Layered thumbhole structure
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsStewart D. Horner, Justinia Koshkaroff, Matthew D. Nordstrom
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sleeve cuff is provided for a sleeve including an anterior patch affixed to the sleeve and covering at least a portion of a cutout in the sleeve, a distal strap affixed to the sleeve and spanning over at least a portion of a cutout in the sleeve, and the distal strap overlapping at least a portion of the anterior patch to form an aperture for receiving a thumb therethrough. The sleeve cuff has a plurality of configurations, including at least a closed configuration where the aperture is closed and minimizes the wearer's exposure to wind and air elements therethrough, and an opened configuration where the aperture is opened and minimizes the air penetration around the received thumb.
Claims11
A tubular sleeve comprising:
- a distal end opposite a proximal end;
- a cutout formed through the tubular sleeve proximate the distal end, the cutout defined in part by a first cutout edge portion and a second cutout edge portion, wherein the first cutout edge portion is positioned across the cutout from the second cutout edge portion;
- a distal strap having a distal strap trailing edge, wherein the distal strap is affixed to the tubular sleeve proximate the distal end of the tubular sleeve such that the distal strap overlaps the first cutout edge portion, spans the cutout, and overlaps the second cutout edge portion, wherein:
- a first side edge of the distal strap is joined to the tubular sleeve at a first position, the first position being spaced circumferentially away from the cutout;
- and
- a second side edge of the distal strap is joined to the tubular sleeve at a second position, the second position being spaced circumferentially away from the cutout;
- and
- an anterior patch having an anterior patch leading edge spaced away from the distal end and extending across the cutout, the anterior patch leading edge continuously overlapping the distal strap trailing edge from the first cutout edge portion to the second cutout edge portion to define at least a portion of an aperture, the aperture having a perimeter and being in communication with an interior volume of the tubular sleeve;
- wherein the anterior patch has at least one trailing edge and wherein the at least one trailing edge of the anterior patch is affixed to the tubular sleeve at one or more cutout edge portions located proximally up the tubular sleeve in a direction away from the anterior patch leading edge and towards the proximal end of the tubular sleeve, such that the anterior patch completely covers a portion of the cutout located proximally up the tubular sleeve from the anterior patch leading edge.
A method of manufacturing a tubular sleeve having a cuff for receiving a thumb through an aperture, wherein the tubular sleeve extends between a first end and a second end, the first end including the cuff, the tubular sleeve including a cutout through a wall of the tubular sleeve, the cutout having at least a first cutout edge portion and a second cutout edge portion positioned across the cutout from the first cutout edge portion, the method comprising the steps of:
- affixing a first side edge of a distal strap to the tubular sleeve proximate to, but spaced circumferentially away from, the first cutout edge portion;
- affixing a second side edge of the distal strap to the tubular sleeve proximate to, but spaced circumferentially away from, the second cutout edge portion, wherein the distal strap extends from the first side edge, across the cutout, to the second side edge;
- and
- affixing an anterior patch to the tubular sleeve such that the anterior patch spans at least a portion of the cutout and such that the distal strap trailing edge continuously overlaps an anterior patch leading edge from the first cutout edge portion to the second cutout edge portion to form the aperture, the aperture having a perimeter and being in communication with an interior volume of the tubular sleeve,
- directly affixing an anterior patch first side edge to the first cutout edge portion with a first seam portion;
- directly affixing an anterior patch second side edge to the second cutout edge portion with a second seam portion;
- and
- wherein the anterior patch leading edge is spaced away from the first end of the tubular sleeve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.