Movement-reactive athletic apparel and methods of making the same
AssigneesReebok International Ltd., STF Technologies, LLC
InventorsDanielle Marie Witek, Richard Dombrowski, Norman Joseph Wagner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Articles of athletic garments, particularly sports bra and methods of treating the athletic garments with a shear thickening fluid (STF) are disclosed. The athletic garment comprises a STF treated fabric. The STF treated fabric in contact with the wearer's body part restricts movement of the body part when the shear stress exceeds the shear stress threshold value and stretches and conforms to the wearer's body part when the shear stress is less than the shear stress threshold value. The STF treatment method may include immersing the untreated fabric in a diluted STF bath, metering an amount of the fluid on the fabric, and removing the diluent from the treated fabric.
Claims20
A sports bra, comprising:
- a front section configured for covering at least a portion of a wearer's anterior torso, the front section comprising a non-planar region for supporting a wearer's breasts;
- and
- a rear section configured for covering at least a portion of the wearer's posterior torso,
- at least one of the front and rear sections further comprising:
- a fabric treated with a shear thickening fluid, wherein the shear thickening fluid comprises particles dispersed in a fluid medium, wherein the size of the particles ranges from 5 nm to 50 um.
An article of sportswear, the article comprising:
- a fabric treated with a shear thickening fluid having a shear stress threshold value, wherein the shear thickening fluid comprises particles dispersed in a fluid medium, the treated fabric when secured on a wearer's body part comprising:
- a first portion of the treated fabric in direct contact with the wearer's body part for supporting the wearer's body part,
- wherein the first portion of the treated fabric stretches and conforms to the wearer's body part when a shear stress in the first portion of the treated fabric is less than or equal to the shear stress threshold value,
- wherein the first portion of the treated fabric restricts movement of the wearer's body part when the shear stress in the first portion of the treated fabric is more than the shear stress threshold value;
- and
- a second portion of the treated fabric not in direct contact with the wearer's body part.
A sports bra, comprising:
- a front section configured for covering at least a portion of a wearer's anterior torso, the front section comprising a non-planar region for supporting a wearer's breasts;
- and
- a rear section configured for covering at least a portion of the wearer's posterior torso,
- at least one of the front and rear sections further comprising:
- a fabric treated with a shear thickening fluid, wherein the shear thickening fluid comprises particles dispersed in a fluid medium, wherein the concentration of the particles in the fluid medium ranges from 5% to 90% by weight.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.