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 garment component comprising a first fluid chamber portion configured to switch from an inflated condition to a deflated condition and to switch from a deflated condition to an inflated condition;   a second garment component comprising a second fluid chamber portion configured to switch from an inflated condition to a deflated condition and to switch from a deflated condition to an inflated condition; and   a seam joining the first garment component with the second garment component, wherein the seam comprises at least one fluid passageway configured to put the first fluid chamber portion in fluid communication with the second fluid chamber portion.   
     
     
         2 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first garment component includes a first exterior multilayered element and a first interior multilayered element, wherein the first fluid chamber portion is defined between the first exterior multilayered element and the first interior multilayered element;   the second garment component includes a second exterior multilayered element and a second interior multilayered element, wherein the second fluid chamber portion is defined between the second exterior multilayered element and the second interior multilayered element; and   at the seam, the second exterior multilayered element and the second interior multilayered element are located between the first exterior multilayered element and the first interior multilayered element.   
     
     
         3 . The garment of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one fluid passageway extends between the second exterior multilayered element and the second interior multilayered element. 
     
     
         4 . The garment of  claim 2 , wherein, at the seam, at least one of the second exterior multilayered element and the second interior multilayered element includes a folded portion. 
     
     
         5 . The garment of  claim 2 , wherein the seam further comprises an adhesion blocker configured to prevent the second exterior multilayered element and the second interior multilayered element from bonding to each other at the at least one fluid passageway. 
     
     
         6 . The garment of  claim 2 , wherein:
 each of the multilayered elements comprises (i) an interior layer including at least one polyurethane layer and/or at least one thermoplastic polyurethane layer and (ii) an exterior layer comprising a fabric including a knit structure.   
     
     
         7 . A garment, comprising:
 a first garment component having a first fluid chamber portion and a first perimeter edge portion;   a second garment component having a second fluid chamber portion and a second perimeter edge portion; and   a seam joining the first perimeter edge portion with the second perimeter edge portion, wherein the seam comprises a multilayer construction and includes: (i) a first sealed region, (ii) a second sealed region, and (iii) a first fluid passageway defined between layers of the multilayer construction and located between the first sealed region and the second sealed region, the first fluid passageway placing the first fluid chamber portion in fluid communication with the second fluid chamber portion through the seam.   
     
     
         8 . The garment according to  claim 7 , wherein at the first sealed region, all layers of the multilayer construction of the seam are fixed together, and wherein at the second sealed region, all layers of the multilayer construction of the seam are fixed together. 
     
     
         9 . The garment according to  claim 7 , wherein the first garment component includes a first exterior layer and a first interior layer, wherein the first fluid chamber portion is defined between the first exterior layer and the first interior layer, and/or wherein the second garment component includes a second exterior layer and a second interior layer, wherein the second fluid chamber portion is defined between the second exterior layer and the second interior layer. 
     
     
         10 . The garment according to  claim 7 , wherein the first garment component includes a first exterior layer and a first interior layer, wherein the first fluid chamber portion is defined between the first exterior layer and the first interior layer,
 wherein the second garment component includes a second exterior layer and a second interior layer, wherein the second fluid chamber portion is defined between the second exterior layer and the second interior layer; and   wherein at the seam, the second exterior layer and the second interior layer are located between the first exterior layer and the first interior layer.   
     
     
         11 . The garment according to  claim 10 , wherein at the seam, the second exterior layer includes a first folded portion and the second interior layer includes a second folded portion, and wherein the first fluid passageway extends between the first folded portion and the second folded portion. 
     
     
         12 . The garment according to  claim 7 , further comprising an adhesion blocker provided between adjacent layers of the multilayer construction, the adhesion blocker preventing the adjacent layers from bonding together and thereby defining the first fluid passageway. 
     
     
         13 . The garment according to  claim 7 , wherein the first fluid passageway is defined between a first layer of the multilayer construction and a second layer of the multilayer construction located adjacent the first layer, wherein a first adhesion blocker is provided on a surface of at least one of the first layer or the second layer. 
     
     
         14 . The garment according to  claim 7 , wherein the first fluid passageway is defined between a first layer of the multilayer construction and a second layer of the multilayer construction located adjacent the first layer, wherein a first adhesion blocker is provided on a surface of the first layer, wherein a second adhesion blocker is provided on a surface of the second layer, and wherein the first fluid passageway extends between the first adhesion blocker and the second adhesion blocker. 
     
     
         15 . The garment according to  claim 14 , wherein the first adhesion blocker comprises a fabric laminate fused or bonded to the first layer, and wherein the second adhesion blocker comprises a fabric laminate fused or bonded to the second layer. 
     
     
         16 . The garment according to  claim 7 , wherein the seam joining the first perimeter edge portion with the second perimeter edge portion further includes: (i) a third sealed region, and (ii) a second fluid passageway defined between layers of the multilayer construction and located between the second sealed region and the third sealed region, the second fluid passageway placing the first fluid chamber portion in fluid communication with the second fluid chamber portion. 
     
     
         17 . The garment according to  claim 16 , wherein the seam joining the first perimeter edge portion with the second perimeter edge portion further includes: (i) a fourth sealed region, and (ii) a third fluid passageway defined between layers of the multilayer construction and located between the third sealed region and the fourth sealed region, the third fluid passageway placing the first fluid chamber portion in fluid communication with the second fluid chamber portion. 
     
     
         18 . A garment, comprising:
 a first garment component including:
 a first laminated component including: (a) a first fabric and (b) a first film joined to the first fabric, wherein the first film comprises at least one layer chosen from a polyurethane layer and a thermoplastic polyurethane layer, and 
 a second laminated component including: (a) a second fabric and (b) a second film joined to the second fabric, wherein the second film comprises at least one layer chosen from a polyurethane layer and a thermoplastic polyurethane layer, and wherein a first fluid chamber portion of a first inflatable chamber is defined between the first laminated component and the second laminated component; and 
   a second garment component including:
 a third laminated component including: (a) a third fabric and (b) a third film joined to the third fabric, wherein the third film comprises at least one layer chosen from a polyurethane layer and a thermoplastic polyurethane layer, and 
 a fourth laminated component including: (a) a fourth fabric and (b) a fourth film joined to the fourth fabric, wherein the fourth film comprises at least one layer chosen from a polyurethane layer and a thermoplastic polyurethane layer, and wherein a second fluid chamber portion of the first inflatable chamber is defined between the third laminated component and the fourth laminated component, 
   wherein a first edge of the first garment component is joined to a second edge of the second garment component at a first seam, wherein at the first seam: (i) the third laminated component includes a first folded edge positioned such that a first portion of the third film is joined to the first film, (ii) the fourth laminated component includes a second folded edge positioned such that a first portion of the fourth film is joined to the second film, and (iii) a second portion of the third film faces a second portion of the fourth film.   
     
     
         19 . The garment according to  claim 18 , wherein at a first portion of the first seam, the second portion of the third film is joined to the second portion of the fourth film, and wherein at a second portion of the first seam, a first fluid passageway extends between the second portion of the third film and the second portion of the fourth film to thereby place the first fluid chamber portion in fluid communication with the second fluid chamber portion across the first seam. 
     
     
         20 . The garment according to  claim 18 , wherein at a first portion of the first seam, a first fluid passageway extends between the second portion of the third film and the second portion of the fourth film to thereby place the first fluid chamber portion in fluid communication with the second fluid chamber portion across the first seam, and wherein an adhesion blocker is placed on the second portion of at least one of the third film or the fourth film at a location of the first fluid passageway.