Patent Application
20220015466
The invention relates to a method for monitoring or visualizing the running speed of an athlete. Furthermore, the invention relates to an athletic garment or shoe.
During sporting activities it is often relevant to know the running speed of an athlete. This applies not only for the total time for carrying out a certain distance (e.g. a 100 m run) but also for the actual speed of the runner along his or her parkour.
It is an object of the present invention to propose a method and a respective garment, shoe or cover for a shoe which allow the determination or at least the estimation of the current running speed of an athlete along his or her course with easy means.
The solution of this object according to the invention is characterized in that the method comprises the steps:
As the material which changes its color all known kinds of thermochromic dye, leuco dye or liquid crystal can be used. All suitable materials are referred herein as being a thermochromic dye. Specifically and preferably, the at least one thermochromic dye comprises a liquid crystal.
The piece of garment can be a jacket or shirt, wherein the at least one thermochromic dye is applied on a chest region of the jacket or shirt. Also, the at least one thermochromic dye can be applied (additionally of alternatively) on a front sleeve region of the jacket or shirt.
The at least one thermochromic dye can also be applied on a forefoot region of the shoe. A further kind of garment according to the invention can be a cover or overcoat for a shoe (detachable slip as shoe cover) which is worn at some kinds of sports.
The athletic garment or shoe comprises a section which covers a part of the body of the athlete. According to the invention an outer surface of the section is provided with a coating which comprises at least one thermochromic dye or at least one liquid crystal or that the piece of garment or the shoe is made at least partially of a material, especially by a yarn, which comprises at least one thermochromic dye or at least one liquid crystal, wherein the garment also comprises regions where elements are provided to influence the aerodynamic drag of the garment.
By the combination of the elements for influencing the aerodynamic drag and the use of thermochromic ink the desired effect, i. e. to achieve a correlation between the running speed of the athlete and the color of the thermochromic dye during running, is stabilized because the aerodynamic effects are reduced and a more relevant part of the airstream effects the cooling of (e. g) the chest region of the garment and thus effects the appearing color of the thermochromic dye.
The thermochromic dye comprises again preferably a liquid crystal. According to a preferred embodiment the liquid crystal is contained in a mixture which is applied to the garment, wherein the percentage of the liquid crystal in the mixture is between 30 weight-% and 65 weight-%, preferably between 40 weight-% and 55 weight-%.
Preferably, the mixture further contains polyether, wherein the percentage of polyether in the mixture is between 20 weight-% and 50 weight-%, preferably between 25 weight-% and 40 weight-%.
Furthermore, the mixture can further contain glycerol, wherein the percentage of glycerol in the mixture is between 3 weight-% and 9 weight-%, preferably between 5 weight-% and 7 weight-%.
All components of the mixture have 100 weight-%.
By this composition the desired effect is optimized.
Again, the athletic garment can be a jacket or shirt, wherein the section which is provided with the coating is a chest region of the jacket or shirt. Also, the athletic garment can be a jacket or shirt, wherein the section which is provided with the coating is a front sleeve region of the jacket or shirt. The athletic garment can also be trunks, wherein the section which is provided with the coating is a front leg region of the trunks.
The elements which influence the aerodynamic drag of the garment are preferably pads, specifically with a round circumference, which are arranged on the outer surface of the piece of garment. A specifically preferred embodiment suggests that a plurality of substantially rod-shaped sticks is arranged on the pads or are forming the pads which sticks extend normal (perpendicular) on the outer surface of the piece of garment.
To improve the wearing comfort of the garment it can be provided that the garment has at least one further section which is provided with venting elements. Those venting elements are preferably arranged at the spine side of the garment. The venting elements can be designed as a pattern of openings, especially of holes, which are machined into the material of the piece of garment or which are produced at the production (e. g. knitting) process of the garment.
The coating can be applied to the piece of garment by means of a printing process, by means of a spraying process or by means of a painting process. Also other methods can be used for applying the coating, like for example heat transfer applications, but also conventional methods.
The piece of garment can have or can be a textile substrate which comprises synthetic fibers, especially of polyester, polyamide or elastane; also natural fibers, especially of cotton, are possible.
Thermochromic dyes are well known in the art. Generally, thermochromism is the property of substances to change their color due to a change in temperature. A thermochromic dye (also called thermochromic ink) is a temperature sensitive compound which temporarily changes its color with exposure to heat.
It is available in the form of liquid crystals and leuco dyes. Explicitly reference is made to AU 2014201839 B1 which describes details with respect to the mentioned material.
Furthermore, thermochromic dyes are disclosed in other publication to which reference is made explicitly: In DE 20 2013 104 519 U1 the use of thermochromic ink is used at garments. Similar solutions are known from EP 1 631 161 B1, US 2004/0237164 A1, GB 2 469 745 A, MX 2009/007299 A and U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,699 A. Specifically liquid crystal in connection with a thermochromic dye is disclosed in EP 2 924 494 A1, EP 2 924 495 A, EP 2 927 736 A1, EP 2 927 737 A1 and EP 2 933 675 A1. The same applies with respect to U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,250.
In the drawings embodiments of the invention are shown.
In
In
The coating 3 and the thermochromic dye respectively are sensitive with respect to the temperature. Depending on the temperature the color of the thermochromic dye changes.
In the present case the thermochromic dye comprises a liquid crystal, wherein the liquid crystal is contained in the mixture which is applied onto the outer surface 4 of the garment 2. The percentage of the liquid crystal in the mixture is here about 45 weight-% of the mixture.
The applied coating 3 is thus an optically active mixture of organic chemicals that is highly temperature sensitive and changes the color accordingly. In the present case it start with the color black at a low temperature (for example below 10° C.) and takes the colors of a rainbow (from red to blue) with rising temperatures until the color black is given again at high temperatures (for example above 45° C.). The color change is reversible.
This effect is used to determine the running speed v of the athlete 1 as depicted in
Here, the chest region 5 is exposed to the airflow which is produced during running. Thus, the cooling effect especially of the chest region 5 is increasing and thus the temperature of the coating 3 in the chest region 5 is decreasing the faster the athlete 1 runs. Accordingly, depending of the running speed v of the athlete 1 the color of the coating 3 changes from C1 to C2 and C3.
An observer 11 can observe the chest region 5 of the runner and can thus determine the (approximate) actual running speed of the athlete 1.
The mentioned effect is improved and stabilized respectively if elements 7 to influence the aerodynamic drag are used. Those elements 7 can be applied in the (lateral) regions 6 of the garment 2. A first embodiment of the elements 7 are depicted in
Each pad is established by a plurality of substantially rod-shaped sticks 9 which extend perpendicular outwards from the outer surface 4 of the garment. The diameter of the substantially rod-shaped sticks 9 are preferably between 0.25 to 1.0 mm. The length (measures in the direction perpendicular to the outer surface 4) is preferably between 1.0 mm and 4.0 mm. The specifically preferred height is 2.0 mm.
An alternative embodiment of the elements 7 is shown in
The pads 8 consist preferably of silicon or rubber.
The wearing comfort of the garment 2 is improved by supplying the same with venting elements 10 as shown in
Holes of different diameter, which can be arranged in groups as depicted in
The garment 2 is preferably designed as a seamless textile part.
If instead a seam is used the same is arranged preferably in the rear side of the garment so that it has no influence on the above described effect. In the case that the garment is not seamless it is preferred that the seams are produced by ultrasonic bonding.
The proposed garment and respective method allows a visual observation of the actual running speed of the athlete 1 by an eye-catching color change effect. It is the result of the convection cooling effect during the sprint of the athlete 1.
For example, according to the mixture which is applied as coating 3 the following effect can be obtained:
During a 100 m running competition (by a warmed-up athlete) the appearance of the chest region of the garment is blue (color C1) at a running speed of 30 km/h (8.33 m/s), becomes green (color C2) at a running speed of 34 km/h (9.44 m/s) and becomes finally yellow (color C3) at a speed of 38 km/h (10.56 m/s). So, an observer 11 can see which performance is currently achieved by the athlete already during the competition.
The application of the coating 3 is preferably done by a printing process which allows an economical production.
As an alternative to the coating of the thermochromic dye it is for example also possible to use a fiber or yearn for the garment or shoe which already contains the dye. A fiber or yarn can for example be covered or coated with the thermochromic dye. For doing so an extrusion process can be employed. Then, the piece of garment is produced (for example knitted or weaved) by using the respective prepared yarn or fiber.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2018/083720 | 12/6/2018 | WO | 00 |
