Recovery tight with preconfigured compression zones and integrated structure patterns

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10271581-B2
Application number	US-201615151916-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2016
Priority date	May 22, 2015
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

A recovery tight having preconfigured compression zones with integrated knit structures is provided herein. The compression zones may have differing compressive properties where zones having a higher compression force are located at the calf and ankle areas of the tight, zones having the next highest compression force are located over the knee and lower thigh areas of the tight, and zones having the lowest compression force are located over the upper thigh and lower torso areas of the tight when the tight is worn. The integrated knit structures modify the compressive properties of the zones in the areas where the structures are located in order to further customize the compressive properties of the recovery tight.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A recovery tight having a non-planar outer-facing surface and a planar inner-facing surface, the recovery tight comprising:
a plurality of compression zones, wherein:
each of the plurality of compression zones has a compression force within a predefined range, and
one or more of the plurality of compression zones has an integrated structure pattern comprising a plurality of offset areas extending inwardly from the outer-facing surface of the recovery tight, the plurality of offset areas comprising a shorter length knit stitch, and wherein:
the plurality of offset areas delineate and define a plurality of structures,
the shorter length knit stitch used to form the plurality of offset areas comprises a short length compared to a length of a knit stitch used to form the plurality of structures, and
the plurality of offset areas within the integrated structure pattern has a higher compression force compared to remaining areas within the one or more of the plurality of compression zones without the integrated structure pattern.

2. The recovery tight of claim 1 , wherein the recovery tight is warp knitted.

3. The recovery tight of claim 1 , wherein the integrated structure pattern is located at preconfigured locations within the respective compression zone.

4. The recovery tight of claim 3 , wherein adjacent structures of the plurality of structures are spaced apart from one another by the plurality of offset areas.

5. The recovery tight of claim 4 , wherein an amount of spacing between the adjacent structures of the plurality of structures modifies the compression force at the preconfigured locations.

6. The recovery tight of claim 4 , wherein an increase in spacing between the adjacent structures of the plurality of structures increases the compression force at the preconfigured locations a greater amount compared to a decrease in spacing between the adjacent structures of the plurality of structures.

7. A recovery tight having a non-planar outer-facing surface and a planar inner-facing surface, the recovery tight comprising:
a plurality of compression zones comprising:
a first compression zone having a first compression force within a predefined range, the first compression zone located at an upper portion of the recovery tight;
a second compression zone having a second compression force within a predefined range, the second compression zone located adjacent to and below the first compression zone; and
a third compression zone having a third compression force within a predefined range, the third compression zone located adjacent to and below the second compression zone, wherein one or more of the first compression zone, the second compression zone, and the third compression zone comprises an integrated structure pattern comprising a plurality of offset areas extending inwardly from the outer-facing surface of the recovery tight, the plurality of offset areas comprising a shorter length knit stitch, wherein the plurality of offset areas within the integrated structure pattern has a higher compression force compared to remaining areas within the respective compression zone without the integrated structure pattern.

8. The recovery tight of claim 7 , wherein the first compression force is less than the second compression force and the third compression force.

9. The recovery tight of claim 8 , wherein the second compression force is less than the third compression force.

10. The recovery tight of claim 7 , wherein:
the first compression zone is located over a lower torso area and an upper thigh area of a wearer when the recovery tight is in an as-worn configuration;
the second compression zone is located over a lower thigh area and a knee area of the wearer when the recovery tight is in the as-worn configuration; and
the third compression zone is located over a calf area of the wearer when the recovery tight is in the as-worn configuration.

11. The recovery tight of claim 7 , wherein the integrated structure pattern comprises a first integrated structure pattern and a second integrated structure pattern different from the first integrated structure pattern.

12. A method of manufacturing a recovery tight comprising:
preparing a fabric having a first surface and an opposite second surface, wherein preparing the fabric comprises:
knitting a first compression zone having a first compression force and a first integrated structure pattern;
knitting a second compression zone having a second compression force and a second integrated structure pattern; and
knitting a third compression zone having a third compression force and a third integrated structure pattern, wherein the first integrated structure pattern, the second integrated structure pattern, and the third integrated structure pattern comprise a plurality of offset areas extending inwardly from the first surface of the fabric, the plurality of offset areas comprising a shorter length knit stitch, wherein the plurality of offset areas within the first integrated structure pattern, the second integrated structure pattern, and the third integrated structure pattern have a higher compression force compared to remaining areas within the respective compression zones without the integrated structure pattern;
cutting one or more pattern pieces from the fabric; and
affixing the one or more pattern pieces together at one or more seams to form the recovery tight such that the first surface of the fabric forms an outer-facing surface of the recovery tight and the second surface forms an inner-facing surface of the recovery tight, wherein the inner-facing surface of the recovery tight is planar.

13. The method of manufacture of claim 12 , wherein the first compression force is less than the second compression force and the third compression force, and wherein the second compression force is less than the third compression force.

14. The method of manufacture of claim 12 , wherein the fabric is knitted using a warp knitting process.

15. The method of manufacture of claim 12 , wherein the first compression force, the second compression force, and the third compression force of the first compression zone, the second compression zone, and the third compression zone respectively are dependent upon at least one of a diameter of an elastic yarn used to knit the first compression zone, the second compression zone, and the third compression zone or the type of yarn used to knit the first compression zone, the second compression zone, and the third compression zone.

16. The method of manufacture of claim 12 , wherein the first integrated structure pattern, the second integrated structure pattern, and the third integrated structure pattern are integrally knitted using the same yarns as used to knit the first compression zone, the second compression zone, and the third compression zone respectively.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Kehler Alyse
• Maheshwari Richa
• Mientjes Martine
• Ranalli Christopher J
• Sokolowski Susan L
• Staub Andrea J
• Vaughan Heidi A

Classifications

• A41B2500/10

  Knitted · CPC title

• A61F13/08 Primary

  Elastic stockings; for contracting aneurisms · CPC title

• A41B11/003 Primary

  Hosiery with intermediate sections of different elasticity · CPC title

• D10B2509/028

  Elastic support stockings or elastic bandages · CPC title

• D10B2501/021

  Hosiery; Panti-hose · CPC title