Wearable item with patterned filament overlay

Abstract

A wearable item may include at least one panel forming a back portion to extend along a back of a person and shoulder portions extending forwardly from the back portion. A patterned filament overlay (PFO) in the form of an individually formed line of material crossing itself or extending alongside itself over an area is located on the shoulder portions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wearable item comprising:
 at least one panel forming:
 shoulder portions located to extend across and on top of a person's shoulders when the wearable item is being worn; and 
 a patterned filament overlay (PFO) on the shoulder portions, the PFO comprising an individually formed line of material crossing itself or extending alongside itself over an area. 
   
     
     
         2 . The wearable item of  claim 1 , further comprising a back portion interconnecting the shoulder portions, wherein the PFO continuously extends from the shoulder portions to over portions of the back portion. 
     
     
         3 . The wearable item of  claim 2 , wherein the PFO comprises a first portion on the shoulder portions and a second portion on the back portion, the first portion having a first value for an attribute of the PFO and the second portion having a second value, different than the first value, for the attribute of the PFO. 
     
     
         4 . The wearable item of  claim 3 , wherein the attribute of the PFO is selected from a group of attributes consisting of: layout; thickness; density, penetration and layering. 
     
     
         5 . The wearable item of  claim 3 , wherein the attribute of the PFO comprises density, wherein the first portion has a first density and wherein the second portion has a second density, greater than the first density. 
     
     
         6 . The wearable item of  claim 3 , wherein the attribute comprises penetration, wherein the PFO penetrates the shoulder portions by a first depth and wherein the PFO penetrates the back portion by a second depth greater than the first depth. 
     
     
         7 . The wearable item of  claim 3 , wherein the second portion undulates in horizontal directions along and across a vertical axis. 
     
     
         8 . The wearable item of  claim 1  further comprising a front portion extending from the shoulder portions, wherein the PFO comprises a first portion on the shoulder portions and a second portion on the front portion, the first portion having a first value for an attribute of the PFO and the second portion having a second value, different than the first value, for the attribute of the PFO. 
     
     
         9 . The wearable item of  claim 8 , wherein the attribute of the PFO is selected from a group of attributes consisting of: layout; thickness; density, penetration and layering. 
     
     
         10 . The wearable item of  claim 9 , wherein the attribute of the PFO comprises density, wherein the first portion has a first density and wherein the second portion has a second density, less than the first density. 
     
     
         11 . The wearable item of  claim 9 , wherein the attribute comprises penetration, wherein the PFO penetrates the first portion by a first depth and wherein the PFO penetrates the second portion by a second depth less than the first depth. 
     
     
         12 . The wearable item of  claim 8 , further comprising a second PFO on top of the PFO on the shoulder portions, the front portion omitting the second PFO. 
     
     
         13 . The wearable item of  claim 12 , wherein the first portion of PFO has a first pattern and wherein the second PFO has a second pattern different than the first pattern. 
     
     
         14 . The wearable item of  claim 8  further comprising a hip belt, wherein the hip belt comprises a second PFO extending along a length of the hip belt. 
     
     
         15 . The wearable item of  claim 14 , wherein the second PFO undulates in vertical directions across and along a longitudinal axis of the hip belt. 
     
     
         16 . The wearable item of  claim 14 , wherein the hip belt has a maximum width at a location along the hip belt and wherein the second PFO extends across a majority of the width at the location. 
     
     
         17 . The wearable item of  claim 14 , wherein the second PFO comprises undulations that taper towards opposite ends of the hip belt. 
     
     
         18 . The wearable item of  claim 14 , wherein the second PFO extends along at least a majority of a length of the hip belt. 
     
     
         19 . The wearable item of  claim 1 , wherein the PFO comprise a foamed material. 
     
     
         20 . The wearable item of  claim 1 , wherein the PFO comprises a single line of polymer material that does not cross itself.