WO2004080218A2

WO2004080218A2 - Knitted textile lingerie article, particularly a bra, with areas of different elasticity

Info

Publication number: WO2004080218A2
Application number: PCT/FR2004/000500
Authority: WO
Inventors: Manon Turlan; Francis Watrin
Original assignee: Sara Lee Corporation
Priority date: 2003-03-07
Filing date: 2004-03-03
Publication date: 2004-09-23
Also published as: ZA200506099B; US20060243000A1; CN1754016A; EP1656476A2; CA2515030A1; WO2004080218A3; FR2852026A1; JP2006519937A; FR2852026B1

Abstract

The method for knitting a textile article on a rectilinear loom from a strip, wherein areas of different stitching are knitted, is characterized in that the knitting of different stitches according to said areas (a, b, c, a) is combined with the insertion of elastic threads according to second areas (A,B) which are distinct from said different stitching areas but which intersect said areas of different stitching. As a result it is possible to produce seamless bras, providing excellent reinforcement and comfort, without any underwiring.

Description

Knitted textile article of lingerie, in particular bra, with regions of different elasticity

The present invention relates to a knitted textile article of lingerie, in particular an article of the bra, headband, boxer, panty, panty and belt type, intended to have regions of different elasticity by knitting.

It is known from the documents FR 2 751 668, FR 2 783 532 or FR 2 819 827 in the name of the Applicant to knit lingerie articles on a circular loom, by performing diversified compression zones, on articles, by playing on knitting stitches in these areas. We arrive by this means to obtain zones of different elasticity exerting a different restraining force, and the articles obtained by these methods can in particular be tights, panties or bras, in which we do not require great precision of the technical action exerted by restraint. It is different with articles such as bras, which we want them to precisely exercise the functions of maintaining, containing, supporting, shaping, sculpting and straightening the chest.

To achieve these multiple functions, bras are generally obtained by making up, by assembling textile pieces of various types and properties. Sometimes we have to add reinforcing pieces such as reinforcements, inserts, laminated layers, etc. The assembly phase of the various parts is expensive, the seams are sometimes considered unsightly and uncomfortable. There is therefore a very strong tendency to develop seamless bras. We also know how to manufacture, for example by US documents

3981310, US 4432364, US 5855124 or US 5154659 bras in which the cups are hot molded. However, the support obtained by these techniques still leaves something to be desired.

Document FR 2 781 816 discloses an elastic woven knit having zones having different extensibilities, in particular thanks to different meshes, and making it possible to produce knee pads or seamless bras on three straight looms comprising three different compression zones, by example a zone of knitting with strong contention for the under-chest strap and the suspenders, a zone with medium contention for the lower part of each cup and a low compression zone for the top of each cup and the point between the cups.

Although this process effectively allows for a seamless bra, it appears that the possibilities of adjusting the properties of the different zones remain fairly limited and does not allow obtaining a bra offering an elegant and well-maintained silhouette.

The object of the invention is to improve existing rectilinear knitting methods to obtain knitted articles which are both comfortable and effective in maintaining the silhouette. The invention achieves its object by a method of knitting a textile article on a rectilinear loom from a strip in which zones of different mesh are knitted, characterized in that the knitting of different stitches according to said zones is combined with the insertion of elastic threads according to second zones distinct from said zones of different mesh but intersecting said zones of different mesh. Thanks to this intersection of zones with different mesh and zones with insertion of elastic thread (in different quantity or nature depending on the zone), a greater number of regions with different properties is obtained, making it possible to produce textile articles corresponding to very precise specifications. The process of the invention is advantageously a process for producing lace on a rectilinear loom, in particular on a Raschel Jacquard or Multibar loom of the type of those marketed by the company Karl Mayer for making so-called "Textronic" ® laces. These trades require computerized management of knitting programs allowing a wide variety of possible achievements.

The use of a lace with multiple crossed zones in accordance with the invention makes it possible to combine a flexible and light textile material, in one piece, with the functional conditions necessary in the finished product for which it is intended. The elastic threads introduced may be different depending on the introduction zones and take account of the needs of the finished product. The preferred yarns are elastane yarns, in particular Lycra®, for example 470 dtex.

The different introduction zones of the elastic thread are advantageously rectangular zones parallel to the chain, while the different knitting zones have various contours depending precisely on the article and the supports sought and extend both in the warp direction and in the weft direction.

We knit on the same rectilinear strip, not only, obviously, a plurality of successive articles in the warp direction, but also, preferably, a plurality of articles in the weft direction. These articles arranged parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction of the strip can be separated by junction zones, in particular produced in flake edges. Advantageously, a plurality of successive parallel sections are knitted, each comprising several overlapping blanks.

Articles made in this way can be subsequently thermoformed if necessary, in particular in the case of a bra.

For a brassiere, it is advantageous to produce zones of different mesh of substantially triangular shape at the level of the cup part, of high opacity, possibly surrounded by alternative borders of greater and lower opacity, the whole being against a background of very low opacity.

The bottom of the triangular zones crosses a transverse zone with reinforced elastic threads.

It is advantageous to knit alternately triangular zones nested in one direction and in the other, in the direction of the weft, allowing to place more articles on the same strip width.

The invention also relates to the knitted textile article itself obtained by the process of the invention, that is to say comprising, in a seamless piece, an intersection of zones with different mesh and zones with insertion of elastic threads. It is advantageously a bra.

In an advantageous embodiment, it comprises two transverse zones of different elasticity intersecting zones of different mesh forming in the region of the cups a substantially triangular zone with high opacity possibly underlined on sides of edges with higher opacity. In a particularly advantageous manner, the zone with high opacity in the zone of the cups and the zone with lower opacity around the cups, at the bottom, are chosen so that, after the extension of the cups during the molding of the cups, the resulting opacity at the level of molded cups is close to that of the neighboring unmolded part. This can prevent the molding of the cups from inducing an overly transparent area.

Other advantages and characteristics will be highlighted on reading the description which follows, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a section of rectilinear band containing in its width the blanks of several bras and knitted according to the invention in crossed zones of different mesh and different elastic son.

FIG. 2 shows in detail a section of the section of the knitted strip of FIG. 1, with two blanks of bra nested head to tail.

FIG. 3 shows a bra made with one of the blanks of the section of FIG. 2.

Figure 4 is a view similar to that of Figure 2 of a preferred embodiment.

Figure 5 shows a rectilinear strip containing the blanks of several boxers. Figure 6 shows in detail a section of a knitted strip for the production of lap belts.

FIG. 1 shows a section of a rectilinear band 1 of lace knitted on a JACQUARD RASCHEL loom of the "Textronic" ® type (the direction of the chain being the horizontal direction of FIG. 1) and comprising a plurality, in the width of the weft (for example 275 cm), of identical sections 2 each forming two bra blanks arranged head to tail, each section measuring for example 25 cm in height. The separations of the different zones are represented by dashes, resulting on the one hand from the zoning by knitting of different meshes and on the other hand from the transverse zoning by the use of elastic threads of different number and nature. Here, "transverse" means with respect to the section 1 itself and not with respect to the strip, the transverse zoning on the sections and the blanks being in fact produced longitudinally on the loom, that is to say in the direction of the chain. The two zonings intersect and thus multiply the number of different zones. The successive sections are separated by a transverse zone 3 here produced in a zigzag point, intended to be able to easily separate the sections by cutting. The transverse zone 3 could be produced in rounded teeth as in other laces. With regard to transverse zoning by elastic wires, there are two kinds of transverse zones marked respectively by A and B. Zones A are zones with high elastic tension or great nervousness of material, produced by the insertion of a greater amount of elastic thread, for example by inserting a double elastane (2 x Lycra® 470 dtex). They extend astride sections 2. Zones B are zones of less nervousness, obtained for example by the introduction of a single elastane thread (1 x Lycra® 470 dtex). These zones B form the middle transverse part of the sections B.

With regard to the zoning by different mesh, it essentially comprises three zones of mesh and of different opacity a to c, by decreasing opacity, plus a zone α corresponding to an even denser knitting, with great resistance in the weft direction; this area corresponds to the sub-chest strap. The zones a are zones of very high opacity which greatly reduce the extensibility. The zones b are zones with great opacity to obtain a slight extensibility. Areas c are areas with much more transparency allowing increased extensibility compared to areas b. These areas are distributed according to the specific areas of the bra blank.

As detailed in FIG. 2, the section 2 comprises several head-to-tail bra blanks which can be identified essentially by the sub-chest straps 4 and 4 ′ and the triangular zones 5 and 5 ′ intended to form the cups. For one of the blanks shown in the center of the figure, the two zones 5 are central and adjacent and can immediately constitute the front panel of a bra (then thermoformed); the neighboring drafts are only partially represented but are similar. The triangular zones 5 and 5 ′ are arranged head to tail so as to best occupy the height of the section 2, overlapping a common part of its height, the rest of the section being occupied by a bottom part 6. The zones d, optionally formed on the two sides of the triangles 5, 5 ′ are zones of knitting density comparable to the knitting density of the zone α of the sub-chest strap, to hold the breasts towards the front of the body (function usually fulfilled by metal frames or rigid linings).

The sub-chest straps 4, 4 ′ are made entirely in a zone α of very dense and very elastic mesh, all the more so since at this point we are also in a zone A with double elastane thread.

The bottom 6 of the section is produced in a mesh of area c, which is fairly transparent, guaranteeing both flexibility, elasticity and aesthetics of the bra. This bottom is nevertheless separated transversely into two zones of distinct elasticity by the crossing of zones A and B, the most elastic bottom zone being located at the base of the bra.

Each triangular zone 5, 5 ′ consists of a mesh triangle of zone a, the most opaque, the base of which is close to the strap 4. The two sides of the triangle of zone a are surrounded by a succession of borders alternately made in mesh of area b, slightly less opaque, and in mesh of area d very opaque. These differences in mesh on the sides of the hat serve as reinforcement. The zone of the cups is crossed by the transverse zoning A and B with elasticity difference.

Advantageously, within the same transverse zone A, B, the opacity of the region 5, 5 ′ of the cups and that of the region 6 of neighboring bottom, different before molding of the cups, are chosen to be identical or similar after molding the cups. In this way and despite the extension and the deformation undergone by the cups during molding, it is possible to maintain substantially the same opacity or the same transparency on the cup regions and the bottom regions.

The combination of these various zones makes it possible to make a lace bra as shown in FIG. 3, after fitting the straps and closure devices, and thermoforming the cups. This bra, although very light and in one piece (apart from the straps), without underwire or reinforcement, is nevertheless very effective in supporting the chest.

Naturally, we have only given here an example of what could be suitable for a certain type of bra, but it goes without saying that we can make other combinations and crossing of zones than those which have been illustrated. . In particular, a description will now be given with reference to FIG. 4 of a preferred embodiment of bra blanks which is satisfactory despite a simpler construction than that which has just been described. FIG. 4 represents a section 2 in which there are the two kinds of transverse zones A, with high elastic tension, and B, with low elastic tension. The zones of different mesh are on the one hand the zones of the sub-chest straps 4 and 4 ′, in the densest α mesh and with great lateral resistance, and on the other hand, only two other dense knitings respectively, knitting has , and light, knitting b. The dense knitting has occupies zones 5, 5 intended in particular for forming the cups; these zones 5, 5 are hatched in fine lines within a contour 10; the shape of the zones 5, 5 is generally that of two Siamese triangles with truncated ends, or those of two smaller triangles joined by one end and whose base is contiguous to an inverted trapezoidal lower part. The light knitting b occupies the rest of the section, and in particular the bottom 6. There is shown in Figure 2 the traces 11 of each bra blank which will be formed in the section 2. It can be seen that each blank thus traced comprises in the region of the cups the dense mesh a, divided transversely into two zones of different elasticity. The light mesh4 b can be found outside the cup area and the under-chest strap. Naturally, one can bring to such a bra many different finishes which do not come within the scope of the invention, such as laminated parts, coatings of elastomers, especially on the edges, etc. The principle of the invention can also be applied to the production of other elements such as "flat stomach" boxers (of which FIG. 4 shows a strip for making nested blanks, similar to FIG. 1; only the shape of the zones change) or "flat stomach" belts (Figure 5 shows the detail of the areas of a section allowing a blank to be produced).

Claims

1. A method of knitting a bra on a rectilinear loom from a strip in which zones of different mesh are knitted, characterized in that the knitting of different stitches is combined according to said zones (a, b, c, α) with the insertion of elastic threads according to second zones (A, B) distinct from said zones of different mesh but intersecting said zones of different mesh.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that a lace is knitted.

3. Method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that one knits on a Raschel Jacquard loom.

4. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the various zones (A, B) are knitted with different quantities or natures of elastane yarn.

5. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the zones (A, B) of different introduction of the elastic thread are advantageously rectangular zones parallel to the chain.

6. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that knits on the same straight strip (1), a plurality of successive bras in the width of the frame.

7. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that a plurality of successive sections (2) are knitted, each comprising several overlapping blanks.

8. Knitted bra of the type comprising parts with different mesh and parts with insertion of elastic threads, in a seamless piece, characterized in that it comprises zones of intersection of zones with different mesh (a, b, c, α) and zones with insertion of elastic threads (A, B).

9. Bra according to claim 9, characterized in that it comprises two transverse zones (A, B) with different elasticity intersecting zones of different mesh (a, b, c, α) forming in the region (4) beanies a triangular zone with high opacity surrounded on sides with borders with lower opacity.

10. Bra according to claim 9, characterized in that, within the same transverse area (A, B), the opacity of the region (5) of the cups and that of the region (6) bottom neighbor, different before molding the cups, are chosen to be identical or similar after molding the cups.