HK1237220B - Swimsuit - Google Patents

Description

swimsuit

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a swimsuit for swimming, and more preferably to a swimsuit for swimming competitions.

Background Art

One of the functions required of swimsuits and swimming caps is to reduce the surface frictional resistance generated by the swimsuit in water during swimming competitions. Various swimsuits have been proposed. Patent Document 1 proposes a swimsuit with an embossed striped pattern. The present applicant proposes, in Patent Documents 2 to 4, swimsuits with an embossed striped pattern, a water-repellent portion, and a non-water-repellent portion arranged in stripes along the length of the body.

Prior art literature

Patent Literature

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-212811

Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-226709

Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-314015

Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-348398

Summary of the Invention

However, the above-mentioned conventional swimsuits have a problem of high surface friction resistance, and further improvements are required.

In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention provides a swimsuit with low surface friction resistance.

The swimsuit of the present invention is made of stretchable fabric that has been treated to be water-repellent, and is characterized in that at least a portion includes a striped pattern in the body length direction, the striped pattern includes a concave stripe portion and a convex stripe portion, and the convex stripe portion has an independent concave pattern.

The swimsuit of the present invention includes a striped pattern in the length direction and is water-repellent. The striped pattern includes a concave stripe portion and a convex stripe portion, and the convex stripe portion has an independent concave pattern, thereby providing a swimsuit with low surface friction resistance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG1 is a schematic plan view of a swimsuit fabric according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A is an enlarged plan view of the swimsuit fabric of FIG. 1 , and FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of the concave pattern of FIG. 2A in which the rhombus corners are rounded.

FIG3 is a cross-sectional view of the swimsuit fabric taken along line II in FIG2 .

FIG. 4 is a schematic top view of the swimsuit.

FIG. 5 is a schematic rear view of the swimsuit.

FIG. 6A is a schematic front view of a swimsuit according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6B is a schematic rear view of the swimsuit.

FIG. 7A is a side view of a cylindrical substrate used to measure frictional resistance in water according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view taken along line II thereof.

FIG8 is an explanatory diagram showing an apparatus for measuring the time it takes for the cylindrical substrate to fall in water.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a method and apparatus for measuring the time it takes for a cylindrical substrate to fall a predetermined distance in water.

FIG. 10A is a perspective view of the cylindrical base when it is unfolded, and FIG. 10B is a top view thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The swimsuit of the present invention is made by sewing fabric that has a striped pattern running lengthwise and has been treated for water repellency. The striped pattern of the fabric includes concave stripes and convex stripes. By forming independent concave patterns in the convex stripes, surface friction resistance can be reduced. That is, while the convex stripes retain the original fabric structure, forming tiny, independent concave patterns therein reduces surface friction resistance. The independent concave patterns can be circles, ellipses, oblongs, rhombuses, squares, and the like. The area of each independent concave pattern is preferably 0.05 to 5 ^mm² , more preferably 0.1 to 4 ^mm² . The striped pattern and the independent concave patterns within the convex stripes are preferably formed over the entire surface of the swimsuit, but may also be formed locally. When formed locally, the area ratio is preferably 50% or more, more preferably 70% or more, and even more preferably 90% or more.

The widths of the concave and convex stripes are preferably 3 to 15 mm, more preferably 5 to 12 mm. Within this range, surface friction resistance is reduced. The widths of the concave and convex stripes can be the same or different, but a narrower width is preferred. Furthermore, the bottom of the individual concave patterns is preferably shallower than the bottom of the concave stripes. This further reduces surface friction resistance.

The independent recessed pattern is preferably rectangular, preferably arranged with its diagonal along the length of the body. The rectangle is preferably a rhombus. Particularly preferred is an elongated rhombus (square pattern) arranged along the length of the body. The corners of the rhombus are preferably rounded. This further reduces surface frictional resistance. Furthermore, the independent recessed pattern may be elliptical or oblong, and may be arranged with its major axis along the length of the body. This further reduces surface frictional resistance.

The independent concave patterns are preferably arranged regularly. This prevents turbulence and further reduces surface friction. Furthermore, the concave stripes and the independent concave patterns are preferably formed by embossing. Embossing can impart a precise pattern.

In the present invention, the fabric may be either a woven or knitted fabric. For example, a knitted fabric comprising a blend of synthetic multifilament yarn and spandex fiber, exhibiting stretch in both the longitudinal and transverse directions, is used. Furthermore, the knitted fabric may be a single circular knit, a double circular knit, a tricot knit, or a raschel knit. However, tricot is more preferred due to its stretchability, which affects ease of movement, and its thinness.

When a stronger supporting force is desired, a woven fabric using composite yarns formed by covering spandex fibers with synthetic fiber multifilament yarns as warp and weft yarns is more preferable as a material form.

The fineness of the spandex fiber is preferably 22 decitex or greater and 156 decitex or less. The spandex fiber used can be a known material, such as "ROICA" from Asahi Kasei Fibers Corporation or "Lycra" from Toray Opelontes Corporation. Since different types of spandex fiber result in different stresses, it is preferable to select one appropriately according to the area of use. In the case of swimsuits, since they are intended for use in swimming pools, spandex fibers with excellent chlorine resistance, such as "ROICA SP," "Lycra 176B," "Lycra 254B," and "Lycra 909B," are preferably used.

Among synthetic fiber multifilament yarns, polyamide-based fibers, polyester-based fibers, and the like are preferred due to their strength and processability. The fiber configuration and cross-sectional shape of the synthetic fibers are not particularly limited, but to achieve high stretchability, they are preferably false-twisted using known techniques to impart crimp. To achieve a smooth surface, straight raw silk is preferably used.

The stretch fabric described above preferably has an elongation of 30% to 250% in both the longitudinal and transverse directions, as measured by the slit method (17.7 N (1.8 kg) load, 5 cm width) according to JIS L1096 A method, more preferably 60% to 180%. When the stretchability falls within this range, the fabric exhibits moderate stretchability, is easy to wear, and is suitable for sportswear, including swimwear.

The stretch fabric is preferably a plain weave, a twill weave, etc. when woven, and preferably a tricot weave, a raschel weave, etc. when knitted. The stretch fabric can be used for a part of or all of a swimsuit.

The swimming competition swimsuit is preferably made by a model that is about 10% to 40% smaller than the human body. If made like this, it can be worn close to the human body.

The following figures are used for explanation. In the following figures, the same reference numerals represent the same objects. FIG1 is a schematic top view of a swimsuit fabric 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The swimsuit fabric 1 includes a striped pattern along the body length direction (height direction) 5, and the striped pattern includes a concave stripe portion 2 and a convex stripe portion 3. An independent concave pattern 4 is formed in the convex stripe portion 3. FIG2A is an enlarged top view of the swimsuit fabric of FIG1. The square pattern of the concave pattern 4 is formed along the body length direction (height direction) 5. FIG2B is an enlarged view of the concave pattern of FIG2A in a case where the corners of the rhombus are rounded.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II of the swimsuit fabric of Fig. 2. In this example, the bottom of the independent recessed pattern 4 is shallower than the bottom of the recessed stripe portion 2.

Figure 4 is a schematic front view of a female swimsuit according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 5 is a schematic rear view of the swimsuit. The swimsuit 20 includes a striped pattern 21 composed of concave stripes and convex stripes (illustration of the independent concave patterns within the convex stripes is omitted).

FIG6A is a schematic front view of a male swimsuit according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG6B is a schematic rear view of the swimsuit. The swimsuit 22 includes a striped pattern 23 composed of concave stripes and convex stripes (illustration of the individual concave patterns within the convex stripes is omitted).

Example

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail by way of examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

＜Elongation＞

The measurement was performed using the strip method in JIS L1096 A. The test piece was 5 cm wide and the clamping interval was 20 cm. The initial load was a load equivalent to the weight applied to the test piece over a length of 1 m. The tensile speed was 20 cm/min. The elongation (%) at a load of 17.7 N (1.8 kg) was measured. The elongation indicates elasticity.

Frictional resistance in water

The measurement method and apparatus shown in Figures 7 to 9 were used. Figure 7A is a side view of the cylindrical base (mold) used for this measurement, and Figure 7B is a cross-sectional view taken along line II of Figure 7A. The front end 33 of the cylindrical base (mold) 31 is spherical, while the rear end 34 is tapered. A swimsuit fabric sample 39 is attached to the cylindrical portion 32. Attachment involves wrapping the fabric sample 39 around the cylindrical portion 32, pressing it with cylindrical clamps 38a and 38b, and inserting the front end 33 and rear end 34. The fabric sample 39 attached to the cylindrical portion 32 has an area of approximately 0.016 ^mm² . A weight 35 is inserted into the lower portion of the cylindrical portion 32. Furthermore, a hollow portion (tube) 36 is inserted into the shaft of the cylindrical base (mold) 31, into which a wire 37 is inserted, as shown in Figures 8 and 9. The cylindrical base (model) 31 weighs 0.3N in water when the swimsuit fabric is attached, and its volume is 1.2× ^{10⁻³ m³} . It is entirely made of resin. The diameter of the hollow portion 36 is 2.3mm. The model 31 has a diameter of 30mm and a length of 300mm, with the fabric attached covering 200mm. The mass, including the attached fabric sample, is 88g. This weight in water is uniformly maintained at 0.3N, taking into account the buoyancy of the fabric and the model, and by attaching a spindle inside the base.

Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram of a device 40 for measuring the time it takes for a cylindrical substrate to fall in water. Water 42 is placed in a transparent water tank 41 made of acrylic resin or the like. A shielding sheet 43 is attached to the inner side of the water tank 41, a light 44 is arranged on the rear side, and a high-speed camera 45 is arranged on the front side. The water tank 41 is made of transparent acrylic resin, with a height (H) of 1.7m, a width (L) and a depth of 0.22m respectively. The high-speed camera 45 is arranged at a position 4.25m away from the water tank and at a height of 0.85m from the ground. The shooting speed of the high-speed camera 45 is set to 1900fps. In this state, the cylindrical substrate (model) 31 is quietly dropped from above the water tank. The cylindrical substrate (model) 31 falls along line 37.

FIG9 is also an explanatory diagram of a method and apparatus for measuring the time it takes for a cylindrical substrate to fall a specified distance in water. First, the rear end of the cylindrical substrate (model) 31 is positioned on the water surface, with the laser point 47 200 mm below the front end 46, the first measuring point 48 100 mm below it, and the second measuring point 49 100 mm below it. The laser point 47 is formed by opening a hole in the shielding sheet 43 shown in FIG8 . In this state, the cylindrical substrate (model) 31 is allowed to fall quietly, and when its front end 46 passes through the laser point 47, the high-speed camera is turned on for high-speed shooting, and the time it takes to fall from the first measuring point 48 to the second measuring point 49 is measured. Each sample is measured 10 times, and the average value is used. The acceleration is calculated according to the following calculation formula (Formula 1).

[Formula 1]

u ₁ = k ₁ /t ₁

u ₂ = k ₂ /t ₂

Δt＝t ₂

(Here, _k1 is the drop distance (mm) from laser point 47 in FIG. 9 to first measurement point 48, _t1 is the transit time (seconds) from laser point 47 in FIG. 9 to first measurement point 48, _k2 is the drop distance (mm) from first measurement point 48 to second measurement point 49, _{and t2} is the transit time (seconds) from first measurement point 48 to second measurement point 49. In this example, _k1 is set to 100 mm and _k2 is set to 200 mm.)

The friction coefficient _Cf of the swimsuit fabric in water is calculated by the following equations (Equation 2) and (Equation 3). The measurement accuracy of the friction coefficient _Cf can reach a value of 0.001.

[Formula 2]

[Formula 3]

Where W is gravity, where W = mg (m is the mass of the cylindrical substrate (kg), g is the acceleration due to gravity (m/s ² )), B is buoyancy, where B = ρ _w gV (ρ _w is the density of water (kg/m ³ ), V is the volume of the cylindrical substrate (m ³ )), and D is drag, where D = C _f × (l/2) × ρu ² A (ρ is the density of water, u is the falling velocity, and A is the surface area of the swimsuit fabric).

Figure 10A is a perspective view of the cylindrical base when it is unfolded, and Figure 10B is a top view thereof. To attach the fabric sample, the fabric is wound around the cylindrical portion 32, pressed with cylindrical clamps 38a and 38b, and the front end portion 33 and rear end portion 34 are inserted.

(Example 1)

＜Silk Selection＞

Polyester multifilament raw silk (44decitex) and spandex fiber ("Lycra 254B" 44decitex) are used.

＜Knitted fabric＞

A 32-needle tricot knitting machine was used to knit a warp-pile plain weave fabric. The fabric was dyed and subjected to a water-repellent treatment. The water-repellent treatment was performed by fixing the fabric to the fabric using a known fluorine-based water-repellent treatment agent. Next, an embossing process was performed. The embossing process was performed at a roller temperature of 220°C, a linear pressure of 5500 kgf, and a roller speed of 6 to 10 m/min. The mass per unit area (basis weight) of the fabric was 230 g/ ^m2 . The friction resistance value of the fabric measured using the measuring device of Figures 7 to 9 was 0.078. The dimensions in Figure 2 are as follows.

Total length al of concave stripe and convex stripe: 16 mm

Width a2 of concave stripe portion 2: 7 mm

Width a3 of the convex stripe portion 3: 9 mm

Lengths a4 and a6 from both ends of the convex stripe portion 3 to the end of the concave square pattern 4: 1 mm each

Width a5 of concave square pattern 4: 1mm

Length a7 of the concave square pattern 4: 1.14 mm

The interval a8 of the concave square pattern 4 in the length direction is 2.3 mm

Depth of concave stripe 2: about 0.05 mm

Depth of concave square pattern 4: about 0.03mm

Thickness of braid: 0.60mm

The elongation of this knitted fabric was 134% in the longitudinal direction (length direction) and 123% in the transverse direction.

＜Swimsuit＞

The obtained knitted fabric was used to sew a swimsuit for swimming competitions as shown in Figures 4 to 6. A wear test of the swimsuit revealed that it had high elasticity, was easy to wear, adhered well to the skin, and had low water flow resistance, making it suitable for swimming competitions.

(Example 2)

＜Silk Selection＞

Cover yarn: nylon raw silk (fineness 33 decitex, number of silk roots 10), core yarn: "Lycra 176B" (fineness 44 decitex), single covering yarn (SCY) is used.

Textiles

Using the above-mentioned yarn, a stretch textile was made. Using a rapier loom, the longitudinal density was 180 strands/2.54cm, the transverse density was 178 strands/2.54cm, the weight per unit area (basis weight) was 135g/ ^m2 , and the thickness was 0.28mm. The fabric structure was plain weave. The textile was subjected to water repellent processing and embossing in the same manner as in Example 1. The elongation of the textile was 56.2% in the warp direction and 51.9% in the weft direction. In addition, the friction resistance coefficient was 0.077. The obtained braid was used to sew the swimsuit for swimming competitions shown in Figures 4 to 6. When the swimsuit was subjected to a wearing test, it was confirmed that it had high stretchability, was easy to wear, had good adhesion to the human skin, and felt low water flow resistance, making it a swimsuit suitable for swimming competitions.

(Comparative Example 1)

A knitted fabric was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the recessed square pattern 4 was used. The resulting knitted fabric had a coefficient of frictional resistance of 0.081. The resulting knitted fabric was used to sew the swimming competition swimsuit shown in Figures 4 to 6. When the swimsuit was worn, it was found to have higher water flow resistance than in Example 1.

(Comparative Example 2)

A textile was produced in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the recessed square pattern 4 was used. The resulting textile had a coefficient of friction of 0.079. The resulting knitted fabric was used to sew the swimming competition swimsuit shown in Figures 4 to 6. When the swimsuit was worn, it was found to have a higher water flow resistance than in Example 2.

Industrial applicability

The fabric for swimwear of the present invention can be used not only for swimwear but also for various sportswear such as bodysuits for marathons or cross-country running, leggings, shirts, skating wear, ski wear, jumpsuits, tights, soccer uniforms, baseball uniforms, and mountaineering wear, as well as for sports bras, underwear with support functions, and protective gear.

Description of Reference Numerals

1 swimsuit fabric

2 Concave stripe part

3 Raised stripes

4 independent concave patterns

5. Body length direction (height direction)

20, 22 swimsuit

21, 23 stripe pattern

31 cylindrical base (model)

32 Swimsuit fabric

33, 46 Model Front End

34 Model Backend

40 Friction resistance measuring device

41 sink

42 Water

43 shielding film

44 lights

45 High-speed camera

47 laser points

48 1st measurement point

49 2nd measurement point

Claims (11)

1. A swimsuit made of a stretchable fabric that has been treated to be water-repellent, characterized in that, At least a portion of the body contains striped patterns along its length. The aforementioned striped pattern includes both concave and convex striped portions. The aforementioned convex stripe portion has an independent concave pattern. The aforementioned independent concave patterns are circular, oval, rectangular, rhomboid, or rhomboid with rounded corners. When the aforementioned individual recessed patterns are rectangular, these individual recessed patterns are arranged diagonally along the length of the body. When the aforementioned independent recessed pattern is an oblong shape, the independent recessed pattern is arranged such that its long axis runs along the length of the body. 2. The swimsuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, Compared to the bottom of the aforementioned recessed stripe section, the bottom of the independent recessed pattern is shallower. 3. The swimsuit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The aforementioned independent concave patterns are arranged in a regular pattern. 4. The swimsuit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The aforementioned recessed stripes and independent recessed patterns are embossed patterns. 5. The swimsuit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The area of one of the aforementioned independent concave patterns is 0.05–5 ^mm² . 6. The swimsuit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The aforementioned striped patterns and the independent concave patterns within the aforementioned raised striped sections are formed on the entire surface of the swimsuit or cover an area ratio of 50% or more. 7. The swimsuit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The width of the concave stripe portion and the convex stripe portion mentioned above are each 3 to 15 mm. 8. The swimsuit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The fabric of the swimsuit is a woven fabric that is elastic in both the longitudinal and transverse directions, based on a blend of synthetic multifilament yarn and spandex fiber. 9. The swimsuit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The fabric of the swimsuits mentioned above is a textile made of composite yarn, which is made by covering spandex fibers with synthetic multifilament yarn and using it in both the warp and weft yarns. 10. The swimsuit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The fabric of the swimsuit is elastic, and the elongation in both the longitudinal and transverse directions, measured by the strip cutting method in JIS L1096 A, is 30-250%. In the strip cutting method, a load of 17.7N (1.8kg) and a width of 5cm are used. 11. The swimsuit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The swimsuits mentioned above are for swimming competitions and are made using models that are 10% to 40% smaller than the human body.