Laminates, Bladders, and Garments Including Laminates and Bladders

Abstract

Garments include one or more fluid-filled bladder chambers for providing thermal insulation to a wearer. The bladder chamber(s) may be convertible between a deflated condition and an inflated condition. The bladder chamber(s) may be integrally formed with the fabric forming the garment, e.g., with the bladder chamber(s) defined between an exterior laminated component (e.g., formed from a fabric layer and a film layer) and an interior component (e.g., including at least a film layer). The film layers are selectively fixed together, e.g., at a perimeter bond and/or one or more internal bonded regions, to form fluid-tight bladder chamber portions within the overall garment structure. The garments may be equipped with a pump (for adding air to the garment bladder chamber(s)) and/or a release system (for removing air from the garment bladder chamber(s)). In this manner, a wearer can change the garment between the deflated condition and the inflated condition.

1 . A garment, comprising:
 a first laminated component including: (a) a first knit fabric having a double jersey knit structure, (b) a first film comprising at least one layer chosen from a thermoplastic polyurethane layer and a polyurethane layer, and (c) a first adhesive joining the first film to the first knit fabric; and   a second laminated component including: (a) a second knit fabric having a double jersey knit structure, (b) a second film comprising at least one layer chosen from a thermoplastic polyurethane layer and a polyurethane layer, and (c) a second adhesive joining the second film to the second knit fabric,   wherein the first laminated component directly faces and is joined to the second laminated component to form a first fluid chamber portion between the first film and the second film, the first fluid chamber portion forming at least a portion of a first inflatable chamber of the garment, the first fluid chamber portion including (a) a perimeter seam where the first film is bonded to the second film and (b) a plurality of internal bonded regions where the first film is bonded to the second film.   
     
     
         2 . The garment according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first knit fabric or the second knit fabric is formed from drawn textured yarn. 
     
     
         3 . The garment according to  claim 2 , wherein a peel strength between the first knit fabric and the first film is at least 1 kg/cm; and/or wherein a peel strength between the second knit fabric and the second film is at least 1 kg/cm. 
     
     
         4 . The garment according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first knit fabric or the second knit fabric has a basis weight of at least 20 grams per square meter and less than 120 grams per square meter. 
     
     
         5 . The garment according to  claim 1 , wherein at least 50% of the plurality of internal bonded regions define a bonded region size of at least 50 mm 2 . 
     
     
         6 . The garment according to  claim 5 , wherein at least 50% of the plurality of internal bonded regions define a bonded region size of less than 700 mm 2 . 
     
     
         7 . The garment according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the first knit fabric and the second knit fabric is formed from yarn having a linear mass density of at least 10 denier and less than 100 denier. 
     
     
         8 . The garment according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first knit fabric or the second knit fabric includes a durable water resistant material provided on a surface thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The garment according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the first film and the second film has a thickness of at least 25 micron and less than 100 micron. 
     
     
         10 . The garment according to  claim 1 , wherein the first film comprises a first layer and a second layer joined together, wherein the first layer is formed from a thermoplastic polyurethane material and forms an inner surface of the first film, wherein the second layer is bonded to the first knit fabric and is formed from a polyurethane material or a thermoplastic polyurethane material, and wherein the first layer is bonded with the second layer on an opposite side of the second layer from the first knit fabric. 
     
     
         11 . The garment according to  claim 10 , wherein the first layer is between 5 micron and 90 micron thick, and wherein the second layer is between 5 micron and 90 micron thick. 
     
     
         12 . The garment according to  claim 10 , wherein the second film comprises a third layer and a fourth layer joined together, wherein the third layer is formed from a thermoplastic polyurethane material and forms an inner surface of the second film that is bonded to the inner surface of the first film at the plurality of internal bonded regions, wherein the fourth layer is bonded to the second knit fabric and is formed from a polyurethane material or a thermoplastic polyurethane material, and wherein the third layer is bonded with the fourth layer on an opposite side of the fourth layer from the second knit fabric. 
     
     
         13 . The garment according to  claim 1 , wherein the second film comprises a first layer and a second layer joined together, wherein the first layer is formed from a thermoplastic polyurethane material and forms an inner surface of the second film, wherein the second layer is bonded to the second knit fabric and is formed from a polyurethane material or a thermoplastic polyurethane material, and wherein the first layer is bonded with the second layer on an opposite side of the second layer from the second knit fabric. 
     
     
         14 . The garment according to  claim 1 , wherein the first film comprises a first layer and a second layer joined together, wherein the first layer is formed from a first thermoplastic polyurethane material having a first melt temperature, wherein the first layer forms an inner surface of the first film, wherein the second layer is bonded to the first knit fabric and is formed from a second thermoplastic polyurethane material having a second melt temperature, and wherein the first layer is bonded with the second layer on an opposite side of the second layer from the first knit fabric. 
     
     
         15 . The garment according to  claim 14 , wherein the second melt temperature is at least 10 degrees C. higher than the first melt temperature. 
     
     
         16 . The garment according to  claim 14 , wherein the second film comprises a third layer and a fourth layer joined together, wherein the third layer is formed from a third thermoplastic polyurethane material having a third melt temperature, wherein the third layer forms an inner surface of the second film that is bonded to the inner surface of the first film at the plurality of internal bonded regions, wherein the fourth layer is bonded to the second knit fabric and is formed from a fourth thermoplastic polyurethane material having a fourth melt temperature, wherein the fourth melt temperature is greater than the third melt temperature, wherein the third layer is bonded with the fourth layer on an opposite side of the fourth layer from the second knit fabric, wherein the third thermoplastic polyurethane material is the same as or different from the first thermoplastic polyurethane material, and wherein the fourth thermoplastic polyurethane material is the same as or different from the second thermoplastic polyurethane material. 
     
     
         17 . A garment, comprising:
 a first laminated component including: (a) a first knit fabric, (b) a first film comprising at least one layer chosen from a thermoplastic polyurethane layer and a polyurethane layer, and (c) a first adhesive joining the first film to the first knit fabric, wherein the first film has a thickness of less than 120 micron; and   a second laminated component including: (a) a second knit fabric, (b) a second film comprising at least one layer chosen from a thermoplastic polyurethane layer and a polyurethane layer, and (c) a second adhesive joining the second film to the second knit fabric, wherein the second film has a thickness of less than 120 micron,   wherein the first laminated component directly faces and is joined to the second laminated component to form a first fluid chamber portion between the first film and the second film, the first fluid chamber portion forming at least a portion of a first inflatable chamber of the garment, the first fluid chamber portion including (a) a perimeter seam where the first film is bonded to the second film and (b) a plurality of internal bonded regions where the first film is bonded to the second film.   
     
     
         18 . The garment according to  claim 17 , wherein at least one of the first knit fabric or the second knit fabric is formed from drawn textured yarn and has a basis weight of at least 20 grams per square meter and less than 120 grams per square meter. 
     
     
         19 . A garment, comprising:
 a first laminated component including: (a) a first fabric, wherein the first fabric comprises at least one textile chosen from a layer of knit textile, a layer of woven textile, and a layer of nonwoven textile, (b) a first film comprising at least one layer chosen from a thermoplastic polyurethane layer and a polyurethane layer, and (c) a first adhesive joining the first film to the first fabric; and   a second laminated component including: (a) a second fabric, wherein the second fabric comprises at least one textile chosen from a layer of knit textile, a layer of woven textile, and a layer of nonwoven textile, (b) a second film comprising at least one layer chosen from a thermoplastic polyurethane layer and a polyurethane layer, and (c) a second adhesive joining the second film to the second fabric,   wherein the first laminated component directly faces and is joined to the second laminated component to form a first fluid chamber portion between the first film and the second film, the first fluid chamber portion forming at least a portion of a first inflatable chamber of the garment, the first fluid chamber portion including (a) a perimeter seam and (b) a plurality of internal fixed regions where the first laminated component is fixed to the second laminated component,   wherein the first fabric and the second fabric extend continuously to form an upper body garment including a front portion and a back portion, and wherein the first fluid chamber portion extends continuously over at least one of a first shoulder region of the garment or a second shoulder region of the garment to form and connect a front chamber portion located in the front portion and a rear chamber portion located in the back portion.   
     
     
         20 . The garment according to  claim 19 , wherein at least one of the first fabric or the second fabric is formed from a knit textile that has a double jersey knit structure and is formed from drawn textured yarn.