Continuous movement of knitting needles in a knitting system

Abstract

A system (11) for knitting fibers (20), the system (11) includes (i) an eccentric rotatable element (22, 23), which is connected to a rotating motor (16) and is configured to rotate about a first axis (18), and (ii) multiple needle assemblies 33), which are configured to be moved by the eccentric rotating element (22, 23) alternately in a first direction and in a second direction along a second axis (19), different from the first axis (18), and to knit a garment from a plurality of the fibers (20).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 63 / 480,974, filed Jan. 22, 2023, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates generally to production of fabrics and garments, and particularly to methods and systems for continuously knitting fabrics and garments having multiple patterns.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Various techniques for knitting fibers to produce garments and fabrics have been published.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] An embodiment of the present invention that is described herein provides a system for knitting fibers, the system includes (i) an eccentric rotatable element, which is connected to a rotating motor and is configured to rotate about a first axis, and (ii) multiple needle assemblies, which are configured to be moved by the eccentric rotating element alternately in a first direction and in a second direction along a second axis, different from the first axis, and to knit a garment from a plurality of the fibers.

[0005] In some embodiments, each of the needle assemblies includes: (i) a needle configured to knit the garment, and (ii) a rod, which is disposed between the eccentric rotatable element and the needle, and is configured to move the needle in the first direction. In other embodiments, each of the needle assemblies includes a spring, which is disposed between the rod and the needle, the spring is configured to move the needle in the second direction. In yet other embodiments, each of the needle assemblies includes a housing disposed between the needle and the rod, the housing is configured to: (i) lead the rod being moved by the eccentric rotating element along the second axis, and (ii) contain fluid, which is configured to move the needle in the first direction in response to the rod being moved in the first direction.

[0006] In some embodiments, the system includes a controller and at least a fluid transfer mechanism, the fluid transfer mechanism is controlled by the controller and configured to: (i) extract at least a portion of the fluid from the housing, to disable a movement of a given needle of the given needle assembly, at least in the first direction, and (ii) insert at least the portion of the fluid into the housing, to enable the movement of the given needle along the second axis.

[0007] In other embodiments, the needle assemblies include first and second needle assemblies having (i) first and second needles, and (ii) first and second additional springs, respectively, the first and second additional springs are configured to position a knit at a predefined position along the second axis of the first and second needles, respectively.

[0008] In yet other embodiments, the first and second needles are arranged along a third axis, different from the first- and second-axes, and including a knit transfer assembly, which is configured to: (i) extract the knit from the first needle, and (ii) thread the knit over the second needle. In alternative embodiments, the needle assemblies include first and second needle assemblies having first and second rods, and first and second housings, respectively, and in response to the first and second rods being moved by the eccentric rotatable element in the first and second directions, respectively, the fluid is configured to flow between the first and second housings.

[0009] In some embodiments, the knit transfer assembly includes one or more hooks configured to: (i) extract the knit from the first needle, and (ii) thread the knit over the second needle. In other embodiments, the knit transfer assembly includes a mount, which is coupled to the one or more hooks, and is configured to move the one or more hooks to: (i) extract the knit from the first needle, and (ii) thread the knit over the second needle.

[0010] In yet other embodiments, the mount includes at least a rotatable component and an arm, and, a first side of the arm is coupled to the one or more hooks, and a second side of the arm is coupled eccentrically to the rotatable component, and, in response to a rotation of at least the rotatable component, the one or more hooks are configured to extract the knit from the first needle, and subsequently, thread the knit over the second needle.

[0011] There is additionally provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a method for knitting fibers, the method including rotating an eccentric rotatable element about a first axis. Multiple needle assemblies are being moved by the eccentric rotating element alternately in a first direction and in a second direction along a second axis, different from the first axis. A garment is knitted from a plurality of the fibers, using the needle assemblies.

[0012] The present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the embodiments thereof, taken together with the drawings in which:BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a knitting system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0014] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a needle assembly of a knitting system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a needle assembly of a knitting system, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of arrays of needle assemblies and a knit transfer assembly for transferring knitss between needles in a knitting system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0017] FIG. 5 is a flow chart that schematically illustrates a method for continuous knitting using the system and assembly of FIGS. 1 and 4, respectively, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTSOverview

[0018] Various types of knitting systems are used for knitting fabrics and garments. Such systems comprise a series of needles, which are mounted on a carriage and are arranged in a circular or linear configuration. In an example configuration, a carriage of a knitting system may have a rail that leads and moves the needles in a track that combines horizontal sections and inclined sections in order to move the needles horizontally and vertically for the purpose of knitting. The transition from the horizontal to the inclined sections and vice versa is limited to a critical angle that limits the speed of the needles' horizontal and vertical movement. As such, the movement of the needles is not continuous, and the speed of the knitting process is insufficient.

[0019] Moreover, the knitting system must be able to produce and move knits between needles in order to manipulate the size and / or structure (e.g., texture or pattern) of the manufactured fabric or garment. Some of the knitting systems known in the art do not have this capability, and produce different patterns in different patches, and subsequently, the patches are stitched together in order to obtain a fabric and / or garment having multiple patterns.

[0020] Embodiments of the present invention that are described hereinbelow provide techniques for improving the productivity of knitting systems by (i) improving the speed of the knitting process, and (ii) enabling seamless and high-speed knitting of multiple patterns in fabrics and garments.

[0021] In some embodiments, a system for knitting garments and / or fabrics comprises (i) an eccentric rotatable element (also referred to herein as a cam), which is connected to a rotating motor and is configured to rotate about a first axis, and (ii) multiple needle assemblies, which are configured to be moved by the eccentric rotating element alternately in a first direction and in a second direction along a second axis, different from the first axis, and to knit a garment from multiple fibers.

[0022] In the context of the present disclosure and in the claims, the terms “garment,”“fabric,”“item of clothing,” grammatical variations thereof, and other sort of items fabricated using a knitting system, are used interchangeably. For example, a claim reciting the term “garment” also refers to any sort of item of clothing, fabric or any other term related to an item produced in a knitting process.

[0023] In some embodiments, the needles are arranged in one or more arrays along a third axis, different from the first- and second-axes. Moreover, the knitting system may comprise multiple arrays of needle assemblies, for example, a first array for knitting the front side of the garment, and a second array for knitting the back side of the garment.

[0024] In some embodiments, each of the needle assemblies comprises: (i) a needle configured to knit the garment, (ii) a rod, which is disposed between the eccentric rotatable element and the needle, and is configured to move the needle in the first direction, (iii) a spring, which is disposed between the rod and the needle, and is configured to move the needle in the second direction, (iv) a housing, which is disposed between the needle and the rod, and is configured to: (a) lead the rod that is being moved by the eccentric rotating element along the second axis, and (b) contain fluid, which is configured to move the needle in the first direction in response to the rod being moved in the first direction.

[0025] In some embodiments, the system comprises a controller, which is configured to control the rotating motor for rotating the eccentric rotatable element, the needle assemblies and other components, mechanisms, and assemblies of the knitting system that are described in detail in the overview and the detailed description below.

[0026] In some embodiments, at least one of and typically each of the needle assemblies comprises a fluid transfer mechanism, which is configured to: (i) extract at least a portion of the fluid from the housing, in order to disable the movement of the needle in the first direction, and (ii) insert at least the portion of the fluid into the housing, to enable the movement of the needle along the second axis, at least in the first direction. In the present example, the fluid transfer mechanism comprises a controllable valve configured to inlet and outlet the fluid into and from (out of) the housing, respectively. In other configurations, the fluid transfer mechanism may have any other suitable configuration. In yet other embodiments, the system comprises the one or more fluid transfer mechanisms, so that at least one of the fluid transfer mechanisms is not an integrative part of the needle assembly, but has an interface with the needle assembly, and the controller is configured to control both the needle assemblies and the fluid transfer mechanisms separately in order to synchronize the operations thereof.

[0027] As described above, some of the garments have different patterns formed side-by-side along and / or across the garment. For example, a first pattern may have knits arranged in high-density, e.g., formed by each of the needles, and a second pattern may have knits arranged in lower density. The lower density pattern requires skipping a knit at a predefined frequency, for example, the even needles are enabled to produce knits and the odd needles are disabled and do not produce knits.

[0028] In some embodiments, in order to fabricate the lower density pattern, the fluid transfer mechanism is configured to prevent the movement of the odd needles by extracting the fluid from the housing of the odd needles, and thereby, prevents the formation of knits by the odd needles.

[0029] In some cases, the pattern of the garment requires stacking two or more knits together. For example, in order to tighten the garment in the waist area, and / or in order to fabricate an opening in the garment by stacking a first knit over a second knit, and thereby, leaving an opening at the original location of the first knit. In some embodiments, the knitting system comprises a knit transfer assembly, which is configured to: (i) extract the first knit from a first needle (that produced the first knit), and (ii) thread the first knit over a second needle and a second knit produced by the second needle.

[0030] In some embodiments, the knit transfer assembly comprises (a) one or more hooks configured to: (i) extract the knit from the first needle, and (ii) thread the knit over the second needle, (b) a stage or mount, which is coupled to the one or more hooks, and is configured to move the one or more hooks to extract the knit from the first needle, and thread the knit over the second needle, and (c) a linear motor configured to move the mount of the knit transfer assembly along the third axis in order to move the first knit from the first needle to the second needle.

[0031] In one example implementation, the mount comprises one or more rotatable components (e.g., discs) and an arm. In this configuration, the first side (e.g., end) of the arm is coupled to the one or more hooks, and the second side of the arm is coupled eccentrically to the one or more rotatable discs. As such, in response to the rotation of the one or more rotatable discs, the arm is moved in a loop, and the one or more hooks extract the knit from the first needle, and subsequently, thread the knit over the second needle, typically while being moved by the linear motor along the third axis. In other embodiments, the knit transfer assembly may have any other suitable configuration and / or operational mode to obtain the transfer and stacking of one or more knits, as described above.

[0032] The disclosed techniques improve the productivity of knitting systems by enabling (i) substantially higher speed and continuity of the knitting process (e.g., by rotating the eccentric rotatable element at about 2500 revolutions per minute), (ii) seamless knitting of different patterns in the garments, and (iii) stacking two or more knits together.System Description

[0033] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a knitting system 11, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Knitting system 11 is also referred to herein as system 11, for brevity, and is configured to knit garments and / or fabrics.

[0034] In some embodiments, system 11 comprises an eccentric rotatable element, also referred to herein as a cam 22, which is connected to a rotating motor 16 and is configured to rotate about an axis 18 (e.g., parallel to a Y-axis of an XYZ coordinate system) at a selected rotating speed, e.g., about 2,500 rounds per minute (RPM). In the present example, cam 22 has a circular or elliptical cross section with a cylindrical shaft having helical recesses 13 and protrusions 15 formed on the outer surface of cam 22.

[0035] In some embodiments, system 11 comprises multiple needle assemblies 33, which are configured to be moved, by the helical recesses 13 and protrusions 15 of cam 22, alternately in a first direction and in a second direction along an axis 19 (e.g., parallel to a Z-axis of the XYZ coordinate system), and to knit a garment (not shown) from multiple fibers 20 supplied by multiple fiber holders 14, respectively. More specifically, when cam 22 rotates, a given needle assembly 33 (i) meets a first protrusion 15 that moves the needle assembly 33 in the first direction toward fiber holder 14 to pick up a first fiber 20, and subsequently, (ii) the given needle assembly 33 is pushed toward cam 22 (as will be described in detail, for example, in FIGS. 2 and 3 below) to meet a first recess 13 while producing a knit (shown for example in FIG. 2 below). This sequence repeats by each needle assembly 33 in each revolution of cam 22, and thereby, allows high speed knitting (e.g., of about 2500 knits per minute by each needle assembly) using the plurality of needle assemblies 33. In some embodiments, system 11 comprises a motor 12, which is configured to supply fibers 20 to fiber holders 14, respectively.

[0036] In some embodiments, system 11 comprises a controller 25, which is configured to control motors 12 and 16, and other components of system 11 that will be described in FIGS. 2 and 4 below.

[0037] This particular configuration of system 11 is shown by way of example, in order to illustrate certain problems that are addressed by embodiments of the present invention and to demonstrate the application of these embodiments in enhancing the performance of such a system. Embodiments of the present invention, however, are by no means limited to this specific sort of example system, and the principles described herein may similarly be applied to other sorts of knitting systems.

[0038] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of one needle assembly 33, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Needle assembly 33 may be used in system 11 as described in FIG. 1 above, or in any other suitable type of knitting system as will be described herein.

[0039] In some embodiments, needle assembly 33 comprises a needle 66, which is configured to knit the garment and typically has a round cross-section. Needle 66 comprises a shaft 62 and a needle hook 68, which is configured to (i) pick up fiber 20 from fiber holder 14 (as shown in FIG. 1 above), and (ii) produce a knit 99 from the picked fiber 20. Needle 66 further comprises a bracket 65 and a pair of springs 67, which are coupled to bracket 65 at the lower section of needle 66, and are pushed against shaft 62 at the upper section of needle 66. Springs 67 are shaped with shoulders 6 configured to enable accurate positioning of knit 99. As such, knit 99 is pushed down (toward bracket 65) by gravity, but is stopped by shoulders 6.

[0040] In some embodiments, the knitting system may comprise cam 22 (shown in FIG. 1 above), or as shown in the example of FIG. 2, a cam 23 having a body 9 and an eccentric axis 17 (in the present example parallel with the Y-axis of the XYZ coordinate system), which is configured to rotate body 9 in an eccentric manner.

[0041] In some embodiments, needle assembly 33 comprises a rod 30 (also referred to herein as a follower), which is disposed between the eccentric rotatable element (e.g., cam 23) and needle 66, and is configured to move needle 66 in the first direction (described in FIG. 1 above). While being rotated about axis 17, when a section 7 of cam 23 is facing rod 30, the rod is pushed by cam 23 and moves needle 66 in the first direction.

[0042] Needle assembly 33 further comprises a spring 44, which is disposed between rod 30 and needle 66, and is configured to move needle 66 along the Z-axis in the second direction, opposite the first direction (in the present example, toward cam 23). More specifically, when a section 8 of cam 23 is facing rod 30, the force of spring 44 is sufficient to push rod 30 and needle 66 along the Z-axis in the second direction (e.g., toward cam 23). As such, the combined operation of cam 23 and spring 44 moves rod 30 and needle 66 alternately in the first and second directions along the Z-axis.

[0043] In some embodiments, needle assembly 33 comprises a housing 55 (also referred to herein as a follower tube), which is disposed between needle 66 and rod 30, and is configured to: (i) lead rod 30 that is being moved by cam 23 and spring 44 along the Z-axis, and (ii) contain fluid 50, which is configured to move needle 66 in the first direction along the Z-axis in response to rod 30 being moved in the same first direction.

[0044] In some embodiments, needle assembly 33 comprises a fluid transfer mechanism 60, which is configured to: (i) extract at least a portion of fluid 50 from housing 55, in order to disable the movement of needle 66 in the first direction when rod 30 is being moved by cam 23 in the first direction, and (ii) insert at least the portion of the previously extracted fluid into housing 55, to enable the movement of needle 66 along the Z-axis, at least in the first direction. In the present example, fluid transfer mechanism 60 comprises a controllable valve 59 configured to inlet and outlet fluid 50 into and out of housing 55, respectively. Fluid transfer mechanism 60 further comprises a flexible tube 56, and a fluid pump 58 configured to pump fluid 50 to and from housing 55 through flexible tube 56.

[0045] In some embodiments, system 11 comprises at least one fluid pump 58, which is controlled by controller 25, and is configured to serve multiple needle assemblies 33. In other embodiments, each needle assembly 33 comprises a dedicated fluid pump 58 controlled by controller 25. The configuration of fluid transfer mechanism 60 is provided by way of example, and in other configurations, the fluid transfer mechanism may have any other configuration suitable for managing the portion of fluid 50 within housing 55.

[0046] It is noted that some of the garments have different patterns formed side-by-side along and / or across the garment. For example, a first pattern of the garment may have knits 99 arranged in high-density, e.g., formed by each of needle assemblies 33, and a second pattern of the same garment may have knits 99 arranged in lower density. The lower density pattern is obtained by skipping (i.e., not producing) a knit 99 at a predefined frequency. For example, in an array of needle assemblies 33 arranged along a given axis (e.g., the Y-axis), the even needle assemblies 33 are enabled to produce knits 99 and the odd needle assemblies 33 are disabled and do not produce knits 99.

[0047] In some embodiments, needle assembly 33 comprises bearings 54a and 54b, which are configured to seal fluid within housing 55. Moreover, both valve 59 and pump 58 are controlled by controller 25 for enabling or disabling the operation of selected needle assemblies 33 in accordance with the pattern intended to be knitted in the garment. For example, the patterns of a given garment are stored in controller 25, which enables or disables the operation of each of the needle assemblies 33 by controlling fluid transfer mechanism 60, and more specifically, valve 59 of each needle assembly 33, and pump 58.

[0048] In alternative embodiments, the rotation of cam 22 and / or 23 may be used for moving fluid 50 instead of pump 58. In such embodiments, fluid 50 can flow through all housings 55 in a closed system, and fluid 50 is divided among housings 55. As described above, the combined operation of cam 23 and spring 44 moves rod 30 and needle 66 alternately in the first and second directions along the Z-axis. As such, during the operation of system 11, a first rod 30 of a first needle assembly 33 is moved in the first direction, and a second rod 30 of a second needle assembly 33, is moved in the second direction, opposite the first direction. Due to the motion in opposite directions, the fluid 50 flows between the first and second needle assemblies 33. Thus, the fluid transfer is carried out based on the motion of cam 23, and the movement of fluid 50 between the first and second needle assemblies 33.

[0049] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a needle assembly 70, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Needle assembly 70 may replace, for example, any needle assembly 33 in system 11 of FIG. 1 above. As such, system 11 (or any other suitable type of knitting system) may comprise needle assemblies 33, or needle assemblies 70, or any suitable combination of needle assemblies 33 and 70.

[0050] In some embodiments, the configuration of needle assembly 70 is similar to that of needle assembly 33 with one variation. Instead of spring 44 (shown in the configuration of needle assembly 33 of FIG. 2 above), needle assembly 70 comprises a spring 72, which is coupled directly to (i) rod 30, and (ii) a chassis 74 of needle assembly 70 (or of system 11), and is configured to move rod 30 and needle 66 in the second direction (i.e., toward cam 23) along the Z-axis. It is noted that the functionality of spring 72 is similar to the functionality of spring 44, which is described in detail in FIG. 2 above.

[0051] In alternative embodiments, instead of the configurations of needle assemblies 33 or 70 described is FIGS. 2 and 3 above, respectively, the needle assembly may have any other suitable configuration, for example, (i) a first spring disposed over rod 30 and configured to hold needle 66 on top of and aligned with cam 23 along the Z-axis, and (ii) a second spring, which is positioned in close proximity to one of bearing 54a or bearing 54b (or at any other suitable position along the Z-axis of the needle assembly) and is configured to fold needle 66 for disabling the configuration thereof (and thereby form the required pattern in the respective garment).

[0052] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of arrays of needle assemblies 33a and 33b, and a knit transfer assembly 77 for transferring knits 99 between needles 66 of system 11, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Needle assemblies 33a and 33b may replace, for example, needle assemblies 33 of FIG. 1 above. It is noted that knit transfer assembly 77 may be used in any suitable type of knitting system other than system 11.

[0053] In some embodiments, arrays of needle assemblies 33a and 33b are configured to knit the front side and the backside of a garment (not shown), respectively, which is intended to be formed therebetween. Each array of needle assemblies 33a and 33b comprises a plurality of needle assemblies 33 arranged along the Y-axis, as also shown, and described in the example of FIG. 1 above. In the context of the present disclosure and in the clams, the terms “multiple” and “a plurality of” are used interchangeably.

[0054] In some embodiments, system 11 comprises two arrays of fiber holders, which are configured to feed fibers 20 to needle assemblies 33a and 33b, respectively, as described in detail in FIG. 1 above.

[0055] In some cases, the pattern of the garment requires vertical stacking two or more knits 99, in the present example, along the Z-axis. The knit-stacking is required, for example, in order to tighten the garment in the waist area, and / or in order to fabricate in the garment a pattern having an opening, by stacking a first knit 99 over a second knit 99. In the present example, the knit stacking at the intended position of second knit 99 forms an opening at the original location of the first knit 99.

[0056] In some embodiments, knitting system 11 comprises a knit transfer assembly 77, which is controlled by controller 25 and is configured to: (i) extract the first knit 99 from a first needle 66 of needle assembly 33a (that produced the first knit), and (ii) thread the first knit 99 over (a) a second needle 66 of needle assembly 33a, and (b) a second knit 99 produced by the second needle 66. In other words, in the example of the array of needle assemblies 33a, knit transfer assembly 77 is configured to move at least one knit 99 between needles 66 of the array.

[0057] In some embodiments, knit transfer assembly 77 comprises one or more hooks 88, which are configured to: (i) extract the first knit 99 from the first needle 66, and (ii) thread the first knit 99 over the second needle 66 of the array of needle assembly 33a.

[0058] In some embodiments, knit transfer assembly 77 comprises a stage, also referred to herein as a mount 79, which is coupled to the one or more hooks 88, and is configured to move the one or more hooks 88 to extract the first knit 99 from the first needle 66, and thread the first knit 99 over the second needle 88.

[0059] In some embodiments, knit transfer assembly 77 comprises a linear motor 84 (which may be integrated in a linear stage) configured to move mount 79 of knit transfer assembly 77 along the third axis (e.g., the Y-axis) in order to move the first knit 99 from the first needle 66 to the second needle 66. In other words, (i) mount 79 removes the first knit 99 from the first needle 66, (ii) linear motor 84 moves mount 79 along the Y-axis to the position of the second needle 66, and (iii) mount 79 threads the first knit 99 over the second needle 66 of needle assembly 33a.

[0060] In some embodiments, mount 79 comprises one or more rotatable components 80 (e.g., discs or rollers), and an arm 82. In this configuration, the first side (e.g., end) of arm 82 is coupled to the one or more hooks 88, and the second side of arm 82 is coupled eccentrically to the one or more rotatable components80. In the present example, arm 82 is coupled to rotatable components 80 using fasteners 81.

[0061] In such embodiments, in response to the rotation of the rotatable components 80, arm 82 is moved so that the one or more hooks 88 extract the first knit 99 from the first needle 66, and subsequently, thread the first knit 99 over the second needle 66, typically while being moved by linear motor 84 along the third axis (e.g., Y-axis), as described above.

[0062] This particular configuration of knit transfer assembly 77 is shown by way of example, in order to illustrate certain problems (e.g., of transferring knit 99 from one needle 66 to another needle 66 of the array of needle assembly 33). These technical problems are addressed by embodiments of the present invention, and knit transfer assembly 77 demonstrates the application of these embodiments in enhancing the performance of system 11. Embodiments of the present invention, however, are by no means limited to this specific sort of example knit transfer assembly, and the principles described herein may similarly be applied to other sorts of knit transfer assemblies that may be implemented in other sorts of knitting systems.

[0063] Moreover, the knit transfer assembly may have any other suitable configuration and / or any other suitable operational mode that may be implemented to obtain the transfer and stacking of one or more knits 99, as described above.

[0064] FIG. 5 is a flow chart that schematically illustrates a method for continuous knitting using system 11, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

[0065] The method begins at a cam rotation step 100, with controller 25 controls rotating motor 16 to rotate cam 22 to at a suitable selected rotational speed (e.g., about 2500 RPM), as described in detail in FIG. 1 above. It is noted that the method below describes embodiments related to protrusions 15 and recesses 13 of cam 22, but are equally applicable to sections 7 and 8 of cam 23, as described in detail in FIG. 2 above.

[0066] At a needle moving step 102, while rotating cam 22, needle assemblies 33 are being moved along axis 19, up and down by protrusions 15 and recesses 13 of cam 22, respectively, as described in detail in FIG. 1 above.

[0067] In some embodiments, each of needle assemblies 33 comprises (i) needle 66, (ii) rod 30, which is disposed between the cam 22 and needle 66, and (iii) spring 44 and / or 72 (shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively), which is disposed between rod 30 and needle 66. As such, while rotating cam 22, in at least one of (and typically all) needles assemblies 33: (a) protrusion 15 moves needle 66 along the Z-axis toward fiber holder 14 (e.g., up), and (b) while needle assembly 33 is facing recess 13, spring 44 and / or 72 moves needle 66 along the Z-axis toward cam 22 (e.g., down), as described in detail in FIG. 1 above.

[0068] In some embodiments, needle assemblies 33 (of FIG. 2 above) and needle assemblies 70 (of FIG. 3) are pressed against cam 23 by springs 44 and 72, respectively. As such, needles 66 are moved along the Z-axis in response to the rotation of cam 23. The same mechanism is applicable to the movement of needle assemblies 33 and cam 22, as shown in the example of FIG. 1 above.

[0069] In alternative embodiments, instead of or in addition to springs 44 and / or 72, needle assemblies 33 (of FIG. 2 above) and needle assemblies 70 (of FIG. 3) may comprise any suitable type of actuator, which is configured to move needle 66 along the Z-axis toward cam 22 or cam 23.

[0070] In other embodiments, in addition to or instead of fluid transfer mechanism 60, housing 55 and fluid 50, system 11 may comprise any other suitable type of mechanism configured to control the operation (enable and disable) of one or more of the needle assemblies in order to locally alter the pattern of the garment.

[0071] As described in FIG. 2 above, in some cases controller 25 disables the movement of one or more needles 66 toward one or more fiber holders 14, respectively, for example, in order to knit a different pattern in the garment. In some embodiments, at least one of and typically all needle assemblies 33 comprise housing 55 disposed between needle 66 and rod 30, and while moving needle assembly 33 in the first direction (i.e., up): (i) housing 55 leads rod 30 (which is being moved by cam 22 or cam 23) along the Z-axis, and (ii) contains fluid 50 (within in the housing) for moving needle 66 toward fiber holder 14 while rod 30 is being moved in the same direction, as described in detail in FIG. 2 above.

[0072] Moreover, while spring 44 and / or 72 moves needle 66 along the Z-axis toward cam 22, controller 25 controls fluid transfer mechanism 60 for: (i) extracting at least a portion of fluid 50 from housing 55, to disable the movement of needle 66 at least toward cam 22, and (ii) inserting at least the portion of fluid 50 into housing 55, to enable the movement of the respective needle 66 along the Z-axis, as described in detail in FIG. 2 above.

[0073] At a garment knitting step 104 that concludes the method, when each needle 66 is being moved toward fiber holders 14, needle hook 68 of the needle 66 picks one fiber 20 and produces knit 99 using any suitable knitting technique.

[0074] In some cases, the pattern of the garment requires stacking two or more knits together, for example, in order to tighten the garment in the waist area. In some embodiments, controller 25 controls knit transfer assembly 77 for transferring knits 99 between needles 66 of needles assemblies 33a and / or 33b, as described in detail in FIG. 4 above.

[0075] It will be appreciated that the embodiments described above are cited by way of example, and that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather, the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and sub-combinations of the various features described hereinabove, as well as variations and modifications thereof which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description and which are not disclosed in the prior art. Documents incorporated by reference in the present patent application are to be considered an integral part of the application except that to the extent any terms are defined in these incorporated documents in a manner that conflicts with the definitions made explicitly or implicitly in the present specification, only the definitions in the present specification should be considered.

Claims

1. A system for knitting fibers, the system comprising:an eccentric rotatable element, which is connected to a rotating motor and is configured to rotate about a first axis; andmultiple needle assemblies, which are configured to be moved by the eccentric rotating element alternately in a first direction and in a second direction along a second axis, different from the first axis, and to knit a garment from a plurality of the fibers.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of the needle assemblies comprises: (i) a needle configured to knit the garment, and (ii) a rod, which is disposed between the eccentric rotatable element and the needle, and is configured to move the needle in the first direction.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein each of the needle assemblies comprises a spring, which is disposed between the rod and the needle, the spring is configured to move the needle in the second direction4. The system according to claim 2, wherein each of the needle assemblies comprises a housing disposed between the needle and the rod, the housing is configured to: (i) lead the rod being moved by the eccentric rotating element along the second axis, and (ii) contain fluid, which is configured to move the needle in the first direction in response to the rod being moved in the first direction5. The system according to claim 4, and comprising a controller and at least a fluid transfer mechanism, wherein the fluid transfer mechanism is controlled by the controller and configured to: (i) extract at least a portion of the fluid from the housing, to disable a movement of a given needle of the given needle assembly, at least in the first direction, and (ii) insert at least the portion of the fluid into the housing, to enable the movement of the given needle along the second axis.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein the needle assemblies comprise first and second needle assemblies having first and second rods, and first and second housings, respectively, wherein, in response to the first and second rods moved by the eccentric rotatable element in the first and second directions, respectively, the fluid is configured to flow between the first and second housings.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the needle assemblies comprise first and second needle assemblies having (i) first and second needles, and (ii) first and second additional springs, respectively, the first and second additional springs are configured to position a knit at a predefined position along the second axis of the first and second needles, respectively.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the first and second needles are arranged along a third axis, different from the first- and second-axes, and comprising a knit transfer assembly, which is configured to: (i) extract the knit from the first needle, and (ii) thread the knit over the second needle.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the knit transfer assembly comprises one or more hooks configured to: (i) extract the knit from the first needle, and (ii) thread the knit over the second needle.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the knit transfer assembly comprises a mount, which is coupled to the one or more hooks, and is configured to move the one or more hooks to: (i) extract the knit from the first needle, and (ii) thread the knit over the second needle11. (canceled)12. A method for knitting fibers, the method comprising:rotating an eccentric rotatable element about a first axis;moving multiple needle assemblies by the eccentric rotating element alternately in a first direction and in a second direction along a second axis, different from the first axis; andknitting a garment from a plurality of the fibers, using the needle assemblies.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein each of the needle assemblies comprises a needle and a rod, which is disposed between the eccentric rotatable element and the needle, and wherein moving multiple needle assemblies comprises moving the needle in the first direction in one or more of the needle assemblies.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein each of the needle assemblies comprises a spring, which is disposed between the rod and the needle, and wherein moving the needle in the second direction comprises applying the spring for moving the needle in the second direction.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein each of the needle assemblies comprises a housing disposed between the needle and the rod, and wherein moving the needle assembly in the first direction comprises: (i) leading the rod being moved by the eccentric rotating element along the second axis, and (ii) containing fluid in the housing for moving the needle in the first direction in response to the rod being moved in the first direction.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein at least a given needle assembly among the needle assemblies comprises a fluid transfer mechanism, and wherein moving the multiple needle assemblies comprises applying the fluid transfer mechanism for: (i) extracting at least a portion of the fluid from the housing, to disable a movement of a given needle of the given needle assembly at least in the first direction, and (ii) inserting at least the portion of the fluid into the housing, to enable the movement of the given needle along the second axis.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the needle assemblies comprise first and second needle assemblies having first and second rods, and first and second housings, respectively, wherein, moving the multiple needle assemblies comprises, rotating the eccentric rotatable element and flowing the fluid between the first and second housings in response to moving the first and second rods in the first and second directions, respectively.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the needle assemblies comprise a first and second needle assemblies having (i) first and second needles, and (ii) first and second additional springs, respectively, and wherein knitting the garment comprises applying the first and second additional springs to position a knit at a predefined position along the second axis of the first and second needles, respectively.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the first and second needles are arranged along a third axis, different from the first- and second-axes, and comprising a knit transfer assembly, and wherein knitting the garment comprises applying the knit transfer assembly to: (i) extract the knit from the first needle, and (ii) thread the knit over the second needle.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the knit transfer assembly comprises one or more hooks, and wherein knitting the garment comprises applying the one or more hooks to: (i) extract the knit from the first needle, and (ii) thread the knit over the second needle.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the knit transfer assembly comprises a mount, which is coupled to the one or more hooks, and wherein knitting the garment comprises applying the mount for moving the one or more hooks to: (i) extract the knit from the first needle, and (ii) thread the knit over the second needle.

22. (canceled)

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