The North Face Apparel Corporation

John Thiet Ly

Alexander Dardinski

Kurtis Schnackenberg

David Hass

Carol Wong

An aspect of the disclosure is a footwear article. The footwear article includes a double layer knitted upper having a foot bed, an upper portion continuous with the foot bed, an ankle opening, and an inner void for receiving a foot of a wearer. The double layer knitted upper has an outer knit layer defining an exterior surface of the double layer knitted upper. The double layer knitted upper also has an inner knit layer monolithically knit to the outer knit layer. The inner knit layer has a plurality of inner knit regions that spatially correspond to the plurality of outer knit regions of the outer knit layer. The outer knit layer and the inner knit layer substantially define the foot bed and the upper portion of the double layer knitted upper.

Footwear article including circular knit structures

A composite fabric includes a first fabric layer and a plurality of insulating structures adjacent to the first fabric layer. Each of the plurality of insulating structures include a fabric shell defining a cavity and an insulating material located within the cavity. In further aspects a composite fabric includes a plurality of insulating structures separated by a plurality of spacers. Each of the plurality of spacers includes a fabric material and each of the plurality of insulating structures includes a fabric shell defining a cavity and an insulating material located within the cavity.

Breathable composite with moveable baffles

Baffled material for apparel

Woven and knit substrates having juxtaposed notches with finished edges are disclosed. Such substrates can be used as opposed fastener tapes and fastener elements can be formed, woven, or otherwise added to the opposed fastener tapes in a known fashion. The notched fastener tapes permit the resulting slide fastener to be curved in-plane without buckling either of the opposed the fastener tapes out-of-plane. The finished edges maintain structural integrity of the woven or knit substrates, in stark context to prior art substrates having cut notches. Also disclosed are panelized substrates having curved apertures and incorporating disclosed slide fasteners.

Curved slide fasteners and related systems

Convertible pants

According to a first aspect, load-bearing systems can have one or more serpentine tensioners. According to another aspect, load-bearing systems can have one or more repositionable load-bearing members. Load-bearing systems having serpentine tensioners and load-bearing systems having repositionable load-bearing members are not mutually exclusive of each other. Accordingly, some disclosed load-bearing systems have a serpentine tensioner in combination with a repositionable load-bearing member. To facilitate disclosure of such principles, wearable packs incorporating one or more aspects of innovative load-bearing systems are described.

Load-bearing systems

Footwear article

A multi-layered construction includes a first fabric, a second fabric, and a baffle disposed between the first and second fabrics. The baffle is attached to the first and second fabrics so as to form a plurality of triangular-shaped chambers between the first and second fabrics. In other words, the baffle forms a zigzag-like pattern between the first and second fabrics. Another multi-layered construction also includes a first fabric, a second fabric, and a baffle disposed between the first and second fabrics. This baffle has a non-rectangular cross-section. More particularly, in certain examples, the baffle may have at least one curved edge and/or at least one tapered edge. In other examples, the baffle may have a vase-like cross-section having at least two curved edges.

Multi-layered constructions with shaped baffles

Textiles, garments and methods comprising a fabric and a variegated structure woven in the fabric and adapted to control a parameter of the textile construction. The parameter may be strength, breathability, and/or other properties. A visual pattern may be used to indicate the variegated structure. The visual pattern may be made in one or more of color, material, patterns. The fabric may be a multilayered fabric. A garment may be made of pieces cut from the fabric to satisfy a desired garment profile. The garment profile may be based on a parameter of strength, breathability, and/or other properties.

Variegated ripstop

A grommet locking device, which combines the advantages of both a grommet and a cord lock in a single unitary device. The grommet locking device allows a user to tighten a cord with one hand. The grommet locking device includes a front piece having a locking mechanism and a back piece that are attached together with a piece of fabric therebetween. A cord is moveable within the locking mechanism between a first locked position and second unlocked position in order to tighten or loosen a portion of the garment, such as a hood of a jacket.

Growing community of inventors

Richmond, CA, United States of America

John Thiet Ly