Articles Of Apparel With Garment Components And Pad Components

Abstract

An article of apparel may include a garment component and a pad component. A pair of linear regions of the pad component may be secured to the garment, and a region of the pad component between the linear regions may be unsecured to the component. The pair of linear regions may be positioned at spaced and separate edge areas of the pad component. A central area of the pad component may be at least partially spaced from the garment component when the garment component is substantially unstretched.

1 . An article of apparel comprising:
 a garment component for covering a portion of a body of a wearer, the garment component having an inner surface and an opposite outer surface, and the garment component including a first area and a second area;   a first pad component positioned adjacent to the first area of the garment component, the first pad component being (a) secured to the first area at a first pair of linear regions and (b) unsecured to the first area between the first pair of linear regions, the first pair of linear regions being spaced from each other and positioned on opposite sides of the first area; and   a second pad component positioned adjacent to the second area of the garment component, the second pad component being (a) secured to the second area at a second pair of linear regions and (b) unsecured to the second area between the second pair of linear regions, the second pair of linear regions being spaced from each other and positioned on opposite sides of the second area.   
     
     
         2 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the first pair of linear regions are located at edge areas of the first pad component. 
     
     
         3 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the first pad component is stitched to the outer surface of the garment component in the first pair of linear regions. 
     
     
         4 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the first pad component comprises two textile layers and a polymer foam layer. 
     
     
         5 . The article of apparel of  claim 4 , wherein the first pad component comprises an outer layer including a mesh textile. 
     
     
         6 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein each linear region of the first pair of linear regions is substantially straight. 
     
     
         7 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the linear regions of the first pair of linear regions are substantially parallel. 
     
     
         8 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the article of apparel is a pants-type garment, and wherein the first pad component is positioned adjacent to an area selected from a group consisting of (a) a hip area of the garment component, (b) a tailbone area of the garment component, and (c) a knee area of the garment component. 
     
     
         9 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the article of apparel is a shirt-type garment, and wherein the first pad component is positioned adjacent to an area selected from a group consisting of (a) a shoulder area of the garment component and (b) an elbow area of the garment component. 
     
     
         10 . An article of apparel comprising:
 a garment component for covering a portion of a body of a wearer, the garment component having an inner surface and an opposite outer surface; and   a pad component positioned adjacent to the outer surface of the garment component, a pair of separate and spaced edge areas of the pad component being secured to the garment component, and a central area of the pad component that is located between the edge areas being unsecured to the garment component.   
     
     
         11 . The article of apparel of  claim 10 , wherein the pair of edge areas is stitched to the garment component. 
     
     
         12 . The article of apparel of  claim 10 , wherein each of the pair of edge areas is substantially straight. 
     
     
         13 . The article of apparel of  claim 10 , wherein the pair of edge areas is substantially parallel. 
     
     
         14 . The article of apparel of  claim 10 , wherein the central area of the pad component is at least partially spaced from the garment component when the garment component is substantially unstretched. 
     
     
         15 . An article of apparel comprising:
 a garment component for covering a portion of a body of a wearer; and   a pad component located adjacent to the garment component and having (a) a pair of secured regions that are joined to the garment component and (b) an unsecured region that is unjoined to the garment component, the secured regions being spaced from each other and located adjacent to a periphery of the pad component, the unsecured region being located between the secured regions and separating the secured regions from each other, and the unsecured region extending through an entirety of a distance between opposite edges of the pad component.   
     
     
         16 . The article of apparel of  claim 15 , wherein the pair of secured regions is stitched to the garment component. 
     
     
         17 . The article of apparel of  claim 15 , wherein each of the pair of secured regions is substantially straight. 
     
     
         18 . The article of apparel of  claim 15 , wherein the pair of secured regions is substantially parallel. 
     
     
         19 . The article of apparel of  claim 15 , wherein the unsecured region is at least partially spaced from the garment component when the garment component is substantially unstretched. 
     
     
         20 . An article of apparel comprising:
 a garment component having a pelvic region and a pair of leg regions, and the garment component including a first hip area, a second hip area, and a tailbone area; and   a pad component positioned adjacent to one of the first hip area, the second hip area, and the tailbone area, the pad component having an inwardly-facing surface secured to the garment component in a first linear region and a second linear region, the inwardly-facing surface being unsecured to the garment component between the first linear region and the second linear region.   
     
     
         21 . The article of apparel of  claim 20 , wherein the pad component includes a pair of textile layers and a polymer foam layer positioned between the textile layers. 
     
     
         22 . The article of apparel of  claim 21 , wherein one of the textile layers is a mesh textile layer. 
     
     
         23 . The article of apparel of  claim 20 , wherein the first linear region and the second linear region are substantially straight. 
     
     
         24 . The article of apparel of  claim 20 , wherein the first linear region is substantially parallel to the second linear region. 
     
     
         25 . The article of apparel of  claim 20 , wherein the garment component further includes a first knee area and a second knee area, and wherein the first linear region and the second linear region straddle one of the first hip area, the second hip area, the tailbone area, the first knee area, and the second knee area. 
     
     
         26 . An article of apparel comprising:
 a garment component having a torso region that defines a neck opening and a waist opening, a first arm region that defines a first arm opening, and a second arm region that defines a second arm opening, the garment component including a first shoulder area and a second shoulder area; and   a pad component extending across one of the first shoulder area and the second shoulder area, the pad component having an inwardly-facing surface with a first region, a second region, and a third region between the first region and second region, the inwardly-facing surface being secured to the garment component in both the first region and the second region,   
       wherein the third region of the inwardly-facing surface is at least partially spaced from the garment component when the garment component is substantially unstretched. 
     
     
         27 . The article of apparel of  claim 26 , wherein the pad component comprises an outer textile layer, an inner textile layer, and a polymer foam layer positioned the outer textile layer and the inner textile layer. 
     
     
         28 . The article of apparel of  claim 27 , wherein one of the outer textile layer and the inner textile layer comprises a mesh textile layer. 
     
     
         29 . The article of apparel of  claim 26 , wherein the first region and the second region are linear and substantially straight. 
     
     
         30 . The article of apparel of  claim 26 , wherein the first region is substantially parallel to the second region. 
     
     
         31 . The shirt-type garment of  claim 26 , wherein the garment component further includes a first elbow area and a second elbow area, and wherein the first linear region and the second linear region straddle one of the first shoulder area, the second shoulder area, the first elbow area, and the second elbow area.