Exercise Tights

Abstract

A way to provide an exercise garment that, without hampering athletic performance, for example by limiting movement, frees a wearer from having to check or worry about rearward appearance.

Claims

1. An apparatus wearable by a wearer having a pelvis, a waist, hips, buttocks, and legs, comprising: a. a pelvic portion adapted to receive the pelvis of the wearer, the pelvic portion having: i. a yoke, ii. a belt adjacent the yoke, and iii. a seat adjacent the belt, and b. respective leg portions that meet at the pelvic portion, each adapted to receive a respective leg of the wearer, wherein the yoke is adapted to contain not only a portion of the waist of the wearer, but also an upper portion of the buttocks of the wearer.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the yoke tapers inward from bottom to top.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the taper of the yoke is curvilinear.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the yoke is adapted to smoothly bridge the cleft between an upper portion of the buttocks of the wearer.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the yoke is elongated to extend above the hips of the wearer and shaped to sculpt the waist of the wearer so as to follow the smooth contouring of the apparatus.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the yoke is formed from adjacent panels connected together.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the yoke is formed from a front panel, a left panel, a back panel and a right panel.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the panels are elastic.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the front panel is compressive and the left panel, the back panel, and the right panel are expansive.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the panels are adapted to provide muscle sense feedback about the position of various parts of the wearer's body throughout exercise movements.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the belt is located below the yoke, so as to lie over a portion of the buttocks of the wearer instead of the waist of the wearer.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the belt is adapted to smoothly bridge the cleft between the buttocks of the wearer.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the yoke is adapted to bridge the cleft between the buttocks of the wearer more smoothly than the belt bridges the cleft between the buttocks of the wearer.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the belt is adapted to cover only a posterior portion of the wearer and does not fully encircle the wearer.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the belt has a variable width, a bottom edge of the belt being positioned further from a top edge of the belt at the ends of the belt than at the middle of the belt.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the variable width of the belt is curvilinear.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seat is adapted to contain a lower portion of the buttocks of the wearer.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the seat is adapted to follow the contours of the buttocks.

19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the seat is adapted to follow the cleft between the buttocks.

20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the seat is adapted to follow the junction between the bottom of the buttocks and the top of the legs.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of one embodiment of a pair of tights in accordance with aspects of the present invention;

[0021] FIG. 2 is a rear elevation view of the tights of FIG. 1;

[0022] FIG. 3 is a left side elevation view of the tights of FIG. 1;

[0023] FIG. 4 is a bottom, rear, left oblique view of the tights of FIG. 1; and

[0024] FIG. 5 is a rear, left oblique detail view of the tights of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

(a) Structure of Specific Embodiments

[0025] FIGS. 1-5 show a pair of exercise tights 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The tights 100 have two leg portions 102, which meet at a pelvic portion 104, which includes a yoke 106, a belt 108, and a seat 110.

TABLE-US-00001 Table of Parts # Name Name # 100 tights back panel 112B 102 leg portions belt 108 104 pelvic front panel 112F portion left panel 112L 106 yoke leg portions 102 108 belt panel 112 110 seat pelvic 104 112 panel portion 112B back panel right panel 112R 112F front panel seat 110 112L left panel tights 100 112R right panel yoke 106

[0026] The yoke 106 tapers inward from bottom to top and resembles a conventional high waist; however, it is sized and located so as to contain not only a portion of the waist of the wearer, but also an upper portion of the buttocks. As illustrated, the tapering is curvilinear; however, those skilled in the art will recognize that other arrangements would also work. The yoke 106 is configured to smoothly bridge the cleft between the upper portion of the buttocks, so as not to draw attention to it.

[0027] The yoke 106 is elongated to extend well above the wearer's hips and shaped to sculpt the wearer's waist so as to follow the smooth contouring of the tights 100.

[0028] The yoke 106 may be formed from adjacent panels 112 connected together, for example to provide desired contouring. For example, as illustrated the yoke 106 may include a front panel 112F, a left panel 112L, a back panel 112B and a right panel 112R.

[0029] The characteristics of the panels 112 may vary with design intent and different panels 112 in the yoke 106 may have different characteristics. For example, different panels 112 may have different amounts of elasticity, and that elasticity may be biased differently between allowing expansion and urging compression. For example, one embodiment might provide a compressive front panel 112F and an expansive right panel 112R, back panel 112B and left panel 112L, so as promote free movement by providing slack at the wearer's waist while toning the wearer's abdomen in toward the wearer's core.

[0030] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that sculpting and toning, as provided by the yoke 106 and more broadly the tights 100, help a wearer to exercise more effectively by providing muscle sense feedback about the position of various portions of the wearer's body throughout exercise movements.

[0031] The belt 108 is located below the yoke 106, so as to lie over a portion of the wearer's buttocks, and thus below the waist as would otherwise be conventional for a belt. The belt 108 thus contains a portion of the buttocks and is configured to smoothly bridge the cleft between the buttocks; however as illustrated, the belt 108 may bridge less smoothly than the yoke 106.

[0032] As illustrated, the belt 108 covers only a posterior portion of the wearer and does not fully encircle the wearer. As illustrated, the belt 108 has a variable width, the bottom edge of the belt 108 being positioned further from the top edge of the belt 108 at its ends than its middle, this divergence being curvilinear as illustrated. Those skilled in the art will recognize that these illustrated particulars might be replaced by other arrangements without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0033] The seat 110 contains a lower portion of the buttocks and is configured to follow the contours of the buttocks, including following the cleft between the buttocks and the junction between the bottom of the buttocks and the top of the legs.

[0034] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the leg portions 102 flow smoothly into the seat 110 from the rear, but from the front abut the yoke 106.

[0035] So configured, the tights 100 modestly contain a portion of the buttocks within the yoke 106 and the belt 108 and provide for comfortable movement for exercise and other physical activity.

(b) Operation of Specific Embodiments

[0036] With reference now to FIGS. 1-5, the operation of the above-described embodiments of the invention will now be described.

[0037] In operation, a wearer would insert legs into the leg portions 102 of the exercise tights 100 and then draw the pelvic portion 104 of the exercise tights 100 toward the pelvis.

[0038] The wearer would then be free to carry out physical activity, with the exercise tights 100 providing for comfortable movement and muscle sense feedback, while also modestly containing a portion of the buttocks within the yoke 106 and the belt 108, sculpting the wearer's waist with the yoke 106, and providing slack at the wearer's waist with the right panel 112R, back panel 112B and left panel 112L, while toning the wearer's abdomen in toward the wearer's core with the front panel 112F, so that the wearer is empowered to enthusiastically engage in the physical activity.

(c) Description Summary

[0039] Thus, it will be seen from the foregoing embodiments and examples that there has been described a way to provide an exercise garment that, without hampering athletic performance, for example by limiting movement, frees a wearer from having to check or worry about rearward appearance.

[0040] Those skilled in the art will recognize that any portion of the tights 100 may be formed using more than one layer of material, each layer having different characteristics, each layer cooperating with the other layers to provide the characteristics of the portion as a whole.

[0041] While specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, such embodiments should be considered illustrative of the invention only and not as limiting the invention. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications and substitutions can be made to the foregoing embodiments without departing from the principle and scope of the invention expressed in the claims made herein.