WO2010020547A2

WO2010020547A2 - Form-fitting item of clothing with improved seam system

Info

Publication number: WO2010020547A2
Application number: PCT/EP2009/060305
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andrea Campedelli
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-08-18
Filing date: 2009-08-07
Publication date: 2010-02-25
Anticipated expiration: 2011-02-18
Also published as: ITMI20081520A1; IT1393325B1; WO2010020547A3

Abstract

A form-fitting item of clothing (1a) with improved seam system, comprising a single tubular fabric (2a) that is cut and sewn to be worn ergonomically by a person at his or her private parts; the tubular fabric, once sewn, defines at least one pouch (3a), obtained directly from the tubular fabric without the addition of other pieces of fabric, to accommodate protruding private parts.

Description

FORM-FITTING ITEM OF CLOTHING WITH IMPROVED SEAM

SYSTEM

Technical field

The present invention relates to a form-fitting item of clothing with an improved seam system. Background art

As is known, a large number of models of items of clothing, both for men and for women, such as for example thongs, briefs and panties, boxer shorts, tops, bras, vests, costumes, trunks and tank tops in general are commercially available.

These known types of items of clothing are manufactured with attention to the comfort of the wearer, ensuring maximum form-fitting of the item and of course having a pleasant aesthetic appearance.

In order to ensure maximum comfort of the generic wearer, these known types of items of clothing are manufactured with the most disparate materials; for example, they can be manufactured with elastic fabrics, cotton, polyamide, polyester, Lycra or Elastane with fiber and many others, all being materials that ensure excellent form-fitting of the worn item.

A further evolution of these known types of items of clothing consists in making the item adhere to the wearer not only thanks to the elastic characteristics of the fabric that is used but also by way of the shapes provided on said item by means of pieces of fabric sewn together.

In particular, for underwear or the like it is known practice to provide a pouch or dart that is suitable to accommodate the male genitalia or the female breast.

These items of underwear of known type are not devoid of drawbacks, which include the fact that the item and in particular the additional pouch or the breast cups are provided by means of separate pieces of fabric sewn together, thus entailing many cutting and sewing operations. Disclosure of the invention The aim of the present invention is to eliminate the drawback cited above, by providing a form-fitting item of clothing with an improved seam system as a single part, so as to wrap ergonomically around the protruding private parts of the wearer. Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a form-fitting item of clothing with improved seam system that has a low cost and is ergonomically better.

This aim, as well as these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a form-fitting item of clothing with improved seam system, characterized in that it comprises a single tubular fabric that is cut and sewn to be worn ergonomically by a person at the private parts of the person, forming at least one containment pouch obtained directly from said tubular fabric to accommodate said protruding private parts. Brief description of the drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the description of three preferred but not exclusive embodiments of a form-fitting item of clothing with improved seam system, according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a block diagram of a method for providing a form-fitting item of clothing with improved seam system, according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of a first embodiment of a form-fitting item of clothing with improved seam system according to the present invention;

Figure 3 is a front elevation view of a tubular fabric, illustrating the flat projection drawings and the serger lines for providing the item shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a rear elevation view of a tubular fabric, illustrating the flat projection drawings and the serger lines for providing the item shown in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a plan view of a second embodiment of a form-fitting item of clothing with improved seam system according to the present invention;

Figure 6 is a front elevation view of a tubular fabric, illustrating the flat projection drawings and the serger lines for providing the item shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a rear elevation view of a tubular fabric, illustrating the flat projection drawings and the serger lines for providing the item shown in Figure 5; Figure 8 is a side elevation view of a tubular fabric, illustrating the flat projection drawings and the serger lines for providing the item shown in Figure 2;

Figure 9 is a plan view of a third embodiment of a form-fitting item of clothing with improved seam system, according to the present invention; Figure 10 is a front elevation view of a tubular fabric, illustrating the flat projection drawings and the serger lines for providing the item shown in Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a front elevation view of a variation of the tubular fabric shown in Figure 10. Ways of carrying out the invention

With reference to the figures, the form-fitting item of clothing with improved seam system, generally designated by the reference numerals Ia,

Ib and Ic, can be made for example of elastic fabrics, cotton, polyamide, polyester, Lycra or Elastane with fiber and many others, of a single tubular fabric 2a, 2b or 2c cut and sewn to be worn ergonomically by a person, who depending on the type of item of clothing can be male or female, at the private parts of the person, forming at least one containment pouch 3 a, 3 b or

3 c that is obtained directly from the tubular fabric 2a, 2b or 2c to accommodate the protruding private parts without the sewing of additional pieces of fabric. More precisely, in the first embodiment shown in Figure 2, the item of clothing Ia is a pair of men's boxer shorts, which forms a pouch 3a at the genitalia of the wearer in order to accommodate the genitalia.

This pouch 3a can be defined laterally by two seams 4a which start from the waist of the boxer shorts and descend, in a parallel arrangement to each other, but not necessarily, to subsequently converge at the crotch of the item of clothing 1 a.

In order to stiffen the pouch 3a, it is possible to provide a central seam 5a formed along the axis of symmetry of the pouch 3 a, with the application of a reinforcement and/or thickening gusset.

Since the item of clothing Ia is provided by means of a single tubular fabric 2a, it has two seams 6a that are necessary in order to close the tubular fabric 2a, forming the legs of the boxer shorts.

Moreover, in order to ensure an excellent fit of the item of clothing, a first elastic band 7a and two second elastic bands 8a are provided on the waist and on the thighs of the boxer shorts and are respectively sewn or provided directly during the manufacturing of the tubular knitting by the circular knitting machine.

As regards the second embodiment shown in Figure 5, the item of clothing Ib is a pair of men's briefs, which also forms a pouch 3b at the genitalia of the wearer in order to accommodate the genitalia.

Like the pouch 3a, the pouch 3b can be defined laterally by two seams 4b, which start from the waist of the briefs and descend so as to diverge, but not necessarily, with respect to each other to subsequently continue to the thigh of the item of clothing Ib.

In order to stiffen the pouch 3b, it is possible to provide a central seam 5b formed along the axis of symmetry of the pouch 3b, with the application of a reinforcement and/or thickening gusset.

Moreover, in order to ensure an excellent fit of the item of clothing, it is possible to provide a first elastic band 7b that is sewn onto the waist of the briefs or provided directly, during the production of the tubular knitting, by the circular knitting machine.

In both embodiments I a and Ib it is possible to provide a reinforcement gusset, not shown, which is sewn inside the pouch 3a or 3b, along the sewing lines 5a or 5b, and then fixed along the sewing lines 4a or

4b for the stiffening, thickening and opacifying thereof.

Differently, in the third embodiment shown in Figure 9 the item of clothing Ic is a woman's top, which defines two pouches 3c at the breasts of the wearer in order to accommodate the breasts. The pouches 3 c are defined laterally by two seams 4c which form in an upward region, toward the shoulder straps, the cups of the item of clothing Ic.

In a downward region, on the other hand, at the lower part of the chest of the wearer, it is possible to provide an elastic band 5c that is sewn or provided in a circular knitting machine in order to give the item Ic a better fit.

In this last embodiment also, in order to stiffen, thicken and opacify further the cups of the top, it is possible to provide two reinforcement gussets, one for each cup, which are sewn inside the pouches 3c along the sewing lines 12c and fixed along the sewing lines 4c.

The method for providing the item of clothing with improved seam system, such as for example the one shown in the embodiments Ia, Ib and

Ic, is shown schematically by means of the block diagram 20 and comprises a first step 21 for preparing a single tubular fabric 2a, 2b or 2c with the definition of the drawings 10a, 10b or 10c of the projection onto the cylindrical surface of the tubular fabric 2a, 2b or 2c and of the serger lines

10a, 10b or 10c, 1 1a, 1 Ib or l ie and 12a, 12b or 12c, on which the sewing steps are performed in order to obtain an item of clothing that can be worn ergonomically by a person at his or her private parts. As already mentioned, the peculiarity of the items of clothing Ia, Ib and Ic consists in that they have at least one pouch 3a, 3b or 3c that is obtained directly from the tubular fabric 2a, 2b or 2c, without any application of additional fabric, in order to accommodate the protruding private parts of the wearer. Regardless of the embodiment, the pouch 3a, 3b or 3c is obtained by providing particular seams of the tubular fabric 2a, 2b or 2c on the basis of the serger lines 12a, 12b or 12c, optionally defined by the sewing lines 14a or 14b.

In particular, in order to provide boxer shorts or briefs, as shown in the first and second embodiments Ia and Ib, the sewing step 22, performed on the item turned inside out, consists in sewing two lines 12a or 12b, which are for example S-shaped or C-shaped or L-shaped or the like, defined on the front and lower part of the item of clothing Ia or Ib so as to mutually join, starting from the point 15a or 15b, the points 13a or the points 13b in order to define the lower part of the pouch 3 a or 3b.

Optionally, in order to define the pouch and any reinforcement, the central seams 5a and 5b can be produced by extending the sewing lines 1 1a or 1 Ib from the waist to the points 15a or 15b.

The choice of the shape of the lines 12a or 12b is such as to control the curvature of the pouch 3a or 3b, selecting whether to make it protrude more or less.

Subsequently, optionally, it is possible to follow the seams of the lateral lines 14a or 14b, defined on the front part symmetrically with respect to the axis of symmetry, to provide the lateral seams 4a or 4b and to form the side walls of the pouch 3a or 3b.

This operation can be performed in order to reinforce the pouch 3 a or 3b, or, if a step 23 for reinforcing the item of clothing Ia or Ib is provided, in order to sew a reinforcement gusset inside the pouch 3a or 3b to stiffen, thicken and opacify said pouch. The normal steps 24 for trimming the tubular fabric 2a or 2b in order to obtain the item of clothing Ia or Ib are then provided.

In this last step or after it, the usual operations for sewing and hemming elastic bands, if provided, on the waist or thigh of the item of clothing are performed. As regards the third embodiment Ic or, more appropriately, as regards the obtainment of women's items of clothing such as for example tops, bras or tank tops in general, the method used is similar to the one used for items of clothing of the male type.

Once the serger lines 1 Oc and l ie have been defined in the first step 21, one proceeds with the sewing of the lines 12c to form the lower part of the pouches 3c, and since it this is a woman's item, two pouches 3c are provided in order to accommodate the breasts of the wearer.

The lines 12c can also be S-shaped or C-shaped or L-shaped or the like, so as to diverge from a common point in two points 13c, which are joined during sewing so as to produce the curvature of the pouches 3c.

In this case also, it is possible to provide the step 23, in which it is possible to sew, along the sewing lines 12c, inside the pouches 3 c, a reinforcement gusset, which is fixed after performing the sewing lines l ie and/or 10c, so as to stiffen, thicken and opacify said pouches. Finally, one moves on to the step 24 of trimming and final sewing, in which the item of clothing 1 c is completed.

In practice it has been found that the form-fitting item of clothing with improved seam system and the method for providing it, according to the present invention, fully achieve the intended aim and objects, since such item is formed from a single piece of fabric, entailing extremely reduced waste of material and of production times.

The item of clothing with seam system and the method for providing it thus conceived are susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims. All the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.

In practice, the materials used, as long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art. The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. MI2008A001520 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

1. A form-fitting item of clothing with improved seam system, characterized in that it comprises a single tubular fabric that is cut and sewn to be worn ergonomically by a person at the private parts of said person, defining at least one containment pouch obtained directly from said tubular fabric to accommodate said protruding private parts.

2. The item of clothing according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said at least one pouch is defined directly by the tubular fabric without the addition of other pieces of fabric.

3. The item of clothing according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one pouch is defined laterally by lateral seams.

4. The item of clothing according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a central seam that is defined on said at least one pouch along the axis of symmetry thereof in order to stiffen said at least one pouch.

5. The item of clothing according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a reinforcement gusset that is sewn inside said at least one pouch for stiffening, thickening and opacifying said at least one pouch.

6. The item of clothing according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is an item of clothing for male individuals.

7. The item of clothing according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one pouch is shaped to accommodate the genitalia of a male person.

8. The item of clothing according to one or more of the preceding claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it is an item of clothing for female individuals.

9. The item of clothing according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it comprises two of said at least one pouch, which are shaped so as to accommodate the breasts of a female person.

10. A method for providing a form-fitting item of clothing with improved seam system, characterized in that it comprises a step for preparing a single tubular fabric with the definition of drawings of the projection onto the cylindrical surface of said tubular fabric of an item of clothing that can be worn ergonomically by a person at his or her private parts and serger lines to be formed in order to obtain said item, said item defining at least one containment pouch that is obtained directly from said tubular fabric in order to accommodate said protruding private parts.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that it comprises a step for sewing said cylindrical surface according to said serger lines in order to define said at least one pouch, said sewing step being performed after said preparation step.

12. The method according to one or more of claims 9 and 10, characterized in that it comprises a step for trimming said tubular fabric to obtain said item, said trimming step being performed after said sewing step.

13. The method according to one or more of claims 9 to 1 1, characterized in that it comprises a step for reinforcing said item which comprises the sewing of a reinforcement gusset inside said at least one pouch for the stiffening, thickening and opacifying of said at least one pouch.