Athletic garment with perspiration absorption towel

Abstract

A jersey for management of perspiration having a perspiration absorption towel. The perspiration absorption towel is removably or permanently affixed along the front interior of the collar of the jersey. The perspiration absorption towel has a collar-region width less than the collar width by an amount which optimizes access to and removability of the perspiration absorption towel. The perspiration absorption towel has a length which relative to the collar-region width which balances usefulness and ease of return to the non-use position of the perspiration absorption towel.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority to non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 15 / 644,617 entitled “Athletic attire with integrated perspiration absorbing material” filed Jul. 7, 2017 by the present inventor, which in turn claims priority to provisional patent application Ser. No. 62 / 440,996 filed Dec. 30, 2016 by the present inventor.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention is related to garments and apparel, more particularly sports / athletic garments and apparel, and still more particularly sports / athletic garments and apparel with perspiration control components.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]In the present specification, the terms “garments” and “apparel” are used synonymously and interchangeably. Similarly, the terms “sports” and “athletic” are used synonymously and the terms “shirt” and “jersey” are used synonymously and interchangeably in the present specification. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the present in...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention is a jersey for use in sport that has a towel attached at the collar. This towel has two layers - a layer that absorbs moisture and a layer that is waterproof. When the towel is inside the jersey and worn by the player, the waterproof layer prevents moisture from being absorbed by the moisture absorption layer and getting on the player's chest. However, when the towel is pulled out of the jersey and upwards, the moisture absorption layer is between the player and the waterproof layer, allowing the player to use the towel to absorb moisture on their brow. This invention helps manage perspiration during training and games.

Problems solved by technology

This is particularly an issue with perspiration on the brow and forehead which might drip into the eyes and obscure vision, thereby putting the player at a momentary disadvantage or possibly even producing a safety hazard.

However, this requires interruption of play—or if done without interruption of play, distracts the player from play.

One sport where perspiration management is particularly an issue is basketball, where play is very active and continues uninterrupted for extended periods of time.

Typical jerseys are made of polyester, which is a non-absorbent material and somewhat abrasive, and repeated wiping may cause irritation to the skin around the eyes.

It should also be noted that perspiration management can be a safety issue, such as in basketball where moisture on the playing surface may cause players to slip.

One situation which is particularly problematic is at the free throw line in basketball, where players are required to stand for longer periods of time while shooting free throws, and so perspiration tends to drip from their body and face and accumulate on the playing surface there, presenting a particular slipping hazard at that location.

But sports jerseys such as basketball jerseys are generally made of materials, such as 100% polyester fabric, having limited absorption capabilities.

However, these patents do not provide an adequate solution that combines the necessary and desirable features of accessibility, ease of use, effectiveness, unobtrusiveness and concealability.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,901 describes an athletic shirt wherein one or more pieces of absorbent material are permanently stitched or sewn into the inside of the garment, but the permanent nature of the installations requires the wearer to lift the entire garment above the face and makes reaching the head, neck, and arms impractical and revealing of the chest and other parts of the body, which would in many cases be undesirable, especially for female wearers.

However, the placement of this towel on the lower part of the body requires that the sheet be completely detached in order to be used for the head, neck, face and arms, and then replaced, which can be impractical, requires the wearer to stop and focus on detaching the towel and replacing it when done, and poses a risk of the towel dropping to the ground and becoming soiled and / or posing a slipping or tripping hazard.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,236 describes a towel-like appendage secured to the outside of an upper body garment at the back side whose placement presents a significant encumbrance to easily accessing the appendage for the wearer unless the appendage is of sufficient width to span the majority of the wearer's back, thereby requiring the appendage to be bulky and heavy.

Placing the appendage on the back. also makes the appendage counterproductive to ameliorating perspiration since the wearer's back is now covered by an extra layer of material which promotes heat retention.

However, such garments are of limited utility since the moisture wicking material must be integrated into the garment and be predominantly skin-tight to be effective and thus do not allow the wearer to use the garment to remove perspiration from areas such as the face and neck.

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