Shirts and shorts having elastic and non-stretch portions and bands to provide hip and posture support
View Patent ↗This disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus for garments that restrict detrimental or abnormal movement of the upper and lower body. This is made possible by forming garments from an elastic base layer and then coupling one or more elastic and/or inelastic bands coupled to, secured to, or atop the base material in locations that restrict detrimental movement of the body. A load distribution ring can anchor some of the bands.
1. A garment configured to counteract frontal pelvic plane drop and internal rotation of the femur, the garment comprising:
a base layer having a right leg portion and a left leg portion, the base layer having a first elasticity;
a load distribution ring arranged proximate to a front waist portion of the garment and having a second elasticity that is less than the first elasticity;
a first lateral elastic band extending from the load distribution ring back toward a rear of the garment in a direction substantially parallel to a top of the garment and secured over the base layer, the first lateral elastic band having a third elasticity, the first lateral elastic band having a first lateral edge;
a second lateral elastic band extending from the load distribution ring back toward the rear of the garment in a direction substantially parallel to the top of the garment and is secured over the base layer, the second lateral elastic band having the third elasticity, the second lateral elastic band having a second lateral edge;
a first diagonal elastic band coupled to and extending at an angle down and away from the load distribution ring on the right leg portion;
a second diagonal elastic band coupled to and extending at an angle down and away from the load distribution ring on the left leg portion; and
a first inelastic band, designed to be positioned on at least a rear portion of the garment and having opposite first and second edges, extending between the first lateral edge of the first lateral elastic band and the second lateral edge of the second lateral elastic band via a rear of the garment and having a concave lower edge, the first inelastic band replicating forces otherwise generated by a gluteus medius muscle, and intersecting a bottom portion of each of the leg portions proximate to the front of the garment, the first inelastic band having the second elasticity,
the first inelastic band further includes a first extending portion designed to extend from the rear portion of the garment to a front half of the garment on the right leg portion intersecting the first diagonal elastic band,
the first inelastic band further includes a second extending portion designed to extend from the rear portion of the garment to the front half of the garment on the left leg portion intersecting the second diagonal elastic band.
2. The garment of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second inelastic band coupled between the first inelastic band and a bottom portion of the left leg portion; and
a third inelastic band coupled between the first inelastic band and a bottom portion of the right leg portion.
3. The garment of claim 2 , wherein the second inelastic band is parallel with the second diagonal elastic band, and the third inelastic band is parallel with a the third diagonal elastic band.
4. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the first and third elasticities are the same.
5. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the first elasticity is less than the third elasticity.
6. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the first inelastic band passes through a point on the garment that is configured to be arranged between a sacrum and lower back of a user wearing the garment.
7. The garment of claim 6 , wherein the first inelastic band traverses down each side of the garment with a slight spiral to a front of each of the left and right leg portions.
8. The garment of claim 1 , wherein a shape and placement of the first inelastic band counteracts a user's tendency to lean forward at the waist.
9. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the load distribution ring is a pentagon.
10. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the load distribution ring has a disc shape.
11. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the bottom portion of each leg portion is a bottom edge of each leg portion.
12. The garment of claim 1 , wherein:
the base layer is a first 4-way stretch fabric;
the load distribution ring and the first inelastic band are a non-stretch material; and
the lateral elastic band, the first diagonal elastic band, and the second diagonal elastic band are a second 4-way stretch fabric.
13. The garment of claim 12 , wherein the first 4-way stretch fabric and the second 4-way stretch fabric are the same.
14. A garment configured to counteract frontal pelvic plane drop and internal rotation of the femur, the garment comprising:
a base layer having a right leg portion and a left leg portion, the base layer having a first elasticity;
a load distribution ring arranged proximate to a front waist portion of the garment and having a second elasticity that is less than the first elasticity;
a first diagonal elastic band coupled to and extending at an angle down and away from the load distribution ring on the right leg portion;
a second diagonal elastic band coupled to and extending at an angle down and away from the load distribution ring on the left leg portion;
a waist portion wrapping around the entire garment and forming a first top edge of the garment, the waist portion separating the load distribution ring from the top edge of the garment;
a first lateral elastic band extending toward a rear of the garment and having a second top edge proximal to the waist portion, the first lateral elastic band having a first lateral edge;
a second lateral elastic band extending toward the rear of the garment and having a third top edge proximal to the waist portion, the second lateral elastic band having a second lateral edge; and
a first inelastic band, designed to be positioned on at least the rear portion of the garment and having opposite first and second edges, extending between the first lateral edge of the first lateral elastic band and the second lateral edge of the second lateral elastic band via the rear of the garment, and having a concave lower edge and a straight top edge across at least a portion and sides of the garment, the first inelastic band intersecting a bottom portion of each of the leg portions proximate to the front of the garment, the first inelastic band having the second elasticity,
the first inelastic band further includes a first extending portion designed to extend from the rear of the garment to a front half of the garment on the right leg portion and intersect the first diagonal elastic band;
the first inelastic band further includes a second extending portion designed to extend from the rear of the garment to the front half of the garment on the left leg portion and intersect the second diagonal elastic band.
15. A garment configured to counteract frontal pelvic plane drop and internal rotation of the femur, the garment comprising:
a base layer having a right leg portion and a left leg portion, the base layer having a first elasticity;
a load distribution ring arranged proximate to a front waist portion of the garment and having a second elasticity that is less than the first elasticity;
a first diagonal elastic band coupled to and extending at an angle down and away from the load distribution ring on the right leg portion;
a second diagonal elastic band coupled to and extending at an angle down and away from the load distribution ring on the left leg portion;
a first lateral elastic band extending rearward from the load distribution ring around a right side of the garment, the first lateral elastic band having a first lateral edge;
a second lateral elastic band extending rearward from the load distribution ring around a left side of the garment, the second lateral elastic band having a second lateral edge;
a first inelastic band, designed to be positioned on at least a rear portion of the garment and having opposite first and second edges, extending between the first lateral edge of the first lateral elastic band and the second lateral edge of the second lateral elastic band via a rear of the garment and having a concave lower edge and a top edge parallel to a top edge of the garment in a rear and at least a portion of sides of the garment, the first inelastic band tapering as it spirals around each of the leg portions to intersect a bottom portion of each of the leg portions proximate to the front of the garment, the first inelastic band having the second elasticity,
the first inelastic band further includes a first extending portion designed to extend from the rear of the garment to a front half of the garment on the right leg portion and intersect the first diagonal elastic band; and
the first inelastic band further includes a second extending portion designed to extend from the rear of the garment to the front half of the garment on the left leg portion and intersect the second diagonal elastic band.
16. The garment of claim 1 , wherein a rear edge of the first diagonal elastic band and a rear edge of the second diagonal elastic band intersect a bottom edge of the first inelastic band within a front half of the garment.
17. The garment of claim 16 , wherein the rear edge of the first diagonal elastic band and the rear edge of the second diagonal elastic band intersect the first inelastic band forward of a trochanter major of a user when the garment is worn, regardless of a size or shape of the user and regardless as to how the garment is worn.
18. The garment of claim 1 , wherein a rear edge of the first diagonal elastic band and a rear edge of the second diagonal elastic band intersect the first inelastic band within a front half of the garment.
19. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the first diagonal elastic band and the second diagonal elastic band intersect the first inelastic band forward of a trochanter major of a user when the garment is properly worn, and wherein the user wears a properly-sized garment.
20. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the first diagonal elastic band and the second diagonal elastic band intersect the first inelastic band proximal to a front of the garment.
21. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the first and second lateral elastic bands have top edges, where an entire span of the top edges of the first and second lateral elastic bands are parallel to a top edge of the garment.
22. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the first inelastic band partially overlaps and is neither perpendicular nor parallel to muscle fibers of a gluteus medius.
23. The garment of claim 1 , wherein a top edge of the first and second lateral elastic bands as well as a top edge of the first inelastic band form a continuous edge that is parallel to, but does not touch, a top edge of the garment.