Upper body garment

Abstract

An upper body garment 10 comprises: a body part 20 that includes a high-stretch region 50 having a predetermined stretchability and a low-stretch region 60 having a lower stretchability than that of the high-stretch region 50. The body part 20 includes: a body upper section 30 corresponding to a trunk upper part which includes the chest of a wearer; and a body lower section 40 corresponding to a trunk lower part which includes the abdomen of the wearer. The low-stretch region 60 includes: an upper low-stretch region 70 disposed in the body upper section 30; and a lower low-stretch region 90 dispose in the body lower section 40. At least a portion of the high-stretch region 50 is arranged continuously over the whole circumference in a waist direction and between the upper low-stretch region 70 and the lower low-stretch region 90.

Description

Upper body clothing

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to upper body garments.

[0002] Upper-body garments, such as functional inner shirts with different stretchability in different regions, are known for the purpose of correcting the wearer's posture, supporting movement, etc. Patent Document 1 describes a functional inner shirt having a first region with a first stretch rate and a second region with a greater stretch rate than the first region. The first region includes a band-like first support line that extends from both shoulders of the back body, passing through the inside of the shoulder blades, toward the top of the ilium, and then along the psoas major muscle of the front body to the vicinity of the hip joint.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-188194

[0004] However, the functional inner shirt described in Patent Document 1 leaves room for improvement in terms of providing adequate support to the wearer's body during exercise such as running.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in light of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide upper body clothing that can adequately support the wearer's body during exercise.

[0006] An upper body garment according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a body portion including a high-stretch region having a predetermined elasticity and a low-stretch region having lower elasticity than the high-stretch region, and including an upper body portion corresponding to the wearer's upper torso including the chest, and a lower body portion corresponding to the wearer's lower torso including the abdomen, wherein the low-stretch region includes an upper low-stretch region disposed in the upper body portion and a lower low-stretch region disposed in the lower body portion, and at least a portion of the high-stretch region is disposed continuously around the entire circumference in the waist direction between the upper low-stretch region and the lower low-stretch region.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides an upper body garment comprising an upper torso portion that corresponds to the upper torso including the chest of a wearer, the upper torso portion including a high-stretch region having a predetermined elasticity and a low-stretch region having lower elasticity than the high-stretch region, the low-stretch region including an upper low-stretch region arranged in the upper torso portion, and when the portion of the upper torso that corresponds to the front of the wearer's body is defined as the front torso and the portion of the upper torso that corresponds to the back of the wearer's body is defined as the back torso, the upper low-stretch region is arranged continuously in the waist direction across the entire area of ​​one of the front and back torsos and at least a portion of the other, the upper low-stretch region including, in the one of the upper low-stretch regions, a first region that is arranged continuously from a position corresponding to the upper left shoulder to a position corresponding to the right armpit of the wearer, and a second region that is arranged continuously from a position corresponding to the upper right shoulder to a position corresponding to the left armpit, the first region and the second region intersecting each other.

[0008] Any combination of the above components, or mutual substitution of the components or expressions of the present invention between methods, devices, etc., are also valid aspects of the present invention.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide upper body clothing that can adequately support the wearer's body during exercise.

[0010] 1 is a schematic front view of an upper-body garment according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic back view of the upper-body garment shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a schematic enlarged view of a low-elasticity region; FIG. 4 is a schematic enlarged view of a first modified low-elasticity region; FIG. 5 is a schematic enlarged view of a second modified low-elasticity region; FIG. 6 is a schematic enlarged view of a third modified low-elasticity region; FIG. 7 is a schematic front view of an upper-body garment according to a second modified low-elasticity region; FIG. 9 is a schematic back view of the upper-body garment shown in FIG. 13; FIG. 14 is a schematic front view of an upper-body garment according to a third modified low-elasticity region; FIG. 15 is a schematic front view of an upper-body garment according to a fourth modified low-elasticity region; FIG. 16 is a schematic front view of an upper-body garment according to a fifth modified low-elasticity region; FIG. 17 is a schematic back view of the upper-body garment shown in FIG. 13;

[0011] The present disclosure will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments and modifications, identical or equivalent components are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted as appropriate. The dimensions of the components in each drawing are enlarged or reduced as appropriate to facilitate understanding. Some components that are not important for explaining the embodiments are omitted from the drawings.

[0012] Furthermore, terms including ordinal numbers such as first and second are used to describe various components, but these terms are used only to distinguish one component from another and do not limit the components.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a front view schematically illustrating an upper-body garment 10 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a back view schematically illustrating the upper-body garment 10. The upper-body garment 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is laid out to avoid wrinkles. The upper-body garment 10 is a functional inner shirt designed to be worn in direct contact with the skin when engaging in sports, particularly running. In each of the drawings, including FIGS. 1 and 2, the vertical direction of the paper corresponds to the length direction of the upper-body garment 10, and the horizontal direction of the paper corresponds to the width direction of the upper-body garment 10. Hereinafter, in the length direction, the side where the wearer's head is located will also be referred to as "upper," and the side where the wearer's legs are located will also be referred to as "lower."

[0014] The upper-body garment 10 includes a body portion 20. The body portion 20 mainly corresponds to the upper torso of the wearer. That is, the inner surface of the body portion 20 faces the upper torso of the wearer. In the example shown in this embodiment, the upper-body garment 10 is a sleeveless shirt, i.e., a shirt without sleeves.

[0015] The body portion 20 includes an upper body portion 30 and a lower body portion 40. The upper body portion 30 corresponds to the wearer's upper torso, including the chest. The lower body portion 40 corresponds to the wearer's lower torso, including the abdomen. The upper body portion 30 is positioned above the lower body portion 40. The upper body portion 30 and the lower body portion 40 are defined for the sake of convenience in order to explain the regions included in the body portion 20, and the body portion 20 may be formed integrally.

[0016] The portion of the body section 20 that faces the front of the wearer's body is referred to as the front body, and the portion that faces the back of the wearer's body is referred to as the back body. That is, Fig. 1 shows the front body of the body section 20, and Fig. 2 shows the back body of the body section 20.

[0017] The upper body garment 10 has different stretchability in each of its regions. Specifically, the upper body garment 10 includes high-stretch regions 50 having a predetermined stretchability and low-stretch regions 60 having lower stretchability than the high-stretch regions 50. The high-stretch regions 50 do not necessarily have the same stretchability throughout. Similarly, the low-stretch regions 60 do not necessarily have the same stretchability throughout. However, the least stretchable region of the high-stretch regions 50 has higher stretchability than the most stretchable region of the low-stretch regions 60. The upper body garment 10 as a whole has at least a degree of stretchability that allows the wearer to put on and take off the garment. The specific configurations of the high-stretch regions 50 and the low-stretch regions 60 will be described later.

[0018] In this specification, the term "stretchability" of the upper-body garment 10 refers to the ease with which the upper-body garment 10 stretches and contracts. Specifically, the higher the stretchability, the easier the garment will stretch, and the lower the stretchability, the harder it will stretch. The stretchability of the upper-body garment 10 primarily refers to the stretchability in the direction along the wearer's body surface. The stretchability of the upper-body garment 10 can be expressed as the percentage of stretch (e.g., in [%]) when a load (e.g., in [N / cm]) that stretches the upper-body garment 10 in a predetermined direction is applied. The stretchability of the upper-body garment 10 may vary depending on the direction in which the load that stretches the upper-body garment 10 is applied.

[0019] The low-elasticity region 60 includes an upper low-elasticity region 70 disposed in the upper torso portion 30 and a lower low-elasticity region 90 disposed in the lower torso portion 40. The upper low-elasticity region 70 is disposed continuously across the entire area of ​​one of the front and back torsos and at least a portion of the other in the waist direction (the direction that goes around the entire upper-body garment 10 along the body width direction). Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the upper low-elasticity region 70 is disposed continuously across the entire area of ​​the front torso and the entire area of ​​the back torso in the waist direction. That is, the upper low-elasticity region 70 is disposed continuously around the entire circumference in the waist direction. In this specification, when a region is "disposed continuously around the entire circumference in the waist direction," it may include a portion of another region around the entire circumference in the waist direction. However, this means that the region occupies a large portion of the entire circumference in the waist direction, for example, 80% or more of the entire circumference in the waist direction.

[0020] The upper low-elasticity region 70 includes, on the back body shown in FIG. 2 , a first region 72 continuously arranged from a position corresponding to the upper left shoulder of the wearer to a position corresponding to the right armpit (also referred to as the "axilla"), and a second region 74 continuously arranged from a position corresponding to the upper right shoulder of the wearer to a position corresponding to the left armpit. The position corresponding to the upper shoulder of the wearer is the position of the upper end of the upper body garment 10 between the neckhole 14, which is an opening for the wearer's neck, and the armholes 16, which are openings for the wearer's arms. The position corresponding to the wearer's armpits is the position of the side edge of the upper body garment 10 directly below the armholes 16. The upper end of the first region 72 is located at a position corresponding to the upper left shoulder of the wearer. The lower end of the first region 72 is located at a position corresponding to the right armpit of the wearer. The upper end of the second region 74 is located at a position corresponding to the upper right shoulder of the wearer. The lower end of the second region 74 is located at a position corresponding to the left armpit of the wearer.

[0021] The first region 72 is a band-shaped region that extends in a substantially linear fashion from a position corresponding to the upper part of the wearer's left shoulder to a position corresponding to the right armpit. Similarly, the second region 74 is a band-shaped region that extends in a substantially linear fashion from a position corresponding to the upper part of the wearer's right shoulder to a position corresponding to the left armpit.

[0022] The first region 72 and the second region 74 intersect with each other. That is, the first region 72 and the second region 74 share a portion of their area. An overlapping region 82 between the first region 72 and the second region 74 is located at a position including the center line A in the body width direction of the upper-body garment 10. The center line A in the body width direction corresponds to the wearer's midline. The first region 72 and the second region 74 as a whole form an X-shaped region.

[0023] In this way, the upper low-elasticity region 70 is continuously disposed over the entire waist circumference of the back body, which corresponds to the back of the wearer's body. As a result, when the wearer swings their arms, such as when running, the region of the back body on the same side as the arm that is swung forward is particularly stretched. As a result, the upper body garment 10 applies a force in a direction pulling the swung arm backward due to the contraction force of the upper low-elasticity region 70 on the back body side. Therefore, the upper body garment 10 can more appropriately support the wearer's body during arm swings, such as when running.

[0024] The upper low-elasticity region 70 includes a third region 76 that is continuously arranged from a position corresponding to the upper part of the wearer's left shoulder to a position corresponding to the left armpit on the front body shown in Figure 1, and a fourth region 78 that is continuously arranged from a position corresponding to the upper part of the wearer's right shoulder to a position corresponding to the right armpit. The upper end of the third region 76 is located at a position corresponding to the upper part of the wearer's left shoulder. The lower end of the third region 76 is located at a position corresponding to the left armpit of the wearer. The upper end of the fourth region 78 is located at a position corresponding to the upper part of the wearer's right shoulder. The lower end of the fourth region 78 is located at a position corresponding to the right armpit of the wearer.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1 , the third region 76 may include a region between its upper and lower ends that extends toward the centerline A in the width direction. Similarly, the fourth region 78 may include a region between its upper and lower ends that extends toward the centerline A in the width direction. As shown in FIG. 1 , the third region 76 and the fourth region 78 are disposed continuously at a position that includes the centerline A in the width direction. This allows the upper body garment 10 to more easily apply a force that swings the wearer's arm forward when the wearer's arm is pulled backward, due to the contraction force of the upper low-elasticity region 70 on the front body side. In a modified example, the third region 76 and the fourth region 78 may be spaced apart from each other. This allows the upper body garment 10 to suppress a force that swings the wearer's arm forward.

[0026] 1 and 2 , the first region 72 and the third region 76 are arranged so that their upper ends are continuous with each other. The first region 72 and the fourth region 78 are arranged so that their lower ends are continuous with each other. The second region 74 and the fourth region 78 are arranged so that their upper ends are continuous with each other. The second region 74 and the third region 76 are arranged so that their lower ends are continuous with each other. This allows the contracting force that tends to occur when the upper low-elasticity region 70 is stretched to be applied to the wearer smoothly, without interruption, between the front and back body sections.

[0027] In a modified example, the arrangement of the upper low-elasticity region 70 may be reversed from the example described above. That is, the first region 72 and the second region 74 may be arranged in the front body, and the third region 76 and the fourth region 78 may be arranged in the back body. This allows, for example, the application of a force in the direction of swinging the wearer's arms forward to be greater than the application of a force in the direction of pulling the arms backward.

[0028] The upper low-elasticity region 70 may include regions other than the first region 72, second region 74, third region 76, and fourth region 78 described above. In the example shown in Fig. 1 , a portion of the upper low-elasticity region 70 is disposed in each of two regions of the front body of the upper body 30, surrounded by the armhole 16, the third region 76, and the fourth region 78. In the example shown in Fig. 2 , a portion of the upper low-elasticity region 70 is disposed in each of four regions of the back body of the upper body 30 surrounding the first region 72 and the second region 74. The four regions surrounding the first region 72 and the second region 74 are composed of one region surrounded by the neckline 14, the first region 72, and the second region 74, two regions surrounded by the armhole 16, the first region 72, and the second region 74, and one region located below the first region 72 and the second region 74. In this way, by including areas other than the first area 72, the second area 74, the third area 76, and the fourth area 78, the upper low-elasticity area 70 can apply appropriate pressure to specific areas of the wearer's upper torso.

[0029] Each of the upper low-elasticity regions 70 other than the first region 72, the second region 74, the third region 76, and the fourth region 78 is disposed with the high-elasticity region 50 interposed between it and the first region 72, the second region 74, the third region 76, and the fourth region 78. Because the high-elasticity region 50 is more breathable than the low-elasticity region 60, this arrangement makes it easier to ensure breathability while adequately supporting the wearer's body.

[0030] In order to obtain the effect of adequately supporting the wearer's body, the upper low-elasticity region 70 is preferably positioned over an area of ​​75% or more in the waist direction of the upper body portion 30, and more preferably over an area of ​​80% or more.

[0031] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the lower low-elasticity region 90 is disposed continuously around the entire circumference of the lower body 40 in the waist direction. The lower low-elasticity region 90 is also disposed across the entire lower body 40 in the body length direction. In a modified example, the lower low-elasticity region 90 may be disposed only partially in the body length direction. By disposing the lower low-elasticity region 90 continuously around the entire circumference of the lower body 40 in the waist direction, the lower low-elasticity region 90 more reliably supports the wearer's lower torso, thereby further suppressing vibration of soft tissues present in the wearer's abdomen, etc. This effect is particularly effective when the wearer is engaged in sports such as running.

[0032] The upper ends 92 of the lower low-elasticity regions 90 on the front and back panels are inclined downward from a position corresponding to the wearer's midline, i.e., a position overlapping with the centerline A in the width direction, to a position corresponding to the wearer's body side (side). In a modified example, the upper ends 92 of the lower low-elasticity regions 90 may have this shape on only one of the front and back panels. By having the upper ends 92 of the lower low-elasticity regions 90 in this shape, the lower low-elasticity regions are more likely to be positioned to avoid the position of the wearer's thorax, making it less likely to interfere with the wearer's breathing and trunk rotation.

[0033] 1 and 2, at least a portion of the high-elasticity region 50 includes an annular high-elasticity region 52 that is continuously disposed around the entire circumference in the waist direction between the upper low-elasticity region 70 and the lower low-elasticity region 90. This ensures elasticity in the region between the wearer's chest and abdomen, and is less likely to interfere with the wearer's breathing or trunk rotation.

[0034] Here, an example of a material constituting the upper-body garment 10 will be described. The upper-body garment 10 includes a highly stretchable material and a low-stretchable material that is less stretchable than the highly stretchable material. The highly stretchable material is, for example, a mesh fabric or other fabric containing synthetic fibers such as polyester or nylon, and that constitutes the overall shape of the upper-body garment 10. The highly stretchable material preferably has high stretchability in both the length and width directions of the upper-body garment 10. The low-stretchable material is, for example, a synthetic resin, and is disposed by printing or the like on at least one of the inner surface of the highly stretchable material that faces the wearer's body and the outer surface opposite the inner surface. While the low-stretchable material may be disposed on the inner surface of the highly stretchable material, it is preferable that the low-stretchable material be disposed on the outer surface of the highly stretchable material from the standpoint of comfort when worn.

[0035] The low-stretch region 60 is a region in which a low-stretch material is at least partially disposed within a high-stretch material. The high-stretch region 50 is a region in which a low-stretch material is not disposed within a high-stretch material. The high-stretch region 50 may be partially disposed with a low-stretch material, for example, the low-stretch material may be disposed at a rate of 25% or less. The high-stretch region 50 may also include a region in which no fabric, including a high-stretch material, is disposed, for example, a region with holes.

[0036] In this way, the low-stretch area 60 is formed by placing a low-stretch material on the surface of the high-stretch material that makes up the overall shape of the upper body garment 10, which makes it less likely to cause discomfort to the wearer than, for example, when fabrics with different stretch properties are connected in each area by sewing or the like.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an enlarged view of the low-stretch region 60. As shown in FIG. 3, the low-stretch region 60 is a region in which low-stretch material 120 is arranged in a predetermined repeating pattern on the surface of the fabric of high-stretch material 110. Elements 122 of the low-stretch material 120 that make up the repeating pattern have a shape that extends in a predetermined direction (the vertical direction in FIG. 3) and a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction (the horizontal direction in FIG. 3). The stretchability of the elements 122 in the vertical direction and the stretchability of the elements 122 in the horizontal direction are different from each other. As such, the stretchability of the elements 122 of the low-stretch material 120 that make up the repeating pattern in the low-stretch region 60 is anisotropic, so the arrangement of the elements 122 can impart directionality to the stretchability of the low-stretch region 60. Note that the vertical and horizontal directions in FIG. 3 may or may not coincide with the body length and body width directions in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0038] If the low-stretch region 60 has directional stretchability, the low-stretch region 60 may be positioned so that its direction of low stretchability is aligned with the width direction or waist direction of the body portion 20. When a wearer engages in sports such as running, the body portion 20 is more likely to be stretched in the width direction or waist direction than in the length direction. This positioning can provide more appropriate support for the wearer's body. Alternatively, the upper low-stretch region 70 may be positioned so that the longitudinal direction of at least one of the first region 72 and the second region 74 is aligned with the direction of low stretchability of the low-stretch region 60. This positioning can more effectively provide support for the wearer's body through at least one of the first region 72 and the second region 74.

[0039] The shape of the elements 122 has a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction. Specifically, the elements 122 have a diamond shape and are arranged so that the diagonals run along the vertical and horizontal directions in FIG. 3 . The vertical direction of the elements 122 is the lateral direction, and the lateral direction is the longitudinal direction. In this case, the stretchability of the elements 122 in the longitudinal direction is lower than the stretchability in the lateral direction. Therefore, the low-stretch region 60 is easily designed so that the stretchability in the longitudinal direction is lower than the stretchability in the lateral direction. In this way, by adjusting the longitudinal and lateral directions of the elements 122 of the low-stretch material 120 that make up the repeating pattern, it is possible to impart directional stretchability to the low-stretch region 60.

[0040] The repeating pattern of the arrangement of the elements 122 may be a repeating pattern in which the spacing between the elements 122 varies depending on the position within the low-stretch material 120. The elements 122 may also have different sizes, shapes, orientations, etc. depending on the position at which they are arranged. This allows the stretchability to be changed depending on the position within the low-stretch material 120.

[0041] FIGS. 4 to 6 are enlarged schematic diagrams showing first to third modified examples of the low-elasticity region 60. The low-elasticity region 60A shown in FIG. 4 has elements 122A of the low-elasticity material 120 that form a repeating pattern. The elements 122A have a circular shape. The low-elasticity region 60B shown in FIG. 5 has elements 122B of the low-elasticity material 120 that form a repeating pattern. The elements 122B have a square shape. The low-elasticity region 60C shown in FIG. 6 has elements 122C of the low-elasticity material 120 that form a repeating pattern. The elements 122C have an equilateral triangular shape. None of the elements 122A to 122C need have a longitudinal and lateral direction. That is, the elements 122A to 122C may have approximately the same length in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction in each figure.

[0042] FIG. 7 is a front view schematically illustrating an upper-body garment 10A according to a first modified example. FIG. 8 is a back view schematically illustrating the upper-body garment 10A according to the first modified example. The upper-body garment 10A includes a body portion 20 and sleeve portions 12. The upper-body garment 10A is a short-sleeved shirt. The body portion 20 of the upper-body garment 10A is similar to the body portion 20 of the upper-body garment 10, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. At least a portion of the low-elasticity region 60 is disposed in the sleeve portion 12. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the low-elasticity region 60 does not have to be disposed in a predetermined range including the tip of the sleeve portion 12, or may be disposed over the entire sleeve portion 12. Disposing at least a portion of the low-elasticity region 60 in the sleeve portion 12 allows force to be applied directly to the wearer's arm, thereby providing appropriate support for the wearer's arm.

[0043] FIG. 9 is a front view schematically illustrating an upper-body garment 10B according to a second modified example. FIG. 10 is a back view schematically illustrating an upper-body garment 10B according to the second modified example. The upper-body garment 10B includes a body portion 20B and sleeve portions 12. The upper-body garment 10B is a short-sleeved shirt. The sleeve portions 12 of the upper-body garment 10B are similar to the sleeve portions 12 of the upper-body garment 10A, and therefore will not be described here. The body portion 20B differs from the body portion 20 in that the low-elasticity region 60 is not disposed in the lower body portion 40. Even with this configuration, it is possible to obtain the effects of the upper-body garment 10A other than the effects provided by the lower low-elasticity region 90. Furthermore, the upper-body garment 10B may be more suitable for wearers who do not require abdominal support.

[0044] FIG. 11 is a front view schematically illustrating an upper-body garment 10C according to a third modified example. A back view of the upper-body garment 10C is similar to that of FIG. 8 and is therefore not shown. The upper-body garment 10C includes a body portion 20C and sleeve portions 12. The upper-body garment 10C is a short-sleeved shirt. The sleeve portions 12 of the upper-body garment 10C are similar to the sleeve portions 12 of the upper-body garment 10A and therefore will not be described here. The body portion 20C differs from the body portion 20A in that it includes an openable / closable opening / closing portion 22. The opening / closing portion 22 is formed, for example, by a zipper, and is located in a range extending from the neckline 14 along a center line A in the width direction of the front body (see FIG. 1, etc.). As a result, the wearer opens the opening / closing section 22 when putting on or taking off the upper-body garment 10C, and closes the opening / closing section 22 when the wearer is wearing the upper-body garment 10C, thereby making it easier to put on and take off the upper-body garment 10C and achieving the above-mentioned effects when wearing the garment. In particular, since the placement of the low-elasticity region 60 in the upper-body garment 10 can make it difficult to put on or take off, providing the opening / closing section 22 is effective.

[0045] FIG. 12 is a front view schematically illustrating an upper-body garment 10D according to a fourth modified example. A back view of the upper-body garment 10D is similar to FIG. 8 and therefore not shown. The upper-body garment 10D includes a body portion 20D and sleeve portions 12. The upper-body garment 10D is a short-sleeved shirt. The sleeve portions 12 of the upper-body garment 10D are similar to the sleeve portions 12 of the upper-body garment 10A and therefore not described here. The body portion 20D includes an opening / closing portion 24. The opening / closing portion 24 differs from the opening / closing portion 22 in that it extends to the lower end of the body portion 20D. The body portion 20D is otherwise similar to the body portion 20C. As a result, by opening the opening / closing portion 22, the front body portion is separated into left and right halves, making it easier for the wearer to put on and take off the upper-body garment 10C.

[0046] FIG. 13 is a front view schematically illustrating an upper-body garment 10E according to a fifth modified example. FIG. 14 is a back view schematically illustrating the upper-body garment 10E according to the fifth modified example. The upper-body garment 10E includes a first portion 130 and a second portion 140, which are separated from each other. The first portion 130 includes an upper torso portion 30 and sleeve portions 12. The second portion 140 includes a lower torso portion 40. When a wearer puts on the first portion 130 and the second portion 140, the support provided by the low-elasticity regions 60 disposed in the upper torso portion 30 and sleeve portions 12 and the low-elasticity regions 60 disposed in the lower torso portion 40 are obtained. Furthermore, since the region between the first portion 130 and the second portion 140 is stretchable, the wearer's breathing and trunk rotation are not easily hindered. Depending on the support required, the wearer may wear only the first portion 130 or only the second portion 140.

[0047] The present disclosure has been described above based on the embodiments. These embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of the respective components and processing steps, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments can be generalized to provide the following aspects.

[0048] [Aspect 1] An upper-body garment comprising a body portion including a high-stretch region having a predetermined stretchability and a low-stretch region having lower stretchability than the high-stretch region, an upper body portion corresponding to the wearer's upper torso including the chest, and a lower body portion corresponding to the wearer's lower torso including the abdomen, wherein the low-stretch region includes an upper low-stretch region located in the upper body portion and a lower low-stretch region located in the lower body portion, and at least a portion of the high-stretch region is continuously located around the entire circumference in the torso direction between the upper low-stretch region and the lower low-stretch region.

[0049] According to Aspect 1, the upper low-elasticity region supports the wearer's upper torso, thereby assisting the wearer's posture. Furthermore, the lower low-elasticity region supports the wearer's lower torso, thereby suppressing vibration of soft tissues present in the wearer's abdomen, etc. Furthermore, the high-elasticity region disposed between the upper and lower low-elasticity regions is continuously disposed around the entire circumference in the waist direction, thereby less interfering with the wearer's breathing and trunk rotation. Thus, Aspect 1 assists the wearer's posture, suppresses vibration of soft tissues, and is less likely to interfere with the wearer's breathing and trunk rotation, thereby providing appropriate support for the wearer's body during exercise.

[0050] [Aspect 2] The upper-body garment according to Aspect 1, wherein the portion of the body portion corresponding to the front of the wearer's body is defined as a front body and the portion of the body portion corresponding to the back of the wearer's body is defined as a back body, and the upper low-elasticity region may be continuously disposed across the entire area of ​​one of the front body and the back body and at least a portion of the other in the waist direction.

[0051] According to Aspect 2, the upper low-elasticity region is continuously disposed in the waist direction in a position corresponding to the entire area of ​​one of the front and back of the wearer's body and at least a portion of the other. As a result, Aspect 2 applies force in a direction that pulls the wearer's arms back or swings them forward, thereby more appropriately supporting the wearer's body during arm swing movements such as running.

[0052] [Aspect 3] The upper body garment according to Aspect 2, wherein the one of the upper low-elasticity regions may include a first region continuously arranged from a position corresponding to the upper part of the wearer's left shoulder to a position corresponding to the right armpit, and a second region continuously arranged from a position corresponding to the upper part of the wearer's right shoulder to a position corresponding to the left armpit, and the first region and the second region may intersect with each other.

[0053] According to aspect 3, the first region corresponds to the wearer's left shoulder and the second region corresponds to the wearer's right shoulder, and a force can be applied to pull the wearer's arm toward the side where the first region and the second region are located, thereby more appropriately supporting the wearer's body during exercise.

[0054] [Aspect 4] The upper-body garment according to Aspect 2 or 3, wherein the upper low-elasticity region may include, on the other side, a third region continuously arranged from a position corresponding to the upper part of the wearer's left shoulder to a position corresponding to the left armpit, and a fourth region continuously arranged from a position corresponding to the upper part of the wearer's right shoulder to a position corresponding to the right armpit.

[0055] According to aspect 4, in the other of the front and back body parts, the upper low-elasticity area is arranged so that it continues over the one side above and below the wearer's left shoulder and above and below the right shoulder, respectively, so that force can be applied more reliably toward the one side.

[0056] [Aspect 5] The upper-body garment according to any one of Aspects 1 to 4, wherein the lower low-elasticity region may be disposed continuously over the entire circumference in the waist-circumference direction.

[0057] According to aspect 5, the lower low-elasticity region more reliably supports the wearer's lower torso, thereby further suppressing vibration of soft tissues present in the wearer's abdomen and the like.

[0058] [Aspect 6] The upper-body garment according to Aspect 5, wherein the portion of the body portion corresponding to the front of the wearer's body is defined as a front body and the portion of the body portion corresponding to the back of the wearer's body is defined as a back body, and the upper end of the lower low-elasticity region may be inclined downward from a position corresponding to the wearer's midline to a position corresponding to the side of the body in at least one of the front body and the back body.

[0059] According to aspect 6, the lower low-elasticity region is likely to be positioned so as to avoid the position of the wearer's thorax, making it less likely to interfere with the wearer's breathing and trunk rotation.

[0060] [Aspect 7] An upper body garment according to any one of Aspects 1 to 6, which may include a high-stretch material that constitutes at least the overall shape of the body portion, and a low-stretch material that is less stretchy than the high-stretch material, wherein the low-stretch material may be disposed on at least one of an inner surface of the high-stretch material that faces the wearer's body and an outer surface opposite the inner surface, wherein the low-stretch region may be a region in which the low-stretch material is at least partially disposed in the high-stretch material, and wherein the high-stretch region may be a region in which the low-stretch material is not disposed in the high-stretch material.

[0061] According to Aspect 7, a low-stretch material can be disposed in at least a portion of the high-stretch material that constitutes the overall shape of the body portion. This makes it easier to provide a comfortable fit than, for example, a case in which a high-stretch material that constitutes a portion of the body portion and a low-stretch material that constitutes the rest of the body portion are joined by sewing or the like. Furthermore, because the overall shape of the body portion is made of a high-stretch material, it is less likely to impede the wearer's movements.

[0062] [Aspect 8] The upper body garment according to Aspect 7, wherein the low-elasticity region may be a region in which the low-elasticity material is arranged in a predetermined repeating pattern.

[0063] According to Aspect 8, a high-stretch material is disposed in at least a portion of the low-stretch region. Therefore, even if the low-stretch material has lower breathability than the high-stretch material, the breathability of the low-stretch region can be ensured. Furthermore, by changing the shape and size of the repeating pattern, it is easy to control the degree and direction of stretch in the low-stretch region without changing the low-stretch material itself.

[0064] [Aspect 9] The upper-body garment according to Aspect 8, wherein the elements made of low-stretch material constituting the repeating pattern may have a shape that extends in a predetermined direction and a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction, and the stretchability of the elements in the predetermined direction may be different from the stretchability of the elements in the direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction.

[0065] According to Aspect 9, the elements of the low-stretch material that make up the repeating pattern have anisotropic stretchability, so that the arrangement of the elements can impart directionality to the stretchability of the low-stretch region.

[0066] Aspect 10: The upper-body garment according to Aspect 9, wherein the shape of the element may have a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, and the low-elasticity region may have lower elasticity in the longitudinal direction than in the lateral direction.

[0067] According to aspect 10, by adjusting the longitudinal and lateral directions of the elements of the low-elasticity material that make up the repeating pattern, it is possible to impart directionality to the elasticity of the low-elasticity region.

[0068] [Aspect 11] The upper-body garment according to any one of Aspects 1 to 10, further comprising sleeves, and at least a portion of the low-elasticity region may be disposed in the sleeves.

[0069] According to aspect 11, low-elasticity regions can also be arranged in the sleeves, thereby providing appropriate support for the wearer's arms.

[0070] [Aspect 12] An upper-body garment including a high-stretch region having a predetermined stretchability and a low-stretch region having lower stretchability than the high-stretch region, and comprising an upper torso portion corresponding to the upper torso including the chest of a wearer, wherein the low-stretch region includes an upper low-stretch region arranged in the upper torso portion, and when the portion of the upper torso portion corresponding to the front of the wearer's body is defined as a front body portion and the portion corresponding to the back of the wearer's body is defined as a back body portion, the upper low-stretch region is arranged continuously in the waist direction across the entire area of ​​one of the front body portion and the back body portion and at least a portion of the other, and the upper low-stretch region includes, in the one of the upper low-stretch regions, a first region arranged continuously from a position corresponding to the upper left shoulder to a position corresponding to the right armpit of the wearer, and a second region arranged continuously from a position corresponding to the upper right shoulder to a position corresponding to the left armpit, and the first region and the second region intersect each other.

[0071] According to Aspect 12, the upper low-elasticity region supports the upper torso of the wearer, and in one of the front and back body sections, the first region corresponds to the left shoulder of the wearer, and the second region corresponds to the right shoulder of the wearer, applying a force to pull the shoulder of the wearer toward the one of the front and back body sections where the first and second regions are located. This allows Aspect 1 to appropriately support the wearer's body during exercise.

[0072] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to upper body garments.

[0073] 10 upper body garment, 12 sleeve portion, 20 body portion, 30 upper body portion, 40 lower body portion, 50 high stretch region, 60 low stretch region, 70 upper low stretch region, 72 first region, 74 second region, 76 third region, 78 fourth region, 90 lower low stretch region, 92 upper edge, 110 high stretch material, 120 low stretch material, 122 element.

Claims

1. An upper body garment comprising a body portion including a high-stretch region having a predetermined elasticity and a low-stretch region having a lower elasticity than the high-stretch region, an upper body portion corresponding to the wearer's upper torso including the chest, and a lower body portion corresponding to the wearer's lower torso including the abdomen, the low-stretch region including an upper low-stretch region disposed in the upper body portion and a lower low-stretch region disposed in the lower body portion, and at least a portion of the high-stretch region is continuously disposed around the entire circumference in the waist direction between the upper low-stretch region and the lower low-stretch region.

2. The upper body garment as described in claim 1, wherein when the portion of the body portion corresponding to the front of the wearer's body is defined as a front body and the portion corresponding to the back of the wearer's body is defined as a back body, the upper low-elasticity area is continuously positioned in the waist direction across the entire area of ​​one of the front body and the back body and at least a portion of the other.

3. The upper body garment according to claim 2, wherein the upper low-stretch region includes, on the one side, a first region continuously arranged from a position corresponding to the upper part of the wearer's left shoulder to a position corresponding to the right armpit, and a second region continuously arranged from a position corresponding to the upper part of the wearer's right shoulder to a position corresponding to the left armpit, and the first region and the second region intersect with each other.

4. An upper body garment as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the upper low-stretch region includes, on the other side, a third region continuously arranged from a position corresponding to the upper part of the wearer's left shoulder to a position corresponding to the left armpit, and a fourth region continuously arranged from a position corresponding to the upper part of the wearer's right shoulder to a position corresponding to the right armpit.

5. An upper body garment as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the lower low-elasticity region is arranged continuously around the entire circumference in the waist direction.

6. An upper body garment as described in claim 5, wherein when the portion of the body portion corresponding to the front of the wearer's body is defined as a front body and the portion corresponding to the back of the wearer's body is defined as a back body, the upper end of the lower low-elasticity area, in at least one of the front body and the back body, slopes downward from a position corresponding to the wearer's midline toward a position corresponding to the side of the body.

7. An upper body garment as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising a highly stretchable material that at least constitutes the overall shape of the body portion, and a low-stretchable material that has lower stretchability than the highly stretchable material, the low-stretchable material being disposed on at least one of the inner surface of the highly stretchable material that faces the wearer's body and the outer surface opposite the inner surface, the low-stretchable area being an area in which the low-stretchable material is at least partially disposed in the highly stretchable material, and the high-stretchable area being an area in which the low-stretchable material is not disposed in the highly stretchable material.

8. The upper body garment according to claim 7, wherein the low-stretch area is an area in which the low-stretch material is arranged in a predetermined repeating pattern.

9. The upper body garment as described in claim 8, wherein elements of a low-elasticity material constituting the repeating pattern have a shape that extends in a predetermined direction and a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction, and the elasticity of the elements in the predetermined direction is different from the elasticity of the elements in the direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction.

10. The upper body garment according to claim 9, wherein the shape of the element has a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, and the low-stretch area has lower stretchability in the direction along the longitudinal direction than in the direction along the lateral direction.

11. The upper body garment according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising sleeves, and at least a portion of the low-stretch region is disposed in the sleeves.

12. An upper body garment comprising a high-stretch region having a predetermined elasticity and a low-stretch region having lower elasticity than the high-stretch region, and comprising an upper body portion corresponding to the upper torso including the chest of a wearer, the low-stretch region including an upper low-stretch region arranged in the upper body portion, and when the portion of the upper body portion corresponding to the front of the wearer's body is defined as a front body portion and the portion of the upper body portion corresponding to the back of the wearer's body is defined as a back body portion, the upper low-stretch region is arranged continuously in the waist direction across the entirety of one of the front body portion and the back body portion and at least a part of the other, and the upper low-stretch region includes, in the one portion, a first region arranged continuously from a position corresponding to the upper left shoulder to a position corresponding to the right armpit of the wearer, and a second region arranged continuously from a position corresponding to the upper right shoulder to a position corresponding to the left armpit, and the first region and the second region intersect each other.

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