CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD FOR KNITTING DOUBLE-SIDED PLUSH FABRIC WITH CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE

Abstract

A circular knitting machine used to weave a double-sided plush fabric. The circular knitting machine comprises a horizontal needle bed, a sinker bed and a vertical needle bed. The horizontal needle bed comprises a plurality of hook needles and a plurality of cutters spaced at intervals between the plurality of hook needles, the sinker bed comprises a plurality of sinkers, and the vertical needle bed comprises a plurality of knitting needles with cutters and a plurality of crochet needles spaced at intervals between the plurality of knitting needles with cutters. Before the knitting needles with cutters to be ready for cutting a first pile loop: a latch needle comprised in the plurality of knitting needle with cutters that is ready for cutting yarn comprises been completely cleared, and the plurality of knitting needle with cutters to be ready for cutting yarn passed through at least one plain stitch cam.

Claims

1. A circular knitting machine comprising: a horizontal needle bed comprising a plurality of hook needles and a plurality of cutters spaced at intervals between the plurality of hook needles; a sinker bed comprising a plurality of sinkers; and a vertical needle bed comprising a plurality of knitting needles with cutters and a plurality of crochet needles spaced at intervals between the plurality of knitting needles with cutters; wherein the circular knitting machine is configured to knit a double-sided plush fabric, the plurality of knitting needles with cutters are configured to form a basic structure and a first pile loop and a second pile loop connecting with the basic structure respectively with the plurality of hook needles and the plurality of crochet needles, the first pile loop and the second pile loop are respectively cut by the plurality of knitting needles with cutters and the plurality of cutters to form a plurality of plush structures respectively located on two opposite sides of the basic structure, before the plurality of knitting needles with cutters to be ready for cutting the first pile loop: a latch needle in the plurality of knitting needles with cutters to be ready for cutting yarn is completely cleaned, and the plurality of knitting needles with cutters to be ready for cutting yarn passed through at least one plain stitch cam.

2. The circular knitting machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of knitting needles with cutters is composed of a latch needle member and a cutter plate.

3. The circular knitting machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of knitting needles with cutters comprises the latch needle, and a blade with a horizontal height lower than that of the latch needle, and the latch needle is a head of each of the plurality of knitting needles with cutters.

4. The circular knitting machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein the plurality of hook needles, the plurality of cutters, the plurality of sinkers, the plurality of knitting needles with cutters and the plurality of crochet needles are respectively guided to act by a plurality of cams.

5. The circular knitting machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of hook needles, the plurality of cutters, the plurality of sinkers, the plurality of knitting needles with cutters and the plurality of crochet needles are respectively guided to act by a plurality of cams.

6. A method for knitting a double-sided plush fabric with a circular knitting machine, comprising: a first loop-forming procedure: feeding two yarns, and knitting a basic structure formed by one of the two yarns, and a first pile loop connected to the basic structure by at least one of a plurality of knitting needles with cutters and at least one of a plurality of crochet needles; a second loop-forming procedure: feeding the two yarns, and knitting the basic structure formed by one of the two yarns, and a second pile loop connected to the basic structure by at least one of the plurality of knitting needles with cutters and at least one of a plurality of hook needles, the first pile loop and the second pile loop being located on two sides of the basic structure; a first yarn-cutting procedure: controlling at least one of the plurality of knitting needles with cutters to cut the first pile loop to form a plush structure; and a second yarn-cutting procedure: controlling one of a plurality of cutters to cut the second pile loop to form the other plush structure; wherein the first loop-forming procedure does not follow by the first yarn-cutting procedure, when the plurality of knitting needles with cutters cut the first pile loop: a latch needle in the plurality of knitting needles with cutters to be ready for cutting yarn is completely cleaned, and the plurality of knitting needles with cutters to be ready for cutting yarn passed through at least one plain stitch cam.

7. The method for knitting the double-sided plush fabric with the circular knitting machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein the method is achieved by sequentially performing the first loop-forming procedure, the second loop-forming procedure, the first yarn-cutting procedure and the second yarn-cutting procedure.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] FIG. 1 is a partial structural perspective view of a circular knitting machine of the invention.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a structural cross-sectional view of the circular knitting machine of the invention.

[0018] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a knitting needle with cutter of the invention.

[0019] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of structure of a double-sided plush fabric.

[0020] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of structure of a plurality of cams used to guide the knitting needle with cutter of the invention.

[0021] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a fabric structure with uncut pile according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] The detailed description and technical content of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The invention provides a circular knitting machine 20 comprising a horizontal needle bed 21, a sinker bed 22, and a vertical needle bed 23, wherein the horizontal needle bed 21 is a needle dial 24 located in the circular knitting machine 20, the sinker bed 22 is a sinker ring 25 located in the circular knitting machine 20, and the vertical needle bed 23 is a needle cylinder 26 located in the circular knitting machine 20. The horizontal needle bed 21 comprises a plurality of hook needles 211 and a plurality of cutters 212 spaced at intervals between the plurality of hook needles 211. The sinker bed 22 comprises a plurality of sinkers 221. The vertical needle bed 23 comprises a plurality of knitting needles with cutters 231 and a plurality of crochet needles 232 spaced at intervals between the plurality of knitting needles with cutters 231. Neither the plurality of hook needles 211 nor the plurality of crochet needles 232 comprise a latch needle structure. Each of the plurality of knitting needles with cutters 231 comprises a latch needle 233 and a blade 234. A horizontal height of the blade 234 is lower than that of the latch needle 233. The latch needle 233 is a head of each of the plurality of knitting needles with cutters 231. Please refer to FIG. 3 as well. In one embodiment, each of the plurality of knitting needles with cutters 231 is composed of a latch needle member 235 in and a cutter plate 236. Further, the latch needle member 235 comprises a connecting protrusion 238 and the cutter plate 236 comprises a connecting groove 237, so that the latch needle member 235 is located on an axis same as the cutter plate 236.

[0024] On the other hand, the plurality of hook needles 211, the plurality of cutters 212, the plurality of sinkers 221, the plurality of knitting needles with cutters 231 and the plurality of crochet needles 232 are respectively guided by a plurality of cams 27 to protrude or retract. The plurality of cams 27 comprises at least one plain stitch cam 271 and at least one knitting cam 272, as shown in FIG. 5. Taking the plurality of knitting needles with cutters 231 as an example, when each of the plurality of knitting needles with cutters 231 passes through the at least one plain stitch cam 271, the plurality of knitting needle with cutter 231 will be in a plain stitch state (also called an empty stitch state) due to a track design on the at least one plain stitch cam 271; when each of the plurality of knitting needles with cutters 231 passes through the at least one knitting cam 272, the plurality of knitting needle with cutter 231 will perform knitting or retracting due to a track design on the at least one knitting cam 272.

[0025] Please refer to FIG. 1 again. The circular knitting machine 20 further comprises a plurality of yarn feeders 28. The plurality of yarn feeders 28 are utilized to feed at least one yarn for knitting.

[0026] Based on the above, a double-sided plush fabric 30 is knitted by the circular knitting machine 20. As shown in FIG. 4, the double-sided plush fabric 30 comprises a basic structure 31, and two plush structures 32 respectively connected to the basic structure 31 and located on two opposite sides of the basic structure 31. Each of the two plush structures 32 comprises a plurality of cut-loop piles 321, and a length of the plurality of cut-loop piles 321 is 3.5 mm to 15 mm.

[0027] Furthermore, please refer to FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. The invention further provides a method for knitting the double-sided plush fabric 30 with the circular knitting machine 20. The method comprises: [0028] a first loop-forming procedure: feeding two yarns, and knitting the basic structure 31 formed by one of the two yarns, and a first pile loop 322 connected to the basic structure 31 by at least one of the plurality of knitting needles with cutters 231 and at least one of the plurality of crochet needles 232; [0029] a second loop-forming procedure: feeding the two yarns, and knitting form the basic structure 31 formed by one of the two yarns, and a second pile loop 323 connected to the basic structure 31 by at least one of the plurality of knitting needles with cutters 231 and at least one of the plurality of hook needles 211, the first pile loop 322 and the second pile loop 323 being located on two sides of the basic structure 31, as shown in FIG. 6; [0030] a first yarn-cutting procedure: controlling at least one of the plurality of knitting needles with cutters 231 to cut the first pile loop 322 to form the plurality of cut-loop piles 321; and [0031] a second yarn-cutting procedure: controlling one the plurality of cutters 212 to cut the second pile loop 323 to form the plurality of cut-loop piles 321.

[0032] Based on the above, during a knitting process of the circular knitting machine 20 of the invention to form the double-sided plush fabric 30, before the plurality of knitting needles with cutters 231 to be ready for cutting the first pile loop 322 (i.e., before entering the first yarn-cutting procedure): the latch needle 233 in the plurality of knitting needle with cutter 231 to be ready for cutting yarn is completely cleaned, and the plurality of knitting needle with cutter 231 to be ready for cutting yarn passed through the at least one plain stitch cam 271. That is to say, the first loop-forming procedure will not continue following by the first yarn-cutting procedure. There is a buffer between the two procedures. A buffer time can be adjusted according to implementation, but the buffer time is at least a time interval that the plurality of knitting needles with cutters 231 to be ready for cutting yarn completely passed through the plain stitch cam 271, as disclosed in FIG. 5. Thereby avoiding problems such as floating cloth and unstable loop formation caused by continuous implementation of the two procedures during knitting by the circular knitting machine 20.

[0033] Based on the foregoing, in one embodiment, the method of the invention is achieved by sequentially performing the first loop-forming procedure, the second loop-forming procedure, the first yarn-cutting procedure and the second yarn-cutting procedure.