Spacer fabric, composite material formed with the spacer fabric and use of the composite material

Abstract

A warp-knitted spacer fabric has a first and a second planar warp-knit layer that are joined together by spacer yarns. The first warp-knit layer is formed by a first yarn system having a first pattern and a second yarn system having a second pattern. The first pattern is a modified pillar-stitch in which the yarns of the first yarn system form pillar stitches in alternating sequence in the working direction and are guided without formation of stitches, and the yarns of the second yarn system are each guided over at least two adjacent stitch wales and running in the working direction. The second warp-knit layer has openings formed by a plurality of stitches.

Claims

1. In a warp-knitted spacer fabric comprising: a planar first warp-knit layer formed by a first yarn system having a first pattern and by a second yarn system having a second pattern, the first pattern being a modified pillar-stitch in which the yarns of the first yarn system form a first plurality of pillar stitches alternating with a second plurality of stitches with missing overlaps, the yarns of the second yarn system each being guided over at least two adjacent stitch wales and running in the working direction, a planar second warp-knit layer having a filet pattern forming a plurality of openings each formed by a respective plurality of stitches, and spacer yarns joining together the first and second warp-knit layers.

2. The warp-knitted spacer fabric defined in claim 1, wherein the yarns of the first yarn system form in the modified pillar-stitch pillar stitches in alternating sequence in the working direction and are guided as a weft of less than 1.

3. The warp-knitted spacer fabric defined in claim 1, wherein the yarns forming the second warp-knit layer form stitches in each stitch wale.

4. The warp-knitted spacer fabric according to claim 1, wherein the second yarn system is formed by a cord lap.

5. The warp-knitted spacer fabric according to claim 1, wherein a first number of n≥1 pillar stitches alternate with a second number m≥1 of stitches in a repeating sequence in the modified pillar-stitch along the working direction.

6. The warp-knitted spacer fabric according to claim 1, wherein the spacer yarns are between the warp-knit layers with an oblique position running in the transverse direction, and the spacer yarns intersect with a direction of view along the working direction over the total width of the warp-knitted spacer fabric.

7. The warp-knitted spacer fabric according to claim 1, wherein the thickness determined over both warp-knit layers and the spacer yarns in between them between 2 mm and 15 mm.

8. A composite material for an interior area of a motor vehicle, the material having a warp-knitted spacer fabric according to claim 1 and having a covering and decorative layer laminated on the first warp-knit layer of the warp-knitted spacer fabric.

9. The composite material defined in claim 8, wherein the covering and decorative layer is formed by a material selected from the group consisting of leather, synthetic leather, decorative films and textile.

10. The composite material defined in claim 8, wherein the covering and decorative layer is bonded to the first warp-knit layer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to a drawing illustrating a single embodiment and in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a composite material with a warp-knitted spacer fabric and a covering and decorative layer,

(3) FIG. 2 is a view of a first warp-knit layer of the warp-knitted spacer fabric according to FIG. 1,

(4) FIG. 3 is a view of a second warp-knit layer of the warp-knitted spacer fabric according to FIG. 1,

(5) FIG. 4 shows the pattern of a first yarn system as well as second yarn system of the first warp-knit layer,

(6) FIGS. 5a to 5c show the bending of the warp-knitted spacer fabric in a purely schematic view with a direction of view along the working direction.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) FIG. 1 shows a composite material for the interior of a motor vehicle, having a warp-knitted spacer fabric 1 and a covering and decorative layer 3 made of leather, synthetic leather or a decorative film and laminated onto the warp-knitted spacer fabric 1.

(8) Corresponding composite materials are used for the interior paneling and trim in motor vehicles, for example, where the covering and decorative layer 3 forms a high-quality surface. The warp-knitted spacer fabric 1 under it is provided to permit a uniform distribution of force and to ensure a nice feel. The covering and decorative layer 3 is lined with a resilient and yielding material in the form of the warp-knitted spacer fabric 1 under it.

(9) In particular in the case of cladding of nonplanar areas and when using the composite material on a seat cover, a bench or some other seat surface, the warp-knitted spacer fabric 1 is also essential for a uniform distribution of force so that the covering and decorative layer 3 is also protected from damage or local wear in the long run.

(10) According to the invention, the covering and decorative layer 3 is on top of a first warp-knit layer 4, while the composite material is applied to a substrate with an opposing second warp-knit layer 5.

(11) According to the invention, the first warp-knit layer 4 and the second warp-knit layer 5 have fundamentally different properties.

(12) The large-scale view of FIG. 2 shows the structure of the first warp-knit layer 4 that is formed from a first yarn system 6 and a second yarn system 7.

(13) Detailed yarn patterns cannot be seen in FIG. 2, so that reference is made to FIG. 4 with regard to the pattern of the first yarn system 6 and the second yarn system 7. Accordingly, a modified pillar-stitch is provided as the first pattern for the first yarn system 6, in which the yarns of the first yarn system 6 form pillar stitches 8 in alternating sequence in the working direction W.

(14) In this context, FIG. 4 shows a preferred embodiment, in which a first number of n=2 pillar stitches 8 alternates with a second number of m=2 stitches 9 omitted due to the guidance of the yarns as “weft less than 1” in a repeating sequence along the working direction W. The result is a pattern that repeats periodically in the working direction.

(15) Since the yarns of the first yarn system 6 always run only along one stitch wale, the first yarn system 6 does not contribute toward stability tranversely, so the first warp-knit layer 4 can be bent up or down easily tranversely. Also as seen in the working direction W, the first warp-knit layer 4 can be bent up or down easily because the regions with the missing overlaps can easily be bent and/or put at an angle, so that the rows of stitches there can be easily bent relative to one another.

(16) In this embodiment, the pattern 1-0/2-3 is a cord lap that is provided as the second yarn system 7. Because of the cord lap, there is a connection of the stitch wales in the transverse direction Q running in the working direction W.

(17) As already explained above, the first warp-knit layer 4 can be bent out of the plane relatively easily due to the design of the first yarn system 6 and the second yarn system 7 according to the invention. On the other hand, the first warp-knit layer 4 has only a very low flexibility at the same time. This is achieved, on the one hand, by the fact that the yarns of the first yarn system 6 always run only on one stitch wale and are processed under tension in the knitting process, so that the material is flexible only slightly and/or only with a great expenditure of force in the working direction W. A low flexibility in the transverse direction Q is achieved by the cord lap, so that the individual yarns of the second yarn system 3 are each guided over three stitch wales adjacent one another.

(18) The warp-knitted spacer fabric 1 according to the invention is characterized by mechanical properties that are definitely different from one another with regard to the two warp-knit layers 4, 5. Whereas the first warp-knit layer 4 has a high tensile strength, the second warp-knit layer 5 has openings 10 formed by a plurality of stitches. Such a structure can be created easily by two yarn systems of the second warp-knit layer 5 in a filet pattern. Due to the approximately oval openings 10, the second warp-knit layer 5 can be stretched slightly in the working direction W as well as in the transverse direction Q and thus permits an optimal adaptation to a substrate.

(19) The asymmetrical mechanical properties of the warp-knitted spacer fabric 1 according to the invention are also shown in FIGS. 5a to 5c. These figures show a view of the warp-knitted spacer fabric with a direction of view along the working direction W. As in FIG. 1, the spacer yarns 11 arranged between the two warp-knit layers 4, 5 are arranged in an X pattern, so that the two warp-knit layers 4, 5 are protected against lateral tilting relative to one another. The diagrams in FIGS. 5a to 5c show the first warp-knit layer 4 at the top and the second warp-knit layer 5 at the bottom.

(20) When the warp-knitted spacer fabric 1 is lying in a plane (FIG. 5a), the stitch wales running in the working direction W are equidistant on the two warp-knit layers 4, 5.

(21) However, if the warp-knitted spacer fabric is curved in the direction of the second warp-knit layer 5 (FIG. 5b) then the spacing between neighboring stitch wales is approximately maintained in the first warp-knit layer 4 because of the low flexibility in the plane, whereas the second warp-knit layer 5 is compressed due to its high deformability because of the openings 10 and therefore the stitch wales are brought closer together locally.

(22) On bending the warp-knitted spacer fabric 1 in the opposite direction away from the first warp-knit layer (FIG. 5c), the equidistant spacing between the stitch wales running in the production direction is also retained due to the low flexibility of the first warp-knit layer there, regardless of the bending, whereas the second warp-knit layer 5 stretches on the opposite end and thus can compensate for the bending. Because of the high mobility of the second warp-knit layer 5, the first warp-knit layer 4 can be protected from tension and negative force effects, this warp-knit layer being laminated to the covering and decorative layer 3 according to FIG. 1.

(23) With the design according to the invention, it is possible to ensure that the covering and decorative layer 3 is optimally protected from kinking, tension and the like.

(24) For example, in the case of a U-shaped bend that in practice is also referred to as a “half-pipe test,” kinking can be prevented even with a comparatively great bend. Even with great deformation of the composite material, for example, in the case of sewing this results in definite improvements in comparison with the embodiments known from the state of the art within the scope of the present invention.

(25) In addition, after folding or bending or some other deformation, the material according to the invention is also characterized by very good behavior returning to its initial form and/or the form predetermined by the backing.