CYCLING JERSEY SLEEVE PATTERN

Abstract

A cycling jersey comprises a right front panel having a right body portion and a right sleeve portion integral with the right body portion, and a left front panel having a left body portion secured to the right body portion and a left sleeve portion integral with the left body portion. Preferably, the right and left sleeve portions form a majority of a circumference of right and left sleeves of the jersey, respectively. The jersey can further comprise a back panel having a right lower edge secured to the right body portion, and a left lower edge secured to the left body portion. The jersey can also comprise a right underarm panel secured to the right body portion, the right sleeve portion, and the back panel, and a left underarm panel secured to the left body portion, the left sleeve portion, and the back panel.

Description

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to bicycle jerseys, and particularly to a pattern and method for forming a sleeve of a cycling jersey.

Modern clothing for performance bicycling commonly utilizes a stretchable fabric (e.g., Lycra) that fits tightly to the rider's body. For example, such clothing commonly provides a tight-fitting shirt or jersey for the rider's torso and shoulders, and tight-fitting shorts or tights for the rider's hips and legs. Often, the shorts and jersey are provided in a one-piece article of clothing with the shorts integrally formed with or permanently secured to the jersey. In order to reduce aerodynamic drag and also to increase comfort, it is desirable to fit the clothing to the rider with a limited amount of loose or wrinkled fabric.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a cycling jersey comprising a right front panel and a left front panel. The right front panel has a right body portion and a right sleeve portion integral with the right body portion, and the left front panel has a left body portion secured (e.g., with a zipper in between) to the right body portion and a left sleeve portion integral with the left body portion. For example, the right front panel and left front panel can be each completely free of seams. Preferably, the right sleeve portion forms a majority of a circumference of a right sleeve of the jersey, and the left sleeve portion forms a majority of a circumference of a left sleeve of the jersey.

In one embodiment, the jersey further comprises a back panel having a right lower edge secured to the right body portion at a right lower seam, and a left lower edge secured to the left body portion at a left lower seam. The back panel can further include a right upper edge secured to the right body portion at a right upper seam spaced from the right lower seam, and a left upper edge secured to the left body portion at a left upper seam spaced from the left lower seam. A collar panel can be secured to the right front panel, the left front panel, and the back panel.

The jersey can also comprise a right underarm panel secured to the right body portion, the right sleeve portion, and the back panel, and a left underarm panel secured to the left body portion, the left sleeve portion, and the back panel. In this embodiment, the right underarm panel can form a portion of a circumference of a right sleeve of the jersey, and the left underarm panel can form a portion of a circumference of a left sleeve of the jersey.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of bicycle rider wearing a jersey incorporated into a body suit embodying the present invention while riding a bicycle.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the rider and jersey of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the rider and jersey of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a pattern view of a different jersey showing an optional collar and back pocket.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the rider and jersey of FIG. 1 with the rider standing.

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the rider and jersey of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is an end view of the right sleeve of the jersey of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a pattern view of FIG. 4 with lettered notches indicating attachment of the panels.

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.

As used herein, integral means that the parts are formed from the same piece of material, without a seam separating the parts. Secured is a broader term that means two portions are held together, such as by a seam, a zipper, or by making the portions integral.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1-3 and 5-7 illustrate a cycling jersey 10 incorporated into a body suit and embodying the present invention. As used herein, the term “jersey” means a shirt portion alone or incorporated with shorts or pants into a body suit. The illustrated jersey includes a right front panel 12, a left front panel 14, a back panel 16, a right underarm panel 18, and a left underarm panel 20.

FIGS. 4 and 8 show a pattern for a different jersey that is similar to the jersey of FIGS. 1-3 with the addition of a collar panel 22 and a back pocket 23. FIG. 8 includes notches and letters A-K that designate how the various panels are sewn together. Other reference numerals throughout FIGS. 1-8 are the same.

Referring to FIG. 4, the right front panel 12 includes a right body portion 24 and a right sleeve portion 26 integral with the right body portion 24. In other words, there is no seam between the right body portion 24 and the right sleeve portion 26. The right body portion 24 defines a right central edge 28, a right lower front edge 30, a right upper front edge 32, and a right collar edge 34. The right body portion 24 and right sleeve portion 26 cooperatively define a right armpit edge 38.

The left front panel 14 includes a left body portion 40 and a left sleeve portion 42 integral with the left body portion 40. In other words, there is no seam between the left body portion 40 and the left sleeve portion 42. The left body portion 40 defines a left central edge 44, a left lower front edge 46, a left upper front edge 48, and a left collar edge 50. The left body portion 40 and left sleeve portion 42 cooperatively define a left armpit edge 54.

As best shown in FIG. 7, the right sleeve portion 26 forms a majority of a circumference of a right sleeve of the jersey. The left sleeve portion 42 is a mirror image of the right sleeve portion 26 and thus forms a majority of a circumference of a left sleeve of the jersey.

In the illustrated embodiment, the left body portion 40 and right body portion 24 are not integral. Instead, the left central edge 44 and right central edge 28 are sewn together along a lower part 56 and are zipped together by a zipper 57 along an upper part 58. This allows opening an upper front part of the jersey to facilitate putting the jersey on and taking it off a rider.

With further reference to FIG. 4, the back panel 16 defines a right lower back edge 60 secured to the right lower front edge 30 of the right body portion 24 at a right lower seam 62 and further defines a left lower back edge 64 secured to the left lower front edge 46 of the left body portion 40 at a left lower seam 66. The back panel 16 further defines a right upper back edge 68 secured to the right upper front edge 32 of the right body portion 24 at a right upper seam 70 spaced from the right lower seam 62 and further defines a left upper edge 72 secured to the left upper front edge 48 of the left body portion 40 at a left upper seam 74 spaced from the left lower seam 66.

The right underarm panel 18 is secured to the right body portion 24, the right sleeve portion 26, and the back panel 16, and the left underarm panel 20 is secured to the left body portion 40, the left sleeve portion 42, and the back panel 16. As shown in FIG. 7, the right underarm panel 18 forms a portion of a circumference of the right sleeve of the jersey, and the left underarm panel 20 is a mirror image of the right underarm panel 18 and thus forms a portion of a circumference of the left sleeve of the jersey.

The collar panel 22 is secured to the right front panel 12, the left front panel 14, and the back panel 16.

Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A cycling jersey comprising:

a right front panel having: a right body portion, and a right sleeve portion integral with the right body portion; and

a left front panel having: a left body portion secured to the right body portion, and a left sleeve portion integral with the left body portion.

2. A cycling jersey as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a zipper connecting the left body portion with the right body portion.

3. A cycling jersey as claimed in claim 1, wherein the right front panel and left front panel are each completely free of seams.

4. A cycling jersey as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a back panel having:

a right lower edge secured to the right body portion at a right lower seam; and

a left lower edge secured to the left body portion at a left lower seam.

5. A cycling jersey as claimed in claim 4, wherein the back panel further has:

a right upper edge secured to the right body portion at a right upper seam spaced from the right lower seam; and

a left upper edge secured to the left body portion at a left upper seam spaced from the left lower seam.

6. A cycling jersey as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a collar panel secured to the right front panel, the left front panel, and the back panel.

7. A cycling jersey as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

a right underarm panel secured to the right body portion, the right sleeve portion, and the back panel; and

a left underarm panel secured to the left body portion, the left sleeve portion, and the back panel.

8. A cycling jersey as claimed in claim 7, wherein the right underarm panel forms a portion of a circumference of a right sleeve of the jersey and the left underarm panel forms a portion of a circumference of a left sleeve of the jersey.

9. A cycling jersey as claimed in claim 1, wherein the right sleeve portion forms a majority of a circumference of a right sleeve of the jersey and the left sleeve portion forms a majority of a circumference of a left sleeve of the jersey.

10. A cycling jersey as claimed in claim 1, wherein the right body portion is not integral with the left body portion.