Speed of an Athlete and Athletic Garment

The invention relates to a method for monitoring or visualizing the running speed of an athlete. Furthermore, the invention relates to an athletic garment or shoe.

During sporting activities it is often relevant to know the running speed of an athlete. This applies not only for the total time for carrying out a certain distance (e.g. a 100 m run) but also for the actual speed of the runner along his or her parkour.

It is an o b j e c t of the present invention to propose a method and a respective garment, shoe or cover for a shoe which allow the determination or at least the estimation of the current running speed of an athlete along his or her course with easy means.

The s o l u t i o n of this object according to the invention is characterized in that the method comprises the steps: a) Providing a piece of garment or a shoe, which are worn by the athlete during running, wherein the piece of garment or the shoe is provided with a coating applied at an outer surface of the piece of garment or the shoe, wherein the coating comprises at least one thermochromic dye or at least one liquid crystal, or wherein the piece of garment or the shoe is made at least partially of a material, especially by a yam, which comprises at least one thermochromic dye or at least one liquid crystal; b) Monitoring the color of the at least one thermochromic dye or liquid crystal during mnning of the athlete; c) Evaluating the mnning speed of the athlete on the basis of the actual color of the at least one thermochromic dye or liquid crystal.

As the material which changes its color all known kinds of thermochromic dye, leuco dye or liquid crystal can be used. All suitable materials are referred herein as being a thermochromic dye. Specifically and preferably, the at least one thermochromic dye comprises a liquid crystal.

The piece of garment can be a jacket or shirt, wherein the at least one thermochromic dye is applied on a chest region of the jacket or shirt. Also, the at least one thermochromic dye can be applied (additionally of alternatively) on a front sleeve region of the jacket or shirt.

The at least one thermochromic dye can also be applied on a forefoot region of the shoe. A further kind of garment according to the invention can be a cover or overcoat for a shoe (detachable slip as shoe cover) which is worn at some kinds of sports. The athletic garment or shoe comprises a section which covers a part of the body of the athlete. According to the invention an outer surface of the section is provided with a coating which comprises at least one thermochromic dye or at least one liquid crystal or that the piece of garment or the shoe is made at least partially of a material, especially by a yam, which comprises at least one thermochromic dye or at least one liquid crystal, wherein the garment also comprises regions where elements are provided to influence the aerodynamic drag of the garment.

By the combination of the elements for influencing the aerodynamic drag and the use of thermochromic ink the desired effect, i. e. to achieve a correlation between the mnning speed of the athlete and the color of the thermochromic dye during mnning, is stabilized because the aerodynamic effects are reduced and a more relevant part of the airstream effects the cooling of (e. g) the chest region of the garment and thus effects the appearing color of the thermochromic dye.

The thermochromic dye comprises again preferably a liquid crystal. According to a preferred embodiment the liquid crystal is contained in a mixture which is applied to the garment, wherein the percentage of the liquid crystal in the mixture is between 30 weight-% and 65 weight-%, preferably between 40 weight-% and 55 weight-%.

Preferably, the mixture further contains polyether, wherein the percentage of polyether in the mixture is between 20 weight-% and 50 weight-%, preferably between 25 weight-% and 40 weight-%. Furthermore, the mixture can further contain glycerol, wherein the percentage of glycerol in the mixture is between 3 weight-% and 9 weight-%, preferably between 5 weight-% and 7 weight-%.

All components of the mixture have 100 weight-%.

By this composition the desired effect is optimized.

Again, the athletic garment can be a jacket or shirt, wherein the section which is provided with the coating is a chest region of the jacket or shirt. Also, the athletic garment can be a jacket or shirt, wherein the section which is provided with the coating is a front sleeve region of the jacket or shirt. The athletic garment can also be trunks, wherein the section which is provided with the coating is a front leg region of the trunks.

The elements which influence the aerodynamic drag of the garment are preferably pads, specifically with a round circumference, which are arranged on the outer surface of the piece of garment. A specifically preferred embodiment suggests that a plurality of substantially rod-shaped sticks is arranged on the pads or are forming the pads which sticks extend normal (perpendicular) on the outer surface of the piece of garment.

To improve the wearing comfort of the garment it can be provided that the garment has at least one further section which is provided with venting elements. Those venting elements are preferably arranged at the spine side of the garment. The venting elements can be designed as a pattern of openings, especially of holes, which are machined into the material of the piece of garment or which are produced at the production (e. g. knitting) process of the garment. The coating can be applied to the piece of garment by means of a printing process, by means of a spraying process or by means of a painting process. Also other methods can be used for applying the coating, like for example heat transfer applications, but also conventional methods.

The piece of garment can have or can be a textile substrate which comprises synthetic fibers, especially of polyester, polyamide or elastane; also natural fibers, especially of cotton, are possible.

Thermochromic dyes are well known in the art. Generally, thermochromism is the property of substances to change their color due to a change in temperature. A thermochromic dye (also called thermochromic ink) is a temperature sensitive compound which temporarily changes its color with exposure to heat.

It is available in the form of liquid crystals and leuco dyes. Explicitly reference is made to AU 2014201839 B1 which describes details with respect to the mentioned material.

Furthermore, thermochromic dyes are disclosed in other publication to which reference is made explicitly: In DE 20 2013 104 519 U1 the use of thermo chromic ink is used at garments. Similar solutions are known from EP 1 631 161 Bl, US 2004/0237164 Al, GB 2 469 745 A, MX 2009/007299 A and US 5,376,699 A. Specifically liquid crystal in connection with a thermochromic dye is disclosed in EP 2 924 494 Al, EP 2 924 495 A, EP 2 927 736 Al, EP 2 927 737 Al and EP 2 933 675 Al. The same applies with respect to US 4,642,250. In the drawings embodiments of the invention are shown.

Fig. 1 shows an athlete wearing a piece of garment,

Fig. 2 shows the upper part of the body of the athlete and the piece of garment,

Fig. 3 shows the athlete who is running with a certain running speed and who is observed by an observer,

Fig. 4 shows a region of the garment where elements are provided to influence the aerodynamic drag of the garment,

Fig. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of the elements to influence the aerodynamic drag of the garment and

Fig. 6 shows another section of the garment which is provided with venting elements.

In figure 1 an athlete 1 is depicted who wears a piece of garment 2 and sports shoes 2’. The garment 2 has a chest region 5 which covers the chest of the athlete 1 during intended use of the garment 2. Furthermore, the garment 2 has regions in the lateral area of the same which are provided with elements to influence the aerodynamic drag during running.

In figure 2 an upper part of the garment 2 is shown which covers the upper part of the body of the athlete 2. Here, is can be seen that the outer surface 4 of the garment 2 is provided with a coating 3 (having a dot pattern in the case of the shown embodiment). The coating 3 consists of a mixture which is or which contains a thermochromic dye.

The coating 3 and the thermochromic dye respectively are sensitive with respect to the temperature. Depending on the temperature the color of the thermochromic dye changes.

In the present case the thermochromic dye comprises a liquid crystal, wherein the liquid crystal is contained in the mixture which is applied onto the outer surface 4 of the garment 2. The percentage of the liquid crystal in the mixture is here about 45 weight-% of the mixture.

The applied coating 3 is thus an optically active mixture of organic chemicals that is highly temperature sensitive and changes the color accordingly. In the present case it start with the color black at a low temperature (for example below 10 °C) and takes the colors of a rainbow (from red to blue) with rising temperatures until the color black is given again at high temperatures (for example above 45 °C). The color change is reversible.

This effect is used to determine the running speed v of the athlete 1 as depicted in figure 3.

Here, the chest region 5 is exposed to the airflow which is produced during running. Thus, the cooling effect especially of the chest region 5 is increasing and thus the temperature of the coating 3 in the chest region 5 is decreasing the faster the athlete 1 runs. Accordingly, depending of the running speed v of the athlete 1 the color of the coating 3 changes from to C ₂ and C ₃ . An observer 11 can observe the chest region 5 of the runner and can thus determine the (approximate) actual running speed of the athlete 1.

The mentioned effect is improved and stabilized respectively if elements 7 to influence the aerodynamic drag are used. Those elements 7 can be applied in the (lateral) regions 6 of the garment 2. A first embodiment of the elements 7 are depicted in figure 4. Here a plurality of pads 8 are arranged on the outer surface 4 of the garment 2. The pads 8 have a substantially circular outer circumference. Thereby, the diameter of the pads 8 varies.

Each pad is established by a plurality of substantially rod-shaped sticks 9 which extend perpendicular outwards from the outer surface 4 of the garment. The diameter of the substantially rod-shaped sticks 9 are preferably between 0.25 to 1.0 mm. The length (measures in the direction perpendicular to the outer surface 4) is preferably between 1.0 mm and 4.0 mm. The specifically preferred height is 2.0 mm.

An alternative embodiment of the elements 7 is shown in figure 5. Here the pads 8 have also a circular circumference. In this embodiment the pad 8 is a cylindrical element with a height between 1.0 mm and 4.0 mm. The upper plateau of each pad 8 is flat (in distinction to the pads according to figure 4).

The pads 8 consist preferably of silicon or rubber.

The wearing comfort of the garment 2 is improved by supplying the same with venting elements 10 as shown in figure 6. Those venting element 10 are arranged in the spine region of the garment and the athlete respectively. As can be seen the venting element 10 is established by a plurality of openings which are machined into the base substrate of the garment 2. Holes of different diameter, which can be arranged in groups as depicted in figure 6, have been proven to supply a good venting effect to the spine region of the athlete. The openings can be produced by a knitting process (warp knit holes), i. e. during the production process of the base material of the piece of garment 2.

The garment 2 is preferably designed as a seamless textile part.

If instead a seam is used the same is arranged preferably in the rear side of the garment so that it has no influence on the above described effect. In the case that the garment is not seamless it is preferred that the seams are produced by ultrasonic bonding.

The proposed garment and respective method allows a visual observation of the actual running speed of the athlete 1 by an eye-catching color change effect. It is the result of the convection cooling effect during the sprint of the athlete 1.

For example, according to the mixture which is applied as coating 3 the following effect can be obtained:

During a 100 m running competition (by a warmed-up athlete) the appearance of the chest region of the garment is blue (color ) at a running speed of 30 km/h (8.33 m/s), becomes green (color C ₂ ) at a running speed of 34 km/h (9.44 m/s) and becomes finally yellow (color C ₃ ) at a speed of 38 km/h (10.56 m/s). So, an observer 11 can see which performance is currently achieved by the athlete already during the competition. The application of the coating 3 is preferably done by a printing process which allows an economical production.

As an alternative to the coating of the thermochromic dye it is for example also possible to use a fiber or yearn for the garment or shoe which already contains the dye. A fiber or yam can for example be covered or coated with the thermochromic dye. For doing so an extrusion process can be employed. Then, the piece of garment is produced (for example knitted or weaved) by using the respective prepared yam or fiber.

Reference Numerals:

1 Athlete

2 Piece of garment / Athletic garment

2’ Shoe

3 Coating

4 Outer surface of the piece of garment 5 Chest region

6 Region with elements to influence the drag

7 Element to influence the aerodynamic drag

8 Pad

9 Rod-shaped stick

10 Venting element

11 Observer v Running speed Ci Color 1

c ₂ Color 2

c ₃ Color 3