Swimwear garment incorporating resistance band

• US 5,839,122 A
• Filed: 04/07/1997
• Issued: 11/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Timothy P. Dicker, William T. Wilkinson
• Original Assignee: Timothy P. Dicker, William T. Wilkinson
• Inventors: Wilkinson, William T., Dicker, Timothy P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hale, Gloria M.
• Application Number:
  US08/834,887
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 2/67, 2/69, 2/79, 2/227, 2/228, 2/238, 2/115, 2/108, 2/113, 482/124
• US Class Current: 2/67
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 2300/22 Elastic inserts
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 31/18 Elastic
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 7/00 Bathing gowns; Swim-suits, drawers, or trunks; Beach suits
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0004 Exercising devices moving as a whole during exercise bar bells or dumb bells A63B21/072; on wheels A63B22/20
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/00069 Setting or adjusting the resistance level; Compensating for a preload prior to use, e.g. changing length of resistance or adjusting a valve
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0428 the ends moving relatively by linear reciprocation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0552 Elastic ropes or bands
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0557 Details of attachments, e.g. clips or clamps
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4007 to the chest region, e.g. to the back chest
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4013 to the ankle
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4019 to the hand
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4025 Resistance devices worn on the user's body A63B21/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/0204 Standing on the feet

Abstract

A swimwear garment includes an upper body portion and a trunk portion made of a base fabric. At least one resistance band is incorporated in the garment. The resistance band has a direction of strength and memory characteristics to return the band to its unstretched condition. The resistance band has greater resistance characteristics than the base fabric so that during swimming strokes the muscles used for performing the swim strokes are strengthened by the additional exercise resulting from the stretching of the resistance bands.

Claims

1. A swimwear garment comprising an upper body portion and a trunk portion, said upper body portion and said trunk portion being made from a base fabric, at least one resistance band incorporated in at least one of said upper body portion and said trunk portion, said resistance band having a direction of stretch and having memory characteristics for causing said resistance band to return to its unstretched condition, said resistance band having resistance characteristics which require a greater force to stretch said resistance band and to resist said resistance band returning to its unstretched condition than the resistance force required for stretching said base fabric and permitting said base fabric to return to its unstretched condition, said resistance band having spaced anchor locations at remote portions with respect to each other, in combination with a leg strap for being mounted around and across the legs of the user, said strap terminating in a pair of unanchored free ends, and said leg strap being separate and distinct from said garment.

2. The garment of claim 1 wherein said leg strap is adjustable.

3. A swimwear garment comprising an upper body portion and a trunk portion, said upper body portion and said trunk portion being made from a base fabric, at least one resistance band incorporated in at least one of said upper body portion and said trunk portion, said resistance band having a direction of stretch and having memory characteristics for causing said resistance band to return to its unstretched condition, said resistance band having resistance characteristics which require a greater force to stretch said resistance band and to resist said resistance band returning to its unstretched condition than the resistance force required for stretching said base fabric and permitting said base fabric to return to its unstretched condition, said resistance band having spaced anchor locations at remote portions with respect to each other, said upper body portion including arm portions, and said resistance band extending down said arm portions and terminating in a glove made from resistance band material.

4. The garment of claim 3 wherein said glove includes webs between at least two sets of adjacent fingers.

5. A swimwear garment comprising an upper body portion and a trunk portion, said upper body portion and said trunk portion being made from a base fabric, at least one resistance band incorporated in at least one of said upper body portion and said trunk portion, said resistance band having a direction of stretch and having memory characteristics for causing said resistance band to return to its unstretched condition, said resistance band having resistance characteristics which require a greater force to stretch said resistance band and to resist said resistance band returning to its unstretched condition than the resistance force required for stretching said base fabric and permitting said base fabric to return to its unstretched condition, said resistance band having spaced anchor locations at remote portions with respect to each other, and said resistance band including a one-piece resistance band running along the anterior arm/hand to the mid thoracic line laterally and then obliquely to the mid line forming the crotch and meeting a posterior resistance band.

6. The garment of claim 5 wherein said at least one resistance band further includes a large scapular resistance band disposed along the posterior portion of the arms in a corkscrew design, said at least one resistance band further including a thin spinal resistance band, and an oblique resistance band joining said anterior resistance band.

7. The garment of claim 6 wherein said at least one resistance band includes an oblique resistance band on the anterior of the garment and running to the posterior of said garment at said top portion, said oblique resistance band merging to an anterior resistance band which diverges to front bands extending over the shoulder and joined to a Y shaped posterior band.

8. The garment of claim 7 including a posterior resistance band spanning said Y shaped resistance band.

9. The garment of claim 8 wherein said resistance band spanning said Y shaped resistance band extends along the arm of said garment posteriorly.

10. A swimwear garment comprising an upper body portion and a trunk portion, said upper body portion and said trunk portion being made from a base fabric, at least one resistance band incorporated in at least one of said upper body portion and said trunk portion, said resistance band having a direction of stretch and having memory characteristics for causing said resistance band to return to its unstretched condition, said resistance band having resistance characteristics which require a greater force to stretch said resistance band and to resist said resistance band returning to its unstretched condition than the resistance force required for stretching said base fabric and permitting said base fabric to return to its unstretched condition, said resistance band having spaced anchor locations at remote portions with respect to each other, and said at least one resistance band includes a pair of anterior front arm/chest resistance bands extending over the arms and chest and obliquely down the back to the buttock area, and a medium resistance panel connected between said resistance band and said base fabric.

11. The garment of claim 10 wherein and at least one said resistance band includes a resistance band extending posteriorly along the arms and down the mid back, and posterior resistance hands originating from said front arm/chest bands.

12. A swimwear garment comprising an upper body portion and a trunk portion, said upper body portion and said trunk portion being made from a base fabric, at least one resistance band incorporated in at least one of said upper body portion and said trunk portion, said resistance band having a direction of stretch and having memory characteristics for causing said resistance band to return to its unstretched condition, said resistance band having resistance characteristics which require a greater force to stretch said resistance band and to resist said resistance band returning to its unstretched condition than the resistance force required for stretching said base fabric and permitting said base fabric to return to its unstretched condition, said resistance band having spaced anchor locations at remote portions with respect to each other, and said at least one resistance band including a set of spaced mirror image anterior resistance bands integral with posterior resistance bands and corkscrewing from the back of said upper body portion and being disposed along the chest and arms and thighs, and further includes anterior abdominal resistance bands.

13. A swimwear garment comprising an upper body portion and a trunk portion, said upper body portion and said trunk portion being made from a base fabric, at least one resistance band incorporated in at least one of said upper body portion and said trunk portion, said resistance band having a direction of stretch and having memory characteristics for causing said resistance band to return to its unstretched condition, said resistance band having resistance characteristics which require a greater force to stretch said resistance band and to resist said resistance band returning to its unstretched condition than the resistance force required for stretching said base fabric and permitting said base fabric to return to its unstretched condition, said resistance band having spaced anchor locations at remote portions with respect to each other, and said at least one said resistance band including posterior resistance bands extending down the arms and being connected to further posterior resistance bands extending down said upper body portion at said trunk portion.

14. The garment of claim 13 wherein said posterior resistance bands terminate at said trunk portion in a belt wrapped around each thigh with said belt having free ends connected together by a buckle for adjusting the overall effective length of said belt.

15. The garment of claim 14 including a set of anterior resistance bands extending from the arms of said garment down said upper body portion and terminating at the lower end of said trunk portion.

16. The garment of claim 15 including a set of posterior resistance bands extending from the arms of said garment down said upper body portion and terminating at the lower end of said trunk portion.

17. A swimwear garment comprising an upper body portion and a trunk portion, said upper body portion and said trunk portion being made from a base fabric, at least one resistance band incorporated in at least one of said upper body portion and said trunk portion, said resistance band having a direction of stretch and having memory characteristics for causing said resistance band to return to its unstretched condition, said resistance band having resistance characteristics which require a greater force to stretch said resistance band and to resist said resistance band returning to its unstretched condition than the resistance force required for stretching said base fabric and permitting said base fabric to return to its unstretched condition, said resistance band having spaced anchor locations at remote portions with respect to each other, and said at least one resistance band including a front maximum resistance band panel and front shoulder arm/hand bands which extend from back bands with rear bands extending from the front, and said garment also including panels made of medium tension base fabric.

18. A swimwear garment comprising an upper body portion and a trunk portion, said upper body portion and said trunk portion being made from a base fabric, at least one resistance band incorporated in at least one of said upper body portion and said trunk portion, said resistance band having a direction of stretch and having memory characteristics for causing said resistance band to return to its unstretched condition, said resistance band having resistance characteristics which require a greater force to stretch said resistance band and to resist said resistance band returning to its unstretched condition than the resistance force required for stretching said base fabric and permitting said base fabric to return to its unstretched condition, said resistance band having spaced anchor locations at remote portions with respect to each other, and said at least one resistance band includes bands extending over the shoulders to the arms and a posterior band arm/hand with a band for the front abdominal portion.

19. The garment of claim 18 wherein said resistance band is adjustable in its resistance characteristics.

20. The garment of claim 18 wherein said resistance band comprises a panel integral with said base fabric.