WO2018178618A1

WO2018178618A1 - Garment assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2018178618A1
Application number: PCT/GB2018/000058
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gerard Boye KOFIGAH-LAWSON
Original assignee: GBKL Consultancy Limited
Priority date: 2017-03-30
Filing date: 2018-04-03
Publication date: 2018-10-04
Also published as: GB2560970A; GB201705155D0

Abstract

A kit comprising a garment (10) formed of a layer of multi-way stretch material shaped and configured to be worn on, and retained around, a region of a user's body, the garment (10) incorporating at least one pocket (12) for receiving a thermal pad, said pocket (12) having an inner wall adjacent said user's body, in use, and an opposing outer wall, said inner and outer walls defining a cavity therebetween for receiving a thermal pack, said inner wall comprising a layer of wicking mesh material and said outer wall being configured to retain a thermal pad within said pocket (12) and against said inner wall; and a cover for a thermal pad comprising first and second opposing principal walls defining a cavity therebetween and an opening for receiving a thermal pack, the first principal wall comprising a layer of wicking mesh material and the second principal wall comprising a layer of thermally insulating material, wherein, in use, a thermal pad is inserted into the cavity defined between the principal walls of the cover to form a thermal pack, and said thermal pack is inserted into said at least one pocket (12) of said garment (10) such that said wicking mesh layer of said cover is adjacent said wicking mesh layer of said inner wall of said pocket (12).

Description

GARMENT ASSEMBLY

Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to a garment assembly and, more particularly but not necessarily exclusively, to a sportswear garment assembly for enabling targeted thermal therapy to be applied to a wearer during activity. More specifically, the invention relates to a garment incorporating means for accommodating thermal packs at targeted locations on a wearer's body, and the invention extends to a thermal pack assembly for use with such a garment.

Background of the Invention It is well known to be highly advantageous for a person's muscles to be warm before commencing exercise or other physical activity, and in addition to performing stretching exercises to warm up specific muscle groups, it is not uncommon for a person to apply a heat pack to particular muscles or muscle groups to further enhance the pre-exercise warm-up process with the aim of optimising performance. It is also known to apply thermal packs (either cold or hot) to particular muscles or muscle groups in order to speed up muscle recovery or to alleviate pain or swelling.

Typically, this is achieved by the manual application of a thermal pack to the affected muscles or muscle groups, and in recent years, disposable adhesive gel pads have been developed, that can be stuck directly onto a user's skin, adjacent the target area, and discarded after use.

However, this can take time and, using non-adhesive thermal packs, only one (or, at most, two) target areas can be treated at a time. Whereas the adhesive gel pads enable multiple areas to be targeted simultaneously, it is not then feasible for the user to be able to continue their work-out or other activity, because excessive movement tends to dislodge the pads from their location and perspiration can cause the adhesive backing to fail.

Sporting garments with additional functionality have been proposed and developed for various purposes. For example, compression clothing has been shown to improve blood flow and thus performance. There is also evidence to suggest compression clothing can assist in recovery of muscles post exercise. More recently, sports clothing has been developed to include spaces for receiving weighted thermal pads. For example, a weighted shirt system is available comprising an inner compression shirt having pockets therein for receiving hydro- gel inserts at specific locations on the user's body, and an outer compression shirt that is required to ensure that the hydro-gel inserts (which can be heated or frozen but have the primary purpose of adding weight to the garment) are sufficiently pressed against the user's body to effect thermal transfer and also to keep the hydro-gel inserts in place and prevent them from 'bouncing' around during strenuous exercise. Whilst the hydro-gel inserts are primarily intended to add weight to the shirt for the purpose of increasing the impact of a user's exercise programme or activity, they can (if heated or frozen) also be used to apply continuous heating or cooling to a targeted muscle group for the purposes described above. However, there are a number of issues associated with this type of garment. Firstly, the requirement for an outer compression shirt, as well as the inner short, often leads to the material bunching and rubbing due to the layered system. Furthermore, the dual layered system inevitably leads to a reduction in comfort and mobility of the user, especially during strenuous exercise, and can result in over-heating. The excess weight represented by the inserts and the two-layered garment may also be a significant disadvantage, particularly in some activities. Finally, the pocket structure used for the hydro-gel inserts must be robust to retain the weighted packs and thermal transfer is therefore inefficient and certainly not optimally effective at the targeted areas.

It is an object of aspects of the present invention to address at least some of these issues. Summary of the Invention

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a kit comprising: a garment formed of a layer of multi-way stretch material shaped and configured to be worn on, and retained around, a region of a user's body, the garment incorporating at least one pocket for receiving a thermal pad, said pocket having an inner wall adjacent said user's body, in use, and an opposing outer wall, said inner and outer walls defining a cavity therebetween for receiving a thermal pack, said inner wall comprising a layer of wicking mesh material and said outer wall being configured to retain a thermal pad within said pocket and against said inner wall; and

a cover for a thermal pad comprising first and second opposing principal walls defining a cavity therebetween and an opening for receiving a thermal pack, the first principal wall comprising a layer of wicking mesh material and the second principal wall comprising a layer of thermally insulating material, wherein, in use, a thermal pad is inserted into the cavity defined between the principal walls of the cover to form a thermal pack, and said thermal pack is inserted into said at least one pocket of said garment such that said wicking mesh layer of said cover is adjacent said wicking mesh layer of said inner wall of said pocket.

The provision, in this manner, of adjacent layers of wicking mesh material, when a thermal pack (comprising a thermal pad in the cover) is inserted into a pocket of the garment has two principal advantages. Firstly, the efficiency of thermal transfer from the thermal pad to the user's skin is optimised via the wicking mesh layers. Secondly, the friction generated between the two mesh layers when they engage with each other is such that it assists in retaining the thermal pack within the pocket, and prevent excessive 'bouncing' thereof during activity.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a garment for a kit according to the above-described first aspect of the present invention, the garment being formed of a multi-way stretch material and configured to be worn on, and retained around, a region of a user's body, the garment incorporating at least one pocket for receiving, and retaining therein, a thermal pack, said pocket having an inner wall adjacent said user's body, in use, and an opposing outer wall, said inner and outer walls defining a cavity therebetween for receiving a thermal pack, said inner wall comprising a layer of wicking mesh material and said outer wall being configured to retain a thermal pad within said pocket and against said inner wall.

In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cover for a kit according to the above-described first aspect of the present invention, the cover being configured to receive and retain a thermal pad therein and comprising first and second opposing principal walls defining a cavity therebetween and an opening for receiving a thermal pack, the first principal wall comprising a layer of wicking mesh material and the second principal wall comprising a layer of thermally insulating material.

In an exemplary embodiment, the outer wall of the pocket may be formed of an elastic material and may comprise first and second overlapping pocket sections defining an opening therebetween for receiving a thermal pack into said cavity. The provision of an outer wall comprising a pair of overlapping pocket sections results in the portion of the outer wall that acts to retain the thermal pad and apply a compressive force thereto to 'push' it against the inner wall of the pocket, results in a double layered wall of material for achieving this effect without significantly increasing the weight of the overall garment or discernibly affecting the user's mobility, in use. In an exemplary embodiment, the garment may be formed of a woven, multi-way stretch material, such as mock eyelet sports fabric, although other suitable materials will be known to a person skilled in the art and the present invention is not necessarily intended to be limited in this regard. The wicking mesh material (of both the cover and the garment) may, for example, comprise Coolmax ® mesh, although, once again, other suitable wicking mesh materials will be known to a person skilled in the art and the present invention is not necessarily intended to be limited in this regard. The outer wall (and/o the pair of overlapping pocket members) may be formed of the same woven multi-way stretch material as the rest of the garment, although it/they may additionally, or alternatively, comprise a layer of, for example, neoprene, for additional robustness and compressive properties.

In an exemplary embodiment, at least the layer of thermally insulating material may have an outer layer of another material thereon. The outer layer material may include or comprise a resiliently flexible stiffening material, such that the stiffness of the second principal wall is greater than that of the first principal wall to aid in the insertion of the cover (including therein a thermal pad) into a pocket of the garment.

Thus, the thermally insulating material of the cover may comprise a reflective thermal fabric, such as Solarize thermal fabric or the like, although other thermally

insulative/reflective fabrics and materials will be known to a person skilled in the art, and the present invention is not necessarily intended to be limited in this regard. The second principal wall may comprise an outer cover. The outer cover may comprise one or more layers of elastic fabric. For example, the outer cover may comprise mock eyelet sports fabric, or the like. In an exemplary embodiment, the outer cover may include a reinforcing or stiffening layer, which may, for example, be formed of an elastic material such as 4 way stretch Lycra ® fabric or the like. The benefit of reinforcing the second principal wall is such that, whilst it can still be manipulated and deformed during the process of inserting the thermal pack into a pocket of the garment, the added stiffness makes the manipulation of the thermal pack easier and quicker. Brief Description of the Drawings

These and other aspects of the present invention will be apparent from the following specific description in which embodiments of the present invention are described, by way of examples only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic front view of a garment according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic rear view of the garment of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a schematic front view of a garment according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 is a schematic rear view of the garment of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a partial front view of the garment of Figure 1 (or Figure 3), illustrating the pocket structure thereof;

Figure 6A is a schematic front view of a cover according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6B is a schematic rear view of the cover of Figure 6A;

Figure 7A is a schematic exploded view of the layer structure of the cover of Figures 6A and 6B; and

Figure 7B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the layer structure of the cover of Figures 6A and 6B. Detailed Description

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, a garment 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated schematically. It is to be understood that, whilst throughout the following description, a t-shirt like garment configured to be worn on a user's upper body and torso is referenced, the present invention is not necessarily intended to be limited in this regard and the present invention is envisaged to be equally applicable to other garments such as leggings, socks, a sleeve, a bandage, or body suit. Referring back to Figure 1, the illustrated garment 10, intended for female use, comprises a t-shirt having a front (Figure 1), a rear (Figure 2) and a pair of sleeves configured to substantially cover a user's arms from shoulder to wrist. A set of six pockets 12 is provided, arranged in three rows of two, with each pocket of a pair being located on a respective side of the user's spinal region. Another pocket 14 is provided on each shoulder, and a further pocket is provided at each upper arm. Advantageously, the pockets 12, 14, 16 may be shaped to match the region of the user's body at which they are targeted and on which they are intended to be aligned. Thus, each set of pockets may be shaped (and/or oriented) differently to match the region they are intended.to cover. Referring to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings, a garment 20, according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, intended primarily for male use, comprises a t-shirt having a front (Figure 3), a rear (Figure 4) and a pair of sleeves configured to substantially cover the user's arms from shoulder to wrist. A set of six pockets 22 is once again provided on the rear, arranged in three rows of pairs down either side of the user's spinal region (see Figure 4). A pocket 24 is provided on each shoulder, and a pair of pockets 26a, 26b is provided on each upper arm region. In this case, however, a set of pockets 28 may also be provided in the chest region (see Figure 3) and a further set of pockets 30 may be provided along the user's abdominal region. It can be seen from Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings that, depending on the muscle group intended to be targeted, the size and orientation of the pockets relative to the user (when the garment is in use) varies.

Referring to Figure 5 of the drawings, each pocket (irrespective of location on the garment, size or orientation) is formed by a pair of overlapping pocket members 32a, 32b. A generally rectangular first pocket member 32a is joined (or integrated) on three sides to the main body of the garment 10, 20, leaving a first open edge 34a, and a second generally rectangular pocket member 32b is joined (or integrated) on three sides to the main body of the garment 10, 20, leaving a second open edge 34b, wherein the open edges overlap, generally centrally along the width of the pocket members, to define the opening of the pocket. Together, the first and second pocket members, thus configured, form the outer wall of the pocket. In order to insert a thermal pack into the cavity defined by the pocket (between the outer wall and an inner wall), the user pulls apart the two open edges 34a, 34b to create the pocket opening, and inserts a thermal pack therethrough, such that it sits within the cavity defined by the closed edges of the pocket members 32a, 32b. When the open edges 32a, 32b are released, the 'inner' pocket member sits over the thermal pack and the Outer' pocket member sits over the inner pocket member, such that, effectively, two layers of material act on the thermal pack to hold it in place and apply a compressive force to urge it against the inner wall of the pocket (i.e. that nearest the user's body, in use). This is highly beneficial as it helps to prevent the thermal pack from bouncing around or shifting position during the user's activity and also ensures that the thermal pack is pressed against the targeted muscle group without the need for a second garment. It will be appreciated that the pocket structure thus provided ensures that the required functionality of the garment is effectively achieved, without discernible increase in weight of the garment, or reduction in comfort/mobility of the user, and it is perfectly feasible to fill all the pockets or just one or more selected pockets with respective thermal packs without adversely affecting the user's work-out or activity.

The main body of the garment 10, 20 and the inner and outer pocket members 32a, 32b may beneficially be formed of an elastic woven material with multi-way stretch that allows unrestricted movement in any direction and has compression properties (or resilient flexibility) so as to improve circulation (in the case of the main body of the garment) and to retain the thermal pack and urge it against the targeted muscle group (in the case of the inner and outer pocket members). The main body of the garment may, for example, be formed of a mock eyelet sports fabric that is lightweight, flexible, breathable and has wicking and microbial properties for maximum comfort and wearability. For added compressive and retentive properties, the inner and/or outer pocket members may be formed of, or incorporate, a multi-way stretch material that is slightly more resilient than that forming the main body of the garment, such as neoprene scuba knit fabric, for example. Referring back to Figure 5 of the drawings, the inner wall of each pocket (i.e. the wall adjacent the user's body, in use) may be formed of, or include, a layer 36 of wicking mesh material, such as Coolmax ® mesh or the like. This ensures that the full benefit of the thermal therapy (either heating or cooling) is efficiently transferred from the thermal pack in the pocket to the targeted muscle group. The thermal packs may, for example, include hydro-gel pads or the like that can be heated

(in a microwave) or frozen to achieve the desired thermal properties. Such gel pads will be known to a person skilled in the art. Gel pads are advantageous for use in a kit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention because they are lightweight, flexible and resilient to damage during strenuous activity. However, their flexibility can make it difficult to insert them correctly and quickly into a pocket of the above-described garment, and their light weight can cause them to bounce around during activity and cause them to move from the targeted area.

Thus, another aspect of the invention provides a cover for a thermal pad (such that the cover and thermal pad assembly may be described as a "thermal pack"), intended to alleviate these potential issues. Referring to Figures 6A and 6B of the drawings, a thermal pad cover 40 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises an outer wall 42 (Figure 6A) and an opposing inner wall 44 (Figure 6B).

Referring additionally to Figures 7A and 7B of the drawings, the outer wall may comprise an outer layer 46 of elastic material, such as mock eyelet sports fabric or the like. An inner layer 48 of thermal barrier fabric (e.g. Solarize thermal fabric) is also provided to ensure that all heat within the cover cavity is reflected toward the user's body. An intermediate layer (not shown) of multi-way stretch material may be provided between the outer layer and the thermal barrier layer, to add a further layer of 'stiffness' to the outer wall 42, whilst still allowing the cover (including gel pad 50) to be deformed and manipulated when inserting the assembly into a pocket of the above-described garment. The inner wall 44 (i.e. the wall of the cover closest to the user's body, and adjacent the inner wall of the pocket, in use) is formed of a layer 52 of wicking mesh material (e.g.

Coolmax ® mesh). This has two significant benefits. Firstly, it ensures maximum thermal transfer from the gel pad 50 to the user's skin (and, therefore, the targeted muscle group). Secondly, the layer 52 of mesh forming the inner wall44 of the cover containing the gel pad 50 engages, in use, with the layer of sicking mesh forming the inner wall of the pocket such that a) optimum thermal transfer to the targeted muscle group is maintained, and b) the friction between the two layers of mesh aids in retaining the cover/gel pad assembly in place within the pocket.

It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, from the foregoing description, that modifications and variations can be made to the described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A kit comprising: a garment formed of a layer of multi-way stretch material shaped and configured to be worn on, and retained around, a region of a user's body, the garment incorporating at least one pocket for receiving a thermal pad, said pocket having an inner wall adjacent said user's body, in use, and an opposing outer wall, said inner and outer walls defining a cavity therebetween for receiving a thermal pack, said inner wall comprising a layer of wicking mesh material and said outer wall being configured to retain a thermal pad within said pocket and against said inner wall; and a cover for a thermal pad comprising first and second opposing principal walls defining a cavity therebetween and an opening for receiving a thermal pack, the first principal wall comprising a layer of wicking mesh material and the second principal wall comprising a layer of thermally insulating material, wherein, in use, a thermal pad is inserted into the cavity defined between the principal walls of the cover to form a thermal pack, and said thermal pack is inserted into said at least one pocket of said garment such that said wicking mesh layer of said cover is adjacent said wicking mesh layer of said inner wall of said pocket.

2. A garment for a kit according to claim 1, the garment being formed of a multi-way stretch material and configured to be worn on, and retained around, a region of a user's body, the garment incorporating at least one pocket for receiving, and retaining therein, a thermal pack, said pocket having an inner wall adjacent said user's body, in use, and an opposing outer wall, said inner and outer walls defining a cavity therebetween for receiving a thermal pack, said inner wall comprising a layer of wicking mesh material and said outer wall being configured to retain a thermal pad within said pocket and against said inner wall.

3. A garment according to claim 2, wherein the outer wall of the pocket is formed of an elastic material.

4. A garment according to claim 3, wherein the outer wall of the pocket comprises first and second overlapping pocket sections defining an opening therebetween for receiving a thermal pack into said cavity.

5. A garment according to any of claims 2 to 4, formed of a woven, multi-way stretch material.

6. A garment according to any of claims 2 to 5, wherein the wicking mesh material comprises a thermally conductive wicking mesh.

7. A cover for a kit according to claim 1, the cover being configured to receive and retain a thermal pad therein and comprising first and second opposing principal walls defining a cavity therebetween and an opening for receiving a thermal pack, the first principal wall comprising a layer of wicking mesh material and the second principal wall comprising a layer of thermally insulating material.

8. A cover according to claim 7, wherein at least the layer of thermally insulating

material has an outer layer of another material thereon.

9. A cover according to claim 8, wherein the outer layer material includes or comprises a resiliently flexible stiffening material, such that the stiffness of the second principal wall is greater than that of the first principal wall.

10. A cover according to any of claims 7 to 9, wherein the thermally insulating material comprises a thermally reflective fabric or thermal barrier fabric

1 1. A cover according to any of claims 7 to 10, wherein the second principal wall

comprises an outer cover.