Study On Pressure Comfort Of Elastic Upper Sports Knitwear

As environment-protecting and ecological lifestyle is accepted by more and more people, study on clothing comfort has become more and more important. Clothing is not only covering on the skin, but also mutually affects human body’s physiological sense and adjusting function. Clothing comfort is composed of 3 independent sensory factors, i.e. heat and moisture comfort, tactile sensation comfort and pressure comfort. There have been a lot of profound studies on clothing heat and moisture comfort, but just a little on clothing pressure comfort. Recently the study mainly focuses on pressure comfort of skinny clothing, including underwear, sportswear and elastic hosiery. Clothing pressure comfort has been an important part of pressure comfort.Knitting fabrics are used to make skinny and body-shaping clothing because of its good elasticity and recovery. However, wearer has uncomfortable binding sense in tight fit knitwear for a long time, especially in severe sports. So elasticity of fabric, sensitivity of body parts, variety and function of clothing and requirement of wearers should be taken into account when designing skinny knitwear.A suite of economic and steady clothing and fabric pressure measurement system was developed to meet the demand of the market. Resistance-strain slice sensors and pressure data collecting system were adopted to collect and deal with pressure data of clothing and fabrics. The suite included fabric pressure simulation apparatus, mannequin pressure testing system and portable pressure apparatus, providing different measurement and analysis of clothing and fabric pressure under various conditions.Four kinds of knitting fabrics were selected to measure basic properties such as slow-elastic deformation and fast-elastic deformation. Fabric pressure simulation apparatus was used to simulate fabric pressure variation on elbow and knee. The pressure was measured and recorded during the deformation of fabric. The relationship between elasticity and pressure was analyzed and further study of pressure variation cause was carried on.Same four kinds of knitting fabrics were used to make basic-style sports knitwear. The pressure was measured when experimental subjects were wearing them. From the view of human engineering and pressure comfort, the critical body parts were considered as similar geometric models, according to which the pattern structure was improved. The pressure of improved-style spore knitwear was measured when experimental subjects were wearing them. Pairing-sample T-test analysis method was used to analyze pressure differences between basic-style sports knitwear and improved-style one. In further, main factors affecting the pressure of sports knitwear were analyzed.Mannequin pressure testing system was developed to measure static clothing pressure of elastic upper sports knitwear. The pressure data were compared with the data obtained from portable pressure apparatus measuring wearing pressure to confirm if the measuring result of mannequin pressure testing system is available and objective.Five typical yoga postures such as dance-style yoga, cow-style yoga, sit vertical yoga, pigeon king-style yoga and bending-style yoga were selected to measure the pressure of elastic upper sports knitwear. Cluster analysis method was used to deal with the data by SPSS analysis software and main factors affecting the pressure of elastic upper sports knitwear were found out.Comparing with previous research in related area, the set point and research methodology of the present study is different and novel. It is the first time that a suite of clothing and fabric pressure measuring system was developed to obtain accurate pressure data and meet the demand of static and dynamic pressure measure; influential factors of elastic upper sports knitwear’s pressure comfort was firstly analyzed from views of fabric, clothing structure and different body parts; the geometric models were firstly applied to innovate the clothing structure from the point of human engineering and improve pressure comfort; clothing pressure comfort in typical yoga postures with great skin extension was firstly investigated in deep degree. The main findings are as follows:(1) In the total process of fabric pressure simulation apparatus putting pressure on the experimental fabric, the pressure increasing phase showed that the pressure variation of knitting fabric was related with its fast-elastic deformation, and the steady pressure phase and the decreasing phase showed that the pressure variation of knitting fabric was related with its stress relaxation and slow-elastic deformation. Under the same composition, rib’s simulating pressure is smaller than jersey, fabric with spandex shows smaller simulating pressure than fabric without spandex.(2) The difference of fabric had great influence on clothing pressure in yoga, which was inflected not only in the value of pressure but also in the pressure distribution. Elastic upper sports knitwear with and without spandex respectively had same pressure trend. Fabric with more spandex showed greater clothing pressure.(3) Totally speaking, the improvement of clothing pattern diminished clothing pressure. Pairing-sample T-test analysis result of elastic upper sports knitwear respectively made in 4 kinds of fabrics revealed that, for fabric with less elasticity, improved pattern had more obvious effect in clothing pressure comfort. It shows that both clothing pattern and fabric elasticity affected the pressure of sports knitwear were analyzed.(4) Compared the result of mannequin pressure testing system with pressure of wearing elastic upper sports knitwear in statically standing posture, it could be seen that the trends of two methods were similar. It was confirmed that the measuring result of mannequin pressure testing system was available and objective. (5) Cluster analysis result of five typical yoga postures indicated that, if 5 typical yoga postures are divided into 4 clusters, dance-style yoga and pigeon king-style yoga are in one cluster. If divided into 3 clusters, dance-style yoga, pigeon king-style yoga and sit vertical yoga are in one cluster. If divided into 2 clusters, dance-style yoga, pigeon king-style yoga, sit vertical yoga and bending-style yoga are in one cluster.The results systematically and clearly show that pressure comfort of sportswear is influenced by many factors. Study in the dissertation provides valuable reference to fabric selection and clothing construction design in sports mood. All these results and findings are of great significance for sportswear design. And they are also valuable for fabric and clothing designing targeted for sports consuming market.