Patent ID: 7523624

Claim:
Latch needle for a loop-forming textile machine a knitting machine, comprising: a needle body ( 2 ) having a needle shaft ( 20 ) with a shaft width ( 11 ), said shaft width to be measured between a first lateral surface ( 18 ) and a second lateral surface ( 19 ), and having a loop-forming part ( 3 ) with a hook ( 4 ) and a latch slit ( 5 ), and with a bearing arrangement ( 6 ) located in the latch slit ( 5 ), a latch ( 7 ) having a latch shaft, which is pivotally supported on the bearing arrangement ( 6 ) and bears a latch head provided with a receiving space for receiving the tip of the hook and having a width that is to be measured between a first lateral surface and a second lateral surface; and wherein the latch is supported so as to be pivotable between a rear position and a closed position, in the closed position, the latch head receiving space interacts with and receives the tip of the hook, at least partially, within the receiving space in order to form a hook inside space, and the width of the latch head is smaller than 95% of the width of the needle shaft.