Swimsuits

Abstract

Swimsuits are provided which include an outer shell made of a flexible stretchable fabric, locally reinforced regions in which an additional inner layer of a flexible stretchable fabric is attached from inside to the outer shell so that the locally reinforced regions have a greater tensile stiffness than a tensile stiffness of said outer shell alone, non-reinforced regions formed by said outer shell alone and having only the tensile stiffness of said outer shell alone, wherein the stretchable fabric of the outer shell and the stretchable fabric of the only locally applied inner layer include both woven-in carbon fiber reinforcement, and the stretchable fabric of the outer shell has bi-directionally woven-in carbon fiber reinforcement and anisotropic stretch properties. Methods for making such swimsuits are also provided.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A swimsuit, particularly for competition swimming, comprising an outer shell suitable to cover at least part of the body trunk and of the thighs of a swimmer, wherein the outer shell is made of a flexible stretchable fabric adapted to apply a hoop compression to the thighs and to the body trunk,
 wherein the swimsuit forms:   locally reinforced regions in which an additional inner layer of a flexible stretchable fabric is attached from inside to the outer shell so that the locally reinforced regions have a greater tensile stiffness than a tensile stiffness of said outer shell alone, and   non-reinforced regions formed by said outer shell alone and having only the tensile stiffness of said outer shell alone,   characterized in that the stretchable fabric of the outer shell and the stretchable fabric of the only locally applied inner layer include both woven-in carbon fiber reinforcement, and the stretchable fabric of the outer shell has bi-directionally woven-in carbon fiber reinforcement and anisotropic stretch properties.   
     
     
         24 . The swimsuit of  claim 23 , wherein the carbon fiber reinforcement of the outer shell fabric comprises hoop direction oriented carbon fiber threads extending parallel to each other at a distance of between 1.5 and 2.5 mm, and longitudinally oriented carbon fiber threads extending parallel to each other at a distance of between 1.5 and 2.5 mm, thereby defining in a non-stretched condition a squared regular pattern. 
     
     
         25 . The swimsuit of  claim 24 , wherein the total uniformly distributed hoop oriented carbon fiber content equals the total uniformly distributed longitudinally oriented carbon fiber content of the outer shell fabric, and the total carbon fiber content, in terms of % by weight, of the outer shell fabric is in the range of 2.3% to 3.7%, preferably from 2.7% to 3.3%. 
     
     
         26 . The swimsuit of  claim 23 , wherein an elastic extensibility of the outer shell fabric in the longitudinal direction is greater than an elastic extensibility of the outer shell fabric in the hoop direction. 
     
     
         27 . The swimsuit of  claim 26 , wherein the elastic extensibility of the outer shell fabric in the longitudinal direction ranges from 85% to 115%, preferably from 95% to 105%, whereas the elastic extensibility of the outer shell fabric in the hoop direction ranges from 65% to 85%, preferably from 70% to 80%. 
     
     
         28 . The swimsuit of  claim 23 , wherein the carbon fiber reinforcement of the inner layer fabric is substantially unidirectional in the hoop direction only. 
     
     
         29 . The swimsuit of  claim 28 , wherein the total carbon fiber content of the inner layer ( 10 ), in terms of % by weight, is in the range of 0.5% to 1.5%, preferably about 1%. 
     
     
         30 . Swimsuit of  claim 23 , wherein the locally arranged inner layer comprises a plurality of individual inner layer pieces connected to the outer shell along connection lines extending along peripheral edges of the inner layer piece, and without being connected over the entire surface area of the inner layer pieces. 
     
     
         31 . The swimsuit of  claim 30 , wherein the connection lines are selected in the group consisting of:
 adhesive gluing lines,   bonding tape or stripe.   
     
     
         32 . The swimsuit according to  claim 30  or  31 , wherein the reinforced regions comprise a reinforced gluteus maximus region in which:
 a gluteus maximus inner layer piece is shaped and arranged to cover the area of the gluteus maximus and substantially limited thereto, 
 a posterior superior connecting line extending transversally from one lateral side to the opposite lateral side in a superior end region of the gluteus maximus muscle, 
 a posterior medial connecting line extending from the lumbar vertebrae region medially downward into a crotch region, 
 two posterior inferior connecting lines extending from the crotch region rearward, laterally outward and upward. 
 
     
     
         33 . The swimsuit of  claim 30 , wherein the reinforced regions comprise a reinforced abdominal region covering an area of at least the lower abdomen, in which:
 an abdominal inner layer piece is shaped and arranged to cover the area of the lower abdominal muscles and substantially limited thereto,   an anterior superior connecting line extending transversally from one lateral side to the opposite lateral side across the abdominal muscle region,   two anterior inferior connecting lines extending from the crotch region forward, laterally outward and upward.   
     
     
         34 . The swimsuit according to  claims 32  and  33 , wherein two opposite lateral portions of the anterior superior connecting line merge with and continue as lateral end portions of the posterior inferior connecting lines in a manner that the posterior inferior connecting lines and the anterior superior connecting line form a substantially closed loop. 
     
     
         35 . The swimsuit according to  claims 32  and  33 , wherein the anterior superior connecting line forms a medial upwardly oriented cusp from which two opposite lateral portions extend laterally outward and merge with and continue as lateral end portions of the posterior superior connecting line such that the posterior superior connecting line and the anterior superior connecting line form a substantially closed loop. 
     
     
         36 . The swimsuit of  claim 32 , wherein the reinforced gluteus maximus region and the reinforced abdominal region are directly bordering and connected to each other. 
     
     
         37 . The swimsuit of  claim 30 , wherein the reinforced regions comprise two lateral thigh reinforced regions arranged at a lateral outer thigh region of the wearer and extending diagonally from a superior rear lateral thigh region downward and forward to a lower anterior lateral thigh region,
 wherein an upper posterior edge and a lower anterior edge of the inner layer pieces of the lateral thigh reinforced regions are connected to the outer shell by connecting lines,   whereas a free upper anterior edge and a free lower posterior edge of the inner layer pieces of the lateral thigh reinforced regions are not connected to the outer shell.   
     
     
         38 . The swimsuit of  claim 37 , wherein the free upper anterior edge and the free lower posterior edge are concavely curved. 
     
     
         39 . The swimsuit of  claim 23 , wherein:
 the reinforced regions comprise a thoracic reinforced region arranged in an anterior thoracic region of a trunk portion of the swimsuit and having an anterior-downward converging shape, and an abdominal reinforced region arranged in a lower abdominal and hip region of the trunk portion and having an anterior-upward converging shape,   the non-reinforced regions comprise two opposite waist non-reinforced regions arranged in opposite lateral waist regions of the trunk portion and both having a medially converging shape.   the thoracic reinforced region, the abdominal reinforced region and the waist non-reinforced regions are bordering in an “X” pattern in an anterior region of the trunk portion.   
     
     
         40 . The swimsuit of  claim 39 , wherein in the thoracic reinforced region the inner layer piece is connected to the outer shell along peripheral edges of the inner layer piece, but not over the entire inner layer surface area, and a free superior edge of the inner layer piece of the thoracic reinforced region is not connected to the outer shell. 
     
     
         41 . The swimsuit of  claim 23 , wherein the non-reinforced regions comprise:
 two opposite inner thigh non-reinforced regions,   two superior anterior thigh non-reinforced regions,   two inferior posterior thigh non-reinforced regions.   
     
     
         42 . The swimsuit according to  claims 32 ,  33 ,  37  and  41 ,
 wherein the inner thigh non-reinforced regions are directly adjacent to and bordering with the gluteus maximus reinforced region, the abdominal reinforced region and the lateral thigh reinforced region, 
 wherein the superior anterior thigh non-reinforced regions are directly adjacent to and bordering with the lateral thigh reinforced region and with at least one of the gluteus maximus reinforced region and the abdominal reinforced region, 
 wherein the inferior posterior thigh non-reinforced regions are directly adjacent to and bordering with the lateral thigh reinforced region. 
 
     
     
         43 . The swimsuit of  claim 41 , wherein in each tubular thigh portion of the swimsuit, the inner thigh non-reinforced region, the superior anterior thigh non-reinforced region and the inferior posterior thigh non-reinforced region form together an uninterrupted thigh non-reinforced region, with the only exception of the possibly provided stiffening lines. 
     
     
         44 . The swimsuit of  claim 23 , forming a thorax-hip-tension line continuously connected to the outer shell and having a greater tensile stiffness than a tensile stiffness of said outer shell alone,
 said thorax-hip-tension line comprising:   two anterior portions extending from opposite lateral thoracic regions diagonally downward across an anterior abdominal region where they intersect in an intersecting point, and further to opposite lateral hip regions,   a rear portion extending all around a rear hip region and adjacent lateral hip regions where it merges with the anterior portions to form an intersecting loop.