Upper-torso garment with three-dimensional knit structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11142854-B2
Application number	US-201916576244-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2019
Priority date	Oct 3, 2018
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

An upper-torso garment includes a chest-covering portion having a knit textile region, which includes a plurality of courses fully spanning a dome-shaped portion. In addition, the knit textile region includes a plurality of partial-length courses partially spanning the dome-shaped portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An upper-torso garment comprising:
a dome-shaped knit breast-covering portion comprising a plurality of full-length knit courses and a plurality of partial-length knit courses and including a plurality of knit stitches,
wherein each full-length knit course within the plurality of full-length knit courses spans at least a distance from a medial wale to a lateral wale, and wherein a length of each partial-length knit course within the plurality of partial-length knit courses is less than the distance from the medial wale to the lateral wale, and
wherein the plurality of partial-length knit courses includes a superior-most course and an inferior-most course;
a first dome reference midline extending substantially parallel to the medial wale or the lateral wale and spaced evenly between the medial wale and the lateral wale; and
a second dome reference midline extending substantially perpendicular to the first dome reference midline and spaced evenly between the superior-most course and the inferior-most course, wherein an intersection of the first and second dome reference lines designates a superior-medial quadrant, a superior-lateral quadrant, an inferior-medial quadrant, and an inferior-lateral quadrant, wherein a larger quantity of knit stitches from the plurality of knit stitches is positioned in the inferior-medial quadrant than in each of the superior-medial quadrant, the superior-lateral quadrant, and the inferior-lateral quadrant,
wherein the plurality of partial-length knit courses includes a plurality of partial-length-course groupings, each partial-length-course grouping including one or more longer partial-length courses and one or more shorter partial-length courses, and wherein the one or more shorter partial-length courses have fewer consecutive knit stitches than the one or more longer partial-length courses and are spaced apart from the one or more longer partial-length courses by a first quantity of courses.

2. The upper-torso garment of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of partial-length courses includes a plurality of medial-most knit stitches located in the medial wale, and wherein the inferior-medial quadrant includes more medial-most knit stitches than a superior-medial quadrant.

3. The upper-torso garment of claim 1 , wherein each partial-length-course grouping of the plurality of partial-length-course groupings is spaced apart from a consecutive partial-length-course grouping by a second quantity of courses, and wherein the second quantity of courses is greater than the first quantity of courses.

4. The upper-torso garment of claim 1 , wherein the second dome reference midline designates a superior dome portion and an inferior dome portion, and wherein a first plurality of consecutive partial-length-course groupings in the inferior dome portion is spaced apart by a smaller number of courses than a second plurality of consecutive partial-length course groupings in the superior dome portion.

5. The upper-torso garment of claim 3 , wherein a ratio of the first quantity of courses to the second quantity of courses is in a range of about 1:2 to about 1:6.

6. The upper-torso garment of claim 1 , wherein the dome-shaped knit breast-covering portion includes a double-knit fabric having a front knit layer and a back knit layer, and wherein the front knit layer and the back knit layer are coupled by a binder layer.

7. The upper-torso garment of claim 6 , wherein the front knit layer includes a first elastic yarn, the back knit layer includes a second elastic yarn, and the binder layer includes a third elastic yarn.

8. The upper-torso garment of claim 1 , wherein the second dome reference midline designates a superior dome portion and an inferior dome portion, and wherein each partial-length-course grouping includes a long-to-short ratio of a number of stitches in each longer partial-length knit course to a number of stitches in each shorter partial-length knit course, and wherein an average long-to-short ratio in the inferior dome portion is greater than an average long-to-short ratio in the superior dome portion.

9. The upper-torso garment of claim 1 ,
wherein the second dome reference midline designates a superior dome portion and an inferior dome portion,
wherein in each partial-length-course grouping:
at least one longer partial-length knit course includes a first course midpoint spaced an even distance between a medial-most stitch and a lateral-most stitch of the at least one longer partial-length knit course, and
at least one shorter partial-length knit course includes a second course midpoint spaced an even distance between a medial-most stitch and a lateral-most stitch of the at least one shorter partial-length knit course, and
wherein, in the inferior dome portion, a plurality of partial-length-course groupings include the first course midpoint being offset towards the medial wale relative to the second course midpoint.

10. The upper-torso garment of claim 1 further comprising, another dome-shaped knit breast-covering portion that is a mirror image of the dome-shaped knit breast-covering portion.

11. The upper-torso garment of claim 1 , wherein the second dome reference midline designates a superior dome portion and an inferior dome portion, and wherein the inferior dome portion includes a subset of partial-length knit courses from among the plurality of partial-length knit courses, each partial-length knit course of the subset including a respective medial-most knit stitch, and wherein each of the respective medial-most knit stitches is positioned among a set of five consecutive wales, one of which is the medial wale.

12. The upper-torso garment of claim 11 , wherein each of the respective medial-most knit stitches is included among a set of two consecutive wales, one of which is the medial wale.

13. The upper-torso garment of claim 12 , wherein the subset spans a first distance comprising a first number of courses, the first distance being at least fifty percent of a second distance comprising a second number of courses between the inferior-most course and the second dome reference midline.

14. The upper-torso garment of claim 13 , wherein the first distance is at least ninety percent of the second distance.

15. An upper-torso garment comprising:
a knit dome structure comprising a plurality of full-length courses and a plurality of partial-length knit courses comprising a plurality of knit stitches, each full-length knit course within the plurality of full-length knit courses spanning at least a distance from a medial wale to a lateral wale, and wherein a length of each partial-length knit course within the plurality of partial-length knit courses is less than the distance from the medial wale to the lateral wale; and
the knit dome structure comprising a first dome reference midline extending substantially parallel to the medial wale or the lateral wale and spaced evenly between the medial wale and the lateral wale and a second dome reference midline extending substantially perpendicular to the first dome reference midline and spaced evenly between a superior-most course of the plurality of partial-length courses and an inferior-most course of the plurality of partial-length courses.
wherein the knit dome structure further comprises a superior-lateral quadrant, a superior-medial quadrant, an inferior-lateral quadrant, and an inferior-medial quadrant designated by the first dome reference midline and the second dome reference midline, wherein the inferior-medial quadrant includes a larger quantity of knit stitches from the plurality of knit stitches, relative to the supe

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Lucas Gaus Vanessa L
• Meckley Virginia
• Montgomery Paul R
• Rendone Nicole
• Woodard Samantha E G
• Burton Jesse L

Classifications

• D04B1/246 Primary

  Upper torso garments, e.g. sweaters, shirts, leotards · CPC title

• D10B2403/0331

  with one or more convex or concave portions of limited extension, e.g. domes or pouches · CPC title

• A41C3/00

  Brassieres · CPC title

• D04B1/108

  Gussets, e.g. pouches or heel or toe portions · CPC title

• D10B2501/02

  Underwear · CPC title