IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,342,884
Granted Patent B2
US 12,342,884 · App. 16/988,116 · Granted Jul 1, 2025

Apparel with cling reduction features

Inventors: Daniel P. Morgan (Beaverton, OR); Kyle Schepke (Portland, OR); Joshua Patrick Williams (Portland, OR)
Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
A41D27/28A41D13/0156A41D31/02A41D31/125A41D31/185B05C5/0208B05C11/00B05D1/265B05D1/286B05D7/14B32B3/085B32B5/26B32B7/05B32B37/0076D06B1/02B32B3/266B32B2274/00B32B2305/18B32B2307/728B32B2307/734Y10T442/162Y10T442/3854Y10T442/40
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,342,884
App. No.
16/988,116
Granted
Jul 1, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Aspects herein are directed to articles of apparel formed from a base textile and including a plurality of discrete overlay film structures affixed to the base textile at one or more locations on the article of apparel. When exposed to an external stimulus, the film structures undergo an increase in dimension in at least the z-direction and the base textile undergoes a change in dimension in at least the z-direction to produce stand-off nodes.

Claims (32)

1. A garment comprising:

a base textile; and

a plurality of discrete overlay film structures comprising a thermoplastic polymer affixed to the base textile, wherein upon exposure to moisture the plurality of discrete overlay film structures undergoes a change in dimension in at least a z-direction, and wherein areas of the base textile underlying the plurality of discrete overlay film structures undergo a change in dimension in the z-direction; and

wherein the plurality of discrete overlay film structures comprises a gradient pattern with a greater concentration of the overlay film structures in a first location of the base textile compared to a second location of the base textile, and the plurality of discrete overlay film structures comprise a thermoplastic polyester elastomer that has a water vapor transmission rate from about 600 g/m 2 /day to about 10,000 g/m 2 /day.

2. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the base textile comprises a knit construction having a weight not exceeding about 150 grams/meter 2 (gsm).

3. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the base textile comprises a woven construction having a weight not exceeding about 150 grams/meter 2 (gsm).

4. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of discrete overlay film structures is affixed to an inner-facing surface of the garment.

5. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of discrete overlay film structures is affixed to an outer-facing surface of the garment.

6. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the garment is an upper-body garment.

7. The garment of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of discrete overlay film structures is affixed to a front torso area, a back torso area, and side areas of the upper-body garment.

8. The garment of claim 7 , wherein the upper-body garment comprises a sleeveless top.

9. The garment of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of discrete overlay film structures has a thickness not exceeding about 50 microns.

10. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the change in dimension in the z-direction is from about 0.8 cm to about 1.2 cm.

11. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of discrete overlay film structures covers from about 20% to about 70% of a surface area of the garment.

12. A garment comprising:

a base textile; and

a plurality of discrete overlay film structures comprising a thermoplastic polymer affixed to the base textile, wherein upon exposure to moisture the plurality of discrete overlay film structures undergoes a change in dimension in at least an x-, y-, or a z-direction, and wherein the plurality of discrete overlay film structures comprise a thermoplastic polyester elastomer that has a water vapor transmission rate from about 600 g/m 2 /day to about 10,000 g/m 2 /day.

13. The garment of claim 12 , wherein the base textile has a weight not exceeding about 150 grams/meter 2 (gsm).

14. The garment of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of discrete overlay film structures is affixed to an inner-facing surface of the garment.

15. The garment of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of discrete overlay film structures is affixed to an outer-facing surface of the garment.

16. The garment of claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of discrete overlay film structures has a thickness not exceeding about 50 microns.

17. The garment of claim 12 , wherein the change in dimension is in at least the z-direction and is from about 0.8 cm to about 1.2 cm.

18. A method of manufacturing a garment comprising:

affixing a plurality of discrete overlay film structures comprising a thermoplastic polymer to one or more of an inner-facing surface and an outer-facing surface of a base textile that forms the garment, the plurality of discrete overlay film structures affixed to the base textile in areas corresponding to high sweat production regions of a human body when the garment is in an as-worn configuration, wherein:

the base textile has a weight not exceeding about 150 grams/meter 2 (gsm),

upon exposure to moisture the plurality of discrete overlay film structures undergoes a change in dimension in a z-direction and areas of the base textile underlying the plurality of discrete overlay film structures undergo a change in dimension in the z-direction, and

the plurality of discrete overlay film structures is applied in a gradient pattern with a greater concentration of the overlay film structures in a first location of the base textile compared to a second location of the base textile; and

the plurality of discrete overlay film structures comprise a thermoplastic polyester elastomer that has a water vapor transmission rate from about 600 g/m 2 /day to about 10,000 g/m 2 /day.

19. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polyester elastomer has a water vapor transmission rate from about 1,000 g/m 2 /day to about 9,000 g/m 2 /day.

20. The garment of claim 19 , wherein the thermoplastic polyester elastomer has a water vapor transmission rate from about 3,000 g/m 2 /day to about 8,000 g/m 2 /day.

21. The garment of claim 20 , wherein the thermoplastic polyester elastomer has a water vapor transmission rate from about 5,000 g/m 2 /day to about 7,000 g/m 2 /day.

22. The garment of claim 21 , wherein the thermoplastic polyester elastomer has a water vapor transmission rate of about 6,000 g/m 2 /day.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 22, 2021
From: MORGAN, DANIEL P.; SCHEPKE, KYLE; WILLIAMS, JOSHUA PATRICK
To: NIKE, INC.
Reel/Frame 057882/0734 →
Continuity (5)
Provisional Application 62972426 · Feb 10, 2020
Provisional Application 62951154 · Dec 20, 2019
Provisional Application 62924527 · Oct 22, 2019
Provisional Application 62885589 · Aug 12, 2019
Related Publication 20210045477A1 · Feb 18, 2021
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