WO2009003486A1

WO2009003486A1 - A warp-knitted pant having vertical pull zones

Info

Publication number: WO2009003486A1
Application number: PCT/DK2008/050161
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bettina Balslev SØRENSEN; Svend Erik Hedevang; Knud Rasmussen; Anna Maria KJÆRSGAARD; Kresten Karlsen; Ove Jensen; Johannes Kristensen
Original assignee: Tytex A/S
Priority date: 2007-07-02
Filing date: 2008-06-27
Publication date: 2009-01-08
Also published as: TW200932135A; EP2170112A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a warp-knitted pant (20) made on a double needle bed Raschel knitting machine in one piece. The warp-knitted pant comprises a tubular body portion (21) 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 from the crotch seam towards the second end of the tubular body portion, and a waistband portion at said second end. Furthermore, the tubular body portion (21) comprises substantially vertical pull zones (30,31) which are arranged with a predetermined position and width above each of the • leg openings (25,26), said vertical pull zones are arranged with less height and/or stretchability than a substantially vertical stretch zone (33) in a- middle part of the tubular body portion, said vertical stretch zone comprising the crotch portion (24).

Description

A WARP-KNITTED PANT HAVING VERTICAL PULL ZONES

Technical field of the invention

The present invention relates to a warp-knitted pant made on a double needle bed 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 from the crotch seam towards the second end, and a waistband portion at said second end.

The present invention also relates to a use of said 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. WO 93/22999 further describes in one embodiment a pant that has soluble yarn in the leg openings and further has elastic threads such as elastane that travel horizontally in the tubular body area and crotch area and substantially vertically in both sides of the crotch area with the purpose of aiding the fixating of a pad, but such a solution is also costly as the content of the expensive elastane yarn in the pant increases drastically.

Another pant that has previously been suggested, which provide a solution to adapting the substantial rectangular shape of a Raschel knitted pant to a more anatomically correct form, is described in US 4,729,131 where a rectangular bag with knitted in leg-openings opposed one another is formed on a Raschel machine and subsequently a more anatomically correct pant is formed by pulling and stretching the bag on the bias. However, such a pant has other drawbacks, such as an abnormal bulging in the crotch area both front and back, due to the substantial rectangular shape of the bag, which does not support a pad well and which further makes the pant look like a male pant with room for the male genitals, both when laying flat and when worn. This feature is naturally not wanted for female users and for Unisex pant styles. US 4,729,131 further describes in one embodiment the use of different knitting types in the longitudinal direction of the side of the bag which in turn becomes the mid/crotch section of the pant (c.f. Fig. 4). However, these knitting types are only present in the mid/crotch section of the pant, where they - in combination with knitted - in elastic threads - are used as means to shorten the height of the pant in the mid/crotch section, in order to reduce the bulge tendency in the crotch region.

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 improved fixation as well as high comfort for the wearer due to anatomically correct shape and fit.

It is furthermore an object to provide a pant which is easy for the wearer/caregiver to use, put on, position the pad correctly in and place correctly on the body. Additionally, it is an object to provide a pant which reducing 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 tubular body portion comprises substantially vertical pull zones which are arranged with a predetermined position and width above each of the leg openings, said vertical pull zones are arranged with less height and/or stretchability than a substantially vertical stretch zone in a middle part of the tubular body portion, said vertical stretch zone comprising the crotch portion.

By the present invention it is thus possible to incorporate predetermined knitted-in shapes and different stretchability in predetermined areas/sections of the pant in comparison to well-known Raschel pants, whereby a better anatomically fit of the pant is achieved.

Accordingly, a pant is obtained which has a more anatomically correct shape in that the tubular body height and/or stretchability in the vertical direction are relatively high in the mid section of the tubular body comprising the crotch portion (in the following referred to as a vertical stretch zone) in comparison with the tubular body height and/or stretchability in certain areas above the leg openings and/or in the side areas of the pant (in the following referred to as vertical pull zones).

Thereby a pant is also provided which better fits the body of the user and provides more room for accommodation of the incontinence pad, as additional tubular body height is needed in this section for the crotch length of the wearer itself and additional room/volume is needed for accommodation of the pad.

A pant is furthermore obtainable by the present invention wherein said vertical pull zones may be used to fixate and support incontinence pads. Furthermore, the vertical pull zones may support the edges of an incontinence pad whereby the incontinence pad is pushed against the body in these areas, where leakages very often occur. Additionally, the warp-knitted pant according to the invention may be knitted in such a way that the transition between the vertical pull zones and the vertical stretch zone is easily visible on the pant. Hereby a pant is obtained which is easy to use for the wearer and/or caregiver, as it becomes evident and easily deducible where the pad edges and thereby the incontinence pad should be placed in the pant. Thus, it is easier to place the incontinence pad correctly in the pant, and place the pant correctly on the wearer, when the two-piece pad/pant system is being put on and adjusted on a wearer.

Thus, a more comfortable, easy to use pant for the wearer and caregiver as well as a pant reducing the risk for leakage is obtained by the present invention which at the same time may be manufactured on existing knitting machines without these being altered, and without incorporating expensive, waste- water polluting soluble yarns or increasing the costs by adding more elastic threads, such as Elastane.

The term "height" is in this context to be construed as the vertical height of an area in the pant, comprising a certain number of knitted wales (from a certain number of needles).

The term "stretchability" is in this context to be construed as the ability in % 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.

The term "substantially vertical" is in this context to be construed as substantially in the direction from the first end to the second of the tubular body, however, the zones may as well extend with some inclination between the first and second end.

The term "pull zone" is in this context to be construed as an area/section of the pant, wherein the knitted structure is firmer than in other areas, so that a smaller height and/or smaller stretchability is provided in this area than in other areas.

The term "stretch zone" is in this context to be construed as an area/section of the pant, wherein the knitted structure is looser than in other areas, so that a larger height and/or larger stretchability is provided in this area than in other areas. In a preferred embodiment according to the invention, the vertical pull zones may have shorter stitch length than a stitch length in the vertical stretch zone. This may be achieved by knitting with higher thread tension, lower thread-take in and/or knitting with lower fabric take-up.

The term "stitch length" is in this context to be construed as the length of a stitch (or a row of stitches) in the knitted structure, in the knitting direction (which is the horizontal direction on a pant).

On a double needle bar Raschel machine the fabric take-up can be specifically set to a certain number of stitches per cm. Generally, in any given knitting structure knitted from a given yarn combination, the longer the stitch length is, the larger the stretchability of the section wherein the stitch is positioned, and vice versa if the stitch length is shorter. In relation to this invention, it is the stretchability of the knitted structure in the machine cross direction (vertically on the pant) that is most important, but the principle applies in both directions.

According to the invention, the stitch length in the vertical pull zones may be 10-60% shorter than the stitch length in the vertical stretch zone, preferably 20-50% shorter.

In an expedient embodiment according to the invention, the stitch length may be gradually varied within at least one of the vertical zones. Hereby it is possible to vary the stretchability within a zone and thereby obtain a pant, wherein in specific stretchability properties may be incorporated according to its intended use.

In a further embodiment, the stitch length may be gradually varied within the vertical stretch zone. Hereby is obtained that the fixation properties as well as the pad volume that can be accommodated, may be tailored within the stretch zone of the pant so that specific stretchability properties as well as volume may be incorporated according to its intended use.

In a preferred embodiment according to the invention, the pant has a basic knitting structure in the tubular body, such as for instance an Atlas structure, and the vertical zones further comprise a plurality of inlay yarns that travel over a certain number of needles in the vertical pull zones and travel over less needles in the corresponding part of the vertical stretch zone. Hereby the fabric in the vertical pull zones is firmer, the structure less stretchable and the zone height lower, all compared to the vertical stretch zone.

According to the embodiment of the invention, said inlay yarns may travel over 2-6 needles in the vertical pull zones, and over 1-4 needles in the vertical stretch zone, the number always being higher in the vertical pull zones. Furthermore, said yarns may be inlaid on a certain number of the needles, preferably on every needle or on every 2^nd or 3^rd needle.

Also according to the invention, the vertical pull zones may extend in the full height of the tubular body portion. Furthermore, in another embodiment according to the invention, the vertical pull zones may have a height less than the height of the tubular body portion.

Also according to the invention, the vertical pull zones may extend to the side seams of the pant, or they may be of a certain width and situated in predetermined areas of the tubular body area above the leg openings.

According to the invention, the tubular body portion of the pant comprises a front and back piece, said front and back piece may be substantially identical or they may be different.

According to the invention, a borderline between the vertical pull zones and the vertical stretch zone and/or the upper end of the vertical pull zones may be easily visible, in order to facilitate easy pad positioning. Also, according to the invention, the vertical pull zones may be positioned to partly overlay edges of a pad.

Additionally, the pant and properties and positioning of the different zones on the pant have been tailor-made to achieve an optimal fit and match to a certain pad type, pad size or pad brand.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the stretchability in the pant height direction may be between 30-250% in the vertical pull zones, and between 50-300% in the vertical stretch zone, the stretchability always being lower in the vertical pull zones than in the vertical stretch zone. Advantageously according to the invention, the stretchability in the pant height direction may be 1-2 times as high in the vertical stretch zone as it is in the vertical pull zones.

Advantageously according to the invention, the relaxed height is 1 to 1.5 times as high in the vertical stretch zone as it is in the vertical pull zones.

According to the invention, the inventive 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 an embodiment of a warp-knitted pant according to the present invention,

Fig. 3 shows another embodiment of a warp-knitted pant according to the present invention, and

Fig. 4 shows an additional embodiment of a warp-knitted pant according to the present 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, and a crotch portion 24 extending from the knitted- in crotch seam 35 into the tubular body part 21, and a waistband portion 27 at said second end 23.

The warp-knitted pant 20 may be 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.

The tubular body portion 21 of the warp-knitted pant 20, shown in Fig. 2, furthermore comprises substantially vertical pull zones 30, 31 which are arranged with a predetermined position and width above each of the leg openings 25, 26, said vertical pull zones 30, 31 are arranged with less height and/or stretchability than a substantially vertical stretch zone 33 in a middle part of the tubular body portion 21, said vertical stretch zone 33 comprising the crotch portion 24. The vertical pull zones 30, 31 extend in this embodiment from the vertical stretch zone 33 over the areas above the leg openings 25, 26 towards the edge areas 2, 3.

The vertical pull zones 30, 31 according to the invention may be made by knitting with shorter stitch length than a stitch length in the vertical stretch zone and/or it may be made by the warp-knitted pant 20 has a basic knitting structure in all portions of the pant, such as for instance an Atlas structure, the vertical zones 30, 31 being made by laying in additional yarns that travel over a certain number of needles in the vertical pull zones 30, 31 and travel over less needles in the corresponding part of the vertical stretch zone 33.

In Fig. 3 another embodiment of the warp-knitted pant 20 according to invention is shown. In this embodiment the vertical pull zones 30, 31 are arranged above the leg openings 25, 26 on each side of the vertical stretch zone 33 and the vertical pull zones 30, 31 have a smaller width. The position of the vertical pull zones may vary and they may be placed according the intended use of the warp-knitted pant, for instance they may be closer to the crotch portion or further out towards the side seams, 2, 3. The vertical pull zones 30, 31 according to the invention may as well in this embodiment be made by knitting with shorter stitch length than a stitch length in the vertical stretch zone and/or it may be made by the warp-knitted pant 20 having a basic knitting structure in the tubular body, such as for instance an Atlas structure, the vertical zones 30, 31 being made by laying in a plurality of yarns that travel over a certain number of needles in the vertical pull zones 30, 31 and travel over less needles in the corresponding part of the vertical stretch zone 33.

In Fig. 4, the vertical pull zones 30, 31 are arranged above the leg openings 25, 26 on each side of the vertical stretch zone 33, which comprises the crotch portion 24. In this embodiment the vertical pull zones 30, 31 extend from the leg openings 25, 26 upwards toward the middle of the tubular body portion 21. The vertical pull zones 30, 31 according to the invention are in this embodiment made by the warp-knitted pant 20 being knitted in a certain basic knitting structure in the tubular body, such as for instance an Atlas structure, and the vertical zones 30, 31 are being made by laying in a plurality of inlaid yarns that travel over a certain number of needles in the vertical pull zones 30, 31 and travel over less needles in the corresponding part of the vertical stretch zone 33. Said yarns may for instance travel over 2-6 needles in the vertical pull zones, and over 1-4 needles in the vertical stretch zone, the number always being higher in the pull zones.

From the embodiments shown in Figs. 2-4 it is easily deduced that the warp-knitted pant 20 according to the invention have an overall more correct anatomically shape in use than the prior art pants as shown in Fig. 1.

The back piece of the tubular body may have a size, which are identically with the front piece or it may differ. Furthermore, the back piece may as well comprise vertical pull zones and a vertical stretch zone, positioned in predetermined places according to the warp-knitted pant's intended use.

Additionally, it is possible to position the vertical pull zones so that they are aligned with the pad edges. In this case, the vertical pull zones may act as visual guiding lines, making it easier to position the pad correctly in the pant and on the user, and easier to check that it is correctly positioned. According to the invention it is possible to position the vertical pull zones so that they are partly overlaying the pad edges. In that case, due to the lower stretchability of the pull zone material, the pad edges will be pushed towards the body, whereby leakage is less likely to occur. The matter is that the lower stretchability of the pull zones equals higher stretch tension in the fabric when the pant is worn, which equals higher pressure exerted on the body/pad edges.

According to the invention, the tubular body may be knitted in different knitting patterns and yarn combinations.

Examples

In the following two examples will be described in greater detail:

Example 1:

In specific trial pant A based on the embodiment illustrated by Fig.3, the stitch length on the machine was set to 4.8 stitches per cm in the vertical pull zones and 3.4 stitches per cm in the vertical stretch zone, so the resulting stitch length in the vertical pull zone was approx. 30 % shorter than the stitch length in the vertical stretch zone. In said trial pant, the tubular body height could be stretched from a relaxed height of 18 cm in all zones of the pant to respectively 58 cm in the vertical pull zones and to 68 cm in the vertical stretch zone (measured mid crotch). In other words, the stretchability was 222% in the vertical pull zones and 278% in the vertical stretch zone. In a conventional Raschel pant, without knitted-in stretch- and pull-zones, the flat height and the stretchability respectively would be substantially the same in all areas of the tubular body portion.

Example 2:

In specific trial pant B based on the embodiment illustrated by Fig.4, the basic structure was a "Atlas"-structure and an additional yarn was laid in on all needles, travelled over 3 needles in the vertical pull zones and over 1 needle in the corresponding part of the vertical stretch zone. In said trial, the relaxed height of the vertical pull zone was 7 cm and the same number of wales in the vertical stretch zone measured 9.5 cm in relaxed height. The vertical pull zone height of 7 cm could be stretched by hand to 14 cm (stretchability 100%) and the corresponding vertical stretch zone height of 9.5 cm could be stretched to 28 cm (stretchabilityl95%). As can be seen, in full stretched height, the vertical stretched zone had the double length of the vertical pull zone. In a conventional Raschel pant, without knitted-in stretch- and pull-zones, the flat height and the stretched height respectively would be substantially the same in all areas of the tubular body portion.

In the above described examples of the warp-knitted pants according to the invention it is shown that it is possible to incorporate predetermined knitted-in shapes and different stretchability in predetermined areas/sections of the pant in comparison to well-known Raschel pants, whereby a better anatomically fit of the pant is achieved. The warp-knitted pants according to the present invention has a more anatomically correct shape in that the tubular body height and/or stretchability in the vertical direction are relatively high in the crotch portion in comparison with the tubular body height and/or stretchability in certain areas above the leg openings. Thereby a pant is also provided which fits the body of the user better and provides more room for accommodation of the incontinence pad, as additional tubular body length is needed in this section for the wearer' s crotch length itself and additional room/volume is needed for accommodation of the pad.

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 bed 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 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 tubular body portion (27) comprises substantially vertical pull zones (30, 31) which are arranged with a predetermined position and width above each of the leg openings (25, 26), said vertical pull zones (30, 31) are arranged with less height and/or stretchability than a substantially vertical stretch zone (33) in a middle part of the tubular body portion (21), said vertical stretch zone (33) comprising the crotch portion (24).

2. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to claim 1, wherein the vertical pull zones (30, 31) have shorter stitch length than a stitch length in the vertical stretch zone (33).

3. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to claim 2, wherein the stitch length in the vertical pull zones (30, 31) is 10-60% shorter than the stitch length in the vertical stretch zone (33), preferably 20-50% shorter.

4. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to any one of the claims 2 or 3, wherein the stitch length is gradually varied within at least one of the vertical zones (30, 31).

5. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pant (20) has a basic knitting structure in the tubular body (21), such as for instance an Atlas structure, and the vertical zones (30, 31) further comprise a plurality of inlay yarns that travel over a certain number of needles in the vertical pull zones (30, 31) and travel over less needles in the corresponding part of the vertical stretch zone (33).

6. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to claim 5, wherein said inlay yarns travel over 2-6 needles in the vertical pull zones (30, 31), and over 1-4 needles in the vertical stretch zone (33), the number always being higher in the vertical pull zones (30, 31).

7. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said yarns are inlaid on a certain number of the needles, preferably on every needle or on every 2^nd or 3^rd needle.

8. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the vertical pull zones (30, 31) extends in the full height of the tubular body portion (21).

9. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to claim 5 to 7, wherein the vertical pull zones (30, 31) have a height less than the height of the tubular body portion (21).

10. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to claim 5 to 7, wherein the vertical pull zones (30, 31) extend to the side seams of the pant (20), or they are of a certain width and situated in predetermined areas of the tubular body area (21) above the leg openings (25, 26).

11. A warp-knitted pant according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the tubular body portion (21) of the pant (20) comprises a front and back piece, said front and back piece are substantially identical.

12. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a borderline between the vertical pull zones (30, 31) and the vertical stretch zone (33) and/or the upper end of the vertical pull zones (30, 31) are easily visible, in order to facilitate easy pad positioning.

13. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the vertical pull zones (30, 31) are positioned to partly overlay edges of pad.

14. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the pant and properties and positioning of the different zones on the pant have been tailor-made to achieve an optimal fit and match to a certain pad type, pad size or pad brand.

15. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the stretchability in the pant height direction is between 30-250% in the vertical pull zones (30, 31), and between 50-300% in the vertical stretch zone (33), the stretchability always being lower in the vertical pull zones (30, 31) than in the vertical stretch zone (33).

16. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the stretchability in the pant height direction is 1-2 times as high in the vertical stretch zone (33) as it is in the vertical pull zones (30, 31).

17. A warp-knitted pant (20) according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the relaxed height is 1 to 1.5 times as high in the vertical stretch zone (33) as it is in the vertical pull zones (30, 31).

18. Use of the warp-knitted pant (20) according to claims 1 to 17 for containing and supporting an incontinence pad.