Knit bra and method of manufacture thereof

• US 10,640,896 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2016
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lululemon Athletica Canada Inc. (Lululemon Athletica, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Lululemon Athletica Canada Inc. (Lululemon Athletica, Inc.)
• Inventors: Barnes, Kristen Elizabeth, Plante, Alexandra Carmela, Dandapure, Yogendra V., Dixon, Laura Renee
• Primary Examiner(s): Worrell, Danny
• Application Number:
  US15/173,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20160353810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 66 64, 66 66, 66 67, 66 70, 66175, 66176
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 2500/10 Knitted
• CPC Class Codes: A41C 3/0014 made from one piece with one or several layers
• CPC Class Codes: A41C 5/00 Machines, appliances, or methods for manufacturing corsets or brassieres
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/102 with stitch pattern D04B1/06, D04B1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/106 at a selvedge, e.g. hems or turned welts
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/18 elastic threads
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/246 Upper torso garments, e.g. sweaters, shirts, leotards
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 7/30 specially adapted for knitting goods of particular configuration
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/022 Lofty fabric with variably spaced front and back plies, e.g. spacer fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/0331 with one or more convex or concave portions of limited extension, e.g. domes or pouches

Abstract

The invention provides bras having enhanced dynamic performance and comfort as well as a method of manufacture thereof. Two-dimensional knitting is utilized to generate three-dimensional structures in the bra that conform to unique three-dimensional shapes of the wearer.

Claims

1. A knit bra having enhanced performance and comfort, the knit bra comprising:

a first knitted region having a double knit three-dimensional structure shaped to conform to a three-dimensional shape of a wearer and formed by using a dual bed v-bed knitting machine, where both front and back beds of the knitting machine are used to knit of the double knit three-dimensional structure, wherein at least part of the double knit three-dimensional structure comprises a spacer yarn knit in between two layers of the double knit three-dimensional structure to form a spacer; and

a second knitted region, wherein the first knitted region and second knitted region are joined by a seamless transition, and

wherein a knit fabric in each of the first knitted region and the second knitted region include one or more types of yarns having one or more types of strands, and

wherein a structural property of each of the first knitted region and the second knitted region is defined and varied by varying;

combinations of the one or more types of yarns fed into the front and back beds of the knitting machine,

knitting constructions,

yarn or yarns'"'"' tension, or

the type of strand or strands of the one or more types of yarns; and

wherein a thickness of the spacer varies by location in the knit bra.

2. The bra of claim 1, wherein the bra comprises two or more three-dimensional structures.

3. The bra of claim 1, wherein the fabric is formed of a first type of yarn.

4. The bra of claim 3, wherein the first type of yarn comprises strands of a single material.

5. The bra of claim 3, wherein the first type of yarn comprises strands of a first material and one or more additional materials.

6. The bra of claim 1, wherein the fabric is formed of a first type of yarn and one or more additional yarns.

7. The bra of claim 6, wherein the first type of yarn comprises strands of a single material.

8. The bra of claim 6, wherein the first type of yarn comprises strands of a first material and one or more additional materials.

9. The bra of claim 6, wherein the one or more additional yarns comprises strands of a single material.

10. The bra of claim 6, wherein the one or more additional yarns comprises strands of a first material and one or more additional materials.

11. The bra of claim 6, wherein the yarns are identical.

12. The bra of claim 6, wherein the yarns are different.

13. The bra of claim 2, wherein the bra comprises two three-dimensional structures, each shaped to conform to a different three-dimensional shape of an individual wearer.

14. The bra of claim 13, wherein the three-dimensional structures are shaped to conform to breasts of the wearer.

15. The bra of claim 1, wherein the bra is seamless.

16. The bra of claim 1, wherein the bra is an athletic bra.

17. The knit bra of claim 1, wherein the double knit three-dimensional structure comprises an outer layer having a first structural property and an inner layer having a second structural property, the outer layer and the inner layer are configured to move independently of one another.

18. The knit bra of claim 1, wherein the second knitted region is a single knit structure knitted using one of the front or back bed of the knitting machine.

19. The knit bra of claim 1, wherein the second knitted region is a double knit structure knitted using both of the front and back bed of the knitting machine.

20. The knit bra of claim 1, further comprising a braid region having at least one braid structure knitted seamlessly with at least one of the first or the second knitted region.

21. The knit bra of claim 1, further comprising a ridge region having at least one raised structure extending in a direction away from the skin of the wearer, the ridge region being knitted seamlessly with at least one of the first or the second knitted region.

22. The knit bra of claim 1, wherein the bra comprises two or more three-dimensional structures.

23. The knit bra of claim 1, wherein the first knitted region of the double knit three-dimensional structure is formed of a first type of yarn, and wherein the first type of yarn comprises strands of a single material or comprises strands of a first material and one or more additional materials.

24. The knit bra of claim 1, wherein the first knitted region of the double knit three-dimensional structure is formed of a first type of yarn and one or more additional yarns.

25. The knit bra of claim 22, wherein the first type of yarn comprises strands of a single material or comprises strands of a first material and one or more additional materials.

26. The knit bra of claim 1, wherein the second knitted region is formed of a first type of yarn.

27. The knit bra of claim 1, wherein the second knitted region is formed of a first type of yarn and one or more additional yarns.

28. The knit bra of claim 22, wherein the bra comprises two three-dimensional structures, each shaped to conform to a different three-dimensional shape of an individual wearer.

29. The knit bra of claim 1, wherein the bra is seamless.

30. The knit bra of claim 26, wherein the first type of yarn comprises strands of a single material.

31. The knit bra of claim 26, wherein the first type of yarn comprises strands of a first material and one or more additional materials.