US 12,433,352 B2
Thermally protective composite articles, and associated methods and wetsuits
Emil Paskalev Kartalov, Pacific Grove, CA (US); and Andrew Thomas Vesey Waldron, Allentown, PA (US)
Assigned to The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed by THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed on Jul. 21, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/224,895.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/391,093, filed on Jul. 21, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0023644 A1, Jan. 25, 2024
Int. Cl. A41D 13/012 (2006.01); A41D 31/06 (2019.01)
CPC A41D 13/012 (2013.01) [A41D 31/065 (2019.02); Y10T 428/24479 (2015.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A flexible, thermally-insulating composite article comprising:
a base layer;
a plurality of teeth extending from the base layer, the plurality of teeth comprising a carrier polymer matrix and a plurality of dispersed microspheres in the range of 5 to 24 volume percent;
grooves extending between the teeth to enable the teeth to converge; and
wherein the plurality of dispersed microspheres are solid.
 
11. A diving suit comprising:
a suit base layer;
at least one pocket; and
at least one flexible, thermally-insulating composite pad within the at least one pocket;
wherein the at least one composite pad comprises:
a pad base layer;
a plurality of teeth extending from the pad base layer, the plurality of teeth comprising a carrier polymer matrix and a plurality of dispersed microspheres in the range of 5 to 24 volume percent;
grooves extending between the teeth to enable the teeth to converge; and
wherein the plurality of dispersed microspheres are solid.
 
17. A method of producing a diving suit comprising:
providing at least one flexible, thermally-insulating composite pad to at least one pocket of a diving suit precursor, wherein the diving suit precursor further comprises a diving suit base layer;
wherein the at least one composite pad comprises:
a pad base layer;
a plurality of teeth extending from the pad base layer, the plurality of teeth comprising a carrier polymer matrix and a plurality of dispersed microspheres in the range of 5 to 24 volume percent;
grooves extending between the teeth to enable the teeth to converge; and
wherein the plurality of dispersed microspheres are solid.