PANTY BRIEF WITH WIDE LEG OPENINGS

Abstract: A panty brief is made by flat knitting a front piece (1) and a back piece (1'), in which the leg openings (8, 9) are formed at a marginal edge zone (6) at the bottom of the penty brief. The leg openings may in a simple way obtain such a width that they do not cause local compressive press on a user. Such a great width in the leg openings (8, 9) is obtained by the marginal edge zone (6) being partially made of soluble yarn (8) for forming larger stitches (19, 20) and thereby a looser structure in the marginal edge zone after the dissolution of the yarn.

Description: PANTY BRIEF WITH WIDE LEG OPENINGS. Background of the Invention. The present invention relates to a panty brief formed by a flat knit¬ ted, subtantially rectangular front piece and back piece, which are made separately, and which by interknitting are connected along mar¬ ginal edge zones in the sides of the panty brief for forming side seams, and along a part of the bottom of the panty brief for forming a crotch region separating two non-connected parts of the marginal edge zones at the bottom of the panty brief for forming leg openings, which panty brief being made with elastic threads, which generally extend from one side to the other of the front and back piece for providing a circumferentially elastic contraction in the panty brief. It is known to make panty briefs by knitting with different forms in order to obtain the best possible fit without a need for after- fashioning of the panty briefs. Even though several proposals are made, the panty briefs for fixation of a napkin will normally require such a circumferentially elasticity in the panty brief so that an elasticity occurs at the leg-bands formed at the marginal edge zone at the bottom of the panty brief, said elasticity at the leg-bands may be irritating for the user due to a localized compressive press. A panty brief according to the present invention may be considered as a further development of a panty brief, which is described in the Uni- ted States Patent No. 3,656,324, the content of which is hereby incor¬ porated by reference. Thus materials, knitting types, stitch size, embodiments, etc., which are described in the United States Patent, may also be used when making the panty brief according to the present invention. It is the object of the present invention to remedy the drawbacks of the known panty briefs, especially for fixation of napkins, by provi¬ ding a panty brief of the above-mentioned type, which may be made by machines and in endless lengths without a need for after-fashioning, and which is provided with leg openings, which do not cause a local compressive press on a user. According to the present invention this is obtained by a panty brief, characterized in that, in the finished panty brief, only a part of the stitches being formed in the front and back piece of the panty brief in a marginal edge zone at the bottom of the panty brief when knitting the panty brief, are closed for forming a " loose structure in said mar¬ ginal edge zone. A finished panty brief, in which only a part of the stitches in the marginal edge zone are closed, will appear with a loose structure. Thus, the remaining part of the stitches, which during or after the making of the panty brief are opened, will give rise to a surplus of yarn between the remaining stitches. In practice, this means that the stitches formed in the finished panty brief will be substantially lar¬ ger, thus resulting in the looser structure. Said in a popular way, if only half of the stitches in the finished panty brief are closed, it is possible to make the stitches twice the size as with a traditional flat knitted panty brief, in which all of the stitches are closed. As the marginal edge zone, which is located in the vicinity of the leg openings at the bottom of the panty brief, has a looser structure, the finished panty brief acquires a very great width in the leg openings, which will not give rise to the local compressive press, which tradi¬ tional leg-bands may cause. According to the invention a panty brief will not solely be suitable as a normal panty brief, but will also be especially suitable as a panty brief for fixation of a napkin. Thus, the looser structure ob¬ tained in the marginal edge zone at the bottom of the panty brief, will not solely give the leg openings a greater width, but will also form a looser structure in the crotch region between the leg openings. Thus, the panty brief will be suitable for containing and fixing a napkin ir the crotch region as a marketed banana-shape, and a great width appears in the region between the leg openings. A panty brief having the characterizing features of claim 2, and after the threads are dissolved either by washing or by other treatments, will appear with very loose stitches in the marginal edge zone deli¬ miting the leg openings. In case the soluble yarn are water-soluble yarn it will advantageously be possible to make the panty briefs ready for use after they have been subjected to a per se well-known fixation process after they have left a knitting machine. A panty brief having the characterizing features of claim 7, will be provided with the loose structure and be ready for use, immediately after having left a knitting machine. Thus, this panty brief will not require any treatment, except for the well-known fixation process. This embodiment for a panty brief may advantageously be made by using knitting machines, which are able to work with compound needles, which make it possible that the stitches are optionally closed or opened. This is simply effected by a separate controlling of the guide bar for the needles, which are used for making the marginal edge zone. Fur- thermore, this embodiment for the panty brief is advantageous as it may be made at lower costs, seeing that neither use of soluble yarn nor an after-treatment for dissolution of such yarn is required. Description of the Drawings. The invention will now be further explained with reference to the ac¬ companying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 shows an embodiment for a panty brief according to the in¬ vention, Fig. 2 shows a partial representation of a knitting pattern for the panty brief shown in Fig. 1, Figs. 3-5 show enlarged views illustrating the forming of stitches in a panty brief according to the present invention Fig. 6 shows a second embodiment and a third embodiment for a panty brief according to the invention at the right and left side respectively, and Fig. 7 illustrates a principle for a needle arrangement of a knit¬ ting machine for use in making a panty brief according to the invention. Figure 1 shows a substantially rectangular front piece 1 of a panty brief according to the invention. The rectangular front piece 1 is placed superposed on a substantially corresponding back piece 1'. The back piece 1' may have a size identical to that of the front piece 1 or may be slightly larger as shown in Figure 1, in order to make the panty brief more anatomically correct. Along the marginal edge zones 2,3 in the sides of the panty brief, the front piece 1 and the back piece 1' are interknitted for forming side seams 4,5. Furthermore, the front piece 1 and the back piece 1' are interknitted along a part of the marginal edge zones 6 at the bottom of the panty brief for forming a crotch region 7 comprising a seam IX The crotch region 7 separates two non-connected parts of the marginal edge zones 6 at the bottom of the panty brief for forming leg openings 8,9. The front piece 1 and the back piece 1' are made in endless lengths on a conveniional knitting machine, e.g. a Raschel knitting machine, in which a first needle bed is used for making the front piece 1, and a second needle bed is used for making the back piece 1'. The endless lengths are severed transversely for forming separate panty briefs. The severing takes place in severing zones (not shown). The front piece 1 and the back piece 1' are not connected at the mar¬ ginal edge zones 10, and a waist opening 11 appears between these. The waist opening 11 is surrounded by a waistband 12, which in a per se well-known way, is formed by means of elastic threads 15, which are interknitted in the marginal edge zone 10. The panty brief is made with elastic threads, which generally extend between the marginal edge zones 2,3 on the front piece 1 and the back piece V . Consequently, an elastic circumferentially contraction is provided in the panty brief. This ensures that the panty brief is secured firmly on the user. These threads completely or partially form the basic web in the front piece and the back piece. In the panty brief shown a stocking stitched region 13 is located under the waist¬ band 12, followed by a more net-like region 14. Next to the net-like region 14 the marginal edge zone 6 is provided at the bottom of the panty brief. It is at the knitting in the marginal edge zone 6 the panty brief ac¬ cording to the present invention differs from the known panty briefs. In this janty brief shown in Figure I, it clearly appears that the marginal edge zone 6 has a greater width than the regions 12-14. This is due to the fact that during manufacturing this part of the panty brief is partially made from soluble yarn (a further explanation fol¬ lows). Consequently, a looser structure is obtained in the finished panty brief after the dissolution of the yarn. Consequently, it will be pos- sible to make the leg openings 8,9 with such a width and looseness, that localized compressive press does not occur on the thigh of the user, even if the panty brief is provided with such a circumferential¬ ly elasticity that it is secured firmly and tight around the torso of the user. Figure 2 shows a knitting.pattern for the panty brief shown in Figure 1. It is noted that the extension of the individual regions 6,12,13 and 14 may vary, and that the knitting pattern only illustrates the knitting in each of the regions of the front piece 1 and the back piece 1'. In the waistband region elastic threads 15 are interknitted in a great number in order to form the very elastic waistband. In the stocking stitched region 13 a smooth and tight kn o tting is obtained, and preferably wound elastin yarn 16 are used. Alternatively, non- wound yarn may be used, and the yarn may be made of nylon or polyes¬ ter. The region 14 is knitted with an open net-like structure. In the region 14 every second needle is used in order to obtain the open knitting, and the yarn used may comprise cotton yarn 17. It is noted that it is also possible to use the wound elastin or other yarn in this region. In the region 6 the same knitting is used in principle as in the re¬ gion 14. However, in the region 6 needles are used for interknitting a soluble yarn 8, which e.g. may be a solvron yarn. As the stitches in the region 6 are knitted with stitches extending over several juxta¬ posed needles, it is possible to interknit the soluble yarn 18 on an intermediate row of needles. In the embodiment shown yarn 18 are in¬ terknitted in the region 6, which yarn may be nylon yarn for forming the net-knit. In the embodiment shown stitches are formed on three juxtaposed needles. This clearly appears from Figures 3-5. In Figure 3 it is seen that the yarn 18 form stitches 19,20,21 on three juxtaposed needles. On the interposed needle the soluble yarn 8 is used. The outermost stitches 19 and 20 are closed stitches, while the interposed stitches 21 are closed by means of the soluble yarn 8. Thus, after the yarn 8 is dissolved (see Figure 4), it will be pos¬ sible to open the stitches 21. In this state the stitches 19,20, as seen in Figure 5, appear larger and with a looser structure. Conse¬ quently, it will be possible to obtain a greater extension in the knitting direction 22. This is used for obtaining the desired, looser marginal edge zone 6 in the immediate vicinity of the leg openings 8,9 (see Figure 1). It is noted that it is possible to make the panty brief in other embo¬ diments than the embodiment shown in Figure 1. Thus, it will be pos¬ sible to make the panty brief according to one of the two alternative embodiments, which are shown at the left and right side in Figure 6. At the left side a panty brief is shown having elastic threads 23 ex¬ tending obliquely from the crotch region 7 of the panty brief upwards towards the side edge 3 of the panty brief in order to obtain a better compressive effect along the side edges 26 of a napkin 27, when the panty brief according to the invention has to be used as a panty brief for fixation of a napkin. The right side of Figure 6 shows an alternative way of placing elastic threads 24 generally extending from the crotch region 7 obliquely out¬ wards towards the side edge 2 of the panty brief. In this region 25, in which the threads extend with a substantially oblique orientation, the threads are interknitted in a meander-like pattern. Because of this special interknitting of the elastic threads 24, not only a com- pressive effect is obtained along the side edges 26 of the napkin 27, but also a transverse elasticity in the panty brief is obtained so that this is secured firmly around the torso of the user. However, the panty brief will also be useful as a panty brief for fixation of a napkin without interknitting of such elastic threads 23,24 extending obliquely. It will also be possible to interknit said soluble yarn with greater eller lesser intensity. Instead of interknitting every second needle, two out of three needles or three out of four needles may be threaded with soluble yarn so that only very third or fourth needle is threaded with unsoluble yarn for obtaining a looser structure in the marginal edge zone 6 of the finished panty brief. Thus, it will also be possible to interknit the yarn in every third or every fourth needle in order to obtain a less open structure. It will also be pos¬ sible to let the soluble yarn be a part of the forming of several provisionally closed stitches for forming of a structure having a greater openness after the dissolution of the yarn. In Figure 7 the elements are shown schematically, which are a part of a knitting machine, which may be used for making a panty brief accor¬ ding to the invention. The knitting machine is a Raschel-machine with two needle beds 28,29. In the needle beds 28,29 compound needles 30 are provided. In the embodiment shown the machine is provided with four basic guide bars 31 and a number of pattern guide bars 32. It is noted that the five guide bars 32 are shown as a practical example as twelve are needed for the specific product. As a skilled in the art will know how such a knitting machine works, it is only to be mentioned that each of the compound needles 30 are made from two separate elements, i.e. a needle element 33 and a clo¬ sing element 34, which may be shifted in a forward and backward motion in a track, which is left open in the stem 35 of the needle element 33. Thus, the closing and opening of the stitches are decided by the way, on which the closing element 34 is controlled in relation to the needle element 33 in each of the compound needles 30, which are placed in the needle beds 28,29. Seeing that knitting machines are only threaded on a part of the needles, preferably every second needle, it will be possible on the interposed empty needles to form a stitch, which is opened (as shown in Figure 2). Thus, during the knitting it will be possible to obtain the same effect illustrated in Figures 3,4 and 5, without the necessity of using a soluble yarn. In practice, it is also possible to thread every third or every fourth needle, in or- der to obtain an even more loose structure. Thus, it is possible to make the front pieces and the back pieces, in which the marginal edge zones in the bottom of the panty brief are made with a very loose structure, only by threading a part of the needles, which are used for making the stitches in the marginal edge zone.

Claims: C 1 a i m s. 1. Panty brief formed by a flat knitted, subtantially rectangular front piece and back piece, which are made separately, and which by interknitting are connected along marginal edge zones in the sides of the panty brief for forming side seams, and along a part of the bottom of the parity brief for forming a crotch region separating two non-con¬ nected parts of the marginal edge zones at the bottom of the panty brief for forming leg openings, which panty brief being made with elastic threads, which generally extend from one side to the other of the front and back piece for providing a circumferentially elastic contraction in the panty brief, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that, in the finished panty brief, only a part of the stitches being formed in the front and back piece of the panty brief in a marginal edge zone at the bottom of the panty brief when knitting the panty brief, are closed for forming a loose structure in said marginal edge zone. 2. Panty brief according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a part or the yarn used for forming stitches in said marginal edge zone, are soluble yarn, which after dissolution effect an opening of the stitches so that only the remaining part of the stitches are closed in the finished panty brief. 3. Panty brief according to claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the soluble yarn are water-soluble yarn. 4. Panty brief according to claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the soluble yarn are steam-soluble yarn. 5. Panty brief according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the soluble yarn consist less than 10 % by weight of the yarn, and preferably of between 0.5 and 2 % by weight of the yarn in the marginal edge zone of the panty brief. 6. Panty brief according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the amount of the soluble yarn per area unit gradually decreases towards the bottom of the panty brief so that the most loose structure appears nearest the bottom of the panty brief. 7. Panty brief according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that compound needles are used at the knitting, which needles in said mar¬ ginal edge zone are controlled by a separate guide bar, which threads a part of the needles only so that the stitches in this zone are op- tionally closed or opened. 8. Panty brief according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the width of the marginal edge zone having the loose structure is of between 10 and 15 mm, preferably of between 15 and 25 mm in an unstretched state. 9. Panty brief according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the elastic threads in the leg-band are made up of wound yarn forming stitches together with the soluble yarn.

Inventors: KRISTENSEN JOHANNES NYVANG, KRISTENSEN, JOHANNES, NYVANG
Applicants: KRISTENSEN JOHANNES NYVANG, MOELNLYCKE AB, TYTEX AS, TYTEX A/S
Application year: 1993
Main classification: A61F13
IPC codes: A41B9, A61F13, D04B21