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NikePatent applicationClothing & sportInterest 6/10

Nike patents fabric with funnel holes to pull air into clothes

Patent drawing
Patent drawing from the official filing.

Nike describes a knit fabric with small holes that are wider on the outside than the inside, acting like funnels to pull air through the material. The inner side also has shallow dimples that reduce the surface area touching the skin to help prevent the fabric from sticking.

Why it mattersThis design aims to make athletic wear cooler and more comfortable by improving airflow and reducing skin contact.

In the filing’s own words

The present disclosure is directed to garments formed of a knit spacer textile having both a plurality of flow-through apertures with an outer surface opening that is bigger than a corresponding inner surface opening, and a plurality of craters in the inner-facing surface of the knit spacer textile that do not extend through to the outer face so that no flow-through aperture is formed. The flow through apertures may have a funnel-type structure that facilitates air flow into an interior of the garment. The craters further reduce the amount of surface area of the inner-facing surface, which improves comfort and reduces clinging experienced by the wearer of a garment incorporating the knit spacer textile.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. An article of apparel comprising: a knit spacer textile comprising: a first knit layer formed from a first plurality of yarns, the first knit layer comprising a set of first openings; a second knit layer formed from a second plurality of yarns, the second knit layer comprising a set of second openings and a set of third openings, wherein each of the second openings at least partially overlaps with one of the first openings, and the third openings do not overlap with any of the first openings; and a plurality of tie yarns that interconnect the first knit layer and the second knit layer; wherein: the second knit layer comprises a plurality of bands with wales extending in a machine direction, the plurality of bands comprises a first band, a second band, and a third band; the first band has a first band edge that is discontinuously connected to a second band edge of the second band, and a third band edge of the second band opposite the second band edge is discontinuously connected to a fourth band edge of the third band.

Facts

Company
Nike (NIKE, Inc.)
Official title
TEXTILE CONFIGURED TO PROMOTE COOLING
Publication number
US20260297816A1
Application number
19630293
Filed
Mar 26, 2026
Published
Oct 1, 2026
Inventors
2
Claims
30

Classified under

D04B 1/24 Textiles & paperD04B 21/202 Textiles & paperD04B 21/207 Textiles & paperD10B 2403/0213 Textiles & paperD10B 2501/00 Textiles & paper
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.