FLOCKED WAISTBAND

• US 20140208484A1
• Filed: 01/28/2013
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Huff, Sebastian, Wenzel, Shawn D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,596,897 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 2/243.1
• CPC Class Codes: A41F 9/02 Expansible or adjustable belts or girdles ; Adjustable fasteners comprising a track and a slide member A41F1/008, A41F9/002 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A41F 9/025 Adjustable belts or girdles

Abstract

A waistband for an article of apparel includes a base layer that is resiliently elastic and that includes an inner surface, an outer surface, and an upper edge. The waistband also includes a mounting layer that is resiliently elastic and that includes a first surface and a second surface. The first surface is layered over and attached to the inner surface, the outer surface, and the upper edge of the base layer. The waistband also includes flocking that is mounted on the second surface of the mounting layer. The flocking is disposed on the waistband to face a wearer of the article of apparel.

Claims

1. A waistband for an article of apparel comprising:

a base layer that is resiliently elastic and that includes an inner surface, an outer surface, and an upper edge;

a mounting layer that is resiliently elastic and that includes a first surface and a second surface, the first surface being layered over and attached to the inner surface, the outer surface, and the upper edge of the base layer; and

a flocking that is mounted on the second surface of the mounting layer, the flocking disposed on the waistband to face a wearer of the article of apparel.

2. The waistband of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the flocking extends continuously and annularly about the waistband in a circumferential direction.

3. The waistband of claim 1, wherein the flocking includes at least one opening, the mounting layer being exposed through the at least one opening.

4. The waistband of claim 3, wherein the at least one opening is polygonal.

5. The waistband of claim 1, wherein the waistband defines a circumferential direction and a transverse direction that is transverse to the circumferential direction, wherein the flocking includes a first circumferential strip and a second circumferential strip that each extend continuously and annularly in the circumferential direction, the first and second circumferential strips being spaced from each other in the transverse direction, and wherein the flocking includes at least one transverse strip that extends between the first circumferential strip and the second circumferential strip in the transverse direction.

6. The waistband of claim 5, wherein the at least one transverse strip extends between the first and the second circumferential strips at an acute angle.

7. The waistband of claim 5, wherein the at least one transverse strip includes a plurality of transverse strips that are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction.

8. The waistband of claim 1, wherein the base layer and the mounting layer are adhesively attached via a resiliently elastic adhesive tape.

9. An article of apparel comprising:

a shell configured to cover a pelvic region of a wearer of the article of apparel; and

a waistband that is coupled to the shell to extend in a circumferential direction about a waist region of the wearer, the waistband configured to support the article of apparel at the waist region, the waistband including a resiliently elastic base layer with an inner surface, an outer surface, and an upper edge, the waistband also including a resiliently elastic mounting layer, the mounting layer including a first surface that is layered over and attached to the inner surface, the outer surface, and the upper edge of the base layer, the mounting layer also including a second surface, the waistband also including a flocking that is mounted on the second surface of the mounting layer, the flocking disposed on the waistband to face the waist region of the wearer.

10. The article of apparel of claim 9, wherein the waistband is independent of, but attached to the shell.

11. The article of apparel of claim 10, wherein the waistband is stitched to the shell.

12. The article of apparel of claim 9, wherein the mounting layer is adhesively attached to at least one of the inner surface, the upper edge, and the outer surface via a resiliently elastic adhesive tape.

13. The article of apparel of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the flocking extends continuously and annularly about the waistband in the circumferential direction.

14. The article of apparel of claim 9, wherein the flocking includes at least one opening, the mounting layer being exposed through the at least one opening.

15. The article of apparel of claim 14, wherein the at least one opening is polygonal.

16. The article of apparel of claim 9, wherein the flocking includes a first circumferential strip and a second circumferential strip that each extend continuously and annularly in the circumferential direction and that are spaced from each other in a transverse direction, the flocking also including at least one transverse strip that extends in the transverse direction between the first circumferential strip and the second circumferential strip.

17. The article of apparel of claim 16, wherein the at least one transverse strip extends between the first and the second circumferential strips at an acute angle.

18. The article of apparel of claim 16, wherein the at least one transverse strip includes a plurality of transverse strips that are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction.

19. An article of apparel comprising:

a shell configured to cover a pelvic region of a wearer of the article of apparel; and

a waistband that is stitched to the shell to extend in a circumferential direction about a waist region of the wearer, the waistband also defining a transverse direction, the waistband configured to resiliently stretch in the circumferential direction support the article of apparel at the waist region, the waistband including;

a resiliently elastic base layer with an inner surface, an outer surface, and an upper edge,

a resiliently elastic mounting layer with a first surface that is layered over and adhesively attached to the inner surface, the outer surface, and the upper edge, the mounting layer also including a second surface,

a flocking that is mounted on the second surface to face the waist region of the wearer, the flocking including a first circumferential strip and a second circumferential strip that extend annularly and continuously in the circumferential direction, the flocking also including a plurality of transverse strips that extend between the first and second circumferential strips in the transverse direction, a plurality of openings defined between adjacent ones of the plurality of transverse strips and between the first and second circumferential strips, the second surface being exposed via the plurality of openings.