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 hydrophilic 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.

A system and overshoe for dissipating charge from a human body standing on a surface and wearing the system. The overshoe further contains a sole and an overshoe body that is attached to the edge of the sole such that the sole has an inner surface that faces the overshoe side and an outer surface that is exterior to the overshoe. A conductive strip is folded around at least a portion of the edge of the sole and bonded to the sole by a first adhesive such that at least a portion of the conductive strip is exposed to the inner surface of the sole. A tape covers the seam between the conductive strip and the sole on an exterior portion of the overshoe and that is adhesively bonded to the seam by a second adhesive such that at least a portion of the conductive strip is exposed to the surface that the human body is standing on. The portion that is exposed to the surface that the human body is standing on is sufficient in area to yield a resistance of in the range of >10.sup.4 to <10.sup.8 Ohm when measured between the hands of the human body and the surface.

A system and overshoe for dissipating charge from a human body standing on a surface and wearing the system. The overshoe further contains a sole and an overshoe body that is attached to the edge of the sole such that the sole has an inner surface that faces the overshoe side and an outer surface that is exterior to the overshoe. A conductive strip is folded around at least a portion of the edge of the sole and bonded to the sole by a first adhesive such that at least a portion of the conductive strip is exposed to the inner surface of the sole. A tape covers the seam between the conductive strip and the sole on an exterior portion of the overshoe and that is adhesively bonded to the seam by a second adhesive such that at least a portion of the conductive strip is exposed to the surface that the human body is standing on. The portion that is exposed to the surface that the human body is standing on is sufficient in area to yield a resistance of in the range of >10.sup.4 to <10.sup.8 Ohm when measured between the hands of the human body and the surface.

Foam beads based on thermoplastic elastomers and having a coating comprising at least one electrically conductive substance, processes for producing same by coating the foam beads with an emulsion of a conductive substance in a plasticizer, and also processes for producing bead foams by joining the foam beads together thermally via high-frequency electromagnetic radiation.

An antistatic shoe includes an outsole having a conducting portion that is made of a conducting material and an insole that has a conducting portion mad of a conducting material. An antistatic unit is sewn to the conducting portion of the insole from below so as to be located between the outsole and the insole. An upper is mounted on the outsole and the insole. Electric connection between the components allows static electricity from a human body to be transmitted to a resistor in the antistatic unit, so that static electricity that would otherwise accumulate in the human body can be stably removed by the resistor and sent to the ground. This eliminates the risk of a transient electrostatic discharge that may disadvantageously damage adjacent electronic devices or generate sparks.

An antistatic shoe includes an outsole having a conducting portion that is made of a conducting material and an insole that has a conducting portion mad of a conducting material. An antistatic unit is sewn to the conducting portion of the insole from below so as to be located between the outsole and the insole. An upper is mounted on the outsole and the insole. Electric connection between the components allows static electricity from a human body to be transmitted to a resistor in the antistatic unit, so that static electricity that would otherwise accumulate in the human body can be stably removed by the resistor and sent to the ground. This eliminates the risk of a transient electrostatic discharge that may disadvantageously damage adjacent electronic devices or generate sparks.

The present technology relates to novel conductive polymer rivets designed to allow a user to ground a shoe, including a sandal. They allow for easy installation into various types of shoes resulting in a comfortable, aesthetic and grounded shoe. The present technology also relates to kits incorporating such conductive polymer rivets with instructions for inserting such rivets into a shoe. The present technology further relates to methods of inserting such conductive polymer rivets into shoes. The present technology also relates to shoes with the present conductive polymer rivets inserted therein.

The present technology relates to novel conductive polymer rivets designed to allow a user to ground a shoe, including a sandal. They allow for easy installation into various types of shoes resulting in a comfortable, aesthetic and grounded shoe. The present technology also relates to kits incorporating such conductive polymer rivets with instructions for inserting such rivets into a shoe. The present technology further relates to methods of inserting such conductive polymer rivets into shoes. The present technology also relates to shoes with the present conductive polymer rivets inserted therein.

Electrically conductive vulcanized epoxidized natural rubber [ENR]-carbon black blends can be produced by using either internal mechanical mixing method or open milling method. These two methods are commercially friendly due to their practicability and high production rate. The addition of vulcanization system, either sulfur or peroxide type does not affect the electrical properties of the vulcanized blends. All vulcanized blends prepared in this innovation show useful electrical properties with electrical volume resistances as low as the order of 10.sup.1 ohms. All these vulcanized blends also exhibit good mechanical properties with tensile strengths up to 26.0 MPa and Dunlop rebound resiliencies of 14.0% (i.e. high damping property). The black color level of all these vulcanized blends is adjustable. As a result of good electrical and mechanical properties (especially high damping property), they have good potential to be used for antistatic footwear manufacturing and application.

Electrically conductive vulcanized epoxidized natural rubber [ENR]-carbon black blends can be produced by using either internal mechanical mixing method or open milling method. These two methods are commercially friendly due to their practicability and high production rate. The addition of vulcanization system, either sulfur or peroxide type does not affect the electrical properties of the vulcanized blends. All vulcanized blends prepared in this innovation show useful electrical properties with electrical volume resistances as low as the order of 10.sup.1 ohms. All these vulcanized blends also exhibit good mechanical properties with tensile strengths up to 26.0 MPa and Dunlop rebound resiliencies of 14.0% (i.e. high damping property). The black color level of all these vulcanized blends is adjustable. As a result of good electrical and mechanical properties (especially high damping property), they have good potential to be used for antistatic footwear manufacturing and application.