EP2256239A1

EP2256239A1 - A method for the construction of anti-run manufactured articles and resulting garment

Info

Publication number: EP2256239A1
Application number: EP10425178A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Davide Rossi; Nicola Vergna
Original assignee: Contifibre SpA
Current assignee: Contifibre SpA
Priority date: 2009-05-28
Filing date: 2010-05-25
Publication date: 2010-12-01
Also published as: ITBS20090094A1

Abstract

This invention concerns a knitted garment made on knitting machines and which will undergo subsequent finishing processes, including a method for its accomplishment. The garment comprises stitches made using at least a polymer matrix base thread made up of a first component (13), made of nylon, with a first softening temperature (T) and a second polymeric component (14) with a second softening temperature (t) lower than the softening temperature (T) of the first component, so that the second component on softening adheres to the contiguous parts of the thread forming the adjacent stitches within the fabric to give it an anti-run property.

Description

Field of the Invention

This invention concerns knitted elasticized garments particularly stockings, tights, support stockings and the like and a method for their manufacture.

State of the Art

The knitted article such as women's stockings, tights, elastic stockings, knee socks, etc. are usually manufactured on textile machines such as circular machines for stockings and hosiery, using a base thread, typically nylon, which may be knitted with different types of thread. Normally, any articles manufactured in this way, is then moved on to undergo finishing processes to improve the characteristics of the article and consisting in particular in fixing treatments, to make the fabric dynamically stable, preceded or followed by a dyeing treatment.
Depending on the threads used, said articles can have different weights and thicknesses, and be more or less transparent. Furthermore they can be either smooth or with designs.
In particular the light or non see-through garments, are subject to tears which, even if small in size, can start ladders that tend to extend along the length of the stocking, due to the fact that the base thread is no longer tied between one point and another and tends to withdraw.
According to the state of the art the so-called dual thread components are well known, and are made up of fibers with different characteristics combined in a variable percentage according to the application they have to meet. Today they are used in the hosiery field, but only to a limited extent, for example, to increase the elasticity of a handmade article.

Objectives and Summary of the Invention

One objective of this invention is to create the conditions to obtain manufactured articles, such as ladies stockings, tights, self-supporting stockings, knee socks, etc., with an effective anti-ladder property, without having to turn to particular work on the textile machines.
Another objective is therefore to provide knitted articles that can be made, in the usual way, on hosiery or knitwear machines and whose anti-ladder characteristics are obtained during one of the finishing processes.
Said objectives and the implicit advantages that derive from them are achieved with a knitted garment according to claim 1, manufactured by a method according to claim 3.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Further details of the invention will however be evident in the following description made in reference to the enclosed attached drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows an example of a knitted article in the shape of tights;
Fig. 2 shows an example of knitted fabrics after its texture;
Fig. 3 shows an enlarged part of the fabric in Fig. 2; and
Fig. 4 shows an example of a knitted fabric stabilized after a fixing treatment.

Detailed Description of the Invention

This invention refers to a knitted article which can be in the shape of tights - as shown in Fig. 1, but also in the shape of self-supporting stockings, knee socks, etc.
This knitted fabric is constructed on a knitting machine with the knitting of a base thread 12, in combination or not with possible threads of another kind.
The base thread 12 used is a duel component polymer matrix thread made up of a first component 13 and a second component 14, with different characteristics one from the other and combined in an opportune percentage. The first component can have compositions/characteristics of a usual nylon used in the sector taken into consideration and having a correct softening temperature T. The second component 14 is characterized by a different polymeric matrix so as to have a lower softening temperature t than that of the first component 13.
The dual component 12 of the base thread can be made up of at least 50%, preferably at least for 70% of the first component 13, that is nylon, to guarantee the tingeability characteristics, softness and comfort that the final garment must have and for the rest of the second polymeric component.
After its construction on a knitting machine, the article, that is a garment undergoes successive finishing processes, consisting in at least a fixing treatment conducted a fixing temperature T _f, possibly preceded or followed by dyeing treatment at a dyeing temperature of T _t, lower than the fixing temperature of T _f.
The dual component base thread used to carry out the function of conferring the resulting garment with anti-ladder properties in that, during one of the finishing treatments, in particular at the fixing temperature of T _f, said second component having a softening temperature of t equal to or lower than the fixing temperature T _f, basically softens assuming a sticky state so as to adhere and stick to the contiguous parts of the adjacent knitted parts, welding with the latter following the successive cooling period.

Fig. 2 shows an example of a part of a knitted garment following weaving.
Fig. 4 shows the same part of a knitted article after the fixing treatment, that is to say following softening and the welding of the second component of the thread with parts of the contiguous thread of adjacent knitted points in the ambit of the knitted garment so as to create joint areas 15 which do not allow the thread to unravel following breakage.

On the contrary, when the fabric subjected to a possible dyeing treatment, its structure does not undergo variations. The second component 14 must therefore have a higher softening temperature t compared to the possible dyeing treatment temperature T_t indicatively in the order of 100°C, if and when the dyeing temperature T _t, as normal, is lower than this level, and which can also be foreseen with a softening temperature t in the order of 110°C, if the fixing treatment is carried out at a temperature of at least this level. In any case the softening temperature T of the first component, on the other hand, must be higher than the maximum temperature reached during the finishing processes.
In fact, thanks to the present invention a knitted article is manufactured that does not ladder, and is produced according to the technique and with the usual means of production.
Furthermore the choice to use nylon, usually used as a base thread for making garments of the type described above, for the dual component thread enables a product to be obtained with all the characteristics and all the types of garments produced at present, but with further anti-ladder characteristics.

Claims

A knitted garment made on knitting machines and which will undergo subsequent finishing processes, including at least a finishing treatment carried out at a finishing temperature (T_f), preceded or followed by possible dyeing treatment at a dyeing temperature (T_t) characterised by stitches made using at least a polymer matrix base thread made up of a first component (13), made of nylon, with a first softening temperature (T) and a second polymeric component (14) with a second softening temperature (t) lower than the softening temperature (T) of the first component and where softening temperature (t) of the second component (14) is the same as or lower than the maximum temperature reached in the finishing treatment (T_f) and higher than the dyeing temperature (T_t), when scheduled, so that the second component on softening adheres to the contiguous parts of the thread forming the adjacent stitches within the fabric to give it an anti-run property.
A knitted garment according to claim 1, wherein the adjacent stitches are welded one to the other at intervals corresponding to the parts joining to each other.
A method for creating a knitted garment made on knitting machines including the following stages of:
- constructing a knitted fabric with at least one polymer matrix base thread made up of a first component (13),in nylon, with a first softening temperature (T) and a second polymeric component (14) with a second softening temperature (t) lower to than the softening temperature (T) of the first component; and

- having the article undergo heat treatment to cause softening of the second component to have it adhere to adjacent parts of contiguous stitches.
A method according to claim 3, wherein the heat softening treatment is carried out with a finishing operation of the manufactured article, consisting in a finishing treatment at a (T_f) finishing temperature.
A method according to claim 4, wherein the softening temperature (t) of the second polymer component is lower or the same as the finishing temperature (T_f) and higher than the dyeing treatment temperature (T_t), where scheduled.
A method according to claims 4 or 5, wherein the softening temperature (T) of the first component in nylon is higher than the finishing temperature (T_f).
A method according to claim 4, wherein the softening temperature (t) of the second component is at least 100°C and lower than 150°C, preferably 110°C.
A method according to any of the claims from 3 to 7, wherein the base thread is made up of at least f 50%, preferably at least 70%, by a first nylon component and the rest a second polymer component.