Abstract:
The disclosed device relates to woven or knitted textile fabric for employment in martial arts clothing, such as fabric used for manufacture of gis and kimonos for karate and of Brazilian jiu jitsu. The textile fabric is formed of two different types of yarn. The first yarn is comprised of a strong material such as KEVLAR and the second is comprised of cotton.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/353,258, filed on Jun. 22, 2016, which is included herein in its entirety by this reference thereto. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present device relates generally to clothing and uniforms. More particularly, the disclosed device relates to woven or knitted textile fabric for employment in martial arts clothing, such as fabric used for manufacture of gis and kimonos for karate and of Brazilian jiu jitsu. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    A martial arts gi or kimono, such as those used in karate or jiu jitsu is generally formed of cut portions of textile material which are sewn to a uniform worn by students and participants in the many types of martial art sports. Because of the nature of martial arts training and competition such as karate or Brazilian jiu jitsu, which can include striking, kicking, and grappling and tossing the opponent to the mat, the gi undergoes constant stress. 
         [0004]    Grappling between opponents causes repeated pulling on the fabric of the gi trying to throw an opponent. The gi worn by martial arts participants also suffers constant and repeated abrasion during training and competitions when the wearer is thrown to the mat. While the stitching on the gi can be reinforced to hold the fabric sections together, the woven material forming those sections can, during training and competition, become ripped from tugging and grappling, abrasion when sliding on the mat, and blunt force when impacting the mat. Generally, to allow for freedom of movement during practice, and especially during competitions, the material and cut of the gi or uniform is preferably lightweight and loose fitting as well as cool and moisture absorbent. To meet these requirements, conventionally, gis and kimonos for martial arts are sewn from sections of light cotton cloth. This is because cotton textile fabric allows for the desired freedom of movement and because being a natural fiber clothing formed from cotton is cooler than clothing formed from synthetic materials. However, gis formed of cotton do not fare well to prevent ripping and tearing during use, unless formed of heavy material which may become too warm on the participant wearing it. 
         [0005]    Further, for participants in competition in martial arts, certifying competition organizations such as the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) require that gis be manufactured with stringent and empirically verifiable requirements for breaking strength, abrasion resistance, and moisture wicking properties. This ensures participants are all wearing a uniform which will withstand the stress and abrasion imparted to them during competition. 
         [0006]    In attempting to meet the requirements for cotton, yet still provide gis and kimonos which resist tearing and rupturing during use without using thick and heavy materials, manufacturers have included synthetic fibers such as nylon or DACRON with the cotton yarn during manufacture of the textiles. These synthetic yarns and threads have a higher tensile strength than cotton and increase the strength of the fabric for gis and kimonos. However, synthetic fibers do not breathe well nor absorb perspiration as well as cotton. So such mixed-fiber fabrics using synthetic yarns, in gaining tear resistance durability tend to become hotter when worn and less absorbent. 
         [0007]    Other fabric manufacturers have attempted to use natural materials rather than synthetic fibers in combination with cotton for gi fabric such as bamboo or hemp. While such natural fibers have enhanced performance characteristics when included in large amounts in combination with cotton, such natural fibers do not meet the IBJJF regulations for cotton percentage of gis, and do not perform at the same level as the aforementioned synthetic fibers integrated with cotton. Such natural fibers lack the same empirically-verifiable breaking strength, abrasion resistance, and moisture wicking properties of cotton in combination with smaller percentages of synthetic blends. 
         [0008]    As such, there is an unmet need for a textile fabric formed by weaving or knitting fibers which include the requisite percentage of cotton required by competition organizations, and is therefore cool to wear and flexible, but which also forms a textile with enhanced tensile strength and tear and burst resistance exceeding current materials. Such a fabric while being included in the weave or knit with cotton in smaller percentages, will also allow the formed fabric to have the flexibility and absorbability desired by competitive wearers. 
         [0009]    The forgoing examples of related art and limitation related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive, and they do not imply any limitations on the invention described and claimed herein. Various limitations of the related textile art will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading and understanding of the specification below and the accompanying drawings. 
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a textile fabric employable for the manufacture of martial arts garments such as gis and kimonos, which includes synthetic materials in percentages with cotton, to enhance the strength of the formed fabric while maintaining the flexibility of the formed fabric. 
         [0011]    It is an additional object of the invention to provide such a woven or knitted textile fabric which is thin and light, but stronger and equally absorbent as conventional cotton fabrics used for martial arts textiles. 
         [0012]    These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present textile invention, as well as the advantages thereof over existing prior art, which will become apparent from the description to follow, are accomplished by the improvements through synthetic yarn inclusion described in this specification and hereinafter described in the following detailed description which fully discloses the invention, but should not be considered as placing limitations thereon. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    In accordance with the purposes of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the present invention provides an improved textile fabric woven or knitted from individual yarns or threads formed of cotton, and a secondary synthetic or other fiber, to enhance the formed textile material to resist tearing and damage from abrasion. As noted, in the field of martial arts uniforms, due to requirements of organizations sponsoring competition, GIs are required to be tailored using cotton or cotton-like fabric only. Further, the cotton fabric may not be so thick or hard as to impede an opponent from gripping it. 
         [0014]    The fact that such gis or kimonos must be thin to allow easy grasping of the fabric of the gi by opponents, is a shortcoming since thin fabric, formed primarily of cotton, is prone to ripping and tearing in competition. Further, in day to day use for practice, thin cotton fabrics have a tendency to wear prematurely due to the constant tugging from practice sessions, and impacts and friction from hitting a mat when thrown. 
         [0015]    While “cotton like” fabrics with more strength have been tried in the past, such fabrics are generally formed of polyester material which retains heat and participants wearing such garments lose the cooling qualities of cotton during the exertion of training and competition. 
         [0016]    The fabric developed herein after lengthy experimentation, yields a woven textile material, which is formed of first yarns made from cotton and second yarns which impart significant ripping resistance to a thin material useable for kimonos or gis. 
         [0017]    As noted, the first yarns comprise spun or filament yarn comprised of cotton material. A number of materials have been found to work well for strength when used for the second yarn, for example poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide which is marketed for example as KEVLAR material. 
         [0018]    By using KEVLAR yarn for a percentage of the total weight of the formed fabric, significant resistance is provided to ripping and tearing over that of cotton alone. The KEVLAR yarn may be used in the warp along with adjacent strands of cotton yarn, or it may be used in the fill or weft of the formed textile fabric in a percentage by weight with the cotton yarn. It may also be employed in both the warp and weft in percentages by weight of the total fabric which have been found to yield a tough material, which still provides the flexibility and coolness of cotton. Currently in a preferred mode of the fabric invention herein, a percentage of weight for the cotton yarn is 70% of the total weight of the woven fabric, and the KEVLAR will be 30% by weight of the total weight of the fabric. 
         [0019]    In a second preferred mode of the textile fabric herein, which also provides high tensile strength and resistance to tearing and bursting on impacts, the first yarns comprise spun or filament yarn comprised of cotton material. The second yarn in this second preferred mode, is formed of SPECTRA fiber, which is a patented fiber sold by DUPONT. In this mode of the material, the warp includes the first yarn formed of cotton, and may include some yarn strands in the weave formed of SPECTRA. The fill or weft also may include SPECTRA fiber yarns along with cotton yarns. In this mode of the formed textile fabric, the weight of the cotton yarn is substantially 70% of the total weight of the woven fabric, and the weight of the SPECTRA yarn is substantially 30% of the total weight of the fabric. 
         [0020]    Finally, in a third mode of the improved textile fabric herein, the first yarn is formed of cotton material, and the second yarn is configured of a flat or oval yarn, as opposed to the conventional round shape of the cotton yarn. The second yarn in the planar or oval shape, is formed of yarn spun from polynosic rayon, or beechwood or bamboo material, all of which are stronger than cotton yarn, and both of which breathe and absorb moisture to help keep the wearer cooler. In this mode also, the weight of the first yarn of cotton as a percentage of the total weight of the woven fabric, is substantially 70%, and the weight of the second yarn formed of one or a combination of polynosic rayon, beechwood, or bamboo, is 30% of the total weight of the woven fabric. 
         [0021]    With respect to the above description, before explaining preferred embodiments of the herein disclosed textile fabric configuration invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The formed fabric herein described and disclosed in the various modes and combinations is also capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
         [0022]    As such, those skilled in the textile and related arts will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing of other textile products for the martial arts and for carrying out the several purposes of the present disclosed fabric configurations. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES 
         [0023]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate some, but not the only nor exclusive examples of embodiments and/or features of the disclosed textile fabric device. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative of the invention herein, rather than limiting in any fashion. In the drawings: 
           [0024]      FIG. 1  depicts a typical woven textile using the interwoven yarns and material configurations herein where yarns of both the warp and weft of the fabric are formed of two different materials. 
           [0025]      FIG. 2  shows an enlarged section of another weave of textile fabric as herein described where two different materials included in either or both of the warp and weft are woven to form the textile fabric in a diagonal weave. 
           [0026]      FIG. 3  shows another mode of the textile fabric for martial arts uniforms herein described wherein the a first yarn and second yarn are weft or warp knitted textile fabric. 
           [0027]      FIG. 4  is a particularly preferred weave for the texile fabric herein known as a pearl weave or rice grain weave and has shown in experimentation with the yarn mix herein to yield a particularly strong but lightweight fabric. 
           [0028]      FIG. 5  depicts the current most preferred percentages of yarn in the woven fabric herein when differing yarn is combined with a base yarn of cotton. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0029]    Now referring to the drawings in  FIGS. 1-5 , wherein similar components are identified by like reference numerals, in all modes whether woven or knitted, there is included a first yarn  12  formed of cotton, and a second yarn formed of a synthetic or engineered material which imparts strength to the woven material. 
         [0030]    As depicted in  FIG. 2 , which shows one mode of weaving of both the first yarn  12  and second yarn  14 , the first yarn  12  is preferably in both the warp and weft of the formed fabric. The second yarn  14 , may be included only in the warp direction W or only the weft or fill direction F, or the second yarn may be included to run both directions which has shown to yield better resistance to tearing and abrasion. 
         [0031]    As noted in all modes of the textile fabric herein, the percentage of first yarn  12  formed of cotton is substantially 60-70% of the total weight of the woven or knitted fabric in all modes of woven or knitted fabric. The second yarn  14  formed of the materials herein noted, is substantially 30%-40% of the total weight of the woven fabric. By substantially is meant that the percentage may vary by 10% higher or lower than the stated amount. 
         [0032]    In one preferred mode of the textile fabric herein, the second yarn  14 , forming substantially 30%-40% of the total weight of the fabric, may be formed of KEVLAR or the generic substitute in one mode. In a second mode of the woven material, the second yarn  14  is formed of 30-40% SPECTRA which has shown to impart an exceptional resistance to tearing, ripping and abrasion, while still being light weight. In a third mode of the fabric herein, found to yield enhanced resistance to tearing, while concurrently yielding a cool and moisture absorbent fabric, the second yarn  14  forming substantially 30%-40% of the total fabric weight is AND 3-40% COOLMAX yarn. 
         [0033]    In another mode, the COOLMAX yarn can be replaced with one or a combination of secondary fabrics from a group including bamboo, polynosic rayon, and beechwood. As noted earlier, to enhance the coolness of the resulting woven fabric, and the moisture absorbency and ability to wick perspiration, the second yarn  14  may be formed in a planar or oval shape. 
         [0034]    Shown in  FIG. 2 , is an enlarged depiction of an angled weave of both a the first yarn  12  and second yarn  14  which yields a diagonal weave which is especially flexible and will stretch when pulled upon to resist tearing. The same percentages of the first yarn  12  and second yarn  14  above, are employable in this mode. Finally, shown in  FIG. 3 , is a section of knitted fabric formed of a first yarn  12  and second yarn  14  in the same weights relative to the total weight of the fabric as noted above. 
         [0035]    As noted, shown in  FIG. 4 , is a particularly preferred type of weave for the textile fabric invention herein known as a pearl weave or rice grain weave. In experimentation with the yarn mixtures of  FIG. 5  herein, a particularly tear resistant fabric was yielded which was also lightweight. In testing, users felt the fabric was easier to move in than other weaves, and was cooler during workouts. Consequently, particularly preferred is a pearl weave of a cotton base yarn and either KEVLAR, COOLMAX, or SPECTRA, in the percentages of total yarn in any weave noted in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 5  depicts the current most preferred percentages of yarn, which should be included in the woven fabric herein, in any of the noted weaves or knits. As noted, the pearl weave of  FIG. 4  in experimentation has shown to yield the strongest, yet supple and lightweight, fabric of all the different weave and knit patterns tested, and shown, and thus would be preferred. 
         [0037]    As noted, any of the different configurations and components can be employed with any other configuration or component shown and described herein. Additionally, while the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular embodiments thereof and steps in the method of production, a latitude of modifications, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosures, it will be appreciated that in some instance some features, or configurations, or steps in formation of the invention could be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. All such changes, alternations and modifications as would occur to those skilled in the art are considered to be within the scope of this invention as broadly defined in the appended claims. 
         [0038]    Further, the purpose of any abstract of this specification is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers, and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. Any such abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting, as to the scope of the invention in any way.