AU2013101296A4 - Pantyhose garment - Google Patents

Abstract

A pantyhose garment (10) including two leg portions (14,16) having respective lower ends and upper ends (15, 17), the upper ends (15, 17) being connected to a waistband (12), wherein the waistband (12) is generally cylindrical and wide such that, in use, the 5 waistband (12) extends downwardly from the waist of the wearer and substantially covers the hip area of a wearer without pressing into the wearer's skin. 2(00 H--

Description

1 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 INNOVATION PATENT SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED: PANTYHOSE GARMENT Applicant: Pacific Brands Clothing Pty Ltd The invention is described in the following statement: 2 Pantyhose garment Field of the invention This invention relates generally to pantyhose garments and in particular to an improved waistband for such garments. 5 Background of the invention Comfort and appearance are two of several factors taken into consideration by consumers when choosing pantyhose. Various pantyhose constructions are available on the market offering a range of features, including shaping and slimming for example, and consumers have a wide choice. 10 Conventional pantyhose is formed with a narrow waistband, typically a double layer turned welt waistband, which when worn can dig or press into the wearer's skin causing in some cases a "muffin top" above the waistband and bunching of flesh below the waistband. At the very least, the narrow waistband presses into a wearer's skin enough to create a visible line that is noticeable when the pantyhose is worn beneath 15 slim fitting clothing. The effect of the narrow waistband digging in to a wearer's waist is generally not aesthetically pleasing and can be uncomfortable, particularly when the pantyhose is worn for an extended period of time, for example a full day at work. The present invention aims to at least in part alleviate the problems outlined 20 above by providing pantyhose with an improved waistband. Reference to any prior art in the specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that this prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia or any other jurisdiction or that this prior art could reasonably be expected to be ascertained, understood and regarded as relevant 25 by a person skilled in the art.

3 Summary of the invention The present invention is derived from the desire of consumers to wear comfortable and aesthetically pleasing pantyhose. The applicant has recognised that a wide waistband will reduce the digging in effect. 5 In a first aspect the invention provides a pantyhose garment including two leg portions having respective lower ends and upper ends, the uppers ends being connected to a waistband, wherein the waistband is generally cylindrical and wide such that, in use, the waistband extends downwardly from the waist of the wearer and substantially covers the hip area of a wearer without pressing into the wearer's skin. 10 In a particularly preferred embodiment the waistband is seam-free. Preferably the width of the waistband is between 5cm and 40cm. More preferably the waistband is approximately 15cm wide. In a second aspect the invention provides a pantyhose garment including two leg portions having respective lower ends and upper ends, the upper ends being connected 15 to a brief portion, wherein the brief portion includes: an upper waistband section that is generally cylindrical and wide such that, in use, the waistband extends from the waist of the wearer and substantially covers the hip area of a wearer without pressing into the wearer's skin; and a lower brief section that extends from the upper waistband downwardly and 20 connects to the upper ends of the leg portions. In a particularly preferred embodiment the brief portion is seam-free. The upper waistband section may be doubled-over to provide a firmer fit to the wearer. Preferably the lower brief section is knitted with the leg portions. The invention also extends to a waistband for pantyhose, wherein the waistband 25 is generally cylindrical and seam-free. It will be appreciated that "width" is measured from the upper perimeter of the waistband downwardly towards the leg portions.

4 Brief description of the drawings The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagram of pantyhose according to a first embodiment of the 5 invention; and Figure 2 is a diagram of pantyhose according to a second embodiment of the invention. Detailed description of the embodiments of the invention Referring to Figure 1 the pantyhose garment 10 consists of a wide waistband 12 10 and two legs 14, 16. It will be appreciated that reference to pantyhose is generic and also includes within its scope garments referred to as hose, hosiery, tights, footless tights, and similar garments. The lower ends (not shown) of the legs 14, 16 may terminate in either a foot section (not shown) or may be footless. The upper ends 15, 17 of the legs are 15 connected to the lower edge 20 of the waistband 12 by a conventional cover stitched/flat seam. The inner sides of the legs 14, 16 may be connected to each other at seam 22 and the pantyhose 10 may include a gusset (not shown). This area may also have no seam at all. Waistband 12 is preferably in the range of 5cm - 40cm wide and in this 20 embodiment is approximately 15cm wide, measured from the upper perimeter 18 to the lower edge 20 of the waistband. The width of the waistband 12 is designed such that in use the waistband 20 sits comfortably over a wearer's hips and does not dig in to the wearer's skin. A further advantage of waistband 12 is that it is completely seam free. The 25 waistband 20 is preferably knitted on a seam-free circular knitting machine. The legs 14, 16 are preferably knitted on conventional hosiery circular machines. The waistband 20 and legs 14, 16 are manufactured and piece-dyed separately and after dying the legs and seam-free waistband are sewn together.

5 In a further embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 2, the pantyhose includes a long-line brief 24. In this embodiment the brief 24 includes an upper wide waistband portion 26 connected to a lower brief portion 28 and legs 14, 16. The waistband portion 26 is preferably seam-free as in the first embodiment. 5 The upper waistband 26 is of similar dimensions as in the first embodiment, and in use sits over the hips of the wearer and provides a smooth appearance. The waistband 26 may be doubled-over to additionally provide increased firming or shaping effect to the wearer's waist and hip area. The double layered waistband 26 can also provide increased slimming and smoothing in the waistband area. 10 The legs 14, 16 of the pantyhose may be constructed in several deniers including but not limited to 100 denier opaque, 70 denier opaque, and 15 denier sheer. The seam-free portion 10, 110 may be also be manufactured in several deniers including but not limited to 100 denier opaque and 70 denier opaque. The yarns used for the manufacture of the pantyhose include nylon, elastane, and elastane/nylon blend. A 15 cotton gusset may also be provided. It will be appreciated that the pantyhose of the invention smooths over the hips and waist of the wearer and provides evenly distributed tension thereby alleviating the digging in effect and providing a comfortable fit and smooth silhouette. In addition, the seam-free waistband results in the elimination of centre-front and centre-back seams, 20 which further provides flexibility and comfort to the wearer. It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined in this specification extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the invention.

Claims (8)

1. A pantyhose garment including two leg portions having respective lower ends and upper ends, the uppers ends being connected to a waistband, wherein the waistband is generally cylindrical and wide such that, in use, the waistband extends 5 downwardly from the waist of the wearer and substantially covers the hip area of a wearer without pressing into the wearer's skin.

2. A pantyhose garment according to claim 1, wherein the waistband is seam-free.

3. A pantyhose garment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the width of the 10 waistband is between 5cm and 40cm.

4. A pantyhose garment according to any preceding claim, wherein the waistband is approximately 15cm wide.

5. A pantyhose garment including two leg portions having respective lower ends and upper ends, the upper ends being connected to a brief portion, wherein the 15 brief portion includes: an upper waistband section that is generally cylindrical and wide such that, in use, the waistband extends from the waist of the wearer and substantially covers the hip area of a wearer without pressing into the wearer's skin; and a lower brief section that extends from the upper waistband downwardly and 20 connects to the upper ends of the leg portions.

6. A pantyhose garment according to claim 5, wherein the upper waistband section is seam-free.

7. A pantyhose garment according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the upper waistband section is doubled-over to provide a firmer fit to the wearer. 25

8. A waistband for pantyhose, wherein the waistband is generally cylindrical and seam-free.