Shoulder Compression Garment

Abstract

The present invention provides athletic apparel principally for bicycling. The invention provides a shoulder compression garment for bicycling configured to maintain a user's shoulders in a position closer to a user's medial torso plane relative to a relaxed position of the user's shoulders.

1 . A garment, comprising:
 a shoulder portion configured to extend substantially around a portion of a user's shoulders, back and chest;   a first strap connected to the shoulder portion to define a first arm opening;   a second strap connected to the shoulder portion to define a second arm opening; and   wherein the shoulder portion, the first strap, and the second strap are configured to maintain the user's shoulders in a position closer to the user's torso medial plane relative to a relaxed position of the user's shoulders.   
     
     
         2 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the shoulder portion comprises an elastic fabric. 
     
     
         3 . The garment of  claim 2 , wherein the stretch fabric comprises one of a woven and knit fabric. 
     
     
         4 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second straps comprises an elastic fabric. 
     
     
         5 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the first strap and the second strap are sewn to the shoulder portion. 
     
     
         6 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the shoulder portion has opposing first and second shoulder portion edges and wherein the first and second shoulder edges are connected to a closure member. 
     
     
         7 . The garment of  claim 6 , wherein the closure member comprises at least one of a hook fastener, a zipper fastener, and a hook-and-loop fastener. 
     
     
         8 . The garment of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one reinforcing member joined to the shoulder portion. 
     
     
         9 . A garment, comprising a shoulder portion configured to extend substantially around a portion of a user's shoulders, back and chest and to substantially draw the user's shoulder closer to user's medial torso plane. 
     
     
         10 . The garment of  claim 9 , further comprising a pair of straps connected the shoulder portion and wherein the pair of straps is configured to extend substantially around a portion of the user's back and chest. 
     
     
         11 . The garment of  claim 10 , wherein the shoulder portion comprises a first elastic material and wherein the pair of straps comprises a second elastic material. 
     
     
         12 . The garment of  claim 10 , wherein the shoulder portion and the pair of straps are composed of different materials. 
     
     
         13 . The garment of  claim 11  wherein one or both of the shoulder portion and the pair of straps materials comprise at least one of a laminate, a woven fabric, a knit fabric, a elastic material, a dual laminate, and a laminate having first and second layers, wherein the first layer stretches in first direction and wherein the second layer stretches in a second direction, the second direction differs from the first direction. 
     
     
         14 . The garment of  claim 10 , wherein the shoulder portion has opposing first and second shoulder portion edges joined to opposing top and bottom shoulder portions, wherein each strap of the pair of straps has top and bottom strap edges joined at one end and a strap edge at the other end, wherein at least a portion of the top strap edge of each strap is connected to at least a portion of the shoulder portion bottom edge, wherein the first shoulder portion edge is connected to the strap end of one of the pair of straps and wherein the second shoulder portion edge is connected to the strap end of another pair of straps. 
     
     
         15 . The garment of  claim 14 , wherein a closure member is connected to the first and second shoulder portion edges and to the strap end of each of the pair of straps and wherein the closure member is a closure element selected from the group of closure elements consisting of buttons and button holes, zipper fasteners, hook and loop fasteners, latches, rack and pinion, buckling fasteners and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The garment of  claim 14 , wherein the shoulder portion comprises a reinforcing element extending vertically from about the top edge to about the bottom edge of the shoulder portion. 
     
     
         17 . The garment of  claim 10 , further comprising connecting one of both of the shoulder portion and the pair of straps to one of a jersey, speedsuit, shirt, or blouse. 
     
     
         18 . A shoulder garment, comprising a stretchable shoulder portion connected to a pair of stretchable straps to define a pair of arm openings, the shoulder portion having opposing shoulder portion edges and each of the pair of straps having a strap edge, wherein the shoulder portion edges and the pair of strap edges are connected to a closure member, wherein the pair of straps are configured to extend substantially around a portion of the user's back and chest and wherein the stretchable shoulder portion is configured to extend substantially around a portion of a user's shoulders, back and chest and to substantially draw the user's shoulders closer to user's medial torso plane. 
     
     
         19 . The shoulder garment of  18 , wherein one or both of the stretchable shoulder portion and the pair of stretchable straps comprise a laminate having first and second layers, wherein the first layer stretches in first direction and wherein the second layer stretches in a second direction, the second direction differs from the first direction. 
     
     
         20 . The shoulder garment of  claim 18 , wherein the closure member is a closure element selected from the group of closure elements consisting of buttons and button holes, zipper fasteners, hook and loop fasteners, latches, rack and pinion, buckling fasteners and combinations thereof and wherein the stretchable shoulder portion and the stretchable pair of straps, the shoulder portion and the closure member are connected by one or more of stitching, welding, adhesives, and weaving.