U.S. patent application number 12/572748 was filed with the patent office on 2010-05-13 for wetsuit.
This patent application is currently assigned to GSM (OPERATIONS) PTY LTD. Invention is credited to Scott BOOT, Kenneth James BUTTERFIELD, Michael John SKYHAR.
Application Number | 20100115681 12/572748 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42163843 |
Filed Date | 2010-05-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100115681 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
BUTTERFIELD; Kenneth James ;
et al. |
May 13, 2010 |
WETSUIT
Abstract
A wetsuit is provided with knee pads. Each knee pad comprises a
ring of relatively stiffer elastic material extending around the
kneecap of the wearer to provide compression around the kneecap of
the wearer, and a central region of relatively less stiff elastic
material that rests on the kneecap of the wearer. A compression
strip extending along a region corresponding to the medial
collateral ligament (MCL) of the wearer may also be provided. The
wetsuit may provide enhanced proprioception feedback to a wearer in
the subject region of the wearer.
Inventors: |
BUTTERFIELD; Kenneth James;
(Leucadia, CA) ; SKYHAR; Michael John; (Rancho
Santa Fe, CA) ; BOOT; Scott; (Burleigh Heads,
AU) |
Correspondence
Address: |
NIXON & VANDERHYE, PC
901 NORTH GLEBE ROAD, 11TH FLOOR
ARLINGTON
VA
22203
US
|
Assignee: |
GSM (OPERATIONS) PTY LTD
Burleigh Heads
AU
|
Family ID: |
42163843 |
Appl. No.: |
12/572748 |
Filed: |
October 2, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61103095 |
Oct 6, 2008 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/2.15 ;
2/24 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B63C 2011/046 20130101;
B63C 11/04 20130101; A41D 13/012 20130101; A41D 13/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/2.15 ;
2/24 |
International
Class: |
B63C 11/04 20060101
B63C011/04; A41D 13/06 20060101 A41D013/06 |
Claims
1. A wetsuit having knee pads, each knee pad comprising a ring of
relatively stiffer elastic material, the ring extending around the
kneecap of the wearer to provide compression around the kneecap of
the wearer, and a central region of relatively less stiff elastic
material, the central region resting on the kneecap of the
wearer.
2. A wetsuit as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a compression
strip extending along a region corresponding to the medial
collateral ligament (MCL) of the wearer.
3. A wetsuit as claimed in claim 2 wherein the compression strip
comprises a strip of additional material joined to the wetsuit on
the inner side of the knee.
4. A wetsuit as claimed in claim 3 wherein the compression strip
comprises a strip of additional material joined to the inside of
the wetsuit and extending at a slight angle along the leg of the
wetsuit.
5. A wetsuit as claimed in claim 3 wherein the compression strip is
joined to the wetsuit at a position located laterally to the ring
of relatively stiffer elastic material.
6. A wetsuit as claimed in claim 3 wherein the compression strip
comprises an additional strip of neoprene attached to an inside
surface of the material from which the wetsuit is made.
7. A wetsuit as claimed in claim 3 wherein a strip of enhanced
stiffness is formed as or in conjunction with the strip of
additional material.
8. A wetsuit as claimed in claim 7 wherein an outer surface of the
wetsuit is provided with a printed region that increases the
stiffness of the material of the wetsuit above the strip of
additional material to thereby form the strip of enhanced
stiffness.
9. A wetsuit as claimed in claim 7 wherein the strip of enhanced
stiffness is made from a material that is relatively stiffer than
the material from which the wetsuit is made.
10. A wetsuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ring of relatively
stiffer material includes a relatively flat outer land extending
around an outer periphery of the ring and a relatively flat inner
land extending around the inner periphery of the ring.
11. A wetsuit as claimed in claim 10 wherein the ring of material
has a thickness that increases in an inwardly radial direction from
the outer part of the ring towards and inner part of the ring.
12. A wetsuit as claimed in claim 10 wherein the ring of material
has a maximum thickness positioned at a distance closer to the
inner periphery of the ring than the outer periphery of the
ring.
13. A wetsuit as claimed in claim 10 wherein the thickness of the
ring of material decreases from its maximum thickness in a
direction moving from its maximum thickness to the inner periphery
of the ring.
14. A wetsuit as claimed in claim 10 wherein, when viewed in cross
section, the thickness of the material making up the ring of
material gradually increases from an inner part of the outer land
of relatively flat material towards a maximum thickness, with a
relatively steep decline in thickness from the maximum thickness to
the thickness at an outer part of the relatively flat inner land.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an improved wetsuit. The
wetsuit maybe especially suitable for use in surfing or other board
sports. However, the wetsuit is generally useful in any water sport
activity.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
[0002] Wetsuits are widely used in a variety of water sports.
Wetsuits typically are made from neoprene fabric, which is a
flexible foam-based material. Wetsuits are used in order to keep
the wearer of the wetsuit warm during water-based activities and to
provide a degree of protection to the skin of the wearer. Wetsuits
are used in, for example, surfing, diving, snorkeling,
sailboarding, wake boarding, body boarding and body surfing.
[0003] Many commercially available wetsuits are provided with knee
pads. Such knee pads typically consist of a rectangular pad of a
durable material attached to the outside of the wetsuit in the
region of the knee of the wearer. These knee pads are provided
essentially to improve the durability and wearing characteristics
of the wetsuit, it being appreciated that the knee region of
wetsuits can be subject to high wear.
[0004] Proprioception is the ability to know where part of the body
is positioned without having to look at that part of the body. To
give an example, proprioception allows a person to scratch their
foot without watching their hand move to their foot. Proprioception
is an innate human ability, although it will be understood that
some people (especially elite sportsmen) have higher levels of
proprioception than others.
[0005] Throughout the specification, the term "comprising" and its
grammatical equivalents shall be taken to have an inclusive meaning
unless the context of use indicates otherwise.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a
wetsuit that may provide enhanced proprioception to the wearer of
the wetsuit around the knee region.
[0007] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a wetsuit
having knee pads, each knee pad comprising a ring of relatively
stiffer elastic material, the ring extending around the kneecap of
the wearer to provide compression around the kneecap of the wearer,
and a central region of relatively less stiff elastic material, the
central region resting on the kneecap of the wearer.
[0008] The wetsuit of the present invention, in having a ring of
relatively stiffer elastic material extending around the kneecap of
the wearer and providing compression around the kneecap of the
wearer, may provide enhanced proprioception feedback to the wearer
from around the knee region. The central region of relatively less
stiff elastic material that rests on the kneecap of the wearer,
provides enhanced flexibility of material over the kneecap, thereby
enhancing wearer comfort.
[0009] In one embodiment, the wetsuit of the present invention
further comprises a compression strip extending along a region
corresponding to the medial collateral ligament (MCL) of the
wearer. This compression strip may comprise a strip of additional
material joined to the wetsuit on the inner side of the knee. The
compression strip may comprise a strip of additional material
joined to the inside of the wetsuit and extending at a slight angle
along the leg of the wetsuit. The compression strip may be joined
to the wetsuit at a position located laterally to the ring of
relatively stiffer elastic material. The compression strip may be,
for example, an additional strip of neoprene attached to the inside
surface of the material from which the wetsuit is made. The
compression strip may also be made from other flexible or elastic
material. The compression strip may enhance proprioception feedback
in the region of the MCL.
[0010] In some embodiments, a strip of enhanced stiffness may be
formed as or in conjunction with the strip of further material. For
example, the outer surface of the wetsuit may be provided with a
printed region that increases the stiffness of the material of the
wetsuit above the strip of additional material. Alternatively, the
strip of material may be made from a material that is relatively
stiffer than the material from which the wetsuit is made.
[0011] In order to manufacture a wetsuit in accordance with the
present invention, in one embodiment a leg of the wetsuit has a
cutout made in it, the cutout corresponding to the general shape of
the knee pad, and the knee pad subsequently joined to the wetsuit
by attaching the knee pad to the cutout region. The knee pad may be
attached to the cutout region by sewing, gluing or any other
technique known to be suitable to the person skilled in the art. In
this fashion, the ring of relatively stiffer material directly
contacts the knee of the wearer.
[0012] In one embodiment, the ring of relatively stiffer material
includes a relatively flat outer land extending around an outer
periphery of the ring and a relatively flat inner land extending
around the inner periphery of the ring. The relatively flat outer
and inner lands provide regions at which the ring can be
conveniently joined to the wetsuit material and the central region
of the knee pad, respectively. The ring of material may have a
thickness that increases in an inwardly radial direction from the
outer part of the ring towards and inner part of the ring. The ring
of material may have a maximum thickness positioned at a distance
closer to the inner periphery of the ring than the outer periphery
of the ring. The thickness of the ring of material may decrease
from its maximum thickness in a direction moving from its maximum
thickness to the inner periphery of the ring. In some embodiments,
when viewed in cross section, the thickness of the material making
up the ring can be seen to gradually increase from the thickness at
the outer periphery towards a maximum thickness, with a relatively
steep decline in thickness from the maximum thickness to the
thickness at the inner periphery. In describing the thickness of
the material, in the regions of relatively flat landscape the inner
and outer periphery of the ring are ignored in providing that
description.
[0013] Wetsuits in accordance with the present invention may
provide enhanced proprioception feedback to a wearer in the subject
region of the wearer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 shows a pictorial representation of a leg of a
wetsuit in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 shows a front view of a knee pad for the right knee
suitable for use in the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 2A shows a front view of a knee pad for the left knee
suitable for use in the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 3 shows a cross sectional view through one side of the
ring of material to demonstrate the thickness of the ring of
material;
[0018] FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the MCL compression strip
suitable for use in embodiments of the present invention; and
[0019] FIG. 5 shows a cross sectional view of the wetsuit in the
region of the MCL compression strip.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] It will be appreciated that the drawings attached to the
specification show preferred embodiments of the present invention.
Therefore, the person skilled in the art will understand that the
present invention should not be considered to be limited solely to
the features as shown in the drawings.
[0021] FIG. 1 shows a pictorial representation of a part of a
wetsuit in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
In particular, FIG. 1 shows a pictorial representation of the right
leg of the wetsuit. In FIG. 1, the wetsuit 10 has a leg portion 12
made from a neoprene material. The leg portion 12 extends below the
knee of the wearer. Suitably, the leg portion 12 will extend to the
ankle or foot of the wearer. The leg portion 12 includes a knee pad
14. The knee pad 14 includes a ring 16 made from a relatively
stiffer material and a central region 18 made from a relatively
less stiff material. In one embodiment, the ring 16 may comprise a
durable, heavy gauge nylon outer material laminated to a stiff
high-density foam. An example of such a material is that sold under
the brand name Supratex.TM.. As can be seen from FIG. 1, the ring
16 is wider at its upper portion then at its lower portion.
[0022] The central region 18 of the knee pad comprises a material
of relatively lower stiffness than the material of the ring. The
central region of relatively lower stiffness material increases
flexibility and comfort of the knee pad. The central region may be
made from a low-density, lightweight and very flexible material. An
example of a suitable material is that material sold under the
trade name Airlite G3 Superflex.
[0023] As can be seen from FIG. 1, the wetsuit 10 is also provided
with a medial compression strip 20. The medial compression strip
may be formed by a combination of a high-density internal panel
that is joined to the inside of the wetsuit and an outer printed
strip positioned above the internal panel. The printed strip may be
printed from HDR (high density resin) ink or other ink. The medial
compression strip may also include a different layer positioned on
the outside of the wetsuit. The medial compression strip is
positioned on the inner side of the leg and lies adjacent to the
medial collateral ligament of wearer during use of the wetsuit. The
strip may be from 130 to 200 mm in length, with a length of from
150 to 180 mm being suitable.
[0024] The knee pad 14 may provide enhanced proprioception feedback
to the wearer by virtue of the outer ring 16 providing a degree of
compression around the kneecap of the wearer. Further, the medial
compression strip 20 provides slight resistance in the region of
the MCL of the wearer, which may enhance sensory feedback.
[0025] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of the knee pad shown in FIG.
1. FIG. 2A shows a similar schematic view as that shown in FIG. 2,
except that FIG. 2A shows a schematic view of the left knee pad.
For convenience, the features of FIG. 2A that are common to the
features shown in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference
numerals.
[0026] FIG. 3 shows a cross section (taken along line A-A in FIG.
1) through one side of the ring 16 of material. In FIG. 3, the
inner periphery of the ring 16 is denoted by reference numeral 30
and the outer periphery of the ring of material is denoted by the
reference numeral 32. The inner periphery 30 is surrounded by a
flat land 34 of material. Similarly, the outer periphery 30 is
adjacent to a flat land 36 of material. The flat lands 34 and 36
facilitate joining of the ring of material to the central panel and
the material of the wetsuit, respectively.
[0027] As can also be seen from FIG. 3, the thickness of the ring
of material gradually increases from a thickness adjacent the outer
periphery (as denoted at reference numeral 38) to a maximum
thickness (as denoted at reference numeral 40), with the maximum
thickness of the ring of material 16 being located adjacent to the
inner periphery. As can also be seen from FIG. 3, the thickness of
the ring of material quickly decreases from its region of maximum
thickness 40 to the thickness at the flat land 34 that surrounds
the inner periphery 30. Indicative dimensions of the thickness of
material may include the flat lands 34, 36 having a thickness of
approximately 3 mm, while the maximum thickness at 40 may be
approximately 8 mm.
[0028] FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of the medial
compression strip 20 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The medial compression
strip 20 may comprise a strip 50 that is joined to the inside
surface of the wetsuit. The strip 50 may, for example, comprise a
strip of neoprene material, and having a thickness of between 0.5
min and 2 mm, for example approximately 1 mm, sewn or glued to the
inside surface of the leg of the wetsuit. The strip of material 50
may include an S seal dot pattern 52. The S dot pattern may provide
enhanced sensory feedback. The S dot pattern may be formed by
joining the dots onto the strip or by printing the dots onto the
strip.
[0029] A printed strip 54 may be printed on to the outer surface of
the wetsuit above the strip of material 50. The printed strip 54
may, for example, comprise a HDR ink printed strip or a Tatex
layer. Tatex is a vulcanized rubber that can be heat applied. Other
materials may be used in place of the printed strip or the Tatex
strip. The printed strip (or outer strip, if printing is not used
to form this strip) may have a thickness of between 0.1 and 0.5 mm,
suitably around 0.3 mm. The printed strip 54 generally follows the
shape of the strip 50, although as shown in FIG. 4, it is not
essential that the shape of the printed strip 54 be identical to
the shape of the strip of material 50. Indeed, printed strip 54
may, in addition to increasing the stiffness of the MCL compression
strip, also enhance the aesthetics of the wetsuit.
[0030] FIG. 5 shows the relative juxtaposition between the strip of
material 50 and the printed strip 54. In particular, in FIG. 5, the
strip of material 50 is joined to the inner side of the neoprene
material 60 from which the wetsuit is made. The printed strip 54 is
printed to the outer surface of the neoprene material 60.
[0031] In order to manufacture a wetsuit in accordance with the
present invention, the leg portion of the wetsuit has a cutout
formed on the leg in the knee region thereof, which cut out
generally conforms to the outer shape of the ring 16. The ring 16
is formed and the centre panel 18 is joined to the ring 16. In this
regard, centre panel 18 is joined to flat land 34. The ring 16 is
positioned in the cutout of the leg portion and is joined to the
neoprene material at the periphery of the cutout. In particular,
the neoprene material is joined to the ring 16 at flat land 36.
Conventional joining techniques, such as sewing or gluing (or a
combination of both) may be used. The MCL compression strip is
formed by joining (such as by sewing or gluing) the strip of
material 50 to the inner surface of the wetsuit material and
printing the printed strip 54 on the outer surface of the wetsuit
material.
[0032] It will be appreciated that the steps used in the
manufacture of the wetsuit may take place in any convenient
order.
[0033] The wetsuit of the present invention may provide enhanced
proprioception feedback to the wearer of the wetsuit. In addition,
the wetsuit is comfortable to wear and does not restrict the
movement of the wearer of the wetsuit. In contrast, in other
wetsuits having knee pads or knee supports, comfort and flexibility
of the wetsuit can be significantly decreased.
[0034] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present
invention may be susceptible to variations and modifications other
than those specifically described. It would be understood that the
present invention encompasses all such variations and modifications
that fall within its spirit and scope.
* * * * *