Sports apparel having a grommet installed on the sports apparel; and a projection installed on the grommet to extend outwardly from the sports apparel, the projection configured to support a plastic sporting ball by being positioned to penetrate an aperture of the plastic sporting ball for releasably supporting and snugly retaining the apertured plastic sporting ball.

A one-size-fits-all garment (10) is formed of multiple stretchable fabric portions (2) joined together by a PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) thread (38). The garment includes a waistband (6) that uses a paper fusing technique to fuse a fusing material from a paper backing sheet (18, 18A, 18B), onto the waistband which is also joined to the stretchable fabric portions using PBT thread. A method for forming the garment includes using a sheet of carrier paper with a fusing material such as a plurality of discrete dots of fusing material, to the waistband and sewing the multiple stretching stretchable fabric portions together and to the waistband using the PBT thread.

The present invention involves a fit-adjustable item of apparel for a wearer comprises a plurality of tension members each disposed along a corresponding three-dimensional spatial path through the item of apparel, each tension member substantially inextensible along a longitudinal direction of the tension member; a tensioner disposed on the item of apparel and arranged for adjusting tension in the plurality of tension members; and a tension evener disposed on the item of apparel tension-wise in communication with the tensioner and the plurality of tension members, the tension evener arranged for evening tension among the plurality of inextensible tension members, wherein each of the plurality of tension members is arranged in or on the item of apparel to adjust at least one dimension of the item to the wearer by adjusting the tension in the plurality of tension members via the tension evener by operating the tensioner. The tension-evening arrangement is also employed to maintain a device at a targeted location on the body of a wearer.

A device and assembly comprising such device having a support for electronic connection, holding in contact, and attachment of at least two accessories to each other and/or to an external device, and said at least two accessories. To make said connection, the support is provided with at least two first magnetic electronic connection elements. Each other by wire and each accessory is fitted with a second magnetic connection element capable of cooperating with one of said first magnetic elements, and in that each of the first and second magnetic elements comprises at least two groups each comprising at least one magnet, namely a group of one or more positive magnets and a group of one or more negative magnets, the groups of one particular magnetic element being fixed directly or indirectly on the same flexible or rigid plate and/or to each other and being capable of cooperating with the other magnetic element.

This specification generally discloses a garment for blocking intrusion of dirt, water, and/or other pathogens on a person's body, such as to protect wounds on the body following a surgical or medical procedure. The garment can include a first opening sized and shaped to fit around the person's neck, wherein the first opening further comprises a collar with accordion style ridges, second and third openings sized and shaped to fit around a portion of the person's arms, wherein the second and third openings further comprise elastic material, and a fourth opening to be fitted around a portion of the person's torso, wherein the fourth opening further comprises elastic material.

The invention relates to a method for monitoring or visualizing the running speed (v) of an athlete (1). To determine the running speed of the athlete in an easy manner the proposed method comprises the steps: a) Providing a piece of garment (2) or a shoe (2′), which are worn by the athlete (1) during miming, wherein the piece of garment (2) or the shoe (2′) is provided with a coating (3) applied at an outer surface (4) of the piece of garment (2) or the shoe, wherein the coating (3) comprises at least one thermochromic dye or at least one liquid crystal, or wherein the piece of garment (2) or the shoe (2′) is made at least partially of a material, especially by a yarn, which comprises at least one thermochromic dye or at least one liquid crystal; b) Monitoring the color (C.sub.1, C.sub.2, C.sub.3) of the at least one thermochromic dye or liquid crystal during running of the athlete (1); c) Evaluating the running speed (v) of the athlete (1) on the basis of the actual color (C.sub.1, C.sub.2, C.sub.3) of the at least one thermochromic dye or liquid crystal. Furthermore, the invention relates to an athletic garment or shoe.

A composite material which is elastic, which exhibits a resistive load under deformation which increases with the rate of deformation, which is unfoamed or foamed, comminuted or uncomminuted and which comprises i) a first polymer-based elastic material and ii) a second polymer-based material, different from i), which exhibits dilatancy in the absence of i) wherein ii) is entrapped in a solid matrix of i), the composite material being unfoamed or, when foamed, preparable by incorporating ii) with i) prior to foaming.

A composite material which is elastic, which exhibits a resistive load under deformation which increases with the rate of deformation, which is unfoamed or foamed, comminuted or uncomminuted and which comprises i) a first polymer-based elastic material and ii) a second polymer-based material, different from i), which exhibits dilatancy in the absence of i) wherein ii) is entrapped in a solid matrix of i), the composite material being unfoamed or, when foamed, preparable by incorporating ii) with i) prior to foaming.

The invention generally relates to sensing garments.

Coating materials and coated personal protective clothing items incorporating the coating material are described. The coating material includes a polymeric component; a metal oxide component; and a catalytic component. The catalytic component includes a metal oxide or a mixed metal oxide which is an effective catalyst for an oxidation reaction. The coated personal protective clothing item includes a personal protective clothing substrate with a coating including the coating material.