JP7496086B2 - Bottoms - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a lower garment that prevents problems such as tightness when using thigh supporters and/or knee supporters and bends the knees to work, and that makes it easy to adjust or put on and take off the brace, and to clothing that integrates the lower garment with an upper garment.

Clothing for assisting movements, so-called assist suits, have been used to reduce the burden on workers and prevent breakdowns and injuries in tasks such as lifting, transporting, and lowering heavy loads, agriculture, civil engineering, and nursing care. Some electric suits are known, but they are expensive and difficult to use, so it is more convenient to create an assist suit using elastic fabric without using electric power.
Patent Document 1 proposes work trousers in which the protective pad is connected integrally to the outer body of the work trousers, so there is no need to attach or detach the protective pad, and there is no risk of it slipping off or coming off during work. Patent Document 2 proposes a supporter in which the waist attachment belt and knee joint attachment support can be attached and detached freely using fasteners, and the elastic belt for pulling up the knee joint can be freely used to move about in daily life. Patent Document 3 proposes a work wear in which the arm and back motion support device, the waist and knee motion support device, and the back, waist and knee motion support device are integrated with or separated from the trousers, or are separable.

JP 2017-186713 A JP 2011-36367 A JP 2017-192719 A

However, the above-mentioned conventional technology causes problems such as tightness when bending the knees to work, and because the equipment is worn inside the lower garment, there is a need for further improvement to address the problem of difficulty in adjusting or putting on and taking off the equipment. In particular, the assist suit has a unique problem in that the lower body parts are built into the pants (trousers), which makes it easy for problems such as tightness to occur when bending the knees to work.

To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a lower garment that does not cause any problems such as tightness when working with bent knees, and makes it easy to adjust or put on and take off the brace, and a movement-assistance garment that integrates the lower garment with the upper garment.

The lower garment of the present invention is characterized in that the upper and lower fabrics of the brace are separated horizontally, the lower end of the upper fabric is free, and the front part of the upper fabric has an opening and closing device that can be opened and closed vertically from the lower end.

The wear of the present invention is characterized in that the bottom garment is integrated with the top garment.

The lower garment of the present invention is separated horizontally into an upper fabric and a lower fabric at the crotch area of the front body, the lower end of the upper fabric is free, and the front side of the upper fabric has an opening and closing device that can be opened and closed vertically from the lower end, providing a lower garment that does not cause any problems such as tightness when working with bent knees, and makes it easy to adjust or put on and take off the brace. It is also possible to provide clothing in which the lower garment is integrated with the upper garment.

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of an undergarment according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic back view of the movement-assisting wear according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of an undergarment according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line II of FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic enlarged view of a side pocket of the lower garment. FIG. 6 is a schematic explanatory diagram of an opening and closing part along a side pocket part of the lower garment. FIG. 7 is a schematic front view of the lower garment with the waist belt portion open.

The lower garment of the present invention is separated horizontally (in the width direction of the leg) into an upper fabric and a lower fabric at the crotch portion of the front body, preferably between the crotch portion of the front body and the lower part of the knee, or between the crotch portion of the front body and the upper part of the knee, and the lower end of the upper fabric is free. Preferably, the lower end of the upper fabric covers the upper end of the lower fabric. Specifically, the length of the upper fabric covering the upper end of the lower fabric is 5 cm or less, preferably 1.5 to 3 cm. This prevents the knee from being pulled tight when working with the knee bent. The front part of the upper fabric has an opening and closing device that can be opened and closed vertically (in the length direction of the leg). On the inside of the upper fabric, there is a brace such as a thigh supporter and/or a knee supporter that tightens the thighs of the human body, and by opening the opening and closing device and adjusting the tightness, the brace can be easily put on and taken off.

It is preferable that the lower fabric is connected to the seam at the crotch by a lining fabric that is placed on the reverse side of the upper fabric. This allows the lower fabric to be suspended by the lining fabric, so that even when the knees are bent, the gap between the upper and lower fabrics does not open up and expose the knees. In addition, the lining fabric acts as a guide for the legs when putting on the pants, making them easier to put on.

It is preferable to provide a side pocket on the side of the opening and closing device of the upper fabric. Many work clothes have side pockets, which are convenient and improve usability.

The width of the bottom end of the upper fabric is preferably wider than the width of the top end of the lower fabric. Specifically, the width of the bottom end of the upper fabric is at least 1 cm, preferably 2 to 3 cm, wider than the width of the top end of the lower fabric. Inside the upper fabric are braces such as thigh supporters and/or knee supporters, which increase the diameter of the leg, so it is preferable to widen the width of the bottom end of the upper fabric in order to cover this, and also to reduce the tightness of the thighs when bending the knees deeply.

The front part of the upper fabric has an opening and closing device that can be opened and closed vertically from the lower end, preferably from the crotch seam to the lower end in the vertical direction (the length of the leg). The opening and closing device is preferably at least one selected from a slide fastener, a hook and loop fastener, a hook, and a button. This makes it easy to put on and take off or adjust an appliance such as a thigh supporter through the opening when the opening and closing device is open. Even more preferably, it is configured with a slide fastener, which has the advantage of being able to be opened and closed freely. The lining fabric makes it possible to prevent bare skin from being seen through the opening when the opening and closing device is open.

It is preferable to have a gusset at least in the rear part of the side pocket. The gusset can be formed by folding it in half, with a width of 1 cm or more, preferably 2 to 4 cm. This has the same effect as making the width of the bottom end of the upper fabric wider than the width of the top end of the lower fabric, while also preventing problems such as tightness around the knees and allowing the pocket to be larger.

The lining is preferably made of one-way or two-way stretchable fabric that stretches vertically, which can eliminate tightness around the knees and thighs even when the knees are bent deeply.
The material of the lining is preferably a fabric that does not stick to hook-and-loop fasteners, such as a fabric that is not pile-like or a fine-meshed fabric. In addition, since it is used on the surface that comes into contact with the skin, for example, a mesh-like fabric or a fabric that is absorbent, quick-drying, and breathable is preferable. The material is not particularly limited, and natural fibers, regenerated fibers, chemical fibers, etc. are used. Since it is worn in manufacturing, construction, logistics, agricultural work, nursing care, food service, etc., or during sports, it is preferable to use a fabric that has the functions of ventilation, water repellency, flame resistance, antibacterial, antiviral, deodorizing, stretchability, stain resistance, and antistatic properties. Furthermore, since the lining of the brace such as the thigh supporter and/or knee supporter is wrapped around the brace, it is preferable to use a fabric that is not easily displaced by movement and is resistant to abrasion.

The brace is a member for fixing or supporting the thigh or knee, such as a thigh supporter and/or a knee supporter, and is usually used by wrapping it around the body. Note that it may also be used as a lower body part, for example, a lower body part for assisting movement, integrated with a waist belt or the like.
The brace may be worn directly on the skin, or it is preferably wrapped with a lining and can be attached and detached from the lining by a hook-and-loop fastener on the brace. In this way, the brace wraps the thighs and/or knees of the human body through the lining, preventing damage to the skin due to friction, etc. When the brace is not required to function, it can be loosened from wrapping around the thighs or knees to eliminate the feeling of tightness, and when the brace is in use, it can be securely wrapped and fixed (adjusted) through the opening of the opening/closing device.

It is preferable to place multiple darts around the knees in the lower fabric of the bottom garment to enlarge the knee area. It is also preferable to place multiple darts in four places on the left, right, top and bottom of the knee. This will eliminate any tightness in the knees even when the knees are bent deeply.

The lower garment of the present invention is a lower garment incorporating a lower body part for assisting movement as an orthosis, and the lower body part for assisting movement is preferably integrated with a waist belt section and a thigh supporter by a cross belt and incorporated into the lower garment. The lower garment incorporating the lower body part and the back support section are preferably detachably connected by a connecting section at the waist position on the back. This reduces the burden on the wearer when lifting, carrying, and putting down heavy loads without electric tools, or when performing care work. In the present invention, the lower garment is synonymous with trousers. The waist belt section has a lumbar vertebrae fixing section with increased rigidity to protect the lumbar vertebrae.

The stretchable fabric is not particularly limited, but may be made of synthetic fibers such as polyester fibers, acrylic fibers, nylon fibers, or urethane fibers, and may have an elongation rate of 120% to 200% at a load of 4 to 5 N, and a basis weight of 100 to 500 g/m ^2. As an example, a fabric made of nylon/polyurethane fibers with a width of 5 cm and an elongation rate of 175% vertically and 150% horizontally at a load of 4.9 N, 218% vertically/192% horizontally at a load of 17.6 N, and a load when stretched 20%: 1 N vertically/1.4 N horizontally, and a basis weight of 348 g/m ² was used.

The bottoms can be long-hemmed or knee-length shorts. The top and bottoms can be one piece of clothing, such as a jumpsuit.

The fabric of the lower garment body can be formed by a single or arbitrary combination of woven fabric, knitted fabric, pile fabric, etc. made of natural fibers such as cotton fibers, regenerated fibers such as rayon fibers, and chemical fibers such as polyester fibers, acrylic fibers, nylon fibers, and urethane fibers. Functional yarns such as antistatic yarns may be mixed, and flame-retardant materials may be used. Materials that have stretchability in the horizontal and vertical directions are more preferable. In addition, since the lower garment is worn in manufacturing, construction, logistics, agricultural work, nursing care and food service industries, or during sports, fabrics that have functions of ventilation, water repellency, flame resistance, antibacterial, antiviral, deodorizing, 2-way stretch, vertical stretch, horizontal stretch, breathability, and stain resistance are preferable. Workwear fabrics with a mass (basis weight) of 100 to 350 g/ ^m2 can be used.

The present invention will be specifically described below using examples. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

The following description will be given with reference to the drawings. In the following, the same reference numerals indicate the same parts. Figure 1 is a schematic front view of a lower garment 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a schematic back view of a wear for assisting movements 1, and Figure 3 is a schematic side view of the lower garment 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the movement assist wear 1 comprises a lower garment 2 incorporating a lower body part and a back part 3 detachably connected by connectors 4a and 4b. There may be one connector or two or more connectors, but two connectors are more stable in terms of strength and balance. By attaching the back part 3 to the connectors 4a and 4b, there is an advantage that it supports the upper body when in a forward leaning position and assists in lifting movements. The material of the back part 3 is preferably a breathable mesh and a material with the same rigidity as the lumbar fixation part 15.

As shown in FIG. 1, the front body 5 of the bottoms 2 is composed of a hip area 5a, an upper fabric 5b, and a lower fabric 5c, and the upper fabric 5b and the lower fabric 5c are separated above the knee. The lower end of the upper fabric 5b is free to cover the upper end of the lower fabric 5c. The front of the upper fabric 5b has openings 7a, 7b that can be opened and closed vertically from the crotch seam line 6 to the lower end. The lower fabric 5c is connected to the crotch seam line 6 by lining fabrics 8a, 8b that are arranged on the back side of the upper fabric. The lining fabrics 8a, 8b are integrated with the hip area 5a and the upper fabric 5b at the seam line 6. 23a, 23b are pockets.

The fabric for the front and back of the lower garment 2 used in this embodiment is made of a woven fabric using a blend of cotton and polyester fibers (15 count) as the warp yarn and a polyester fiber doped yarn (150 denier x 2) as the weft yarn, with a blend ratio of 65% polyester fiber and 35% cotton fiber. The fabric has a basis weight of 200 g/ ^m2 and is stretchable in the lateral direction.

Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of line I-I in Figure 1. The lower fabric 5c is connected to the crotch transition line 6 by the lining 8b arranged on the back side of the upper fabric 5b. The thigh supporter 9a can be wrapped around the thighs over the lining 8a. The lining material is preferably a fabric that does not stick to hook-and-loop fasteners, such as a fabric that is not pile-like or has a fine mesh. In addition, since it is used on the surface that comes into contact with the skin, for example, a mesh fabric or a fabric that is absorbent, quick-drying, and breathable is preferable. There are no particular restrictions on the material, and natural fibers, regenerated fibers, chemical fibers, etc. are used. Since it is worn in manufacturing, construction, logistics, agricultural work, nursing care, food service, etc., or during sports, a fabric that has the functions of ventilation, water repellency, flame resistance, antibacterial, antiviral, deodorizing, stretchability, stain resistance, and antistatic properties is preferable. Furthermore, since the thigh supporter is arranged by wrapping the lining, a fabric that does not easily slip during movement and is resistant to abrasion is preferable.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cross belt 14a, the first belt 14b, and the second belt 14c are connected from below to the waist belt portion 14. The thigh supports 9a and 9b are connected to the lower part of the suspension belt 13 and the cross belt 14a.

Figure 5 is a schematic enlarged view of the side pocket 10 of the lower garment. The side pocket 10 is provided on the side of the opening and closing device 7b of the upper fabric 5b. The back side of the side pocket 10 is formed with a gusset 11 to allow it to expand. In addition, the width of the bottom end of the upper fabric 5b is wider than the width of the top end of the lower fabric 5c. This allows the thigh supporter to be present inside, reducing the feeling of tightness in the thighs when bending the knees deeply.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the pants with the opening and closing part 7b open along the side pocket part 10. The opening and closing part 7b, which can be opened and closed vertically from the crotch seam 6 to the bottom end, is opened to attach and remove the internal thigh supporter.

As shown in Figure 1, the lower fabric 5c of the pants has multiple darts 12a-12d around the knees to enlarge the knee area. These darts are formed by pinching the fabric into a U-shape and sewing the top end. By adding darts, it is possible to eliminate tightness in the knees even when bending the knees deeply.

As shown in Figure 2, the backrest part 3 is composed of a backrest 16, shoulder belts 17, a lower belt 18, and a connecting belt 19 that connects the shoulder belt 17 and the lower belt 18, and distributes the weight of heavy luggage to the entire body, preventing damage to the lumbar vertebrae.

Figure 7 is a schematic front view of the lower garment 2 with the waist belt portion 14 open. An anti-slip layer 24 may be provided on the back side of the waist belt portion 14. The anti-slip layer 24 may be coated with rubber or elastomer, or may have exposed elastic threads. The rubber anti-slip layer 24 makes it difficult for the belt portion 14 to come loose when fastened. In addition, a hook-and-loop fastener 25 is provided on the back side of the waist belt portion 14 near the tip. Opening and closing the waist belt portion 14 with the hook-and-loop fastener 25 is easy to use.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first stretchable fabric 20a is arranged under the waist belt 14 (including the lumbar fixation part 15). As a result, even if the waist is bent deeply with the waist belt 14 tightly tied around the torso, the first stretchable fabric 20a stretches, reducing the feeling of tightness in the waist. It is preferable that the width of the first stretchable fabric 20a is widened above the buttocks in the part corresponding to the protruding part of the buttocks (arrows L1 and L2 in FIG. 2). This part corresponds to the protruding part of the right buttock and the left buttock, and by widening the width, the part corresponding to the protruding part of the buttocks can be stretched more. The back support part 3 has the advantage of supporting the upper body when in a forward-leaning position and assisting in the lifting action by attaching it to the connecting devices 4a and 4b. The material of the back support part 3 is preferably a breathable mesh and a material with the same rigidity as the lumbar fixation part 15.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first stretch fabric 20a is inclined downward on the side of the pants, and above this inclined portion, a second stretch fabric 20b with lower stretchability than the first stretch fabric 20a is placed. This increases the stretchability of the waist portion of the bottom garment 2, allowing it to accommodate a wide range of sizes, and by finishing the waist portion narrower, it is possible to prevent wrinkles from occurring. A non-slip layer may be provided on the skin-facing side of the second stretch fabric 20b. The non-slip layer may be coated with rubber or elastomer, or the elastic thread may be exposed. The presence of the non-slip layer can prevent the pants from slipping down. In contrast, a non-slip layer is not necessary on the skin-facing side of the first stretch fabric 20a. It is located below the waist belt portion 14, so there is no need to provide it with a slip-down function.

At the boundary between the first stretch fabric 20a and the front body, it is preferable to have a reinforcing fabric 22 that extends from the side of the upper end of the lower garment to the sewing line between the front body and the back body. This helps prevent fraying and damage from the edges.

The upper end of the bottom garment 2 is preferably positioned lower at the front than at the back. This provides better protection for the pelvis and lumbar vertebrae. In addition, the anti-slip layer on the skin-facing side of the second stretchable fabric follows the stretch of the skin when changing posture, so it does not slip, which has the advantage of assisting the movement of standing up and making it easier to bend deeply at the waist.

When the motion assist wear 1 created as described above was tested, it was found to reduce the tightness of the thighs when bending the knees deeply. Furthermore, when the assist function is not being used, the thigh supporter can be loosened and used without a tight feeling, and when the assist function is required, the thigh supporter can be tightened and fixed through the opening, which confirmed that the assist suit places little strain on the waist, even when repeatedly lifting heavy loads, and causes no problems such as tightness of the knees or waist.

The undergarment of the present invention is useful as workwear for work involving repeated or long-term lifting, carrying, and lowering of heavy loads, as well as in manufacturing, construction, logistics, agriculture, civil engineering, and nursing care and food service. It is also useful as undergarments to be worn over braces to prevent injury or recurrence of injuries around the knees or thighs during sports.

1 Action-assisting wear 2 Undergarment 3 Back support parts 4a, 4b Connecting device 5 Front body 5a Front body hips 5b Front body upper fabric 5c Front body lower fabric 6 Crotch switching line 7a, 7b Opening and closing device 8a, 8b Lining 9a, 9b Thigh supporter 10, 10a, 10b Side pocket section 11 Gusset 12a-12d Dart 13 Suspension belt 14 Waist belt section 14a Cross belt 14b First belt 14c Second belt 15, 15a-15c Lumbar fixation section 16 Back support 17 Shoulder belt 18 Lower belt 19 Connecting belt 20 Elastic fabric 20a First elastic fabric 20b Second elastic fabric 22 Reinforcement cloth 23a, 23b Pocket section 24 Anti-slip layer 25 Hook-and-loop fastener

Claims (9)

The crotch part of the front body is horizontally separated into upper and lower fabrics,
The lower end of the upper cloth is free.
The lower garment is characterized in that the front side of the upper fabric has an opening and closing device that can be opened and closed vertically from the lower end. The undergarment according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower end of the upper fabric covers the upper end of the lower fabric. The undergarment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lower fabric is connected to the seam at the crotch of the front body by a lining fabric arranged on the reverse side of the upper fabric. The undergarment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the upper fabric has a side pocket on the side of the opening and closing device. The undergarment according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the width of the lower end of the upper fabric is wider than the width of the upper end of the lower fabric. The undergarment according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the opening and closing device is at least one selected from a slide fastener, a hook and loop fastener, a hook, and a button. 5. The undergarment according to claim 4 , wherein at least the rear portion of said side pocket portion is provided with a gusset. The undergarment incorporates a brace for supporting the thighs and/or knees,
The undergarment according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the device is adjustable through an opening provided by opening the opening/closing device. A garment characterized in that the undergarment described in any one of claims 1 to 8 is integrated with the upper garment.