U.S. patent number 3,801,987 [Application Number 05/254,988] was granted by the patent office on 1974-04-09 for garment.
Invention is credited to Marvin I. Thompson, Jr..
United States Patent |
3,801,987 |
Thompson, Jr. |
April 9, 1974 |
GARMENT
Abstract
A garment provided with sleeves and having inserts set into the
sleeves at the points of joining to the body of the garment
constructed to provide ventilation under the arms. Each insert is
of a stretch textured mesh fabric, such as knitted fabric, and
provided with eyelets which expand or open up as the sleeve is
raised to channel air into and out of the underarm portion of the
body. The insert is of one piece and extends transversely across
the mid section of the underarm portion of the sleeve.
Inventors: |
Thompson, Jr.; Marvin I.
(Knoxville, TN) |
Family
ID: |
22966360 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/254,988 |
Filed: |
May 19, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/125;
2/DIG.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D
27/10 (20130101); A41D 27/28 (20130101); Y10S
2/01 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A41D
27/00 (20060101); A41D 27/10 (20060101); A41D
27/28 (20060101); A41b 001/08 () |
Field of
Search: |
;2/DIG.1,DIG.4,125,90 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
253,387 |
|
Jan 1963 |
|
AU |
|
361,815 |
|
Nov 1931 |
|
GB |
|
446,575 |
|
Feb 1948 |
|
CA |
|
Primary Examiner: Guest; Alfred R.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Burns, Doane, Swecker &
Mathis
Claims
I claim:
1. A garment comprising a body portion having a sleeve opening on
each opposite side thereof, sleeves each having an inner end
extending around the sleeve opening, and joined to the body portion
about the opening, said sleeve having a cut-out in the body portion
thereof adjacent said end, and a non-seamed insert of knitted
elastic material secured in said cut-out in the sleeve, said insert
having eyelets formed in the knitted material, and spaced over a
substantial portion of the area thereof and along the length of the
sleeve the eyelets being relatively narrow and elongated
circumferentially of the sleeve when the material is relaxed and
being stretched substantially to circular shape upon raising
movement of the sleeve relative to the body portion for admitting
air into the garment.
2. A garment according to claim 1, wherein the insert extends to
the inner end of the sleeve and is joined by a seam along one edge
thereof to the body portion of the garment.
3. A garment comprising a body portion having a sleeve opening on
each opposite side thereof, sleeves each having an inner end
connected with the body portion about the opening by a seam
extending continuously around the inner end of the sleeve, and an
insert connected between the sleeve and the body portion seam
beneath the sleeve, said insert being formed of knitted fabric with
rows of loops extending circumferentially of the sleeve and having
elongated narrow eyelets formed in the rows and spaced over a
substantial area thereof the eyelets being elongated
circumferentially of the sleeve in positions to open substantially
to circular shape upon raising movement of the sleeve relative to
the body portion for admitting air therethrough upon said raising
movement of the sleeve relative to the body portion.
4. A garment according to claim 3, wherein the insert is in one
piece and extends continuously across the mid portion of the sleeve
beneath the latter.
Description
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to improvements in garments of the character
having sleeves set into the body of the garment and normally
extending downward on opposite sides thereof. An example thereof is
a sport shirt.
Attempts have been made heretofore to provide some ventilation of
the armpits by the use of mesh fabric which interconnects the
sleeve with the body of the garment. In some instances, gussets are
formed of perforated cloth between the sleeves and the body portion
of the garment. The use of gussets at such points is undesirable
becuase of the stress applied thereto in raising or shifting of the
sleeves due to movement of the arms, which will not provide the
proper and adequate ventilation of the underarm portions of the
body.
One object of this invention is to improve the construction of
sleeved garments by providing for the ventilation of the underarm
portions through flexibility which creates circulation of air at
the appropriate regions of the body.
Another object of the invention is to provide for ventilation of
the underarm regions through the opening and closing of eyelets
with the flexibility of arm movements causing the air to be forced
through the mesh fabric in which the eyelets are provided.
These objects may be accomplished, according to one embodiment of
the invention by providing an insert under each of the arms, set in
the sleeve portion of the garment. The insert is formed of a
suitable elastic or mesh fabric which stretches at least in the
direction of the length of the sleeve due to raising and lowering
movement of the arm and may be a suitable knitted fabric having the
rows of loops extending circumferentially around the arm, with rows
of eyelets formed between the rows of loops at spaced points across
the width of the insert.
The eyelets are initially substantially closed but capable of being
opened up due to stretch of the insert as the sleeve portion is
raised with respect to the body portion of the garment. This action
utilizes the force from stress to transfer the pressure into a
useful function rather than to eliminate the stress, thus causing a
circulation of air into and about the underarm portions of the body
for effective ventilation.
The expansion and enlargement of the eyelets creates ventilation
through flexibility. As the insert is stretched, the rows of loops
forming the insert are opened and at the same time the eyelets are
expanded, allowing freedom of circulation of air therethrough into
and out of the underarm portion of the body, thus effecting
complete and proper ventilation in these regions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
This embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of an insert made according to this
invention;
FIG. 2 is a detail view of a portion thereof on an enlarged
scale;
FIG. 3 is a front elevation of a portion of a garment and sleeve,
showing the insert in place therein;
FIG. 4 is a side elevation thereof, showing the sleeve in raised
position; and
FIG. 5 is a plan view of a portion of the insert on an enlarged
scale, with the eyelets expanded.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DISCLOSURE
The invention is shown as applied to a garment, generally indicated
by the numeral 1. Any suitable or desired character of garment may
be used for the purpose in which ventilation should be effected
with respect to the underarm portions. A sport shirt is one example
thereof which may be of the character of a conventional T-shirt,
bowling shirt or of other suitable type.
The garment 1 comprises a body portion 2 having a sleeve 3
connected with each opposite side thereof and with the sleeves
normally extending downward on opposite sides of the body portion.
In the customary method of making such garments, the body portion 2
is made of two parts connected together by side seams 4 and sleeves
3 are attached to the body portion by side seams 5 which extend
continuously around the respective sleeves 3 in the manner
illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The sleeve 3 is also provided with a
seam 6, usually extending along the underside thereof.
In providing ventilation for the underarm portions of the body in
the region of the sleeves 3, each of the latter is cut out at 7 in
the lower segment thereof adjacent the inner end of the sleeve. The
cut-out 7 may be provided by shaping the garment sleeve portion, as
by knitting, so as to form this cut-out portion thereby or a gap in
the sleeve but not in the body portion of the garment.
An insert 8, which should be of one piece, extends throughout the
area of the cut-out 7 complementary to the remainder of the sleeve
3 within its confines and joined by the seam 5 which connects the
sleeve 3 with the body portion 2. A seam is provided also to
connect the insert 8 with the remainder of the sleeve 3 along the
cut-out edge 7.
Thus, the insert 8 is set into the sleeve and forms a part thereof.
It is not a gusset between the sleeve and body portion of the
garment and preferably extends in one piece across the mid seams 4
and 6 (FIG. 4) on opposite sides thereof.
The insert 8 is formed of an elastic fabric which will stretch at
least in the direction of the length of the sleeve. It should be
made of open porous material such as warp knitted fabric and may be
of Nylon or of other suitable yarn which will form an appropriate
mesh. Material of this character will have rows of loops which
should extend circumferentially around the sleeve, and at spaced
intervals in the rows eyelets 9 are formed which are initially
substantially closed, as indicated in FIG. 2, but are capable of
expanding due to the stretch of the fabric, as indicated in FIG.
5.
The rows of eyelets formed at intervals between spaced rows of
loops will also extend circumferentially around the sleeve at the
inner end of the latter. Raising movement of the arm of the wearer
will cause stretching movement to be imparted to the insert in a
direction lengthwise of the sleeve which will cause the rows of
eyelets to open from the substantially closed relation, as
indicated in FIG. 2, to the fully opened condition illustrated in
FIG. 5. This also will stretch the knitted fabric so as to open the
loops of the porous material, thus allowing freedom of ventilation
to the underarm portions of the body.
The enlarging and expansion, both of the porous fabric and of the
eyelets creates maximum ventilation. The stress imparted to the
insert by the raising movement of the arms transfers the pressure
imparted to the insert into a useful function, thus forcing a
circulation, not only through the eyelets but also through the
porous fabric, thereby effecting a maximum ventilation. The arms
can move easily due to the stretch of the inserts and when the arms
are lowered, the eyelets contract. This forces the air circulation
throuh the underarm portions of the body and effects complete
ventilation through flexibility of the inserts with no trapping of
air, but instead effective circulation and thereby effective
ventilation of the area.
The size of the inserts and the size of the eyelets therein can be
varied as found desirable. For some types of shirts, such as
bowling shirts, smaller eyelets may be used, but these will create
the needed ventilation according to the activities to be
undertaken.
The inserts do not detract from the appearance of the garment
inasmuch as they form integral parts of the sleeves thereof without
giving the appearance of added structural parts, such as gussets.
These inserts may be predyed or dyed with the fabric of the garment
so as to conform with the color thereof and thus be substantially
concealed when in use.
While the invention has been illustrated and described in one
embodiment, it is recognized that variations and changes may be
made therein without departing from the invention set forth in the
claims.
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