Jacket
By integrating the back panel, side panels, and sleeves without seams and optimizing reference lines, the garment facilitates smooth arm movement with reduced fabric resistance.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- MIZUNO CORPORATION
- Filing Date
- 2025-04-23
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-05
AI Technical Summary
Conventional upper garments with integrated lower front body, lower back body, and lower sleeves create seams that hinder arm movement, leading to resistance and wrinkles.
The garment integrates the back panel, side panels, and sleeves without seams, with strategically positioned reference lines and points to minimize fabric resistance, allowing smooth arm movement.
The seamless integration reduces fabric tension and seams, enabling unrestricted arm movement without resistance.
Smart Images
Figure 2026092644000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to upper garments in various clothing products such as sportswear, uniforms, work clothes, shirts, and the like.
Background Art
[0002] For upper garments worn when doing sports or work, it is desired that the upper body can move easily (especially the arm-raising movement).
[0003] Conventionally, there has been a type in which the lower front body, the lower back body, and the lower parts of both sleeves of the body fabric constituting the upper garment are integrated (see Patent Document 1).
[0004] The clothing described in Patent Document 1 uses the intersection of the line forming the lower front body or the lower back body and the line forming the lower part of the sleeve as the starting point of the up-and-down movement of the arm. Further, the seam from the lower part of the sleeve to the side part of the body is eliminated. It is said that clothing having such a configuration makes the movement of the arm smooth and reduces the wrinkles generated in the body and the sleeve when the arm is raised.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0005]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0006] When wearing an upper garment, in order to make the movement of the upper body easier, it is important to reduce the number of seams and configure the upper garment with as few parts as possible. Further, it is important to set the reference lines and reference points serving as the criteria for arranging each part with respect to the body at appropriate positions so as not to become a resistance to the movement of the body.
[0007] In this regard, the garment described in Patent Document 1 reduces the number of parts that make up the upper garment by integrating the lower front body, the lower back body, and the lower parts of both sleeves. However, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the same document, the front body and back body are each divided into upper and lower sections, and the sleeves that connect to the front and back body are also divided into upper and lower sections. As a result, the garment described in Patent Document 1 is divided into upper and lower sections by a seam (joint) from the chest through the armpit area and further from the arm to the hem, and this seam can become a resistance to the movement of the upper body (especially the movement of raising the arms).
[0008] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a garment that is made up of fewer parts and allows for smooth and unrestricted movement of the upper body (especially raising the arms). [Means for solving the problem]
[0009] The characteristic configuration of the jacket according to the present invention, which solves the above problem, is A garment comprising a front panel, a back panel, side panels, and sleeves, The back panel, the side panels, and the sleeves are integrated without any seams.
[0010] With this construction, the back, side panels, and sleeves of the jacket are integrated without seams, resulting in fewer seams that can hinder movement. Consequently, the number of parts that make up the jacket is reduced, allowing the back, side panels, and sleeves to follow the wearer's upper body movements without difficulty. As a result, the wearer can raise their arms smoothly and without resistance.
[0011] In the garment according to the present invention, The aforementioned front panel includes the upper front panel and the lower front panel. Preferably, the upper front panel is integrated with the back panel, the side panel, and the sleeve without any seams.
[0012] With this construction, the upper front panel, which is located near the wearer's shoulders and upper arms, is seamlessly integrated with the back panel, side panels, and sleeves. As a result, there are fewer seams that can hinder movement, and consequently, the number of parts that make up the jacket is also reduced. This makes it less likely for the jacket fabric to become taut when the wearer raises their arms. Consequently, the wearer can raise their arms more smoothly and without resistance.
[0013] In the garment according to the present invention, In the aforementioned front bodice, if a front bodice reference line corresponding to the seam line forming the boundary between the upper front bodice and the lower front bodice is defined, Preferably, the front panel reference line is set so that it is located below the wearer's shoulder line when the garment is being worn.
[0014] With this garment design, the front panel reference line is positioned below the wearer's shoulder line when the garment is on, resulting in the wearer's shoulders being covered by the upper front panel. As a result, there is more fabric around the wearer's shoulders, allowing the wearer to raise their arms more smoothly and without resistance.
[0015] In the garment according to the present invention, If, in the aforementioned sleeve, a sleeve reference line corresponding to a dividing line or the end line of the sleeve is defined, Preferably, the sleeve reference line is set so that, when the garment is being worn, it is located below the midpoint of the first shortest line connecting the acromion of the wearer's shoulder and the elbow line.
[0016] With this jacket design, when the wearer is wearing the jacket, the sleeve reference line is set to be located below the midpoint of the first shortest line connecting the wearer's acromion and elbow line, so that the wearer's upper arm is covered by the sleeve. As a result, there is more fabric around the wearer's upper arm, allowing the wearer to raise their arm more smoothly and without resistance.
[0017] In the garment according to the present invention, When a flank body reference point located at the lowermost part of the flank body is defined in the flank body, it is preferable that the flank body reference point is set to be located below the midpoint of the second shortest line connecting the chest line and the waist line of the wearer when in the dressed state.
[0018] According to the upper garment of this configuration, when the wearer is dressed in the upper garment, since the flank body reference point is set to be located below the midpoint of the second shortest line connecting the chest line and the waist line of the wearer, the armpit of the wearer is covered by the flank body. As a result, there is a surplus in the fabric around the armpit of the wearer, and the wearer can smoothly perform the raising motion of the arm with less resistance.
[0019] In the upper garment according to the present invention, when a back body reference line corresponding to a switching line that divides the back body or an end line of the back body is defined in the back body, it is preferable that the back body reference line is set to be located below the position of 40% from the side of the chest line of the second shortest line connecting the chest line and the waist line of the wearer when in the dressed state.
[0020] According to the upper garment of this configuration, when the wearer is dressed in the upper garment, since the back body reference line is set to be located below the position of 40% from the side of the chest line of the second shortest line connecting the chest line and the waist line of the wearer, the scapula of the wearer is covered by the back body. As a result, there is a surplus in the fabric on the upper back of the wearer, and the resistance of the fabric stretching that has occurred until now when the wearer raises the arm can be suppressed.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view of a wearer dressed in an upper garment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of the upper garment according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an explanatory view of an upper garment according to another embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an image showing the computer simulation result of the upper garment according to the example. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an image showing the computer simulation result of the upper garment according to the comparative example.
Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention
[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the upper garment according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the specification and the drawings, and various modifications are possible as long as they do not depart from the technical idea of the present invention.
[0023] <Definition of Reference Line / Reference Point> First, the definition of the reference line / reference point of the upper garment or the body defined in the present invention will be described. Figure 1 is an explanatory view of a wearer wearing an upper garment, where (a) is a front view with the arms down, (b) is a rear view with the arms down, (c) is a left side view with the arms up, and (d) is a right side view with the arms up. In the following description, the "switching line" refers to the seam in the upper garment and means the line forming the boundary between each part constituting the upper garment. The names of each part of the upper garment mentioned in this item will be described again in the later item.
[0024] The front body reference line is a line corresponding to the switching line forming the boundary between the upper front body and the lower front body (see Figure 1(a)). The shoulder line is a line corresponding to the ridge line of the wearer's shoulder (see Figure 1(a)). The sleeve reference line is a line corresponding to the switching line dividing the sleeve or the end line of the sleeve (see Figure 1(a)). In Figure 1(a), since the sleeve of the upper garment is a long sleeve, the switching line dividing the long sleeve is shown. However, when the sleeve of the upper garment is a short sleeve, it becomes the end line instead of the switching line. The acromion is the end of the shoulder line on the sleeve side, which forms a part of the scapula of the wearer and connects to the clavicle to form the shoulder joint (see Figure 1(a)). The elbow line (EL) is the line that appears on the inside of the elbow when a person bends their arm (see Figure 1(a)). The first shortest line is the shortest line connecting the acromion of the wearer's shoulder to the elbow line (see Figure 1(a)). The side panel reference point is the point located at the very bottom of the side panel (see Figure 1(d)). The chest line (CL) is the horizontal line across the chest that passes through the armpits on both sides of the wearer's body (see Figures 1(a)-(d)). The waistline (WL) is the line around the wearer's navel (see Figures 1(a)-(d)). The second shortest line is the shortest line connecting the wearer's chest line and waist line (see Figures 1(b) and (d)). The back panel reference line is the line corresponding to the seam that divides the back panel or the edge line of the back panel (see Figure 1(b)). In Figure 1(b), the seam that divides the back panel is shown because the back panel of the jacket is of the long type, but if the back panel of the jacket is of the short type, it will be the edge line instead of the seam line. The side bodice reference line is the line corresponding to the seam that forms the boundary between the front bodice and the side bodice (see Figure 1(c)). The midaxillary line is a line that extends downward from the armpit of a person wearing clothing (see Figure 1(c)).
[0025] <Outer garment composition> Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the jacket 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a front view (left side) and a back view (right side) of the jacket 101 according to the first embodiment, and (b) is a front view (left side) and a back view (right side) of the jacket 102 according to the second embodiment. Note that Figures 2(a) and (b) show only the left half of the jackets 101 and 102, respectively, but the right half is symmetrical to the left half. The jacket 100 comprises a front panel 10, a back panel 20, side panels 30, and sleeves 40. The front panel 10 is the front fabric of the jacket 100 that covers the area from the wearer's chest to the abdomen, and may include an upper front panel 11 and a lower front panel 12. The back panel 20 is the rear fabric of the jacket 100 that covers the area from the wearer's back to the waist, and may include an upper back panel 21 and a lower back panel 22. The side panels 30 are the fabric on the sides of the upper garment 100 that cover the area from the wearer's armpit to below the armpit. The sleeves 40 are the fabric that branches off from the torso of the upper garment 100; those that cover the area from the wearer's arm through the elbow to the wrist are long sleeves, while those that cover only the wearer's arm or the area from the arm to the elbow are short sleeves.
[0026] Preferably, each part of the garment 100 is made of a fabric with a certain degree of elasticity. While woven fabrics (fiber structures) are typically used, a film made by thinly stretching resin may also be used. The type of woven fabric can be knitted, woven, or nonwoven. In the case of knitted fabrics, elasticity can be given to the fabric through the knitting structure, making it possible to use fibers with poor elasticity as constituent materials for the woven fabric. Examples of fibers constituting the woven fabric include synthetic fibers such as polyurethane, polyester, polyolefin, nylon, and acrylic; semi-synthetic fibers such as acetate and Promix; regenerated fibers such as rayon, lyocell, and cupro; and natural fibers such as cotton, linen, silk, and wool. It is also possible to use blended fibers made by intertwining two or more different types of fibers.
[0027] In the garment 100 having the above configuration, in the garment 101 according to the first embodiment, the back panel 20, side panels 30, and sleeves 40 are integrated without seams, as shown as the shaded area in Figure 2(a). In this case, there are fewer seams that hinder movement, resulting in fewer parts making up the garment 101, and when the wearer moves their upper body, the back panel 20, side panels 30, and sleeves 40 can follow that movement without difficulty. As a result, the wearer can raise their arms smoothly without resistance.
[0028] In the jacket 100 having the above configuration, in the jacket 102 according to the second embodiment, as shown as the shaded area in Figure 2(b), the upper front panel 11 of the front panel 10, which is located near the wearer's shoulder and upper arm, is also integrated with the back panel 20, side panels 30, and sleeves 40 without any seams. In this case, as there are fewer seams that hinder movement, the number of parts constituting the jacket 102 is also reduced, and the fabric of the jacket 102 is less likely to become taut when the wearer raises their arms. As a result, the wearer can raise their arms more smoothly and with less resistance.
[0029] The shape, size, arrangement, and relative relationships (area ratios, etc.) of the front panel 10, back panel 20, side panels 30, and sleeves 40, which make up the top garment 100, can be appropriately changed according to the wearer's body type. For example, using the Body Mass Index (BMI), which is calculated by dividing the wearer's weight (kg) by the square of their height (m), as a basis, the front panel 10 and side panels 30 of the top garment 100 for a wearer with a high BMI can be set to be relatively larger than the other parts.
[0030] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram of a jacket 103 according to another embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a front view and (b) is a back view. The jacket 100 according to the present invention can also be configured as a raglan-type jacket 103, as shown in Figure 3. In the raglan-type jacket 103, the front body 10 is not divided into an upper front body 11 and a lower front body 12, as in the jacket 101 according to the first embodiment and the jacket 102 according to the second embodiment, and the front body 10 is made up of a single part. In this raglan-type jacket 103 as well, the back body 20, side body 30 and sleeves 40 are integrated without seams, so there are fewer seams that hinder movement, resulting in fewer parts making up the jacket 103, and when the wearer moves their upper body, the back body 20, side body 30 and sleeves 40 can follow that movement without difficulty. As a result, the wearer can raise their arms smoothly without resistance.
[0031] Incidentally, if the parts of the jacket 100 are integrated without seams, excess fabric will be generated, particularly in the areas where the front panel 10, back panel 20, side panels 30, and sleeves 40 are integrated, which will detract from the aesthetic appearance of the jacket 100. Therefore, it is preferable to treat this excess fabric as darts. This allows the functionality of the jacket 100, which facilitates arm movement, to be maintained without compromising its aesthetic appearance.
[0032] <Setting the baseline / reference point> The garment 100 according to the present invention makes it easier to achieve the objective of the present invention, which is that a person wearing the garment 100 can perform upper body movements (especially arm raising movements) smoothly and without resistance, by appropriately setting the previously defined reference lines / reference points. The following describes preferred settings for the reference lines / reference points.
[0033] In the front panel 10, it is preferable that the front panel reference line, which corresponds to the seam line forming the boundary between the upper front panel 11 and the lower front panel 12, is set to be located below the wearer's shoulder line when the garment 100 is being worn (see Figure 1(a)). In this case, the wearer's shoulders are covered by the upper front panel 11. As a result, there is more fabric around the wearer's shoulders, allowing the wearer to raise their arms more smoothly and without resistance.
[0034] In the sleeve 40, it is preferable that the sleeve reference line corresponding to the dividing line of the sleeve 40 or the end line of the sleeve 40 is set to be located below the midpoint of the first shortest line connecting the wearer's acromion and elbow line when the upper garment 100 is being worn (see Figure 1(a)). In this case, the wearer's upper arm is covered by the sleeve 40. As a result, there is more fabric around the wearer's upper arm, and the wearer can raise their arm more smoothly and with less resistance.
[0035] In the side panel 30, it is preferable that the side panel reference point located at the lowest part of the side panel 30 is set to be located below the midpoint of the second shortest line connecting the wearer's chest line and waist line when the upper garment 100 is being worn (see Figure 1(d)). In this case, the wearer's armpits are covered by the side panel 30. As a result, there is more fabric around the wearer's armpits, allowing the wearer to raise their arms more smoothly and without resistance.
[0036] In the back panel 20, it is preferable that the seam dividing the back panel 20 or the back panel reference line corresponding to the end line of the back panel 20 is set to be located below 40% of the second shortest line connecting the wearer's chest line and waist line when the upper garment 100 is being worn (see Figure 1(b)). In Figure 1(b), the seam dividing the back panel 20 is shown as the back panel reference line. In this case, the wearer's shoulder blades are covered by the back panel 20. As a result, there is more fabric in the upper back of the wearer, and the resistance to movement caused by the tension of the fabric that previously occurred when the wearer raised their arms can be suppressed. In Figure 1(b), the back panel reference line is located below the chest line, that is, at a position more than 100% from the chest line side of the second shortest line connecting the chest line and the waist line. However, in the garment 100 according to the present invention, the back panel 20, side panels 30, and sleeves 40 are integrated without seams, so even if the back panel reference line is located at such a position, resistance to movement due to tension in the fabric is suppressed.
[0037] The side panel reference line, which corresponds to the seam line forming the boundary between the front panel 10 and the side panel 20, is preferably set such that when the upper garment 100 is worn, the upper side of the side panel reference line is located in front of the wearer's mid-axillary line, and the lower side of the side panel reference line is located behind the wearer's mid-axillary line (see Figures 1(c) and (d)). In this case, both sides of the wearer's body are covered by the side panel 30. As a result, there is more fabric on both sides of the wearer's body, allowing the wearer to raise their arms more smoothly and without resistance.
[0038] As described above, the garment 100 according to the present invention has a back panel 20, side panels 30, and sleeves 40 that are integrated without seams. At the same time, when a person wearing the garment raises their arms upward or diagonally upward, as shown in Figures 1(c) and (d), there are no seams extending in the direction of the torso from the armpit to the arm of the person wearing the garment. As a result of having fewer seams that hinder movement, the garment 100 has fewer parts and therefore less resistance when the garment 100 is pulled in the vertical direction. Consequently, when the person wearing the garment moves their upper body, the garment 100 can follow that movement without difficulty. The person wearing the garment can then raise their arms smoothly and without resistance. [Examples]
[0039] To confirm whether the garment according to the present invention allows the wearer to raise their arms smoothly and without resistance compared to conventional garments, computer simulations of distortion occurring in the garment and actual measurement tests were conducted.
[0040] <Evaluation target> The garments evaluated were an example (an embodiment) in which the back, side, and sleeves were seamlessly integrated, corresponding to the first embodiment, and a comparative example (a garment in which the front, back, side, and sleeves were joined together by sewing).
[0041] <Computer Simulation> Using the "CLO Enterprise 3D Garment Simulation System" computer simulation system provided by Yuka & Alpha Co., Ltd., the distribution of distortion in the garment when the wearer raises their arms was visualized. In the computer simulation results, areas with greater distortion are shown in darker colors. Figure 4 is an image showing the computer simulation results of the garment according to the example, and Figure 5 is an image showing the computer simulation results of the garment according to the comparative example. In Figures 4 and 5, (a) is a front view with the arms raised, (b) is a back view with the arms raised, (c) is a left side view with the arms raised, and (d) is a right side view with the arms raised. As shown in Figure 4, slight distortion was observed in the upper front and back of the side panels of the garment according to the example, but the overall distortion of the garment was small. In contrast, as shown in Figure 5, significant distortion was observed in a wide area from the side panels to the side of the back panel of the garment according to the comparative example. Based on these computer simulation results, it was inferred that the garment in the embodiment, compared to the garment in the comparative example, is less likely to experience tension in the fabric when the wearer raises their arms, allowing for smooth and unrestricted arm-raising movements.
[0042] <Actual measurement test> In the field test, garment pressure sensors were placed in the upper garments of the example and comparative example at locations where distortion was confirmed in computer simulations. Two subjects (Subject A and Subject B) wore the upper garments of the example and comparative example, and the garment pressure was measured when they raised their arms forward and upward (approximately 45°). In this measurement, the garment pressure of the comparative example's upper garment was set to 100, and the garment pressure of the example was determined. The results of the field test are shown in Table 1 below.
[0043] [Table 1]
[0044] According to the results in Table 1, for both subjects A and B, the garment pressure was lower with the garment according to the example compared with the garment according to the comparative example. When subjects A and B were asked about their actual sensations, they commented that they felt a particular difference from the armpits to the back (the garment according to the example had less fabric tension than the garment according to the comparative example).
[0045] Thus, it has been confirmed that the garment according to the present invention allows the wearer to raise their arms smoothly and without resistance, compared to conventional garments. [Industrial applicability]
[0046] The present invention can be used as an outer garment in various clothing products such as sportswear, uniforms, work clothes, and shirts. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0047] 10 Front 11 Upper front panel 12 Lower front panel 20 Back 30 Side panel 40 Sleeve 100 jacket 101 Top 102 Top 103 Top
Claims
1. A garment comprising a front panel, a back panel, side panels, and sleeves, A garment in which the back panel, side panels, and sleeves are seamlessly integrated.
2. The aforementioned front panel includes the upper front panel and the lower front panel. The garment according to claim 1, wherein the upper front panel is seamlessly integrated with the back panel, the side panel, and the sleeve.
3. In the aforementioned front bodice, if a front bodice reference line corresponding to the seam line forming the boundary between the upper front bodice and the lower front bodice is defined, The garment according to claim 2, wherein the front body reference line is set to be located below the wearer's shoulder line when the garment is being worn.
4. If, in the aforementioned sleeve, a sleeve reference line corresponding to a dividing line or the end line of the sleeve is defined, The garment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sleeve reference line is set to be located below the midpoint of the first shortest line connecting the acromion of the wearer's shoulder and the elbow line when the garment is being worn.
5. In the aforementioned side panel, if a reference point for the side panel located at the lowest part of the side panel is defined, The garment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the side body reference point is set to be located below the midpoint of the second shortest line connecting the wearer's chest line and waist line when the garment is being worn.
6. If, in the aforementioned back panel, a seam line dividing the back panel or a back panel reference line corresponding to the edge line of the back panel is defined, The garment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the back body reference line is set such that, when the garment is worn, it is located below 40% of the second shortest line connecting the wearer's chest line and waist line from the chest line side.