AU668853B2

AU668853B2 - A composite garment

Info

Publication number: AU668853B2
Application number: AU82404/91A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Sharyn Joy Pedersen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-08-14
Filing date: 1991-08-13
Publication date: 1996-05-23
Anticipated expiration: 2011-08-13
Also published as: AU8240491A

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: SHARYN JOY PEDERSEN SHARYN JOY PEDERSEN CULLEN CO., Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane, Qld. 4000, Australia.

A COMPOSITE GARMENT Invention Title: Details of Associated Provisional Applications: Nos. PK1764 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 2 THE PRESENT INVENTION relates to a composite garment wherein each of a pair of leg portions is releasably connected to a panty portion. In use, once either of the leg portions becomes damaged, a user may discard the leg portions and retain the panty portion for further use.

It is well known to construct pantihose from two identical tubular parts by joining the parts along a central U-shaped seam. Such pantihose have a number of disadvantages including the fact that they are usually made from synthetic 101 fibres such as nylon or a blend of nylon and elastane (LYCRA) fibres which do not allow circulation of air. Lack of air circulation results in a build-up of moisture leading to discomfort and encouraging thrush irritation. The central seam is also a source of discomfort to the wearer as well as being unsightly. Furthermore, when either part of the pantihose becomes damaged, the entire unit must be discarded.

The pantihose of Swiss patents nos. 660671 and 665334 have attempted to overcome some of these problems.

They feature pantihose with two leg portions each of which are sewn onto the leg openings of a panty portion thereby avoiding the use of a central U-shaped seam. The increased effort S required to manufacture such pantihose, as compared with the conventional type described above, which involves the use of three pieces of fabric instead of two and possibly two different types of fabric, will clearly result in a more expensive garment. Furthermore, if any part of the garment is damaged, it must be discarded.

U.S. patent no. 2,826,760 discloses a unitary 3 knitted pantihose garment in which the panty portion may be retained for further use by cutting off the leg portions when the leg portions are no longer serviceable. A circumferential seam is provided for each leg portion above the cutting zone to reduce the possibility of runs occirring in the panty portion. The disadvantages inherent in this garment ,s that the circumferential seam does not entirely reduce the possibility that runs may travel up into the panty portion rendering it unserviceable and the leg openings of the panty portion may roll up and bind the wearer in the crotch area.

It will also be appreciated that cutting the leg portions close to the seam in each case was relatively imprecise and often the respective cutting zones in regard to each leg portion were not perfectly aligned. Also a remnant part of the leg portion often remained after cutting and this was frequently unsightly and difficult to remove.

Another type of pantihose hcving removable leg portions is described in U.S. patent no. 3,845,506. In one embodiment, the pantihose are provided with a releasable connection at the mid-thigh region of each leg portion. Each S releasable connection comprises an upper circumferential course of loops depending from the panty portion and a lower circumferential coturse of loops extending upward from the leg portion. The courses are adjacent but not interwoven. At least one waste thread is interwoven therethrough to interconnect each of the courses as shown in Fig. 7. A pulltab on the thread was provided to facilitate removal of the thread to separate the leg portion from the panty portion.

4 The logistics of aligning the two courses of loops by manual methods in order to insert the thread is difficult. In any other case, a machine dedicated to this purpose is required.

The provision of a metal pull-tab is uncomfortable for the wearer as well as being aesthetically unpleasant. It is also essential in U.S. patent 3,845,506 that the releasable connection be located in the mid-thigh region of the wearer berause if the releasable connection is near the trunk po~.tion, the trunk portion will tend to ride up with wear and bind at the wearer's crotch. However, a releasable connection at the mid-thigh region is unsuitable for short skirts and is aesthetically unpleasant.

SIt is an object of the present invention to provide a composite garment which will substantially overcome or ameliorate, at least some of the abovementioned disadvantages.

Accordingly, the invention provides a composite garment comprising a body portion having at least a panty portion which may cover a lower trunk of a wearer in use and which also includes a crotch portion and leg openings and a pair of tubular leg portions characterised in that a respective leg portion is releasably attached to an associated leg opening whereby adjacent overlapping parts of the leg opening and the leg portion are attached by at least two threads wherein a primary thread extends from one part into the other part forming a plurality of spaced loops and a secondary thread extends into at least some of said loops and extends around at least some of said loops so as to form a series of stitches which may be progressively unravelled by pulling one end of one of said at least two threads.

Preferably, the series of stitches comprises a plurality of secondary thread loops whereby each secondary thread loop will extend around a respective primary thread loop and part of each secondary thread loop will also extend into or pass through a primary thread loop adjacent the respective primary thread loop.

In another variation, each secondary thread loop will extend around only a selected primary thread loop and part of each secondary thread loop in this variation may only S extend through one or more primary thread loops preceding the selected primary thread loop.

Other variations will be apparent from the preferred embodi.ent discussed hereinafter.

Preferably, each leg portion and the respective leg opening overlap along the entire periphery of the leg opening and the series of stitches extends for the same.

Preferably, for reasons of comfort and ease of movement, the panty portion comprises a suitable knitted fabric. Also, to alleviate thrush irritation, it is preferred that the panty portion comprises a fabric with a high proportion of natural fibres.

Alternatively, the fabric may comprise a woven fabric. A suitable woven fabric may comprise natural fibres such as silk, cotton or wool; or synthetic fibres such as polyester, rayon or viscose; or blends of natural fibres; or blends of natural and synthetic fibres; or blends of synthetic fibres.

6 The body portion may comprise any form of garment which covers the body and is made with a closed crotch and leg openings e.g. body suit or body stocking. Preferably, the panty portion is of such a form that it does not extend below the trunk region of the wearer. The panty portion may be further provided with resilient means along the periphery of each of the leg openings to prevent the panty portion from riding up and binding the wearer at the crotch or causing unsightly ridges underneath the wearer's outer garment once the leg portions have been removed. Preferably, the resilient means comprises elasticated tape. Suitable underpants would include full briefs, half briefs, high cut briefs, bikini briefs, g-string, girdle, support brief and French knickers.

The tubular leg portions may comprise a pair of knitted stockings or tights. The knitted stockings or tights may be knit to any well known method. Each leg portion may be closed or opened at the end opposite to the connected end.

Where the leg portions are closed, they may have reinforced toe and heel regions. The tubular leg portions may be seamed or alternatively, may be knit so as to be seamless. Each tubular leg portion may comprise a reinforced region at the connected end.

In use, once either of the leg portions becomes damaged, the entire unit need not be discarded. The leg portions may be separated from the panty portions by unsecuring one end of the secondary thread and pulling the thread so as to progressively unravel the stitches. The panty portion may be retained for further use as a pair of 7 underpants. If there is an undamaged leg portion this may also be retained and paired with another undamaged leg portion for subsequent use with a suspender belt when the user is not wparing short or close fitting outfits.

One embodiment of the -resent invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1 is front elevation of a portion of the composite garment of the preferred embodiment;

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Figure 2 is a sectional view of a seam of chain stitches; Figure 3 is a plan view of the panty portion of S Figure 1 where both legs have been removed.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of an alternative seam to that of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a sectional view of another alternative S seam to that of Figure 2; and Figure 6 is a sectional view of yet another alternat,.e seam to that of Figure 2.

In Figure i, is shown the composite garment comprising a pair of nylon and LYCRA seamless knit stockings 12. The upper edge of each stocking 14 is contoured to match the contour of an associated leg opening 15 of a pair of high cut knit fabric briefs 20. Each stocking 12 is sewn to the associated leg opening 15 utilising a seam of chain stitches 22 to be described in connection with Figure 2. Elastic tape (not shown) is sewn along the periphery of each leg opening to prevent the fabric of the briefs 20 from riding up once the stockings 12 have been removed. The briefs also have elastic tape sewn along the trunk opening A chain stitch seam 22 as shown in Fig. 2 is used to attach adjacent overlapping parts of each stocking 21 and associated leg opening 15. The seam 22 comprises a primary thread 35 which penetrates the overlapping parts to form a series of spaced loops 42, 45, 50. A first stitch 43 comprises a first loop 39 of a secondary thread 40 which extends through a first loop 42 of the primary thread 35 and ,0 loops around a second loop 45 of the primary thread which is adjacent of the first loop 42 of the primary thread 35. The first loop 39 of the secondary thread 40 is secured around the second loop 45 of the primary thread 35 by a subsequent second stitch 46. The second stitch comprises a second loop 47 of the secondary thread 40 which extends through the second loop of the primary thread 35 and loops around a third loop of the primary thread 35 which is adjacent to the second loop of the primary thread 35. The second loop 47 of the secondary thread 40 is secured around the third loop 50 of the primary thread 35 by a third stitch 52 and so on.

The stitches may be released by pulling the end of the secondary thread 40 which is adjacent to the last formed stitch 52 as shown by arrow Figure 3 illustrates the retained pair of high cut briefs 20 once each of the stockings 12 have been removed by unravelling the chain stitch seams in the manner described above.

The alternative seam of Figure 4 is similar to the 9 preferred seam of Figure 2 except that a first stitch 59 comprises a loop 60 of the secondary thread 65 which extends through a first loop 67 and a second loop 66 of the primary thread 70 and around a third loop 72 of the primary thread The first stitch 59 is secured by a second stitch 71 which comprises a second loop 73 of the secondary thread 65 which extends through the second loop 66 and the third loop 72 of the primary thread 70 and around a fourth loop 75 of the primary thread 70. The second stitch 71 is secured by a third stitch 76 and so on.

The other alternative seam of Figure 5 is similar to the seam of Figure 4 except that each stitch 80, 81, 82 comprises a loop 85 of the secondary thread 86 which extends through a first loop 87 of the primary thread 88 and around a second loop 89 and a third loop 90 of the primary thread 88.

The yet another seam of Figure 6 comprises a first stitch comprising a loop 91 of the secondary thread 95 which extends through a first loop 96 and a second loop 97 of the primary thread 100 and around a third loop 101 of the primary thread 100. The second stitch 102 comprises a second loop 105 of the secondary thread 100 which extends through the third loop 101 and a fourth loop 108 of the primary thread and around a fifth loop 109 of the primary thread 100 and so on.

The present invention overcomes a number of disadvantages of the prior art.

The present invention provides a retained panty portion which is more aesthetically appealing than that which could be obtained from prior art methods. Cutting off the leg portions as disclosed in U.S. patent no, 2,826,760 would result in jagged edges along the leg openings of the panty portion. The invention according to U.S. patent no, 3,845,506 would result in a panty portion with a course of loops depending about the periphery of each leg opening. The present invention provides a neatly finished edge along the periphery of each leg opening.

The present invention overcomes the disadvantage of runs travelling up into the panty portion and rendering them id unserviceable as the panty portion of the present invention has the periphery of the leg openings finished prior to sewing on the leg portions.

The releasable connection of the present invention S is also much simpler to assemble than the releasable connection of U.S. patent no. 3,845,506 which requires aligning the two courses of adjacent loops and inserting a thread therethrough.

It is difficult to pull a thread which has been interwoven through fabric or courses of loops, through the fabric or loop due to frictional forces. A user of the releasable connection of U.S. patent no, 3,845,506 may S experience difficulty in pulling the waste thread through the circular courses of loops. In such cases the thread may have a tendency to break, creating further difficulties for the user. The present invention is superior in that as only one stitch is unravelled at a time, the frictional forces are minimal and the tendency for the thread to break is low. Even if the thread does break, a loose end of one of the threads 11 can be easily located and the unravelling process continued.

The foregoing describes only one embodiment of the present invention and modifications obvious to those skilled in the art can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention.

*n 4t

Claims

2. A composite garment in accordance with claim 1 wherein the series of stitches further comprises a plurality of secondary thread loops, each secondary thread loop extending around a primary said thread loop and extending into or passing through an adjacent primary thread loop.
3. A composite garment in accordance with claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the series of stitches are unravelled by pulling one end of the secondary thread.
4. A composite garment in accordance with any one of the preceding claims wherein the panty portion comprises a fabric with a high proportion of natural fibres. A composite garment in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the panty portion is provided with a resilient means along the periphery of each of the leg openings to prevent the panty portion from riding up.
6. A composite garment in accordance with claim wherein the resilient means comprises elasticated tape.
7. A composite garment in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the panty portion is of a form such that it does not extend below the trunk region of the wearer.
8. A composite garment in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tubular leg portions comprise a pair of knitted stockings or tights.
9. A composite garment in accordance with any one of the preceding claims wherein each of the series of stitches is a chain stitch. A composite garment substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 or as modified by Figures 4 to 6. DATED this thirteenth day of August 1991 SHARYN JOY PEDERSEN By her Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO. I 14 ABSTRACT A composite garment (10) comprising a body portion having at least a panty portion (20) having leg openings (15) and a pair of tubular leg portions (12) which are releasably attached to the panty portion The releasable connection is a series of stitches (22) which may be progressively unravelled by pulling a thread (40) of the series of stitches. In use, once either of the leg portions (12) become damaged, a user may discard the leg portions (12) and retain the panty portion for further use. *gi it