Knitting system and needle for knitting machines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12553162-B2
Application number	US-202118034426-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2021
Priority date	Oct 30, 2020
Publication date	Feb 17, 2026
Grant date	Feb 17, 2026

Abstract

A knitting system 18 and a needle 1 , which show greater stability and consume less power during the knitting process, include a bending portion 9 in which at least one recess 11 is arranged at at least one lateral surface 23 of the needle 1 and/or is formed in such a manner that a shaft offset S exists, in a peripheral direction U, between a working portion 10 of the needle 1 and a shank portion 8 of the needle 1.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A knitting needle ( 1 ) comprising:
a loop-forming element ( 2 ) arranged at a first end of the knitting needle ( 1 ), said first end pointing in a working direction (A), a shank portion ( 8 ), which is configured to be accommodated in a guiding groove ( 4 ) of a needle-guiding means ( 3 ), and is arranged at a second end of the knitting needle ( 1 ), said second end pointing in a direction opposite from the working direction, a working portion ( 10 ), which includes the loop-forming element ( 2 ) and which is configured to be accommodated in a verge groove ( 6 ) of the needle-guiding means ( 3 ), wherein the verge groove ( 6 ) is offset from the guiding groove ( 4 ) in the working direction and a peripheral direction (U) that is orthogonal to the working direction, a drive butt ( 16 ) of the shank portion ( 8 ) projecting from a surrounding portion of the shank portion in an elevational direction (H) orthogonal to the working direction and the peripheral direction, a bending portion ( 9 ), which is positioned in the working direction (A) between the shank portion ( 8 ) and the working portion ( 10 ), wherein in the bending portion ( 9 ) of the knitting needle ( 1 ), at least one recess ( 11 ) is arranged at at least one lateral surface ( 23 ) of the bending portion ( 9 ), wherein the at least one recess ( 11 ) either: points in the peripheral direction (U) and has a constant recess depth ( 22 ) of 10 μm to 100 μm along a majority of a length of the at least one recess, or points in the elevational direction (H) and has a constant recess depth ( 22 ) of 150 μm to 500 μm along a majority of a length of the at least one recess, wherein the shank portion ( 8 ) comprises a lower lateral surface and an upper lateral surface each extending between opposing lateral side surfaces of the shank portion, wherein the lower lateral surface extends in the working direction along a constant elevation between the drive butt ( 16 ) and the bending portion ( 9 ), and wherein a height dimension of the shank portion ( 8 ) measured in the elevational direction (H) between the lower lateral surface and the upper lateral surface decreases between the drive butt ( 16 ) and the bending portion ( 9 ) along the working direction.

2 . The knitting needle ( 1 ) according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one recess ( 11 ) points in the peripheral direction (U) and extends in the elevational direction (H) along an entire height ( 13 ) of the knitting needle at the bending portion ( 9 ).

3 . The knitting needle ( 1 ) according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one recess ( 11 ) points in the peripheral direction (U) and extends in the elevational direction (H) along a maximum of 90% of a height ( 13 ) of the knitting needle measured at the bending portion ( 9 ).

4 . The knitting needle ( 1 ) according to claim 1 ,
wherein the working portion ( 10 ) and the shank portion ( 8 ) extend substantially parallel to one another in the working direction (A).

5 . The knitting needle ( 1 ) according to claim 1 ,
wherein the bending portion ( 9 ) is plastically formed in such a manner as to effect, in the peripheral direction (U), a plastic shank offset (S PL ) between the working portion ( 10 ) and the shank portion ( 8 ).

6 . A knitting system ( 18 ) comprising:
at least one needle-guiding means ( 3 ), which has a base surface ( 12 ) pointing in an elevational direction (H), at least one guiding groove ( 4 ), which is arranged on the base surface ( 12 ) of the at least one needle-guiding means ( 3 ) and which extends substantially in a working direction (A), wherein said working direction (A) is orthogonal to the elevational direction (H), at least one verge groove ( 6 ), which is arranged on the base surface ( 12 ) of the at least one needle-guiding means ( 3 ) and is offset relative to the at least one guiding groove ( 4 ) in a peripheral direction (U) and the working direction (A), wherein said peripheral direction (U) is orthogonal to the working direction (A) and the elevational direction (H), at least one knitting needle ( 1 ) comprising, at a first end, which points in the working direction (A), a working portion ( 10 ) including a loop-forming element ( 2 ), and, at a second end, which points in a direction opposite from the working direction (A), a shank portion ( 8 ), a drive butt ( 16 ) of the shank portion ( 8 ) projecting from a surrounding portion of the shank portion in the elevational direction, wherein, between said shank portion ( 8 ) and said working portion ( 10 ), a bending portion ( 9 ) is positioned in which the at least one knitting needle ( 1 ) has a bend with directional components in the peripheral direction (U) and the working direction (A), wherein the working portion ( 10 ) of the at least one knitting needle ( 1 ) is accommodated in the at least one verge groove ( 6 ) and the shank portion ( 8 ) of the at least one knitting needle ( 1 ) is accommodated in the at least one guiding groove ( 4 ), wherein the shank portion ( 8 ) comprises a lower lateral surface and an upper lateral surface each extending between opposing lateral side surfaces of the shank portion, wherein the lower lateral surface extends in the working direction along a constant elevation between the drive butt ( 16 ) and the bending portion ( 9 ), wherein a height dimension of the shank portion ( 8 ) measured in the elevational direction (H) between the lower lateral surface and the upper lateral surface decreases between the drive butt ( 16 ) and the bending portion ( 9 ) along the working direction, wherein in the bending portion ( 9 ) of the at least one knitting needle ( 1 ), at least one recess ( 11 ) is arranged at at least one lateral surface ( 23 ) of the bending portion ( 9 ), wherein the at least one recess ( 11 ) either: points in the peripheral direction (U) and has a constant recess depth ( 22 ) of 10 μm to 100 μm along a majority of a length of the at least one recess, or points in the elevational direction (H), and has a constant recess depth ( 22 ) of 150 μm to 500 μm along a majority of a length of the at least one recess.

7 . The knitting system ( 18 ) according to claim 6 ,
wherein the at least one recess ( 11 ) points in the peripheral direction (U) and extends in the elevational direction (H) along an entire height ( 13 ) of the at least one knitting needle at the bending portion ( 9 ).

8 . The knitting system ( 18 ) according to claim 6 , wherein:
the at least one recess ( 11 ) is completely outside of the at least one verge groove ( 6 ) and/or the at least one guiding groove ( 4 ) when the at least one knitting needle ( 1 ) is in an extended state and/or a retracted state.

9 . The knitting system ( 18 ) according to claim 6 ,
wherein the at least one recess ( 11 ) of the at least one knitting needle ( 1 ) in a retracted state is outside of the at least one guiding groove ( 4 ) to an extent of at least 60% of a recess length ( 24 ), which corresponds to an extension of the at least one recess ( 11 ) in the working direction (A), and the at least one recess ( 11 ) of the at least one knitting needle ( 1 ) in an extended state is outside of the at least one verge groove ( 6 ) to an extent of at least 60% of the recess length ( 24 ).

10 . The knitting system ( 18 ) according to claim 6 ,
further comprising a bending-portion clearance ( 19 ), which corresponds to a distance in the working direction (A) between the drive butt ( 16 ) and the bending portion ( 9 ), wherein said bending-portion clearance ( 19 ) is at least as large as an extension length ( 25 ) corresponding to a path of the at least one knitting needle ( 1 ) in the working direction (A) betw

Assignees

• Groz Beckert Kg
• Santoni & C Spa

Inventors

• Wörnle Martin
• Settegast Markus

Classifications

• D04B15/14

  Needle cylinders · CPC title

• D04B15/10

  Needle beds · CPC title

• D04B35/04 Primary

  Latch needles · CPC title