Textiles: knitting – Fabrics or articles – Articles
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-02
2001-05-08
Worrell, Danny (Department: 3741)
Textiles: knitting
Fabrics or articles
Articles
C066S064000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06227010
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a single- or multi-ply knit featuring high stability, variable pattern and design, defined elasticity, it also relating to a method of fabricating same.
Such knits are conceived more particularly for applications requiring, on the one hand, the ability to withstand heavy loads and, on the other, featuring a defined elasticity, one preferred application being seating furniture. Hitherto the technical construction of seating furniture employing textiles as the seating surface area included the use of a frame in which a—usually woven—textile is fixed in place laterally by springs. The textile—woven predominantly rigid for this purpose—features a high loading capability and the elasticity was achieved by joining the textiles to the frame by means of springs.
In conjunction with the conception of novel coverings the trend is to do away with the use of springs since these tend to spoil the pleasing appearance of seating furniture. Furthermore, there is always the risk, when using springs, of lighter items of clothing becoming snared in the springs or spring suspension system. On the other hand, the rigid fabric adapts to the shape of the seated person only with restrictions whilst failing to offer support at important locations such as e.g. in the lordotic region.
It is thus the object of the present invention to define a method of fabricating a mechanically stable knit featuring not only high mechanical strength but also enabling its elasticity and design to be varied in differing portions by making use of differing, more particularly, elastic materials.
In a first method for fabricating a—more particularly multi-ply—knit having definably variable transverse stability and transverse elasticity the work is done with a basic weave in at least one ply of the knit, this basic weave containing courses comprising predominantly floats having a spacing length of at least two active needles mutually staggered in sequential courses, in which case the transverse stability may be engineered by varying the float length and additionally, where necessary, by using more or less elastic materials in differing portions of the knit.
In a second method in accordance with the invention for fabricating a—more particularly multi-ply—knit having definably variable transverse stability and transverse elasticity a basic weave is used in at least one ply of the knit, this basic weave comprising a sequence of first and second courses, whereby in the first courses most of the active needles are used in forming a loop and in the second courses floats are formed predominantly having a spacing length of at least two active needles. By suitably selecting successive sequences of first and second courses in keeping with the requirements as to the elasticity and transverse stability of the knit, portions partially differing in elasticity and stability may be engineered in the knit. In the more elastic transverse portions of the knit the proportion of the first courses involved is higher than in the transverse stable portions of the knit. In this respect it is to be noted that transverse elasticity or transverse stability identifies the direction of the needle bed. The stability may be regulated not only by the sequence of the first and second courses but also by the length of the floats, i.e. the longer the float the higher the transverse stability with a reduction in the longitudinal stability, which may be increased, however, for example, by including a warp thread.
Preferably the knit contains a basic weave with at least two knit plies preferably produced separately on at least one front and one rear needle bed of a flat bed machine. Each ply contains an alternating succession of first courses, in which with at least the majority of the active needles a loop is formed and second courses in which floats are configured. The floats are produced by knitting with every second active needle at the most so that the resulting floats have at least the length of the spacing of the two active needles. Preferably the first courses are knitted with at least all active needles more or less.
Whilst an elasticity typical of knits is exhibited by the looped first courses the second courses ensure a higher transverse stability, i.e. a stability in the needle bed direction or in the direction of the courses, this stability being all the more the longer the floats and the denser the succession of the second courses in the basic weave. On the other hand, with increasing float length the longitudinal stability also increases, i.e. the stability in the direction of the wales. Here, however, the strength in the longitudinal and transverse direction may also be increased by selectively including warp and/or weft threads.
By selecting the succession and number of the first and second courses, e.g. a first course followed by two second courses or two first courses followed by a second course or alternating the succession of a first and second course in each case the desired quality of the knit—either higher elasticity or higher transverse stability—may be engineered as desired individually, more particularly also partially and by the selection of differing materials. As already discussed, this may also be engineered by the length of the floats in the second courses.
Preferably an alternating arrangement of four courses is employed in the basic weave. The first two courses have already been described in advance. Adjoining the second course is a third course formed in the same way as the first course. Following the third course is a fourth course which is in turn formed in the same way as the second course, except that the floats of the fourth course are staggered relative to the floats of the second course. It is in this way that the overall stability of the knit is enhanced.
The two knit plies are mostly knitted separately on a front and a rear needle bed, i.e. ultimately two separate plies are knitted which may be knitted or otherwise joined to each other at their borders. It is in this way that a kind of large hose—or also any other kind of contour—is produced which then merely needs to be tensioned on a frame , thus doing away with the need of an arrangement of separate fasteners on the knit which, however, may also be provided additionally or alternatively.
In one very stable structure the floats too, of the second and first courses are mutually staggered in the two plies located one on the other which in turn, like the staggered arrangement of bricks in a wall, positively influence the overall stability of the knit.
The two plies of the basic weave may also be joined to each other by a pile thread or by other jointing techniques, as a result of which the thickness of the knit and others parameters such as e.g. its strength may be further influenced.
It is preferably in portions in which higher elasticity is to be provided that one or more further knit weaves may be provided, e.g. in the form of a net weave, within which the two plies of the basic structure are joined to each other in such a way that a netlike structure materializes of high strength, which is also highly elastic and strongly perforated, however. It is in these portions too, that the elasticity and strength may be engineered by suitably selecting the knit weave and the materials employed. In seating furniture this structure is preferably to be provided in the back portion which needs to ensure good “breathing” performance in addition to the required elasticity. This net weave is characterized by a joined single- or multi-ply structure in which in the first courses a loop is formed at each active needle, the looping threads, however, being tucked on the needles of at least one second needle bed in defined needle spacings. In one or more subsequent second courses separate floats are formed on the first needle bed, these floats being preferably mutually staggered in several second courses in sequence. In the subsequent third course a structure of the first course is again knitted. In the fourth course in conclusion the tuck is transferred b
Recaro GmbH & Co.
Smith-Hill and Bedell
Worrell Danny
LandOfFree
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