Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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SHOULDER STABILIZATION SHIRT
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present invention relates to garments, and more particularly to
garments known
generally in the art as compression shirts or shoulder stabilization shirts.
[0002] Compression shirts are garments worn by individuals for a variety of
purposes, but
are primarily worn by active individuals and athletes participating in sports
activities.
Essentially, a compression shirt serves as a type of upper body girdle,
providing compressive
support to several areas of the wearer's body, including the shoulders, arms,
torso, chest, back
and abdomen areas. Compression shirts are often used by individuals during
sports activities to
reduce muscle fatigue, improve thermoregulation by wicking perspiration away
from the body,
and maintaining muscle warmth to reduce the potential for muscle strains.
These garments may
be worn by individuals as a preventative measure, or to provide additional
support for areas
weakened by injury.
[0003] Compression shirts are often manufactured using stretchable or
elastomeric fabrics
such as nylon, polyester, LycraTM and SpandexTM. Typically, a compression
shirt is constructed
such that this elastomeric fabric is placed in tension when the shirt is
pulled onto the wearer's
body, thereby providing some degree of compressive support for the wearer. The
particular part
of the body receiving this compressive support depends upon the nature of the
construction of
the garment.
[0004] Simple shirts, although capable of providing some general level of
compression to
portions of a user's body, generally do not target such compression to a
particular area of the
wearer's body and not to others; rather, they simply "squeeze" whatever
portion of the body the
fabric overlies.
[0005] Further, such shirts do not necessarily provide resistance to
undesired ranges of
movement. They do not provide any specific resistance to certain
unidirectional and
multidirectional motions. In many instances, limiting certain muscle and joint
actions is very
important when one is trying to heal from an injury such as a shoulder
separation or rotator cuff
tendonitis. Other prior art shirts have attempted to address disorders of the
shoulder by adding
various straining straps or fabric panels. Examples of shirts using straining
straps or fabric
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panels are U.S. Patent Nos. 5,937,442, 6,892,396, and 7,871,388. However,
these shirts do not
effectively limit certain muscle and joint actions for the arms, shoulders,
and torso.
[0006] To prevent or treat shoulder injuries, special taping techniques to
limit joint and
muscle motions have been used for years in sports medicine. These taping
techniques must be
performed by persons possessing special skills and knowledge, and for hygienic
reasons may
only be used for short durations.
[0007] Until now there has not been a single garment that reproduces the
arm, shoulder, and
torso anatomy to provide specific unidirectional and multidirectional support
to both muscle and
joint action. There remains a pressing need for a compression shirt which is
constructed to
provide not only general compressive forces to the areas of the body covered
by the shirt, but
also to provide specific extra forces to certain areas of the body to limit
certain undesired joint
movements and muscle activities in the shoulders, arms, and torso.
Specifically, a better upper
body garment is needed for the prevention and treatment of shoulder
instabilities, rotator cuff
tendonitis, muscle weakness and strains, torso and abdominal muscle injuries,
as well as for
improving postural control.
SUMMARY
[0008] It is an object of the present invention to design a shoulder
stabilization shirt, or other
stabilization garment, that may create compression to areas of the body to
provide stability and
tension to protect injured or recovering muscles and joints. It also may be
used to prevent
shoulder or torso injuries, as well as improving postural control.
[0009] The instant application may provide more specific compressive
protection to a
wearer's upper body than that provided by prior art shirts. The shoulder
stabilization shirt may be
constructed of multiple strips of elastomeric material sewn together in an
overlapping manner to
form the shirt. These elastomeric strips may be oriented primarily in
diagonal, overlapping
configurations, which configurations have been determined to be particularly
helpful in
stabilizing, to some extent, a wearer's shoulder, arm, and torso areas, in
addition to supporting
the wearer's chest, back, and abdominal areas.
[0010] More particularly, one embodiment of the shoulder stabilization
shirt has a front
portion, a rear portion, and sleeve portions, with all these portions attached
to one another at
multiple left and right side seams. Like most traditional shirts, the shoulder
stabilization shirt has
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,
a collar encircling the upper edges of the front, rear, and sleeve portions, a
waistband formed at
the lower edges of the front and rear portions of the shirt, as well as cuffs
formed at the lower
edge of the sleeve portion. Unlike traditional shirts, the shoulder
stabilization shirt may also
contain two sleeve portions on each side, attached in between the front and
rear portions of the
shirt as well as a reinforced waistband. Seams attaching the sleeve portions
to the front and rear
portions of the shirt may run directly from the collar down to the armpit
portion of the shirt. The
seams may be made of reinforced thread. This is in contrast to other t-shirts
in which the seams
attaching the sleeve portions to the front and rear portions of the shirt are
positioned off-center
from the collar at the top edge of the shoulder and run down to the under-arm
portion of the shirt.
100111 According to one embodiment, the waistband and cuffs may include a
tacky surface
which serves as an anti-skid device to keep the compression shirt positioned
in correctly on the
wearer's body.
[0012] Two groups of elastomeric strips of fabric may extend diagonally
across the front
portion of the shirt, while two groups of elastomeric strips of fabric may
extend diagonally
across the rear portion of the shirt, and two groups of elastomeric strips of
fabric extend
vertically across the sleeve portion. For clarification, the term "vertical"
refers to the extension
of the elastomeric material from the collar region down the top of the arm to
the bottom cuff of
the sleeve. The front and rear groups of elastomeric strips extend from the
upper portion of the
shirt diagonally to the lower portion of the shirt, from one side to the
opposite, while the sleeve
groups of elastomeric strips extend vertically along the side of the sleeve
portion.
[0013] According to one embodiment, the seams of the compression shirt may
serve as
anchor points for the elastomeric strips. For example, one group of
elastomeric strips may
extend from a right-side seam of the front portion of the shirt to the top-
rear sleeve seam of the
left sleeve portion of the shirt. The use of a reinforced waistband and/or a
tacky surface on the
waistband and cuffs may reinforce the positioning of the anchor points, and
thus the positioning
of the strips, on the wearer's body.
[0014] According to another embodiment, the elastomeric strips may extend
from the front
portion or back portion of the shirt across each shoulder and/or each side of
the collar bone of the
wearer to the back portion or front portion of the shirt, respectively, to
provide additional support
to the arm, shoulder, and torso.
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[0015] In a further embodiment, the elastomeric strips of fabric may extend
diagonally from
the oblique right and left seams of the garment at an angle of approximately
15 degrees to
approximately 75 degrees relative to vertical centerline on the front and back
between the collar
and waist band. The angle of the strips may be selected to compress different
muscle groups and
portions of the wearer's upper body. To further exact a correct amount of
compression, the
strips may have a width of between approximately 2 inches and 12 inches. The
angle of the
strips and/or the width of the strips may further change depending on the size
of the compression
shirt (e.g. small, medium, large, extra large, etc.).
[0016] Other strips of the same material may also form the other portions
of the shirt. The
widths and sizes of the elastomeric strips may be changed arbitrarily as
required.
[0017] In a further embodiment, the elastomeric material may be configured
to form a front
and/or back "x-shaped" panel that may extend from the back portion or front
portion of the shirt
across each shoulder and/or each side of the collar bone of the wearer to the
front portion or back
portion of the shirt, respectively. To further compress different muscle
groups and/or provide
further stability, additional elastomeric strips of fabric may be added to the
garment.
[0018] The shape of the collar portion is not limited to that shown in the
drawings, but may
be changed arbitrarily as required, for instance to a crew-neck type, a v-neck
type, a high-neck
type, or a turtle-neck type, or a collared-neck type.
[0019] According to a further embodiment, an upper-body stabilization
garment comprises:
a plurality of elastomeric fabric strips having edges connected together by
stretchable seams to
form the garment which has a front, a rear and opposite arm sleeves each
presenting a respective
shoulder region that transitions between the front and rear of the garment,
the garment having
opposite side seams, wherein the plurality of elastomeric strips include: a
first strip comprising a
single elastomeric fabric section that begins at one of the opposite side
seams and extends
diagonally across the front, over the shoulder region opposite from the one
side seam, extending
diagonally across the rear and terminating at the said one opposite side seam;
a second strip
having at least one elastomeric fabric section that begins at the other of the
opposite side seams,
extends diagonally across the front portion, over the shoulder region opposite
to the other of the
opposite side seams, extending diagonally across the rear and terminating at
the said other
opposite side seam, wherein the first strip and the second strip cross each
other on the front and
rear of the garment to present respective X-patterns on the front and rear of
the garment.
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[0020] According to yet another embodiment the second strip comprises a
plurality of
elastomeric fabric sections including: a first section that has one edge
connected to the other
opposite side seam and an opposite edge connected to the first strip on the
front by a lower
oblique seam, a second section that has one edge connected to the first strip
on the front by an
upper oblique seam spaced apart from the lower oblique seam on the front and
an opposite edge
connected to the first strip on the rear by an upper oblique seam on the rear,
and a third section
having one edge connected to a lower oblique seam spaced apart from the upper
oblique seam on
the rear and an opposite edge connected at said other opposite side seam.
[0021] According to another embodiment, the second strip comprises a single
elastomeric
fabric section having opposite edges both connected at the other opposite side
seam, wherein the
single elastomeric section of the second strip extends diagonally across the
front from the other
of said opposite side seam, over the shoulder region opposite from the other
opposite side seam,
and diagonally across the rear, wherein the first and second strips cross one
another on the front
and rear of the garment to present overlapping regions.
[0022] The unique orientation and overlapping configurations of the
elastomeric strips used in
the construction of the shoulder stabilization shirt may provide specific
compressive support to
reduce movement and improve stability to a wearer's shoulder, arm, and torso
areas, in addition
may support the wearer's chest, back, and abdominal areas.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] In drawings which illustrate specific embodiments of the invention,
but which should
not be construed as restricting the spirit or scope of the invention in any
way:
[0024] FIG. 1 is a front view of the compression shirt of one embodiment of
the present
invention.
[0025] FIG. 2A is a rear view of the compression shirt of one embodiment of
the present
invention.
[0026] FIG. 2B is a rear view of the compression shirt of another
embodiment of the present
invention.
[0027] FIG. 3 is a front view of a shirt with no elastomeric strips
attached.
[0028] FIG. 4 is a rear view of the shirt illustrated in FIG. 3 with no
elastomeric strips
attached.
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[0029] FIG. 5 is a front view of a compression shirt, according to an
embodiment, with only
the right and left vertical sleeve elastomeric strips attached.
[0030] FIG. 6 is a rear view of the compression shirt illustrated in FIG.
5 with only the right
and left vertical sleeve elastomeric strips attached.
[0031] FIG. 7 is a front view of a compression shirt, according to
another embodiment, with
the right and left vertical sleeve elastomeric strips, as well as the right
and left oblique rear
elastomeric strips attached.
[0032] FIG. 8 is a rear view of a compression shirt, according to a
further embodiment, with
the right and left vertical sleeve elastomeric strips, as well as the oblique
rear elastomeric strips
attached.
[0033] FIG. 9 is a front view of the compression shirt illustrated in
FIG. 8 with the right and
left vertical sleeve elastomeric strips, the right and left oblique rear
elastomeric strips, as well as
the right and left oblique front elastomeric strips attached.
[0034] FIG. 10 is an alternative rear view of the compression shirt
illustrated in FIG. 8 with
the right and left vertical sleeve elastomeric strips, the right and left
oblique rear elastomeric
strips, as well as the right and left oblique front elastomeric strips
attached.
[0035] FIG. 11 is a front view of a compression shirt, according to an
embodiment, with
right and left vertical sleeve elastomeric strips and a front x-shaped
elastomeric panel attached.
[0036] FIG. 12 is a rear view of the compression shirt illustrated in
FIG. 11 with the right
and left vertical sleeve elastomeric strips and a rear x-shaped elastomeric
panel attached.
[0037] FIG. 13 is a right-side view of the shirt illustrated in FIG. 10
with the right vertical
sleeve elastomeric strip, the right and left oblique rear elastomeric strips,
as well as the right and
left oblique front elastomeric strips attached.
[0038] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a
compression shirt
according to the present invention.
[0039] FIG. 15 is a front view of variation of the embodiment of FIG. 14.
[0040] FIG. 16 is a rear view the embodiment of FIG. 15.
[0041] FIG. 17 is a side view of the embodiment of FIGS. 15 and 16.
[0042] FIG. 18 is a top view of the embodiment of FIGS. 15 and 16.
[0043] FIG. 19. is a bottom view of the embodiment FIGS. 15 and 16.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0044] Throughout the following description, specific details are set
forth in order to provide
a more thorough understanding of the invention. However, the invention may be
practiced
without these particulars. In other instances, well known elements have not
been shown or
described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention.
Accordingly, the
specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative, rather than
restrictive, sense.
Further, throughout the drawings, the words "right" and "left" are used in the
sense of the wearer
of the garment. Thus, the right side of the garment as worn is on the left
side as viewed in the
illustrated drawing. The "left" side of the garment as worn is on the right
side as viewed in the
illustrated drawing.
[0045] Referring first to FIG. 1, one embodiment of the compression shirt
configured in
accordance with the principles of the present invention is denoted generally
herein by the
numeral "33". Shirt 33 has a front portion 2, a rear portion 4, and right and
left sleeve portions 1
and 3 respectively. Front and rear portions 2, 4 are attached to one another
at right and left side
seams. Right sleeve portion 1 is attached to front and rear portions 2, 4 at
right front and rear
oblique seams 11, 13. Left sleeve portion 3 is attached to front and rear
portions 2, 4 at left front
and rear oblique seams 12, 14. Right and left front oblique seams 11, 12 are
shown in FIG. 3.
Right and left rear oblique seams 13, 14 are shown in FIG. 4.
[0046] The shirt 33 may be long- or short-sleeved. The shirt may be made
of a wicking or
thermal material and may include a zipper or other fastening device to help
the wearer put the
shirt on. According to one embodiment, the shirt material may be a thinner
wicking material to
allow for airflow around the heavier elastomeric compression strips.
[0047] The shirt 33 may have a collar 19 which encircles the upper edges
of front portion 2,
rear portion 4, right and left sleeve portions 1, 3 of shirt 33, a waistband
20 which encircles the
lower edges of front portion 2 and rear portions 4, and right cuff 17 and left
cuff 18 formed by
the lower edge of right and left sleeve portions 1, 3 respectively, although
neither collar 19,
waistband 20, nor cuffs 17, 18 are strictly necessary to the practice of the
invention.
[0048] As shown in FIG. 1, the shirt of the present invention includes a
first plurality 5 of
elastomeric strips of fabric extend vertically along the right sleeve portion
1 from cuff 17 to
collar 19, while a second plurality 6 of elastomeric strips of fabric extend
vertically along the left
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sleeve portion 3 from cuff 18 to collar 19. As described above, the seams of
the shirt 33 may be
used as anchor points for the elastomeric strips to the shirt body.
[0049] As shown in FIG. 2A, a third plurality 7 of elastomeric strips of
fabric extend
diagonally across rear portion 4 from right front oblique seam 11 (see FIG. 1)
to an upper part of
left side seam 16, while a fourth plurality 8 of elastomeric strips of fabric
extend diagonally
across rear portion 4 from left front oblique seam 12 (see FIG. 1) to an upper
part of right side
seam 15. The upper parts of left and right side seams 16, 15 are in close
proximity to sleeve
portions 1, 3. It is not essential to the invention that strip 7 originate
precisely at seam 11 and
terminate precisely at seam 16, or strip 8 originate precisely at seam 12 and
terminate precisely
at seam 15, but strips 7, 8 must extend substantially across the entirety of
rear portion 4.
[0050] According to another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2B, the third
plurality 7 of
elastomeric strips of fabric may extend diagonally across rear portion 4 from
right front oblique
seam 11 to a lower part of left side seam 16, while a fourth plurality 8 of
elastomeric strips of
fabric may extend diagonally across rear portion 4 from left front oblique
seam 12 to a lower part
of right side seam 15. The lower parts of left and right side seams 16, 15 are
in closer proximity
to the waistband 20. Whether the third and fourth plurality 7, 8 of
elastomeric strips extend to
the upper or lower parts of right and left side seams 15, 16 depends on the
angle of the diagonal
extension of the strips. The angle may be selected depending on which area of
the wearer's
upper body is to be compressed and/or the size of the wearer.
[0051] As shown in FIG. 1, a fifth plurality 9 of elastomeric strips of
fabric extend
diagonally across front portion 2 from right rear oblique seam 13 (see FIG.
2A) to a lower part of
left side seam 16, while a sixth plurality 10 of elastomeric strips of fabric
extend diagonally
across front portion 2 from left rear oblique seam 14 (see FIG. 2A) to a lower
part of right side
seam 15. It is not essential to the invention that strip 9 originate precisely
at seam 13 and
terminate precisely at seam 16, or strip 10 originate precisely at seam 14 and
terminate precisely
at seam 15, but strips 9, 10 must extend substantially across the entirety of
front portion 2.
[0052] The strips 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 may be made of any elastomeric
material, known in the
sewing and fabric arts simply as "elastic". Adjacent strips of fabric are
preferably attached to
one another along their lengths, and most preferably are sewn together with
stitching to form a
plurality of strips of elastomeric fabric.
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[0053] According to one embodiment, the strips of elastomeric fabric may
be in a diagonally
criss-crossing configuration. Even more particularly, the inventor has
recognized that while shirt
33 could be made with a plurality of fabric strips extending diagonally at any
angle relative to
side seams 15, 16, a certain range of "steepness" of such strips provides
better results. The
inventor has determined that strips 7, 8 may extend diagonally across rear
portion 4 at an angle
between about 15-75 degrees relative a vertical centerline between collar 19
and waistband 20,
and strips 9, 10 may extend diagonally across front portion 2 at an angle
between about 15-75
degrees relative to a vertical centerline between collar 19 and waistband 20,
while strips 5, 6
extend vertically along sleeve portions 1, 2 respectively.
[0054] Although it will be appreciated to those skilled in the art that
any number of strips of
fabric could be employed in place of the strips shown in the figures, one
embodiment employs
two strips for each of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth
pluralities of strips for ease
of construction and to provide enhanced limitation of certain movements.
[0055] As shown throughout the figures, sleeve portion of shirt 33 may
have right sleeve 1
terminating with cuff 17 and left sleeve 3 terminating with cuff 18. Right
sleeve 1 has a right
side seam 15, and left sleeve 3 has a left side seam 16. Each of sleeves 1, 3
may generally be
configured to extend at least partially down the arm of the wearer.
[0056] FIGs. 5-10 show various other embodiments of the stabilization
shirt. FIG. 5 is a
front view of the compression shirt with only the right and left vertical
sleeve elastomeric strips
5, 6 attached. FIG. 6 is a rear view of the compression shirt illustrated in
FIG. 5 with only the
right and left vertical sleeve elastomeric strips 5, 6 attached. FIG. 7 is a
front view of the
compression shirt with the right and left vertical sleeve elastomeric strips
5, 6, as well as the
right and left oblique rear elastomeric strips attached 7, 8. FIG. 8 is a rear
view of the
compression shirt illustrated in FIG. 7 with the right and left vertical
sleeve elastomeric strips 5,
6, as well as the oblique rear elastomeric strips 7, 8 attached. FIG. 9 is a
front view of the
compression shirt illustrated in FIG. 8 with the right and left vertical
sleeve elastomeric strips 5,
6, the right and left oblique rear elastomeric strips 7, 8, as well as the
right and left oblique front
elastomeric strips 9, 10 attached. FIG. 10 is an alternative rear view of the
compression shirt
illustrated in FIG. 8 with the right and left vertical sleeve elastomeric
strips 5, 6, the right and left
oblique rear elastomeric strips 7, 8, as well as the right and left oblique
front elastomeric strips 9,
attached.
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[0057] FIG. 11 is a front view of a compression shirt, according to an
embodiment, with the
right and left vertical sleeve elastomeric strips 5, 6, and a front "x-shaped"
elastomeric panel 21
attached. The x-shaped panel 21 may be made of a single piece of fabric or
multiple pieces of
connected fabric.
[0058] FIG. 12 is a rear view of the shirt illustrated in FIG. 11 with the
right and left vertical
sleeve elastomeric strips 5, 6 and a rear "x-shaped" elastomeric panel 22
attached. The x-shaped
panel 22 may be made of a single piece of fabric or multiple pieces of
connected fabric.
[0059] FIG. 13 is a right-side view of the shirt illustrated in FIG. 10 with
the right vertical sleeve
elastomeric strip 5, the right and left oblique rear elastomeric strips 7, 8,
as well as the right and
left oblique front elastomeric strips 9, 10 attached.
[0060] Referring now FIG. 14-19, there is shown a compression garment 43
embodying many of
the same principles as the previously discussed embodiments. According to this
embodiment,
the compression garment includes a plurality of elastomeric fabric strips
connected together by
stretchable seams, for example flat lock seams, to form the garment. The
garment has a front 49,
a rear 53, left and right arm sleeves 54a, 54b, and respective shoulder region
51, 58 that
transition between the front and rear of the garment. The garment has opposite
left and right side
seams 47, 56. The elastomeric strips include a first strip 45 comprising a
single elastomeric,
fabric section that begins at one of the opposite side seams, for example left
side seam 47 and
extends diagonally across the front, over the right shoulder region 51
opposite from the left side
seam 47, extending diagonally across the rear and terminating again at the
left side seam 47. A
second strip 55 having one or a plurality of elastomeric, fabric sections
begins at the other (right)
side seam 56 (not visible in FIG. 14), extends diagonally across the front,
over the left shoulder
region 58 opposite to right side seam 56, extending diagonally across the rear
and terminating
again at the right side seam 56 (see FIGS 15, 16). The first and second strips
cross each other on
the front and rear to present respective X-patterns on the front and rear of
the garment.
[0061] The X-pattern may be made on the one hand with a single or common
elastomeric strip
section 45 that starts and terminates at the same side seam, for example the
left side seam 47 as
shown in the drawing figures; and on the other hand with a second strip 55
that may comprise
either a single section that begins and terminates at the other side seam as
shown in FIG. 14, or
from a plurality of sections 55a, 55b and 55c as shown in FIGS 15 and 16.
Lower front and rear
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fabric sections 50, 50', upper side sections 54, 54', upper center sections
58, 58', together with
sleeve cuffs 17, 18, collar 19 and waist band 20 complete the garment.
[0062] In the embodiment of FIG 14, the second elastomeric strip 55 comprising
a single
section may overlap the single elastomeric strip section 45 on the front and
rear. On the front of
the garment, in the overlapping, crisscrossing regions, the outer strip, for
example strip 45 may
be connected to the inner strip 55, by upper and lower spaced-apart oblique
seams 57 and 59.
Similar upper and lower spaced-apart oblique seams on the back connect the
outer and inner
strips in the overlapping regions (not visible in FIG. 14).
[0063] The embodiment of FIGS. 15 and 16 is a variation of the embodiment of
FIG. 14,
wherein the second strip 55 comprises multiple sections 55a, 55b and 55c. On
the front of the
garment, oblique seam 59' connects the edge of section 55a, to the lower edge
of strip 45 and
seam 57' spaced-apart from seam 59' connects one edge of section 55b to the
upper edge of strip
45. On the rear of the garment, the opposite end of section 55b is connect by
upper oblique seam
61' to the upper edge of strip 45, and one end of section 55c is connected to
the lower edge of
strip 45 by another oblique seam 63' which is spaced apart from upper oblique
seam 61'. The
compression forces are essentially in the embodiment of FIGS. 14 and the
embodiment of FIGS
15, 16. Obviously, if a single elastomeric strip section is used for each
strip 45 and 55, as shown
in FIG. 14, so as to present overlapping regions, more elastomeric material is
required to
fabricate the garment, although the fabrication is rendered somewhat easier.
On the other hand,
if one of the strips forming the X-pattern comprise multiple sections, for
example sections 55a,
55b and 55c as reflected in FIGS. 15 and 16, less material is utilized, but
the fabrication is
rendered somewhat more complex.
[0064] FIG. 17 is a left side view of the embodiment of FIGS. 15 and 16
showing the
convergence of the oblique seams with the left side seam, Referring to FIGS.
18 and 19, the left
and right arm sleeves 54a, 54b may be formed of single elastomeric strips
connected by
respective bottom seam 65a, 65b, respective sleeve seams 67a, 67h, and short
seams 69, 71 on
the left and right as shown in FIG. 18. In the embodiment of FIGS. 15 to 19,
the garment
essentially comprises a single layer of fabric throughout, except for example
at the waist band,
sleeve cuffs and collar.
[0065] In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 14-19, the strip 45, may extend
diagonally on the
front and rear, respectively, at an angle of approximately 15 - 75 degrees
relative to a vertical
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centerline between the collar and waistband, and strip 55 in FIG. 14 and strip
sections 55a, 55b
and 55c in FIGS. 15-19 may also extend diagonally on the front and rear,
respectively, at an
angle of approximately 15 - 75 degrees relative to a vertical centerline
between the collar and
waistband, and the first and second strips may have a width of between
approximately 2 inches
and approximately 12 inches.
[0066] In a preferred embodiment, the seams of the criss-cross pattern may be
made of a
different color from the color of the fabric used for the elastomeric strips
and the remaining
portions of the garment. This presents an interesting visual effect, but has
no impact on the
management of the compression forces which are determined by the criss-cross
patterns of the
elastomeric strips and the location of the seams. The seams connecting
together the various
elastomeric strips may be of the well-known flat lock type.
[0067] A compression shirt is described which provides specific compression to
reduce
movement and improve stability in certain areas of a wearer's upper body.
Compression may be
applied to the wearer's upper body via one or more elastomeric strips of
fabric. The strips may
be oriented in diagonal and/or overlapping configurations across the shirt.
The strips may
comprise either a single strip running uniquely, or a plurality of strips in a
sequential pattern.
According to one embodiment, two groups have approximately three elastomeric
strips of fabric
overlap across the side portions of the shirt, with one strip extending
diagonally across the front
portion, one strip extending diagonally across the rear portion, and one strip
extending vertically
across the side portion of the shirt. The strips extending from the upper
portion of one side of the
shirt diagonally to the lower portion of the opposite side of the shirt
overlap with the
corresponding strips from the other side
[0068] According to the various embodiments described above, the upper-
body stabilization
garment may create compression and provide stability and tension to protect
injured or
recovering muscles and joints. The garment may also be used to prevent
shoulder or torso
injuries, as well as improving postural control, for daily use, or during
sports or training activities
such as football, hockey, baseball, tennis, golf, rugby, lacrosse, weight
lifting, cricket, basketball,
track and field, gymnastics, martial arts, volleyball, soccer, field hockey,
softball.
[0069] As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of
the foregoing disclosure,
many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this
invention without
12
CA 02836058 2013-12-09
departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the
invention is to be
construed in accordance with the substance defined by the aforementioned
claims.
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