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US 7,024,892 B2Granted
Two-ply body-smoothing undergarment
AssigneeSara T. Blakely
InventorSara T. Blakely
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A body-smoothing lower-body undergarment is constructed by circularly knitting a pair of seamless two-ply fabric tubes, longitudinally slitting an upper portion of each tube for a distance generally corresponding to a desired rise of the undergarment so as to form two fabric edges, and joining the two fabric edges of one of the fabric tubes to the two fabric edges of the other fabric tube so as to form a single larger fabric tube that serves as a panty portion of the undergarment, while lower portions of the fabric tubes serve as legs of the undergarment. The two-ply construction allows the bottoms of the legs to be formed without leg bands. The undergarment preferably has a 1×1 vertical rib knit construction, a turned welt waistband, and an abdominal control panel.
Claims19
A lower-body undergarment, comprising:
- a pair of legs each comprising a two-ply seamless fabric tube, each leg having a seamless tubular inner ply and a seamless tubular outer ply connected thereto at a bottom edge of the leg, the legs being free of separately formed and attached bottom leg bands, the legs having a length such that the lower edges of the legs encircle a wearer's legs;
- and
- a two-ply panty portion connected to the legs,
- where in least the legs comprise a vertical rib knit fabric.
1 more element
A lower-body undergarment, comprising:
- a pair of legs each comprising a two-ply seamless fabric tube, each leg having a seamless tubular inner ply and a seamless tubular outer ply connected thereto at a bottom edge of the leg, the legs being free of separately formed and attached bottom leg bands, the legs having a length such that the lower edges of the legs encircle a wearer's legs;
- and
- a two-ply panty portion connected to the legs,
- wherein the two-ply panty portion comprises a first panty half that is continuously knit with and seamlessly connected to a first of the legs, and a second panty half that is integrally knit with and seamlessly connected to a second of the legs, the first and second panty halves being joined to each other along a front seam and a back seam,
- wherein each panty half includes a waistband portion,
- wherein each leg and the panty half seamlessly connected thereto are formed of a circularly knit two-ply fabric tube that is knit starting at an upper end of the panty half and proceeding down to the lower edge of the leg and then back up to the upper end of the panty half, the panty halves then being slit longitudinally and joined together to form the panty portion, and
- wherein at least the legs comprise a vertical rib knit fabric.
4 more elements
A lower-body undergarment, comprising:
- a pair of legs each comprising a two-ply seamless fabric tube, each leg having a seamless tubular inner ply and a seamless tubular outer ply connected thereto at a bottom edge of the leg, the legs being free of separately formed and attached bottom leg bands, the legs having a length such that the lower edges of the legs encircle a wearer's legs;
- and
- a two-ply panty portion connected to the legs,
- wherein the two-ply panty portion comprises a first panty half that is continuously knit with and seamlessly connected to a first of the legs, and a second panty half that is integrally knit with and seamlessly connected to a second of the legs, the first and second panty halves being joined to each other along a front seam and a back seam,
- wherein each panty half includes a waistband portion,
- wherein each leg and the panty half seamlessly connected thereto are formed of a circularly knit two-ply fabric tube that is knit starting at an upper end of the panty half and proceeding down to the lower edge of the leg and then back up to the upper end of the panty half, the panty halves then being slit longitudinally and joined together to form the panty portion, and
- wherein the legs and panty portion both comprise a vertical rib knit fabric.
4 more elements
A body-smoothing lower-body undergarment, comprising:
- a panty portion formed of right and left panty halves joined together;
- and
- right and left legs respectively connected to the right and left panty halves of the panty portion, each leg and the corresponding panty half being formed from a seamless circularly knit two-ply fabric tube,
- wherein at least the legs comprise a vertical rib knit fabric.
1 more element
A body-smoothing lower-body undergarment, comprising:
- a panty portion formed of right and left panty halves joined together;
- and
- right and left legs respectively connected to the right and left panty halves of the panty portion, each leg and the corresponding panty half being formed from a seamless circularly knit two-ply fabric tube,
- wherein the two-ply fabric tube that forms each leg comprises a tubular inner ply folded about a fold line onto an inner surface of a tubular outer ply, the fold line forming a lower edge of the leg, whereby the legs are free of bottom leg bands and
- wherein the two-ply fabric tubes are knit with a vertical rib knit construction.
2 more elements
A body-smoothing lower-body undergarment, comprising:
- a panty portion formed of right and left panty halves joined together;
- and
- right and left legs respectively connected to the right and left panty halves of the panty portion, each leg and the corresponding panty half being formed from a seamless circularly knit two-ply fabric tube, wherein the two-ply fabric tube that forms each leg comprises a tubular inner ply folded about a fold line onto an inner surface of a tubular outer ply, the fold line forming a lower edge of the leg, whereby the legs are free of bottom leg bands, and wherein the panty portion and legs are knit with a 1×1 rib knit construction.
A method for making a lower-body undergarment, comprising:
- circularly knitting a first seamless two-ply fabric tube and longitudinally slitting an upper portion thereof for a distance generally corresponding to a desired rise of the undergarment so as to form two fabric edges;
- circularly knitting a second seamless two-ply fabric tube and longitudinally slitting an upper portion thereof for said distance generally corresponding to said desired rise of the undergarment so as to form two fabric edges;
- and
- joining the two fabric edges of the first fabric tube to the two fabric edges of the second fabric tube so as to form a single larger fabric tube from the upper portions of the first and second fabric tubes, the single larger fabric tube serving as a panty portion of the undergarment, and lower portions of the first and second fabric tubes serving as legs of the undergarment,
- wherein at least the legs comprises a vertical rib knit fabric.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.