SEAMLESS UNDERWEAR

• US 20120084903A1
• Filed: 10/11/2011
• Published: 04/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Knit-Rite Incorporated (Thuasne Management SAS)
• Original Assignee: Knit-Rite Incorporated (Thuasne Management SAS)
• Inventors: Dalbey, Jeffrey C., Smith, Mark W. L., Roberts, Jennifer L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,095,176 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 2/400
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 2500/10 Knitted
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 9/004 characterized by the crotch
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 9/02 Drawers or underpants for men, with or without inserted crotch or seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 9/04 Knickers for ladies, with or without inserted crotch or seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/106 at a selvedge, e.g. hems or turned welts
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/108 Gussets, e.g. pouches or heel or toe portions
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/243 upper parts of panties; pants

Abstract

A stretchable seamless underwear is operable to be donned by a wearer and includes a seamless knitted fabric receptacle. The receptacle includes integrally knitted front and back panels that each present opposite side margins, with each side margin of the front panel being seamlessly joined to a corresponding side margin of the back panel so that the panels cooperatively form a passage through the receptacle. The receptacle is knitted with a high-stretch yarn.

Claims

1. A stretchable seamless underwear operable to be donned by a wearer, said stretchable seamless underwear comprising:

a seamless knitted fabric receptacle including integrally knitted front and back panels that each present opposite side margins, with each side margin of the front panel being seamlessly joined to a corresponding side margin of the back panel so that the panels cooperatively form a passage through the receptacle,

said receptacle including an uppermost knitted waist band that is integrally knitted with the front and back panels and forms an upper waist opening dimensioned and configured to receive the torso of the wearer when the underwear is donned,

said front and back panels cooperatively defining a tapered section of the receptacle,

said receptacle having an unstretched condition where the tapered section presents a cross-sectional passage dimension tapering in a direction toward the uppermost waist band so that the receptacle is operable to be retained on the wearer when the underwear is donned.

2. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 1,

said waist band being formed of a different knitting pattern than the tapered section to thereby urge the tapered section into the unstretched condition.

3. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 2,

said waist band comprising a ¼

-gauge knit.

4. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 3,

said panels being at least partly knitted with courses of single jersey knitting.

5. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 2,

said tapered section including fashioning knit construction defined along a junction of the panels to at least in part define the tapered section.

6. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 5,

said receptacle defining a pair of lower leg openings between the front and back panels,

said back panel including upper and lower sections,

at least part of said upper and lower sections being joined along a laterally extending line of fashionings located vertically between the waist opening and the leg openings.

7. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 1,

said tapered section including fashioning knit construction defined along a junction of the panels to at least in part define the tapered section.

8. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 1,

said receptacle defining a pair of lower leg openings between the front and back panels,

said back panel including upper and lower sections,

at least part of said upper and lower sections being joined along a laterally extending line of fashionings located vertically between the waist opening and the leg openings.

9. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 1,

said receptacle defining a pair of lower leg openings between the front and back panels, with the leg openings operable to receive a corresponding leg of the wearer when the underwear is donned.

10. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 9,

at least one of the front and back panels defining a crotch area that separates the pair of lower leg openings.

11. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 10,

said crotch area including a central portion that presents a constant lateral width dimension along a length of the central portion.

12. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 11,

said crotch area including front and back fashioning portions, where the lateral width dimension of each fashioning portion increases in a knitting direction away from the central portion.

13. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 11,

said front and back panels being integrally knitted along a lateral line of all needle rib interlocking knit construction positioned within the crotch area,

said central portion extending a first length dimension along the front panel from the line of all needle rib interlocking knit construction,

said central portion extending a second length dimension along the back panel from the line of all needle rib interlocking knit construction, with the first length dimension being greater than the second length dimension.

14. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 9,

said front and back panels including a pair of leg sections that are spaced apart from one another.

15. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 14,

said receptacle including a pair of leg bands,

each of the leg bands being integrally knitted with respective leg sections of the front and back panels and forming a corresponding one of the lower leg openings.

16. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 9,

said cross-sectional passage dimension tapering only from a location between the waist opening and leg openings toward the waist band.

17. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 1,

said receptacle being knitted with a high-stretch yarn.

18. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 17,

said high-stretch yarn including corespun yarn.

19. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 1,

said receptacle defining a pair of lower leg openings between the front and back panels, with the leg openings operable to receive a corresponding leg of the wearer when the underwear is donned,

said back panel including upper and lower sections,

at least part of said upper and lower sections being joined along a laterally extending line of fashionings located vertically between the waist opening and the leg openings so that the back panel presents a fashioned interior pocket operable to receive the buttocks of the wearer when the underwear is donned.

20. A stretchable seamless underwear operable to be donned by a wearer, said stretchable knitted underwear comprising:

a seamless knitted fabric receptacle including integrally knitted front and back panels that each present opposite side margins, with each side margin of the front panel being seamlessly joined to a corresponding side margin of the back panel so that the panels cooperatively form a passage through the receptacle,

said receptacle presenting an uppermost waist opening dimensioned and configured to receive the torso of the wearer when the underwear is donned,

said receptacle defining a pair of lower leg openings between the front and back panels, with the leg openings operable to receive a corresponding leg of the wearer when the underwear is donned,

said back panel including upper and lower sections,

at least part of said upper and lower sections being joined along a laterally extending line of fashionings located vertically between the waist opening and the leg openings so that the back panel presents a fashioned interior pocket operable to receive the buttocks of the wearer when the underwear is donned.

21. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 20,

said line of fashionings comprising a plurality of spaced apart fashionings, such that adjacent fashionings are separated by at least one course of knitting.

22. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 20,

said upper and lower sections being joined along another laterally extending line of fashionings, with each line of fashionings extending along a respective one of the leg openings.

23. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 22,

said lines of fashionings each presenting a laterally inboard end, with the laterally inboard ends being spaced apart from one another.

24. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 22,

said lines of fashionings each presenting a laterally outboard end, with the laterally outboard ends being located adjacent to a respective one of the side margins of the back panel.

25. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 20,

said seamlessly joined side margins being at least partly joined by a vertical line of fashionings.

26. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 20,

said upper and lower sections being formed by respective upper and lower knitted courses,

said line of fashionings joining the upper and lower courses along an oblique angle to one another.

27. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 26,

said lower knitted courses including multiple one-system single jersey knit courses.

28. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 20,

said receptacle defining a pair of lower leg openings between the front and back panels, with the leg openings operable to receive a corresponding leg of the wearer when the underwear is donned.

29. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 28,

at least one of the front and back panels defining a crotch area that separates the pair of lower leg openings.

30. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 28,

said crotch area including a central portion that presents a constant lateral width dimension along a length of the central portion.

31. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 30,

said crotch area including front and back fashioning portions, where the lateral width dimension of each fashioning portion increasing in a knitting direction away from the central portion.

32. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 30,

said front and back panels being integrally knitted along a lateral line of all needle rib interlocking knit construction positioned within the crotch area,

said central portion extending a first length dimension along the front panel from the line of all needle rib interlocking knit construction,

said central portion extending a second length dimension along the back panel from the line of all needle rib interlocking knit construction, with the first length dimension being greater than the second length dimension.

33. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 28,

said front and back panels including a pair of leg sections that are spaced apart from one another.

34. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 33,

said receptacle including a pair of leg bands,

each of the leg bands being integrally knitted with respective leg sections of the front and back panels and forming a corresponding one of the lower leg openings.

35. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 20,

said receptacle being knitted with a high-stretch yarn.

36. The stretchable seamless underwear as claimed in claim 35,

said high-stretch yarn including corespun yarn.