JP2006312788A - Method for producing tubular three-dimensional knitted fabric - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for producing a tubular three-dimensional knitted fabric by which the tubular three-dimensional knitted fabric can readily be produced and the use of the three-dimensional knitted fabric can be extended. <P>SOLUTION: The method for production is carried out as follows. A heat welding film 20 is superimposed on the three-dimensional knitted fabric 10 and rolled into a nearly tubular form. Edges 10c, 10d, 20a and 20b protruding outward are then mutually welded and subsequently superimposed on the outer surface of a tubular part 15 and both are further welded. Thereby, the tubular three-dimensional knitted fabric can extremely readily be produced. Since the three-dimensional knitted fabric has a prescribed thickness, the thickness appears as a difference in level simply by bonding or applying the mutual edges. When the welding is carried out while pressing the mutual edges with a vibration welding means, etc., the tubular three-dimensional knitted fabric with the small difference in level is obtained. A contact feeling of the edges hardened by the welding is reduced by reversing the tubular part in which the mutual edges are welded. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a cylindrical solid knitted fabric.

Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 disclose a technique of using a three-dimensional knitted fabric (three-dimensional net material) as a cushion layer for an automobile seat or the like. When the three-dimensional knitted fabric is compressed in the thickness direction, the spring constant is low and the soft spring characteristics act until the load value is near the equilibrium point due to the elongation of the ground knitted fabric and the collapse of the connecting yarn. After the displacement amount increases and the vicinity of the equilibrium point of the load value elapses, the spring constant is higher than that before the equilibrium point. For this reason, compared with other cushion materials, such as urethane, even if it is thin, it has the characteristic that a favorable cushion characteristic can be exhibited.
JP 2002-177099 A JP 2002-331603 A

  However, the three-dimensional knitted fabric is usually used as a flat plate like a cushion layer of an automobile seat shown in Patent Document 1 or the like, and is not used in a state of being formed into a cylindrical shape. This is because it is difficult to knit a three-dimensional knitted fabric into a cylinder by a circular knitting machine.

  Then, this invention makes it a subject to provide the manufacturing method of a cylindrical solid knitted fabric which can manufacture a cylindrical solid knitted fabric easily and can expand the use of a solid knitted fabric.

In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention according to claim 1, a pair of ground knitted fabrics arranged apart from each other, and a plurality of connecting yarns that reciprocate between the pair of ground knitted fabrics to couple them together. Rounding a three-dimensional knitted fabric formed into a three-dimensional three-dimensional structure into a substantially cylindrical shape and forming a cylindrical portion;
And a step of superposing and welding the edge portions of the tubular portion on each other, and providing a method for producing a tubular solid knitted fabric.
In this invention of Claim 2, each edge part of the said cylindrical part was overlap | superposed so that inner surfaces might contact | connect, it welded in the state protruded outward, thickness was made thin, and also this welded The manufacturing method of the cylindrical three-dimensional knitted fabric according to claim 1, wherein the end edge portions are overlapped along the outer surface of the cylindrical portion, and both are welded.
In the present invention according to claim 3, the edge portion welded in the protruded state is welded by being overlapped so as to be along the outer surface of the cylindrical portion after cutting off an excessive portion thereof. The manufacturing method of the cylindrical solid knitted fabric of Claim 2 to provide is provided.
In this invention of Claim 4, in the process of forming the said cylindrical part, a heat welding film is laminated | stacked on the said three-dimensional knitted fabric, The said three-dimensional knitted material is substantially cylindrical shape so that a heat welding film may be located inside. A method for producing a cylindrical three-dimensional knitted fabric according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by being rounded into two.
In this invention of Claim 5, it has the process of reversing the front and back of the said cylindrical part which rounded substantially cylindrical shape and welded the edge parts mutually, Either of Claims 1-4 characterized by the above-mentioned. The manufacturing method of the cylindrical solid knitted fabric of 1 is provided.

  According to the present invention, after rounding a flat three-dimensional knitted fabric into a substantially cylindrical shape, it is only necessary to weld the end edges, and a cylindrical three-dimensional knitted fabric can be manufactured very easily. Since the three-dimensional knitted fabric has a predetermined thickness, the thickness appears as a step by simply adhering or pasting the edge portions, but when welding while pressing the edge portions by vibration welding means, etc. Thus, a cylindrical solid knitted fabric having such a small step is obtained. Moreover, by reversing the cylindrical part which welded edge parts, the feeling of contact of the edge part hardened by welding is reduced.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail based on the embodiment of the present invention shown in the drawings. Drawing 1 is a flowchart for explaining the manufacturing method of the cylindrical solid knitted fabric concerning one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1A, first, the sewn three-dimensional knitted fabric 10 is cut into a square having a predetermined size. Of the cut three-dimensional knitted fabric 10, when edged, the edge portions 10a and 10b positioned at the front and rear ends in the longitudinal direction are fixed so that the pair of ground knitted fabrics are close to each other in the thickness direction by vibration welding or the like. Apply. As a result, fraying from the terminal portions 10a and 10b and jumping out of the connecting yarn are prevented. In addition, since the edge parts 10c and 10d along the rounding direction are welded together after forming the cylindrical part 15 as described later, it is not necessary to perform terminal processing at this stage.

  Here, the three-dimensional knitted fabric 10 is connected to a pair of ground knitted fabrics spaced apart from each other and reciprocated between the pair of ground knitted fabrics as disclosed in Patent Document 2, for example. The knitted fabric has a three-dimensional three-dimensional structure having a large number of connecting yarns. One ground knitted fabric is formed by, for example, a flat knitted fabric structure (fine stitches) that is continuous in both the wale direction and the course direction from a yarn obtained by twisting a single fiber. For example, a knitted structure having a honeycomb-shaped (hexagonal) mesh is formed from a yarn obtained by twisting short fibers. Of course, this knitted fabric structure is arbitrary, and it is also possible to adopt a knitted fabric structure other than a fine structure or a honeycomb shape, and a combination thereof is also arbitrary, such as adopting a fine structure for both. The connecting yarn is knitted between the pair of ground knitted fabrics such that one ground knitted fabric and the other ground knitted fabric maintain a predetermined distance, and gives the three-dimensional knitted fabric 10 a predetermined rigidity. The thickness of the ground yarn forming the ground knitted fabric is selected in such a range that the three-dimensional knitted fabric 10 can have the necessary waist strength and the knitting operation does not become difficult.

  Examples of the material of the ground yarn or the connecting yarn include synthetic fibers such as polypropylene, polyester, polyamide, polyacrylonitrile, and rayon, and natural fibers such as recycled fibers, wool, silk, and cotton. These materials are used alone. These may be used in combination. Preferably, thermoplastic polyester resins represented by polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyamide resins represented by nylon 6, nylon 66, etc., polyolefin resins represented by polyethylene, polypropylene, etc. Or polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) or a resin obtained by mixing two or more of these resins. Polyester resins are suitable because of their excellent recyclability. Further, the shape of the ground yarn or the connecting yarn is not limited, and may be a round cross-section yarn or a modified cross-section yarn.

  The connecting yarn may be formed in a loop-like stitch in the ground knitted fabric of the surface layer and the back layer, or may be structured to be hooked on the ground knitted fabric of the surface layer and the back layer by the insertion structure, but at least two connecting yarns However, in order to improve the form stability of the three-dimensional knitted fabric 10, it is preferable that the knitted fabric of the surface layer and the back layer is inclined obliquely in opposite directions and connected in a cross shape (X shape) or a truss shape.

  The three-dimensional knitted fabric 10 can be knitted with a knitting machine having two rows of needle beds facing each other. Examples of such a knitting machine include a double raschel knitting machine, a double circular knitting machine, and a flat knitting machine having a V bed. In order to obtain a three-dimensional knitted fabric with good dimensional stability, it is preferable to use a double raschel knitting machine.

  If the three-dimensional knitted fabric 10 is cut into a predetermined shape and the pair of edge portions 10a and 10b are subjected to terminal processing, in this embodiment, the heat-welded film 20 shown in FIG. Laminate. Then, the three-dimensional knitted fabric 10 and the heat welding film 20 are rounded to form the cylindrical portion 15 so that the three-dimensional knitted fabric 10 is on the inner side (FIG. 1C). At this time, the edge portions 10c and 10d in the direction of rounding the three-dimensional knitted fabric 10 and the corresponding edge portions 20a and 20b of the heat welding film 20 are formed on the cylindrical portion 15 as shown in FIG. It protrudes outward and is welded together in the protruded state. The welding means is optional, but it is preferable to use a vibration welding means that can be welded while applying pressure and can reduce the thickness of the edge portions 10c and 10d of the three-dimensional knitted fabric 10. Next, excess portions of the edge portions 10c and 10d of the welded three-dimensional knitted fabric 10 and the edge portions 20a and 20b of the heat welding film 20 are cut and removed (FIG. 1 (e)), and the remaining portions are removed. It bends and overlaps along the outer surface of the cylindrical part 15. And the edge parts 10c and 10d of the three-dimensional knitted fabric 10 bent in this way and the edge parts 20a and 20b of the heat welding film 20 are welded with respect to the cylindrical part 15 (FIG.1 (f)). The welding means at this time is also arbitrary. For example, ultrasonic welding means or vibration welding means can be used.

  Thereby, as shown in FIG.1 (g), the cylindrical solid knitted fabric 30 is completed. The cylindrical three-dimensional knitted fabric 30 can be used with the surface of the heat-welded film 20 facing the front side as described above. However, in the state shown in FIGS. 1 (f) and 1 (g), the edge of the three-dimensional knitted fabric 10. 10c, 10d and the edge part 20a, 20b of the heat welding film 20 and the level | step difference generate | occur | produce between the outer surface of the cylindrical part 15. FIG. Therefore, from the state of FIGS. 1 (f) and (g), this is reversed, that is, the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 15 (the ground from any one of the three-dimensional knitted fabric 10 in FIGS. 1 (f) and (g)). It can also be used by inverting the surface that is the surface of the knitted fabric so that it becomes the front side. By reversing, since the surface hardened by welding becomes the inner surface, when the cylindrical three-dimensional knitted fabric 30 is touched from the outside, a hard touch feeling to the hardened portion is reduced.

  In the above description, the heat-welded film 20 is laminated and rolled on the three-dimensional knitted fabric 10, but without using the heat-welded film 20, the three-dimensional knitted fabric 10 is rolled alone to produce a cylindrical three-dimensional knitted fabric similar to the above. You can also. Further, in the above description, when rounded, the edge portions 10c and 10d of the three-dimensional knitted fabric 10 are protruded outward from the cylindrical portion 10e and vibration welded, and then the excess portion is cut. Depending on the length of the protruding portion, the thickness of the three-dimensional knitted fabric 10 and the like, the excess portion can be welded along the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 15 without being cut.

  According to this embodiment, the thick three-dimensional knitted fabric 10 can be easily formed into a cylindrical shape, and can be used as a cover for various members. For example, it can be used as a steering cover for automobiles, a handle for bicycles or motorcycles, a cover for door handles, and the like. Also used as a handle cover for a nursing aid that assists caregivers by operating the handles provided on the main body part and placing the main body part on the back of the caregiver, when used to wake up or transport the caregiver It can also be used.

Drawing 1 is a flowchart for explaining the manufacturing method of the cylindrical solid knitted fabric concerning one embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Three-dimensional knitted fabric 10c, 10d End edge part of three-dimensional knitted fabric 15 Cylindrical part 20 Thermal welding film 20a, 20b Edge part of thermal welding film

Claims (5)

A three-dimensional knitted fabric formed in a three-dimensional three-dimensional structure having a pair of ground knitted fabrics spaced apart from each other and a large number of connecting yarns reciprocating between the pair of ground knitted fabrics to couple them together. Rounding into a cylindrical shape and forming a cylindrical portion;
And a step of superposing and welding the edge portions of the tubular portion on each other.   The end portions of the cylindrical portion are overlapped so that the inner surfaces are in contact with each other, and are welded in a state of protruding outward to reduce the thickness. The method for producing a cylindrical three-dimensional knitted fabric according to claim 1, characterized in that the two are superposed so as to be along the outer surface of the two and welded together.   The cylindrical solid body according to claim 2, wherein the edge portion welded in the protruding state is welded by being overlapped so as to be along the outer surface of the tubular portion after cutting off an excessive portion thereof. A method for manufacturing a knitted fabric.   The step of forming the tubular portion is characterized by laminating a heat welding film on the three-dimensional knitted fabric and rounding it into a substantially cylindrical shape so that the three-dimensional knitted fabric is located on the inner side and the heat welding film is located on the outer side. A method for producing the cylindrical three-dimensional knitted fabric according to 1 or 2.   Furthermore, it has the process of reversing the front and back of the said cylindrical part which rounded substantially cylindrical shape and welded edge parts, The cylindrical solid knitted fabric of any one of Claims 1-4 characterized by the above-mentioned. Production method.

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