Stability enhanced shorts with stitching

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9801421-B2
Application number	US-201715498632-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2017
Priority date	Apr 20, 2012
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

Form-fitting athletic garments may provide different elasticity and therefore different amounts of support along different directions. A relatively elastic textile may be used to form a form-fitting compressive garment such as shorts, shirts, leggings, bodysuits, socks, and the like. Stitch lines may be formed in the relatively elastic textile extending in a desired direction using thread(s) and/or stitch construction techniques to provide reduced elasticity along the direction of a stitch line. One or more stitch lines may be formed in a textile to provide enhanced support along the direction of the stitch line(s). An interior textile layer may be adhered the relatively elastic textile layer to contact the wearer's skin and to protect the wearer's skin from stitch lines. An interior textile layer may extend over all or part of the relatively textile layer.

First claim

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A close fitting athletic garment comprising:
a front portion divided from a rear portion by a midline reference plane;
a first fabric layer comprising a first elasticity;
a first stitch line extending between a first end and a second end and along the front portion of the first fabric layer in a first direction; and
a second stitch line extending between a third end and a fourth end and along the rear portion of the first fabric layer in a second direction, the first direction being different from the second direction,
wherein the first end of the first stitch line is positioned adjacent to the third end of the second stitch line at the midline reference plane,
wherein:
the first stitch line comprises a plurality of stitches formed from a first thread, the first thread having a second elasticity, the second elasticity being less than the first elasticity,
the second stitch line comprises a plurality of stitches formed from a second thread, the second thread having a third elasticity, the third elasticity being less than the first elasticity, and
the elasticity of the close fitting athletic garment is limited by the second elasticity of the first thread along the first direction, is limited by the third elasticity of the second thread along the second direction, is limited by the first elasticity of the first fabric layer when the front portion of the close fitting garment is stretched in a direction perpendicular to the first direction, and is limited by the first elasticity of the first fabric layer when the rear portion of the close fitting garment is stretched in a direction perpendicular to the second direction.

2. The close fitting athletic garment of claim 1 , further comprising a second fabric layer, the second fabric layer affixed to the first fabric layer and positioned so as to contact the skin of a wearer when the garment is worn.

3. The close fitting garment of claim 2 , wherein the first stitch line only penetrates the first fabric layer.

4. The close fitting garment of claim 2 , wherein the second stitch line only penetrates the first fabric layer.

5. The close fitting garment of claim 2 , wherein the garment comprises shorts having a waistband and two leg portions.

6. The close fitting garment of claim 5 , wherein the two leg portions comprise a right leg portion divided from a left leg portion by a crotch line.

7. The close fitting garment of claim 6 , wherein the crotch line extends from the front portion to the rear portion.

8. The close fitting garment of claim 7 , wherein the second end of the first stitch line is positioned adjacent to the crotch line in the front portion.

9. The close fitting garment of claim 7 , wherein the fourth end of the second stitch line is positioned adjacent to the crotch line in the rear portion.

10. The close fitting garment of claim 1 , wherein the mid-line reference plane intersects a right vertical seam on a right side of the garment and a left vertical seam on a left side of the garment.

11. The close fitting garment of claim 1 , wherein the second elasticity and the third elasticity are equal.

12. A pair of compressive shorts that provides different resistance to stretch in different directions when worn, the compressive shorts comprising:
a front portion divided from a rear portion by a midline reference plane;
an exterior layer of elastic fabric;
a first plurality of stitch lines extending substantially parallel in a spaced apart relationship in a first direction along the exterior layer, each of the first plurality of stitch lines extending from the midline reference plane in the first direction to the front portion, each of the first plurality of stitch lines formed from a first thread that penetrates the exterior layer of elastic fabric, the first thread being less elastic than the elastic fabric of the exterior layer;
a second plurality of stitch lines extending substantially parallel in a spaced apart relationship in a second direction different from the first direction along the exterior layer, each of the second plurality of stitch lines extending from the midline reference plane in the second direction to the rear portion, each of the second plurality of stitch lines formed from a second thread that penetrates the exterior layer of elastic fabric, the second thread being less elastic than the elastic fabric of the exterior layer; and
an interior layer of fabric affixed to the exterior layer of elastic fabric and positioned between the skin of a wearer and the first plurality of stitch lines and the second plurality of stitch lines when the shorts are worn.

13. The pair of compressive shorts of claim 12 , wherein the first thread of the first plurality of stitch lines and the second thread of the second plurality of stitch lines do not penetrate the interior layer of fabric.

14. The pair of compressive shorts of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first plurality of stitch lines is aligned with one of the second plurality of stitch lines at the midline reference plane.

15. The pair of compressive shorts of claim 12 , wherein the first plurality of stitch lines and the second plurality of stitch lines are symmetrical with respect to one another about the mid-line reference plane when the shorts are worn.

16. The pair of compressive shorts of claim 12 , further comprising:
a third plurality of stitch lines extending substantially parallel in a spaced apart relationship in a third direction along the exterior layer, each of the third plurality of stitch lines extending from the midline reference plane in the third direction to the front portion, each of the third plurality of stitch lines formed from a third thread that penetrates the exterior layer of elastic fabric, the third thread being less elastic than the elastic fabric of the exterior layer; and
a fourth plurality of stitch lines extending substantially parallel in a spaced apart relationship in a fourth direction along the exterior layer, each of the fourth plurality of stitch lines extending from the midline reference plane in the fourth direction to the rear portion, each of the fourth plurality of stitch lines formed from a fourth thread that penetrates the exterior layer of elastic fabric, the fourth thread being less elastic than the elastic fabric of the exterior layer.

17. The pair of compressive shorts of claim 16 , wherein the first thread, the second thread, the third thread, and the fourth thread are each comprised of the same material.

18. The close fitting garment of claim 16 , wherein the third plurality of stitch lines and the fourth plurality of stitch lines are symmetrical with respect to one another about the mid-line reference plane when the garment is worn.

19. The close fitting garment of claim 16 , wherein at least one stitch line of the first plurality of stitch lines intersects at least one stitch line of the third plurality of stitch lines in the front portion when the shorts are worn.

20. The close fitting garment of claim 16 , wherein at least one stitch line of the second plurality of stitch lines intersects at least one stitch line of the fourth plurality of stitch lines in the rear portion when the shorts are worn.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Turner David

Classifications

• A41D1/089 Primary

  Shorts · CPC title

• A41D13/0015

  Sports garments other than provided for in groups A41D13/0007 - A41D13/088 · CPC title

• A41D1/08 Primary

  specially adapted for sporting purposes · CPC title

• A41D31/02

  Layered materials (characterised by special function or use A41D31/04) · CPC title

• A41F9/025

  Adjustable belts or girdles · CPC title