KNITTING NEEDLE

Abstract

A metallic knitting needle is disclosed that includes a knitting needle tip and a holding shaft. The knitting needle tip is used to entwine stitches. The holding shaft extends from the knitting needle tip in a shaft longitudinal direction. The holding shaft also has at least three gripping surfaces for holding the knitting needle. The gripping surfaces each have a plurality of elevations distributed in the longitudinal direction. Each two adjacent gripping surfaces are connected by a rounded transition region.

Claims

1. A knitting needle, comprising: a knitting needle tip for entwining stitches and a holding shaft which extends from the knitting needle tip in a shaft longitudinal direction and has at least three gripping surfaces for holding the knitting needle, wherein the gripping surfaces each have a plurality of elevations distributed in the longitudinal direction, and wherein in each case two adjacent gripping surfaces are connected by a rounded transition region.

2. The knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein the holding shaft has four gripping surfaces which are each arranged in pairs parallel to and spaced apart from one another such that the holding shaft has a substantially square cross section.

3. The knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of elevations is arranged in a section of the gripping surfaces that is adjacent to the knitting needle tip.

4. The knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein, in order to produce the holding shaft, in a deformation step a cylindrical, cross-sectionally circular, hollow-cylindrical metal piece is deformed such that at least three pressing surfaces come into contact with the metal piece and such that the at least three gripping surfaces are formed.

5. The knitting needle according to claim 4, wherein, in the deformation step, the cylindrical metal piece is pressed in a pressing tool by at least three, preferably four pressing surfaces substantially simultaneously into a triangular, or square cross section with the rounded transition regions.

6. The knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein the elevations which are distributed in the longitudinal direction are produced in the deformation step or in a further deformation step by a pressing surface or the pressing surfaces each having a corresponding recess for each elevation.

7. The knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein the holding shaft has a shaft circumference U and the elevations are arranged at an elevation spacing A from one another which corresponds to 0.1 to 1 times the value of the shaft circumference U, and/or the elevations have an elevation height H which corresponds to 1 to 10% of the value of the shaft circumference.

8. The knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein each rounded transition region in each case has a rounding radius R.sub.R which is smaller than 1/10 and/or greater than 1/100, preferably greater than 1/50 of a or the shaft circumference, and/or the elevations each have in sections a partially cylindrical shape with an elevation radius R.sub.E and are oriented transversely with respect to the shaft longitudinal direction, wherein the elevation radius R.sub.E has a value of 200% to 500% of the rounding radius R.sub.R of the rounded transition region.

9. The knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical metal piece comprises aluminum, copper and/or brass.

10. The knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein, in order to produce the holding shaft in the deformation step a hollow-cylindrical metal piece having a wall thickness of at least 0.2 mm, preferably at least 0.3 mm is deformed.

11. The knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein the knitting needle tip is obtained by forming, an end-side section of the cylindrical metal piece, in a rotary swaging or rotary hammering machine.

12. The knitting needle according to claim 1, furthermore comprising: a knitting needle rear part which is formed at an end of the holding shaft that faces away from the knitting needle tip, wherein the knitting needle rear part is obtained by forming, an end-side section of the cylindrical metal piece, in a rotary swaging or rotary hammering machine.

13. A circular knitting needle, comprising: a first and a second knitting needle according to claim 12; and a cord connecting the two knitting needles at their knitting needle rear parts and intended for guiding and holding the stitches, wherein the cord is connected to the holding shaft by the knitting needle rear part, wherein the knitting needle rear part is compressed with the holding shaft.

14. The circular knitting needle according to claim 13, wherein the cord is formed from a monofilament which comprises a thermoplastic.

15. The circular knitting needle according to claim 14, wherein the cord comprises a substantially constant cord diameter and an end portion which is adjacent to the knitting needle rear part, is formed correspondingly with respect to the knitting needle rear part and has an increased cord diameter.

16. A method for producing a knitting needle according to claim 1, comprising: a) providing a hollow-cylindrical metal piece; b) bringing at least three pressing surfaces into contact with the metal piece; and c) pressing the cylindrical metal piece by means of the pressing surfaces into a triangular or square cross section, with gripping surfaces having in each case a plurality of rounded transition regions and elevations which are distributed in the longitudinal direction, wherein the pressing surfaces each have a corresponding recess for each elevation.

17. The method according to claim 16, furthermore comprising the steps of: d) forming a front end-side section of the cylindrical metal piece, in a rotary swaging or rotary hammering machine in order to produce a knitting needle tip; and/or e) forming an end-side section of the cylindrical metal piece, in a rotary swaging or rotary hammering machine in order to produce a knitting needle rear part.

18. The knitting needle according to claim 1, wherein the knitting needle is metallic.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] The disclosure will be explained in more detail below on the basis of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures.

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a knitting needle according to the disclosure according to a first preferred embodiment.

[0037] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a circular knitting needle according to the disclosure according to a second preferred embodiment.

[0038] FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a circular knitting needle according to the disclosure.

[0039] FIG. 4 shows a detailed view of a holding shaft of a knitting needle according to the disclosure.

[0040] FIG. 5a shows a metal piece and a tool for producing a holding shaft in a starting state.

[0041] FIG. 5b shows the metal piece and the tool for producing the holding shaft according to FIG. 5a in a final state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] FIG. 1 shows schematically a knitting needle 1 with a knitting needle tip 2 for entwining stitches, and a holding shaft 4 extending from the knitting needle tip 2 in a shaft longitudinal direction L.

[0043] Arranged on the holding shaft 4, adjacent to the knitting needle tip 2, are a plurality of elevations 6 which are distributed in the longitudinal direction L.

[0044] The knitting needle tip 2 is formed on the end side in a tapering and preferably conically and pointed manner such that stitches can be received in a simple manner.

[0045] According to this exemplary embodiment, the holding shaft 4 comprises three gripping surfaces 8, 10, 12 which each have a plurality of elevations 6.

[0046] The gripping surfaces 8, 10, 12 are substantially flat and extend along the shaft in the shaft longitudinal direction L. The elevations 6 are of elongate design here and are arranged transversely with respect to the shaft longitudinal direction L.

[0047] As the detailed illustration of the cross section with the circumference U of the holding shaft 4 according to FIG. 1 shows, the holding shaft 4 has a substantially triangular cross section, and the three gripping surfaces 8, 10, 12 are each arranged at an angle of preferably 60 degrees relative to the respectively adjacent gripping surface 8, 10, 12.

[0048] The gripping surfaces 8, 10 are connected to each other by a first rounded region 16, the gripping surfaces 10, 12 are connected to each other by a second rounded region 18, and the gripping surfaces 12, 8 are connected to each other by a third rounded region 20.

[0049] FIG. 2 shows a second preferred exemplary embodiment of a knitting needle 1. The knitting needle 1 comprises a knitting needle tip 2 for entwining stitches and a holding shaft 4 which extends from the knitting needle tip 2 in a shaft longitudinal direction L and has four gripping surfaces 8, 10, 12, 14.

[0050] Arranged on each of the gripping surfaces 8, 10, 12, 14 are a plurality of elevations 6 which are spaced apart from one another in the shaft longitudinal direction L and extend along the gripping surfaces 8, 10, 12, 14 transversely with respect to the shaft longitudinal direction L.

[0051] As the detailed illustration according to FIG. 2 shows, the holding shaft 4 has a substantially rectangular, in particular square cross section with a circumference U.

[0052] The gripping surfaces 10, 14 are arranged here parallel to and spaced apart from one another, and the gripping surfaces 12, 8 are likewise arranged parallel to and spaced apart from one another, wherein the gripping surfaces 10, 14 run orthogonally with respect to the gripping surfaces 8, 12.

[0053] In each case two adjacent gripping surfaces, such as, for example, gripping surfaces 10, 12, are in each case connected to each other by a rounded transition region 18. The remaining gripping surfaces 8, 10, 12, 14 are connected to one another in an identical manner by means of the rounded transition regions 16, 20, 22.

[0054] During knitting, a user therefore has the choice, by rotating the knitting needle 1 about the knitting needle longitudinal axis L, to change between four holding positions and in each case to hold two gripping surfaces 8, 10, 12, 20, which are arranged parallel to and spaced apart from one another, between the fingers.

[0055] FIG. 2 also shows a detail A of the cross-sectional view. Of the cross section, said detail A contains the two gripping surfaces 8 and 14 and the rounded transition region 22. For the rounded transition region 22, an auxiliary circle 21 is shown by dashed lines for illustrative purposes, from which the rounded transition region 22 forms a circular segment. For the auxiliary circle, the radius thereof is shown which is at the same time the rounding radius R.sub.R of the rounded transition region 22.

[0056] FIG. 3 shows a circular knitting needle 100 with a first and a second knitting needle 1 which each have a knitting needle tip 2 and a holding shaft 4 extending from the knitting needle tip 2 in the shaft longitudinal direction L. For the sake of simplicity, the same reference signs as in FIG. 1 have been partly selected because there are preferably also corresponding conformities.

[0057] The holding shaft 4 in a known manner comprises at least three gripping surfaces 8, 10, 12, (cf. FIG. 1) and a plurality of elevations 6 arranged on the gripping surfaces 8, 10, 12, preferably adjacent to the knitting needle tip 2.

[0058] The elevations 6 are arranged spaced apart from one another in the shaft longitudinal direction L (cf. FIG. 1).

[0059] The knitting needles 1 furthermore in each case comprise a knitting needle rear part 24 which is formed at an end of the holding shaft 4 that faces away from the knitting needle tip 2.

[0060] Furthermore, the circular knitting needle 100 comprises a cord 26 which connects the two knitting needles 1 at their knitting needle rear parts 24 and are intended for guiding and holding stitches.

[0061] The cord 26 is connected here to the holding shaft 4 with the aid of the knitting needle rear part 24, and therefore the stitches pass over the knitting needle tip 2 and the holding shaft 4 to the cord 24 and are held and guided on the latter.

[0062] Such a cord 26 is preferably formed from a monofilament which comprises a thermoplastic material, particularly preferably polyamides, such as, for example, nylon or perlon, or is completely formed from such a material.

[0063] As the schematic illustration of the knitting needle tip 2 and of the adjoining holding shaft 4 according to FIG. 4 shows, the holding shaft 4 has the shaft circumference U.

[0064] The elevations 6 are arranged spaced apart from one another at an elevation spacing A. The elevation spacing A preferably corresponds here to 0.1 to 1 times the value of the shaft circumference U.

[0065] Furthermore, the elevations 6 preferably have an elevation height H which corresponds to 1 to 10% of the value of the shaft circumference U.

[0066] Furthermore, the rounded transition region, shown here by way of example at the transition region 16, has a rounding radius R.sub.R which is smaller than 1/10 of the shaft circumference U.

[0067] Furthermore, the elevations 6 preferably each have in sections a partially cylindrical form with a radius R.sub.E. The radius R.sub.E preferably has a value of 200% to 500% of the rounding radius R.sub.R of the rounded transition region 16.

[0068] FIGS. 5a and 5b schematically show the production of the holding shaft 4 by forming.

[0069] FIG. 5a shows a metal piece 28 and a tool 30 in a starting state. The tool 30 has four pressing surfaces 32, 34, 36, 38 which are each in contact in sections with the metal piece and to which a respective pressing force F is applied. The metal piece 28 is designed here as a hollow cylinder and is illustrated in cross section. It has a cylindrical wall 27 with a wall thickness 29.

[0070] FIG. 5b shows the holding shaft 4 in an end state in which the pressing surfaces 32, 34, 36, 38 have come into contact with the metal piece 28 and have been acted upon with the force F such that four gripping surfaces 8, 10, 12 and 14 are formed.

[0071] By means of the pressing surfaces 32, 34, 36, 38, which are preferably part of a pressing tool (not shown), the preferably cylindrical metal piece 28 is pressed into an in particular square cross section with rounded transition regions 16, 18, 20, 22. In the final state, the pressing surfaces 32, 34, 36, 38 are in contact only in sections with the holding shaft 4, and therefore the rounded form of the metal piece 28 is substantially obtained in the region of the transition regions 16, 18, 20, 22.

[0072] The wall 27 according to FIG. 5a may also have changed during this deformation, which is indicated in FIG. 5b by the changed wall 27*. For example, the pressing operation may result in buckling points 31 which are indicated in FIG. 5b and are shown only by way of example for other deformations of the wall 27 to form the wall 27*.

[0073] The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. All of the U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patent applications and non-patent publications referred to in this specification and/or listed in the Application Data Sheet are incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety. Aspects of the embodiments can be modified, if necessary to employ concepts of the various patents, applications and publications to provide yet further embodiments.

[0074] These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.