Nether Patents (Class 66/177)
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Patent number: 7441418Abstract: A remodeling undergarment and/or method of manufacturing a remodeling undergarment is described which includes a frontal abdominal portion configured to cover an abdominal region of a user, a lumbar portion configured to cover a lumbar region of a user, a ventral portion configured to cover a ventral region of a user, a hip portion integrally connected to the frontal abdominal portion and lumbar portion, wherein the hip portion further includes a glutei portion, including a glutei band, and a central glutei portion, configured for conforming to a user's glutei, and a first leg section and a second leg section. The abdominal portion, lumbar portion, hip portion, inner leg portions, and compression leg portions are manufactured in a single unitary piece of graded knit of at least two different yarns and knit patterns. The abdominal portion, lumbar portion and ventral portion are integrally connected together with a seamless, graded knit.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2007Date of Patent: October 28, 2008Assignee: Industries Cannon, S.A. DE C.V.Inventor: Nestor Delgado-Mecinas
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Patent number: 7260961Abstract: This invention discloses circularly knit undergarments, said under garments having an anterior tummy region, a posterior stretching from the waist to the gluteal region, and two outer-regions corresponding to the outer thigh region, each of said regions includes knit-in support panels to minimize appearance of undesirable bulges. The posterior region further includes a plurality of derriere cups to slim and shape the lower half of the body to a younger tone and to provide a natural appearance to the derriere, hips and tummy. In a preferred embodiment the body of the undergarment is made with material that is seamlessly woven, for example, light weight micro fiber nylon or LYCRA spandex, and includes a gusset that is made of cotton and micro fiber nylon to prevent moisture build up between the legs. The under garments are finished in ribbing located at their terminal ends.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2006Date of Patent: August 28, 2007Inventor: Amanda Kennedy
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Patent number: 7155940Abstract: A three-piece panty garment can include three panels formed from halves of tubular blanks knit on a small-diameter circular knitting machine designed for making pantyhose. As a result, such a panty garment can comprise a girth that is substantially three times the diameter of a small-diameter circular knitting machine knitting cylinder. Such panty garments and methods of making such panty garments can provide larger size panty garments, for example, size 10, 12, and 14, made on a circular knitting machine designed for making pantyhose.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2006Date of Patent: January 2, 2007Assignee: HBI Branded Apparel Enterprises, LLCInventors: Walter H. Imboden, Ronald Wayne Brown
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Patent number: 7043942Abstract: A circular knit blank and a garment made therefrom. The circular knit blank and garment made therefrom has a first portion being formed from a first yarn having a first elasticity and a second portion integrally knit to the first portion. The second portion has a second yarn with a second elasticity being different than the first elasticity. The second yarn is knitted into a plurality of loops with a desired number of loops of having a tension that is different than the remainder of the plurality of loops so that the second elasticity imparts a selected shape to a body when worn.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2003Date of Patent: May 16, 2006Assignee: Sara Lee CorporationInventor: Joseph W Chapman
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Patent number: 7024892Abstract: A body-smoothing lower-body undergarment is constructed by circularly knitting a pair of seamless two-ply fabric tubes, longitudinally slitting an upper portion of each tube for a distance generally corresponding to a desired rise of the undergarment so as to form two fabric edges, and joining the two fabric edges of one of the fabric tubes to the two fabric edges of the other fabric tube so as to form a single larger fabric tube that serves as a panty portion of the undergarment, while lower portions of the fabric tubes serve as legs of the undergarment. The two-ply construction allows the bottoms of the legs to be formed without leg bands. The undergarment preferably has a 1×1 vertical rib knit construction, a turned welt waistband, and an abdominal control panel.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2002Date of Patent: April 11, 2006Inventor: Sara T. Blakely
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Patent number: 6986269Abstract: An article of footwear with a knit upper and a method of manufacturing the footwear are disclosed. The upper is formed through a knitting process to include a plurality of sections formed of different yarns and knits to provide the sections with different physical properties. In portions of the upper where sections formed of different yarns are in adjacent wales, a tuck stitch is utilized to join the sections. The method utilizes a circular knitting machine having multiple feeds that work together to knit the upper into a unitary, seamless structure. The multiple feeds, each of which provide multiple types of yarns, produce the sections to have varying physical properties.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2004Date of Patent: January 17, 2006Assignee: Nike, Inc.Inventor: Bhupesh Dua
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Patent number: 6968714Abstract: The invention concerns a knitted-fabric garment in the shape of underpants, in which the crutch area is made up by a knitted-fabric prolongation without interruption with the rear part and folded up in order to be placed upon the front part of the garment body, forming there a front central panel. This front panel is fixed only at the outer points of a free end of the front part and at level with the waist-encircling edge, defining with the front part two side symmetrical openings, both communicating with a horizontal opening that comes out between the panel itself and the front-part free end. The invention concerns also a manufacturing method of the said garment.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2005Date of Patent: November 29, 2005Assignee: Sangiacomo S.p.A.Inventor: Fulvio Sangiacomo
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Patent number: 6959564Abstract: A panty construction having improved moisture management. The panty construction includes a body portion having a waist opening, a front section and a back section, a crotch section, and a panty liner. The panty liner is formed from a knitted fabric comprising alternating courses of hydrophilic yarns. The yarns are knitted to form a rib knit with parallel ribs, the parallel ribs formed parallel to the alternating courses. The panty liner overlies and is attached to the inner surface of the crotch area so that the parallel ribs are substantially parallel with the major axis of the crotch area.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2003Date of Patent: November 1, 2005Assignee: Sara Lee CorporationInventor: Robert A. Miller, III
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Patent number: 6874337Abstract: An underpant garment worn in a state of being substantially in close contact with a surface of a lower body of a wearer includes a main constituent portion made of stretchable materials that include a first-type material and a second-type material. The first-type material has a straining force greater than a straining force of the second-type material. In the underpant garment, the first-type material is arranged in regions such that in each region the first-type material covers at least a region including a part of musculus gluteus maximus, a part of musculus gluteus medius, a part of musculus tensor faciae latae, and a part of tractus iliotibialis, and the second-type material is arranged in regions other than the regions where the first-type material is arranged. This allows the wearer to smoothly shift from a static state to a dynamic state such as a running state, and helps prevent a displacement of the center of gravity when the wearer is in motion.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2003Date of Patent: April 5, 2005Assignee: Mizuno CorporationInventors: Hidekazu Uno, Tatsuo Sakaguchi, Eiji Kaname, Shoji Osada
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Patent number: 6871516Abstract: There is provided a therapeutic medical compression garment with an integrally knit anti-slip portion. The anti-slip portion of the garment is located in the upper area thereof. In the embodiment wherein the garment is a stocking, the anti-slip portion is placed in the thigh area of the thigh-hi stocking or the upper calf area of the knee-hi stocking. In the thigh-hi stockings, the anti-slip section may start just above the knee or be located in the upper thigh area (for use in mobilized patients, the anti-slip section may start already just above) the ankle area, e.g., also in knee-hi stockings at the calves upwards.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2002Date of Patent: March 29, 2005Assignee: BSN-JOBSTInventors: Donald Hoover Peeler, Stefan Bodenschatz, Bruce Alan Reed
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Publication number: 20040065124Abstract: A method for fabricating a garment comprising the steps of knitting a tubular preformer having at least one band of edging material circumferentially and integrally knitted therewith, and continuing knitting the knitted tubular preformer to fabricate a knitted fabric section from which a garment body section having apertures may be cut, then cutting the band of edging material and the garment body section having at least one aperture from the preformer, and attaching the band of edging material to the garment body section around the perimeter of the aperture.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 7, 2002Publication date: April 8, 2004Inventor: Rachel Israel
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Patent number: 6708529Abstract: An undergarment formed from a tubular mixed knitted fabric that comprises a poly(trimethylene terephthalate) fiber crimped yarn and a short fiber, a blending ratio of the crimped yarn is 15 to 60% by weight, a blending ratio of the short fiber is 30 to 85% by weight, and the tubular mixed knitted fabric has a course number of from 30 to 70 courses/2.54 cm and a wale number of from 30 to 70 wales/2.54 cm.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2002Date of Patent: March 23, 2004Assignee: Asahi Kasei Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroshi Yamazaki, Masataka Ikeda
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Patent number: 6701755Abstract: A knitted textile articles and a preform forming a panty, pantyhose or similar article. The preform includes a tubular knit body and a pair of opposed longitudinal segments extending the length of the tubular body. The longitudinal segments include both complete and partially omitted courses, which produces a unique shape suitable as a preform for subsequently forming other useful textile articles. In the preferred embodiment, the longitudinal segments further include elastic yarn, which aids in forming the shape of the preform. Also, in the preferred embodiment, elastic end bands are formed during knitting to each end of the knitted article. These end bands then become a part of the final textile article.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2002Date of Patent: March 9, 2004Assignee: Henderson Machinery, Inc.Inventors: Bobby L. Irvin, Leonard E. Russell, Stephen B. Collins
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Patent number: 6651463Abstract: This knitted boxer comprises a shorts part (3) forming two leg openings and a crotch part; the crotch part is made of a knitted part of two adjacent pieces of different tension, with a pinched piece (25) sewn onto a front seam (10) connecting the two leg openings and a non-pinched part sewn onto a rear seam connecting the two leg openings, the rear seam being longer than the front seam.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2002Date of Patent: November 25, 2003Assignee: Sara Lee CorporationInventor: Michel Andre Bonnin
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Patent number: 6550288Abstract: There is provided lower torso garments that have an integral panty or brief, circularly knit garment blanks for such lower torso garments, and methods of producing lower torso garments that have an integral panty or brief from circularly knit garment blanks. Lower torso garments according to the present invention have an outer layer and an inner layer. The inner layer has an integral panty. The garment is formed from a blank that is circularly knitted with a welt band seamlessly joined to a first fabric segment forming the outer layer and a second fabric segment forming the inner layer with the integral panty.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2001Date of Patent: April 22, 2003Assignee: Sara Lee CorporationInventors: George A. Browder, Jr., Mac Lewis
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Patent number: 6490890Abstract: A knitted textile articles and a preform forming a panty, pantyhose or similar article such as a footie. The preform includes a tubular knit body and a longitudinal segment extending the length of the tubular body. The longitudinal segment includes partially omitted courses which produces a unique shape suitable as a preform for subsequently forming other useful textile articles. In the preferred embodiment, the longitudinal segment further includes elastic yarn, which aids in forming the shape of the preform. Also, in the preferred embodiment, elastic end bands are formed during knitting to each end of, the knitted article. These end bands then become a part of the final textile article.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2000Date of Patent: December 10, 2002Assignee: Henderson Machinery, Inc.Inventors: Bobby L. Irvin, Leonard E. Russell, Stephen B. Collins
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Patent number: 6446470Abstract: A seamless cylindrical cloth material is made by the circular knitting machine and is provided in one or two sides with at least one folded portion extending to form a joining portion, thereby resulting in formation of an inner layer cloth which is then extended beyond the joining portion to form a second layer cloth.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2002Date of Patent: September 10, 2002Assignee: Hour Well Enterprise Co., Ltd.Inventor: Chih-Neng Wu
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Publication number: 20020108405Abstract: A knitted therapeutic medical compression stocking made from courses of bi-component fibers inlaid courses of spandex yarn. The use of bi-component yarns, in particular, crimped yarns having an elastomeric core preferably of a polyurethane and a thermoplastic sheath preferably of a polyamide when knit with inlaid courses of bare spandex, covered spandex, or spandex covered with a bi-component yarn forms therapeutic medical stockings that provide excellent compression control. In addition, these therapeutic stockings are more transparent than conventional therapeutic stockings. The therapeutic stockings of the present invention may be knit on a conventional circular hosiery knitting machine.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2000Publication date: August 15, 2002Inventor: Simon Myron Yakopson
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Publication number: 20020088254Abstract: A dual sleeved sock is provided as a sock having two cuffs. One cuff remains on the wearer's leg in a normal fashion, while the other cuff folds down over the wearer's boots.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 8, 2001Publication date: July 11, 2002Inventor: Kenneth Paul Singleton
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Publication number: 20010054303Abstract: A circular knit blank for use in the manufacture of undergarments and the garments so manufactured comprising a tubular knit body having an elastomeric yarn on selected courses, wherein said tubular body contains at least one area of control that has a stitch pattern increasing the modulus by about 8%, to provide a balance of comfort and control. The stitch pattern is preferably a 1 by 1 alternating tuck.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2001Publication date: December 27, 2001Applicant: Sara-Lee CorporationInventor: George Alexander Graham Browder
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Publication number: 20010035032Abstract: A pantyhose garment is provided that has relatively sheer leg portions that end with knitted-in welts just below or above the knees, and a reinforced control top portion having good shaping and control characteristics that terminates at the top of the waist region with a knitted-in welt. The pantyhose under garment provides the user with shaping support, and because the lower leg is bare, it gives the user the freedom to wear any type of shoe (i.e., open-toed shoes, sandals, etc.). Pantyhose worn with open-toed shoes are usually undesirable, and also dangerous because the foot may slip in the shoe due to the lack of friction between the pantyhose and the shoe. In addition, there are many occasions when the user wants a more casual look in clothing, and therefore pantyhose on the foot and ankle would not be desired. The reinforced control top portion extends down the leg portions of the pantyhose far enough to provide support over the “saddlebag” and cellulite regions of the body.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2001Publication date: November 1, 2001Inventor: Sara T. Blakely
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Patent number: 6272888Abstract: Clothes which are used for small children including babies and infants are formed of elastic knitted fabric having thread knitted by a knitting machine. The thread of a belly part of the clothes, a crotchpart thereof, sidepart thereof and sleeve part thereof are knitted by a different method to differentiate expansiveness of each part. The belly part of the clothes bulges and wraps a baby's belly three-dimensionally, and is more expansive than other parts of the clothes.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 1998Date of Patent: August 14, 2001Assignee: Wacoal Corp.Inventors: Hiyoshi Fujita, Hisako Komori
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Patent number: 6192717Abstract: Multiple garments such as panties, briefs, bodysuits, teddys, and brassieres are produced from a single circularly knit fabric tube. Multiple garments of differing silhouettes can be produced from the same tube. The garment includes a tubular portion for encircling the torso of a wearer, and at least one non-tubular portion for forming a crotch or gusset and/or one or two shoulder straps. The non-tubular portions of two adjacent garments are cut from the same lengthwise-extending portion of the tube. The tube in one embodiment has at least one gusset panel formed therein at one longitudinal location along the tube when two garments are to be produced from the tube, and at a plurality of longitudinal locations along the tube when more than two garments are to be produced from the tube. The gusset panel has a different knit construction from the rest of the tube.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2000Date of Patent: February 27, 2001Assignee: Alba-Waldensian, Inc.Inventor: Sigi Rabinowicz
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Patent number: 6173589Abstract: A tubular knitted body portion, first and second opposed band portions, each of the first and second band portions formed from a segment of respective tubular knitted band portions containing at least some elastic yarns. First and second seams close respective edges of the first and second opposed band portions to each other to define a single band having an elongated shape for being fitted in a stretched condition onto and hugging only the lower portion of the foot with the joined first and second bands positioned on the asymmetrical portion of the foot below the ankle. One of the seams extends along the top of the foot in substantial alignment with the longitudinal axis of the toes. The other of the seams extends along the back of the heel substantially along the longitudinal axis of the Achilles tendon.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 1999Date of Patent: January 16, 2001Assignee: Highland Mills, Inc.Inventors: Teddy B. Hayes, Jr., Samuel Kaplan
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Patent number: 6119491Abstract: A girdle for tights or pantyhose, in which the regions that constitute the panty and the initial portions of the stretch hose are constituted by a tuck-stitch mesh, formed starting from a plain background mesh so as to obtain, by combining and knitting in three dimensions particular conventional threads and elastic threads which are conveniently woven together, a mesh having alternating undulations which are considerably in relief with respect to the plain mesh, such as to generate an adequate compression and thus a massaging and tonic action in the regions of the body contained in the girdle.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 1998Date of Patent: September 19, 2000Inventor: Enzo Pinelli
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Patent number: 6055674Abstract: A circularly knit hosiery member and garment formed therefrom and a method for producing both. The member has a first tubular portion with a lateral portion having a plurality of courses with short lengths. The garment is formed from a pair of the members disposed in a side-by-side relationship, slit along a part of their length and joined at paris of the edges thus formed to provide a panty section with front, rear and lateral portions. The lengths of the stitches in the courses in the lateral portions are shorter than the stitch lengths in the front and rear panty portions so that the panty section has an arcuately shaped leg profile within the lateral portions. The method includes forming the panty pantyhose combination garment from the two separate tubular members with the stitches in the courses of the lateral portions made smaller than the stitch lengths in the rear and front portions.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 1999Date of Patent: May 2, 2000Assignee: Sara Lee CorporationInventors: Walter H. Imboden, Jonathan M. Myers
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Patent number: 6047571Abstract: A convertible stocking for use by dancers is disclosed. The stocking may be converted from a footed to footless stocking without changing the stocking. The stocking has a main tubular portion, a toe pocket portion, and a foot opening collar. The main tubular portion is knitted in a continuous, circular manner to form a substantially uniform knit tube having a border at one end. The toe pocket portion is knitted in a continuous, reciprocating manner onto about one half of the border of the main tubular portion using successive courses of yarn beginning with about one half the total number of knitting needles of the knitting machine and progressively decreasing the number of knitting needles used to knit each course and then increasing the number of knitting needles to about one half the total number of knitting needles thereby forming a knitted pocket over about one half the border of the main tubular portion. The pocket has a terminating edge.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 1994Date of Patent: April 11, 2000Inventor: David Juniman
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Patent number: 5991929Abstract: A circularly knit tubular hosiery member and garment formed therefrom and a method for producing both. The member has a first tubular portion with a lateral portion having a plurality of courses with short stitch lengths. The garment is formed from a pair of the members disposed in a side-by-side relationship, slit along a part of their length and joined at pairs of the edges thus formed to provide a panty section with front, rear and lateral portions. The lengths of the stitches in the courses in the lateral portions are shorter than the stitch lengths in the front and rear panty portions so that the panty section has an arcuately shaped leg profile within the lateral portions. The method includes forming the panty pantyhose combination garment from the two separate tubular members with the stitches in the courses of the lateral portions made smaller than the stitch lengths in the rear and front portions.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 1997Date of Patent: November 30, 1999Assignee: Sara Lee CorporationInventors: Walter H. Imboden, Jonathan M. Myers
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Patent number: 5855123Abstract: Narrow contoured portions of a circularly knitted textile fabric may be elasticated by the selective insertion of elastic yarn segments in selected wales and courses defining the contoured area to be elasticated, preferably utilizing a circular knitting machine equipped with a computerized electronic needle selection system. In one application, a panty blank may be formed with curved elasticated contours to define leg opening borders whereby disposable or limited use garments may be fabricated with elasticized leg openings without the laborious sewing of narrow elastic bands along the leg openings. In such garments, an elasticated contour may also be fashioned to define a retaining crotch pocket for a menstrual or incontinent pad.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 1997Date of Patent: January 5, 1999Assignee: The Russell Group, Ltd.Inventor: David Albright
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Patent number: 5836179Abstract: A method of knitting side-by-side brief blanks (BLK, BLK') in the form of a tube (T) on an electronically controlled circular knitting machine wherein the tube (T) is shaped by needle selection (50) between the brief blanks (BLK, BLK') to form apertures (AP, AP') which provide leg openings (LO, LO') by taking out of action needles (50') which would otherwise knit yarn across the apertures (AP, AP'). At the same time yarn feed (Y2) to the inoperative needles (50') is cut (42, 44) and trapped (46) whereby the apertures (AP, AP') are formed. End portions of the blanks (BLK, BLK') remain interconnected until the tube (T) is slit walewise to provide separate blanks (BLK, BLK') for making up briefs. Since yarn is not knitted across the apertures (AP, AP'), a considerable saving in the use of yarn is effected whilst shaping of leg openings (LO, LO') is facilitated.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 1996Date of Patent: November 17, 1998Inventor: Antonie Hendrick van Laar
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Patent number: 5823013Abstract: A method for producing tubular components, particularly for manufacturing hosiery or other items of clothing with a shaping effect by using circular knitting or hosiery-making machines, and a tubular component obtained with the method. The method consists in forming, during the production of the tubular component, certain portions of rows of knitting, for some rows, with a greater loop length than the preceding rows, the subsequent rows, and the remaining portions of the rows themselves, in order to form at least one lateral pouch along the extension of the tubular component.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 1997Date of Patent: October 20, 1998Assignee: Lonati S.p.AInventors: Francesco Lonati, Tiberio Lonati, Ettore Lonati, Fausto Lonati
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Patent number: 5787732Abstract: A hosiery item such as tights formed from a pair of joined circularly by knitted tubes. In some areas such as the brief it has knitted regions having courses with curved angular ranges having stich heights. The front of the brief is characterized by high and medium compression stripes at least one of which cross over at its ends to form a ventral panel. same course outside these parts. See, for example, the area forming the briefs of the tights having at least one high compression strip, the ends of which cross over at the front and form a ventral panel.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 1997Date of Patent: August 4, 1998Inventors: Maurice Perron, Michel Bonnin, Marie-Christine Aillet
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Patent number: 5746068Abstract: A lower body garment for covering the legs, hips, waist and midriff of the wearer, formed from a tubular sleeve knit of successive yarn courses which includes a waistband, a midriff encircling portion integrally knit with the waistband and leg portions integrally knit with the midriff encircling portion. The leg portions are formed by slitting the tubular sleeve and joining the slit edges to provide a continuous longitudinal leg enclosing seam extending throughout the leg portions. Cuff portions are integrally knit with the leg portions and are also joined by the continuous longitudinal seam. The garment may be made with or without a lining.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 1997Date of Patent: May 5, 1998Assignee: Sara Lee CorporationInventors: Catrinel I. Popa, George A. Browder, Jr., Archie Dale Segraves
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Patent number: 5671615Abstract: A fixation panty brief (7, 29) comprises a tubular body portion (10) and a crotch portion (11). The panty brief comprises a waistband portion (16) for encircling the body of the user and at the same time a snug fit to the user known from ordinary circular knitted panty briefs. The body portion (10) and the crotch portion (11) of the fixation panty brief are produced in one singular piece by circular knitting and at the same time a looser knitting has been used in one or several areas for providing containment and fixation pockets (21, 30) for containing a diaper or hip protection bowls which are held in place in that the delimiting edge areas have an elastic and firm knitting which forms a close fit to the user's body. The edge areas will consequently be in firm contact with the user's body while the pockets (21, 30) are able to contain a diaper or a hip protection bowl. A panty brief may also comprise a loose net-like structure for providing an inspection window (5).Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 1995Date of Patent: September 30, 1997Inventors: Finn Kj.ae butted.rgaard, Johannes Nyvang Kristensen
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Patent number: 5626037Abstract: A method of determining the shape of a knitting pattern for continuous knitting of a three-dimensional weft knitted object having a two-dimensional development in which at least one pair of edges to be knitted together have a large angle therebetween in excess of x.degree. where x.degree. is the maximum knittable angle between edges for the particular application of the cover. The method produces a cover having distinct sutures including a first suture formed from knitting together two edges with two sutures extending from one end of the first suture to intersect another suture extending from the other end of the first suture at a point.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 1995Date of Patent: May 6, 1997Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventor: Keith Jeffcoat
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Patent number: 5613378Abstract: A lower body garment for covering the legs, hips, waist and midriff of the wearer, formed from a tubular sleeve knit of successive yarn courses which includes a waistband, a midriff encircling portion integrally knit with the waistband and leg portions integrally knit with the midriff encircling portion. The leg portions are formed by slitting the tubular sleeve and joining the slit edges to provide a continuous longitudinal leg enclosing seam extending throughout the leg portions. Cuff portions are integrally knit with the leg portions and are also joined by the continuous longitudinal seam. The garment may be made with or without a lining.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 1995Date of Patent: March 25, 1997Assignee: Sara Lee CorporationInventors: Catrinel I. Popa, George A. Browder, Jr., Archie D. Segraves
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Patent number: 5590548Abstract: The invention discloses a legged panty having strategically-located support panels for minimizing the appearance of undesirable body bulges, particularly along a wearer's stomach, hips and thighs. The panty is circularly knit, and the support panels are integrally knit using a modified knit structure to provide these regions with a greater resistance to stretching, particularly coursewise stretching. In a preferred form of the invention, first and second support panels extend vertically along the outer side of the leg portions, to correspond with the outer thigh regions of a wearer. The panty legs are finished via an integrally knit turned welt located at their terminal ends. The panty also desirably includes a U-shaped or anchor shaped support panel about the gluteal crease region in order to provide support for the buttocks, and additional yarn courses provide areas of added fabric fullness, particularly at the regions corresponding to the buttock cheeks.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 1995Date of Patent: January 7, 1997Assignee: Alba-Waldensian, Inc.Inventor: Harold G. Osborne
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Patent number: 5577398Abstract: A three-dimensional continuously weft knitted fabric cover characterized by a wale-wise orientated pouch and a method of knitting the same, in which a knitting pattern for knitting the fabric cover in a single operation is made by forming a two-dimensional development of the object and the pouch, determining the wale-wise direction for knitting, performing a geometric rearrangement on the two-dimensional development so that any non-horizontal edges to be joined together in the knitting operation have the same length, and said edges are biased at equal angles to the course-wise direction.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 1995Date of Patent: November 26, 1996Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventor: Keith Jeffcoat
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Patent number: 5517832Abstract: A panty brief is made by flat knitting a front piece (1) and a back piece (1'), leg openings (8,9) being formed at a marginal edge zone (6) at the bottom of the panty brief. The marginal bottom edge zones (6) are partially made of soluble yarn (8) for forming larger stitches (19,20) and thereby a looser structure in the panty brief after dissolution of the yarn.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 1994Date of Patent: May 21, 1996Assignees: Tytex A/S, Molnlycke ABInventor: Johannes N. Kristensen
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Patent number: 5465594Abstract: A panty garment, panty hose or the like where the garment is formed from first and second circularly and oppositely configured knit tubes forming a front panty section having a shield shaped configuration and a back panty section having a V shaped configuration contained therein wherein the front and rear panty sections are formed from a multiplicity of yarn courses and the yarns are knit in stitch loop constructions to permit more vertical stretch in the rear panty section than in the front panty section when the garment is worn. Differing stitch loop constructions are utilized for the front and rear panty sections to enable this fit characteristic.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 1994Date of Patent: November 14, 1995Assignee: Sara Lee CorporationInventors: Walter H. Imboden, Jonathan M. Myers, Donald M. Caudle
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Patent number: 5398346Abstract: A panty garment has a single seam in its construction, which is positioned at the gluteal crease of the wearer and is devoid of any seams at the frontal portion thereof. The panty garment is stretchable in a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction, and a bias direction, with the stretch in the transverse and bias directions being greater than the stretch in the longitudinal direction.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 1993Date of Patent: March 21, 1995Assignee: I. Appel CorporationInventors: Herbert Feinberg, Norman Katz, Denise Bro
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Patent number: 5297296Abstract: A multi-layer moisture management elastic fabric including a moisture transport fabric layer constructed of hydrophobic yarns and defining a first fabric face for residing in skin contact during garment wear and for wicking moisture away from the skin. A moisture dispersal fabric layer is constructed of hydrophilic yarns and defines a second fabric face for residing in spaced-apart relation from the skin during garment wear and for receiving moisture from the hydrophobic moisture transport layer. Elastic yarns are integrated with the yarns of the moisture transport fabric layer and the yarns of the moisture dispersal fabric layer to form a single, integrated fabric which is highly elastic. The fabric is useful as waistband material and as athletic headbands, wristbands and as medical bandages and braces.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 1992Date of Patent: March 29, 1994Inventors: Herbert L. Moretz, Daniel L. Brier
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Patent number: 5280652Abstract: A pantyhose or the like garment having a novel waistband construction comprising an anchor portion and an integrally knit wide band portion. The waistband is substantially wider than conventional waistbands, the anchor portion consisting of a narrow turned welt portion and a wide single ply band portion, each incorporating textured nylon and elastomer yarns.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 1992Date of Patent: January 25, 1994Assignee: Sara Lee CorporationInventors: Robert E. Davis, William Flinchum, Howard D. Boyles
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Patent number: 5253492Abstract: A method of knitting in pleats according to the present invention comprises the steps of: knitting a succession of surf ace knitted sections, fold-back knitted sections, and overlap knitted sections with the use of arrays of knitting needles mounted on at least a pair of front and rear needle beds, one or both of which are arranged movable leftward and rightward; removing the fold-back knitted sections from the corresponding needles after fastening of thread ends; displacing the surface knitted section and/or the overlap knitted section close to the needles, from which the fold-back knitted sections are removed, so that they are located next to each other; loading a succession of the surface, overlap, and surface knitted sections onto the array of needles on one of the two needle beds; after moving the other needle bed in a direction opposite to the fold-back direction of the bold-back section, loading the overlap or surface knitted section onto the knitting needles of the other needle bed; after moving the oType: GrantFiled: April 25, 1991Date of Patent: October 19, 1993Assignee: Shima Seiki Mfg., Ltd.Inventor: Shigenobu Mitsumoto
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Patent number: 5163306Abstract: A circular knit one-piece garment blank, brief, and method of making the same has a seamless body section and a double ply crotch integrally intermitted therewith in the form of a turned welt. The depending portion of the two ply crotch is sewn to the body section.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 1991Date of Patent: November 17, 1992Assignee: Sara Lee CorporationInventors: Thierry Boehm, Daniel Boursier, Sylvain Houillon
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Patent number: 5136727Abstract: An athletic garment for covering a wearers pelvic region and at least a portion of the wearer's legs includes a ventilating portion, for covering the wearer's pelvic region and allowing rapid heat transfer from the wearer's pelvic region, and a pair of form fitting resilient tubular portions, for covering at least a portion of each of the wearer's legs, for providing resilient support for the covered leg portions and for insulating the covered leg portions to slow heat transfer from the covered leg portions. The garment may also include an outer shell for covering the ventilating portion of the garment.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 1991Date of Patent: August 11, 1992Inventor: Gregory J. Brisco
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Patent number: 5131100Abstract: A relatively wide elastic waistband is provided to encircle the waist of the wearer and has elastic stretchability primarily in the longitudinal direction. A pair of tubular legs is provided with upper ends connected to the waistband. The upper end portions of the tubular legs are adapted to surround the opposed hips of the wearer and the lower end portions are adapted to encircle the upper thighs of the wearer and define lower leg openings surrounding the lower thighs of the wearer. A crotch panel extends throughout the medial portion and crotch of the wearer with opposite ends being connected to the medial front and rear portions of the waistband. The crotch panel is preferably formed of two panel members with the front panel member having an open mesh stitch construction while the rear panel has the usual closed stitch plain knit construction.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 1991Date of Patent: July 21, 1992Assignee: Royal Textile Mills, Inc.Inventors: William D. Atwater, Mark V. Atwater
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Patent number: 5127109Abstract: A special elastic pantyhose construction particularly suitable for corpulent women, wherein a single pair of pantyhose leg apparel is provided with a substantially concealed anti-chafing thigh shield portion, so formed as to extend upward from each opposing inward thigh region thereby merging at the crotch area in one essentially contiguous saddle-like formation; said saddle or thigh shield being constructed principally of natural cotton so as to be comfortably absorbent of common body perspiration, while most compatible with the skin; including a preferred embodoiment whereby the saddle is sewn integrally into an otherwise conventional pantyhose, or alternate embodiments whereby the saddle is set forth as an insert portion of the pantyhose; the preferred embodiment substantially concealing the presence of the cotton thigh shield saddle by virtue of the contiguous coverage of the internal applique arrangement.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 1989Date of Patent: July 7, 1992Inventors: Linda S. Heitzman-Powell, Edna M. Heitzman
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Patent number: 5115650Abstract: A knit pattern for fabrics which will not run when the fabric is torn or snagged. The knit pattern provides non-run pantyhose when use to knit pantyhose for women. The knit pattern consists of four repeating courses. The first course alternates a face loop stitch with a tuck stitch. The second course alternates a face loop stitch with a tuck stitch, with each face loop stitch of the first course being in the same column as each tuck stitch of the third course, and each tuck stitch of the first course being in the same column as each face loop stitch of the third course. The fourth course is knit into continuous face loop stitches.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 1990Date of Patent: May 26, 1992Assignee: Sheer Lady International, Inc.Inventors: Alvin J. Patrick, Willie H. Patrick, deceased, James W. Patrick, administrator
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Patent number: 5070710Abstract: A tubular blank for making briefs or panties in which a body section is formed with a circular knitting machine so as to have a first section knit with a stitch to be used in the garment and second sections on either side that are to be cut out to form leg openings or the like, the second sections being knit with yarn from spaced courses of the first section.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 1989Date of Patent: December 10, 1991Assignee: Sara Lee CorporationInventor: Michael J. Bolin