Knit Design Method for Faithful Decrease Lines

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for designing knitted articles face challenges in creating faithful decrease and increase lines, leading to inefficiencies in knitting and irregular fashion lines, with conventional J-curve and S-curve methods often resulting in fabrics that deviate from the intended design.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that convert external design forms into knitting data by calculating inclinations, generating line segments, determining their lengths, and placing them to regularly decrease or increase stitches, ensuring faithful representation of the design and efficient knitting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If J-curve or S-curve methods are used to create decrease lines, then the design can be implemented, but the knitting efficiency decreases and fashion lines become unsteady

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveknitting efficiencyVSAvoidfaithfulness to design
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the decrease line into multiple line segments, each with a constant inclination angle. This segmentation allows the system to calculate and determine the number of stitches to decrease at each segment, ensuring both design faithfulness and regular fashion lines. By breaking down the continuous curve into discrete segments, the system can systematically control the decrease process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent dynamically adjusts the number of stitches to decrease based on the inclination of each line segment and the position along the decrease line. Rather than using a fixed decrease rate, the system calculates the optimal number of stitches to decrease at each point, maintaining both design accuracy and knitting efficiency throughout the process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If decrease lines are created with varying stitch reduction rates, then design flexibility is achieved, but regular fashion lines cannot be obtained

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedesign flexibilityVSAvoidregularity of fashion lines
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different decrease rates to different local segments of the decrease line based on their specific inclination angles and design requirements. Each line segment can have its own optimized decrease rate, allowing design flexibility while maintaining overall regularity. The system determines the number of stitches to decrease locally at each segment rather than applying a uniform rate.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Manufacturing precision

If manual input of borders between sections is required when design changes, then precise control is possible, but operation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol precisionVSAvoidoperation simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements an automatic border detection and section division system that identifies borders between sections based on the design data itself, without requiring manual input. The system automatically divides the decrease line into appropriate sections and calculates the optimal number of line segments for each section, eliminating manual operation while maintaining precise control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2316991B1Knit design method, knit design device, and design program
Publication Date: 2016.09.28 SHIMA SEIKI MFG LTD
  • EP2316991B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2316991B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2316991B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The inclination of the external form of a knitted fabric, which is specified by design data, is calculated for each section, and a plurality of line segments are generated for each section to regularly decrease the stitches by a predetermined number with respect to a predetermined number of knitting courses. The length of each line segment is determined such that the total number of knitting courses of the line segment is equal to the number of knitting courses defined by the external form, and that the total number of stitches to be decreased is equal to the number of stitches to be decreased as defined by the external form. The line segments are placed for the corresponding sections and the adjacent line segments are connected to each other, thereby to generate a decrease line. The decrease line is generated that comparatively fits the contour of the external form and can be knitted efficiently and also can offer an orderly fashion line.