synthetic fibers that combine light weight with good thermal insulation, achieving a composite material solution that resolves the contradiction between heat retention and weight.
2Temperature
If cotton padding is used for heat retention, then heat retention is improved, but the clothing becomes bulky and compactness in folded state deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the insulation layer by using a thin synthetic fiber cloth with controlled thickness (0.1-1.0 mm) instead of bulky cotton padding. This parameter change enables the material to maintain thermal insulation performance while occupying minimal volume, achieving both heat retention and compactness when folded.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a thin film-like inner layer made of synthetic fiber cloth that provides thermal insulation in a minimal thickness. This thin film approach allows the clothing to be compact when folded while maintaining heat retention, resolving the contradiction between insulation performance and volumetric compactness.
3Temperature
If cotton padding is used for heat retention, then heat retention is improved, but drying time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material composition parameter from absorbent natural fibers (cotton) to hydrophobic or quick-drying synthetic fibers (polyester, nylon). This parameter change fundamentally alters the drying characteristics while maintaining thermal insulation, as synthetic fibers do not absorb and retain moisture like cotton, thus dramatically reducing drying time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adopts synthetic fiber materials that are inherently more resistant to moisture retention and faster drying compared to cotton. These materials effectively 'discard' moisture quickly without requiring extended drying periods, resolving the contradiction between heat retention and drying speed.
4Temperature
If padding is used between outer layers, then heat retention is improved, but the structure becomes complex requiring quilting and sewing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the insulation function directly into the inner layer cloth itself, eliminating the need for separate padding materials that require quilting and sewing to prevent migration. The inner layer is simply disposed between the outer layers without additional fastening, significantly simplifying the overall structure while maintaining heat retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex quilting and sewing processes traditionally required to secure padding between layers. By using a flexible synthetic fiber cloth that naturally conforms and stays in place, the invention removes the need for mechanical fastening systems, thereby reducing structural complexity.
5Weight of moving object
If feather is used instead of cotton for heat retention, then weight is reduced, but problems of leaning, migration and leakage remain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from loose feather filling to a coherent synthetic fiber cloth structure. This parameter change transforms the insulation medium from a particulate form that can migrate and leak to a continuous fabric form that maintains positional stability while remaining lightweight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite fabric structure where synthetic fibers are woven or knitted into a stable cloth form. This composite material approach combines the light weight advantage of feathers with the positional stability of fabric, eliminating migration and leakage issues while maintaining low weight.
6Temperature
If cotton or feather padding is used, then heat retention is improved, but cost increases and maintenance becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adopts inexpensive synthetic fiber materials (polyester, nylon) that are significantly cheaper than cotton or feather padding. These materials can be mass-produced through conventional textile manufacturing processes, dramatically reducing material costs while maintaining adequate heat retention performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The synthetic fiber cloth structure is inherently resistant to common issues like moth damage, mildew, and degradation that affect natural materials. The material essentially maintains itself without requiring special care, storage conditions, or protective treatments, thereby reducing maintenance costs and complexity.
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 laminate structure achieves lightweight, compact, quick-drying, and cost-effective heat retention with reduced maintenance, suitable for various clothing and bedding applications, including vests, sleeping bags, and comforters.
Implementation Method 1
a space part is formed between the first outer layer and the second outer layer... realizing light weight, compactness in the folded state, quick-drying property, heat retention
Data Source
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AI summary
The laminate of cloths includes a first outer layer, a second layer, and an inner layer disposed between the first outer layer and the second outer layer. A layer thickness of the inner layer disposed between the first outer layer and the second outer layer is formed to be larger than a cloth thickness of the inner layer, and a space part is formed between the first outer layer and the second outer layer.