IP Library Granted Patent US 11,433,638
Granted Patent B2
US 11,433,638 · App. 16/220,969 · Granted Sep 6, 2022

Creating a true thermally conductive apparel using intricate thermally functional coating and thermally conductive yarns

Inventors: Dhruv Agarwal (Greensboro, NC); Yongxin Wang (Greensboro, NC); Josue Monge (Greensboro, NC)
Assignee: The H.D. Lee Company, Inc.
B32B5/10A41D13/005A41D31/04B32B5/022B32B5/024B32B5/026D06M11/58D06M11/74D06M11/80D06M23/08D06N3/0006D06N3/0063A41B1/08A41D1/06A41D31/12B32B2262/0269B32B2262/062B32B2262/106B32B2307/302B32B2313/02B32B2313/04B32B2317/10B32B2317/18B32B2437/00D06M2101/06D06M2101/32D06N2209/06D06N2209/062D06N2211/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,433,638
App. No.
16/220,969
Granted
Sep 6, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided are garments that comprise thermally-conductive materials, the materials comprising a heat-collecting coating disposed on a fibrous base material having a thermally-conductive additive dispersed within. Also provided are methods of fabricating thermally-conductive garments.

Claims (30)

1. A garment, comprising:

a fibrous textile base having a first side characterized as being user-facing, a second side, and a thickness defined therebetween, the fibrous textile base comprising at least one thermally-conductive additive disposed within the fibrous textile base; and

a first region of heat-collecting coating disposed on the first side of the fibrous textile base, the thermally-conductive additive being disposed so as to place the heat-collecting coating into thermal communication with the second side of the fibrous textile base, the heat-collecting coating comprising a plurality of patterned features placed into thermal communication with one another.

2. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the fibrous textile base comprises a plurality of thermoplastic fibers, a plurality of rayon fibers, a plurality of cellulosic fibers, protein fibers, co-polymer fibers, aramid fibers, inorganic fibers, carbon fibers, or any combination thereof.

3. The garment of claim 2 , wherein the fibrous textile base comprises a polyester, a polyamide, a polypropylene, or any combination thereof.

4. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the heat-collecting coating, the thermally conductive additive, or both comprises aluminosilicate, graphene, graphene oxide, boron nitride, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, a metal, a metal oxide, or any combination thereof.

5. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the garment comprises a second region of a heat-collecting coating, the heat-collecting coating of the second region differs from the heat-collecting coating of the first region in composition, in pattern, in thickness, or any combination thereof.

6. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the thermally-conductive additive comprises aluminosilicate, graphene, graphene oxide, boron nitride, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, a metal, a metal oxide, or any combination thereof.

7. The garment of claim 6 , wherein the thermally-conductive additive comprises graphene oxide.

8. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the garment has

(a) a through-plane thermal conductivity of from about 0.5 W/m*k to about 10 W/m*K,

(b), an in-plane thermal conductivity of from about 0.005 W/m*K to about 4 W/m*k, or

both (a) and (b).

9. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the thermally conductive additive is present at from about 0.5 to about 5 wt % as measured against the weight of the fibrous textile base.

10. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the heat-collecting coating represents from about 0.01 to about 40% of the surface area of the first surface of the garment.

11. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the garment is characterized as an activewear garment, a sleepwear garment, a workwear garment, an undergarment, an outerwear garment, a hosiery garment, or any combination thereof.

12. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the garment is characterized as pants or a shirt.

13. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the garment is characterized as woven or knitted.

14. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the garment is characterized as non-woven.

15. A method, comprising:

disposing a first region of heat-collecting coating on a first side of a fibrous textile base in a pattern having interconnected elements that thermally interconnect the pattern, the fibrous textile base having a first side, a second side, and a thickness defined therebetween; and

dispersing a thermally-conductive additive within the fibrous textile base such that the heat-collecting coating is in thermal communication with the second side of the fibrous textile base.

16. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the heat-collecting coating comprising at least one thermally-conductive additive.

17. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the heat-collecting coating comprises one or more colorants.

18. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of interconnected elements includes hexagonal elements.

19. The garment of claim 1 , wherein a first interconnected element of the plurality of interconnected elements is connected with a first thermally conductive trace to a second interconnected element of the plurality of interconnected elements and is connected with a second thermally conductive trace to a third interconnected element of the plurality of interconnected elements.

20. The garment of claim 19 , wherein the second interconnected element is connected to the third interconnected element with a third thermally conducive trace.

21. A garment, comprising:

a fibrous textile base having a first side characterized as being user-facing, a second side, and a thickness defined therebetween, the fibrous textile base comprising at least one thermally-conductive additive disposed within the fibrous textile base; and

a heat-collecting coating disposed on the first side of the fibrous textile base, the thermally-conductive additive being disposed so as to place the heat-collecting coating into thermal communication with the second side of the fibrous textile base, the heat-collecting coating being patterned and comprising a plurality of interconnected elements, the heat-collecting coating configured to transfer body heat across the interconnected elements.

Assignments (4)
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 3, 2025
From: WRANGLER APPAREL CORP.; THE H.D. LEE COMPANY, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 071824/0398 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jan 3, 2022
From: THE H.D. LEE COMPANY, INC.; WRANGLER APPAREL CORP.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058570/0335 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 12, 2020
From: VF JEANSWEAR LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
To: THE H.D. LEE COMPANY, INC.
Reel/Frame 052093/0166 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 22, 2019
From: AGARWAL, DHRUV; WANG, YONGXIN; MONGE, JOSUE
To: VF JEANSWEAR LP
Reel/Frame 050129/0303 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62598817 · Dec 14, 2014
Related Publication 20190184673A1 · Jun 20, 2019