Patent Application
20160029717
This invention relates in general to running shirts.
In certain circumstances a runner will desire to run in a timeframe where the outside, or even inside, temperature will change. This can happen in the case of a race, where the race begins in the morning when temperatures are cool or cold and continues into the day were temperatures warm and can become hot. Not only can temperatures change, but also the runners own body temperature will change and heat up during the course of a run. Therefore runner may require more clothing at the beginning of a run but less clothing later in the run.
In races, such as a marathon, runners have been known to wear old long sleeve or sweatshirts over another shirt at the beginning of a race. As the ambient air temperate rises and/or as the runner's body temperature rises, the runner takes off the long sleeve or sweatshirt and discards the long sleeve or sweatshirt on the side of the race course. Often such discarded clothing is never retrieved later by the runner. Instead the discarded shirts must be collected by volunteers and disposed of.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,485 discloses a cycling jersey with removable sleeves. However, the '485 patent fails to disclose the quick release zippers to allow ease of sleeve removal during use.
The present inventor recognized the need for a shirt that has removable components so as to provide more warmth at the beginning of a run, and less later when the removable components are removed. The present inventor recognized the need for an athletic shirt with removable sleeves where the sleeves can easily be removed from the shirt while the user is running and wearing the shirt. The present inventor recognized the need for sleeves that are quickly removable. The present inventor recognized the need for a shirt that provides side storage pockets for storing the sleeves during a run after the sleeves have been removed.
A running shirt with quick release sleeves is disclosed. The shirt comprises a torso portion, a pair of quick release removable sleeves, and a pair of quick release zippers, one at each sleeve. The torso has a collar, a neck opening, right arm opening, a left arm opening, and a lower trunk opening. The sleeves have a shoulder end and a distal end opposite the shoulder end.
The quick release zippers each have a slider, a first row of connecting elements, and a second row of connecting elements. The first and second rows each have a first end and a second end. The first row is longer than the second row.
The first or second row is connected adjacent to one of the arm openings or at the shoulder end of one of the sleeves, the other of the first or second row is connected to the other of one of the arm openings or at the shoulder end of the sleeve.
The slider has a first passage, a second passage, a central passage, and a junction between the first, second, and central passages. The slider is movable between the first and second ends of the first and second rows.
The slider has a quick release position where the first end of the second row being adjacent to the first row of fastener elements, and the slider is located along a quick release portion of the first row where the second row is not adjacent to the first row, and where the first and second rows can be separated without moving the slider to the first end of the first and second rows.
In some embodiments, the torso portion has a breast pocket. The breast pocket has an earphone wire aperture communicating from an exterior of the shirt to an interior of the breast pocket.
In some embodiments, the breast pocket comprises a pocket zipper for closing a pocket opening.
In some embodiments, the torso portion has a lower left pocket and a lower right pocket. The lower left pocket and lower right pocket are positioned adjacent to a bottom edge of the torso portion and about opposite side areas of the torso portion.
In some embodiments, the lower left pocket and the lower right pocket each have an opening, a drawstring, and a stopper. The stopper is releasably spring biased attached to the drawstring and movable to secure the opening in a closed position.
A method of quickly removing sleeves from a running shirt is disclosed. A slider of a zipper is moved from a closed position to a quick release position at a closing end opposite a starting end of the zipper where the slider is connected to a first row of fastener elements of the zipper and is disconnected from a second row of fastener elements of the zipper. The sleeve is pulled away from the torso portion to cause fastener elements to alternatingly disconnect from each other progressively from the closing end to the starting end without moving the slider to the starting end.
Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims, and from the accompanying drawings.
The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. For the purposes of explanation, specific nomenclature is set forth to provide a plural understanding of the present invention. While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings, and will be described herein in detail, specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.
The front panel 48 narrows inward when moving from the breast area of the shirt toward a waist area. This shape can provided a shirt that is fitted more closely to the shape of the wearer's body. The shirt 30 may comprise cotton, polyester, spandex, nylon, or a combination of the same.
The breast pocket 38 is shown on the left side of the wearer. The pocket comprises a side opening 56 that is closed by a pocket zipper 80 shown in
The right and left sleeves 34, 36 connect to the torso portion 32 with right and left zippers 64, 66. Each zipper extends from a second end at the collar 82 on the front side of the shirt, down to the armpit area 83, and up the back side of the shirt to a first end at or adjacent the collar 82 on the back side of the shirt. Each sleeve overlaps a shoulder portion 74 of the torso portion 32. When a zipper is completely unzipped or in a quick release position, the corresponding sleeve can be completely removed from the torso portion 32.
The right and left sleeve can be sized to extend along the length of the wearer's arm from the shoulder to the wrist or past the wrist and adjacent to the wearer's thumb. The sleeves each have a shoulder end 35, 37 and a wrist end 33, 39, respectively. In some embodiments, the sleeves are short sleeves sized to extend from the shoulder to mid-bicep or to at or adjacent the elbow of the wearer.
Each of the right and left zippers 64, 66 are mirror image identical about a midsagittal plane of the wearer and therefore of the shirt, so only zipper 64 will be described. Zipper 64 comprises a slider 72, a body side fastener row 68 of fastener elements 84, 86, and a sleeve side fastener row 70 of fastener elements 88, 90. The faster rows 68, 70 may comprise cords 122, 124. The cords may be attached or integrally formed with the adjacent fabric of the torso or the sleeve, respectively.
The end element 92 is an enlarged round stop element that physically prevents the slider from passing. In some embodiments, the end element 92 has a width that is wider than the width of the second channel 104 so that it cannot be received completely within the second channel. In some embodiments, the end element is taller 92 than the allowable height between a top wall 101 of the slider and a bottom wall of the slider.
Once the slider has passed the end element 94, the slider is no longer holding the end element and the adjacent fasteners joined with the fasteners of the other side, therefore the sleeve may be pulled away from the torso portion 32 in the direction E causing the sleeve side fastener row to separate or be torn away from the body side fastener row in a quick fashion without the need of moving the slider all the way to the other end of the zipper in order to separate the two sides using the slider. The quick release or tear off feature is important to runners that need a quick and easy manner of removing the sleeves while wearing and running in the shirt without stopping.
The slider has side boundary walls 106, 108 that open in a Y-shape adjacent the wedge to provide for the first and second channels. The wedge 98 forces the fastener elements apart when the slider is moved in the direction B of
One exemplary type of fastener element is shown in
At a starting end of fastener row 68 is a stop joiner 116. The stop joiner 116 is fixed to the end of the fastener row 70 on a first end. On an opposite lateral end of the stop joiner is a receiving recess 118. At a starting end of the fastener row 68 is fixed a start element 120. To begin zipping from the starting end when the rows 68, 70 are not joined, the slider 72 is moved down the row 70 until it is in contact with the stop joiner 116. Then the start element 120 of the row 68 is inserted into the first channel 102 and the start element 120 is moved downward until it is seated in the receiving recess 118 of the stop joiner 116. Then the slider is moved upward in the direction A causing alternating fastener elements to be physically joined. While not shown in
The fastener elements are joined in an alternating fashion. One example joining process can be explained with elements 86, 90, 84, 88. When element 86 reaches the main channel 100, element 86 reaches a position that is substantially parallel to the side boundary wall 106.
Then the female portion of element 90 lowers onto the male portion of element 86 as element 90 reaches a position that is substantially parallel to the side boundary wall 108. Then the female portion of element 84 is lowered onto the male portion of fastener element 90 as element 84 reaches a position that is substantially parallel to the side boundary wall 106. Then the female portion of element 88 is lowered onto the male portion of fastener element 84 as element 88 reaches a position that is substantially parallel to the side boundary wall 108. This cycle repeats for each element so that the elements of the respective rows 68, 70 are joined in an alternating fashion, alternating one fastener from each side.
The fastener row 70 may be separated from fastener row 68 by moving the slider toward stop joiner 116 or by moving the slider to the quick release position and pulling the sleeve from the torso portion. In either case, the fastener elements separate. For example, the female portion of element 88 would be removed from the male portion of element 84. Then the female portion of element 84 would be removed from the male portion of element 90. Then the female portion of element 90 would be removed from the male portion of element 86. This cycle repeats for each element from the second end of the zipper toward the first end until the slider is no longer moved in the direction B in the case of moving the slider toward the stop joiner 116 or sufficient pull-away force is no longer being applied to the sleeve and/or the torso portion to separate one from the other in the case of a quick release action. Therefore, the wearer can move the slider to the quick release position and rip-away the sleeve quickly and easily in one to three seconds while wearing the shirt and running without stopping.
When the friction element is depressed and the string(s) is drawn in direction C and the stopper 144 is held stationary or moved in the direction D, the compression strip will compress in direction D and against the opening to restrict or close the opening. When the friction element 146 is released, the stopper will be held in position along the string(s) by the friction element and therefore can be held in a restricted or closed position to close the opening 54. The sleeves 34, 36 can be folded and placed in the respective pockets 44, 46, and the string(s) can be drawn away from the shirt and the stopper can be position to restrict or close the corresponding opening to prevent the sleeves or other contained elements from falling out of the respective pockets.
The side pockets 44, 46 are located along the side of the shirt adjacent to the flank areas or lumbar regions to the left and right of the umbilical region of a wearer's abdomen.
In some embodiment, the outer panel of the pocket comprises a mesh material comprising holes allowing air to enter and escape from the pocket. The mesh may comprise polyester, cotton, or a combination of the same.
In some embodiments, only one string is used and the compression strip has an exit adjacent to the backside boundary 128. In such an embodiment, the loop 142 is formed by looping the string back on itself. The stopper 144 may comprise rubber or silicone. The string 140 may comprise rubber, polyester, or a combination of the same. The string 140 may have a rubber core surrounded by a polyester sheath.
The right and left sleeves 160, 162 connect to the torso portion 152 with right and left arm zippers 168, 170 in the same manner as described regarding athletic shirt 30. Zippers 168, 170 are identical to zippers 66, 64 respectively. Zippers 168, 170 extend along a slightly different path where the path of zippers 66, 64 are more curved as shown in
Stitching 164, 166 joins the rights side panel 156, and left side panel 158 to the front panel 154. Stitching 192, 194 joins the rights side panel 156, and left side panel 158 to the back panel 185.
The front right side portion 155 comprises a pocket 174. The pocket comprises an upper boundary 176, a lower boundary 178, an inner boundary being the stitching 166, and an opening 180. The opening extends vertically between the front right side portion 155 and the rear right side portion 157.
The each sleeve 160, 162 comprises a thumb aperture 181, 182. When the sleeve 162 extends below the wearer's wrist the wear can place the wearer's thumb through the thumb aperture. In some embodiments, the thumb aperture is a slot as shown in
The lower right side rear pocket 184 is mirror image identical to the lower left side rear pocket 186 about a midsagittal plane of the wearer and therefore of the shirt so only pocket 184 will be described. The pocket as a lower boundary at stitching 196 of a bottom edge 198 of the torso portion 152. The pocket has an inner boundary at stitching 192. The pocket has an upper opening 188. The boundary of the upper opening is angled upward from the stitching 192 toward the boundary between the right front portion 153 and a right back portion 157. The sleeves 160, 162 can be folded or otherwise placed in the respective pockets 184, 186. The placement of the pockets 184, 186 toward the rear of the wear prevents bulging contents of the pockets from potentially interfering with the wearer's arm moments, such as when running.
From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 62/030,935, filed on Jul. 30, 2014
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62030935 | Jul 2014 | US |
