US20170135414A1

US20170135414A1 - Athletic performance shirt with wrist device view

Info

Publication number: US20170135414A1
Application number: US15/348,202
Authority: US
Inventors: Karen Fultz
Original assignee: Observame LLC
Current assignee: Observame LLC
Priority date: 2015-11-13
Filing date: 2016-11-10
Publication date: 2017-05-18

Abstract

An athletic performance shirt including a body portion for receiving a user's torso, an elongated sleeve attached to the body portion, the elongated sleeve being configured to receive a user's arm therein, and an opening on a distal end of the elongated sleeve, the opening being configured to display and receive a tracking device worn on the user's arm.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/254,841, which was tiled on Nov. 13, 2015, the complete and entire disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present teachings are generally related to an athletic performance shirt, and more particularly to an athletic performance shirt having an opening for displaying a tracking device during a physical activity.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and should not be construed as constituting prior art.
Endurance performers, such as distance runners and other such athletes often have a desire to monitor certain individual performance statistics (such as pace, distance, heart rate, elapsed time, etc.) as they are participating in various physical activities. These qualifiers and other such statistics are generally tracked and monitored by the performer's wristwatch or other such wrist-worn device. These wrist devices are often worn beneath the sleeve of their jacket or shirt, particularly if the athlete is performing in a cold environment. Positioning the wrist device underneath the athlete's clothing, however, can prove to be a hindrance, particularly if the physical activity requires the athlete to be in continuous movement. Moreover, this hindrance is further exaggerated if the athlete is forced to manually move or manipulate their sleeve in order to view or access their tracking device during the physical activity. The additional arm movement that is required when the athlete moves their clothing out of the way forces the athlete to unnecessarily waste oxygen and energy, both of which could have been used for helping the athlete reach their desired performance goals.
The present invention is intended to address and resolve some of these known deficiencies within the art.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an athletic performance shirt is provided and comprises a body portion for receiving a user's torso, an elongated sleeve attached to the body portion, and an opening on a distal end of the elongated sleeve. In accordance with this embodiment, the elongated sleeve is configured to receive a user's arm therein, and the opening is configured to display and receive a tracking device that is worn on the user's arm.
According to certain embodiments, the athletic performance shirt further comprises a movable flap associated with the opening.
In accordance with certain aspects herein, the movable flap is configured to at least partially cover the opening, while in accordance with still other aspects the movable flap is releasably attachable to the sleeve.
In various illustrative embodiments herein, the opening further comprises a transparent material that is configured to display the tracking device as it is worn on the user's arm.
In yet other exemplary embodiments, the athletic performance shirt further comprises an elastic material that is configured to secure the tracking device within the sleeve's opening so that the user can easily access the device during a physical activity.
According to certain aspects of the present invention, the athletic performance shirt is fabricated from a fabric having hydrophobic properties and is selected from one or more of polyester, cotton, linen, spandex and elastane.
Illustrative tracking devices that may be used in accordance with the present invention include wristwatches, heart rate monitors, fitness monitors, sleep trackers, activity wristbands, fitness trackers, and GPS devices.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, an athletic performance shirt is provided comprising a body portion for receiving a user's torso, an elongated sleeve attached to the body portion, an opening on a distal end of the elongated sleeve, a flap attached to elongated sleeve and an elastic material surrounding at least a portion of the opening. In accordance with this illustrative embodiment, the elongated sleeve is configured to receive a user's arm therein, while the opening is configured to display and receive a tracking device worn on the user's arm. Moreover, the flap is positioned proximate the opening and the elastic material is configured to secure a tracking device within the opening.
According to still other embodiments of the present invention, an athletic performance apparel tracking system is provided and comprises a shirt having a body portion for receiving a user's torso and an elongated sleeve attached to the body portion and a tracking device configured to display information associated with a physical activity. According to this illustrative embodiment, the elongated sleeve is configured to receive a user's arm and the opening is configured to display and receive the tracking device as it is worn on the user's arm.
Other objects and benefits of the disclosure will become apparent from the following written description along with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned aspects of the present disclosure and the manner of obtaining them will become more apparent and the disclosure itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of the embodiments of the disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 represents a depiction of female and male models donning illustrative long sleeve crew neck shirts for athletic or casual wear having a wrist opening for accessing a wrist device in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 2 represents close-up views of the wrist openings from the illustrative long sleeve crew neck shirts of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 represents a close-up view of another illustrative wrist opening for accessing a wrist device in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 represents a depiction of female and male models donning illustrative long sleeve half zip shirts for athletic or casual wear having a wrist opening for accessing a wrist device in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 5 represents a close-up view of another illustrative wrist opening for accessing a wrist device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The above-mentioned aspects of the present application and the manner of obtaining them will become more apparent and the teachings of the present application itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of the embodiments of the present application taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The embodiments of the present application described below are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the teachings of the present application to the precise forms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may appreciate and understand the principles and practices of the present application.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. Although any method and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present application, the specific methods and materials are now described.
In accordance with certain aspects herein, the present teachings are directed to long sleeve performance shirts that are made from specific fabrics that are configured to help wick sweat away from the body during activity. As those of skill in the art will understand and appreciate herein, certain fabrics and fabric blends are known to have wicking (hydrophobic) properties. While not intending to be limited herein, various illustrative fabrics that may be used in accordance with the teachings of the present invention include, but are not necessarily limited to, polyester blends, cottons and/or linens, as well as blends of knitted or woven fabrics incorporating elastic materials, such as, for instance, fabrics including spandex, LYCRA®, elastane and/or other such similar materials.
According to certain embodiments herein, the performance clothing articles of the present invention are fabricated from a soft, durable fabric which allows freedom of movement, yet retains its shape through repeated wash cycles. In accordance with specific aspects herein, the performance clothing is a long sleeve shirt that includes an opening in the sleeve for visually displaying a wrist device as the athlete is performing a physical activity, such as running, walking, hiking, rowing or the like. It should be understood and appreciated herein that while the design of the present invention is particularly useful for athletes performing physical activities, the design can also be incorporated into casual wear without straying from the spirit and scope of the present invention. As such, the present teachings are not intended to be limited herein.
Unlike traditional athletic clothing, which is often difficult to manipulate during a physical activity, the present invention allows the user to easily access his or her wrist device during the activity, thereby eliminating (or at least significantly reducing) the unwanted performance interruptions that most athletes typically experience as they attempt to check their tracking device for progress information and/or other such statistics (e.g., elapsed time, heart rate, distance, pace, alerts, messages, or other such qualifiers). In particular, in accordance with the present invention, the performer will be able to access their tracking device without pulling their sleeve up and away from their skin, or sliding their fabric out of the way. In addition to being inconvenient and distracting, traditional methods require the athlete to expose their skin to the surrounding environment as they attempt to make the tracking device visible. Such exposure can be particularly troublesome when the athlete is performing in cold, rainy and/or snowy weather. The wrist device opening of the present invention, by contrast, allows the user to maintain their body temperature at a desired level, as well as allows the performer more freedom of movement so that they can achieve optimal performance without interruption, particularly if the physical activity requires the user to utilize both hands, such as when rowing, cycling, or maintaining appropriate running/walking form.
It should be understood and appreciated herein that the inventive athletic shirt can be designed in any conceivable size and/or shape (both regular and irregular shapes) in order to accommodate the various dimensions of performance wrist devices. In addition, the product can be designed for both left-handed and right-handed performers. According to certain embodiments herein, the wrist device opening may be placed on the anterior or exterior surface of the sleeve. By way of a non-limiting example, in accordance with certain aspects herein, the sleeve's opening may accommodate wrist devices with display sizes of 38 mm×33 mm, 25 mm×25 mm, 42 mm×35.9 mm, 20.88 mm×24.36 mm, and 25.5 mm x 10 mm.
According to certain embodiments herein, the wrist device opening of the inventive performance shirts may be configured to accommodate any type of performance monitoring device, such as, but not necessarily limited to, wristwatches, heart rate monitors, fitness monitors, sleep trackers, activity wristbands, fitness trackers, and GPS watches. In addition, the performance shirt may also be offered in several designs or styles, such as, but not necessarily limited to, half-zip shirts (such as shown in FIG. 4), hooded crew neck shirts, hooded V-neck shirts, hooded one-half zip shirts, crew neck shirts (such as shown in FIG. 1), and standard V-neck shirts. These designs can be made for any gender or ages, including men, women and children.
Moving now to FIG. 1, a crew-neck long sleeve athletic performance shirt 10 is shown on a male model 12 and a female model 14. In accordance with certain embodiments herein, the shirt 10 has respective front and back portions 11, 13, a body portion 15 for receiving a wearer's torso, a head opening 17 for receiving the head of a wearer and a lower trunk opening 19 for fitting around the waist and hips of the wearer. Surrounding the head opening 17 is a neck portion 21. The shirt 10 further has a first sleeve 16 and a second sleeve 23.
In accordance with certain exemplary embodiments herein, the shirt 10 is fabricated from a dry fit material, which will wick away sweat and help to prevent chaffing. In accordance with this specific embodiment, the left long sleeve 16 includes a wrist opening 18 on its distal end that is configured to display a wrist device 20 that is positioned within the opening. The wrist opening, in accordance with certain embodiments, further includes one or more flaps 22 for securing a covering for the device. While not necessarily required herein, according to various embodiments, the flaps 22 are made of a Velcro® material. According to certain aspects herein, the shirt 10 can be worn while participating in any physical activity or sport. In accordance with these specific embodiments, once the shirt 10 is donned by the performer (12 or 14), the sleeve 16 is pulled down and over the wrist device 20.
FIG. 2 depicts a close-up view of the wrist openings 18 for the illustrative long sleeve crew neck shirts 10 of FIG. 1. In accordance with this embodiment, the opening 18 includes Velcro® flaps 22, which allow the open screen area 24 of the sleeve 16 to adhere to the exterior sides of the wrist device 20 with the use of elastic 25. The sleeve 16 is then seated securely around the wrist device 20, and the Velcro® flaps 22 can be used to cover the opening 18 of the wrist device 20, which according to this illustrative embodiment, includes a transparent fabric for the exposure of the wrist device's display. If the performer (12 or 14) elects to leave the Velcro® flap 22 of the sleeve 16 open, the flap 22 can be secured under the performer's wrist to avoid movement as depicted in FIG. 2, To secure the flap 22 underneath the performer's wrist, any acceptable fastener device may be used, including, but not necessarily limited to, Velcro®, snaps, buttons or adhesive. When opened, the flap 22 reveals a transparent material which exposes the wrist device's display (no scratch or chaffing impact upon the wrist) and elastic to secure the sleeve's fabric around the wrist device's 20 screen 26, which in accordance with certain embodiments, can be a touch screen. In accordance with certain aspects herein, the performer (12 or 14) can access the touch screen 26 and/or manual buttons 27 associated with the use of the wrist device 20.
Moving now to FIG. 4, a half-zip long sleeve athletic performance shirt 30 designed for a man 12 and woman 14 is shown. In accordance with this illustrative embodiment, the right long sleeve 32 includes a wrist opening 34 in the fabric along with elastic to secure the sleeve's fabric around the wrist device's 20 screen 26. In accordance with certain aspects herein, and as is specifically shown in FIG. 3, the sleeve 32 features a transparent fabric section 36 having elastic 37 to secure the sleeve's fabric around the wrist device 20. In accordance with this exemplary embodiment, the wrist device 20 can be viewed at any time without the need to remove a covering, such as a Velcro® flap. As a result, the performer (12 or 14) will be able to access the touchscreen 26 and/or manual buttons associated with the use of the wrist device 20. According to certain aspects herein, the elasticated fabric section 36 securely seats the sleeve 32 around the wrist device 20 to thereby prevent the escape of heat from the user's arm and/or exposure to the arm by outside elements. It should be understood and appreciated herein that the elastic feature of this shirt 30 can be provided either with or without a flap of fabric secured by Velcro® or other similar type of closure mechanism. For instance, and with specific reference to FIG. 5, a close up view of a wrist opening 38 exhibiting no flap and no transparent fabric cover is shown. In accordance with this embodiment, the sleeve 40 includes an opening in the fabric along with elastic 42 to secure the sleeve's fabric around the screen 26 of the wrist device 20. According to this embodiment, the performer (12 or 14) will be able to access the touchscreen 26 and/or manual buttons associated with the use of the wrist device.

Claims

1. An athletic performance shirt, comprising:

a body portion for receiving a user's torso;

an elongated sleeve attached to the body portion, the elongated sleeve being configured to receive a user's arm therein; and

an opening on a distal end of the elongated sleeve, the opening being configured to display and receive a tracking device worn on the user's arm.

2. The athletic performance shirt of claim 1, further comprising a movable flap associated with the opening.

3. The athletic performance shirt of claim 2, wherein the movable flap is configured to at least partially cover the opening.

4. The athletic performance shirt of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the movable flap is releasably attachable to the sleeve.

5. The athletic performance shirt of claim 1, wherein the opening further comprises a transparent material configured to display the tracking device.

6. The athletic performance shirt of claim 1, further comprising an elastic material configured to secure the tracking device within the opening.

7. The athletic performance shirt of claim 1, wherein the sleeve is fabricated from a fabric having hydrophobic properties.

8. The athletic performance shirt of claim 7, wherein the fabric is selected from one or more of polyester, cotton, linen, spandex and elastane.

9. The athletic performance shirt of claim 1, wherein the tracking device is selected from the group consisting of wristwatches, heart rate monitors, fitness monitors, sleep trackers, activity wristbands, fitness trackers, and GPS devices.

10. An athletic performance shirt, comprising:

a body portion for receiving a user's torso;

an elongated sleeve attached to the body portion, the elongated sleeve being configured to receive a user's arm therein;

an opening on a distal end of the elongated sleeve, the opening being configured to display and receive a tracking device worn on the user's arm;

a flap attached to elongated sleeve, the flap being positioned proximate the opening; and

an elastic material surrounding at least a portion of the opening, the elastic material being configured to secure a tracking device within the opening.

11. The athletic performance shirt of claim 10, wherein the flap is a movable flap configured to at least partially cover the opening.

12. The athletic performance shirt of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the movable flap is releasably attachable to the sleeve.

13. The athletic performance shirt of claim 10, wherein the opening further comprises a transparent material configured to display the tracking device.

14. The athletic performance shirt of claim 10, wherein the sleeve is fabricated from a fabric having hydrophobic properties.

15. The athletic performance shirt of claim 14, wherein the fabric is selected from one or more of polyester, cotton, linen, spandex and elastane.

16. The athletic performance shirt of claim 10, wherein the tracking device is selected from the group consisting of wristwatches, heart rate monitors, fitness monitors, sleep trackers, activity wristbands, fitness trackers, and GPS devices.

17. An athletic performance apparel tracking system, comprising:

a shirt having a body portion for receiving a user's torso and an elongated sleeve attached to the body portion, the elongated sleeve being configured to receive a user's arm therein; and

a tracking device configured to display information associated with a physical activity;

wherein the elongated sleeve has an opening positioned on a distal end, the opening being configured to display and receive the tracking device as it is worn on the user's arm.

18. The athletic performance apparel tracking system of claim 17, further comprising a movable flap releasably attachable to the sleeve, the movable flap being configured to at least partially cover the opening.

19. The athletic performance apparel tracking system of claim 17, wherein the opening further comprises a transparent material configured to display the tracking device.

20. The athletic performance apparel tracking system of claim 17, wherein the tracking device is selected from the group consisting of wristwatches, heart rate monitors, fitness monitors, sleep trackers, activity wristbands, fitness trackers, and GPS devices.