EP3078285B1

EP3078285B1 - Pocket for sports garment

Info

Publication number: EP3078285B1
Application number: EP16164018.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Chiara HERBENER; Ivan MEJIA-DEVORA
Original assignee: Adidas AG
Current assignee: Adidas AG
Priority date: 2015-04-08
Filing date: 2016-04-06
Publication date: 2017-07-05
Anticipated expiration: 2036-04-06
Also published as: US20160295933A1; CN106037097B; CN106037097A; JP2016199843A; DE102015206254A1; EP3078285A1; JP6545118B2

Description

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to sports garments, and in particular to sports garments comprising a pocket.

2. Technical Background

Pockets for sports garments are essential for both recreational and professional use. In some sports, for example, tennis, the use of pockets in sports garments, in particular the lower garments, is essential for practically playing. For instance, there are time penalties for an excessive amount of time between two serves of a player in a professional game. Also, when playing tennis only for recreational purposes, retaining one or more additional tennis ball is important for a convenient and uninterrupted game.
To this end, known sports garments can include one or more pockets for retaining balls or other items that might be needed during a match or sports activity.
The US patent 1,970,110 discloses a pocket construction for trousers, and in particular for a pocket for golf balls. The pocket may be secured along a side seam of the trousers.
However, numerous problems can arise with known sports garments having pockets. For example, the location of the pocket and the contents thereof, for example, for a tennis ball, can interfere or obstruct the athlete when moving. In competitive environments, for example, during a tennis match, it is important for the contents of the pocket to be securely held and access to the pocket to be fast and efficient. This is particularly important in a pocket that is placed underneath another garment, for example, a pair of shorts / leggings under a top garment or a skirt.
The technical problem underlying the present invention can therefore be considered as how to provide a pocket on / in a sports garment that allows for secure storage of one or more items whilst also being easily accessible, non-obstructive and comfortable to the wearer of the sports garment throughout the duration of the sports activity.

3. Summary of the Invention

The technical problem underlying the present invention is at least partly solved by the subject matter of the independent claim. Various embodiments are recited in the dependent claims. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a sports garment comprising a pocket, wherein the pocket comprises an opening for bottom loading of the pocket and wherein a first border of the pocket is arranged with an at least partial overlap with a first cut line of the sports garment and a second border of the pocket which is arranged with an at least partial overlap with a second cut line of the sports garment. If the sports garment is a garment for a tennis player, the pocket according to an embodiment of the invention may allow a player to conveniently carry and access one or more tennis balls for the next use, for example, a next service. Due to the at least partial overlap of a first border of the pocket with a first cut line, the pocket design involves an improved stability. Moreover, by having at least a partial overlap of the first border of the pocket with the first cut line of the sports garment, the total number and / or length of additional cut lines or seams can be reduced. This improves the wearing comfort, the robustness and reduces the complexity of the manufacturing of the sports garment. This is advantageous because by having at least a partial overlap of the second border of the pocket with the second cut line of the sports garment, the total number and / or length of additional cut lines or seams can further be reduced. Consequently, the wearing comfort and the robustness of the sports garment can be further improved. In addition, the complexity of the manufacturing of the sports garment may be further reduced, because fewer cut lines and / or seams and / or other types of connection means may be required as compared to simply attaching the pocket somewhere on the sports garment.
The opening of the pocket may extend essentially from the first cut line to the second cut line. Moreover, the pocket may comprise a top border extending essentially from the first cut line to the second cut line. In this context and throughout the present application the term "essentially" refers to typical manufacturing tolerances for garments and the arrangement of pockets.
Further, the first border and / or the second border may be incorporated into a seam along the first and / or the second cut line. Such an arrangement of the pocket is advantageous because it not only reduces but minimizes the need for additional seams (or, depending on the manufacturing, other connecting means) to be provided in the sports garment. As a result, the wearing comfort is improved due to fewer seams and the manufacturing of the sports garment is simplified.
The pocket may comprise a further opening for top loading of the pocket. The further opening improves the usability of the pocket by allowing the wearer of the sports garment to flexibly use the pocket openings as the situation of the game requires. For instance, the pocket may be loadable with two balls, which may have different properties (e.g., one ball is softer than the other one). In this case, both balls are easily accessible without having to remove the other ball.
The pocket may be arranged so as to be positioned over a side leg of the wearer of the sports garment. In one embodiment the pocket may be arranged so as to be at least partly positioned over a hip flexor of the wearer of the sports garment. More specifically, the pocket may be arranged so as to be positioned at least partly over the gluteus maximus of the wearer of the sports garment. In one embodiment, the pocket may be arranged so as to be at least partly positioned over the vastus lateralis muscle. As an example, the pocket, and more specifically the first and / or second borders follow the hip flexor, or the gluteus maximus, or the vastus lateralis muscle of the wearer. In the described embodiments the pocket and its bottom opening (and, if present, its top opening) are easily accessible due to the described position in the sports garment.
In one embodiment the bottom opening and / or the top opening of the pocket does not comprise an elastic band. When the borders of the pocket are at least partly overlapping with one or more cut lines, the elasticity inherent in the material construction of the sports garment is sufficient to securely hold the items in the pocket. This embodiment is advantageous as elastic materials (for instance, an elastic band) can snap, break and in use become loose so that the pocket is in the end less secure. However, in other embodiments, depending on the specific requirements, one or more elastic bands may be arranged at the top opening and / or the bottom opening of the pocket.
The pocket may comprise a material, which is more elastic than the material of a portion of the sports garment underlying the pocket. Alternatively, the material of the pocket may be less elastic. Having materials with different elasticity for the pocket and the sports garment may further improve the properties of the pocket, depending on the field of use for the pocket.
To improve the visibility of the content of the pocket, the material of the pocket may at least partly be made of a mesh structure or a net structure.
According to another embodiment, the sports garment comprises a pair of shorts or leggings integrated with a skirt and wherein the pocket is located on the pair of shorts or leggings and underneath the skirt. The pocket may be adapted to securely hold at least one tennis ball. Further, the sports garment may be a tennis garment. Depending on the intended use (e.g., the type of sports), the sports garment may be provided as a pair of leggings, a pair of shorts, a pair of leggings comprising a skirt, or a pair of shorts comprising a skirt. The combination of a pair of leggings or shorts and a skirt may also be referred to as skort. For other sports, the sports garment may also be provided as jersey having a pocket according to the present invention. In case the sports garment is provided as a jersey (e.g., for cycling or running), all embodiments described herein with reference to another type of sports garment, such as a pair of shorts, a pair of leggings, or any kind of skort, can also be applied to the jersey. The only difference arises from the location, i.e., a pocket arranged on a jersey not necessarily overlaps at least partly one of the hip flexor, gluteus maximus or vastus lateralis muscle.
Further embodiments of the present invention are defined in the dependent claims and will be further described below.

4. Short Description of the Figures

Aspects of the present invention are described in more detail in the following by reference to the accompanying figures. These figures show:

Fig. 1:: a front view, a side view and a rear view of a pair of leggings according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
Fig. 2:: a front view, a side view and a rear view of a pair of leggings according to another embodiment of the present invention.

5. Detailed Description of the Figures

In the following, embodiments of the present invention of a sports garment comprising a pocket are described in more detail with reference to various kinds of garments, such as a pair of shorts, a pair of leggings, or skorts. However, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments but could be applied to other types of sports garments, for instance jerseys, as well.
Figure 1 shows a pair of leggings 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The left part of Fig. 1 depicts a front view of the pair of leggings 10. The pair of leggings 10 comprises a waistband 20 on its upper part for allowing a proper fit of the pair of leggings 10 on a wearer's waist. The left part of Fig. 1 also shows a first cut line 30 of the pair of leggings 10. A cut line as understood in the present application is not necessarily a seam but more broadly any line or plane of contact between two parts of the sports garment, wherein the parts are connected by suitable connecting means. A cut line may also be defined by a single piece of material which is arranged so that two edges thereof get in contact so as to be connected by suitable connecting means. Suitable connecting means as understood in the present application to be those known in the art for connecting fabric, for example, sewing, gluing, or welding. The connection along a cut line may or may not be permanent. In one embodiment, the connection may also be provided in a releasable manner, for instance, via buttons, zippers or hook-and-loop fasteners.
The middle part of Fig. 1 depicts a side view of the pair of leggings 10. In addition to the first cut line 30, a second cut line 40 can be seen. In the depicted embodiment both cut lines 30, 40 meet approximately at the location of the wearer's knee, the contact point being indicated by reference numeral 95. The first cut line 30 extends into the direction of the wearer's knee, and in the opposite direction also extends through the waistband 20. The second cut line 40 extends along the wearer's buttocks, as shown in the right part of Fig. 1 providing a view from behind on the pair of leggings 10, including the second cut line 40. Even though Fig. 1 shows a single second cut line 40 extending from the left leg via the rear part of the pair of leggings 10 to the right leg, any other number or arrangement of one or more of any of the cut lines is conceivable, depending on the specific requirements of the sports garment and its manufacture.
Moreover, the middle part of Fig. 1 illustrates one option for an attachment of the pocket 50 onto the pair of leggings 10. As can be seen from this embodiment, the pocket 50 forms an upper connection 70 between the first cut line 30 and the second cut line 40. In this embodiment the upper connection 70 of the pocket 50 provides a closure of the pocket 50. The above mentioned types of releasable (e.g., buttons, zippers or hook-and-loop fasteners) or permanent (e.g., sewing, gluing, welding) connecting means may also be used for the closure, e.g., of the upper connection 70, of the pocket 50.
Furthermore, the pocket 50 comprises a first border 80 fully overlapping with a part of the first cut line 30, as well as a second border 90 fully overlapping with a part of the second cut line 40. The first border 80 and the second border 90 in connection with the upper connection 70 of the pocket define the pocket 50 when being attached to the pair of leggings 10. The bottom 60 of the pocket 50 is open and can consequently be loaded from below with any suitable item. The suitable item may be a tennis ball. Additionally or alternatively, the pocket 50 may be adapted to be loaded with more than one suitable item (e.g., 2 tennis balls).
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the pocket 50 is made of the same material as the pair of leggings 10. Using the same material for the pair of leggings 10 and the pocket 50 simplifies the manufacturing process and generally provides sufficient elasticity for retaining the items in the pocket. Generally speaking, materials that may be used for the sports garment and / or the pocket include materials made of, for instance, 89% POLYESTER / 11% ELASTANE (220.00 g/sqm interlock weft knitted), or 82% POLYESTER / 18% ELASTANE (200.00 g/sqm single jersey weft knitted), 80% NYLON / 20% SPANDEX (208 g/sqm mesh wrap knitted), or 86% POLYAMIDE / 14% ELASTANE (207 g/sqm single jersey weft knitted), or 82% POLYESTER / 18% ELASTANE JACQUARD wrap knitted, or 94% POLYESTER / 6% ELASTANE (160.00 g/sqm single jersey weft knitted). However, it is to be understood, that the above list of materials and respective elasticity are only examples. Other sports garments may include elastic materials in the range of 6% to 20% (e.g., ELASTANE or SPANDEX).
In some embodiments, however, the range of the included elastic materials may be different for the sports garment and the pocket, in order to provide different elastic properties.
The pocket 50 is arranged on the pair of leggings 10 so as to approximately overlap the hip flexor of the wearer. The pocket 50 may also be arranged so as to be positioned at least partly over the gluteus maximus of the wearer of the pair of leggings 10. In one embodiment, the pocket 50 is arranged so as to be at least partly positioned over the vastus lateralis muscle. These positions are advantageous for some sports, for instance, for tennis, because this position of the pocket 50 does not obstruct the wearer during playing tennis. To this end, the pocket 50 and the first border 80 and / or the second border 90 may follow the hip flexor, or the gluteus maximus, or the vastus lateralis muscle of the wearer.
Of course, other positions are also conceivable, depending on the specific requirements. In one embodiment, the pocket 50 may also be positioned at the cut line 40 above the buttocks of the wearer. The pocket 50 may also be arranged at the waistband 20 of the pair of leggings, so that the pocket 50 at least partially overlaps with the cut line (in the pair of leggings 10 shown in Fig. 1 the pocket 50 could overlap with cut line 40).
Fig. 2 shows another embodiment of the present invention. In more detail, Fig. 2 shows a pair of shorts 110 having a waistband 120. The right part of Fig. 2 illustrates the arrangement of the first cut line 130 and the second cut line 140 on the side leg of the pair of shorts 110. The pair of shorts 110 of Fig. 2 comprises a pocket 150, wherein the upper connection 170 of the pocket 150 arranged between the first cut line 130 and the second cut line 140 defines the upper limit of the pocket 150. Furthermore, the pocket 150 comprises a first border 180 fully overlapping with a part of the first cut line 130, as well as a second border 190 fully overlapping with a part of the second cut line 140. The first border 180 and the second border 190 in connection with the upper connection 170 of the pocket define the pocket 150 when being attached to the pair of shorts 110. The bottom opening 160 of the pocket 150 allows loading of the pocket 150 with a suitable item, for instance one (or multiple) tennis balls.
While not illustrated in the above Figures 1 and 2, it is also part of the invention to attach or integrate a skirt or dress with the pair of leggings 10 or the pair of shorts 110. In this case the pocket 50, 150 may be arranged underneath the skirt so that it can easily be reached by the wearer by reaching under the skirt, but without obstructing the movement of the player. In some embodiments, a longer skirt may be provided wherein reaching the pocket may be achieved by reaching under the skirt as previously described or alternatively, or additionally, by providing a slit in the skirt, which enables an easy access to the pocket.

Claims

A sports garment (10, 110) comprising a pocket (50, 150), wherein:
the pocket (50, 150) comprises an opening (60, 160) for bottom loading of the pocket (50, 150); and

wherein a first border (80, 180) of the pocket (50, 150) is arranged with an at least partial overlap with a first cut line (30, 130) of the sports garment (10, 110);

characterized in that:
a second border (90, 190) of the pocket (50, 150) is arranged with an at least partial overlap with a second cut line (40, 140) of the sports garment (10, 110).
The sports garment (10, 110) of claim 1, wherein the opening (60, 160) of the pocket (50, 150) extends essentially from the first cut line (30, 130) to the second cut line (40, 140).
The sports garment (10, 110) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the pocket (50, 150) comprises a top border (70, 170) extending essentially from the first cut line (30, 130) to the second cut line (40, 140).
The sports garment (10, 110) of any of the claims 1 to 3, wherein the first (80, 180) and / or the second (90, 190) border are incorporated into a seam along the first (30, 130) and / or the second (40, 140) cut line.
The sports garment (10, 110) of any of the claims 1 to 4, wherein the pocket (50, 150) comprises a further opening for top loading of the pocket (50, 150).
The sports garment (10, 110) of any of the claims 1 to 5, wherein the pocket (50, 150) is arranged so as to be positioned over a side leg of a wearer of the sports garment (10, 110).
The sports garment (10, 110) of any of the claims 1 to 6, wherein the pocket (50, 150) is arranged so as to be at least partly positioned over a hip flexor of a wearer of the sports garment (10, 110).
The sports garment (10, 110) of any of the claims 1 to 7, wherein the pocket (50, 150) is arranged so as to be at least partly positioned over a gluteus maximus of a wearer of the sports garment (10, 110).
The sports garment (10, 110) of any of the claims 1 to 8, wherein the pocket (50, 150) is arranged so as to be at least partly positioned over the vastus lateralis of a wearer of the sports garment (10, 110).
The sports garment (10, 110) of any of the claims 1 to 9, wherein the bottom opening (60, 160) and / or the top opening of the pocket (50, 150) does not comprise an elastic band.
The sports garment (10, 110) of any of the claims 1 to 10, wherein the pocket (50, 150) comprises a material, which is more elastic than the material of a portion of the sports garment (10, 110) underlying the pocket (50, 150).
The sports garment (10, 110) of any of the claims 1 to 11, wherein the sports garment (10, 110) comprises a pair of shorts (110) or leggings (10) integrated with a skirt and wherein the pocket (50, 150) is located on the pair of shorts (110) or leggings (10) and underneath the skirt.
The sports garment (10, 110) of any of the claims 1 to 12, wherein the pocket (50, 150) is adapted to securely hold at least one tennis ball.
The sports garment (10, 110) of any of the claims 1 to 13, wherein the sports garment (10, 110) is a tennis garment.