Knit fabric for apparel

Abstract

An article of apparel includes a multilayered knit fabric structure. The knit fabric structure includes a first knit layer and a second knit layer, and a resilient intermediate knit layer disposed between and coupling with the first knit layer and the second knit layer. The intermediate knit layer has a corrugated shape along a first direction of the intermediate knit layer with consecutive peaks that are oriented in opposing directions such that the peaks comprise a set of first peaks oriented in a first peak direction and a set of second peaks oriented in a second peak direction that opposes the first peak direction. The first peaks of the intermediate knit layer connect with the first knit layer and the second peaks of the intermediate knit layer connect with the second knit layer.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A knit fabric structure comprising:
 a first knit layer;   a second knit layer; and   a resilient intermediate knit layer disposed between and coupling with the first knit layer and the second knit layer;   wherein the intermediate knit layer has a corrugated shape along a first direction of the intermediate knit layer with consecutive peaks that are oriented in opposing directions such that the peaks comprise a set of first peaks oriented in a first peak direction and a set of second peaks oriented in a second peak direction that opposes the first peak direction, the first peaks of the intermediate knit layer connect with the first knit layer and the second peaks of the intermediate knit layer connect with the second knit layer.   
     
     
         2 . The knit fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the first knit layer and second knit layer couple with each other only via the resilient intermediate knit layer. 
     
     
         3 . The knit fabric structure of  claim 1 , wherein a wale direction for the first knit layer is aligned with a wale direction for the second knit layer, and a wale direction of the intermediate knit layer is transverse the wale direction for each of the first and second knit layers. 
     
     
         4 . The knit fabric structure of  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate knit layer connects with the first knit layer via stitches at the first peaks, the intermediate knit layer connects with the second knit layer via stitches at the second peaks, and a distance D 1  between a first stitch at a first peak and a second stitch at a second peak is from about 3 courses to about 6 courses along each of the first and second knit layers. 
     
     
         5 . The knit fabric structure of  claim 4 , wherein a distance D 2  between first stitches of consecutive first peaks connecting the intermediate knit layer with the first knit layer is from about 6 courses to about 12 courses along the first knit layer. 
     
     
         6 . The knit fabric structure of  claim 4 , wherein a distance D 2  between second stitches of consecutive second peaks connecting the intermediate knit layer with the second knit layer is from about 6 courses to about 12 courses along the second knit layer. 
     
     
         7 . The knit fabric structure of  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate knit layer has a first elongation value in the first direction of the intermediate layer and a second elongation value in a second direction of the intermediate layer that is transverse the first direction, and the first elongation value is greater than the second elongation value. 
     
     
         8 . The knit fabric structure of  claim 7 , wherein the each of the first knit layer and the second knit layer has an elongation value along a direction of each of the first knit layer and the second knit layer that is less than each of the first and second elongation values. 
     
     
         9 . The knit fabric structure of  claim 1 , wherein the knit fabric structure exhibits a Poisson's ratio that is negative in response to stretching of the knit fabric structure in the first direction of the intermediate knit layer. 
     
     
         10 . The knit fabric structure of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second knit layers stretches in a direction transverse the first direction of the intermediate knit layer in response to a stretching force being applied to the knit fabric structure in the first direction of the intermediate knit layer. 
     
     
         11 . The knit fabric structure of  claim 1 , wherein the first knit layer and the second knit layer are formed of yarns comprising polyester. 
     
     
         12 . The knit fabric structure of  claim 11 , wherein the intermediate knit layer is formed of yarns comprising elastane. 
     
     
         13 . The knit fabric structure of  claim 12 , wherein the intermediate knit layer is formed of double covered yarns, wherein elastane forms a core of each double covered yarn. 
     
     
         14 . An article of apparel comprising the knit fabric structure of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         15 . A brassiere comprising the knit fabric structure of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         16 . An article of footwear comprising the knit fabric structure of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         17 . The article of footwear of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a sole structure; and   an upper comprising a lateral side, a medial side, a toe cage section located proximate a toe end of the upper, a collar section located proximate a heel end of the upper, and an instep section located between the lateral and medial sides and also between the toe cage section and the collar section;   wherein the knit fabric structure is provided at one or more of the instep section and the collar section.   
     
     
         18 . The article of footwear of  claim 17 , wherein the knit fabric structure is provided at a first location and a second location along the upper such that a first orientation of the first direction of the intermediate knit layer for the knit fabric structure at the first location differs from a second orientation of the first direction of the intermediate knit layer for the knit fabric structure at the second location. 
     
     
         19 . A method of forming a knit fabric structure including a plurality of layers, the method comprising:
 interlooping strands to form a first knit layer;   interlooping strands to form a second knit layer; and   interlooping strands to form an intermediate knit layer between the first and second knit layers such that the intermediate knit layer couples the first knit layer with the second knit layer, wherein the intermediate knit layer is further formed so as to have a corrugated shape along a first direction of the intermediate knit layer with consecutive peaks that are oriented in opposing directions to define a set of first peaks oriented in a first peak direction and a set of second peaks oriented in a second peak direction that opposes the first peak direction, the first peaks of the intermediate knit layer connecting with the first knit layer and the second peaks of the intermediate knit layer connecting with the second knit layer.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the forming of the intermediate knit layer and the coupling of the intermediate knit layer with the first and second knit layers occurs during the forming of each of the first and second knit layers.