Article of apparel with variable air permeability

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9700077-B2
Application number	US-201313921869-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2013
Priority date	Mar 19, 2004
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

An article of apparel may include a torso region with a front area, a back area, and a pair of side areas. At least a portion of each of the side areas are formed from a material with (a) a first air permeability when unexposed to water and (b) a second air permeability when exposed to water. The first air permeability may be less than 279 cm 3 /second per cm 2 measured in accordance with ASTM D 737, and the second air permeability may be greater than 279 cm 3 /second per cm 2 measured in accordance with ASTM D 737. In some configurations, at least a portion of the back area may be formed from the material. The article of apparel may be a shirt, and the article of apparel may include arm regions that extend outward from the torso region.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An article of apparel in the form of a shirt and comprising:
a torso region having a front area, a back area, a first arm opening and a second arm opening, a first side area extending from proximate the first arm opening to proximate a waist opening of the article of apparel, and a second side area extending from proximate the second arm opening to proximate the waist opening of the article of apparel, at least the front area, back area, and first and second side areas adapted for covering a torso of a wearer when the article of apparel is in an as-worn configuration; and
a pair of arm regions extending from the torso region and adapted for receiving arms of the wearer when the article of apparel is in the as-worn configuration,
wherein the article of apparel is formed from at least a first material and a second material different from the first material, the first material extending in a vertical direction along a central portion of the back area, and the first material extending along the first and second side areas, the first material including a dimensionally transformative yarn formed at least from filaments of a moisture-absorbing polyester material that exhibits a dimensional transformation upon absorbing water and a dimensionally stable yarn formed from filaments of a non-absorptive polyester material that is dimensionally stable upon exposure to water,
wherein the first material is a double-knit material having a first surface and an opposite second surface, the dimensionally transformative yarn being primarily positioned at the first surface, and the dimensionally stable yarn being primarily positioned at the second surface,
wherein a plurality of curved slits are formed in the first material to form a plurality of flaps, and wherein the plurality of flaps are configured to curl toward the second surface of the first material upon exposure to water, and
wherein the first material has a first air permeability when unexposed to the water and a second air permeability when exposed to the water, wherein the first air permeability is less than the second air permeability.

2. The article of apparel recited in claim 1 , wherein the first material is a warp knit textile.

3. The article of apparel recited in claim 1 , wherein the extent of the first material in the central portion of the back area and in each of the first and second side areas is at least 77 cm2.

4. The article of apparel recited in claim 1 , wherein the first material and the second material are joined to each other in each of the first and second side areas and in the back area.

5. The article of apparel recited in claim 1 , wherein the second material forms a majority of the article of apparel.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Baron Michael R
• Carter Karin E
• Mather Sophie L
• Wise Lashurya M

Classifications

• D02G3/44

  Yarns or threads characterised by the purpose for which they are designed {(protective gloves A41D19/00; protective clothing A62B17/00; ropes D07B1/02)} · CPC title

• A41D27/28

  Means for ventilation · CPC title

• A41D31/0033

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A41D2400/20

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A41B1/00 Primary

  Shirts · CPC title