Upper-torso garment with three-dimensional knit structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11788217-B2
Application number	US-202217977509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2022
Priority date	May 2, 2017
Publication date	Oct 17, 2023
Grant date	Oct 17, 2023

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 having a chest-covering portion, the upper-torso garment comprising:
a pair of dome-shaped portions that are located in the chest-covering portion, wherein each dome-shaped portion is divisible into a top half and a bottom half and includes a medial perimeter edge and lateral perimeter edge; and
a knit textile panel constructing each dome-shaped portion, the knit textile panel comprising a plurality of courses fully spanning each dome-shaped portion from the medial perimeter edge to the lateral perimeter edge;
wherein each dome-shaped portion comprises a plurality of partial-length courses partially spanning the dome-shaped portion, wherein the plurality of partial-length courses are intermittently positioned among the plurality of courses, and each dome-shaped portion has a larger quantity of partial-length courses in the top half than in the bottom half,
wherein the plurality of partial-length courses includes a first partial-length course having a first length, a second partial-length course having a second length that is shorter than the first length, and a third partial-length course having a third length that is shorter than the second length; and wherein the second partial-length course is positioned between the first partial-length course and the third partial-length course, and the first partial-length course is positioned closer to a chest band of the upper-torso garment than the second partial-length course.

2. The upper-torso garment of claim 1 , wherein each dome-shaped portion is divisible into a lateral half and a medial half, and wherein each dome-shaped portion has a larger quantity of partial-length courses in the medial half than in the lateral half.

3. The upper-torso garment of claim 2 , wherein the knit textile panel comprises a tubular-jacquard knit structure having a plurality of front-stitch courses and a plurality of back-stitch courses constructed of a first yarn strand and a second yarn strand, and wherein each front-stitch course intermittently interlocks with a back-stitch course by the first yarn strand and the second yarn strand transferring back and forth between the front-stitch course and the back-stitch course.

4. The upper-torso garment of claim 3 , wherein a third yarn strand constructs a course of interlock tuck stitches that binds the front-stitch course to the back-stitch course by interlooping with every other front stitch and every other back stitch.

5. The upper-torso garment of claim 1 , wherein the knit textile panel comprises a polyester material.

6. The upper-torso garment of claim 1 , wherein the upper-torso garment is a bra having a chest band size equal to or less than 32 inches and a cup size that is equal to or less than C.

7. The upper-torso garment of claim 1 , wherein the upper-torso garment includes a pair of shoulder straps, each of which includes a respective shoulder-strap midline reference plane, and wherein the shoulder-strap midline reference plane intersects the plurality of partial-length courses.

8. An upper-torso garment having a chest-covering portion, the upper-torso garment comprising:
a pair of dome-shaped portions that are located in the chest-covering portion and that are separated from one another by a center bridge, each dome-shaped portion having a medial perimeter edge and a lateral perimeter edge, and each dome-shaped portion further having a superior perimeter edge that abuts an encapsulation region; and
a knit textile panel constructing each dome-shaped portion, the knit textile panel comprising a plurality of courses fully spanning each dome-shaped portion from the medial perimeter edge to the lateral perimeter edge;
wherein each dome-shaped portion comprises a plurality of partial-length courses partially spanning the dome-shaped portion, wherein the plurality of partial-length courses are intermittently positioned among the plurality of courses, and wherein each dome-shaped portion has a larger quantity of partial-length courses in the top half than in the bottom half,
wherein the plurality of partial-length courses includes a first partial-length course having a first length, a second partial-length course having a second length that is shorter than the first length, and a third partial-length course having a third length that is longer than the second length; and wherein the second partial-length course is positioned between the first partial-length course and the third partial-length course.

9. The upper-torso garment of claim 8 , wherein each dome-shaped portion is divisible into a lateral half and a medial half, and wherein each dome-shaped portion has a larger quantity of partial-length courses in the medial half than in the lateral half.

10. The upper-torso garment of claim 8 , wherein the center bridge and the encapsulation regions abutting the superior perimeter edge of each dome-shaped portion are integrally knit with the pair of dome-shaped portions.

11. The upper-torso garment of claim 8 further comprising a chest band, wherein each dome-shaped portion further includes a bottom perimeter edge abutting the chest band.

12. The upper-torso garment of claim 8 , wherein the lateral perimeter edge of each dome-shaped portion abuts a second encapsulation region.

13. The upper-torso garment of claim 8 , wherein the knit textile panel comprises a polyester material.

14. The upper-torso garment of claim 8 , wherein the upper-torso garment is a bra having a chest band size greater than 32 inches and a cup size greater than C.

15. An upper-torso garment having a chest-covering portion, the upper-torso garment comprising:
a pair of dome-shaped portions that are located in the chest-covering portion, wherein each dome-shaped portion is divisible into a top half and a bottom half and includes a medial perimeter edge and lateral perimeter edge; and
a knit textile panel constructing each dome-shaped portion, the knit textile panel comprising a plurality of courses fully spanning each dome-shaped portion from the medial perimeter edge to the lateral perimeter edge;
wherein each dome-shaped portion comprises a plurality of partial-length courses partially spanning the dome-shaped portion, wherein the plurality of partial-length courses are intermittently positioned among the plurality of courses, and each dome-shaped portion has a larger quantity of partial-length courses in the top half than in the bottom half,
wherein the plurality of partial-length courses includes a first partial-length course having a first length, a second partial-length course having a second length that is shorter than the first length, and a third partial-length course having a third length that is longer than the second length; and wherein the second partial-length course is positioned between the first partial-length course and the third partial-length course.

16. The upper-torso garment of claim 15 , wherein each dome-shaped portion is divisible into a lateral half and a medial half, and wherein each dome-shaped portion has a larger quantity of partial-length courses in the medial half than in the lateral half.

17. The upper-torso garment of claim 16 , wherein the knit textile panel comprises a tubular-jacquard knit structure having a plurality of front-stitch courses and a plurality of back-stitch courses constructed of a first yarn strand and a second yarn strand, and wherein each front-stitch course intermittently interlocks with a back-stitch course by the first yarn strand and the second yarn strand transferring back and forth between the front-stitch course and the back

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Diaz Josué
• Meckley Virginia
• Montgomery Paul R
• Rendone Nicole
• Staub Andrea J

Classifications

• D04B1/246 Primary

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

• D04B1/108

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

• A41C3/0014 Primary

  made from one piece with one or several layers · CPC title

• A41D1/04

  Vests, jerseys, sweaters or the like · CPC title

• A41D1/22 Primary

  Clothing specially adapted for women, not otherwise provided for · CPC title