The present invention generally relates to athletic equipment for securing a strapless shin guard to a user's leg with a garment and methods of using the same. More particularly, the present invention incorporates novel garment construction and fabric materials operable to provide athletes with options for fashioning the strapless shin guard to their lower appendages and improving breathability of the garment.
Athletes use shin guards to protect and prevent injury to the shin in sports such as soccer, hockey, baseball, and football. There are various types of shin guards, each suited for different applications. Strapless shin guards are typically used in football and soccer and are typically positioned in front of the tibia of a user. The strapless shin guards have the advantage of protecting a user without applying localized pressure on the calf of the individual. A user typically wears a sock sleeve that extends from the toes to their calves, a shin guard is placed in front of the sleeve, and a secondary garment is used to secure around the shin guard. This method requires multiple layers of fabric and can interfere with an athlete's stability and feedback at the base of the feet. Another method of securing the shinguard would be that the user would have the shinguard against their tibia, add a shin guard sleeve, then put a sock or sleeve over that, still causing multiple layers of friction. Because multiple layers are used, moisture is often trapped, increasing the weight, and the shin guard often slips or rotates between the two layers of materials. Other methods include a sock sleeve with an opening or slot for securing the shin guard in place which still requires two layers of material.
The market solutions for securing strapless shin guards limit users' options for configuring the shin guard onto their leg. The advantage of strapless shin guards is degraded due to the methods and sleeve socks provided for securing the strapless shin guards. An improved garment and method for securing strapless shin guards are needed.
The present invention provides an improved sleeve garment for securing a strapless shin guard and methods of using such a garment. The sleeve garment of the present invention is a sleeve of woven material that is operable to provide compressive support to the calves, ankles, and knees of an athlete, providing a user with variation in the fashioning of the strapless shin guard. The strapless shin guard may be temporarily secured to the outer surface of the garment or between the user's leg and the garment.
The garment of the present invention may include a sleeve with an inner surface, an outer surface, a proximal end, and a distal end. The proximal end may have an upper cuff, and the distal end may have a lower cuff. The upper and lower cuffs are both open-ended and provide more circumferential pressure to a user than the sleeve. The sleeve may have a narrowing (e.g., tapering) substantially conical geometry where the proximal end has a larger diameter, and the distal end may have a smaller diameter. The narrowing geometry provides even compression and compliments the narrowing of the leg from the thigh to the ankles. The garment does not interface with the foot and rests above the ankle when equipped, allowing users to select the type of socks they would like to wear.
The garment of the present invention may be first slid onto the leg of the user, and the shin guard may be secure to the leg on either the outer or the inner surface. A user may stretch the upper cuff and insert a shin guard into position, and the sleeve pressure around the leg is sufficient to hold the shin guard in place. In another embodiment, the user may position the shin guard in front of the shin, and the upper cuff may fold over the shin guard's upper end, and the lower cuff may fold over the shin guard's lower end.
The garment of the present invention may provide a sleeve, upper cuff, and lower cuff with a combined total resting length ranging from 11 inches to 21 inches, depending on the appropriate size for the user. The total elastic length of the garment may range from 14 inches to 25 inches. For example, a small may have a resting length of 11 inches and may stretch up to 14 inches, a medium may have a resting length of 16 inches and stretch up to 19 inches, and an extra-long sleeve may have a total resting length of 21 inches and stretch up to 25 inches. In some implementations, the upper cuff may have a length of about 3 inches, and a lower cuff may have a length of about 1 inch. In some implementations, the upper cuff may have a length of about 5 inches, and the lower cuff may have a length of about 3 inches. In another implementation, the lower and upper cuff may have the same length ranging from about 1 inch to about 5 inches, from the sleeve to the end of the openings.
In some implementations, the sleeve garment may be manufactured from textile materials similar to athletic socks. For example, non-limiting, the sleeve garment may be manufactured from cotton, combed cotton, bamboo, rayon, merino wool, viscose rayon, polyester, polyamide, nylon, acrylic, polypropylene, tencel, cellulose fibers, drymax, elastane, elastic, flax, lurex, modal, mohair, rubber, silk, spandex, wool, and a combination thereof. The materials may have good breathability and moisture-wicking material. In some embodiments, the upper cuff and lower cuff may be constructed from a more elastic combination of materials than the sleeve garment and have a woven structure such as ribbing to prevent damage to the garment when securing the garment around the shin guard or a user's leg.
It is an aspect of the present invention to provide a garment sleeve to be worn over at least a user's leg operable to secure a strapless shin guard, the garment comprising: a sleeve of woven material having a substantially circular geometry with a proximal end and a distal end, the sleeve being operable to compress around the lower leg of a user; an extended cuff woven to the proximal end having a substantially flexible material; and a lower cuff woven to the distal end, where a strapless shin guard may be inserted into the sleeve and positioned in front of a user's tibia. The sleeve of woven material may be operable to circumferentially apply a low pressure around the lower leg. The extended cuff has a greater coefficient of elasticity than the material of the sleeve. The lower cuff may have a greater elasticity coefficient than the sleeve material. The extended cuff may be operable to fold along the proximal end of the sleeve and provide supplementary pressure on the leg's exterior to prevent the shin guard's uplift. The strapless shin guard may be inserted into said sleeve by positioning the shin guard in between an interior surface of the garment sleeve and the tibia of a user. The strapless shin guard may be inserted into the sleeve by positioning the shin guard on an exterior surface of the garment sleeve along the tibia and the extended cuff may be folded downward to cover a proximal end of the strapless shin guard, and the lower cuff may be folded upward to cover a distal end of the strapless shin guard. The sleeve may be constructed from a moisture-wicking athletic material. The moisture-wicking athletic material may be a synthetic fiber or natural fiber.
It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a method of using a garment sleeve, the method comprising the steps of: providing a sleeve comprising an inner surface, an outer surface, a proximal end having an extended cuff, and a distal end having a lower cuff; sliding said sleeve over a leg of a user; and inserting a strapless shin guard into the sleeve. The inserting of the strapless shin guard into the sleeve may further comprise the steps of stretching the extended cuff and positioning the strapless shin guard against the tibia of a user's leg, and folding the extended cuff over onto the outer surface of the sleeve
It is still a further aspect of the present invention to insert a strapless shin guard into the sleeve, and may further comprise the steps of positioning said strapless shin guard on the exterior surface of the sleeve and folding the extended cuff over a proximal end of the shin guard and folding a lower cuff over a distal end of the shin guard. The extended cuff and lower cuff are constructed from synthetic fibers or natural fibers. The extended and lower cuff may have a ribbed geometry that facilitates radial elasticity when inserting the strapless shin guard. The sleeve may further comprise a breathable moisture-wicking material with high elasticity. Sleeves may also be used with shin guards with straps, as the sleeves also replicate uniformed socks.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a garment sleeve that is operable to provide athletes with configurability when securing a shin guard to their leg.
Further aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those having skill in the art from the description and disclosure provided herein.
The above-described objects, advantages, and features of the invention, together with the organization and manner of operation thereof, will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements have like numerals throughout the several drawings described herein. Further benefits and other advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments.
Reference will now be made in detail to certain embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in reference to these embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention. To the contrary, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that are included within the spirit and scope of the invention. In the following disclosure, specific details are given to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without all of the specific details provided.
Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and referring particularly to
The sleeve garment 100 may have a proximal end 111 and a distal end 121. The proximal end 111 may have an extended cuff 110 stitched to the sleeve 101. The distal end 121 may have a lower cuff 120 stitched to the opposite end of the sleeve 101. The sleeve garment 100 may have a proximal opening 115, and a distal opening 125 allowing a user to position the sleeve around their leg. The extended cuff 110 may have a larger resting diameter than the lower cuff 120, the differences in diameter are relatively complementary to the geometry of a leg. The distal opening 115 may be configured to be positioned around the ankle, and the proximal opening may be configured to be positioned under the knee or over the knee.
In some embodiments, the sleeve garment 100 may be manufactured from textile materials similar to athletic socks. For example, non-limiting, the sleeve garment may be manufactured from cotton, combed cotton, bamboo, rayon, merino wool, viscose rayon, polyester, polyamide, nylon, acrylic, polypropylene, tencel, cellulose fibers, drymax, elastane, elastic, flax, lurex, modal, mohair, rubber, silk, spandex, wool, and a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the extended cuff 111 and lower cuff 121 may be constructed from a more elastic combination of materials than the sleeve garment 100. The materials may have good breathability and moisture-wicking material. In some embodiments, the materials used are machine washable and may be dried in a drying machine on a low setting to maintain the factory fit or may be dried at high heat to provide a tighter fit and shrink the sleeve garment 100 for a tighter fit.
In some embodiments, the sleeve garment 100 is operable to provide uniform compression around the wearer's leg to reduce impact and protect against injury during rough pitching. The sleeve garment 100 may be manufactured in various lengths, for example, a small may have a total length of 11 inches and may stretch up to 14 inches, a medium 16 inches and stretches up to 19 inches, and an extra-long sleeve may have a total length of 21 inches stretching up to 25 inches. An extra-long sleeve may be suitable for extending up to a user's thigh to provide extra knee support. Extra long sleeves are operable to prevent scratches and abrasions well above the knee that may result when the wearer is sliding or diving on various surfaces.
In some embodiments, the sleeve garment 100 is operable to secure a shin guard to the outside of a user's leg as shown in
In some embodiments, the sleeve garment 100 is operable to secure a shin guard to the outside of a user's leg, as shown in
The present invention provides an improved garment that is operable to secure a strapless shin guard to an athlete's leg. The garment includes a sleeve with an upper cuff and lower cuff that each provides varying degrees of circumferential pressure to secure a shin guard to the exterior or interior of the garment and allow a user to fashion a strapless shin guard to their preference. It is to be understood that variations, modifications, and permutations of embodiments of the present invention, and uses thereof, may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. It is also to be understood that the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments, descriptions, or illustrations or combinations of either components or steps disclosed herein. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Although reference has been made to the accompanying figures, it is to be appreciated that these figures are exemplary and are not meant to limit the scope of the invention. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents.