EP3178336A1

EP3178336A1 - Sports pants

Info

Publication number: EP3178336A1
Application number: EP15871304.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Makoto Fukuda; Kenichi KITAZUME; Tatsuya Ishikawa; Mamoru Omuro; Yutaka Koga
Original assignee: Asics Corp
Current assignee: Asics Corp
Priority date: 2015-10-09
Filing date: 2015-10-09
Publication date: 2017-06-14
Anticipated expiration: 2035-10-09
Also published as: JPWO2017061053A1; EP3178336A4; EP3178336B1; JP6017732B1; WO2017061053A1

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide sports pants having improved heat releasing effect.

A pants main body has vent openings (7) on a surface side thereof; cover flaps (8) which are made of a body fabric having a higher bending resistance than that of the pants main body, are longer than a longitudinal length of the vent openings (7) and cover the vent openings (7). The pants main body has air vents (10) on its back, for releasing air which was introduced inside the pants main body.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to sports pants, and particularly to those with improved cooling effect inside the pants through enhanced air flow within the pants during activities.

BACKGROUND ART

Body temperatures tend to increase significantly, and warmed air tends to stay inside the clothing during sports activities such as tennis, when played for an extended length of time.
Patent Literature 1, for example, proposes vent openings to be made in the clothing for introducing air in an attempt to release warmed air from inside the clothing to the outside thereof.

CITATION LIST

PATENT LITERATURE

Patent Literature 1: JP-A 2015-145539 Gazette

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

TECHNICAL PROBLEM

Patent Literature 1 discloses a pair of sports pants, which includes a large opening provided in an up-down direction on each outer side in the thigh areas, with a shape-retaining wind catcher for receiving wind from ahead.
However, air introduction from the opening in the outer thigh area can only happen when there is sufficient air flow ensured inside the pants. Otherwise, air is not introduced sufficiently from the opening into the pants, resulting in poor ventilation from inside the pants. In this case, sufficient cooling effect cannot be obtained during activities.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide sports pants having improved cooling effect.

SOLUTION TO PROBLEM

A pair of sports pants according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a pants main body which includes: a front portion; a back portion, and side portions between the front portion and the back portion. The pants main body includes: a vent opening disposed in an above-knee region in the side portion, penetrating a body fabric of the pants main body, and having an elongated shape extending in an up-down direction; a cover flap covering the vent opening and having an opening on the front portion side; and an air vent disposed in the back portion and penetrating the body fabric of the pants main body.
Another pair of sports pants according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a pants main body which includes: a front portion, a back portion, and side portions between the front portion and the back portion. The pants main body includes: a vent opening disposed in the side portion, penetrating a body fabric of the pants main body, and having an elongated shape extending in an up-down direction; and a cover flap covering the vent opening and having an opening on the front portion side:

The cover flap satisfies the following conditions (a) through (c):
1. (a) An edge on the opening side is longer than a longitudinal length of the vent opening.
2. (b) A material of the cover flap has a higher bending resistance than that of a material of the pants main body; and
3. (c) The opening is closed when the wearer is in a standing state, whereas the opening opens as he/she drops his/her hips.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the sports pants which have the arrangement described above, air flow inside the pants is increased, and it is possible to introduce a sufficient amount of air into the pants during activities. In this arrangement, the air flow in the pants efficiently push the warmed air out of the pants, whereby it is possible to increase cooling effect inside the pants.
In addition, the vent opening is hidden by the cover flap when the wearer is in a standing state before starting his/her specific motion. Therefore, the invention provides good designability.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a front view of a pair of sports pants according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a front view of the embodiment in Fig. 1, showing a state when cover flaps are removed.
Fig. 3 is a rear view of the sports pants according to the embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 4 is a rear view of the embodiment in Fig. 3, showing a state when cover flaps are removed.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the sports pants according to the embodiment of the present invention, taken from a front view point.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the embodiment in Fig. 5, showing a state when cover flaps are removed.
Fig. 7 is a front view of a state when the sports pants according to the embodiment of the present invention are worn and hip joints are bent.
Fig. 8 is a perspective view taken from a front view point, of a state when the sports pants according to the embodiment of the present invention are worn and hip joints are bent.
Fig. 9 is a plan view showing planar shape variations of the cover flap.
Fig. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between vent opening position and an amount of introduced air during body rotation.
Fig. 11 is a graph showing results of Experiment 1.
Fig. 12 is a graph showing results of Experiment 2.
Fig. 13 is a graph showing results of Experiment 3.
Fig. 14A is a front views of the sports pants to explain side areas.
Fig. 14B is a rear views of the sports pants to explain the side areas.
Fig. 15 is an enlarged plan view of the cover flap and its surrounds.
Fig. 16 shows measurement parts of a thermal mannequin used in the experiments.
Fig. 17 is a graph showing results of Experiment 4.
Fig. 18 is a graph showing results of Experiment 5.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, a pair of tennis pants, i.e., sports pants 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.
Fig. 1 is a front view of the sports pants 1 when the wearer is standing. Fig. 3 is a rear view thereof, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view taken from a front view point. Fig. 2, Fig. 4 and Fig. 6 show states where cover flaps are removed in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 respectively. The sports pants 1 in these figures are short pants, so hems are above the knees. It should be noted here that hereinafter, the sports pants 1 will be described as a pair of tennis pants.
The sports pants 1 according to the present embodiment includes a pants main body, which as shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 and Fig. 5, has a front portion 2 which covers a frontal side of a human body; a back portion 3 which covers a back side thereof; side portions 15 which cover lateral sides thereof; and a gusset 4 disposed at the crotch. Herein, the term side portions 15 refer to portions which are 5 cm wide as shown in Fig. 14A and Fig. 14B (as areas defined by the left and right edges of the pants main body and two alternate long and two short dashes lines which are parallel thereto) measured from the left and right edges of the pants inward the front and the back sides on the pants when the pants are flatly laid so that a hypothetical line L that passes vertically through an apex of the crotch C is on the center. Also, the term front portion 2 refers to a portion of the front body without the side portions 15, whereas the back portion 3 refers to a portion of the back body without the side portions 15.
Additionally, the sports pants 1 include a stretching belt portion 5 which incorporates a rubber band and is disposed around the waist; and pockets 6 which are disposed on the left and right sides at positions slightly lower than a waist area of the front portion 2.
As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 6, the front portion 2 is provided with vent openings 7 which are long in an up-down direction and penetrate the material of the pants main body. In the present embodiment, the vent openings 7 have a generally rectangular planar shape. Each vent opening 7 which has a generally rectangular planar shape is, for example, 5 cm through 25 cm in its long sides and 3 cm through 5 cm in its short sides. The vent openings 7 may have any other planar shape than rectangle, such as oval and diamond shape, as far as they are strip-like.
In the present embodiment, the vent opening 7 is formed across the side portion 15 to the front portion 2, with the long side slightly tilted with respect to the up-down direction. The long side of the vent opening 7 and the edge of the pants main body make an angle α (Fig. 2) of 1 degree through 80 degrees for example. Also, the vent opening 7 has its upper end generally flush with a lower end of the pocket 6. On the other hand, the vent opening 7 has its lower end located above the hem of the pants main body by about 10 cm.
The vent opening 7 is entirely covered by a highly air permeable material 12. The highly air permeable material 12 has its edges sewn to the surrounding material of the vent opening 7. The highly air permeable material 12 is provided by, for example, a mesh material or a fabric which has air permeability. Particularly, mesh material is preferable for the highly air permeable material 12 due to its high air permeability and light weight.
The vent opening 7 has its outer surface side covered by a cover flap 8. This reduces exposure of the wearer's skin, underwear, or the highly air permeable material 12 from the vent opening 7 when the wearer is in a standing state. Therefore, designability of the sports pants 1 is not very much sacrificed.
The cover flap 8 has two short sides and two long sides, and three of them, i.e., the two short sides and one long side on the rear portion are sewn to the body fabric of the pants main body, but the long side on the front is not sewn. As the cover flap 8 is sewn to the body fabric in such a fashion as described above, the cover flap 8 provides an opening 9 at the front while covering the vent opening 7. Also, the cover flap 8 is longer along the edge of the opening 9 than the longitudinal length of the vent openings 7, and is made of a material which has a higher bending resistance than the material of the pants main body.
By providing the cover flap 8 as described above, it is possible that the cover flap 8 can provide an opening/closing function of the opening 9 when the wearer drops his/her hips from a standing state.
This opening/closing function will be described more specifically. As the wearer who is in a standing state in Fig. 1 and Fig. 5 lowers his/her hips lightly into a state in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, creases or cockles develop or change their forms in the body fabric which covers the wearer's hip joints, and run to the longitudinal ends of the cover flap 8. This causes, as indicated by a white arrow in Fig. 8, the cover flap 8 to come under a pressing force from the longitudinal direction, and therefore the cover flap 8 deflects outward. As a result, an inner edge of the cover flap 8 moves away from the body fabric, and the opening 9 is exposed.
Hence, winds coming from ahead of the wearer are introduced from the opening 9 which is between the cover flap 8 and the body fabric, and then from the vent opening 7 to the inside of the pants main body.
A tennis player, for example, performs a series of motions by starting his/her stroke from a standing state as shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, then changing his/her pose to so called power position which is a state where player's hips are slightly dropped, and then rotating his/her hips to hit the ball. When dropping the hips, the cover flap 8 opens to expose the opening 9, and when rotating his/her body, air is introduced from the opening 9 into the pants. On the other hand, the opening 9 is closed when the player is standing, and the area covered by the cover flap 8 is almost totally invisible from outside. So, designability is not sacrificed. It should be noted here that the expression "the opening 9 is closed" when the player is standing, not only means that the cover flap 8 completely fits on the pants main body along the entire edge without any gaps, but also allows states where there are partial gaps of up to about 3 mm. On the other hand, the expression that "the opening 9 is open" when the player's hips are low means that the edge of the cover flap 8 is apart from the body fabric of the pants main body by at least 2 cm.
The cover flap 8 is longer along the edge of the opening 9 than the long side of the vent opening 7, and is made of a material which has a higher bending resistance than the material of the pants main body. The cover flap 8 is made of a material which has a relatively low air permeability, at least lower than that of the body fabric of the pants main body portion. Specifically, the air permeability is 4 through 8 cm³/cm²·s, for example. By making the cover flap 8 as described above, the cover flap 8 is not easily collapsed by the air from ahead, but can receive the air like a sail does, and allow the air to flow through the vent opening 7 into the pants main body.
The length of the cover flap 8 on the opening side is longer than that of the vent opening 7 as described above. Specifically, for example, the length is 104% through 108% of the long side of the vent openings 7. If this value is smaller than 104%, the cover flap 8 may not open easily when the wearer drops his/her hips. If the value is greater than 108%, on the other hand, the cover flap 8 is likely to become wide open even when the wearer is in his/her standing state, and expose his/her skin, underwear or the highly air permeable portion 12. This decreases designability. Also, if the value is greater than 108%, the cover flap 8 tends to be flipped significantly during activities and interferes with the activities. For these reasons, it is preferable that the edge length of the cover flap 8 on the opening side is in the range of 104% through 108% of the length of the long side of the vent opening 7.
The cover flap 8 has a rigidity expressed in a bending resistance ranging from 25 mm through 175 mm for example. The value is greater than that of the body fabric of the pants main body. The bending resistance of the cover flap 8 can be made greater than that of the body fabric by, for example, laminating the material, increasing sewing density, selecting strength of the thread and yarn, performing a resin or silicone printing, using a core material, or a combination of any of these.
Fig. 9 shows planar shape variations of the cover flap 8. Fig. 9 shows plan view of the cover flaps 8, with the vent opening 7 indicated by broken lines. The planar shape of the cover flap 8 may be a rectangle as shown in Fig. 9(a), a trapezoid widening toward the opening 9 as shown in Fig. 9(b), a trapezoid narrowing toward the opening 9 as shown in Fig. 9(c), a quasi-rectangle with one of the long sides being curved like an arc as shown in Fig. 9 (d), or any other shape as far as the shape can cover the vent opening 7.
Among these variations, the example shown in Fig. 9(b) in which the two non-parallel sides gradually become closer to each other from the opening 9 side toward the bottom (the side opposing to the opening 9) is advantageous because air enters from the wider opening 9 and flows through a gradually narrowing path while increasing its flowing velocity until the air enters inside the pants main body. It should be noted here that the advantage is obtained as far as there is a gradually narrowing path from the opening 9 to the inside of the pants main body. Therefore, there may be such an arrangement for example, that the cover flap 8 has a rectangular planar shape as shown in Fig. 9(a) but the vent opening 7 has a planar shape as shown in Fig. 9(b), i.e., a trapezoid which is wider on the side closer to the opening 9, by sewing the cover flap 8 along the shape of the opening 9.
Another arrangement may be that the edge on the opening 9 side is recessed like an arc as shown in Fig. 9(d). Then the cover flap 8 is already under a force working in a direction indicated by a white arrow. This helps the cover flap 8 deflect more easily when the cover flap 8 is twisted as the pants main body develops creases. In other words, the cover flap 8 opens more easily.
Reference is now made to Fig. 4, to show air vents 10 in the back portion 3 of the sports pants 1.
As shown in Fig. 3, each air vent 10 provided in the back surface of the pants main body is covered by a cover flap 11. This prevents the air vent 10 from exposing the wearer's skin or underwear. The cover flap 11 is sewed to the back portion 3 except its lower edge, so that there is an opening 13 formed between the lower edge of the cover flap 11 and the back portion 3.
Also, as shown in Fig. 4, a highly air permeable material 14 such as a mesh material is sewn to the air vent 10 in the back surface of the pants main body.
The air vent 10 in the back of the pants main body is formed to continue from an upper end of the vent opening 7 which is provided in the side portion 15, toward the back side of the pants main body.
For promoted air flow from the vent opening 7 to the air vent 10, it is necessary to ensure sufficient space between the pants main body and the human body. An amount of gap necessary for the air to flow inside the pants main body is obtained when the pants main body's maximum hip size is in a range of, e.g., 104% through 108% of the wearer's hip size.
From the following reasons, it is preferable that the vent openings 7 are disposed at least in the side portions 15:
The pelvis pivots by approximately 4 degrees, for example, from the state where it faces straight forward during running and jogging activities, and by approximately 45 degrees when a tennis racket is swung. In a simplified view, a section of the human hips can be regarded as an oval which has a longer axis in a lateral direction of the human body. Therefore, the vent openings 7 provided in the side portions 15 are at a farthest distance from the pivot center, or in other words, the vent openings 7 move the longest distance on an arc as the pelvis pivots within a given angle range (see explanatory diagram in Fig. 10). Hence, by disposing the vent openings 7 in the side portions 15, it becomes possible to introduce air into the clothing most efficiently.
Preferably, the body fabric of the pants main body has a relatively high rigidity although the rigidity must be lower than that of the material of the cover flap 8. By using such a material of a relatively high rigidity for the front portion 2, twists caused by creases and cockles developed in the body fabric of the pants main body when the wearer bends his/her body for example, can easily reach the cover flap 8, which consequently helps the cover flap 8 open. Specifically, the body fabric for the pants main body should preferably have a bending resistance in a range from 20 mm through 150 mm. If the bending resistance is smaller than 20 mm, twists in the body fabric does not easily reach the cover flap 8. On the other hand, the bending resistance greater than 150 mm tends to inhibit body movement of the wearer and is more likely to give uncomfortable feeling. Therefore, by controlling the bending resistance of the body fabric of the pants main body within the range of 20mm through 150mm, it becomes possible not to inhibit body movement of the wearer, reduce uncomfortable feeling, and help the cover flap 8 open.
Fig. 15 is an enlarged view of the cover flap 8 and its surrounds. The pants main body has a high rigidity portion 16. Specifically, the high rigidity portion 16 is disposed along an edge of the vent openings 7 on the opening 9 side. The high rigidity portion 16 has a higher rigidity than the body fabric of the pants main body. Disposing the high rigidity portion 16 along the edge of the vent openings 7 on the opening 9 side as described helps the body fabric near the opening 9 maintain its shape. Thus, when the opening 9 is exposed, it is less likely that the body fabric near the opening 9 in the pants main body deflects together with the cover flap 8, or in other words, it is more likely that the opening 9 opens widely. The high rigidity portion 16 has a higher rigidity than the cover flap 8, with a bending resistance being 50mm through 200mm for example. The high rigidity portion 16 is made of, for example, a resin or a laminated body fabric with a core material sandwiched in between. It should be noted here that the high rigidity portion 16 may be disposed on the surface side of the pants main body or the back side thereof, or between two sheets of the body fabric if the body fabric is provided by two or more layers of a material. From a designability point of view, it is preferable to dispose on the back side or between two sheets of the material.
Also, as shown in the same figure, a weight portion 17 is provided at each of an upper end and a lower end of the vent opening 7. The weight portion 17 is heavier than at least the material of the cover flap 8. By providing the weight portions 17 as described above, the upper and the lower end regions of the vent openings 7 becomes heavier than the surrounding regions, or in other words, these regions provide an increased normal force N to the wearer. This increases a frictional force F between the skin and these two end regions of the vent openings 7, working as an anchoring force at these regions, making the two end regions of the opening 9 less movable with respect to the skin. This helps the opening 9 open more easily.
The weight portion 17 may be made by, for example, laminating and stitching a greater number of the material than in the cover flap 8. It should be noted here that the weight portion 17 may be disposed on the surface side of the pants main body or the back side thereof, or between two sheets of the body fabric if the body fabric is provided by two or more layers of a material. From a designability point of view, it is preferable to dispose on the back side or between two sheets of the material.
As has been described, the vent opening 7 formed in the pants main body is covered by the cover flap 8 which is made of a relatively hard material, whereby the cover flap 8 which covers the vent opening 7 opens more easily when the wearer drops his/her hips or raises his/her knees, and air which is flowing toward the wearer hits the cover flap 8 as he/she pivots his/her body or moves forward. The air which hits the cover flap 8 enters from the vent opening 7 into the pants main body, and flows toward the air vent 10 located in the back. As a result, there is an increased air flow inside the pants main body, which provides cooling.
The vent opening 7 closes when the wearer is in a standing state and opens when he/she drops his/her hips. In the standing state where there is not much necessity for ventilation, inside of the pants main body is not very much visible from the vent openings 7. This provides an advantage from a designability stand point. In addition, there is a large temperature difference between the state when the vent openings 7 are closed and the state when they are open. So, the wearer feels the cooling effect more clearly than in cases where the vent openings 7 stay open.
In the sports pants 1, the body fabric on the inguinal region receives compression as the hip joints make bending movements, and therefore, an area around the inguinal region is the region where large creases or cockles are formed most frequently.
Therefore, for sports pants not provided with the pockets 6, it is preferable to provide the vent openings 7 near the inguinal region. This makes the cover flaps 8 more deflectable, helping the openings 9 open more easily.
The creases which develop in the inguinal region of the pants main body tend to be parallel to a line in the inguinal region. If the vent openings 7 is angled to be parallel to the line in the inguinal region, the stress caused by the creases in the inguinal region does not effectively conveyed to the cover flap 8 which covers the vent openings 7. Therefore, it is preferable that the vent openings 7 is angled more downward than a line parallel to the inguinal region, i.e., across the creases in the inguinal region. This makes the stress from the creases in the inguinal region be conveyed to the cover flap 8 more easily, and helps exposure of the opening 9.

(Embodiment Example)

For a purpose of demonstrating the cooling effect provided by the sports pants 1, a pair of tennis pants shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 were made and subjected to demonstration tests.

(Specifics of the Embodiment Example)

Bending Resistance of the body fabric for the front portion 2 and the back portion 3: 24 mm
Bending Resistance of the cover flap 8: 51 mm
Length ratio of the edge on the opening side of the cover flap 8 with respect to the long side of the vent opening 7: 106%
Air Permeability of the cover flap 8: 6 cm³/cm²·s
Air Permeability of the body fabric for the front portion 2 and the back portion 3: 13 cm³/cm²·s
Air Permeability of the mesh material 12: 107 cm³/cm²· s
Blending Ratio of the body fabric for the front portion 2 and the back portion 3: 100% Polyester

It should be noted here that the bending resistance values were measured as per JIS L 1096A method (45-degree cantilever method). The air permeability values were measured by a fragile type air permeability tester, and obtained as per procedures set forth in JIS L 1096 "Material Test Method of Woven Fabric and Knitted Fabric". The cover flap 8 was made by sandwiching a core material between two sheets of the body fabric which was the same body fabric as the body fabric of the pants main body, and then stitching the laminated materials.

(Experiment 1)

In Experiment 1, an amount of wind flow inside the pants was measured in a specimen which had the vent openings 7 and the air vents 10, and in a specimen without these. Specifically, the vent openings 7 and the air vents 10 of the Embodiment Example sports pants were sealed with tape to make Comparative Example 1, and each of the Embodiment Example and the Comparative Example 1 was worn by a mannequin for measurements of air flow inside the pants. It should be noted here that Comparative Example 1 was made from the Embodiment Example sports pants by sealing the vent openings and the air vents. Therefore, all conditions are the same as in the Embodiment Example except that the vent openings 7 and the air vents 10 are sealed (and this applies to all the other Comparative Examples).

Measuring Instrument: Anemometer (Model GeY-40DA manufactured by Tohnic Co., Ltd.)
Instrument Placed at: Thigh, outer side central region
Measuring Environment: In an artificial meteorological room, no wind (room temperature: 20 degrees Celsius, Humidity: 50%)
Attitude of Mannequin: Hips were dropped (Hip joints were bent at 60 degree angle, where 0 degree angle represents a standing state.)

Under the above-described conditions, a fan was disposed in front of each mannequin at a distance of 40 cm, and wind was sent from ahead toward the Embodiment Example and the Comparative Example 1.
Results are shown as a graph in Fig. 11. Measurement for one minute was made three times, and the obtained three values were averaged to make a graph.
From the results of Experiment 1, it was demonstrated that the wind velocity inside the pants was higher in the Embodiment Example sports pants which had vent openings and the air vents than in the sports pants of Comparative Example 1 which did not have vent openings or the air vents.

(Experiment 2)

In Experiment 2, heat releasing effect from inside the pants was measured in a specimen which had the vent openings 7 and the air vents 10 and a specimen without these, based on thermal resistance value. Specifically, Embodiment Example and Comparative Example 1 were worn by thermal mannequins (manufactured by Kyoto Electronics Manufacturing Co., Ltd), and thermal resistance values inside the pants were compared to each other under the same experimental conditions as in Experiment 1.
The thermal resistance values were measured as follows:

1. The thermal mannequin had a total of 19 measuring points (see Fig. 16), of which six measuring points (#6, #7, #12, #13, #16 and #17) covered by the sports pants were used.
2. Inside the artificial meteorological room was maintained at 20 degrees Celsius and 50% humidity, and wind was sent from ahead of the mannequins toward the pants worn by them.
3. Electric power wattage (W) was controlled so that an average surface temperature of the six measuring points stayed at a constant temperature (33 degrees Celsius).
4. Once the constant surface temperature was reached, an amount of power wattage required to maintain the constant surface temperature (33 degrees Celsius) in the wind was measured every 10 seconds, for 15 minutes and an average value was calculated.
5. From the average power wattage obtained in step 4, an amount of power wattage per unit area = an amount of heat generation (W/m²) was obtained, and a formula shown below was used to calculate a thermal resistance value. $Thermal resistance value (m^{2} K / W) = (Surface temperature - Environment temperature) / Amount of heat generation$

Results are shown as a graph in Fig. 12.
From these results, it was understood that Embodiment Example had a smaller thermal resistance value than Comparative Example 2. A smaller thermal resistance value means greater heat releasing effect inside the pants. A greater heat releasing effect means higher cooling effect. In other words, it was demonstrated that the Embodiment Example had a greater cooling effect than Comparative Example 2.

(Experiment 3)

In Experiment 3, heat releasing effect from inside the pants was measured in a specimen which had the air vents 10 and a specimen without these. Specifically, Comparative Example 3 was made by sealing only the air vents 10 of the Embodiment Example sports pants, and the same procedure as in Experiment 2 was followed to measure thermal resistance value in the thermal mannequins.
Results are shown as a graph in Fig. 13. As shown in this graph, the Embodiment Example which had the air vents 10 was found to have a smaller thermal resistance value than the Comparative Example 3 which did not have the air vents 10. In other words, the Embodiment Example had a greater heat releasing effect than Comparative Example 3. This can be interpreted that the Embodiment Example sports pants which had the air vents 10 allowed air that flew from the vent openings 7 into the pants to flow through the pants and then, out of the air vents 10, i.e., there was an increased air flow within the pants.

(Experiment 4)

In Experiment 4, a relationship between the edge length of the cover flap 8 and heat releasing effect from inside the pants was studied. Specifically, the Embodiment Example was modified into Comparative Example 4 so that the cover flaps 8 had the same edge length on the opening 9 side as the length of the openings 9, and the same procedure as in Experiment 2 was followed to measure resistance values on the thermal mannequins.
Results are shown as a graph in Fig. 17. As shown in this graph, the Embodiment Example which had the cover flaps 8 having a longer edge than the long side of the vent openings 7 was found to have a smaller thermal resistance value than the Comparative Example 4 which had the cover flaps 8 having the same length of the edge as the long side of the vent openings 7. In other words, the Embodiment Example had a greater heat releasing effect than Comparative Example 4. This can be interpreted that the Embodiment Example sports pants which had a longer edge length of the cover flaps 8 received a greater amount of air from ahead, to allow more air to flow into the pants.

(Experiment 5)

In Experiment 5, a relationship between opening/closing of the opening 9 and heat releasing effect from inside the pants was studied. Specifically, the Embodiment Example was modified into Comparative Example 5 to have the cover flaps 8 fixed so that the cover flaps 8 would stay open even when the wearer was in the standing state. Then, the same procedure as in Experiment 2 was followed to measure thermal resistance values in the Embodiment Example and Comparative Example 5. For the purpose of seeing differences between the cover flaps 8 which open/close and those which do not, thermal resistance value measurements were also made for the standing state where the thermal mannequins did not bend their body, and an amount of change in the thermal resistance value from the bending state was determined.
Results are shown as a graph in Fig. 18. This graph shows a ratio (percentage) between thermal resistance values in the standing state and thermal resistance values in the bending state. As shown in this graph, the Embodiment Example in which the cover flaps 8 opened/closed with the attitude change from the standing state to the bending state showed a greater amount of change in thermal resistance value than Comparative Example 5 in which the cover flaps 8 did not open/close.
A greater amount of change in the thermal resistance value can be interpreted that the cover flap 8 which changes its state from the closed to the open state increases wind velocity locally and tentatively, leading to increased body perception of cooling by the wearer, than the cover flap 8 which is always open.
In the description of embodiments which has been made thus far, tennis pants were used as examples of the sports pants. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and is applicable to sports pants other than for tennis, such as those for jogging, basket ball and volley ball.
Also, the description was made for short pants having their hems to be above the knees. However, there is no limitation to the location of the hems, i.e., the invention is applicable also to those pants having their hems below the knees.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

1: : Sports Pants
2: : Front Portion
3: :Back Portion
4: : Gusset
5: : Stretching Belt Portion
6: : Pocket
7: :Vent Openings
8: : Cover Flap
9: : Opening
10: :Air Vent
11: : Cover Flap
12: :Mesh Material
13: :Opening
14: :Mesh Material
15: :Side Portion

Claims

A pair of sports pants comprising:
a pants main body which comprises a front portion, a back portion, and side portions between the front portion and the back portion, wherein

the pants main body comprises

a vent opening disposed in an above-knee region in the side portion, penetrating a body fabric of the pants main body, and having an elongated shape extending in an up-down direction;

a cover flap covering the vent opening and having an opening on the front portion side; and

an air vent disposed in the back portion and penetrating the body fabric of the pants main body.
The sports pants according to Claim 1, wherein the cover flap is at least longer in its opening side edge than a longitudinal length of the vent opening, and has a higher bending resistance than that of the body fabric of the pants main body.
The sports pants according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the cover flap has its margin sewn to the body fabric of the pants main body, in a tapering pattern to become gradually narrower from the opening side toward an end.
The sports pants according to one of Claims 1 through 3, wherein the vent opening and the air vent are closed by a highly air permeable material.
The sports pants according to Claim 4, wherein the highly air permeable material is provided by a mesh material.
The sports pants according to one of Claims 1 through 5, wherein the pants main body further comprises a high rigidity portion which is disposed along an edge on the opening side of the vent opening and has a higher rigidity than that of the body fabric of the pants main body.
The sports pants according to one of Claims 1 through 6, wherein the edge of the cover flap on the opening side is recessed like an arc in a plan view.
The sports pants according to one of Claims 1 through 7, wherein the vent openings is across an inguinal region of a wearer.
The sports pants according to one of Claims 1 through 8, wherein the edge of the cover flap on the opening side has a length which is 104% through 108% of the longitudinal length of the vent opening.
The sports pants according to one of Claims 1 through 9, wherein the body fabric of the pants main body has a bending resistance in a range from 20 mm through 150 mm.
The sports pants according to one of Claims 1 through 10, wherein the pants main body has weight portions disposed on an upper and a lower sides of the vent opening, the weight portion being heavier than the material of the cover flap.
The sports pants according to Claim 11, wherein the weight portion is made of a same material as the material of the cover flap, by laminating and stitching a greater number of the material than in the cover flap.
The sports pants according to one of Claims 1 through 12, wherein the pants main body has their hems above knees.
A pair of sports pants comprising:
a pants main body which comprises a front portion, a back portion, and side portions between the front portion and the back portion, wherein

the pants main body comprises

a vent opening disposed in the side portion, penetrating a body fabric of the pants main body, and having an elongated shape extending in an up-down direction; and

a cover flap covering the vent opening and having an opening on the front portion side; and

the cover flap satisfies the following conditions (a) through (c):
(a) An edge on the opening side is longer than a longitudinal length of the vent opening.

(b) A material of the cover flap has a higher bending resistance that of a material of the pants main body; and

(c) The opening is closed when a wearer is in a standing state, whereas the opening opens as he/she drops his/her hips.