Aerodynamic garment for improved athletic performance and method of manufacture

• US 6,438,755 B1
• Filed: 09/15/2000
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: MacDonald, Richard C., Harber, Edward L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Calvert, John J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoey, Alissa L.
• Application Number:
  US09/663,117
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 2 6/9, 2/1, 245/6, 245/8, 2/214
• US Class Current: 2/69
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0015 Sports garments other than provided for in groups A41D13/0007 - A41D13/088
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/02 Overalls , e.g. bodysuits or bib overalls sweating suits A61H36/00
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 2400/24 Reducing drag or turbulence in air or water
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 31/18 Elastic

Abstract

An aerodynamic suit for improved athletic performance, and a method of manufacturing the suit. Each body segment is assigned a Reynolds number based upon the velocity and size of the body segment. Each body segment has an appropriate textile assigned to it. The texture of the textile is appropriate to the Reynolds number. As a result, each body segment should go through transition simultaneously during the athletic event. The limbs of the suit are preferably cut so that the seams between the limbs and the rest of the suit are at angles parallel to the direction of movement when at estimated maximum velocity to thereby reduce creases and aerodynamic drag resulting therefrom.

Claims

1. An athletic garment comprising:

a first fabric for covering substantially an entire front of a torso of an athlete,

a second fabric for covering substantially an entire front of a first appendage of the athlete, and

a third fabric for covering substantially an entire front of a second appendage of the athlete;

said first, second, and third fabrics being different and having different drag properties.

2. An athletic garment as recited in claim 1, further comprising a fourth fabric for covering substantially an entire front of a third appendage of said athlete, being different and having different drag properties than said first, second, and third fabrics.

3. An athletic garment as recited in claim 1, wherein said first fabric is polyester/spandex tricot, said second fabric is polyester/spandex unlaminated textured tricot, and said third fabric is polyester/spandex velour.

4. An athletic garment as recited in claim 3, wherein said first appendage is one of said upper arm and lower arm and said second appendage is one of said thigh and hand.

5. An athletic garment as recited in claim 3, wherein said first appendage is one of said thigh and lower leg.

6. An athletic garment as recited in claim 3, wherein said second appendage is one of said thigh and hand.

7. An athletic garment as recited in claim 1, wherein said second fabric is polyester/spandex unlaminated textured tricot, and said third fabric is polyester/spandex velour.

8. An athletic garment comprising:

a first fabric for covering substantially an entire front of a first body segment, and

a second fabric, different from said first fabric, for covering substantially an entire front of a second body segment,

wherein said first and second fabrics are from the set of the following fabrics;

nylon/spandex unlaminated textured tricot,

polyester/spandex unlaminated textured tricot;

polyester/spandex laminated textured tricot;

polyurethane coated nylon/spandex tricot,

polyester/spandex laminated tricot,

polyester/spandex tricot,

polyurethane coated nylon/spandex tricot, and

polyester/spandex velour.

9. The athletic garment of claim 8 wherein said garment produces a lower cumulative coefficient of drag experienced by an athlete in a predetermined event than a garment made entirely from said first fabric and produces a lower cumulative coefficient of drag then a garment made entirely from said second fabric.

10. The athletic garment of claim 8, wherein said first and second body segments are selected from the set of a head, a neck, a torso, upper arms, lower arms, hands, upper legs, lower legs, and feet.

11. The athletic garment of claim 8, wherein said at least two different fabrics have different surface textures.

12. The athletic garment of claim 8, wherein said first and second fabrics are assembled so that seams in said garment are approximately horizontal when said body segments are moving at an estimated maximum velocity for a predetermined sports event.

13. The athletic garment of claim 8, further comprising at least one fairing disposed at one of a base of a neck, behind Achilles tendons, and both said base of said neck and behind said Achilles tendons.

14. The athletic garment of claim 8, further comprising a third fabric different from said first fabric for covering at least a portion of the back of the first body segment.

15. The athletic garment of claim 8, wherein a third fabric, different from said first and second fabrics, covers substantially an entire front of a third body segment.

16. The athletic garment of claim 15, wherein a fourth fabric, different from said first, second, and third fabrics, covers substantially an entire front of a fourth body segment.

17. The athletic garment of claim 15, wherein said first, second, and third body segments include a torso, a thigh and an upper arm.

18. The athletic garment of claim 8, wherein said first and second fabric can stretch at least 30% in both lengthwise and widthwise directions.

19. The athletic garment of claim 8, wherein said first and second body segments include a thigh and a lower leg.

20. The athletic garment of claim 8, wherein said first and second body segments include an upper arm and a lower arm.

21. An athletic garment comprising:

a first fabric for covering substantially an entire front of a first body segment, and

a second fabric, different from said first fabric, for covering substantially an entire front of a second body segment, and

a third fabric, different from said first and second fabric, for covering substantially an entire front of a third body segment, said first, second, and third fabrics having different drag properties.

22. The athletic garment of claim 21 wherein said garment produces a lower cumulative coefficient of drag experienced by an athlete in a predetermined event than a garment made entirely from said first fabric and producing a lower cumulative coefficient of drag then a garment made entirely from said second fabric.

23. The athletic garment of claim 21 wherein said garment produces a lower cumulative coefficient of drag experienced by an sprinter in a sprint than a garment made entirely from said first fabric, said second fabric, and said third fabric.

24. The athletic garment of claim 21, wherein said body segments are selected from the set of a head, a neck, a torso, upper arms, lower arms, hands, upper legs, lower legs, and feet.

25. An athletic garment as recited in claim 24, wherein said first, second, and third fabrics are assembled so that seams in said garment are approximately horizontal when said body segments are moving at an estimated maximum velocity.

26. An athletic garment as recited in claim 21, further comprising at least one fairing disposed at one of a base of a neck, behind Achilles tendons, and both said base of said neck and behind said Achilles tendons.

27. The athletic garment of claim 21, wherein a fourth fabric, different from said first, second, and third fabrics, covers substantially an entire front of a fourth body segment.

28. The athletic garment of claim 21, wherein said first and second fabric can stretch at least 30% in both lengthwise and widthwise directions.

29. The athletic garment of claim 21, wherein said first and second body segments include a thigh and a lower leg.

30. The athletic garment of claim 21, wherein said first and second body segments include an upper arm and a lower arm.

31. The athletic garment of claim 21, wherein said first, second, and third body segments include a torso, a thigh and an upper arm.

32. An athletic garment comprising:

a first fabric for covering substantially an entire front of a first body segment,

a second fabric, different from said first fabric, for covering substantially an entire front of a second body segment,

said garment producing a lower cumulative coefficient of drag experienced by an athlete in a predetermined event than a garment made entirely from one of said first fabric and said second fabric,

wherein said body segments are selected from the set of a head, a neck, a torso, upper arms, lower arms, hands, upper legs, lower legs, and feet, and

wherein said first and second fabrics and said first and second body segments are selected from the set of;

a combination of polyester/spandex unlaminated textured tricot and polyester/spandex mesh for said head,

a combination of polyester/spandex unlaminated tricot and polyester/spandex mesh for said neck,

polyester/spandex laminated textured for said torso,

one of polyester/spandex unlaminated textured tricot and polyester/spandex mesh for said upper arms,

polyester/spandex unlaminated textured tricot for said lower arms,

polyurethane coated nylon/spandex tricot for said hands,

polyester/spandex laminated textured for said upper legs, and polyester/spandex unlaminated textured tricot for said lower legs.