Full-fashioned weaving process for production of a woven garment with intelligence capability

• US 6,145,551 A
• Filed: 09/21/1998
• Issued: 11/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Original Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Inventors: Park, Sungmee, Jayaraman, Sundaresan, Rajamanickam, Rangaswamy
• Primary Examiner(s): Calvert, John J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Muromoto, Jr., Robert H.
• Application Number:
  US09/157,607
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 159/388, 159/55.1, 159/387 R, 159/387, 128/644, 128/639, 428/68, 428/196, 428/257, 428/195, 428/36, 2/455, 2/905, 2/102, 2/243
• US Class Current: 139/387.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/002 adapted to accommodate electronic equipment patients' garments for medical monitoring A41D13/1281; luminous ornaments A41D27/085
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/1236 Patients' garments
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/1263 Suits
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/1281 with incorporated means for medical monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 11/02 Fabrics formed with pockets, tubes, loops, folds, tucks or flaps fabrics consisting of a single tube D03D3/02
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 3/02 Tubular fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 2/905 Electric

Abstract

A full-fashioned weaving process for the production of a woven garment which can accommodate and include holes, such as armholes. The garment is made of only one single integrated fabric and has no discontinuities or seams. Additionally, the garment can include intelligence capability, such as the ability to monitor one or more body vital signs, or garment penetration, or both, by including a selected sensing component or components in the weave of the garment.

Claims

1. A process for continuously weaving a full-fashioned garment, comprising the steps of:

providing at least two sets of warp threads to be used alternately, one set for the front and the other set for the back of the garment;

providing at least two sets of filling threads;

weaving a tubular structure section of the garment from the filling and warp threads along the direction of the warp threads; and

weaving a double layer structure section from the filling and warp threads also along the direction of the warp threads, at least a portion of each layer of the double layer section is separated from at least a portion of each other layer of the double layer section;

the tubular structure section and the double layer structure section being woven continuously one from the other to form the garment.

2. A process as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of weaving the tubular structure section includes interlacing one thread or set of threads helically and continuously on the front and back of the garment.

3. A process as defined in claim 1, further including the step of weaving in a sensing component fiber for providing the capability of monitoring a body vital sign or penetration of the garment.

4. A process as defined in claim 3, wherein the sensing component fiber is selected from the group of optical fibers and electrical conducting fibers.

5. A process as defined in claim 3, further including the step of weaving in a form-fitting component fiber.

6. A process as defined in claim 3, further including the step of weaving in a static dissipating component fiber.

7. A process as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of weaving the double layer structure section results in armholes on either side of the garment in said double layer section.

8. A process as defined in claim 1, wherein the double layer structure is woven continuously from the tubular structure section and a second tubular structure section is woven continuously from the double layer structure section.

37. A process as defined in claim 7, wherein the step of weaving the double layer structure section results in an armhole having a curvature.

9. A woven garment comprising:

a tubular structure section woven along the direction of the warp threads; and

a double layer structure section also woven along the direction of the warp threads, at least a portion of the each layer of the double layer section is separated from at least a portion of each other layer of the double layer section;

the tubular structure section and the double layer structure section being woven continuously one from the other to form the garment.

10. A woven garment as defined in claim 9, wherein the double layer structure section includes armholes on either side of the garment.

11. A woven garment as defined in claim 9, wherein the tubular structure section includes a thread or set of threads interlaced helically and continuously on the front and back of the garment.

12. A woven garment as defined in claim 9, further comprising a sensing component fiber for providing the capability of monitoring a body vital sign or penetration of the garment.

13. A woven garment as defined in claim 12, wherein the sensing component is selected from the group consisting of optical fibers and electrical conducting fibers.

14. A woven garment as defined in claim 9, further comprising a form-fitting component fiber.

15. A woven garment as defined in claim 9, further comprising a static dissipating component fiber.

16. A woven garment as defined in claim 9, wherein the double layer structure section is woven continuously from the tubular structure section, and a second tubular layer section is woven continuously from the double layer structure section.

17. A woven garment as defined in claim 9 wherein the tubular structure section and the double layer structure section comprise a plurality of electrically conductive fibers, the electrically conductive fibers being woven in a pattern such that signals are capable of being transmitted from one position of the garment to another position of the garment along the electrically conductive fibers.

18. A woven garment as defined in claim 17 wherein the electrically conductive material is chosen from a group of materials consisting of metallic fibers, doped inorganic materials and intrinsically conducting polymers.

19. A woven garment as defined in claim 17 further comprising a sensor and a personal status monitor, wherein the electrically conductive fibers couple the sensor to the personal status monitor so that information can be transmitted between the sensor and the personal status monitor.

20. A woven garment as defined in claim 9 wherein the garment comprises a plurality of threads that are woven into the tubular structure section and the double layer structure section, wherein at least one thread of the plurality of threads comprises an optical fiber.

21. A woven garment as defined in claim 20 wherein the optical fiber comprises a plurality of optical fibers and the plurality of optical fibers are woven in a pattern such that signals are capable of being transmitted from one position of the garment to another position of the garment along the plurality of optical fibers.

22. A woven garment as defined in claim 20 wherein further comprising a sensor and a personal status monitor, wherein the at least one thread couples the sensor to the personal status monitor so that information can be transmitted between the sensor and the personal status monitor.

23. A woven garment as defined in claim 20 wherein the at least one thread is woven such that a signal can be transmitted from one position of the garment to another position of the garment along the optical fiber.

38. A woven garment as defined in claim 10, wherein the armhole is formed with a curvature.

24. A woven garment comprising:

a first tubular section being formed from a plurality of threads; and

a second section continuously formed from the plurality of threads along with the first section;

the second section comprising at least two portions, the at least two portions being partially separated from each other and having at least two openings formed therein a first opening formed in one side of the second section and a second opening formed in a side of the second section opposite said first opening to form the garment.

25. A woven garment as defined in claim 24 wherein the tubular section includes a thread or set of threads interlaced helically and continuously on the front and back of the garment.

26. A woven garment as defined in claim 24 wherein the second section includes armholes on either side of the garment.

27. A woven garment as defined in claim 24 further comprising a sensing component for providing the capability of monitoring a body vital sign or penetration of the garment.

28. A woven garment as defined in claim 27, wherein the sensing component is selected from the group consisting of optical fibers and electrical conducting fibers.

29. A woven garment as defined in claim 24, wherein the plurality of threads comprises a static dissipating component fiber.

30. A woven garment as defined in claim 24, wherein the second section is woven continuously from the first section, and a third section is woven continuously from the second section.

31. A woven garment as defined in claim 24 wherein the first section and the second section comprise a plurality of electrically conductive fibers, the electrically conductive fibers being arranged in a pattern such that signals are capable of being transmitted from one position of the garment to another position of the garment along the electrically conductive fibers.

32. A woven garment as defined in claim 31 wherein a material selected for the electrically conductive fibers is chosen from a group of materials consisting of metallic fibers, doped inorganic materials and intrinsically conducting polymers.

33. A woven garment as defined in claim 31 further comprising a sensor and a personal status monitor, wherein the electrically conductive fibers couple the sensor to the personal status monitor so that information can be transmitted between the sensor and the personal status monitor.

34. A woven garment as defined in claim 24 wherein at least one thread of the plurality of threads comprises an optical fiber.

35. A woven garment as defined in claim 34 wherein the optical fiber comprises a plurality of optical fibers and the plurality of optical fibers are woven in a pattern such that signals are capable of being transmitted from one position of the garment to another position of the garment along the plurality of optical fibers.

36. A woven garment as defined in claim 34 wherein further comprising a sensor and a personal status monitor, wherein the at least one thread couples the sensor to the personal status monitor so that information can be transmitted between the sensor and the personal status monitor.

39. A woven garment as defined in claim 24, wherein the openings result in armholes on either side of the garment.

40. A woven garment as defined in claim 39, wherein the armholes are formed with a curvature.

41. A woven garment as defined in claim 24, wherein the first tubular section includes a hole formed in one end thereof allowing for the passage of a head through the hole.

42. A woven garment as defined in claim 41, further having a second tubular section continuously formed from said second section at an end opposite the first tubular section, the second tubular section having a hole formed therein opposite the hole for the head.

43. A woven garment as defined in claim 24, wherein the first tubular section and the section are continuously formed along the warp direction.