Self-curling knitted sleeve and method of fabrication
AssigneeFederal-Mogul Worldwide, Inc.
InventorAngela L. Baer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A warp knit self-curling fabric and methods of construction thereof provides an elongate sleeve having overlapping edges for protecting elongate members. The fabric includes warp stitches and a plurality of weft stitches. The fabric comprises at least three yarns warp knit together, wherein one of the weft stitches is knit using a tricot stitch of a monofilament under tension to bias the fabric into a self-curled configuration about a central space. The monofilament forms an inner surface of the sleeve.
Claims61
An elongate self-curling sleeve for protecting elongated members, said sleeve, comprising:
- a knitted fabric having opposite free edges extending along a longitudinal axis of said sleeve, said free edges being biased in overlapping relation and being separable under an externally applied force for receiving and removing said elongate members;
- a first yarn forming chain stitches extending in a warp direction along said longitudinal axis, said chain stitches being formed predominately on one face of said fabric;
- a second yarn forming laying-in stitches extending along a weft direction between said free edges;
- and
- a third yarn of monofilament knitted under tension in tricot stitches extending in the weft direction between said free edges, said tricot stitches being formed predominantly on another face of said fabric opposite said one face and biasing said fabric in a self-curled configuration about said longitudinal axis under said tension.
A self-curling sleeve having knitted warp stitches and a plurality of weft stitches, comprising:
- a chain stitch of a first yarn forming said warp stitches;
- a first tricot stitch of a second yarn forming one of said weft stitches;
- and
- a second tricot stitch of a monofilament forming another of said weft stitches predominantly on one face of said sleeve, said second tricot stitch being knitted under tension and biasing said sleeve into a self-curled configuration about a central space.
A self-curling knitted sleeve having a plurality of warp stitches and a plurality of weft stitches, comprising:
- a first chain stitch of a first yarn forming one of said warp stitches;
- a second chain stitch of a second yarn forming another of said warp stitches;
- a lay-in stitch of a third yarn forming one of said weft stitches;
- and
- a tricot stitch of a monofilament forming another of said weft stitches, said tricot stitch being positioned predominantly on one face of said sleeve and being knitted under tension to bias said sleeve into a self-curled configuration about a central space.
A method of fabricating a self-curling sleeve having a longitudinal axis extending between opposite ends, comprising:
- warp knitting a plurality of warp yarns and a plurality of first weft yarns together;
- and
- inserting a plurality of second weft yarns with said warp yarns and said first weft yarns during said warp knitting step, said second weft yarns causing said first weft yarns to curl about said longitudinal axis.
A method of fabricating an elongate self-curling sleeve for protecting elongate members on a warp knitting machine, comprising:
- warp knitting three yarns together to construct a self-curling fabric having opposite free edges arranged to overlap one another upon exiting the warp knitting machine;
- and
- providing a first of said three yarns as a monofilament and knitting said monofilament under tension using tricot stitches extending in a weft direction between said free edges, said tricot stitches being formed predominantly on a face of said sleeve that forms an inner surface of said sleeve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.