Compression garments and methods of manufacturing same

Abstract

A compression garment. A skirt portion, a short portion structurally continuous with the skirt portion, wherein the short portion is configured to adhere to a wearer. The skirt portion is configured to cover at least part of the short portion. The compression garment is seamless at a waistline of the wearer to adhere to the waistline without excessive compression at the waistline when the garment is worn.

I claim: 
     
         1 ) A compression garment, comprising:
 a skirt portion;   a short portion structurally continuous with the skirt portion, wherein the short portion is configured to adhere to a wearer,   the skirt portion is configured to cover at least part of the short portion, and   the compression garment is seamless at a waistline of the wearer to adhere to the waistline without excessive compression at the waistline when the garment is worn.   
     
     
         2 ) The compression garment of  claim 1 , wherein, the short portion adheres to a thigh, a buttock, and a groin of the wearer when the garment is worn. 
     
     
         3 ) The compression garment of  claim 1 , wherein the garment is configured to prevent abdomen portions of the wearer from unduly protruding from the waistline when the garment is worn. 
     
     
         4 ) The compression garment of  claim 1 , wherein the short portion and the skirt portion each comprises a nylon fabric, an elastane fabric, or both the nylon fabric and the elastane fabric. 
     
     
         5 ) The compression garment of  claim 1 , wherein the garment comprises a tubular garment, and
 wherein the short portion is seamlessly transitioned to the skirt portion via an intermediate portion that comprises a seamless fold line.   
     
     
         6 ) The compression garment of  claim 5 , wherein the garment is configurable to be in an extended configuration that is not folded at the seamless fold line such that the skirt portion extends upward from the intermediate portion,
 wherein the garment is configurable to be in a retracted configuration that is folded at the seamless fold line such that the skirt portion extends downward from the intermediate portion.   
     
     
         7 ) The compression garment of  claim 5 , wherein the waistline of the wearer is adjacent to the seamless fold line when the garment is worn. 
     
     
         8 ) The compression garment of  claim 5 , wherein the short portion comprises a ribbing knit pattern, and
 wherein each of the skirt portion and the intermediate portion comprises a warp knit pattern.   
     
     
         9 ) The compression garment of  claim 8 , wherein the ribbing knit pattern is a 2×1 ribbing knit pattern. 
     
     
         10 ) The compression garment of  claim 1 , wherein a crotch portion of the short portion comprises a flatlock inseam and a gusset. 
     
     
         11 ) A tubular compression garment, comprising:
 a short portion seamlessly transitioned to a skirt portion via an intermediate portion that comprises a seamless fold line;   wherein the short portion adheres to a wearer, the skirt portion is configured to cover at least part of the short portion, and the garment is seamless at a waistline of the wearer to adhere to the waistline without excessive compression at the waistline when the garment is worn;   wherein the garment is configurable to be in an extended configuration that is not folded at the seamless fold line such that the skirt portion extends upward from the intermediate portion, wherein the garment is configurable to be in a retracted configuration that is folded at the seamless fold line such that the skirt portion extends downward from the intermediate portion;   wherein the waistline of the wearer is adjacent to the seamless fold line when the garment is worn; and   wherein the garment is configured to prevent fatty portions of an abdomen of the wearer from unduly protruding from the waistline when the garment is worn.   
     
     
         12 ) The tubular compression garment of  claim 11 , wherein a crotch portion of the short portion comprises a flatlock inseam and a gusset. 
     
     
         13 ) The tubular compression garment of  claim 11 , wherein the short portion comprises a ribbing knit pattern, and wherein each of the skirt portion and the intermediate portion comprises a warp knit pattern. 
     
     
         14 ) The tubular compression garment of  claim 13 , wherein the ribbing knit pattern is a 2×1 ribbing knit pattern. 
     
     
         15 ) A method for manufacturing a tubular compression garment, the method comprising the steps of:
 creating a short portion;   creating an intermediate portion that comprises a seamless fold line and that is structurally continuous with the short portion; and   creating a skirt portion that is structurally continuous with the intermediate portion.   
     
     
         16 ) The method of  claim 15 , wherein the garment is configurable to be in an extended configuration that is not folded at the seamless fold line such that the skirt portion extends upward from the intermediate portion,
 wherein the garment is configurable to be in a retracted configuration that is folded at the seamless fold line such that the skirt portion extends downward from the intermediate portion.   
     
     
         17 ) The method of  claim 15 , wherein a waistline of a wearer is adjacent to the seamless fold line when the garment is worn. 
     
     
         18 ) The method of  claim 15 , wherein the short portion is created by knitting a ribbing knit pattern with a first fabric, and wherein the intermediate portion and the skirt portion are created by knitting a warp knit pattern with a second fabric. 
     
     
         19 ) The method of  claim 18 , wherein each of the first fabric and the second fabric comprises a nylon fabric, an elastane fabric, or both the nylon fabric and the elastane fabric. 
     
     
         20 ) The method of  claim 18 , wherein the ribbing knit pattern is a 2×1 ribbing knit pattern.