U.S. patent application number 10/198420 was filed with the patent office on 2003-01-23 for workout garment.
Invention is credited to Morales, Christopher.
Application Number | 20030014804 10/198420 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26893765 |
Filed Date | 2003-01-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030014804 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Morales, Christopher |
January 23, 2003 |
Workout garment
Abstract
A workout garment in accordance with the present invention
includes a central section and opposing arm sections that extend
outwardly from an upper portion of the central section. Each arm
section further comprises a strap portion that is fixed to the
upper portion of the central section on one end, and that further
merges into a bell portion at the other end. The arm sections have
an increasing taper so that the width of the arm section increases
from a minimum width at the strap portion to a maximum width at the
bell portion. To wear the garment, the garment is positioned around
the wearer's waist so that the central section is positioned over
the rear part of the wearer's trunk area, and the arm sections are
then tied in front of the waist. When worn in this manner, the
strap portions have sufficient length so that the bell portions
extend downwardly and cooperate to establish a front panel, which
hides the front part of the wearer's trunk area from view.
Inventors: |
Morales, Christopher;
(Ventura, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KENNETH J. HOVET
NORDMAN, CORMANY, HAIR & COMPTON
P.O. BOX 9100
OXNARD
CA
93031-9100
US
|
Family ID: |
26893765 |
Appl. No.: |
10/198420 |
Filed: |
July 18, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60306601 |
Jul 18, 2001 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
2/92 ; 2/94 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 13/0015
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/92 ; 2/94 |
International
Class: |
A41D 001/00; A41D
003/02 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A garment comprising: a central section; opposing arm sections
extending from said central section and having an arm section
width; and, said arm section widths having an increasing taper from
a minimum arm section width proximate said central section to a
maximum arm section width at said arm ends.
2. The garment of claim 1 wherein said central section further
comprises a lower portion, mid-portion and upper portion and said
arm sections extend from said upper portion.
3. The garment of claim 2 wherein said lower portion has a lower
width and said upper portion has an upper width and said lower
width is greater than said upper width.
4. The garment of claim 3 further comprising a logo fastened to
said lower portion.
5. The garment of claim 1 further comprising at least one pocket
fastened to one of said arm sections.
6. A clothing article for covering the trunk area of a wearer, said
article comprising: a central section for covering a rear part of
said trunk area when said wearer dons said article; at least one
strap portion attached to said central section; each said strap
portion merging into a bell portion; and, said bell portions
cooperating to form a front panel for covering a front part of said
trunk area when said wearer dons said article.
7. The garment of claim 6 wherein said central section further
comprises a lower portion, mid-portion and upper portion and said
strap portion extends from said upper portion.
8. The garment of claim 7 wherein said lower portion has a lower
width and said upper portion has an upper width and said lower
width is greater than said upper width.
9. The garment of claim 8 further comprising a logo fastened to
said lower portion.
10. The garment of claim 6 further comprising a pocket fastened to
said strap portion.
11. A method for wearing a garment around the waist of a user to
simultaneously cover a front part and a rear part of the trunk area
of said user during physical activity, said method comprising the
steps of: A) providing a central section; B) forming two arm
sections with an increasing taper from a minimum width at a first
end to a maximum width at a second end so that the arm sections
flare outwardly in a bell-like configuration; C) attaching said
first ends to opposing sides of said central section so that said
arm sections extend outwardly therefrom; D) wrapping said garment
around said waist so that said central section covers said rear
part and said arm sections extend downwardly and cooperate to
establish a front panel that covers said front part.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority from Provisional
Application Serial No. 60/306,601, which was filed Jul. 18,
2001.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention pertains generally to clothing. More
particularly, the present invention pertains to a garment that is
adapted to be worn around the waist during an exercise routine or
other physical activity.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] It is a well-known fact that many people exercise on a daily
basis. Reasons for exercising range from the desire to have a more
fit and attractive body to more functional cardiovascular
conditioning and strength considerations. In general, many people
have started to realize that by exercising on a regular basis they
can increase their overall health level and feeling of
well-being.
[0004] The current trend in cardiovascular activities is toward
more moderate forms of exercises which are performed over a longer
duration, such as walking, bicycling, low impact aerobics and
similar types of cardiovascular activities. Studies have shown that
these types of exercises are easy to perform and include many
health benefits. Another increasingly popular trend, particularly
among women, is to combine weight training with the above-mentioned
cardiovascular activities to yield a balanced, effective workout
routine.
[0005] When people perform the above-listed workout routine, or
indeed any physical activity, they perspire, and the perspiration
often soaks through the clothing. For women in particular, this can
present unsightly stains in the center area of the women's
clothing, particularly if women are wearing leotards or
tight-fitting clothes which cover the buttocks, waist, hips and
thighs. This can make women feel self-conscious and more reluctant
to exercise within a group environment such as a health club, for
example.
[0006] To obviate this concern, women will often tie a jacket or
sweatshirt around their waist. These clothing items, however, can
often be bulky and inhibit the physical range of motion, which
further inhibits the workout and the enjoyment and benefits derived
therefrom. Further, the jacket does not cover the front area of the
woman's trunk area and perspiration stains which may have occurred
in the front area.
[0007] In addition to the above concerns, it should be appreciated
that people often tie a jacket, sweatshirt or similar type article
around their waist because they are self-conscious about the
appearance of their mid-section area, even when they are not
engaged in physical activity. When this occurs, the
jacket/sweatshirt is effectively being used as a casual wear
accessory. A jacket or sweatshirt that is used as a casual wear
accessory, however, retains the bulkiness and restriction of
movement concerns described above.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,543, which issued to Lewis for an
invention entitled "Athletic Towel", discloses a rectangular towel
with opposing elongated straps which extend from the top edge of
the towel. During use, the straps are wrapped around the user's
waist and fixed to each other. The straps for the towel as
disclosed by Lewis, however, are very narrow. Accordingly, when the
towel is oriented in front of the user and the straps are wrapped
around the user's waist and tied to each other, the straps do not
cover the back of the user's trunk.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,441, which issued to Richter for an
invention entitled "Sport Garment For Women", discloses a somewhat
crescent-shaped garment. The device as disclosed by Richter,
however, does not have arms that flare outwardly to provide a
covering effect for the trunk area (front or back) when the garment
is worn. Instead, the garment has a decreasing taper from a maximum
width at the centerline of the garment to a minimum width at the
garment end portion. During use, the garment is wrapped around the
user's mid-section and oriented so that the centerline portion is
positioned over one hip while the end portions are placed over the
other hip. As a result, neither the front nor the back of the trunk
area of the wearer is covered.
[0010] In view of the above, it is an object of the present
invention to provide a workout garment that provides coverage for
both the front and the back of the trunk area when tied around the
waist of the user. It is another object of the present invention to
provide a workout garment which covers perspiration stains during
use to thereby allow women who are wearing form-fitting clothing to
enjoy physical activity without worrying about people seeing
perspiration stains on their clothing. It is another object of the
present invention to provide a workout garment which does not
inhibit physical movement when placed around the waist of the user.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a workout
garment which can be wrapped around the wearer's mid-section area
as a casual wear accessory to lessen the wearer's concerns about
body appearance. Yet another object of the present invention is to
provide a workout garment which can be easily manufactured in a
cost-efficient manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] A workout garment in accordance with the present invention
includes a central section and opposing arm sections that extend
outwardly therefrom. The central section includes a lower portion,
a mid-portion and an upper portion, with the arm sections being
fastened to the upper portion. The arm sections each further
comprise a strap portion that is fixed to the upper portion of the
central section on one end, and that further merges into a bell
portion at the other end. The arm sections each have an increasing
taper so that the width of the arm section increases from a minimum
width at the strap portion to a maximum width at the bell
portion.
[0012] To wear the garment, the garment is positioned around the
trunk area of the wearer so that the central section is positioned
over the rear of the wearer's trunk area. The arm sections are then
tied in front of the waist of the user. The strap portions are
sufficiently long so that once the arm sections are tied in this
manner, the bell portions extend downwardly and cooperate to
establish a front panel. The front panel covers the front area of
the wearer to thereby hide the front area of the wearer's trunk
area from view.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The novel features of this invention will be best understood
from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the
accompanying description, in which similar characters refer to
similar parts, and in which:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a plan view of the workout garment of the present
invention.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the workout garment of
FIG. 1 when worn by a user.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the workout garment of
FIG. 2.
[0017] FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the workout garment of
FIG. 2.
WRITTEN DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] Referring now to the drawings, the workout garment of the
present invention is shown and is generally designated by reference
number 10. As shown, the garment includes a central section 12 and
two opposing outer arm sections 14a, 14b that extend outwardly from
the central section in a manner hereinafter described.
[0019] As perhaps best seen in FIG. 1, the central section includes
a lower portion 16 which merges into mid-portion 17, which further
merges into upper portion 24. The lower portion and mid-portion are
defined by a bottom edge 18 with a slightly rounded shape, with
bottom edge 18 merging into rounded corners 20, 20. Rounded corners
20, 20 further merge into side edges 22, 22. The side edges 22 are
rounded inward so that central section 12 has a decreasing taper
from a maximum central section width at lower portion 16 to a
minimum central section width at upper portion 17 just below arm
sections 14a, 14b, as best seen in FIGS. 1-2. Upper portion 24
terminates at a straight top edge 26 which extends transversely
across central section 12, as shown in the Figures.
[0020] An elastic waistband (not shown) can be incorporated into
central section near top edge 26 in a manner well known in the
prior art. As shown in FIG. 1, the elastic waistband causes the
material in the central section to gather proximate top edge 26.
When garment 10 is donned by user 29 (partially shown in phantom in
FIGS. 2-4), the gathered material becomes smooth (as shown in FIG.
2) to allow the garment to closely conform to the user for a more
comfortable fit.
[0021] FIGS. 2-4 illustrate the preferred manner of wearing garment
10. As shown in FIGS. 2-4, when the garment is worn by user 29, the
central section extends downwardly and covers the rear of the
user's trunk area. This allows the central section for the garment
to cover any unsightly perspiration stains that may have formed on
the rear of the user's clothing, to thereby provide the user with
added comfort, confidence and self-esteem advantages. This further
eliminates the practice of positioning heavy sweaters, sweatshirts
or jackets around the user's waist during physical activities,
while also providing less restriction of physical movement for the
user.
[0022] As shown in FIGS. 1-2, the garment could optionally include
a logo patch 40 which is sewn onto outer surface 33 of the garment
at central section 12. The logo patch could function as an
eye-catching accessory due to the displayed design thereon.
[0023] As mentioned above, the workout garment of the present
invention includes two opposing arm sections 14a, 14b, with each
arm section extending from a corresponding side edge 22. Preferably
the arm sections 14a, 14b extend from the upper portion 24 of
central section 12. Each arm section comprises a strap portion 28
having a strap portion width. The strap portion merges into an
outwardly flared bell portion 30 having a maximum bell portion
width that is greater than the strap portion width, as shown in the
Figures. The strap portions must be sufficiently long so that the
bell portions are oriented as described below when the garment is
donned by user 29.
[0024] As mentioned above, the user 29 dons garment 10 by tying the
arm sections around the waist so that the garment rests on the user
hips and the central section covers the rear of the user's trunk
area. When worn in this manner, the arm sections extend downwardly
from the waist area of the user, and flared structure of the bell
portions establishes a front panel 35, which covers the front of
the trunk area of the user and hides this area from view, as shown
in FIG. 4. Accordingly, the workout garment of the present
invention further provides the increased comfort, confidence and
self-esteem advantages described above.
[0025] As shown in the FIGS. 2-4, each arm section can include a
pocket 32 which is sewn onto outer surface 33 of the garment near
central section 12. When the garment is worn by user 29, this
positions the pockets 32 approximately over each hip of the user.
The above-mentioned storage pockets could contain a wide array of
necessities which could conveniently be housed in the workout
garment. These accessories include keys, money, feminine hygiene
products, and the like and are not shown in the drawings. Although
two pockets 32 are shown, is to be appreciated that only one pocket
could be sewn on to the workout garment and located on outer
surface 33 as desired, according to consumer aesthetics desires and
manufacturing cost considerations.
[0026] The garment of the present invention further includes a
drawstring 34 to facilitate attachment of the garment to the user
during wear. The drawstring is inserted from outer surface 33 into
grommet 36a and threaded along inner surface 31 and then further
threaded through grommet 36b to extend from outer surface 33 of
garment 14. When the garment is worn by the user, and as shown in
FIG. 4, the ends of the drawstring can then be tied in a manner
known in the prior art to position the garment around the user.
[0027] Each arm section 14a, 14b further includes a corresponding
attachment patch 38a, 38b. Attachment patch 38a is fixed to arm
section 14a on inner surface 31. The remaining patch 38b is fixed
to arm section 14b on outer surface 33. When the garment is worn,
attachment patch 38a is mated to attachment patch 38b to thereby
fix the garment around the waist of the user. In the preferred
embodiment, the patches 38 are made of a Velcro.RTM. material.
[0028] The workout garment of the present invention could be
manufactured from any and all types of pliable fabrics that are
known in the prior art. These fabrics include, but are not
restricted to, cotton, nylon, rayon, and other synthetic material,
wool, and the like. These fabrics could be sheared to size using
power shears, according to predetermined patterns and then seamed
or otherwise stitched as known in the prior art. Finishing of the
garment could include the placement of Velcro.RTM. components as
described above.
[0029] From the above, it can be gleaned that the garment is
preferably manufactured as a panel-like structure. It is to be
appreciated, however, the garment could also be manufactured so
that the arm sections are sleeves and so that the central section
has a neck opening (not shown in the Figures). This manner of
manufacture would allow the garment 10 to function as a pullover
shirt, which could then be removed as desired by the user, yet
still perform the above-described functions when the user ties the
garment around the user's waist. Because the strap portions of the
arm sections are much longer than normal sleeves, and the flared
nature of the bell portions, however, the arm section material
gathers on the arms of the user if the garment was manufactured and
worn in this manner.
[0030] While the particular workout garment, as herein shown and
disclosed in detail, is fully capable of obtaining the objects and
providing the advantages above stated, it is to be understood that
the presently preferred embodiments are merely illustrative of the
invention. As such, no limitations are intended other than as
defined in the appended claims to follow.
* * * * *