Wetsuit and associated method of manufacture

Abstract

A wetsuit having a torso, arms and legs has an outer layer extending over the torso, the arms and the legs, the outer layer having a substantially uniform thickness throughout the torso, the arms and the legs. Plural ancillary panels are attached to the outer layer along an inner surface thereof.

1 . A wetsuit having a torso, arms and legs, said wetsuit comprising:
 an outer layer extending over said torso, said arms and said legs, said outer layer having a substantially uniform thickness throughout said torso, said arms and said legs; and   a plurality of ancillary panels attached to said outer layer along an inner surface thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The wetsuit defined in  claim 1  wherein said ancillary panels include a first plurality of panels disposed in a chest area of said torso, a second plurality of panels disposed in a back area of said torso, a third plurality of panels disposed in an abdominal region of said torso, a fourth plurality of panels disposed in each thigh region of said legs, and a fifth plurality of panels disposed in a calf region of each leg. 
     
     
         3 . The wetsuit defined in  claim 1  wherein said outer layer has a thickness of approximately 2 mm throughout. 
     
     
         4 . The wetsuit defined in  claim 1  wherein said ancillary layers each have a substantially uniform thickness of less than about 3 mm throughout. 
     
     
         5 . The wetsuit defined in  claim 1  wherein said torso, said arms and said legs each have a longitudinal axis, said ancillary panels including:
 a first plurality of panels disposed in one of said torso, said arms and said legs, the panels of said first plurality of panels being spaced from one another along at least one elongate gal) extending substantially parallel to the respective longitudinal axis of said one of said torso, said arms and said legs; and   a second plurality of panels disposed in another one of said torso, said arms and said legs, the panels of said second plurality of panels being spaced from one another along at least one elongate gap extending substantially parallel to the respective longitudinal axis of said another one of said torso, said arms and said legs.   
     
     
         6 . The wetsuit defined in  claim 1  wherein said outer layer is made of a plurality of outer panels joined to one another along watertight seams, said outer panels each having said substantially uniform thickness. 
     
     
         7 . The wetsuit defined in  claim 1  wherein said ancillary panels are made of a foam material. 
     
     
         8 . The wetsuit defined in  claim 1  wherein said ancillary panels are bonded or adhesively adhered to said inner surface of said outer layer. 
     
     
         9 . The wetsuit defined in  claim 1  wherein said ancillary panels are sewn along respective edges to said inner surface of said outer layer. 
     
     
         10 . The wetsuit defined in  claim 1  wherein said outer layer extends over a vast majority of said torso, said arms and said legs. 
     
     
         11 . The wetsuit defined in  claim 1  wherein said ancillary panels include a plurality of chest panels disposed on an anterior side of said torso, said anterior side of said torso having an axis extending from a neck region to a crotch region, said chest panels being spaced from one another along an elongate gap extending substantially parallel to said axis. 
     
     
         12 . The wetsuit defined in  claim 1  wherein said ancillary panels include a plurality of abdominal panels disposed on an anterior side of said torso, said anterior side of said torso having an axis extending from a neck region to a crotch region, said abdominal panels being spaced from one another along an elongate gap extending substantially parallel to said axis. 
     
     
         13 . The wetsuit defined in  claim 1  wherein said ancillary panels include a plurality of thigh panels disposed on one of said legs, said one of said legs having an axis extending from a crotch region of the wetsuit to a knee region, said thigh panels being spaced from one another along an elongate gap extending substantially parallel to said axis. 
     
     
         14 . The wetsuit defined in  claim 1  wherein said ancillary panels include a plurality of calf panels disposed on one of said legs, said one of said legs having an axis extending from a knee region to an ankle region, said calf panels being spaced from one another along an elongate gap extending substantially parallel to said axis. 
     
     
         15 . A method of making a wetsuit comprising:
 cutting a plurality of outer panels from waterproof sheet material, said outer panels having the same substantially uniform thickness;   attaching said outer panels to one another to form a continuous outer layer having a torso, arms and legs with said substantially uniform thickness throughout;   cutting a plurality of ancillary panels from foam sheet material; and   attaching said ancillary panels to said outer panels on an inner side thereof.   
     
     
         16 . The method defined in  claim 15  wherein said outer layer has a thickness of approximately 2 mm throughout. 
     
     
         17 . The method defined in  claim 15  wherein said ancillary layers each have a substantially uniform thickness of less than about 3 mm throughout. 
     
     
         18 . The method defined in  claim 15  wherein said torso, said arms and said legs each have a longitudinal axis, the attaching of said ancillary panels including:
 attaching a first plurality of ancillary panels to outer panels of one of said torso, said arms and said legs so that the panels of said first plurality of ancillary panels are spaced from one another along at least one elongate gap extending substantially parallel to the respective longitudinal axis of said one of said torso, said arms and said legs; and   attaching a second plurality of ancillary panels to outer panels of another one of said torso, said arms and said legs so that the panels of said second plurality of ancillary panels are spaced from one another along at least one elongate gap extending substantially parallel to the respective longitudinal axis of said another one of said torso, said arms and said legs.   
     
     
         19 . The method defined in  claim 15  wherein the attaching of said ancillary panels includes bonding or adhesively adhering said ancillary panels to said outer panels. 
     
     
         20 . The method defined in  claim 15  wherein the attaching of said ancillary panels includes sewing said ancillary panels along respective edges to said outer panels.