WO2010044065A1

WO2010044065A1 - Active item of clothing, in particular a swimsuit

Info

Publication number: WO2010044065A1
Application number: PCT/IB2009/054516
Authority: WO
Inventors: Valerio Aprile Di Cimia
Original assignee: PRODUZIONI EDITORIALI APRILE SpA
Current assignee: PRODUZIONI EDITORIALI APRILE SpA
Priority date: 2008-10-15
Filing date: 2009-10-14
Publication date: 2010-04-22
Anticipated expiration: 2011-04-15
Also published as: ITTO20080133U1

Abstract

Active item of clothing, in particular a women' s swimsuit (1, 2), incorporating a structure capable of vibrating (3, 4) operatively connected to which is a vibrating device (5) power-supplied through photovoltaic cells (6).

Description

^ΛActive item of clothing, in particular a swimsuit"

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Field of the invention

The subject of the present invention is an item of clothing designed to attain, in use, a unique and useful active effect.

Summary of the invention The item of clothing according to the invention is mainly characterised in that it incorporates a structure capable of vibrating and operatively connected to which is a vibrating device.

The structure capable of vibrating is conveniently made up of a thin framework, for example in form of a mesh substantially rigid but flexible or elastically deformable, and the vibrating device may typically consist of an eccentric mass rotated by a small electrical motor. Such electrical motor may be conveniently power- supplied through photovoltaic cell means applicable outside the item of clothing which, in such case, may be represented for example by a swimsuit.

Due to this solution idea the item of clothing according to the invention allows - in use - exerting on the person wearing it a useful and pleasant massaging, relaxing and also firming effect due to the effect of the vibration imparted by the vibrating device. Should the item of clothing consist of a swimsuit, the energy required to actuate the vibrating device shall be conveniently provided free of charge due to the exposure of the photovoltaic cell when the user is exposed to sunlight.

Brief description of the drawings Now, the invention shall be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, purely provided for exemplifying and non-limiting purposes, wherein : figure 1 is a schematic view showing, as an embodiment of the invention, a women's swimsuit, and

- figure 2 shows, in enlarged scale, a detail of the swimsuit of figure 1.

Detailed description of the invention

Referring to the drawings, a two-piece women's swimsuit conventionally comprises a top 1 and a pant 2, typically made of textile or synthetic materials.

According to the invention, applied inside the top 1 and/or pant 2 is a structure capable of vibrating, whose configuration may vary widely. For example, such a structure could consist of a thin framework sufficiently rigid or anyway consistent in a manner such to be able to transmit vibrations, but simultaneously flexible and possibly elastically deformable in such a manner to be able to conform with the user's body when the latter is wearing the swimsuit. An example of such framework, intended to be inserted into the top 1, is represented in figure 2: it consists of a thin metal or plastic material mesh 3, having a double cup configuration corresponding to that of the top 1. Obviously, the structure capable of vibrating shall have suitable shapes and configurations matching those of the item of clothing into which it is intended to be incorporated: thus, in the case of the pant 2, it may have the general configuration indicated with a dashed line with reference numeral 4 in figure 1 and it may be positioned at the front side (as depicted in figure 1) or at the rear side, or at both sides.

As an alternative to the mesh, the structure capable of being vibrated may be made up of an array made of rods or wires or other equivalent systems. Operatively connected to or to each of the structures capable of vibrating 3, 4 is a vibrating device, diagrammatically indicated by reference numeral 5 in the drawings. Such small vibrating device for example may consist - in a manner generally known and thus not illustrated in detail - of a casing containing a small eccentric rotating mass rotated by a small direct current electrical motor. The vibrating device 5 is power-supplied by a battery, and more conveniently by a battery rechargeable through one or more photovoltaic cells 6 connected to the vibrating device. Obviously, the photovoltaic cells 6 shall be positioned, during use, outside the item of clothing, in such a manner to be exposed to solar rays. For example, they may be applied outside the top 1 and/or pant 2, at the front or at the rear and possibly together with the vibrating device 5, by means of a clasp or analogous systems.

During use, actuation of the vibrating device 5 vibrates the structure capable of vibrating, i.e. the mesh frameworks 3 and 4 in the case of the example illustrated, thus obtaining a useful and pleasant massage of the parts of the body covered by the item of clothing, with relaxing and firming effects. Obviously, the construction details and embodiments may vary, even significantly, with respect to what has been described and illustrated, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims that follow. Thus, for example, though the invention was described with specific reference to a women' s swimsuit, it can be equally advantageously be applied to any item of clothing whether underwear or not, to attain the same peculiar and useful effects. Furthermore, the structure capable of vibrating may also consist of a component of the item of clothing already incorporated therein, such as for example the lower iron for sustaining a top. Also the vibrating device may be different from the rotating eccentric mass described with reference to the example, as long as it is suitable to attain the same functional effect with respect to the structure capable of vibrating.

Claims

1. Item of clothing (1, 2), characterised in that it incorporates a structure capable of vibrating (3, 4) operatively connected to which is a vibrating device (5) .

2. Item of clothing according to claim 1, characterised in that said vibrating device (5) consists of an eccentric mass rotated by an electrical motor.

3. Item of clothing according to claim 2, characterised in that said electrical motor is power- supplied through photovoltaic cell means (6) applicable outside the item of clothing (1, 2) . 4. Item of clothing according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said structure capable of vibrating (3,

4) is made up of a relatively rigid but flexible or elastically deformable thin framework.

5. Item of clothing according to claim 4, characterised in that said framework consists of a metal or plastic material mesh (3, 4) .

6. Item of clothing according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it consists of a swimsuit.