Textiles: knitting – Fabrics or articles – Articles
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-21
2002-09-24
Vanatta, Amy B. (Department: 3765)
Textiles: knitting
Fabrics or articles
Articles
C066S195000, C066S196000, C002S243100, C002S269000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06453705
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a garment with no sewing, which is cut from a continuous lengths of warp-knitted fabric and a method for providing such a kind of garments.
2. Description of Related Art
In conventional method for producing a ready made garment, a fabric after a weaving or knitting process is, first, subjected to a cutting to various parts of the garment, such as a front body, a back body and a collar by using respective pattern papers. After the cutting, a sewing process is done by which the various parts are connected with each other to a garment. As far as a size matter is concerned, a conformity will, of course, be obtained between a wide range of wearers by increasing number of selectable sizes. However, an increase in the number of available sizes results in an unbearable increase in a number in the pattern papers, which makes the number of sewing process to be increased, thereby increasing a labor cost in a garment production. Thus, it is quite usual that selectable sizes are limited to a small number such as three, i.e., a large size (L), a medium size (M) and a small size (S).
However, a demand of wearer is reasonable that the garments should be the ones that are best fitted to their sizes as well as to their preference. Thus, there is certain dissatisfaction for many wearers as to the present status of ready-made garments that the capability of size selection is highly limited. Thus, there has been long felt need as to garments which can provide an increased capability of size adjustment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a garment capable of providing a desired easy and reliable size adjustment without accompanying sewing process.
An object of the present invention is to provide a garment capable of providing a possibility of desired size adjustment without accompanying any extra cost.
According to the present invention, a garment is provided, which comprises a front and a back bodies which are separated from each other and stitching parts which connect, along an outline of the garment, the front and back bodies with each other except at locations such as sleeve or a neck where parts of a human body is passed, these front and back bodies as well as stitching parts being constructed as warp-knitted fabrics, said garment further comprising, at said locations, indicators for allowing a size adjustment by cutting to be guided.
A knitting of such a construction of warp-knitted fabric can be attained by a warp knitting machine having at least two ground guide bars and at least two jacquard guide bars. Namely, the warp knitting of one of the two layers constructing the garment is done by using the first ground guide bar while the warp knitting of the other layer is done by using the second ground guide bar. The warp knitting of the portion for stitching the first and second layers along the contour line of the garment is done by using the jacquard guide bars.
A technique for creating a garment integrally in a warp-knitted fabric is, also, disclosed in Japanese Examined Patent Publication (kokoku) No. 52-12306 or Japanese UnExamined Utility Model Publication (kokai) No. 62-153304. Namely, these prior arts propose a formation of a garment integrated into a warp-knitted fabric during a knitting operation by a warp knitting machine having two row of needle beds. By using the warp knitting machine, two layer can be knitted separately while allowing the two layers to be desirably stitched with each other in such a manner that one of the layer becomes to be a front body of a garment while the other layer becomes to be a back body of the garment and that the two layers are stitched with each other along the outline of the garment. Thus, knitting of the warp-knitted fabric according to the present invention is realized also by the technique as disclosed in the above Japanese Patent or Utility Model Publication.
Furthermore, in the construction according to the present invention, indicators are provided, by which an adjustment of size such as sleeve length or body length is eased at locations of the garment, such as a sleeve or neck where parts of wearer's body are passed. Namely, a wearer effects a cutting along a desired cutting line assisted by an indicator which is selected by the wearer and is the nearest to the desired cutting line. The indicators are, for example, constructed by marks such as S(small size), M(Medium size) and L(Large size). It should be noted that the cutting is not necessarily precisely conformed to the mark S, M or L. Namely, the selected mark is only for used as a guide or assistance for cutting along a desired free line which is matched to the particular wearer's size and/or his or her preference. When a wearer's size is slightly larger than the medium standard size, the cutting will be done along a line adjacent the indicator (mark) M, so that a desired length (sleeve length or body length) is obtained. Thus, when compared with a prior art where a selection of a size is limited to only one from predetermined fixed sizes such as S, M and L, the idea of the present invention is highly advantageous in that the sleeve length or body length or neck hole can be adjusted limitlessly rather than step like control in the prior art. Thus, the present invention allows the garment to be best fitted to the wearer's particular size and/or his or her preference.
As explained above, the essence of the present invention is in an idea that an adjustment of the sleeve length or body length is done by allowing a cutting along a freely or steplessly determined line. What is important with reference to this idea of free cutting for limitless adjustment of sleeve length or body length according to the present invention is that the fabric according to the present invention is warp-knitted fabric. Namely, in a weft knitted fabric or woven fabric, an exposure of ends of yarns constructing the fabric by a cutting along a line causes the yarn to be very easily loosened. Thus, in the weft knitted fabric or woven fabric, an additional sewing process along the cut line is essential for preventing the yarns from being loosened. On the other hand, a warp-knitted fabric provides a structure where warp yarn loops are laterally displaced in a wales direction, i.e., the direction which is transverse to the warp yarns in such a manner that a complicated engagement of warp yarn loops is obtained in the wales direction, i.e. the direction transverse to warp yarns. Due to such a complicated engaged structure of yarn loops in the warp-knitted fabric, a loosening of yarns is less likely even if the fabric is subjected to a cutting along a desired line for providing a desired sleeve length or desired body length or desired shape of neck hole.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for providing garments comprising the steps of:
knitting a fabric having layers which are separate from each other and which are to be front and back bodies of the garments, while the fabric has portions whereat the layers are stitched with each other along the outlines of the garments;
forming, simultaneously with the knitting of the fabric, at the locations of the fabric where portions of a human body are passed, such as a sleeve, indicators which are the indicative for a wearer for guiding him or her to effect a size adjustment;
cutting the fabric along said outline of the garment so that the garment is separated from the fabric;
under the guidance of the one of the indicators, selected by the wearer based on his or her size as well as the preference, cutting the garment at said location of the garment whereat the size adjustment is necessary, thereby providing the desired size of the garment at said location which is matched with the wearer's size as well as preference, without accompanying any sewing process.
In the above method, said indicator is, preferably, integrated to the fabric during the execution of the warp knitting for forming said fabr
Kabushiki Kaisha Miyake Design Jimusho
Perkins Coie LLP
Vanatta Amy B.
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