Patent Description:
Tights, or pantyhose, produced with various knitting methods on circular knitting machines, are essentially formed of a panty and of two tubular portions that form the legs of the tights, each ending with a foot. In some cases, depending on the knitting method, the toe is closed by an end seam.

Tights can be obtained either by sewing a tube that will form the panty to the tubular leg portions or they can be obtained by means of a technique known as "one-piece", in which a single tube is produced with seams at the ends (toes) and a central elastic band is attached at the panty.

Tights are an essential element of the ballerina's attire, but in some case their use can lead to some practical difficulties. When starting to work on toes at times it is necessary to uncover the foot halfway through the lesson to apply toe protectors or to medicate cuts or blisters. If conventional tights are being worn these operations are very inconvenient to carry out, as in order to uncover the feet the dancer must remove them completely.

Convertible tights, i.e., tights with a hole under the sole of the foot, are of help to the dancer, as they allow the foot to be uncovered in a practical and quick way. Their structure is identical to that of conventional tights, but they have a hole at the sole of the foot: in this way, when required the toes can pass through the hole to uncover the foot. After having carried out the protection or medication operations the toes can be covered once again obtaining the aesthetic effect of conventional tights.

Convertible tights are also very useful in all those situations in which it is necessary to pass rapidly from a condition of use with the foot covered to a condition of use with the foot uncovered, as often occurs during performances or when taking part in a modern or contemporary dance lesson immediately after a ballet lesson. In this case the whole foot can be passed through the hole hiding the toe of the tights by folding it inward: the fold with create a minimum thickness on the front of the leg, but which will be almost completely invisible as the tights are opaque.

Currently, the hole under the foot of the tights is produced manually with scissors or directly on the machine, by dropping stitches locally, and subsequently stitching it along its edge to prevent runs in the fabric during subsequent use of the tights.

This technique normally used to finish the hole for the foot to pass through has some limits and drawbacks.

Although this seam is flat, it has the drawback of creating a thickness in the order of <NUM>/<NUM> under to dancer's foot, which can cause discomfort and blisters.

Moreover, when the foot is outside the hole and the tights are folded over on the calves, at the height of the ankle or above it, this seam can be too tight around the calf causing a sort of tourniquet effect, limiting the blood flow and causing discomfort or tingling for the dancer.

As the hole is held together by the stitches, it often loses elasticity after a few uses, no longer adhering perfectly to the foot and at times exiting from the shape of the shoe being used.

Although the hole of the tights is stitched with elastic thread, after prolonged use it often has runs around the edge caused by breakage of the thread, which over time cause deterioration of the tights as a whole.

Document <CIT> illustrates a pair of technical pants with attached foot covers, where each foot cover ends with a sole. Said foot cover includes an opening provided on the sole in a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction of the wearer's foot. Opening is adapted to enable the wearer to extend the foot through the opening to the outside.

The object of the invention is to overcome these limits and to produce convertible tights that are comfortable and practical for the user, i.e., for a dancer, to wear, which allow the user to maintain the best physical conditions to give the best performance and which are easy and economical to manufacture.

The objects are achieved with convertible tights particularly suitable to be worn by a user during the practice of dance, comprising a panty, two tubular portions that form the legs of the tights, each ending with a foot, where a lower portion of said foot, which in use is arranged at the sole of the foot of the user from a toe to a heel, comprises an elastically deformable hole, characterized in that it comprises, for each foot, a patch made of a thermoplastic elastomeric material, adapted to externally cover, at least partially, the lower portion of said foot of said tights, where said patch comprises said hole.

According to a first aspect of the invention, said patch extends for the whole of the lower portion of said foot covering it completely, so as to be positioned, in use, from the toe to the heel of the foot of the user.

Advantageously, said patch rises beyond the foot and extends along the corresponding leg to include a portion of tights that, in use, will cover an ankle of said user.

Preferably, said thermoplastic elastomeric material is silicone-free.

Further, said patch has a thickness ranging from <NUM>-<NUM>.

The invention also relates to a production method of convertible tights as described above, comprising the steps of:.

characterized in that it comprises the intermediate steps of:.

where said step of making a cut to produce a hole involves both the plain knit layer of said tights and said thermally bonded patch and is carried out simultaneously on both layers.

Alternatively, said step of thermally bonding said patch is carried out by means of ironing presses, heat sealing systems or taping machines.

Moreover, said step of making a cut is carried out by means of shearing.

The invention has numerous advantages deriving from the application of said patch made of thermoplastic elastomeric material to the lower portion of each foot of the tights, which allows a hole without finishing seams to be produced.

Said patch shaped and sized according to requirements, and comprising a geometrically perfect hole, allows an unlimited use of the tights without them losing their shape and utility over time.

The elasticity of the material with which the patch is manufactured makes the hole soft, without the risk of constricting the calf during use of the tights in the configuration with the foot uncovered.

When said patch extends and covers the whole of the sole of the foot, the cushioning effect typical of rubber that is created thanks to the elastomer produces the friction necessary to prevent undesirable rubbing between the tights and the shoe, improving the feeling of comfort for the dancer.

This cushion effect, when said patch also extends beyond the heel, a delicate point for dancers, is also adapted to protect the ankle from the occurrence of bothersome blisters.

It is important for dancers to be able to rely on their physical condition, and be ready to offer their best performance at all times. Not only are the convertible tights according to the invention easier to put on and use, but more generally they also contribute to the physical wellbeing of dancers.

These and other advantages will be more apparent below, in the description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, provided by way of non-limiting example, and with the aid of the figures, wherein:.

The invention relates to convertible tights <NUM> adapted to be worn by dancers and hence particularly suitable for the practice of dance.

Said convertible tights <NUM> are manufactured in plain knit with the use of a circular knitting machine and yarns such as polyamide, elastane, cotton and polyester.

Said convertible tights <NUM> comprise a panty <NUM> provided with an edge <NUM> adapted to act as waistband and two tubular portions that form the legs <NUM> of the tights, each ending with a foot <NUM> closed at the toe with a flat stitch seam.

Said convertible tights <NUM> can also comprise portions of increased thickness (not illustrated), positioned on the heel, forefoot and toe, useful for reducing friction with the shoes and preventing the formation of blisters. These portions of increased thickness are normally produced with a particular knit stitch, known as laid-in stitch.

With reference to the figures, said convertible tights <NUM> comprise, for each foot <NUM>, a patch <NUM> made of a thermoplastic elastomeric material, adapted to externally cover, at least partially, the lower side of said foot <NUM> which substantially forms the sole.

The lower side of said foot <NUM> comprises a hole <NUM>, which in use when the tights <NUM> are being worn is positioned at the user's plantar arch.

As mentioned above, said hole <NUM> is useful in all situations in which it is necessary to quickly change from a condition of use with the foot covered (<FIG>) to a condition of use with the foot uncovered (<FIG>). The latter condition of use can be obtained simply by sliding the foot out of the hole <NUM> and folding the tights around the calf.

Said hole <NUM> simultaneously involves the knit layer that produces the foot <NUM> of the tights <NUM> and the corresponding covering patch <NUM>.

Said hole <NUM> has a raw cut edge <NUM> without seams.

Said hole <NUM> is elastically deformable due to the elastic properties of the yarns with which the tights <NUM> are manufactured and due to the properties of the material with which said patch <NUM> is manufactured. In fact, a thermoplastic elastomer has the typical elastic properties of rubber and allows the hole <NUM> to expand and stretch and then return to its size at rest without undergoing permanent deformations.

Excellent results have been obtained using, to manufacture said patches <NUM>, gripping tapes with very high elasticity, which can be thermally bonded, manufactured by the firm FAIT PLAST SPA and known on the market with the trade name WITH ME®. These tapes are films with a very high elastic recovery after traction, compatible with various elastic fabrics, which can be thermally bonded, have a very high surface grip, are soft, non-allergenic and silicone-free.

Said patch <NUM> has a very limited thickness, in the order of <NUM>-<NUM> and does not create thicknesses or discomfort between the foot of the dancer and the ballet shoe.

With reference to <FIG>, wherein the convertible tights <NUM> are worn in the configuration with the foot covered, it is evident how said patch <NUM> extends for the whole of the sole of said foot <NUM> covering it completely. This results in perfect adhesion to the ballet shoe during use.

Often, during the practice of dance, ballet shoes exert a great deal of friction on the tights in the area of the heel in contact with the Achilles tendon. Frequently the dancers are obliged to manually apply a layer of gel or foam rubber to lessen the thrust of the shoe on the tights, and consequently on the skin, preventing the formation of blisters. In the solution illustrated, said patch <NUM> rises beyond the heel of the foot <NUM> and extends along the leg <NUM> to reach the dancer's ankle, protecting the Achilles tendon and preventing blisters from forming on the heel.

The production method of convertible tights <NUM> of the type illustrated in the figures and described above comprises the following steps:.

Said hole <NUM> will be the hole for the foot of the dancer to pass through when changing from the configuration of use of the tights with the foot covered (<FIG>) to the configuration of use with the foot uncovered (<FIG>) and vice versa.

Thanks to the features of the thermoplastic elastomeric material of the patch <NUM>, said step of thermowelding said patch <NUM> to the knit layer of the tights is carried out by means of ironing presses, heat sealing systems or taping machines.

Said step of making a hole is carried out by means of shearing, preferably with a spherical press that acts simultaneously both on the knit layer and on said patch <NUM> making a hole <NUM> with raw cut edge <NUM> that does not require seams as the patch made of elastomeric material is not subject to runs and retains the edges of the yarns with which the tights are manufactured. Alternatively, said shearing could take place using a generic press or a laser cutting machine.

Claim 1:
Convertible tights (<NUM>) particularly suitable to be worn by a user during the practice of dance, comprising a panty (<NUM>), two tubular portions that form the legs (<NUM>) of the tights, each ending with a foot (<NUM>), where a lower portion of said foot (<NUM>), which in use is arranged at the sole of the foot of the user from a toe to a heel, comprises an elastically deformable hole (<NUM>), characterized in that it comprises, for each foot (<NUM>), a patch (<NUM>) made of a thermoplastic elastomeric material, adapted to externally cover, at least partially, the lower portion of said foot (<NUM>) of said tights (<NUM>), where said patch (<NUM>) comprises said hole (<NUM>).