Underwear abstract
An underwear construction including multiple fabric panels that
are adjoined by trimless seams.
Underwear claims
We claim:
1. An underwear construction, comprising: (a) a trunk panel having
an upper edge, a lower edge, and opposed side edges, each of the
opposed side edges having concave portions formed therealong at
least some portion of the opposed side edge and terminating at the
bottom edge; and (b) inner and outer fronts panels having top and
bottom edges and opposed side edges, wherein each of the opposed
side edges having an upper portion, and wherein the bottom edge
is joined to the lower edge of the trunk panel and the opposed side
edges are joined along their upper portions to the opposed side
edges of the trunk panel by trimless seams.
2. The underwear construction of claim 1 wherein each of the trimless
seams comprises a side edge of the trunk panel folded under, wherein
the folded edge is cover stitched atop one of the opposed side edges
of an inner panel and one of the opposed side edges of an outer
panel.
3. The underwear construction of claim 2 wherein said trimless
seam is bottom cover stitched.
4. The underwear construction of claim 1 further including an elastic
waistband stitched around the periphery of the upper edges of said
trunk panel and of said outer panel of the underwear.
5. An underwear construction, comprising: (a) a trunk panel having
an upper edge, a lower edge and opposed side edges; (b) first and
second leg panels, each of said leg panels having a top edge and
opposed side edges, wherein each of the opposed side edges having
an upper portion, and wherein an opposed side edge of each of said
first and second side panels is joined to one of the opposed side
edges of said trunk panel; and (c) inner and outer panels having
top and bottom edges and opposed side edges, said outer panel overlying
the inner panel and joined to the lower edge of the trunk panel
and to the upper portions of the opposed side edges of each of the
first and second leg panels along trimless seams.
6. The underwear construction of claim 5 wherein each of the trimless
seams comprises a side edge of the trunk panel folded under, wherein
the folded edge is cover stitched atop one of the opposed side edges
of an inner panel and one of the opposed side edges of an outer
panel.
7. The underwear construction of claim 6 wherein said trimless
seam is bottom cover stitched.
8. The underwear construction of claim 5 further including an elastic
waistband stitched around the periphery of the upper edges of said
rear panel, first and second leg panels, and inner and outer panels
of the underwear.
Underwear description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to male undergarments,
and, more particularly, to an undergarment brief or shorts having
a trimless seam construction.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various forms of male undergarments have been developed over the
ages. In particular, in more modern times, two types have become
most widely known: underwear briefs, sometimes referred to as "jockey
shorts," and a loosely fitting shorts known as "boxers."
Men's briefs are generally constructed with one or more trunk panels,
and overlapping front panels. The briefs known in the art have commonly
been constructed so that the trunk panel is joined to the overlapping
front panels along a pair of vertical, spaced-ap art, and generally
parallel seams. The overlapping front panels typically define a
singular fly opening for access through the outermost panel to the
penis for purposes of urination. Because use of the fly formed by
the front panels places repeated stress on the scams, the seams
must be reinforced. To ensure adequate reinforcement of these seams,
a trim strip formed of folded material is stitched over the seam.
While the trim strip strengthens the seam, a ridge, or raised area
is created along each of the front seams. The resulting briefs are
considered by some consumers to be less than aesthetically pleasing
to the sight or touch. Further, the material costs for the trim
strips, and the added labor costs associated with the manufacturing
step of stitching the trim strips to the briefs add substantially
to the total costs of producing the briefs. What is needed in the
art is an underwear seam construction that is sufficiently strong
to accommodate the stress associated with normal wear, but is more
aesthetically pleasing and cheaper to manufacture than a brief constructed
with a trim strip. There has not heretofore, however been an alternative
to the use of trim strips for sufficient reinforcement of the seams.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a man's underwear construction
that addresses the problems associated with the reinforcing trim
strips. As used herein, the term "underwear" is intended
to encompass shorts, drawers, skivvies, jockey shorts, boxer shorts,
briefs, long underwear, and variations thereof. In one embodiment
of the present invention, the underwear construction includes a
trunk panel, and inner and outer front panels that are joined together
along a plurality of edges, or seams.
The panels forming the underwear of the present invention are desirably
of knitted fabric, however the invention is not limited to fabric
of a knitted construction. Nevertheless, the knitted fabric of the
preferred embodiment is formed from yarns of 100% or less cotton;
the fabric also could be knitted or woven from blended natural and
synthetic yarns.
In the first embodiment, the trunk panel is the largest single
panel forming the underwear and has an upper edge, lower edge, and
opposed side edges. The opposed side edges have concave cutouts
formed therealong that terminate at the bottom edge. The concave
portions, when attached to front panels, define leg openings.
The inner and outer front panels are identically formed. Each panel
has top and bottom edges and opposed side edges, where the bottom
edges are joined to the lower edge of the trunk panel and the opposed
side edges are joined along their uppermost portions to the opposed
side edges of the trunk panel. One of the opposed side edges on
each panel is arcuately-shaped to define a fly and is unjoined along
at least some portion to form a fly opening.
To form the underwear construction, the outer front panel is obversely
placed on top of the inner front panel so that a singular fly opening
is created in the outer front panel; i.e., the arcuate edge of the
outer front panel will be opposed the arcuate edge of the inner
front panel. A trimless seam is then formed by folding under about
one-quarter inch of one free edge of the trunk panel and overlying
it on about one-quarter inch of the free edges on one side of the
inner and outer front panels. The overlying portions are then sewn
together using a bottom cover stitch extending the length of the
seam. The process is then repeated for the opposed seam. The finished
seam is flatter and smoother to the touch than a conventional seam
with an applied trim strip. Also, the garment is more inexpensively
and efficiently manufactured because the trim piece is eliminated
and the additional manufacturing step is no longer necessary.
These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent
to those skilled in the art after a reading of the following description
of the preferred embodiment when considered with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front view of the men's underwear brief of the present
invention;
FIG. 2A is an exploded cross-sectional view of the trimless seam
construction for the brief of FIG. 1, taken along line 2--2;
FIG. 2B is an as-constructed cross-sectional view of the trimless
seam construction of FIG. 2A;
FIG. 3 is a front view of the inner and outer panel construction
of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a front view of the men's boxer shorts of the present
invention; and
FIG. 5 is an plan view illustrating the panels that form the boxer
shorts of FIG. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 3, it will be understood that
the illustrations are for the purpose of describing a preferred
embodiment of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention
thereto. FIG. 1 is a front schematic view of a pair of men's underwear
briefs formed according to the present invention, shown generally
as 10. In one embodiment, the briefs are shaped in conventional
fashion for "jockey" type briefs, although the invention
is not limited to a particular brief construction.
As best illustrated in FIG. 3, in one embodiment, the briefs 10
are formed from three panels that are joined together along specified
seams. The panels are each formed from a single knitted fabric of
yarns that are 100 percent cotton; however, the fabric forming the
panels are not limited to a 100 percent cotton structure, and are
not limited to knitted fabric.
FIG. 3 best illustrates the shapes of the three panels used to
form the briefs before they are joined together. As those skilled
in the art will appreciate, the number of panels is not critical
so long as a fly is formed by overlapping front panels on one side
or the other of the briefs. The three panels comprise a trunk panel
12, an inner front panel 16, and an outer front panel 14. Inner
front panel 16 and outer front panel 14 are identically formed,
although this is for convenience of manufacture and is not a requirement
of the construction. As will be understood, however, the front panels
are obversely positioned one atop the other in forming the underwear
construction of the present invention, so that the arcuate edge
14e of the outer front panel is opposite the arcuate edge 16e of
the inner front panel.
Trunk panel 12 covers the trunk, or buttocks, of the wearer of
the brief and extends around the waist to the front of the briefs.
Trunk panel 12, inner panel 16, and outer panel 14 are sewn together
along their bottom edges 12c, 14c, and 16c to form a lower seam.
Trunk panel 12 wraps around the front of the briefs for attachment
to inner front panel 16 and outer front panel 14. Specifically,
edge 12a of trunk panel 12 is attached to edges 16a and 14a of inner
front panel 16 and outer front panel 14, respectively, along a trimless
seam that is discussed in greater detail below. Similarly, edge
12b of trunk panel 12 is attached to edges 16b and 14b of inner
front panel 16 and outer front panel 14, also along a trimless seam.
As will be understood, when panels 12, 14, and 16 are attached as
described herein, edges 12d and 12e to 14e and 16e, respectively,
create leg openings 23a, 23b for the briefs, as shown in FIG. 1.
Generally, the panels of a conventional underwear construction
are aligned and a binding, or trim strip, is sewn over the panel
junctures to securely join and reinforce the edges of the panels,
creating an acceptable appearance and comfortable feel. As used
herein, the terms "binding" or "trim strip"
refer to a strip of like material that is placed over the juncture
of adjoining panels or along the exposed unfinished edges of a panel.
Referring now to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the trimless seam construction
of the present invention is best seen. For ease of illustration,
FIG. 2A is an exploded view of FIG. 2B. While a particular sequence
of steps is described to illustrate the construction, the order
of steps is not limited thereto. The joinder of panels 12, 14, and
16 begins with positioning outer panel 14 over inner panel 16. Because
the two panels, albeit reversed, are similarly dimensioned, edges
14a and 14b of panel 14 will align with edges 16a and 16b, respectively,
of panel 16, along the uppermost lengths of those edges. Thus, panels
14 and 16 are unjoined at this stage, but substantially overlie
one another.
Opposing side edges 12a and 12b of trunk panel 12 are individually
folded under, one at a time, by about 1/4 inch so that the finished
underwear construction will have a smooth, flat seam. While a fold
of about 1/4 inch is desirable, those skilled in the art will appreciate
that considerable variation in the dimension of the fold is permissible,
so long as excess material does not hinder the construction and
wear of the undergarment. Side edges 12a and 12b may be manually
folded or automatically folded using known sewing or embroidery
machine folders and feeding accessories.
Once edges 12a and 12b have been folded over, they are positioned
one at a time to overlap about 1/4 inch of the free edges 14a, 16a
or 14b, 16b, respectively. With the three panels so positioned,
they are fed beneath the head of a multi-needle sewing machine where
a cover stitch 34a, 35a is applied. In a preferred embodiment, as
shown in FIG. 2B, a two-needle, bottom cover stitch is sewn through
the overlying panels to create, the smooth, trimless seams 34, 35.
While a conventional bottom cover stitch is described herein, those
skilled in the textile arts will appreciate that there are a number
of other stitch types that are acceptable and suitable substitutes.
The needles of the sewing head are 75 millimeters, and the thread
used to form the cover stitch is a 180 denier, textured polyester.
Alternatively, a range of needle sizes and numbers may suitably
form the cover stitch of the trimless scam. Also, thread formed
of other materials may be used.
Because the trunk panel 12 edges 12a and 12b are folded under and
positioned over the front panel side eges 14a, 14b, 16a, and 16b,
the finished undergarment not only has an pleasing hand and visually
appealing construction, but does not require the additional reinforcement
of bulky and expensive trim strips that conventional briefs require.
Returning to FIGS. 1 and 3, inner panel 16 is attached along its
lower edge 16c to the bottom edge 12c of trunk panel 12. Likewise,
outer panel 14 is attached along its lower edge 14c to bottom edge
12c of trunk panel 12. Alternatively, edge 16c of inner panel 16
may be dimensioned so that it does not extend completely down to
edge 12c and may be left unjoined so that a lower opening between
outer panel 14 and inner panel 16 is formed therebetween.
As can be seen in FIG. 1, when the undergarment 10 is so constructed
with the outer and inner panels securely overlapped, a singular
fly 24 is created on one side of outer panel 14.
Returning to FIG. 1, a waistband 32 of elastic fabric is sewn around
the upper periphery of the briefs to aid in holding the briefs in
proper alignment about the torso. Additionally, bindings 28, 29,
and 36 are secured around the leg openings 23a and 23b, and around
the fly 24.
A second embodiment of the present invention provides a men's underwear
formed as boxer shorts, shown generally as 40 in FIG. 4. The overlying
arrangement of the inner panel 46 and the outer panel 44 is the
same as that of the briefs 10, with a singular ly opening 53 formed
by the unattached arcuate edge 44d of outer panel 44. The principal
differences between the construction of the briefs and the construction
of the boxer shorts are the number and shape of panels.
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, boxer shorts 40 are formed from five
panels, consisting of four different shapes. There are two leg panels
42 that are identically formed to form the left and right leg portions
of the boxer shorts 40. As can be seen in FIG. 5, and as will be
readily understood by those skilled in the art, the trunk portion
of the boxer shorts 40 is formed by a rear panel 43 that is joined
along edge 43a to an edge 42d of one leg portion and along edge
43b to an edge 42e on the opposed leg portion. Edges 42a and 42b
on each leg portion 42 are joined together to complete the leg construction.
Outer panel 44 and inner panel 46 are identically formed, but observably
positioned with respect to one another, similar to the first embodiment
for the briefs. Thus arcuate edge 44d of panel 44 is opposite edge
46e of panel 46. Bottom edges 46c of inner panel 46, bottom edge
44c of outer panel 44, bottom edge 42f of panel 42, and edge 43c
of the rear panel 43 are joined together to form the bottom seam
of the boxer shorts seat portion. Edge 46a and edge 46aa of inner
panel 46 is joined to edge 42d on one leg portion and edges 46b
and 46bb of inner panel 46 are joined along the upper and lower
portions of edge 42e on the opposed leg portion. Similarly, edges
44a and 44aa of the outer panel 44 are attached along the upper
and lower portions of edge 42d on one leg portion and edge 44b is
joined to edge 42e on the opposed leg portion. So constructed, the
boxer shorts 40 are formed with trimless seams 54, 55 by the same
overlying and folded construction shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. As seen
in FIGS. 1 and 4, the most substantial difference between trimless
seams 34, 35 and 54, 55 is the length of the seams.
Referring again to FIGS. 4 and 5, bindings 57 and 58 may be applied
along edges 42c of each leg opening bottom. Similarly, binding 56
may be attached along the fly opening 53. An elastic waistband 52
is desirably also attached around the upper periphery of the boxer
shorts, namely, upper edges 44f, 43f, 46f, and 42c.
Certain modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled
in the art upon a reading of the foregoing description. It should
be understood that all such modifications and improvements have
been deleted herein for the sake of conciseness and readability
but are properly within the scope of the following claims. |