Transformable clothing

Abstract

A transformable garment that folds and envelops the wearer with a garment body with panels that use origami folding and shape memory alloy (SMA) elements to assist to transform the garment from an expanded state to a retracted state is provided. Garment designs with transformable panels and sleeves can benefit those who have trouble dressing by allowing the garment to wrap around and fit the wearer without outside help. These types of clothes are expected to be beneficial for people with Cerebral Palsy (CP) and also for populations with other body movement disorders and elderly people.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A transformable fabric for a garment, the fabric comprising:
 (a) a flexible fabric material with a plurality of origami-type corrugations; and   (b) at least one shape memory alloy (SMA) element anchored to the corrugated flexible fabric material;   (c) wherein the fabric material is transformable from a first state to a second state by passing an electric current through the SMA elements.   
     
     
         2 . The fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the shape memory alloy elements are embedded within the corrugated fabric to facilitate expansion and contraction of the fabric material. 
     
     
         3 . The fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the shape memory alloy elements are reversibly transformable between contracted and expanded states by passing an electric current through the SMA elements. 
     
     
         4 . The fabric of  claim 1 , further comprising conductive wires coupled to the shape memory alloy elements and attached to the fabric material. 
     
     
         5 . The fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the corrugated flexible fabric material comprises a fabric sheet with a top edge joined to a bottom edge to form a corrugated cylinder configured to expand and contract axially. 
     
     
         6 . The fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the shape memory alloy (SMA) element is made from a material selected from the group of materials consisting of Ni—Ti, Ni—Ti—Hf, Ni—Ti—Pd, Ni—Mn—Ga, and Ni—Fe—Ga. 
     
     
         7 . A transformable garment, the garment comprising:
 (a) a garment body with a pair of appendage openings; and   (b) a plurality of collapsible panels fixed in said garment body, each panel comprising:
 (i) a flexible fabric material with a plurality of origami-type corrugations; and 
 (ii) at least one shape memory alloy (SMA) element anchored to the corrugated flexible fabric material; 
   (c) wherein the fabric material of each panel is transformable from a contracted state to an expanded state by passing an electric current through the SMA elements.   
     
     
         8 . The garment of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 one or more fasteners mounted to a right edge and a left edge of the garment body configured to reversibly couple the right and left edges together.   
     
     
         9 . The garment of  claim 8 , wherein said fastener is a fastener selected from the group of fasteners consisting of: hook and loop fasteners, magnets and clasps. 
     
     
         10 . The garment of  claim 7 , wherein the shape memory alloy elements are embedded within the corrugated fabric of each panel to facilitate expansion and contraction of the fabric material. 
     
     
         11 . The garment of  claim 7 , wherein the shape memory alloy (SMA) element is made from a material selected from the group of materials consisting of Ni—Ti, Ni—Ti—Hf, Ni—Ti—Pd, Ni—Mn—Ga, and Ni—Fe—Ga. 
     
     
         12 . The garment of  claim 7 , wherein the shape memory alloy elements are reversibly transformable between contracted and expanded states by passing an electric current through the SMA elements. 
     
     
         13 . The garment of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a controller operably coupled to the shape memory alloy (SMA) elements; and   a source of electrical current connected to the controller;   wherein movement of electrical current through the SMA elements is controlled by the controller.   
     
     
         14 . The garment of  claim 13 , further comprising conductive wires attached to the garment body and operably coupled to each shape memory alloy element and to the controller. 
     
     
         15 . The garment of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a left sleeve joined to a first appendage opening of the garment body; and   a right sleeve joined to a second appendage opening of the garment body.   
     
     
         16 . The garment of  claim 15 , each sleeve comprising:
 a corrugated fabric sheet with a top edge joined to a bottom edge to form a corrugated fabric cylinder configured to expand and contract axially; and   at least one shape memory alloy element mounted to the corrugated fabric cylinder reversibly transformable between contracted and expanded states by passing an electric current through the SMA elements.   
     
     
         17 . A transformable garment, comprising:
 (a) a garment body with a pair of appendage openings;   (b) a left sleeve joined to a first appendage opening and a right sleeve joined to a second appendage opening of the garment body;   (c) a plurality of collapsible panels mounted in the garment body, each panel comprising:
 (i) a flexible fabric material with a plurality of origami-type corrugations; and 
 (ii) at least one shape memory alloy (SMA) element anchored to the corrugated flexible fabric material; 
   (d) a controller operably coupled to the shape memory alloy (SMA) elements; and   (e) a source of electrical current connected to the controller;   (f) wherein movement of electrical current through the SMA elements is controlled by the controller; and   (g) wherein the fabric material of each panel is transformable from an expanded state to a contracted state by passing an electric current through the SMA elements by the controller.   
     
     
         18 . The garment of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 one or more fasteners mounted to a right edge and a left edge of the garment body configured to reversibly couple the right and left edges together.   
     
     
         19 . The garment of  claim 18 , wherein said fastener is a fastener selected from the group of fasteners consisting of: hook and loop fasteners, magnets and clasps. 
     
     
         20 . The garment  claim 17 , wherein the shape memory alloy (SMA) element is made from a material selected from the group of materials consisting of Ni—Ti, Ni—Ti—Hf, Ni—Ti—Pd, Ni—Mn—Ga, and Ni—Fe—Ga. 
     
     
         21 . The garment of  claim 17 , each sleeve further comprising:
 a corrugated fabric sheet with a top edge joined to a bottom edge to form a corrugated fabric cylinder configured to expand and contract axially; and   at least one shape memory alloy element mounted to the corrugated fabric cylinder and said controller;   wherein the corrugated cylinder is reversibly transformable between contracted and expanded states by passing an electric current through the SMA elements.