Patent Application
20080078008
The foregoing Summary of the Invention, as well as the following Detailed Description of the Invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The following discussion and accompanying figures disclose various garments that utilize turbulence generating fabric on certain body segments of the garments to provide a resistance training tool. “Garment,” as used in this specification, includes any type of wearing apparel for an individual, and the wearing apparel may cover various portions of the individual, including one or more of the torso, arms, legs, and head. Accordingly, concepts related to the garments disclosed below may be applied to bodysuits, pants, shirts, gloves, hats, sleeves, and footwear, for example.
The present invention is directed to garment having strategically placed turbulence generating fabrics to cover different body parts to increase the drag force encountered by athletes during various activities. Different turbulence generating fabrics can cause differences in drag force. Consequently, specific fabrics can be selected for use over particular body segments in order to optimize an increase of wind resistance incurred by an athlete. Such optimization may be different for different athletes or types of sports and the fabrics selected may be tailored to different athletes or sports.
Referring to
These segments enumerated above contain turbulence-generating fabric to increase the drag on an athlete's body. The turbulence generating fabric may be any suitable textured material such as a ribbed-type material wherein the ribs 40 are positioned to provide the desired drag force. For speed skater garment, for example, as shown in
The ribs may be of any suitable dimension and shape to provide the desired drag. For example, the ribs may be pointed, rounded, or squared off projections on the surface of the textile. See
Although garment 30 may fit loosely on the individual, various advantages may be gained when garment 30 fits the athlete in a relatively tight manner. For example, the ribs 40 will provide protrusions on the surface of the athlete that are more likely to interface with the flow of air when garment 30 fits tightly. The garment 30 should fit the athlete as tightly as feasible. Consequently, each garment 30 may need to be tailored to the dimensions of the individual athlete and particular athletic event.
A variety of textiles or other fabrics, whether formed from natural or synthetic fibers, may be utilized for garment 30. As examples, garment 30 may incorporate cotton, polyester, Nylon/spandex unlaminated textured tricot, nylon/spandex mesh polyester/spandex unlaminated textured tricot, polyester/spandex laminated textured, polyester/spandex mesh, polyester/spandex tricot, and polyester/spandex velour. In some configurations, garment 30 may be formed from combinations of different textiles.
The garment can have an invisible, bar-tacked, re-enforced, center front zip. A rear zip could also be used. Loop side Velcro™ pads may be attached to or printed on the garment 30, to more effectively secure a race number, if desired.
The body heat of the athlete may be vented or retained at particular locations of his or her body by the use of particular materials and colors. In specific zones, fabric laminates and dark colors may be employed to retain body heat, while in other areas heat may be vented by using mesh and light colors. For example, a dense, elastic laminate may be used on the upper leg to provide heat retention and support, and simultaneously being breathable, elastic, and provide the desired drag aerodynamic. The rear of the upper leg may be made from a dense lightweight material for heat ventilation and flexibility.
In all embodiments, regardless of the preferred fabric, the fabric covering each body segment may incorporate materials that impart elasticity so that garment 30 is tight fitting and stretches. Elastic materials permit the athlete the full range of necessary movement for the specific athletic event. To this end, the fabric utilized in the garment 30 preferably stretches at least 30% in the lengthwise and widthwise directions, but may stretch to a lesser degree in some configurations. For each body segment, the fabric covering the front and the back of the body segment may be different in order to meet the requirements of increased drag and heat retention and ventilation.
This garment provides a resistance training tool that works by increasing the aerodynamic or hydrodynamic drag of athletes as they train for their sport. The garment allows athletes to increase their strength and endurance by increasing the effort that they must exert while training. The garment is particularly beneficial for athletes who train at altitude and want to simulate air resistance at low levels of elevation.
The garment provides an alternative to and improvement over current resistance training devices such as parachutes and resistance bands, by providing, for example, balanced resistance to all segments of the body instead of just the lower torso.
The garment can be donned and doffed easily. This is particularly important for athletes who often wear body suits when they compete such as speedskaters, swimmers, track athletes, as well as others.
The garment utilizes a textured fabric to create surface turbulence. This turbulence-generating fabric comprises a portion of the suit. It can be located in specific areas covering a specific percentage of the suit so as to create a proportional amount of air resistance for each segment of the body as it moves through the fluid during an athlete's training. The tubulance generating fabric can be evenly distributed across all body segments for a more even resistance effect as opposed to, for example, just at the mid section of the torso. The fabric may also be aligned to the direction of the fluid flow to maximize it's effectiveness at creating drag.
The turbulence generating fabric can be a variety of materials and variables such as texture, orientation to the fluid flow, placement, and coverage area can all be adjusted to achieve specifics amounts of fluid drag.
The other sections of the garments that are not constructed with the turbulent generating fabric are made with a stretch material that optimizes comfort and mobility for the athlete. This material may be a stretch polyester/lycra knit, but could also be any other stretch material that would allow freedom of movement for the athlete.
In contrast to other resistance training devices such as parachutes, the garment does not require a harness and large fabric parachute to be attached to the body such as around the waist. The garment further does not require resistance bands that connect the torso to a stationary object or a training partner. Instead, the garment provides ease and comfort of use and the ability to perform one's sport in as close to similar manner as one would while competing. An advantage allows the ability to do a complete training session, without having to adjust devices, or have the training session disrupted.
This garment increases resistance on each body segment proportionally. That is, the garment increases the exertion level of the athlete in a balanced manner over all body segments thus optimizing the resistance workout of the athlete.
The present invention is disclosed above and in the accompanying drawings with reference to a variety of embodiments. The purpose served by the disclosure, however, is to provide an example of the various features and concepts related to the invention, not to limit the scope of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that numerous variations and modifications may be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the scope of the present invention, as defined by the appended claims.
