Containment Garment and Respective Manufacturing Method

This application is a § 371 U.S. National Phase of International Patent Application PCT/IB2023/054695, filed May 5, 2023, which claims priority of Italian Patent Application No. 102022000009362, filed May 6, 2022, the entire contents of all of which are incorporated by reference herein as if fully set forth.

The present invention generally relates to the field of knitwear and particularly relates to containment garments, especially for sports, to be worn at a user's joint. The invention further relates to a method of manufacturing such garments by circular machines for knitwear and hosiery.

Garments of containment type, adapted to exert a containing function on the part of a user's body on which they are worn and particularly on the foot joint or other joints, are well known. Specifically, garments having orthopedic or containment functions, to be worn at the foot joints, such as stretch ankle support and the like, or to be worn on a knee, elbow, wrist or shoulder, are known. Such garments may have stretch portions shaped and structured so as to keep in the correct position the joint on which they are worn, thus preventing incorrect movements that could cause traumas. Such garments can be worn both as a preventive measure and following trauma that have compromised the tightness, especially lateral, of the joint.

As for the foot, elastic socks, with or without a portion adapted to accommodate the user's toes, or ankle bands are also used.

It is also known the so called proprioception, which is the ability to sense and recognize the position of the body and limbs in space without the support of sight, both while maintaining static postures and during movement. It is a complex neuro-physiological mechanism activated by specific receptors, which are actual sensory organs, found in muscle, on joints and skin, which send their own signals to particular areas of the brain. These sensory signals are named proprioceptive.

Particularly when running, the proprioceptive system is continuously activated and allows the movement to be performed. This applies to the technical gesture characteristic of each sport, such as the foot placement in running, the jump in volleyball, the quick change of direction in basketball, tennis and soccer, the flexion-extension during uphill and downhill hiking or walking on the green by golf players.

Those with problems in the proprioceptive system, as a result of joint traumas or degenerative diseases of the nervous system, may have uncertain movement, thus increasing the risks of falls and accidents.

Therefore, proprioceptive training and stimulation are of paramount importance for trauma prevention for all individuals playing sports, as it provides better control of muscle activity, greater joint stability, greater resistance to micro-traumas, a greater sense of balance and absolute control of the technical gesture.

In particular, artistic gymnastics athletes during training subject their feet to heavy pressures and stresses caused by jumps, wide flexions, metatarsal overloads, abrupt accelerations and changes of direction, and decelerations in falls. As a result, the whole foot structure suffers and thus tends to create inflammation of the Achilles tendon, Achilles tendinitis, metatarsalgia or flattening of the foot arch.

In gymnastics as well as in other sports, the knee, elbow, wrist and shoulder joints are also particularly stressed, leading to potential consequences of traumas or inflammation of tendons and ligaments.

Therefore, it would be desirable to provide garments able to stimulate proprioceptors, so as to improve motor control thereof and prevent injuries, with the countless benefits that would follow.

Document US 2021/156058 A1 relates to a knitted containment garment, such as a stretch ankle support, a sock with ankle support, a stretch kneepad and the like, comprising at least one containment portion.

U.S. Patent Application US 2012/284902 A1 refers to socks equipped with a figure-of-eight portion that supports the ankle joint of the wearer.

Document US 2018/051401 A1 concerns a clothing item with elastic inserts, manufactured on circular machines.

International Patent Application WO 2019/104263 A1 relates to a kneepad that includes regions formed by a textile support that are arranged in combination with straps.

Finally, document US 2012/283610 A1 concerns a supporting element for the hand joint for reducing the load on the hand joints, which includes a first anchoring section to cling the user's forearm comprising a tubular knit fabric, a second anchoring section to cling the palm and back of the user's hand, and a perforated anchoring section formed as a through-hole, near the second anchoring section.

The present invention is designed with the object of overcoming the drawbacks of the known art by proposing a knitted garment having containment effect, thus suitable to give support to the joint at which it is worn, particularly to support the ankle, heel and Achilles tendon, or the knee, elbow, wrist or shoulder of the user in order to prevent or reduce inflammation, such as Achilles tendinitis, tendonitis or ligament inflammation and traumas.

Another object is to provide a tubular knit garment assembled substantially without seams, adapted to be worn at the foot and ankle, knee, elbow, wrist or shoulder of a user in order to contain and restrict his or her movements while keeping the joint itself in the correct position.

Yet another object is to provide a garment that can stimulate proprioceptors.

A further object is to provide a garment in the form of a sock or stocking, with or without a portion adapted to contain the toes, which is particularly comfortable due to the absence of seams except possibly that for the closure of its toe.

A further additional object is to provide a garment in the form of a kneepad, elbow pad, wrist brace or shoulder containment band that, being seamless, is particularly comfortable.

These objects are achieved by a knitted garment according to the appended claims, which has at least one stretch portion, comprising stretch stitches obtained by knitting at least one ground yarn and one elastic yarn. According to the invention, the stretch portion has at least one containment portion comprising stitches obtained by also knitting a containment yarn alternately with at least one main yarn, so that floating lengths of the main yarn are formed at the stitches comprising the containment yarn, and vice versa, wherein such a containment portion extends at least at the part of the containment garment to be worn at the user's joint and in particular at the heel, kneecap, back of the elbow, which protrudes when the arm is being flexed, upper part of the wrist, which protrudes when the wrist is in palmar flexion, or the shoulder of the user.

Advantageously, in some embodiments, the containment portion is not extended at a first intermediate half-portion to be worn on the user's foot instep at the foot joint, the back of the knee, the inner part of the elbow or at the user's armpit, so as to allow normal full mobility of the joint itself; in this case, the first intermediate half-portion is advantageously obtained by a drop-needle knitting that makes it thin, thus preventing the formation of creases during movement.

Preferably, in the case of a containment garment to be worn on the user's wrist, the containment portion also extends at the first intermediate half-portion to be worn on the front of the wrist in order to provide support to the joint in both dorsiflexion and palmar flexion.

Preferably, to increase the containment effect, the second intermediate half-portion is not shaped as a pouch to accommodate the heel or joint combined therewith; this gives the containment garment a substantially tubular shape, possibly closed at one end thereof so as to define a toe portion intended to contain the user's toes. This way, an even stronger containment is exerted by the containment portion on the heel, that must deform the knit in order to be held in the containment garment, and generally on the respective joint that must deform the knit in order to be flexed.

Advantageously, the stretch portion extends at the entire containment garment, preferably excluding the toe portion if present in the case of a sock.

Advantageously, at least part of the containment portion is obtained by knitting the main yarn and the first containment yarn according to a so-called 2:2 selection, in which two stitches of the main yarn are followed by two stitches of the first containment yarn and so on, and a floating yarn length of the first containment yarn is formed at two stitches of the main yarn, while a floating yarn length of the main yarn is formed at two stitches of the first containment yarn.

In a particularly preferred solution, the containment garment comprises a double-containment portion, which extends at least at part of the stretch portion and is obtained by knitting a second containment yarn as well, so that a group of one or more stitches of the main yarn is followed by a group of one or more stitches of the first containment yarn, in turn followed by one or more stitches of the main yarn followed by a group of one or more stitches of the second containment yarn, and so on, correspondingly obtaining floating lengths of the first containment yarn and the second containment yarn at the groups of one or more stitches of the main yarn, floating lengths of the main yarn and the second containment yarn at the groups of one or more stitches of the first containment yarn, and floating lengths of the main yarn and the first containment yarn at the groups of one or more stitches of the second containment yarn.

Advantageously, the double-containment portion surrounds the joint the garment is combined with and any respective circular band that surrounds a limb portion adjoining the corresponding joint, particularly the user's heel and the region of the arch of the foot and the corresponding part of the instep of the foot in the case of a sock, or the user's kneecap, elbow, wrist or shoulder; preferably the double-containment portion also extends at the supporting region of the heel, the knee or the elbow.

Preferably, at least part of the stitches of some of the courses of the double-containment portion are terry knitted stitches of the first or second containment yarn or of an additional yarn, so as to make reinforcing portions in specific regions of the containment garment.

Preferably, the containing knit of the containment and/or double-containment portions is made almost entirely in the single jersey mode, except for any terry knitted stitches that may be present in the double-containment portion.

The invention also relates to a method according to claimfor manufacturing a knitted containment garment by means of a circular knitwear and hosiery machine. Specifically, the method provides for knitting at least one ground yarn to build a plurality of consecutive courses; knitting also an elastic yarn at some courses to build stretch stitches comprising the elastic yarn that are alternated with stitches in which the elastic yarn is not knitted; knitting a main yarn and at least one first containment yarn alternately with each other, at least at part of a plurality of successive courses of the stretch portion, to build a containment portion, wherein the main yarn and at least the first containment yarn are knitted alternately with each other at least at a second intermediate half-portion of the containment manufactured article to be worn at the heel or a joint of the user.

Preferably, the containment portion does not extend at a first intermediate half-portion to be worn on the instep of the foot, at the front of the foot joint, at the back of the knee, at the front of the elbow and at the armpit, which is instead drop-needle knitted.

Preferably, in the case of a containment garment in the form of a wrist brace, the containment portion also extends at the first intermediate half-portion.

Advantageously, no steps to build a pouch-shaped protuberance at the second intermediate half-portion normally provided to accommodate the user's heel or joint, are provided.

Advantageously, at least the first containment yarn and at least one second containment yarn are knitted alternately with the main yarn, so that stitches of the main yarn are followed by stitches of the first containment yarn, followed by stitches of the main yarn, followed by stitches of the second containment yarn and so on.

Next to at least one course, the method provides for forming terry knitted stitches of the first or second containment yarn, in order to make reinforced containment regions.

The method can advantageously provide the steps required to form a toe portion, to form one or two stretch edges and the possible step of sewing the toe portion of the containment garment.

Various exemplary embodiments of a knitted containment garment according to the present invention are shown in the figures. Specifically, a containment garment in the form of a sock is denoted by, a tubular containment garment which, depending on the diameter and size, can be a toe-less sock, a kneepad, an elbow pad or a containment band for a shoulder is denoted by, a containment garment in the form of a wrist brace is denoted byand a containment garment in the form of a sock with heel reinforcement is denoted by.

Specifically, the knitted containment garment,,,comprises an upper part′ and a lower part″ joined together by a first intermediate half-portionand a second intermediate half-portion. Specifically, the second intermediate half-portion is intended to be worn at the heel of the user or the kneecap, elbow, back of the wrist or on the user's shoulder, whereas the first intermediate half-portion is intended to be worn on the instep of the foot, the back of the knee, the inside of the elbow, the front of the wrist or the armpit of the user, so as to be on the opposite side with respect to the second intermediate half-portion.

The containment garment,may also comprise a toe portionto accommodate the user's toes.

In addition, the containment garment may be provided with a stretch edgeat one or both of its ends, i.e. only one in the case of a garment in the form of a sock, to keep the garment properly fitted.

The knitted containment garment is substantially tubular and comprises a plurality of courses obtained by knitting together at least one ground yarnand at least one main yarn, and at least one stretch portionwhich extends next to at least one plurality of courses R, R, . . . , Rn, which are obtained by knitting together at least the ground yarnand at least one elastic yarn, preferably also the main yarn, or by knitting the elastic yarn in a so called drop-needle knitting, in which the elastic yarn is knitted with at least the ground yarn in some stitches referred to as stretch stitches, while in other stitches, referred to as float stitches, the ground yarn is not knitted, thereby forming lengths of elastic yarn that remain floating, as shown for example in-

Preferably, the same sequence of stitches is repeated at each successive course R, R, . . . , Rn so that the stretch stitches and the float stitches of a course are aligned with those of the previous and next courses, so as to form columns.

In a preferred solution shown in the figures, in each course an elastic stitch alternates with a float stitch, with a so-defined 1:1 selection.

Specifically,shows a portion of a course of the stretch portion with a 1:1 selection.

shows part of a course with so-called drop-needle knitting, the elastic yarnbeing knitted according to a 1:1 selection and the main yarnbeing drop-needle knitted, so that the first stitches Pof the main yarn are alternated with float stitches of the main yarn, which define a length of floating yarn.

Preferably, the stretch portionextends at the entire garment, possibly except for the toe portion.

The containment garment is preferably formed in one piece, that is, it is seamless, except for any finishing seams or seams to close the toe portion, and can be made with different diameters and sizes depending on the limb portion on which it is intended to be worn, which may be a foot, knee, elbow, wrist or shoulder.

According to the invention, at least at a part of the stretch portion a containment portionis also obtained by knitting the main yarnand at least one first containment yarn, as shown in,,and. In such a portion, the main yarnand the first containment yarnare knitted alternately with respect to each other, so that a floating yarn length′ of the first containment yarnis formed at first groups Gof one or more first stitches Pof the main yarn, and vice versa a floating yarn lengthof the main yarnis formed at second groups Gof one or more second stitches Pof the first containment yarn.