Athletic gear providing enhanced moisture management

Abstract

Athletic gear, such as an athletic garment and/or protective athletic equipment, providing enhanced moisture management to a wearer (e.g., a hockey, lacrosse, football, or other sports player). For example, the athletic gear may have a quick-drying capability to increase a rate of evaporation of moisture.

1 . An athletic garment configured to be worn by a wearer under or over protective athletic equipment worn by the wearer, the athletic garment comprising:
 a) a surface to contact the protective athletic equipment; and   b) a material comprising active elements to manage moisture as the wearer sweats, said material having mechanical properties to resist damage due to contact between the athletic garment and the protective athletic equipment.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The athletic garment claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the material comprises a base substance and the active elements are connected to the base substance. 
     
     
         4 . The athletic garment claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the material is a fabric and the base substance is a fibrous substance. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The athletic garment claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the active elements comprise activated carbon. 
     
     
         9 .- 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . The athletic garment claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the active elements are responsive to heat generated by the wearer's body to vaporize liquid moisture in contact with the material. 
     
     
         24 . The athletic garment claimed in  claim 3 , wherein a specific heat capacity of the active elements is less than a specific heat capacity of the base substance. 
     
     
         25 . The athletic garment claimed in  claim 3 , wherein a molar absorptivity at an infrared wavelength of the active elements is greater than a molar absorptivity at the infrared wavelength of the base substance. 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . The athletic garment claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the material has an abrasion resistance of at least 10000 rubs according to ASTM 4966—Option 1. 
     
     
         28 . The athletic garment claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the material has a bursting strength of at least 40 psi if the material weighs 3.4 oz./yd. 2  or less or at least 55 psi if the material weighs 3.5 oz./yd. 2  or more, according to ASTM D3788. 
     
     
         29 . The athletic garment claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the material has a snagging resistance of at least 3 according to ASTM D3939. 
     
     
         30 .- 34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . The athletic garment claimed in  claim 1 , comprising a protector for protecting a body part of the wearer. 
     
     
         36 . The athletic garment claimed in  claim 35 , wherein the athletic garment is a shirt, the body part of the wearer is a neck of the wearer, and the protector comprises a neck guard to protect the wearer's neck. 
     
     
         37 .- 81 . (canceled) 
     
     
         82 . An athletic garment configured to be worn by a wearer under or over protective athletic equipment worn by the wearer, the athletic garment comprising:
 a) a surface to contact the protective athletic equipment; and   b) a material to manage moisture as the wearer sweats, the material comprising:
 i. a base substance; and 
 ii. active elements connected to the base substance, wherein a specific heat capacity of the active elements is less than a specific heat capacity of the base substance. 
   
     
     
         83 .- 88 . (canceled) 
     
     
         89 . An article of protective athletic equipment to be worn by a wearer to provide impact protection, the article of protective athletic equipment comprising:
 a) an inner surface for facing towards the wearer;   b) an outer surface for facing away from the wearer; and   c) a material comprising active elements to manage moisture as the wearer sweats.   
     
     
         90 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 89 , wherein the active elements are configured to facilitate drying of the material. 
     
     
         91 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 89 , wherein the material comprises a base substance and the active elements are connected to the base substance. 
     
     
         92 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 91 , wherein the material is a fabric and the base substance is a fibrous substance. 
     
     
         93 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 91 , wherein the material is a foam and the base substance is a cellular substance. 
     
     
         94 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 89 , comprising protective padding and an inner liner, wherein the material constitutes at least part of a given one of the protective padding and the inner liner. 
     
     
         95 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 94 , wherein the given one of the protective padding and the inner liner is the inner liner. 
     
     
         96 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 94 , wherein the given one of the protective padding and the inner liner is the protective padding. 
     
     
         97 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 89 , wherein the active elements are active particles. 
     
     
         98 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 97 , wherein the active particles are microporous particles. 
     
     
         99 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 97 , wherein the active particles comprise activated carbon. 
     
     
         100 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 89 , wherein the active elements adsorb liquid moisture as the wearer sweats. 
     
     
         101 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 89 , wherein a drying rate of the material is at least 2.1 ml/hr according to AATCC Test Method 201. 
     
     
         102 . (canceled) 
     
     
         103 . (canceled) 
     
     
         104 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 89 , wherein a drying rate of the material is at least 15 ml/hr according to AATCC Test Method 200. 
     
     
         105 . (canceled) 
     
     
         106 . (canceled) 
     
     
         107 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 89 , wherein a surface area of the material is at least 300 cm 2  per square centimeter of the material. 
     
     
         108 . (canceled) 
     
     
         109 . (canceled) 
     
     
         110 . (canceled) 
     
     
         111 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 89 , wherein a surface area of the active elements is at least 200 m 2  per gram of the active elements. 
     
     
         112 . (canceled) 
     
     
         113 . (canceled) 
     
     
         114 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 89 , wherein the active elements are responsive to heat generated by the wearer's body to vaporize liquid moisture in contact with the material. 
     
     
         115 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 91 , wherein a specific heat capacity of the active elements is less than a specific heat capacity of the base substance. 
     
     
         116 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 91 , wherein a molar absorptivity at an infrared wavelength of the active elements is greater than a molar absorptivity at the infrared wavelength of the base substance. 
     
     
         117 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 89 , wherein the active elements are configured to exothermically react with liquid moisture. 
     
     
         118 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 90 , wherein a drying rate of a first area of the article of protective athletic equipment is greater than a drying rate of a second area of the article of protective athletic equipment. 
     
     
         119 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 118 , wherein the first area of the article of protective athletic equipment is disposed to overlie a first region of the wearer's body expected to generate more sweat than a second region of the wearer's body and the second area of the article of protective athletic equipment is disposed to overlie the second region of the wearer's body. 
     
     
         120 . (canceled) 
     
     
         121 . (canceled) 
     
     
         122 . (canceled) 
     
     
         123 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 118 , wherein a concentration of the active elements in the first area of the article of protective athletic equipment is greater than a concentration of the active elements in the second area of the article of protective athletic equipment. 
     
     
         124 . (canceled) 
     
     
         125 . (canceled) 
     
     
         126 . (canceled) 
     
     
         127 . The article of protective athletic equipment in  claim 123 , wherein the concentration of the active elements in the second area of the article of protective athletic equipment is substantially zero. 
     
     
         128 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 89 , wherein a concentration of the active elements in a first area of the article of protective athletic equipment is greater than a concentration of the active elements in a second area of the article of protective athletic equipment. 
     
     
         129 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 128 , wherein the concentration of the active elements in the second area of the article of protective athletic equipment is substantially zero. 
     
     
         130 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 89 , wherein the active elements are configured to provide a cooling effect perceivable by the wearer as the wearer sweats. 
     
     
         131 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 130 , wherein the material is configured to cool down when absorbing moisture as the wearer sweats. 
     
     
         132 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 130 , wherein the material is configured to cool down when absorbing heat from the wearer's body as the wearer sweats. 
     
     
         133 . (canceled) 
     
     
         134 . (canceled) 
     
     
         135 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 89 , wherein the material is a first material, the active elements are first active elements configured to facilitate drying of the first material as the wearer sweats, and the article of protective athletic equipment comprises a second material comprising second active elements configured to provide a cooling effect perceivable by the wearer as the wearer sweats. 
     
     
         136 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 135 , wherein the second material is configured to cool down when absorbing moisture as the wearer sweats. 
     
     
         137 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 135 , wherein the second material is configured to cool down when absorbing heat from the wearer's body as the wearer sweats. 
     
     
         138 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 135 , wherein the second material comprises a base substance and the second active elements are connected to the base substance of the second material. 
     
     
         139 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 138 , wherein the second material is a fabric and the base substance of the second material is a fibrous substance. 
     
     
         140 . (canceled) 
     
     
         141 . (canceled) 
     
     
         142 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 135 , wherein a quantity of the first material in the article of protective athletic equipment is greater than a quantity of the second material in the article of protective athletic equipment. 
     
     
         143 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 135 , wherein the second material is disposed to be located adjacent to a quick-cooling spot of the wearer's body. 
     
     
         144 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 143 , wherein the quick-cooling spot of the wearer's body is a neck, a wrist, an elbow, a forehead, a knee, an ankle, or an inner thigh. 
     
     
         145 .- 151 . (canceled) 
     
     
         152 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 89 , wherein the active elements comprise first active elements configured to facilitate drying of the material as the wearer sweats and second active elements configured to provide a cooling effect perceivable by the wearer as the wearer sweats. 
     
     
         153 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 89 , comprising a vent for ventilation. 
     
     
         154 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 153 , wherein the vent comprises an opening. 
     
     
         155 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 154 , wherein the vent comprises a mesh material disposed within the opening. 
     
     
         156 . (canceled) 
     
     
         157 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 89 , wherein the article of protective athletic equipment is shoulder pads. 
     
     
         158 . The article of protective athletic equipment claimed in  claim 89 , wherein the article of protective athletic equipment is an arm pad, a protective pant, a leg pad, a protective glove, or a helmet. 
     
     
         159 .- 166 . (canceled) 
     
     
         167 . Athletic gear to be worn by a wearer, the athletic gear comprising:
 a) an article of protective athletic equipment as defined in  claim 89 ; and   b) an athletic garment to be worn under or over the article of protective athletic equipment.   
     
     
         168 . The athletic gear claimed in  claim 167 , wherein the athletic garment comprises:
 a) a surface to contact the protective athletic equipment; and   b) a material comprising active elements to manage moisture as the wearer sweats.   
     
     
         169 .- 244 . (canceled)