Patent Abstract:
An apparatus including a first surface configured to attach the apparatus to a second surface of another object, and a plurality of elongated nanofibers. Each nanofiber has one end connected to the first surface and an opposite end extending away from the first surface. The plurality of elongated nanofibers is configured to adhere to the second surface by nanoadhesion when brought into contact with the second surface.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/614,474, filed on Sep. 13, 2012, entitled “Nanoadhesion Structures for Sporting Gear,” which is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/819,378, filed on Jun. 21, 2010 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,424,474, entitled “Nanoadhesion Structures for Sporting Gear,” which is based upon and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/218,735, filed on Jun. 19, 2009. The entire contents of each of these disclosures are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    This invention relates to sporting gear having at least one surface equipped for nanoadhesion, more specifically to swimming goggles having a nanofiber surface to attach to the user&#39;s body, a shoe having a nanofiber surface on an outsole to attach to a nanofiber surface on a midsole, a nanoadhesive seam to connect panels as part of athletic apparel, and a nanofiber zipper. 
         [0004]    Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Today&#39;s sporting gear, including sporting apparel and sporting equipment, may be a combination of the latest innovations of technology from various scientific disciplines. The resulting products are a system of innovative advances all contributing to the performance, safety, and comfort of the athlete. One significant area to improve sporting gear is to attach different sporting gear components together or attach components to the wearer&#39;s body. Traditional processes to adhere components to each other and to the user have been imperfect. 
         [0006]    In the case of swimming goggles and scuba masks, suction and compression have been traditional approaches to adhere a mask to the user&#39;s upper face. However, swim goggles utilizing these approaches frequently leak water into a space between a goggle lens and user&#39;s eye causing the user to lose the ability to properly see out of that eye resulting in a loss of potential performance. The swim goggle user may tighten the goggles and thereby push the goggles further into the skin around the eyes in an effort to create a more durable watertight seal. Unfortunately there are negative consequences to tightening goggles because they frequently create red rings around the user&#39;s eyes and cause swelling in this skin area by limiting blood flow and lymphatic return. 
         [0007]    In the case of shoes, traditional chemical-based adhesives such as epoxy cement have permanently attached outsoles to lower midsoles. For users requiring new outsoles to repair those that have been worn down after miles of use, the practical solution has been to replace the whole shoes. 
         [0008]    In the case of athletic seams used in clothing, there is a need for a better technique to bind clothing together at a seam to supplement or replace mere thread. After repeated uses of an article of clothing in athletic events or practice events the thread used for seams may break or tear the adjacent clothing to cause the clothing to become unusable. 
         [0009]    In the case of zippers, there is a need for a better zipper. Metal zippers can tear at fabric and plastic zippers may mechanically jam and not allow either opening and/or closing. Further, zipper alternatives provide significant disadvantages. For example, hook and loop fasteners may attach to the wrong surface and cause surface damage. 
         [0010]    There has been previous attempts to create goggles having no leaks, shoes having replaceable outsoles, and apparel having more robust seams and zippers. Yet these efforts have produced sporting gear that suffers from either deficiencies in performance, comfort, or safety. 
         [0011]    There are adhesive systems in nature that have not been applied to sporting gear. For example, the adhesive system on the feet of some insects and lizards, such as Geckos, Anolis lizards, and skinks has attracted research interest. These organisms have been able to attach and detach their feet to climb smooth surfaces such as glass. The adhesion system involves the use of tiny slender natural protrusions known as setae (singular “seta”) attached to their feet. For example, a Tokay gecko lizard possesses seta having a diameter of five microns and a height of 110 microns. The seta may include a set of sub-protrusions which contact other surfaces and have even smaller dimensions. As these organisms climb up smooth surfaces such as glass, the setae help geckos form a temporary attachment so they do not slip and fall. Although aspects of a gecko-like adhesive system have been observed in nature, the technology has not yet been successfully applied to commercial products. 
         [0012]    Although foregoing research efforts have met with varying degrees of success, there remains an unresolved commercial need for more leak-proof swimming goggles, shoes with replaceable soles, and athletic apparel with more robust seams and zippers. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    One aspect of the present invention may be to address and resolve the above limitations of conventional sporting gear. 
         [0014]    A man-made adhesive mechanism may be customized as part of sporting gear having a mounting surface that may be attached to a second surface. The adhesive mechanism may include a first plurality of nanofibers attached to the mounting surface. The first end of each nanofiber may be attached to the mounting surface using a flocking process along with the application of either thermal or radio frequency bonding. The second end of each of the first plurality of nanofibers may be placed in contact with the second surface not having nanofibers or a plurality of second nanofibers attached to the second surface to form a temporary attachment called nanoadhesion which may include a van der Waals force contribution. 
         [0015]    The nanoadhesion attachment may be detached by pulling the first plurality of nanofibers away at an angle from the second surface. Each nanofiber may include a fiber shaft less than 100 microns in length with a diameter of less than half a micron. 
         [0016]    In a first aspect, the present invention may be adapted to attach swimming goggles to the wearer&#39;s face. Goggles may include a lens component, also known as a lens cup, for each eye. A lens component may have a lens surface and a mounting surface. The mounting surface may be configured to form a seal with the skin around a wearer&#39;s eye. The mounting surface may be made of the same material as the lens surface or the mounting surface may be included as part of a lower modulus of elasticity material attached as part of the lens component. 
         [0017]    Nanofibers are attached to goggles at the mounting surfaces of each lens component and form a protrusion emanating from the mounting surface that contacts the skin around the wearer&#39;s eyes. The nanofibers may be attached around the entire perimeter or only in areas of the mounting surface that are prone to separate from the skin during use of the swimming goggles (such as to the right and left of the eye). The nanofibers may provide a nanoadhesion force to better keep the mounting surface attached to the skin during use and may easily be detached from the skin at the end of use by pulling the mounting surface away from the skin. 
         [0018]    In a second aspect, the present invention may be adapted to attach and detach components of an athletic shoe having an outsole, midsole assembly, and upper. The outsole contains a bottom surface to contact the ground and a top surface to contact the midsole assembly. The top surface of the outsole contains a first mounting surface with a first set of nanofibers attached. The midsole assembly may contain several components to provide shock absorption and stability such as a rear lower midsole, a directional cradle, and a primary midsole. A bottom surface of the midsole assembly may contain a second mounting surface having a second set of nanofibers attached. The outsole may be attached to the midsole assembly by bringing the first and second set of nanofibers together. 
         [0019]    Other sets of nanofibers and mounting surfaces may be included to attach the midsole assembly to the upper and/or the midsole components together. The attachment process allows worn components to be replaced and different components to be swapped out to provide several different shoe configurations for the same upper. The attachment process also improves manufacturing efficiency. 
         [0020]    The shoe assembly may include sunken surfaces and complementary three-dimensional shapes to define the mounting surfaces and to thereby assist in a mechanical interference to keep the outsole in place while the shoe may be used. Further the shoe may include seals and/or gaskets to keep contaminants such as dirt or water away from nanofibers. 
         [0021]    In yet a third aspect, the present invention may be adapted to create a nanofiber seam to attach woven panels to form various athletic gear such as shirts, jackets, shorts, pants, hats, socks, and/or shoes. Nanofibers may also be used to create attachments between garments, for example from a glove to a jacket or a coat to a pant, or a pant to a boot. 
         [0022]    An apparel item may be made up of various components (herein “panels”) that are attached at one or more seams. The panels are cut to the proper size. Panels may have nanofibers attached via the flocking process along an edge of each panel where a seam may be intended to join the panels. The nanofibers may be attached to one side or both sides of each of the edges. The panels are then attached by bringing the nanofibers in contact. The panels may also be folded over to allow additional nanofibers to come into contact and to be attached together. The nanofibers may be pulled apart to allow the panels to be orientated in a different position to each other. The seam may be supplemented by thread for strength. 
         [0023]    In yet a fourth aspect, the invention may be adapted to create a nanofiber-based zipper for athletic gear such as apparel, gym bags, footwear, and the like that contain panels as described above. The nanofiber zipper may be used to attach a first edge of a first panel with a second edge of a second panel. The first and second panels may have nanofibers attached via the flocking process along an edge of each panel where the nanofiber zipper may be intended to attach the panels. The nanofibers may be attached to one side of the first panel edge and to one side of the second panel edge. The panels are then attached by bringing the nanofibers in contact. The user may unzipper the nanofiber zipper by pulling the nanofibers apart at an angle through the use of a zipper slider that may be outfitted with a control handle. The nanofiber zipper may be supplemented by other fasteners such as traditional hooks or buttons. 
         [0024]    As should be apparent, the invention can provide a number of advantageous features and benefits. It is to be understood that, in practicing the invention, an embodiment can be constructed to include one or more features or benefits of embodiments disclosed herein, but not others. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the preferred embodiments discussed herein are provided as examples and are not to be construed as limiting, particularly since embodiments can be formed to practice the invention that do not include each of the features of the disclosed examples. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0025]    A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0026]    The invention will be better understood from reading the description which follows and from examining the accompanying figures. These are provided solely as non-limiting examples of the invention. In the drawings: 
           [0027]      FIG. 1  illustrates a nanofiber according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0028]      FIGS. 2A-2E  illustrate a process to attach the nanofiber to a mounting surface using an adhesive according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0029]      FIGS. 3A-3E  illustrate a process to attach the nanofiber to a mounting surface using heat or high frequency radio waves according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0030]      FIG. 4A  illustrates a pair of swimming goggles according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the top; 
           [0031]      FIG. 4B  illustrates the pair of swimming goggles according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the front; 
           [0032]      FIG. 5A  illustrates the swimming goggle according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the back; 
           [0033]      FIG. 5B  illustrates the swimming goggle according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the top and including a close-up of nanofibers attached; 
           [0034]      FIG. 6A  illustrates a swimming goggle according to an embodiment of the present invention without a head band as viewed from the back; 
           [0035]      FIG. 6B  illustrates the swimming goggle according to an embodiment of the present invention without a head band as viewed from the top and including a close-up of nanofibers attached; 
           [0036]      FIG. 7A  illustrates a ski goggle according to an embodiment of the present invention without a head band as viewed from the front; 
           [0037]      FIG. 7B  illustrates the ski goggle according to an embodiment of the present invention without a head band as viewed from the top and including a close-up of nanofibers attached; 
           [0038]      FIG. 8A  illustrates a set of skin areas or regions designed to be in contact with the swimming goggles according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the front; 
           [0039]      FIG. 8B  illustrates a skin area or region designed to be in contact with the ski goggle according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the front; 
           [0040]      FIG. 9  illustrates a shoe having components attached by nanofibers according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the side; 
           [0041]      FIG. 10  illustrates a lower from the shoe having components attached by nanofibers according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the upper side; 
           [0042]      FIG. 11  illustrates a pair of mounting surfaces being attached by nanofibers connected to each of the mounting surfaces according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the side; 
           [0043]      FIG. 12  illustrates an athletic garment having a seam and a zipper utilizing nanofibers according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the front; 
           [0044]      FIG. 13A  illustrates a set of two apparel panels having nanofibers prior to attachment according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the side; 
           [0045]      FIG. 13B  illustrates the set of two apparel panels having nanofibers attached and folded according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the side; 
           [0046]      FIG. 13C  illustrates the set of two apparel panels having nanofibers attached, folded, and double-stitched with thread according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the side; 
           [0047]      FIG. 14A  illustrates a set of two apparel panels having double-sided and single-sided nanofibers prior to attachment according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the side; 
           [0048]      FIG. 14B  illustrates the set of two apparel panels having double-sided and single-sided nanofibers attached according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the side; 
           [0049]      FIG. 14C  illustrates the set of two apparel panels having double-sided and single-sided nanofibers attached and double-stitched with thread according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the side; 
           [0050]      FIG. 15A  illustrates a set of two apparel panels having single-sided nanofibers prior to attachment according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the side; 
           [0051]      FIG. 15B  illustrates the set of two apparel panels having single-sided nanofibers attached according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the side, this  FIG. 15B  also illustrates the preferred embodiment of the nanofiber zipper; 
           [0052]      FIG. 15C  illustrates the set of two apparel panels having single-sided nanofibers attached and double-stitched with thread according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the side; 
           [0053]      FIG. 16A  illustrates first and second nanofiber folds as part of a nanofiber zipper detached in an open state as viewed from the top; 
           [0054]      FIG. 16B  illustrates first and second nanofiber folds as part of the nanofiber zipper attached in a closed state as viewed from the top; 
           [0055]      FIG. 17A  illustrates a cross section of an upper section of a nanozipper slider showing first and second nanofiber folds as viewed from the top; 
           [0056]      FIG. 17B  illustrates a cross section of a lower section of the nanozipper slider showing first and second nanofiber folds as viewed from the top; 
           [0057]      FIG. 18A  illustrates the nanofiber zipper slider from the front; 
           [0058]      FIG. 18B  illustrates the nanofiber zipper slider from the left; 
           [0059]      FIG. 18C  illustrates the nanofiber zipper slider as part of the full nanofiber zipper; 
           [0060]      FIG. 19A  illustrates a nanofiber watch attached to a wrist using a strap as viewed from the side; 
           [0061]      FIG. 19B  illustrates the nanofiber watch attached to a wrist without the strap as viewed from the side; 
           [0062]      FIG. 19C  illustrates the nanofiber watch attached to a wrist without the strap as viewed from the top; 
           [0063]      FIG. 19D  illustrates the nanofiber watch with nanofibers attached and the wrist as viewed from the side; 
           [0064]      FIG. 20A  illustrates a second device attached to an arm using a strap as viewed from the front; 
           [0065]      FIG. 20B  illustrates the second device watch attached to the arm without the strap as viewed from the front; 
           [0066]      FIG. 20C  illustrates the second device as viewed from the front; 
           [0067]      FIG. 20D  illustrates the second device with nanofibers attached and the arm as viewed from the side; 
           [0068]      FIG. 21A  illustrates the second device attached directly to a piece of clothing using nanofibers as viewed from the front; 
           [0069]      FIG. 21B  illustrates the second device as viewed from the front; 
           [0070]      FIG. 21C  illustrates the second device with nanofibers attached and the piece of clothing as viewed from the side; and 
           [0071]      FIG. 21D  illustrates the second device with nanofibers attached and the piece of clothing with nanofibers attached as viewed from the side. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0072]    Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         [0073]    Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference characters will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. 
         [0074]      FIG. 1  illustrates an adhesive protrusion hereafter known as a nanofiber preferably having a length from 5 to 100 microns in length. The nanofiber diameter may be preferably 0.05 times its length which may range from 250 nanometers to a micron. A first terminal end  22  of a nanofiber shaft  23  may not be attached to a mounting surface. The opposite terminal end  24  of the nanofiber shaft may be attached to a mounting surface via an adhesive or other attachment method such as thermal or high frequency radiation induced bonding or the like. 
         [0075]    When the first terminal end  22  of the nanofiber  20  contacts another surface, attraction forces, including van der Waal forces, adhere the nanofiber end  22  to the other surface. The other surface may also have a second nanofiber attached by adhesive that adheres to the nanofiber and/or the mounting surface. The attraction forces produced by contact with the nanofiber is referred here as nanoadhesion. The resulting attraction forces mimic the action of setae on a gecko&#39;s foot. 
         [0076]    The nanofibers are constructed using various methods. These methods generally involve casting or molding the fibers, growing them in a solution, or deposition. One method may be to use lithography methods where a recess may be etched in a semiconductor substrate and nitride and oxide layers are deposited on the substrate. The surface then may be patterned and etched. When the underlying structure is etched, a stress difference between the oxide and nitride layers causes the structure to curl and to form a shaft structure. The ends  22  of the shaft may be roughened to increase surface area available for contact by using wet etching, radiation, plasma roughening, electrochemical etching and others. 
         [0077]    A preferred method of making nanofibers involves creating yarns of sub-micron diameter fibers. These yarns may be cut from the yarns to release the fibers in lengths such that when adhered to a mounting surface, in a position perpendicular to the mounting surface, the nanofiber will not collapse under its own weight. 
         [0078]    The nanofibers may be then collected and prepared for attachment to the mounting surface. The nanofibers may be cleaned to remove contaminants and then chemically treated to accept an electric charge. The nanofibers may be spin-dried and then oven-dried to a specific moisture content. Conductivity may depend on moisture content, so it may be preferable that some moisture remain with the nanofibers. The nanofibers  20  are then packaged in moisture-proof containers  4  to maintain optimal moisture until a later attachment of the nanofibers  20  to a mounting surface. 
         [0079]    The nanofibers  20  may then be attached to a mounting surface via a flocking process. There are various types of flocking methods available, but an electrostatic-based flocking method may be preferred for attaching nanofibers to a mounting surface because of its ability to better align the nanofibers to the mounting surface. 
         [0080]    Two electrostatic-based flocking processes are preferred for permanently attaching the nanofibers  20  to the mounting surface. The first process involves an adhesive to attach the nanofibers  20  to the mounting surface and the second process involves heat instead of the adhesive. 
         [0081]    In the first process shown in  FIGS. 2A to 2E , the flocking process begins by applying a chemically-compatible adhesive to the mounting surface which has been properly cleaned. In the case of a textured mounting surface having peaks and valleys, the adhesive may only be applied to the peaks. Various adhesives may be used such as: a low viscosity ultra-violet cure epoxy, uncured silicone rubber, polyurethane resin, plastisol (polyvinyl chloride particles suspended in a plasticizer), or the like. 
         [0082]    As shown in  FIG. 2B , the adhesive may be applied to the mounting surface in the area(s) where the nanofibers  20  are desired to be attached. The adhesive thickness applied may be dependent upon the adhesive used and the mounting surface. A statistical process control methodology may begin with a preferred adhesive thickness that may be approximately ten times the shaft diameter of the nanofiber. The thickness may then be adjusted to optimize the reliability of the adhesive to hold the nanofiber and the efficacy of the final product. 
         [0083]    This methodology will create a scaled fiber assembly substantially similar to that encountered in nature within the gecko&#39;s foot, and in a manner that lends itself to large scale industrial production. 
         [0084]    After the adhesive  3  may be applied, the mounting surface  2  may be placed between the flock hopper  5  and a grounded electrode  8  as shown in  FIG. 2C . The flock hopper  5  may be filled with the many nanofibers transferred from the moisture-proof containers  4 . The flock hopper  5  may have rotating flock stirrers with a plurality of arms configured to allow the nanofibers  20  to become airborne randomly to produce a uniform pattern at the exit of the hopper. The airborne nanofibers may then pass through an electrode grid  6  at the exit of the flock hopper which imparts a charge on the airborne nanofibers  20  that is an opposite electric charge compared to the grounded electrode  8 . 
         [0085]    The temperature and humidity of the flocking environment may be critical in controlling the charge on the airborne nanofibers. Humidity too low may cause the nanofibers to not effectively take on an electrical charge and humidity too high may cause the nanofibers to undesirably stick or clump to each other. These humidity and temperature levels may be optimized according to the nanofiber characteristics and the adhesive used. 
         [0086]    Once the nanofibers  20  are electrically-charged and released from the flock hopper  5  to be airborne above the mounting surface as elements  7 , the nanofibers  7  will align themselves with the magnetic field between the electrodes  6 ,  8  and accelerate towards an oppositely-charged electrode  8  arranged below the mounting surface  2 . The aligned and accelerated nanofibers  7  collide with and embed into the adhesive  3  in a position substantially perpendicular to the mounting surface  2 . 
         [0087]    Alternatively, the adhesive may be electrically charged instead of having a grounded electrode beneath the mounting surface. The nanofibers  20  would similarly embed into the adhesive  3  in the position substantially perpendicular to the mounting surface  2 . 
         [0088]    As shown in  FIG. 2D , the mounting surface  2  may then be removed from between the flock hopper  5  area and excess nanofibers  21  which are not embedded into the adhesive  3  may be removed via vacuum  9  or other suction device. The adhesive  3  may be allowed to cure and the nanofibers  20  remain attached and generally perpendicular to the mounting surface as shown in  FIG. 2E . 
         [0089]    The second process may be shown in  FIGS. 3A to 3E . The nanofibers  20  used in this process may be made of thermoplastic which may form a bond with the mounting surface  2  greater than a certain temperature. Various thermoplastics may be used such as Poly(methyl methacrylate) or PMMA, polyethylene (PE), Polystyrene (PS), or the like. 
         [0090]    As represented in  FIG. 3A , the mounting surface  2  may first be prepared for the attachment of the nanofibers  20  by cleaning using surfactants or other cleaning agents available to remove contaminants that may inhibit the subsequent process steps. Next, as shown in  FIG. 3B , the mounting surface  2  may be heated. The heater  10  may be an oven, a frequency radiation emitter, or the like. The heater  10  may use heating means  11  such as radiation heat transfer or convention heat transfer to heat the mounting surface  2  to a temperature above the melting point of the material used to make the nanofibers  20 . For example, the melting point of PMMA is approximately 135 degrees Celsius, polyethylene is between 105 to 130 degrees Celsius, and polystyrene melts at roughly 240 degrees Celsius. 
         [0091]    After heating, the mounting surface  2  may be placed between the flock hopper  5  and a grounded electrode  8  as shown in  FIG. 3C . The flock hopper  5  may be filled with the many nanofibers transferred from the moisture-proof containers  4 . The flock hopper  5  converts the nanofibers  20  into airborne nanofibers  7  which then pass through an electrode grid  6  at the exit of the flock hopper to impart a charge on the airborne nanofibers  20  that is an opposite electrical charge compared to that of the grounded electrode  8 . 
         [0092]    Once the airborne nanofibers  7  are electrically-charged and released from the flock hopper  5  to be airborne above the mounting surface, they will align themselves with the magnetic field between the electrodes  6 , 8  and accelerate towards an oppositely-charged electrode  8  arranged below the substrate  2 . The aligned and accelerated nanofibers  7  collide with the heated mounting surface  2  and nanofibers  7  partially melt at the contact point between the nanofibers  20  and the heated mounting surface  2  to form a permanent attachment point. 
         [0093]    The mounting surface  2  may then be removed from between the flock hopper  5  area and the excess nanofibers  21  that are not attached to the mounting surface  2  are removed via vacuum  9  or other suction device as shown in  FIG. 3D . The mounting surface  2  may be allowed to cool and the nanofibers  20  remain attached and generally perpendicular to the mounting surface as illustrated in  FIG. 3E . 
       First Embodiment—Nanofiber Swimming Goggles 
       [0094]    Sporting gear provides useful applications for nanoadhesion. In the first embodiment, swim goggles are commonly used to enable swimmers to keep water out of their eyes. The swim goggles  101  are illustrated in  FIGS. 4A to 7B . The swim goggles  101  may include two eye components  102 , a nose bridge  108  and a head band  104 . The nose bridge  108  may be designed to hold each of the eye components  102  a fixed distance apart. The head band  104  may fit around the head of the wearer and be attached at each end to the eye components  102 . Each eye component  102  may include a lens surface  103 , a connector interface  107 , a head band interface  105 , and a sealant surface  106 . The connector interface  107  may connect the nose bridge  108  to the eye component  102 . The head band interface  105  may connect the head band  104  to the eye component  102 . The sealant surface  106  may contact a skin contact area  123 ,  124  of the left or right eye  121 ,  122  as shown in  FIG. 8A . The shape of the sealant surface  106  may be similar to the shape of the skin area  123 ,  124  to allow contact all around the eye  121 ,  122 . The sealant surface  106  may be the same material as the lens surface  103 . 
         [0095]    As shown in  FIG. 5B , the sealant surface  106  may have many nanofibers  20  attached at the terminal end  24 . The unattached terminal ends  22  of the nanofibers  20  are configured to contact the skin contact area  123 ,  124  when the goggles  101  are worn by a user and thereby form a nanoadhesion attachment with the skin contact area  123 , 124 . 
         [0096]    The nanofibers  20  are not configured to penetrate the skin contact area  123  which is composed of several skin layers including the epidermis and dermis. The human epidermis is the outer skin layer and its minimum thickness is 50 microns at the eyelids. The human epidermis has five sub-layers and the cells divide at the inner layers and are gradually pushed to the exterior layers where their cells flatten and die to be shed every two weeks. The nanofibers  20  may be configured to merely contact the outer layers of the epidermis to avoid skin injury. 
         [0097]    Another embodiment of the goggles may have a rubber gasket. The rubber gasket may act as the sealant surface  106  and may be merely attached to the eye component  102  via adhesive such as epoxy cement or the like. The gasket  106  may be made from rubber, silicone, or other soft material. One end  24  of each nanofiber  20  may be permanently attached to the rubber gasket  106  using one of the flocking processes  1 ,  12 . The skin contact area  123 ,  124  contacts the unattached end  22  of the nanofibers  20  when the swim goggles  101  are worn and a nanoadhesion attachment may be made between the nanofiber  20  and the skin contact area  123 , 124 . 
         [0098]    Embodiments of the goggles  101  are intended to be used by the wearer in a similar way. The wearer places the eye components  102 ,  109  over the eyes  121 ,  122 , so that the end  22  of the nanofibers  20  attached to the sealant surface  106  contacts the skin contact area  123 . The wearer then fastens the head band  104  around the wearer&#39;s head to provide a comfortable fit which pulls the sealant surface  106  against the skin  123  in order to form a watertight seal. The wearer may also slightly depress the eye component  102  against the skin  123  to force a small amount of air to be pushed out from between the eye compartment  102  and the eye  121 . When this air is pushed out, the watertight seal keeps the air from returning and thereby maintains a negative suction between the eye component  102  and the corresponding eye  121  to improve the watertight seal. The negative suction is an absolute pressure less than ambient pressure. The user may also depress the eye component  109  to achieve a similar negative suction to improve the watertight seal related to the other eye  122 . 
         [0099]    As the wearer engages in a water activity involving immersing the user&#39;s head and swim goggles  101  in water, the watertight seal may be maintained because the skin  123  remains in contact with the sealant surface  106  as a result of the negative suction, the pull of the head band  104 , and the nanoadhesion attraction between the nanofibers  20  and the skin  123 . This watertight seal may be more robust than goggles without nanofibers  20 , because as the wearer engages in vigorous activities while wearing the goggles  101  the tight seal may be vulnerable to compromise as the contact skin area  123  changes shape relative to the sealant surface  106  during the water activity. 
         [0100]    When the water activity has been completed, the wearer merely releases the head band  104  from the back of the wearer&#39;s head and the wearer pulls the eye components  102 ,  109  from the skin contact areas  123 ,  124 . 
         [0101]    A second aspect to this first embodiment may be swim goggles without a head band  104 , connector interface  107 , and nose bridge  108  as shown in  FIGS. 5A and 5B . In this second aspect, each eye component  102  is identical to each other and has nanofibers  20  attached to the sealant surface  106 . Just prior to the wearer engaging in a water activity involving immersing the user&#39;s head and swim goggles in water, an eye component is placed in contact with each of the respective skin areas  123 ,  124  so that the nanofibers  20  are in contact with the respective skin areas  123 ,  124 . A watertight seal may be maintained as described with respect to a single eye component because the skin  123  remains in contact with the sealant surface  106  as a result of negative suction and the nanoadhesion attraction between the nanofibers  20  and the skin  123 . When the water activity has been completed, the wearer merely pulls each eye component from the respective skin areas  123 ,  124 . 
         [0102]    As shown in  FIGS. 7A and 7B , ski goggles may be a second aspect of this first embodiment. The ski goggles  130  may include a lens  131  and a sealant surface  132 . The ski goggles  130  may or may not also include a strap (strap not shown). The sealant surface  132  has nanofibers  20  attached using at least one of the flocking processes mentioned earlier. Just prior to the wearer engaging in a skiing activity, the nanofibers  20  are placed in contact with a skin area  125  as shown in  FIG. 8B . A nanoadhesion attraction between the skin area  125  and the nanofibers  20  is created which keeps the ski goggles  130  attached to the skin area  125 . When the skiing activity has been completed, the wearer merely pulls the sealant surface  132  away from the skin area  125 . Other sports goggles, prescription or non-prescription, are also embodied in this application and can be similarly constructed. 
         [0103]    In yet another embodiment, the sealant surface  132  having nanofibers  20  may be located instead on a waistband or shirt cuff to grip the nearby skin better. 
       Second Embodiment—Replaceable Shoe Components 
       [0104]    Another embodiment utilizing the nanofibers  20  is illustrated in  FIG. 9  as an athletic shoe  200  having an upper  201  and a lower  202 .  FIG. 10  shows the lower  202  for a left foot, but the right shoe has a similar construction. The lower  202  may include a full-length primary midsole  210 , a directional cradle  211 , a first cushion  212 , a second cushion  213 , a third cushion  214 , a rear lower midsole  215 , a rear outsole  220 , a lateral outsole  221 , a medial outsole  222 , a center outsole  223 , and a front outsole  224 . The directional cradle  211  may be attached to the primary midsole  210 . The cushions  212 ,  213 ,  214  may be attached to both the directional cradle  211  and the rear lower midsole  215 . The components of the outsole  220 ,  221 ,  222 ,  223 ,  224  may be attached to the rear lower midsole  215 , directional cradle  211 , and/or primary midsole  210 . Any of the components that are part of the lower  202  may be attached together where as shown in  FIG. 11  a first set of nanofibers  241  are permanently attached to first mounting surface  240  and a second set of nanofibers  231  are permanently attached to a second mounting surface  230  via the flocking processes  1 ,  12 . The mounting surfaces  230 , 240  may be part of the components of the lower  202 . Then, using the process of nanoadhesion, the first and second nanofibers  231 ,  241  are placed in contact as the components of the lower  202  are placed in contact to form a nanoadhesion attachment. The attachment may be temporary because the user may pull the lower components (elements  210 - 215  and/or  220  to  224 ) apart to remove or replace the component with a second component. 
         [0105]    The nanoadhesion embodiments of shoe  200  are intended to be used by the wearer in a similar way. The wearer inserts her foot into the upper  201  and fastens the upper  201  comfortably to the foot so the foot may be disposed between the upper  201  and the lower  202 . The wearer may engage in whatever activity desired so that the outsole components  220 ,  221 ,  222 ,  223 ,  224  may have a set of impacts with the ground. 
         [0106]    When the activity has been completed, the upper  201  may be unfastened and the wearer&#39;s foot removed from the shoe  200 . When one or more of the components of the lower  202  become worn beyond repair and need to be replaced, then the wearer will pull the set of nanofibers  231  permanently attached to the worn component from the set of nanofibers  241  attached to another component. Next, the wearer may attach a replacement component having a new set of nanofibers  231  on a mounting surface  230  to the old corresponding set of nanofibers  241  on the other component by bringing them in contact. 
       Third Embodiment—Nanofiber Seams 
       [0107]    Yet another embodiment may be to produce a nanofiber seam to connect woven panels as part of athletic gear such as shirts, jackets, shorts, pants, hats, socks, and/or shoes. Various seam configurations may be created with nanofibers. For example,  FIG. 12  illustrates an athletic shirt  300  having a first woven panel  310  and a second woven panel  320  attached by a nanofiber seam  301 . 
         [0108]    The woven panels  310 ,  320  may first be cut to the proper size prior to being attached by the seam  301 . The woven panel  310  has a top side  312  and a bottom side  313  as shown in  FIG. 13A . The woven panel  320  has a top side  322  and a bottom side  323 . The panels  310 ,  320  may have nanofibers  231 ,  241  attached via the flocking process  1 ,  12  along an edge of each panel where a seam may be intended to join the panels. The nanofibers  231  may be attached to one side of the panel  310  at a panel edge  311  as shown by  FIG. 13A . The nanofibers  241  may be permanently attached to one side of the panel  320  at a panel edge  321  using the flocking process  1 ,  12 . The panels  310 ,  320  are then attached by bringing the nanofibers  231 ,  241  in contact at the panel edges  311 ,  321 .  FIG. 13B  shows the attached panel edges  311 ,  321  after being folded over.  FIG. 13C  shows thread stitches  302 ,  303  added to add strength and to form a nanofiber seam  304 . Prior to the stitching  302 ,  303  being applied, the nanofibers  231 , 241  may be pulled apart to allow the panels  310 ,  320  to be reattached in case they have been incorrectly positioned together the first time. 
         [0109]    In yet an alternative embodiment, the nanofibers  231 ,  241  may be attached to the panels  310 ,  320  in both single-sided  412 ,  422  and double-sided  411 ,  421  nanofiber areas as shown in  FIG. 14A . In this embodiment two of the double-sided nanofiber areas  411 ,  421  are first placed in contact, then folded over to allow the remaining two double-sided nanofiber areas  411 ,  421  to attach to the single-sided nanofiber areas  412 ,  422  as shown in  FIG. 14B . Threaded stitching  402 ,  403  may be added for strength and to form a second nanofiber seam  404  as shown in  FIG. 14C . 
         [0110]    In another embodiment, a nanofiber seam  504  may be produced by attaching nanofibers to panels,  310 ,  320  to form a set of single-sided nanofiber areas  511 ,  521  as shown in  FIG. 15A . The nanofiber panel edges  511 , 521  are attached together using nanoadhesion by being placed in contact as shown in  FIG. 15B . Stitching  502 ,  503  is applied to add further strength to the nanofibers and thereby produce the nanofiber seam  504  as shown in  FIG. 15C . 
         [0111]    The nanofiber seams  304 ,  404 ,  504 , may be used by apparel designers to construct various athletic gear products from one or more woven panels. When the athletic gear is utilized by the final user, the nanofiber seam should keep one or more woven panels reliably together. 
         [0112]    In yet another embodiment, the seam arrangement represented by the nanofiber panel edges  511 ,  521  may be used to reconfigure a pocket on clothing so that the location and the shape of the space that can be accommodated within the pocket may be changed by adjusting the contact area between the panel edges  511  and  521  at a perimeter of the pocket and clothing that the pocket is mounted upon. 
         [0113]    In a further embodiment, the seam arrangement represented by the nanofiber panel edges  511 ,  521  may be used to connect a jacket to pants, e.g., sporting apparel such as running jackets and pants, warm-up jackets and pants, and/or ski jackets and pants. This may improve warmth by keeping the wind out of the area between the jacket and the pants. The panel edge  511  may be on the bottom of the jacket edge and the panel edge  521  may be on the top of the pants as shown in the  FIG. 15A . When the pants are attached to the jacket at the panel edges  511 ,  521 , then the panels may create the nanoadhesion attachment as shown in  FIG. 15B . 
         [0114]    In yet a further embodiment, the seam arrangement represented by the nanofiber panel edges  511 ,  521  may be used to connect cuff-tabs on shirt sleeves to eliminate the need for buttons. 
         [0115]    In another embodiment, the seam arrangement represented by the nanofiber panel edges  511 ,  521  may be used to adjust the size of air vents in clothing so that the user may decide to enlarge vents during strenuous activity and then reduce the size of the vents after the activity has finished. 
         [0116]    In a further embodiment, the seam arrangement represented by the nanofiber panel edges  511 ,  521  may be used to attach and detach removable clothing elements, such as hoods and sleeves. 
         [0117]    In yet another embodiment, the seam arrangement represented by the nanofiber panel edges  511 ,  521  may be used to attach and detach packaging components so the packaging closure may be curved instead of straight. 
       Fourth Embodiment—Nanofiber Zipper 
       [0118]    Yet another embodiment that may utilize the nanofibers  20  in sporting gear is a nanofiber zipper  600 , as shown in the athletic shirt  300  shown earlier in  FIG. 12 . The zipper may also be adapted for use in athletic gear such as apparel, gym bags, footwear, and the like. 
         [0119]    The nanofiber zipper  600  may be illustrated in  FIGS. 12, 16A, 16B and 18C  where the nanofiber zipper may be configured to detach a first panel edge  606  from a second panel edge  616  ( FIG. 16A ) and then later reattach the panels  606 ,  616  ( FIG. 16B ). The first panel  606  includes both a top side  607  and a bottom side  608 . The second panel  616  includes both a top side  617  and a bottom side  618 . The nanofiber zipper  600  may include a zipper slider  630  configured to open and close the zipper, a first nanofiber fold  602  as part of first panel edge  606 , a first set of nanofibers  603  attached as part of first panel edge  606 , a second nanofiber fold  612  as part of second panel edge  616 , and a second set of nanofibers  613  attached as part of second panel edge  616 . The nanofiber zipper  600  may include a first set of thread stitches  604 ,  605  to add strength to the first nanofiber fold  602  and a second set of thread stitches  614 ,  615  to add strength to the second nanofiber fold  612 . The first nanofiber fold  602  may include a top fold side  620  and a bottom fold side  621 . The second nanofiber  612  fold may include a top side  622  and a bottom side  623 . 
         [0120]    The first and second nanofiber folds  602 ,  612  as well as the first and second nanofibers  603 ,  613  may be created and attached using the same concepts already discussed as part of the processes used to make the nanofiber seams  304 ,  404 ,  504 . 
         [0121]      FIGS. 16B and 17B  show the nanofiber zipper  600  in the closed state where the nanofibers on the first nanofiber fold  602  have attached to the second set of nanofibers  613  using nanoadhesion. Also, the nanofibers on the second nanofiber fold  612  have attached to the first set of nanofibers  603  using nanoadhesion. 
         [0122]    The zipper slider  630  opens and closes the zipper  600  and includes a control handle (not shown) for the user to control the zipper  600 . The control handle may be attached at an attachment point  650  as shown in  FIGS. 18A, 18B, and 18C . 
         [0123]      FIGS. 17A and 18A  show a cross section at the top  651  of the zipper slider  630  where the panel edges  606 ,  616  are unattached to each other. The first and second nanofiber folds  602 ,  612  are used to guide the panel edges  606 ,  616  through the zipper slider  630 .  FIG. 17B  shows a cross section at the bottom  652  of the zipper slider  630  where the panel edges  606 ,  616  are attached via nanoadhesion. 
         [0124]    A close-up of the zipper slider  630  is shown at  FIG. 18A . The slider top  651  is wider than the slider bottom  652 .  FIG. 18B  shows the left side of the zipper slider  630  with an open groove  652  for the first panel edge  606  to travel. 
         [0125]    The nanofiber zipper  600  may be supplemented by other fasteners such as traditional hooks or buttons. 
         [0126]    The nanofiber zipper  600  is operated by the user by grabbing a control handle (not shown) attached to the  650  attachment at the zipper slider  630 . The user moves the zipper slider  630  up  700  along the length of the panel edges  606 ,  616  to close the zipper  600 . The user may open the zipper  600  by moving the zipper slider  630  down  701  along the length of the panel edge  606 ,  616  and the nanofibers on the panel edges  606 ,  616  may be pulled apart by the zipper slider. The process is reversible and the zipper  600  may be opened and closed many times. 
         [0127]    Although various zipper embodiments are possible with nanoadhesion, the preferred embodiment is shown in  FIGS. 15A-15B . The preferred zipper includes panels  310 ,  320  with nanofibers attached at nanofiber panel edges  511 ,  512 . The nanofiber panel edges  511 , 521  are attached together using nanoadhesion by being placed in contact as shown in  FIG. 15B . The nanofibers panel edges  511 ,  512  may be later detached by pulling them apart. 
       Fifth Embodiment—Device Attachment 
       [0128]    Yet another embodiment that may utilize the nanofibers  20  in sporting gear is a nanofiber attachment, as demonstrated by a wristwatch  800  in  FIG. 19A . The nanofiber attachment may be adapted for other devices other than wristwatches, for example, global positioning system devices, music players or video entertainment devices, communication devices, heart rate monitors, biometric sensors, and the like. 
         [0129]    The nanofiber watch  800  may include a strap  801  while worn on the wrist  126  or may be attached to the wrist  126  directly using nanofibers  20  as shown in  FIGS. 19B-19D . The watch  800  includes nanofibers  20  that may be attached using one or more of the flocking processes  1 ,  12  discussed earlier. The watch  800  may be attached directly to the wrist  126  by placing the nanofibers  20  in contact with the  126  or arm  127  to form a nanoadhesion attachment. The wearer engages in whatever activities desired and the nanoadhesion attachment keeps the watch  800  attached to the wrist  126 . When the watch  800  is to be removed from the wrist  126 , then the wearer may pull the watch  800  away from the wrist  126  to separate the nanofibers  20  from the wrist  126 . 
         [0130]    A second aspect to the device attachment is to attach a second device  810  to the arm  127  as shown in  FIG. 20A-20D . The second device may be a time measuring device, heart monitor, location device, music or video entertainment device, medical sensor, athletic performance measuring sensor, communication device, or the like. The second device  810  may include a strap  811  while worn on the arm  127  or may be attached to the arm  127  directly while solely using nanofibers  20 . The second device includes nanofibers  20  that may be attached using one or more of the flocking processes  1 ,  12  discussed earlier. The second device  810  may be attached directly to the arm  127  by placing the nanofibers  20  in contact with the arm  127  to form a nanoadhesion attachment. The wearer engages in whatever activities desired and the nanoadhesion attachment keeps the second device  810  attached to the arm  127 . When the second device  810  is to be removed from the arm  127 , then the wearer may pull the second device  810  away from the arm  127  to separate the nanofibers  20  from the arm  127  as shown in  FIG. 20D . 
         [0131]    In a third aspect to the device attachment embodiment, a second device  810  is attached to a piece of clothing  812  as shown in  FIGS. 21A-21C . The second device  810  may be attached directly to the clothing  812 . The user merely attaches the second device  810  to the clothing  812  so that the nanofibers  20  on the device  810  come in contact with the clothing  812  to form a nanoadhesion attachment. When the second device  810  is to be removed from the clothing  812 , then the wearer may pull the second device  810  away from the clothing  812  to separate the nanofibers  20  from the clothing  812  as shown in  FIG. 21C . The piece of clothing  812  may be shirts, pants, socks, shoes, jackets, or the like. 
         [0132]    In yet a fourth aspect to the device attachment embodiment, the second device  810  is attached to a piece of clothing  812  having nanofibers  815  attached to the clothing  812 . In this aspect a nanoadhesion attachment is formed between the nanofibers  20  attached to the second device  810  and the nanofibers  815  attached to the clothing  812  using the one or more of the flocking processes described earlier. The user merely attaches the second device  810  to the clothing  812  so that the nanofibers  20  on the device  810  and the nanofibers  815  on the clothing  812  come in contact with each other to form a nanoadhesion attachment. The user engages in whatever activity is desired and the nanoadhesion attachment keeps the device  810  attached to the clothing  812 . When the second device  810  is to be removed from the clothing  812 , then the wearer may pull the second device  810  away from the clothing  812  to separate the nanofibers  20 ,  815  as shown in  FIG. 21D . 
         [0133]    In yet a fifth aspect to the device attachment embodiment, the second device  810  illustrated in either  FIGS. 21C or 21D  could be a component designed to cushion the impact of certain body parts during sporting activities. The component could be functionally equivalent to shin pads used by soccer players, modular protection zones used by football players on football pants and other protective gear, or localized padding used in biking shorts used by cyclists to lessen the shock and bumps from a bicycle seat to contact points on the human body. The component may have nanofibers  20  attached to the component and may have nanofibers  815  attached to the contact area on the clothing. 
         [0134]    In yet a sixth aspect to the device attachment embodiment, the second device  810  may be a backpack and a set of associated straps that may be attached to a wearer&#39;s clothing using nanofibers  20  attached to the associated straps. The nanofibers  20  may be attached to nanofibers  815  on the wearer&#39;s clothing to form a nanoadhesion attachment. An advantage of using nanofibers  20 ,  815  to attach the straps to the clothing may be to reduce chafing during activity. Other embodiments may have a backpack without straps and the backpack attached directly to the clothing with a nanoadhesion attachment. 
         [0135]    In a seventh embodiment, a bottle closure (broadly represented as element  810  in  FIG. 21C ) may have nanofibers  20  to form a nanoadhesion attachment with a bottle (broadly represented as element  812  in  FIG. 21C ) to replace threaded closures used on bottles, such as soda cans, water bottles, and the like. 
         [0136]    In an eighth embodiment, a roof rack may to interface with an automobile (the roof rack broadly represented as element  810  in  FIG. 21C ) may have nanofibers  20  to form a nanoadhesion attachment with an exterior surface of an automobile (broadly represented as element  812  in  FIG. 21C ). The roof rack may be used to transport bicycles, boats, sporting equipment, packages in transit, or the like. 
         [0137]    In a ninth embodiment, a clothing hanger (the hanger is broadly represented as element  810  in  FIG. 21C ) may have nanofibers  20  to form a nanoadhesion attachment with clothing that is desired to be hung from the hanger (the clothing broadly represented as element  812  in  FIG. 21C ). The clothing may or may not have nanofibers to attach with those nanofibers  20  on the hanger. 
         [0138]    In a tenth embodiment, a clothing price tag or information tag (the tag is broadly represented as element  810  in  FIG. 21C ) may have nanofibers  20  to form a nanoadhesion attachment with clothing that the tag is associated with (the clothing broadly represented as element  812  in  FIG. 21C ). 
         [0139]    In an eleventh embodiment, a portion of a surface of a glove (the portion of the glove surface is broadly represented as element  810  in  FIG. 21C ) may have nanofibers  20  to form a nanoadhesion attachment with an item that the glove is gripping while the glove is in the user&#39;s hand (the item is broadly represented as element  812  in  FIG. 21C ). The item may be a basketball, water polo ball, a hockey stick, a tennis racquet, or other item similarly to be gripped by a glove. 
         [0140]    In a twelfth embodiment, a gripping surface (the gripping surface broadly represented as element  810  in  FIG. 21C ) may have nanofibers  20  to form a nanoadhesion attachment with a surface of a hand or glove (the surface of the hand or glove broadly represented as element  812  in  FIG. 21C ). The gripping surface may be a hockey stick gripping area, a tennis racquet grip, or other surface similarly gripped by a glove or hand. The glove may also have nanofibers  20  attached to interface with the nanofibers on the gripping surface. 
         [0141]    Further, it should be appreciated that the exemplary embodiments of the invention are not limited to the exemplary embodiments shown and described above. While this invention has been described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments outlined above, various alternatives, modifications, variations and/or improvements, whether known or that are, or may be, presently unforeseen, may become apparent. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments of the invention, as set forth above are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. The various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the systems and methods according to exemplary embodiments of this invention are intended to embrace all now known or later-developed alternatives, modifications, variations and/or improvements. 
         [0142]    Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1