Multi-seasonal camouflage pattern fabrics and coatings for hunting

Abstract

A method of making fabrics and coatings in a camouflage pattern with a printed camouflage pattern ink layer covered by a temperature activated color changing ink layer or layers printed in a camouflage pattern, which matches the pattern in the underlying printed camouflage fabric ink layer. The temperature activated color changing ink layer changes color state with a change of temperature to another color state or a clear state, which reveals the color state of the underlying printed camouflage fabric layer. The temperatures at which the temperature activated color changing ink changes color state occurs at a pre-determined temperature so that the camouflage pattern reveal the color states and the characteristics of the foliage of the season to which the temperature corresponds.

We claim: 
     
         1 .- 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A piece of hunting clothing with a camouflage pattern, comprising:
 a fabric material;   a first printed layer of a camouflage pattern printed on the fabric material, wherein the first printed layer does not include temperature sensitive color changing ink, and wherein the camouflage pattern includes colors representing a typical background of a first season in an environment and acts to disguise a hunter wearing the piece of hunting clothing by blending into a typical background of the first season in the environment; and   a second printed layer of a second camouflage pattern printed on the first printed layer, wherein the second printed layer includes a plurality of temperature sensitive color changing ink pigments and the second printed layer overlays and matches the first printed layer, and wherein the second camouflage pattern includes colors representing a typical background of a second season in the environment and acts to disguise the hunter wearing the piece of hunting clothing by blending into the typical background of the second season in the environment, and wherein a first subset of the plurality of temperature sensitive color changing ink pigments in the second printed layer change from a clear color state to an opaque color state at a pre-determined temperature such that the opaque color state is visible at temperatures equal to and below the pre-determined temperature, and wherein a second subset of the plurality of temperature sensitive color changing ink pigments in the second printed layer change from the clear color state to a translucent color state at the pre-determined temperature such that a blending of the translucent color state and an underlying color of the first printed layer is visible at temperatures equal to and below the pre-determined temperature, and wherein the pre-determined temperature at which the first and second subsets of the plurality of temperature sensitive color changing ink pigments in the second printed layer change from the clear color state to the opaque color state and the translucent color state is based on typical temperature ranges of the first and second seasons of the environment.   
     
     
         13 . The piece of hunting clothing with a camouflage pattern of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a third printed layer of a third camouflage pattern printed on the second printed layer, wherein the third printed layer includes a second plurality of temperature sensitive color changing ink pigments and the third printed layer overlays and matches the first and second printed layers, and wherein the third camouflage pattern includes colors representing a typical background of a third season in the environment and acts to disguise the hunter wearing the piece of hunting clothing by blending into the typical background of the third season in the environment, and wherein a first subset of the second plurality of temperature sensitive color changing ink pigments in the third printed layer change from a second clear color state to a second opaque color state at a second pre-determined temperature such that the second opaque color state is visible at temperatures equal to and below the second pre-determined temperature, and wherein a second subset of the second plurality of temperature sensitive color changing ink pigments in the third printed layer change from the second clear color state to a second translucent color state at the second pre-determined temperature such that a blending of the second translucent color state and an underlying color of the second printed layer is visible at temperatures equal to and below the second pre-determined temperature, and wherein the second pre-determined temperature at which the first and second subsets of the second plurality of temperature sensitive color changing ink pigments in the third printed layer change from the second clear color state to the second opaque color state and the second translucent color state is based on typical temperature ranges of the second and third seasons of the environment.   
     
     
         14 . The piece of hunting clothing with a camouflage pattern of  claim 12 , wherein the environment is a forest located in northeastern United States, the first season is summer, the second season is fall, and the pre-determined temperature is 60 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         15 . The piece of hunting clothing with a camouflage pattern of  claim 13 , wherein the environment is a forest located in northeastern United States, the first season is summer, the second season is fall, the pre-determined temperature is 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and wherein the third season is winter, and the second pre-determined temperature is 30 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         16 . The piece of hunting clothing with a camouflage pattern of  claim 12 , wherein the environment is a forest located in southeastern United States, the first season is summer, the second season is fall, and the pre-determined temperature is 85 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         17 . The piece of hunting clothing with a camouflage pattern of  claim 13 , wherein the environment is a forest located in southeastern United States, the first season is summer, the second season is fall, the pre-determined temperature is 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and wherein the third season is winter, and the second pre-determined temperature is 75 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         18 . The piece of hunting clothing with a camouflage pattern of  claim 12 , wherein the environment is a plain located in midwestern United States, the first season is summer, the second season is fall, and the pre-determined temperature is 70 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         19 . The piece of hunting clothing with a camouflage pattern of  claim 13 , wherein the environment is a plain located in midwestern United States, the first season is summer, the second season is fall, the pre-determined temperature is 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and wherein the third season is winter, and the second pre-determined temperature is  40  degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         20 . A piece of hunting equipment with a camouflage pattern, comprising:
 a surface;   a first printed layer of a camouflage pattern printed on the surface, wherein the first printed layer does not include temperature sensitive color changing ink, and wherein the camouflage pattern includes colors representing a typical background of a first season in an environment and acts to disguise the piece of hunting equipment by blending into the typical background of the first season in the environment; and   a second printed layer of a second camouflage pattern printed on the first printed layer, wherein the second printed layer includes a plurality of temperature sensitive color changing ink pigments and the second printed layer overlays and matches the first printed layer, and wherein the second camouflage pattern includes colors representing a typical background of a second season in the environment and acts to disguise the piece of hunting equipment by blending into the typical background of the second season in the environment, and wherein a first subset of the plurality of temperature sensitive color changing ink pigments in the second printed layer change from a clear color state to an opaque color state at a pre-determined temperature such that the opaque color state is visible at temperatures equal to and below the pre-determined temperature, and wherein a second subset of the plurality of temperature sensitive color changing ink pigments in the second printed layer change from the clear color state to a translucent color state at the pre-determined temperature such that a blending of the translucent color state and an underlying color of the first printed layer is visible at temperatures equal to and below the pre-determined temperature, and wherein the pre-determined temperature at which the first and second subsets of the plurality of temperature sensitive color changing ink pigments in the second printed layer change from the clear color state to the opaque color state and the translucent color state is based on typical temperature ranges of the first and second seasons of the environment.   
     
     
         21 . The piece of hunting equipment with a camouflage pattern of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 a third printed layer of a third camouflage pattern printed on the second printed layer, wherein the third printed layer includes a second plurality of temperature sensitive color changing ink pigments and the third printed layer overlays and matches the first and second printed layers, and wherein the third camouflage pattern includes colors representing a typical background of a third season in the environment and acts to disguise the piece of hunting equipment by blending into the typical background of the third season in the environment, and wherein a first subset of the second plurality of temperature sensitive color changing ink pigments in the third printed layer change from a second clear color state to a second opaque color state at a second pre-determined temperature such that the second opaque color state is visible at temperatures equal to and below the second pre-determined temperature, and wherein a second subset of the second plurality of temperature sensitive color changing ink pigments in the third printed layer change from the second clear color state to a second translucent color state at the second pre-determined temperature such that a blending of the second translucent color state and an underlying color of the second printed layer is visible at temperatures equal to and below the second pre-determined temperature, and wherein the second pre-determined temperature at which the first and second subsets of the second plurality of temperature sensitive color changing ink pigments in the third printed layer change from the second clear color state to the second opaque color state and the second translucent color state is based on typical temperature ranges of the second and third seasons of the environment.   
     
     
         22 . The piece of hunting equipment with a camouflage pattern of  claim 20 , wherein the environment is a forest located in northwestern United States, the first season is summer, the second season is fall, and the pre-determined temperature is 60 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         23 . The piece of hunting equipment with a camouflage pattern of  claim 21 , wherein the environment is a forest located in northwestern United States, the first season is summer, the second season is fall, the pre-determined temperature is 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and wherein the third season is winter, and the second pre-determined temperature is 50 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         24 . The piece of hunting equipment with a camouflage pattern of  claim 20 , wherein the environment is a desert located in southwestern United States, the first season is summer, the second season is fall, and the pre-determined temperature is 85 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         25 . The piece of hunting equipment with a camouflage pattern of  claim 21 , wherein the environment is a desert located in southwestern United States, the first season is summer, the second season is fall, the pre-determined temperature is 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and wherein the third season is winter, and the second pre-determined temperature is 70 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         26 . The piece of hunting equipment with a camouflage pattern of  claim 20 , wherein the environment is a forest located in western United States, the first season is summer, the second season is fall, and the pre-determined temperature is 75 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         27 . The piece of hunting equipment with a camouflage pattern of  claim 21 , wherein the environment is a forest located in western United States, the first season is summer, the second season is fall, the pre-determined temperature is 75 degrees Fahrenheit, and wherein the third season is winter, and the second pre-determined temperature is  65  degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         28 . A method of applying a color changing camouflage pattern to an article, comprising the steps of:
 applying a first printed layer of a camouflage pattern printed to the article, wherein the first printed layer does not include temperature sensitive color changing ink, and wherein the camouflage pattern includes colors representing a typical background of a first season in an environment and acts to disguise the article by blending into the typical background of the first season in the environment;   applying a second printed layer of a second camouflage pattern on top of the first printed layer, wherein the second printed layer includes a plurality of temperature sensitive color changing ink pigments and the second printed layer overlays and matches the first printed layer, and wherein the second camouflage pattern includes colors representing a typical background of a second season in the environment and acts to disguise the article by blending into the typical background of the second season in the environment, and wherein a first subset of the plurality of temperature sensitive color changing ink pigments in the second printed layer change from a clear color state to an opaque color state at a pre-determined temperature such that the opaque color state is visible at temperatures equal to and below the pre-determined temperature, and wherein a second subset of the plurality of temperature sensitive color changing ink pigments in the second printed layer change from the clear color state to a translucent color state at the pre-determined temperature such that a blending of the translucent color state and an underlying color of the first printed layer is visible at temperatures equal to and below the pre-determined temperature, and wherein the pre-determined temperature at which the first and second subsets of the plurality of temperature sensitive color changing ink pigments in the second printed layer change from the clear color state to the opaque color state and the translucent color state is based on typical temperature ranges of the first and second seasons of the environment; and   applying a third printed layer of a third camouflage pattern on top of the second printed layer, wherein the third printed layer includes a second plurality of temperature sensitive color changing ink pigments and the third printed layer overlays and matches the first and second printed layers, and wherein the third camouflage pattern includes colors representing a typical background of a third season in the environment and acts to disguise the article by blending into the typical background of the third season in the environment, and wherein a first subset of the second plurality of temperature sensitive color changing ink pigments in the third printed layer change from a second clear color state to a second opaque color state at a second pre-determined temperature such that the second opaque color state is visible at temperatures equal to and below the second pre-determined temperature, and wherein a second subset of the second plurality of temperature sensitive color changing ink pigments in the third printed layer change from the second clear color state to a second translucent color state at the second pre-determined temperature such that a blending of the second translucent color state and an underlying color of the second printed layer is visible at temperatures equal to and below the second pre-determined temperature, and wherein the second pre-determined temperature at which the first and second subsets of the second plurality of temperature sensitive color changing ink pigments in the third printed layer change from the second clear color state to the second opaque color state and the second translucent color state is based on typical temperature ranges of the second and third seasons of the environment.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the article is hunting clothing. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the article is hunting equipment.