Seamless torso controlling garment with a control area and method of making same
View Patent ↗A circular knit blank for use in the manufacture of undergarments, and the garments so manufactured have a circular knit body, and a reinforcement area or areas. The body has a graded stitch density. The reinforcement area or areas have increased stitch density with resultant shorter stretch and higher modulus formed by shortening the stitch lengths during the knitting process. The garment also has a waist band and leg bands formed using a turned welt. The garment may also have a knitted-in stitch pattern design in the body and reinforcement areas formed using miss positive float combination stitching.
1. A circular knit lower torso garment comprising: a body having an aesthetic pattern, said body having a first portion thereof with a graduated stitch density ranging from a short stitch length to a long stitch length, said body having a second overlapping reinforcement area in said first portion with said graduated stitch density, wherein said reinforcement area has an increased stitch density and does not hide or modify the pattern.
2. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 1 , wherein said graduated stitch density of said first portion ranges from an area of lower stretch and increased modulus, to an area of greater stretch and lower modulus.
3. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 1 , wherein said body is formed of any combination of plain, miss, knit or tuck stitches.
4. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 1 , wherein said body is formed of alternating knit-miss stitches.
5. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 1 , wherein said body is formed of alternating knit-tuck stitches.
6. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 1 , wherein said body is formed of a basic plain jersey knit stitch.
7. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 1 , wherein said body is formed of an elastomeric yarn and a rigid non-stretch or low stretch flat or textured yarn.
8. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 7 , wherein said elastomeric yarn is a multifilament textured nylon covered spandex.
9. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 8 , wherein said multifilament textured nylon covered spandex has spandex in the range of about 10 denier to about 140 denier.
10. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 8 , wherein said multifilament textured nylon covered spandex has textured nylon in the range of about 20 denier to about 120 denier.
11. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 8 , wherein said multifilament textured nylon covered spandex has a filament count in the range of about 6 filaments to about 200 filaments.
12. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 7 , wherein said rigid non-stretch or low stretch yarn is a continuous filament flat nylon.
13. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 12 , wherein said continuous filament flat nylon is in the range of about 20 denier to about 150 denier.
14. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 12 , wherein said continuous filament flat nylon filament count is in the range of about 8 filaments to about 100 filaments.
15. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 1 , wherein reinforcement area provides support in specified areas of said garment.
16. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 1 , wherein said reinforcement area is formed using shorter stitch lengths with lower stretch than those of the basic ground body area of the garment in the selected area where applied.
17. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 1 , wherein said reinforcement area has increased modulus and power.
18. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 1 , wherein said reinforcement area is substantially in the thigh covering portion of the garment.
19. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 1 , wherein said reinforcement area is substantially in the abdominal covering portion of the garment.
20. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 1 , wherein said reinforcement area is substantially in the hip covering portion of the garment.
21. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 1 , wherein said garment has a waistband.
22. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 21 , wherein said waistband is a turned welt.
23. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 21 , wherein said waistband has added in elastomeric yarns.
24. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 23 , wherein said elastomeric yarns are in the range of about 100 to about 400 denier.
25. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 23 , wherein said elastomeric yarn is spandex.
26. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 1 , wherein said garment has leg bands.
27. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 26 , wherein said leg bands are turned welts.
28. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 1 , wherein said garment has a knitted-in stitch pattern design.
29. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 28 , wherein said stitch design is formed using a bright luster continuous multifilament flat nylon yarn.
30. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 28 , wherein said stitch pattern design is formed using miss positive float stitches.
31. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 28 , wherein said stitch pattern design continues throughout said body and said reinforcement areas.
32. The circular knit lower torso garment of claim 1 , wherein said garment is a slip, a pant liner, a bodysuit or a maternity brief.
33. A circular knit blank for use in the manufacture of undergarments comprising a tubular knit fabric having a body and a reinforcement area, wherein said body has a graded stitch density, stretch and modulus properties, and wherein said reinforcement area has increased stitch density, lower stretch, with higher modulus.
34. A circular knit garment comprising:
a first portion having a first stitch length; and
a second portion overlapping said first portion in a selected area, said second portion having a second stitch length, said second stitch length being less than said first stitch length so that said selected area has an increased modulus as compared to said first portion.
35. The circular knit garment of claim 34 , wherein said increased modulus is between about twenty and thirty percent higher than said first portion.
36. The circular knit garment of claim 34 , further comprising a plurality of second portions overlapping said first portion in a plurality of selected areas.
37. The circular knit garment of claim 34 , wherein said first stitch length increases in length from a first area to a second area of the garment.
38. The circular knit garment of claim 34 , further comprising a knitted-in stitch pattern design defined in said first portion.
39. The circular knit garment of claim 38 , wherein said knitted-in stitch pattern design continues through said selected area.