Close-fitting sports garment

Abstract

Sports garment adapted to cover at least one limb or body member, such garment including a textile base primarily worn in close contact with the body and including a compression zone surrounding the limb / member, the compression zone including at least one film affixed to the textile base, the film including a plurality of openings. The compression zone includes at least one exclusive compression zone and at least one postural support zone, the yield strength of the garment portion forming the postural support zone being greater than that of the garment portion forming the exclusive compression zone, along at least one direction of bias.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application is based upon French patent application Ser. No. 10 / 02511, filed Jun. 14, 2010, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference thereto in its entirety, and the priority of which is hereby claimed under 35 U.S.C. §119.BACKGROUND[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to close-fitting sports garments and, more particularly, garments intended for activities requiring postural support. Postural support is particularly important for endurance sports such as, for example, foot races on mountainous and rugged terrain, tennis, cycling, Nordic skiing and alpine skiing. The invention also has application in other sports, such as those requiring balance, including water sports.[0004]2. Background Information[0005]The patent document FR 2 889 033 and family member U.S. Pat. No. 7,886,367 disclose close-fitting sports garments having portions comprised of a laminate composite, one of the layers o...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016]The postural support zone, combined with an exclusive compression zone, reinforces the support of the body. Thus, this construction enables the user to maintain a good posture during exertion. In this posture, the joints are properly aligned, thereby balancing the stresses they undergo. The wearer does not suffer from excessive pressure in the area of the neck, shoulders, back, hips, knees, or ankles. Consequently, the articulations are less biased, which improves the amplitude of movement, flexibility, as well as the functioning of the internal organs. The alignment of the head (ears), shoulders, hips, and ankles contributes to the stability of the body. This postural stabilization enables better guiding of the limbs during movement.

[0025]This garment structure also enables good proprioception throughout the body. The garment acts as a sensor array that enables the user to react when his / her body is weakening. The change in posture causes a local action on the garment that translates into a pronounced local pressure on the body, so as to alert the user of such a change. The user can then react quickly. This delays fatigue, as mentioned above.

Problems solved by technology

A garment of this type improves blood circulation and facilitates recovery after an intense activity but provides insufficient muscular support.

Such bands are narrow and small in size relative to the length, that is, between 1 cm and 5 cm, because wider bands, which would encircle a thigh or an arm, for example, would provide too much resistance and would hinder rather than help the athlete.

Thus, the garments are not suitable for sports requiring such support and, in particular, for the new practice of trail running, or trail racing, in particular on mountainous or rugged terrain.

That is, the athlete must maintain his or her posture with every step, in order not to bend down and risk losing his or her balance of the body, which results in additional energy expenditure to compensate for this imbalance.

Therefore, also when running, poor postural support leads to a substantial variation in the center of gravity which requires additional energy expenditure, as the dynamic balance does not fully compensate for this oscillation.

Because the sports of trail-running and trail-racing having only very recently come into existence, specific products therefor have not yet been developed.

The problems of balance and the need for compression are also found in endurance sports and / or sports requiring balance, as mentioned above.

The garment also provides muscle stability, which results in a limitation of internal vibrations, especially in the area of the muscles and joints.

Postural support limits the bending of the body and therefore the energy expenditure needed to compensate for the imbalance.

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