Compression Knit Fabric with Embedded Elastic Weft Yarn
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing compression knit fabrics often cause skin irritation and difficulty in putting on due to the surface contact of elastic weft yarns, especially when using thick winding yarns with high friction.
Innovation Solution
A compression knit fabric design where the elastic weft yarn is inserted between consecutive stitch rows of a base knit, alternately as tuck and float, with the sequence offset by one stitch, ensuring the yarn lies fully inside the fabric, reducing surface contact and friction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If elastane or rubber yarn is used as elastic weft yarn and inserted as tuck and float between two consecutive stitching rows of the base knit, then the compression knit generates compression on the yarn through the elasticity of the elastic weft yarn, but the elastic weft yarn comes into contact with the skin of the patient which can lead to skin irritation
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful contact between the elastic weft yarn and skin is extracted by repositioning the weft yarn from surface-level tuck-and-float insertion to insertion within the base knit structure itself. The weft yarn is now embedded between stitches rather than floating on the surface, removing the source of skin irritation while preserving compression function.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic weft yarn is nested within the base knit structure by inserting it between consecutive stitching rows rather than placing it on the surface. The weft yarn becomes embedded in the fabric's internal structure, surrounded by base knit stitches, which eliminates direct skin contact while maintaining the compression mechanism.
2Force
If a winding yarn is used as elastic weft yarn, then the yarn provides elastic compression, but the thickness and high friction of the winding yarn cause difficulties when putting on the compression article
Solution Approach 1:
The high-friction surface of the winding yarn is extracted from contact with the skin by embedding the weft yarn within the base knit structure. The problematic outer surface of the winding yarn no longer interacts with the patient's skin, eliminating the friction issue that hinders putting on the article.
Solution Approach 2:
The winding yarn weft is nested within the base knit fabric structure, with the yarn embedded between stitches and surrounded by the base knit material. This nesting conceals the high-friction surface of the winding yarn, allowing the smoother base knit surface to contact the skin during application.
3Force
If the elastic weft yarn is inserted as tuck and float between two consecutive stitching rows of the base knit, then the compression knit acquires compressive properties in the peripheral direction, but the weft yarn lies at the sites where it appears to float on the surface of the compression knit
Solution Approach 1:
The surface-floating characteristic of the weft yarn is extracted by changing its insertion method. Instead of tuck-and-float insertion that leaves the yarn visible and accessible on the surface, the yarn is inserted between consecutive stitching rows, embedding it within the fabric's internal structure and removing surface contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The insertion approach is inverted: rather than placing the weft yarn on the surface and using tuck stitches to anchor it, the weft yarn is first positioned between the stitching rows from the inside, and then the base knit stitches are formed around it. This inversion ensures the yarn remains embedded rather than surface-floating.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design minimizes skin irritation and facilitates easier application of compression articles by eliminating direct contact between the elastic weft yarn and skin, reducing friction and allowing for precise compression pressure adjustment.
Implementation Method 1
Owing to the elasticity of the weft yarn, the tubular compression knit fabric formed as a circular knit acquires its compressive properties in the peripheral direction. When the tubular compression knit is positioned, for example, as a compression stocking on a leg of a patient, the compression knit generates a compression on the yarn through the elasticity of the elastic weft yarn.
Data Source
AI summary
A compression knit fabric consisting of a base knit and an elastic weft yarn inserted therein. The base knit is formed from at least one knitting yarn, and the weft yarn is inserted in weft yarn courses between two consecutive stitch courses of the base knit. The knitting yarn in each stitch course of the base knit is knit in alternation as loop stitch and tuck, so that the knitting yarn forms a tuck stitch between two loops of a stitch course of the base knit. The weft yarn is inserted between adjacent stitch courses of the base knit in alternation as tuck and float so that the weft yarn floats between two tuck stitches of a weft yarn course. The alternating sequence of loop stitch and tuck in consecutive stitch courses of the base knit is offset by a stitch relative to the alternating sequence of tuck and float in consecutive weft yarn courses.