Aspects herein are directed to an apparel item that promotes thermo-regulation through the use of engineered openings, venting, and/or stand-off structures. In exemplary aspects, 20-45% of the apparel item may comprise the engineered openings. Vents may be positioned on the apparel item in areas that experience high amounts of air flow to help channel air into the apparel item. The stand-off structures may be positioned on an inner-facing surface of the apparel item where they help to create a space between the apparel item and the wearer's body surface in which air can flow and help cool the wearer by promoting evaporative cooling.

An article of apparel is disclosed that includes zones with a textile having a structure than changes or is otherwise modified by a physical stimulus, such as the presence of water or a temperature change, to modify a property of the textile. The zones may be along a center back area and/or side areas of the apparel, and the textile may increase in air permeability when exposed to water. In some embodiments, slits are formed in the textile.

Embodiments of the invention include an active venting system. According to an embodiment of the invention, the active venting system may include a substrate having one or more seams formed through the substrate. In order to open the vents defined by the seams through the substrate, a piezoelectric layer may be formed proximate to one or more of the seams. Additional embodiments may include a first electrode and a second electrode that contact the piezoelectric layer in order to provide a voltage differential across the piezoelectric layer. In an embodiment the active venting system may be integrated into a garment. In such an embodiment, the garment may also include an electronics module for controlling the actuators. Additionally, conductive traces may be printed on the garment or sewn into the garment to provide electrical connections from the electronics module to each of the piezoelectric actuators.

An intelligent fabric includes: a base layer provided with vent holes and a thermal insulation layer arranged on the base layer and moved relative to the base layer; a temperature sensor configured to detect temperature information; and a controller connected to the temperature sensor and the thermal insulation layer, and configured to control the thermal insulation layer to be moved relative to the base layer in accordance with the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor, to switch the thermal insulation layer between a state where the thermal insulation layer covers the vent holes completely and a state where the thermal insulation layer does not cover the vent holes, or among the above two states and a state where the thermal insulation layer covers a portion of the vent holes.

Articles and methods of using and making adaptive garment portions are provided. An adaptive garment portion is one that has shifting surfaces with apertures that shift from an aligned to an offset orientation depending on environmental conditions/stimuli. For example, a first surface material and a second surface material may be coupled by a responsive material portion. The responsive material portion may physically change in response to a change in environmental conditions internal or external to the garment (e.g., thermal energy, moisture) and/or stimuli (e.g., light energy, electrical energy, magnetic fields). The physical change in the responsive material portion facilitates the planar shift of the first surface material relative to the second surface material.

The field of the DISCLOSURE lies in adaptive materials for implementation in textiles, wearables and smart clothing. The present disclosure relates to functional fabrics or devices, comprising fabrics or fiber-based materials with selective reversible permeability or which reversibly change permeability upon stimulation with at least one external stimulus selected from humidity, temperature, electrical, magnetic, pH, and chemicals. The present disclosure also relates to the use of said functional fabrics or devices, in particular as humidity sensors, temperature sensors, for humidity and/or heat management of clothing or of textiles for home, as well as for outside purposes. The present disclosure also relates to wearable electronics, smart thermo-regulating clothing or textiles and Nsport bandages. The present disclosure also relates to devices comprising a sheet-like substrate and temperature responsive materials N applied thereon, respective printed actuators and their uses as shape changing interfaces.

A ventilated jacket includes a body portion having a front side and a rear side, a sleeve portion extending from the body portion, and a ventilation system including a plurality of vent openings configured to allow airflow into and out of the jacket. The ventilation system includes an underarm vent having a first end and a second end, the underarm vent extends across a seam between the body portion and the sleeve portion. The jacket further includes a wing that follows a path established by a rear side of the underarm vent. The wing includes a first end adjacent the first end of the underarm vent and a second end adjacent the second end of the underarm vent. The wing extending outward from the underarm vent to channel oncoming air into the underarm vent when the sleeve portion is held in an extended orientation away from the body portion.

Articles and methods of using and making adaptive garment portions are provided. An adaptive garment portion is one that has shifting surfaces with apertures that shift from an aligned to an offset orientation depending on environmental conditions/stimuli. For example, a first surface material and a second surface material may be coupled by a responsive material portion. The responsive material portion may physically change in response to a change in environmental conditions internal or external to the garment (e.g., thermal energy, moisture) and/or stimuli (e.g., light energy, electrical energy, magnetic fields). The physical change in the responsive material portion facilitates the planar shift of the first surface material relative to the second surface material.

Discloses is a smart opening and closing apparatus. More particularly, the smart opening and closing apparatus includes an opening/closing means configured to be opened or closed depending upon application of a stimulus, a fixation means configured to maintain an open state of the opening/closing means by selectively interfering with the opening/closing means depending upon application of a stimulus, and a controller configured to control opening/closing of the opening/closing means by applying a stimulus to the opening/closing means and the fixation means and, in a state in which the stimulus is released, to control the fixation means to interfere with the opening/closing means so as to maintain a shape of the opening/closing means. In accordance with such a configuration, the shape of the opening/closing means may be maintained also in state in which a stimulus is not applied, whereby low-power operation may be accomplished.

An outdoor item such as a sleeping bag, jacket, hat or blanket with one or more ventilation/temperature adjustment openings. Each ventilation/temperature adjustment opening includes, in one embodiment, a mechanism that serves to either form an opening in one or both of the outer layer, and the inner layer of the outdoor item. In another embodiment, the one or more ventilation/temperature adjustment mechanism includes an air bladder which, when inflated, serves to push aside any insulation adjacent the deflated air bladder while in both embodiments, allowing the outdoor item to vent better, thereby cooling an occupant using or wearing the outdoor item thereby offering temperature regulation.