Abstract:
A garment is provided which comprises (a) a first portion constructed from stretchable material that is form fitting to a user&#39;s physique and that extends across any of a user&#39;s collar bone, neck, upper spine, or armpit area; and (b) a cooling composition disposed in said first portion, said cooling composition comprising a material that applies a cooling effect to the collar bone area of the user.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation application, which claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/076,325, which was filed Mar. 30, 2011, which has the same title, and which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/318,990, which was filed on Mar. 30, 2010, which has the same title, and which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates generally to devices for exercise, physical therapy or weight loss, and more particularly to a garment adapted to stimulate adaptive thermogenesis in brown adipose tissues. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     It is often desirable for athletes or individuals undergoing training, physical therapy, or a weight loss regimen to include resistance in an exercise or therapy session. To this end, various devices and types of wearing apparel have been developed over the years that incorporate weight into their designs. By inclusion of weight into the garment itself, the wearer can enjoy the benefits of weight resistance without the inconvenience associated with ankle weights, dumbbells, sandbags and other such separate accessories. 
     One example of a garment of the foregoing type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,694 (Daoud et al.), entitled “Exercise Apparel and Weight Packets”. The garment disclosed therein includes a vest, pants, spine strap, belt, wrist bands, ankle bands and weight packets. The weight packets include plural rows and plural columns of weight members that are installed in pockets, and the pockets are positioned to distribute the weights about the wearer&#39;s body. The placement of the weights is solely maintained by the snugness of the garment&#39;s fit to the wearer&#39;s body. 
     Another example of the foregoing type of garment is the exercise vest described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,441 (Raines). This weighted exercise and therapeutic vest, when worn by a person involved in either athletic training, physical therapy or a weight reduction program, enhances the benefits of the activity undertaken. The vest has a snug, form-fitting design that clings snugly to the wearer&#39;s body, and may be constructed with pockets or other receptacles into which weights may be inserted. 
     The vest described in Raines represents a notable improvement in the art over previously known exercise vests in that its unique construction provides sufficient support to the applied weights to fix their placement relative to the wearer. This is accomplished through (a) the use of material that resists stretch in one direction while facilitating stretch in another; (b) the inclusion of support straps as an integral component of the vest&#39;s construction that join one or more weight compartments in which the weight packets are contained (by continuously connecting the strap to the vest along the entire length of the strap, the load of the weight packet may be distributed across the body of the vest); and (c) the utilization of a rubberized coating applied to at least portions of different components that are positioned into face-to-face engagement during use (the friction experienced between the two rubberized surfaces resists slippage of the weighted portions with respect to the suit and the body of the person wearing it). 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     In one aspect, a garment is provided which comprises a first portion that extends across the collar bones of a user, and a second portion that extends across the neck of the user. Each of the first and second portions contains a material that applies a cooling effect to the body of the user. 
     In another aspect, a garment is provided which comprises a first portion that extends across the collar bone area of the user. The first portion contains a cooling composition. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an illustration of a first particular, non-limiting embodiment of an exercise or therapeutic garment/device in accordance with the teachings herein. 
         FIGS. 2-3  are illustrations of a second particular, non-limiting embodiment of an exercise or therapeutic garment/device in accordance with the teachings herein. 
         FIG. 4  is an illustration of some particular, non-limiting embodiments of cooling packs which may be utilized in the garments and devices described herein. 
         FIGS. 5-8  are illustrations of a third particular, non-limiting embodiment of an exercise or therapeutic garment/device in accordance with the teachings herein. 
         FIGS. 9-12  are illustrations of a fourth particular, non-limiting embodiment of an exercise or therapeutic garment/device in accordance with the teachings herein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Although the device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,441 (Raines) represents a notable advance in the art, this device was designed primarily as a weight-bearing vest for exercise or therapy, and hence does not address other needs of users. In particular, while such a device may be used to achieve weight loss in the same manner that any other type of exercise device may be utilized for that purpose, it does not, for example, directly enhance the underlying physiological processes that contribute to weight loss and enhance physical fitness. There is thus a need in the art for devices and methodologies which address this infirmity. 
     It has now been found that the aforementioned needs may be met through the provision of a garment, apparel or other device which permits the thermal stimulation of brown adipose tissues in the body of the user. Such tissues are concentrated, for example, beneath the collar bones, the neck, upper spine, and armpit. Research suggests that it is possible to stimulate adaptive thermogenesis (that is, the generation of energy that the body uses in maintaining a normal body temperature) in such tissues within just 2 hours in a 60° F. room. The devices and methodologies disclosed herein make advantageous use of this discovery by using embedded or incorporated thermo-regulating devices, such as cooling packs, to maintain the brown adipose tissues of a user in a state conducive to adaptive thermogenesis. By way of example, an exercise vest or garment may be made in accordance with the teachings herein which has cooling packs incorporated into a portion thereof that extends over the collar bones, the neck, upper spine, and armpits of the user. The cooling packs may be selected, for example, to maintain a temperature of 58° F. for 3 to 4 hours, and are held snugly in place by the construction of the vest. Various cooling packs offering differing levels of coolness may be selected as thermo-regulating inserts or may be built into the garment. 
     Studies in animals indicate that brown adipose tissue is important in the regulation of body weight. Indeed, it is possible that individual variations in adaptive thermogenesis can be attributed to variations in the amount or activity of brown adipose tissue. Until recently, the presence of brown adipose tissue was thought to be relevant only in small mammals and infants, and was believed to be of negligible physiologic relevance in adult humans. However, recent research reported in the New England Journal of Medicine (Wouter et al., “Cold Activated Brown Adipose Tissue in Healthy Men, N. Engl. J. Med. 360:15 (Apr. 9, 2009)) suggests that brown adipose tissue may be metabolically important, and the fact that it is reduced yet present in most overweight or obese subjects may make it the target for the treatment of obesity. 
     The devices and methodologies disclosed herein make advantageous use of the foregoing findings by providing a means to thermally regulate brown adipose tissues in a subject during a workout or therapy session. In particular, the devices and methodologies disclosed herein provide a means by which the brown adipose tissues (as well as surrounding tissues, fluids, or other body masses) in a user may be subjected to a cooling effect which is believed to be advantageous for achieving weight loss through adaptive thermogenesis. 
       FIG. 1  depicts a first particular, non-limiting embodiment of a thermogenetic garment made in accordance with the teachings herein. The garment  180  depicted therein is an exercise vest which is similar in many respects to the vest disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,441 (Raines), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Thus, the garment  180  comprises an upper portion  178  that extends over the collar bones of the user, and a lower portion  184  that extends across the chest of the user. The material of the upper portion  178  is preferably constructed to permit stretching in lateral or horizontal directions, but to resist vertical stretching. The upper portion  178  has embedded therein one or more cooling packs (which may comprise, for example, one or more materials that undergo a phase change) which are adapted to provide a cooling effect to the collar bone area of the user. Preferably, the cooling packs are adapted to maintain a temperature of 58° F. for 3 to 4 hours. However, it will be appreciated that various materials (including solids, liquids, or gas) may be selected for this purpose that provide a cooling effect which is characterized by different durations and temperatures (or ranges of temperatures). The duration of cooling and the characteristic temperature or temperature range may be chosen based on the desired application. 
     The garment  180  in this particular embodiment has a lower portion  181  which is optionally equipped with a plurality of cooling pack pockets  182  or other thermo-regulating devices that are arranged generally about a lower portion of the garment  180 . The specific configuration of the cooling pack pockets  182  may vary from one embodiment to another. Each of the cooling pack pockets  182  may have a cooling pack inserted therein, with the number of cooling packs and cooling pack pockets  182  utilized being chosen to achieve a desired cooling effect for the vest. 
     To facilitate use of the vest, a zipper  181  is provided at the front-center of the garment  180 . A plurality of loops  183  are also provided at the sides of the garment  180  to further assure that the garment  180  fits snuggly and is variably adjustable. The loops  183  receive a cinch string  185  that may be tightened or loosened to accommodate the particular wearer&#39;s body size and to customize the fit of the garment  180 . 
     The garment  180  in this particular embodiment may be further equipped with a set of optional anchor straps  187  to anchor the weighted garment  180  against upward movement with respect to the wearer. Alligator-type clips  189  are provided at terminal lower ends of the anchor straps  187  for releasably fixing the straps  187  to another article of clothing of the wearer. By way of example, these clips  189  may be used to clip the anchor straps  187  to the waistband of a pair of shorts or pants. Of course, it will be appreciated that the garment  180  is not limited to the use of the foregoing clips  189  and straps  187 , and that other suitable means may be utilized that achieve a similar end. 
       FIGS. 2-3  depict a second particular, non-limiting embodiment of a thermogenetic garment made in accordance with the teachings herein. The garment  201  depicted therein comprises a lower portion  203 , an upper portion  205  and a zipper  207  (see  FIG. 2 ) which bisects the garment  201  along a vertical axis. The upper portion  205  is equipped with a plurality of compartments  209 , each of which is designed to hold a thermo-regulating device  211  (see  FIG. 4 ). These compartments  209  may be permanently sealed, or may be equipped with a zipper or fastener to allow the thermo-regulating devices  211  to be inserted, removed or replaced. The upper portion  205  of the garment  201  comprises an inner portion  213  which is preferably equipped with a cooling gel layer, and an outer portion  215  which includes the compartments  209 . 
     The lower portion  203  of the garment  201  may have a construction which is the same as, or different from, the upper portion  205 . For example, in some embodiments, the lower portion  203  of the garment  201  may also be equipped with a plurality of compartments  209  designed to hold thermo-regulating devices  211 . Alternatively, the compartments  209  in the lower portion  203  may be used to hold weights or a material, such as sand or metal particles, which add weight or resistance to the garment  201 . 
     Various materials may be used in the construction of the garment  201 . Preferably, the garment is equipped with a base material comprising a one-way stretch fabric, such as the fabrics based on polyurethane-polyurea copolymers sold under the trade names LYCRA® and SPANDEX®. The garment is also preferably equipped with a top or outer material which preferably comprises one or more synthetic rubbers. Suitable materials of this type include the fabrics based on polychloroprene which are sold under the trade name NEOPRENE®. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates some particular, non-limiting examples of thermo-regulating devices  211  which may be utilized in the garment of  FIGS. 2-3 . These devices, which may be the same as or different from the cooling packs described with respect to the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , are designed to fit inside of suitably sized pockets provided in the upper portion  205  of the garment  201 , and are preferably designed to lay flat against the body of the user. The thermo-regulating devices may be custom shaped (see  211   a ), and may have a single compartment (see  211   b ) or multi-compartment (see  211   c ) structure. Moreover, while the thermo-regulating devices are preferably adapted to provide a cooling effect, embodiments are also possible in which these devices provide a heating effect. 
       FIGS. 5-8  illustrate another particular, non-limiting embodiment of a thermogenetic garment made in accordance with the teachings herein. The garment  301  depicted therein comprises a lower portion  303  that extends over the neck and shoulder blades of the user, and an upper portion  305  that extends around the neck of the user. A seam  307  equipped with a hook and loop type faster, zipper, or other suitable releasable fastener is provided to allow the garment  301  to be readily positioned on, or removed from, the body of the user. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 7-8 , in some variations of this embodiment, an auxiliary portion  319  is provided which extends across the armpits of the user. Preferably, the auxiliary portion  319  is releasably attached to the garment  301  by way of a hook-and-loop type fastener  308 , although it will be appreciated that a zipper or other suitable means as are known to the art may be utilized to releasably attach the auxiliary portion  319  to the lower portion  303  of the garment  301 . However, embodiments are also contemplated where the auxiliary portion  319  is permanently attached to the garment  301 . 
     The garment  301  may have the same general construction as the garment  201  depicted in  FIGS. 2-3 . Like that garment  201 , the garment  301  is equipped with one or more compartments  309  which contain a thermo-regulating devices. 
       FIGS. 9-12  illustrate a further particular, non-limiting embodiment of a thermogenetic garment made in accordance with the teachings herein. The garment  401  depicted therein comprises a lower portion  403  that extends across the shoulder blades and spine of the user, and an upper portion  405  that extends around the neck of the user. As seen in  FIG. 10 , a seam  408  equipped with a hook and loop type faster, zipper, or other suitable releasable fastener is provided to allow the garment  401  to be readily positioned on, or removed from, the body of the user.  FIGS. 11 and 12  show alternate variations of this embodiment in which the seam  408  is positioned in different areas of the garment  401 . 
     While the foregoing description has focused primarily on the adaptation of a garment to stimulate adaptive thermogenesis by applying a cooling effect to brown adipose tissues occurring in the collar bone area, the neck, the upper spine, and the armpit of the user, one skilled in the art will appreciate that, more generally, garments may be made in accordance with the teachings herein which are adapted to apply a cooling effect to brown adipose tissues wherever they may occur in the body of the user. In some such embodiments, the cooling effect may be localized to the brown adipose tissues, though embodiments are also possible in accordance with the teachings herein which apply such an effect to a larger area, or even to the entire body of the user. 
     The above description of the present invention is illustrative, and is not intended to be limiting. It will thus be appreciated that various additions, substitutions and modifications may be made to the above described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be construed in reference to the appended claims.