# US 2017/0280791 A1 · Aquatic sport performance garment with restraints and method of making same

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- Number: US 2017/0280791 A1
- Document ID: US20170280791A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/469,191
- Filed: 2017-03-24
- Published: 2017-10-05
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-30
- Assignees: Roka Sports, Inc.
- Applicants: ROKA Sports, Inc.
- Inventors: Kurt R. SPENSER; Robert A. CANALES; Mark C. STEPHENS; Nathan TRACY
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170280791A1

## CPC

- A41D 13/012: for aquatic activities, e.g. with buoyancy aids
- A41D 7/00: Bathing gowns; Swim-suits, drawers, or trunks; Beach suits
- A41D 27/00: Details of garments or of their making (buttons, pins, buckles, slide fasteners or the like A44B)
- B63C 11/04: Resilient suits
- A41D 2300/22: Elastic inserts
- A41D 2400/24: Reducing drag or turbulence in air or water
- A41D 2500/52: in sheet form
- A41D 2600/10: for sport activities
- B63C 2011/046: {Wet suits, or diving vests; Equipment therefor}
- A41D: OUTERWEAR; PROTECTIVE GARMENTS; ACCESSORIES
- B63C: LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS (floating nets, floating slipways, or the like for recovering aircraft from the water B63B35/52)

## Abstract

An aquatic sport performance garment comprising restraints affixed to a lateral material surface of the aquatic sport performance garment approximately parallel to a sagittal plane along each side of the garment and further comprising restraints affixed to a material surface across the back of the aquatic sport performance garment, posteriorly offset from the coronal plane of the garment in a criss-cross fashion, intersecting the longitudinal axis with the ends of the criss-cross restraints located in proximity to the ends of the longitudinally placed lateral restraints on each side of the garment; said restraints configured to inhibit side-to-side bending of the body of a user, reduce longitudinal drag, improve stroke mechanics, encourage proper torso rotation and muscle coordination about the midsection of the body of the user during movement and improve endurance when the garment is worn by the user when swimming.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An aquatic sport performance garment configured to inhibit side-to-side bending of a torso of a user when the garment is worn, the garment having a first armpit region, a second armpit region, a first hip region, and a second hip region, the garment comprising:
a first longitudinal restraint strip comprising;
a first end,
a second end, and
a first axis extending from the first end to the second end,
wherein the first longitudinal restraint strip
is affixed to a first material surface of an aquatic performance garment material or is integrated into the aquatic sport performance garment material, and
is positioned such that the first axis is approximately parallel to a sagittal plane of a user when the garment is worn along a first lateral aspect of the aquatic sport performance garment from the first armpit region to the first hip region; and
a second longitudinal restraint strip comprising;
a third end,
a fourth end, and
a second axis extending from the third end to the fourth end,
wherein the second longitudinal restraint strip
is affixed to a second material surface of the aquatic performance garment material or is integrated into the aquatic sport performance garment material, and
is positioned such that the second axis is approximately parallel to the sagittal plane along a second lateral aspect of the aquatic sport performance garment from the second armpit region to the second hip region.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The aquatic sport performance garment of claim 1, further comprising:
a first diagonal restraint strip comprising,
a fifth end,
a sixth end, and
a third axis extending from the fifth end to the sixth end,
wherein the first diagonal restraint strip
is affixed to a third material surface across a back region of the aquatic performance garment material or is integrated into the aquatic sport performance garment material, and
is positioned diagonally such that the third axis is posteriorly offset from a coronal plane of the user when the garment is worn,
wherein the fifth end is positioned in contact with or in proximity to the first end of the first longitudinal restraint strip, and
the sixth end is positioned in contact with or in proximity to the fourth end of the second longitudinal restraint strip; and
a second diagonal restraint strip comprising
a seventh end,
an eighth end, and
a fourth axis extending from the seventh end to the eighth end
wherein the second diagonal restraint strip
is affixed to the third material surface across the back region of the aquatic performance garment material or is integrated into the aquatic sport performance garment material, and
is positioned diagonally such that the fourth axis is posteriorly offset from the coronal plane,
wherein the seventh end is positioned in contact with or in proximity to the third end of the second longitudinal restraint strip, and
the eighth end of the second diagonal restraint strip is positioned in contact with or in proximity to the second end of the first longitudinal restraint strip,
wherein the first diagonal restraint strip and the second diagonal restraint strip form an intersecting “X” pattern,
wherein the first diagonal restraint strip and the second diagonal restraint strip are configured to encourage a rolling rotation of the torso of the user when the garment is worn.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The aquatic sport performance garment of claim 1, wherein the first longitudinal restraint strip and the second longitudinal restraint strip further comprise a first modulus of elasticity that is approximately two or more times greater than a second modulus of elasticity of the aquatic sport performance garment material to which it is affixed or into which it is integrated.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The aquatic sport performance garment of claim 2, wherein the first diagonal restraint strip and the second diagonal restraint strip further comprise a third modulus of elasticity that is approximately two or more times greater than the second modulus of elasticity of the aquatic sport performance garment material to which it is affixed or integrated.

### Claim 5

An aquatic sport performance garment configured to encourage a rolling rotation of the torso of a user when the garment is worn, the garment having a first armpit region, a second armpit region, a first hip region, and a second hip region, the garment comprising:
a first diagonal restraint strip comprising,
a fifth end,
a sixth end, and
a third axis extending from the fifth end to the sixth end,
wherein the first diagonal restraint strip
is affixed to a third material surface across a back region of the aquatic performance garment material or is integrated into the aquatic sport performance garment material, and
is positioned diagonally such that the third axis is posteriorly offset from a coronal plane of the user when the garment is worn,
wherein the fifth end is positioned and affixed along a first lateral aspect of the performance garment at or about the first armpit region approximately parallel to a sagittal plane of the user when the garment is worn, and
the sixth end is positioned and affixed along a second lateral aspect of the performance garment at or about the second hip region approximately parallel to the sagittal plane, and
a second diagonal restraint strip comprising,
a seventh end,
an eighth end, and
a fourth axis extending from the seventh end to the eighth end,
wherein the second diagonal restraint strip
is affixed to the third material surface across the back region of the aquatic performance garment material or is integrated into the aquatic sport performance garment material, and
is positioned diagonally such that the fourth axis is posteriorly offset from the coronal plane,
wherein the seventh end is positioned and affixed along the second lateral aspect of the performance garment at or about the second armpit region approximately parallel to the sagittal plane, and
the eighth end is positioned and affixed along the first lateral aspect of the performance garment at or about the first hip region approximately parallel to the sagittal plane;
wherein the first diagonal restraint strip and the second diagonal restraint strip form an intersecting “X” pattern, and
wherein the first diagonal restraint strip and the second diagonal restraint strip further comprise a third modulus of elasticity that is approximately two or more times greater than a second modulus of elasticity of the aquatic sport performance garment material to which they are affixed or into which they are integrated.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The aquatic sport performance garment of claim 5, further comprising:
a first longitudinal restraint strip comprising;
a first end,
a second end, and
a first axis extending from the first end to the second end,
wherein the first longitudinal restraint strip
is affixed to a first material surface of an aquatic performance garment material or is integrated into the first material surface of the aquatic sports performance garment material, and
is positioned such that the first axis is approximately parallel to the sagittal plane along the first lateral aspect of the performance garment approximately from the first armpit region to the first hip region; and
a second longitudinal restraint strip comprising;
a third end,
a fourth end, and
a second axis extending from the third end to the fourth end,
wherein the second longitudinal restraint strip
is affixed to a second material surface of the aquatic performance garment material or is integrated into the second material surface of the aquatic sport performance garment material, and
is positioned such that the second axis is approximately parallel to the sagittal plane along the second lateral aspect of the performance garment approximately from the second armpit region to the second hip region,
wherein the first longitudinal restraint strip and second longitudinal restraint strip are configured to inhibit side-to-side bending of a torso of a user when the garment is worn.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The aquatic sport performance garment of claim 6, wherein the first longitudinal restraint strip and the second longitudinal restraint strip comprise a first modulus of elasticity that is approximately two or more times greater than the second modulus of elasticity of the aquatic performance garment material to which it is affixed or into which it is integrated.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The aquatic sport performance garment of claim 6, wherein the first longitudinal restraint strip and the second longitudinal restraint strip comprise a first material stiffness greater than a second material stiffness of the aquatic sports performance garment material to which it is affixed, and wherein the first or second material stiffness comprises an axial stiffness or a rotational stiffness.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The aquatic sport performance garment of claim 2, wherein the material of the aquatic sports performance garment comprises:
a rubber material;
a nylon material;
a rayon material;
a polyurethane material;
an elastic polyurethane material;
a polyester material; or
any combination thereof.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The aquatic sport performance garment of claim 6, wherein the material of the aquatic sports performance garment comprises:
a rubber material;
a nylon material;
a rayon material;
a polyurethane material;
an elastic polyurethane material;
a polyester material; or
any combination thereof.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The aquatic sport performance garment of claim 9, wherein the first longitudinal restraint strip, second longitudinal restraint strip, first diagonal restraint strip and second diagonal restraint strips comprise:
a rubber material;
a textile material;
a commercially pure titanium or titanium alloy;
a commercially pure tantalum or tantalum alloy;
a commercially pure copper or copper alloy;
a silicone material;
a neoprene material;
a nylon material;
a polypropylene material;
a rayon material;
a polyurethane material;
an elastic polyurethane material;
a polyester material;
a Poly PBT material;
a XLA material; or
any combination thereof.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The aquatic sport performance garment of claim 10, wherein the first longitudinal restraint strip, second longitudinal restraint strip, first diagonal restraint strip and second diagonal restraint strips comprise:
a rubber material;
a textile material;
a commercially pure titanium or titanium alloy;
a commercially pure tantalum or tantalum alloy;
a commercially pure copper or copper alloy;
a silicone material;
a neoprene material;
a nylon material;
a polypropylene material;
a rayon material;
an polyurethane material;
an elastic polyurethane material;
a polyester material;
a Poly PBT material;
a XLA material; or
any combination thereof.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The aquatic sport performance garment of claim 11, wherein any one of the first longitudinal restraint strip, second longitudinal restraint strip, first diagonal restraint strip and second diagonal restraint strips and the aquatic sport performance garment material comprise the same materials.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The aquatic sport performance garment of claim 12, wherein any one of the first longitudinal restraint strip, second longitudinal restraint strip, first diagonal restraint strip and second diagonal restraint strips and the aquatic sport performance garment material comprise the same materials.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The aquatic sport performance garment of claim 11, wherein any one of the first longitudinal restraint strip, second longitudinal restraint strip, first diagonal restraint strip and second diagonal restraint strips and the aquatic sport performance garment material comprise different materials.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The aquatic sport performance garment of claim 12, wherein any one of the first longitudinal restraint strip, second longitudinal restraint strip, first diagonal restraint strip and second diagonal restraint strips and the aquatic sport performance garment material comprise different materials.

### Claim 17 (depends on 2)

The aquatic sport performance garment of claim 2, further comprising:
any one or more of the first longitudinal restraint strip, second longitudinal restraint strip, first diagonal restraint strip and second diagonal restraint strips affixed to or incorporated into an internal material surface of the aquatic sport performance garment;
any one or more of the first longitudinal restraint strip, second longitudinal restraint strip, first diagonal restraint strip and second diagonal restraint strips affixed to or incorporated into an external material surface of the aquatic sport performance garment;
any one or more of the first longitudinal restraint strip, second longitudinal restraint strip, first diagonal restraint strip and second diagonal restraint strips affixed to or incorporated into a material surface between layers of the aquatic sport performance garment;
any one or more of the first longitudinal restraint strip, second longitudinal restraint strip, first diagonal restraint strip and second diagonal restraint strips affixed to or incorporated into a material surface between internal panels of the aquatic sport performance garment; or
any combination thereof.

### Claim 18 (depends on 6)

The aquatic sport performance garment of claim 6, further comprising:
any one or more of the first longitudinal restraint strip, second longitudinal restraint strip, first diagonal restraint strip and second diagonal restraint strips affixed to or incorporated into an internal material surface of the aquatic sport performance garment;
any one or more of the first longitudinal restraint strip, second longitudinal restraint strip, first diagonal restraint strip and second diagonal restraint strips affixed to or incorporated into an external material surface of the aquatic sport performance garment;
any one or more of the first longitudinal restraint strip, second longitudinal restraint strip, first diagonal restraint strip and second diagonal restraint strips affixed to or incorporated into a material surface between layers of the aquatic sport performance garment;
any one or more of the first longitudinal restraint strip, second longitudinal restraint strip, first diagonal restraint strip and second diagonal restraint strips affixed to or incorporated into a material surface between internal panels of the aquatic sport performance garment; or
any combination thereof.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The aquatic sport performance garment of claim 1, wherein said garment comprises;
a wetsuit;
a swimsuit;
a body suit;
a compression garment; or
a combination thereof.

### Claim 20 (depends on 5)

The aquatic sport performance garment of claim 5, wherein said garment comprises;
a wetsuit;
a swimsuit;
a body suit;
a compression garment; or
a combination thereof.