Triangle Top Assembly with Adjustable Level of Coverage

Abstract

Disclosed herein are padded triangle assemblies for upper body garments that can be widened or narrowed to adjust coverage level. Each triangle assembly includes a pad underneath a layer of outer fabric. An upper region of the pad is attached to an upper region of the outer fabric. The pad has a thin lower flange that is attached to a lower region of the outer fabric. The lower region of the outer fabric is wider than the lower flange of the pad. In a narrowed configuration, the left and right sides of the lower region of the outer fabric are positioned close to the left and right sides of the lower flange of the pad. In a widened configuration, the left and right sides of the lower region of the outer fabric are positioned farther from the left and right sides of the lower flange of the pad.

1 . An upper body garment comprising a left and right triangle assembly, each triangle assembly comprising:
 a pad having an upper region, a middle region, and a lower flange that is thinner than the upper region and the middle region in a front to back direction;   an outer fabric having an upper region, a middle region, and a lower region;   wherein the upper region of the pad is at least partially attached to the upper region of the outer fabric, and the lower flange of the pad is at least partially attached to the lower region of the outer fabric; and   wherein the lower region of the outer fabric is wider than the lower flange in a medial to lateral direction.   
     
     
         2 . The upper body garment of  claim 1 , wherein a vertical center portion of the pad is aligned with a vertical center portion of the outer fabric. 
     
     
         3 . The upper body garment of  claim 1 , wherein the lower flange of the pad is fixedly attached to the middle region of the pad. 
     
     
         4 . The upper body garment of  claim 1 , wherein a lower boundary of the middle region of the pad is a curve across the exterior face of the pad, and the lower flange extends inferiorly from the curve. 
     
     
         5 . The upper body garment of  claim 1 , wherein the lower flange extends inferiorly from the middle region of the pad at an angle of greater than zero degrees. 
     
     
         6 . The upper body garment of  claim 1 , wherein the exterior face of the pad is convex and comprises an apex. 
     
     
         7 . The upper body garment of  claim 4 , wherein the pad further comprises a left edge and a right edge, and the pad is thicker in a front to back direction at the apex than at the left edge of the pad or the and right edge of the pad. 
     
     
         8 . The upper body garment of  claim 1 , wherein the width of the lower region of the outer fabric is at least 25% greater than the width of the lower flange. 
     
     
         9 . The upper body garment of  claim 8 , wherein the surface area of an exterior face of the pad is smaller than the surface area of an exterior face of the outer fabric. 
     
     
         10 . The upper body garment of  claim 1 , wherein the lower flange of the pad is attached to the lower region of the outer fabric along a seam. 
     
     
         11 . The upper body garment of  claim 1 , wherein each of the left and right triangle assemblies comprise a lower sleeve at least partially defined by the outer fabric. 
     
     
         12 . The upper body garment of  claim 11 , wherein the upper body garment further comprises a lower band extending through the lower sleeve of the left and right triangle assemblies. 
     
     
         13 . The upper body garment of  claim 11 , wherein the lower flange of the pad is attached to the lower sleeve along a seam. 
     
     
         14 . The upper body garment of  claim 13 , wherein the lower sleeve extends beyond the lower flange in both lateral directions. 
     
     
         15 . The upper body garment of  claim 11 , wherein the lower sleeve is defined by the outer fabric and a liner fabric. 
     
     
         16 . The upper body garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a liner fabric attached to the outer fabric, wherein the pad is positioned between the outer fabric and the liner fabric. 
     
     
         17 . The upper body garment of  claim 16 , wherein the liner fabric is attached to the pad at the upper region of the pad and the lower flange. 
     
     
         18 . The upper body garment of  claim 1 , wherein a left side of the upper region of the pad is partially attached to a left side of the upper region of the outer fabric at a left side attachment, and a right side of the upper region of the pad is partially attached to a right side of the upper region of the outer fabric at a right side attachment. 
     
     
         19 . The upper body garment of  claim 18 , wherein the left side attachment extends downward from an upper end of the pad, and the right side attachment extends downward from the upper end of the pad. 
     
     
         20 . The upper body garment of  claim 18 , wherein the left edge along the middle region of the pad is unattached to the outer fabric, and the right edge along the middle region of the pad is unattached to the outer fabric. 
     
     
         21 . A method of making an upper body garment comprising a left and a right triangle assembly, the method of making each triangle assembly comprising:
 providing a pad having an upper region and a lower flange;   providing an outer fabric panel having an upper region and a lower region, wherein the lower region of the outer fabric is wider than the lower flange in a medial to lateral direction;   at least partially attaching the upper region of the pad to the upper region of the outer fabric panel; and   at least partially attaching the lower flange of the pad to the lower region of the outer fabric panel.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising aligning a vertical center portion of the pad with a vertical center portion of the outer fabric panel. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising fixedly attaching the lower flange of the pad to the middle region of the pad. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising attaching the lower flange of the pad to the lower region of the outer fabric panel along a seam. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising creating a lower sleeve that is at least partially defined by the outer fabric panel. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , extending a lower band through the lower sleeve of the left and right triangle assemblies. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising attaching a liner fabric panel to the outer fabric panel and positioning the pad between the outer fabric panel and the liner fabric panel. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising attaching the liner fabric panel to the pad at the upper region of the pad and the lower flange. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising partially attaching a left side of the upper region of the pad to a left side of the upper region of the outer fabric panel, and partially attaching a right side of the upper region of the pad to a right side of the upper region of the outer fabric panel. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising leaving the left side along the middle region of the pad unattached to the outer fabric panel, and leaving the right side along the middle region of the pad unattached to the outer fabric panel.