Woven stretch fabric bath robe

Abstract

A woven fabric bath robe has a torso section and a pair of sleeves connected thereto, at least the torso section comprises a woven web of warp yarns and fill yarns with a first plurality of the fill yarns (and/or the warp yarns) being non-spandex, non-core spun elastomeric yarns and a second plurality of the fill yarns (and/or the warp yarns) being non-elastomeric yarns, with the elastomeric yarns being generally parallel to the worn width of the bath robe, whereby the bath robe is stretchable in the worn width allowing for an expandable sweep.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A woven stretch fabric bath robe having a torso section defining a worn width and a pair of sleeves connected thereto, at least the torso section comprises a woven web of warp yarns and fill yarns, wherein the warp yarns or the fill yarns include a first plurality of non-spandex, non-core spun elastomeric yarns and a second plurality of non-elastomeric yarns, with the first plurality of elastomeric yarns of extending generally parallel to the worn width whereby the bath robe is stretchable in the worn width allowing for an expandable sweep. 
     
     
         2 . The bath robe of  claim 1 , the first and second plurality of yarns being fill yarns. 
     
     
         3 . The bath robe of  claim 1 , the warp yarns being cellulose-containing, synthetic, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The bath robe of  claim 1 , the first and second plurality of yarns being warp yarns. 
     
     
         5 . The bath robe of  claim 4 , the fill yarns being cellulose-containing, synthetic, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The bath robe of  claim 1 , wherein both the warp yarns and the fill yarns each include a respective first plurality of non-spandex, non-core spun elastomeric yarns and a second plurality of non-elastomeric yarns, with the first plurality of elastomeric yarns of one of either the warp yarns or the fill yarns extending generally parallel to the worn width. 
     
     
         7 . The bath robe of  claim 1 , each of the sleeves comprises the woven web, the elastomeric yarns thereof extending longitudinally along the sleeve. 
     
     
         8 . The bath robe of  claim 1 , the second plurality of non-elastomeric yarns and the first plurality of elastomeric yarns being present in the woven web in a ratio of about 4:1. 
     
     
         9 . The bath robe of  claim 1 , wherein the yarns of the woven web comprise an alternating sequence of respective clusters of the non-elastomeric yarns and of the non-spandex, non-core spun elastomeric yarns. 
     
     
         10 . The bath robe of  claim 1 , the non-elastomeric yarns being synthetic filament yarns. 
     
     
         11 . The bath robe of  claim 1  wherein the warp and fill yarns being woven such that the woven web defines a sheeting-like web. 
     
     
         12 . The bath robe of  claim 1 , wherein the woven web further comprises a plurality of pile loops, such that the woven web defines a terry pile web. 
     
     
         13 . The bath robe of  claim 12  wherein the pile loops are cotton. 
     
     
         14 . The bath robe of  claim 12 , the second plurality of non-elastomeric yarns and the first plurality of elastomeric yarns being present in the woven web in a ratio of about 1:1. 
     
     
         15 . The bath robe of  claim 12 , wherein the yarns of the woven web comprise an alternating sequence of the non-elastomeric yarns and the non-spandex, non-core spun elastomeric yarns. 
     
     
         16 . A method of forming a bath robe comprising:
 obtaining a woven web of warp yarns and fill yarns with the warp yarns or the fill yarns including a first plurality of non-spandex, non-core spun elastomeric yarns and a second plurality of non-elastomeric yarns;   forming a torso section having a worn width from the woven web with the first plurality of elastomeric yarns extending generally parallel to the worn width;   forming a pair of sleeves from the woven web; and   connecting the torso section and the sleeves;   whereby the bath robe is stretchable in the worn width allowing for an expandable sweep.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising obtaining a woven web of warp yarns and fill yarns wherein only the fill yarns include the first plurality of non-spandex, non-core spun elastomeric yarns and the second plurality of non-elastomeric yarns, and forming the torso section from the woven web with the first plurality of elastomeric yarns of the fill yarns extending generally parallel to the worn width. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising obtaining a woven web of warp yarns and fill yarns wherein the warp yarns are cellulose-containing, synthetic, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising obtaining a woven web of warp yarns and fill yarns wherein only the warp yarns include the first plurality of non-spandex, non-core spun elastomeric yarns and the second plurality of non-elastomeric yarns, and forming the torso section from the woven web with the first plurality of elastomeric yarns of the warp yarns extending generally parallel to the worn width. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising obtaining a woven web of warp yarns and fill yarns wherein the fill yarns are cellulose-containing, synthetic, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising obtaining a woven web of warp yarns and fill yarns wherein both the fill yarns and the warp yarns include a respective first plurality of non-spandex, non-core spun elastomeric yarns and second plurality of non-elastomeric yarns, and forming the torso section from the woven web with the first plurality of elastomeric yarns of one of either the warp yarns or the fill yarns extending generally parallel to the worn width. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising forming the sleeves with the first plurality of elastomeric yarns of the woven web extending generally longitudinally therealong. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the woven web further includes pile loops, such that obtaining the woven web includes obtaining the woven web with pile loops. 
     
     
         24 . A method of forming a bath robe comprising:
 weaving warp yarns and fill yarns into a woven web of warp yarns and fill yarns with the warp yarns or the fill yarns including a first plurality of non-spandex, non-core spun elastomeric yarns and a second plurality of non-elastomeric yarns;   forming a torso section having a worn width from the woven web with the first plurality of elastomeric yarns extending generally parallel to the worn width;   forming a pair of sleeves from the woven web; and   connecting the torso section and the sleeves;   whereby the bath robe is stretchable in the worn width allowing for an expandable sweep.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising weaving pile loops with the warp yarns and fill yarns.