Textiles: knitting – Fabrics or articles – Articles
Reexamination Certificate
1998-02-24
2001-06-26
Worrell, Danny (Department: 3408)
Textiles: knitting
Fabrics or articles
Articles
C066S170000, C066S16900R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250115
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for creating knitted garments, and, more particularly, to a method for creating knitted garments by using a knitting machine, double pointed needles, knitting needles, a crochet hook, or the like.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Creating knitted garments, for example, sweaters, dresses or the like using a portable knitting machine, knitting needles, a hook or a crochet needle is a popular hobby.
A conventional method for creating knitted garments shall be described by explaining the case where a sweater with sleeves is created. In general, a design of a knitted garment to be made is predetermined as a first step. Then, three patterns consisting of a front bodice pattern, a back bodice pattern, and a sleeve pattern are formed by separating the predetermined design along armhole lines, under sleeve lines, shoulder lines, and side lines. Based on the patterns, flat knitted pieces of a front bodice section, a back bodice section and sleeve sections are created. Then, the knitted pieces are joined to each other to form the knitted garment.
Further, there is another way of forming garments by knitting a large number of medallions of the same shape and joining them to each other as a patchwork. Even in such a case, garments are made based on the above-mentioned three patterns. More specifically, first, a large number of flat medallions of the same shape, for example, a square, hexagon, or the like are knitted. Then, the medallions are disposed in a geometrically arranged design according to each of the three patterns and are joined to each other to form a front bodice section, a back bodice section and sleeve sections. Finally, these sections are joined to each other to form a sweater.
The reason for separating the predetermined design of the knitted garments along the above-mentioned lines in the conventional way is because it is a practical and convenient way of flattening the three-dimentional predetermined design of the knitted garment. That is, by deploying the three-dimensional design in such a manner, the smallest possible number of patterns is required. Further, the shape of each pattern becomes relatively simple, thus enabling a knitting operation of the knitted sections based on the patterns to be simplified. However, according to the conventional way, it is difficult to form curved three-dimensional garment silhouettes which fit the contours of a wearer's body, for example, round portions of the shoulders, breast, waist and elbows. Although knitted garments are stretchable, it is more functional and comfortable for the wearer if they snugly fit the contours of the body, and especially if the portions of the garments which need to allow for constant movement, e.g., the elbow portions, fit snugly. Further, in order to satisfy a demand for high fashionability, a designer may want to design garment silhouettes having more feminine-like curves.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a method for creating knitted garments which enables the forming of three-dimensional knitted garments which fit the contours of the body while still allowing a knitting operation to be easy even for beginners.
In the conventional way, the above-mentioned three patterns which are deployed in the same manner are generally used to create knitted garments, whereas, in the present invention, a three-dimensional curved silhouette of an entire knitted garment is designed without any design restrictions, and then the entire design of the predetermined shape is flattened to form an entirely deployed pattern.
Further, in the conventional way of creating the knitted garments, a single knitted piece is made based on the three patterns. In the present invention, an area enclosed by an outline of the entirely deployed pattern is further divided into a plurality of divided areas having simple shapes based on which knitted pieces can be easily formed.
This enables the simplification of knitting operations even if the outline of the pattern is very complicated.
The above and other objects of the present invention can be accomplished by a method for creating knitted garments, comprising steps of: forming an entirely deployed pattern having a deployed shape which can be obtained by flattening an entire predetermined three-dimensional design of a garment to be knitted; dividing the entirely deployed pattern into a plurality of divided areas to form pattern pieces; creating knitted pieces which conform to each shape of the pattern pieces; and forming the predetermined design of the garment by joining the knitted pieces to each other based on the divided arrangement of the divided areas.
In the case where knitted garments are created in accordance with the present invention, a three-dimensional design of a knitted garment to be created is predetermined taking a curved profile of the body into a consideration. Then, an entirely deployed pattern having a shape which can be obtained by deployment of the entire predetermined shape including a front bodice portion, a back bodice portion, sleeve portions, cuffs portions, collar portion, etc., by cutting and clipping at some locations is formed. The locations to be cut and clipped shall be determined according to the design of the garment. Further, an inner area enclosed by an outline of the entirely deployed pattern is divided into a plurality of divided areas based on which a knitter can easily create knitted pieces to form a plurality of pattern pieces. Subsequently, knitted pieces are created which conforms with the shapes of the pattern pieces. The knitted pieces are joined to each other to form the garment.
According to the present invention, since the entirely deployed pattern is formed based on the three-dimensional design which fits the contours of the body of the wearer, the knitted garment fits snugly while also allowing easy movement. Further, since the area enclosed by the complicated outline of the entirely deployed pattern is divided into pattern pieces having simple shapes based on which beginners can easily create the knitted pieces, a knitting operation can be simplified. By simply joining the knitted pieces to each other, or seaming them together in accordance with an easy method, a knitted garment having a curved three-dimensional shape which fits the body can be formed. Further, by dividing the entire knitted garment into a plurality of divided areas and knitted pieces which are knitted in different directions and connected to each other based on an arrangement of the divided areas, distortion of the knitted pieces caused by strands of yarn can be compensated or corrected, which results in the entire shape of the knitted garment being without distortions.
The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description made with reference to the accompanying drawings.
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Pillsbury & Winthrop LLP
Suzuki Yasuko
Worrell Danny
LandOfFree
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