Training and competition pieces
Apparel worn while skin is meant to stay deliberately exposed to UV radiation.
Licensable textile innovation · Patent DE102021118670A1
Fabric that lets UV-A and UV-B through.
A patented, licensable performance fabric that transmits up to 40 percent of UV-A and UV-B radiation while staying largely opaque.
For innovation and material development teams
Non-exclusive licence available
First conversation without an NDA
The core of the invention
Permeable to radiation.
Not transparent to the eye.
- UV-A/UV-B transmission — max. 40 %
- 0%
- Visual transparency
- 0%
The knit structure transmits up to 40 percent of UV-A and UV-B radiation in a controlled way.
In visible light the fabric stays largely opaque.
Keep scrolling — the two values run in opposite directions
Design levers
Three parameters govern the behaviour.
Fibre type, knit density and fabric weight are set together. Their interplay determines where within the range up to 40 percent the UV transmission lands.
Fibre type
Material and yarn count
Fibre choice and yarn fineness determine how much UV radiation is absorbed within the yarn before it passes through the fabric.
Knit density
Structure of the knitted fabric
Knit density sets the open area between loops — the actual passage for radiation through the textile.
Fabric weight
Mass per unit area
Fabric weight ties hand feel and wearing comfort to the optical behaviour and bounds the design space at both ends.
40 percent is the upper limit of UV-A and UV-B transmission for this material. The value achieved by a specific construction has to be confirmed by measurement and is substantiated in the technical briefing.
Application fields
Where the technology pays off.
Four fields in which defined UV permeability creates a product advantage.
Summer and poolside collections
Lightweight pieces with an opaque appearance and high radiation permeability.
Long periods outdoors
A combination of wearing comfort, opacity and controlled radiation behaviour.
Therapy and research
Applications in which the radiation permeability of a textile has to be defined and measurable.
A common mix-up
UV permeable is not UV protective.
This distinction is the single most important point in any technical assessment. The two fabric types pursue opposite goals.
This technology
UV permeable knitted fabric
- Goal: UV-A and UV-B radiation passes through deliberately, up to 40 percent
- Visible light is largely held back
- The key figure is measured UV transmission
- Development question: how much radiation should pass through?
For comparison
UV protective textiles
- Goal: UV radiation is blocked as completely as possible
- The key figure is a UV protection factor
- Tested against established protection standards
- Development question: how much radiation is kept out?
Route to a licence
Three steps, no detours.
Entry is deliberately low-threshold. Confidential material follows only once both sides have confirmed interest.
Step one
First conversation
A conversation based on non-confidential information. Your team assesses relevance to your roadmap without an NDA.
Step two
Technical review
Hand-over of the patent specification, available sample data and measurement basis to your material development team.
Step three
Licence agreement
Scoped to product groups, markets and term. A non-exclusive licence is explicitly possible.
Evidence
Patent data
- Max. UV-A/UV-B transmission
- up to 40 %
- Publication number
- DE102021118670A1
- DPMA file number
- 10 2021 118 670.6
- Title
- UV-A and UV-B permeable fabric
- Legal status
- pending / in force
- Main IPC class
- D04B 21/00
- Further IPC classes
- A41D 31/04 · D04B 21/16
- Filing date
- 20 Jul 2021
- Priority
- 20 Jul 2020 · 10 2020 119 069.7
- Laid-open date
- 20 Jan 2022
- Inventors
- Ellen Bendt · Maike Rabe · Karin Ratovo · Jan Rosenbrock
- Applicant
- TanMeOn GmbH
The register of the German Patent and Trade Mark Office lists the application as „pending / in force“. Examination has been requested and is not yet concluded, so no granted patent exists at this point. This entry is not a legal conclusion. The current status should be read from the register.
Technical description
UV-A and UV-B permeable knitted fabric as a licensable textile technology
What the technology does
Patent application DE102021118670A1 describes a knitted fabric that transmits up to 40 percent of UV-A and UV-B radiation while remaining markedly less transparent in visible light. This licensable fabric technology resolves a trade-off that recurs in the development of sportswear and leisurewear: a fabric should let radiation through without looking see-through.
The behaviour results from the interplay of fibre type, yarn fineness, knit density and fabric weight. These parameters are not optimised individually but set jointly against the intended ratio of UV transmission to opacity.
Who this textile innovation is for
The technology addresses innovation teams, material development, product development and research and development functions at apparel manufacturers, textile manufacturers and sportswear brands. For these teams it is a building block for performance fabrics and functional textiles that can be adopted without running their own fundamental research.
It is positioned for textile innovation scouting, material innovation scouting, open innovation programmes and material innovation partnerships. Corporate innovation and R&D functions that source external technology through technology scouting, licensing-in or co-development can evaluate it as a patented fabric innovation for sportswear on a defined, contractual basis.
A non-exclusive licence is available, as is a scope limited to individual product groups or markets.
Distinction from UV protective textiles
UV permeable textiles and UV protective textiles pursue opposite goals. UV protective textiles block UV radiation as completely as possible and are rated by a UV protection factor. The knitted fabric described here transmits up to 40 percent of UV-A and UV-B radiation deliberately; its key figure is measured UV transmission. No sun protection claims can therefore be derived from this technology.
Read the full technical description
Construction of the knitted fabric
The invention concerns a textile sheet in a knitted construction. The open area between the loops forms the decisive path for radiation. Knit density sets that open share without the surface being perceived as open in visible light.
Role of the fibre material
The fibre material determines how much radiation is absorbed within the yarn itself. Fibre selection and yarn fineness are therefore levers of equal rank alongside the construction of the knitted fabric.
Measuring UV transmission
The UV transmission of a textile is determined spectrally. For a robust assessment, test conditions such as stretch, moisture and pre-treatment must be defined, because they affect the result. Comparative figures are only meaningful under identical test conditions. The stated ceiling of 40 percent refers to the material as described and is not a guaranteed value for any given garment.
Path into product development
For an assessment inside a development process it is usually enough to compare target values for transmission, opacity and fabric weight against the specification of an existing collection. On that basis a team can decide whether sampling is worthwhile.
Frequently asked questions
What is a UV permeable fabric?
A UV permeable fabric is a textile engineered to let UV-A and UV-B radiation pass through in a defined, measurable amount. In this technology the transmission reaches up to 40 percent. Unlike UV protective fabrics, its purpose is transmission rather than blocking.
How much UV radiation does the fabric transmit?
The material transmits up to 40 percent of UV-A and UV-B radiation. That figure is an upper limit; the actual value is set through fibre type, knit density and fabric weight and has to be confirmed by measurement for each construction.
Can a knitted fabric transmit UV radiation and still look opaque?
Yes. Permeability in the UV range and transparency in visible light are separate properties. They can be tuned independently through knit construction, fibre type and fabric weight.
How is a UV permeable fabric different from a UV protective fabric?
A UV permeable fabric lets UV-A and UV-B radiation pass through deliberately and is characterised by its measured UV transmission. A UV protective fabric blocks UV radiation and is rated by a UV protection factor.
How can sportswear brands license this fabric technology?
Through a licence on patent application DE102021118670A1. Entry is a first conversation based on non-confidential information, with no non-disclosure agreement required.
Is a non-exclusive licence available for this textile patent?
Yes. Licences can be scoped to product groups, markets and terms, including non-exclusive arrangements.
Is this technology suitable for corporate innovation scouting?
Yes. It is offered as an external, licensable innovation for material innovation scouting, open innovation programmes and material innovation partnerships at apparel and sportswear companies.
Contact
One conversation, four fields.
You receive a technical briefing based on non-confidential information — enough for a first assessment inside your team.