Thermal regulating compression garments

Abstract

A compression garment including a thermal energy regulating fabric. The compression garment has a first region of a first compression pressure. A second region adjacent a first side of the first region includes a first compression gradient increasing in compression pressure in a direction toward the first region. A third region adjacent a second side of the first compression region includes a second compression gradient increasing in compression pressure in a direction toward the first region. The first region includes a consistent compression pressure that is a higher pressure than or the highest pressure of the adjacent increasing pressure gradients.

1 . A compression garment comprising a thermal energy regulating fabric and a compression gradient of increasing compression pressure. 
     
     
         2 . The compression garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a first region of a first compression pressure and an adjacent second region including the compression gradient of increasing compression pressure, wherein the compression gradient increases in pressure in a direction toward the first region. 
     
     
         3 . The compression garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a first region of a first compression pressure and two adjacent regions each including a compression gradient of increasing compression pressure in a direction toward the first region. 
     
     
         4 . The compression garment of  claim 3 , wherein the compression gradient of each of the two adjacent regions increases in compression pressure from a distal end toward the first region. 
     
     
         5 . The compression garment of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal regulating fabric comprises at least one of acrylic fibers, nylon fibers, elastic fibers, and combinations thereof knitted or woven together. 
     
     
         6 . The compression garment of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal energy regulating fabric comprises a phase change material. 
     
     
         7 . The compression garment of  claim 6 , wherein the phase change material is microencapsulated in a shell material. 
     
     
         8 . The compression garment of  claim 1 , wherein the increasing compression pressure increases from a lower compression pressure of about 8 mmHg to about 15 mmHg to a higher compression pressure of about 13 mm Hg to about 20 mmHg. 
     
     
         9 . A compression garment, comprising:
 a thermal energy regulating fabric;   a first region having a first compression pressure;   a second region adjacent a first side of the first region, the second region including a first compression gradient increasing in compression pressure in a direction toward the first region; and   a third region adjacent a second side of the first compression region, the third region including a second compression gradient increasing in compression pressure in a direction toward the first region.   
     
     
         10 . The compression garment of  claim 9 , wherein each of the first compression gradient and the second compression gradient increases in compression pressure from a distal end toward the first region. 
     
     
         11 . The compression garment of  claim 9 , wherein the thermal regulating fabric comprises at least one of acrylic fibers, nylon fibers, elastic fibers, and combinations thereof knitted or woven together. 
     
     
         12 . The compression garment of  claim 9 , wherein the thermal energy regulating fabric comprises a phase change material. 
     
     
         13 . The compression garment of  claim 12 , wherein the second region includes less weight percent phase change material than the first region. 
     
     
         14 . The compression garment of  claim 13 , wherein the garment comprises hosiery and a leg portion of the hosiery comprises the second region. 
     
     
         15 . The compression garment of  claim 9 , wherein the first region comprises a compression pressure from about 18 mmHg to about 22 mmHg. 
     
     
         16 . The compression garment of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first compression gradient or the second compression gradient comprises an increasing compression pressure from a lower compression pressure of about 8 mmHg to about 13 mmHg to a higher compression pressure of about 13 mm Hg to about 20 mmHg. 
     
     
         17 . The compression garment of  claim 16 , wherein the lower compression pressure is about 11 mmHg and the higher compression pressure is about 15 mmHg. 
     
     
         18 . A compression hosiery garment, comprising
 a foot portion and a leg portion each formed of a fabric including a thermal energy regulating phase change material;   the foot portion including a first increasing compression gradient extending from a toe region in a direction toward the leg portion;   the leg portion including a second increasing compression gradient extending from an open end toward the foot portion; and   a region of a continuous higher compression pressure between the first increasing compression gradient and the second increasing pressure gradient, the region of higher compression pressure extending circumferentially about the foot portion and over a heel region of the foot portion.   
     
     
         19 . The compression garment of  claim 19 , wherein each of the first increasing compression gradient and the second compression gradient comprises an increasing compression pressure from a lower compression pressure of about 8 mmHg to about 13 mmHg to a higher compression pressure of about 13 mm Hg to about 20 mmHg, and the region of a continuous higher compression pressure comprises a compression pressure from about 18 mmHg to about 22 mmHg. 
     
     
         20 . The compression garment of  claim 19 , wherein each of the first increasing compression gradient and the second compression gradient comprises an increasing compression pressure from about 11 mmHg and the higher compression pressure is about 15 mmHg, and the region of a continuous higher compression pressure comprises a compression pressure of about 20 mmHg.