Abstract:
An exercise garment and system of obtaining access to audio while exercising, the garment carrying an electrical cable removably connected to an earphone and an audio source carried by the person exercising. Methods are also disclosed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to an exercise garment wired for a personal audio source.  
         [0002]     It has become a common practice for those engaged in strenuous exercise to listen to a personal source of audio while exercising. Such sources typically include a tape or disc player, perhaps a radio receiver, adapted to be mounted to the persons arm, carried in a pocket in the garment, or hooked to the person&#39;s belt. One or more earphone or speaker is provided to be worn by the person exercising so as not to disturb others nearby, and the earphone is operably connected to the audio source by a length of wire or cable. Examples of such known devices are illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3 .  
         [0003]     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an extended length audio cable  20  is provided to ensure that wearers have ample cable length to reach from an arm mounted audio source  22  to the ear phones  24 . Typically, a male audio jack  26  is used to provide the electrical connection to a female receptacle (not shown) in the audio source  22 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , wearing the audio source  22  on a belt or the waistband of the athletic shorts tends to keep the cable to the rear of the person but may result in a longer loop.  
         [0004]     One of the problems associated with such personal audio sources is the length of the cable connecting the source to the earphones. Manufacturer&#39;s typically provide a generous length of cable because they do not know the size of the individual purchaser or where such purchaser will physically locate the source on his body waist. Moreover, they may be considerable arm movement while exercising and the cable must be of sufficient length to permit a change in the relative location between the source and the earphones.  
         [0005]     As will be apparent from  FIGS. 1-3 , it is possible to get the hand tangled in the cord or on objects being passed, resulting in pulling the earphones off the head or disconnecting the cable from the audio source. Injury may result from the failure of the cable to disconnect. The weight of the cord itself, and the inertia during exercise, may be sufficient to cause the cable to disconnect. The movement of the cable, particularly when wearing a sleeveless garment, may cause chaffing of the arms or in the shoulder area. Thus, any significant length of unsecured cable presents both an inconvenience and a safety hazard to the person exercising and to those nearby while jogging along a bike path, riding a bicycle, or using a piece of stationary exercise equipment such as a treadmill, bicycle, stair climber or the like.  
         [0006]     One approach to solving this loose audio cable problem has been to replace the earphones with speakers carried by the exerciser on his person, typically fixed to a harness or a garment worn by the exerciser proximate to the chest or shoulder of the exercising person. Examples of such devices are shown, for example, in the Sato U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,700 dated Sep. 3, 1985, in the Waldron U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,134 dated May 13, 1986, the Ekman U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,962 dated Aug. 16, 1988, the Jennings U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,471 dated May 2, 1989, and the Suzuki U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,724 dated Oct. 24, 1989. Such known devices do not serve the need of exercisers in that the audio is broadcast rather than delivered only to the exerciser, are unacceptable in an outdoor environment where there may be significant ambient noise, and are unacceptable, for example, in the environment of a gym where the exercise equipment is closely packed together.  
         [0007]     Is it accordingly an object of the present invention to obviate many of the problems associated with known personal audio systems for those engaged in strenuous exercise and to provide a novel method and exercise garment for use in a personal audio system while strenuously exercising.  
         [0008]     Many other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from a perusal of the claims, the appended drawings, and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a pictorial view of a known personal audio system where the audio source is worn on the arm and is connected to earphones by a cable.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a pictorial view of the known personal audio system of  FIG. 1  with the wearer engaged in exercise.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a pictorial view of a known personal audio system where the audio is worn at the waist and is connected to earphones by a cable.  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a pictorial view of a sleeved embodiment of the present invention adapted for connection to an arm worn audio source at the sleeve;  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a pictorial view of a sleeved embodiment of the present invention adapted for connection to an arm worn audio source at the shoulder;  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a pictorial view of a sleeveless embodiment of the present invention adapted for connection to an arm worn audio source;  
         [0015]      FIG. 7  is a pictorial view of a sleeved embodiment of the present invention adapted for connection to an arm worn audio source at the sleeve;  
         [0016]      FIG. 8  is a pictorial view of an embodiment of the present invention adapted for connection to the earphones in the front of the garment;  
         [0017]      FIG. 9  is a pictorial view of an embodiment of a detachable cable of the present invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 10  is a pictorial view of a waist length embodiment of the present invention adapted for external connection to an audio source;  
         [0019]      FIG. 11  is a pictorial view of an embodiment of the present invention illustrating the embedding of the cable in the seams of the garment;  
         [0020]      FIG. 12  is a pictorial view of an over-the-waist embodiment of the present invention adapted for internal connection to an audio source;  
         [0021]      FIG. 13  is a pictorial view of the embodiment of  FIG. 12  as worn illustrating the embedding of the cable along the seams of the garment;  
         [0022]      FIG. 14  is a pictorial view of a bare midriff embodiment of the present invention with an earphone connection in the front to the neck opening and the source connection at the arm opening; and  
         [0023]      FIG. 15  is a pictorial view of a sleeveless bare midriff embodiment of the present invention illustrating the earphone connection on the front of the garment in a decorative or source indication.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0024]     With reference to the figures where like elements have been given like numerical designations to facilitate an understanding of the present invention, a number of embodiments of the physical training apparatus of the present invention are described.  
         [0025]     In the embodiment of  FIGS. 4-7 , two short cables are provided, one cable  28  being connected to the earphones  24  and having a male audio jack  30  and a second cable  32  having a male jack  34  for insertion into the receptacle (not shown) of the audio source  22  and a male jack  36  on the other end.  
         [0026]     As shown in  FIGS. 4-7  and  10 - 15 , a length of cable  38  may be embedded in, or attached to, the fabric of the garment in any suitable conventional way and extend between a female receptacle  40  proximate to the neck opening of the garment and a female receptacle  42  proximate to the arm opening of the garment. Note that the location of the receptacle  42  may vary from the distal end of a sleeved garment illustrated in  FIGS. 4, 7  and  14  to the shoulder of the sleeved garment shown in  FIG. 5  and the sleeveless garment illustrated in  FIG. 6 .  
         [0027]     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 14 , the cable  38  may be located along the shoulder seam of the garment and the upper part of the garment sleeve. Alternatively, and as shown in  FIG. 7 , the cable  38  may be located along a garment sleeve. In addition the garment may be provided with a pocket to receive and retain the audio source thereby eliminating the need to secure the audio source to the arm.  
         [0028]     As a matter of ease in illustration only, the embedded cable is shown only on one side of the garment. However, it is to be understood that the embedded cable may alternatively be located on the right side of the garment. While only one cable internal of the shirt is shown in these and the other figures, it is also to be understood that cables may be provided on both sides to provide alternative connections as may be favored by right or left handed exercisers. Where two cables are provided, they may connect to individual or a common female jack adjacent the neck opening. Two source connectors may be provided, e.g., one at the arm opening and one at the torso opening, to give the wearer an option as to where to wear the source on his body (See,  FIG. 10 ).  
         [0029]     As shown in the embodiments of  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the use of a headphone jack may be obviated by attaching the cable to the garment rather than embedding it within the fabric of the garment. As shown in  FIG. 8 , the cable  44  may be continuous between the audio source  22  and the earphones  24 , but desirably shortened and provided with spaced apart fabric connectors  46 ,  48  such as the hook/loop connectors marketed as VELCRO®. These connectors may removably connected to connectors  50 ,  52  permanently attached to the garment along the shoulder seam.  
         [0030]     As shown in  FIG. 9 , the garment may be provided with the spaced apart connectors  50 ,  52  and the connectors  46 ,  48  attached to a flexible container  54  or envelop suitable for receiving and retaining any length of cable  44  in excess to that needed for the size of the wearer. In this way, a portion of the length of cable conventionally provided with headsets  24  may be retained within the container  54  on the wearer&#39;s shoulder to constrain the extra length and reduce the likelihood of entanglement and injury associated with a free cable during exercise.  
         [0031]     With reference to  FIGS. 10, 11  and  15 , the cable  38  may be embedded in the garment along the shoulder seam, around the front sleeve seam ( FIGS. 10, 12  and  15 ) or the rear sleeve seem ( FIGS. 7, 11  and  13 ). As shown in  FIGS. 10, 12 ,  13  and  15 , the cable may extend down the side of the garment to a jack proximate to the waist opening, for both sleeved and sleeveless garments ( FIGS. 10 and 11 ) as well as for garments that terminate above ( FIGS. 14 and 15 ) or below ( FIGS. 12 and 13 ) the waist. Where it is desirable that the garment extends below the waist so as to hide the audio source  22  from view, the female receptacle  42  may be made accessible from the inside of the garment as shown in  FIGS. 12 and 13 . With the exception of the neck area, this eliminates the exposure of the cable to snags.  
         [0032]     Where the female receptacle  42  is on the inside of the garment, the garment may be provided with a small slit through which the cable to the audio source may pass. This gives a user wearing the audio source  22  on their waist the option of having the garment tucked, or not tucked, into their shorts.  
         [0033]     Note that the earphone receptacle  40  may be on the back of the neck opening, but is desirably on the side of the neck opening ( FIGS. 5-7  and  11 - 13 ) or in the front of the neck opening ( FIGS. 4 and 14 ). Alternatively as shown in  FIG. 15 , the earphone receptacle  40  may be located on the front of the garment, e.g. under a logo or other ornamental design element so that the garment may be worn without disclosing its potential for use with an audio source.  
       ADVANTAGES AND SCOPE OF INVENTION  
       [0034]     In various embodiments, the present invention reduces the likelihood of entanglement of an audio cable around the hand or on exercise equipment when exercising and provides support for the audio cable so that the weight thereof bouncing while running is less likely to effect a disconnect or to yank the earphones out of the ears of the person exercising. The likelihood of chaffing from movement of the cable against the body is reduced to the extent the cable is secured to the garment.  
         [0035]     The cable itself may be reduced in length, and thus in weight, reducing tension on the earphones and allowing a full range of motion of the neck and both arms with a significant reduction in the probability of cord entanglement around surrounding objects.  
         [0036]     The cable restraining means selectively attached to the garment allows the user to restrain a cable with excessive length.  
         [0037]     The connection of the earphones to the front of the garment, e.g., under a logo, may be desirable because the connection may be hidden permitting the garment to be worn in social as well as exercise environments. The connection to the front of the garment rather than the rear thereof facilitates access and thus the connection of the audio source to the garment by the wearer thereof.  
         [0038]     While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, it is to be understood that the embodiments described are illustrative only and that the scope of the invention is to be defined solely by the appended claims when accorded a full range of equivalence, many variations and modifications naturally occurring to those of skill in the art from a perusal hereof.