Collar for knit garment comprising a first curved flexible portion and a second curved structured mesh rigid portion, method for manufacturing such a collar and garment comprising such a collar

Abstract

The invention relates to a knitted garment collar (30), particularly for a polo shirt, comprising a first portion of flexible knit (31) including an outer longitudinal end (312) of substantially curved shape; a second portion of rigid structured knit (32), separate from the first portion and constituting the collar stand, including an outer longitudinal end (312) of substantially curved shape, this second portion being integral with the first portion; and a longitudinal folding axis of substantially curved shape of the first portion, such that this first portion folds along the longitudinal folding axis to cover a portion of the first portion and the entirety of the second portion. This collar further defines a height H1 between each outer longitudinal end at its central portion and a height H2 at its two lateral ends, with H1 equal to or greater than H2.The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a collar. The invention further relates to a garment comprising such a collar.

Description

Field of invention

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of making clothing (or articles of clothing) by knitting. More particularly, the invention relates to a knitted garment collar, for example a leisure polo shirt (usually referred to in English as " casual wear ") or sports (for example golf), and a manufacturing process by knitting such a collar, this process making it possible to stabilize said collar both during daily wear and during moving activity. Technological background

[0002] The knitting technique for manufacturing textile articles has been known for many years and is used in a wide variety of fields: clothing, medical articles, filters, reinforcements for composite materials, etc.

[0003] Knitting may have traditionally been done by hand, but today knitting machines have made their way into textile manufacturing plants.

[0004] Knitting combines several techniques, including the technique of arrow knitting, also called partial knitting. It consists of placing the needles of the knitting machine on standby for knitting on a part of the fabric, at the level of a row, while the other needles are working, thus allowing the production of knits with different heights. The more a needle is on standby, the lower the height of this column of stitches will be. It is thus possible to give specific shapes to the knitted element, for example a curved shape, as taught in particular by American patent application US 3,293,662 A. This technique makes it possible to manufacture textiles with specific shapes solely by knitting, without the need for a material cutting step.It also has the advantage of being economical and having a positive impact on the environment, due to the material savings and reduction of waste involved in this process, thanks to the elimination of the material cutting step.

[0005] However, this technique, when applied to the making of a garment collar, for example a polo shirt collar, does not specifically ensure better fit of the collar when worn, nor better fall of the collar during movement, in particular a relatively intense movement of an athlete.

[0006] A classic knitting technique is ribbing, which involves regularly alternating knit and purl stitches in the same row. Knit stitches create volume, while purl stitches create a hollow. 1&1 ribbing specifically refers to alternating one knit stitch and one purl stitch.

[0007] Another well-known knitting technique is structured knit, which uses a more rigid knitting bond than 1&1 rib. Ribs are known for being very elastic. Structured knit thus provides the textile with more rigidity and thickness compared to a more flexible rib, which will bend much more easily. It also helps avoid the stretchy effect of ribbing.

[0008] Today, most clothing collars are made in the style of a shirt collar, using a woven fabric. This technique involves making several sub-assemblies that will make up the collar, for example, one strip for the collar and two strips for the collar stand.

[0009] This manufacturing technique therefore has the disadvantage of being relatively time-consuming, particularly when you want to offer a quality collar, which has a good fit and an adequate fall. Most collars have the disadvantage of rising easily during movement, and even during daily wear, thus unsightly revealing the seam in the back. Such a manufacturing process also does not avoid material losses, in particular by cutting sections of textile to give a specific final shape to the collar.

[0010] Thus, there is a need for a solution that would allow, using the knitting technique alone, to offer a garment collar, in particular a polo collar, which would hold up well during daily wear as well as in the event of more intense movement, for example during a sporting activity, and whose manufacturing process would be simplified and would reduce costs and environmental impact.

[0011] Document CN113412982A discloses a garment with a knitted collar. Statement of the invention

[0012] The inventors of the present invention have thus succeeded in designing a knitted garment collar which comprises at least two distinct portions, one relatively flexible and the other more rigid, this collar having a curved shape. To this end, they have developed a method for manufacturing such a collar which implements the technique of arrow knitting and that of structured mesh knitting.

[0013] For this purpose, the invention proposes, according to a first object, a knitted garment collar, in particular a polo shirt, comprising: a first portion of flexible knit comprising an internal longitudinal end of rectilinear shape and an external longitudinal end of substantially curved shape; a second portion of rigid knit in structured mesh, distinct from the first portion and constituting the collar stand, this second portion comprising an internal longitudinal end of rectilinear shape corresponding to the internal longitudinal end of the first portion and an external longitudinal end of substantially curved shape, this second portion being integral with the first portion at the internal longitudinal end;and a longitudinal folding axis of substantially curved shape of the first portion, this axis being located in the first portion, parallel to its external longitudinal end, so that this first portion folds along the longitudinal folding axis to cover a part of the first portion and the whole of the second portion. ;

[0014] This collar further comprises two lateral ends of rectilinear shape, and defines a height H1 between each external longitudinal end at its central part and a height H2 at each of its two lateral ends, with H1 equal to or greater than H2. The invention is therefore based on a completely new and original approach of proposing a collar having at least two structurally distinct sections, made by two specific knitting techniques, in order to ensure both better wearing of the collar on a daily basis, and improved hold and replacement of this collar during larger or more powerful movements, such as during a sporting activity.

[0015] The first and second portions of the collar according to the invention are knitted using the arrow knitting technique, which makes it possible to give the two external longitudinal ends of the collar a very specific final shape, in an arc of a circle, without having to carry out a material cutting step, which systematically causes a loss of material and therefore waste. Indeed, this technique, which makes it possible to knit sections of the collar while other sections are put on hold, makes it possible to give shapes to the collar, in particular at the external longitudinal ends, which collars can thus adopt a configuration other than rectilinear. In the case of the invention, it is particularly sought to obtain external longitudinal ends of the collar in an arc of a circle. The design of such a collar is therefore simplified and less expensive, since less material is used to obtain this curved shape.The manufacture of this collar also has the advantage of having a positive impact on the environment, since less waste is produced and therefore thrown away, which is not always easily recyclable. This arrow knitting technique also makes it possible to form a collar whose dimensions are not uniform across the entire element. That is to say, this collar with its arc-shaped ends can have different heights over its entire length. The collar of the invention therefore has a height in its center that is greater than the height at its two ends. In particular, this allows the part of the collar furthest from the collar stand and which can fold at the neck along a longitudinal axis to be longer in its central part than at its lateral external ends. This characteristic advantageously allows the collar to fall optimally at the back, for better support during daily wear.Arrow knitting also makes it possible to produce a collar which, when folded along the longitudinal folding axis described above, covers the seam present at the collar / garment junction, that is to say between the collar stand and the rest of the garment at the top of the back, which seam can be considered inelegant. It is in fact by the curved shape of the external longitudinal end of the first portion that the phenomenon of the collar edge coming apart is avoided, thus preventing the back seam from appearing.

[0016] The second portion of the collar according to the invention is also knitted using the structured mesh knitting technique, which allows the collar element thus knitted to be stiffened. The collar of the invention has its collar stand portion designed in this way. The combination of this rigid portion at the collar stand with the more flexible portion of the rest of the collar reinforces the improved fit of the collar during daily wear. This also supports the advantage of optimized replacement of the collar after a movement more intense than everyday gestures, in particular during a sporting activity or leisure activity that requires ample movements.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the height H1 is between 7 cm and 10 cm, preferably between 8.5 cm and 9.5 cm.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the height H2 is between 5 cm and 8 cm, preferably between 6.5 cm and 7.5 cm.

[0019] These dimensions are suitable for designing a collar according to the invention that completely covers the seam at the collar / garment connection, once the collar is folded. A collar having these heights is also configured to ensure good fit and improved replacement, both for everyday wear and during physical activity.

[0020] According to another embodiment, the collar according to the invention consists of a single piece.

[0021] Its process of mounting on the garment is thus facilitated, and includes a reduced number of steps compared to the mounting of collars according to the prior art.

[0022] According to yet another embodiment, the second portion of the structured mesh collar extends over a height at its central part of between 0.5 cm and 2.5 cm, preferably between 1 cm and 2 cm.

[0023] These height dimensions at the collar stand are sufficient for the collar according to the invention to have improved fit and replacement.

[0024] According to another embodiment, the collar is made of cotton or synthetic material, and preferably cotton.

[0025] The collar according to the invention is thus designed with materials that are easy to access, easy to handle and modulate, and relatively inexpensive.

[0026] The invention also proposes, according to a second object, a method of manufacturing such a collar, comprising: at least one step of manufacturing a first portion of flexible knit; at least one step of manufacturing by knitting in structured mesh a second portion of rigid knit, distinct from the first portion and constituting the collar stand; these two manufacturing stages using the technique of arrow knitting and being successive to one another.

[0027] This method makes it possible to design a neck as defined previously, and presenting all the advantages of the invention.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the structured mesh knitting step is carried out using a technique chosen from Milano knitting, Interlock knitting, double-sided knitting, tubular knitting or combined rib / tubular knitting, said at least one structured mesh knitting step being preferentially carried out using the Milano knitting technique.

[0029] This particular technique allows the knitted textile to have sufficient rigidity and thickness to adequately ensure the function of the collar stand, but without making this rigidity too great, so as not to hinder the assembly of the collar to the garment.

[0030] A third object of the invention relates to a garment comprising a collar as defined previously.

[0031] According to one embodiment, this garment is a polo shirt. List of figures

[0032] Other aims, characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description, given as a simple illustrative, and non-limiting, example, in relation to the figures, among which: [ Fig. 1 ] : There Figure 1 shows an overall view of a collar designed according to the method of the invention, which collar is a polo collar; [ Fig. 2 ] : There Figure 2 illustrates a collar designed according to a method known from the prior art, in which the curved shape of the collar is obtained by cutting material; [ Fig. 3 ] : There Figure 3 presents a diagram of a neck designed according to the method of the invention, in which the different heights H1 and H2 of the neck are indicated; [ Fig. 4 ] : There Figure 4illustrates the rear portion of a collar according to the invention, where the seam at the collar / garment connection is hidden by the folded collar; [ Fig. 5 ] : There Figure 5 illustrates the rear portion of a prior art collar, where the seam at the collar / garment connection is visible once the collar is folded back. Detailed description of an embodiment of the invention

[0033] The general principle of the invention is based on the design of a garment collar using at least two knitting techniques, which collar thus has two distinct knitted sections. This combination of knitting techniques allows this innovative collar to have a better everyday fit, compared to the collars of the prior art, while also ensuring improved fit and replacement of the collar during a sporting activity, or at the very least during an activity involving more energetic gestures than everyday gestures.Indeed, it is known that wearing a polo-type garment, comprising a foldable collar, generally presents the disadvantage for its user of seeing its collar unfold easily, and in particular during intense movements, for example during the practice of a sporting activity such as golf, involving the player making broad gestures with the shoulders and arms, and more generally with the entire upper body. This non-optimal hold of the collar is also often associated with the disadvantage of uncovering the seam present at the collar / garment junction. Also, the collars of the prior art designed by a single knitting technique, not including arrow knitting, involve in their manufacturing process a step of cutting material, in particular for collars having a non-rectilinear shape, for example a curved shape at their ends.This cutting step makes the usual manufacturing process of collars more complex and more expensive, involving the use of more material than is ultimately necessary to obtain the final collar, as well as the generation of waste, which could be avoided.

[0034] The inventors of the present invention therefore propose a collar as illustrated in Figure 1 , according to a particular embodiment. This collar 11 combines a portion of rigid knit at the collar stand, obtained by structured mesh knitting, and a portion of flexible knit corresponding to the rest of the collar, these two portions being further designed by arrow knitting. This collar 11 is here integrated into the final garment 12, which is a men's golf polo shirt.

[0035] It should be noted, however, that the collar according to the invention can be adapted to clothing other than men's golf polo shirts, and can in particular be used for polo shirts suitable for other sports, or even polo shirts for leisure or everyday wear. This collar according to the invention can also be configured for polo shirts intended for women and children. It can also be integrated into clothing other than polo shirts.

[0036] This collar 11 is therefore a collar that folds back on itself along a longitudinal folding axis, located in the flexible upper portion of the collar, unlike, for example, so-called Mao collars. The latter are more commonly used on shirt-type clothing. They are small, high, straight and short, and do not have flaps for folding.

[0037] Such a collar 11 according to the invention can be made of cotton or synthetic material, or any other material suitable for the manufacture of clothing. Cotton is a preferred material because it is associated with many advantageous characteristics. It is indeed a material that has a certain insulating power, and is soft, comfortable and flexible. It is also hypoallergenic and allows skin to breathe. It is a material that easily takes dyes, thus making it possible to offer clothing in a wide variety of colors. It is also easy to maintain and generally inexpensive. However, there are several types of cotton, the costs of which can then vary, impacting the price of the final garment.This collar 11 according to the invention has the particularity of having its two external longitudinal ends of curved shape, and this characteristic is obtained by a manufacturing process which advantageously does not include a step of cutting material, but which involves implementing the technique of knitting by arrowing; This technique in fact advantageously makes it possible to give shapes other than rectilinear to the knitted textile elements, and this directly via the knitting process itself. The . Figure 2illustrates this classic step of cutting material in the manufacturing process for collars of the prior art which have a non-rectilinear shape. In this figure, the section 21 corresponds to a portion of the final collar, one end of which is curved, while the hatched section 22 corresponds to a part of the knitted material which will be cut in order to obtain the final curved portion 21. This step of cutting material of the prior art disadvantageously involves a use of more knitting material than what is ultimately necessary to manufacture the final collar 21. Such a method of designing a collar according to the state of the art is therefore more expensive in terms of material. This method is also more complex, insofar as it comprises at least one additional step compared to the method according to the invention.Furthermore, this additional cutting step has the disadvantage of generating material waste, which has a negative impact on the environment, particularly in the case where the waste material is not or is difficult to recycle. The method for manufacturing a neck according to the invention makes it possible to obtain such a neck 11 for which its two external longitudinal ends are curved in shape, avoiding this material cutting step.

[0038] Thus, the collar according to the invention, when it is not yet integrated into the final garment, is illustrated according to the Figure 3, which clearly distinguishes the two portions of knitting constituting the collar according to the same embodiment. The collar 11 thus has a first section 31, knitted in 1&1 rib stitches. However, this section can be knitted in rib stitches other than 1&1, or even according to another knitting technique which ensures a certain extensibility of the knitting.

[0039] The collar 11 also has a second section 32, knitted in structured mesh. These two sections are also knitted using the arrow knitting technique. The method of manufacturing a collar combining these techniques, and in particular structured mesh knitting and arrow knitting, can be carried out on a knitting machine, for example of the type used in textile manufacturing plants. Such a knitting machine generally corresponds to a standard knitting machine, which for example includes specific options to be able to implement these two knitting techniques according to the invention successively. Such a knitting machine can for example be controlled by a computer program, comprising instructions for implementing the arrow knitting technique in due time, and for also implementing the structured mesh knitting technique in due time.The knitting method according to the invention could probably also be implemented entirely by hand, without using a knitting machine.

[0040] As explained further, the arrow knitting technique for making a collar according to the invention makes it possible to modulate the external ends of the collar into an arcuate shape, in particular the external end 312 of the first section 31 and the external end 314 of the second section 32. According to the particular embodiment of a collar for a men's golf polo shirt, these two ends are the mirror of each other, and are convex. The central part of the collar 11 thus logically has a height H1 different from the height H2, which corresponds to the two lateral ends 313 of the entire collar. In particular, H1 is greater than H2. According to this embodiment, the height H1 is 9 cm and the height H2 is 7 cm.These values ​​are however not fixed for the collar of the invention, and may vary depending on several parameters: the type of clothing (such as a polo shirt), the type of recipient (man, woman, child) and the size of the recipient, the type of activity associated with the clothing (for example sports polo shirt, such as golf, or leisure polo shirt). Thus, more generally, the height H1 for a collar according to the invention is between 7 cm and 10 cm, preferably between 8.5 cm and 9.5 cm, and the height H2 is between 5 cm and 8 cm, preferably between 6.5 cm and 7.5 cm.

[0041] Section 31 is knitted in 1&1 rib stitches, which is a classic knitting method consisting of regularly alternating knit and purl stitches on the same row. As seen previously, this section 31 uses the arrow knitting technique on these 1&1 rib stitches, in order to give a specific final shape to the external longitudinal end 312 of this section 31, in particular a curved shape. This section 31, due to its 1&1 rib stitches, is thus relatively extensible. In contrast, the structured mesh of section 32 makes it an element that has a certain stiffness and thickness. This section 32 thus has greater rigidity than the flexible upper section 31. This section 32 in structured mesh is also thicker than section 31. It is located at the collar stand, which is a strategic location to ensure adequate support of the collar.The structured knit may be Milano, Interlock, double-sided, tubular or even combined rib / tubular knitting. In this embodiment, section 32 is knitted in Milano, which has the advantage of providing the textile with sufficient rigidity and thickness to adequately perform the function of the collar stand, but without making this rigidity too great, which could then hinder the assembly of the collar to the garment.

[0042] This section 32 is also knitted by arrowing, making it possible to give the external longitudinal end 314 of this section also a curved shape.

[0043] This section 32 extends, at its central part, over a height of 1 cm for this embodiment (men's golf polo collar). But this height is more generally between 0.5 cm and 2 cm, and preferably between 1 cm and 2 cm, with regard to the various parameters applicable to the invention, such as those mentioned above.

[0044] This collar 11 according to the invention also comprises a longitudinal folding axis 33, which is adapted so that the part of the flexible section 31 located above this axis folds along it to cover the part of the section 31 located below this axis and the section 32. This axis follows the curvature of the external end 312 of the first section 31. The central height H1 of the collar being greater than the height H2 of its lateral ends 313, the section 31 thus folded makes it possible to hide the seam which connects the collar to the rest of the polo shirt, and which is often considered inelegant.

[0045] The combination of sections 31 and 32 for the collar 11 according to the invention therefore makes it possible to achieve a collar which advantageously has improved hold for daily wear, such as for leisure, and also allows optimized hold and replacement of the collar when it is moved by daily wear or by a more intense activity, such as a sporting activity, such as the golf swing.

[0046] A back view of the collar 11 according to the invention, integrated into a polo shirt 12, is illustrated in Figure 4. This figure illustrates that, due to the specific height H1 of the middle of the collar, which is greater than the height of the rest of the collar, the seam located at the collar / garment connection is completely covered by the collar when it is folded. This height H1 also allows the collar, once folded, to rise relatively high on the user's neck, ensuring better protection against weather elements, such as the sun or wind.

[0047] For comparison, a prior art collar 51 is illustrated in Figure 5 . It is clearly visible that, when this collar 51 is integrated into the garment 52 by a seam 53, the latter remains visible when the collar is folded back. It is also visible that such a collar 51 rises less significantly in the neck, thus protecting it less from external elements (rain, wind, cold, sun, etc.).

Claims

1. Collar (30) of a knitted garment, in particular a polo shirt, comprising: - a first flexible knit portion (31) comprising a rectilinear-shaped inner longitudinal end (311) and a substantially curved-shaped outer longitudinal end (312); - a second structured knitted stiff knit portion (32), distinct from said first portion (31) and constituting the collar stand, said second portion (32) comprising an inner longitudinal end of rectilinear shape corresponding to said inner longitudinal end (311) of said first portion (31) and an outer longitudinal end (314) of substantially curved shape, said second portion (32) being integral with said first portion (31) at said inner longitudinal end (311); the collar being characterised by, - a substantially curved-shaped longitudinal fold axis (33) of said first portion (31), said longitudinal fold axis (33) being located in said first portion (31), parallel to said outer longitudinal end (312), so that said first portion (31) folds along said longitudinal fold axis (33) to cover a part of said first portion (31) and the whole of said second portion (32); said collar comprising two rectilinear-shaped lateral ends (313); and said collar defining a height H1 between said outer longitudinal end (312) and said outer longitudinal end (314) at its central portion, and a height H2 at each of its two lateral ends (313), with H1 equal to or greater than H2.

2. Garment collar according to claim 1, wherein said height H1 is between 7 cm and 10 cm, preferably between 8.5 cm and 9.5 cm.

3. Garment collar according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said height H2 is between 5 cm and 8 cm, preferably between 6.5 cm and 7.5 cm.

4. Garment collar according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said collar consists of a single piece.

5. Garment collar according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said second portion (32) of said structured knitted collar extends over a height at its central portion of between 0.5 cm and 2.5 cm, preferably between 1 cm and 2 cm.

6. Garment collar according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said collar is made of cotton or synthetic material, said collar preferentially being made of cotton.

7. Method for manufacturing a collar (30) of a knitted garment, in particular a polo shirt, according to claims 1 to 6, said method comprising: - at least one step of manufacturing a first flexible knit portion (31) of said collar; - at least one step of manufacturing by structured knitting a second rigid knit portion (32) of said collar, distinct from said first portion (31) and constituting the collar stand; said two manufacturing steps involving the flechage knitting technique and being successive to one another.

8. Method according to claim 7, wherein said at least one structured knitting step is carried out according to a technique chosen from Milano knitting, Interlock knitting, double-sided knitting, tubular knitting or combined ribbed / tubular knitting, said at least one structured knitting step being preferably carried out according to the Milano knitting technique.

9. Garment comprising a collar (30) as defined according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

10. Garment according to claim 9 being a polo shirt.

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