Garments with integrated gripping technology

• US 11,519,110 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2018
• Issued: 12/06/2022
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Steele, Jennifer A
• Application Number:
  US15/962,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20190330773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,686 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:

an upper region;

a middle region positioned below the upper region and configured to extend around at least the abdominals and lower back of a wearer;

a lower region positioned below the middle region and configured to extend around at least the upper thighs of the wearer;

a warp knit gripping fabric comprising integrally knit, exposed elastic threads configured to directly contact the body of the wearer, the gripping fabric forming at least the middle region, the lower region, and a lower edge of the garment; and

a friction reducing layer coupled to a front, interior surface of the middle region so as to cover the gripping fabric of the front, interior surface of the middle region, the friction reducing layer configured to extend over and compress the abdominals of the wearer;

wherein the exposed elastic threads are exposed predominantly on interior surfaces of the garment, including a back, interior surface of the middle region and an entire interior surface of the lower region;

wherein the lower edge of the gripping fabric is a free-cut lower edge; and

wherein the exposed elastic threads comprise elastane.

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 of the lower region is devoid of any coatings having a higher coefficient of friction than the interior surface of the lower region.

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

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

6. The garment of claim 5, wherein the gripping fabric of the lower region comprises about 45% elastane.

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

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

9. The garment of claim 1, wherein the gripping fabric of 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.

10. The garment of claim 1, wherein the gripping fabric of 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

integrally warp knitting elastic threads comprising elastane into a gripping fabric such that the elastic threads are exposed predominantly on a first surface of the gripping fabric;

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

positioning the one or more panels of gripping fabric such that a free-cut edge of the gripping fabric is the lower edge of the garment;

positioning the one or more panels of gripping fabric such that the exposed elastic threads are positioned on the interior surface of the garment;

attaching the one or more panels of gripping fabric to other components to form an upper region of the garment, a middle region of the garment positioned below the upper region and configured to extend around at least the abdominals and lower back of a wearer, and a lower region of the garment positioned below the middle region and configured to extend around at least the upper thighs of a wearer; and

attaching a friction reducing layer to a front, interior surface of the middle region, thereby covering the gripping fabric;

wherein the gripping fabric forms at least the middle region and lower region of the garment;

wherein the exposed elastic threads are exposed predominantly on interior surfaces of the garment, including a back, interior surface of the middle region and an entire interior surface of the lower region, and

wherein the friction reducing layer is configured to extend over and compress the abdominals of the wearer.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein a superior edge of the middle region is attached to a waistband.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising attaching two or more panels of the lower region using seams.