Garment ventilation structure

Abstract

A garment such as a sports shirt has concealed ventilation channels; which provide a continuous air channel between permanent openings. In one embodiment, the channels are flexible and non-intrusive and the openings are maintained by springy eyelets The eyelets and channels are attached to the main fabric of the garment providing a robust and a streamlined construction. Another embodiment incorporates active ventilation structures within the channels the structures having a natural vibration frequency matched to a motion frequency spectrum of the wearer. In a further embodiment, the ventilation channels are made of shape memory polymer and change shape in response to changes in temperature.

1 . A sports shirt made from a fabric that defines an interior of the shirt and an exterior of the shirt, said sports shirt comprising main areas of the fabric, said main areas being separated from one another by ventilation channels, said channels being self-supporting and flexible, said channels being oriented so as to be substantially vertical when said sports shirt is worn by a standing person, each of said channels defining an air path along a length of said channel from a lower end of said channel to an upper end of said channel, said channel defining openings to said exterior of said shirt at said lower end and said upper end of said channel and said channel being open to the interior of said shirt along at least a major part of the length of said channel.  
   
   
       2 . A sports shirt as defined in  claim 1 , said channels being located on the shirt such that when said shirt is worn by a standing person contours of the substantially vertical channels are substantially unobstructed.  
   
   
       3 . A sports shirt as defined in  claim 1  wherein said channels ( 2 ) are self-supporting and flexible.  
   
   
       4 . A sports shirt as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said channels ( 2 ) are formed from a thermoplastic fabric and have a corrugated profile along the channel length, said profile being defined by corrugations thermally formed in a said thermoplastic fabric.  
   
   
       5 . A sports shirt as defined in  claim 4 , wherein said channel thermoplastic fabric is a fabric material selected from the group consisting of polyester, acrylic, PVC, rayon, nylon, acetate and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       6 . A sports shirt as defined in  claim 4 , wherein said channel thermoplastic fabric is natural fabric material, coated with a thermoplastic layer.  
   
   
       7 . A sports shirt as defined in any of  claims 4  to  6 , wherein said channel corrugations have a depth of about 1 mm and repeat pitch of about 2 mm.  
   
   
       8 . A sports shirt as defined in  claim 1 , wherein each of said channels is supported by means of a thermoplastic liner.  
   
   
       9 . A sports shirt as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the a cross-sectional profile of each channel is about 15 mm wide by about 5 mm deep.  
   
   
       10 . A sports shirt as defined in  claim 1 , in which said openings are formed by springy eyelets which terminate the channels said eyelets serving to hold the channels open in a desired cross-sectional shape and providing protection to edges of said channels where said channels are open to the interior of the shirt.  
   
   
       11 . A sports shirt as defined in  claim 10 , said eyelets being moulded in a thermoplastic material and attached to the channel and to the main fabric by at least one attachment method selected from the group comprising heat-forming, adhesive bonding, ultra-sonic welding and stitching, said thermoplastic material being selected from the group comprising polyester, acrylic, PVC, ABS, acetate, nylon, rayon a and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       12 . A sports shirt as defined in  claim 10  wherein said springy eyelets is are constructed such that said edges of said channels where said channels are open to the interior of said shirt are recessed within the eyelet and concealed from direct view from the exterior of the shirt.  
   
   
       13 . A sports shirt as defined in  claim 10 , wherein said springy eyelets extends into the channels to support and maintain the desired cross-sectional shape of said channels.  
   
   
       14 . A sports shirt as defined in  claim 10 , wherein each of said springy eyelets has plane flanges for joining the eyelet to the fabric of said shirt.  
   
   
       15 . A sports shirt as defined in  claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal profile of said channels has a saw-tooth geometry, and wherein said channels define re-entrant openings.  
   
   
       16 . A sports shirt as defined in  claim 15 , wherein said re-entrant openings ( 23 ) are capped with a large gauge mesh fabric.  
   
   
       17 - 21 . (canceled)  
   
   
       22 . A sports shirt as defined in  claim 1 , comprising multiple apertures in side walls of said channels and internal, angled blades in said channels for guiding ventilation through said apertures.  
   
   
       23 . A sports shirt as defined  claim 1 , wherein active leaf vane ventilation structures are provided within the ventilation channels  
   
   
       24 - 41 . (canceled)  
   
   
       42 . A sports shirt defined in  claim 1 , wherein the ventilation channels are at least partially made from at least one shape memory polymer.  
   
   
       43 . A sports shirt defined in  claim 42 , including channel supports and/or eyelets and/or channel liners made from said at least one shape memory polymer and arranged so as to expand and contract the ventilation channel ( 2 ).  
   
   
       44 . A sports shirt as defined in  claim 42  or  claim 43 , wherein the ventilation channels are approximately planar with said main areas of fabric below a particular temperature and protrude substantially above said main areas of fabric above the particular temperature.  
   
   
       45 . A sports shirt as defined  claim 42 , further including electronic means for actuating the shape memory polymer.  
   
   
       46 . (canceled)