Anti-Raveling Knitted Fabrics and Method of Their Making

Abstract

An anti-raveling knitted fabrics and method of their fabrication, which contains a bond between yarn segments at a percentage of the places where yarn segments cross over each other in forming the stitches of the fabric. The bond is formed in the presetting stage where the fabric is subject to a heating-cooling process under a set of empirically determined parameters that control the bond formation and the bonding percentage in the fabric. The bond can effectively stop raveling when there is a fracture and break of yarns in the fabric. This method can be applied to both weft-knitted and warp-knitted fabrics.

1 . A knitted fabric, comprising a first yarn and a second yarn forming a plurality of stitches, wherein said first yarn has a melting point lower than said second yarn; segments of said first yarn cross over each other in forming said stitches and result in a plurality of crossover points; and at a percentage of said crossover points there is a bond formed between said segments of said first yarn. 
   
   
       2 . The knitted fabric according to  claim 1 , said first yarn is a polyamide yarn. 
   
   
       3 . The knitted fabric according to  claim 2 , wherein said second yarn is a nylon yarn. 
   
   
       4 . The knitted fabric according to  claim 2 , wherein said percentage of said crossover points is between 5% to 15%. 
   
   
       5 . The knitted fabric according to  claim 2 , wherein said percentage of said crossover points is about 10%. 
   
   
       6 . The knitted fabric according co  claim 2 , wherein said knitted fabric is a weft-knitted fabric. 
   
   
       7 . The knitted fabric according co  claim 2 , wherein said knitted fabric is a warp-knitted fabric. 
   
   
       8 . The knitted fabric according to  claim 7 , wherein said knitted fabric is knitted using a lapping number of 1-0/1-2// for both said first yarn and said second yarn. 
   
   
       9 . The knitted fabric according to  claim 7 , wherein said knitted fabric is knitted using a lapping number of 1-0/2-1// for both said first yarn and said second yarn. 
   
   
       10 . The knitted fabric according to  claim 7 , wherein said knitted fabric is knitted using a lapping number of 0-1/1-0// for said first yarn and a lapping number of 2-2/0-0// for said second yarn. 
   
   
       11 . The knitted fabric according to  claim 7 , wherein said knitted fabric is knitted using a lapping number of 2-2/0-0// for said first yarn and a lapping number of 0-1/1-0// for said second yarn. 
   
   
       12 . A method of producing a knitted fabric of  claim 1 , comprising a step of empirically determine parameters for a presetting stage so that a suitable percentage of bonding is formed in said fabric. 
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein said presetting stage is conducted in an air chamber having one or more sections and said parameters comprises the temperature, speed in each of said sections.