Fibers having electrically conductive core and color-changing coating

Abstract

A color-changing monofilament includes an electrically conductive core and a coating disposed around and along the electrically conductive core. The coating includes a layer of polymeric material having a color-changing pigment.

1 . A color-changing monofilament comprising:
 an electrically conductive core; and   a coating disposed around and along the electrically conductive core, the coating including a layer of polymeric material having a color-changing pigment.   
     
     
         2 . The color-changing monofilament of  claim 1 , wherein the color-changing pigment includes a thermochromic pigment. 
     
     
         3 . The color-changing monofilament of  claim 2 , wherein the thermochromic pigment includes at least one of a leucodye or thermochromic liquid crystals. 
     
     
         4 . The color-changing monofilament of  claim 1 , wherein the coating has a diameter less than 1 millimeter. 
     
     
         5 . The color-changing monofilament of  claim 4 , wherein the diameter is less than 600 micrometers. 
     
     
         6 . The color-changing monofilament of  claim 5 , wherein the diameter is less than 40 micrometers. 
     
     
         7 . The color-changing monofilament of  claim 6 , wherein the diameter is at least 15 micrometers. 
     
     
         8 . The color-changing monofilament of  claim 1 , wherein the color-changing pigment is configured to transition the layer from a first color to a second color in response to an electrical current being provided to the electrically conductive core, wherein the second color is at least one of opaque, a semi-transparent, or transparent. 
     
     
         9 . The color-changing monofilament of  claim 8 , wherein the layer is a first layer and the color-changing pigment is a first color-changing pigment, wherein the coating includes a second layer of polymeric material having a second color-changing pigment, and wherein the second layer is disposed around and along the first layer. 
     
     
         10 . The color-changing monofilament of  claim 9 , wherein the second color-changing pigment is configured to transition the second layer from a third color to a fourth color in response to the electrical current being provided to the electrically conductive core, wherein the fourth color is colorless, semi-transparent, or transparent such that the first layer is exposed through the second layer, wherein the first color-changing pigment is configured to transition the first layer from the first color to the second color at a first transition temperature, wherein the second color-changing pigment is configured to transition the second layer from the third color to the fourth color at a second transition temperature, and wherein the second transition temperature is less than the first transition temperature. 
     
     
         11 . The color changing monofilament of  claim 8 , wherein the color-changing pigment is configured to transition the layer from the first color to the second color at a first transition temperature, wherein the color-changing pigment is configured to transition the layer from the second color back to the first color at a second transition temperature that is less than the first transition temperature. 
     
     
         12 . The color-changing monofilament of  claim 1 , wherein the layer of polymeric material includes a plurality of azimuthal segments, each of the plurality of azimuthal segments having at least one of a different color-changing pigment or a different concentration of the color-changing pigment. 
     
     
         13 . The color-changing monofilament of  claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive core includes a plurality of cores, wherein the coating is disposed around and along the plurality of cores. 
     
     
         14 . The color-changing monofilament of  claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive core is a metallic material. 
     
     
         15 . The color-changing monofilament of  claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive core is a non-metallic, electrically conductive material. 
     
     
         16 . A color-changing multifilament comprising:
 a first fiber; and   a second fiber including:
 an electrically conductive core; and 
 a coating disposed around and along the electrically conductive core, the coating including a polymeric material having a color-changing pigment. 
   
     
     
         17 . The color-changing multifilament of  claim 16 , wherein the first fiber and the second fiber are the same. 
     
     
         18 . The color-changing multifilament of  claim 16 , wherein the first fiber is at least one of a natural fiber or a synthetic fiber. 
     
     
         19 . The color-changing multifilament of  claim 16 , wherein the first fiber includes:
 a second electrically conductive core; and   a second coating disposed around and along the second electrically conductive core, the second coating including a polymeric material having at least one of a different color-changing pigment or a different concentration of the color-changing pigment.   
     
     
         20 . A color-changing product comprising:
 a fabric, at least a portion of the fabric arranged using at least one of (i) a color-changing fiber or (ii) a color-changing yarn including the color-changing fiber, the color-changing fiber including:
 an electrically conductive core; and 
 a coating disposed around and along the electrically conductive core, the coating including a polymeric material having a color-changing pigment.