Garment and Clothes that are Unravel-Free and Roll-Free

Abstract

Garment and clothes that are unravel-free and roll-free. A garment includes a particular garment-region made of knitted fabric. A majority of threads of the knitted fabric are yarns other than a thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn, such as polyester, nylon, polypropylene, cellulose, polyurethane. At least one thread of the knitted fabric is a thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn that is knitted integrally in the knitted fabric and is located within N millimeters from an edge or an opening of the garment, wherein N is in the range of 0 to 10 millimeters. The edge or the opening of the garment-region is unravel free and is roll-free, due to inclusion of, or proximity to, the thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn in the knitted fabric.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A garment comprising:
 a particular garment-region made of knitted fabric,   wherein a majority of threads of said knitted fabric in said particular garment-region are yarns other than a thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn, wherein said yarns are one or more yarns selected from the group consisting of: cotton, polyester, nylon, polypropylene, cellulose, polyurethane;   wherein at least one thread of said knitted fabric in said particular garment-region is a thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn that is knitted integrally in said knitted fabric and is located within N millimeters from an edge or an opening of said garment, wherein N is in the range of 0 to 10 millimeters,   wherein the edge or the opening of said particular garment-region is unravel free and is roll-free due to inclusion of or proximity to said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn in said knitted fabric in said particular garment-region.   
     
     
         2 . The garment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the garment is a garment selected from the group consisting of: pants, leggings, tights, sports pants, yoga pants, shorts, boxers, underwear;   wherein said particular garment-region is bordering a leg opening of said garment;   wherein at least one thread of said knitted fabric in said particular garment-region is a thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn that is knitted integrally in said knitted fabric and is located within N millimeters from an edge of said leg opening, wherein N is in the range of 0 to 10 millimeters.   
     
     
         3 . The garment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the garment is a garment selected from the group consisting of: pants, leggings, tights, sports pants, yoga pants, shorts, boxers, underwear;   wherein said particular garment-region is bordering a waist-band of said garment;   wherein at least one thread of said knitted fabric in said particular garment-region is a thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn that is knitted integrally in said knitted fabric and is located within N millimeters from an edge of said waist-band, wherein N is in the range of 0 to 10 millimeters.   
     
     
         4 . The garment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the garment is a garment selected from the group consisting of: short-sleeve shirt, long-sleeve shirt, semi-long sleeve shirt, sleeveless shirt, tank top;   wherein said particular garment-region is bordering an arm opening of said garment;   wherein at least one thread of said knitted fabric in said particular garment-region is a thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn that is knitted integrally in said knitted fabric and is located within N millimeters from an edge of said arm opening, wherein N is in the range of 0 to 10 millimeters.   
     
     
         5 . The garment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the garment is a garment selected from the group consisting of: short-sleeve shirt, long-sleeve shirt, semi-long sleeve shirt, sleeveless shirt, tank top;   wherein said particular garment-region is bordering a neck opening opening of said garment;   wherein at least one thread of said knitted fabric in said particular garment-region is a thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn that is knitted integrally in said knitted fabric and is located within N millimeters from an edge of said neck opening, wherein N is in the range of 0 to 10 millimeters.   
     
     
         6 . The garment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the garment is a garment selected from the group consisting of: bra, brassiere, sports bra;   wherein said particular garment-region is a shoulder strap of said garment;   wherein at least one thread of said knitted fabric in said particular garment-region is a thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn that is knitted integrally in said knitted fabric and is located within N millimeters from an edge of said shoulder strap, wherein N is in the range of 0 to 10 millimeters.   
     
     
         7 . The garment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the garment is a garment selected from the group consisting of: bra, brassiere, sports bra;   wherein said particular garment-region comprises a front band located under the breast cups of said garment;   wherein at least one thread of said knitted fabric in said particular garment-region is a thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn that is knitted integrally in said knitted fabric and is located within N millimeters from an edge of said front band, wherein N is in the range of 0 to 10 millimeters.   
     
     
         8 . The garment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the garment is a garment selected from the group consisting of: bra, brassiere, sports bra;   wherein said particular garment-region is a tubular portion of said garment, and comprises two folded, symmetrical, heat-and-pressure treated, layers of knitted tubular fabric that comprise said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn that is knitted integrally therein.   
     
     
         9 . The garment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn that is integrally knitted in said fabric of said particular garment-region and is parallel to an edge of said particular garment-region.   
     
     
         10 . The garment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn that is integrally knitted in said fabric of said particular garment-region and is perpendicular to an edge of said particular garment-region.   
     
     
         11 . The garment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn that is integrally knitted in said fabric of said particular garment-region and is slanted at an angle in a range of 1 to 89 degrees relative to an edge of said particular garment-region.   
     
     
         12 . The garment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn is a set of at least two, spaced-apart, thermally-fused thermoplastic yarns that are parallel to each other and that are integrally knitted in said fabric of said particular garment-region and are parallel to an edge of said particular garment-region.   
     
     
         13 . The garment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn is a set of at least two, spaced-apart, thermally-fused thermoplastic yarns that are parallel to each other and that are integrally knitted in said fabric of said particular garment-region and are perpendicular to an edge of said particular garment-region.   
     
     
         14 . The garment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn is a set of at least two, spaced-apart, thermally-fused thermoplastic yarns that are parallel to each other and that are integrally knitted in said fabric of said particular garment-region and are slanted at an angle in a range of 1 to 89 degrees relative to an edge of said particular garment-region.   
     
     
         15 . The garment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn is a set of at least two, spaced-apart, thermally-fused thermoplastic yarns that are parallel to each other and that are integrally knitted in crisscross structure in said fabric of said particular garment-region within N millimeters from an edge of said particular garment-region, wherein N is in the range of 0 to 10 millimeters.   
     
     
         16 . The garment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn is a set of at least two, spaced-apart, curved, non-straight, thermally-fused thermoplastic yarns that are parallel to each other and that are integrally knitted in a structure of curved parallel lines in said fabric of said particular garment-region within N millimeters from an edge of said particular garment-region, wherein N is in the range of 0 to 10 millimeters.   
     
     
         17 . The garment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn that is integrally knitted in said fabric of said particular garment-region is touching only a portion, and not all, of the edge of said particular garment-region.   
     
     
         18 . The garment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn that is integrally knitted in said fabric of said particular garment-region is touching an entirety of the edge of said particular garment-region.   
     
     
         19 . The garment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn is a thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn formed from monofilament melt spun fibers which are pressure-and-heat stamped and which have fiber thickness in a range of 20 denier to 400 denier.   
     
     
         20 . The garment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn is a thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn formed from monofilament melt spun fibers which are pressure-and-heat stamped and which have fiber thickness in a range of 20 denier to 100 denier.   
     
     
         21 . The garment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn is integrally knitted into said knitted fabric in a structure selected from the group consisting of: single jersey structure, miss knitting structure, tack knitting structure, mesh knitting structure, a combination of two or more of said structures.   
     
     
         22 . The garment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein an edge of said particular garment-region is a finished seamless edge that is non-unraveling and is roll-free.   
     
     
         23 . The garment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn is a melt spun thermoplastic polyurethane polymer monofilament comprising a crosslinking agent and having a modulus of 300% in a range of 1,571 psi to 1,861 psi.   
     
     
         24 . The garment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn is a melt spun lightly-crosslinked thermoplastic polyurethane polymer monofilament having a modulus of 300% in a range of 1,550 psi to 1,880 psi;   wherein said lightly-crosslinked thermoplastic polyurethane polymer monofilament comprises a crosslinking agent of 8% to 15% by weight of a final weight of said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn.   
     
     
         25 . The garment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn is a melt spun TPU monofilament fiber having a thickness in a range of 20 denier to 400 denier; wherein said fiber comprises a reaction product of: (A) a blend of at least two polyether hydroxyl terminated intermediates, wherein said polyether hydroxyl terminated intermediates have different Number Value Molecular Weight (Mn) values; (B) at least one chain extender; (C) at least one polyisocyanate; and (D) at least one crosslinking agent;   wherein said TPU in said monofilament fiber has a 300% modulus of from 1,500 to 1,900 psi, and a maximum elongation of from 550% to 680%, and a tenacity of from 5,000 to 5,700 psi.   
     
     
         26 . The garment of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn provides to said particular garment-region an improved body grip capability, relative to body grip capability of other garment-regions of said garment that exclude said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn;   wherein said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn provides to said particular garment-region an improved non-unraveling capability, relative to non-unraveling capability of other garment-regions of said garment that exclude said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn;   wherein said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn provides to said particular garment-region an improved roll-free capability, relative to roll-free capability of other garment-regions of said garment that exclude said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn.   
     
     
         27 . A method for producing a garment, the method comprising:
 (a) knitting a particular garment-region from yarns,
 wherein a majority of threads of said knitted fabric in said particular garment-region are yarns other than a thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn, wherein said yarns are one or more yarns selected from the group consisting of: cotton, polyester, nylon, polypropylene, cellulose, polyurethane; 
 wherein at least one thread of said knitted fabric in said particular garment-region is a thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn that is knitted integrally in said knitted fabric and is located within N millimeters from an edge or an opening of said garment, wherein N is in the range of 0 to 10 millimeters; 
   (b) applying a heat-and-pressure treatment to said particular garment-region, for a pre-defined time-period,
 and causing said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn to at least partially melt and change its physical properties of elongation, elasticity and/or tenacity due to said heat-and-pressure treatment, 
 and causing an edge or an opening of said particular garment-region to become unravel free and roll-free due to inclusion of or proximity to said thermally-fused thermoplastic yarn in said knitted fabric in said particular garment-region that was subject to said heat-and-pressure treatment. 
   
     
     
         28 . A process for producing a garment, the process comprising:
 (a) producing a particular garment-region having a seamless finished edge that is roll-free and unravel-free;
 wherein step (a) is performed by: 
   (a1) knitting a fabric having a plurality of fibers, wherein at least some of said fibers have free ends terminating at an edge of said fabric;   (a2) disposing a melt spun thermoplastic polyurethane polymer monofilament over the edge of said fabric, wherein said melt spun thermoplastic polyurethane polymer monofilament engages with said free ends of said fibers at the edge of said fabric;   (a3) applying a heat-and-pressure treatment to said melt spun thermoplastic polyurethane polymer monofilament for a pre-defined time period,
 wherein said melt spun thermoplastic polyurethane polymer monofilament comprises a crosslinking agent in a range of 8% to 15% by weight of a final weight of said melt spun thermoplastic polyurethane polymer monofilament; 
 wherein said melt spun thermoplastic polyurethane polymer monofilament has a 300% modulus of from 1,500 to 1,900 psi.