Body support garments

A body support garment having a tubular elastic section for enclosing a body member is provided. The tubular section has an inner surface with a first portion and a second portion, the first portion providing a gripping surface and the second portion providing a predetermined circumferential strain ratio. The garments can be provided in the form of a pant or a vest.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to the field of muscle support garments 
for the human body, and, more particularly, to injury accommodating 
garments for use by athletes which provide improved bodily support, impact 
absorption, and thermal properties for the protection of injured muscles 
and other tissues. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Support garments have various constructions in the art. For instance, U.S. 
Pat. No. 5,383,235 to Peters discloses a shirt which is worn on the upper 
torso of an individual, preferably a weight-lifter. The upper portion of 
the shirt has a circumference which is substantially less than the chest 
circumference of the wearer while the lower portion has a circumference 
which is substantially the same as the waist circumference of the wearer. 
Peters alleges that when the shirt is zipped, there is significantly more 
pressure exerted by the garment across the chest portion of the wearer as 
the material of the shirt must stretch more at the upper chest portion of 
the shirt to close the distance than at the waist portion of the shirt. 
Peters contends that the extreme tightness of the shirt adds to the upward 
force required for lifting a weighted bar upwards and away from the chest, 
such as in a bench press. 
While some support garments have been adapted to assist in athletic type 
activities, others have been adapted to provide support and/or protection 
of injured muscles. For instance, elastic bandages formed from a strip of 
elastic material which can be wrapped about a portion of the body and 
retained in place by metal clips or tape are one arrangement known in the 
art. Alternatively, tubular support members are illustrated, for example, 
in U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,586 to Hettick which discloses a support member 
having an outer facing bonded to the interior and exterior surfaces of an 
elastic material. The interior and exterior surfaces of the support member 
have relatively low coefficients of friction and the same stretch rate as 
the elastic material. Hettick theorizes that adequate but not excessive 
tightness can be made possible by the low coefficient of friction, the 
absolute memory of the support member, and the stretchability in all 
directions, whereby the body portion enclosed conforms to the tube rather 
than vice versa. 
While the above-described devices may be suitable for the uses for which 
they were designed, there is a desire to provide body support garments 
having improved circumferential and longitudinal muscular and skeletal 
bodily support for athletes engaging in movement intensive sports (e.g., 
football, soccer, and the like). It would be further desirable to provide 
body support garments having improved impact absorption and thermal 
properties in combination with improved muscular and skeletal bodily 
support. Still further, it would be desirable to provide a body support 
garment having predetermined muscular and skeletal support, impact 
absorption, and thermal properties. These characteristics are especially 
useful where a body support garment is required to adequately protect 
injured muscles, bones, and tissues from further injury in movement 
intensive sports. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A body support garment is provided comprising a generally tubular elastic 
section for enclosing a body member. This section has an opening for 
receiving the body member and an inner surface having a first portion and 
a second portion. The first portion provides a gripping surface while the 
second portion provides a predetermined circumferential strain ratio. 
Preferably, the circumferential strain ratio is between about 0.02 and 
0.14 and the coefficient of friction of the gripping surface is at least 
about 0.4. The garment can be provided in the form of a pant or a vest, 
wherein each has a sleeve for engaging a portion of the body. A garment of 
the present invention can be formed by adjusting the material thickness, 
elastic modulus, coefficient of friction, and the circumferential strain 
ratio to provide a predetermined amount of bodily support.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments 
of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying 
drawings wherein like numerals indicate the same elements throughout the 
views, and wherein numerals having the same last two digits (e.g., 20, 
120, 220) connote corresponding parts or assemblies between various 
embodiments. As will be understood hereafter, the present invention 
relates to a body support garment which provides improved muscular and 
skeletal support, impact absorption, and thermal properties about an 
enclosed body portion. As used herein, the phrase "bodily support" (and 
its derivatives) refers to the resistance to bodily movement provided by a 
body support garment of the present invention. Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 
and 3, body support garments 20, 120, and 220 of the present invention are 
illustrated, each of which is particularly suited for supporting muscular 
and skeletal injuries to the shoulder and upper arms of its wearer. While 
the body support garments 20 and 120 are most suited for supporting 
injuries to the left and right shoulders, respectively, and the body 
support garment 220 is best suited for providing bodily support to both 
shoulders, each of these body support garments are similar in construction 
to the others and therefore only the body support garment 20 is discussed 
hereafter by way of example. 
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the body support garment 20 is in the shape of a 
vest having a generally tubular section 21 and a generally tubular arm 
sleeve 22. A longitudinal axis L generally extends coaxially from an 
abdominal opening 23 to a neck opening 24, the neck opening 24 and 
abdominal opening 23 being defined by a right front face 30, a left front 
face 32, and a rear face 34. The right front face 30 and left front face 
32 are preferably releasably joined during use by a zipper 38 or other 
closure device such as hook and loop fasteners. Both front faces are also 
preferably joined to the rear face 34 by a stitched or bonded seam 36 
which extends along the interface between rear face 34 and the front faces 
30 and 32. This arrangement of the stitched seams 36 is desirable as the 
arrangement ensures that the stitched seams 36 will be subjected to mostly 
tensile and compressive forces during use in a direction parallel to the 
direction of the seam, thereby minimizing the tendency for separation of 
the stitched seams 36. A right shoulder opening 26 is disposed generally 
opposite a left arm opening 28, each opening being sized to accommodate 
its respective body member as described more fully hereafter. 
The front and rear faces extend from the abdominal opening 23 upwardly and 
generally parallel to the longitudinal axis L to the neck opening 24. The 
right front face 30 and the left front face 32 extend generally from the 
zipper 38 in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis L across to 
the right shoulder opening 26 and the left arm opening 28, respectively. 
The rear face 34 also extends in a direction generally transverse to the 
longitudinal axis L between the right shoulder opening 26 and the left arm 
opening 28. Thus, the front and rear faces are sized such that 
substantially all of the upper torso of a wearer and a selected portion of 
the left arm of the wearer to about the elbow can be enclosed by the body 
support garment 20. The body support garment 20 is preferably sized so 
that there are no gaps between a person wearing the garment and the inner 
surface of the garment. In addition, the body support garment 20 
preferably has a height H such that the abdominal opening 23 is disposed 
adjacent the lowermost rib of the user. Alternatively, the height H can be 
increased such that the abdominal opening 23 is disposed below the 
lowermost rib, thereby providing improved bodily support to the abdominal 
area and lower back of a user. Such a body support garment of the present 
invention can further be provided in the form of a vest which does not 
have an arm sleeve 23, if it is desired to only provide bodily support to 
the torso of the user. While the above-described arrangement is preferred, 
it is contemplated that other arrangements may be equally suitable. For 
example, the body support garment 20 can comprise additional faces, seam 
arrangements, and structures for joining the right front face 30 and the 
left front face 32, or the arm sleeve of the body support garment 20 can 
be extended below the elbow if, for example, it is desired to provide 
improved bodily support to the elbow region. 
As most clearly seen in FIG. 5, the body support garment 20 is preferably 
formed from a substantially elastic material having an outer surface 40, 
an inner surface 42 and a material thickness M extending therebetween. 
More preferably, the body support garment 20 is formed from a closed cell 
polymer or rubber, such as neoprene or the like. Such a material is 
available from Rubatex Corporation of Roanoke, Va. under the designation 
R-1400-N. The bodily support provided by a garment of the present 
invention can be more particularly described as circumferential bodily 
support F.sub.C and longitudinal bodily support F.sub.L. Preferably, a 
body support garment of the present invention is sized to provide 
circumferential bodily support F.sub.C and longitudinal body support 
F.sub.L when a user is in motion and only circumferential bodily support 
F.sub.C when a user is at rest. The circumferential bodily support F.sub.C 
resists expansion and contraction of muscles and aids in maintaining 
muscle position and alignment while longitudinal bodily support F.sub.L 
resists rotational movement of muscles and limbs when a user of the 
present invention is in motion. In addition, the circumferential bodily 
support F.sub.C can also influence the amount of longitudinal bodily 
support F.sub.L provided by the present invention, as described more fully 
hereafter. The amount of circumferential bodily support F.sub.C provided 
by a body support garment of the present invention can be characterized as 
a function of and generally proportional to the circumferential strain 
ratio R.sub.C, the material thickness M, and the elastic modulus E of the 
material, as generally illustrated by equation (1) below: 
##EQU1## 
Further, the circumferential strain ratio R.sub.C can be characterized by 
equation (2) below: 
##EQU2## 
As used herein, the material thickness M and elastic modulus E refer to 
overall material properties of the material forming a body support 
garment, including the effects of any outer or inner surfaces. It is also 
believed that the longitudinal bodily support F.sub.L provided by a body 
support garment of the present invention is a function, in part, of the 
angle of rotation .theta. between a first and second position of a body 
support garment, as shown by way of example by the phantom lines in FIG. 
1, and the coefficient of friction .mu..sub.1 of the inner surface, as 
discussed more fully hereafter. 
The circumferential strain ratio R.sub.C is intended to be indicator of the 
amount of strain experienced by a body support garment of the present 
invention during use. For example, if the circumferential length C.sub.B 
of a body support garment about a predetermined location (e.g., the length 
of line T about the inner surface 42 of the left arm opening 28 of the 
body support garment 20, as shown in FIG. 6) is 35 inches and the 
circumferential length C.sub.W of a wearer of the body support garment at 
the same predetermined location is 40 inches, the circumferential strain 
ratio R.sub.C would be 0.125. Because a body support garment of the 
present invention is preferably sized to provide a circumferential strain 
ratio R.sub.C when worn, it preferably conforms to the shape and contour 
of its user. In order to provide effective bodily support of injured 
muscles, tissues, bones, and the like, it is preferred that the 
circumferential strain ratio R.sub.C is at least about 0.02, and, more 
preferably, between about 0.02 and about 0.14. Most preferably, the 
circumferential strain ratio R.sub.C is between about 0.05 and about 0.14. 
As will be apparent, the circumferential bodily support F.sub.C provided 
by a body support garment increases as the circumferential strain ratio 
R.sub.C increases. As discussed more fully hereafter, the circumferential 
strain ratio R.sub.C can be varied, in combination with the material 
thickness M and the elastic modulus E of the material as generally 
illustrated by equation (1), to achieve varying amounts of circumferential 
bodily support F.sub.C. Preferably, a body support garment of the present 
invention does not provide longitudinal bodily support F.sub.L when a user 
of the garment is at rest, but, rather, the amount of longitudinal bodily 
support F.sub.L provided will necessarily depend, in part, upon the amount 
of limb rotation undertaken by a particular user of the invention. 
With respect to body support garments in the form of vests, such as body 
support garment 20, it is preferred that the highest value for the 
circumferential strain ratio R.sub.C is provided adjacent the injured body 
member (e.g., a left or right shoulder). More preferably, the lowest value 
for the circumferential strain ratio R.sub.C is provided adjacent the 
chest to accommodate the rapid and extended breathing associated with 
strenuous and sustained athletic activity, a lower circumferential strain 
ratio R.sub.C resulting in less bodily support or resistance to movement. 
Most preferably, the circumferential strain ratio R.sub.C about the 
abdominal opening 23, right shoulder opening 26, and left arm opening 28 
of the body support garment 20 is at least about 0.06, such that the body 
support garment is adequately anchored about the enclosed body member 
thereby providing improved longitudinal bodily support F.sub.L, as 
discussed more fully hereafter. 
In addition to the circumferential strain ratio R.sub.C, the thickness M 
and elastic modulus E of the material of a body support garment of the 
present invention can also affect the amount of circumferential bodily 
support F.sub.C provided. In particular, the amount of circumferential 
bodily support increases as the elastic modulus E and material thickness M 
increase, as generally illustrated by equation (1) above. Preferably, the 
thickness M is at least about 0.1 inch, and, more preferably, between 
about 0.1 and about 0.25 inches, while the elastic modulus E is preferably 
at least about 5 psi, and, more preferably, between about 5 and about 35 
psi. Most preferably, the elastic modulus E is about 20 psi. 
The material thickness M also influences the impact absorbing and heat 
transfer properties of the present invention. As the material thickness M 
increases, the impact absorbing capability of a body support garment also 
increases such that more impact energy can be absorbed by the garment and 
less transmitted to its user, thereby reducing the risk of further 
aggravating existing muscular and skeletal injuries. The material 
thickness M inversely affects the garment's heat transfer properties such 
that an increase in the material thickness M will decrease the amount of 
heat transferred away from a user of a body support garment of the present 
invention. Retention of heat about an injured body member can 
advantageously reduce the risk of further injury where expansion and 
contraction of cold muscles and tendons is problematic. Conversely, it 
might be desirable to increase the heat transfer rate away from a body 
member by decreasing the material thickness M, such as at portions of the 
body where heat generation is high (e.g., the upper torso) and rapid heat 
transfer could prevent overheating and dehydration. 
The thermal properties of the present invention can be influenced not only 
by the material thickness M, but also by the thermal conductivity K of the 
material. To minimize the amount of heat transferred to the environment, a 
low thermal conductivity K is desirable. Particularly, a material of the 
present invention preferably has a thermal conductivity K of less than 
about 0.30 (BTU*in)/(hr *ft.sup.2 *F..degree.), per ASTM Test Method 
C-518. While it is preferred that the thermal conductivity K is within the 
above-described ranges, it is contemplated that the thermal conductivity K 
can be adjusted in combination with the material thickness M to achieve a 
predetermined heat transfer property, as both variables can affect the 
heat transfer properties of the present invention. 
While it is desirable that material thickness M, circumferential strain 
ratio R.sub.C, and the elastic modulus E are within the previously 
described preferred ranges, it is contemplated that the same can be varied 
individually or in combination to provide a body support garment of the 
present invention with predetermined circumferential and longitudinal 
bodily support F.sub.C and F.sub.L, impact absorption, and heat transfer 
properties, as required. Further, while it is preferred that the material 
thickness M and the elastic modulus E are relatively constant over any one 
body support garment of the present invention, it is further contemplated 
that the same can be varied over a single body support garment to vary the 
amount of bodily support, impact absorption, and heat transfer properties 
of different portions of a garment, as desired. 
For example, a portion of a body support garment about an injured shoulder 
can be provided with a relatively high material thickness M and 
circumferential strain ratio R.sub.C to provide increased circumferential 
bodily support F.sub.C and a low heat transfer rate in comparison to 
another portion of the garment enclosing, for instance, the upper torso of 
the body. The relatively lower circumferential strain ratio R.sub.C and/or 
material thickness M provides less circumferential bodily support or 
resistance to expansion of the chest, thereby accommodating the rapid and 
sustained heavy breathing encountered during the exertion of athletic 
competition. 
Alternatively, the present invention can provide distinct embodiments 
having the same circumferential bodily support F.sub.C but different 
impact absorption capabilities by adjusting the material thickness M in 
combination with the circumferential strain ratio R.sub.C. For instance, a 
relatively thinner body support garment of the present invention can be 
provided by decreasing the material thickness M and increasing the 
circumferential strain ratio R.sub.C so as to provide the same bodily 
support as a garment having a relatively lower circumferential strain 
ratio R.sub.C and relatively greater material thickness M. While both 
garments may provide roughly the same circumferential bodily support 
F.sub.C for injured muscles and tissues, the former garment is lighter and 
less expensive to manufacture because less material is required while the 
latter garment is heavier but provides increased impact absorption 
capability, thereby decreasing the risk of further injury to a body member 
which could be highly susceptible to impact (e.g., a shoulder or upper 
arm). Thus, it should be readily apparent that body support garments of 
the present invention can be adapted to provide predetermined and widely 
varying amounts of circumferential and/or longitudinal bodily support, 
impact absorption, and thermal properties, depending upon the requirements 
of its user. 
Referring now to FIG. 6, the inner surface 42 of the body support garment 
20 preferably provides a gripping surface, wherein the gripping surface 
provides a coefficient of friction .mu..sub.1 which is sufficient to 
prevent slip between the inner surface and the enclosed body member during 
use of the garment. More preferably, the inner surface 42 provides a 
coefficient of friction .mu..sub.1 of at least about 0.4, and more 
preferably between about 0.4 and about 1.0, and, most preferably, about 
0.5 when measured using a standard pull test per ASTM Test Procedure 
D4521-91 with an uncoated piece of stainless steel having a 28 .mu.in. 
surface finish. A body support garment having an inner surface 42 with a 
relatively high coefficient of friction .mu. conforms to the contours of 
the wearer without "slipping" during use, thereby providing improved 
distribution of longitudinal bodily support F.sub.L. While not intending 
to bound by any theory, it is believed that an inner surface 42 providing 
a relatively low coefficient of friction .mu..sub.1 can permit relative 
"slip" between the body support garment and a rotating body member (e.g., 
the upper arm rotating about the shoulder), such that the body support 
garment can realign during physical exertion, thereby reducing the amount 
of strain experienced by the body support garment and, hence, reducing 
also the amount of longitudinal bodily support F.sub.L provided. However, 
it is believed that a high coefficient of friction .mu..sub.1, singularly 
or in combination with a circumferential strain ratio R.sub.C about the 
garment openings (e.g., abdominal opening, left arm opening, etc.) which 
is within the numeric ranges described herein, can prevent realignment of 
the body support garment during physical exertion, thereby improving the 
amount of longitudinal bodily support F.sub.L provided. 
The inner surface 42 can be provided with a raised texture, such as inner 
surface ridges and valleys or the like, to further increase the 
coefficient of friction .mu..sub.1. Such a textured surface advantageously 
increases the coefficient of friction .mu..sub.1 because the skin of an 
enclosed body member and the inner surface 42 are integrally contacted as 
the textured ridges press into the skin from the circumferential bodily 
support F.sub.C provided by a body support garment. While it is preferred 
that the inner surface 42 provides a uniform coefficient of friction 
.mu..sub.1, it is contemplated that the coefficient of friction .mu..sub.1 
can vary over the inner surface 42. For example, a low coefficient of 
friction .mu..sub.1 can be provided in portions of a body support garment 
where less longitudinal bodily F.sub.L support is required and where a low 
coefficient of friction .mu..sub.1 could facilitate ease of removal of the 
body support garment. Variations in the coefficient of friction .mu..sub.1 
can also be accomplished by varying the coating and/or texture of inner 
surface 42, as is known in the art. Alternatively, the amount of 
longitudinal bodily support F.sub.L about a body member can be increased 
by increasing the circumferential bodily support F.sub.C while holding the 
coefficient of friction .mu..sub.1 constant. 
In contrast to the high coefficient of friction .mu..sub.1 of the inner 
surface 42, the outer surface 40 of the body support garment 20 preferably 
has a relatively lower coefficient of friction .mu..sub.2 so that other 
garments or protective structures (e.g., football shoulder pads etc.), can 
be easily worn over the body support garment 20 without restricting 
movement of the wearer. The low coefficient of friction .mu..sub.1 can be 
provided by a nylon facing, or the like, attached to the outer surface 40, 
as is known in the art. 
FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate additional preferred embodiments of the present 
invention in the form of pants which are suitable for providing bodily 
support to the hamstring muscles of the left or right legs. The body 
support garment 320 is most suited for bodily supporting muscular injuries 
to the left leg while the body support garment 420 is best suited for 
providing bodily support to a right leg. Because body support garments 320 
and 420 are similar in construction, only the body support garment 320 is 
discussed hereafter by way of example. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, body 
support garment 320 has a generally tubular lower torso section 321 with a 
waist opening 44 disposed substantially coaxial with a longitudinal axis 
L. A left leg opening 48 and a right leg opening 46 are disposed on either 
side of the longitudinal axis L. The height H of the body garment 320 is 
preferably sufficient so that the right leg opening 46 is adjacent the 
right knee of a user while the waist opening 44 is disposed adjacent the 
user's waist. The left leg opening 48 is preferably disposed just below 
the left hip of the user, as appropriate, to provide unrestricted movement 
of the left leg. The body support garment 320 is preferably formed from a 
front face 330 and rear face 334 which are joined by a stitched seam 336 
at the interface between the faces, the faces defining the waist opening 
44, the left leg opening 48, and the right leg opening 46. The body 
support garment 320 preferably has an outer surface 340 and inner surface 
342 with coefficients of friction .mu..sub.1 and .mu..sub.2 as previously 
described. 
While the circumferential bodily support F.sub.c provided by the body 
garment 320 can be varied by adjusting the circumferential strain ratio 
R.sub.C, material thickness M, and elastic modulus E of the body support 
garment 320 as previously described, it is preferred that the highest 
circumferential strain ratio R.sub.C is provided at the leg openings 46 
and 48 and the waist opening 44 so that the body support garment 220 can 
resist realignment during physical movement by the user. In other words, 
the high circumferential strain ratio R.sub.C in combination with an inner 
surface 342 having a high coefficient of friction .mu. preferably anchor 
the body support garment 320 so that improved longitudinal bodily support 
F.sub.L is provided. An exemplary portion 25 of the inner surface adjacent 
the opening 46 having a circumferential strain ratio and gripping surface 
is illustrated in FIG. 7 by way of example. More preferably, the body 
support 320, as well as other body support garments in the form of pants, 
preferably have a material thickness M which is less than the material 
thickness M of body support garments which are in the form of vests, as 
for example, with respect to the body support garment 20. The body support 
garments of the present invention in the form of vests preferably have an 
increased material thickness M because the upper torso of an athlete is 
more likely to experience higher impact forces than the lower torso and 
the increased material thickness M provides greater impact absorption 
capability. 
FIG. 10 illustrates body support garment 520 of the present invention which 
is best suited for providing bodily support for both hamstring and groin 
muscles. The body support garment 520 is similar in form to the body 
support garment 320 and 420 previously discussed with the exception that 
both the right and left legs are enclosed by leg sleeve to adjacent the 
knee. Enclosing both the right and left legs advantageously supports the 
muscles of the groin, which are disposed in the region about the thigh and 
the trunk of the body. While the height H of the body support garment 520 
is preferably such that the waist opening 44 is adjacent the waist of the 
user and the leg opening 48 is adjacent the knee, it is contemplated that 
the height H can be increased so that the waist opening 44 is disposed 
above the user's waist. This increase in the height H can provide 
additional bodily support to the lower back and abdomen of the user. 
A garment of the present invention can be made by first determining the 
circumferential lengths of a body member of a wearer of the garment. For 
instance, the circumferential length about a shoulder, a bicep muscle, and 
the elbow can be useful in providing a garment of the present invention 
which bodily supports an injured shoulder or upper arm. The material 
thickness, elastic modulus, strain ratio R.sub.C, coefficient of friction 
.mu..sub.1, and thermal conductivity K can then be selected so that the 
garment will provide the desired circumferential and longitudinal bodily 
support, impact absorption, and heat transfer properties about the 
enclosed body member. After determining the strain ratio R.sub.C and 
knowing the circumferential lengths of the wearer, a dimensional template 
can be formed which is used to size the front and rear faces of the 
garment. After cutting the material according to the dimensions of the 
template, the front and rear faces can be bonded and/or sewn at their 
periphery, as is known in the art. 
The present invention will be further illustrated by the discussion of the 
body support garments of FIGS. 11 to 18. FIGS. 11 to 18 illustrate 
preferred body support garments of the present invention which are 
suitable for providing bodily support and impact absorption capabilities 
to various portions of a user's body and/or arms. FIGS. 11 to 14 are in 
the form of a vest while providing support to the upper torso of a user 
while FIGS. 15 to 18 are in the form of a pant best suited for providing 
support to the hamstring and/or groin muscles of a user. Most 
particularly, each of the body support garments is manufactured from a 
closed cell neoprene rubber provided by Rubatex of Roanoke, Va. under the 
designation of R-1400-N having an elastic modulus E of about 20 psi and a 
thermal conductivity K of about 0.30 (BTU*in)/(hr *ft.sup.2 *F..degree.). 
The inner surface of each of the garments has a coefficient of friction of 
about 0.5 while the outer surface has a relatively lower value. The 
material thickness M of the body support garments illustrated in FIGS. 11 
to 14 is about 0.25 inch while the body support garments of FIGS. 15 to 18 
has a material thickness M of about 0.18. Each of the above-described body 
garments provides improved bodily support, impact absorption, and thermal 
properties. 
Table 1 summarizes the circumferential strain ratios R.sub.C for the body 
support garments of FIGS. 11 to 18, wherein the circumferential strain 
ratio R.sub.C is based upon the circumference of the inner surface of the 
material about a predetermined point and the circumference of a user about 
the same point. Each of the points about which the circumferential strain 
ratio R.sub.C was measured is generally shown in FIGS. 11 to 18. 
__________________________________________________________________________ 
R.sub.C at 
FIG. 11 
FIG. 12 
FIG. 13 
FIG. 14 
FIG. 15 
FIG. 16 
FIG. 17 
FIG. 18 
__________________________________________________________________________ 
Point A 
0.07 
0.07 
0.07 
0.07 
about the 
chest 
Point B 0.06 
0.06 
0.06 
0.06 
about the 
waist 
Point C 0.04 
0.04 
0.04 
0.04 
about the 
thigh 
Point D 0.05 
0.05 
0.05 
0.05 
about the 
hips 
Point E 
0.06 
0.06 
0.06 
0.06 
about the 
abdomen 
Point F 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 
above the 
knee 
Point G 
0.08 
0.08 
0.08 
above the 
elbow 
Point H 
0.13 
0.13 
0.13 
about the 
bicep 
muscle 
Point I 
0.05 
0.05 
0.05 
above the 
tricep 
Point J 
0.03 
0.03 
0.03 
0.03 
below the 
pectoral 
muscle 
__________________________________________________________________________ 
Having shown and described the preferred embodiments of the present 
invention, further adaptions of the body support garments described herein 
can be accomplished by appropriate modification by one of ordinary skill 
in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
Several of such potential modifications have been mentioned, and others 
will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, while the 
garments of the present invention have been described in the form of pants 
and vests, a garment enclosing only a portion of the leg or arm (e.g., 
knee or elbow) can also be made in accordance with the present invention. 
Also, broad ranges for the physically measurable parameters have been 
disclosed for the inventive support garments as preferred embodiments of 
the present invention, yet it is contemplated that the physical parameters 
of the support garments can be varied to produce other preferred 
embodiments of improved support garments of the present invention as 
desired. Thus, the particular embodiments shown and described herein are 
intended only as preferred exemplary arrangements of the various 
structures and functions of the present invention, and the scope of the 
present invention should be considered in terms of the following claims 
and is understood not be limited to the details of structure and operation 
shown and described in the specification and drawings.