Patent Application
20240389690
The present invention relates to shirts used in a fitness environment. More particularly, it relates to a sleeve modification to shirts used in a fitness environment to allow for visual access to a wrist worn device.
The use of fitness devices such as devices designed to be worn on the athlete's wrist (e.g., smart watches, fitness trackers, heart monitors, etc.) has become commonplace in the world of fitness and sports. However, when the athlete wears long sleeve shirts, these sleeves obstruct the view of the wrist worn fitness device and require the wearer to move or pull up the sleeve to view their wrist worn fitness device.
In addition, many fitness shirts or garments have long sleeves that include a hole in the side of the sleeve that is configured to receive the wearer's thumb, such that only fingers extend from the sleeve end opening. As a result, a portion of fabric remains between the index finger and the thumb when the thumb is extended through the hole in the sleeve. These sleeves cannot be simply pulled up to view the wrist worn device unless the thumb is removed from the hole in the side of the sleeve.
It is therefore an aspect of the present invention to provide for visual access to a wrist worn device while wearing the long sleeves of a fitness garment, particularly those garments that include a side\thumb opening.
According to one aspect, the fitness garment includes at least one sleeve having a finger opening at one end thereof through which fingers of a wearer extend. A thumb opening is also included in a side of the at least one sleeve and is configured to receive a wearer's thumb. A wrist worn device opening in an upper surface of the at least one sleeve is configured to provide selective visual access to a wrist worn device.
In other implementations, the wrist worn device opening can include an elastic circumference or perimeter. In other implementations, two overlapping layers of material can be used to maintain the wrist worn device opening closed, such that when the wearer manually moves the layers, they can expose the wrist worn device opening, and thus, the wrist worn device.
According to another aspect, a releasably closable flap or the like can be implemented with the use of, for example, hook and look fasteners to selectively covers the wrist worn device opening and thereby selectively provide visual access to a wrist worn device through the opening.
Other aspects and features of the present principles will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the present principles, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.
In the drawings wherein like reference numerals denote similar components throughout the views:
Referring to
The present invention is described in reference to one of the two sleeves of a fitness garment, however, it is to be understood that the present invention can be employed on both sleeves of the fitness garment such that the fitness garment with the present invention can accommodate both left and right handed users/wearers.
Referring to
Referring to
According to one implementation, at an opposing end of the flap 60 is a hook and loop fastener 65A that is configured to align with a correspondingly positioned hook and loop material 66 on the sleeve surface. In this manner, the flap 60 is maintained closed and thus the wrist worn device opening 18D, and corresponding wrist device 30 is not visually accessible. When the user wants visual access to their fitness device 30, they simply lift the flap 60 to release the first hook and loop fasteners 65A, 66.
In another implementation, a second hook and loop fastener 65B can be provided on the outer surface of the flap 60 and is configured to align with a second hook and loop fastener 64 positioned on an opposing side of the wrist worn device opening 18D such that the flap 60 can be secured in an open position, thus maintaining the wrist worn device opening 18D, and thereby the fitness device 30 visually accessible to the wearer.
The embodiments shown in
While there have been shown, described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the present principles, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details of the methods described and devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the same. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.
It should also be understood that the example embodiments disclosed and taught herein are susceptible to numerous and various modifications and alternative forms. Thus, the use of a singular term, such as, but not limited to, “a” and the like, is not intended as limiting of the number of items. Furthermore, the naming conventions for the various components, functions, parameters, thresholds, and other elements used herein are provided as examples, and can be given a different name or label. The use of the term “or” is not limited to exclusive “or” but can also mean “and/or”.
While particular embodiments and applications of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the precise construction and compositions disclosed herein and that various modifications, changes, and variations can be apparent from the foregoing descriptions without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.
Having described preferred embodiments, which serve to illustrate various concepts, structures and techniques that are the subject of this patent, it will now become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments incorporating these concepts, structures and techniques may be used. Additionally, elements of different embodiments described herein may be combined to form other embodiments not specifically set forth above.
Accordingly, it is submitted that that scope of the patent should not be limited to the described embodiments but rather should be limited only by the spirit and scope of the following claims.
