BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1A is a perspective front view of a pair of padded shorts according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 1B is a perspective rear view of a pair of padded shorts according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2A is a perspective front inside view of a pair of padded shorts according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2B is a perspective rear inside view of a pair of padded shorts according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3A is a perspective front view of a pair of padded shorts according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3B is a perspective rear view of a pair of padded shorts according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3C is a perspective side view of a pair of padded shorts according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 4A is a perspective front inside view of a pair of padded shorts according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 4B is a perspective rear inside view of a pair of padded shorts according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 5A is a perspective front view of a pair of padded shorts according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 5B is a perspective rear view of a pair of padded shorts according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 6A is a perspective front inside view of a pair of padded shorts according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 6B is a perspective rear inside view of a pair of padded shorts according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 6C is a perspective rear inside view of a pair of padded shorts according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate an example venting feature of the padded shorts, according to an embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF SEVERAL EMBODIMENTS Several embodiments of padded shorts including crotch padding are described herein. Padded shorts may have crotch padding (e.g., a chamois pad). In some embodiments, such as cycling shorts, this padding may provide comfort and protection for a cyclist at the areas of contact between the cyclist and a bicycle seat. Padded shorts described herein may be designed to position the padding as close to the body as possible and to minimize padding movement relative to the wearer's body While the padded shorts described herein may be used to provide padding against a bicycle seat, they may also be configured so that they are useful for sports including cycling (e.g. combination classes, triathlons), and/or other athletic activities (e.g., horseback riding). In addition, while shorts are described herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will see that any length of leg covering may be utilized, including capri pants or full length pants.
In an embodiment, the padded shorts may include an inner layer. In an embodiment, this inner layer may be attached to the padding to keep the padding in place high and close to the wearer's body. The padding may be attached: to the inside (e.g., toward the body) of the inner layer (see e.g., FIG. 7B), to the outside (e.g., away from the body) of the inner layer (see e.g., FIG. 7A), or to both the inside and outside of the inner layer. In an embodiment, the padding may not be attached to an outer layer of the shorts. As a result, the padding and padding stitching may be invisible from the outside. Those of ordinary skill in the art will see that additional other layers in between the inner layer and outer layer of the shorts may be included in other embodiments. In these embodiments, the padding may be attached to only the inner layer or inner layers of the shorts.
In an embodiment, the outer layer of the shorts may include fabric sitting a small amount (e.g., any amount such as ½ inch, between 1/16 to 1 inch) away from the inner layer creating a vent between the outer layer and the inner layer. FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate an example venting feature of the padded shorts, according to an embodiment. FIG. 7A is a cutaway view of the shorts 100 according to an embodiment of the invention. The inside layer 710 and outside layer 720 may be separated from one another by a vent 730, and the padding 200 may be attached to the inside layer 710 on a side facing the outside layer 720 so that the padding 200 is disposed inside the vent 730. FIG. 7B is a cutaway view of another embodiment of the shorts 100, wherein the padding 200 may be attached to the inside layer 710 on a side opposite the side facing the outside layer 720 so that the padding 200 is disposed against a wearer's body when the shorts 200 are worn. In some embodiments, the vent may act as a tunnel, allowing air to flow between the outer layer of the shorts and the inner layer of the shorts and/or the outer portion of the padding.
In some embodiments, due to features of the shorts described herein, the padding 200 may stretch and stay with the wearer's body, rather than with the outer layer 720 of the shorts. This may reduce the chances of the padding moving out of place and potentially creating chaffing and hot spots as a result. Furthermore, due to features of the shorts described herein air may flow between the inside layer 710 and outside layer 720, which may encourage drying of the material to enhance wearer comfort.
In some embodiments, due to features of the shorts described herein, the shorts may not roll or glide up on the body of the wearer, which may remove the need for gripper elastic or some other fabric or mechanism to stop rolling and gliding. In addition, in some embodiments, the shorts described herein may minimize visible pad bulging, irregular pad compression, or discomfort from out of place padding, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the shorts described herein may camouflage the padding and smooth the lines of the body and padding that might otherwise create bulges. For example, the padding may be difficult or impossible to see from the outside when the shorts are being worn in some embodiments.
FIG. 1A is a perspective front view of a pair of shorts 100, and FIG. 1B is a perspective rear view of the pair of shorts 100, according to an embodiment of the invention. The shorts 100 may include front panel(s) 110 and rear panel(s) 120. Each front panel 110 and rear panel 120 may be made of a double layer of fabric (e.g., compression fabric such as a Sensitive Plus™ bonded perforated layer on the outside and a Sensitive Plus Unito™ bonded layer on the inside, although other materials may be possible). A waistband 130 may be made of similar material or different material in some embodiments (e.g., a Warpstreme™ sensitive sculpt material, although other materials may be possible). Seams of the shorts 100 may be stitched and/or piping may be utilized. For example, piping 140 may be provided at various locations on the outside of the shorts 100 as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. One or more piping 140 styles may be present, such as perforated JRC reflective piping and/or 9 mm Wing Mesh Stretch piping, for example, although other pipings may be possible. A logo 150 or other design may be placed on the shorts 100. The shorts 100 illustrated in FIG. 1A have a 6.5 inch inseam and a 3 inch wide waistband, although those of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that many other measurements may be possible. For example, other embodiments may have different inseam (e.g., from 3 inches to 10 inches) and waistband measurements). The waistband 130 of the shorts 100 may be sized in a variety of sizes, for example, common numerical waist sizes or S, M, L, XL, etc. sizing may be used. Other dimensions of the shorts (e.g., hip, leg opening, etc.) may vary accordingly with waist size in some embodiments.
FIG. 2A is a perspective front inside view of the pair of padded shorts 100, and FIG. 2B is a perspective rear inside view of the pair of cycling shorts 100, according to an embodiment of the invention. Padding 200 may be sewn or attached to the inside layer of the front panel 110 and/or rear panel 120. Padding 200 may be made of, for example, chamois, although other materials may also be used. For example, the chamois may comprise a combination of polyester and elastin in some embodiments (e.g., a polyester pad with an 80% polyester/20% elastin lining). In some embodiments, the padding 200 may have anti-stink features which may be provided by adding material to the chamois that reduces or masks odors. For example, an anti-stink chamois may comprise multi-density regular foam and a fabric lining containing X-Static™, XT-2™, silver thread (e.g., silver plated or silver fiber yarn), silver wash, zinc, copper, or a combination thereof, or any other anti-stink material. In some embodiments, the padding 200 may be perforated, for example to provide ventilation and/or reduce weight. A single pad 200 may be used, or separate pads 200 for the front panel 110 and rear panel 120 may be used. In addition, multiple pads 200 may be sewn or otherwise attached together to make up front panel 110 and rear panel 120. The size of the front panel 110 and rear panel may be in multiple configurations other than the configuration shown in the figures. As discussed above, the inner layers of the panels 110 and 120 may have shorter inseams than the outer layers (e.g., 0.5 inches shorter or 6 inches in this example, although any other measurement may be used). The shorter inner inseam may allow the padding 200 to sit close to the wearer's body. The inside and outside layers of the panels 110 and 120 may be attached to one another at the hem, princess seam, or waistband seam, or any combination thereof. The inside and outside layers of the panels 110 and 120 or may also be detached from one another at the inseam.
FIG. 3A is a perspective front view of shorts 300, FIG. 3B is a perspective rear view of shorts 300, and FIG. 3C is a perspective side view of shorts 300, according to another embodiment of the invention. Like the embodiment of the shorts 100 of FIGS. 1 and 2, the shorts 300 of FIG. 3 may include a front panel 310 and rear panel 320. Each of the front panel 310 and rear panel 320 may be made of a double layer of fabric (e.g., an inner and outer Interlock power luxtreme layer, although other materials may be possible). A waistband 330 may be made of different material or similar material in some embodiments (e.g., Interlock power luxtreme material, although other materials may be possible). A pocket 335, which may include a zipper or other closure mechanism in some embodiments, may be disposed in the waistband 330. In general, seams of the shorts 300 may be stitched and/or piping may be used. For example, piping 340 may be provided at various locations on the outside of the shorts 300, such as at seams in the shorts 300 fabric. One or more piping 140 styles may be present, such as perforated JRC reflective piping and/or 9 mm Wing Mesh Stretch piping for example, although other types of piping may be used. A logo 350 or other design may be placed on the shorts 300. As shown in FIG. 3C, a mesh layer 390 may be overlaid on the body fabric of the shorts 300 in some locations (e.g., on the side of the shorts 300 in this example). The shorts 300 of this example have a 6.5 inch inseam and a 4 inch wide waistband, although as discussed above those of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that many other measurements may be possible. The waistband 130 of the shorts 300 may be sized in a variety of sizes, for example, common numerical waist sizes or S, M, L, XL, etc. sizing may be used. Other dimensions of the shorts (e.g., hip, leg opening, etc.) may vary accordingly with waist size in some embodiments.
FIGS. 4A and 4B are perspective front and rear inside views of the shorts 300, according to an embodiment of the invention. Similar to the shorts 100 of FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B, padding 200 may be sewn or attached to the inside layer of the front panel 310 and rear panel 320. A single pad 300 may be used, or separate pads 400 for the front panel 310 and rear panel 320 may be used. In addition, multiple pads 400 may be sewn or otherwise attached together to make up front panel 310 and rear panel 320. The size of the front panel 310 and rear panel may be in multiple configurations other than the configuration shown in the figures. As discussed above, the inner layers of the panels 310 and 320 may have shorter inseams than the outer layers (e.g., 0.5 inches shorter or 6 inches in this example, although many other measurements may be used). The shorter inner inseam may allow the chamois pad 400 to sit close to the wearer's body. The inside and outside layers of the panels 310 and 320 may be attached to one another at the hem, princess seam, or waistband seam, or any combination thereof. In addition, the inside and outside layers of panels 310 and 320 may also be detached from one another at the inseam.
As shown in FIG. 4B, the shorts may also include a liner 400 which may attach to the shorts 300 at the waistband, princess seams, or bottom hem, or any combination thereof, for example. The liner 400 may sit closer to the wearer's body (e.g., by 0.5 inches, although many other measurements may also be used) than the outside of the shorts 300 to encourage airflow. The liner 400 may sit closer to the wearer's body at rise seams of the shorts 300. The liner may comprise, for example, any woven, warp knit, or weft knit fabrics made from nylon (polyamide), aramid, polyester, polypropylene, spandex, cotton, viscose, rayon, or a blend thereof.
FIG. 5A is a perspective front view of shorts 500, and FIG. 5B is a perspective rear view of shorts 500, according to another embodiment of the invention. Like the shorts 100 of FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B, the shorts 500 of FIG. 5 may include a front panel 510 and rear panel 520. Each of the front panel 510 and rear panel 520 may be made of a double layer of fabric (e.g., an inner and outer Interlock power luxtreme layer, although other materials may be possible). A waistband 530 may be made of different material or similar material in some embodiments (e.g., Interlock power luxtreme material, although other materials may be possible). In general, seams of the shorts 500 may be stitched and/or piping may be used. For example, piping 540 may be provided at various locations on the outside of the shorts 500, for example at seams in the shorts 500 fabric. One or more piping styles may be present, such as perforated JRC reflective piping and/or 9 mm Wing Mesh Stretch piping, although other piping may be used in some embodiments. A logo 550 or other design may be placed on the shorts 500. The shorts 500 of this example have a 5 inch inseam and a 4 inch wide waistband, although those of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that many other measurements may be possible. The waistband 530 of the shorts 500 may be sized in a variety of sizes, for example, common numerical waist sizes or S, M, L, XL, etc. sizing may be used. Other dimensions of the shorts (e.g., hip, leg opening, etc.) may vary accordingly with waist size in some embodiments.
FIGS. 6A and 6C are perspective front inside views of the pair of shorts 500, and FIG. 6B is a perspective rear inside view of the pair of shorts 500, according to an embodiment of the invention. A pad 600 made of chamois and/or rubber or other padding may be sewn or attached to the inside layer of the front panel 510 and rear panel 520. A single pad 600 may be used, or separate pads 600 for the front panel 510 and rear panel 520 may be used. In addition, multiple pads 600 may be sewn or otherwise attached together to make up front panel 510 and rear panel 520. The size of the front panel 510 and rear panel 520 may be in multiple configurations other than the configuration shown. For example, the rear panel 520 may have an elastic 8 mm flex rubber pad. The outer layers of the panels 510 and 520 may sit lower than the inner layers (e.g., by 0.5 inches, although many other measurements may also be used) to allow airflow between the pad 600 and shorts 500 exterior. The shorter inner inseam may allow the pad 600 to sit close to the wearer's body. The inside and outside layers of the panels 510 and 520 may be attached to one another at the hem, princess seam, or waistband seam, or any combination thereof. In addition, the inside and outside layers of the panels 510 and 520 may be detached from one another at the inseam. As shown in FIG. 6C, the shorts 500 may also include a liner 660 which may attach to the shorts 500 at the waistband, princess seams, or bottom hem, or any combination thereof, for example. The liner 660 may sit closer to the wearer's body (e.g., by 0.5 inches, although many other measurements may be used) than the outside of the shorts 500 to encourage airflow. The liner 660 may sit closer to the wearer's body at rise seams of the shorts 500.
While various embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example and not limitation. It will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) that various changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope. In fact, after reading the above description, it will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement alternative embodiments. For example, cycling pants, or shorts or pants for different activities, may incorporate some or all of the features described above. Also, various other materials may be used in place of those listed, seams may be bonded rather than sewn, etc.
In addition, it should be understood that any figures which highlight the functionality and advantages are presented for example purposes only. The disclosed methodology and system are each sufficiently flexible and configurable such that they may be utilized in ways other than that shown.
Although the term “at least one” may often be used in the specification, claims and drawings, the terms “a”, “an”, “the”, “said”, etc. also signify “at least one” or “the at least one” in the specification, claims and drawings.
Finally, it is the applicant's intent that only claims that include the express language “means for” or “step for” be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). Claims that do not expressly include the phrase “means for” or “step for” are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f).
