IP Library Granted Patent US 12,428,454
Granted Patent B2
US 12,428,454 · App. 17/617,566 · Granted Sep 30, 2025

Water-absorbing and quick-drying property-imparting agent, and method for imparting water-absorbing and quick-drying properties

Inventors: Hiroaki Suzumura (Tsuruoka, JP); Yui Hirose (Tsuruoka, JP)
Assignee: Spiber Inc.
C07K14/43518C08J7/0427C08J7/056C09D5/00C09D7/70C09D189/00D01F4/02D06M15/15C08J2489/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,428,454
App. No.
17/617,566
Granted
Sep 30, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a water-absorbing and quick-drying property-imparting agent capable of easily imparting water-absorbing and quick-drying properties to various materials or articles in a simple process, and a method capable of easily imparting water-absorbing and quick-drying properties to predetermined materials or articles. A water-absorbing and quick-drying property-imparting agent containing modified fibroin as an active ingredient, and a method for imparting water-absorbing and quick-drying properties to an article, the method including a step of incorporating modified fibroin into the article.

Claims (17)

1. A method of imparting water-absorbing and quick-drying properties to an article, the method comprising:

incorporating a water-absorbing and quick-drying property-imparting agent into the article,

wherein the agent comprises modified fibroin as an active ingredient, and

wherein the modified fibroin contains modified spider silk fibroin.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the modified fibroin contains modified fibroin having an average value of hydropathy indices (average hydropathy index (HI)) of 0 or less.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the agent is in the form of a fiber.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the article is selected from the group consisting of fibers, woven fabrics, knitted fabrics, nonwoven fabrics, cotton, sponges, films, resins, and composite materials.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the incorporating the agent into the article is performed by mixing the agent with raw material, by forming the article by combining the agent prepared in the form of formed body with another material, or by forming the article by forming the agent.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the content of the modified fibroin in the article is 20 mass % or more.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the water-absorbing and quick-drying property-imparting agent comprises a modified fibroin including a sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to any one selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 12-15.

8. The method according to claim 1 , the water-absorbing and quick-drying property-imparting agent comprises a modified fibroin including a sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 15.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the water-absorbing and quick-drying property-imparting agent comprises a modified fibroin including a sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to any one selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 33-44.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the water-absorbing and quick-drying property-imparting agent comprises a modified fibroin including a sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 37.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein after the incorporating, the article has 60 seconds or less water-absorbing property measured according to JIS L1907.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein after the incorporating, the article has 5 seconds or less water-absorbing property measured according to JIS L1907.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein after the incorporating, the article has a diffusible residual moisture content of 100 minutes or less.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein after the incorporating, the article has a diffusible residual moisture content of 70 minutes or less.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF PATENT SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 31, 2026
From: GODO KAISHA EVE
To: SPIBER INC.; SPIBER IP MANAGEMENT LLC
Reel/Frame 075350/0864 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (US) Recorded Nov 10, 2025
From: SPIBER IP MANAGEMENT LLC
To: GODO KAISHA EVE
Reel/Frame 073567/0591 →
IN-KIND CONTRIBUTION AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 10, 2025
From: SPIBER INC.
To: SPIBER IP MANAGEMENT LLC
Reel/Frame 073567/0645 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2021
From: SUZUMURA, HIROAKI; HIROSE, YUI
To: SPIBER INC.
Reel/Frame 058353/0185 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2019-109042 · Jun 11, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220235100A1 · Jul 28, 2022
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