GARMENTS WITH INTEGRATED GRIPPING TECHNOLOGY

• US 20190330773A1
• Filed: 04/25/2018
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spanx Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Spanx Incorporated
• Inventors: Hanson Allen, Wendy, Torano, Deneb, Vansia, Mayur, Weirtz, Natalie, Melendez, Angelica, Blakely, Sara
• Granted Patent: US 11,519,110 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 2400/82 with the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 2500/10 Knitted
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 9/04 Knickers for ladies, with or without inserted crotch or seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: A41C 1/003 Panty-girdles
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 2300/22 Elastic inserts
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 2400/82 with the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 2500/10 Knitted
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 31/00 Materials specially adapted for outerwear
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 31/18 Elastic
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/18 elastic threads
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 21/18 incorporating elastic threads
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 21/207 Wearing apparel or garment blanks
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/06 Load-responsive characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/061 elastic
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/0114 with one or more yarns appearing predominantly on one face, e.g. plated or paralleled yarns for pile fabrics D03D27/00, D04B1/02, D04B21/02; for intarsia fabrics D04B1/126
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/06 Details of garments

Abstract

The garments disclosed herein have integrated gripping technology to grip the body of the wearer over large interior surfaces. The distribution of gripping technology throughout the garment gives increased freedom of body movement and reduces bulkiness over conventional garments, while also allowing for free cut edges. Furthermore, the dispersion of the gripping technology over the majority of the garment eliminates the problem of polymer strips and beading digging into the skin. Slip garment embodiments are disclosed herein that include a lower region having an interior surface with exposed elastic threads configured to directly contact the wearer. The slip garment embodiments include a free-cut lower edge. The slip garment embodiments can be constructed using cut and sew methods.

Claims

1. A garment with integrated gripping technology, the garment comprising:

a free-cut lower edge; and

a lower region having an interior surface, the interior surface comprising exposed elastic threads configured to directly contact the body of a wearer.

2. The garment of claim 1, wherein the lower region contacts and extends upward from the lower edge of the garment.

3. The garment of claim 2, wherein the interior surface is devoid of any coatings having a higher coefficient of friction than the interior surface.

4. The garment of claim 2, wherein the entire lower region is devoid of adhesives.

5. The garment of claim 1, wherein the interior surface comprising exposed elastic threads extends around the entire lower region.

6. The garment of claim 1, wherein the lower region comprises from about 30% to about 85% elastane.

7. The garment of claim 6, wherein the lower region comprises about 45% elastane.

8. The garment of claim 1, wherein the lower region comprises a knit fabric.

9. The garment of claim 8, wherein the lower region comprises a warp knit fabric.

10. The garment of claim 1, wherein the lower region has an elongation of from 30% to 200% in the width direction at 100 N load.

11. The garment of claim 1, wherein the lower region has an elongation of from 30% to 200% in the length direction at 100 N load.

12. The garment of claim 1, wherein the lower region exerts a tension force of from 1 N to 30 N at 30% elongation, from 2 N to 40 N at 50% elongation, and from 3 N to 60 N at 70% elongation in the length direction.

13. The garment of claim 1, wherein the lower region exerts a tension force of from 1 N to 30 N at 30% elongation, from 2 N to 40 N at 50% elongation, and from 3 N to 60 N at 70% elongation in the width direction.

14. The garment of claim 1, wherein the lower region comprises a static coefficient of friction in the warp direction of from 0.9 to 3.0.

15. The garment of claim 1, wherein the lower region comprises a kinetic coefficient of friction in the warp direction of from 0.9 to 3.0.

16. The garment of claim 1, wherein the lower region comprises a static coefficient of friction in the weft direction of from 0.9 to 3.0.

17. The garment of claim 1, wherein the lower region comprises a kinetic coefficient of friction in the weft direction of from 0.9 to 3.0.

18. The garment of claim 1, wherein the garment is a half slip.

19. The garment of claim 1, wherein the garment is a full slip.

20. The garment of claim 1, wherein the lower region is formed from a single layer of fabric.

21. The garment of claim 1, wherein the garment further comprises a middle region, wherein an elastic waistband is attached to the superior edge of the middle region.

22. The garment of claim 21, wherein an interior surface of the middle region comprises a friction reducing layer.

23. The garment of claim 1, wherein the lower region is constructed using cut and sew methods.

24. A method of making a garment with integrated gripping technology, the method comprising:

knitting elastic threads into a fabric such that the elastic threads are exposed on a surface of the fabric;

cutting one or more panels from the fabric having exposed elastic threads; and

attaching the one or more panels to other components of the garment such that the exposed elastic threads are positioned on the interior surface of the garment.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the fabric panel having the exposed elastic threads forms the lower region of the garment.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the fabric panel having the exposed elastic threads forms the lower region and the middle region of the garment.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein a superior edge of the middle region is attached to a waistband.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein knitting elastic threads into a fabric comprises warp-knitting the elastic threads into the fabric.

29. The method of claim 24, further comprising attaching two or more panels of the lower region using seams.

30. The method of claim 24, further comprising applying a friction-reducing layer to a portion of the fabric panel to cover the exposed elastic threads.