Columbia Sportswear North America, Inc.

Columbia Sportswear Company

Michael E “Woody” Blackford

Jeffrey Thomas Mergy

Douglas Allan Maguire

Matthew Davis

Craig D Gates

Wayne Alan Skankey

Jeff Mergy

Haskell Beckham

Christopher R Araujo

Disclosed are cooling materials for clothing and other body gear that may use a discontinuous pattern of highly absorbent polymers coupled to a base fabric that has a low resistance to moisture spread (e.g., a high wicking rate) and lower absorption properties compared to the highly absorbent polymer elements, to manage moisture (e.g., sweat) and body heat. The absorbance of the highly absorbent polymers is greater than that of the base fabric, such as at least two times greater, and the highly absorbent polymer elements may be non-endothermic.

Cooling material

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to a base fabric for body gear and other goods having designed performance characteristics, and in particular to technical gear, such as garments, that utilize multispectral cooling elements coupled to the exterior facing surface of a base fabric.

Multispectral cooling fabric

Provided herein are ecologically friendly waterproof fabrics that include a base fabric having a body-facing surface and an outward-facing surface, and a hydrophobic, waterproof barrier disposed on the outward-facing surface of the base fabric. The base fabric may be a wicking fabric or may be treated with a compound that enhances wicking, and the hydrophobic, waterproof barrier may include a plastic polymer, polyurethane, polyethylene, and/or polytetrafluoroethylene. The waterproof fabrics also may include an abrasion-resistant coating and/or a PFC-free durable water repellant (DWR) agent disposed on an outward-facing surface of the hydrophobic, waterproof barrier, and one or both of the abrasion-resistant coating and/or PFC-free DWR agent may be discontinuous. Also provided are methods of making a waterproof fabric.

Fabric having a waterproof barrier

Provided herein are waterproof fabrics that include a base fabric having a body-facing surface and an outward-facing surface, and a hydrophobic, waterproof barrier disposed on the outward-facing surface of the base fabric, a seam through the waterproof fabric, and a waterproof tape disposed on an outward-facing surface of the hydrophobic, waterproof barrier and aligned to seal the seam against water ingress. The base fabric may be a wicking fabric or may be treated with a compound that enhances wicking, and the hydrophobic, waterproof barrier may include a plastic polymer, polyurethane, polyethylene, and/or polytetrafluoroethylene. The waterproof fabrics also may include an abrasion-resistant coating and/or a durable water repellant (DWR) agent disposed on an outward-facing surface of the hydrophobic, waterproof barrier, and one or both of the abrasion-resistant coating and/or DWR agent may be discontinuous. Also provided are methods of making a waterproof fabric.

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Portland, OR, United States of America

Michael E “Woody” Blackford