WO2007029972A1

WO2007029972A1 - Method for knitting fabric having knitted structures of different fibers on both sides thereof using flat intarsia knitting machine

Info

Publication number: WO2007029972A1
Application number: PCT/KR2006/003556
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lee Shin Jung
Original assignee: Seo, Jae Woong
Priority date: 2005-09-07
Filing date: 2006-09-07
Publication date: 2007-03-15
Also published as: KR100621311B1

Abstract

A fabric knitting method using a flat intarsia knitting machine is disclosed which is capable of knitting a fabric having inner and outer surfaces with different tactile sensations and different color tones using different yarns for a front yarn (including both a pattern yarn and a background yarn) for the outer surface representing a knitted pattern and for a back yarn for the inner surface contacting the skin of a wearer. The knitting method, which comprises the steps of moving, to a predetermined position on a feeder housing, a selected one of a plurality of yarn feeders separably mounted on the feeder housing while holding various kinds of yarns as front yarns (pattern yarns and background yarns), respectively, by a feeder moving unit, guiding a back yarn through a through hole formed through a guide bracket arranged above a carriage adapted to move a needle for a knitting operation, and repeating the yarn feeder movement for another selected yarn feeder, to knit the front yarn and the back yarn, further comprises a back yarn aligning step for aligning the back yarn with the front yarn such that the back yarn is spaced apart from the front yarn by a predetermined distance, using a back yarn guide member having a guide hole, through which the back yarn emerging from the through hole of the guide bracket extends, before the front yarn and back yarn are hooked by the needle, a needle moving step for moving the needle such that the needle hooks the front yarn and the back yarn aligned in the back yarn aligning step by a hook portion of the needle, and a back yarn shifting step for urging the back yarn to be shifted by the front yarn within the hook portion of the needle as the needle moving step is continued, thereby causing the front yarn and back yarn to be knitted in a stitched state.

Description

[DESCRIPTION]

[Invention Title]

METHOD FOR KNITTING FABRIC HAVING KNITTED STRUCTURES OF DIFFERENT FIBERS ON BOTH SIDES THEREOF USING FLAT INTARSIA KNITTING MACHINE

[Technical Field]

The present invention relates to a method for knitting a fabric using a flat intarsia knitting machine, and more particularly to a fabric knitting method using a flat intarsia knitting machine which is capable of knitting a fabric having inner and outer surfaces with different tactile sensations and different color tones using different yarns for a front yarn (including both a pattern yarn and a background yarn) for the outer surface representing a knitted pattern and for a back yarn for the inner surface contacting the skin of a wearer.

[Background Art]

Generally, for fabrication of a fabric with diverse patterns, various kinds of yarns may be required in accordance with the design of the fabric. The prepared yarns extend through a plurality of yarn feeders separably mounted to a feeder housing in a flat intarsia knitting machine so that the yarns are accurately fed to desired positions in accordance with a manual operation or a computer-based control operation for the yarn feeders, in order to weave a fabric having a desired pattern.

In order to accurately feed various kinds of yarns, as mentioned above, the flat intarsia knitting machine uses a feeder transfer device. The feeder transfer device transfers a desired one of the yarn feeders separably mounted to the feeder housing while holding different yarns, respectively, to a desired new position on the feeder housing such that the transferred yarn feeder is mounted to the feeding housing at the new position. The feeder transfer device then receives a new yarn feeder, to transfer the received yarn feeder to a desired position on the feeding housing in the above- mentioned manner. The feeder transfer device operates repeatedly in the above-mentioned manner. Referring to FIGS. Ia and Ib, a fabric knitted in accordance with a conventional knitting method using a general intarsia knitting machine is shown. The fabric can have a desired pattern and design in accordance with operation of the intarsia knitting machine as mentioned above. FIG. Ia shows an outer surface of the fabric opposite to the skin of the wearer, whereas FIG. Ib shows an inner surface of the fabric toward the skin of the wearer. In accordance with the conventional knitting method, the knitted fabric has inner and outer surfaces made of the same fiber, so that it has the same tactile sensation at both the inner and outer surfaces thereof. The distinction between the inner and outer surfaces of the knitted fabric is based on stitches formed at the boundary between adjacent patterns. The stitches form the outlines of the patterns at the inner surface of the knitted fabric. Accordingly, the surface of the knitted fabric having such outlines is the inner surface.

Since the knitted fabric formed using an intarsia knitting machine in accordance with the above-mentioned conventional knitting method has inner and outer surfaces made of the same fiber, a large amount of fibers are consumed when the fabric is made using high-grade fibers or general fibers having a rough surface. For this reason, the costs of the fabric are increased. Furthermore, when a knitted fabric is made using fibers having a rough surface, there may be a problem in that persons may not like wearing garments made of such a fabric due to disagreeable tactile sensation occurring when the rough surface of the fabric contacts the skin.

Conventionally, the costs of the knitted fabric are further increased due to the costs of labor required for formation of knots to prevent ends of stitches from being unknotted. [Disclosure] [Technical Problem]

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the invention to provide a knitting method capable of knitting a fabric having inner and outer surfaces having different tactile sensations and different color tones, using high-grade fibers for the outer surface and inexpensive fibers having soft tactile sensation for the inner surface, while preventing ends of stitches from being unknotted without formation of knots adapted to knot the ends of the stitches.

[Technical Solution]

In accordance with the present invention, this object is accomplished by providing a method for knitting a fabric using a flat intarsia knitting machine, comprising the steps of moving, to a predetermined position on a feeder housing, a selected one of a plurality of yarn feeders separably mounted on the feeder housing while holding various kinds of yarns as front yarns (pattern yarns and background yarns), respectively, by a feeder moving unit, guiding a back yarn through a through hole formed through a guide bracket arranged above a carriage adapted to move a needle for a knitting operation, and repeating the yarn feeder movement for another selected yarn feeder, to knit the front yarn and the back yarn, further comprising: a back yarn aligning step for aligning the back yarn with the front yarn such that the back yarn is spaced apart from the front yarn by a predetermined distance, using a back yarn guide member having a guide hole, through which the back yarn emerging from the through hole of the guide bracket extends, before the front yarn and back yarn are hooked by the needle; a needle moving step for moving the needle such that the needle hooks the front yarn and the back yarn aligned in the back yarn aligning step by a hook portion of the needle; and a back yarn shifting step for urging the back yarn to be shifted by the front yarn within the hook portion of the needle as the needle moving step is continued, thereby causing the front yarn and back yarn to be knitted in a stitched state.

Preferably, the back yarn is upwardly spaced apart from the front yarn by a distance of 2 to 4 mm.

[Description of Drawings]

The above objects, and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent after reading the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. Ia is a photograph showing a front surface of a fabric knitted using a general flat intarsia knitting machine, and FIG. Ib is a photograph showing a back surface of the fabric shown in FIG. Ia;

FIG. 2a is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a flat intarsia knitting machine to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2b is an exploded perspective view of a part of the flat intarsia knitting machine, illustrating supply of a back yarn in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3a is a photograph showing a front surface of a fabric knitted in accordance with a knitting method of the present invention, and FIG. 3b is a photograph showing a back surface of the fabric shown in FIG. 3a; and

FIG. 4 illustrates relations among a back yarn, a front yarn, and a needle according to the present invention. [Best Mode]

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the annexed drawings. Referring to FIG. 2a and 2b, a flat intarsia knitting machine is illustrated to which a knitting method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is applied. In the flat intarsia knitting machine, a striking rod is instantly moved by operation of a motor in accordance with an operation control program of a computer under the condition in which a yarn feeder 3 holding a front yarn, namely, a pattern yarn or a background yarn, is maintained in a state of being fitted in a fixed fitting port 2 of a feeder housing 5. In accordance with this movement of the striking rod, the yarn feeder 3 is moved to a movable fitting port of a feeder moving unit 1 positioned opposite to the fixed fitting port 2. Meanwhile, a back yarn extends through a through hole formed through a guide bracket 5 arranged above a carriage 4. When the feeder moving unit 1 moves to a position meeting a predetermined pattern condition of a fabric to be knitted, a strike rod included in the feeder moving unit 1 is operated by a motor, to cause the yarn feeder 3 to be fitted to a desired fixed fitting port 2 of the feeder housing 5. In this state, a needle hooks the front yarn and back yarn. When the feeder moving unit 1 again operates for a subsequent feeder movement, the carriage 4 is moved simultaneously with the operation of the feeder moving unit 1, so that the needle hooking the yarns is moved, thereby causing the yarns to be knitted.

In accordance with the knitting method of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, a back yarn aligning process is carried out, to align the back yarn with the front yarn such that the back yarn is spaced apart from the front yarn by a predetermined distance, using a back yarn guide member 6, before the front yarn and back yarn are hooked by the needle. The back yarn guide member 6 has a guide hole, through which the back yarn emerging from the through hole of the guide bracket 5 extends.

It is preferred that the back yarn be upwardly spaced apart from the front yarn by a distance of 2 to 4 mm. Thereafter, a needle moving process is carried out. In the needle moving process, the needle is moved by a cam mounted to the carriage 4, to hook the front yarn and back yarn aligned in the back yarn aligning process by a hook portion of the needle.

A back yarn shifting process is then carried out. That is, as the needle moving process is continued under the condition in which the front yarn and back yarn have been hooked by the needle, the back yarn is urged to be shifted by the front yarn within the hook portion of the needle. Thus, the front yarn and back yarn are knitted in a stitched state. As shown in FIG. 3, the fabric knitted in the above-described knotting method has an outer surface knitted to have a structure identical to those of fabrics knitted in accordance with conventional knitting methods, as a surface which must have beautiful appearance, and an inner surface knitted at the back side of the outer surface while being in contact with the front yarn. Thus, the fabric has a double knitted structure and pattern.

Where a hairy woolen yarn is used for the front yarn, there may be a problem in that the wearer feels ticklish and uncomfortable when the hairs of the fabric come into direct contact with the skin, even through the outer surface of the fabric provides soft and beautiful appearance by virtue of the hairs. In accordance with the present invention, such a problem can be eliminated by using a yarn having no hair as a back yarn.

Since the front yarn and back yarn are simultaneously knitted, they are knitted in an entangled state. Accordingly, there is no phenomenon that ends of stitches are unknotted, even though no knot is formed. [Industrial Applicability]

As apparent from the above description, in accordance with the knitting method of the present invention, a high-grade yarn is used for a front yarn for knitting an outer surface of a fabric as a surface which must have beautiful appearance, whereas an inexpensive yarn having soft tactile sensation is used for a back yarn for knitting an inner surface of the fabric. Accordingly, the opposite surfaces of the knitted fabric can have different tactile sensations and color tones. Also, in accordance with the knitting method of the present invention, there is no phenomenon that ends of stitches are unknotted, even though no knot is formed.

Claims

[CLAIMS] [Claim 1]

A method for knitting a fabric using a flat intarsia knitting machine, comprising the steps of moving, to a predetermined position on a feeder housing, a selected one of a plurality of yarn feeders separably mounted on the feeder housing while holding various kinds of yarns as front yarns (pattern yarns and background yarns), respectively, by a feeder moving unit, guiding a back yarn through a through hole formed through a guide bracket arranged above a carriage adapted to move a needle for a knitting operation, and repeating the yarn feeder movement for another selected yarn feeder, to knit the front yarn and the back yarn, further comprising: a back yarn aligning step for aligning the back yarn with the front yarn such that the back yarn is spaced apart from the front yarn by a predetermined distance, using a back yarn guide member having a guide hole, through which the back yarn emerging from the through hole of the guide bracket extends, before the front yarn and back yarn are hooked by the needle; a needle moving step for moving the needle such that the needle hooks the front yarn and the back yarn aligned in the back yarn aligning step by a hook portion of the needle; and a back yarn shifting step for urging the back yarn to be shifted by the front yarn within the hook portion of the needle as the needle moving step is continued, thereby causing the front yarn and back yarn to be knitted in a stitched state. [Claim 2]

The method according to claim 1, wherein the back yarn is upwardly spaced apart from the front yarn by a distance of 2 to 4 mm.