Garment

Abstract

Provided is a garment capable of mitigating breathing difficulty. A garment 1 comprises a stretchable body 2 covering the front side, right and left lateral sides, and back side of a wearer from the underarms to below a portion W of a waist line. The body 2 has: a front body 3; and a back body 4 having a stretching rate in the lateral direction lower than that of the front body 3. The front body 3 and the back body 4 have a left seam 5 and a right seam 5 which are formed by sewing the front body 3 and the back body 4 on the back side of the wearer from the right and left underarms of the wearer. The proportion of the length of the front body 3 of a portion in the lateral direction at the height of the 11th and 12th ribs of the wearer on the left and right lateral sides is made larger than the proportion of the length of the front body 3 of a portion B in the lateral direction at the height of the eighth rib R8 of the wearer on the right and left lateral sides.

Description

Clothing

[0001] The present invention relates to clothing that can improve breathlessness without adversely affecting the structure of measures to prevent hunched posture.

[0002] The inventor of the present invention has provided an upper body garment as a measure against hunched back, which comprises a stretchable body including a front body and a back body, a stretchable left sleeve and a stretchable right sleeve, and between the back of the left sleeve and the back of the right sleeve, a stretchable restricting part is provided that prevents the wearer's left and right shoulder blades from separating from each other, thereby raising the thoracic vertebrae that cause hunched back and improving hunched back.

[0003] Patent No. 6727639

[0004] These developed products have been sold and have been well received by many people, but it has been found that even if they address slouching, there is still room for improvement depending on individual differences in the rib cage.

[0005] In other words, through intensive research, it was discovered for the first time that even if measures to correct hunched posture appear to have corrected the hunchback, depending on the individual, the rib cage, particularly the lower part of the ribs, may not be in a normal state and the diaphragm may not move properly.It was discovered that people in this state continue to have shallow breathing and experience shortness of breath, even if they appear to have corrected their posture.

[0006] To provide clothing that can alleviate breathlessness, whether or not measures are taken to prevent hunched posture, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems.

[0007] The garment of the present invention comprises a stretchable body that covers the front, left and right sides, and back of the wearer from the armpits to below the waistline, and the body has a front body and a back body that stretches less in the left and right direction than the front body, and the front body and back body have left and right seams that sew the front body and back body together from the left and right armpits of the wearer to the back side of the wearer, so that when worn, tension is applied to at least the left and right sides of the wearer's eighth rib, and the body is characterized in that the ratio of the left and right length of the front body at the height of the left and right sides of the wearer's 11th and 12th ribs is greater than the ratio of the left and right length of the front body at the height of the left and right sides of the wearer's eighth rib, so that the tension of the front body on the left and right sides of the wearer's 11th and 12th ribs is reduced or eliminated compared to the tension of the front body on the left and right sides of the eighth rib.

[0008] In the garment of the present invention, it is preferable that the stretch rate in the left-right direction of the fabric of the front body is 3 to 100 percent greater than the stretch rate in the left-right direction of the fabric of the back body.

[0009] In the present invention, the "waistline" refers to the narrowest part of the wearer's torso between the ribs R and the pelvis P, if such a part exists; or to the abdominal circumference at navel level if such a part does not exist due to metabolic syndrome, obesity, etc. In the present invention, "below the waistline" refers to the area below the waistline. However, "below" does not only refer to the area up to the bottom of the body, but also to the area partway down the body that does not reach the bottom. In the present invention, "tension force" refers to the pressure exerted on the wearer's body surface when wearing the garment. In the present invention, the "lateral length of the front body" refers to the circumferential length of the front body.

[0010] According to the clothing of the present invention, by adopting the above-mentioned configuration, the areas near the seams on the left and right sides of the front body, which has better left-right stretch than the back body, are pulled tightly when worn, and these nearby areas press firmly inward from the side against the wearer's ribs, thereby correcting and displacing the 6th to 8th ribs, and even the 9th to 10th ribs, which are abnormally spread out left and right (Note: The 8th rib is attached to the 6th, 7th, 9th, and 10th ribs by costal cartilage), in a circular direction, correcting and displacing the wearer's hunched posture toward an upright position, thereby improving the up and down movement of the diaphragm and ribs when breathing, and improving breathlessness whether the clothing has been designed to address hunched posture or not.

[0011] Furthermore, according to the garment of the present invention, the body has a special configuration in which the ratio of the left-right length of the front body at the height of the wearer's 11th and 12th ribs is greater than the ratio of the left-right length of the front body at the height of the left and right sides of the wearer's 8th rib, thereby reducing or eliminating the tension of the front body against the left and right sides of the 11th and 12th ribs, known as floating ribs, compared to the tension of the front body against the left and right sides of the 8th to 10th ribs, among the false ribs (8th to 12th ribs) to which the diaphragm attaches. This further improves the movement of the diaphragm and ribs during breathing, and improves breathlessness whether the garment is designed to prevent hunched backs or not.

[0012] In the clothing of the present invention, if the left-right stretch rate of the fabric of the front body is 3 to 100 percent greater than the left-right stretch rate of the fabric of the back body, the front and back bodies can fully perform their respective functions without constricting the wearer's upper body too tightly, and stuffiness can be improved whether the clothing has measures to prevent hunched backs or not.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a front view of a garment according to an embodiment of the present invention in an unworn state (unstretched state). FIG. 2 is a back view of a garment according to an embodiment of the present invention in an unworn state (unstretched state). FIG. 3 is a side view of a garment according to an embodiment of the present invention in an unworn state (unstretched state). FIG. 4 is a perspective view from the side to the back (rear side) of a garment according to an embodiment of the present invention in an unworn state (unstretched state). FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a garment according to an embodiment of the present invention in a worn state. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a pattern for a front body of a garment according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a pattern for a back body of a garment according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a front view showing the ribs and diaphragm of a wearer. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing modified examples of main parts of a garment according to an embodiment of the present invention, where (A) is a schematic diagram showing a first modified example and (B) is a schematic diagram showing a second modified example.

[0014] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A garment 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification, the directions of up and down, left and right, and front and back are based on the wearer.

[0015] First, the technical features of the garment 1 will be described. As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the garment 1 comprises: (1A) a stretchable body 2 covering the front, left and right sides, and back of the wearer from the armpits to below the waistline W (below the waistline); (1B) the body 2 has a front body 3 and a back body 4 that has a lower stretch rate in the left and right direction than the front body 3; (1C) the front body 3 and the back body 4 have left and right seams 5, 5 that sew together from the left and right armpits of the wearer to the back side of the wearer, so that when worn, tension is applied to at least the left and right sides of the wearer's eighth rib R8; and (1D) the body 2 is characterized in that the ratio of the left and right lengths d1b, d1c of the front body 3 at points B, C at the height of the left and right sides of the wearer's 11th rib R11 and 12th rib R12 is greater than the ratio of the left and right length d1a of the front body 3 at point A on the left and right sides of the wearer's eighth rib R8.

[0016] The garment 1 is further characterized in that (2) the stretch rate in the left-right direction of the fabric of the front body 3 is 3 to 100 percent greater than the stretch rate in the left-right direction of the fabric of the back body 4.

[0017] The garment 1 will now be described in more detail. As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the garment 1 of this embodiment is a sleeveless shirt that is configured to encase the torso of the wearer. Note that the garment 1 is not limited to a sleeveless shirt type, and the present invention can be applied to a shirt type with sleeves, such as short sleeves or long sleeves.

[0018] [Regarding Technical Feature (1A)] The garment 1 includes a body 2. The body 2 includes a front body 3 having elasticity and a back body 4 having elasticity.

[0019] The front body 3 is formed to cover the portions of the body 2 facing the front, left and right sides, and left and right sides of the back of the wearer under the wearer's arms, as well as the portions facing the front of the wearer above the wearer's arms. The front body 3 has a shape that is symmetrical with respect to the front body center line CF shown by the dashed dotted line in Figure 6. The outer shape of the front body 3 is defined by a front neckline 31, left and right front shoulder lines 32, 32, left and right front armholes 33, 33, left and right front side lines 34, 34, and a front hemline 35.

[0020] The back body 4 is the portion of the body 2 facing the wearer's back, below and above the armpits, that is not covered by the front body 3, and is formed to cover this portion. The back body 4 has a shape that is symmetrical with respect to the back body center line CB, shown by the dashed dotted line in Figure 7. The outer shape of the back body 4 is defined by a back neckline 41, left and right back shoulder lines 42, 42, left and right rear armholes 43, 43, left and right back side lines 44, 44, and a back hemline 45.

[0021] The front body 3 and the back body 4 have left and right seams (left and right side lines) 5, 5 where the left and right front side lines 34, 34 and the left and right back side lines 44, 44 are sewn together, and left and right seams (left and right shoulder lines) 6, 6 where the left and right front shoulder lines 32, 32 and the left and right back shoulder lines 42, 42 are sewn together, and are formed into the body 2.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the body 2 has left and right seams 5, 5, 6, 6, as well as a neckline 7, left and right armholes 8, 8, and a hem 9. The neckline 7 corresponds to the upper opening of the cylindrical shape of the body 2, and the hem 9 corresponds to the lower opening. The length of the hem 9 is set to cover at least the upper part of the wearer's pelvis (ilium and sacrum). In this embodiment, the length of the hem 9 is set to cover substantially the entire pelvis P, but it may be longer or shorter.

[0023] In this embodiment, the body 2 is composed of two pieces of fabric, a front body 3 and a back body 4, but this is not limited to this. The body may be composed of four pieces of fabric: a front body, left and right side body pieces, and a back body. In this case, in the present invention, even if the left and right side body pieces are separate from the front body that covers the front of the wearer, they are interpreted and treated as part of the front body.

[0024] [Regarding Technical Feature (1B)] The same fabric is used to form the front body 3 and the back body 4. The front body 3 has a vertical grain FGL parallel to the front body centerline CF, as shown by the solid arrow in Figure 6 . By cutting the front body 3 so that the vertical grain FGL and the vertical grain of the fabric are parallel, the front body 3 has greater stretchability in the left-right direction than in the up-down direction. The back body 4 has a vertical grain BGL perpendicular to the back body centerline CB, as shown by the solid arrow in Figure 7 . By cutting the back body 4 so that the vertical grain BGL and the vertical grain of the fabric are parallel, the back body 4 has greater stretchability in the up-down direction than in the left-right direction. In other words, the back body 4 is configured so that its left-right (circumferential) stretch rate is lower than that of the front body 3. As a result, the direction of the vertical grain of the back body 4 and the front body 3 is changed by 90 degrees, so that the back body 4 has a lower stretch rate in the left-right direction than the front body 3. The fabric forming the front body 3 and the fabric forming the back body 4 are preferably made of stretchable knit fabric or woven fabric.

[0025] It should be noted that different fabrics may be used to form the front body 3 and the back body 4. In this case, the fabric used to form the front body 3 has a higher stretch rate in the left-right direction than the fabric used to form the back body 4.

[0026] [Regarding Technical Feature (1C)] As shown in Fig. 5, the circumference of the tubular body 2 below the left and right armholes 8 is the sum of the left and right length d1 of the front body 3 between the left and right seams 5 and the left and right length d2 of the back body 4. Over the entire length of the left and right seams 5, the left and right length d1 of the front body 3 is longer than the left and right length d2 of the back body 4. As a result, as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, the left and right seams 5 sew together the left and right front side seams 34 of the front body 3 and the left and right back side seams 44 of the back body 4 from the wearer's left and right sides to the rear. Furthermore, in the tubular body 2 below the left and right armholes 8, the ratio of the left and right length d1 of the front body 3 to the circumference is greater than the ratio of the left and right length d2 of the back body 4 to the circumference at any point in the vertical direction.

[0027] [Regarding Technical Feature (1D)] In Figures 1 to 4, 6 and 7, the waistline W of the wearer on the body 2, a point C above that at the height of the left and right sides of the 12th rib R12, a point B above that at the height of the left and right sides of the 11th rib R11, and a point A above that at the height of the left and right sides of the 8th rib R8 are each indicated by a two-dot chain line. From point A at the height of the left and right sides of the wearer's 8th rib R8 to point C at the height of the left and right sides of the wearer's 12th rib R12, the front body 3 is formed to widen downward, and the back body 4 changes from tapering downward to widening downward, so that the left and right lengths d2 of the upper and lower sections are approximately the same and the left and right length d2 of the middle section above and below is smaller than the left and right lengths d2 of the upper and lower sections. As a result, the proportion of the left-right lengths d1b, d1c of the front body 3 at points B, C, which are at the height of the left and right sides of the wearer's 11th rib R11 and 12th rib R12, is greater than the proportion of the left-right length d1a of the front body 3 at point A, which is at the height of the left and right sides of the wearer's 8th rib R8.

[0028] In the body 2, the structure in which the ratio of the left-right lengths d1b, d1c of the front body 3 at points B, C at the height of the left and right sides of the wearer's 11th rib R11 and 12th rib R12 is greater than the ratio of the left-right length d1a of the front body 3 at point A at the height of the left and right sides of the wearer's 8th rib R8 is not limited to the structure shown in Figures 1 to 4, 6 and 7. For example, as shown in FIG. 9(A), the front body 3 can be formed to widen downward and the back body 4 can be formed to narrow downward from point A, which is the height of the left and right sides of the wearer's eighth rib R8, to point C, which is the height of the left and right sides of the wearer's twelfth rib R12. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9(B), the front body 3 can be formed to widen downward from point A, which is the height of the left and right sides of the wearer's eighth rib R8, to point C, which is the height of the left and right sides of the wearer's twelfth rib R12, and the back body 4 can be formed to have the same left and right length d2. In this way, the ratio of the left and right lengths d1b, d1c of the front body 3 at points B, C, which are the height of the left and right sides of the wearer's eleventh rib R11 and twelfth rib R12, to the ratio of the left and right length d1a of the front body 3 at point A, which is the height of the left and right sides of the wearer's eighth rib R8, can be made larger in the body 2.

[0029] [Regarding technical feature (2)] When the fabric forming the front body 3 and the fabric forming the back body 4 are the same fabric, the fabric should have a longitudinal stitch that is less stretchable and a horizontal stitch that is more stretchable, and it is preferable to use a knit fabric or woven fabric that has a stretchability such that the horizontal stitches that are more stretchable are 3 to 100 percent greater than the longitudinal stitches that are less stretchable. Also, when the fabric forming the front body 3 and the fabric forming the back body 4 are different fabrics, the fabric forming the front body 3 should have a stretchability such that the stretchability in the left-right direction is 3 to 100 percent greater than the fabric forming the back body 4.

[0030] Next, we will explain the effects and advantages of the technical features of the garment 1. As described above, the garment 1 has the technical features (1A) to (1D).

[0031] First, by adopting the above-described configuration, the areas Rf, Rf (see FIG. 5) near the seams 5, 5 on the left and right sides of the front body 3, which have a greater degree of stretch in the left-right direction than the back body 4, are pulled strongly toward the center line CB of the back body (toward the wearer's thoracic vertebrae) when worn, and these areas Rf, Rf press firmly inward from the side against the area from the sixth rib R6 to the tenth rib R10, centered on the eighth rib R8, on the rear left and right sides of the wearer. This causes the sixth rib R6 to the eighth rib R8, which are abnormally spread out in the left and right directions, and also the ninth rib R9 to the tenth rib R10, which are supported by costal cartilage, to be displaced in a circular direction, correcting and displacing the wearer's hunched posture toward an upright position, improving the vertical movement of the diaphragm and ribs R during breathing. This improves breathlessness whether or not measures are taken to prevent hunched posture.

[0032] Furthermore, the body 2 has a special configuration in which the ratio of the left-right lengths d1b, d1c of the front body 3 at points B, C, which are at the height of the left and right sides of the wearer's 11th rib R11 and 12th rib R12, is greater than the ratio of the left-right length d1a of the front body 3 at point A, which is at the height of the left and right sides of the wearer's 8th rib R8. This reduces or eliminates the tension of the front body 3 against the 11th rib R11 and 12th rib R12, known as floating ribs, among the false ribs (8th rib R8 to 12th rib R12) to which the diaphragm D is attached, rather than the tension of the front body 3 against the 8th rib R8. This further improves the movement of the diaphragm D and ribs R during breathing, and improves breathlessness whether or not measures are taken to prevent hunched backs.

[0033] Furthermore, as mentioned above, garment 1 has the technical feature (2). In other words, garment 1 is configured such that the left-right stretch rate of the fabric of front body 3 is 3 to 100 percent greater than the left-right stretch rate of the fabric of back body 4, allowing the front body 3 and back body 4 to fully function without constricting the wearer's upper body too tightly, and improving breathlessness whether the garment has measures in place to prevent hunched backs or not.

[0034] 1 Clothing 2 Body 3 Front body 4 Back body 5 Seam A Point at the height of the left and right sides of the wearer's 8th rib B Point at the height of the left and right sides of the wearer's 11th rib C Point at the height of the left and right sides of the wearer's 12th rib W Point of the wearer's waistline d1 Left and right length of the front body d1a Left and right length of the front body 3 at point A d1b Left and right length of the front body 3 at point B d1c Left and right length of the front body 3 at point C

Claims

1. A garment comprising a stretchable body that covers the front, left and right sides, and back of the wearer from the armpits to below the waistline, said body having a front body and a back body that stretches less in the left and right direction than said front body, said front body and back body having left and right seams that join the front body from the left and right sides of the wearer's armpits to the wearer's back, so that when worn, tension is applied to at least the left and right sides of the wearer's eighth rib, and said body is designed so that the ratio of the left and right length of said front body at the height of the left and right sides of the wearer's 11th and 12th ribs is greater than the ratio of the left and right length of said front body at the height of the left and right sides of the wearer's eighth rib, so that the tension of the front body on the left and right sides of the wearer's 11th and 12th ribs is reduced or eliminated compared to the tension of the front body on the left and right sides of the eighth rib.

2. The garment according to claim 1, wherein the stretch rate in the left-right direction of the fabric of the front body is 3 to 100 percent greater than the stretch rate in the left-right direction of the fabric of the back body.

Images