Tubular Knit Apparel Printing for Stretch-Stable Design Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge lies in effectively printing designs on tubular knit fabrics due to their three-dimensional configuration, which makes it difficult to retain and register the prints, and the appearance of printed designs is often compromised by ink being applied below the visible surface, becoming visible during fabric flexing and stretching.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves applying printed ink designs to tubular knit textiles while they are in an expanded condition, utilizing a printer with a tubular platen that includes retention features such as projections matching the fabric's openings, ensuring proper orientation, registration, and ink application to both top and base channel portions, enhancing ink coverage and print quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If printed ink design is applied to tubular knit fabric, then aesthetic feature is improved, but ink application quality deteriorates due to difficult retention and registration on three-dimensional fabric
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the three-dimensional tubular knit fabric into a two-dimensional planar configuration by flattening and expanding it onto a printing surface. This dimensional transformation allows conventional printing processes to effectively apply ink designs while maintaining proper retention and registration, thereby improving ink application quality without compromising aesthetic features
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary printing surface or platform that mediates between the tubular knit fabric and the ink application process. This intermediary surface provides a stable, planar workspace that facilitates accurate ink placement while the fabric is in an expanded state, resolving the retention and registration difficulties associated with printing directly on three-dimensional fabric
2Ease of manufacture
If ink is applied to tubular knit fabric in normal condition, then printing process is simplified, but ink coverage is insufficient causing visible yarns below viewable surface to interfere with design appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic approach by changing the physical state of the tubular knit fabric from its normal contracted three-dimensional form to an expanded two-dimensional state during the printing process. This dynamic transformation increases the fabric's surface area and exposes previously hidden areas, enabling comprehensive ink coverage while maintaining process simplicity through controlled expansion and relaxation cycles
3Adaptability or versatility
If tubular knit fabric is used for apparel, then elasticity and comfort are improved, but print retention and registration are worsened due to fabric flexing and stretching
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing the ink application process while the tubular knit fabric is in a stabilized, expanded state before the garment is assembled and worn. This preliminary printing on the expanded fabric ensures that the design is applied to all visible surfaces including base channel portions, so that when the fabric is subsequently flexed and stretched during wear, the printed design remains complete and properly registered without exposing unprinted areas
Data Source
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AI summary
An article of apparel including a tubular knit textile region is provided. The article of apparel can include a tubular knit textile region having an internal side and an opposite external side configured to be exposed during use, a plurality of yarns in an arrangement of interlocked loops forming parallel rows and channels therebetween, and a printed ink design on its external side. The printed ink design can be formed from ink applied to the parallel rows of loops and to the channels.