Knitted spacer fabric

Abstract

A knitted spacer fabric has an upper knitted cover layer and a knitted lower cover layer, said cover layers being connected to one another by pile threads, wherein the cover layers are connected to one another by way of at least two different pile threads having dissimilar elasticity properties, and the cover layers are both knitted in a single-threaded or multiple-threaded manner across the entire area.

Claims

1. A knitted spacer fabric produced on a circular knitting machine, the knitted spacer fabric comprising: a knitted upper cover layer and a knitted lower cover layer, said cover layers being connected to one another by pile threads, wherein the cover layers are connected to one another by way of at least two different pile threads of the pile threads having dissimilar elasticity properties, the pile threads are not conjointly knitted in the cover layers and, wherein a pile thread not used for connecting the cover layers in a region is connected to one of the cover layers by tuck loops on each second needle.

2. The knitted spacer fabric according to claim 1, wherein only one pile threads of the pile threads is used for connecting the cover layers, such that a spacing between the cover layers is smaller in a first region in which a more elastic pile thread of the pile threads is used than in a second region in which a less elastic pile thread of the pile threads is used.

3. The knitted spacer fabric according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the pile threads of the pile threads is a monofilament thread.

4. The knitted spacer fabric according to claim 1, wherein the pile threads are connected to the cover layers by means of tuck loops.

5. The knitted spacer fabric according to claim 2 wherein the pile threads float in the first region and the second region in which said pile threads are not used for connecting the cover layers.

6. The knitted spacer fabric according to claim 2, wherein the pile threads in the first region and the second region in which said pile threads are not used for connecting the cover layers are connected to one of the cover layers by tuck loops.

7. The knitted spacer fabric according to claim 1, wherein the cover layers are produced from one or a plurality of ground threads.

8. The knitted spacer fabric according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the cover layers has a Jacquard pattern.

9. The knitted spacer fabric according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the cover layers in the first region and the second region which is knitted using another pile thread of the pile threads is knitted using a different-colour thread.

10. An article comprising the knitted spacer fabric according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a fragment of a knitted spacer fabric;

(2) FIG. 2 shows a first thread profile for producing a knitted spacer fabric as per FIG. 1;

(3) FIG. 3 shows a second thread profile for producing a knitted spacer fabric as per FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(4) The knitted spacer fabric 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 is distinguished by a stripe-shaped profiled pattern which is formed by alternating regions 11 and 12 which are in each case knitted using another pile thread. The regions 11 herein are knitted using a pile thread of lower elasticity than the regions 12. The knitted fabric 10 in the regions 11 therefore has a greater thickness than in the regions 12. The striped pattern illustrated is only exemplary. The knitted fabric can have any arbitrary profiled pattern and also be knitted using more than two different pile threads.

(5) FIGS. 2 and 3 show two alternative possibilities for producing the knitted fabric in FIG. 1. The cover layers of the knitted spacer fabric 10 in both figures are knitted using the same ground thread 1. The upper cover layer herein is produced using needles of a rib dial R of a circular knitting machine, and the lower cover layer is produced using needles of a cylinder of the circular knitting machine. The cover layers in the regions 11 are connected to one another using a first pile thread 2 having a low elasticity, and in the regions 12 are connected to one another using a second pile thread 3 having a high elasticity.

(6) In the case of the variant of the production of the knitted fabric 10 shown in FIG. 2, the pile threads 2, 3 are guided so as to float between the loops of the cover layers when the respective other thread is in use. The pile thread 2 thus lies so as to float in the regions 12, and the pile thread 3 lies so as to float in the regions 11.

(7) By contrast, in the variant shown in FIG. 3 the pile threads 2, 3 that are not currently required are bound by tuck loops on each second needle of the cylinder Z. The pile thread 3 is thus bound on the lower cover layer in the regions 11, and the pile thread 2 is thus bound on the lower cover layer in the regions 12. This binding could also be performed at larger spacings. Of course, binding is also possible on the needles of the rib dial.

(8) The knitted fabric 10 could moreover also be produced on a flat knitting machine. An elastane thread could also be used for the more elastic pile thread 3. By contrast, the low-elastic thread 2 can be a monofilament thread from polyester or polyamide. Arbitrary thread materials can be used for the ground threads of the cover layers. Said thread materials can be chosen so as to depend on the desired functionality of the knitted fabric 10.