Adjustable garments

Abstract

A wearable patch configured to support synovial joints of the human body is disclosed. The patch has a base layer that is flexible to conform to the contours of the area of the human body to which the wearable patch is applied. The base layer has a first side and a second side. The second side is configured to adhere the wearable patch to the human body. The patch also has a plurality of tiles provided on the first side of the base layer. The plurality of tiles has an array of repeated shapes. The plurality of tiles are connected to the base layer such that each tile can pivot relative to an adjacent tile.

Description

[0001] ADJUSTABLE GARMENTS

[0002] Field of the invention

[0003] The present disclosure relates to adjustable garments, such as knitwear or patches, which can be worn to provide support to the human body and adjusted while being worn.

[0004] Background

[0005] Knitted garments are used both for aesthetic reasons, and for a physical and / or medical purpose such as to provide a particular support to the limbs of the wearer or for other medical purposes; they can also be used to provide temperature control to the limbs of the wearer.

[0006] Even where no therapeutic level of compression is needed, “athleisure” clothing has become popular, including garments that exhibit some compressive force and are made to be stylish, form fitting, or shaping, as well as comfortable. Examples include leggings, tracksuits or gloves and socks for example including sporting apparel.

[0007] Compression garments are well known and are articles of clothing that when worn, apply pressure to the body either through garment reduction (e.g. knit shapewear) or through inflation (e.g. a blood pressure cuff) to change and control the rigidity of the garment. Compression of the body can be an effective medical treatment for a range of disorders. Compression garments can promote or inhibit blood circulation, and can impact fluids and metabolites particularly at joints, especially a damaged joint. They can also be used in the treatment of anxiety related disorders or for support or structural assistance, perhaps to limit mobility as in the treatment of arthritis, tendonitis or repetitive strain issues including sport related injuries.

[0008] Conventional compression garments for medical use are prefabricated prior to use and are either under-sized or inflatable to achieve the desired compression when in place, whereas compression garments that are primarily intended for aesthetics are typically undersized and exhibit some elasticity. Undersized elastic garments are typically associated with a particular portion of a user’s body, such as a calf, a forearm, a knee, leg, ankle, foot and hand. The cross-section of the garment when relaxed is smaller than the cross-section of the portion of the body. When applied, the garment stretches and exerts force as the elastic contracts back towards the relaxed size of the garment. Other types of non-elastic, undersized compression technologies include oversized garments that can be made undersized by physically forcing the garment onto the desired location after the garment has been placed on the body by adjustable mechanisms, such as lacing, buckles, hook and loop tape, or straps.

[0009] Undersized garments apply a substantially constant pressure on the entire section of the user’s body at each particular point that is in contact with the garment. Depending on the user’s anatomy however, the amount of pressure required can vary along the length of the garment. Although undersized garments can be designed to provide substantially uniform pressure (or a desired pressure gradient) to a typical person, variations in user anatomy can result in variation from the intended pressure profile for that garment.

[0010] The pressure profile created by a garment can also vary based upon the way in which it is used. The cross-sections of various body parts change depending upon whether the person is seated, standing or lying down and this can limit the effectiveness of the garment or changes the nature of their physical activity for example ceasing the activity. Therefore an undersized garment, which typically cannot be resized or reshaped depending on the user’s activity level or body position, may apply different levels of compression for users with different levels or types of activity and is therefore limited in its usefulness. Additionally, where the garment is to be used for temperature control, a different pressure profile may be required from the profile required for limb support.

[0011] United States Patent publication 2022 / 0175059 provides garments based on interconnected loops of shape memory alloy material, which can transition between a loose, flexible state and an active, rigid state. When loops of these material are knitted together, they form a function fabric that contracts upon activation based on multifunctional fibre and its specific material properties. Specific patterns and materials can be used to generate desired compression for either therapeutic, aesthetic or other functional purposes such as the elimination of traditional fasteners that are required for non- compressive fabrics.

[0012] Summary of the invention

[0013] Aspects of the disclosure are set out in the independent claims and optional features are set out in the dependent claims. Aspects of the disclosure may be provided in conjunction with each other and features of one aspect may be applied to other aspects.

[0014] Embodiments of the disclosure aim to provide a wearable patch configured to support synovial joints of the human body, the patch comprising any or all of the following features: a base layer configured to be flexible to conform to the contours of the area of the human body to which the wearable patch is applied, the base layer comprising a first side and a second side, wherein the second side is configured to adhere the wearable patch to the human body; and a plurality of tiles provided on the first side of the base layer, wherein the plurality of tiles comprises an array of repeated shapes and wherein the plurality of tiles are connected to the base layer such that each tile can pivot relative to an adjacent tile.

[0015] The array may be a regular array of repeated shapes.

[0016] The tiles may comprise polygons. The shape that is repeated may be a triangle, quadrilateral (e.g. square, rectangle, kite, diamond, rhombus), hexagon, or octagon, and so on. Repeated shapes may mean that the same shape is repeated in the array, i.e. that every tile in the plurality of tiles has the same shape. The tiles may be tessellated. The tiles may be arranged in the array without any overlaps.

[0017] The shape of each tile may be a hexagon which may be an irregular hexagon, i.e. wherein the hexagon does not have sides that are all the same length. Two opposite sides of the hexagon have shorter lengths or longer lengths than the remaining four sides. Two opposite angles of the hexagon may be smaller than the remining four angles.

[0018] The plurality of tiles may comprise at least 50 tiles. The plurality of tiles may comprise at least 100 tiles. The plurality of tiles may comprise at least 150 tiles. The plurality of tiles may comprise at least 200 tiles. The tiles may be attached to each other via the base layer but can pivot relative to each other due to the flexibility of the base layer.

[0019] The base layer may be configured to be adhered to human skin. The patch may be configured to be adhered to an overgarment. The patch may further comprise an adhesive layer on the second side of the base layer.

[0020] The patch may be configured to be convexly flexed such that the base layer (in particular the second side thereof) can be folded towards itself. The patch may be configured such that when the patch is concavely flexed, the maximum gradient may be determined by the dimensions and spacing of the tiles. For example, the maximum gradient may be determined by the surface area, shape, width, length, depth and / or angle of the tiles. In other words, the patch may be arranged such that the degree of flexing in the concave direction is not limited by the base layer. The patch may be configured to lock into a particular stiffness level at certain angulations (i.e. the tiles may prevent further concave bending in areas at which adjacent tiles come into contact with each other). In some arrangements, the base layer may also modulate the flexibility of the patch.

[0021] The patch may comprise a first region configured to provide a first range of motion and a second region configured to provide a second range of motion different from the first range of motion. For example, the first region may have tiles arranged more closely together such that, when the first region is concavely flexed, its maximum gradient may be less than that for the second region. The plurality of tiles may comprise a first group of tiles and a second group of tiles. The gap between adjacent tiles in the first group may be smaller than the gap between adjacent tiles in the second group. A group of tiles may be defined such that each tile in the group is adjacent to another tile in the group. This may allow different areas of the patch to have different stiffnesses, for example to provide different levels of maximum flex in the concave direction. Adjacent tiles may be connected together solely by the base layer. Each of the plurality of tiles may be flat. For example, the outer surface may be flat. For example, the top surface may be parallel to the part of the base layer to which the tile is attached.

[0022] The first side of the base layer may be completely covered with the plurality of tiles. In other words, the patch may be arranged such that there are no voids large enough to accommodate additional tiles of the same size and shape.

[0023] The depth of at least one tile may be between 0.5 mm and 10 mm. The depth may be between 1 mm and 8 mm, for example between 1 .5 mm and 5 mm. The plurality of tiles may have the same depth. In other words, the tiles may extend from the base layer by the same height. In other arrangements, the tiles may have varying depths. The depth may be measured perpendicular to the base layer.

[0024] The top surface area of at least one tile may be less than 25 square millimetres. The top surface aera means the area of the surface that is parallel to the part of the base layer from which the tile extends. It does not include the side surfaces. The area may be less than 100 square millimetres. The area may be less than 50 square millimetres. The area may be less than 25 square millimetres. The area may be less than 15 square millimetres. The area may be less than 10 square millimetres. The area may be at least 1 square millimetre. The area may be at least 3 square millimetres. The area may be at least 5 square millimetres. The area may be in the range of 5 to 20 square millimetres. For example, the area may be approximately 10 square millimetres. Each of the plurality of tiles may have the same surface area.

[0025] The gap between the bases of adjacent tiles may be between 0.1 mm and 2 mm. For example, the gap may be between 0.1 mm and 1 mm, for example between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm. The gap may be measured at the part of the tile connected to the base layer. It will be appreciated that the gap above this (i.e. towards the top surface of the tile) may change depending on the level of flex. The tiles may have straight sides, meaning they may have a constant cross section in the plane parallel to the base layer. For example, the tiles may be prisms. For example, for repeated hexagons the tile may have a hexagonal base and a hexagonal top with six rectangular faces connecting the bases. This can be envisaged for other shaped tiles. For tiles with straight sides, it will be appreciated that when the base layer is on a planar surface, the gaps at the base of the tiles will be the same as the gaps at the tops of the tiles. In some arrangements, the tiles have sides which extend from the base layer at a different angle (i.e. not perpendicular).

[0026] The depth of the base layer may be between 0.2 mm and 1.5 mm. The base layer may be a textile material.

[0027] The patch may comprise: a first portion; a second portion; and a connecting portion connecting the first portion to the second portion. The first portion, the second portion and the connecting portion may comprise the base layer and the plurality of tiles.

[0028] The array of repeated shapes may be continuous between the first portion and the second portion across the connecting portion.

[0029] The patch may be configured as a thumb support. The first portion may be configured to at least partially wrap around the thumb. In some arrangements, the patch is configured to wrap around the upper and the base of the thumb completely. The first portion may be trapezoidal. The long side of the trapezium may be connected to the connecting portion. The second portion may be configured to at least partially wrap around the hand, in particular at the base of the forefinger.

[0030] The first portion may be configured to extend across a majority of the palm of a wearer’s hand and extend at least partially along the inside surface of the thumb. The second portion may be configured to extend from the palm towards the dorsal side of the wearer’s hand, for example at least partially around the thenar space.

[0031] The patch may be configured as a wrist support. The patch may be configured as a knee support. The patch may be configured as an ankle support.

[0032] Embodiments of the disclosure aim to provide a method of manufacturing the patch described hereinabove, the method comprising: providing the base layer; and 3D printing the plurality of tiles onto the base layer. 3D printing may comprise direct-on-textile printing.

[0033] Embodiments of the disclosure aim to provide a knitted fabric for a garment, the knitted fabric comprising any or all of the following features: a combination of primary yams defining the shape of the garment; a combination of secondary yams incorporated into the combination of primary yams as inlaid yards and configured such that the secondary yams float within the primary yams such that their position with respect to the primary yams can be adjusted to thereby tighten or loosen the garment; and at least one stopper provided around at least one secondary yam. The stopper may be configured to maintain the at least one secondary yam in position after adjustment.

[0034] A free end of at least one secondary yam may be configured to be releasably attached to the knitted fabric to secure the free end after adjustment. The releasable attachment may be provided by a hook and loop fastener.

[0035] A plurality of secondary yams may be connected together at their free ends by a common attachment member. The common attachment member may be configured to be releasably attached to the knitted fabric to secure the free ends after adjustment.

[0036] The combination of secondary yams may comprise at least three yams.

[0037] The knitted fabric may comprise a 1x1 rib structure of the primary yams with the secondary yams trapped therein as float yams. A rib structure means that the yam may be constantly transferred between the front and the back bed on the needles to interconnect the yam that forms the rib pattern.

[0038] The knitted fabric may be configured such that the garment can be loosened and tightened once applied to the wearer.

[0039] The primary yams may comprise elastomeric yams. The elastomeric yams may comprise a blend of nylon yam and elastane yam.

[0040] Embodiments of the disclosure aim to provide a garment comprising the knitted fabric described hereinabove.

[0041] The garment may be a limb support garment. The garment may be one of a wrist support, a finger support, and an elbow support. The garment may be one of a foot support, an ankle support, and a knee support.

[0042] Embodiments of the disclosure aim to provide a fabric derived from a combination of yams wherein the shape of the fabric or material structure can be mechanically altered on its own or when it has been positioned on a wearer and can also or alternatively be altered during the period in which it is worn.

[0043] The manufacture of the fabric comprises knitting the yams in such a way that the fabric comprises a combination of one or more primary yams defining the particular garment and one or more secondary yams which are flexible and are available to be manipulated, optionally manually, to allow the garment to be altered usually to contract onto the wearer and released therefrom when it is no longer required to wear the garment. The secondary yams can be what are known as in laid yams produced by an Inlaid knitting process.

[0044] An inlaid fabric consists of a basic structure of primary knitted threads which hold in position secondary other threads which are incorporated (laid in) into the structure during a knitting cycle. An inlaid yam may be loosely knitted into the structure of the primary knitted threads or it may not be formed into the traditional knitted loops formed during warp knitting. In either embodiment the secondary threads are able to be moved mechanically relative to the knitted structure formed from the primary threads. During knitting with two sets of needles the inlaid yam may be introduced into the structure by supplying the yam across the back of the needles in order to trap it inside the fabric. Inlaid yams are trapped inside the double needle bed fabrics by the stitches of the two beds and towards the back of single bed fabric. Inlaid (or laid in) fabric consists of a basic structure of knitted or overlapped threads that hold in position other non-knitted threads which were incorporated (laid-in) into the structure during the knitting cycle.

[0045] The inlaid knitting technique employed in this disclosure may be such that part of the inlaid secondary yam used in the production of the garment is made available for the wearer to manually hold an exposed part of the inlaid yam so as to be able to exert a force on it so that movement of the inlaid yam causes the garment to contract onto the wearer to provide a tighter fit to the particular part of the body of the wearer. The additional pressure of the garment caused by the pulling of the inlaid yam can be relieved by releasing the inlaid yam thus causing it to revert to or towards its original position. The secondary inlaid yam may provide temperature control to the wearer at the position where it is worn and in this embodiment the yam may be temperature controlled.

[0046] Various knitwear techniques may be used to produce the fabrics of this disclosure and a combination of techniques may be used to embed a secondary yam within the fabric. The secondary yam may be periodically integrated and disengaged from the primary fabric which allows one to selectively control the stiffness and flexibility of the fabric at various positions. Fabric firmness and feel at different places can be controlled by controlling the tension in the secondary yam.

[0047] The selection of the yams to use in the production of the knitwear of this disclosure depends upon the garment to be fabricated and the use to which it is to be put. Useful primary structural yams include elastomeric yams such as blends of nylon yam and lycra yam particularly the elastomeric yam that is 81% nylon and 19% lycra and suitable secondary inlaid yams include polyester yams such as Serafil yams and a fibre commercially available under the Trade Name Contort (from L Di Ve) which is a blend of 90% polyamide yam and 10% elastomeric yam.

[0048] Garments produced from the knitwear of the present disclosure may be used for physical lifestyle and / or medical purposes. For example they may be used in the production of garments for sporting purposes such as hand and / or wrist supports including gloves such as golfing gloves, tennis gloves, and also leg, foot, knee and ankle supports particularly in sports such as football, rugby, tennis, golf, hockey, cricket and many others. Other applications include sports bras or socks, or any other fashion and / or sports garment. The knitwear may also be used to provide support as gloves in manual work such as production work, gardening Including greenhouse work and planting), cleaning, house maintenance and the like. The garments may be useful for injury prevention as well as injury recovery. The knitwear of this disclosure can also be used in lifestyle applications with specific functionality to create temperature control within a garment. It can also be used to form fit a garment and personalise the shape and size of a garment. Additionally the fabric can be used for interior products and furnishings.

[0049] Embodiments of the disclosure aim to provide a patch that can be applied and can be adjusted across the patch so as to provide variable pressures and / or grip from different areas of the patch onto the surface to which the patch is applied to thereby allow or limit a certain range of motion of a joint and provide support. The patch also enables the pressure that is applied to the surface on which the patch is used to be varied across the patch after application of the patch.

[0050] The patches of the present disclosure may be used for physical lifestyle and / or medical purposes. For example, they may be used for sporting purposes such as hand and / or wrist supports and also leg, foot, knee and ankle supports particularly in sports such as football, rugby, tennis, golf, hockey, cricket and many others. The patches may also be worm around the wrist for example on a golf glove. The patches may also be used to provide support in manual work such as production work, gardening Including greenhouse work and planting, cleaning, house maintenance and the like. The patches may be useful for injury prevention as well as injury recovery. The patches of this disclosure can also be used in lifestyle applications with specific functionality such as to create temperature control change in aesthetics or for safety purposes. The patches may also be used for medical purposes such as helping treatment for arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis.

[0051] The patches of the present disclosure are primarily for human use and they can be adhered to human skin by an adhesive and / or may be supported in place by an over garment such as a glove or an ankle support.

[0052] The patch of the present disclosure may be used as an overlay to provide further support and protection for a particular limb of the wearer.

[0053] The patch of this disclosure may be printed such as by 3D printing or screen printing including direct on textile 3D printing and 3D shape printing; they may also be made by injection moulding. The patches of this disclosure can be such that it can be force shaped to match the contours of the limb of the user, for example it may comprise a series of interconnected components such as triangles, hexagons, squares or other geometric structures which although they are attached to each other can move independently of each other to allow the overall shape of the patch to be adjusted perhaps to exert variable pressure across a certain area according to its location of use. In this way, the stiffness imparted by the patch can be varied by altering the position of the patch relative to the limb of the user upon when it is used. Although not limited as such, the patch can be used to provide additional support and strength to a region that is also supported by another garment. For example it could be used to further support the thumb where extra force is exerted during use as well as supporting the fore finger and the joint there between in a glove such as a compression glove or a gardening glove.

[0054] The patches of this disclosure may be two or three dimensional according to the properties required. The patches may be made of a series of interconnected hexagons or other geometric shapes. These shapes or sections can vary in height, thickness, distance and size across the patch to perform a set of functions, such as locking at a certain degree of bending, or allowing movement to wrap around body contours. The ability to vary these parameters enable the patch to provide more or less support at specific areas in the patch for example at specific joints.

[0055] The patches may be designed to perform a certain functionality to treat different conditions: For example, a patch comprising a series of interconnected hexagons may be placed between the thumb and index finger so that it supports the webspace and thumb. It does so by conforming to the body curvatures, building convex and concave surfaces. Where there is a concave curvature, the hexagons can lock up and build a protective and supportive surface, and where there is convex curvature, the hexagons can allow the patch to get wrapped around the body contour.

[0056] In a further embodiment the patches particularly the embodied three dimensional include a gradient lattice structures which allows for the provision of differing stiffness across the patch.

[0057] The variation in thickness also enables for softer and stiffer zones across the patch. These zones may be chosen to be placed at exact positions on the wearer to perform the right function to treat the condition.

[0058] The patch and its structure can be designed to have a distinctive placement of its elements in height, distance and size, which enables the preferred fit to the body contour so that the patch can perform its functionality. The variable parameters across the patch such as the height, distance and size of the interconnected structures allow patches with a multiple functionality to be readily created. Other example patches include features whereby the patch can be hooked between the webspace when it is placed on the palm and thumb of the hand as well as the wrist.

[0059] In a further embodiment heating and sensing capabilities can be included in the patch of this disclosure. In yet another embodiment a soft undercoating can be provided on the under surface of the patch to enhance the comfort of the user and the undercoating can also provide sensing and temperature control capabilities.

[0060] The patch furthermore can be worn on the right and left hand side with the same design.

[0061] The patch can be directly worn on the wearer and can be attached via an adhesive coating or can be placed over a thin compression glove and attached via adhesive coating or Velcro.

[0062] The attachment can be printed out of plastic or silicon.

[0063] The patch of this disclosure can be used to provide medical or physical properties to a wearer.

[0064] Brief description of the drawings

[0065] Embodiments of the disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0066] Figure 1 A shows a fabric according to embodiments of the disclosure;

[0067] Figure 1 B shows an expanded section of the fabric of Figure 1 A;

[0068] Figure 1C shows a fabric according to embodiments of the disclosure;

[0069] Figure 1 D shows an expanded section of the fabric of Figure 1C;

[0070] Figure 2 shows a fabric according to embodiments of the disclosure;

[0071] Figure 3A shows a fabric according to embodiments of the disclosure applied to a hand and wrist;

[0072] Figure 3B shows an entire glove comprising the fabric according to embodiments of the disclosure;

[0073] Figure 3C shows an attachment device to alter the fabric;

[0074] Figure 4A is a photograph of a knitted fabric in an expanded state;

[0075] Figure 4B is a photograph of the knitted fabric of Figure 4A in a compressed state;

[0076] Figures 5A and 5B illustrate the knitted fabric applied to the wrist according to embodiments of the disclosure;

[0077] Figures 5C and 5D illustrate the knitted fabric applied to the wrist according to other embodiments of the disclosure;

[0078] Figure 6 shows a patch to support the thumb according to embodiments of the disclosure; Figure 7A illustrates an overlay according to embodiments of the disclosure;

[0079] Figure 7B illustrates the overlay of Figure 7B in more detail;

[0080] Figure 8A illustrates a patch for supporting the thumb according to embodiments of the disclosure;

[0081] Figure 8B is an enlarged view of the patch of Figure 8A in a convexly flexed configuration; Figures 9A and 9B illustrate the patch of Figure 8A in use;

[0082] Figure 10A illustrates another patch for supporting the thumb according to embodiments of the disclosure;

[0083] Figure 10B illustrates the patch of Figure 10A in use;

[0084] Figure 11A illustrates a patch according to embodiments of the disclosure for supporting the side of the wrist; and

[0085] Figure 11 B illustrates a patch according to embodiments of the disclosure for supporting the front of the wrist.

[0086] Detailed description of the drawings

[0087] Figures 1A and 1 B show a fabric comprising a knitted material comprising rows of a knitwear structure 1 in which a floating thread is captured within the knitwear structure 1. The fabric is also provided with a yam 3 which can be manually adjusted to alter the stiffness and shape of the fabric. The knitted material may be produced by a combination of knitwear techniques to embed a yam within the fabric selectively, thereby influencing the stiffness in target areas. Periodically, the yam is integrated and disengaged, represented by the yam 3 in Figure 1 B. This allows the wearer to adjust fabric firmness by applying controlled tension to the knitted out thread.

[0088] In particular, the sections labelled “1” represent a 1x1 knitwear rib structure, the section labelled “2” represents transfer action that captures the floating thread from the fabric, and the section labelled “3” represents the float or pul ly yam. At the position labelled “2a” there may be a knitted knot to trap the float yam 3. A rib structure means that the yam is constantly being transferred between the front and the back bed on the needles to interconnect the yam that forms the rib pattern. The arrows in Figure 1 B indicate this interconnection of the yam between the front and the back needle bed. It will be appreciated that this is opposite to a tubular knit structure to create socks, for example, where a singular material is knitted on each of the beds with no interconnection for a long time to create a hollow tube.

[0089] The floating yam is trapped between the rib structure opening. Therefore, the fabric has a loose yam inside the machine, and the rib structure yams are transferred between the front and the back bed to create the rib structure while trapping the floating yam.

[0090] A first yam 1 is a combination of yams. It is one end of a fibre whose yam count may be 1 / 60nm and may be 100% polyester. This is blended with two ends of another fibre whose yam count is Nm118,000 and the composition is 90% polyamide and 10% elastane.

[0091] Figures 1C and 1 D show an alternate fabric according to the disclosure, where the numerals refer to the same features as in Figures 1A and 1 B, except that the section labelled “1” is a 2x2 knitwear rib structure. Otherwise, this fabric may have a similar structure and similar features to the fabric of Figures 1 A and 1 B.

[0092] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of a fabric. Similarly to the fabric of Figures 1 A and 1 B, the fabric comprises a 1x1 knitwear rib structure 1 with a float yam 3 trapped therein by transfer action 2. The structure, yam count and materials of the fabric may be as described in relation to Figures 1A and 1 B.

[0093] Figures 3A to 3C illustrate an application of such a fabric to the hand, and an embodiment will be described in relation to the production of a glove comprising a base structure and inlaid yams as described above. The fabric 4 from which the glove is made is illustrated in Figure 3A, and Figure 3C illustrates how different parts of the glove can be adjusted independently of each other according to the needs of the wearer.

[0094] Figure 3A shows how various pieces of the fabric 4 can be applied and structured on different elements of a hand and wrist. As shown in Figure 3A, the fabric from which the glove is made consists of primary longitudinal knitted yams in which laid in yams are provided. The laid in yams have a small element exposed at the edge of the fabric which provides a loop which can be pulled perhaps by the wearer of the garment to tighten the laid in yam and hence cause the main yam component to contract and to exert an increased pressure on the wearer’s hand.

[0095] Figure 3C shows how an attachment device 5 can be included to enable adjustment of the further yam 3 to alter the fabric. Figure 3C shows how various elements of the glove can be effective in different positions of the hand such as the fingers, and the wrist. Each section may be separate or the sections may be integrated into a single glove for the whole hand.

[0096] Figure 3B illustrates how an entire glove can be produced from fabric of this disclosure. In particular, Figure 3B shows how a similar glove can be used to cover a larger area of the hand.

[0097] Figures 4A and 4B illustrate how the fabric can be adjusted by virtue of the structure described above. The fabric comprises primary yams 1 and secondary yams 3. The primary yams 1 define the shape of the garment, in this case a rectangle, while the secondary yarns 3 are inlaid into the rib structure of the primary yams 1. The secondary yams, i.e. the float yams, are configured to float within the primary yams 1. In this way, their position can be adjusted with respect to the primary yams 1.

[0098] Figure 4A shows the fabric in an expanded state in which the secondary yams 3 are almost fully incorporated into the rib structure of the primary yams 1. It can be envisaged that, for a garment produced by this structure (e.g. wrapped around the forearm), the arrangement in Figure 4A would represent a loose state in which the dimension of the garment defined by the primary yams 1 is greater.

[0099] Figure 4B shows the fabric in a compressed state in which a large proportion of each secondary yam has been pulled out of the rib structure 1. As such, Figure 4A represents a tightened or compressed state in which the dimension of the garment defined by the primary yams is smaller. Figure 4B also shows an attachment member 5 which connects the free ends of the secondary yams 3 together.

[0100] In use, if the garment were worn around the forearm, the wearer could apply the garment in the expanded state of Figure 4A and then, once fitted, the wearer could pull the secondary yams 3 relative to the primary yams 1 so as to tighten the garment around the forearm. As such, the looseness or tightness of the garment can be adjusted while the garment is being worn.

[0101] Figures 5A to 5D illustrate an application of the fabric described above for a wrist support. The wrist support comprises the primary yams 1 and the secondary yams 3 trapped in the primary yams 1 via inlaying. The primary yam structure 1 is wrapped around the wrist, and the secondary yams 3 can be adjusted relative to the primary yams 1 to tighten or loosen the primary yam structure 1. In the arrangement shown, the fabric may be placed around or may be incorporated into a glove 7. In other arrangements, the fabric is a separate garment which can be placed directly on the wearer (i.e. directly contacting the skin).

[0102] To maintain the selected tightness and to ensure that the secondary yams 3 are not pulled back into the primary yams by tension on the fabric, at least one stopper 9 may be included. The stopper 9 may be provided around at least one secondary yam 3. The stopper 9 is configured to maintain the secondary yam or yams 3 in position after adjustment. In some arrangements, the stopper may be a rubber component fitted snugly over the secondary yam 3 but able to move along the secondary yam 3 by the user. In other words, the stopper 9 is configured to stay in its position on the secondary yam 3 until a user changes its position manually.

[0103] In Figures 5A and 5B, the free ends of the secondary yams 3 are connected to a common attachment member 5. The common attachment member 5 is configured to connect the free ends (i.e. the ends that are not trapped in the primary yams 1) together so that the secondary yams 3 can be actuated together. For example, the common attachment member 5 can be used to pull multiple (e.g. all) secondary yams 3 simultaneously. The common attachment member 5 may be configured to releasably attach the free ends to the garment. In particular, as shown in Figure 5A, the common attachment member 5 may be attachable directly to the garment. This may be achieved by a hook-and-loop fastening arrangement. For example, the common attachment member 5 may comprise a plurality of hooks configured to engage with a plurality of loops on the garment (which may be provided by the primary yams 1 themselves). In this way, the free ends can be secured after adjustment so that they can be neatly stowed.

[0104] In Figures 5C and 5D, the free ends of the secondary yams 3 are each connected to an attachment member 5a. In this arrangement, there are multiple attachment members 5a which are connected to one or more secondary yams 3. The attachment members 5a may be configured to releasably attach at least one free end to the garment. In particular, in Figure 5C, the attachment members 5a (in this case, three attachment members 5a) may be attached directly to the garment, for example via a hook-and-loop fastening arrangement as described above. In this way, the free ends can be secured after adjustment. This arrangement allows the secondary yam or yams 3 connected to a given attachment member 5a to be actuated independently of the other secondary yams 3.

[0105] Figure 6 shows a patch 6 providing support to the thumb and the interspace therebetween of the user. The patch 6 may comprise a mesh of material configured to support the thumb, wherein the mesh may comprise a plurality of polygonal apertures, for example hexagonal apertures.

[0106] In a further embedment there is provided an overlay which can be used to provide further support and protection for a particular limb of the wearer. The overlay may be printed such as by 3D printing or screen printing and can be such that it can be force shaped to match the contours of the limb, for example it may comprise a series of interconnected components such as triangles, hexagons or squares which although they are attached to each other can move independently of each other to allow the overall shape of the overlay to be adjusted perhaps to exert variable pressure across a certain area according to its location of use. The stiffness imparted by the patch can be varied by altering the position of the patch relative to the limb of the user upon when it is used. Although not limited as such, the overlay can be used to provide additional support and strength to a region that is also supported by a garment as described herein. For example it could be used to further support the thumb where extra force is exerted during use as well as supporting the fore finger and the joint there between in a glove such as a gardening glove.

[0107] The overlay can be used as a patch to provide additional medical or physical properties to those provided by the garment as described herein.

[0108] Figure 7A illustrates such an overlay 6 supporting the joint between a thumb and a forefinger as well as providing support to the wrist of the user. Similarly to the arrangement described in relation to Figures 5A to 5D, this may be worn on a glove 7 or it may be applied directly to the skin of the user.

[0109] Figure 7B shows the material of the patch or overlay 6 in more detail. The patch 6 can be divided up into a series of interconnected hexagons 8, as will be described in more detail.

[0110] Figures 8A and 8B illustrate a patch 6 configured to provide support to the user’s hand, in particular to support the joint between the thumb and the forefinger (see Figures 9A and 9B). As such, the patch 6 is an example of a wearable patch configured to support a synovial joint in the human body. The patch 6 comprises a base layer 12 (see Figure 8B). The base layer 12 is configured to be flexible to conform to the contours of the area of the human body at which the wearable patch is applied. In this case, the flexibility of the base layer 12 allows the patch 6 to fit the contours in the region of the thumb and the forefinger. The base 12 comprises a first side 12a and a second side 12b. The second side 12b is the side configured to adhere the patch 6 to the human body. As shown in Figure 8B, the base layer 12 may comprise a fabric. The base layer 12 may comprise an adhesive layer on the second side 12b, which may be configured to adhere to the skin or to a garment such as the glove 7.

[0111] The patch 6 also comprises a plurality of tiles 8. The plurality of tiles 8 are provided on the first side 12a of the base layer 12. As such, the tiles 8 are provided on the opposite side to that which is configured to adhere to the human body. Therefore, the patch 6 is arranged so that the tiles 8 face outwards in use. As best seen in Figure 8A, the tiles 8 comprise a regular array of repeated shapes. The regular array is a tessellated pattern, meaning that tiles do not overlap with each other, and they fit together in a continuous pattern (i.e. without any voids). The tiles 8 are flat, meaning that their outer surface is parallel to the part of the base layer 12 from which the tile 8 extends.

[0112] The tiles 8 are connected to the base layer 12 such that each tile can pivot relative to an adjacent tile. For example, Figure 8B shows the patch 6 being convexly flexed. In other words, the patch 6 is bent so that the outer surface that comprises the tiles (i.e. the first side 12a of the base layer 12) is convex. In the arrangement shown, the flexibility of the base layer 12 and the gaps between adjacent tiles 8 may facilitate the tiles 8 pivoting independently of each other. The arrangement may allow the patch to be convexly flexed such that the base layer 12 can be folded together. For the purposes of explanation, this means that a first part of the base layer 12 can come into contact with a second part of the base layer 12 when the patch 6 is not applied to a wearer. In view of the structure best illustrated in Figure 8B, it will be appreciated that the patch 6 can also be folded the opposite way so that the outer surface is concave. In other words, the patch 6 is configured to be concavely flexed. It will be appreciated that the degree of flexibility, for example the gradient achievable, will depend on the gaps between adjacent tiles 8 and other dimensions such as their depth, because this may determine how much bending is required until adjacent tiles come into contact such that the further bending is restricted.

[0113] In some arrangements, the structure of the tiles 8 and the arrangement of a group of tiles in the patch may be the same throughout the whole pattern. For example, the tiles 8 may all have the same depth (measured perpendicular to the base layer 12), the tiles 8 may all have the same surface area (measured parallel to the base layer 12), and / or the tiles 8 may all have the same gap between adjacent tiles, but in other arrangements this may not be the case. The patch 6 may comprise a first region to provide a first range of motion and a second region to provide a second range of motion that is greater from the first. For example, the first region may comprise a first plurality of tiles 8 which are arranged with adjacent tiles being separated by a first gap width, and a second region comprising a second plurality of tiles 8 which are arranged with adjacent tiles being separated by a second gap width, wherein the first gap width is smaller than the second gap width. This results in the first region permitting a lesser degree of concave flexing because the tiles will come into contact with less bending. The result is that the first region of the patch may provide a stiffer region than the second region of the patch. This may be useful if particular areas of anatomy need to be targeted for support. For example, the region of the patch adhered to the thumb may be made stiffer than the region of the patch adhered to the forefinger. The different range of motion could be achieved in other ways, for example by locally altering the depth or the surface area of the tiles 8.

[0114] In the arrangement shown, the repeated shape is a hexagon, but it will be appreciated that other shapes may be used. The tile 8 shown in the example is an irregular hexagon because the six sides do not all have the same length. Rather, with reference to Figure 8A, the hexagonal shape has two edges (the top and bottom edges) that are shorter than the remaining edges. The hexagon may have dimensions in the order of several millimetres. For example, a width of the hexagon may be between 2 mm and 10 mm. For example, the width of the hexagon may be approximately 3 mm or 4 mm or 5 mm. A first dimension of the hexagon (e.g. measured horizontally in Figure 8A) may be between 4 mm and 5 mm, while a second dimension of the hexagon (e.g. measured vertically in Figure 8A) may be between 3 mm and 4 mm. The number of tiles 8 in a given patch will depend on the size of the patch and the size of the tiles 8. In the example shown, the patch 6 comprises at least 200 tiles.

[0115] The patch 6, as shown in Figure 8A, may comprise a first portion 6a, a second portion 6b, and a connecting portion 6c. The connecting portion 6c is configured to connect the first portion 6a to the second portion 6b. The portions comprise the base layer 12 and the plurality of tiles 8. The repeating pattern may be continuous (e.g. uninterrupted) across the portions and between the first portion 6a and the second portion 6b. The first portion 6a may be trapezoidal. The long base of the trapezium of the first portion 6a may be connected to the connecting portion 6c. The second portion 6b may have the shape of an irregular pentagon. The connecting portion 6c may be configured as a neck between the first portion 6a and the second portion 6b.

[0116] Figures 9A and 9B illustrate the patch 6 of Figures 8A and 8B applied to a user. While the patch of Figures 9A and 9B may have a slightly different shape to the patch of Figure 8A, this is immaterial for the purposes of explanation of how the patch of Figure 8A may be applied. The patch 6 may be configured as a thumb support. The first portion 6a may be configured to at least partially wrap around the thumb and the second portion 6b may be configured to at least partially wrap around the hand, in particular at the base of the forefinger. The connecting portion 6c may be configured to be located between the thumb and the forefinger.

[0117] Figures 10A and 10B illustrate another patch 6’ comprising a plurality of tiles. The patch 6’ may have any of the features described above, but may have a different shape to the patch described in relation to Figures 8A to 9B. The patch 6’ comprises a first portion 6a’, a second portion 6b’ and a connecting portion 6c’ which connects the first portion 6a’ to the second portion 6b’. As shown in Figure 10, the first portion 6a’ is configured to extend across a majority of the palm of a wearer’s hand and at least partially along the inside surface of a thumb. The second portion 6b’ is configured to extend from the palm towards the back of the hand (i.e. the dorsal side).

[0118] Figures 11A and 11 B illustrate another patch 10 comprising a plurality of tiles 11 , which may be hexagons. The patch 10 is configured as a wrist support. The patch 10 may have the same structure of tiles described above. The patch 10 may comprise a first portion

[0119] 13 which may be configured to extend parallel to the arm when worn, for example between the palm and a position along the forearm. The patch 10 may comprise a second portion

[0120] 14 which may be configured to extend at least partially around the wrist. The first portion 13 and the second portion 14 may be connected by a connecting portion 15. It will be appreciated that when the patch 10 is not being worn and is placed on a planar surface, it may have the shape of a cross with the first portion 13 and second portion 14 being arranged perpendicularly to each other and the connecting portion 15 in the centre.

[0121] Figure 11A illustrates the patch 10 being worn on the side of the wrist. It will be appreciated that this may provide resistance or support for wrist adduction or, if worn on the radial side (the side that has the thumb) then this may provide resistance or support for wrist abduction.

[0122] Figure 11 B illustrates the patch 10 being worn on the palmer side (front side) of the wrist. It will be appreciated that this may provide resistance or support for wrist flexion.

[0123] Other patches may be envisaged which may be configured for other parts of the human body, such as for supporting synovial joints which may also be found at the elbow, ankle, knee, neck, and so on.

[0124] Any of the patches described herein may be manufactured using 3D printing. In particular, the patches may be manufactured by direct-on-textile 3D printing. As such, a manufacturing method may comprise providing the base layer 12, and 3D printing the tiles 8 onto the base layer 12. The method may further comprise cutting the base layer (manually, or using laser cutting or another procedure) to match the shape of the patch (i.e., cutting away the parts of the base layer which do not have tiles printed thereon). The method may comprise manufacturing the patch using moulding.

[0125] In other methods, the patches may be manufactured using laser cutting. For example, there may be provided a composite material comprising the base layer and a continuous layer of material from which the tiles are made (which may be polymeric). The method may comprise using laser cutting to create the tiled structure, for example by creating the gaps which define the edges of the polygons, such as hexagons. Laser cutting of such a composite material may be performed perpendicular to the patch, and the laser may be stopped just before the base layer is reached.

[0126] In other methods, the patches may be manufactured by moulding. For example, the method may comprise using one or more moulds for creating the array of tiles. Such moulds may have pre-defined gaps, height and shapes, etc., to create any of the patches described above. The method may comprise filling the mould or moulds with any suitable materials for the tiles, such as polyurethane (PU).

[0127] It will be appreciated from the above description that many features of the different examples are interchangeable and combinable. The disclosure extends to further examples comprising features from different examples combined together in ways not specifically mentioned. Indeed, there are many features presented in the above examples and it will be apparent to the skilled person that these may be advantageously combined with one another.

[0128] Embodiments may also be described by the following numbered clauses:

[0129] 1. A fabric derived from a combination of yams wherein the shape or material structure of the fabric can be mechanically altered once it has been positioned on a wearer and during the period in which it is worn.

[0130] 2. A fabric according to clause 1 comprising knitted yams in the fabric comprises a combination of one or more primary yams defining the particular garment and one or more secondary yams which are available to be manipulated preferably manually to allow the garment to be altered.

[0131] 3. A fabric according to clause 2 wherein the fabric can be manipulated to contract onto the wearer and released therefrom when it is no longer required.

[0132] 4. A fabric according to clause 3 wherein the secondary yams are provided by an Inlaid knitting process.

[0133] 5. A fabric according to any of the preceding clauses comprising a basic structure of primary knitted threads which hold in position secondary other threads which are incorporated (laid in) into the structure during a knitting cycle.

[0134] 6. A fabric according to clause 5 that is designed so that the mechanism of the fabric can be altered by the wearer.

[0135] 7. A fabric according to clause 6 wherein the inlaid yam is introduced into the structure by supplying the yam by a knit structure that traps it inside the fabric.

[0136] 8. A fabric according to clause 7 wherein the inlaid yams are trapped inside the double needle bed fabrics by the stitches of the two stitches and towards the back of single bed fabric.

[0137] 9. A process for the production of a fabric according to any of the preceding clauses wherein the secondary yam may be periodically integrated and disengaged from the primary fabric which enables the user to adjust the fabric by applying force to the inlayed thread.

[0138] 10. A process according to clause 9 in which the primary structural yams include elastomeric yarns such as blends of nylon yam and lycra yam.

[0139] 11. A garment derived from a fabric according to any of clauses 1 to 7.

[0140] 12. A garment according to clause 11 a sporting garment.

[0141] 13. A garment according to clause 11 comprising a glove.

[0142] 14. A garment according to clause 11 or clause 12 comprising a hand and / or wrist support including gloves such as golfing gloves, tennis gloves, and also leg, foot, knee, ankle, arm and elbow supports particularly in sports such as football, rugby, tennis, golf, hockey, cricket and many others.

[0143] 15. A glove for use in manual work such as production work, gardening Including greenhouse work and planting), cleaning, house maintenance and the like. The garments may be useful for injury prevention as well as injury recovery.

[0144] 16. An overlay which can be used to provide further support and protection for a particular limb of the wearer which can be force shaped to match the contours of the limb.

[0145] 17. The overlay according to clause 16 comprising a series of interconnected components such as triangles, hexagons or squares which can move independently of each other to allow the overall shape of the overlay to be adjusted.

[0146] 18. An overlay according to clause 17 wherein the triangles, hexagons or squares can be moved to exert variable pressure and / or stiffness across a certain area according to its location of use.

[0147] 19. A patch that can be applied and adjusted across the patch so as to provide variable pressures and / or grip from different areas of the patch onto the surface to which the patch is applied to thereby allow or limit a certain range of motion and provide support.

[0148] 20. A patch according to clause 19 which enables the pressure that is applied to the surface on which the patch is used to be varied across the patch after application of the patch.

[0149] 21. A patch according to clause 19 or clause 20 which is adhered to human skin by an adhesive and / or may be supported in place by an over garment.

[0150] 22. A patch according to any of clauses 19 to 21 which is printed such as by 3D printing or screen printing including direct on textile 3D printing and 3D shape printing.

[0151] 23. A patch according to any of clauses 19 to 22 which is a series of interconnected components selected from triangles, hexagons, squares or other geometric structures which although they are attached to each other can move independently of each other to allow the overall shape of the patch to be adjusted.

[0152] 24. A patch according to any of clauses 19 to 23 which is two or three dimensional.

[0153] 25. A patch according to clause 23 or clause 24 in which the shapes or sections vary in height, thickness, distance and size across the patch to perform a set of functions, such as locking at a certain degree of bending, or allowing movement to wrap around body contours.

[0154] 26. A patch according to any of clauses 23 to 25 which includes a gradient lattice structures which allows for the provision of differing stiffness across the patch.

[0155] 27. A patch according to any of clauses 19 to 26 in which a soft undercoating is provided on the under surface of the patch. 28. A patch according to clause 27 in which the undercoating provides sensing and temperature control capabilities.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. Awearable patch configured to support synovial joints of the human body, the patch comprising: a base layer configured to be flexible to conform to the contours of the area of the human body to which the wearable patch is applied, the base layer comprising a first side and a second side, wherein the second side is configured to adhere the wearable patch to the human body; and a plurality of tiles provided on the first side of the base layer, wherein the plurality of tiles comprises an array of repeated shapes and wherein the plurality of tiles are connected to the base layer such that each tile can pivot relative to an adjacent tile.

2. The patch of claim 1 , wherein the array is a regular array.

3. The patch of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the tiles are tessellated.

4. The patch of any preceding claim, wherein the shape of each tile is a hexagon.

5. The patch of claim 4, wherein the hexagon is an irregular hexagon,6. The patch of claim 5, wherein two opposite sides of the hexagon have shorter lengths or longer lengths than the remaining four sides.

7. The patch of any preceding claim, wherein the plurality of tiles comprises at least 50 tiles.

8. The patch of any preceding claim, wherein the base layer is configured to be adhered to human skin.

9. The patch of any preceding claim, configured to be adhered to an overgarment.

10. The patch of any preceding claim, further comprising an adhesive layer on the second side of the base layer.

11. The patch of any preceding claim, wherein the patch is configured to be convexly flexed such that the base layer can be folded together.

12. The patch of any preceding claim, wherein the patch is configured such that when the patch is concavely flexed, the maximum gradient is determined by the dimensions and spacing of the tiles.

13. The patch of any preceding claim, wherein the patch comprises a first region configured to provide a first range of motion and a second region configured to provide a second range of motion different from the first range of motion.

14. The patch of any preceding claim, wherein the plurality of tiles comprises a first group of tiles and a second group of tiles, wherein the gap between adjacent tiles in the first group is smaller than the gap between adjacent tiles in the second group.

15. The patch of any preceding claim, wherein the plurality of tiles are flat.

16. The patch of any preceding claim, wherein the first side of the base layer is completely covered with the plurality of tiles.

17. The patch of any preceding claim, wherein the depth of at least one tile is between 0.5 mm and 10 mm.

18. The patch of any preceding claim, wherein the plurality of tiles have the same depth.

19. The patch of any preceding claim, wherein the top surface area of at least one tile is less than 25 square millimetres.

20. The patch of any preceding claim, wherein each of the plurality of tiles has the same surface area.

21. The patch of any preceding claim, wherein the gap between the bases of adjacent tiles is between 0.1 mm and 2 mm.

22. The patch of any preceding claim, wherein the depth of the base layer is between0.2 mm and 1.5 mm.

23. The patch of any preceding claim, wherein the patch comprises: a first portion; a second portion; and a connecting portion connecting the first portion to the second portion, wherein the first portion, the second portion and the connecting portion comprise the base layer and the plurality of tiles.

24. The patch of claim 23, wherein the array of repeated shapes is continuous between the first portion and the second portion across the connecting portion.

25. The patch of claim 23 or claim 24, wherein the patch is configured as a thumb support.

26. The patch of any of claim 25, wherein the first portion is configured to at least partially wrap around the thumb.

27. The patch of claim 25 or claim 26, wherein the first portion is trapezoidal.

28. The patch of claim 27, wherein the long side of the trapezium is connected to the connecting portion.

29. The patch of any of claims 25 to 28, wherein the second portion is configured to at least partially wrap around the hand at the base of the forefinger.

30. The patch of any of claims 23 to 25, wherein the first portion is configured to extend across a majority of the palm of a wearer’s hand and extend at least partially along the inside surface of the thumb, and wherein the second portion is configured to extend from the palm towards the dorsal side of the wearer’s hand, at least partially around the thenar space.

31. The patch of any preceding claim, wherein the patch is configured as a wrist support.

32. The patch of any preceding claim, wherein the patch is configured as a knee support.

33. The patch of any preceding claim, wherein the patch is configured as an ankle support.

34. A method of manufacturing the patch of any preceding claim, the method comprising: providing the base layer; and3D printing the plurality of tiles onto the base layer.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein 3D printing comprises direct-on-textile printing.

36. A knitted fabric for a garment, the knitted fabric comprising: a combination of primary yams defining the shape of the garment; a combination of secondary yams incorporated into the combination of primary yams as inlaid yards and configured such that the secondary yams float within the primary yams such that their position with respect to the primary yams can be adjusted to thereby tighten or loosen the garment; and at least one stopper provided around at least one secondary yam, wherein the stopper is configured to maintain the at least one secondary yam in position after adjustment.

37. The fabric of claim 26, wherein a free end of at least one secondary yam is configured to be releasably attached to the knitted fabric to secure the free end after adjustment.

38. The fabric of claim 37, wherein the releasable attachment is provided by a hook and loop fastener.

39. The fabric of any of claims 36 to 38, wherein a plurality of secondary yams are connected together at their free ends by a common attachment member, wherein the common attachment member is configured to be releasably attached to the knitted fabric to secure the free ends after adjustment.

40. The fabric of any of claims 36 to 39, wherein the combination of secondary yams comprises at least three yams.41 The fabric of any of claims 36 to 40, wherein the knitted fabric comprises a 1x1 rib structure of the primary yams with the secondary yams trapped therein as float yams.

42. The fabric of any of claims 36 to 41 , wherein the knitted fabric is configured such that the garment can be loosened and tightened once applied to the wearer.

43. The fabric of any of claims 36 to 42, wherein the primary yams comprise elastomeric yams.

44. The fabric of claim 43, wherein the elastomeric yams comprise a blend of nylon yam and elastane yam.

45. A garment comprising the knitted fabric of any of claims 36 to 44.

46. The garment of claim 45, wherein the garment is a limb support garment.

47. The garment of claim 46, wherein the garment is one of a wrist support, a finger support, and an elbow support, or wherein the garment is one of a foot support, an ankle support, and a knee support.

Images