Active Textile Tailoring

Abstract

Textiles formed of active and inactive materials are disclosed. The active and inactive materials are knit together so that the textile exhibits a predetermined shape change upon exposure to an external stimulus, such as heat or moisture.

1 . A textile comprising:
 a) a first row region of at least one active fiber and a second row region of at least one active fiber;   b) at least one inactive fiber stitched with the at least one active fiber;   c) at least one inactive fiber float and   d) an elongated active fiber loop across the inactive fiber float that joins the first row region of at least one active fiber with the second row region of at least one active fiber   wherein the active fibers are formed of a material that exhibits a greater coefficient of thermal expansion compared to the inactive fibers or wherein the active fibers contract relative to the inactive fibers.   
     
     
         2 . The textile of  claim 1 , wherein the active fiber is a thermoplastic that contracts upon exposure to an increase in temperature. 
     
     
         3 . The textile of  claim 2 , wherein the thermoplastic is polyethylene (PE). 
     
     
         4 . The textile of  claim 1 , wherein the inactive fiber is cotton, polyester, rayon, TENCEL, wool, silk, or bamboo. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The textile of  claim 1 , wherein the first row region and second row region are stitched together. 
     
     
         7 . The textile of  claim 1 , wherein the stitches are jersey stitches. 
     
     
         8 . The textile of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one inactive fiber float is from six to ten inactive fiber floats. 
     
     
         9 . A textile comprising:
 a) a first region of active fiber stitching that overlies at least one first float of an inactive fiber;   b) a second region of active fiber stitching that overlies at least one second float of an inactive fiber; and   c) an active fiber float that overlies inactive fiber stitching and connects the first region of active fiber stitching to the second region of active fiber stitching,
 wherein the active fibers are formed of a material that exhibits a greater coefficient of thermal expansion compared to the inactive fibers or wherein the active fibers contract relative to the inactive fibers. 
   
     
     
         10 . The textile of  claim 9 , wherein the active fiber float is diagonal. 
     
     
         11 . The textile of  claim 9 , wherein the active fiber float is vertical or horizontal. 
     
     
         12 . The textile of  claim 9 , wherein the active fiber float is a set of active fiber floats. 
     
     
         13 . The textile of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one first float of an inactive fiber is a set of inactive fiber floats, or wherein the at least one second float of an inactive fiber is a set of inactive fiber floats. 
     
     
         14 . The textile of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one first float of an inactive fiber is from two to six inactive fiber floats, or wherein the at least one second float of an inactive fiber is from two to six inactive fiber floats. 
     
     
         15 . A textile comprising:
 a) stitches of at least one active fiber with at least one inactive fiber, further comprising an active fiber with a front stitch with inactive fibers with a front tuck, and further comprising an active fiber with a back tuck with an inactive fiber with a back stitch,
 wherein the active fibers are formed of a material that exhibits a greater coefficient of thermal expansion compared to the inactive fibers or wherein the active fibers contract relative to the inactive fibers. 
   
     
     
         16 . The textile of  claim 15 , wherein the stitches form first and second columns, wherein the first column comprises the active fiber with a front stitch with the inactive fibers with a front tuck, and wherein the second column comprises the active fiber with a back tuck with the inactive fibers with a back stitch. 
     
     
         17 . The textile of  claim 16 , where in the first and second columns alternate. 
     
     
         18 . The textile of  claim 16 , wherein a plurality of first columns are adjacent to each other, which are adjacent to a plurality of second columns. 
     
     
         19 . The textile of  claim 15 , wherein the stitching comprises a plurality of adjacent front stitches of active fiber. 
     
     
         20 . The textile of  claim 15 , wherein the stitching comprises a plurality of adjacent back stitches of active fiber. 
     
     
         21 . The textile of  claim 1 , wherein the active fibers are knit or woven together in higher proportion with each other than with inactive fibers at locations that change knit or weave gauge as a function of temperature than at locations that exhibit little or no change of knit or weave effective gauge as a function of temperature. 
     
     
         22 . The textile of  claim 1 , wherein the active fiber is confined to a portion of the textile.