Method for making assembled textile products

Abstract

A method for making assembled textile products including the following steps: arranging open piece of fabric, made by producing tubular knitted fabric by means of circular knitting machine for hosiery or for knitwear, by pulling tubular fabric over support so as to stretch tubular fabric, by applying heat adhesive material onto at least first portion of an outer surface of tubular fabric pulled over support letting heat adhesive material firmly adhere under heat onto tubular fabric, and by cutting tubular fabric onto which heat adhesive material has been applied, so as to obtain open piece of fabric; cutting open piece of fabric according to predefined cutting lines for making one or more parts of textile product to be assembled, and assembling plurality of parts obtained from open piece of fabric or from plurality of pieces of fabric for obtaining assembled textile product.

Claims

1. A method for making assembled textile products, the method comprising steps of: arranging an open piece of fabric, the open piece of fabric being made by: (i) producing a tubular knitted fabric by means of a circular knitting machine for hosiery or by means of a circular knitting machine for knitwear, (ii) pulling the tubular fabric produced by the knitting machine over a support so as to stretch the tubular fabric and such that a least a portion of an inner surface of the tubular fabric contracts the support and an outer surface of the tubular fabric faces away from the support, (iii) applying a heat adhesive material onto at least a first portion of an outer surface of the tubular fabric pulled over the support such that the heat adhesive material firmly adheres onto the tubular fabric, and (iv) cutting the tubular fabric onto which the heat adhesive material has been applied, so as to produce the open piece of fabric; cutting the open piece of fabric according to predefined cutting lines to obtain one or more parts of a textile product to be assembled; and assembling a plurality of parts, which includes the one or more cut parts, obtained from the open piece of fabric or from a plurality of pieces of fabric to result in an assembled textile product.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of arranging the open piece of fabric includes the following steps: arranging the tubular knitted fabric produced by the circular knitting machine for hosiery or by the knitting machine for knitwear, or producing the knitted tubular fabric by the circular knitting machine for hosiery or by the knitting machine for knitwear; pulling the tubular fabric produced by the knitting machine onto a support so as to stretch the tubular fabric with a predefined amount of tensioning of the fabric, such that at least part of an inner surface of the tubular fabric contacts the support and the outer surface of the tubular fabric remains accessible; applying the heat adhesive material onto at least the first portion of the outer surface of the tubular fabric pulled over the support, and firmly adhering the heat adhesive material under heat onto the tubular fabric so as to stabilize the first portion of fabric reducing an elasticity or a deformability of the first portion; and cutting the tubular fabric onto which the heat adhesive material has been applied, so as to result in the open piece of fabric.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the circular knitting machine has a diameter of 3.5 to 22 inches.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: the heat adhesive material is shaped as a sheet or as a membrane, and the step of applying the heat adhesive material onto the outer surface of the tubular fabric pulled over the support is performed by: placing the sheet of heat adhesive material or the membrane beside and in contact with the tubular fabric, so as to obtain a tubular fabric coated with the heat adhesive material only, or the heat adhesive material is shaped as a sheet and is mated with a coating fabric, and placing the sheet of heat adhesive material and the coated fabric beside and in contact with the tubular fabric, so as to result in a tubular fabric coated with the coating fabric and firmly mated with the coating fabric by the heat adhesive material.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of pressing the heat adhesive material onto the tubular fabric at least during or after a step of heating the heat adhesive material, or a step of mating the support over which the tubular fabric is pulled with at least one pressure element matching a shape of the support, so as to press the heat adhesive material onto the tubular fabric at least during or after a step of heating the heat adhesive material causing a predetermined uniform adhesion of the heat adhesive material to the tubular fabric.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of applying the heat adhesive material onto the outer surface of the tubular fabric pulled over the support is carried out by coating an entire outer surface of the tubular fabric and by stabilizing the entire tubular fabric, or by coating a majority of the outer surface of the fabric.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the support is a template or textile form having a flat shape or a pair of flat elements to be positioned at an adjustable distance.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the support is a supporting roll or a tubular supporting element.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of heating the heat adhesive material applied onto the tubular fabric so as to permanently adhere the heat adhesive material to the tubular fabric or a step of heating the heat adhesive material before applying the heat adhesive material onto the tubular fabric or the step of heating the heat adhesive material applied onto the tubular fabric so as to permanently adhere the heat adhesive material to the tubular fabric by heating the support over which the tubular fabric is pulled or by mating the support with a heated element or a heated plate or a heated roll with the support for a predefined time or a step of cooling the heat adhesive material previously heated and applied onto the tubular fabric or allowing the heat adhesive material cool down.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the circular knitting machine has a diameter of 5 to 13 inches.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of producing the tubular fabric is carried out by producing a weft knitted tubular fabric.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of producing the tubular fabric is carried out by automatically forming at least one jacquard pattern onto the tubular fabric by a stocking stitch technique using a trimming knife.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of producing the tubular fabric is carried out by using the circular knitting machine for knitwear having only one needle-bed.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of producing the tubular fabric is carried out by using the circular knitting machine for knitwear having two needle-beds.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of producing the tubular fabric is carried out by using only one needle-bed.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of producing the tubular fabric is carried out by using two needle-beds.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of parts of the textile product to be assembled, which are obtained from the open piece of fabric, are wholly made from a length of the fabric mated with the heat adhesive material on a surface of the fabric.

18. The method according to claim 7, wherein a pressure element is, or two pressure elements are, configured to press the heat adhesive material onto the tubular fabric at least during or after the step of heating the heat adhesive material, and the pressure element is, or the two pressure elements are, a pressure plate counter-shaped to the support.

19. The method according to claim 8, wherein a pressure element is, or two pressure elements are, configured to press the heat adhesive material onto the tubular fabric at least during or after the step of heating the heat adhesive material, and the pressure element is, or the two pressure elements are, a pressure roll.

Description

(1) Further characteristics and advantages shall be more evident from the detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments, which are exemplary though not exclusive, according to the accompanying figures, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the invention, in which a tubular fabric is pulled over a basically flat-shaped support for executing further operations on the fabric;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the invention, in which a tubular fabric is pulled over a roll-shaped support for executing further operations on the fabric.

(4) The figures mentioned above show some steps of the method according to corresponding embodiments of the invention, shown with reference to two respective embodiments of machines designed for executing these steps. A method according to the invention allows in particular to make jackets, trousers, men's suits, women's dresses or other textile products assembled from a plurality of fabric parts.

(5) First of all, the method comprises the step of producing a tubular knitted fabric by means of a circular knitting machine for hosiery or by means of a knitting machine for knitwear. The fabric is preferably of weft knitted type. The fabric is preferably made by means of a single needlebed of the knitting machine, though in a variant it can be made by means of two needlebeds, in particular two needle cylinders. The circular knitting machine preferably has a diameter of 3.5 to 22 inches. The circular knitting machine preferably has a diameter of 5 to 13 inches. The circular knitting machine preferably has a fineness of 10 to 28 needles per inch. The circular knitting machine is preferably of single needlebed type. In a variant it can be of double needlebed or double cylinder type. In a variant, the step of producing a tubular knitted fabric can further comprise the step of automatically making onto the tubular fabric at least one pocket and/or at least one flounce and/or at least one relief and/or at least one portion of a terrycloth fabric and/or at least one portion of fabric having a variable fabric thickness.

(6) The method can further comprise, during the step of producing a tubular knitted fabric, the step of making onto the tubular fabric at least a row of differentiated fabric developing along a generatrix of the cylinder corresponding to the tubular fabric, so as to define a reference line for correctly positioning later the tubular fabric on a support and/or for later guiding a cut of the tubular fabric along this reference line.

(7) The method further comprises the step of pulling the tubular fabric 1 produced by the knitting machine onto a support 2 so as to stretch the tubular fabric 1 with a predefined tensioning degree of the fabric, so that at least part of the inner surface of the tubular fabric 1 contacts the support 2 and an outer surface of the tubular fabric 1 is still accessible. The size of the support is determined with respect to the size of the tubular fabric to be loaded onto the support itself. A plurality of supports can be provided, each of them being suitable for a specific size interval of the tubular fabric. This step is referred to in the two embodiments of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 with letter A and can be carried out e.g. by an operator 3, as shown. The predefined tensioning degree is determined so as to enable a complete, uniform fabric stretching, thus avoiding wrinkles or folds, and can further be selected so as to determine the stretching degree and/or the appearance of the fabric resulting from the method, according to the characteristics desired for the fabric of the textile product to be made. The support 2 can be heated so as to enable a first stretching of the fabric pulled over the support, shown as step E in FIG. 2. The method further comprises the step of applying a heat adhesive material 4 onto at least a first portion of an outer surface of the tubular fabric 1 pulled over the support 2, and letting the heat adhesive material 4 firmly adhere under heat onto the tubular fabric 1 so as to stabilize the first portion of fabric reducing its elasticity and/or deformability, as a result of the later cooling of the heat adhesive material. The wording “under heat” refers to a sufficiently high temperature to enable the activation of the adhesive properties of the heat adhesive material. This step is referred to as step B1, B2 and B3 in FIG. 1 and as step B in FIG. 2. Thus, a tubular fabric 1a coated with heat adhesive material 4 is made. Preferably, the first portion of the outer surface of the tubular fabric 1 develops longitudinally along the tubular item and/or comprises at least one generatrix of the cylinder corresponding to the tubular fabric 1. Preferably, the tubular fabric 1 is turned inside out before being pulled over the support 2 and the heat adhesive material 4 is applied onto the surface corresponding to the reverse or inner side of the tubular fabric 1 produced by the knitting machine. In a preferred embodiment, the step of applying a heat adhesive material 4 onto an outer surface of the tubular fabric 1 pulled over the support 2 is carried out by coating the whole outer surface of the tubular fabric 1 and by stabilizing the whole tubular fabric 1 or coating most of the tubular fabric 1.

(8) In a preferred embodiment, the heat adhesive material 4 is shaped as a sheet 5 or applied onto a supporting sheet 5, and the step of applying the heat adhesive material 4 onto an outer surface of the tubular fabric 1 pulled over the support 2 is carried out by placing a sheet 5 of heat adhesive material 4 or a sheet 5 containing the heat adhesive material 4 beside the tubular fabric 1 and contacting them. For instance, in FIG. 2 step B shows the application of a sheet 5 of heat adhesive material 4 being unwound from a feeding roll 6 onto the tubular fabric 1 applied onto the support 2, by means of a pressure roll 7. In a variant, the step of applying a heat adhesive material 4 onto an outer surface of the tubular fabric 1 pulled over the support 2 can be carried out by spraying or spreading the heat adhesive material 4, e.g. already heated or to be heated later, onto the tubular fabric 1. In another variant, the step of applying a heat adhesive material 4 onto an outer surface of the tubular fabric 1 pulled over the support 2 can be carried out by dipping the tubular fabric 1 into the heat adhesive material 4. In a variant, the method can further comprise the step of heating the heat adhesive material 4 applied onto the tubular fabric 1 so as to let the heat adhesive material 4 permanently adhere to the tubular fabric 1. The method can further comprise the step of cooling the heat adhesive material 4 heated and applied onto the tubular fabric 1 or letting it cool down. In a variant, the method comprises the step of heating the heat adhesive material 4 before applying the heat adhesive material 4 onto the tubular fabric 1. In a preferred embodiment, the method comprises the step of heating the heat adhesive material 4 applied onto the tubular fabric 1 so as to let the heat adhesive material 4 permanently adhere to the tubular fabric 1 by heating the support 2 over which the tubular fabric 1 is pulled. In a variant, the method comprises the step of heating the heat adhesive material 4 applied onto the tubular fabric 1 by mating the support 2 with a heated element or a heated plate or a heated roll with the support 2 for a predefined time. This step can be carried out by means of at least one pressure element 7 at least partially matching the shape of the support 2 and by pressing the heat adhesive material 4 onto the tubular fabric 1 by means of this pressure element 7. In a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises the step of pressing the heat adhesive material 4 onto the tubular fabric 1 at least during or after a step of heating the heat adhesive material 4. In a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises the step of mating the support 2 over which the tubular fabric 1 is pulled with at least one pressure element 7 at least partially matching the shape of the support 2, so as to press the heat adhesive material 4 onto the tubular fabric 1 at least during or after a step of heating the heat adhesive material 4, so as to cause a suitable, uniform adhesion of the heat adhesive material 4 to the tubular fabric 1. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the support 2 is a template or textile form having a basically flat shape. In this case the pressure element 7, apt to press the heat adhesive material 4 onto the tubular fabric 1 at least during or after the step of heating the heat adhesive material 4, can be a pressure plate at least partially matching the shape of the support 2. In a variant, two pressure elements can be provided, consisting of pressure plates.

(9) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the support 2 is a supporting roll or a tubular supporting element. In this case the pressure element 7, apt to press the heat adhesive material 4 onto the tubular fabric 1 at least during or after the step of heating the heat adhesive material 4, is preferably a pressure roll 7. In a variant, two pressure elements can be provided, consisting of pressure rolls. Preferably, the support 2 is turnable. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the operator 3 can turn this support 2 so as to be able to readily apply the heat adhesive material 4 to both sides, the upper and the lower side, of the tubular fabric 1.

(10) In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the support 2 can turn so as to enable the tubular fabric 1 to be mated with the sheet 5 of heat adhesive material 4 unwound from the feeding roll 6. The method further comprises the step of cutting the tubular fabric 1 onto which the heat adhesive material 4 has been applied, so as to obtain an open piece 9 of fabric. This step of cutting the tubular fabric 1 can be carried out before a step of removing the tubular fabric 1 from the support 2. As an alternative, this step of cutting the tubular fabric 1 onto which the heat adhesive material 4 has been applied so as to obtain an open piece 9 of fabric can be carried out after the step of removing the tubular fabric 1 from the support 2. Preferably, the step of cutting the tubular fabric 1 onto which the heat adhesive material 4 has been applied so as to obtain an open piece 9 of fabric is carried out by cutting the fabric along a generatrix of the cylinder corresponding to the tubular fabric 1 and/or on the first portion of the outer surface of the tubular fabric 1 coated with the heat adhesive material 4. The step of cutting the tubular fabric 1 is shown in a schematic manner as step C in FIGS. 1 and 2, in which also a cutting element 8 is represented. In a variant, the method can further comprise the step of applying an additional coating fabric onto the tubular fabric 1 on the outer surface coated with the heated heat adhesive material 4, so as to obtain a double fabric defined by the tubular fabric 1 and by the additional fabric joined together by means of the heat adhesive material 4. The method further comprises the step of removing the fabric from the support 2 and of stretching the open piece 9 of fabric. This step is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as step D.

(11) The steps shown in FIG. 1 will now be described in further detail:

(12) step A: the operator loads the tubular fabric onto the support;

(13) step B1: the operator applies a portion of sheet of heat adhesive material onto an upper side of the tubular fabric on the support, and the sheet is then pressed by means of the heated pressure element 7, so as to let the heat adhesive material adhere to the upper side of the tubular fabric;

(14) step B2: the operator turns the support for positioning the lower side of the tubular fabric upwards;

(15) step B3: the operator applies the remaining portion of the sheet of heat adhesive material onto the lower side, now positioned upwards, of the tubular fabric, by means of the heated pressure element 7;

(16) step C: the operator cuts the tubular fabric by means of a cutting element 8 on a predefined cutting line;

(17) step D: the operator removes from the support the open piece of fabric by cutting the tubular fabric and lays it onto a resting plane, from which it will then be moved to the following processing stations.

(18) In another variant, the method can further comprise the step of printing a predefined pattern onto the surface of the fabric coated with the heat adhesive material 4. The method further comprises the step of cutting the open piece 9 of fabric according to predefined cutting lines for obtaining one or more parts of a textile product to be assembled. Preferably, the step of cutting the open piece 9 of fabric according to predefined cutting lines for obtaining one or more parts of a textile product to be assembled is carried out by using paper patterns or cutting templates. For instance, these paper patterns can be configured for defining a plurality of parts of a men's jacket. By choosing a suitable size of the diameter of the cylinder of the knitting machine it is possible to obtain open pieces of fabric having suitable sizes with respect to the paper patterns or cutting templates to be used, so as to minimize fabric waste. Thanks to the use of a plurality of knitting machines with suitable diameters it is possible to obtain a plurality of pieces of fabric suitable for respective paper patterns or cutting templates. In a preferred embodiment, the part or parts of a textile product to be assembled, obtained from the open piece 9 of fabric resulting from the cut tubular fabric 1, are wholly made up on their whole length of fabric mated with heat adhesive material 4 on a surface of the fabric. The method further comprises the step of assembling a plurality of parts obtained from said open piece 9 of fabric or from a plurality of pieces 9 of fabric for obtaining an assembled textile product, in particular a jacket, a pair of trousers, a men's suit, a women's dress or other textile products assembled from a plurality of parts. Preferably, the step of assembling a plurality of parts obtained from the open piece 9 of fabric or from a plurality of pieces 9 of fabric for making an assembled textile product is carried out by placing the surface coated with the heat adhesive material 4 on the inner side of the textile product. The method can further enable to make ties, scarves, sweaters, skirts, etc.

(19) The invention further relates to an assembled textile product, in particular a jacket, a pair of trousers, a men's suit, a women's dress or another textile product assembled from a plurality of parts of fabric, comprising a plurality of parts of fabric cut from one or more open pieces 9 of fabric, wherein at least one of such parts of fabric consists of a portion of knitted tubular fabric 1 made by means of a circular knitting machine for hosiery or by means of a knitting machine for knitwear and having a heat adhesive material 4 applied under heat onto at least one portion of a surface of the fabric. In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of parts of fabric of the textile product consists of portions of tubular knitted fabric 1 made by means of a circular knitting machine for hosiery or by means of a knitting machine for knitwear and having a heat adhesive material 4 applied under heat onto at least one portion of a surface of the fabric. In a preferred embodiment, the part of fabric or the parts of fabric made by means of a circular knitting machine for hosiery or by means of a knitting machine for knitwear are provided with a heat adhesive material 4 applied under heat onto a whole surface of the fabric or onto most of the surface of the fabric. In a preferred embodiment, the heat adhesive material 4 is applied onto an inner side of the assembled textile product.

(20) The invention can be used for making various types of textile products, such as e.g.: jackets, trousers, men's suits, women's dresses, scarves, ties, skirts, underwear, lingerie, knitwear, technical items, sports items, medical items, other textile products assembled from a plurality of fabric parts. The invention achieves important advantages. First of all, the invention allows to overcome one or more of the drawbacks of known technique. The invention further allows to produce assembled textile products having a high wearability, i.e. a high ability to fit the shapes of each user, and a high comfort of use for users. The invention further allows to produce assembled textile products having a degree of elasticity, either mono- or bidirectional, that can be also obtained without using elastic yarns and that can be easily configured according to the needs of the specific textile product. The invention further allows to make assembled textile products having a large variety of textile effects and knitted structures. The invention further allows to obtain assembled textile products with a high quality and low cost. The invention further allows to obtain textile products assembled from fabrics that can also be made specifically for small productions or samplings, without necessarily producing large amounts of fabric. The invention further allows to obtain assembled textile products in short times and with a high manufacturing flexibility. The invention further allows to reduce the need for manual interventions by operators for making assembled textile products.