EP2170111A1

EP2170111A1 - A warp-knitted pant having u-shaped crotch

Info

Publication number: EP2170111A1
Application number: EP08758297A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Bettina Balslev SØRENSEN; Svend Erik Hedevang; Knud Rasmussen; Anna Maria KJÆRSGAARD; Kresten Karlsen; Ove Jensen
Original assignee: Tytex AS
Current assignee: Tytex AS
Priority date: 2007-07-02
Filing date: 2008-06-27
Publication date: 2010-04-07
Also published as: WO2009003485A1; TW200932136A; CN101686733A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a warp-knitted pant (20) made on a double needle bar Raschel knitting machine in one piece. The warp-knitted pant comprises a tubular body portion (21) having first and second ends (22,23), a knitted-in crotch seam (35) situated between two leg openings (25,26) at said first end (22) of the tubular body portion, a crotch portion (24) extending in a crotch length direction from the crotch seam towards the second end of the tubular body portion, and a waistband portion (27) at said second end. Furthermore, the crotch portion is partly knitted in a structure comprising knitting stitches that are able to unravel/run and release a plurality of un-knitted yarn lengths within the fabric structure, which thereby provide high stretchability to the knitted structure, allowing it to stretch considerable in the crotch length direction, forming a U-shaped crotch region (30) during pant use.

Description

A WARP-KNITTED PANT HAVING A U-SHAPED CROTCH

Technical field of the invention

The present invention relates to a warp-knitted pant made on a double needle bar Raschel knitting machine in one piece, the warp-knitted pant comprises a tubular body portion having first and second ends, a knitted-in crotch seam situated between two leg openings at said first end of the tubular body portion, a crotch portion extending in a crotch length direction from the crotch seam towards the second end of the tubular body portion, and a waistband portion at said second end.

The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing the warp-knitted pant as well as to a use of the warp-knitted pant.

Background art Pants for supporting and fixating incontinence pads are well-known in the art. These are often manufactured in one piece on a double needle bed Raschel knitting machine. Such pants often comprise knitted-in Elastane threads along the circumference of the body to increase the elastic properties and aid pad fixation.

It is desirable to manufacture such pants with a shape and design so that they achieve the best possible fit and anatomic form without any need for subsequent cut and sew operations. Several solutions have been suggested wherein the knitted pants are ready for use after a setting treatment and separation of the finished knitted pants from each other.

However, pants produced on a double needle bed Raschel knitting machine are substantially rectangular in shape, due to the nature of the technology, which means that a good anatomic shape is nearly impossible to achieve, c.f. Fig. 1 of the present application, which shows a prior art pant. Particularly, such pants have the same height everywhere, which corresponds poorly with the 3-dimensional anatomic shape of a human body. Ideally, the pant height would extend downwards in the crotch section, i.e. by having a section extending downwards in the mid area, where the fabric of the front section of the pant connects in a knitted-in crotch seam to the fabric of back section of the pant, as the corresponding distance on the human body (half of the distance waist-crotch- waist) is much longer than the distance from the upper leg to the waist. Conventional substantially rectangular Raschel pants may due to the un-anatomically shape be uncomfortable to wear and also hard to position right on the wearers body.

For Incontinence pants, further volume has to be provided in the crotch area of the pant for accommodation of the incontinence pad, which is often large and bulky and in use can achieve a substantial weight and increased thickness. This increases the need for the pant to have a good anatomic shape and sufficient height and room in the crotch region.

Furthermore, for incontinence pants, a good support for the incontinence pad, keeping the pad securely in place and providing good contact between the pad edges and the wearer's body is essential to avoid leakage. For incontinence pants it is difficult to achieve the optimum fit and good fixation properties in a simple and inexpensive way. Particularly, due to the substantially rectangular shape of a traditional Raschel pant it is hard to provide enough room or volume in the crotch area to accommodate an incontinence pad, and at the same time support the pad edges well and achieve a comfortable and tight fit on the body of the wearer.

Reasonably good Raschel knitted incontinence pants exists, however their shape and properties are always a compromise between the technical limitations and achieving a good anatomic fit, good comfort properties, good fixation properties and providing enough room for the pad, and at the same time keeping costs down.

Thus, there have previously been suggested methods and pants which provide a satisfactory solution to adapting the substantial rectangular shape to a more anatomically correct form for instance by providing additional room in the leg area. Such a pant is disclosed in WO 93/22999. However, these solutions have used expensive soluble yarns, which are to be dissolved in a washing process after the knitting for providing a loose structure in the desired areas. Such soluble yarns are furthermore undesirable since they are causing contamination during processing, particularly during washing. There is thus a need for providing a pant, having a circumferential elasticity and wherein certain portions of the pant may exhibit different properties as well as improved anatomical shape and fit, which may be manufactured without major and expensive production and construction- wise alterations of the known manufacturing systems.

Summary of the invention An object of the present invention is to wholly or partly overcome the above disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. More specifically, it is an object to provide a pant having more room in the crotch portion of the pant than the known pants, improved pad fixation as well as increase comfort for the wearer due to an anatomically correct shape.

Additionally, it is an object to provide a pant which lowers the risk for leakage when being used to support an incontinence pad.

The above objects, together with numerous other objects, advantages and features, which will become evident from the below description, are accomplished by a solution in accordance with the present invention by which the crotch portion is partly knitted in a structure comprising knitting stitches that are able to unravel/run and release a plurality of un-knitted yarn lengths within the fabric structure, which thereby provide high stretchability to the knitted structure, allowing it to stretch considerable in the crotch length direction, forming a U-shaped crotch region during pant use.

Hereby, additional room is created in the crotch portion to for instance accommodate an incontinence pad and at the same time a more anatomically correct shape enabling the pant to fit well to a body of a wearer is provided. Thus, a more comfortable pant for the wearer as well as a pant having improved room in crotch portion is obtained by the present invention which at the same time may be manufactured on existing knitting machines without these being altered.

The term "considerable" is in this context to be construed as that the stretchability effect of the knitted structure in the crotch portion is high in the crotch length direction when the pant is worn. The crotch portion of the knitted structure will as well exhibit some inherent stretchability in other directions, such as the width direction (horizontal direction), which is of some importance in the crotch region, but may be even more important in other areas of the pant, i.e. the leg openings. The term "crotch length direction" is in this context to be construed as the direction and length of the pant material from a point on the front of a user' s body to a point on the back of a user's body, measured in the crotch region.

The term "stretchability" is in this context to be construed as the ability in % of the relaxed length of the knitted structure to stretch from a relaxed state to a state wherein the knitted structure is fully stretched by hand until the structure locks.

In a preferred embodiment according to the invention, the stitches able to unravel may have partly or fully unravelled, and released a plurality of un-knitted yarn lengths within the fabric structure.

According to the invention, the stretchability in the crotch portion may be higher than 320%, preferably higher than 400%.

In a preferred embodiment according to the invention, the stitches that are able to unravel/run may be knitted with spring-loaded latch-needles.

According to the invention, the spring-loaded latch needles may have been used in a portion of the in the crotch portion in a share of the needle positions, preferably as every 2 nd to 6^th needle, and even more preferably as every 2^nd needle.

Further according to the invention, the spring-loaded latch needles have knitted empty in a portion of the stitches, preferably in every 2 to 6 stitches, and most preferably in every 3^rd to 4^th stitch, so that the knitted structure formed by the spring-loaded latch needle is allowed to run partly or fully, thereby releasing a plurality of un-knitted yarn lengths between the other stitches in the pant, which thereby provide an excess quantity of yarn in the structure and thereby high stretchability to the knitted structure.

In an expedient embodiment according to the invention, the spring-loaded latch needles may in a similar manner also be knitting partly empty in the leg opening regions. To support the structure, the crotch portion may advantageously further comprise inlaid yarns that travel over a low number of needles so that high stretchability particularly in the crotch length direction is achieved.

According to the invention, the inlaid yarn may travel over 6 needles or less, and most preferably over 3 needles. The lower the number, the higher the stretchability in the crotch length direction will be.

Advantageously the inlay yarns may be threaded in on all needles or on every 2^nd needle position. The longer distance between the inlay yarns, the higher the stretchability in the crotch length direction will be.

Advantageously, according to the invention, the stitch length in the crotch portion may be longer than the stitch length in other portions of the pant. This may be achieved technically by adjusting the fabric take-down or the yarn in-let/yarn tension. Also, the stretchability in the crotch length direction of the pant may be higher than in the stretchability in other parts of the tubular body portion.

According to the invention, the portion comprising the knitted structure with stitches able to unravel may have a certain height, preferably between 0.5 and 1.5 cm, measured in a relaxed state upwards from the crotch seam.

According to the invention, the pant may comprise yarns made of polyester, polyamide, cotton, elastane or a combination thereof.

In an expedient embodiment according to the invention, substantially vertical pull zones may be interknitted in the tubular body part above the leg openings, said vertical pull zones having lower stretchability than the crotch region of the pant. Hereby, the pant has improved fixation in predetermined areas of the pant as well as a more anatomically correct shape. Furthermore, the vertical pull zones may support the edges of an incontinence pad whereby as the pad edges are pushed against the body of the wearer in the areas where leakages often occur. Thus a pant lowering the risk for leakage is obtained. The vertical pull zones are more described in the patent application entitled "A warp-knitted pant having vertical pull zones", which was filed at the same date as present patent application with corresponding applicant, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Thus, materials, knitting types, stitch sizes, embodiments, etc., which are described in said patent application may also be incorporated and used in connection with the warp-knitted pant according to present invention.

The invention also relates to a method for manufacture a warp-knitted pant, wherein at least a part of the crotch portion of the warp-knitted pant is knitted partly by use of latch needles having latches which are spring-loaded against a partly open position during a stitch forming process, and where in a certain step in the stitch forming process, yarn is not inserted in the hook of the spring-loaded latch needle, whereby a stitch, which is on the spring-loaded latch needle stem, after stitch cast off forms a free stitch in the fabric structure, able to unravel within the fabric.

By using needles with the special property, that they are spring-loaded against a partly open position, it is possible to use a conventional knitting machine equipped with such needles, as for instance a double needle bed Raschel machine, and merely control the threading in so that yarn only is laid in the hook of the latch needles when it is desired. No separate curve controls for the latch needle are necessary and no subsequently after treatment of the pant is necessary.

The stitches that are released from the needle in a stitch forming process where no yarn is laid in the hook will by itself unravel/run, when exerted to normal mechanical forces, i.e. on the machine, during after treatment, when putting the pant or when the pant is worn. When the stitch unravels, a free yarn length is released between the other stitches in the fabric, which thereby provide a looser structure in the area, with increased stretchability as the result.

The spring of the latch needle may be opened to an angle between 10° and 90°, preferably between 30° and 45°. The angle is defined in a simple way without any need for construction-wise alterations of the knitting machine as spring-load of the latch is established by a spring, which is pressed in abutment against a side edge on the latch and that the open position of the latch is defined of a flat abutment surface on the side edge of the latch. Thus, only such a special needle is necessary, which may be used in a Raschel machine, which does not need to be altered.

Furthermore, the latch will swing to its closed position closing the hook of the needle when the needle is moved downwards, as the knitted structure is supported on a trick plate. As sinkers on the machine keep the knitted structure in position, the latch will be pushed to its fully open position by the stitch in the hook of the needle when the needle is moved upwards.

The knitting structure and/or stitch length may be changed gradually from the two edges of the crotch portion towards the centre of the crotch portion, whereby the stretchability in the crotch length direction is increased towards the centre of the crotch portion.

According to the invention, the warp-knitted pant may be used for containing and supporting an incontinence pad.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention and its many advantages will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, which for the purpose of illustration show some non-limiting embodiments and in which

Fig. 1 shows a prior art pant made on a Raschel knitting machine,

Fig. 2 shows a warp-knitted pant according to the present invention,

Fig. 3 shows a warp-knitted pant according to the present invention,

Fig. 4 shows a knitting structure according to the present invention before the stitches unravel,

Fig. 5 shows a knitting structure according to the present invention after the stitches unravel, Fig. 6 shows a sequence of steps for the stitch forming using the special spring-loaded latch needle at the operation of a knitting machine, according to this invention, and

Fig. 7 shows a partly picture of a spring-loaded latch needle for use in knitting the pant according to the invention.

All the figures are highly schematic and not necessarily to scale, and they show only parts which are necessary in order to elucidate the invention, other parts being omitted or merely suggested.

Description of preferred embodiments

In Fig. 1, a prior art warp-knitted pant 1 is shown. Said pant 1 is not within the present invention, however, it is being used to describe the design of the well-known pants made on a double needle bed Raschel knitting machine in one piece. From Fig. 1 the substantially rectangular shape of the prior art pant 1 is easily deduced. Fig. 1 shows a front piece of a prior art pant 1, which is arranged superimposed on a substantially identical back piece (not shown).

The front piece and the back piece are along the edge areas 2, 3 at the sides of the pant interknitted for creating knitted-in side seams 4, 5. The front piece and back piece are furthermore interknitted in a crotch seam (not shown) in the middle part of the edge area 6 at the first end of the pant for forming the crotch portion 7, which extends upwards from the crotch seam (not shown) towards the second end. On both sides of the crotch portion 7 the leg openings 8, 9 are positioned. The front piece and the back piece are knitted in one piece in endless fabric rows on a conventional double needle bar Raschel knitting machine, which is well-known in the industry, wherein a first needle bed is used for making the front piece and a second needle bed is used for making the back piece. The endless fabrics are cut transversely for separating the pants. The cutting is carried out in cut lines (not shown) along the edges 2, 3.

At the second end of the prior art pant 1 a waist opening 10 is arranged between the front and back piece. The waist opening 10 is surrounded by a waistband portion 11, which comprises elastic yarns such as Elastane. Elastic yarns such as Elastane may as well be knitted-in in different positions horizontally in the tubular body portion of the pant, 21.

Furthermore, the arrow a indicates the machine direction, i.e. yarn direction of the pant, which is also the horizontal direction or width direction of the pant. Arrow b indicates the machine cross direction which is also the vertical direction or height direction of the pant.

The warp-knitted pant according to the invention is also manufactured on a double needle bed Raschel knitting machine in one piece as described above.

In Fig. 2 an embodiment of a warp-knitted pant 20 according to the invention is shown in a front view, i.e. the front piece of the warp-knitted pant 20 is shown. The warp-knitted pant 20 comprises a tubular body portion 21 having first and second ends 22, 23, a knitted- in crotch seam 35 situated between two leg openings 25, 26 at said first end 22 of the tubular body portion 21, a crotch portion 24 extending in a crotch length direction from the crotch seam 35 towards the second end 23 of the tubular body portion 21, and a waistband portion 27 at said second end 23.

The warp-knitted pant 20 is manufactured with the use of a mixture of elastic yarns such as Elastane and other yarns, which generally travel between the edge areas 2, 3 in the machine direction. Hereby, an elastic contraction force is exerted on the wearer's body in the circumferential direction of the warp-knitted pant 20 when the pant is worn, so that the warp-knitted pant 20 may be worn securely without slipping down. The circumferential contraction force is especially important in warp-knitted pants 20 for incontinence pads so that the incontinence pad is fixated correctly The back piece (not shown) of the tubular body 21 may have a size, structure, properties and shape that are identically with the front piece, or it may differ in some ways.

According to the invention the crotch portion 24 is knitted in a structure comprising knitting stitches that are able to unravel/run and release a plurality of un-knitted yarn lengths, which thereby provide high stretchability to the knitted structure, allowing it to stretch considerable in the crotch length direction, forming a U-shaped crotch region 30 during pant use. Advantageously, said stitches that are able to unravel/run may be knitted with spring- loaded latch-needles. The spring-loaded latch needles have been used in the crotch portion 24 in a portion of the needle positions, preferably as every 2^nd to 6^th needle, and even more preferably as every 2^nd needle. Further, according to the invention, the spring needles have knitted empty in a portion of the stitches, preferably in every 2 to 6 stitches, and most preferably in every 3^rd to 4^th stitch, so that the knitted structure formed by the spring-loaded latch needle is allowed to run partly or fully, thereby releasing a plurality of un-knitted yarn lengths between the other stitches in the pant, which thereby provide an excess quantity of yarn in the structure and thereby high stretchability to the knitted structure.

To support the structure, the crotch portion 24 may advantageously further comprise inlaid yarns that travel over a low number of needles so that high stretchability particularly in the crotch length direction is achieved. The inlaid yarns may travel over 6 needles or less, and most preferably over 3 needles. The lower the number, the higher the stretchability in the crotch length direction will be. Advantageously, the inlay yarns may be threaded in on all or on every 2^nd needle position. The longer distance between the inlay yarns, the higher the stretchability in the crotch length direction will be.

Example:

In a specific trial pant (A) according to this invention, that has an approx. 1 cm wide zone in the crotch region next to the crotch seam 35 comprising an Atlas knitting structure and an inlaid yarn in every 2^nd needle position travelling over 3 needles and spring-loaded latch needles in every 2^nd needle position, the spring-loaded latch needles knitting without yarn in every 4^th stitch, the stretchability in the crotch length direction was measured. A 5 cm long testing zone (measured from the crotch seam and upwards on the front piece of an un-stretched pant in relaxed condition) was marked on the pant, and this zone was stretched fully by hand until the structure locked. The stretched length was 26.5 cm, which equals a stretchability of 430%.

For comparison, a conventional Raschel pant (B), not according to this invention, having an Atlas knitting structure in the crotch region and inlaid yarns in an approx. 1 cm wide zone in the crotch region next to the crotch seam, was measured in the same way. Here the stretched length was 21 cm, equalling a stretchability of 320%. In other words, the effect of the technical difference in the crotch region according to this invention between pant A and pant B was an additional stretched crotch length (measured as defined) of 2 times 5.5 cm = 11 cm.

In Fig. 3, vertical pull zones 30, 31 are arranged above the leg openings 25, 26 on each side of the crotch portion 24. The vertical pull zones 30, 31 extend from the leg openings 25, 26 upwards toward the middle of the warp-knitted pant 20. In other embodiments according to the invention, the vertical pull zones may extend in the full height of the tubular body or the pant 20 or it may be a narrower zone which extends from the leg openings and upwards. The vertical pull zones are more described in the patent application entitled "A warp-knitted pant having vertical pull zones", which was filed at the same date as present patent application with corresponding applicant, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Thus, materials, knitting types, stitch sizes, embodiments, etc., which are described in said patent application may also be incorporated and used in connection with the warp-knitted pant according to present invention.

In Fig. 4 a knitting structure according to this invention is illustrated, i.e. as the fabric comes off the knitting machine, in any case before the stitches unravel (partly theoretical state). In this case, an Atlas basic structure is used which will not be described further since it is well-known to the skilled person. Each 2^nd wale and needle position, 50, 50 are knitted with spring-loaded latch needles. As can be seen, a free stitch is cast off at every 4^th stitch, 51, as the spring-loaded latch-needle receives no yarn in the following stitch 52. Every 2^nd needle position is knitted with a conventional latch needle (between 50, 50). The inlay yarn further supporting the structure is not shown.

In Fig. 5 the same knitting structure as in Fig. 4 is shown, after the stitches 51 as well as the 2 previous stitches in the same wale (wale 50), that were knitted with the spring-loaded latch needles, have unravelled (due to mechanical forces etc), and free yarn lengths from these stitches have been released, 53. The inlay yarn structure is not shown. It is easily deduced from this example how the free yarn lengths will increase the stretchability of the fabric and thereby the portion wherein it is positioned in the pant according to the invention.

In Fig. 6 a method for operating a knitting machine is illustrated. Nine steps A-I are illustrated for the forming of stitches 51 in the wale 50 by spring-loaded latch needles.

In step A the needle 127 is in the highest position and the yarn 118 has formed a stitch on the stem 128 of the needle 127. The latch 129 of the needle is in a partly open position under an angle 130 on around 30° in relation to a closed position (see step C), where the latch 129 abuts the hook 131 of the needle. This position of latch 129 is established by the use of a spring 132 (see Fig. 7). In this step no yarn is laid in the hook 131, corresponding to stitch 52 in Fig. 4.

In the steps B, C and D the needle 127 is led downwards. The knitted structure, which is indicated by 133, is supported on a trick plate (not shown) so that it is led up along the needle and automatically closes the latch 129, thus, the stitch 128 is cast off in the step D. In the step E the needle is in the lowest position and the stitch 51, 128 is cast off. The stitch 51 and the previous stitches below (not shown) may subsequently unravel due to the fact that they are not is locked, as indicated in Fig. 5, 53.

In step F the latch 129 of the needle will be opened caused by the spring 132 (see also Fig. 7). This happens automatically without the use of curve discs or other custom-made construction- wise alterations of the knitting machine. The open hook 131 of the needle can thereby receive a new yarn 118 as the needle 127 moves downwards, as indicated in the steps G, H and I. The needle is hereby ready to move upwards again (not shown), which pushes the new yarn loop 118 down on the needle stem 128, where it is ready for the forming of subsequent stitches.

Fig. 7 shows a partly picture of a latch needle 127 in a side view. The latch 129 is rotable supported in a recess in stem 128 of the needle around a shaft 134. In the side face of the latch a substantially flat area 135 is formed for engagement with a spring 132, which is placed at the bottom of the recess. Hereby a partly open position with a certain angle 130 for the latch 129 occurs. This corresponds for instance to the position as shown in step A which the latch will take during the stitch forming process.

Although the invention above has been described in connection with preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be evident for a person skilled in the art that several modifications are conceivable without departing from the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A warp-knitted pant (20) made on a double needle bar Raschel knitting machine in one piece, the warp-knitted pant (20) comprises a tubular body portion (21) having first and second ends (22, 23), a knitted-in crotch seam (35) situated between two leg openings (25, 26) at said first end (22) of the tubular body portion (21), a crotch portion (24) extending in a crotch length direction from the crotch seam (35) towards the second end (23) of the tubular body portion (21), and a waistband portion (27) at said second end (23), characterised in that the crotch portion (24) is partly knitted in a structure comprising knitting stitches that are able to unravel/run and release a plurality of un-knitted yarn lengths within the fabric structure, which thereby provide high stretchability to the knitted structure, allowing it to stretch considerable in the crotch length direction, forming a U- shaped crotch region (30) during pant use.

2. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to claim 1, wherein the stitches able to unravel have partly or fully unravelled, and released a plurality of un-knitted yarn lengths within the fabric structure.

3. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the stretchability in the crotch portion (24), measured in a 5 cm high region from the crotch seam and upwards on the front or back side of the pant (20), is higher than 320%, preferably higher than 400%.

4. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said stitches that are able to unravel/run are knitted with spring-loaded latch-needles (127).

5. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to claim 4, wherein the spring-loaded latch needles (127) have been used in a portion of the in the crotch portion (24) in a share of the needle positions, preferably as every 2^nd to 6^th needle, and even more preferably as every 2^nd needle.

6. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to claims 4 or 5, wherein the spring-loaded latch needles (127) have knitted empty in a portion of the stitches, preferably in every 2 to 6 stitches, and most preferably in every 3^rd to 4^th stitch, so that the knitted structure formed by the spring-loaded latch needle (127) is allowed to run partly or fully, thereby releasing an un-knitted yarn length between the other stitches in the pant (20), which thereby provide an excess quantity of yarn in the structure and thereby high stretchability to the knitted structure.

7. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to claim 4 to 6, wherein the spring-loaded latch needles (127) are also knitting partly empty in the leg opening regions (25, 26).

8. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the crotch portion (24) further comprises inlaid yarns that travel over a low number of needles so that high stretchability particularly in the crotch length direction as well as support to the structure is achieved.

9. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to claim 8, wherein the inlaid yarns travel over 6 needles or less, and most preferably over 3 needles.

10. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to claims 8 or 9, wherein the inlay yarns are threaded in on all needles or on every 2^nd needle position.

11. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a stitch length in the crotch portion (24) is longer than a stitch length in other portions of the pant (20) so that additional room in the crotch portion (24) is provided.

12. A warp-knitted pant (24) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the stretchability in the crotch length direction of the pant (20) is higher than in the stretchability in other parts of the tubular body portion (21).

13. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the portion comprising the knitted structure with stitches able to unravel has a certain height, preferably between 0.5 and 1.5 cm, measured in a relaxed state upwards from the crotch seam (35).

14. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the yarns are made of polyester, polyamide, cotton, elastane or a combination thereof.

15. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein substantially vertical pull zones (30, 31) are interknitted in the tubular body portion (21) above the leg openings (25, 26), said vertical pull zones (30, 31) having lower stretchability than the crotch region (24) of the pant (20).

16. A method for manufacture a warp-knitted pant (20) according to claims 1 to 15, wherein at least a part of the crotch portion (24) of the warp-knitted pant (20) is knitted partly by use of latch needles (127) having latches which are spring-loaded against a partly open position during a stitch forming process, and where in a certain step of the stitch forming process, yarn is not inserted in the hook of the spring-loaded latch needle (127), whereby a stitch, which is on the spring-loaded latch needle stem, after stitch cast off forms a free stitch in the fabric structure, able to unravel within the fabric.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the latch needle (127) is opened automatically by the spring (132) to an angle between 10° and 90°, preferably between 30° and 45°.

18. A method according to claim 16 or 17, wherein the knitting structure and/or stitch length is changed gradually from the two edges of the crotch portion (24) towards the centre of the crotch portion (24), whereby the stretchability in the crotch length direction is increased towards the centre of the crotch portion (24).

19. Use of the warp-knitted pant (20) according to claims 1 to 15 for containing and supporting an incontinence pad.