JP7789496B2 - Lower limb clothing - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to clothing for the lower legs.

Conventionally, lower leg garments have been used that are designed to apply different pressure to the lower legs depending on the part of the leg (for example, Patent Document 1). The lower leg garment in Patent Document 1 discloses lower leg garments that apply stronger pressure to the back of the leg than to the front. The lower leg garment in Patent Document 1 is designed to apply stronger pressure to the soft muscles at the back of the leg when worn. In recent years, for the purpose of dieting, there has been a demand for garments that increase the calorie burn of the wearer by, for example, varying the pressure applied to different parts of the body, as in Patent Document 1.

JP 2014-118636 A

The lower limb garment in Patent Document 1 aims to improve athletic ability by supporting soft muscles, and does not place strain on the muscles. As a result, it actually reduces the calorie consumption of the wearer.

The present invention was developed in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide lower leg clothing that increases calorie consumption when worn.

One embodiment of the present invention provides a garment for lower legs that includes leg sections and is worn to cover the human body from the ankle to the thigh. The leg sections include ankle sections, calf sections, and thigh sections. The thigh sections include a front thigh section corresponding to the front of the thigh and a rear thigh section corresponding to the rear of the thigh. The leg sections are designed so that the pressure applied to the garment decreases in stages from the ankle section to the calf section and then to the thigh section, and the stretch rate of the rear thigh section is smaller than that of the front thigh section.

The elongation rate of the rear thigh portion may be less than half the elongation rate of the front thigh portion.

The pressure applied to the ankle area may be 13 to 30 hPa, the pressure applied to the calf area may be 8 to 25 hPa, and the pressure applied to the thigh area may be 4 to 21 hPa.

The front thigh portion and the rear thigh portion may be made of different fabrics and sewn together.

The front thigh portion may be made of polyamide-based fibers and polyurethane-based fibers, and the rear thigh portion may be made of polyamide-based fibers.

The lower leg garment according to one embodiment of the present invention can increase calorie consumption by wearing it.

1 is a front view showing a garment for lower legs according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a rear view showing a garment for lower legs according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Below, a description of a lower leg garment according to one embodiment of the present invention will be given with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the following embodiment is merely an example, and the lower leg garment of the present invention is not limited to the following example. In this specification, unless otherwise specified, "A-shape" and similar expressions do not refer only to a complete A-shape, but also to a shape that visually resembles an A-shape (approximately A-shape). In this specification, unless otherwise specified, "front" and similar expressions refer to the side of the human body toward which the belly faces, and "rear" and similar expressions refer to the side of the human body opposite to "front" toward which the waist faces. In this specification, unless otherwise specified, "upper" and similar expressions refer to the side of the human body from the feet to the head, and "lower" and similar expressions refer to the side of the human body opposite to "upper" toward the head to the feet. Furthermore, in this specification, unless otherwise specified, "right" and similar expressions refer to the left side when the human body is viewed from the front, and "left" and similar expressions refer to the opposite side of "right" and the right side when the human body is viewed from the front.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the lower leg garment 1 of this embodiment is worn to cover the ankles to the thighs of a human body B. The lower leg garment 1 includes leg portions 2, 2. In this embodiment, in addition to the leg portions 2, 2, it also includes a shorts portion 3 formed continuously with the leg portions 2, 2. However, the lower leg garment of the present invention does not have to include the shorts portion 3, and may instead be configured to include only a leg portion for one leg, for example. The lower leg garment 1 is not particularly limited, and may be embodied as, for example, stockings, pantyhose, tights, spats, leggings, stirrup boots, etc.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the leg portions 2, 2 are portions that cover the lower limbs of human body B. In this embodiment, the leg portions 2, 2 are tubular so as to cover substantially the entire crotch area of human body B in the vertical direction, from the ankles to the thighs. However, the leg portions 2, 2 may also have a tubular shape with a bottom at one end so as to cover the toes, for example. The leg portions 2, 2 include ankle portions 21, 21, calf portions 22, 22, and thigh portions 23, 23. The leg portions 2, 2 are designed so that the pressure applied to them decreases in stages in the order of the ankle portions 21, 21, the calf portions 22, 22, and the thigh portions 23, 23. This ensures that when the lower limb garment 1 is worn on the lower limbs of human body B, the entire lower limb is appropriately compressed, thereby reducing unnecessary movement due to muscle tremors. Furthermore, the lower limb garment 1 compresses the muscles and pushes blood upward, thereby reducing fatigue and swelling in the lower limbs. The pressure applied to the leg portions 2 can be adjusted by changing the size of the leg portions 2 according to the body type of the wearer of the lower leg garment 1. The size of the leg portions 2 may be changed, for example, according to the average body type corresponding to the age and gender of the wearer for whom the lower leg garment 1 is intended to be worn. The pressure applied to the leg portions 2 is not particularly limited, as long as it decreases in the order of ankle pressure (21), calf pressure (22), and thigh pressure (23). For example, the leg portions 2 can be designed so that the pressure applied to the ankle portions 21 is 13 to 30 hPa, the pressure applied to the calf portions 22 is 8 to 25 hPa, and the pressure applied to the thigh portions 23 is 4 to 21 hPa.

As described below, the leg sections 2, 2 are designed to have different elongation rates depending on the region in order to increase the load on the quadriceps femoris muscles in the thighs of human body B. Here, elongation is an index indicating the ease of stretch of the fabric constituting lower leg garment 1. Elongation is measured using a method conforming to Method A (strip method) of JIS Standard L1096. More specifically, elongation is expressed as the percentage of elongation when the fabric constituting lower leg garment 1 is pulled at a constant speed. In this specification, fabric elongation is determined from the change in length of a longitudinally elongated piece of fabric when pulled at a pulling rate of 50 mm/min using a constant-rate extension tensile tester with a grip distance of 50 mm. Elongation is expressed as (L1 - L0)/L0 x 100 (%), where L0 is the original length of the fabric piece, and L1 is the length at which the fabric piece breaks when pulled longitudinally using the constant-rate extension tensile tester.

Variations in the elongation rate for different parts of the leg portions 2, 2 can be achieved in a variety of ways, including variations in the elongation rate for each of the more subdivided parts described below. First, the leg portions 2, 2 can be formed using knitting yarns made of inexpensive, well-known materials such as polyamide fibers, polyurethane fibers, polyester fibers, or composite fibers thereof, and by known knitting methods such as circular knitting or flat knitting. The leg portions 2, 2 can be formed as a single unit, or multiple parts can be formed separately and then integrated into a single unit using a known joining method such as sewing. In the leg portions 2, 2 formed in this manner, the elongation rate can be varied for each part by changing the knitting yarn or knitting method for each part, or by changing the amount of resin printed on each part.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the ankle portions 21, 21 are portions that cover substantially the entire ankles of the human body B. There are no particular limitations on the method for forming the ankle portions 21, 21, but in this embodiment, the ankle portions 21, 21 are not sewn to the calf portions 22, 22, but are formed integrally with the calf portions 22, 22 below the calf portions 22, 22. More specifically, the front body portions of the ankle portions 21, 21 are formed from the same fabric as the front body portions of the calf portions 22, 22, and the back body portions of the ankle portions 21, 21 are formed from the same fabric as the back body portions of the calf portions 22, 22. Forming the ankle portions 21, 21 integrally with the calf portions 22, 22 eliminates the need for sewing the ankle portions 21, 21 to the calf portions 22, 22, thereby simplifying the production of the leg portions 2, 2. The extensibility of the ankle portions 21, 21 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, the extensibility of the ankle portions 21, 21 is the same as that of the front thigh portions 23 a, 23 a described later, and is greater than that of the rear thigh portions 23 b, 23 b described later. Various known fabrics can be used as the fabric for the ankle portions 21, 21, but in this embodiment, the ankle portions 21, 21 are made of polyamide fiber (specifically, nylon (registered trademark) fiber) and polyurethane fiber (specifically, polyurethane fiber).

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the calf regions 22 are regions that cover substantially the entire calves of the human body B. There are no particular limitations on the method for forming the calf regions 22. In this embodiment, the calf regions 22 are not sewn to the front thigh regions 23a, which will be described later, but are instead integrally formed with the front thigh regions 23a below. More specifically, the front body portions of the calf regions 22 are formed from the same fabric as the front thigh regions 23a. Forming the calf regions 22 integrally with the front thigh regions 23a eliminates the need for sewing the calf regions 22 to the front thigh regions 23a, simplifying the production of the leg regions 2. The extensibility of the shin portions 22, 22 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, the extensibility of the calf portions 22, 22 is greater than the extensibility of the rear thigh portions 23b, 23b described below. Various known fabrics can be used as the fabric for the calf portions 22, 22, but in this embodiment, the calf portions 22, 22 are made of polyamide fiber (specifically, nylon fiber) and polyurethane fiber (specifically, polyurethane fiber).

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the thigh portions 23, 23 are portions that cover substantially the entire thighs of the human body B. The thigh portions 23, 23 include front thigh portions 23a, 23a corresponding to the front side of the thighs and rear thigh portions 23b, 23b corresponding to the rear side of the thighs. The method for forming the thigh portions 23, 23 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, the front thigh portions 23a, 23a and the rear thigh portions 23b, 23b are sewn together. This allows the elongation rates of the front thigh portions 23a, 23a and the rear thigh portions 23b, 23b to change suddenly at the sewn portions between the front thigh portions 23a, 23a and the rear thigh portions 23b, 23b, as will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 1, the front thigh portions 23a, 23a are portions that cover substantially the entire front side of the thighs of human body B (the side facing the quadriceps). Various known fabrics can be used as the fabric for the front thigh portions 23a, 23a, but in this embodiment, the front thigh portions 23a, 23a are made of, for example, polyamide-based fibers (specifically, nylon fibers) and polyurethane-based fibers (specifically, polyurethane fibers).

As shown in FIG. 2 , the rear thigh portions 23b, 23b cover substantially the entire rear side of the thigh of the human body B (the side facing the hamstrings). The elongation rate of the rear thigh portions 23b, 23b is smaller than that of the front thigh portions 23a, 23a. This increases the activity of the quadriceps, the muscles on the front of the thigh, as described in more detail below. This is thought to be because the rear thigh portions 23b, 23b, which should be stretched when attempting to lift the thigh, are difficult to elongate, making it difficult to lift the thigh. As a result, load is concentrated on the quadriceps, which are used to lift the thigh. In particular, with the lower leg garment 1 according to this embodiment, the pressure gradually decreases in the order of the ankle portions 21, 21, calf portions 22, 22, and thigh portions 23, 23, as described above, allowing the leg portions 2, 2 to fit snugly around the wearer's lower leg, preventing muscle movement. When the wearer performs exercise such as walking in this state, it is believed that the load on the wearer's quadriceps muscles will increase. The elongation rate of the rear thigh portions 23b, 23b is preferably ¾ or less, more preferably ⅔ or less, and even more preferably ½ or less, of the elongation rate of the front thigh portions 23a, 23a. As described above, if the elongation rate of the rear thigh portions 23b, 23b is smaller than the elongation rates of not only the front thigh portions 23a, 23a but also the ankle portions 21, 21 and calf portions 22, 22, the load will be applied to the quadriceps muscles more efficiently. Although the method of forming the rear thigh portions 23b, 23b is not particularly limited, in this embodiment, the rear thigh portions 23b, 23b are made of a different fabric from the front thigh portions 23a, 23a in order to change the elongation rate. Additionally, various known fabrics can be used for the rear thigh portions 23b, 23b, but if the front thigh portions 23a, 23a are made of polyamide-based fibers and polyurethane-based fibers, then from the perspective of elongation rate, the rear thigh portions 23b, 23b can be made of, for example, polyamide-based fibers (specifically, nylon fibers).

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the shorts portion 3 covers the lower abdomen, waist, and buttocks of human body B. There are no particular limitations on the method of forming the shorts portion 3, but in this embodiment, the shorts portion 3 is formed integrally with the front thighs 23a, 23a without being sewn thereto, as shown in Figure 1, and is sewn to the back thighs 23b, 23b, as shown in Figure 2. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, the lower part of the front body of the shorts portion 3 is formed integrally with the front thighs 23a, 23a without being sewn thereto, and as shown in Figure 2, the lower part of the back body of the shorts portion 3 is sewn to the back thighs 23b, 23b. The shorts portion 3 has one opening at the top that is positioned at the waist of human body B, and two openings at the bottom that communicate with the leg portions 2, 2. While various known fabrics can be used for the shorts portion 3, in this embodiment the shorts portion 3 is made of polyamide fibers (specifically, nylon fibers) and polyurethane fibers (specifically, polyurethane fibers). Although not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the upper end of the shorts portion 3 may be provided with a waist belt formed by folding the fabric forming the shorts portion 3 vertically and sewing the ends together, with a fastening cord inserted inside. In this case, the waist belt tightens the shorts portion 3 around the waist of the person B, thereby preventing the lower leg garment 1 from slipping down from the waist of the person B.

In the lower leg garment 1 according to this embodiment, configured as described above, the leg portions 2 are designed so that the compression decreases in stages in the order of the ankle portions 21, 21, the calf portions 22, 22, and the thigh portions 23, 23, and the stretch rate of the rear thigh portions 23b, 23b is configured to be lower than that of the front thigh portions 23a, 23a. This allows the leg portions 2, 2 to fit the lower leg without shifting downward when the lower leg garment 1 is worn, reducing muscle strain in the lower leg. In this state, if the rear thigh portions 23b, 23b are less stretchable than the front thigh portions 23a, 23a, the wearer will have difficulty lifting their thighs during exercise, such as walking, due to the less stretchable rear thighs 23b, 23b. This places a concentrated load on the quadriceps, which are used when lifting the thighs, increasing the activity of the quadriceps, the largest muscle in human body B, and efficiently increasing calorie consumption. As a result, wearing lower leg garment 1 can provide excellent weight loss benefits.

When the elongation rate of the rear thighs 23b, 23b is half or less that of the front thighs 23a, 23a, the activity of the quadriceps increases further, and calorie consumption is more efficiently increased. As a result, even better diet effects are expected. If the compression at the ankles 21, 21 is 13-30 hPa, the compression at the calves 22, 22 is 8-25 hPa, and the compression at the thighs 23, 23 is 4-21 hPa, the leg sections 2, 2 are less likely to slip down the lower legs and fit the lower legs better, so even better diet effects are expected.

The following examples illustrate the excellent effects of the lower leg garment of the present invention. However, the lower leg garment of the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

(Production of lower limb clothing)
A lower leg garment 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 was produced as an example of a lower leg garment. The ankle portion 21, calf portion 22, front thigh portion 23a, and right lower part of shorts portion 3 (see the lower left portion surrounded by the solid and dashed lines in lower leg garment 1 in Figure 1 ) constituting the right front body were cut out integrally from a fabric knitted using fabric yarns of 70% nylon (registered trademark) and 30% polyurethane (hereinafter referred to as "fabric piece 1"). The ankle portion 21, calf portion 22, front thigh portion 23a, and left lower part of shorts portion 3 (see the lower right portion surrounded by the solid and dashed lines in lower leg garment 1 in Figure 1 ) constituting the left front body were cut out integrally from the same nylon and polyurethane fabric (hereinafter referred to as "fabric piece 2"). Furthermore, the upper right side (see the upper left portion surrounded by the solid and dashed lines in the lower limb garment 1 in FIG. 1 ) and the upper left side (see the upper right portion surrounded by the solid and dashed lines in the lower limb garment 1 in FIG. 1 ) of the shorts portion 3 were cut out from the same nylon and polyurethane fabric (hereinafter referred to as "fabric piece 3" and "fabric piece 4," respectively). Fabric pieces 1 to 4 were then sewn together to produce the front body of the lower limb garment 1 (see FIG. 1 ).

The ankle portion 21 and calf portion 22 that make up the right back body were cut as a single piece from the same nylon and polyurethane fabric used for the front body (hereinafter referred to as "fabric piece 5"), and the ankle portion 21 and calf portion 22 that make up the left back body were cut as a single piece from the same nylon and polyurethane fabric (hereinafter referred to as "fabric piece 6"). In addition, the following pieces were cut from the same nylon and polyurethane fabric: an upper right part of the shorts portion 3 constituting the right back body (see the upper right part surrounded by the solid and dashed lines in the shorts portion 3 of the lower limb garment 1 in Figure 2 ), a lower right part of the shorts portion 3 constituting the right back body (see the lower right part surrounded by the solid and dashed lines in the shorts portion 3 of the lower limb garment 1 in Figure 2 ), an upper left part of the shorts portion 3 constituting the left back body (see the upper left part surrounded by the solid and dashed lines in the shorts portion 3 of the lower limb garment 1 in Figure 2 ), and a lower left part of the shorts portion 3 constituting the left back body (see the lower left part surrounded by the solid and dashed lines in the shorts portion 3 of the lower limb garment 1 in Figure 2 ) (hereinafter referred to as "fabric piece 7," "fabric piece 8," "fabric piece 9," and "fabric piece 10," respectively). Furthermore, rear thigh portion 23b constituting the right back body and rear thigh portion 23b constituting the left back body were cut from fabric knitted using 100% nylon fabric yarn (hereinafter referred to as "fabric piece 11" and "fabric piece 12," respectively). Fabric pieces 5 to 12 were then sewn together to create the back body of lower leg garment 1 (see Figure 2).

The front and back bodice pieces obtained in this manner were sewn together to produce garment 1 for the lower legs (see Figures 1 and 2). The leg sections 2, 2 were designed to provide a compression of 21 hPa at the ankles 21, 21, 16 hPa at the calves 22, 22, and 11 hPa at the thighs 23, 23, for an average figure of a woman in her 20s, by selecting the appropriate size.

(Measurement of elongation rate)
The elongation rate of the front thigh portions 23a, 23a and the rear thigh portions 23b, 23b used in the lower leg garment 1 according to the example was measured using a method conforming to Method A (strip method) of JIS Standard L1096. Fabric pieces for the front thigh portions 23a, 23a and the rear thigh portions 23b, 23b were cut lengthwise from the fabric for the front thigh portions 23a, 23a and the rear thigh portions 23b, 23b, respectively. Each of the fabric pieces for the front thigh portions 23a, 23a and the rear thigh portions 23b, 23b was stretched in the longitudinal direction at a pulling rate of 50 mm/min using a constant-rate extension tensile tester with a gripping distance of 50 mm. The strength at which the fabric piece broke was defined as the maximum stress, and the length was defined as the maximum length. The elongation rate was calculated from (L1-L0)/L0 x 100 (%), where L0 is the original length of the fabric piece and L1 is the maximum length. The measurement results of the elongation rate are shown in Table 1.

(Selection of subjects)
Seven subjects (subjects 1 to 7) were selected to confirm the effects of wearing the lower leg garment 1. Subjects 1 to 7 were selected from women in their 20s to 40s with a standard build, with a BMI of 20 kg/ ^m2 or more and less than 25 kg/ ^m2 . None of subjects 1 to 7 engaged in any particular hard exercise on a daily basis. Information on subjects 1 to 7 is shown in Table 2.

(Measurement of muscle activity)
The muscle activity of subjects 1 to 7 was measured with and without wearing lower limb garment 1. Specifically, while subjects 1 to 7 were walking with and without wearing lower limb garment 1, surface electrodes were attached to the front and back of the thighs of subjects 1 to 7, and the surface electrodes were connected to an electromyograph to obtain electromyograms of the muscles on the front of the thigh (quadriceps) and the muscles on the back of the thigh (hamstrings). Next, using the interval integration method, integrated electromyograms were calculated from the obtained electromyograms, and the calculated integrated electromyograms were used as the muscle activity of the quadriceps and hamstrings.

(Measurement of calorie consumption)
The calorie expenditure of subjects 1 to 7 was measured by exhaled metabolic analysis when wearing and not wearing the lower limb garment 1. Specifically, subjects 1 to 7 wore masks while walking and at rest, and exhaled air was collected in a container connected to the mask, when wearing and not wearing the lower limb garment 1. Next, the concentrations and volumes of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the container were measured using a gas concentration analyzer and a gas meter, and the calorie expenditure was calculated from the measured concentrations and volumes of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

(Measurement results of elongation rate)
As can be seen from Table 1, the elongation rate of the rear thigh portions 23b, 23b is lower than that of the front thigh portions 23a, 23a in the lower leg garment 1. More specifically, the elongation rate of the rear thigh portions 23b, 23b is half or less of that of the front thigh portions 23a, 23a. This shows that by using fibers made of nylon (registered trademark) and polyurethane for the fabric of the front thigh portions 23a, 23a and using fibers made of nylon for the fabric of the rear thigh portions 23b, 23b, the elongation rate of the rear thigh portions 23b, 23b is lower than that of the front thigh portions 23a, 23a.

(Measurement results of muscle activity)
In the above-described measurement of muscle activity, when the lower leg garment 1 was worn, the muscle activity of the quadriceps increased by an average of about 41% for subjects 1 to 7 compared to when the garment was not worn. This shows that by wearing the lower leg garment 1 in which the elongation rate of the rear thigh portions 23b, 23b is smaller than the elongation rate of the front thigh portions 23a, 23a, the activity of the quadriceps increases in a concentrated manner in the thighs of the human body B.

(Measurement results of calorie consumption)
In the above-described measurement of calorie expenditure, subjects 1 to 7 consumed an average of about 15% more calories when wearing the lower leg garment 1 than when not wearing it. This shows that wearing the lower leg garment 1 in which the elongation rate of the rear thigh portions 23b, 23b is smaller than that of the front thigh portions 23a, 23a increases the calorie expenditure of the wearer. This is presumably because wearing the lower leg garment 1 increases the load on the quadriceps, which have a large volume, and as a result, the amount of muscle activity in the quadriceps is also increased.

1 garment for lower legs 2 leg portion 21 ankle portion 22 calf portion 23 thigh portion 23a front thigh portion 23b rear thigh portion 3 shorts portion B human body

Claims (5)

A garment for lower legs that has leg parts and is worn to cover the human body from the ankles to the thighs,
the leg portion includes an ankle portion, a calf portion, and a thigh portion;
The thigh is
a front thigh portion corresponding to the front side of the thigh;
a rear thigh portion corresponding to the rear side of the thigh,
The leg portion is designed so that the pressure applied to the ankle portion, the calf portion, and the thigh portion decreases in a stepwise manner,
The elongation rate of the rear thigh portion is smaller than the elongation rates of the front thigh portion , the ankle portion, and the calf portion .
Lower leg clothing. The elongation rate of the rear thigh portion is 1/2 or less of the elongation rate of the front thigh portion.
The garment for lower legs according to claim 1. The pressure applied to the ankle portion is 13 to 30 hPa, the pressure applied to the calf portion is 8 to 25 hPa, and the pressure applied to the thigh portion is 4 to 21 hPa.
The garment for lower legs according to claim 1 or 2. The front thigh portion and the rear thigh portion are made of different fabrics and are sewn together.
The garment for lower legs according to any one of claims 1 to 3. the front thigh portion is made of polyamide fiber and polyurethane fiber,
The rear thigh portion is made of polyamide fiber.
The garment for lower legs according to any one of claims 1 to 4.