Garment, especially sports garment

Abstract

A garment, especially to a sports garment, including a textile substrate which covers a part of the body of the wearer of the garment, wherein at least a section of the textile substrate is coated with at least two different Phase Change Materials, wherein a first Phase Change Material is arranged which has a phase transition temperature between 27° C. and 29° C., wherein a second Phase Change Material is arranged which has a phase transition temperature between 35° C. and 37° C., wherein both of the Phase Change Materials are in thermal contact with at least one thermochromic dye. By doing so, an improved thermal regulation during sporting activities is obtained which can be controlled visually.

Claims

1. A garment, comprising a textile substrate which covers a part of the body of the wearer of the garment, wherein at least a section of the textile substrate is coated with at least two different Phase Change Materials, wherein a first Phase Change Material is arranged which has a phase transition temperature between 27° C. and 29° C., wherein a second Phase Change Material is arranged which has a phase transition temperature between 35° C. and 37° C., wherein both of the Phase Change Materials are in thermal contact with at least one thermochromic dye, wherein the first and the second Phase Change Materials are applied only on an inner side of the garment facing a wearer's skin and the thermochromic dye is applied on an outer side of the garment, wherein the first and the second Phase Change Materials are arranged as layers on the textile substrate, wherein the layers do not overlap, and wherein at least in some regions of the textile substrate the layers of the first and the second Phase Change Materials form complementary areas which cover the textile substrate in the region substantially completely.

2. The garment according to claim 1, wherein the Phase Change Materials are contained in micro-capsules.

3. The garment according to claim 1, wherein the same thermochromic dye is in thermal contact with the first and the second Phase Change Materials.

4. The garment according to claim 1, wherein a first thermochromic dye is in thermal contact with the first Phase Change Material and that a second thermochromic dye, which is different from the first thermochromic dye, is in thermal contact with the second Phase Change Material.

5. The garment according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second Phase Change Materials are arranged in a region of the textile substrate which covers during intended use of the garment the radial artery, the dorsal region, the brachial artery and/or the popliteal artery of the wearer.

6. The garment according to claim 1, wherein the textile substrate comprises synthetic fibers.

7. The garment according to claim 1, wherein the textile substrate comprises natural fibers.

8. The garment according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second Phase Change Materials have been applied onto the surface of the textile substrate by means of a printing process.

9. The garment according to claim 8, wherein the first and the second Phase Change Materials have been applied onto the surface in more than one layer.

10. The garment according to claim 6, wherein the textile substrate comprises polyester, polyamide or elastane fibers.

11. The garment according to claim 7, wherein the textile substrate comprises cotton fibers.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) In the drawings an embodiment of the invention is shown.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic curve of physical activity of an athlete during physical training,

(3) FIG. 2 shows relevant locations of the body of an athlete which are specific subject of thermoregulation during physical training,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a piece of garment, namely a top and a bottom part of a sports suit according to the invention,

(5) FIG. 4a shows a pattern of the application of a first Phase Change Material onto a textile substrate,

(6) FIG. 4b shows a pattern of the application of a second Phase Change Material onto the textile substrate and

(7) FIG. 4c shows the superposition of both patterns according to FIG. 4a and FIG. 4b onto the textile substrate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) Reference is made to the above comments in connection with FIG. 1. In FIG. 2 is can be seen which specifically relevant locations at the body of a wearer of a sports garment require preferably efficient thermal regulation.

(9) Of specific relevance are the radial artery 5, the dorsal region 6, the brachial artery 7 and the popliteal artery 8.

(10) Other relevant location can be the femoral artery 9, the posterior tibial artery 10, the dorsalis pedis artery 11, the carotid artery 12, the facial artery 13 and the temporal artery 14.

(11) The improved thermoregulation according to the invention is carried out with a garment 1, especially with a sports garment, as shown exemplary in FIG. 3. An upper part of the garment is shown in a front view in the left region of FIG. 3. The corresponding rear view is depicted in the right region of the figure. The bottom part (trousers) of the garment 1 is shown in a rear view in the right lower region of FIG. 3.

(12) In some of the above mentioned regions, namely in the area of the radial artery 5, in the dorsal region 6, in the area of the brachial artery 7 and in the area of the popliteal artery 8 (all regions are to be understood when the garment 1 is worn by the user in the intended manner), the textile substrate 2 of the garment is provided with the above mentioned special thermoregulating Phase Change Materials 3 and 4, which are in the present case mixed with two distinct thermochromic dyes (thermochromic inks).

(13) More specifically, the mentioned sections of the textile substrate 2 are coated by means of a printing process with the two different Phase Change Materials 3 and 4.

(14) The first Phase Change Material 3 has a phase transition temperature between 27° C. and 29° C., preferably of 28° C.; the second Phase Change Material 4 has a phase transition temperature between 35° C. and 37° C., preferably of 36° C.

(15) Furthermore, into the two Phase Change Materials 3, 4 a respective thermochromic dye is mixed to make it possible to observe the thermal situation of the wearer of the garment 1 during physical activity.

(16) As the arrangement of the two Phase Change Materials is located at the mentioned arteries an efficient cooling effect can be obtained.

(17) A preferred detailed arrangement of the two Phase Change Materials is depicted in FIG. 4.

(18) In FIG. 4a the pattern is shown in which the first Phase Change Material 3 is printed onto the surface of the textile substrate 2 of the garment 1. Here a preferred pattern for the dorsal region 6 is shown; generally the same applies for the other mentioned regions.

(19) As can be seen the pattern comes up with some rhombic areas and other areas which are shaped like an arrowhead. Thus, certain areas between the areas covered with the first Phase Change Material 3 remain free.

(20) Then, the pattern consisting of the second Phase Change Material 4 is applied as depicted in FIG. 4b. Basically, this pattern is complementary to that one of FIG. 4a.

(21) After the application (printing) of the pattern of the second Phase Change Material 4 the final pattern is given as shown in FIG. 4c. As can be seen here the textile substrate 2 is now—at least in some regions—completely covered by the two Phase Change Materials 3 and 4, wherein the two materials 3, 4 do not overlap but form complementary shapes. Only small rims can remain uncovered (see white gaps between the areas of Phase Change Materials 3 and 4).

(22) For example, the shown area according to FIG. 4c can cover an area with a width of about 250 mm to 350 mm and a height of 400 mm to 550 mm in the dorsal region 6.

(23) During use and in the meaning of FIG. 1 at first during warm up at low intensity of the physical activity is given and the garment has at first a temperature of approximately room temperature (e. g. 20° C.). At moderate physical activity the temperature is rising. Here, the first Phase Change Material reaches its phase transition temperature of 28° C. and thus a cooling effect is obtained.

(24) At a high activity level the thermoregulation effect is intensified as now the second Phase Change Material reaches its transition temperature of 36° C. At decreasing physical activity (cool down) the process is reversed.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

(25) 1 Garment (sports garment) 2 Textile substrate 3 First Phase Change Material (PCM; 28° C.) 4 Second Phase Change Material (PCM; 36° C.) 5 Radial artery 6 Dorsal region 7 Brachial artery 8 Popliteal artery 9 Femoral artery 10 Posterior tibial artery 11 Dorsalis pedis artery 12 Carotid artery 13 Facial artery 14 Temporal artery