Knit lower-body garment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11877605-B2
Application number	US-202117144656-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2021
Priority date	Nov 19, 2020
Publication date	Jan 23, 2024
Grant date	Jan 23, 2024

Abstract

A knit lower-body garment can be formed, using a flat knitting process and from knit blanks. In example aspects, the knit lower-body garment is formed from a one-piece knit textile blank that includes partial-length knit courses in select locations to provide three-dimensional shaping to the resulting lower-body garment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lower-body garment comprising:
a waistband;
a first leg band around a first leg opening;
a second leg band around a second leg opening;
a one-piece weft knit textile comprising a front torso portion, a first back torso portion with a first back seam edge, a second back torso portion with a second back seam edge, and a crotch gusset, wherein the crotch gusset includes a first gusset back edge and a second gusset back edge; and
a seam that affixes together:
an upper part of the first back seam edge and an upper part of the second back seam edge, wherein a first course of knit stitches of the one-piece weft knit textile extends along the upper part of the first back seam edge;
a lower part of the first back seam edge and the first gusset back edge, wherein the first course of knit stitches of the one-piece weft knit textile extends along the lower part of the first back seam edge; and
a lower part of the second back seam edge and the second gusset back edge;

wherein the one-piece weft knit textile comprises a plurality of second knit courses that extend from the waistband to the first leg band and a plurality of short rows that are interspersed among the plurality of second knit courses.

2. The lower-body garment of claim 1 , wherein the seam is continuous and forms an inverted Y-shape.

3. The lower-body garment of claim 2 , wherein the first course extends long along the seam from the first leg band at the first leg opening to the waistband.

4. A lower-body garment formed from a one-piece knit textile, the lower-body garment comprising:
a front torso portion and a back torso portion that together form a continuous waist opening edge, a first leg opening edge, a second leg opening edge, and a crotch gusset; and
a seam having a first part that extends from the waist opening edge of the back torso portion to a junction point, a second part that extends from the junction point to the first leg opening edge, and a third part that extends from the junction point to the second leg opening edge, wherein a course of knit stitches of the one-piece knit textile extends from the waist opening edge to the junction point and from the junction point to the first leg opening edge.

5. The lower-body garment formed from the one-piece knit textile of claim 4 , wherein the seam is a stitched seam.

6. The lower-body garment formed from the one-piece knit textile of claim 4 , wherein the seam is a bonded seam.

7. The lower-body garment formed from the one-piece knit textile of claim 4 , wherein the seam forms an inverted Y-shape.

8. The lower-body garment formed from the one-piece knit textile of claim 4 , wherein the one-piece knit textile comprises:
a first plurality of knit courses that extends from the waist opening edge to the first leg opening edge; and
a second plurality of knit courses that is interspersed among the first plurality of stitches and that extends part way from the first leg opening edge to the waist opening edge.

9. The lower-body garment formed from the one-piece knit textile of claim 4 , wherein, other than the seam having the first part, the second part, and the third part, the front torso portion and the back torso portion are seamless.

10. The lower-body garment formed from the one-piece knit textile of claim 4 , wherein the junction point is located at an intersection of the back torso portion and the crotch gusset.

11. The lower-body garment of claim 1 , wherein the crotch gusset comprises a double jersey knit structure and the front torso portion comprises a single jersey knit structure.

12. A lower-body garment comprising:
a one-piece weft knit textile comprising a front torso portion, a first back torso portion with a first back seam edge, a second back torso portion with a second back seam edge, and a crotch gusset, wherein the crotch gusset includes a first gusset back edge and a second gusset back edge; and
a seam that affixes together:
an upper part of the first back seam edge and an upper part of the second back seam edge, wherein a course of knit stitches of the one-piece weft knit textile extends along the upper part of the first back seam edge;
a lower part of the first back seam edge and the first gusset back edge, wherein the course of knit stitches of the one-piece weft knit textile extends along the lower part of the first back seam edge; and
a lower part of the second back seam edge and the second gusset back edge;

wherein the crotch gusset comprises a double jersey knit structure and the front torso portion comprises a single jersey knit structure.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Montgomery Paul R
• Wijesena Hemantha Manjula

Classifications

• A41B9/004

  characterized by the crotch · CPC title

• A41B9/001

  Underpants or briefs (specially adapted for men A41B9/02; specially adapted for ladies A41B9/04) · CPC title

• A41B9/02

  Drawers or underpants for men, with or without inserted crotch or seat parts · CPC title

• A41D1/089 Primary

  Shorts · CPC title

• A41D27/24

  Hems; Seams · CPC title