Elongate elastic member for use in lower-body garments

Abstract

An elongate elastic member for assisting an athletic motion and a lower-body garment incorporating the elongate elastic member are provided herein. The elongate elastic member may have various configurations that permit it to be attached to a foot or shoe of a wearer and a torso of the wearer. The structure and as-worn configuration of the elongate elastic member and associated lower-body garment augment or inhibit joint moments during an athletic motion, improving the actual or perceived amount of energy expended to complete the athletic motion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A lower-body garment comprising:
 a torso portion having a waist opening;   a first leg portion and a second leg portion extending from the torso portion, the first leg portion defining a first leg opening and the second leg portion defining a second leg opening;   a first textile layer having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;   a second textile layer positioned at least at a first area of the lower-body garment, the second textile layer having a third surface and a fourth surface opposite the third surface, where the third surface of the second textile layer is positioned adjacent to the second surface of the first textile layer at the first area of the lower-body garment; and   a first elongate elastic member continuously extending from a first location adjacent to the first leg opening to a second location adjacent to the waist opening, the first elongate elastic member at least partially disposed between the first textile layer and the second textile layer at the first area of the lower-body garment.   
     
     
         2 . The lower-body garment of  claim 1 , wherein the first elongate elastic member is disposed on an anterior side of the lower-body garment in a first zone, disposed on a posterior side of the lower-body garment in a third zone, and disposed on both a medial side and a lateral side of the lower-body garment in a second zone. 
     
     
         3 . The lower-body garment of  claim 2 , wherein the third zone is disposed between the first zone and the second zone. 
     
     
         4 . The lower-body garment of  claim 1 , the first elongate elastic member further comprising a stirrup configured for receiving a foot of a wearer. 
     
     
         5 . The lower-body garment of  claim 1 , the first elongate elastic member further comprising one or more adjusting components operably configured to modify a length of the first elongate elastic member. 
     
     
         6 . The lower-body garment of  claim 1 , wherein at a second area of the lower-body garment, the lower-body garment comprises the first textile layer and not the second textile layer, and wherein the first elongate elastic member is disposed adjacent to the second surface of the first textile layer at the second area. 
     
     
         7 . The lower-body garment of  claim 1 , wherein the first elongate elastic member further continuously extends from the second location adjacent to the waist opening, to a third location adjacent to the second leg opening. 
     
     
         8 . The lower-body garment of  claim 1 , wherein the lower-body garment further comprises a second elongate elastic member, the second elongate elastic member continuously extending from a third location adjacent to the second leg opening to the second location adjacent to the waist opening. 
     
     
         9 . The lower-body garment of  claim 8 , wherein the first elongate elastic member is coupled to the second elongate elastic member. 
     
     
         10 . An elongate elastic member for assisting an athletic motion comprising:
 a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and an intervening length therebetween; and   at least a first slit and a second slit, each of the first slit and the second slit disposed lengthwise parallel to a longitudinal axis of the elongate elastic member.   
     
     
         11 . The elongate elastic member of  claim 10 , further comprising a third slit positioned adjacent to the second end, the third slit disposed lengthwise parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongate elastic member. 
     
     
         12 . The elongate elastic member of  claim 10 , further comprising a pair of apertures positioned adjacent to the second end, the pair of apertures configured to be coupled to a shoelace of a shoe of a wearer. 
     
     
         13 . The elongate elastic member of  claim 10 , further comprising a stirrup extending from the second end, the stirrup configured to receive a foot of a wearer. 
     
     
         14 . The elongate elastic member of  claim 10 , further comprising an adjusting component coupled to the elongate elastic member, the adjusting component configured to operably adjust a length of the elongate elastic member. 
     
     
         15 . A lower-body garment comprising:
 a torso portion having a waist opening;   a first leg portion and a second leg portion extending from the torso portion, the first leg portion defining a first leg opening and the second leg portion defining a second leg opening;   a first area comprising:
 a first textile layer having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, and 
 a second textile layer having a third surface and a fourth surface opposite the third surface, wherein the third surface of the second textile layer is positioned adjacent to the second surface of the first textile layer at the first area; 
   a second area comprising the first textile layer and not the second textile layer; and   an elongate elastic member continuously extending from a location adjacent to the first leg opening, to a location adjacent to the waist opening, to a location adjacent to the second leg opening, the elongate elastic member disposed between the first textile layer and the second textile layer at the first area, the elongate elastic member further disposed on the second surface of the first textile layer at the second area.   
     
     
         16 . The lower-body garment of  claim 15 , wherein the elongate elastic member is disposed in the first area on a lateral side of the lower-body garment and disposed in the second area on a medial side of the lower-body garment. 
     
     
         17 . The lower-body garment of  claim 15 , wherein the elongate elastic member further comprises a stirrup configured for receiving a foot of a wearer. 
     
     
         18 . The lower-body garment of  claim 15 , wherein the second textile layer is integrally knit or woven with the first textile layer. 
     
     
         19 . The lower-body garment of  claim 15 , wherein the second textile layer is a separate panel piece from the first textile layer, and wherein the first textile layer and the second textile layer are coupled together at one or more perimeter edges of the second textile layer. 
     
     
         20 . The lower-body garment of  claim 15 , wherein the elongate elastic member further comprises a plurality of adjusting components operably configured to modify a length of the elongate elastic member.