Patent ID: 7421859

Claim:
Latch needle for a loop-forming textile machine, comprising a needle body having a loop-forming part with a hook, a latch slit, a bearing arrangement arranged in the latch slit, and a receiving funnel, a latch having a latch shaft that is pivotally supported on the bearing arrangement and supports a latch head having a transition region with sides facing away from each other, by which the latch shaft terminates in the latch head which has a greater width, a respective first facet located on each side of the transition region of the latch head, whereby the latch is supported so as to pivot between a closed position, in which it contacts the hook, and a rear position, in which at least a portion of a back surface of the latch head of said latch in said transition region interacts with and contacts the receiving funnel, which has a surface curvature corresponding to that of the contacting portion of the back surface; and wherein, at the portion of the back surface in the transition region of the latch head, at least one second facet is provided adjoining each first facet and reducing the width of the portion of the transition region at the back surface, and the surface curvature of the funnel is reduced adjacent outer edges of the funnel.