JP2013256738A - Protective knit product and method for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide, without sewing, an easy-to-wear, thick and hard protective knit product, which can be made into a shape according to a protection object and thus suitably used as a supporter, a protector or the like.SOLUTION: A protective knit product includes an outer layer knitted fabric and an inner layer knitted fabric, the outer layer knitted fabric being connected to the inner layer knitted fabric. In the product, a connecting yarn including a thermoplastic resin is melted or thermally deformed, and a protruding portion where the inner layer knitted fabric is isolated from the inner layer knitted fabric by the connecting yarn and a recessed portion in which the outer layer knitted fabric and the inner layer knitted fabric are closely fitted to each other without clearance are alternately repeated.

Description

  The present invention relates to a protective knitted product and a method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly to a protective knitted product using a three-dimensional knitted fabric.

  It is known that a knitted fabric is knitted using yarn that melts by heat, and the shape of the knitted fabric is fixed by heating. For example, Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-337421 proposes that a tubular knitted fabric is knitted with a thermoplastic resin yarn and heated through a human arm or the like to make a cast. Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-286633 uses a connecting yarn to connect a surface material and a lining material, using a crimped yarn for the lining material and a yarn containing a heat-meltable binder for the surface material. It is proposed that When heated, the binder of the outer material melts and becomes difficult to lose its shape, and the lining is crimped to exhibit elasticity.

  The Gibbs of Patent Document 1 is difficult to make into a shape that fits the protection target. For example, when the elbow is bent through the arm in the cast of Patent Document 1, it is considered that the wrinkles are caused. Moreover, the brassiere of patent document 2 does not assume other than the shape of a brassiere. Furthermore, none of the patent documents discusses providing a sufficient protective effect with a thick and hard knitted fabric.

JP2004-337421 JP2003-286633

It is an object of the present invention to provide a protective knit product that can be shaped according to the object to be protected, is easy to wear, and is thick and hard.
The subject of this invention is also providing the manufacturing method of said knitted product.
An auxiliary problem of the present invention is to provide a knit product that is easily deformed and suitable for a supporter or the like.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a knit product which is difficult to deform and is suitable for a cover of a cast or a pipe.

The protective knitted product of the present invention comprises at least an outer layer knitted fabric and an inner layer knitted fabric,
The connecting yarn connecting the outer layer knitted fabric and the inner layer knitted fabric and containing the thermoplastic resin is thermally deformed by heating,
A convex portion where the outer layer knitted fabric and the inner layer knitted fabric are separated by a connecting yarn and a concave portion where the outer layer knitted fabric and the inner layer knitted fabric are in close contact with each other without a gap are alternately repeated.

  The knitted product of the present invention can be bent into a bellows shape around the concave and convex portions, and heated in that state, whereby the connecting yarn can be melted or softened and thermally deformed. Thermal deformation means that the connecting yarns shrink and become thicker, the connecting yarns fuse together to form a net-like structure, and the like. The connecting thread is not limited to a thread mainly composed of a thermoplastic resin, but is a thread composed of a thermoplastic resin thread and another thread, and a core / sheath structure. For example, the sheath part is heated. A yarn made of a plastic resin, or a yarn obtained by bringing a heat fusion yarn and another yarn close to each other may be used. The connecting yarn contains a thermoplastic resin, and is a yarn that softens or melts before heating the outer layer knitted fabric and the inner layer knitted fabric. The knit product becomes hard due to thermal deformation, and the protective effect is enhanced. In the present invention, the inner layer knitted fabric itself or the outer layer knitted fabric itself is not melted, but the connecting yarn between the inner layer knitted fabric and the outer layer knitted fabric is melted or softened. Since a large amount of connecting yarn can be filled, a thick and hard knitted product can be obtained.

Preferably, the thermoplastic resin of the connecting yarn does not ooze out from the surface of the knitted product, and the knitted product is deformable around the concave portion. When heated so that the thermoplastic resin of the connecting yarn does not ooze out, a knit product that is accordion-like and easily deformed is obtained, and the convex portion becomes hard due to the thermally deformed connecting yarn, and it becomes a supporter and protector. Is suitable.
Particularly preferably, a back knitted fabric is provided in addition to the outer layer knitted fabric and the inner layer knitted fabric, and the ends, preferably both ends, of the rear knitted fabric are connected to the outer layer knitted fabric or the inner layer knitted fabric to form a cylindrical shape. If it does in this way, it can mount easily by putting a human arm, a leg, etc. through a crevice between a back knitted fabric and an inner layer knitted fabric.

  Preferably, the thermoplastic resin of the connecting yarn oozes out from the surface of the outer layer knitted fabric and penetrates into the concave portion, so that the deformation of the knitted product around the concave portion is limited. When heated so that the thermoplastic resin of the connecting yarn oozes out to the outer knitted fabric side, a hard knit product is obtained, which is suitable for gibbs, leg guards, helmets, pipe covers, and the like. Then, the tubular knit product can be pushed and expanded in the circumferential direction to be set to be protected. Moreover, when it is set as a cast, the inner layer knitted fabric is in contact with the human body, so the wearing feeling is good.

In the method for producing a protective knitted product of the present invention, the knitting machine includes at least a pair of needle beds, and the knitted fabric can be freely transferred between the needle beds.
Knitting the outer knitted fabric with one needle bed;
Knitting an inner knitted fabric with the other needle bed,
Knitting so as to connect the outer layer knitted fabric and the inner layer knitted fabric with an interval by the connecting yarn containing the thermoplastic resin by the one needle bed and the other needle bed;
By performing the step of knitting so that the outer layer knitted fabric and the inner layer knitted fabric are in close contact with each other with the one needle bed and the other needle bed,
While knitting a three-dimensional knitted fabric in which a convex portion in which an outer layer knitted fabric and an inner layer knitted fabric are separated by a connecting yarn, and a concave portion in which the outer layer knitted fabric and the inner layer knitted fabric are in close contact with each other are alternately repeated,
The step of thermally deforming the connecting yarn is performed by heating the solid knitted fabric to a desired shape.

  In the present invention, a knitted product having a high protective effect can be knitted by a knitting machine, particularly a flat knitting machine. Then, the knitted product can be set in a mold or the like, and the shape can be determined and heated, whereby the connecting yarn can be thermally deformed to cure the knitted product. When set in a mold and heated, unlike in the case of being set on a human body, it can be cured into an arbitrary shape at a desired temperature.

Preferably, as shown in the examples, the knitted product is knitted without sewing. Then, since there is no joint by sewing, the stretchability of the knit product is increased, and it is suitable for a supporter, a protector and the like. It is known that a knitted product having a pocket is knitted, a hard part such as resin is inserted into the pocket for protection, and the pocket is closed by sewing. In the present invention, the knitting can be knitted without sewing, and the connecting yarn can be thermally deformed by heating, so that the steps of inserting the resin parts and sewing can be omitted.

Front view of solid knitted fabric (supporter) before heating Side view of solid knitted fabric before heating The figure which shows the state which wore the solid knitted fabric before a heating The figure which shows the solid knitted fabric before a heating, and the solid knitted fabric of a comparative example Top view of flat knitting machine The figure which shows typically the solid knitted fabric before a heating along a length direction The figure which shows that a three-dimensional knitted fabric is locked and knitted on the needle bed of a flat knitting machine The figure which shows the knitting method of solid knitted fabric Front view of solid knitted fabric before heating The front view of what heated the solid knitted fabric of FIG. Front view of a three-dimensional knitted fabric heated to leave flexibility Side view of the three-dimensional knitted fabric of FIG. Front view of three-dimensional knitted fabric heated so that deformation is difficult The figure which shows the structure of the solid knitted fabric before a heating The figure which shows the structure of the solid knitted fabric after heating Flow chart showing a knitting method of a three-dimensional knitted fabric Flow chart showing processing after knitting of a three-dimensional knitted fabric

  In the following, an optimum embodiment for carrying out the invention will be shown. The scope of the present invention should be construed in consideration of the possibility of modification by well-known techniques in the description of the scope of claims.

Knitting of a three-dimensional knitted fabric FIGS. 1 to 17 show examples, and the knitting of a three-dimensional knitted fabric will be described first. 1 to 3 show a three-dimensional knitted fabric before heating, and this three-dimensional knitted fabric is a supporter, the main part of which is the white knitted fabric part in FIGS. It will be described simply as “three-dimensional knitted fabric”. The three-dimensional knitted fabric is composed of three layers of a knitted fabric, an inner layer knitted fabric, and an outer layer knitted fabric in the order from right to left in FIG. The inner layer knitted fabric and the outer layer knitted fabric are connected with connecting yarns, and the outer layer knitted fabric and the inner layer knitted fabric are connected to each other at a plurality of locations along the length direction of the knitted fabric at a constant pitch with no gap therebetween. . Connecting the outer knitted fabric and the inner knitted fabric without a gap is referred to as “closing the eyes”. The inner layer knitted fabric is not visible in FIGS. 1 to 3 because it is between the rear knitted fabric and the outer knitted fabric. Since the connecting yarn is also between the inner layer knitted fabric and the outer layer knitted fabric, it is not visible in FIGS. The outer layer knitted fabric is knitted by a larger number of courses (the number of stitch rows along the length direction) than the inner layer knitted fabric. As a result, the outer layer knitted fabric has a length in the length direction, that is, the knitting length is longer than the inner layer knitted fabric. It is long and bulges outside the three-dimensional knitted fabric. The inner layer knitted fabric has a flat surface. The back knitted fabric has a smaller number of courses than both the inner layer knitted fabric and the outer layer knitted fabric, and the number of stitches along the course direction (knitting width direction) is smaller than that of the inner layer knitted fabric and the outer layer knitted fabric. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the three-dimensional knitted fabric is bent in an L shape so that the inner layer knitted fabric is on the inner side, and the outer layer knitted fabric is bent so as to cover a range wider than the half circumference of the arm. In the three-dimensional knitted fabric of FIGS. 1 to 3, the upper and lower end portions are the knitting start and knitting end portions, there is no connecting yarn, and the knitting structure is, for example, a rib structure. The knitting structure of the inner layer knitted fabric and the outer layer knitted fabric is, for example, a tentacle structure, but may be a rib structure or the like.

  The inner layer knitted fabric, the outer layer knitted fabric, and the rear knitted fabric have appropriate strength and stretchability, and are knitted with a yarn having a higher melting point than the connecting yarn. The connecting yarn is preferably a multifilament or monofilament filament yarn of a thermoplastic synthetic resin, but may be a spun yarn of a thermoplastic synthetic resin, or may be a yarn containing a thermoplastic resin. Monofilament has a hard knitted fabric and a particularly high protective effect. When heating the entire knitted product, the connecting yarn is a yarn having a lower melting point than the yarn constituting the inner layer knitted fabric, the outer layer knitted fabric, and the rear knitted fabric, but the inner knitted fabric is not heated without heating the rear knitted fabric. When the outer layer knitted fabric and the connecting yarn between them are heated, it is not necessary to knit the rear knitted fabric with a yarn having a higher melting point than the connecting yarn. Knit products made by molding a three-dimensional knitted fabric and cured by heating can be used for support parts such as arms, legs, elbows and knees, as well as the bottom part of socks ankles, gibbs and helmets. Furthermore, the above knit products can be used for pipe covers, column covers, and the like. The three-dimensional knitted fabric is composed of a convex portion having a space filled with a connecting yarn between the outer layer knitted fabric and the inner layer knitted fabric, and a concave portion in which the outer layer knitted fabric and the inner layer knitted fabric are closely adhered without a gap, These repeat alternately.

  FIG. 4 shows a three-dimensional knitted fabric (on the left side in the drawing) provided with a connecting yarn between the outer layer knitted fabric and the inner layer knitted fabric, and a three-dimensional knitted fabric (on the right side in the drawing) that is not provided. In both the right and left three-dimensional knitted fabrics, the outer layer knitted fabric and the inner layer knitted fabric are joined without a gap at a constant pitch, and the three-dimensional knitted fabric becomes bulky due to the connecting yarn.

  FIG. 5 shows a flat knitting machine 2 used for knitting. Reference numerals 4 and 6 denote a pair of front and back needle beds, which may be provided with a total of four needle beds in the front and rear directions. A carriage 8 reciprocates on the needle beds 4 and 6 and operates the needles on the needle beds 4 and 6 to knit the three-dimensional knitted fabric. A racking motor 9 relatively moves the needle beds 4 and 6 in the horizontal direction in FIG. Moreover, the knitted fabric can be moved between the front and back needle beds 4 and 6 by transfer. Instead of the carriage 8, a group of linear motors may be provided on the needle beds 4 and 6, and the needles may be advanced and retracted by the linear motors. In order to make the length of the knitted fabric different between the inner knitted fabric, the outer knitted fabric, and the rear knitted fabric, the number of courses forming the stitches is different between the knitted fabrics, and the stitch size is changed between the inner knitted fabric and the outer knitted fabric. The knitted fabric may be different depending on the knitted fabric. For example, the amount of needle pull-in of the needle beds 4 and 6 may be changed by a mountain cam of the carriage 8. Further, the inner layer knitted fabric may be knitted with the same number of courses and the same stitch size as the outer layer knitted fabric with heat shrink yarns, and only the inner layer knitted fabric may be heat shrunk after knitting.

  In this specification, the knitting length (the length of the three-dimensional knitted fabric in the length direction) is the knit product in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the needle beds 4 and 6 when knitting with the flat knitting machine 2 in FIG. Say length. The knitting width or the knitted fabric size in the course direction refers to the width of the knitted product along the needle beds 4 and 6 when knitting with the flat knitting machine 2 of FIG. The number of courses refers to the number of stitch rows along the knitting length direction, and is proportional to the knitting length when the stitch size is constant.

  In FIG. 6, the cross section of the three-dimensional knitted fabric 10 is shown typically. 12 is a back knitted fabric, 14 is an inner layer knitted fabric, 16 is an outer layer knitted fabric, and the three-dimensional knitted fabric 10 is composed of three layers of a rear knitted fabric 12, an inner layer knitted fabric 14, and an outer layer knitted fabric 16, and the inner layer knitted fabric 14 and the outer layer knitted fabric. 16 are coupled so as to be in close contact with each other at concave portions 17 provided at a constant pitch, for example. The connecting yarn 18 is filled in the region between the concave portions 17 and 17 to connect the knitted fabrics 14 and 16, and the portion where the inner layer knitted fabric 14 and the outer layer knitted fabric 16 are connected by the connecting yarn 18 is the convexity of the three-dimensional knitted fabric 10. It becomes the shape part. The back knitted fabric 12 may be omitted.

  When the three-dimensional knitted fabric 10 is a flat knitting machine having four needle beds in the front and rear, upper and lower needle beds, one needle bed is allocated to each of the knitted fabrics 12, 14, and 16, and the knitted fabrics 12, 14 are assigned to the allocated needle beds. , 16 can be knitted. In the case of a flat knitting machine 2 with two front and rear needle beds, for example, knitting is performed as shown in FIG. The rear knitted fabric 12 is assigned to one needle bed, the inner layer knitted fabric 14 and the outer layer knitted fabric 16 are assigned to the other needle bed, and the inner layer knitted fabric 14 is located closer to the area between the needle beds than the outer layer knitted fabric 16, that is, on the trick gap side. Place it at the shifted position. The rear knitted fabric 12 can be knitted in the upper arrangement of FIG. By the transfer, the inner knitted fabric 14 can be moved between the upper arrangement and the lower arrangement in FIG. The inner layer knitted fabric 14 and the outer layer knitted fabric 16 can be knitted with the lower arrangement in FIG. 7, and the connecting yarn 18 can be filled between the knitted fabrics 14 and 16 by tuck, knit or the like. FIG. 7 shows the case of tack. In the case of knit, for example, <... Several misses, one knit on the inner layer knitted fabric 14 (form stitch), several stitches, one knit on the outer layer knitted fabric 16, … Organize>.

  In order to increase the number of courses of the outer layer knitted fabric 16 as compared with the number of courses of the inner layer knitted fabric 14, for example, a course in which the outer layer knitted fabric 16 and the inner layer knitted fabric 14 are knitted in a cylindrical shape, an outer layer knitted fabric 16 and a rear knitted fabric 12 It is good to carry out a course to knitting a cylinder. In this way, the three-dimensional knitted fabric of FIGS. 1 to 3 can be knitted.

  FIG. 8 shows a knitting method of the three-dimensional knitted fabric of FIGS. In the figure, FB indicates the front needle bed of the flat knitting machine, BB indicates the rear needle bed, ▼ indicates a yarn feeder for supplying yarn for the outer knitted fabric 16, the inner knitted fabric 14 and the rear knitted fabric 12, and ▽ indicates a connecting yarn. 18 yarn feeders are shown. ● represents stitches formed in this course, ○ represents stitches formed in the previous course, and V represents tack stitches. The number of needles and the number of stitches are displayed less than actual, the outer knitted fabric 16 is locked to the needles of the front needle bed FB, and the inner knitted fabric 14 and the rear knitted fabric 12 are engaged with the needles of the rear needle bed BB. The inner layer knitted fabric 14 is locked so that the transition yarn between the stitches is located on the front needle bed FB side with respect to the transition yarn of the rear knitted fabric 12. The inner knitted fabric 14 is locked to the needles b, d, f, h,... Of the rear needle bed BB, and the rear knitted fabric 12 is locked to the needles a, c, e, g.

  In steps 1 to 8, the outer layer knitted fabric 16 is knitted, for example, in three courses in steps 1, 4, 7, the inner layer knitted fabric 14 is knitted, for example, two courses in steps 2, 8, and the rear knitted fabric 12 is knitted in step 5, for example, 1 The course is organized. For this reason, the knitting length is in the order of outer layer knitted fabric 16> inner layer knitted fabric 14> rear knitted fabric 12, and the outer layer knitted fabric 16 swells outward at the convex portion. In step 3, the inner layer knitted fabric 14 is transferred to the front needle bed FB, and in step 4, the outer layer knitted fabric 16 is knitted with the front needle bed FB. Therefore, the transition yarn of the outer layer knitted fabric 16 becomes the transition yarn of the inner layer knitted fabric 14. Is fixed to the front needle bed FB side, and the concave portion 17 is formed. In step 5, the back knitted fabric 12 is knitted with the back needle bed BB. At this time, the inner knitted fabric 14 has moved to the front needle bed FB. Is not fixed. On the other hand, if the back knitted fabric 12 is knitted instead of the inner layer knitted fabric 14 in Step 2, the transition yarn of the rear knitted fabric 12 fixes the transition yarn of the inner knitted fabric 14, and the rear knitted fabric 12 and the inner knitted fabric 14 are fixed. Are combined with each other. In step 6, the inner layer knitted fabric 14 is moved back to the rear needle bed BB, and in steps 7 and 8, the outer layer knitted fabric 16 and the inner layer knitted fabric 14 are knitted one course each.

  In step 3, the inner layer knitted fabric 14 is transferred to the front needle bed FB, and the outer layer knitted fabric 16 is knitted with the front needle bed FB in step 4. In addition to forming the concave portion 17, the outer layer knitted fabric 16 It is meaningful to make the inner layer knitted fabric 14 flat and provide the outer layer knitted fabric 16 with a convex portion by making the number of courses larger than the number of courses of the inner layer knitted fabric 14. When the inner layer knitted fabric 14 is made flat, the inner layer knitted fabric 14 is easily fitted to a human body or a pipe to be protected. However, in step 4, both the inner layer knitted fabric 14 and the outer layer knitted fabric 16 may be knitted. Then, since the number of courses becomes equal, unevenness may occur in both the inner layer knitted fabric 14 and the outer layer knitted fabric 16, and such a thing is also included in the present invention. If a course for knitting the outer knitted fabric 16 and a course for knitting the rear knitted fabric 12 are added, even if both the inner knitted fabric 14 and the outer knitted fabric 16 are knitted in step 4, the inner knitted fabric 14 is formed. The outer layer knitted fabric 16 can be flat and provided with a convex portion. The outer knitted fabric 16 may be knitted with the rear needle bed BB, and the rear knitted fabric 12 and the inner knitted fabric 14 may be knitted with the front needle bed FB.

  In Step 9 to Step 13, the outer layer knitted fabric 16 and the inner layer knitted fabric 14 are connected by the connecting yarn 18, and the outer layer knitted fabric 16 and the inner layer knitted fabric 14 are alternately arranged every several stitches (1/2 of the stitches). Take a tack and shift the tacking needle for each course (step). The number of courses to be knitted in Step 1 to Step 8 and the number of courses to be tacked in Step 9 to Step 13 are arbitrary, and Steps 1 to 13 are repeated to knit the three-dimensional knitted fabric of FIGS. When the above steps are executed, the knit product can be knitted without sewing.

Heating of the three-dimensional knitted fabric The three-dimensional knitted fabric shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is heated and cured by thermal deformation of the connecting yarn to obtain a protective knit product. The structure of the three-dimensional knitted fabric, the knitting method, and the like are as shown in FIGS. The connecting yarn 18 uses a thermoplastic resin yarn having a melting point lower than that of the yarn constituting the inner layer knitted fabric 14 and the outer layer knitted fabric 16, and when the rear knitted fabric 12 is present, the connecting yarn 18 is a yarn constituting the rear knitted fabric 12. Lower melting point. The thermoplastic resin yarn is, for example, a monofilament or multifilament filament yarn, but may be a spun yarn. For example, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide 11, polyamide 12 and the like have a melting point of 200 ° C. or less and are suitable for the connecting yarn 18, and polyester and polyamide 66 have a melting point of 200 ° C. or more and the inner layer knitted fabric 14, outer layer knitted fabric 16, rear knitted fabric 12 Suitable for The knitted fabrics 12 to 16 can be knitted with natural fibers such as cotton, hemp and wool as long as they can withstand the temperature at which the connecting yarn 18 is melted or softened.

  FIG. 9 shows a three-dimensional knitted fabric before heating consisting of an outer layer knitted fabric, an inner layer knitted fabric, a connecting yarn between them, and a rear knitted fabric, the outer knitted fabric has irregularities, and the inner knitted fabric and the outer knitted fabric are It is not cylindrical, but is curled in an arc. FIG. 10 shows a supporter manufactured by heating the three-dimensional knitted fabric of FIG. 9, and in the drawing, it is shown that all the connecting yarns are heated, but only necessary portions may be heated. The connecting yarn is melted or softened by heating, stays between the inner layer knitted fabric and the outer layer knitted fabric, and does not ooze out on the surface. Further, the supporter bends around the concave and convex portions of the concave and convex portions, and the joined yarn that has been melted or softened does not ooze out into the closed portion of the inner layer knitted fabric and the outer layer knitted fabric. The melting or softening of the connecting yarn is hereinafter simply referred to as thermal deformation.

  Since the supporter of FIG. 10 acts as a bellows that bends around the concave and convex portions, it deforms in accordance with the movement of the joint when it hits the knee, elbow or the like. It can also bend along the circumferential direction (the direction along the concave or convex portion of the concavo-convex portion or the direction of movement of the carriage during knitting), and the arms, legs can be placed in the space between the rear knitted fabric and the inner knitted fabric. Can be installed by putting etc. Furthermore, the convex and concave portions of the concave and convex portions are raised and hard due to the thermally deformed connecting yarn. Therefore, it is suitable for supporters, protectors, protective gloves, protective socks and the like.

  FIG. 11 shows a three-dimensional knitted fabric heated so as to leave flexibility, as in FIG. 10, and FIG. The three-dimensional knitted fabric bends around the concave and convex portions of the concave and convex portions, bends in the circumferential direction, and has a high protective effect because the convex and concave portions of the concave and convex portions are hard. As can be seen from FIGS. 11 and 12, the thermally deformed connecting yarn does not ooze out on the surface. The use is the same as the three-dimensional knitted fabric of FIG.

  FIG. 13 shows a three-dimensional knitted fabric heated so as to be difficult to be deformed. The three-dimensional knitted fabric is molded into a cylindrical shape and is suitable for a gibbs or a pipe cover. The connecting yarn is completely melted, and the thermoplastic resin oozes out to the surface of the outer layer knitted fabric and the surface of the concave portion, and it is difficult to bend around the concave portion. However, since it bends in the circumferential direction, it can be mounted by expanding the cylinder. The connecting yarn does not ooze from the side of the inner layer knitted fabric, and when it is made of gibbs or the like, the inner layer knitted fabric comes into contact with the human body, so that the feeling of wearing is good. The reason why the thermoplastic resin of the connecting yarn does not ooze from the inner layer knitted fabric side is that the outer layer knitted fabric with unevenness has a lot of gaps in the stitches, so the thermoplastic resin of the connecting yarn easily oozes out. It can be considered that the thermoplastic resin tends to ooze out from the outer knitted fabric and is distributed to the side.

  FIG. 14 shows the structure of the three-dimensional knitted fabric 10 before heating, and there are irregularities along the depth direction of FIG. 14, and FIG. 14 shows the convex portions of the irregularities. The three-dimensional knitted fabric 10 is curled so that the inner layer knitted fabric 14 is on the inner side and the outer layer knitted fabric 16 is on the outer side, and the rear knitted fabric 12 may or may not be provided. Since the connecting yarn 18 is filled between the inner layer knitted fabric 14 and the outer layer knitted fabric 16, the three-dimensional knitted fabric 10 is thick and strong.

  As shown in FIG. 15, a three-dimensional knitted fabric is set in a mold 24 to have a desired shape such as a cylindrical shape. When the entire three-dimensional knitted fabric or only necessary portions are heated and the connecting yarn is thermally deformed to form the melted portion 22, a protective knit product 20 is obtained. When the heating temperature and the heating time are selected, it is possible to produce a material that can be deformed around the concave and convex portions as shown in FIGS. 10 to 12 and a material that is difficult to deform as shown in FIG. The heating is performed by placing the three-dimensional knitted fabric in an oven in the state of FIG. 15, applying hot air from a dryer, causing a heater (not shown) in the mold 24 to generate heat, disposing another mold having a heater outside the three-dimensional knitted fabric, etc. To do. When the knit product 20 is used as a cover for gibbs, helmets, pipes, etc., the back knitted fabric 12 may be omitted, and after the knit product 20 is mounted, both ends of the knitted fabric formed into a cylindrical shape are closed with a needle, an adhesive tape or the like. That's fine.

  FIG. 16 shows a knitting method of a three-dimensional knitted fabric, and shows the knitting method of FIG. When using a two-bed flat knitting machine, the outer knitted fabric is knitted with the first needle bed in step 21, the inner knitted fabric is knitted with the second needle bed in step 22, and the outer knitted fabric is engaged in step 23. The inner layer knitted fabric is transferred to the stopped first needle bed, and the outer layer knitted fabric is knitted in step 24. By the steps 23 and 24, the inner layer knitted fabric and the outer layer knitted fabric are fixed, and concave and convex portions are formed. The inner layer knitted fabric and the outer layer knitted fabric may be rib knitted or the like, and convex and concave portions may be formed in steps 21 and 22, and the order of steps 21 and 22 may be reversed. When providing the back knitted fabric, for example, knitting with the second needle bed (step 24), when there are three or more needle beds, the back knitted fabric may be knitted with the third needle bed. The inner layer knitted fabric is returned to the second needle bed (step 25), and the outer layer knitted fabric and the inner layer knitted fabric are knitted (steps 26 and 27). In step 28, the connecting yarn is filled so as to connect the outer layer knitted fabric and the inner layer knitted fabric by, for example, tacking the stitches of the outer layer knitted fabric and the stitches of the inner layer knitted fabric. The above processing is repeated until the required knitting length is obtained. Further, instead of the flat knitting machine, a plurality of needle beds may be provided, and the knitting may be performed by a circular knitting machine that can be transferred between the needle beds.

  FIG. 17 shows the processing after the knitting of the three-dimensional knitted fabric. In step 31, the three-dimensional knitted fabric is set in a mold, and in step 32, only a necessary part or the whole three-dimensional knitted fabric is heated to thermally deform the connecting yarn. The three-dimensional knitted fabric may be set on a pipe and heated, or a heat insulating film or the like may be interposed between the three-dimensional knitted fabric and the human body, and may be set on the human body and heated. In these cases, no mold is required. When the knit product made of a three-dimensional knitted fabric is a supporter or the like, the back knitted fabric is also knitted, and is attached to the cylindrical gap between the inner layer knitted fabric and the back knitted fabric through arms, legs, and the like (step 33). In a supporter or the like, the unevenness of the knitted fabric acts as a bellows that deforms at the concave portion, and the three-dimensional knitted fabric can be bent and deforms in accordance with the movement of the joint. In the case of casts, helmets, pipe covers, etc., the back knitted fabric is not necessary in principle, it is molded into a cylindrical shape and cured by heating, and the inner knitted fabric is stretched in the circumferential direction so that it touches the object to be protected. Close and fix the eyes at the end of the knitted fabric.

  The connecting yarn may be filled not only on the entire surface between the inner layer knitted fabric and the outer layer knitted fabric but only on a portion requiring protection. Further, the connecting yarn may be composed of a multifilament composed of a high melting point filament and a low melting point filament.

In the embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
1) It can be bent into a bellows shape around the concave and convex portions of the concave and convex, formed into a desired shape, and cured.
2) Rather than melting the inner knitted fabric itself or the outer knitted fabric itself, the connecting yarn between the inner knitted fabric and the outer knitted fabric is thermally deformed. Since a large amount of connecting yarn can be filled, a thick and hard knitted product can be obtained.
3) When set in a mold and heated, unlike in the case of setting on a human body, it can be cured into an arbitrary shape at a desired temperature.
4) When heated so that the thermoplastic resin of the connecting yarn does not ooze out, a knit product that is bellows-like and easily deformed is obtained, and the convex portion becomes hard due to the thermally deformed connecting yarn, and the supporter or protector Suitable for etc.
5) When the connecting yarn is heated so that the thermoplastic resin oozes out to the outer knitted fabric side, a hard knitted product can be obtained, which is suitable for gibbs, leg guards, helmets, pipe covers, etc. Then, the tubular knit product can be pushed and expanded in the circumferential direction to be set to be protected. Moreover, when it is set as a cast, the inner layer knitted fabric is in contact with the human body, so the wearing feeling is good.

2 Flat knitting machines 4, 6 Needle bed 8 Carriage 9 Racking motor 10 Solid knitted fabric 12 Rear knitted fabric 14 Inner layer knitted fabric 16 Outer layer knitted fabric 17 Concave portion 18 Connecting yarn
20 Knitted product 22 Melting part 24 type

Claims (5)

A protective knit product comprising at least an outer layer knitted fabric and an inner layer knitted fabric,
The connecting yarn that connects the outer layer knitted fabric and the inner layer knitted fabric and contains the thermoplastic resin is thermally deformed,
A protective knitted product in which a convex portion in which an outer layer knitted fabric and an inner layer knitted fabric are separated by a connecting yarn and a concave portion in which the outer layer knitted fabric and the inner layer knitted fabric are in close contact with each other are alternately repeated.   The protective knitted product according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic resin of the connecting yarn does not ooze from the surface of the knitted product and is freely deformable around the concave portion.   The back knitted fabric is provided in addition to the outer knitted fabric and the inner knitted fabric, and the end of the rear knitted fabric is cylindrical by being connected to the outer knitted fabric or the inner knitted fabric. Protective knit products.   The thermoplastic resin of the connecting yarn oozes out from the surface of the outer layer knitted fabric and penetrates into the concave portion, so that deformation around the concave portion is limited. Protective knit products. With a knitting machine that has at least a pair of needle beds and can freely transfer the knitted fabric between the needle beds,
Knitting the outer knitted fabric with one needle bed;
Knitting an inner knitted fabric with the other needle bed,
Knitting so as to connect the outer layer knitted fabric and the inner layer knitted fabric with an interval by the connecting yarn containing the thermoplastic resin by the one needle bed and the other needle bed;
By performing the step of knitting so that the outer layer knitted fabric and the inner layer knitted fabric are in close contact with each other with the one needle bed and the other needle bed,
While knitting a three-dimensional knitted fabric in which a convex portion in which an outer layer knitted fabric and an inner layer knitted fabric are separated by a connecting yarn, and a concave portion in which the outer layer knitted fabric and the inner layer knitted fabric are in close contact with each other are alternately repeated,
A method for manufacturing a protective knitted product, wherein the step of heating and deforming a connecting yarn is performed by heating the three-dimensional knitted fabric to a desired shape.