Jersey and associated method of manufacture

Abstract

A jersey or shirt is made of plural fabric panels or sections including at least one lower back panel, at least one chest panel and two shoulder panels. The shoulder panels are connected on the back side of the torso to the lower back panel along a substantially horizontal seam and are joined to one another on the back side of the torso along a vertical seam substantially coincident with a longitudinal or vertical axis of the back side of the torso. Each of the shoulder panels extends across half of an upper portion of the back side of the torso and over a shoulder portion of a respective one of the sleeves and is connected along an anterior side of the torso to the at least one chest panel. The shoulder panels are cut on the bias.

1 . A jersey or shirt comprising: a plurality of fabric panels or sections attached to one another to form a tubular torso and a pair of tubular sleeves, said torso having a neck opening at one end and a waist opening at an opposite end, said sleeves having free ends provided with respective arm openings, said fabric panels or sections including at least one lower back panel, at least one chest panel and two shoulder panels, said torso having a longitudinal axis extending from said neck opening to said waist opening along a back side of said torso, said shoulder panels being connected on said back side of said torso to said at least one lower back panel along a substantially horizontal seam oriented substantially transversely to said longitudinal axis, said shoulder panels being joined to one another on said back side of said torso along a vertical seam substantially coincident with said longitudinal axis, each of said shoulder panels extending across half of an upper portion of said back side of said torso and over a shoulder portion of a respective one of said sleeves and being connected along an anterior side of said torso to said at least one chest panel. 
     
     
         2 . The jersey or shirt defined in  claim 1  wherein said shoulder panels are connected to said chest panel along substantially horizontal first and second anterior seam segments. 
     
     
         3 . The jersey or shirt defined in  claim 2  wherein said anterior seam segments are located no higher than approximately clavicle areas of said torso. 
     
     
         4 . The jersey or shirt defined in  claim 1  wherein said fabric panels or sections further include at least two lateral torso panels each connected along an arcuate seam to a respective one of said shoulder panels along said back side of said torso. 
     
     
         5 . The jersey or shirt defined in  claim 4  wherein said lower back panel is a unitary panel extending across said back side of said torso. 
     
     
         6 . The jersey or shirt defined in  claim 1  wherein said chest panel is a single panel extending across said anterior side of said torso from one sleeve to the opposite sleeve. 
     
     
         7 . The jersey or shirt defined in  claim 1  wherein said fabric panels or sections further include sleeve end panels connected along seams to edges of said shoulder panels at free ends of said sleeves. 
     
     
         8 . The jersey or shirt defined in  claim 1  wherein said shoulder panels are made of a knitted fabric cut on the bias. 
     
     
         9 . The jersey or shirt defined in  claim 1  wherein said shoulder panels have a maximum degree of stretchability in a direction extending from said vertical seam over the respective shoulders. 
     
     
         10 . The jersey or shirt defined in  claim 1  wherein said shoulder panels have a maximum degree of stretchability along said back side of said torso in a direction oriented at approximately 45 degrees relative to said vertical seam. 
     
     
         11 . The jersey or shirt defined in  claim 1  wherein said shoulder panels are each a single or seamless fabric section extending from said vertical seam and said horizontal seam on said back side of said torso over the shoulders and to said chest panel. 
     
     
         12 . The jersey or shirt defined in  claim 1  wherein said vertical seam is contiguous at a lower end with said horizontal seam, 
     
     
         13 . A method for making a jersey or shirt comprising:
 cutting a plurality of fabric panels or sections, said fabric panels or sections including at least one lower back panel, at least one chest panel and two shoulder panels; and   attaching said fabric panels or sections to one another to form a tubular torso and a pair of tubular sleeves so that said torso has a neck opening at one end and a waist opening at an opposite end and so that said sleeves have free ends provided with respective arm openings, said torso having a longitudinal axis extending from said neck opening to said waist opening along a back side of said torso,   the attaching of said fabric panels or sections to one another including connecting said shoulder panels on said back side of said torso to said at least one lower back panel along a substantially horizontal seam oriented substantially transversely to said longitudinal axis,   the attaching of said fabric panels or sections to one another further including joining said shoulder panels to one another on said back side of said torso along a vertical seam substantially coincident with said longitudinal axis,   the attaching of said fabric panels or sections to one another also including arranging each of said shoulder panels to extend across half of an upper portion of said back side of said torso and over a shoulder portion of a respective one of said sleeves and connecting said shoulder panels along an anterior side of said torso to said at least one chest panel.   
     
     
         14 . The method defined in  claim 13  wherein the attaching of said fabric panels or sections to one another includes connecting said shoulder panels to said chest panel along substantially horizontal first and second anterior seam segments. 
     
     
         15 . The method defined in  claim 13  wherein said anterior seam segments are located no higher than approximately clavicle areas of said torso. 
     
     
         16 . The method defined in  claim 13  wherein said fabric panels or sections further include at least two lateral torso panels, the attaching of said fabric panels or sections to one another including joining each of said lateral torso panels along an arcuate seam to a respective one of said shoulder panels along said back side of said torso. 
     
     
         17 . The method defined in  claim 16  wherein said lower back panel is a single or unitary panel extending across said back side of said torso. 
     
     
         18 . The method defined in  claim 13  wherein said chest panel is a single or unitary panel extending across said anterior side of said torso from one sleeve to the opposite sleeve. 
     
     
         19 . The method defined in  claim 13  wherein said fabric panels or sections further include sleeve end panels, the attaching of said fabric panels or sections to one another including joining said sleeve end panels along seams to edges of said shoulder panels at free ends of said sleeves. 
     
     
         20 . The method defined in  claim 13  wherein said shoulder panels are made of a knitted fabric material, the cutting of said fabric panels or sections including cutting said shoulder panels on the bias. 
     
     
         21 . The method defined in  claim 13  wherein said shoulder panels are cut and attached so as to have a maximum degree of stretchability in a direction extending from said vertical seam over the respective shoulders. 
     
     
         22 . The method defined in  claim 13  wherein said shoulder panels are cut and attached so as to have a maximum degree of stretchability along said back side of said torso in a direction oriented at approximately 45 degrees relative to said vertical seam. 
     
     
         23 . The method defined in  claim 13  wherein said shoulder panels are each cut as a single or seamless fabric section and attached to other fabric panels or sections to extend from said vertical seam and said horizontal seam on said back side of said torso over the shoulders and to said chest panel.