CIRCULAR-KNITTED PART AND METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SAME

Abstract

A circular-knitted part, with a base knitted material knitted with at least one base knitting yarn, the base material having several rows of stitches which are knitted together when seen in the longitudinal direction of the base knitted material and which extend circumferentially in spiral fashion, wherein, seen in the longitudinal direction of the base knitted material, an additional yarn, which forms stitches, is interknitted between two rows of stitches of the base knitted material, thus connecting the rows of stitches together, to form at lease on additional stitch, wherein the additional stitch is formed by at least one separate additional yarn.

Claims

1. A circular-knitted part, with a base knitted material knitted with at least one base knitting yarn, the base knitted material having several rows of stitches which are knitted together when seen in the longitudinal direction of the base knitted material and which extend circumferentially in spiral fashion, wherein seen in the longitudinal direction of the base knitted material, an additional yarn, which forms stitches, is interknitted between two rows of stitches of the base knitted material, thus connecting the rows of stitches together, to form at lease one additional stitch, wherein the additional stitch is formed by at least one separate additional yarn.

2. The circular-knitted part according to claim 1, wherein, seen in the longitudinal direction of the knitted material, at least one additional stitch is knitted by at least one separate additional yarn between each of several pairs or stitch rows of the base knitted material.

3. The circular-knitted part according to claim 2, wherein the additional stitches are knitted between successive stitch row pairs, or the additional stitches are knitted between stitch row pairs separated from each other by two or more stitch rows, or the additional stitches connect two stitch rows which are separated from each other in the base knitted material by several stitch rows.

4. The circular-knitted part according to claim 1, wherein, seen in the circumferential direction, several additional stitches are knitted between two stitch rows, which additional stitches are knitted with at least one common additional yarn or with at least one separate additional yarn in each case.

5. The circular-knitted part according to claim 4, wherein, seen in the circumferential direction, several additional stitch sections, each of which comprises several additional stitches, are formed between two stitch rows of the base knitted material.

6. The circular-knitted part according to claim 4, wherein the additional stitches connect the successive stitches of the two stitch rows, or in that the additional stitches connect only every n-th stitch of the two stitch rows, where n≧2.

7. The circular-knitted part according to claim 6, wherein the additional yarn or each additional yarn connecting only every n-th stitch floats between two additional stitches.

8. The circular-knitted part according to claim 6, wherein the region of the base knitted material in which the additional yarns are knitted comprises at least one first subregion, in which the additional yarns connect only every n-th stitch of the two stitch rows in each case, and at least one second subregion, in which the additional yarns connect the successive stitches of the two stitch rows in each case.

9. The circular-knitted part according to claim 8, wherein the subregions adjoin each other in the circumferential direction and/or in the longitudinal direction of the base knitted material or are separated from each other, or the subregions lie in each other and either adjoin each other or are separated from each other.

10. The circular-knitted part according to claim 2, wherein the additional stitches which are knitted with separate additional yarns, especially the additional stitch sections or subregions, are knitted with additional yarns of different colors or types.

11. The circular-knitted part according to claim 1, wherein each additional yarn is anchored at both ends in the base knitted material.

12. The circular-knitted part according to claim 11, wherein each additional yarn is anchored by at least one catch and one float, preferably by several alternating catches and floats.

13. The circular-knitted part according to claim 1, wherein the base knitting yarn and the additional yarn are elastic or inelastic.

14. The circular-knitted part according to claim 1, wherein a supplemental elastic or inelastic reinforcing yarn is knitted in stitch-forming fashion with the additional yarn.

15. The circular-knitted part according to claim 1, wherein an elastic, especially a compression-producing, weft yarn is inserted into the stitches of the base knitted material.

16. A method for producing a circular-knitted part according to claim 1, wherein, by the use of at least one base knitting yarn, a base knitted material having several stitch rows is knitted, which rows are knitted together when seen the longitudinal direction of the base knitted material and extend circumferentially in spiral fashion, wherein, seen in the longitudinal direction of the base knitted material, an additional yarn, which forms stitches and connects the stitch rows together, is interknitted between two stitch rows of the base knitted material to form at least one additional stitch, wherein the additional stitch is formed by at least one separate additional yarn.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein, in relation to a wale in which at least one additional stitch is provided, the stitch of a first stitch row is knitted first, after which at least one additional stitch is knitted, after which the stitch of a second stitch row is knitted, wherein the additional stitch connects the stitches of the first and second stitch rows.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0039] In the drawing:

[0040] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a circular-knitted part according to the invention in the form of a stocking with two function-oriented or geometry-oriented regions, each consisting of two different subregions;

[0041] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the stitch pattern of section II of FIG. 1; and

[0042] FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the stitch pattern of section III of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0043] FIG. 1 shows a circular-knitted part 1 according to the invention in the form of a stocking 2, which comprises, in the known manner, a foot part 3 and a calf part 4, and which is closed off at the upper end by a top band 5. By way of example, two specific regions 6 are realized in the stocking region situated in the area of the ankle in the diagram; each of these regions consists of a first subregion 7 and a second subregion 8. In each of these regions 6 or subregions 7, 8 there is a plurality of separate additional yarns interknitted to form additional stitches or additional rows of stitches in the manner described below for the purpose of giving the regions 6 in question a specific functional orientation or to form a specific geometry. These separate additional yarns are interknitted—as will be discussed again later—into the base knitted material, which is knitted from at least one base knitting yarn, and which forms here the calf section 4.

[0044] FIG. 2 shows by way of example a stitch pattern of section II of FIG. 1. This section shows the transition from the base knitted material 9 to the first subregion 7 of the upper region 6.

[0045] What is shown in the section according to FIG. 2 is a part of the base knitted material 9, which is knitted from a base knitting yarn 10 such as a sufficiently inelastic PA yarn. By way of example, an elastic weft yarn 12, which gives the base knitted material an elastic up to an including a compression-producing property, is knitted circumferentially into the individual stitch rows 11 of the base knitted material 9, which, because this is a circular-knitted part, extend in spiral fashion.

[0046] To form the knitted material region 7, several separate additional yarns 13 are knitted in the section shown between the stitch rows 11 of the base knitted material which are adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction L of the knitted material. Separate rows 14 of additional stitches, consisting of several additional stitches 17, are interknitted by means of these separate additional yarns 13, and therefore the entire stitch volume in the region is increased. A defined increase in the number of stitches in this region is obtained—this region being geometrically defined and delimited, see FIG. 1. For the sake of clarity, the adjacent stitch rows 11 of the base material between which the additional stitch rows 14 are knitted are shown spread somewhat apart in the longitudinal direction L of the knitted material. Also in the longitudinal direction L of the knitted material, i.e., in the individual wale 19, an additional stitch row, as it were, is formed by the individual stitches 17, wherein all of the additional stitches on the wale side are knitted from different additional yarns 13.

[0047] Each additional yarn 13 is anchored at both ends (only one end of the additional yarn 13 is shown in FIG. 2) in the base knitted material 9. This is done by means of several catches 15 and floats 16, which alternate with each other. This anchoring prevents runs from forming in the stitches.

[0048] To form the additional stitch rows 14, the additional yarn 13 is first anchored and then knitted to form stitches The additional stitches 17 connect the stitches 18 of the adjacent stitch rows 11 of the base material. They are therefore knitted between these stitches. As can be derived from the stitch pattern of FIG. 2, the additional stitches 17 are knitted to every second stitch, i.e., on every second needle, so that the stitches 18 of the base material adjacent to the additional stitches 17 in the circumferential direction U are still stitched directly together. Seen in the circumferential direction U, therefore, additional stitches 17 and base material stitches 18 alternate. This also applies when seen in the longitudinal direction L of the knitted material, i.e., in the direction of the individual wales 19. Only base knitted material stitches 18 are present in the wales 19 into which no additional stitches are interknitted. As a result of the interknitting of the additional stitches 17, i.e., the formation of the additional stitch rows 14, the stitch volume in the subregion 7 is therefore increased. Instead of the 1:1-alternation of additional stitches 17 and base material stitches 18 shown here, it is obviously also conceivable that, for example, two or three additional stitches 17 could be knitted one after the other, followed by one, two, or three base knitted material stitches 18, etc. Any desired sequence can be realized.

[0049] Each additional yarn 13 is also anchored at the other end (not shown) in the base knitted material.

[0050] As can be seen, the additional stitches 17, i.e., the additional stitch rows 14, are interknitted only partially, i.e., on a section-by-section basis seen in the circumferential direction U, into the base knitted material 9. The circumferential length ultimately determines the width of the regions. The height of the region is defined by the corresponding number of additional yarns 13 knitted in the longitudinal direction L of the knitted material.

[0051] FIG. 3 shows a stitch pattern of section III of FIG. 1. Whereas FIG. 2 shows the transition from the base knitted material 9 to the first subregion 7, FIG. 3 shows the transition from the base knitted material 9 to the second subregion 8 of region 6. The base knitted material 9 has been produced as described from a base knitting yarn 10; the base knitting stitch rows 11 are also provided here with a weft thread 12 passing around the circumference in spiral fashion. Here, too, additional stitch rows 14 comprising a plurality of individual additional stitches 17 are interknitted between several circular-knitted stitch row pairs by the use of a separate additional yarn 13 in each case. Each separate additional yarn 13 is anchored in the base knitting 9 here, too, by anchor points, i.e., by a catch 15 and a float 16, to prevent runs. This also applies here, of course, to both ends of each additional yarn 13.

[0052] The additional stitches 17 proceed from the anchoring in question, wherein here all of the base knitting stitches 18 of the two adjacent base material stitch rows 11 are connected to each other by additional stitches 17; that is, the additional stitch row 14 in question connects over its entire length the two adjacent base material stitch rows 11. The number of additional stitches 14 is therefore much larger in subregion 8 than in subregion 7. This has the result that subregion 8 in turn has properties different from those of the subregion 7, which can be seen as equivalent to a transition region.

[0053] As can be seen, as a result of the interknitting of the additional stitches 17 or additional stitch rows 14, a local increase in the stitch volume is obtained. If sufficient additional volume has been interknitted, a corresponding change in the geometry of the knitted material is obtained, so that in this way corresponding curvatures or the like, i.e., geometric effects, can be realized, which make it possible for the article to be adapted more effectively to the anatomy of the body section to be covered by the region. This increases the wearing comfort, and it also contributes to whatever therapeutic effect is to be achieved.

[0054] Whereas the individual additional stitches 17 or additional stitch rows 14 in the figures are introduced only between every second stitch row pair of the base knitted material, seen in the longitudinal direction L of the knitting, it is obvious that the additional stitch rows 14 could also be introduced between every successive stitch row pair of the base knitted material or only between every third pair, etc.

[0055] As FIG. 1 shows, the two subregions 7, 8 are directly adjacent to each other. Seen the circumferential direction U of the circular-knitted part 1, this means that the additional yarn 13 in question is knitted first on the basis of the stitch pattern shown in FIG. 2 to form stitches, i.e., only to every second stitch of the base knitting 9, i.e., on every second needle. With the transition to the second subregion 8, then, the stitch pattern changes abruptly: the additional yarn 13 in question is now knitted to each base knitting stitch or on each needle, so that the stitch pattern corresponds to that of FIG. 3. When the second subregion 8 transitions back to the first subregion 7, then the stitch pattern changes back again to that of FIG. 2, after which this subregion 7 transitions back to the base knitting 9

[0056] That these different subregions adjoin each other, however, is not mandatory. It is obvious that they can also be a certain distance apart and that only the one or the other knitting method can be used to realize the one or the other subregion.

[0057] Although FIG. 1 shows an over-the-calf stocking, the circular-knitted part can obviously also have any other desired form. It can be a complete leg stocking, an arm stocking, or a body part. For all of these circular-knitted parts it is conceivable that corresponding function-specific or geometry-specific regions can be formed.

[0058] While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.