KNITTED FABRIC AND KNITTED FABRIC JOINING METHOD

Provided is a knitted fabric in which a first knitted fabric portion and a second knitted fabric portion that overlap each other in the thickness direction are joined to each other so as to be easily rotated about a joint position of the two knitted fabric portions, which serves as a rotation axis. The knitted fabric includes: a passage location (7) at which stitches (4a to 4d) of the n-th knitting course (4A) of the second knitted fabric portion (4) are passed through gaps between stitches in the first knitted fabric portion (2) from one surface side to the other surface side, so that the up and down positions in the thickness direction of the first knitted fabric portion (2) and the second knitted fabric portion (4) are reversed with respect to each other. Furthermore, a terminal portion (4y) of the second knitted fabric portion (4) is subjected to an unravel treatment in the vicinity of the passage location at which the second knitted fabric portion (4) is passed through the first knitted fabric portion (2), so that the first knitted fabric portion (2) and the second knitted fabric portion (4) are joined to each other at the passage location (7) . Here, the gaps are each surrounded by two adjacent stitches (2a and 2b through 2d and 2e) in the m-th knitting course (2A) of the first knitted fabric portion (2), a sinker loop that connects the adjacent stitches, and a sinker loop in the (m+1)-th knitting course (2B).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a knitted fabric in which a first knitted fabric portion and a second knitted fabric portion that overlap each other in a thickness direction in a two-layer independent state are joined to each other, and a knitted fabric joining method for joining a first knitted fabric portion and a second knitted fabric portion that overlap each other in a thickness direction in a two-layer independent state.

BACKGROUND ART

Flat knitting machines have been used to join a first knitted fabric portion and a second knitted fabric portion that are knitted using different yarn feeders. If the first knitted fabric portion and the second knitted fabric portion are lined up in a knitting width direction, such methods include one in which stitches of the first knitted fabric portion and stitches of the second knitted fabric portion are overlapped with each other to join the two knitted fabric portions to each other, and one in which knitting yarn of the first knitted fabric portion and knitting yarn of the second knitted fabric portion are crossed with each other, as described in Patent Document 1.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENT

Patent Document

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

On the other hand, if the first knitted fabric portion and the second knitted fabric portion that overlap each other in a thickness direction in a two-layer independent state are joined to each other, typically, stitches of the first knitted fabric portion and stitches of the second knitted fabric portion are overlapped with each other, and stitches are knitted to follow the resultant double stitches in a wale direction, whereby fixing the double stitches.

Here, like a tongue (second knitted fabric portion) of a shoe upper (first knitted fabric portion) , and a pocket flap (second knitted fabric portion) of knitwear (first knitted fabric portion), it is sometimes preferable that the second knitted fabric portion is easily rotated with respect to the first knitted fabric portion about a joint position of the first knitted fabric portion and the second knitted fabric portion, which serves as a rotation axis. However, in the case where the two knitted fabric portions are joined to each other using double stitches, two stitches of the double stitch mutually restrain from moving, and thus the second knitted fabric portion is not easily rotated with respect to the first knitted fabric portion.

The present invention was made in view of the above-described circumstances, and it is an object thereof to provide a knitted fabric in which a first knitted fabric portion and a second knitted fabric portion that overlap each other in a thickness direction are joined to each other so as to be easily rotated about a joint position of the two knitted fabric portions, which serves as a rotation axis. Furthermore, it is another object of the present invention to provide a knitted fabric joining method for joining a first knitted fabric portion and a second knitted fabric portion that overlap each other in a thickness direction so that they can be easily rotated about a joint position of the two knitted fabric portions, which serves as a rotation axis.

Means of Solving the Problems

An aspect of the present invention relates to a knitted fabric in which a first knitted fabric portion and a second knitted fabric portion that overlap each other in a thickness direction in a two-layer independent state are joined to each other. When n and m are suitable natural numbers, the knitted fabric includes a passage location at which stitches in an n-th knitting course of the second knitted fabric portion are passed through gaps between stitches in the first knitted fabric portion from one surface side to another surface side, so that up and down positions in the thickness direction of the first knitted fabric portion and the second knitted fabric portion are reversed with respect to each other. Furthermore, a terminal portion of the second knitted fabric portion is subjected to an unravel treatment in the vicinity of the passage location at which it is passed through the first knitted fabric portion, so that the first knitted fabric portion and the second knitted fabric portion are joined to each other at the passage location. Here, the gaps are each surrounded by two adjacent stitches in an m-th knitting course of the first knitted fabric portion, a sinker loop that connects the adjacent stitches, and a sinker loop in an (m+1)-th knitting course. The sinker loop in the (m+1)-th knitting course is a sinker loop that connects two stitches that follow the two adjacent stitches in the m-th knitting course in the wale direction.

According to another aspect of the knitted fabric of the present invention, the stitches in the n-th knitting course may be respectively passed through the plurality of gaps lined up in a predetermined range of the m-th knitting course.

According to another aspect of the knitted fabric of the present invention, the first knitted fabric portion may be a shoe upper, and the second knitted fabric portion may be a tongue, and a start portion of the shoe upper may be formed in the vicinity of the passage location.

An aspect of the present invention relates to a knitted fabric joining method for joining a first knitted fabric portion and a second knitted fabric portion that overlap each other in a thickness direction in a two-layer independent state, using a flat knitting machine with two needle beds. The knitted fabric joining method of the present invention includes: when n and m are suitable natural numbers, the following steps;a step of holding an m-th knitting course of the first knitted fabric portion on one needle bed, and holding an n-th knitting course of the second knitted fabric portion on the other needle bed;a step of moving stitches in the m-th knitting course to the other needle bed and moving stitches in the n-th knitting course to the one needle bed, so that the front and back positions of the first knitted fabric portion and the second knitted fabric portion are reversed with respect to each other in a state in which the stitches in the n-th knitting course are passed through spaces between the stitches in the m-th knitting course;a step of subjecting the n-th knitting course to an unravel treatment, or knitting several knitting courses that follow the n-th knitting course in a wale direction and then performing an unravel treatment; anda step of knitting several knitting courses that follow the n-th knitting course.

Effects of the Invention

In the knitted fabric according to the present invention, the first knitted fabric portion and the second knitted fabric portion are joined to each other by reversing the up and down positions in the thickness direction of the first knitted fabric portion and the second knitted fabric portion, and thus it is possible to easily rotate the second knitted fabric portion with respect to the first knitted fabric portion about the passage location at which the up and down positions of the two knitted fabric portions are reversed, which serves as a rotation axis. Furthermore, in the knitted fabric of the present invention, the terminal portion of the second knitted fabric portion is provided in the vicinity of the above-described passage location, and thus the part of the second knitted fabric portion that is arranged on the other surface side of the first knitted fabric portion is small . In a knitted fabric for use in a case where one surface side of the first knitted fabric portion is located on the front surface side, it is difficult to rotate the second knitted fabric portion if the part of the second knitted fabric portion that is arranged on the other surface side (back surface side) of the first knitted fabric portion is large. Such a problem is unlikely to occur if the part of the second knitted fabric portion that is arranged on the other surface side of the first knitted fabric portion is small.

By passing the stitches in the n-th knitting course respectively through the plurality of gaps lined up in a predetermined range of the m-th knitting course, it is possible to improve the joint intensity of the first knitted fabric portion and the second knitted fabric portion.

By reversing the up and down positions in the thickness direction of the shoe upper and the tongue to join the shoe upper and the tongue to each other, a comfortable shoe upper can be obtained. This is because the foot insertion opening is enlarged by rotating the tongue when a wearer wears the shoe upper.

According to the knitted fabric joining method of the present invention, it is possible to knit the knitted fabric of the present invention.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Embodiment 1 will describe a shoe upper1(seeFIG. 1) that includes a portion knitted by a knitted fabric joining method according to the present invention. The position to which the knitted fabric joining method of the present invention is applied is a portion in which an instep cover2and a tongue4, which will be described later, are joined to each other. The following will describe constituent components of the shoe upper1, then a procedure for manufacturing the shoe upper1, and lastly a specific procedure for joining the instep cover2and the tongue4.

The shoe upper1is a knitted fabric knitted using a flat knitting machine, and includes an instep cover2that covers a portion on the instep side of a wearer, and a sole cover3that covers the sole portion of the wearer. A shoe opening5is formed in the upper portion of the instep cover2, and the shoe opening5includes a foot insertion opening5ithrough which the wearer inserts his or her foot, and a slit5sthat extends from the foot insertion opening5itoward the toe side. The tongue4is provided at a position in the slit5s,and eyelets6are formed at positions of the instep cover2near the slit5s.

The shoe upper1of the present example differs from conventional ones in the configuration of joining the instep cover (first knitted fabric portion)2and the tongue (second knitted fabric portion)4. The following will describe a configuration of a joint position of the instep cover2and the tongue4in detail with reference to a cross-sectional view ofFIG. 2Ataken along a line II-II, and a loop diagram ofFIG. 2B.

InFIG. 2A, the left side in the drawing shows the front surface side (one surface side) of the instep cover2, the right side shows the back surface side (the other surface side) of the instep cover2, the upper side shows the toe side, and the lower side shows the heel side. As shown inFIG. 2A, the joint position of the present example includes, between a start portion2xand a terminal portion2yin a wale direction of the instep cover2, a passage location7at which stitches in a knitting course between a start portion4xand a terminal portion4yin a wale direction of the tongue4are passed through the instep cover2from the one surface side to the other surface side. The shorter the part of the tongue4that is arranged on the back surface side of the instep cover2, the less likely the tongue4is to come into contact with the instep of the wearer, and the shoe upper1ofFIG. 1will provide good foot comfort.

The state of stitches in the vicinity of the joint position including the passage location7will be described with reference to the loop diagram ofFIG. 2B. InFIG. 2B, the instep cover2is denoted by thin lines and the tongue4is denoted by thick lines. As shown in the drawing, in the passage location7, stitches4ato4din an n-th (where n is a suitable natural number) knitting course4A of the tongue4are passed through gaps between stiches in the instep cover2, and there is no overlap of stitches between the instep cover2and the tongue4. The gaps through which the stitches4ato4dare passed are gaps each surrounded by two adjacent stitches in an m-th (where m is a suitable natural number) knitting course2A of the first knitted fabric portion2, namely, two adjacent stitches2aand2bthrough stitches2dand2e, a sinker loop that connects the corresponding adjacent stitches, namely, the stitches2aand2bthrough stitches2dand2e,and a corresponding sinker loop in an (m+1)-th knitting course2B. In the present example, all the stitches4ato4dof the tongue4are passed through different positions, and thus the stitches of the instep cover2and the stitches of the tongue4are crossed with each other one by one in the front-back direction, like comb teeth meshing with each other. Here, a plurality of stitches (for example, the stitches4aand4b) can also be passed through a single gap.

The (m+1)-th knitting course2B constituted by new stitches2fto2jis formed to follow the stitches2ato2eof the instep cover2in the wale direction, and an (n+1)-th knitting course4B constituted by new stitches4fto4iis formed to follow the stitches4ato4dof the tongue4in the wale direction. With the knitting courses2B and4B, the instep cover2and the tongue4are joined to each other so as not to disengage. For example, subjecting the (n+1)-th knitting course4B of the tongue4to an unravel treatment will prevent the tongue4from disengaging from the instep cover2even if the tongue4is pulled forward, because sinker loops of the knitting course4B are caught by the instep cover2. Note that the knitting course of the tongue4that is subjected to an unravel treatment is not limited to the (n+1)-th knitting course4B.

As described above, in the shoe upper1of the present example, the instep cover2and the tongue4are joined to each other in the passage location7by reversing the up and down positions in the thickness direction of the instep cover2and the tongue4with respect to each other. Accordingly, the tongue4can easily be rotated about the passage location7in which the tongue4is passed through the instep cover2, which serves as a rotation axis. In the case of the shoe upper1of the present example shown inFIG. 1, the tongue4can easily be rotated toward the near side in the drawing, and thus a shoe upper1into which a foot can easily be inserted is obtained.

Moreover, by reversing the positions of the instep cover2and the tongue4in the thickness direction with respect to each other to join the instep cover2and the tongue4, it is also possible to achieve an effect of suppressing color mingling in the vicinity of the passage location7even if the instep cover2and the tongue4are knitted with knitting yarn of different colors.

The shoe upper1of the present example is obtained by knitting, using the flat knitting machine, the instep cover2to which the tongue4is joined, and attaching the sole cover3prepared separate from the instep cover2to the instep cover2. Unlike the present example, the instep cover2and the sole cover3may also be knitted as one piece. As the flat knitting machine, a two-bed flat knitting machine provided with two need beds opposite to each other in a front-back direction, or four-bed flat knitting machine may be used. Knitting yarn including heat-fusible yarn or the like can be used for knitting the instep cover2and the tongue4. Preferably, the instep cover2and the tongue4have at least partially a thick knitting pattern obtained by knitting (such as a knitting pattern obtained by combining tubular knitting and rib knitting) using front and back needle beds.

The instep cover2and the tongue4can be knitted in the procedure shown in a knitting image diagram ofFIG. 3. In the drawing, white arrows show the direction in which knitting advances (wale direction), and horizontal lines in the components2and4show the knitting width direction (direction in which stitches are lined up). Furthermore, inFIG. 3, small letters are added to positions important for knitting.

First, a heel cover portion20, which is a part of the instep cover2, is knitted. The heel cover portion20is used to form the portion on the heel side of the instep cover2in a shape conforming to the shape of the foot of wearers, and the knitting width thereof decreases toward the shoe opening5side. In the drawing, a line a-b is a knitting start portion of the heel cover portion20, a line c-d is a knitting end portion, and a line b-d and a line a-c are side edges in the knitting width direction.

Then, following the side edge a-c (stitches denoted by signs “V”) of the heel cover portion20, a left portion of the body portion21is started to be knitted, and following the side edge b-d of the heel cover portion20, a right portion of the body portion21is started to be knitted. The left end portion and the right portion of the body portion21are knitted using different yarn feeders. The left portion and the right portion of the body portion21are knitted in a state in which they are lined up side by side on the needle beds . Furthermore, independently from the body portion21, the tongue4is knitted using a yarn feeder different from those for the body portion21(tongue4starts from a line e-f). Then, the instep cover2and the tongue4are joined to each other on a line g-h, and the instep cover2is complete.

The procedure for joining the instep cover2(first knitted fabric portion) and the tongue4(second knitted fabric portion) will be described with reference to the knitting step diagram ofFIG. 4. InFIG. 4, “S+numeric character” denotes the knitting step number, and black points in the right column denote needles of the front needle bed (FB) and the back needle bed (BB) . The reference signs in the drawing correspond to the reference signs ofFIG. 2B.

Step S0shows the state in which the n-th knitting course4A (including the stitches4ato4d) of the tongue4is held on the needles of the FB, and the m-th knitting course2A (including the stitches2ato2e) of the instep cover2is held on the needles of the BB. From the state, the front and back positions of the tongue4and the instep cover2are to be reversed with respect to each other. Here, the n-th knitting course4A is preferably the last knitting course of the tongue4or the knitting course one to five courses before the last knitting course. Furthermore, the m-th knitting course2A is preferably any of the first to fifth knitting courses from the knitting start portion (start portion2x) of the instep cover2. With this, as shown inFIG. 2A, the terminal portion4yof the tongue4and the start portion2xof the instep cover2are arranged in the vicinity of the passage location7.

In Step S1, the BB is racked by one pitch in the rightward direction, and the stitch2eat the right end of the instep cover2that is held on the BB is moved to the FB. Then, in Step S2, the stitch4dat the right end of the tongue4that is held on the FB is moved to the needle of the BB that has become empty due to the movement of the stitch2eof the instep cover2in Step S1.

In Step S3, the stitch2dat the right end of the instep cover2that is held on the BB is moved to the needle of the FB that has become empty due to the movement of the stitch4dof the tongue4in Step S2. Then, in Step S4, the stitch4cat the right end of the tongue4that is held on the FB is moved to the needle of the FB that has become empty due to the movement of the stitch2dof the instep cover2in step S3.

Thereafter, moving the stitch on one end side (right end side) of the instep cover2to the needle of the FB that has become empty due to the movement of the stitch of the tongue4(knitting corresponding to Step S3), and moving the stitch on one end side (right end side) of the tongue4to the needle of the BB that has become empty due to the movement of the stitch of the instep cover2(knitting corresponding to Step S4) are repeated. As a result, as shown in Step S5, the front and back positions of the instep cover2and the tongue4are reversed with respect to each other, and the state as shown inFIG. 2Bis obtained in which the stitches4ato4dof the tongue4are respectively passed through the spaces between adjacent stitches2aand2bthrough stitches2dand2eof the instep cover2from the one surface side of the instep cover2to the other surface side.

After Step S5, the (n+1)-th knitting course4B (seeFIG. 2B) is knitted to follow the n-th knitting course4A of the tongue4that is held on the needles of the BB, and the (m+1)-th knitting course2B (seeFIG. 2B) is knitted to follow the m-th knitting course2A of the instep cover2that is held on the needles of the FB. The two new knitting courses2B and4B are knitted independently. The (n+1)-th knitting course4B of the tongue4may be subjected to an unravel treatment using bind-off stitches or the like, or several (for example one to five) knitting courses may be knitted to follow the (n+1) -th knitting course4B in the wale direction, and then the last knitting course maybe subjected to an unravel treatment. With the unravel treatment, the joint of the instep cover2and the tongue4are fixed.

Here, it is also possible to subject the n-th knitting course4A of the tongue4in Step S5to a binding-off treatment. Furthermore, as an example of an unravel treatment other than the binding-off treatment, a measure is also possible in which the last knitting course of the tongue4is knitted with heat-shrinkable knitting yarn, and the tongue4is subjected to a heat treatment.

InFIG. 4, the front and back positions of all the stitches of the instep cover2and the tongue4are reversed with respect to each other, and then the joint of the instep cover2and the tongue4is fixed. In contrast, each time the front and back positions of a stitch of the instep cover2and a stitch of the tongue4are reversed with respect to each other, a new stitch may be knitted to follow the stitch of the tongue4. Furthermore, each time the front and back positions of a stitch of the instep cover2and a stitch of the stitches of the tongue4are reversed with respect to each other, the stitch of the tongue4may be subjected to a binding-off treatment. Alternatively, the front and back positions of all the stitches of the instep cover2and the tongue4may be reversed at once with respect to each other.

Moreover, it is also possible to form a joint position similar to that inFIG. 2Bby crossing knitting yarn based on the front-back positional relationship between the yarn feeders. By feeding the FB with knitting yarn from the yarn feeder on the BB side, and feeding the BB with knitting yarn from the yarn feeder on the FB side, the knitting yarns fed from the two yarn feeders are crossed with each other between the FB and the BB. Accordingly, by operating the two yarn feeders so that the stitches of the tongue4are passed through the spaces between adjacent stitches of the instep cover2, it is possible to form a joint position similar to that inFIG. 2B.

The scope to which the knitted fabric joining method of the present invention is applied is not limited to a shoe upper. For example, when forming a pocket flap of knitwear, the knitted fabric joining method of the present invention can be applied to join the flap to a body. Furthermore, the knitted fabric joining method of the present invention may also be used for knitting industrial materials other than shoe uppers and knitwear.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS