The present invention relates to a novel method for the production of a thick double-face knitted fabric having an intermediate spacing structure, to a knitting machine of the tucked-stitch circular type for carrying out this method and to the knitted fabric obtained by this method.
A known thick knitted fabric of this general type is described in European Patent No. 0 610 845. The spacing threads of the disclosed thick knitted fabric are either multifilament threads or a combination of multifilament threads and monofilament threads which bind or stitch a row of one face together with the opposite row of the other face. The multifilament threads previously undergo a false twist during knitting, which is said to be indispensable for implementation of the disclosed thick knitted fabric.
Also known is to produce thick double-face knitted fabrics having an intermediate spacing structure on flat-bed knitting machines. Such knitted fabrics are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,036.
Such knitted fabrics have high crushing resistance. However, such knitted fabrics have the disadvantage of lacking flexibility and, primarily for this reason, are reserved for industrial uses which do not present a need for comfort.
Moreover, such knitted fabrics are given their properties by virtue of the relative inclination of the binding threads in relation to the two faces. This is due to the fact that two binding threads of two different rows are assembled on one and the same stitch or on two stitches of the same row of one face, thus giving the binding structure a pyramidal shape.
To the contrary, the present invention has as its object to provide a knitted fabric which is very thick, at least twice as thick as prior knitted fabrics of this general type, and which is at the same time flexible and comfortable, with a high elasticity and which is capable of resuming its initial thickness after prolonged and/or repeated crushings (for example, on vehicle seats).
These objects are achieved by a knitting method for the production of a thick double-face knitted fabric with a front face and a rear face in which the two faces are connected to one another by an intermediate layer. The method of the present invention is carried out according to what is generally known as a xe2x80x9ctucked-stitchxe2x80x9d technique, on a circular knitting machine, and the intermediate layer is produced solely with a binding monofilament.
Such a method produces a thick double-face knitted fabric with a front face and a rear face which are connected to one another by an intermediate layer. The knitted fabric is produced according to what is generally known as a xe2x80x9ctucked-stitchxe2x80x9d technique, on a circular knitting machine. The knitted fabric has an intermediate layer which is produced solely from binding monofilaments, and a thickness at least twice that of conventional knitted fabrics.
Preferably, the monofilament bonds bind to one another a row of stitches of one face and a row of stitches of the other face, so that the two rows are racked in relation to one another in the knitting direction. As a result, two binding threads of two different rows are always bound with different stitches and/or to different rows.
Further in accordance with the present invention, the intermediate layer can be connected to the front face and to the rear face by one of the known and generally available binding techniques, examples including binding by stitch, binding by load, and binding by stitch and by load.
The present invention also relates to a knitted fabric having a special texture of the binding layer, including a method and a machine for producing such a knitted fabric.
For a further understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the description which follows, together with the following illustrations.