A stitched fabric including a foam core and a yarn stitched through and forming stitch holes in the foam core, where the yarn extends over at least a majority of a width and a length of the stitched fabric. In some cases, the yarn and the foam core are free from contact by another layer on either side of the foam core. In some cases, a barrier layer is disposed over at least one side of the foam core and a melted portion of the barrier layer fills a portion of the stitch holes. In some cases, the foam core is a closed cell aerogel foam core.

Oxidized polyacrylonitrile fiber (OPF) containing fabrics when used in the fire service, either in a NFPA 1971 or NFPA 1951 compliant protective garments, offer exceptional comfort and protection characteristics that ensure firefighters can safely perform their duties in structural fire, overhaul, urban search and rescue, and other various missions. OPF containing fabrics used in turnout gear outer shells and compliant with NFPA 1971, provide the best combination of protection as tested by the thermal protective performance test and comfort as tested by the total heat loss/resistance to evaporative heat transfer test.

Disclosed are insulating materials, and in particular materials that offer improved insulation properties without compromising breathability. The insulating materials may include a base material having a moisture vapor transfer rate (MVTR) of at least 2000 g/m.sup.2/24 h (JIS 1099 A1); a plurality of heat-reflecting elements coupled to a first side of the base material, each heat-reflecting element having a heat-reflecting surface and being positioned to reflect heat towards an underlying surface; and a plurality of spacer elements coupled to the first side of the base material, each spacer element sized and shaped to reduce contact of the heat-reflecting elements with the underlying surface.

An active-insulation paneling component and garments including an active-insulation paneling component. The active-insulation paneling component includes insulated panels separated by gussets. The gussets are configured to expand upon an outward pulling force to allow the active-insulation paneling component and/or garment to expand even where the active-insulation paneling component and/or garment are not manufactured from elastic materials.

A protective garment comprises a thermal liner, a moisture barrier, and an outer shell. The thermal liner includes one or more augmented portions located at predetermined areas to enhance thermal properties of the thermal liner, and thereby the protective garment. In some embodiments, the augmented portions of the thermal liner each comprise an enhanced thermal layer and at least one of a facecloth layer and a first insulation layer.

A puffer jacket configured to provide improved temperature regulation through graduated venting. In one embodiment, the jacket includes a back panel with baffles and insulation arranged to provide reduced insulation and increased venting of heat and humidity toward the center of the back. The back panel may include an alternating arrangement of insulation baffles (containing insulation) and vent baffles (free of insulation). The insulation baffles and vent baffles may be formed by joining inner and outer layers of fabric with laterally extending lines of stitching. The lines of stitching may follow paths selected to progressively change the relative size of the vent baffles and the insulation baffles toward the center of the back. For example, the lines of stitching may give the insulation baffles a somewhat hourglass shape shortening toward the center of the back resulting in increasingly greater venting of heat and humidity toward the center of the back.

Articles (100, 200, 300, 400) are described herein. An example article may comprise a first surface (404) comprising a first lattice. The example article may comprise a second surface (406) at least partially spaced from the first surface (404) and having at least one common terminal connection point with the first surface (404). The first surface (404) may comprise a second lattice. The first surface (404) and the second surface (406) may define a cavity (407) therebetween. The first surface (404) and the second surface (406) may be capable of being deformed from a first state to a second state under a compression force to constrict a volume of the cavity. The first surface (404) and the second surface (406) may be capable of returning to the first state when the compression force is released.

A baffled insulating garment/blanket panel may include a first layer, a second layer, an insulating particle layer and a third layer. The second layer may have folds forming trough-shaped walls comprising a first wall, a second wall and a third wall, each of which is secured to the first wall. The insulating particle layer may include a first portion between the first wall and the second wall and sandwiched between the first layer and the second layer and a second portion between the second wall and the third wall and sandwiched between the first layer and the second layer. The third layer may include folds forming consecutive trough-shaped walls comprising a fourth wall secured within the first wall and a fifth wall secured within the third wall, wherein portions of the third layer between the fourth wall and the fifth wall span across a top of the second wall.

The present disclosure generally relates to intelligent garments that provide thermal regulation in a variety of environments. The garments may include different layers such as a hydrophobic layer in direct contact with a wearer's skin surface and saturated with an aqueous mixture, a spacer layer, a reflective layer, and an outer hydrophobic layer. The layers of the garment may work together to reduce the metabolic expenditure of the wearer in extreme environmental conditions or during demanding physical activity. A variety of sensors may be displaced throughout the garments so as to enable the collection of data associated with wearers as well as environmental conditions. Wearers may control the thermal balance and other properties of the garments as desired.

Examples of a sleeve for a garment are disclosed. The sleeve comprises an outer panel attached along respective side edges thereof to form an outer sleeve and an inner panel attached along respective side edges thereof to form an inner liner of the sleeve. The inner liner and the outer sleeve are attached at least along respective edges of their respective lower ends forming a hand opening. An elastic band is attached to the inner liner proximate a wrist area of the sleeve and is spaced apart from the outer sleeve. The elastic band is configured to draw the inner liner into contact with and hug a wrist area of the wearer while the outer layer is loosely fitted around the wrist area of the wearer.