Patent ID: 8142382

Claim:
An athletic tape for wrapping a portion of a person's body, the athletic tape having a longitudinal axis and being adapted to provide a controlled support for the portion of the person's body, the athletic tape comprising: a tape body being stretchable along the longitudinal axis from a first position to a second position, in which the tape body is elongated by a predetermined amount relative to the first position, the tape body comprising: a first elastomer layer defining a tape length, as measured along the longitudinal axis, of the tape body; a support structure comprising a plurality of interconnected fibers which define a continuous planar structure disposed within the elastomer layer generally along the longitudinal axis in an at least partially non linear fashion while the tape body is in the first position so that a length of the support structure, as measured along a surface thereof, is greater than the tape length of the first elastomer layer; and wherein when the tape body is stretched into the second position, the support structure is at least partially straightened so that the support structure is more linear, relative to when the tape body is in the first position, the straightening of the support structure causing energy to be dissipated and generally preventing further elongation of the elastomer layer along the longitudinal axis past the second position.