U.S. patent application number 09/195017 was filed with the patent office on 2001-08-16 for continuously knit tubular hosiery garment blank and pantyhose garment formed therefrom.
Invention is credited to MYERS, JONATHAN.
Application Number | 20010013138 09/195017 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25426884 |
Filed Date | 2001-08-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010013138 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MYERS, JONATHAN |
August 16, 2001 |
CONTINUOUSLY KNIT TUBULAR HOSIERY GARMENT BLANK AND PANTYHOSE
GARMENT FORMED THEREFROM
Abstract
A circularly knit tubular hosiery blank and a garment formed
therefrom, the blank having panty, thigh, knee, ankle and foot
portions separated from each other by increasing and decreasing
diameter graduation portions and a constant number of wales
throughout. The blank is thereby configured to conform to the
natural shape of a female leg with gradually increasing and
decreasing diameters to avoid abrupt diameter changes and maintain
the integrity of the blank fabric's appearance.
Inventors: |
MYERS, JONATHAN;
(WINSTON-SALEM, NC) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CHARLES Y LACKEY
KILPATRICK STOCKTON
1001 WEST FOURTH STREET
WINSTON SALEM
NC
27101
|
Family ID: |
25426884 |
Appl. No.: |
09/195017 |
Filed: |
November 18, 1998 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09195017 |
Nov 18, 1998 |
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08909245 |
Aug 11, 1997 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
2/239 ;
66/178R |
Current CPC
Class: |
D04B 1/243 20130101;
A41B 11/14 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/239 ;
66/178.00R |
International
Class: |
A41B 001/00; A41B
011/00; A43B 017/00; A41B 011/04; D04B 011/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A continuously knit tubular hosiery blank for making a hosiery
product to cover the female leg, the blank having a fixed
unchanging number of wales, a plurality of courses, and a varying
diameter comprising: panty, thigh, knee, ankle and foot portions
selectively separated by increasing and decreasing diameter
graduation portions to configure the blank to conform to the
natural shape of a female leg.
2. The blank as claimed in claim 1 wherein the panty portion has an
upper panty portion with a constant diameter, a panty graduation
portion with an increasing diameter and a lower panty and upper
boot portion with a constant diameter.
3. The blank as claimed in claim 1 wherein the thigh portion has a
decreasing diameter.
4. The blank as claimed in claim 1 wherein the knee portion has a
constant diameter, the blank including a lower leg graduation
portion with a decreasing diameter.
5. The blank as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ankle portion has a
constant diameter.
6. The blank as claimed in claim 1 wherein the foot portion has a
constant diameter.
7. The blank as claimed in claim 1 having an instep graduation
portion connecting the ankle and foot portions with the instep
graduation portion diameter increasing from the ankle portion to
the foot portion.
8. The blank as claimed in claim 2 wherein the thigh portion has a
decreasing diameter.
9. The blank as claimed in claim 2 wherein the knee portion has a
constant diameter, the blank including a lower leg graduation
portion with a decreasing diameter.
10. The blank as claimed in claim 2 wherein the ankle portion has a
constant diameter.
11. The blank as claimed in claim 2 wherein the foot portion has a
constant diameter.
12. The blank as claimed in claim 2 having an instep graduation
portion connecting the ankle and foot portions with the instep
graduation portion diameter increasing from the ankle portion to
the foot portion.
13. The blank as claimed in claim 3 wherein the knee portion has a
constant diameter, the blank including a lower leg graduation
portion with a declining diameter.
14. The blank as claimed in claim 3 wherein the ankle portion has a
constant diameter.
15. The blank as claimed in claim 3 wherein the foot portion has a
constant diameter.
16. The blank as claimed in claim 3 having an instep graduation
portion connecting the ankle and foot portions with the diameter
increasing from the ankle portion to the foot portion.
17. The blank as claimed in claim 3 wherein the knee portion has a
constant diameter, the blank including a lower leg graduation
portion with a decreasing diameter, the ankle portion has a
constant diameter, the foot portion has a constant diameter, and
the blank having an instep graduation portion connecting the ankle
and foot portions with the instep graduation portion diameter
increasing from the ankle portion to the foot portion.
18. A pantyhose garment formed by joining two blanks each of which
like that claimed in claim 1.
19. A pantyhose garment formed by joining two blanks each of which
as claimed in claim 17.
20. A pantyhose garment formed by joining two blanks each of which
as claimed in claim 18.
Description
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part application of pending
application Ser. No. 08/909,245 filed Aug. 11, 1997.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates to a seamless knit hosiery blank and a
garment formed thereby and more particularly to a contoured blank
formed by a plurality of increasing and decreasing diameter
portions configuring the blank so that it conforms to the natural
shape of a female leg.
[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0005] Pantyhose and hosiery manufacturers have long searched for a
construction that would enable leg covering hosiery garments to
more precisely conform to the shape of the wearer's leg, thus
enhancing fit characteristics and garment appearance.
Traditionally, some shaping has been possible on fixed needle
circular knit hosiery machines through the use of graduated
stitches whereby the top of the blank which conforms to the waist
of the pantyhose formed from two such blanks starts at a given
maximum diameter opening and then gradually is reduced in diameter
as the garment is continuously knit toward the toe to thus more
precisely fit the leg upper portion and the smaller leg lower
portion to the foot. Graduated stitches are stitches that have been
reduced in stitch length, thus removing yarn from each course that
utilizes the smaller stitches. While this technique has been
generally effective to provide a garment with good fit
characteristics through the tapering process in conjunction with
the use of stretch yarn, there is still a long felt need to develop
a technique to fully configure such a garment to both decrease and
selectively increase the blank and garment therefrom diameter where
the leg follows such a general shape. It is to this need that the
present invention is directed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention is for a circularly knit constant wale
tubular hosiery blank having panty, thigh, knee, ankle and foot
portions which are selectively separated by increasing and
decreasing diameter graduation portions to configure the blank to
conform to the natural shape of a female leg. The blank for a
pantyhose garment utilizing two such blanks joined together is
usually knit starting at the welt or waist portion and then
extending downwardly through the upper panty portion, the lower
panty portion, the thigh portion, the knee portion, the ankle
portion and finishing at the foot portion with the diameter of the
tubular blank generally decreasing by the use of graduated stitches
throughout the length. In the present invention, the blank is
started at an upper panty portion on all of the needles of the
machine, thus having a fixed number of wales and a constant
diameter and then extends to a panty graduation portion of
increasing diameter, then to a lower panty/upper boot portion of
constant diameter and thereafter to the thigh graduation portion
having a decreasing diameter. Formation of the knee with a constant
diameter follows with a lower leg graduation portion of decreasing
diameter connecting the knee portion to an ankle portion of
constant diameter. A final instep graduation portion of increasing
diameter extends to a formed foot portion of constant diameter.
Thus, the blank experiences selectively positioned areas of at
least two graduation portions of increasing diameter and two
graduation portions of decreasing diameter. The number of needles
and resulting wales remains the same throughout the blank.
[0007] From this summary, it can be seen that a primary objective
of the present invention is to provide a hosiery blank and garment
made therefrom having superior fit and appearance characteristics
brought about by the selective use of graduation stitches during
the knitting process.
[0008] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a
pantyhose garment utilizing two identically formed circularly knit
tubular blanks which, when joined, form a panty portion and
individual leg and foot portions. Additional fit characteristics
can be provided by including a gusset of appropriate size along the
juncture line formed when the tubular blanks are slit and sewn
together along their slit edges.
[0009] Thus, there has been outlined in summary form, the more
important features of the invention in order that the detailed
description that follows may be better understood and in order that
the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.
There are obviously additional features of the invention that will
be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of
the claims appended hereto. It is to be understood that the
invention is not limited in its application to the details of
construction and to the arrangement of the components set forth in
the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The
invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced
and carried out in various ways.
[0010] It is also to be understood that the phraseology and
terminology herein are for the purpose of description and should
not be regarded as limiting in any respect. Those skilled in the
art will appreciate the concept upon which this disclosure is based
and that it may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other
structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several
purposes of the present invention. It is also to be understood that
the abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the
application, which is measured by the claims, nor to limit its
scope in any way.
[0011] This summary and these objectives of the invention, along
with the various features of novelty which characterize the
invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed
to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better
understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the
specific objects obtained by its use, reference should be made to
the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which like
characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several
views.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a frontal view of the hosiery blank comprising the
invention, illustrated in emphasized fashion the selective
inclusion of a plurality of graduation portions of increasing and
decreasing diameter separating the panty, boot, knee, ankle and
foot portions; and
[0013] FIG. 2 is a frontal view of a pantyhose garment comprising
the present invention formed by joining two hosiery blanks like
that shown in FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0014] Prior to describing the present invention in detail,
reference is made to the blank shown in FIG. 1 and generally
designated 10 and to the application of typical prior art
practices. Blank 10 is intended to be one which is to be paired
with another of similar construction, slit and seamed and formed
into a pantyhose garment. According to conventional prior art
practice, the blank will have a double welt tubular portion of say
144 courses which may be of stretch nylon or of stretch, elastic,
non-spandex yarn. This is followed by a second tubular portion of
the same diameter having somewhere between 700 to 800 courses in a
typical case. The measured diameter when measured as a "stretched
diameter" might, in a typical case be about 13 inches. While stitch
type may vary, a plain jersey stitch is typically used. At the end
of this tubular portion, the garment is narrowed in diameter by the
utilization of graduated stitches so that the stitched length
utilized in each course is reduced. The graduation stitches
continue or selectively stop and recommence at locations down the
leg until the smallest diameter area is reached at the ankle and
foot portion. The same number of needle-formed wales are used
throughout.
[0015] The present invention represents a dramatic departure from
this conventional practice in that it results in a garment having
superior fit and appearance characteristics over those produced by
conventional practice. The blank comprising the invention is
generally designated 16 and is formed by commencing with a double
welt tubular portion 18 followed by an upper panty portion 20
having a constant diameter d, which is the same as the diameter of
the double welt portion 18. Upper panty portion 20 is followed by
panty graduation portion 22 of an increasing diameter d.sub.2 until
the lower panty/upper boot portion 24 having a constant diameter
d.sub.3 is commenced.
[0016] Upon completion of portion 24, a thigh graduation portion 26
is commenced and formed with a decreasing diameter d.sub.4, and
thereafter knee portion 28 having a constant diameter d.sub.5 is
formed and terminates with the commencement of a lower leg
graduation portion 30 having a decreasing diameter d.sub.6. After
portion 30 is completed, ankle portion 32 is formed with a constant
diameter d.sub.7. Blank 16 is completed by the formation of an
instep graduation portion 34 having an increasing diameter d.sub.8
and foot portion 36 with a constant diameter d.sub.9.
[0017] The selectively positioned increasing and decreasing
diameter portions d2, d4, d6 and d8 are done gradually so that
fabric flaws normally associated with abrupt graduation changes are
avoided.
[0018] Also, forming a part of the present invention is a pantyhose
garment shown generally as 38 formed by joining two blanks 16 like
that previously described along edges 40 formed from slitting each
blank in a longitudinal direction and joining the two blanks 16
along those cut edges. Additional and favorable fit characteristics
are included in the garment by the provision of a gusset 42 of a
preselected size.
[0019] The now joined blank 16 thereby forms panty garment 38 which
has a continuous welt 44, a tubular upper panty portion 46 and a
panty graduation portion 48 of increasing diameter fashioned to
cover that portion of the wearer's body which extends from the
waist outwardly to the widest portion of the hips. Since the torso
is generally uniform from the hips through the lower panty/upper
boot portion 24, the diameter through each remains constant. The
balance of the garment in each leg is like that previously
described for a single blank, decreasing in diameter through the
thigh graduation portion 26, holding with a constant diameter
through knee portion 28, decreasing again in diameter through lower
leg graduation portion 30, and holding a constant diameter through
ankle portion 32. Instep graduation portion 34 includes a
decreasing diameter, and the garment terminates with a foot portion
36 of constant diameter.
[0020] In summary, the invention provides a new construction for
forming a hosiery blank and pantyhose therefrom that includes
contouring technology resulting in a configuration that contours to
the shape of the body for a superior fit from the waist to the toe
of the garment.
[0021] In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth
the best mode presently contemplated for the practice of the
present invention. Although specific terms are employed, they are
used in the generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes
of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the
claims.
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