Knitted fabric with concave-convex patterns

Abstract

The invention provides a knitted fabric with concave-convex patterns, which is woven by at least three groups of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns, is provided with a technical front surface and a technical back surface which are opposite to each other, and comprises a concave-convex pattern area and a plane area continuously woven with the concave-convex pattern area, in the plane area, the yarn rings on the technical front face and the yarn rings on the technical back face are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence mode. In the concave-convex pattern area, the technical front side contains a smaller number of turns than the technical back side, so that the concave-convex pattern area is arched towards the technical back side relative to the plane area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to a knitted fabric, and more particularly, to a knitted fabric having a concave-convex pattern formed naturally after knitting. Background Art

[0002] When knitted fabrics are to be formed with concave-convex patterns, a mold with a predetermined pattern is usually used to heat press the plane of the knitted fabric, thereby generating concave-convex areas corresponding to the predetermined pattern on the plane of the knitted fabric. However, this method of forming concave-convex patterns by heat pressing not only requires additional molds, which significantly increases costs, but also requires additional man-hours for processing, which reduces production capacity and increases the possibility of product defects. Summary of the invention

[0003] An object of the present invention is to provide a knitted fabric with a concave-convex pattern, which has a designed structure and has a naturally formed concave-convex pattern after knitting.

[0004] Another object of the present invention is to provide a knitted fabric with a concave-convex pattern, the structure of which is composed of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) yarns, which can be completely recycled and improve environmental friendliness.

[0005] In one embodiment, the present invention provides a knitted fabric with a concave-convex pattern, which is woven from at least three groups of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) yarns. The knitted fabric has a relative technical front and technical back and includes a concave-convex pattern area and a plane area woven continuously with the concave-convex pattern area, wherein: in the plane area, the yarn loops on the technical front and the yarn loops on the technical back are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence; in the concave-convex pattern area, the number of yarn loops included in the technical front is less than the number of yarn loops included in the technical back, so that the concave-convex pattern area is arched toward the technical back relative to the plane area.

[0006] In one embodiment, the at least three groups of TPU yarns include a first group of TPU yarns, a second group of TPU yarns and a third group of TPU yarns, and the first group of TPU yarns, the second group of TPU yarns and the third group of TPU yarns are all TPU single-component yarns.

[0007] In one embodiment, the first group of TPU yarns, the second group of TPU yarns and the third group of TPU yarns are each selected from one or more yarns in the group consisting of TPU air-textured yarns, TPU pre-oriented yarns, TPU false-twisted yarns and combinations thereof.

[0008] In one embodiment, the first set of TPU yarns, the second set of TPU yarns, and the third set of TPU yarns include the same yarn material.

[0009] In one embodiment, the first group of TPU yarns and the second group of TPU yarns have the same yarn count, and the yarn counts of the first group of TPU yarns and the second group of TPU yarns are greater than the yarn count of the third group of TPU yarns.

[0010] In one embodiment, the number of yarns in the first group of TPU yarns and the second group of TPU yarns is 2 or more, and the number of yarns in the third group of TPU yarns is 1 or more and is at least 1 less than the number of yarns in the first group of TPU yarns and the second group of TPU yarns.

[0011] In one embodiment, the second set of TPU yarns is used only to form the technical back side of the knitted fabric.

[0012] In one embodiment, in the concave-convex pattern area, the yarn loops on the technical front side are composed of the third group of TPU yarns, and the yarn loops on the technical back side are respectively composed of the first group of TPU yarns and the second group of TPU yarns alternately.

[0013] In one embodiment, the density of the concave-convex pattern area is 1.4 to 1.8 times the density of the flat area.

[0014] In one embodiment, in the concave-convex pattern area, the yarn loops on the technical front side are arranged at intervals corresponding to the yarn loops on the technical back side, so that a concave portion is present on the technical front side and a convex portion is formed on the technical back side.

[0015] In one embodiment, in the knitted fabric, a vertical projection area of ​​the flat region is larger than a vertical projection area of ​​the concave-convex pattern region.

[0016] In one embodiment, in the concave-convex pattern area, the yarn loops on the technical front side and the yarn loops on the technical back side are not connected and woven with each other, so as to form a hollow portion.

[0017] In one embodiment, in the concave-convex pattern area, the number of yarn turns included in the technical front side is Nf, the number of yarn turns included in the technical back side is Nb, and (1 / 2xNb)-1≦Nf≦(1 / 2xNb)+1, and Nf and Nb are both positive integers.

[0018] In one embodiment, the knitted fabric is a knitted upper.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the knitted fabric with concave-convex patterns of the present invention controls the number of yarn turns on the technical front side of the concave-convex pattern area to be less than the number of yarn turns on the technical back side, so that the knitted fabric has a naturally formed concave-convex pattern after knitting is completed, without the need for a mold opening process for hot pressing into a concave-convex shape, and without the need for a process of using yarn materials with different heat shrinkage rates for knitting and then heating to shrink them into a concave-convex shape. Furthermore, the knitted fabric of the present invention uses at least three groups of TPU yarns to reduce the problem of fabric surface defects caused by different tensions, different friction resistances or different elastic factors that may be caused by using yarns of different materials, which can effectively improve the yield rate and increase production capacity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1A FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a knitted fabric according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 1B for Figure 1A An enlarged stereoscopic schematic diagram of a local area A.

[0022] Figure 2 For the present invention Figure 1A Schematic diagram of a local cross section of the tangent line BB.

[0023] Figure 3 and Figure 4 For the present invention Figure 1B Schematic diagram of the weaving process of local area A.

[0024] Description of main component symbols:

[0025] 10 Knitted fabrics

[0026] 10a, 10a1, 10a2 Technical front

[0027] 10b, 10b1, 10b2 Technical back

[0028] 11 The first group of TPU yarn

[0029] 111 Flat area rear hanging yarn

[0030] 112 Concave and convex area rear floating yarn

[0031] 12 The second group of TPU yarn

[0032] 121, 122 shared rear floating yarn

[0033] 13 The third group of TPU yarn

[0034] 131 Flat area rear floating yarn

[0035] 132 Concave and convex area front floating yarn

[0036] 110 Plane Area

[0037] 120 Concave and convex pattern area

[0038] A local area

[0039] S hollow area

[0040] BB rear needle bed

[0041] FB front needle bed

[0042] b1~b8、f1~f8、c1~c9、c1'~c5' yarn loop DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] In the accompanying drawings, for the sake of clarity, the thickness of layers, films, panels, regions, etc. is magnified. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals represent the same elements. It should be understood that although the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. can be used to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts in this article, these elements, components, regions, and / or parts should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish an element, component, region, layer or part from another element, component, region, layer or part. Therefore, the "first element", "component", "region", "layer" or "part" discussed below can be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer or part without departing from the teaching of this article.

[0044] The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not restrictive. As used herein, unless the content clearly indicates, the singular forms "one", "an" and "the" are intended to include plural forms, including "at least one". "Or" means "and / or". As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items. It should also be understood that when used in this specification, the terms "include" and / or "include" specify the presence and / or parts of the features, regions, entireties, steps, operations, elements, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, regions, entireties, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or their combinations.

[0045] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology and the present invention, and will not be interpreted as an idealized or overly formal meaning unless explicitly defined as such herein.

[0046] In order to fully understand the present invention, the details of the steps and structures will be described. Well-known knitting production methods and detailed steps are not described in detail to avoid unnecessary limitations of the present invention.

[0047] The present invention provides a knitted fabric that can be used to make clothing, shoes or bags. The knitted fabric of the present invention can be knitted by a knitting machine (not shown), wherein the knitting machine can be, for example, a circular knitting machine or a flat knitting machine. In one embodiment, the knitted fabric of the present invention is knitted by a two-needle bed flat knitting machine, and after weaving, the knitted fabric has a naturally formed concave and convex pattern. For example, the knitted fabric of the present invention can be knitted by a two-needle bed flat knitting machine with a cam that can change the convex track path and drive the knitting needle movement.

[0048] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of a knitted fabric according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1B for Figure 1A is an enlarged stereoscopic schematic diagram of a local area A of Figure 2 For the present invention Figure 1A A schematic diagram of a local cross section of the tangent line BB. Figure 1A , Figure 1B and Figure 2 As shown, in one embodiment, the knitted fabric 10 of the present invention is preferably a knitted shoe upper, but is not limited thereto. The knitted fabric 10 of the present invention can be applied to any fabric that requires a concave-convex pattern. The knitted fabric 10 of the present invention is preferably woven from at least three groups of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) yarns (described in detail later). The knitted fabric 10 has a relative technical front 10a and a technical back 10b, and the knitted fabric 10 includes a concave-convex pattern area 120 and a plane area 110 that is woven continuously with the concave-convex pattern area 120. In the plane area 110, the yarn loops of the technical front 10a1 and the yarn loops of the technical back 10b1 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence. In the concave-convex pattern area 120, the number of yarn loops included in the technical front 10a2 is less than the number of yarn loops included in the technical back 10b2, so that the concave-convex pattern area 120 is arched relative to the plane area 110 toward the technical back 10b.

[0049] Specifically, the technical front side 10a corresponds to the portion formed by the front needle bed of the two-needle bed flat knitting machine, and the technical front side 10a is composed of the technical front side 10a1 located in the plane area 110 and the technical front side 10a2 located in the concave-convex pattern area 120. The technical back side 10b corresponds to the portion formed by the rear needle bed of the two-needle bed flat knitting machine, and the technical back side 10b is composed of the technical back side 10b1 located in the plane area 110 and the technical back side 10b2 located in the concave-convex pattern area 120. Furthermore, as Figure 1A As shown, in the knitted fabric 10 , the vertical projection area of ​​the plane region 110 is larger than the vertical projection area of ​​the concave-convex pattern region 120 , so that the plane region 110 can be regarded as the region corresponding to the entire knitted fabric 10 , and the concave-convex pattern region 120 can be regarded as a pattern presented in the plane region 110 .

[0050] like Figure 2 As shown in the figure, "in the plane area 110, the yarn loops of the technical front 10a1 and the yarn loops of the technical back 10b1 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence" means that in the plane area 110, the number of yarn loops of the technical front 10a1 and the number of yarn loops of the technical back 10b1 are substantially the same (only 8 are shown in the figure) or differ by ±1 yarn loop, so that the yarn loops of the technical front 10a1 (for example, f1 to f8) and the yarn loops of the technical back 10b1 (for example, b1 to b8) are arranged alternately front and back. As a result, the plane area 110 of the knitted fabric 10 has a relatively flat technical front 10a1 and technical back 10b1.

[0051] For example Figure 2 As shown, in the concave-convex pattern area 120, the yarn loops of the technical front 10a2 are arranged at intervals corresponding to the yarn loops of the technical back 10b2, so that the technical front 10a2 presents a concave portion, and the technical back 10b2 forms a convex portion. For example, in the concave-convex pattern area 120, the yarn loops (e.g., c1' to c5') of the technical front 10a2 are knitted with alternate needles on the front needle bed, and the yarn loops (e.g., c1 to c9) of the technical back 10b2 are knitted continuously on the back needle bed, so that the number of yarn loops included in the technical front 10a2 is approximately 1 / 2 of the number of yarn loops included in the technical back 10b2. Specifically, when the number of yarn loops included in the technical front 10a2 is Nf, and the number of yarn loops included in the technical back 10b2 is Nb, the relationship between Nf and Nb should satisfy (1 / 2xNb)-1≦Nf≦(1 / 2xNb)+1, where Nf and Nb are both positive integers. For example, Figure 2 In the embodiment of the present invention, the number of yarn turns included in the technical back 10b2 is 9 (for example, c1 to c9, that is, Nb is 9), so (1 / 2x9)-1≦Nf≦(1 / 2x9)+1 (that is, 3.5≦Nf≦5.5), so that the number of yarn turns Nf of the technical front 10a2 can be 4 or 5, and in this embodiment Nf is 5. From another point of view, in the concave-convex pattern area 120, the number of yarn turns Nf of the technical front 10a2 can be the number of yarn turns Nb of the technical back 10b2 plus 1 / 2 of the number of shared yarn turns. For example, in Figure 2 In the embodiment, the number of yarn turns included in the technical back side 10b2 is 9 (for example, c1 to c9, that is, Nb is 9), and one common yarn turn (for example, b5) is added, so that the number of yarn turns Nf of the technical front side 10a2 is 5. Since the number of yarn turns of the technical front side 10a2 is about 1 / 2 of the number of yarn turns of the technical back side 10b2, the technical front side 10a2 forms a concave concave portion, and the technical back side 10b2 forms a convex convex portion, resulting in an obvious texture feature that the concave-convex pattern area 120 is arched relative to the plane area 110 toward the technical back side 10b.

[0052] In addition, the knitted fabric 10 may have different tightness in the plane area 110 and the concavo-convex pattern area 120, and the tightness of the concavo-convex pattern area 120 is preferably greater than the tightness of the plane area 110, so that the concavo-convex pattern area 120 shrinks relative to the plane area 110, and the concavo-convex pattern area 120 is further arched relative to the plane area 110 toward the technical back side 10b. In one embodiment, the tightness of the concavo-convex pattern area 120 is preferably 1.4 to 1.8 times the tightness of the plane area 110. In one embodiment, the tightness of the plane area 110 and the concavo-convex pattern area 120 can be adjusted by controlling the yarn feeding rate of the knitted fabric 10. For example, when the yarn feeding rate of the plane area 110 is 600 meters per minute (600 m / min), the yarn feeding rate of the concave-convex pattern area 120 can be controlled to be about 333.33-428.57 m / min, so that the yarn is stretched in the concave-convex pattern area 120. Therefore, after knitting, the concave-convex pattern area 120 shrinks relative to the plane area 110 due to the restoring force of the yarn, and then the concave-convex pattern area 120 arches relative to the plane area 110 toward the technical back side 10b to form a semicircular arch shape, so that the knitted fabric has a more obvious concave-convex pattern effect.

[0053] In addition, if Figure 2 As shown, in the concave-convex pattern area 120, the yarn loops (e.g., c1'-c5') of the technical front side 10a2 and the yarn loops (e.g., c1-c9) of the technical back side 10b2 are not connected and woven to form a hollow portion S. Specifically, except for the common yarn loop b5 or the continued yarn loops f4 and c1 between the plane area 110 and the concave-convex pattern area 120, the front yarn loops (e.g., yarn loops c1'-c5' of the technical front side 10a2) and the rear yarn loops (e.g., yarn loops c1-c9 of the technical back side 10b2) of the concave-convex pattern area 120 are not connected and woven to form a hollow portion S without yarn interlacing along the direction of the yarn loop arrangement.

[0054] The knitted fabric 10 can be woven from at least three groups of TPU yarns. In this embodiment, the at least three groups of TPU yarns include a first group of TPU yarns 11, a second group of TPU yarns 12 and a third group of TPU yarns 13 (shown in FIG. Figure 3 and Figure 4). The first group of TPU yarns 11, the second group of TPU yarns 12 and the third group of TPU yarns 13 are preferably TPU single-component yarns, so that the organizational structure of the knitted fabric 10 is all made of yarns made of 100% TPU material, which can be completely recycled and reused. For example, the first group of TPU yarns 11, the second group of TPU yarns 12 and the third group of TPU yarns 13 can each be independently selected from one or more yarns in the group consisting of TPU air-textured yarn (TPU / ATY (airtextured yarn)), TPU pre-oriented yarn (TPU / POY (pre-oriented yarn)), TPU false twist yarn (TPU / DTY (draw textured yarn)) and combinations thereof. In one embodiment, the first group of TPU yarns 11 and the second group of TPU yarns 12 preferably have the same number of yarns, and the number of yarns of the first group of TPU yarns 11 and the second group of TPU yarns 12 is preferably greater than the number of yarns of the third group of TPU yarns 13. For example, the number of yarns in the first group of TPU yarns 11 and the second group of TPU yarns 12 is more than 2, and the number of yarns in the third group of TPU yarns 13 is more than 1 and is at least 1 less than the first group of TPU yarns 11 and the second group of TPU yarns 12, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the number of each group of TPU yarns can be adjusted according to actual applications so that the plane area 110 of the knitted fabric 10 has a relatively uniform thickness.

[0055] TPU air-deformed yarn is a yarn that uses air jet technology to intertwine the tows to form irregular twisted loops, making the tows fluffy and terry-like. TPU air-deformed yarn has the properties of both filament and staple yarn, with good fluffiness and a cotton-like feel, while retaining the advantages and functionality of man-made fibers, such as fluffiness, softness, good water conductivity, color brightness retention, glossiness, and air permeability, which are better than the original yarn before deformation. The fineness is about 10-15% higher than the original yarn, but the strength is reduced by about 40%, because only a small part of the monofilament bears the tensile force of the entire tow after air deformation. TPU air-deformed yarn not only has high tensile strength, but also has excellent wear resistance. Due to the surface arc structure of TPU air-deformed yarn, TPU air-deformed yarn can be processed at a speed higher than 6000 needles / min without melting or breaking. In other words, considering the cotton-like feel, the functionality and variability of artificial fibers, it is more advantageous to choose TPU air-textured yarn. In one embodiment, the quality of the TPU air-textured yarn is preferably 150D (denier) to 550D, and more preferably 500D.

[0056] TPU pre-oriented precursor refers to an incompletely stretched chemical fiber filament obtained by high-speed spinning with an orientation degree between unoriented filaments and stretched filaments. Compared with unstretched filaments, TPU pre-oriented precursor has a certain degree of orientation and good stability, and is often used as a special filament for stretched false twist textured filaments (DTY). The high-speed spinning speed is usually 3000-6000m / min, and the winding filaments with a spinning speed of less than 4000m / min have a higher degree of orientation. TPU pre-oriented precursor has a high degree of pre-orientation, stable properties, good mechanical properties, high uniformity, and good processing performance. In one embodiment, the quality of the TPU pre-oriented precursor is preferably 130D-250D, and more preferably 200D.

[0057] TPU false twist yarn is made by using TPU pre-oriented raw yarn as raw yarn, and then stretching and false twisting. TPU false twist yarn usually has certain elasticity and shrinkage, and is also called TPU stretch yarn. In one embodiment, the quality of TPU false twist yarn is preferably 150D to 350D, and more preferably 165D.

[0058] In one embodiment, the first group of TPU yarns 11, the second group of TPU yarns 12 and the third group of TPU yarns 13 may include the same yarn material, for example, all three groups of TPU yarns are TPU air-textured yarns, TPU pre-oriented yarns, or TPU false twisted yarns, but are not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the first group of TPU yarns 11, the second group of TPU yarns 12 and the third group of TPU yarns 13 may include different or partially identical yarn materials. For example, the three groups of TPU yarns may be TPU air-textured yarns, TPU pre-oriented yarns and TPU false twisted yarns, respectively, or the first group of TPU yarns 11 and the second group of TPU yarns 12 may each include two or more TPU yarns produced by the same or different processes, and the TPU yarns of the third group of TPU yarns 13 may be the same as or different from the yarns included in the first group of TPU yarns 11 and the second group of TPU yarns 12.

[0059] Later, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 And cooperate Figure 1B and Figure 2 , illustrating an embodiment of the present invention in which a knitted fabric 10 is knitted by a two-needle bed flat knitting machine. Figure 3 As shown, the two-needle bed flat knitting machine includes a front needle bed FB arranged in the front and a rear needle bed BB arranged in the rear. The front needle bed FB and the rear needle bed BB each have a corresponding plurality of knitting needles, and the knitting needles of the front needle bed FB and the knitting needles of the rear needle bed BB are arranged one-to-one in an alternating manner front to back. In addition, corresponding to the three groups of TPU yarns (for example, 11, 12, and 13), the flat knitting machine preferably has three mountain corners (for example, F1, F2, and F3), and each mountain corner (or yarn feeder) can be knitted by changing the convex rail path and driving the knitting needles to move. It should be noted here that Figure 3 and Figure 4 The weaving sequence P1 to P8 shown corresponds to Figure 1B The weaving direction is shown by the arrow.

[0060] like Figure 3 As shown, during the first weaving stroke P1, from right to left, the first group of TPU yarns 11 are fed into each knitting needle of the front needle bed FB to form a yarn loop by using the first-order corner F1, and the first group of TPU yarns 11 are tucked on the back needle bed BB by tucks, that is, the first group of TPU yarns 11 are knitted two needles on the front needle bed FB, and then tucked one needle on the back needle bed BB, and the knitting is repeated on the front needle bed FB and the back needle bed BB. Then, using the second-order corner F2, the second group of TPU yarns 12 are fed into the back needle bed BB by tucks to form a plurality of yarn loops. It should be noted that the knitting needle position of the second group of TPU yarns 12 to form a yarn loop on the back needle bed BB is the position where the first group of TPU yarns 11 are not tucked. Then, using the third-order corner F3, the third group of TPU yarns 13 are fed into the back needle bed BB by tucks to form a plurality of yarn loops. It should be noted here that the knitting needle position where the third group of TPU yarns 13 form loops on the back needle bed BB is the position where the first group of TPU yarns 11 are hung (i.e., the second group of TPU yarns 12 do not form loops (missed knitting needle position) on the back needle bed BB). As a result, the multiple knitting needles of the front needle bed FB have multiple loops formed by the first group of TPU yarns 11, and the multiple knitting needles of the back needle bed BB have multiple loops formed by the second group of TPU yarns 12 and the third group of TPU yarns 13 in sequence, wherein the multiple loops of the front needle bed FB (technical front side 10a1) and the multiple loops of the back needle bed BB (technical back side 10b1) are arranged one-to-one in front and back correspondence, forming a row of continuous plane areas 110.

[0061] During the second knitting stroke P2, knitting is performed from right to left, and the first-order corner F1 is used to feed the first group of TPU yarns 11 into each knitting needle of the front needle bed FB in the plane area 110 to form a yarn loop, and at the same time, the first group of TPU yarns 11 are hung on the back needle bed BB in a hanging needle manner. That is, the first group of TPU yarns 11 are knitted two needles on the front needle bed FB, and then hung one needle on the back needle bed BB, and the knitting is repeated on the front needle bed FB and the back needle bed BB. It should be noted that during this knitting stroke, the knitting needle position where the first group of TPU yarns 11 are hung on the back needle bed BB is the position where the first group of TPU yarns 11 were not hung during the previous knitting stroke (for example, P1), that is, the knitting needle position where the second group of TPU yarns 12 formed a yarn loop on the back needle bed BB in the previous knitting stroke. When weaving continues from the plane area 110 to the concave-convex pattern area 120, the first-order corner F1 feeds the first group of TPU yarns 11 into the rear needle bed BB in an alternate needle knitting manner to form multiple yarn loops. Specifically, in the concave-convex pattern area 120, the knitting needle position of the first group of TPU yarns 11 forming yarn loops is the knitting needle position of the second group of TPU yarns 12 forming yarn loops during the previous weaving process (for example, P1), that is, the knitting needle position of the third group of TPU yarns 13 not forming yarn loops during the previous weaving process. When weaving continues from the concave-convex pattern area 120 to the plane area 110, the first group of TPU yarns 11 are knitted in a manner of knitting two needles before and hanging one needle after the plane area 110, so as to perform hanging needles at the knitting needle position where the second group of TPU yarns 12 formed yarn loops on the rear needle bed BB in the previous weaving process.

[0062] Then, the second group of TPU yarns 12 are fed into the rear needle bed BB in a knitting manner using the second-order mountain angle F2 to form a plurality of yarn loops. It should be noted that the knitting needle position where the second group of TPU yarns 12 form yarn loops on the rear needle bed BB is the position where the first group of TPU yarns 11 are not hung with needles (in the flat area) or the position where no yarn loops are formed (in the concave-convex pattern area) during this knitting process, that is, the knitting needle position where the second group of TPU yarns 12 do not form yarn loops on the rear needle bed BB in the previous knitting process.

[0063] Next, the third-order corner F3 is used to feed the third group of TPU yarns 13 into the back needle bed BB in the plane area 110 in the form of alternate needle knitting to form a plurality of yarn loops. It should be noted that during this knitting process, the knitting needle position where the third group of TPU yarns 13 form yarn loops on the back needle bed BB is the position where the first group of TPU yarns 11 are hung, that is, the knitting needle position where the third group of TPU yarns 13 do not form yarn loops on the back needle bed BB in the previous knitting process. When knitting continues from the plane area 110 to the concave-convex pattern area 120, the third-order corner F3 feeds the third group of TPU yarns 13 into the front needle bed FB in the form of alternate needle knitting to form a plurality of yarn loops. When knitting continues from the concave-convex pattern area 120 to the plane area 110, the third-order corner F3 feeds the third group of TPU yarns 13 into the rear needle bed BB in an alternate needle knitting manner to form multiple loops, and its position corresponds to the knitting needle position where the third group of TPU yarns 13 did not form loops on the rear needle bed BB in the previous knitting process (for example, P1). As a result, the concave-convex pattern area 120 is sandwiched in the plane area 110. In the plane area 110, multiple knitting needles of the front needle bed FB have multiple loops formed by the first group of TPU yarns 11 (i.e., the technical front side 10a1), and multiple knitting needles of the rear needle bed BB have multiple loops formed by the second group of TPU yarns 12 and the third group of TPU yarns 13 in sequence (i.e., the technical back side 10b1). In the concave-convex pattern area 120, the front needle bed FB has a plurality of loops knitted by the third group of TPU yarns 13 (i.e., the technical front side 10a2), and the back needle bed BB has a plurality of loops (i.e., the technical back side 10b2) formed by the first group of TPU yarns 11 and the second group of TPU yarns 12 in sequence. In the concave-convex pattern area 120, the number of loops of the front needle bed FB (technical front side 10a2) is less than the number of loops of the back needle bed BB (technical back side 10b2), for example, about 1 / 2 of the number of loops of the back needle bed BB.

[0064] During the third weaving stroke P3, the first group of TPU yarns 11 are fed into the front needle bed FB and the rear needle bed BB by knitting from right to left using the first sequence of the mountain angle F1 in a knitting manner similar to the second weaving stroke P2. It should be noted that in the plane area 110, the needle positions of the first group of TPU yarns 11 on the rear needle bed BB are the needle positions that did not hang the needles during the previous weaving stroke (e.g., P2), and in the concave-convex pattern area 120, the positions of the yarn loops of the back needle bed BB are the needle positions that did not form yarn loops during the previous weaving stroke (e.g., P2). Then, using the second sequence of the mountain angle F2, the second group of TPU yarns 12 are fed into the rear needle bed BB by knitting in an alternate needle manner to form a plurality of yarn loops. The needle positions of the second group of TPU yarns 12 on the rear needle bed BB to form yarn loops are the needle positions of the second group of TPU yarns 12 on the rear needle bed BB in the previous weaving stroke (e.g., P2) that did not form yarn loops. Next, the third group of TPU yarns 13 are fed into the front needle bed FB and the rear needle bed BB by using the third-order corner F3 in a knitting manner similar to the second knitting process P2. It should be noted that in the plane area 110, the needle positions of the third group of TPU yarns 13 forming yarn loops on the rear needle bed BB are the needle positions where no yarn loops were formed during the previous knitting process (e.g., P2), and in the concave-convex pattern area 120, the positions of the yarn loops knitted on the front needle bed FB are the needle positions where no yarn loops were formed during the previous knitting process (e.g., P2). It should be noted that in the concave-convex pattern area 120, the number of yarn loops knitted on the rear needle bed BB by the first group of TPU yarns 11 corresponds to the number of yarn loops knitted on the front needle bed FB by the third group of TPU yarns 13, and the number of yarn loops varies according to the actual concave-convex pattern (e.g., it increases in this embodiment).

[0065] During the fourth weaving stroke P4, the first group of TPU yarns 11 are fed into the front needle bed FB and the rear needle bed BB by knitting from left to right using the first sequence of the mountain angle F1 in a knitting manner similar to the second weaving stroke P2. It should be noted that in the plane area 110, the knitting needle position of the first group of TPU yarns 11 on the rear needle bed BB is the knitting needle position that did not hang the needle during the previous weaving stroke (e.g., P3), and in the concave-convex pattern area 120, the position of the knitting yarn loop on the rear needle bed BB is the knitting needle position that did not form a yarn loop during the previous weaving stroke (e.g., P3). Then, using the second sequence of the mountain angle F2, the second group of TPU yarns 12 are fed into the rear needle bed BB by knitting in an alternate needle manner to form a plurality of yarn loops. The knitting needle position of the second group of TPU yarns 12 on the rear needle bed BB to form a yarn loop is the knitting needle position of the second group of TPU yarns 12 on the rear needle bed BB in the previous weaving stroke (e.g., P3) that did not form a yarn loop. Next, the third group of TPU yarns 13 are fed into the front needle bed FB and the rear needle bed BB by using the third-order corner F3 in a knitting manner similar to the second knitting stroke P2. It should be noted that in the plane area 110, the needle positions where the third group of TPU yarns 13 form yarn loops on the rear needle bed BB are the needle positions where no yarn loops were formed during the previous knitting stroke (e.g., P3), and in the concave-convex pattern area 120, the positions where the yarn loops are knitted on the front needle bed FB are the needle positions where no yarn loops were formed during the previous knitting stroke (e.g., P3). In the concave-convex pattern area 120, the yarn loops of the front needle bed FB (i.e., the technical front side 10a2) are composed of the third group of TPU yarns 13, and the yarn loops of the rear needle bed BB (i.e., the technical back side 10b2) are alternately composed of the first group of TPU yarns 11 and the second group of TPU yarns 12. In the concave-convex pattern area 120, the number of yarn turns of the first group TPU yarn 11 knitted on the back needle bed BB corresponds to the number of yarn turns of the third group TPU yarn 13 knitted on the front needle bed FB, and the number of yarn turns varies according to the actual concave-convex pattern (for example, it increases in this embodiment).

[0066] See also Figure 4During the fifth weaving stroke P5, the sixth weaving stroke P6 and the seventh weaving stroke P7, the first group of TPU yarns 11 and the third group of TPU yarns 13 are fed into the front needle bed FB and the back needle bed BB respectively through the first order corner F1, the second order corner F2 and the third order corner F3 in a knitting manner similar to the aforementioned weaving stroke (e.g. P2), and the second group of TPU yarns 12 are only fed into the back needle bed BB, thereby completing the three-row knitting of the knitted fabric 10. In the plane area 110 of each row, the plurality of knitting needles of the front needle bed FB have a plurality of yarn loops formed by the first group of TPU yarns 11, and the plurality of knitting needles of the back needle bed BB have a plurality of yarn loops formed by the second group of TPU yarns 12 and the third group of TPU yarns 13 in sequence, wherein the plurality of yarn loops of the front needle bed FB (technical front side 10a1) and the plurality of yarn loops of the back needle bed BB (technical back side 10b1) are arranged in a one-to-one front-to-back correspondence. In each row of the concave and convex pattern area 120, the multiple knitting needles of the front needle bed FB have yarn loops knitted by the third group of TPU yarns 13 (i.e., the technical front side 10a2), and the multiple knitting needles of the rear needle bed BB have yarn loops formed alternately in sequence by the first group of TPU yarns 11 and the second group of TPU yarns 12 (i.e., the technical back side 10b2), wherein the number of yarn loops of the front needle bed FB (technical front side 10a2) is less than the number of yarn loops of the rear needle bed BB (technical back side 10b2), for example, approximately 1 / 2 of the number of yarn loops of the rear needle bed BB.

[0067] During the eighth weaving process P8, corresponding to Figure 1A The U-shaped local area A, and at the same time with the reference Figure 1B, there can be multiple concave-convex pattern areas 120 in the same knitting row. Specifically, the first weaving stroke P1 corresponds to the plane area 110 without concave-convex pattern, the second weaving stroke P2 to the seventh weaving stroke P7 correspond to the bottom of the U-shaped concave-convex pattern, and the eighth weaving stroke P8 corresponds to the two arms spaced apart from the bottom of the U-shaped concave-convex pattern. In other words, during the eighth weaving stroke P8, the first group of TPU yarns 11 are fed into the front needle bed FB and the rear needle bed BB in a knitting manner similar to the aforementioned weaving stroke (P2), so as to perform knitting of the plane area (i.e., knit two needles in front and hang one needle in the back) in the concave-convex pattern area 120 formed in the previous weaving stroke (e.g., P7) (e.g., the middle section of the concave-convex pattern area), thereby forming two concave-convex pattern areas 120 separated by the plane area 110 on both sides of the concave-convex pattern area 120 formed in the previous weaving stroke (e.g., P7). The second-order hill angle F2 feeds the second group of TPU yarns 12 into the rear needle bed BB in an alternate needle knitting manner to form a plurality of yarn loops, and the knitting needle positions where the second group of TPU yarns 12 form yarn loops on the rear needle bed BB are the knitting needle positions where the second group of TPU yarns 12 do not form yarn loops on the rear needle bed BB in the previous knitting process (e.g., P7). Next, the third-order hill angle F3 is used to feed the third group of TPU yarns 13 into the front needle bed FB and the rear needle bed BB in a knitting manner similar to the second knitting process P2. In the plane area 110, the knitting needle positions where the third group of TPU yarns 13 form yarn loops on the rear needle bed BB are the knitting needle positions where no yarn loops are formed during the previous knitting process (e.g., P7), and in the two concave-convex pattern areas 120, the positions where the alternate needle knitting yarn loops are formed on the front needle bed FB are the knitting needle positions where the third group of TPU yarns 13 do not form yarn loops during the previous knitting process (e.g., P7). In each concave-convex pattern area 120, the number of yarn turns of the first group of TPU yarns 11 knitted on the back needle bed BB corresponds to the number of yarn turns of the third group of TPU yarns 13 knitted on the front needle bed FB, and the number of yarn turns varies according to the actual concave-convex pattern (for example, it is reduced in this embodiment). Furthermore, in each concave-convex pattern area 120, the number of yarn turns of the front needle bed FB (technical front side 10a2) is still kept less than the number of yarn turns of the back needle bed BB (technical back side 10b2), for example, about 1 / 2 of the number of yarn turns of the back needle bed BB.

[0068] From the above-mentioned weaving processes P1 to P8, it can be known that the knitted fabric 10 of the present invention can be knitted with obvious concave and convex patterns by using only simple stitching, miss weaving and tuck (also known as half weaving) without using plating, transfer, and racking. Therefore, the knitting can be very fast and smooth, effectively achieving the effect of improving the yield and increasing the production capacity.

[0069] In the knitted fabric 10, the second group of TPU yarns 12 are only used to form the technical back 10b, that is, the second group of TPU yarns 12 are only knitted on the back needle bed BB. Figure 2 As shown, the first group of TPU yarns 11 in the plane area 110 organization has a plurality of "plane area front yarn loops (e.g., f1-f8)" knitted by each knitting needle of the front needle bed FB, and a plurality of "plane area rear hanging yarns (e.g., 111)" knitted by each knitting needle and a half of each time of the back needle bed BB, and the plane area rear hanging yarns are located between the plane area front yarn loops (e.g., f1-f8). The second group of TPU yarns 12 in the plane area 110 organization has a plurality of "common rear yarn loops (e.g., b2, b4, b6, b8)" knitted by each knitting needle of the back needle bed BB, and a plurality of "common rear floating yarns (e.g., 121)" not woven between the common rear yarn loops, wherein the common rear yarn loops (e.g., b2, b4, b6, b8) are located between the plane area rear hanging yarns. The third group of TPU yarns 13 in the plane area 110 organization has a plurality of "plane area rear yarn loops (for example, b1, b3, b5, b7)" knitted by the rear needle bed BB with every other needle, and a plurality of "plane area rear floating yarns (for example, 131)" that are not woven between the plane area rear yarn loops, wherein the plane area rear yarn loops (for example, b1, b3, b5, b7) overlap with the plane area rear hanging yarn.

[0070] The first group of TPU yarns 11 in the concave-convex pattern area 120 has a plurality of “convex rear yarn loops (e.g., c1, c3, c5, c7, c9)” knitted by the rear needle bed BB with one knitting needle in between, and a plurality of “concave-convex area rear floating yarns (e.g., 112)” that are not woven between the convex rear yarn loops. The second group of TPU yarns 12 in the concave-convex pattern area 120 has a plurality of “common rear yarn loops (e.g., c2, c4, c6, c8)” knitted by the rear needle bed BB with one knitting needle in between, and a plurality of “common rear floating yarns (e.g., 122)” that are not woven between the common rear yarn loops, wherein the common rear yarn loop is separated from the convex rear yarn loop of the first group of TPU yarns 11 by one knitting needle. The third group of TPU yarns 13 in the concave-convex pattern area 120 has a plurality of "concave front yarn loops (for example, c1' to c5')" knitted by the front needle bed FB with one needle interval, and a plurality of "concave-convex area front floating yarns (for example, 132)" that are not woven between the concave front yarn loops, wherein the concave front yarn loops are between the convex rear yarn loops (for example, c1, c3, c5, c7, c9) of the first group of TPU yarns 11 and the common rear yarn loops (for example, c2, c4, c6, c8) of the second group of TPU yarns 12.

[0071] The number of the concave front yarn loops fully woven into yarn loops in the concave-convex pattern area 120 is approximately half of the number of the convex rear yarn loops plus the common rear yarn loops, and the concave front yarn loops are not connected and woven with the convex rear yarn loops and the common rear yarn loops to form a hollow portion S. In the concave-convex pattern area 120, since the number of yarn loops of the technical front side 10a2 is approximately 1 / 2 of the number of yarn loops of the technical back side 10b2, the technical front side 10a2 forms a concave and the technical back side 10b2 forms a convex obvious texture feature.

[0072] In addition, the number of the plane area front yarn loops (e.g., f1-f8) that are fully woven into yarn loops in the plane area 110 is the same as the total number of the common back yarn loops (e.g., b2, b4, b6, b8) plus the plane area back yarn loops (e.g., b1, b3, b5, b7), and the plane area front yarn loops are knitted by connecting the convex position back yarn loops and the common back yarn loops with the plane area back yarn. Since the number of yarn loops of the technical front side 10a1 of the plane area 110 is the same as the number of yarn loops of the technical back side 10b1, the plane area 110 is uniform and flat, and they are connected and knitted with each other with the plane area back yarn, the plane area back yarn makes the plane area 110 form a significantly thickened feature.

[0073] Table 1 shows the measurement data of TPU single-component yarn and general PET (polyethylene terephthalate) high-elastic yarn for shoes.

[0074] Table 1

[0075]

[0076] TPU yarn is a fiber material made of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer through spinning process. TPU yarn has the characteristics of wear resistance, bending resistance, tear resistance, solvent resistance, flame retardant, easy shaping (continuous durability), environmental protection and recyclable reuse, and can produce high-strength and high-wear-resistant cloth by knitting method. In the textile industry, TPU yarn can also change the properties, fineness and color by processing, and can be used for fabrics such as uppers, backpacks, shoulder straps, carpets, table mats, and seats. Since the present invention uses TPU single-component yarn without core material, it has high elasticity, high toughness and good softness, and importantly, it has the characteristics of shape memory solidification. Therefore, the knitted fabric (or upper) woven by the present invention using TPU yarn, in addition to being better than PET fabric in wear resistance, also utilizes the characteristics of better shape memory solidification (recovery rate) and friction coefficient of TPU yarn, so that the concave-convex pattern after weaving the fabric (or upper) can have better concave-convex effect and better shaping effect than PET fabric.

[0077] Tables 2 and 3 show the measurement data of the knitted fabric 10 of the present invention woven with TPU single-component yarn and the fabric woven with general PET high-elastic yarn, wherein the three groups of yarns are made of the same material, fabric A: the knitted fabric of the present invention woven with yarn A (TPU / ATY); fabric B: the knitted fabric of the present invention woven with yarn B (TPU / POY); fabric D: the knitted fabric of the present invention woven with yarn D (TPU / DTY); fabric E: the general shoe fabric woven with yarn E (PET / ATY).

[0078] Table 2

[0079]

[0080]

[0081] Table 3

[0082]

[0083] It can be seen from Table 2 and Table 3 that the knitted fabric 10 of the present invention (ie fabric A, fabric B, fabric D) performs better than the existing fabric (ie fabric E) in terms of fabric recovery and fabric elongation.

[0084] Compared with the prior art, the knitted fabric of the present invention controls the difference in the number of yarn turns on the technical front and the technical back in the concave-convex pattern area, so that the knitted fabric has a naturally formed concave-convex pattern after knitting is completed, without the need for a mold opening process for hot pressing into a concave-convex shape, and without the need for a process of using yarn materials with different heat shrinkage rates for knitting and then heating to shrink them into a concave-convex shape. In addition, the knitted fabric of the present invention can also be ironed at low temperature for a short time to make the knitted fabric (or shoe upper) with a concave-convex pattern more fixed. Furthermore, the knitted fabric of the present invention uses at least three groups of TPU yarns to reduce the problem of fabric surface defects caused by different tensions, different friction resistances or different elastic factors that may be caused by using yarns of different materials, which can effectively improve the yield rate and increase production capacity.

[0085] The present invention has been described by the above embodiments, however, the above embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be limiting. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other modifications of the embodiments specifically described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention also encompasses such modifications and is limited only by the scope of the patent application document.

Claims

1. A knitted fabric with a concave-convex pattern, woven from at least three groups of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns, characterized in that: The knitted fabric has opposite technical front and technical back surfaces and comprises a concave-convex pattern area and a flat area knitted continuously with the concave-convex pattern area, wherein: In the plane area, the yarn loops on the front side of the technology and the yarn loops on the back side of the technology are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence; and In the concave-convex pattern area, the number of yarn loops contained in the technical front side is less than the number of yarn loops contained in the technical back side, so that the concave-convex pattern area is arched toward the technical back side relative to the plane area.

2. The knitted fabric with a concave-convex pattern according to claim 1, characterized in that: The at least three groups of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns include a first group of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns, a second group of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns and a third group of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns, and the first group of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns, the second group of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns and the third group of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns are all thermoplastic polyurethane single-component yarns.

3. The knitted fabric with a concave-convex pattern according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first group of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns, the second group of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns and the third group of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns are each selected from one or more yarns in the group consisting of thermoplastic polyurethane air-textured yarns, thermoplastic polyurethane pre-oriented precursor yarns, thermoplastic polyurethane false-twisted yarns and combinations thereof.

4. The knitted fabric with a concave-convex pattern according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first group of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns, the second group of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns, and the third group of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns include the same yarn material.

5. The knitted fabric with a concave-convex pattern according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first group of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns and the second group of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns have the same yarn number, and the yarn number of the first group of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns and the second group of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns is greater than the yarn number of the third group of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns.

6. The knitted fabric with a concave-convex pattern according to claim 5, characterized in that: The number of yarns in the first group of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns and the second group of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns is 2 or more, and the number of yarns in the third group of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns is 1 or more and is at least 1 less than the number of yarns in the first group of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns and the second group of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns.

7. The knitted fabric with a concave-convex pattern according to claim 2, characterized in that: The second set of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns is used only to form the technical back side of the knitted fabric.

8. The knitted fabric with a concave-convex pattern according to claim 7, characterized in that: In the concave-convex pattern area, the yarn loops on the front side of the technology are composed of the third group of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns and the yarn loops on the back side of the technology are respectively alternately composed of the first group of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns and the second group of thermoplastic polyurethane yarns.

9. The knitted fabric with a concave-convex pattern according to claim 1, characterized in that: The compactness of the concave-convex pattern area is 1.4 to 1.8 times the compactness of the flat area.

10. The knitted fabric with a concave-convex pattern according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the concave-convex pattern area, the yarn loops on the front side of the technology are arranged at intervals corresponding to the yarn loops on the back side of the technology, so that a concave portion is present on the front side of the technology and a convex portion is formed on the back side of the technology.

11. The knitted fabric with a concave-convex pattern according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the knitted fabric, the vertical projection area of ​​the plane region is larger than the vertical projection area of ​​the concave-convex pattern region.

12. The knitted fabric with a concave-convex pattern according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the concave-convex pattern area, the yarn loops on the front side of the technology and the yarn loops on the back side of the technology are not connected and woven with each other, forming a hollow part.

13. The knitted fabric with a concave-convex pattern according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the concave-convex pattern area, the number of yarn turns included in the front side of the technology is Nf, the number of yarn turns included in the back side of the technology is Nb, and (1 / 2xNb)-1≦Nf≦(1 / 2xNb)+1, and Nf and Nb are both positive integers.

14. The knitted fabric with a concave-convex pattern according to claim 1, characterized in that: The knitted fabric is a knitted upper.

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