System and method for thermally adaptive materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10793981-B2
Application number	US-201615160439-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2016
Priority date	May 21, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

An adaptive sheet that includes a first layer defining a first length, the first layer configured to assume a base configuration in response to a first environmental condition and assume a lofted configuration in response to a second environmental condition with the first layer being curled along the first length compared the base configuration. The first fabric layer includes a first material defining a second length and having a first expansion coefficient, and wherein the first material is configured to increasingly change length along the second length in response to the second environmental condition, and a second material defining a third length and having a second expansion coefficient that is different than the first expansion coefficient.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermally adaptive fabric that comprises:
a fabric layer defining a first length, the fabric layer configured to assume a base configuration in response to a first temperature range and assume a lofted configuration in response to a second temperature range with the fabric layer being curled along the first length compared the base configuration, the fabric layer comprising:
a first material defining a second length and having a first thermal expansion coefficient, and wherein the first material is configured to increasingly change length along the second length in response to temperature change within the second environmental temperature range, and
a second material defining a third length and having a second thermal expansion coefficient that is different than the first thermal expansion coefficient,
wherein at least one of the first and second materials comprises a twisted polymer coil actuator; and
wherein the first material comprises at least one coiled actuator that includes alternating hetero-chiral and homo-chiral portions configured to respectively respond to temperature changes in opposite ways.

2. The thermally adaptive fabric of claim 1 , wherein the first fabric layer is configured to exhibit a change in area no more than 5% in response to a temperature change of 10° C.

3. The thermally adaptive fabric of claim 1 , wherein the first and second materials are combined to make a woven thermally adaptive fabric.

4. The thermally adaptive fabric of claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises a coiled actuator configured to contract or expand along the first length.

5. The thermally adaptive fabric of claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises a planar sheet.

6. An adaptive sheet that comprises:
a first layer defining a first length, the first layer configured to assume a base configuration in response to a first environmental condition and assume a lofted configuration in response to a second environmental condition with the first layer being curled along the first length compared the base configuration, the first layer comprising:
a first material defining a second length and having a first expansion coefficient, and wherein the first material is configured to change length along the second length in response to the second environmental condition, and
a second material defining a third length and having a second expansion coefficient that is different than the first expansion coefficient,
wherein at least one of the first and second materials comprises a twisted polymer coil actuator; and
wherein the first material comprises at least one coiled actuator that includes alternating hetero-chiral and homo-chiral portions configured to respectively respond to temperature changes in opposite ways.

7. The adaptive sheet of claim 6 , wherein the first environmental condition comprises a first temperature range and the second environmental condition comprises a second temperature range that is separate from the first temperature range and comprises temperatures less than the first temperature range.

8. The adaptive sheet of claim 6 , wherein the first environmental condition comprises a first moisture range and the second environmental condition comprises a second moisture range that is separate from the first moisture range.

9. The adaptive sheet of claim 6 , wherein the first and second material define a portion of a woven fabric.

10. The adaptive sheet of claim 6 , wherein the first and second Previously Presented material define a portion of a knit fabric.

11. A thermally adaptive garment configured to be worn on and surround the body of a user, the thermally adaptive garment comprising:
a garment body defined by a thermally adaptive fabric that includes:
a first fabric layer;
a second fabric layer coupled to the first fabric layer at one or more coupling seams; and
a plurality of cavities defined by and disposed within the first and second fabric layer and the one or more coupling seams;

wherein the first fabric layer is configured to assume a base configuration in response to a first environmental temperature range with the first fabric layer being separated from the second fabric layer by a first average distance;
wherein the first fabric layer is configured to assume a lofted configuration in response to a second environmental temperature range separate from the first environmental temperature range with the first fabric layer being separated from the second fabric layer by a second average distance that is greater than the first average distance;
wherein the first fabric layer comprises a first material defining a first length, and wherein the first material is configured to increasingly expand along the first length in response to temperature change within the second environmental temperature range according to a first thermal expansion coefficient;
wherein the first fabric layer comprises a second material defining a second length that is parallel to the first length, and wherein the second material is configured to increasingly expand or contract along the second length in response to temperature change within the second environmental temperature range according to a second thermal expansion coefficient that is different than the first thermal expansion coefficient,
wherein at least one of the first and second materials comprises a twisted polymer coil actuator; and
wherein the first material comprises at least one coiled actuator that includes alternating hetero-chiral and homo-chiral portions configured to respectively respond to temperature changes in opposite ways.

12. The adaptive sheet of claim 6 , wherein the lofted configuration in response to the second environmental condition comprises a thickness of the adaptive sheet at least 1 mm greater than the thickness of the adaptive sheet in the base configuration of the first environmental condition.

13. The thermally adaptive garment of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first thermal expansion coefficient or second thermal expansion coefficient is negative.

14. The thermally adaptive garment of claim 11 , wherein the average distance between the first and second layers increases in response to temperatures within the second temperature range as the environmental temperature increases in difference from the first environmental temperature range.

15. The thermally adaptive garment of claim 14 , wherein the increasing average distance between the first and second layers is constrained to a maximum distance by a physical configuration of the garment body.

16. The thermally adaptive garment of claim 11 , wherein the temperatures of the second environmental temperature range are lower than the temperatures of the first environmental temperature range.

17. The thermally adaptive garment of claim 11 , wherein the first and second materials define a respective first and second width that are perpendicular to the first and second length and wherein the first and second width remain substantially the same in response to temperature change within the second environmental temperature range.

Assignees

• Other Lab Llc

Inventors

• Ridley Brent
• Griffith Saul
• Maikranz Shara
• Chang Jean
• Lynn Pete

Classifications

• D04B21/00 Primary

  Warp knitting processes for the production of fabrics or articles not dependent on the use of particular machines; Fabrics or articles defined by such processes · CPC title

• B32B2601/00

  Upholstery · CPC title

• B32B2307/706

  Anisotropic · CPC title

• B32B2307/58

  Cuttability · CPC title

• B32B2307/554

  Wear resistance · CPC title