The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 09, 2025
Filed:
Nov. 29, 2018
Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Bradley Thomas Holschuh, North Oaks, MN (US);
Lucy Elizabeth Dunne, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Rachael Granberry, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Kevin Eschen, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Julianna Abel, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Nicole Ciavarella, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Robert Michael Theodore Pettys-Baker, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Nicholas Edward Schleif, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Mary Ellen Margaret Berglund, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Joonwoo Walter Lee, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Sophia Victoria Vandycke, Minneapolis, MN (US);
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Abstract
Active fabrics can be created by combining active and passive materials. Active materials with shape memory or other actuation characteristics can generate compression or dynamic fit, and the level of compression and/or change in fit can be determined by setting a knit index, wire diameter, and garment ease, or fit in relation to the body. Maximum compression can be set not only by varying physical properties of the knit structure but by built-in circuit breaking technologies, or by segmentation and control of the garment by a controller. In some embodiments, additive manufacturing can be combined with traditional textile equipment (e.g., circular knitting machine). Uniquely functional or active textiles can be made from additively manufactured, heterogeneous filaments. Yarn-like filament with varying properties (such as elasticity, stiffness, conductivity, activation, or surface properties) can be additively manufactured. This filament can be formed into a textile or garment with functional properties that are a results of emergent interactions between the heterogeneous filament components.