Patent Application
20210140079
Embodiments described herein generally relate to knitted articles of apparel and methods for knitting articles of apparel. Specifically, embodiments described herein relate to knitted articles of apparel having colored regions and textured elements incorporated into the same article of apparel.
Some embodiments relate to a method of knitting an article of apparel that includes knitting a first region using a first yarn of a first color and knitting a second region using a second yarn of a second color that differs from the first color. Knitting the first region and knitting the second region forms at least a portion of a color layout of the article of apparel. In some embodiments, the method includes knitting a textured element into at least one of the first region and the second region with at least one of the first yarn and the second yarn. In some embodiments, the textured element has a layout that differs from the color layout.
In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, the textured element may include a structural area that contrasts with a structural area of the first region or the second region outside of the textured element.
In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, the method may further include knitting a third region using a third yarn having a third color that differs from the first color and the second color. In some embodiments, knitting the third region forms a portion of the color layout of the article of apparel.
In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, knitting the first region and knitting the second region may include intarsia knitting.
In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, knitting the first region and knitting the second region may include knitting using an 18 gauge knitting machine.
In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, knitting the first region and knitting the second region may include flat knitting.
In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, the first yarn may include a yarn made of polyamide, nylon, elastane, or polyester.
In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, the textured element forms one or more characters, artwork, or graphic elements.
In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, the knitted article may be a shirt, a jacket, pants, leggings, a sports bra, or a shoe upper.
In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, the method may further include knitting a mesh portion, a single jersey portion, or a half Milano portion into at least one of the first region or the second region.
Some embodiments relate to a method of knitting an article of apparel that includes forming a color layout of the article of apparel by knitting a first region using a first yarn, knitting a second region using a second yarn, and knitting a third region using a third yarn. The first yarn, second yarn, and third yarn may each have a different color. The method may also include forming a textural graphic layout by knitting a textured element into at least one of the first region, the second region, and the third region. In some embodiments, the textural graphic layout is different than the color layout.
In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, knitting the first region, the second region, and the third region may include intarsia knitting.
In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, knitting the first region, the second region, and the third region may include knitting using an 18 gauge knitting machine.
In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, the textured element is knitted into at least two of the first region, the second region, and the third region.
In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, the textured element comprises a recessed or raised area.
Some embodiments relate to a knitted article of apparel that includes a first knitted region including a first yarn having a first color, a second knitted region including a second yarn having a second color that differs from the first color, and a textured element knitted into at least one of the first knitted region or the second knitted region, wherein the first knitted region and the second knitted region form at least a portion of a color layout, wherein the textured element has a layout that differs from the color layout, and wherein the textured element differs structurally from the first knitted region or the second knitted region.
In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, the first yarn may include a yarn made of polyamide, nylon, elastane, or polyester.
In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, the textured element may form one or more characters, artwork, or graphic elements.
In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, the knitted article is a shirt, a jacket, pants, leggings, a sports bra, or a shoe upper.
In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, the knitted article may further include a mesh portion arranged in at least one of the first knitted region and the second knitted region.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate the present disclosure and, together with the description, further serve to explain the principles thereof and to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the same.
Reference will now be made in detail to representative embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the following descriptions are not intended to limit the embodiments to one preferred embodiment. To the contrary, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as can be included within the spirit and scope of the described embodiments as defined by the claims.
Articles of apparel may be used for both functional and aesthetic purposes. Color and texture may be used to provide a desired aesthetic. Greater variety in visual appearance of articles of apparel may be desired. Embodiments described herein provide greater variety by using a color layout (an arrangement of colored regions with different colors) to provide a particular aesthetic and a separate textural layout (an arrangement of a textured element or structure in a knitted garment) that provides an additional aesthetic. The combination of the color layout and the textural layout provides a particular visual appearance to a knitted article. The layouts may overlap with each other to provide a layered appearance. Thus, the colored graphics from the color layout and the textural graphics from the textural element together provide a unique visual appearance to the knitted article.
A knitted article may include an upper body garment, such as a shirt, a tank top, a jacket, a short-sleeve T-shirt, a long-sleeve T-shirt, a sports bra, etc.; bottoms, such as shorts, leggings, pants, a skirt, etc.; or a footwear component, such as a shoe upper, among others garments and articles. Further, the knitted article may be a portion of a garment, such as a sleeve of a shirt, or a pant leg, among others. Knitted articles may be used as athletic apparel or sportswear.
A knitted article 100 having a combination of colored regions and textured elements is shown for example at
Knitted article 100 of
Knitted article 100 includes colored regions, and may include a first region 120 of a first color and a second region 122 of a second color. In some embodiments, knitted article 100 may include multiple first regions 120 or multiple second regions 122. Knitted article 100 is formed so as to have two or more regions or blocks of color. First region 120 may be adjacent to second region 122. For example, a first region having a first color may be a lower half of a garment, and a second region having a second color may be an upper half of the garment. In some embodiments, a first region having a first color may be a back portion of a garment, and a second region having a second color may be a front portion of a garment. Other regions may also be used. In some embodiments, the regions are defined by the boundaries between different colors. Other than a change in color, there may not be a visible boundary between regions (e.g., knitted article 100 may be seamless between different regions).
In some embodiments, knitted article 100 may further include a third region 124 of a third color as shown in
In some embodiments, knitted article 100 further includes a textured element 180. In some embodiments, knitted article 100 may include multiple textured elements 180. Textured element 180 may include a structural area that contrasts with, and differs from, a structural area of the knitted article outside of textured element 180. For example, textured element 180 may include a knit pattern that differs from a knit pattern of an area of knitted article outside of textured element 180. Textured element 180 can be visually distinguished from a structural area outside of textured element 180, such as an area around or adjacent to textured element 180. In some embodiments, textured element 180 may be raised or recessed relative to a remainder of knitted article 100. In such embodiments, knitted article 100 may include an elastic yarn, such as an elastane yarn, which may be used to provide textured element 180 with a raised or recessed structural area. In some embodiments, textured element 180 may be formed from the same yarn or yarns used to form colored regions 120, 122, 124 of knitted article 100.
In some embodiments, textured element 180 may include text, such as characters, including letters and numbers, for example, as discussed below for
The arrangement and/or location of textured element 180 may form a layout 186 (e.g., a design or arrangement of texture) for textured element 180, thus providing a particular visual appearance to knitted article 100. Layout 186 may give a textural graphic separate from the graphic provided by color layout 126. In some embodiments, layout 186 is disposed over color layout 126 (e.g., a portion of layout 186 overlaps with a portion of color layout 126). Layout 186 may differ from color layout 126. For example, in some embodiments, a pattern of the textured element(s) 180 do not correspond to the pattern of the colored regions 120, 122, 124. For example, a textured element 180 may extend across borders between colored regions 120, 122, 124, instead of corresponding to the borders between colored regions 120, 122, 124 (see
In some embodiments, as shown for example in
Additional configurations for color layout 126 and layout 186 that may be used in knitted articles are shown, for example, in
Knitted article 100 may be knitted using two or more yarns, as shown for example in
In some embodiments, knitted article 100 may further include a third yarn having a third color that is different from the first color or second color. Thus, knitted article 100 may further include a third region 124 of the third color (see
Knitted article 100 may include performance specific yarn (e.g., to achieve a particular characteristic or function of knitted article 100). For example, knitted article 100 may include yarn made from polyamide, nylon, elastane, polyester, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, first yarn 110, second yarn 112, and/or a third yarn may be made from polyamide, nylon, elastane, polyester, or a combination thereof. Each yarn may be dyed so as to have a particular color. In some embodiments, the yarn may be dope dyed yarn.
In some embodiments, knitted article 100 may be flat knitted using a flat knitting machine. In some embodiments, knitted article 100 may be knitted using an 18 gauge knitting machine. Gauge refers to the number of needles (and correspondingly stitches) in one inch width of the machine needle bed. Increasing the gauge, and thus the needles (and stitches) per inch, increases the fineness of the knitted article. In some embodiments, knitted article 100 may be knit using a 14 gauge knitting machine. However, the visual effect of the combined colored regions and textured regions may be diminished at gauges lower than 14 gauge. Increased gauge allows for formation of finer, more precise patterns.
In some embodiments, knitted article 100 or a portion thereof may be formed by intarsia knitting as shown in
The knitting machine may have a yarn feeder associated with each color block. During knitting, each yarn feeder moves across the machine such that it feeds yarn only to those needles that will form the associated color block. For example, there may be a yarn feeder associated with colored region 120 that feeds yarn 110 to those needles that are located in the machine at a place that can form the desired shape of colored region 120. There may be a separate yarn feeder associated with colored region 122 that feeds yarn 112 to those needles that are located in the machine at a place that can form the desired shape of colored region 122. Additional yarn feeders may be used (e.g., for colored region 124).
Each region 120, 122, 124 may include a plurality of courses 128 each having a plurality of stitches 129. One course 128 may extend across two or more regions 120, 122, 124, as shown, for example, in
The knitting machine may include one or more motorized carriers to control the needles during knitting. Thus, the motorized carrier(s) control the type of knitting stitches used to form knitted article 100 by controlling the needle movement. In some embodiments, layout 186 of textured element(s) 180 may be determined by the programming of the motorized carrier(s). For example, a different knitting stitch may be used in particular locations to form textured element 180. In some embodiments, textured element 180 may be formed with one or more of single jersey, half Milano, pique, rib, and/or mesh knitting stitches to provide textured element 180 with a contrasting structural area. Other knitting stitches may also be used to form textured element 180.
In some embodiments, the knitting program to form knitted article 100 is separated into two parts, including (1) defining color layout 126 with the yarn feeder placement, and (2) defining textured element 180 (and its layout 186) with the programming of the carrier to form knitting stitches. Thus, color layout 126 may differ from layout 186, and the two different layouts may provide a layered aesthetic for knitted article 100.
In some embodiments, textured element 180 may be knitted simultaneously as colored regions 120, 122, 124 are knitted (for example as described above), such that a knitted article 100 having colored regions and textured elements may be formed in a single process. Alternatives to intarsia knitting may also be used. For example, in some embodiments, knitted article 100 may include colored regions or blocks formed by jacquard knitting.
In some embodiments, as shown for example in
In the illustrated embodiment, colored regions are formed with a color layout 426 in which third region 424 has a diamond shape, second region 422 surrounds third region 424 and is also generally diamond-shaped, and first region 420 surrounds second region 422 and makes up the remainder of knitted article 400. A different color layout may be used in some embodiments.
In some embodiments, knitted article 400 may further include a textured element 480. The arrangement and/or location of textured element 480 may form a layout 486 (e.g., a design or arrangement of texture) for textured element 480, thus providing a particular visual appearance to knitted article 400. In some embodiments, textured element 480 may be formed as a mesh portion 490. Mesh portion 490 may be knitted into first region 420, as shown in
Mesh portion 490 may be formed by a knitting pattern as shown for example in
In some embodiments, as shown for example in
Knitted article 600 may further include a textured element 680. The arrangement and/or location of textured element 680 may form a layout 686 (e.g., a design or arrangement of texture) for textured element 680, thus providing a particular visual appearance to knitted article 600. In the illustrated embodiment, textured element 680 includes stripes that extend along an outer side of each leg of the leggings and the stripes extend from waistband 610 toward an ankle portion 618 of article 600. Stripes overlap each of first, second and third regions 620, 622, 624. Thus, colored regions are formed in color layout 626 with a first pattern, whereas textured element 680 is formed in layout 686 with a second pattern (e.g., stripes) that does not correspond to the first pattern.
In some embodiments, a knitted article as described herein may be formed by a method 700 as shown in
A textured region is knit into colored regions of knitted article at operation 730. Textured region may include a pattern that differs from a pattern of colored regions so as to provide additional visual interest. Thus, textured element may include a layout or pattern that is distinct from the layout or pattern of colored regions and that is not consistent with the pattern or layout of colored regions. Textured region may be knit into knitted article while colored regions are being knit, i.e., simultaneously with knitting of colored regions. In this way, a knitted article having colored regions and textured elements can be produced in a single process (e.g., without additional or subsequent processing steps). Once knitted article is knit, knitted article may be formed into a desired garment, such as by joining portions of knitted article to one another, jointing knitted article with other articles, or by performing finishing operations. For example, a knitted article may be one leg for leggings. The knitted article may be joined with a second knitted article that is the other leg of the leggings to form a final garment.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying knowledge within the skill of the art, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments, without undue experimentation, and without departing from the general concept of the present invention. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance herein.
The breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
