TWI904073B - Modified every course knitted fabrics, garments and hosiery comprising the fabrics, and uses thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

Fabrics prepared from a modified every course style with courses of spandex covered with rigid yarn and bare spandex plated with rigid yarn and their use in production of fabrics and elastified knitted garments are provided.

Description

Knitted fabric with each weft stitch finished, garments containing that knitted fabric, knitted socks, and their uses.

This invention relates to a fabric prepared from weft loops having a modified weft loop pattern, comprising elastic fibers covered with rigid yarns and bare elastic fibers covered with rigid yarns, and its use in the production of elastic knitted garments.

Two traditional options for incorporating elastic fibers into garments such as knitted socks include the single-loop pattern depicted in Figure 1A and the alternating-loop pattern depicted in Figure 1B. The elastic synthetic fibers may be covered, for example, with polyamide, or may be exposed, and knitted according to the single-loop pattern depicted in Figure 1A or the alternating-loop pattern depicted in Figure 1B.

Garments such as every-course pantyhose (ECPH) contain balanced stitches and generally provide a higher quality garment. Typically, elastic fibers are covered. ECPH provides a balanced, smooth appearance and even freedom of movement. However, knitting ECPH can be challenging when yarn quality is critical, thus increasing its production cost. Additionally, due to the high shrinkage of elastane, ECPH may appear opaque and too small before setting.

Stretch fiber garments made from traditional per-weave patterns (such as ECPH) are known and primarily produced for their excellent comfort, stretch, and evenness. However, some knitters and retailers claim that the typical ECPH structure covering the yarns cannot be used to make "shiny" or "shimmery" sheer garments because the distortion of the polyamide eliminates most of its shine.

Negative characteristics include (but are not limited to) feel, brittleness, and cheap appearance, making thin, lightweight ECPH fabrics with uncovered yarn components produced using bare-knitting techniques undesirable.

Therefore, when a shiny finish is desired on knitted socks, a glossy effect is typically achieved by using a glossy polyamide in the alternating course (AC) construction. Most of the shine comes from the non-elastic weft loops. Garments such as alternating course pantyhose (ACPH) contain alternating course loops of elastic fibers, typically covered with polyamide and flat or textured polyamide. Alternating course loops including polyamide often produce longer stitches. ACPH offers greater flexibility in using polyamide, resulting in lower costs. Furthermore, ACPH can have a high-gloss or glossy finish. However, in thin, sheer ACPH fabrics, garments are generally less comfortable, have lower lateral consistency, and, given current industrial technology, cannot achieve anti-snagging properties.

There is a need for lower-cost knitted socks and garments that offer improved comfort, shine, flexibility in use with polyamide or other rigid yarns, and/or anti-snagging properties.

One aspect of this invention relates to a knitted fabric made from a modified weft loop pattern, wherein each modified weft loop pattern comprises a weft loop covered with elastic fibers of rigid yarn and a weft loop covered with bare elastic fibers of rigid yarn.

In a non-limiting embodiment, the fabric is knitted with a repeating pattern comprising weft loops of elastic fibers covered with stiff yarn, followed by weft loops of bare elastic fibers covered with stiff yarn.

In an alternative, non-limiting embodiment, the fabric is a pattern knit comprising two or more weft loops of elastic fibers covered with rigid yarn, followed by a single weft loop of bare elastic fibers covered with rigid yarn.

In yet another alternative, non-limiting embodiment, the fabric is a pattern knit comprising one or more weft loops of elastic fibers covered with rigid yarn, followed by two or more weft loops of bare elastic fibers covered with rigid yarn.

In one non-limiting embodiment, the rigid yarn comprises polyamide.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a garment, at least a portion of which is made of a fabric having a modified weft loop pattern, each modified weft loop comprising weft loops covered with elastic fibers of stiff yarn and weft loops covered with bare elastic fibers of stiff yarn. In a non-limiting embodiment, the garment is a knitted sock.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a method for improving the comfort and/or enhancing the luster of elastic knitted fabrics or garments thereof. This method comprises preparing at least a portion of a garment from a fabric comprising weft loops of elastic fibers covered with stiff yarn and weft loops of bare elastic fibers covered with stiff yarn.

Another aspect of this invention relates to a method for reducing the cost of ECPH elastic knitted garments. This method comprises preparing at least a portion of a garment from a fabric containing weft loops of elastic fibers covered with stiff yarn and weft loops of bare elastic fibers covered with stiff yarn.

Figures 1A to 1C illustrate a typical webbing pantyhose construction (Figure 1A), a typical alternating webbing pantyhose construction (Figure 1B), and the modified webbing pattern of the present invention (Figure 1C), which includes polyamide-coated elastic fibers and bare polyamide-coated elastic fibers in every other webbing.

This invention provides fabrics made from weft loops having a modified weft loop pattern, consisting of elastic fibers covered with stiff yarns and bare elastic fibers covered with stiff yarns. Elastic knitted garments made from these fabrics are also provided, along with a method for producing elastic knitted garments that offer lower cost and improved comfort, increased luster, and/or, in some embodiments, increased anti-snagging properties compared to fabrics made from conventional weft loop and/or alternating weft loop patterns.

As used in this article, "elastic fiber" also means including elastic fibers and/or Lycra fibers.

For the purposes of this invention, the "traditional per-weft type" used to compare improvements in gloss and/or anti-fraying properties and/or cost means a fabric knitted with elastic fibers covered with polyamide in each weft loop.

For the purposes of this invention, the "traditional alternating weft pattern" used for improved comfort and/or anti-fraying properties refers to a fabric consisting of elastic fibers covered with polyamide, or bare elastic fibers covered with polyamide in every other weft loop, and a polyamide-only knitted fabric.

For the purposes of this invention, "plating" or "plated" means that the rigid yarn and the bare elastic fiber yarn maintain a parallel and side-by-side relationship throughout the knitted fabric, while controlling the relationship between the two yarns so that the elastic fiber material always remains on one side of the rigid yarn.

Since all weft loops are elastic and therefore technically an ECPH (Extremely Flexible Polyhedral) offering all the advantages in terms of comfort and stretch, the fabric of this invention is manufactured by modifying the shape of each weft loop.

One of the elastic weft loops in the fabric of this invention comprises an elastic fiber covered with a rigid yarn. The covered elastic fiber can be single-covered, double-covered, or air-jet-covered. Key advantages of using covered yarns in the fabric of this invention include (but are not limited to): a more natural softness compared to plastic; a silky feel because the elastic fiber is covered and not directly exposed to the skin; and reduced brittleness compared to bare elastic fiber.

Another elastic weft loop of the fabric of the present invention comprises bare elastic fibers covered with rigid yarns. Any elastic fiber suitable for the fabric of the present invention may be used in a non-limiting embodiment; the elastic fiber shall be fusible.

Any rigid yarn can be used in this invention. Non-limiting examples may include polyamide, polyester, or polypropylene. In one non-limiting embodiment, the rigid yarn is polyamide. As will be understood by those skilled in the art upon reading this invention, any polyamide can be used, the choice depending on the desired characteristics, including (but not limited to) the brightness, volume, uniformity, and gloss of the resulting fabric.

The fabric of this invention includes uncovered, still elastic weft loops, allowing rigid yarns such as polyamide to shine because there are no corners that suppress light. Therefore, the fabric of this invention has a higher gloss compared to typical ECPH fabrics. Furthermore, the negative effects of using bare elastic fibers in some weft loops are mitigated by the covered weft loops in others, thereby providing glossy, anti-snagging garments.

Various repeating patterns of the two types of elastic weft loops can be used in the fabrics of this invention, and the choice can be determined according to the garment and/or knitting pattern of the fabric.

For example, Figure 1C depicts a repeating pattern consisting of weft loops of elastic fibers covered with rigid yarn, followed by weft loops of bare elastic fibers covered with rigid yarn.

In an alternative, non-limiting embodiment, the fabric may comprise a single weft loop of elastic fibers covered with rigid yarn, followed by a repeating pattern of two or more weft loops of bare elastic fibers covered with rigid yarn.

In an alternative, non-limiting embodiment, the fabric may comprise a repeating pattern knit of two or more weft loops of elastic fibers covered with rigid yarn, followed by a single weft loop of bare elastic fibers covered with rigid yarn.

In knitted socks, the number of feed stitches for different weft loops is typically four, and these feed stitches may be all the same or different.

However, seamless knitting typically uses 8 feeds, while circular knitting uses 32 or more feeds.

Those skilled in the art will understand upon reading this invention that any of these patterns and alternative patterns may be used according to this invention, and that this invention is by no means limited to any particular repeating pattern or number of elastic fiber weft loops covered with rigid yarns, followed by bare elastic fiber weft loops covered with rigid yarns.

In a non-limiting embodiment, the fabric is prepared by weft knitting.

In a non-limiting embodiment, additional yarns are added to the feed to, for example, make the fabric heavier or introduce designs, patterns, and/or colors into the fabric.

This invention also provides garments, at least a portion of which are made from fabrics having a modified weft loop pattern comprising weft loops covered with stiff yarn and weft loops covered with bare stiff yarn. In one non-limiting embodiment, the garment is sheer. In one non-limiting embodiment, the garment has an appearance of 8 to 20 to 25 deniers. In one non-limiting embodiment, the garment is knitted socks or underwear. In one non-limiting embodiment of knitted socks, the fabric of this invention can be used in the leg portion, wherein trousers or other portions may contain fabrics with a typical structure. In an alternative non-limiting embodiment, the garment is not sheer.

This invention further provides methods for improving the comfort, increasing the luster, and/or increasing the anti-snagging properties of elastic knitted garments, as well as methods for reducing the cost of elastic knitted garments. These methods involve preparing garments from at least a portion of a fabric comprising weft loops of elastic fibers covered with stiff yarns and weft loops of bare elastic fibers covered with stiff yarns.

All patents, patent applications, test procedures, priority documents, articles, publications, manuals and other documents cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety to the extent that such disclosure is consistent with this invention and that such incorporation is permitted in all claims.

The following examples demonstrate the invention and its capabilities. The invention can have other and different embodiments, and certain details in its various obvious forms can be modified without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, these examples should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive in nature.

Example

Elastic knitted garments are manufactured using typical ECPH technology, where feeders 1, 2, 3, and 4 are 20-point tex single meltable elastic fibers (LYCRA® fiber 777F) covered with 17-point tex 3 monofilaments of polyamide 6,6 flat, bright 17-point tex 3.

Elastic knitted garments can be prepared using the ECPH of this invention, wherein feeder 1 and feeder 3 are 20-point tex single meltable elastic fibers (LYCRA® fiber 777F) covered with 17-point tex 3 monofilament of polyamide 6,6 flat and bright, and feeder 2 and feeder 4 are 20-point tex meltable bare elastic fibers (LYCRA® fiber 777F) covered with polyamide 6,6 flat and bright.

The test results for these elastic knitted garments are depicted in Table 1.

Claims (5)

A knitted fabric prepared by modifying the pattern of each weft loop, comprising weft loops covered with elastic fibers of stiff yarn and weft loops covered with bare elastic fibers of stiff yarn in each other weft loop, which, compared with fabrics prepared by conventional weft loop and/or alternating weft loop patterns, has improved comfort and increased luster, wherein the knitted fabric is knitted according to a pattern that includes weft loops covered with elastic fibers of stiff yarn. One or more weft loops of elastic fibers in a rigid yarn, followed by two or more weft loops of bare elastic fibers covered by the rigid yarn, wherein the bare elastic fibers covered by the rigid yarn are intended to maintain a parallel and side-by-side relationship between the rigid yarn and the bare elastic fibers throughout the knitted fabric, while controlling the relationship between the rigid yarn and the bare elastic fibers so that the bare elastic fibers always remain on one side of the rigid yarn. For example, in the knitted fabric of claim 1, the rigid yarn is polyamide. A garment in which a portion is made from the knitted fabric described in request item 1 or 2. For example, the garment described in claim 3, wherein the garment has an appearance of 8 to 25 g/9000 m (8 to 25 denier). A type of knitted sock, a portion of which is made from the knitted fabric described in request item 1 or 2.