U.S. patent application number 11/701932 was filed with the patent office on 2008-08-07 for athletic protective undergarment.
Invention is credited to Patrick Brassill.
Application Number | 20080184467 11/701932 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39674873 |
Filed Date | 2008-08-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080184467 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Brassill; Patrick |
August 7, 2008 |
Athletic protective undergarment
Abstract
A protective undergarment, such as trousers or a shirt intended
for use under other clothing, employs seamless welding to
permanently affix one or more protective pad segments to the main
body of material. An ultrasonic welding process may be employed.
Thus, a welding material, such as a suitable polymeric film, may be
used to fuse a small-area fabric member to the main body material
of the undergarment, so as to form a pocket for a pad segment. To
ensure that the pad segment does not fold or otherwise move within
the pocket, at least one channel may be formed within the pad
segment to allow welding within the interior of the pad
segment.
Inventors: |
Brassill; Patrick; (San
Jose, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Terry McHugh;Law Offices of Terry McHugh
101 First Street, PMB 560
Los Altos
CA
94022
US
|
Family ID: |
39674873 |
Appl. No.: |
11/701932 |
Filed: |
February 2, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/455 ; 2/227;
2/243.1; 2/267; 2/69 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 13/0506 20130101;
A41D 1/088 20130101; A41B 2400/20 20130101; A41B 9/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/455 ; 2/69;
2/227; 2/267; 2/243.1 |
International
Class: |
A41D 13/00 20060101
A41D013/00; A41D 1/00 20060101 A41D001/00; A41D 1/06 20060101
A41D001/06; A41D 27/26 20060101 A41D027/26; A41D 27/00 20060101
A41D027/00 |
Claims
1. A protective undergarment comprising: a main body of material
configured for wear by a human, said main body of material
including at least one piece of fabric which is air-permeable and
moisture-wicking and which is able to simultaneously stretch in
orthogonal directions; a single-piece protective pad segment
positioned adjacent to said main body of material and arranged to
enable flexible motion of a wearer, said protective pad segment
including at least one channel that extends into an interior region
thereof, each said channel extending only partially across said
interior region such that said protective pad segment remains as a
single piece; and a fabric member threadlessly welded to said main
body of material by an ultrasound welding coupling, such that said
protective pad segment is secured in position merely by entrapment
between said fabric member and said main body material, said
ultrasound welding coupling extending into said channel to restrict
movement of said protective pad segment within said entrapment.
2. The protective undergarment of claim 1 wherein said fabric
member and protective pad segment are secured to said main body of
material with an absence of adhesive.
3. (canceled)
4. (canceled)
5. The protective undergarment of claim 1 further comprising a
plurality of said protective pad segments and a corresponding
number of said fabric members, each said fabric member being
associated with one of said protective pad segments and being
threadlessly welded to said main body of material to trap said
associated protective pad segment in an absence of direct physical
attachment of said protective pad segment to either said main body
or said associated fabric member.
6. The protective undergarment of claim 5 wherein each said
protective pad segment is a perforated closed-cell foam, thereby
allowing cooling of the body of the wearer.
7. The protective undergarment of claim 5 wherein said fabric
members and said main body of material are formed of fabric having
moisture-wicking micro fibers.
8. The protective undergarment of claim 1 wherein said main body of
material is configured as trousers.
9. The protective undergarment of claim 1 wherein said main body of
material is configured as a shirt.
10. A method of forming a protective undergarment comprising:
utilizing at least one piece of air-permeable, moisture-wicking
fabric to provide a main body of material in a shape of an
undergarment, said fabric being capable of simultaneously
stretching in orthogonal directions; positioning a single-piece
flexible protective pad segment adjacent to said main body of
material in a location to provide protection for a wearer,
including establishing a desired orientation of said protective pad
segment relative to said main body of material such that at least
one channel that extends only partially across an interior region
has a position defined by said desired orientation; and
threadlessly welding a fabric member to said main body of material
such that said protective pad segment is entrapped in said
location, including using ultrasound welding techniques and
including extending said welding into said at least one channel to
secure said protective pad segment in said desired orientation
without direct physical attachment of the protective pad segment to
either said fabric member or said main body of material.
11. (canceled)
12. The method of claim 10 wherein positioning said protective pad
segment and threadlessly welding said fabric member are steps which
are executed to provide an adhesive-free assembly.
13. The method of claim 10 further comprising threadlessly welding
a plurality of protective pad segments to said main body of
material using a plurality of fabric members.
14. The method of claim 10 wherein threadlessly welding includes
melting a polymeric film at areas of contact between said fabric
member and said main body of material.
15. (canceled)
16. The method of claim 14 wherein said polymeric film has a
melting temperature substantially equal to a softening temperature
of said main body of material.
17. The method of claim 10 wherein said main body of material
defines trousers.
18. The method of claim 10 wherein said main body of material
defines a shirt.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The invention relates generally to protective padded
undergarments. More particularly, the invention relates to an
undergarment constructed of thin, stretchable fabric with
protective foam components that can be worn under the outer
clothing worn by participants in physical activities.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A range of factors must be considered in the construction of
protective padded undergarments worn during participation in
physical activities, such as contact sports. In particular, the
factors include the comfort, the flexibility and the evaporative
cooling enabled by the protective padded undergarments.
[0003] The conventional protective padded undergarment is an
assembly composed of a fabric undergarment with one or more padded
foam assemblies in which soft pad components are permanently
attached to the fabric undergarment by sewing and/or adhesives.
[0004] A padded foam assembly of the conventional protective padded
undergarment is typically a lamination comprised of a pad
component, such as foam, and a fabric overlayer component.
Typically, the foam component is affixed to the fabric overlayer
using an adhesive. However, by fixing the fabric overlayer
component to the pad component of the assembly using adhesive, the
flexibility of the assembly is limited to the properties of the
least flexible portion of the assembly.
[0005] Moreover, by laminating the fabric overlayer of the padded
foam assembly to the foam component of the assembly by means of
adhesive, there are limitations on the ability of the assembly to
allow the flow of body heat and moisture generated by the wearer.
These limitations are significant if "webbing type" film adhesive
is used, but are even more objectionable if non "webbing type"
adhesive is applied to at least one of the components.
[0006] In the conventional protective padded undergarment, the
padded foam assembly is permanently attached to the fabric
undergarment by stitching the perimeter of the assembly to the
adjacent surface of the fabric undergarment. The flexibility
properties of the thread-and-stitch design limits the stretching
properties of the conventional protective padded undergarment,
since the flexibility of the fabric area encompassed by the
stitching is limited to the combined flexibility properties of the
thread material and the particular stitch pattern.
[0007] Another concern with stitching the padding subassembly to
the adjacent surface of the fabric undergarment is that it creates
an abrasive raised thread surface on which the seam is exposed.
This abrasive seam acts as a potential irritant to the skin of the
wearer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] A protective undergarment in accordance with the invention
achieves high levels of comfort, flexibility and material breathing
by "welding" one or more protective pad segments to the main body
of material, which defines the shape of the undergarment. In one
embodiment, the undergarment has the shape of trousers and is
designed to be worn between the body of the wearer and a pair of
pants. In another embodiment, the main body of material has the
shape of an undershirt. As used herein, the term "weld" refers to a
connection that is threadless and that initially requires the
application of heat.
[0009] The invention is further directed to the method of
permanently attaching a protective pad segment to the main body of
material of the undergarment. The main body is formed of a fabric
which is air permeable and moisture wicking. Moreover, the material
is capable of simultaneously stretching in orthogonal
directions.
[0010] Each protective pad segment is trapped in position between
the main body of material and a small-area fabric member. In the
preferred embodiment, this fabric member is dimensioned to be
larger than the protective pad segment, so as to enable the fabric
member to directly contact the main body of material beyond the
perimeter of the protective pad segment. This small-area fabric
member should also be air permeable, moisture wicking, and capable
of simultaneously stretching in orthogonal directions. The trapped
protective pad segment is constructed of compressible,
energy-absorbing material intended to provide protection for the
wearer.
[0011] Each small-area fabric member is threadlessly welded, or
"fused," to the main body of material. Thus, rather than a
connection that potentially affects the comfort of the wearer as a
result of exposed threaded seams, the welded coupling of components
is likely to be tactically undetectable after the undergarment is
covered by other clothing.
[0012] In another aspect, the present invention is directed to the
use of an ultrasonic welding process. Whereas ultrasonic welding
has been used for fusing non-stretching, non-moisture wicking
polymeric materials to create moisture-proof seams, the present
invention utilizes ultrasonic welding of polymeric materials which
stretch in orthogonal directions and which contain micro fibers
that provide permanent moisture wicking. The physical properties of
the fabrics used in the present invention have a melting
temperature (i.e., a temperature at which the material changes from
its solid state to its liquid state) that is substantially higher
than its softening temperature (i.e., the temperature at which the
material becomes soft and sticky without losing shape and without
damaging fiber structures. In addition, the softening temperature
of the materials of the undergarment which are bonded using
ultrasonic welding is substantially equal to the melting
temperature of a flexible polymeric film which is added at the
junction of the main body of material and the small-area fabric
member or members. Upon the application of ultrasonic energy, the
flexible polymeric film reaches its melting temperature and the
materials being fused reach their softening temperature, so that
the materials are permanently fused when the ultrasonic energy is
removed. An advantage of the invention is that threadless bonding
of the different components is achieved through ultrasonic welding,
so as to avoid compromise of the strength or stretching properties
of the components.
[0013] In another feature of the invention, the material that is
added in order to enable a reliable welding of components has a
flexibility that equals or exceeds the flexibility properties of
the material or materials of the main body and the small-area
fabric member. Thus, the resulting undergarment enables greater
flexibility for the wearer than the conventional padded protective
undergarment that employs threads and/or adhesives in the assembly
process. In accordance with this feature of the invention, the
flexible polymeric film used in the ultrasonic welding process of
the preferred embodiment has a flexibility equal to or exceeding
that of the other materials.
[0014] In another aspect of the invention, the protective pad
segments are permanently positioned relative to the main body of
material of the undergarment without the use of adhesives on any
surface of the pad segments or any surface of adjacent fabric
components in direct contact with the pad segments. Thus, the
protective undergarment provides improvements with respect to
breathability and moisture management.
[0015] Particularly with larger protective pad segments, there may
be a concern that the pad segment will fold or will rotate within
the "pocket" formed between the main body of material and the
small-area fabric member associated with the particular pad
segment. This concern may be addressed by providing one or more
channels through the pad segment and then extending the welding of
fabrics so as to include the area within the channels. That is, in
addition to welding along the perimeter of the pad segment, the
welding extends within the channel or channels.
[0016] Another advantage of the invention is a result of use of
fabrics that include micro fibers, which permanently enhance the
transport of moisture away from the body of the wearer. That is,
the material is moisture wicking. As used herein, "moisture
wicking" fabric is defined as a fabric having fibers adapted to
carry moisture outwardly away from contact with the skin of the
wearer. The term "stretchable" is defined as the capability of
extending or distending in response to a force or stress and then
resuming substantially its original shape and dimensions
immediately upon release of the force or stress.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1A is a front perspective view of a protective
undergarment in accordance with am embodiment of the invention in
which the undergarment is to be worn as trousers beneath other
clothing.
[0018] FIG. 1B is a rear perspective view of the protective
undergarment of FIG. 1A.
[0019] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the protective
undergarment of FIGS. 1A and 1B.
[0020] FIG. 3 is a partially exploded view of the protective
undergarment of FIG. 1B, showing three protective pad segments and
their relative permanent positions.
[0021] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of components used to
permanently position a protective pad segment to the main body of
material of a protective undergarment in accordance with the
invention.
[0022] FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of a protective
undergarment in accordance with the invention, wherein the
undergarment has the shape of a shirt to be worn below other
clothing.
[0023] FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the protective undergarment of
FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] With reference to FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2, 3 and 4, one embodiment
of the invention is to provide a protective undergarment for use as
trousers 10. Thus, the trousers may be worn beneath pants during
sporting events, such as lacrosse. While the invention will be
primarily described with reference to the trouser embodiment, the
invention applies to forming shirts and other protective apparel to
be worn beneath other clothing.
[0025] As best viewed in FIG. 2, the main body of material for the
trousers 10 includes a pair of legs 25 and 35 joined at a center
panel 30. An elastic waistband 40 is attached to the tops of the
legs and the center panel. The main body of material which defines
the two legs and the center panel is formed of a moisture wicking
fabric which includes synthetic micro fibers and elastic.
Acceptable materials include spandex and lycra.
[0026] The protective undergarment 10 is shown as having three pad
segments 45, 50 and 55 attached to the main body of material. In
the illustrated embodiment, protective pad segment 45 is attached
to leg 25, protective pad segment 50 is attached to the center
panel 30, and protective pad segment 55 is attached to leg 35. The
pad segments are preferably constructed of perforated compressible
and energy absorbing material. Acceptable materials include PE
(polyethylene) foam and EVA (ethyl vinyl acetate) foam.
[0027] The attachment of a protective pad segment to the main body
of material is best illustrated in FIG. 4. A pair of die-cut
polymeric film material units 36 are thermally attached to the leg
35 and a small-area fabric member 38 after the pad segment 55 is
placed in the desired position. The welding of the small-area
fabric member to the main body of material by means of the
polymeric film welds the fabric components together. Preferably,
the small-area fabric member 38 is formed of the same material as
the leg 35. Ultrasonic welding has been identified as providing the
desired results. In accordance with ultrasonic welding, the melting
temperature of the material used to form the leg 35 and the
small-area fabric member 38 is substantially higher than the
softening temperature of the polymeric film 36. However, the
softening temperature of the fabric is substantially equal to the
melting temperature of the polymeric film. When ultrasonic energy
is applied, the polymeric film reaches its melting temperature and
the fabric reaches its softening temperature, causing the welding
of the materials, so that they are permanently fused when the
ultrasonic energy is removed.
[0028] When a protective pad segment is small or is appropriately
shaped, the welding may be limited to the perimeter of the pad
segment. However, the larger the protective pad segment, the
greater the risk that the pad segment will fold or relocate within
its pocket. To control relocation, the pad segments 55 shown in
FIG. 4 include a number of channels 57, while the polymeric film
units 36 are die cut to have corresponding portions. As a result,
the small-area fabric member 38 will be fused to the leg 35 within
these channels. In FIG. 4, the channels all extend to the edge of
the pad segment. This is not critical. As shown in FIGS. 1 B and 3,
the pad segment 50 that is connected to the center panel 30
includes a channel 59 that does not extend to the edge of the pad
segment.
[0029] Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, in the second embodiment of
a protective undergarment in accordance with the invention, the
protective padded undergarment 60 is a shirt. The main body of
material may be a single piece of fabric, or a number of attached
fabric pieces. Each sleeve includes a protective pad segment 65 and
75. Two other pad segments 85 and 95 protect the sides of the
wearer.
[0030] The four protective pad segments 65, 75, 85 and 95 are
welded to the main body of material in the same manner that was
described with reference to the trousers embodiment. Thus,
ultrasonic welding may be used to permanently fuse the pad segments
to the main body of the shirt. In FIGS. 5 and 6, each pad segment
includes a number of channels that allow an associated small-area
fabric member to be welded to the shirt material within the
interior region of the pad segment. This ensures that the pad
segments do not fold and do not move within the pockets that are
formed when the small-area fabric members are welded to the main
body of material that defines the shirt 60.
* * * * *