A SELF-ATTACHING FABRIC AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURING SAME

Abstract

The invention relates to a fabric which can attach to itself by use of hand pressure, and methods for its manufacture. The invention provides a fabric having at least part of its surface covered with small monofilament loops. The self-attaching fabric having at least part of its surface covered with small monofilament hooks which removably engage each other when the surface is pressed into contact with another similar surface to retain together the two portions of the fabric until they are separated by a peeling action.

Claims

1. A self-attaching fabric having at least part of its surface covered with small monofilament hooks and loops which removably engage each other when said surface is pressed into contact with another similar surface to retain together said two portions of said fabric until they are separated by a peeling action.

2. The fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein said monofilament hooks and loops are made of transparent polyester yarn.

3. The fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hooks and loops are attached integral to the manufacturing process to a base fabric chosen from the group containing wool, cotton, viscose, silk, linen and blends thereof or others.

4. The fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first part of its surface is covered with small monofilament hooks which removably engage a second part of its surface to enter the base fabric when pressed into contact therewith.

5. The fabric as claimed in claim 4, wherein the filament is composed of two filaments.

6. A method for manufacturing the fabric as claimed in claim 1: STEP A: providing an industrial flat knitting machine having a front needle bed and a rear needle bed and being provided with electronic controls; STEP B: loading said machine with yarns as needed to form the base fabric STEP C: loading said machine with said monofilament yarn to form loops; STEP D knitting the fabric including forming of said loops on at least one surface of said fabric, and STEP E selectively cutting some of said loops to form hooks.

7. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein STEP D comprises STEP D1 knitting a single row of the base fabric yarn on needles of said rear needle bed; STEP D2 knitting tucks of monofilament yarn on all needles on said front needle bed while knitting regular stitches on said rear bed; STEP D3 knitting a further single row on said rear bed; STEP D4 transferring alternate stitches of monofilament yarn from said front bed to said rear bed STEP D5 forming monofilament loops by dropping all remaining monofilament stitches remaining on said front bed, and STEP D6 repeating STEPS D1-D5, while in STEP D4 the stitches to be transferred are those stitches which were not transferred previously in STEP D4.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein STEP D4 comprises transferring all stitches of monofilament yarn from said front bed to said rear bed.

9. A method for manufacturing the fabric as claimed in claim 5, wherein in STEP D further knitted rows are added to produce a thicker fabric having loops on both sides thereof.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] The invention will now he described further with reference to the accompanying drawings, which represent by example preferred embodiments of the invention. Structural details are shown only as far as necessary for a fundamental understanding thereof The described examples, together with the drawings, will make apparent to those skilled in the art how further forms of the invention may be realized. In the drawings:

[0034] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a preferred embodiment of the fabric while being manufactured, according to the invention, and

[0035] FIG. 2 is a representation of a further thicker embodiment thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The invention provides a fabric having at least part of its surface covered with small monofilament loops. These loops removably engage each other when said surface is pressed into contact with another similar surface to retain the two portions of said fabric. The two portions can be easily separated by hand gripping one of the portions and applying a peeling action. Attachment and separation can be carried out as often as desired. The structure of the fabric can best be understood from review of the method used in its manufacture.

[0037] There is seen in FIG. 1 a representation of a method for manufacturing a first embodiment of the fabric, a thin fabric provided with hooks on one side only. The diagram refers only to STEP D, which in particular serves to reveal the structure of the resulting fabric. [0038] STEP A: Providing an industrial flat knitting machine having a front needle bed and a rear needle bed and being provided with electronic controls. An example of a suitable machine is manufactured by STOLL, Germany. Typically the machines are for 12 gauge but multi-gauge machines are available from the same manufacturer. [0039] STEP B: Loading the machine with yarns as needed to form the base fabric. [0040] STEP C: Loading the machine with the monofilament yarn to form loops.

[0041] The description refers to the fabric sequence being performed on the rear needle bed, while the loops are knitted on the front bed. This arrangement can be reversed if desired. [0042] STEP D knitting the fabric including forming of the loops on one surface of the fabric, as will be detailed herein. [0043] STEP E cutting the loops to form hooks. There are various options for executing this step, for example inserting a long thin knife into the loops, as is explained in the Velcro patent, or cutting the loops externally using an array of heated knives mounted in a revolving roller, or using an oscillating laser beam. The present invention is not limited to any particular method for executing STEP E.

[0044] Referring now to STEP D and the diagram, the first and 6.sup.th row represent dropping loops 10. The second and 7.sup.th row represent transfer of alternate loops 10. The third, 5.sup.th and 8.sup.th row represent knitting using the yarns 12 comprising the base fabric. In the fourth and 9.sup.th row the filament 14 is looped. Filament 14 is composed of polyester and second material of any kind or polyester as well. STEP D is completed in row 10 where a soft yarn 16 is knitted to retain the monofilament 14.

[0045] Referring now to FIG. 2, there is seen a representation of STEP D in a second embodiment wherein the fabric is provided with hooks and loops on both sides. This of course results in a fabric somewhat thicker than that described with reference to FIG. 1.

[0046] Row 1 of the diagram refers to release of alternate loops 18 from the rear needle bed (not shown). In row 2 the loops 18 are transferred 19 to the front bed (not shown).

[0047] Row 3 represents knitting of the basic yarn 22, while row 4 represents knitting the monofilament

[0048] In row 5 there is a transfer of loops 18 to the front bed, followed by knitting a row of the basic yarn 22 in row 6. Row 7 shows release 21 of loops 18 from the front bed, and their collection 23 by the rear bed is seen in row 8.

[0049] In row 9 there is a further row of knitting of the basic yarn 22, followed by knitting of the monofilament 14 in row 10.

[0050] In row 11 loops 18 of the monofilament are transferred 25 to the rear bed. In row 12 again the basic yarn 22 is knitted. Then in row 13 monofilament loops 18 are released from the rear bed and are transferred to the front bed in row 14. After knitting a further row of the basic yarn 22 in row 15, the filament 14 is again knitted in row 16. It is transferred to the front bed in row 17 and retained in row 18 by a row of basic yarn 22.

[0051] Some loops 18 are released from the front bed in row 19 for transfer to the rear bed in row 20. A further row of the basic yarn 22 is knitted in row 21. Finally a further row of the monofilament 14 is knitted in row 22 and is retained by a soft yarn 24 from the rear bed in row 23.

[0052] As the machine can be electronically programmed it is obvious that many variations of the described embodiments can be produced by adding or subtracting rows or by changing the order thereof, such as one side of the fabric having polyester loops while the other side small loops of wool or other material. Alternatively, both sides of the loops are of polyester.

[0053] Therefore the scope of the described invention is intended to include all embodiments coming within the meaning of the following claims. The foregoing examples illustrate useful forms of the invention, but are not to be considered as limiting its scope, as those skilled in the art will be aware that additional variants and modifications of the invention can readily be formulated without departing from the meaning of the following claims.