EP3779008A1 - Knitting needle - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a knitting needle (1, 1 '), in particular a metallic knitting needle (1, 1'), comprising a knitting needle point (2, 2 ') for knitting stitches, and one that extends from the knitting needle point (2, 2') in one Holding shaft (4, 4 ') extending in longitudinal direction (L) and having at least three gripping surfaces (8, 10, 12, 8', 10 ', 12', 14 ') for holding the knitting needle (1, 1'), the gripping surfaces ( 8, 10, 12, 8 ', 10', 12 ', 14') each have a plurality of elevations (6, 6 ') distributed in the longitudinal direction (L), and each have two adjacent gripping surfaces (8, 10, 12, 8', 10 ', 12', 14 ') are connected by a rounded transition area (16, 18, 20, 16', 18 ', 20', 22 '). The invention achieves the underlying problem in that the handling of the knitting needles is improved and, in particular, the slip of the knitting needle in the hand of a user is reduced. At least one alternative solution to previously known solutions is to be proposed.

Description

The present invention relates to a knitting needle, in particular a circular knitting needle and a method for manufacturing a knitting needle. The present invention relates to knitting needles from the handicraft sector.

Knitting needles are well known. They are used for handicrafts, especially to knit items of clothing such as scarves, socks or sweaters from appropriate yarn. Knitting needles are mostly made of coated steel, aluminum, brass, wood or plastic and are available in various thicknesses, in particular from 0.5 to 30 mm.

A distinction is made between different types of knitting needles, such as, for example, single-handed knitting needles, which have a pointed knitting needle point and a knob-shaped knitting needle back so that the loops cannot slip off the needle. Circular knitting needles are also known which consist of two shorter needles which are connected to one another by a rope. Conventional knitting needles mostly have a round cross section.

Due to the mostly round cross section of the holding shaft of such conventional knitting needles, only a small contact surface or grip surface is provided for introducing force. Due to the small contact surface or grip surface for introducing force, increased force is required to be applied by the hand or fingers of the respective user to hold and in particular also to prevent the knitting needle from slipping. The increased application of force can even lead to tension in the arm and back muscles, so that repeated knitting with such a knitting needle can cause health problems for the user.

Furthermore, knitting needles made of wood or hard plastic are known which have a holding shaft with a rectangular cross section. These offer an improved introduction of force through plane-parallel gripping surfaces in the area of the holding shaft, but still require such a high force to be applied in order to prevent the knitting needles from slipping in the hand or between the fingers of a user that tension in the arm and back muscles continues to occur can. Furthermore, the transition areas of two gripping surfaces that are adjacent at a corner are mostly sharp-edged and thus lead to pressure points on the user's fingers.

The present invention is therefore based on the object of addressing at least one of the problems mentioned. In particular, a solution is to be created in which the handling of the knitting needles is improved and, in particular, the slipping of the knitting needle in the hand of a user is reduced. At least one alternative solution to previously known solutions is to be proposed.

According to the invention, a knitting needle according to claim 1 is therefore proposed. Such a knitting needle comprises a knitting needle tip for knitting stitches and a holding shaft extending from the knitting needle tip in a longitudinal direction of the shaft with at least three gripping surfaces for holding the knitting needle, the gripping surfaces each having a plurality of elevations distributed in the longitudinal direction, and two adjacent gripping surfaces through a rounded transition area are connected, namely over a corner. In this transition area, the two adjacent surfaces abut at an angle and this area is rounded so that the angle is rounded. With three gripping surfaces this is a 60 ° angle and with four gripping surfaces it is a 90 ° angle. The gripping surfaces preferably extend along the holding shaft in the longitudinal direction and are preferably designed to be essentially flat.

The at least three gripping surfaces for holding the knitting needle provide a sufficient number of gripping surfaces which allow a flat and thus optimized introduction of force and offer increased comfort for the knitting needles. Due to the reduced application of force, the arm and back muscles are relieved and tension and postural damage are counteracted. At least three gripping surfaces provide a sufficient number of gripping surfaces which enable the knitting needle to be turned by hand for knitting. The rounded transition area of two adjacent gripping surfaces enables more comfortable handling of the knitting needles and pressure points from sharp-edged transition areas are effectively avoided. The multiple elevations distributed in the longitudinal direction also create a resistance on the mostly smooth gripping surfaces of the holding section which effectively inhibits the slipping of the knitting needle in the longitudinal direction.

The gripping surfaces preferably have two or more elevations in order to effectively inhibit or prevent slipping. The multiple elevations are particularly preferably arranged in a section of the gripping surfaces which essentially corresponds to the length of an average fingertip. As a result of the slip resistance achieved by such elevations, the knitting needle can be held by the user's fingers or hand with a reduced application of force, without it slipping in the hand.

According to one embodiment, it is proposed that the holding shaft has four gripping surfaces, which are each arranged in pairs parallel and spaced apart from one another, so that the holding shaft has an essentially square cross section. With four gripping surfaces, each of which has several of the elevations, the shape of the knitting needle is similar to a round shape, but allows a good grip in the hand thanks to the flattened gripping surfaces. This design of the holding shaft also enables a uniform introduction of force into two gripping surfaces arranged parallel and spaced apart from one another, so that the force to be applied to hold the knitting needle can be further reduced.

In the present case, essentially square is understood to mean a cross-section which has four sides, two of the sides being arranged parallel and spaced apart from one another, the transitions of two sides arranged adjacent to one another here running at a right, but rounded angle. Each rounded angle thus forms a rounded transition area, via which two sides are connected to one another.

According to a further embodiment, at least a portion of the plurality of elevations is arranged in a section of the grip surfaces adjoining the knitting needle tip, which section can also be referred to as the front section. The invention makes use of the knowledge that the knitting needles are mostly held in the shaft area near the knitting needle tip. The remaining area is mainly used to hold stitches. Thus, at least a portion of the plurality of elevations is to be arranged in this front section of the gripping surfaces of the holding shaft in order to effectively prevent slipping. All of the multiple elevations are preferably arranged in this front section of the gripping surfaces adjoining the knitting needle tip, so that the elevations do not hinder the slipping of the loops along the holding shaft in the rear section of the holding shaft.

According to a preferred embodiment, to produce the holding shaft in a deformation step, a cylindrical, in cross-section circular, in particular hollow-cylindrical metal piece is deformed so that at least three pressing surfaces come into contact with the metal piece in such a way that the at least three gripping surfaces are formed. Such a holding shaft thus has a polygonal cross section depending on the number of pressing surfaces. The number of gripping surfaces thus corresponds to the number of pressing surfaces

Thus, by essentially flat pressing surfaces, the metal piece is deformed at least in sections corresponding to the shape of the respective pressing surface, and the rounded shape of the cylindrical metal piece is also retained in areas of the metal piece which do not come into contact with the pressing surfaces. Furthermore, it is also possible and provided within the scope of the invention that the pressing surfaces successively come into contact with the metal piece and that the holding shaft is produced by the metal piece successively coming into contact with one or more of the pressing surfaces in several deformation steps.

The pressing surfaces can, for example, be part of a pipe processing tool. Cylindrical or hollow cylindrical metal pieces, such as tubes, are inserted into such a tool and come into contact, for example, with so-called jaws or punches, which have the pressing surfaces, in such a way that the gripping surfaces of the holding shaft are formed.

According to yet another embodiment, it is proposed that in the deformation step the cylindrical metal piece in a pressing tool of at least three, preferably four pressing surfaces are pressed essentially simultaneously into a triangular or square cross-section with rounded transition areas. Thus, by means of a conventional shaping tool, in particular a pressing tool, such a holding shaft can be produced from a cylindrical or hollow-cylindrical piece of metal, preferably in a single shaping step.

According to one embodiment, the elevations distributed in the longitudinal direction are produced in one or the deformation step or a further deformation step in that one or the pressing surfaces each have a corresponding recess for each of the elevations. The elevations can thus be produced in a simple manner by pressing by the pressing surfaces in the deformation step for producing the gripping surfaces. Furthermore, it is also possible, in a separate deformation step, which follows the deformation step for producing the gripping surfaces, to produce the elevations by means of a further pressing surface which has the recesses. With such a subsequent deformation step, different geometries of the elevations can be produced easily and flexibly.

According to a further embodiment, the holding shaft has a shaft circumference U and the elevations are arranged at an elevation spacing A from one another which corresponds to 0.1 to 1 times the value of the shaft circumference U, and / or the elevations have an elevation height H that corresponds to 1 up to 10% of the value of the shaft circumference U. The invention thus takes into account in an advantageous manner that knitting needles which have a comparatively large shaft circumference U are preferably used by users with large hands. In the case of larger hands, the fingertips are usually larger, so that the distance A between the elevations can be comparatively large and at the same time still offers sufficient protection against the knitting needle slipping.

An elevation spacing A, which corresponds to 0.1 to 1 times the value of the shaft circumference U, enables a sufficient number of elevations in the area of the fingertip in which the knitting needle is held. A raised height H, which increases as a function of the circumference of the shaft U, ensures that the knitting needle is sufficiently resistant to slipping, even with large knitting needles.

More preferably, each rounded transition area has a radius of curvature R _R that is smaller than 1/10 and / or larger than 1/100, preferably larger than 1/50 of the circumference of the shaft, and / or the elevations each have a section partially cylindrical shape with a radius of elevation R _E and are transverse to Aligned shaft longitudinal direction L, the radius of elevation R _E having a value of 200% to 500% of the radius of curvature R _{R of} the rounded transition area. Thus, on the one hand, sufficiently large gripping surfaces are provided, which are connected by the transition areas, the radius of curvature R _{R of which is} less than 1/10 of a circumference U of the shaft. Because the radius of curvature R _{R is} greater than 1/100, preferably greater than 1/50 of a circumference or the circumference of the shaft, comfortable handling is also ensured and, in particular, pressure points are avoided by avoiding sharp edges. A transition area with such a radius of curvature R _R can be produced in a simple manner in the deformation step described above. Furthermore, an ergonomically and optically advantageous shape is selected through the shape and alignment of the elevations. An elevation with the radius R _E , which has a value of 200% to 500% of the radius of curvature R _{R of} the rounded transition area, effectively prevents or inhibits the slipping of the knitting needle in the user's hand and at the same time becomes more comfortable and gentle Transition between the elevations and the essentially flat part of the gripping surfaces created.

According to a further embodiment, the cylindrical metal piece comprises aluminum and / or copper and / or brass. Aluminum and, in particular, wrought aluminum alloys that contain copper are easy to form and have a low density. Furthermore, other light and easily deformable alloys such as brass, which also contain copper, are particularly advantageous for such a knitting needle. Due to the low weight of aluminum or aluminum alloys or brass, knitting needles which have the metals or alloys mentioned are very light and at the same time sufficiently stable and offer pleasant comfort when knitting. Furthermore, the good heat conduction of aluminum, copper and brass means that the knitting needles in the hand have a comfortable temperature. This results in increased comfort when using such knitting needles. In particular, the good formability is of particular relevance in order to be able to shape the elevations on the gripping surfaces.

In order to produce the holding shaft, a hollow cylindrical metal piece with a wall thickness of at least 0.2 mm, preferably at least 0.3 mm, is preferably deformed in the deformation step. The weight of the knitting needle is thus further reduced and, consequently, comfort is increased. A wall thickness of at least 0.2 mm, preferably at least 0.3 mm, at the same time offers a sufficient wall thickness for the formation of the elevations and also enables the gripping surfaces to be produced in the deformation step. A smaller wall thickness could lead to material damage during the forming or prevent the formation of the elevations.

According to a further embodiment, the tip of the knitting needle is obtained by reshaping, in particular reducing an end-face section of the cylindrical metal piece, in a rotary kneading or rotary hammering machine. In such rotary hammering machines, the cross section of a cylindrical or hollow cylindrical piece of metal is reduced by means of radially guided hammering tools which perform hammering movements. Here, the metal piece is reshaped or reduced while reducing the cross section. The shape of the hammering tools and the direction of the feed is to be selected depending on the desired final contour.

Such forming tools are also known as kneading tools or rotary kneading tools. Both in the so-called feed process and in the so-called piercing process, depending on the first angle of inclination of the forming tool or a forming element of the forming tool, considerable forces acting on the workpiece in the axial direction occur, so that the cross section is reduced. The resulting reduced knitting needle point mostly has a conical shape which tapers to a point at the end and which merges into the holding shaft. The transition can thereby be created without abutting edges, so that the meshes can easily slip over this transition. Its production can therefore also be recognized at the transition.

According to a further embodiment, the knitting needle further comprises a knitting needle back part, which is formed on an end of the holding shaft facing away from the knitting needle tip, the knitting needle back part being formed by reshaping, in particular reducing, a frontal section of the cylindrical metal piece in a rotary kneading or rotary hammering machine. Such a knitting needle back part thus has an increased strength and due to the reduction in the cross section at the end, the stitches do not stick to the knitting needle back part. Furthermore, the cross-section of the knitting needle back part can also be increased by such a reshaping, for example, as is the case with single-pointed knitting needles, to provide a thickened cross-section which prevents the loops from accidentally slipping off the knitting needle.

According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a circular knitting needle. The above-mentioned object is achieved in this second aspect in that the circular knitting needle comprises a first and second knitting needle according to the first aspect of the invention, the knitting needle having a or the knitting needle back part, which is formed on an end of the holding shaft facing away from the knitting needle tip , and the circular knitting needle also has a rope for connecting the two knitting needles at their knitting needle backs Includes guiding and holding the stitches, the rope being connected to the holding shaft in each case by means of the knitting needle back part, the knitting needle back part being for this purpose in particular pressed with the holding shaft. The preferred embodiments and developments according to the first aspect of the invention are also preferred developments and embodiments according to the second aspect. A circular knitting needle which comprises a first and a second knitting needle according to the first aspect of the invention makes the advantages described above its own. The stitches are securely held and guided by a rope connecting the two knitting needles at their knitting needle backs, so that such a circular knitting needle can be used to knit a tubular knitted product.

Usually, such a circular knitting needle is not used exclusively for circular knitting in the actual sense, but alternating courses are knitted and the connection of the two individual knitting needles via the rope then serves to pick up and hold the currently knitted course and prevents this currently knitted course from the knitting needle slips down. This means that particularly wide knitted products with long rows of stitches can be knitted.

The rope is preferably formed from a monofilament which has a thermoplastic material. A monofilament is a yarn made from a single filament with a diameter usually greater than 0.1 mm and a practically endless length. They are usually made from a thermoplastic material, for example using the so-called melt spinning process. A thermoplastic enables simple and inexpensive production and is robust and flexible. In particular, the rope is made from a polyamide.

According to a preferred embodiment, the rope comprises a substantially constant rope diameter and an end section adjoining the knitting needle back, the end section being designed to correspond to the knitting needle back and having an increased rope diameter. A smooth transition from the back of the knitting needle to the end portion of the rope is thus provided, and loops from getting caught at this transition are prevented. The thermoplastic rope can, for example, be heated to a temperature above the glass transition temperature and then compressed. By upsetting, the rope can be thickened in the end section in such a way that the outer diameter of the rope in the end section corresponds to the outer diameter of the end-side part of the knitting needle back part. So it works Knitting needle back into the rope and especially the end section of the rope over.

According to a third aspect of the invention, the above-mentioned object is also achieved by a method for producing a knitting needle, in particular a knitting needle of the type mentioned above. This also serves to explain the first two aspects mentioned. In such a method, the aforementioned object is achieved in that the method comprises the steps: a) providing a cylindrical, in particular hollow cylindrical metal piece, b) bringing at least three pressing surfaces into contact with the metal piece, c) pressing the cylindrical metal piece by means of the pressing surfaces in a triangular or square cross-section with the gripping surfaces each with several rounded transition areas and elevations distributed in the longitudinal direction, the pressing surfaces each having a corresponding recess for each elevation.

Here, a simple and commercially customary manufacturing process is used to manufacture a knitting needle which offers the advantages mentioned at the beginning according to the first and second aspects of the invention. By pressing the cylindrical metal piece by means of the at least three pressing surfaces into a triangular, preferably square cross-section, grip surfaces are produced which allow easy handling of the knitting needle. Furthermore, by pressing the cylindrical metal piece with the pressing surfaces, which are only partially in contact with the surface of the metal piece when the metal piece is completely reshaped, a holding shaft with an in particular triangular or square cross section and rounded corners is formed. Due to the pressing surfaces that are only partially in contact with the surface of the metal piece when the metal piece is completely reshaped, free areas remain on the surface of the metal piece, which continue to have the rounding and thus form a rounded transition between two adjacent gripping surfaces. Such a rounding achieves comfortable handling and, for example, avoids pressure points on the hands of a user.

The elevations produced by such a method and distributed in the longitudinal direction of the knitting needle also reduce the slipping of the knitting needle in the user's hand. Such elevations can be produced by pressing a cylindrical, in particular hollow-cylindrical metal piece either together with the pressing of the metal piece or can be impressed on the gripping surfaces of the formed metal piece in a subsequent process step.

According to a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises the steps d) reshaping, in particular reducing a front end section of the cylindrical metal piece, in a rotary swaging or rotary hammering machine for producing a knitting needle point, and / or e) reshaping, in particular reducing a front end section of the cylindrical metal piece Metal piece, in a rotary kneading or rotary hammering machine to produce a knitting needle back. Thus, by reshaping, in particular reducing, a knitting needle tip or a knitting needle back part is produced which is integrally formed at the end of the holding shaft. Such a reshaping, in particular reducing, also increases the strength in the front or rear section of the metal piece.

Due to these advantages of the manufacturing process achieved in this way, the knitting needle manufactured in this way also shows that it was manufactured by such a process. For example, a rounding that remains when a round workpiece is pressed in an area that had no contact with a pressing tool differs from a rounding that has been rounded by grinding or milling. In particular, there are no traces of grinding, the transition from rounding to flat area is continuous and / or in the area of the rounding, compressed or stretched sections can arise during pressing and be visible.

Figur 1

zeigt eine erfindungsgemäße Stricknadel gemäß einer ersten bevorzugten Ausführungsform in einer schematischen Darstellung.

Figur 2

zeigt eine erfindungsgemäße Rundstricknadel gemäß einer zweiten bevorzugten Ausführungsform in einer schematischen Darstellung.

Figur 3

zeigt eine erfindungsgemäße Rundstricknadel in einer schematischen Darstellung.

Figur 4

zeigt einen Halteschaft einer erfindungsgemäßen Stricknadel in einer Detailansicht.

Figur 5a

zeigt ein Metallstück und ein Werkzeug zum Herstellen eines Halteschafts in einem Ausgangszustand.

Figur 5b

zeigt das Metallstück und das Werkzeug zum Herstellen des Halteschafts gemäß Figur 5a in einem Endzustand.

The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures.

Figure 1

shows a knitting needle according to the invention according to a first preferred embodiment in a schematic representation.

Figure 2

shows a circular knitting needle according to the invention according to a second preferred embodiment in a schematic representation.

Figure 3

shows a circular knitting needle according to the invention in a schematic representation.

Figure 4

shows a holding shaft of a knitting needle according to the invention in a detailed view.

Figure 5a

shows a metal piece and a tool for producing a holding shaft in an initial state.

Figure 5b

shows the metal piece and the tool for producing the holding shaft according to FIG Figure 5a in a final state.

Figure 1 shows schematically a knitting needle 1 with a knitting needle point 2 for knitting stitches and a holding shaft 4 extending from the knitting needle point 2 in a shaft longitudinal direction L.

Several elevations 6, which are distributed in the longitudinal direction L, are arranged on the holding shaft 4, adjacent to the knitting needle tip 2.

The knitting needle tip 2 is tapered at the end and is preferably conical and tapered so that stitches can be picked up in a simple manner.

According to this exemplary embodiment, the holding shaft 4 comprises three gripping surfaces 8, 10, 12, each of which has a plurality of elevations 6.

The gripping surfaces 8, 10, 12 are essentially flat and extend along the shaft in the longitudinal direction L of the shaft. The elevations 6 are elongated and arranged transversely to the longitudinal direction L of the shaft.

Like the detailed representation of the cross-section with the circumference U of the holding shaft 4 according to FIG Figure 1 shows, the holding shaft 4 has an essentially triangular cross section, and the three gripping surfaces 8, 10, 12 are each arranged at an angle of preferably 60 degrees relative to the respectively adjacent gripping surface 8, 10, 12.

The gripping surfaces 8, 10 are connected to one another by a first rounded area 16, the gripping surfaces 10, 12 are connected to one another by a second rounded area 18 and the gripping surfaces 12, 8 are connected to one another by a third rounded area 20.

Figure 2 shows a second preferred embodiment of a knitting needle 1 '. The knitting needle 1 ′ comprises a knitting needle point 2 ′ for knitting stitches and a holding shaft 4 ′ with four gripping surfaces 8, 10, 12, 14 extending from the knitting needle point 2 ′ in a shaft longitudinal direction L.

On each of the gripping surfaces 8, 10, 12, 14 several elevations 6 'are arranged, which are spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction L of the shaft and extend transversely to the longitudinal direction L along the gripping surfaces 8', 10 ', 12', 14 '.

Like the detailed representation according to Figure 2 shows, the holding shaft 4 'has a substantially rectangular, in particular square cross-section with a circumference U'.

The gripping surfaces 10 ', 14' are arranged parallel and at a distance from one another, like the gripping surfaces 12 ', 8', which are also arranged parallel and spaced apart from one another, the gripping surfaces 10 ', 14' being orthogonal to the gripping surfaces 8 ', 12 'run.

Two adjacent gripping surfaces, such as, for example, gripping surfaces 10 ', 12', are each connected to one another by a rounded transition area 18 '. The remaining gripping surfaces 8 ', 10', 12 ', 14' are connected to one another in the same way by the rounded transition areas 16 ', 20', 22 '.

When knitting, a user has the choice of rotating the knitting needle 1 'around the knitting needle longitudinal axis L to switch between four holding positions and to hold two parallel and spaced apart gripping surfaces 8', 10 ', 12', 20 'between the fingers.

Figure 2 also shows a detail A of the cross-sectional view. This section A contains the two gripping surfaces 8 'and 14' of the cross-section and the rounded transition area 22 '. For the purpose of illustration, an auxiliary circle 21 'is drawn in with the rounded transition area 22', of which the rounded transition area 22 'forms a segment of a circle. The radius of the auxiliary circle is shown, which is at the same time the radius of curvature R _{R of} the rounded transition region 22 '.

Figure 3 shows a circular knitting needle 100 with a first and a second knitting needle 1, each of which has a knitting needle point 2 and a holding shaft 4 extending in the longitudinal direction L of the shaft from the knitting needle point 2. For the sake of simplicity, the same reference numerals as in FIG Figure 1 chosen because there are preferably also corresponding matches.

The holding shaft 4 comprises, in a known manner, at least three gripping surfaces 8, 10, 12 (cf. Figure 1 ) and a plurality of elevations 6 arranged on the gripping surfaces 8, 10, 12, preferably adjacent to the knitting needle tip 2.

The elevations 6 are in the shaft longitudinal direction L (cf. Figure 1 ) spaced apart from each other.

The knitting needles 1 each further include a knitting needle back part 24 which is formed on an end of the holding shaft 4 facing away from the knitting needle tip 2.

Furthermore, the circular knitting needle 100 comprises a rope 26 connecting the two knitting needles 1 at their knitting needle back parts 24 for guiding and holding stitches.

The rope 26 is connected to the holding shaft 4 with the aid of the knitting needle back part 24, so that the stitches reach the rope 24 via the knitting needle point 2 and the holding shaft 4 and are held and guided on it.

Such a rope 26 is preferably formed from a monofilament which comprises a thermoplastic synthetic material, particularly preferably polyamides such as nylon or perlon, or is formed entirely from such a material.

Like the schematic representation of the knitting needle tip 2 'and the adjoining holding shaft 4' according to FIG Figure 4 shows, the holding shaft 4 'has the shaft circumference U'.

The elevations 6 'are arranged at a elevation spacing A from one another. The elevation distance A preferably corresponds to 0.1 to 1 times the value of the shaft circumference U '.

Furthermore, the elevations 6 'preferably have an elevation height H which corresponds to 1 to 10% of the value of the shaft circumference U'.

Furthermore, the rounded transition area, shown here by way of example at the transition area 16 ', has a radius of curvature R _R which is smaller than 1/10 of the shaft circumference U'.

Furthermore, the elevations 6 'preferably each have a partially cylindrical shape with a radius R _E in sections. The radius R _E preferably has a value of 200% to 500% of the radius of curvature R _{R of} the rounded transition region 16 '.

The Figures 5a and 5b show the production of the holding shaft 4 'by forming schematically.

Figure 5a shows a metal piece 28 and a tool 30 in an initial state. The tool 30 has four pressing surfaces 32, 34, 36, 38, each of which is in contact with the metal piece in sections and to which a pressing force F is applied. The metal piece 28 is designed here as a hollow cylinder and shown in cross section. It has a cylindrical wall 27 with a wall thickness 29.

Figure 5b shows the holding shaft 4 'in a final state in which the pressing surfaces 32, 34, 36, 38 have come into contact with the metal piece 28 and have been subjected to the force F that four gripping surfaces 8', 10 ', 12' and 14 'are trained.

By means of the pressing surfaces 32, 34, 36, 38, which are preferably part of a pressing tool (not shown), the preferably cylindrical metal piece 28 is pressed into an in particular square cross section with rounded transition areas 16 ', 18', 20 ', 22'. In the final state, the pressing surfaces 32, 34, 36, 38 are only partially in contact with the holding shaft 4 ', so that the rounded shape of the metal piece 28 is essentially retained in the area of the transition areas 16', 18 ', 20', 22 '.

The wall 27 according to Figure 5a may also have changed during this deformation, which is in the Figure 5b is indicated by the changed wall 27 *. For example, kinks 31 can arise from the pressing process, which in the Figure 5b are indicated and are shown only by way of example for other deformations of the wall 27 to the wall 27 *.

Claims (15)

Knitting needle (1, 1 '), in particular metallic knitting needle (1, 1'), comprising: - a knitting needle point (2, 2 ') for knitting stitches, and - A holding shaft (4, 4 ') extending from the knitting needle tip (2, 2') in a longitudinal direction (L) of the shaft and having at least three gripping surfaces (8, 10, 12, 8 ', 10', 12 ', 14') for Holding the knitting needle (1, 1 '), wherein the gripping surfaces (8, 10, 12, 8 ', 10', 12 ', 14') each have a plurality of elevations (6, 6 ') distributed in the longitudinal direction (L), and
two adjacent gripping surfaces (8, 10, 12, 8 ', 10', 12 ', 14') are connected by a rounded transition area (16, 18, 20, 16 ', 18', 20 ', 22'). Knitting needle (1, 1 ') according to claim 1,
wherein the holding shaft (4, 4 ') has four gripping surfaces (8, 10, 12, 8', 10 ', 12', 14 ') which are each arranged in pairs parallel and spaced from one another so that the holding shaft (4, 4') ) has a substantially square cross-section. Knitting needle (1, 1 ') according to claim 1 or 2,
wherein at least a portion of the plurality of elevations (6, 6 ') is arranged in a section of the gripping surfaces (8, 10, 12, 8', 10 ', 12', 14 ') adjoining the knitting needle tip (2, 2'). Knitting needle (1, 1 ') according to claim 1, 2 or 3,
wherein to manufacture the holding shaft (4, 4 ') in a deformation step a cylindrical, in cross-section circular, in particular hollow-cylindrical metal piece is deformed so that at least three pressing surfaces (32, 34, 36, 38) come into contact with the metal piece that the at least three gripping surfaces (8, 10, 12, 8 ', 10', 12 ', 14') are formed. Knitting needle (1, 1 ') according to claim 4,
wherein in the deformation step the cylindrical metal piece (28) in a pressing tool (30) of at least three, preferably four pressing surfaces (32, 34, 36, 38) essentially simultaneously into a triangular or square cross-section, with the rounded transition areas (16, 18, 20, 16 ', 18', 20 ', 22') is pressed. Knitting needle (1, 1 ') according to one of the preceding claims,
wherein the elevations (6, 6 ') distributed in the longitudinal direction (L) are produced in one or the deforming step or a further deformation step, in that one or the pressing surfaces (32, 34, 36, 38) each have a corresponding recess for each elevation exhibit. Knitting needle (1, 1 ') according to one of the preceding claims, wherein - The holding shaft (4, 4 ') has a shaft circumference U and the elevations (6, 6') are arranged at an elevation spacing A from one another which corresponds to 0.1 to 1 times the value of the shaft circumference U, and / or - The elevations (6, 6 ') have an elevation height H which corresponds to 1 to 10% of the value of the shaft circumference. Knitting needle (1, 1 ') according to one of the preceding claims,
each rounded transition area (16, 18, 20, 16 ', 18', 20 ', 22') each having a radius of curvature R _R , - which is smaller than 1/10 and / or larger than 1/100, preferably larger than 1/50 of the circumference of the shaft, and / or - the elevations (6, 6 ') each have a partially cylindrical shape with an elevation radius R _E and are aligned transversely to the longitudinal direction (L) of the shaft, the elevation radius R _E having a value of 200% to 500% of the radius of curvature R _{R of} the rounded transition area (16, 18, 20, 16 ', 18', 20 ', 22'). Knitting needle (1, 1 ') according to one of the preceding claims,
wherein the cylindrical metal piece (28) comprises aluminum, copper and / or brass. Knitting needle (1, 1 ') according to one of the preceding claims,
wherein a hollow cylindrical metal piece (28) with a wall thickness of at least 0.2 mm, preferably at least 0.3 mm, is deformed in the deforming step to produce the holding shaft (4, 4 '). Knitting needle (1, 1 ') according to one of the preceding claims,
wherein the knitting needle tip (2, 2 ') is obtained by reshaping, in particular reducing an end-face section of the cylindrical metal piece (28), in a rotary swaging or rotary hammering machine. Knitting needle (1, 1 ') according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising: - a knitting needle back part (24) which is formed on an end of the holding shaft (4, 4 ') facing away from the knitting needle tip (2, 2'), wherein the knitting needle back part (24) is obtained by reshaping, in particular reducing an end-face section of the cylindrical metal piece (28), in a rotary swaging machine. Circular knitting needle (100) comprising - a first and a second knitting needle (1, 1 ') according to claim 12, and - A rope (26) connecting the two knitting needles at their knitting needle back parts (24) for guiding and holding the stitches, wherein the rope (26) is connected to the holding shaft (4, 4 ') in each case by means of the knitting needle back part (24), the knitting needle back part (24) being pressed to the holding shaft (4, 4') in particular, and
wherein in particular the rope (26) is formed from a monofilament which has a thermoplastic material, in particular a polyamide, and
wherein in particular the rope (26) comprises a substantially constant rope diameter and an end portion adjoining the knitting needle back part (24) which is designed to correspond to the knitting needle back part (24) and has an increased rope diameter. Method for producing a knitting needle (1, 1 '), in particular a knitting needle (1, 1') according to one of claims 1 to 13, comprising the steps: a) providing a cylindrical, in particular a hollow-cylindrical metal piece (28), b) bringing at least three pressing surfaces (32, 34, 36, 38) into contact with the metal piece (28), c) pressing the cylindrical metal piece (28) by means of the pressing surfaces (32, 34, 36, 38) into a triangular or square cross-section, with gripping surfaces (8, 10, 12, 8 ', 10', 12 ', 14') several rounded transition areas (16, 18, 20, 16 ', 18', 20 ', 22') and elevations (6, 6 ') distributed in the longitudinal direction (L), the pressing surfaces (32, 34, 36, 38) each have a corresponding recess for each elevation. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of: d) reshaping, in particular reducing a front end section of the cylindrical metal piece (28) in a rotary kneading or rotary hammering machine for producing a knitting needle point (2, 2 '), and / or e) reshaping, in particular reducing an end-face section of the cylindrical metal piece (28), in a rotary swaging or rotary hammering machine to produce a knitting needle back part (24).

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