Patent Publication Number: US-11655567-B2

Title: Textiles and garments formed using yarns space-treated with functional finishes

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application titled “Textiles and Garments Formed Using Yarns Space-Treated with Functional Finishes,” is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/720,611, filed Sep. 29, 2017, and titled “Textiles and Garments Formed Using Yarns Space-Treated with Functional Finishes,” which claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Prov. App. No. 62/403,853, filed Oct. 4, 2016, and titled “Textiles and Garments Formed Using Yarns Space-Treated With Functional Finishes.” The entireties of the aforementioned applications are incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     Aspects herein related to textile and garments formed using yarns space-treated with functional finishes. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Space-treating yarns has traditionally been used to dye a yarn multiple different colors thereby altering the aesthetic characteristics of textiles and garments formed from the dyed yarn. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Examples of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein: 
         FIG.  1    illustrates an exemplary yarn space-treated with functional finishes in accordance with aspects herein; 
         FIG.  2    illustrates an exemplary knitted textile formed using a yarn space-treated with functional finishes in accordance with aspects herein; 
         FIG.  3    illustrates a cross-sectional view of a double knit construction formed using two yarns each space-treated with functional finishes in accordance with aspects herein; 
         FIG.  4    illustrates an exemplary woven textile formed using a weft yarn space-treated with functional finishes in accordance with aspects herein; 
         FIG.  5    illustrates an exemplary woven textile formed using one or more warp yarns space-treated with functional finishes in accordance with aspects herein; 
         FIG.  6    illustrates an exemplary textile formed using a yarn that has been space-treated to exhibit a gradient of a functional finish in accordance with aspects herein; 
         FIG.  7    illustrates an exemplary garment of knitted/woven construction formed using one or more yarns space-treated with functional finishes in accordance with aspects herein; and 
         FIG.  8    illustrates a flow diagram of an exemplary method of forming a garment using yarns that have been space-treated with functional finishes in accordance with aspects herein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The subject matter of the present invention is described with specificity herein to meet statutory requirements. However, the description itself is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Rather, the inventors have contemplated that the claimed or disclosed subject matter might also be embodied in other ways, to include different steps or combinations of steps similar to the ones described in this document, in conjunction with other present or future technologies. Moreover, although the terms “step” and/or “block” might be used herein to connote different elements of methods employed, the terms should not be interpreted as implying any particular order among or between various steps herein disclosed unless and except when the order of individual steps is explicitly stated. 
     At a high level, aspects herein relate to textile and garments formed using yarns that have been space-treated with different functional finishes. As used herein, the term “functional finish” may be defined as a finish that alters, changes, or modifies the performance of the yarn to which it is applied and/or contributes to a specific attribute of the yarn without substantially altering the visual appearance of the yarn when it is applied. 
     Exemplary functional finishes may comprise, for instance, soil and/or stain-release finishes, abrasion-resistant finishes, anti-slip finishes, light-stabilizing finishes, pilling-resistant finishes, water-repellant or hydrophobic finishes such as a durable water repellent finish (DWR finish), moisture-management finishes, porosity-control finishes, water-absorbent or hydrophilic finishes, ultraviolet-absorbent finishes, anti-static finishes, phase-change and temperature regulation finishes, antimicrobial finishes, odor management finishes, electrically conductive finishes, flame-retardant finishes, light-reflecting finishes, burn-out pastes, ultraviolet-reactive inks, and the like. Finishes may also comprise heating and cooling management finishes. As an example, a reflective finish such as a ceramic finish or a metallized vapor may be used such that a resulting yarn is able to reflect heat or light. In another example, a cooling agent such as a menthol, spearmint, or peppermint oil, or other types of cooling chemicals such as an endothermic agent may be applied as a finish to impart cooling properties to the yarn. Another exemplary finish may comprise a color dye that is combined with a functional finish, such as, for example, a DWR finish. As an example, it is often difficult to dye textiles that have been treated with a DWR finish since the DWR may prevent the dye from fully impregnating the yarns in the textile thus resulting in a heather or mottled effect. In exemplary aspects, a colored dye that is combined with a DWR finish may be applied to a yarn using a space-treating process thus allowing for a uniform dispersion of the dye and the DWR finish on the yarn. Textiles produced using such a yarn would generally be evenly dyed and would be substantially impervious to water. 
     More particularly, aspects herein contemplate using a space-treating process to apply functional finishes to a yarn and incorporating the treated yarn into a textile and/or a garment to impart engineered functional properties to the textile and/or garment. As used throughout this disclosure, the term “space-treating process” is meant to encompass any number of processes known in the art that have been traditionally used to dye a yarn multiple different colors. Traditional exemplary space-treating processes may comprise, for example, a knit-de-knit process where a yarn is first knitted into a tubular fabric and one or more dyes are applied to the tubular fabric. Because the dyes generally do not generally penetrate the yarn crossing points in the knitted textile, once de-knitted the resulting yarn will exhibit short segments (4 mm to 1 cm) of color separated by undyed pieces of yarn. 
     Another traditional exemplary dye space-treating process may comprise continuous or warp yarn printing where multiple strands of yarn are continuously printed at spaced intervals with different colors. The printing may be accomplished by running the warp yarns through spaced-apart dye baths, using lick rollers or spinning disc applicators, using printing rollers, using dye applicator pads, and the like. The resulting yarn will typically exhibit longer expanses of color in the range of 8 cm to 20 cm. 
     Continuing, an additional traditional exemplary dye space-treating process may comprise space dyeing in package form. In this method, the yarn may be wound on a cone or other type of bobbin to form a yarn package, and the yarn package is then placed in a receptacle having different feed tanks and injector pumps. The dye is injected at a fixed place on the yarn package at a high pressure to facilitate impregnation of the yarn with the dye. The excess dye is collected through a vacuum. Depending on the placement of the injector pumps, different patterns may be achieved on the yarn package. 
     Another traditional exemplary dye space-treating process may comprise space dyeing in a hank form. In this process, the yarn is in a hank form and colors are sprayed on the hank at fixed places. In exemplary aspects, the color may be applied under pressure to facilitate impregnation of the yarn with dye, and excess dye may be collected using a vacuum. Parameters such as the length of the colored segments can be controlled. 
     Aspects herein contemplate modifying the different dye space-treating processes described above to apply one or more functional finishes to a yarn. Because functional finishes may exhibit different properties than dyes such as viscosity, boiling point, surface tension, volatility, and the like, parameters associated with typical dye space-treating processes may need to be modified. For example, modifications may be made to injection times, injection pressures, run times, treatment temperatures, and the like. Physical modifications may be made to, for example, the injector pumps to account for, for example, the viscosity of a particular functional finish. Additional modifications may need to be made to pre-processing and/or post-processing treatments of the yarn based on the properties of the particular functional finish(es) used in the space-treating process. Any and all aspects, and any variation thereof, are contemplated as being within aspects herein. 
     A characteristic of one or more of these space-treating processes is the ability to apply different functional finishes to different portions of a yarn using different injector pumps, different printing pads, different tanks, and the like. Because of this, after application of the functional finish(es), the yarn may comprise one or more contiguous segments each having a functional finish applied thereto. As used throughout this disclosure, the term “contiguous” means sharing a common border. To put it another way, a single length of yarn may comprise one or more different contiguous segments, each having a functional finish applied thereto. However, it is also contemplated herein that certain yarn segments may not comprise a functional finish. For instance, a first yarn segment may have a functional finish applied thereto, and a second yarn segment that is contiguous with the first yarn segment may not have a functional finish applied thereto. Any and all aspects, and any variation thereof, are contemplated as being within aspects herein. 
     The length of the individual segments having the functional finish applied thereto may be controlled depending on, for example, the space-treating process used to apply the functional finish. For instance, if a knit-de-knit process is used, the length of the different yarn segments may be short (e.g., 4 mm to 1 cm). However, use of other space-treating processes such as warp yarn printing may produce long yarn segments having a functional finish applied thereto (e.g., between 8 cm and 20 cm). Use of space-treating in hank form or space-treating in package form may enable the creation of segments having variable lengths as well as segments having generally equal lengths. 
     Continuing, space-treating in package form may, in one aspect, also allow for the creation of a yarn having a gradient of a particular functional finish along the length of the yarn. As an example, when space-treating in package form, the yarn is wound around a cone or bobbin and is then placed in a receptacle having one or more feed tanks and injector pumps. When the functional finish(es) is applied via the injector pumps, a greater impregnation or penetration of the yarn may occur for those yarn segments located near the outside of the cone or bobbin (i.e., near the injector pumps) and a lesser impregnation or penetration of the yarn by the functional finish may occur for those yarn segments located near the interior of the cone or bobbin (i.e., further away from the injector pumps). This differential penetration may be further controlled by modifying the injection pressure used to apply the functional finish and/or by modifying the strength of the vacuum in the receptacle. When the treated yarn is unwound from the cone or bobbin and transferred to a knitting or weaving spool, the yarn pulled from that spool will generally exhibit a gradient of functional finish(es) based on the degree of penetration during the space-treating process. For example, a first length of the yarn, corresponding to a yarn segment located near the outside of the cone or bobbin, may have a greater amount of functional finish, a second contiguous length, corresponding to a yarn segment located near the middle of the cone or bobbin, may exhibit an intermediate amount of functional finish, and a third length contiguous with the second length, corresponding to a yarn segment located near the interior of the cone or bobbin, may exhibit a low amount of functional finish. Thus, a textile or garment knitted or woven using the yarn may exhibit a gradient of the functional finish along, for example, a width of the textile or garment or a length of the textile or garment depending on the knitting/weaving process used to form the textile or garment. 
     As described, yarns treated with functional finishes using the space-treating processes described above may be incorporated into textiles and garments. In one example, a knit construction may be used to form the textile where the knit construction comprises an interlocking series of loops formed using a yarn space-treated with one or more functional finishes. Assuming that the yarn is treated to have a repeating pattern comprising Functional Finish A-Functional Finish B, a knitted textile incorporating such a yarn would have a staggered pattern of Functional Finish A and a staggered pattern of Functional Finish B. To put it another way, a yarn segment having Functional Finish A would be separated from another yarn segment having Functional Finish A by a yarn segment having Functional Finish B (i.e., yarn segments having Functional Finish A are non-contiguous with each other, and yarn segments having Functional Finish B are non-contiguous with each other). Because of the interlooping nature of the knit construction, the placement of the particular yarns segments having Functional Finish A and/or Functional Finish B will vary along a length or a width of the textile to produce a staggered pattern for each functional finish. 
     Continuing with respect to this example, depending on the length of the particular segments comprising Functional Finish A and the length of the yarn segments comprising Functional Finish B, a textile formed from the yarn would comprise a certain percentage of yarn segments having Functional Finish A and a remaining percentage of yarn segments having Functional Finish B. As an example, if the yarn segments having Functional Finish A were engineered through the space-treating process to be twice the length of the yarn segments having Functional Finish B, then a textile formed from the yarn would generally comprise 66% Functional Finish A and 33% Functional Finish B. As can be seen, by controlling the length of the yarn segments having a particular functional finish (via, for instance, controlling the parameters associated with the particular space-treating process), the percentage of the yarn comprising a particular functional finish can be controlled. As well, when the yarn is incorporated into a textile, the percentage of the textile comprising a particular functional finish can also be controlled. 
     Aspects herein further contemplate using space-treated yarns with different functional finishes in weaving constructions. In one instance, the space-treated yarn may be used as, for example, the weft or filling yarn in the weave construction. Like a knit construction, where the functional finish would be present in a staggered pattern in the finished textile, using a space-treated yarn as the weft yarn would produce a similar result. For instance, the placement of the particular yarns segments having a particular functional finish will vary along a length or a width of the woven textile to produce a staggered pattern for the functional finish. Further, as described above, the percentage of the woven textile comprising a particular functional finish can be controlled by varying the length of the yarn segments comprising that particular finish. 
     It is also contemplated herein that yarns space-treated with functional finishes may be used as warp yarns in a weaving construction. For example, some or all of the warp yarns may comprise yarns that have been space-treated to have one or more functional finishes. The weft yarn used in this construction may, or may not, also be space-treated to have one or more functional finishes. The number of warp yarns having functional finishes, the use of a weft yarn space-treated with functional finishes, the type of functional finishes, and the length of the yarn segments comprising particular functional finishes can all be controlled to engineer a textile having desired functional properties. Any and all aspects, and any variation thereof, are contemplated as being within aspects herein. 
     By engineering the percentage of a functional finish in a yarn and/or textiles or garments made from that yarn, certain functional advantages may be achieved. For example, traditional constructions may comprise a yarn that has been treated or formed to have a single functional finish along its entire length. Other traditional constructions may comprise an already-formed textile to which a functional finish is applied. In these instances, the portion of the textile that has been treated with the functional finish or that incorporates the yarn that is entirely treated with the same functional finish will comprise 100% of the applied functional finish. In other words, the portion of the textile will exhibit the property of the functional finish without any gradation or modulation. For example, if the yarn has been treated with a DWR finish or the textile has been treated with a DWR finish, the resulting textile will generally be 100% hydrophobic. 
     Continuing, by engineering the percentage of a functional finish in a yarn, a textile made from that yarn may exhibit a more modulated expression of the applied functional finish. As an example, a yarn may be space-treated such that it comprises 50% yarn segments having a DWR finish, and 50% yarn segments having a hydrophilic finish (although other ratios are contemplated herein). Alternatively, the non-DWR segments may not have a functional finish applied thereto but may be naturally hydrophilic. A textile formed from that yarn would generally be 50% hydrophobic and 50% hydrophilic where both the hydrophobic segments and the hydrophilic segments are staggered across the length and the width of the textile. This may be useful where a wearer desires a garment that generally hides the appearance of sweat to a certain degree but still absorbs some sweat. Moreover, the staggered pattern of the DWR-segments and the non-DWR segments in the textile may help any absorbed moisture to spread out thus avoiding the patterns caused by typical sweat absorption. Other advantages associated with using yarns space-treated with functional finishes will be provided below. 
     Accordingly, aspects herein provide for a textile comprising a knit construction formed using at least one space-treated yarn having at least a first yarn segment having a first functional finish applied thereto and a second yarn segment contiguous with the first yarn segment, where the second yarn segment does not have the first functional finish applied thereto. 
     Aspects herein further provide for a garment comprising one or more zones positioned at different areas of the garment, at least one of the one or more zones having a knit construction formed using at least a first space-treated yarn having at least a first yarn segment having a first functional finish applied thereto, and a second yarn segment contiguous with the first yarn segment. 
     Another aspect provides for a garment comprising at least a first area formed using a knit construction, the knit construction of the first area comprising a first space-treated yarn having at least a first yarn segment having a first functional finish applied thereto and a second yarn segment having a second functional finish applied thereto, the first yarn segment contiguous with the second yarn segment. 
     In yet another aspect, a textile is provided. The textile comprises a woven construction having a weft yarn comprising at least a first yarn segment having a first functional finish applied thereto and a second yarn segment contiguous with the first yarn segment, where the second yarn segment does not have the first functional finish applied thereto. 
     A garment is further provided herein comprising one or more zones positioned at different areas of the garment, where at least one of the one or more zones has a woven construction comprising a weft yarn having at least a first yarn segment having a first functional finish applied thereto, and a second yarn segment contiguous with the first yarn segment. 
     In yet another aspect, a garment is provided comprising at least a first area formed using a woven construction, where the woven construction of the first area comprises a first weft yarn having at least a first yarn segment having a first functional finish applied thereto and a second yarn segment having a second functional finish applied thereto, where the first yarn segment is contiguous with the second yarn segment. 
     In an additional aspect, a textile is provided where the textile comprises a woven construction having one or more warp yarns comprising at least a first yarn segment having a first functional finish applied thereto and a second yarn segment contiguous with the first yarn segment, where the second yarn segment does not have the first functional finish applied thereto. 
     Another aspect provides for a textile comprising a knit or woven construction formed using at least one yarn that has been space-treated such that the yarn comprises at least a first yarn segment having a first functional finish applied thereto and a second yarn segment contiguous with the first yarn segment, wherein a location of the first yarn segment having the first functional finish applied thereto is staggered across the length and the width of the textile. 
     A method of forming a textile is provided comprising providing a yarn having a length, applying at least a first functional finish to a first set of non-contiguous segments of the yarn along the length of the yarn using a space-treating process, and forming the textile using the treated yarn. 
     Positional terms used throughout this disclosure when describing a garment such as “front,” “back,” “superior,” “inferior,” “lateral,” “medial” and the like are with respect to the garment being worn as intended by a hypothetical wearer standing in anatomical position. Unless indicated otherwise, terms such as “affixing,” “securing,” and the like may mean releasably affixing or permanently affixing two or more elements together. 
     Turning now to  FIG.  1   ,  FIG.  1    illustrates a portion of an exemplary yarn  100  that has been space-treated with different functional finishes in accordance with aspects herein. The space-treating processes may comprise any of those described above such as, for example, knit-de-knit, warp yarn printing, space-treating in package form, space-treating in hank form, along with other space-treating processes known in the art and not described herein. In this exemplary aspect, the yarn  100  may comprise contiguous segments  110 ,  112 ,  114 , and  116 . In exemplary aspects, each of the segments  110 ,  112 ,  114 , and  116  may comprise a functional finish. Further, each of the segments  110 ,  112 ,  114 , and  116  may comprise a different functional finish as indicated by the different hatching patterns. However, it is also contemplated that two or more of the segments may have the same functional finish. In this respect, the segments having the same functional finish may be contiguous with each other such as segment  110  and segment  112 . Or the segments may be separated by an intervening segment having a different functional finish. For instance, segments  110  and  114  may have the same functional finish while segments  112  and  116  have a different functional finish. Further, as stated above, it is contemplated herein that one or more of the segments  110 ,  112 ,  114 , or  116  may not be treated with a functional finish. Any and all aspects, and any variation thereof, are contemplated as being within aspects herein. 
     It is contemplated herein that the segments  110 ,  112 ,  114 , or  116  may have substantially the same length (substantially meaning generally within 5 mm of each other), one or more of the segments  110 ,  112 ,  114 , or  116  may have a greater length than the remaining segments, or one or more of the segments  110 ,  112 ,  114 , or  116  may have a smaller length than the remaining segments. Further, it is contemplated herein that segments having the same functional finish applied thereto may comprise substantially the same segment length, although different length segments comprising the same functional finish are contemplated herein. 
     By adjusting parameters associated with the space-treating process as described above, the length of the segments  110 ,  112 ,  114 , and  116  can be controlled such that the yarn  100  comprises predetermined percentages of functional finishes. For example, segments  110  and  114  may comprise Functional Finish A, and segments  112  and  116  may comprise Functional Finish B. By adjusting the length of the segments  110  and  114  relative to the length of the segments  112  and  116  the percentage of the yarn  100  comprising Functional Finish A and Functional Finish B may be adjusted. In exemplary scenarios, the percentage of a functional finish on the yarn  100  may be adjusted to be between, for example, 5% to 95%, 15% to 85%, 25% to 75%, 35% to 65%, 45% to 55%, or 50%, although percentage values falling between, above, and/or below these ranges are also contemplated herein. 
     It is also contemplated herein, that each of the segments  110 ,  112 ,  114 , and  116  may comprise the same functional finish but in differing degrees of concentration. For example, as described above with respect to space-treating in package form, various parameters for this process can be controlled to achieve variable penetration of the functional finish into the yarn segments based on the location of the particular yarn segment on the cone or bobbin. As an example, penetration of the functional finish into the yarn segments located on the outside of the cone or bobbin may be greater than the penetration of the functional finish into yarn segments located on the inside of the cone or bobbin or intermediate between the outside and the inside of the cone or bobbin. Thus, as an example, yarn segment  110  may exhibit the highest concentration of the functional finish, yarn segment  112  may exhibit the next highest concentration, followed by yarn segment  114  and then yarn segment  116 . As will be explained in greater depth below, when the yarn  100  is incorporated into a textile via a knitting or weaving process, a gradient of the functional finish may be achieved across a length and a width of the textile. 
       FIG.  2    illustrates a portion of a knit textile  200  formed using a yarn  210  that has been space-treated with one or more functional finishes in accordance with aspects herein. For illustrative purposes, the yarn  210  is shown having shaded segments to indicate a first functional finish  212  and non-shaded segments to indicate a second functional finish  214  although it is contemplated herein that the non-shaded segments may also indicate a lack of a functional finish. The segments having the first functional finish  212  are contiguous with the segments having the second functional finish  214  along the length of the yarn  210 . In exemplary aspects, it is contemplated herein that the knit textile  200  is formed using only the yarn  210  (i.e., the yarn  210  is not combined with other yarns). For instance, the knit textile  200  may comprise a single knit jersey knitted using the yarn  210  as the sole yarn source. However, it is further contemplated herein that the yarn  210  may be combined with other yarns to form the textile  200 . In this aspect, the additional yarns may comprise space-treated yarns or yarns that have not been space-treated. Any and all aspects, and any variation thereof, are contemplated as being within aspects herein. 
     Because of the interlooping nature of the knit construction, the placement of the first functional finish  212  and the second functional finish  214  varies along the length and the width of the textile  200 . In other words, the placement of each of the first functional finish  212  and the second functional finish  214  is staggered across the length and the width of the textile  200 . Moreover, depending on the length of the particular yarn segments comprising the first functional finish  212  and the second functional finish  214 , the percentage of the respective functional finishes  212  and  214  in the textile  200  may be controlled. The staggered patterning along with the controlled percentages of the functional finishes  212  and  214  may provide certain functional advantages as opposed to forming the textile  200  with a yarn that is treated along its length with just one functional finish and as opposed to forming the textile  200  from an untreated yarn and then applying the functional finish to the textile  200 . In both of these instances, the textile  200  would exhibit properties of the functional finish without gradation or modulation. 
     In exemplary aspects, the first and second functional finishes  212  and  214  may work together to achieve two or more desired properties for the textile  200 . For example, it may be desirable for the textile  200  to exhibit properties of two or more functional finishes such as being water-repellant and being able to absorb ultraviolet light. Previous solutions would require the use of two different yarns—one yarn treated with a DWR finish and the second yarn treated with an ultraviolet-absorption finish—thereby potentially creating a heavier-weight textile. Alternatively, the textile itself would have to be treated with both functional finishes after being formed thereby potentially raising manufacturing costs and potentially limiting the number of functional finishes that could be used together due to, for example, an unfavorable reaction occurring between the functional finishes. Using a single yarn having contiguous segments that have been treated with a DWR finish and an ultraviolet-absorption finish respectively enables the creation of a lightweight textile that is generally both water-repellant and provides protection from ultraviolet light. 
     In another example, using defined percentages of the first and second functional finishes  212  and  214  may facilitate a more modulated or graduated functional property for the textile  200 . For instance, it may be desirable for the textile  200  to exhibit a property intermediate between that of each of the functional finishes  212  and  214 . In one example, it may be desirable for the textile  200  to absorb some sweat or perspiration produced by a wearer, but not desirable for the textile  200  to absorb all of the sweat or perspiration to avoid the garment incorporating the textile  200  from being saturated with sweat and becoming heavy. This may be achieved by having the first functional finish  212  comprise a DWR finish. The second functional finish  214  may comprise a water-absorption or hydrophilic finish. Or, if the yarn  210  is naturally hydrophilic, the second functional finish  214  may not be applied. In this case, the textile  200  would absorb less sweat or perspiration than it would if the first functional finish  212  was not applied to the yarn  210 . Moreover, due to the staggered pattern of the first and second functional finishes  212  and  214 , any sweat or water that is absorbed would spread out instead of being concentrated in a defined area. 
     In yet another example, the staggered patterning of the functional finishes  212  and  214  may be useful in creating channels such as “wicking” channels in the textile  200 . In this instance, the first functional finish  212  may comprise a DWR finish and the second functional finish  214  may comprise a water-absorption or hydrophilic finish. As shown in  FIG.  2   , a “wicking” path or channel  216  may be formed in the textile  200  where the wicking channel  216  comprises substantially adjacent segments of the second functional finish  214  within the textile  200 . The wicking channel  216  is further defined or bounded by substantially adjacent segments of the first functional finish  212  (the DWR finish). The wicking channel  216  may be useful for guiding the flow of sweat or perspiration from a first area on the textile  200  to a second area on the textile  200 . It is contemplated herein that the textile  200  may comprise multiple wicking channels formed by adjacent segments of the yarn  210  comprising the second functional finish  214 . 
     Other types of channels are contemplated herein. For instance, the second functional finish  214  may comprise an ultraviolet-reactive ink (i.e., an ink that becomes visible upon exposure to ultraviolet light) or a burn-out paste (i.e., a chemical substance that when activated dissolves cellulose-based fibers and leaves behind protein-based fibers). Because of the staggered placement of the second functional finish  214  on the textile  200 , activation of, for instance, the ultraviolet-reactive ink or the burn-out past may produce interesting visual patterns. 
     Although the textile  200  is described as being a single knit jersey formed using, for example, a single yarn such as the yarn  210 , it is also contemplated herein that yarns space-treated with functional finishes may also be used in other knit constructions incorporating two or more yarns such as a double knit construction. An example of this is shown in  FIG.  3    which depicts a cross-sectional view of a double knit textile  300  formed using two different yarns each space-treated with functional finishes in accordance with aspects herein. More particularly, the double knit textile  300  comprises a first face  310  formed from a first yarn  312  that has been space-treated to comprise alternating first segments  314  treated with a first functional finish and second segments  316  contiguous with and interposed between the first segments  314 . In exemplary aspects, the second segments  316  may be treated with a second functional finish. Continuing, the double knit textile  300  further comprises a second face  318  formed of a second yarn  320  that has been space-treated to comprise alternating third segments  322  treated with a third functional finish and fourth segments  324  contiguous with and interposed between the third segments  322 . In exemplary aspects, the fourth segments  324  may be treated with a fourth functional finish. It is contemplated herein that one or more of the segments  314 ,  316 ,  322 , or  324  may have the same functional finish applied thereto or each segment  314 ,  316 ,  322 , and  324  may comprise a different functional finish. It is further contemplated herein that one or more of the segments  314 ,  316 ,  322 , or  324  may not have a functional finish applied thereto. It is also contemplated that a functional finish pattern different than that shown in  FIG.  3    may be utilized herein. Any and all aspects, and any variation thereof, are contemplated as being within aspects herein. 
     When the textile  300  is incorporated into a garment, the first face  310  may comprise an inner-facing surface of the garment and the second face  318  may comprise an outer-facing surface of the garment. In exemplary aspects, the functional finishes applied to the first and second segments  314  and  316  of the yarn  312  may be selected to impart properties to the textile  300  suitable for an inner-facing surface of a garment. For instance, an antimicrobial finish may be applied to the segments  314  and a hydrophilic finish may be applied to the segments  316  of the yarn  312  such that the garment formed from the textile  300  absorbs sweat from a wearer&#39;s body while slowing down or inhibiting microbial growth in the skin-contacting inner-facing surface of the garment. Continuing, different functional finishes suitable for an outer-facing surface of the garment may be selected to be applied to the yarn  320  forming the second face  318  of the textile  300 . For example, a DWR finish may be applied to the segments  322  and a light-reflecting finish may be applied to the segments  324 . The DWR finish may be useful in generally preventing the sweat absorbed by the hydrophilic finish of the segments  316  from showing through on the outer-facing surface of the garment and for providing protection from rain or other types of precipitation. And the light-reflecting finish may be useful for providing enhanced visibility to the wearer when the garment is worn. These examples are illustrative only, and it is contemplated herein that any combination of functional finishes may be applied to the segments  314 ,  316 ,  322 , and  324  to achieve a desired purpose for the first face  310  of the textile  300  and the second face  318  of the textile  300 . 
     Moreover, it is contemplated herein that the yarn  312  or the yarn  320  may comprise a yarn that has not been space-treated to have two or more functional finishes. For example, the yarn  312  may comprise a DWR-treated yarn (i.e., a yarn that has been treated along its length with a DWR functional finish). The yarn  312  may optionally be knitted to form one or more “DWR” nodes configured to contact a skin surface of a wearer. Continuing, the second yarn  320  may comprise a space-treated yarn having a DWR finish applied to the segments  322  and a hydrophilic finish applied to the segments  324 . When incorporated into a garment, the skin-facing DWR-treated yarn  312  may help to limit absorption of sweat into the yarn  312  but may help transport the moisture to the second yarn  320  via, for instance, capillary action. Once transported to the second yarn  320 , the hydrophilic finish applied to the segments  324  helps to absorb the sweat, and the DWR finish applied to the segments  322  helps to limit the amount of sweat that shows through on the second face  318 . This example is provided for illustrative purposes and other combinations of space-treated yarns and non-space-treated yarns are contemplated herein. 
       FIG.  4    illustrates an exemplary woven textile  400  having a filling or weft yarn  410  that has been space-treated with one or more functional finishes in accordance with aspects herein. In exemplary aspects, the woven textile  400  comprises a plurality of warp yarns  412 ,  414 ,  416 , and  418  that are interwoven with the weft yarn  410 . The shaded areas on the weft yarn  410  represent a first functional finish  420 , and the non-shaded areas of the weft yarn  410  represent a second functional finish  422 . Alternatively, the non-shaded areas may represent portions of the yarn  410  that have not been treated with a functional finish. The segments with the first functional finish  420  are contiguous with the segments having the second functional finish  422  along the length of the weft yarn  410 . 
     Because of the interlacing of the weft yarn  410  with the warp yarns  412 ,  414 ,  416 , and  418 , the placement of the first and second functional finishes  420  and  422  along the length and the width of the textile  400  may vary to produce a staggered pattern of the first and second functional finishes  420  and  422 . Moreover, by controlling parameters associated with the space-treating process used to apply the functional finishes  420  and  422 , the percentage of the functional finishes  420  and  422  in the textile  400  can be engineered to achieve desired functional effects. 
     Similar to the knit textile  200 , the staggered placement of the functional finishes  420  and  422  and the ability to control the percentages of the functional finishes  420  and  422  in the textile  400  by varying the length of the yarn segments may provide certain functional advantages for the woven textile  400  such as, for example, the first and second functional finishes  420  and  422  working together to achieve two or more distinct functional properties for the textile  400 , the first and second functional finishes  420  and  422  facilitating a more modulated or graduated functional property for the textile  400 , and/or the first and second functional finishes  420  and  422  creating channels such as “wicking” channels in the textile  400 . Any and all aspects, and any variation thereof, are contemplated as being within aspects herein. 
       FIG.  5    illustrates a woven textile  500  having one or more warp yarns space-treated to have different functional finishes in accordance with aspects herein. The exemplary textile  500  comprise a weft yarn  510  that is interwoven with warp yarn  512 , warp yarn  514 , warp yarn  516 , and warp yarn  518 . In exemplary aspects, one or more of the warp yarns  512 ,  514 ,  516 , and/or  518  may be space-treated to comprise one or more functional finishes. For example, warp yarn  512  is shown as being space-treated so as to have yarn segments comprising a first functional finish  520  and yarn segments comprising a second functional finish  522 , where the yarn segments comprising the first functional finish  520  are contiguous with the yarn segments comprising the second functional finish  522 . Warp yarn  516  is also shown as being space-treated so as to have yarn segments comprising a third functional finish  524  and a fourth functional finish  526 , where the yarn segments comprising the third functional finish  524  are contiguous with the yarn segments comprising the fourth functional finish  526 . 
     Continuing, one or more of the functional finishes  520  and  522  may be the same as one or more of the functional finishes  524  and  526 , or one or more of the functional finishes  520  and  522  may be different from one or more of the functional finishes  524  and  526 . Further, it is contemplated herein that one or more of the segments on the warp yarns  512  and  516  may not comprise a functional finish. As well, it is contemplated herein, that one or more of the additional warp yarns  514  and  518  may be space-treated to have functional finishes. Moreover, it is contemplated herein that the weft yarn  510  may be space-treated to have one or more functional finishes. Any and all aspects, and any variation thereof, are contemplated as being within aspects herein. 
     Similar to the woven textile  400 , the woven textile  500  may be engineered to have desired functional properties based on, for example, the use of particular functional finishes, the staggered pattern of the functional finishes  520 ,  522 ,  524 , and  526  across the length and the width of the textile  500 , and further based on configuring the warp yarns  512  and  516  to have a targeted percentage of the functional finishes  520 ,  522 ,  524 , and  526 . 
     Turning now to  FIG.  6   ,  FIG.  6    depicts a textile  600  having a gradation of a functional finish across a width of the textile  600  in accordance with aspects herein. The textile  600  may comprise a knitted or woven textile formed using a yarn that has undergone a space-treating process to apply at least one functional finish to the yarn. An exemplary space-treating process may comprise space-treating in package form. As described above, in this process the yarn is wound around a cone or bobbin and placed in a receptacle having one or more injector pumps and fluid tanks. In an exemplary aspect, parameters such as injection pressure and/or the level of vacuum in the receptacle may be altered to achieve a differential penetration of the yarn by the functional finish(es). This may be carried out for each of the injector pumps or for only select injector pumps adapted to apply particular functional finishes. For instance, the injection pressure of an injector pump adapted to apply a particular functional finish may be reduced so that the applied functional finish does not fully penetrate the yarn segments located toward the interior of the cone or bobbin while fully penetrating the yarn segments located toward the exterior of the cone or bobbin. An intermediate level of penetration of the yarn segments located midway between the interior and the exterior of the cone or bobbin may be achieved. 
     Continuing, when the space-treated yarn is wound on to a knitting or weaving spool, it may be drawn off the spool such that the initial yarn segments exhibit a high level of penetration by the applied functional finish, the next yarn segments exhibit a medium level of penetration of the applied functional finish, and the remaining yarn segments exhibit a low level of penetration by the functional finish. Alternatively, depending on how the yarn is drawn off the knitting or weaving spool, the order may comprise: yarn segments with low level of penetration, yarn segments with medium level of penetration, and yarn segments with high level of penetration. 
     When knitted or woven into a textile, such as the textile  600 , the yarn segments having different levels of penetration by the particular functional finish may be arranged in “zones” such as the zone  610 , zone  612 , and zone  614  on the textile  600 . In exemplary aspects, the zone  610  may comprise yarn segments having a high level of penetration by the particular finish, zone  612  may comprise yarn segment having a medium level of penetration, and zone  614  may comprise yarn segments having a low level of penetration by the particular functional finish. Although the textile  600  is shown having a gradation in the level of the functional finish across its width, it is also possible for the textile  600  to have a gradation in the level of the functional finish across its length depending on the particular knitting or weaving process used and/or how the textile  600  is oriented. 
     The ability to have a graduated level of a particular functional finish across the width or length of a textile like the textile  600  may be advantageous in garments incorporating such textiles. As an example, a DWR finish may be applied to a yarn as described to achieve a differential penetration of the DWR finish along the length of the yarn. When incorporated into a garment such as a shirt, the zone exhibiting the highest penetration of the DWR finish may be positioned over an upper part of the garment adjacent to the neck opening, and the zone exhibiting the lowest penetration of the DWR finish may be positioned near the bottom of the garment adjacent to the waist opening. When worn, the zone having the highest penetration of the DWR finish would be positioned adjacent to a high sweat producing area of the wearer (i.e., the upper chest and back area of the wearer) thereby helping to minimize absorption of sweat in this area and avoiding unsightly sweat stains. Sweat that is absorbed in this zone (by those yarn segments not comprising the DWR finish or having a different finish such as a hydrophilic finish) may be channeled to other zones of the garment (via, for example, wicking channels such as those described above) having a lower level of penetration of the DWR finish. The sweat can then spread out in these zones, which facilitates faster evaporation of the sweat and faster drying times for the garment. This is just one example, and additional examples involving other functional finishes are contemplated as being with the scope herein. For instance, it is contemplated herein that the particular placement of the different zones  610 ,  612 , and  614  on a garment may be based on the particular sport for which the garment is to be used, and/or whether the resulting garment is to be worn by a male or female. Any and all aspects, and any variation thereof, are contemplated as being within aspects herein. 
     Turning now to  FIG.  7   ,  FIG.  7    illustrates a front view of an exemplary garment  700  formed from a knit textile, such as the knit textile  200  and/or the double knit textile  300 , having yarns space-treated with one or more functional finishes in accordance with aspects herein. Although a garment for an upper torso is shown, it is contemplated that the disclosure herein is also applicable to other articles of apparel such as pants, shorts, socks, hats, shoes, protective equipment such as pads, and the like. Any and all aspects, and any variation thereof, are contemplated as being within aspects herein. 
     With respect to the garment  700 , the garment  700  comprises at least a torso portion  710  that is configured to cover a front and back torso of a wearer when the garment  700  is worn. The torso portion  710  defines, at least in part, a neck opening  712 , a waist opening  714 , and sleeve openings (not shown) from which optional sleeve portions  716  and  718  may extend. 
     In exemplary aspects, the entirety of the garment  700  or one or more portions thereof, may be formed from a first textile  720  shown in the enlarged view  721 , where the first textile  720  is knitted using at least one yarn  722  that has been space-treated with one or more functional finishes. In exemplary aspects, the first textile  720  may comprise the knit textile  200  or the double knit textile  300  described above. The shaded portions of the yarn  722  represent a first functional finish  724 , and the unshaded portions of the yarn  722  represent a second functional finish  726 . Alternatively, the unshaded portions of the yarn  722  may represent a segment of the yarn  722  that has not been treated with a functional finish. The segments of the yarn  722  having the first functional finish  724  are contiguous with the segments of the yarn  722  having the second functional finish  726 . 
     An exemplary placement of the first textile  720  on the garment  700  is shown in  FIG.  7   . In this respect, the first textile  720  is shown as generally forming the torso portion  710  except for an area  728  indicated by dashed lines. In exemplary aspects, the area  728  may extend from an area proximate the neck opening  712  (e.g., within, for instance, 0 cm to 20 cm of the neck opening  712 ) to an area proximate the waist opening  714  (e.g., within, for example, 30 cm to 40 cm of the waist opening  714 ). Continuing, the area  728  may extend along a central midline of the garment  700  such that it is configured to be generally positioned adjacent to an upper chest area of a wearer when the garment  700  is worn. A similar area may be present on the back of the garment  700  such that the area on the back of the garment  700  is configured to be generally positioned adjacent to an upper back area of a wearer when the garment  700  is worn. 
     In one exemplary aspect, the area  728  may be formed using a second textile  730  shown in the magnified view  727 . The second textile  730  may be knitted using at least one yarn  732  that has been space-treated with one or more functional finishes. In exemplary aspects, the second textile  730  may comprise the knit textile  200  or the double knit textile  300  described above. The shaded portions of the yarn  732  represent a third functional finish  734 , and the unshaded portions of the yarn  732  represent a fourth functional finish  736 . Alternatively, the unshaded portions of the yarn  732  may represent a segment of the yarn  732  that has not been treated with a functional finish. The segments of the yarn  732  having the third functional finish  734  are contiguous with the segments of the yarn  732  having the fourth functional finish  736 . 
     It is contemplated herein that the second textile  730  may comprise an integral extension of the first textile  720 . In other words, the second textile  730  may be integrally knitted from the first textile  720  by, for example, substituting the yarn  732  for the yarn  722  in the area  728 . In another example, the second textile  730  may comprise a separate textile piece from the first textile  720 , where the second textile  730  is joined to the first textile  720  using affixing technologies known in the art such as stitching, bonding, adhesives, welding, and the like. It is also contemplated herein that the second textile  730  may comprise a different construction—such as a woven construction—from the first textile  720 . Any and all aspects, and any variation thereof, are contemplated as being within aspects herein. 
     In exemplary aspects, the first, second, third, and fourth functional finishes  724 ,  726 ,  734 , and  736  may be selected to achieve desired functional properties for different areas of the garment  700 . As an illustrative example, the area  728  is generally positioned adjacent to a high sweat producing area of the body when the garment  700  is worn. To help avoid having this area of the garment  700  from being overly discolored due to sweat, at least the third functional finish  734  may comprise a DWR finish to impart a hydrophobic characteristic to the area  728  thereby helping to prevent an excessive amount of sweat from being absorbed in this area. However, to facilitate the garment  700  absorbing some sweat in this area to improve wearer comfort, the fourth functional finish  736  may comprise a moisture-management finish or a water-absorbent finish. 
     An additional functional benefit achieved by using this combination of finishes is the generation of one or more wicking channels in the second textile  730 . As described with respect to  FIG.  2   , the wicking channels may be formed by adjacent segments of the yarn  732  having the moisture-management or water-absorbent finish. The wicking channels may be used to channel sweat from the area  728  to other areas of the garment  700 . 
     With respect to the remaining areas of the torso portion  710  formed from the first textile  720  having the first and second functional finishes  724  and  726 , exemplary finishes may comprise, for instance, combinations of a soil and/or stain release finish, an ultraviolet-absorbent finish, an antimicrobial finish, a light-reflecting finish, a DWR finish, a water-absorbent finish, and the like. 
     The example functional finishes provided above are meant to be illustrative only. The spirit and scope of this disclosure are intended to encompass using space-treated yarns with any number of functional finishes selected to achieve desired functional characteristics of the textile or garment. Moreover, the placement of the first and second textiles  720  and  730  on the garment  700  is also exemplary and other placement patterns are contemplated herein. For instance, the garment  700  may be formed from just the first textile  720  or just the second textile  730 , or the garment  700  may be formed from additional textiles having different functional finishes than those described. Further, it is contemplated herein that some or all of the garment  700  may be formed using a single jersey knit construction, or some or all of the garment  700  may be formed using a double-knit construction as described with respect to  FIG.  3   . As described with respect to  FIG.  3   , different functional finishes may be used for each face of the double-knit textile to achieve different functional properties for, for example, the outer-facing surface of the garment  700  and the inner-facing surface of the garment  700 . Any and all aspects, and any variation thereof, are contemplated as being within aspects herein. 
     Although not shown, it is also contemplated herein that the garment  700  may be formed of a woven textile(s) such as the textile  400  of  FIG.  4   , or the textile  500  of  FIG.  5   . Further, it is contemplated herein that the woven construction may be combined with one or more knit constructions when forming the garment  700 . With respect to this aspect, the weft yarn and/or the warp yarns in the woven construction may comprise different functional finishes to achieve desired characteristics of the garment  700 . The examples given above for the knit construction are equally applicable when a woven construction is utilized herein. Additionally, it is contemplated herein that the garment  700  may also be formed from the textile  600  of  FIG.  6    such that the garment  700  may be divided into different zones having particular functional characteristics. Any and all aspects, and any variation thereof, are contemplated as being within aspects herein. 
     Turning now to  FIG.  8   , a flow diagram is depicted of an exemplary method  800  of forming a textile using yarns that have space-treated with one or more functional finishes. At a step  810 , a yarn is provided that has a length. Exemplary types of yarns may include natural yarns such as cotton, wool, silk, and the like, or man-made yarns such as polyester, nylon, and the like. 
     At a step  812 , at least a first functional finish is applied to a first set of non-contiguous segments of the yarn along its length using a space-treating process. Exemplary space-treating processes may comprise, knit-de-knit, warp yarn printing, space-treating in package form, space-treating in hank form, and the like. Parameters associated with the space-treating process may be controlled to achieve, for instance, differential penetration of the functional finish along the yarn length, different length yarn segments comprising the first functional finish, a predefined percentage of the first functional finish on the yarn, and the like. 
     Continuing, exemplary functional finishes may comprise, for instance, soil and/or stain-release finishes, abrasion-resistant finishes, anti-slip finishes, light-stabilizing finishes, pilling-resistant finishes, water-repellant or hydrophobic finishes such as a durable water repellent finish (DWR finish), moisture-management finishes, porosity-control finishes, water-absorbent or hydrophilic finishes, ultraviolet-absorbent finishes, anti-static finishes, phase-change and temperature regulation finishes, antimicrobial finishes, odor management finishes, electrically conductive finishes, flame-retardant finishes, light-reflecting finishes, burn-out pastes, ultraviolet-reactive inks, heating and cooling management finishes, and the like. After space-treating, the yarn may comprise contiguous segments that form the length of the yarn, where each segment may have a functional finish applied thereto. Alternatively, one or more of the contiguous segments may not comprise a functional finish. 
     At a step  814 , a textile is formed using the space-treated yarn. In exemplary aspects, the textile may comprise a knitted textile such as the knit textile  200  (e.g., a single jersey knit) or the double knit textile  300  (e.g., a double-jersey knit), where the textile is knit using at least the space-treated yarn. In exemplary aspects, the textile may also comprise a woven textile such as the textile  400  or the textile  500 . In this construction, the space-treated yarn may form the weft yarn or one of the warp yarns. Additional steps may comprise forming the textile into an article of apparel such as a shirt, a jacket, a pant, a short, a hat, socks, shoes, protective equipment such as pads, and the like. The textile may be incorporated into the article of apparel to impart desired functional properties at the area(s) where the textile is incorporated. 
     Aspects of the present disclosure have been described with the intent to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative aspects will become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not depart from its scope. A skilled artisan may develop alternative means of implementing the aforementioned improvements without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations and are contemplated within the scope of the claims. Not all steps listed in the various figures need be carried out in the specific order described.