U.S. patent application number 14/610100 was filed with the patent office on 2016-08-04 for performance hem for an athletic shirt including compression material.
The applicant listed for this patent is Reginald Uy. Invention is credited to Reginald Uy.
Application Number | 20160219955 14/610100 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56553573 |
Filed Date | 2016-08-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160219955 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Uy; Reginald |
August 4, 2016 |
Performance Hem for an Athletic Shirt Including Compression
Material
Abstract
A method of manufacturing an athletic shirt. The method
including manufacturing an athletic shirt that includes a
performance flare. The performance flare gradually widens as it
approaches the edge of the athletic shirt. The method also includes
selecting elastic to be attached to the performance flare, such
that a circumference of elastic is the same as a circumference of
the performance flare. The method also includes manufacturing a
performance hem by attaching the selected elastic to the
performance flare such that the performance hem does not include
scrunching when the selected elastic is attached to the performance
flare.
Inventors: |
Uy; Reginald; (Chicago,
IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Uy; Reginald |
Chicago |
IL |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
56553573 |
Appl. No.: |
14/610100 |
Filed: |
January 30, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 13/0015 20130101;
A41D 27/24 20130101; A41D 31/18 20190201 |
International
Class: |
A41D 27/24 20060101
A41D027/24; A41B 1/08 20060101 A41B001/08 |
Claims
1. An athletic shirt including: compression material, where the
compression material is laid out in a shirt format to be worn by an
athlete when performing athletics and the shirt format includes at
least a sleeve edge and bottom hip edge; and a performance hem
located at one of the sleeve edge or bottom hip edge, where the
performance hem includes elastic in a hem but does not include
scrunching.
2. The compression shirt of claim 1, wherein the athletic shirt is
a compression shirt.
3. The compression shirt of claim 2, wherein the compression shirt
includes compression material that enhances performance.
4. The compression shirt of claim 1, wherein the performance hem is
located at a bottom edge of the athletic shirt.
5. The compression shirt of claim 1, wherein the performance hem is
located at an edge of a sleeve of the athletic shirt.
6. The compression shirt of claim 1, wherein, in the event the
performance hem is located along the bottom edge, the performance
hem supports the athletic shirt such that it does not slide up and
down the athlete.
7. A method of manufacturing an athletic shirt, comprising:
manufacturing an athletic shirt that includes a performance flare,
where the performance flare gradually widens as it approaches the
edge of the athletic shirt; selecting elastic to be attached to the
performance flare, where the elastic has a circumference that is
the same as a circumference of the performance flare; and
manufacturing a performance hem by attaching the selected elastic
to the performance flare such that the performance hem does not
include scrunching when the selected elastic is attached to the
performance flare.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the athletic shirt includes
compression material that compresses to an athlete.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein the performance hem appears to
have a same finish as the athletic shirt.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the elastic provides a snug fit
to an athlete when worn to prevent sliding up or down.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the elastic provides a more
snug fit than the compression shirt.
12. The method of claim 7, wherein the size and dimension of the
performance flare is selected based on a size and dimension of the
elastic.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the size and dimension of the
performance flare is also selected based on a size and dimension of
the athletic shirt such that the performance hem has substantially
the same size and fit as the athletic shirt after the elastic is
attached to the performance flare.
14. A performance hem including: a fold-over hem of an athletic
shirt; a section of elastic located in the fold-over hem; and one
or more stitches that secure the section of elastic to the
fold-over hem such that the performance hem does not include
scrunching.
15. The performance hem of claim 14, wherein the athletic shirt is
a compression shirt.
16. The performance hem of claim 14, wherein the fold-over hem is a
section of the athletic shirt that is folded over such that the
fold covers the section of elastic.
17. The performance hem of claim 14, wherein the performance hem
appears the same as a remainder of the athletic shirt.
18. The performance hem of claim 14, wherein the stitching is a
four, five, or six thread double cover stitch.
19. The performance hem of claim 14, wherein the section of elastic
supports the athletic shirt in a way that reduces the chance of an
edge of the athletic shirt from sliding up or down an athlete when
performing.
20. The performance hem of claim 14, wherein a length of the
elastic is selected based on a dimension or size of the athletic
shirt.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present embodiments relate to athletic apparel. In
particular, some embodiments relate to a performance hem for
athletic shirts including compression material.
[0002] Some athletic shirts include a traditional fold-over hem
with a cover stitch. FIG. 1 illustrates a side perspective of a
traditional fold-over hem with a cover stitch. As shown in FIG. 1,
the hem 100 of an athletic shirt 110 may include a cover stitch
120. The hem 100 runs along the bottom of the shirt 110 (the swivel
line indicates the remainder of the upper part of the shirt). The
process of creating the hem 100 includes folding the shirt 110
along the bottom edge and then using a cover stitch 120 to maintain
the fold. The shirt 110 is generally folded such that the fold is
toward the back 114 of the shirt 110 and not the front 112 of the
shirt 110. The upper edge 116 of the fold is generally the bottom
of the shirt 110.
[0003] Some athletic shirts, based on the way they are sewn
together, include scrunching or gathering. As shown in FIG. 2, the
result of sewing a cuff 124 together in this manner is that the
cuff 124 appears with ridges or scrunching or gathering. This
scrunching is intentionally built into the scrunched cuff or hem to
allow the athletic shirt to stretch without tearing the clothing
material. These ridges and scrunching is a result of the
manufacturing process and/or the elastic sewn onto fabric.
Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 2, the scrunched cuff or hem appears
visually to be different than the remainder of the shirt.
[0004] Sometimes a piece of elastic is sewn onto the edge of
clothing and is visually exposed. The elastic is exposed and is
meant to be visible when worn. However, for many athletic shirts,
which are meant to have a finished visual appearance, this style is
generally not acceptable because the elastic is visually
exposed.
[0005] Athletes desire a hem that allows elastic to be built into
the edges of the sleeves or bottom of the shirt without being
visually different than the remainder of the athletic shirt.
Accordingly, there is a need for a performance hem for athletic
shirts.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-section view of a prior art
fold-over hem.
[0007] FIG. 2 illustrates a frontal view of a prior art scrunched
cuff.
[0008] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a performance
hem.
[0009] FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of a method for
manufacturing a performance hem.
[0010] FIG. 5A illustrates a chart showing exemplary sizes for a
men's athletic shirt.
[0011] FIG. 5B illustrates a chart showing exemplary sizes for a
women's athletic shirt.
[0012] FIG. 6A illustrates a chart showing exemplary lengths of
elastic for a men's athletic shirt.
[0013] FIG. 6B illustrates a chart showing exemplary lengths of
elastic for a women's athletic shirt.
[0014] FIG. 7A illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a performance
hem during a manufacturing process.
[0015] FIG. 7B illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a performance
hem during a manufacturing process.
[0016] FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a performance
hem.
[0017] FIG. 9 illustrates an example of the difference of
compression forces from an athletic shirt with a performance
hem.
[0018] FIG. 10 illustrates some of the benefits of a performance
hem.
[0019] FIG. 11 illustrates a block diagram of a method for
manufacturing a performance hem using a performance flare.
[0020] FIG. 12A-12C illustrate the manufacture of a performance hem
using a performance flare.
[0021] FIG. 13A-13B illustrate charts showing the differences in
lengths.
DESCRIPTION
[0022] The present embodiments relate to a performance hem for
athletic shirts including compression material.
[0023] In some embodiments, a performance hem is provided that
includes elastic in the hem but visually appears to be the same as
the remainder of the athletic shirt. For example, the performance
hem lays flat with the remainder of the athletic shirt and does not
include scrunching or gathering. However, because of the elastic in
the performance hem, the performance hem is meant to provide a snug
fit around the athlete to prevent the edges of the shirt from
moving (e.g., sliding up or down). Due to the elastic, the
performance hem provides a more snug fit relative to the remainder
of the athletic shirt.
[0024] In an embodiment, a method of manufacturing an athletic
shirt. The method including manufacturing an athletic shirt that
includes a performance flare. The performance flare gradually
widens as it approaches the edge of the athletic shirt. The method
also includes selecting elastic to be attached to the performance
flare, such that the elastic has the same or substantially the same
circumference as a circumference of the performance flare. The
length of the elastic and circumference of the performance flare
should have a 1:1 ratio. The method also includes manufacturing a
performance hem by attaching the selected elastic to the
performance flare such that the performance hem does not include
scrunching when the selected elastic is attached to the performance
flare.
[0025] In another embodiment, an athletic shirt including
compression material, where the compression material is laid out in
a shirt format to be worn by an athlete when performing athletics
and the shirt format includes a sleeve edge or bottom hip edge; and
a performance hem located at one of the sleeve edge or bottom hip
edge, where the performance hem includes elastic in a hem but does
not include scrunching.
[0026] In yet another embodiment, a performance hem including a
fold-over hem of an athletic shirt; a section of elastic located in
the fold-over hem; and one or more stitches that secure the section
of elastic to the fold-over hem such that the performance hem does
not include scrunching.
[0027] FIG. 3 illustrates an athletic shirt 300 including a
performance hem 310. The performance hem 310 includes a performance
hem 310a located around the edge(s) of the sleeve(s) of the shirt
300 and a performance hem 310b around the bottom of the shirt 300.
The athletic shirt 300 may include additional, different, or fewer
performance hems.
[0028] The athletic shirt 300 may be a short sleeve or long sleeve
tee-shirt, tank-top, sweatshirt, or other athletic performance
shirt. The athletic shirt 300 may be an undershirt (for example,
meant to be worn under another shirt or jersey) or an outer garment
(for example, mean to be worn alone or over other shirts).
[0029] The athletic shirt 300 may be a compression garment. A
compression garment may be an athletic shirt that includes
compression material. A compression garment includes a stretchable
material that generally adheres tightly to an individual in one or
more areas of the body. Different compression garments are designed
to provide different degrees of compression to a body part.
However, the degree of compression provided by a given garment is
dependent on the wearer's individual body shape and/or size. For
example, two different athletes wearing a size large compression
shirt may have significantly different bicep circumferences,
resulting in significantly different amounts of compression
provided by the garment. Furthermore, different individuals may
prefer greater or lesser compression on a body part based on their
own personal preferences, needs, activities and/or comfort
levels.
[0030] The athletic shirt 300 may include one or more materials.
For example, the entire athletic shirt 300 may include compression
material. In another example, only a part of the athletic shirt may
include compression material.
[0031] In some embodiments, compression material may be
stretchable. Compression material may include fabric including
elastane, polyester, nylon, mixtures thereof, or other stretch
fabrics (which may also be referred to herein as "elastic"
materials or fabrics). However, it will be recognized that any
fabric with some modulus of elasticity may be utilized in various
embodiments of the garment with adjustable compression disclosed
herein. Furthermore, although exemplary embodiments of the garment
with adjustable compression are described herein with reference to
an athletic shirt, it will be recognized that the garment may be
provided in any of various other forms in other embodiments, such
as shorts, arm sleeves, leg sleeves, socks, long pants, headgear,
or any other type of garment.
[0032] The material of which the athletic shirt 300 may be chosen
from a wide variety of fabric or different fabrics. In some
embodiments, the athletic shirt 300 is made of panels of fabrics of
elastane or similar stretch material, often combined with nylon or
polyester or similar stretch materials of 40, 60 or up to 120
denier material, for example. Other ranges are possible. The
specific stretch and recovery may be based on design requirements
and needs. For example, an athletic shirt 300 that is meant to
reduce bagginess of the shirt may have less compression than an
athletic shirt 300 that is meant to increase blood circulation. In
some embodiments, the stretch along the warp of the fabric is
between 120% and 225% and its number for recovery is between 10%
and 25%. Again, these ranges may differ based on the design
requirements and needs of that particular athletic shirt and
purpose (e.g., recovery, blood circulation, performance,
activewear, visual appearance, etc.).
[0033] In some embodiments, the athletic shirt 300 may include a
compression material that can effect a compression value of between
5 mm Hg and 25 mm Hg. The athletic shirt 300 may be used for
therapy and in that case, compression levels may be greater, for
example, up to 40 mm Hg. In most embodiments of the compression
garment of the present invention, compression will be of a lower
grade, being less than 25 mm Hg, ranging down to 5 mm Hg, for
active wear and 30 mm Hg, ranging down to 8 mm Hg, for inactive or
non-sports usage.
[0034] In some embodiments, the athletic shirt 300 may include
cotton, polyester, Lycra.RTM., Nylon, Spandex, Supplex, Wicking, or
other material. In some embodiments, the shirt is made of a blend
of material to optimize compression for certain athletes. For
example, Italian nylon Lycra, wicking Lycra, super stretch spandex,
spandura, cotton Lycra, equestrian Lycra, supplex Lycra or other
blend of material. In a particular embodiment, the shirt 300 is
made of 95% Polyester and 5% Lycra.
[0035] The compression may be made from a single elastomeric
material or from several different elastomeric materials.
[0036] The athletic shirt that is a compression garment may include
panels of variable compression fabric within or added over panels
of other compression fabric to give better muscle support. For
example, a first panel of fabric along the arms may have more
compression or elasticity than a second panel of fabric along the
torso or abdomen. There are stylistic, performance, and medical
reasons for including compression material in the athletic shirt
300. From a stylistic perspective, compression shirts are less
baggy. Instead, compression garments are generally more form
fitting. This may reveal a person's muscle definition or form. A
form-fitting garment is an article of clothing that tightly follows
the contours of the part of the body being covered. There are
numerous types of clothing which typically are or which can be made
form-fitting. For example, stockings, leggings, tights and socks
are usually form-fitting. Clothing used in dance and in exercise,
such as leotards, unitards, and swimsuits are usually
form-fitting.
[0037] Undergarments or foundation garments such as bodysuits,
brassieres and underpants as bodysuits, brassieres and underpants
are form-fitting to give a smooth line to the outer clothing.
Skin-tight garments are usually also form-fitting, but are held to
the skin by elastic tension. In contrast, non-form-fitting garments
are commonly referred to as "loose". Though many materials can be
used to make form-fitting garments, the thinner materials, such as
synthetic fibers, are the most commonly used, because of the smooth
line that can be produced as well as their extra strength when
pulled tight. Some fabrics cling to the skin or do so when wet,
giving a form-fitting effect. A feature of Western societies is the
popularity of form-fitting clothing worn by women, compared to
equivalent male garments. These include t-shirts, shorts and jeans.
Some cultures and religious communities disapprove of form-fitting
clothing, which they consider to be immodest.
[0038] From a performance standpoint, an athlete may choose
compression garments to prevent movement of the shirt while
performing. Since the shirt fits snuggly on the body, the shirt
does not get in the way. Compression garments may prevent chafing
because the garment fits snuggly.
[0039] From a medical perspective, the compression garment may
improve blood circulation. Compression garments may also help
relieve pain from muscle stiffness and soreness, reduces the time
taken for muscles to repair themselves and, when the right amount
of compression is used (will vary depending on body area, typically
in the range of 10 to 25 mmHg), improved venous return and
oxygenation to working muscles.
[0040] In some embodiments, the material may include wicking
material. Wicking material acts to move moisture by capillary
action from the inside to the surface. For example, wicking
material may move sweat from the skin to the outer surface (e.g.,
furthest from the body) of the material, so that in use it draws
moisture from the body.
[0041] In some embodiments, the material may include anti-odor
technology that prevents the growth of odor causing microbes. A lot
of workout clothing advertised as "antibacterial" or "anti-odor"
includes microscopic particles, or nanoparticles, of silver. These
particles, shrunk down to sizes as small as one billionth of a
meter, are natural bacteria-killers that can prevent odor- and
mildew-causing bacteria from ruining the athletic.
[0042] In some embodiments, the material may include Ultraviolet
Protection Factor (UPF) or Sun Protection Factor (SPF) protection
fabric. For instance, the material may include technology that
protects the athlete's skin from the sun's harmful rays. Protection
may include eliminating or reducing the harmful effects of exposure
to sun. SPF stands for the Sun Protection Factor, most commonly
associated with sunscreen. This measures the amount of time it
takes for skin to burn. UPF on the other hand stands for
Ultraviolet Protection Factor, which is a measure of the amount of
UV radiation that penetrates a fabric and reaches your skin. For
example, a fabric rated with a UPF of 20 will allow only 1/20th of
the sun's UV rays to pass through. UPF fabrics come in, for
example, UPF 20, 25, 30, 35, 45 & 50. Wearing a UPF fabric may
reduce the athlete's exposure to UV rays, (where it covers your
body). Dark colors and tight weaves will have higher UPF ratings.
As well, nylons and polyesters are better than plain cotton because
they reflect radiation.
[0043] In some embodiments, the compression garment may include
smooth, chafe-free flatlock seam construction. Construction of the
seams may be configured to eliminate or reduce chafing of the
athlete's skin.
[0044] In some embodiments, the compression garment may include
print. The print may include, for example, labels, logos, phrases,
letter(s), number(s), symbols, designs, or a combination thereof.
For example, a team's logo may be printed on the shirt. In some
embodiments, the print may be an allover sublimated print.
[0045] The performance hem 310 may be a hem that includes elastic.
The performance hem 310 visually appears to be a fold-over hem
without elastic because it appears visually the same as the rest of
the shirt 100 (e.g., without scrunching or gathering). However, in
actuality, the performance hem 110 does includes elastic such that
the elastic snaps around the body part. This snapping may be the
result of the elastic fitting more snuggly than the remainder of
the compression garment and fitting more snuggly than the remainder
of the athletic shirt. The performance hem 110 has more elasticity
(i.e., is snugger, tighter, greater spring constant) than the
remainder of the shirt. The performance hem 110 may visually appear
to be a fold-over hem without elastic because when it is not being
worn (e.g., laying on a table), the hem visually looks like a
fold-over hem in the sense that there is no scrunching, shirring,
or gathering. Scrunching is sometimes referred to as encasing. From
the front, as shown in FIG. 3, the hem appears to be a fold-over
hem without elastic. However, the performance hem includes elastic.
As such, the performance hem provides both stylistic and
performance benefits.
[0046] The performance hem 310 may be a Fusion Finish.TM. (owned
and sold by ONE-P in Chicago, Ill.) hem. The Fusion Finish hem
includes the fusion of technology and innovation to develop a new
structure for compression. The result is the Fusion Finish. Making
custom compression more intuitive, powerful, and useful. The Fusion
Finish may begin with the properly sized fusion band (e.g., the
elastic), which is folded and cover stitched onto Torify.TM. (owned
and sold by ONE-P) fabric creating the Fusion Finish. Torify fabric
is ONE-P's blended material used for performance material. Benefits
of the Fusion Finish include extra support keeping the compression
at the athletes waist preventing from sliding up and/or holds
sleeves in place and prevents sliding up and down. No more cutting
sleeves which causes loss of compression.
[0047] As mentioned above, by nature of the elastic material, which
includes a spring constant (e.g., when stretched returns back to
original length), the introduction of elastic to a hem generally
causes scrunching or other gathering. For example, the following
traditional techniques of attaching elastic cause scrunching or
gathering: attaching elastic using an encased elastic band, zig-zag
stitching elastic band and top stitching, zig-zag stitching elastic
band and top stitching with elastic thread, elastic gathering and
shirring, gathering and shirring with elastic thread, elastic
channel, and elastic scrunchie. As a result, traditional hems that
include elastic cause the material to scrunch or gather together
when sewn onto the elastic.
[0048] The performance hem provides a combination of a finished
look and performance. On the one hand, from a stylistic standpoint,
the elastic is no longer visible when being worn. When viewing the
athletic shirt, either when being worn or not being worn, it does
not appear that there is elastic. There is no bunching and the
material is folded over the elastic so that the elastic is not
visible. On the other hand, from a performance standpoint, the
elastic provides improved support. The elastic is configured to
hold the edges of the shirt in the desired location. For example,
the edges of the shirt do not slide up. The elastic provides a snug
fit around the athlete.
[0049] FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of a method 400 for
manufacturing a performance hem. The method 400 may include
additional, different, or fewer acts. The method 400 may include
the acts shown in blocks 410-450. The acts in method 400 may be
performed in the order shown in FIG. 4 or a different order.
[0050] The acts shown in FIG. 4 may be performed by hand and/or
using one or more machines configured to perform the acts. For
example, one or more of the acts may be performed by hand and the
other acts may be performed using one or more machines. In another
example, all of the acts may be performed using the same machine or
different machines. In yet another example, one or more of the acts
may be performed using a first machine, one or more other acts may
be performed using a second machine, which is different than the
first machine. This may continue until all the acts or a desired
number of acts are completed.
[0051] In act 410, an athletic shirt is selected. The athletic
shirt may include one or more finished or unfinished edges, such as
a sleeve edge, collar edge, or bottom edge. In some embodiments, an
unfinished edge is a raw edge (e.g., does not have a hem or any
other stitching). A finished edge includes an edge that not raw
(e.g., includes a hem or some other stitching). During production,
the edge of the shirt may have been cut but has not been finished
with a hem or cuff. In some embodiments, the unfinished edge may
include a preliminary hem or cuff. The preliminary hem or cuff may
be a hem or cuff that was added after production of the athletic
shirt to prepare the shirt for finishing, such as adding a more
advanced hem or cuff (e.g., performance hem).
[0052] The athletic shirt may be a compression shirt. Accordingly,
selecting an athletic shirt may include selecting a compression
shirt. The compression shirt may include compression material. For
example, in some embodiments, the compression shirt may be made of
95% polyester and 5% Lycra.
[0053] The athletic shirt may have been sized to fit athletes
during performance. For example, FIGS. 5A and 5B shows exemplary
sizes for the athletic shirt (men and women) that may be selected.
In other examples, the sizes may vary from those shown in FIGS. 5A
and 5B but still designed to fit athletes during performance. For
instance, the sizes may be larger for an athletic shirt for
football players than for golfers.
[0054] As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the athletic shirt may have a
circumference at the chest ("Chest") of 341/2 inches for a men's,
size small athletic shirt. "Waist" is the circumference of the
athletic shirt at the waist. "Hips" is the circumference of the
athletic shirt at the hips. "CF Length" is the length of the
athletic shirt at the center front, which is generally measured
from the neck to the bottom edge of the shirt at the center front
location. "CB Length" is the length of the athletic shirt at the
center back. "Sleeve (Long)" is the length of the sleeve, which is
generally measured from the shoulder to the wrist. "Bicep" is the
circumference of the athletic shirt at the bicep. "Sleeve (3/4)"
and "Sleeve (1/2)" is the length of the sleeves for shirts with 3/4
lengths and 1/2 lengths, respectively.
[0055] In some embodiments, the method may include selecting an
athletic shirt with different lengths of sleeves. Selecting an
athletic shirt with different length sleeves By way of example, an
athletic shirt may include a long sleeve on the left arm and a 3/4
length sleeve on the right arm. The lengths of the sleeves may be
those described herein and in the drawings or different lengths.
This is beneficial for athletes that have needs for different
length sleeves. For instance, a baseball pitcher may want a long
sleeve on this throwing arm but a short sleeve on his other arm.
The edges of the different length sleeves may include a performance
hem. As a result, the performance hem may be located at different
lengths along the arm.
[0056] In act 420, the elastic may be cut to a defined length. The
defined length may be a length that allows the performance hem to
lay flat when stitched together. The defined length may take into
account the stitching and the stretch of the final product to allow
for movement and stretch of the elastic. The elastic is cut at a
1:1 ratio with the athletic shirt. FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate
exemplary sizes for the circumference length of the elastic. For
example, as shown in FIG. 6A, the circumference length of the
elastic for the wrist for a man's shirt, size large is 8 inches. In
other words, the piece of elastic would be cut 8 inches long. Since
the ratio is generally 1:1 with the circumference of the shirt, the
circumference of the athletic shirt at the wrist will be 8 inches
as well. In some embodiments, the size of the elastic is cut to the
size of the performance flare discussed herein. In some
embodiments, the length of the elastic is slightly (e.g., less than
1 inch, less than 1 centimeter, less than 1 millimeter) longer than
the corresponding edge of the athletic shirt. In other embodiments,
the length of the elastic is the same length as the corresponding
edge of the athletic shirt. In yet other embodiments, the length of
the elastic is slightly (e.g., less than 1 inch, less than 1
centimeter, less than 1 millimeter) shorter than the corresponding
edge of the athletic shirt. These slight differences in length
between the elastic and the shirt may take into account slight
measuring errors, cutting errors, or other inadvertent
manufacturing errors.
[0057] Returning to FIG. 4, in act 430, the elastic is sewn onto
the athletic shirt. The elastic is sewn in a position that allows
the edge of the athletic shirt to be folded over the backside of
the athletic shirt. As shown in FIG. 7A, the athletic shirt 710 and
elastic 720 are sewn together using a first stitch. The first
stitch may be one or more stitches 730 that do not cause scrunching
or gathering, such as a merrow serger. The first stitch is used to
attach the elastic 720 on the backside 712 of the athletic shirt
710. As shown in FIG. 7A, prior to attaching the elastic 720 to the
athletic shirt 710, the bottom edge of the elastic 720 is aligned
with the bottom edge of the athletic shirt 710. Aligned with the
bottom edge of the athletic shirt 710 may include placing the
elastic 720 in a position such that the bottom edge of the elastic
720 ends at the same or substantially the same location 760 as the
bottom edge of the athletic shirt 710. The bottom edge of the
athletic shirt 710 may be a raw edge. The elastic 720 lays flat
throughout this process without stretching either the fabric of the
athletic shirt and/or elastic. Accordingly, attaching the elastic
720 to the athletic shirt 710 does not cause scrunching or
gathering, for example.
[0058] In some alternative embodiments, which are not shown in FIG.
7A, the elastic may be attached in a different location. For
instance, the elastic 720 may be attached in a location 740 that is
further up the athletic shirt 710, such that the bottom edge of the
athletic shirt 710 may be folded over the elastic 720 after the
elastic 720 is attached to the athletic shirt 710.
[0059] In some embodiments, act 430 is not needed. Instead, the
elastic may be held in place using other methods, such as removable
pins, machinery, or other fasteners. The first stitch does provide
additional support for the elastic when the elastic is stretched
during performance.
[0060] In act 440, the edge of the athletic shirt is folded over
the back of the athletic shirt. In some embodiments, this may
including the folding over the first stitch. The bottom edge of the
athletic shirt 750 is at the same position as the bottom edge 722
of the elastic 720, as shown in FIG. 7B. When folded over (or up),
the bottom edges of the shirt and elastic are flipped over toward
the top of the shirt. For example, the bottom edges of the elastic
is now the top edge of the elastic. In other embodiments, when
folded over, the bottom edge of the athletic shirt 750 is at the
nearly the same position as the top edge 722 of the elastic 720,
for example, taking into account slight deviations during sewing or
the manufacturing process.
[0061] In act 450, while in the folded over (up) position, the
athletic shirt and elastic are attached again using a second
stitch. The second stitch may be a stitch that does not cause
scrunching or gathering, such as a 5 thread double cover stitch or
a cover stitch with a zig-zag pattern. By way of example, FIG. 8
illustrates a side cross-section of the performance hem. As shown
in FIG. 8, the athletic shirt 810 and elastic 820 are sewn together
using a first stitch 830, which is the same or similar to the
stitch 730 shown in FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B. Once the elastic is folded
over and the elastic is positioned between the front of the
athletic shirt and the folded over piece of the athletic shirt, one
or more second stitches 850, such as a 4, 5, or 6 thread double
cover stitch or a regular double cover stitch, are used to attach
or secure the front 860 of the athletic shirt 810 to the fold-over
(e.g., including the athletic shirt and elastic) of the athletic
shirt 810. The one or more stitches 850 penetrate (e.g., go thru)
the front 860, elastic 820, and/or fold over section of the
athletic shirt 870. The stitch 850 shown in FIG. 8 is a cover
stitch, which appears to be two stitches but is a single stitch
that cover stitch. Other stitches may be used for both the first
stitch and second stitch. As described in this embodiment, the
elastic 820 is secured (e.g., fastened, fixed into place) to the
athletic shirt 810 using the first stitch 830 and second stitch
850, both of which do not cause scrunching or gathering.
[0062] FIG. 9 illustrates the relative compression forces between
the performance hem 910 and the remainder of the athletic shirt
920. The remainder of the athletic shirt 910 has a smaller
compression force F1 than the compression force F2 of the
performance of the performance hem 910. The compression force is
due to the elasticity. The compression of the remainder of the
athletic shirt 920 does not have as large of a spring constant as
the compression (e.g., elastic band) of the performance hem 910.
The performance hem 910 creates more support than the remainder for
the athletic shirt 920. More support relates to the force placed on
the athlete. Due to the support, the performance hem 910 is snugger
on the athlete than the remainder of the athletic shirt 920.
[0063] As shown in FIG. 10, due to this support of the elastic, it
is more difficult to move (e.g., slide) the performance hem 910 up
and down. The performance hem 1010 keeps the athletic shirt 1020
from sliding up and down (as shown by the arrows in FIG. 10) the
athlete when being worn and the athlete is performing. By way of
example, the sliding may be a sliding up and/or down the arm for
the performance hem on the arms (e.g., wrist, 1/2 length, 3/4
length, or cut off around the shoulder). In another example, the
sliding may be a sliding up and/or down the torso. Reducing the
amount of sliding is beneficial for athletes that move around and
shirts typically slide up or down. The amount of times the athlete
needs to keep sliding the edges back into place may be greatly
reduced.
[0064] FIG. 11 a block diagram of a method 1100 for manufacturing a
performance hem using a performance flare. The method 1100 may
include the acts shown in blocks 1110-1130. The method 1100 may
include additional, different, or fewer acts. The acts in method
1100 may be performed in the order shown in FIG. 11 or a different
order.
[0065] The acts shown in FIG. 11 may be performed by hand and/or
using one or more machines configured to perform the acts. For
example, one or more of the acts may be performed by hand and the
other acts may be performed using one or more machines. In another
example, all of the acts may be performed using the same machine or
different machines. In yet another example, one or more of the acts
may be performed using a first machine, one or more other acts may
be performed using a second machine, which is different than the
first machine. This may continue until all the acts or a desired
number of acts are completed.
[0066] At block 1110, an athletic shirt is selected with a
performance flare. In some embodiments, selecting an athletic shirt
may include manufacturing an athletic shirt with a performance
flare. For example, in general an athletic shirt tapers (e.g.,
become smaller and smaller) as it approaches the edge (e.g., end of
sleeve or bottom of shirt). In another example, there is no taper.
However, in either example, an athletic shirt may be manufactured
that flares at the edge. This may be referred to a performance
flare. The size of the flare (e.g., how far it flares out, how long
it flares before the edge, or both) may be selected based on the
elastic that is chosen to be used in the performance hem. In other
embodiments, selecting an athletic shirt may include choosing an
already manufactured athletic shirt with a performance hem. For
example, an order may be received for a medium size athletic shirt
with 3/4 length sleeves. Accordingly, a medium size athletic shirt
with 3/4 length sleeves and a performance flare may be chosen.
[0067] The performance flare may be sewn onto the athletic shirt
after the athletic shirt is manufactured or may be manufactured
with the remainder of the athletic shirt.
[0068] FIG. 12A illustrates an athletic shirt 1200 with a
performance flare 1210. As shown in FIG. 12A, the athletic shirt
begins to flare as it approaches the edges. The performance flare
is a gradual widening at one end. As shown in FIG. 12A, the
performance flare gradually widens as it approaches the edge of the
shirt. Accordingly, the diameter of the flare is larger than the
diameter of the shirt nearest the flare.
[0069] Returning to FIG. 11, at block 1120, elastic may be
selected. The size, dimensions and/or makeup (e.g., elasticity) of
the elastic may be selected based on size, dimensions, and/or
makeup (e.g., elasticity) of the performance flare. In some
embodiments, the circumference of the elastic (e.g., when the ends
are touching) will be smaller than the circumference of the
performance flare. As such, when attached (e.g., block 1130), the
elastic will cause the performance flare to shrink back to the
exact or substantially the same size as the remainder of the shirt
causing it to be have a finished look.
[0070] FIG. 12B illustrates an athletic shirt with a performance
flare 1210 and elastic 1230 that was selected. As generally shown
in FIG. 12B, the circumference of the elastic 1230 (e.g., when the
ends are touching) is the same size or substantially the same size
as the circumference of the performance flare, which is discussed
above. Substantially the same size, as used herein, is meant to
take into account minor deviations, such as minor deviations caused
during measuring, manufacturing, attachment and so on. In some
embodiments, substantially the same size may be less than a quarter
of an inch. In some embodiments, substantially the same size may be
less than a 1/8 of an inch. In some embodiments, substantially the
same size may be less than a 1/16 of an inch. In some embodiments,
substantially the same size may be less than a 1/32 of an inch. In
some embodiments, substantially the same size may be less than a
1/64 of an inch.
[0071] Returning to FIG. 11, at block 1130, the selected elastic is
attached to the performance hem of the selected athletic shirt to
provide a performance hem. The elastic 1230 may be attached in
accordance with an embodiment disclosed herein, for example. As
shown in FIG. 12C, the result of attaching the selected elastic is
a performance hem. Accordingly, as discussed herein, the athletic
shirt is afforded the benefits and advantages of the performance
hem.
[0072] In some embodiments, the size, dimensions, and/or makeup
(e.g., elasticity) of the performance flare and also the elastic
may be selected (e.g., blocks 1110 and 1120) based on the impact of
attaching the elastic to the performance flare (e.g., block 1130).
Attaching the elastic to the performance flare will generally cause
the performance flare to shrink (e.g., diameter become smaller).
Accordingly, in order to obtain a finished look of the performance
hem (e.g., no bunching or scrunching) the right size flare needs to
be chosen so that it looks like the remainder of the athletic
shirt. The size and dimensions of the performance flare and also
the elastic may be selected (e.g., FIGS. 12A and 12B) based on the
desired performance hem (e.g., FIG. 12C). FIG. 13 illustrates a
chart that shows the diameter difference between the performance
flare (e.g., shown in FIG. 12A) and the diameter of the performance
hem after the elastic is attached (e.g., shown in FIG. 12C). FIG.
13 helps understand the concept of selecting the dimensions of the
performance flare and elastic based on the desired final
diameter.
[0073] In some embodiments, one or more of the acts or embodiments
may be performed automatically. A manufacturing machine, such as a
sewing system, that is controlled by a computing device may be
programmed to perform one or more of the acts or embodiments. For
example, a sewing system may be configured to perform all or part
of the methods shown in FIG. 4 and/or FIG. 11. In addition to
performing stitches, some sewing systems are even configured to
select material and elastic. Accordingly, one, some or all of the
embodiments may be performed automatically (e.g., with no or little
help from humans).
[0074] Some of the described figures depict example block diagrams,
systems, and/or flow diagrams representative of methods that may be
used to implement all or part of certain embodiments. One or more
of the components, elements, blocks, and/or functionality of the
example block diagrams, systems, and/or flow diagrams may be
implemented alone or in combination in hardware, firmware, discrete
logic, as a set of computer readable instructions stored on a
tangible computer readable medium, and/or any combinations thereof,
for example.
[0075] The example block diagrams, systems, and/or flow diagrams
may be implemented using any combination of application specific
integrated circuit(s) (ASIC(s)), programmable logic device(s)
(PLD(s)), field programmable logic device(s) (FPLD(s)), discrete
logic, hardware, and/or firmware, for example. Also, some or all of
the example methods may be implemented manually or in combination
with the foregoing techniques, for example.
[0076] The example block diagrams, systems, and/or flow diagrams
may be performed using one or more processors, controllers, and/or
other processing devices, for example. For example, the examples
may be implemented using coded instructions, for example, computer
readable instructions, stored on a tangible computer readable
medium. A tangible computer readable medium may include various
types of volatile and nonvolatile storage media, including, for
example, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM),
programmable read-only memory (PROM), electrically programmable
read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable read-only memory
(EEPROM), flash memory, a hard disk drive, optical media, magnetic
tape, a file server, any other tangible data storage device, or any
combination thereof. The tangible computer readable medium is
non-transitory.
[0077] Further, although the example block diagrams, systems,
and/or flow diagrams are described above with reference to the
figures, other implementations may be employed. For example, the
order of execution of the components, elements, blocks, and/or
functionality may be changed and/or some of the components,
elements, blocks, and/or functionality described may be changed,
eliminated, subdivided, or combined. Additionally, any or all of
the components, elements, blocks, and/or functionality may be
performed sequentially and/or in parallel by, for example, separate
processing threads, processors, devices, discrete logic, and/or
circuits.
[0078] While embodiments have been disclosed, various changes may
be made and equivalents may be substituted. In addition, many
modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or
material. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosed technology
not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but will
include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended
claims.
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