Patent Publication Number: US-2021186749-A1

Title: Thermal Therapy Garment Assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Statement Regarding Federally Sponsored Research or Development 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The disclosure and prior art relates to garment devices and more particularly pertains to a new garment device for applying heat therapy or cold therapy to strategic locations on a user&#39;s body. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a shirt that is wearable on a user. A plurality of pockets is each of the pockets is coupled to the shirt. A plurality of thermal packs is provided and each of the thermal packs is positionable in a respective one of the pockets. Each of the thermal packs is exposable to a heat source to apply heat therapy to strategic locations on the user&#39;s body. Each of the thermal packs is exposable to a cooling source to apply cold therapy to the strategic locations on the user&#39;s body. A plurality of straps is each coupled to the shirt. Each of the straps is tensionable along the shirt for compressing the shirt against the user&#39;s body. In this way each of the straps reduces blood circulation in the user&#39;s body for enhancing effectiveness of the heat or cold therapy. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a back perspective view of a thermal therapy garment assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2  of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a back view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 5  thereof, a new garment device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 5 , the thermal therapy garment assembly  10  generally comprises a shirt  12  that is wearable on a user such that the shirt  12  is in thermal communication with the user&#39;s body. The shirt  12  may be comprised of a resiliently stretchable material such as spandex of the like. Additionally, the shirt  12  has copper filaments  14  integrated therein such that the copper filaments  14  facilitate pain relief in the user. The copper filaments  14  are distributed over an entirety of the shirt  12 . The shirt  12  has a body portion  16 , a pair of shoulder portions  18  and a pair of sleeves  20 , and the shirt  12  has an outer surface  22  and a back side  24 . The shirt  12  may be structured in the convention of a short sleeved tee shirt or the like. 
     A plurality of pockets  26  is each coupled to the shirt  12  and each of the pockets  26  is aligned with strategic points on the shirt  12  that correspond to locations on the user&#39;s body that would commonly have heat therapy or cold therapy applied thereto. Additionally, each of the pockets  26  is positioned on the outer surface  22  of the shirt  12 . The plurality of pockets  26  includes a set of body pockets  28  that is each positioned on the back side  24  of the body portion  16  of the shirt  12 . The set of body pockets  28  are arranged into a plurality of rows  29  on the body portion  16  of the shirt  12 . 
     The plurality of pockets  26  includes a set of shoulder pockets  30  that is each positioned on an intersection between a respective one of the shoulder portions  18  of the shirt  12  and a respective one of the sleeves  20 . The plurality of pockets  26  includes a set of sleeve pockets  32  that is each is positioned on a respective one of the sleeves  20 . Each of the sleeve pockets  32  is positioned on a top side  34  of the respective sleeve  20 . Additionally, each of the pockets  26  has a top end  36  and the top end  36  of each of the pockets  26  is open into an interior of the pockets  26 . Each of the pockets  26  includes a flap  38  that is movably positioned on the shirt  12  and is aligned with the top end  36  of a respective one of the pockets  26 . The flap  38  on each of the pockets  26  is foldable over the top end  36  of the respective pocket  26  for closing the top end  36  of the respective pocket  26 . 
     Each of the sleeves  20  has a vent  27  extending therethrough for passing air into the sleeves  20 . The vent  27  on each sleeve  20  is positioned on a front side  29  of the sleeve  20 . A pair of closures  31 , such as a zipper or other type of releasable closure, is coupled to a respective one of the sleeves  20 . Each closure  31  is aligned with the vent  27  in the respective sleeve  20  for opening and closing the vent  27 . 
     A plurality of thermal packs  39  is provided and each of the thermal packs  39  is positionable in a respective one of the pockets  26 . Each of the thermal packs  39  is comprised of a thermally conductive material such that each of the thermal packs  39  is in thermal communication with the user&#39;s body when the thermal packs  39  are positioned in the respective pocket  26 . Each of the thermal packs  39  is exposable to a heat source thereby facilitating each of the thermal packs  39  to absorb heat. In this way each of the thermal packs  39  can apply heat therapy to the strategic locations on the user&#39;s body. 
     Each of the thermal packs  39  is exposable to a cooling source thereby facilitating each of the thermal packs  39  to be cooled. In this way each of the thermal packs  39  can apply cold therapy to the strategic locations on the user&#39;s body. Each of the thermal packs  39  may be a gel thermal pack of any conventional design. Each of the thermal packs  39  is insertable through the top end  36  of the respective pocket  26 . The flap  38  on the respective pocket  26  is foldable over the thermal pack  38  in the respective pocket  26  to retain the thermal pack  38  in the respective pocket  26 . 
     A plurality of straps  40  is provided and each of the straps  40  is coupled to the shirt  12 . Each of the straps  40  is tensionable along the shirt  12  for compressing the shirt  12  against the user&#39;s body. In this way each of the straps  40  can reduce blood circulation in the user&#39;s body for enhancing effectiveness of the heat or cold therapy. Each of the straps  40  is releasably matable to the shirt  12  when the straps  40  are tensioned along the shirt  12 . 
     Each of the straps  40  has a first end  42 , a second end  44  and a first surface  46  extending therebetween. The first surface  46  of each of the straps  40  is coupled to the outer surface  22  of the shirt  12  and each of the first  42  and second  44  ends of each of the straps  40  is free from the shirt  12 . Each of the first  42  and second  44  ends of each of the straps  40  is matable to the outer surface  22  of the shirt  12 . Additionally, each of the straps  40  may be comprised of an elastomeric material. In this way each of the straps  40  can be stretched fully around the shirt  12 . 
     The plurality of straps  40  includes a set of body straps  48  and each of the body straps  48  is horizontally oriented on the shirt  12 . Each of the body straps  48  is oriented collinear with a respective one of the rows  29  of the body pockets  28 . The plurality of straps  40  includes a pair of shoulder straps  50  and each of the shoulder straps  50  is positioned on a respective one of the shoulder portions  18  of the shirt  12 . Each of the shoulder straps  50  is aligned with an intersection of a respective one of the sleeves  20  and the respective shoulder portion. Moreover, each of the shoulder straps  50  extends across a respective one of the shoulder pouches  30 . Each of the straps  40  may include hook and loop fasteners or the like for releasably engaging the shirt  12 . 
     In use, the shirt  12  is worn when the user needs to apply heat therapy or cold therapy to selected areas of the user&#39;s upper body. Selected ones of the thermal packs  39  are heated or cooled, depending on the user&#39;s wishes for heat therapy or cold therapy. Each of the thermal packs  39  is positioned in a respective one of the pockets  26  when the thermal packs  39  have been heated or cooled. In this way the user can apply heat therapy or cold therapy to selected areas on the user&#39;s upper body. Additionally, the straps  40  can be tensioned along the shirt  12  for compressing the shirt  12  against the user&#39;s body. In this way blood circulation can be slowed for enhancing the effectiveness of the heat or cold therapy. The shirt  12  can be worn underneath clothing that the user is wearing or the shirt  12  can be worn by itself. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.