Containing fabric, garments comprising such fabric, and related production methods

Abstract

The present invention relates to a restraining fabric having at least one stretch portion ( 4 ) comprising a plurality of stitches of at least one ground yarn ( 2 ) and at least one elastic yarn ( 5 ), wherein, next to at least part of said stretch portion ( 4 ), a restraining portion ( 8 ) extends in which first groups (G 1 ) of one or more first stitches (P 1 ) comprising said at least one main yarn ( 3 ) alternate with second groups (G 2 ) of one or more second stitches (P 2 ) comprising a restraining yarn ( 9 ), such that at each of said first stitches (P 1 ) a floating length ( 10 ) of said restraining yarn ( 9 ) extends and at each of said second stitches (P 2 ) a floating length ( 10 ) of said main yarn ( 3 ) extends. The invention also concerns restraining garments containing said fabric and the method of manufacturing the fabric and garments.

1 . A knit garment comprising at least one upper part ( 14 ) and one lower part ( 15 ) joined to one another by a first intermediate semi-portion ( 16 ) and a second intermediate semi-portion ( 17 ), wherein said garment is a tubular garment substantially seamless and comprises at least one portion of a restraining fabric ( 1 ) comprising a plurality of courses (R 1 , R 2 , . . . , Rn) and having at least one stretch portion ( 4 ), wherein said stretch portion comprises a plurality of stitches of at least one ground yarn ( 2 ) and at least one elastic yarn ( 5 ) and wherein next to at least part of said stretch portion ( 4 ) of the restraining fabric there is a restraining portion ( 8 ) in which first groups (G 1 ) of one or more first stitches (P 1 ) comprising at least one main yarn ( 3 ) alternate with second groups (G 2 ) of one or more second stitches (P 2 ) comprising a restraining yarn ( 9 ), such that at each of said first stitches (P 1 ) a floating length ( 10 ) of said restraining yarn ( 9 ) extends and at each of said second stitches (P 2 ) a floating length ( 10 ) of said main yarn ( 3 ) extends, the second intermediate semi-portion ( 17 ) is shaped as a bag, wherein the restraining fabric ( 1 ) extends at said upper part ( 14 ), lower part ( 15 ) and first intermediate semi-portion ( 16 ) and wherein the restraining portion is shaped such as to follow a conformation of a joint on which it has to be worn and comprises an upper strip ( 18 ) and a lower strip ( 19 ) joining one another at the first intermediate semi-portion, surrounding the second intermediate semi-portion, and wherein said upper and lower strips extend at least partially sloped towards said first intermediate semi-portion with respect to a direction along which the courses run. 
     
     
         2 . The knit garment according to  claim 1 , wherein said garment is selected from the group of garments to be worn on a user's joint consisting of: an elastic ankle brace ( 11 ), a sock with ankle brace ( 12 ), and an elastic knee brace ( 13 ). 
     
     
         3 . The knit garment according to  claim 1 , wherein at least part of the stretch portion comprises one or more elastic stitches ( 6 ) obtained by knitting the elastic yarn ( 5 ) together with at least said ground yarn, which alternate with one or more float stitches ( 7 ) in which the elastic yarn is not knitted with at least said ground yarn, by forming lengths of elastic yarns extending between two subsequent elastic stitches and wherein at each subsequent course (R 1 , R 2 , . . . , Rn) the same sequence of elastic stitches ( 6 ) and float stitches ( 7 ) is repeated, such that the elastic stitches and the float stitches of a course are aligned in a column with those of the previous and subsequent courses, forming ribs. 
     
     
         4 . The knit garment according to  claim 1 , wherein each one of said first groups (G 1 ) comprises at least one of said first stitches (P 1 ) including the main yarn and each one of said second groups (G 2 ) comprises at least one of said second stitches (P 2 ) including the restraining yarn ( 9 ), wherein each one of said first groups (G 1 ) comprises at least two first stitches (P 1 ) including the main yarn and each one of said second groups (G 2 ) comprises at least two second stitches (P 2 ) including the restraining yarn ( 9 ). 
     
     
         5 . The knit garment according to  claim 1 , wherein the main yarn and the restraining yarn are different and/or have different size, with the restraining yarn having a diameter larger than the main yarn one. 
     
     
         6 . The knit garment according to  claim 1 , wherein the number of the first stitches (P 1 ) of the first groups (G 1 ) and the number of the second stitches (P 2 ) of the second groups (G 2 ) varies at different courses and/or at the same course. 
     
     
         7 . The knit garment according to  claim 1 , wherein at two or more initial courses (Ri), the extent of the restraining portion corresponds to a limited amount of stitches of the respective course; wherein the extent of the restraining portion in each course increases in subsequent courses until extending next to at least most of the stitches of at least one course; wherein the extent of the restraining portion decreases and then increases again in the subsequent courses, such as to surround the second intermediate semi-portion, until extending next to at least most of the stitches of at least one course; and wherein at the lower part the extent of the restraining portion of each course comprises a decreasing number of stitches, until comprising a limited amount of stitches in two or more final courses (Rf). 
     
     
         8 . The knit garment according to  claim 1 , wherein the garment is a sock with ankle brace ( 12 ) and comprises a forefoot portion ( 22 ), a toe portion ( 23 ), a leg portion ( 21 ) and a finish edge ( 20 ). 
     
     
         9 . A method for manufacturing a knit garment comprising at least one portion of a restraining fabric ( 1 ), comprising a sequence of courses, obtained by making, next to at least part of said courses, at least one stretch portion ( 4 ) obtained by knitting at least one elastic yarn ( 5 ) and by making at least one restraining portion ( 8 ) next to at least part of said stretch portion, wherein said restraining portion is obtained by alternatively knitting also a main yarn ( 3 ) with a restraining yarn ( 9 ) such that first groups (G 1 ) of one or more first stitches (P 1 ) are formed and comprise the main yarn, which alternate with second groups (G 2 ) of one or more second stitches (P 2 ) comprising the restraining yarn and in that, at the stitches containing the main yarn, floating lengths ( 10 ′) of the restraining yarn, and vice versa, at the stitches containing the restraining yarn, floating lengths ( 10 ) of the main yarn extend,
 wherein the restraining fabric ( 1 ) is manufactured by a circular machine for knitwear and hosiery having a continuous motion rotating cylinder ( 24 ) that can be selectively and rotationally activated in reciprocating motion, which carries a plurality of needles ( 25 ) that can be selectively activated between an active position, wherein they intercept at least one yarn to be knitted, and an inactive position, wherein they do not intercept said yarn, 
 the method comprising the steps of: 
 a) knitting, at each fabric course, with the needles of the rotating cylinder at least one ground yarn ( 2 ) and at least one elastic yarn ( 5 ) to form a plurality of courses (R 1 , R 2 , . . . , Rn) of the fabric, in order to make a stretched portion ( 4 ); 
 b) knitting, at least at one of said courses (R 1 , R 2 , . . . , Rn), at least one main yarn ( 3 ) with first groups of needles ( 27 ) brought to the active position to intercept the main yarn, which alternate with second groups of needles ( 28 ) brought to the inactive position to not intercept the main yarn; and knitting the restraining yarn with the second groups of needles ( 28 ) brought to the active position to intercept the restraining yarn, which alternate with the first groups of needles ( 27 ) brought to the inactive position, to not intercept the restraining yarn; and 
 c) reiterating step b) for a plurality of subsequent courses in order to make a restraining portion next to at least part of the stretch portion ( 4 ); 
 wherein the step a) can be actuated such that groups of needles ( 27 ) comprising at least one needle knit said elastic yarn, which alternate with groups of needles ( 28 ) comprising at least one needle that do not knit said elastic yarn, and wherein step a) is carried out such that, next to at least some subsequent courses (R 1 , R 2 , . . . , Rn) of the garment, an upper part ( 14 ), a first intermediate semi-portion ( 16 ) and a lower part ( 15 ) of a stretch portion ( 4 ) are formed; and wherein a step b′) is provided wherein, at an intermediate plurality of said courses (R 1 , R 2 , . . . , Rn), at least the ground yarn is knitted with part of the needles of the rotating cylinder to make a second intermediate semi-portion ( 17 ) having the shape of a bag. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said garment is configured for being associated with a user's body joint, specifically wherein said garment is an elastic ankle brace ( 11 ), an elastic knee brace ( 13 ), or a sock with ankle brace ( 12 ), and wherein the method provides the steps required for making such a garment, including the step of making an elastic edge ( 20 ) at the ends or end of said garment. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said garment is a sock with ankle brace and further comprising: making at least one of: a forefoot portion ( 22 ), a toe portion ( 23 ) or a possible leg portion ( 21 ). 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein, by suitably selecting the cylinder needles, steps b) and c) provide for forming a restraining portion comprising an upper strip ( 18 ) and a lower strip ( 19 ) both sloped with respect to a direction along which the courses extend, starting respectively from the upper portion ( 14 ) and the lower portion ( 15 ) towards the first central semi-portion ( 16 ), such as to join at the first central semi-portion ( 16 ) and being shaped such as to surround the second intermediate semi-portion ( 17 ).