KNITTED GARMENT COLLAR COMPRISING A FIRST CURVED FLEXIBLE PORTION AND A SECOND STRUCTURED STITCH CURVED RIGID PORTION, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SUCH A COLLAR AND GARMENT COMPRISING SUCH A COLLAR

Abstract

The invention relates to a collar (11) of a knitted garment, in particular a polo, comprising a first flexible knitted portion (31) comprising a substantially curve shaped outer longitudinal end (312); a second structured stitch rigid knitted portion (32), distinct from the first portion (31) and constituting the collar stand, comprising a substantially curve shaped outer longitudinal end (314), this second portion (32) being linked to the first portion (31); and a substantially curved longitudinal fold axis (33) of the first portion (31), so that this first portion (31) is folded along the longitudinal fold axis (33) to cover a portion of the first portion (31) and the entirety of the second portion (32). This collar (11) further defines a height H1 between each outer longitudinal end (312, 314) at its central portion and a height H2 at both of its two lateral ends (313), with H1 equal to or larger than H2. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a collar (11). The invention also relates to a garment comprising such a collar (11).

Claims

1. Collar of a knitted garment, in particular polo, comprising: a first flexible knitted portion comprising a rectilinear shaped inner longitudinal end and a substantially curve shaped outer longitudinal end; a second structured stitch rigid knitted portion, distinct from said first portion and constituting the collar stand, said second portion comprising a rectilinear shaped inner longitudinal end corresponding to said inner longitudinal end of said first portion and a substantially curve shaped outer longitudinal end, said second portion being linked to said first portion at said inner longitudinal end; and a substantially curve shaped longitudinal fold axis of said first portion, said longitudinal fold axis being located in said first portion, parallel to said outer longitudinal end of said first portion, so that said first portion is folded along said longitudinal fold axis to cover a portion of said first portion and the entirety of said second portion; said collar comprising two rectilinear shaped lateral ends; and said collar defining a height H1 between said outer longitudinal end of said first portion and said outer longitudinal end of said second portion at its central portion, and a height H2 at each of its two lateral ends, with H1 equal to or larger than H2.

2. Garment collar according to claim 1, wherein said height H1 is comprised between 7 cm and 10 cm, preferably between 8,5 cm and 9,5 cm.

3. Garment collar according to claim 1, wherein said height H2 is comprised between 5 cm and 8 cm, preferably between 6,5 cm and 7,5 cm.

4. Garment collar according to claim 1, wherein said collar is made in one-piece.

5. Garment collar according to claim 1, wherein said second portion of said structured stitch collar extends over a height at its central portion comprised between 0,5 cm and 2,5 cm, preferably between 1 cm and 2 cm.

6. Garment collar according to claim 1, wherein said collar is made of cotton or of a synthetic material, said collar being preferably made of cotton.

7. Method for manufacturing a collar of a knitted garment, in particular a polo, according to claim 1, said method comprising: at least one step of manufacturing a first flexible knitted portion of said collar; at least one step of manufacturing by structured stitch knitting a second rigid knitted portion of said collar, distinct from said first portion and constituting the collar stand; said two manufacturing steps involving the flechage knitting technique and being done successively.

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

9. Garment comprising a collar as defined according to of claim 1.

10. Garment according to claim 9 being a polo.

Description

LIST OF THE FIGURES

[0036] Other aims, features and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly upon reading the following description, given merely as an illustrative and non-limiting example, with reference to the figures, wherein:

[0037] FIG. 1 shows an overview of a collar designed according to the method of the invention, which collar is a polo collar;

[0038] FIG. 2 illustrates a collar designed according to a known method of the prior art, wherein the curved shape of the collar is obtained by material cutting;

[0039] FIG. 3 shows a diagram of a collar designed according to the method of the invention, wherein the different heights H1 and H2 of the collar are indicated;

[0040] FIG. 4 illustrates the rear portion of a collar according to the invention, where the seam at the collar/garment connection is hidden by the folded collar;

[0041] FIG. 5 illustrates the rear portion of a collar of the prior art, where the seam at the collar/garment connection is visible once the collar is folded.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0042] The general principle of the invention is based on the design of a garment collar implementing at least two knitting techniques, which collar thus has two distinct knitted sections. This combination of knitting techniques enables this innovative collar to have a better hold for daily wear, in comparison with the collars of the prior art, while also ensuring improved hold and replacement of the collar when practicing a sports activity, or to the very least when practicing an activity involving a more energetic gesture than daily gestures. Indeed, it is known that wearing a polo-type garment, comprising a foldable collar, generally has the drawback of its user having his/her collar easily unfolded, and in particular during intense movements, for example when practicing a sports activity such as golf, implying the player performing large gestures with the shoulders and the arms, and more generally with all of his/her body top. This non-optimum 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 one single knitting technique, including no flechage knitting, involve a material cutting step in the process of manufacturing thereof, in particular for collars having a non-rectilinear shape, for example a curved shape at their ends. This cutting step makes the common process of manufacturing the collars more complex and more expensive, implying a greater material use than actually necessary to obtain the final collar, as well as the generation of wastes, which could be avoided.

[0043] Hence, the Inventors of the present invention propose a collar as illustrated in FIG. 1, according to a particular embodiment. This collar 11 combines a rigid knitted portion at the collar stand, obtained by structured stitch knitting, and a corresponding flexible knitted portion in the rest of the collar, these two portions being designed moreover by flechage knitting. This collar 11 is herein integrated to the final garment 12, which is a golf polo for men.

[0044] However, it should be noted that the collar according to the invention could be suited to garments other than golf polos for men, and could in particular be used for polos adapted for practicing other sports, and even polos for recreation activities or for daily wear. This collar according to the invention may also be configured for polos intended for women and children. It may also be integrated on garments other than polos.

[0045] Hence, this collar 11 is a collar that folds on itself along a longitudinal fold axis, located in the flexible upper portion of the collar, unlike so-called mao collars for example. These are rather used on jacket-type garments. They are small, upstanding, straight and short, and do not have flaps to fold.

[0046] Such a collar 11 according to the invention may be made of cotton or of a synthetic material, or of any other material suited for garment making. Cotton is a preferred material since many advantageous characteristics are associated therewith. Indeed, this is a material that has some insulating capability, and is soft, comfortable and flexible. It is also hypoallergenic and enables skin breathing. This is a material that absorbs dyes easily, thereby allowing offering garments with quite various colours. It is also easy to maintain and generally inexpensive. However, there are several cotton types, whose costs could vary, thereby affecting the price of the final garment. This collar 11 according to the invention is particular in that it has both external longitudinal ends thereof curve shaped, and this feature is obtained by a manufacturing method that does not advantageously comprise any material cutting step, but which involves the implementation of the flechage knitting technique; Indeed, this technique advantageously allows conferring shapes other than rectilinear on the knitted textile elements, and that being so directly through the knitting process itself. FIG. 2 allows illustrating this conventional material cutting step of the process of manufacturing 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 curve shaped, whereas the hatched section 22 corresponds to a portion of the knitted material which will be cut to allow obtaining the curve shaped final portion 21. This material cutting step of the prior art disadvantageously implies the use of a larger amount of knitting material than actually necessary to manufacture the final collar 21. Hence, such a method for designing a collar according to the prior art involves greater material costs. This method is also more complex, to the extent that it comprises at least one additional step compared to the method according to the invention. Moreover, this additional cutting step has the disadvantage of generating material wastes, which results in a negative impact on the environment, in particular in the case where the waste material is not or hardly recyclable. The method for manufacturing a collar according to the invention allows obtaining such a collar 11 both outer longitudinal ends of which have a curved shape while eliminating this material cutting step.

[0047] Thus, the collar according to the invention is illustrated, when it is still not integrated to the final garment, in FIG. 3, which clearly distinguishes the two knitted portions forming the collar still according to this same embodiment. Thus, the collar 11 has a first section 31, knitted by 1&1 ribbing. However, this section may be knitted by ribbing other than 1&1 ribbing, or else according to another knitting technique which allows conferring some expandability on the knitting.

[0048] The collar 11 also has a second section 32, knitted in structured stitches. These two sections are also knitted by the flechage knitting technique. The method for manufacturing a collar combining these techniques, and in particular structured stitch knitting and flechage knitting, may be executed on a knitting machine, for example such as those equipping textile factories. In general, such a knitting machine corresponds to a standard knitting machine, which comprises for example specific options to be able to implement these two knitting techniques according to the invention successively. For example, such a knitting machine may be controlled by a computer program, comprising instructions to implement the flechage knitting technique when desired, and also to implement the structured stitch knitting technique when desired. The knitting method according to the invention could probably also be implemented entirely by hand, without using a knitting machine.

[0049] As explained hereinbefore, the flechage knitting technique for making a collar according to the invention allows modulating the outer ends of the collar according to a circle arc shape, in particular the outer end 312 of the first section 31 and the outer end 314 of the second section 32. According to the particular embodiment of a collar for a golf polo for men, these two ends are symmetrical and are convex. Thus, the central portion of the collar 11 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 larger than H2. According to this embodiment, the height H1 amounts to 9 cm and the height H2 amounts to 7 cm. However, these values are not fixed for the collar of the invention, and could vary depending on several parameters: the garment type (such as a polo), the user type (man, woman, child) and the size of the user, the activity type associated with the garment (for example a sports polo, such as a golf polo, or a casual wear polo). Thus, more generally, the height H1 for a collar according to the invention is comprised between 7 cm and 10 cm, preferably between 8,5 cm and 9,5 cm, and the height H2 is comprised between 5 cm and 8 cm, preferably between 6,5 cm and 7,5 cm.

[0050] The section 31 is knitted by 1&1 ribbing, which is a conventional knitting method consisting in regularly alternating stitches knitted at the front and others knitted at the back over the same row. As seen before, this section 31 involves the flechage knitting technique on these 1&1 rib points, in order to confer a specific final shape on the outer longitudinal end 312 of this section 31, in particular a curved shape. Thus, thanks to its 1&1 rib points, this section 31 is relatively expandable. In contrast, the structured stitch of the section 32 confers stiffness and thickness on that element. Thus, this section 32 features a greater rigidity than the flexible upper section 31. This structured stitch section 32 is also thicker than the section 31. It is located at the collar stand, which is a strategic location to ensure an adequate hold of the collar. The structured stitch knitting may consist of Milano knitting, Interlock knitting, double-face knitting, tubular knitting or ribbed/tubular combined knitting. In this embodiment, the section 32 is Milano knitted, which has the advantage of conferring enough rigidity and thickness on the textile to properly ensure the function of the collar stand, yet without making this rigidity excessive, which could then make mounting of the collar to the garment difficult.

[0051] This section 32 is also knitted by flechage knitting, allowing conferring a curved shape on the outer longitudinal end 314 of this section.

[0052] This section 32 extends, at its central portion, over a 1 cm height for this embodiment (golf polo collar for men). But this height is more generally comprised between 0.5 cm and 2 cm, and preferably between 1 cm and 2 cm, with regards to the different parameters applicable to the invention, such as mentioned hereinbefore.

[0053] This collar 11 according to the invention also comprises a longitudinal fold axis 33, which is adapted so that the portion of the flexible section 31 located above this axis folds along the latter to cover the portion of the section 31 located below this axis and the section 32. This axis follows the curvature of the outer end 312 of the first section 31. The central height H1 of the collar being larger than the height H2 of its lateral ends 313, the section 31 thus folded allows hiding the seam that connects the collar to the rest of the polo, and which is often considered inelegant.

[0054] Hence, the combination of the sections 31 and 32 for the collar 11 according to the invention allows obtaining a collar that advantageously features an improved hold for daily wear, such as for casual wear, and also allows for optimised hold and replacement of the collar when the latter might be displaced by daily wear or by a more intense activity, such as a sports activity, like golf swing.

[0055] A back view of the collar 11 according to the invention, integrated to a polo 12, is illustrated in FIG. 4. This figure illustrates that, thanks to the specific height H1 of the middle of the collar, larger than the height of the rest of the collar, the seam localised at the collar/garment connection is entirely covered by the collar, when the latter is folded. This height H1 also enables the collar, once folded, to rise relatively higher in the neck of the user, thereby ensuring a better protection against weather factors, such as the sun or the wind.

[0056] In comparison, a collar of the prior art 51 is illustrated in FIG. 5. It clearly shows that, when this collar 51 is integrated to the garment 52 by a seam 53, the latter remains visible when the collar is folded. It is also visible that such a collar 51 rises less significantly in the neck, thereby protecting it from external factors (rain, wind, cold, sun, etc.).