Adjustable Knitting Needle Cord and Slider Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional knitting needles limit the width of knitted workpieces, causing discomfort and fatigue due to the need for longer needles or multiple panels, and 'knitting in the round' methods are cumbersome and difficult to manage, especially for users with hand and arm strength issues.
Innovation Solution
A knitting needle with an adjustable cord and slider mechanism that allows for customizable support of stitches, enabling wider workpieces without the need for longer needles, and facilitating easier handling by distributing the weight and allowing for better visibility of the workpiece.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If longer needles are used to accommodate wider workpieces, then the workpiece width capability is improved, but the needle weight increases causing greater fatigue
Solution Approach 1:
The knitting system is divided into two separate needles instead of using one long needle. Each needle holds a portion of the stitches, and the workpiece is distributed between them. This segmentation allows wide workpieces to be knitted without requiring a single long, heavy needle, thereby reducing needle weight and user fatigue while maintaining workpiece width capability.
2Area of stationary object
If circular needles are used to knit wider workpieces in the round, then the workpiece width capability is improved, but the device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate due to cable weight and handling difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The problematic cable component from circular needles is extracted and replaced with a simple cord connection between two straight needles. This eliminates the heavy cable that causes fatigue and handling difficulty, while still allowing wide workpieces to be accommodated by distributing stitches across two needles. The solution maintains workpiece width capability while dramatically improving ease of operation.
3Stability of the object's composition
If stitches are held on the needle during knitting, then the workpiece stability is improved, but the needle length must increase for wider workpieces causing fatigue
Solution Approach 1:
The stitch-holding function is segmented and distributed across two separate needles rather than requiring one long needle. Each needle holds a portion of the stitches securely, maintaining workpiece stability. By dividing the stitch load between two shorter needles, the system avoids the weight and fatigue issues associated with a single long needle while preserving the necessary stability for wide workpieces.
Data Source
AI summary
A knitting needle assembly has a needle body including a tip at one end and a cord connected to the needle body at other end. An adjustable slider is disposed on the cord. The cord stabilizes and holds stitches of yarn used to create a knitted workpiece. The distance between the needle tip and the slider can be adjusted by the user to accommodate the width of the knitted workpiece. Two such assemblies are used to knit. The sliders on each assembly can be adjusted to compress previously formed stitches of the workpiece so that the stitches are delivered to the needle body under a resiliency force. The sliders can also be adjusted to accommodate newly formed stitches without compression so they move freely away from the needle tip once they are formed.