Ventilation for article of apparel
AssigneeUnder Armour, Inc.
InventorsNick Cienski, Alan Guyan, Matthew Re
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vent structure and a method of forming a vent from a vent structure are described herein. The vent structure includes a first elongate member, a second elongate member, and a set of ribs extending between the first elongate member and the second elongate member. The first elongate member is configured to be attached to a first side of an opening formed in an article of apparel and the second elongate member is configured to be attached to a second side of the opening, the second side being opposite the first side. Collectively, the first elongate member, second elongate member, and the set of ribs bias the first side and the second side to an open configuration that exposes and expands the opening.
Claims23
A vent structure comprising:
- a first elongate member configured to be attached to a first side of an opening formed in an article of apparel;
- a second elongate member configured to be attached to a second side of the opening, the second side being opposite the first side;
- and
- a set of ribs extending between the first elongate member and the second elongate member, wherein the set of ribs includes one or more outwardly pointing transverse members, each of which is connected to and extends between the first elongate member and the second elongate member and each of which is configured to:
- compress when the first side and the second side are secured together;
- and
- exert a laterally outward force on the first elongate member and the second elongate member so that the first elongate member, the second elongate member, and the set of ribs bias the first side and the second side to an open configuration that exposes and expands the opening.
An article of apparel with a vent, comprising:
- a vent opening formed between two edges of one or more layers of material forming the article of apparel;
- and
- a vent structure that biases the two edges to move laterally away from each other within a resting plane of the article of apparel, the vent structure including resilient ribs that extend between and connect to two elongate members disposed on the two edges, wherein the resilient ribs are outwardly pointing V-shaped ribs, and wherein the resilient ribs and the two elongate members urge the two edges to remain laterally separated from each other during movement of the article of apparel.
A method of forming an expanded vent on an article of apparel, comprising:
- providing a vent structure that includes a set of ribs that extend between and connect to a first elongate member and a second elongate member, wherein the set of ribs includes outwardly pointing V-shaped transverse members, and the set of ribs bias the first elongate member and the second elongate member to an open configuration in which the first elongate member is laterally separated from the second elongate member;
- locating or creating a vent opening in an article of apparel;
- and
- installing the vent structure around the vent opening so that the vent structure exposes and expands the vent opening.
A vent structure comprising:
- a first elongate member configured to be attached to a first side of an opening formed in an article of apparel;
- a second elongate member configured to be attached to a second side of the opening, the second side being opposite the first side;
- and
- a set of ribs extending between and connect to the first elongate member and the second elongate member, wherein the set of ribs includes one or more outwardly pointing V-shaped transverse members;
- the first elongate member, the second elongate member, and the set of ribs bias the first side and the second side to an open configuration that exposes and expands the opening;
- and the first side and the second side move to the open configuration by moving laterally away from each other.
A vent structure comprising:
- a first elongate member configured to be attached to a first side of an opening formed in an article of apparel;
- a second elongate member configured to be attached to a second side of the opening, the second side being opposite the first side;
- a set of ribs extending between and connect to the first elongate member and the second elongate member, wherein the set of ribs includes one or more outwardly pointing V-shaped transverse members, and wherein the first elongate member, the second elongate member, and the set of ribs bias the first side and the second side to an open configuration that exposes and expands the opening;
- and anti-puckering features that allow fabric of the article of apparel to move with minimal puckering as the vent structure moves between the open configuration and a closed configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.