Knitted Garment and Method of Knitting

Abstract

A method of knitting is performed by a knitting machine having two needle beds and double-ended needles transferable between the two beds, for knitting a ventilated garment panel in which a ventilation channel is formed as part of the base knitted structure. The final article is knitted in one piece. The part of the garment incorporating the ventilation channel is knitted as a three-layer fabric so that the ventilation channel formed by two side walls and one front wall is open to the inside of the garment panel through a wale-wise opening and to the outside of the garment panel at the ends of the ventilation panel. The knitting method comprises knitting a base fabric and the side walls on a first group of selected needles in one needle bed and the front wall on a second group of selected needles in the other needle bed, with transfer of the groups of selected needles in the zone of the ventilation channel from one needle bed to the other to permit the knitting of the side walls and the front wall in the sequence: first side wall—front wall—second side wall.

1 - 10 . (canceled) 
   
   
       11 : A method of knitting, on a knitting machine having two needle beds and double-ended needles transferable between the two beds, a ventilated garment panel in which a ventilation channel is formed as part of a base knitted structure, the ventilation channel comprising a wale-wise opening in the base knitted structure of the ventilated garment panel, spanned by integrally knitted side walls and a front wall which are knitted as a three-layer fabric so that the ventilation channel formed by the side walls and the front wall is open to an inside of the ventilated garment panel through the wale-wise opening and to an outside of the ventilated garment panel at opposite ends of the ventilation channel, the knitting method comprising steps of:
 knitting a base wall and the side walls on a first group of selected ones of the needles in one of the needle beds;   knitting the front wall on a second group of selected ones of the needles in the other of the needle beds; and   transfering the groups of the selected needles in a zone of the ventilation channel from the one needle bed to the other needle bed to permit the knitting of the side walls and the front wall in a knitting sequence: one of the side walls, the front wall, and the other of the side walls.   
   
   
       12 : The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the knitting method is performed by a flat-bed knitting machine. 
   
   
       13 : The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the knitting sequence comprises:
 with selected needles at one side of a group of the needles corresponding to the zone of the ventilation channel having been transfered from a first of the needle beds to a second of the needle beds, knitting a course of the base wall at one side of the ventilation channel on every needle of the first needle bed followed by a same course of the one side wall of the ventilation channel on the non-transfered needles of the first needle bed;   transfering back the selected needles to the first needle bed;   knitting a course of the one side wall of the ventilation channel on the transfered-back needles in the first needle bed;   knitting a course of the front wall of the ventilation channel on selected needles in the second needle bed in the zone of the ventilation channel;   knitting a course of the other side wall of the ventilation channel on selected needles at the other side of the ventilation channel;   transfering the selected needles at the other side of the ventilation channel to the second needle bed; and   knitting a course of the other side wall of the ventilation channel on the non-transfered needles in the first needle bed followed by a course of the base wall at the other side of the ventilation channel on every needle of the first needle bed.   
   
   
       14 : The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the knitting sequence is subsequently carried out in a reverse order to complete a repeat component of a knitting cycle, which is repeated for a number of cycles to create the ventilation channel of a desired length. 
   
   
       15 : The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the selected needles in the first needle bed at the one side and at the other side of the group of needles corresponding to the ventilation channel are alternate needles of the first needle bed. 
   
   
       16 : The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the selected needles in the second needle bed used to knit the front wall are alternate needles of the second needle bed, and alternating with the selected needles in the first needle bed used to knit the side panels. 
   
   
       17 : The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the base wall is knitted for a short length at each of the ends of the ventilation channel behind the side and front walls, and joining the base wall and the side walls together by tuck stitches over the short length. 
   
   
       18 : The method according to  claim 11 , which further comprises locally modifying portions of the walls of the ventilation channel by locally modifying a tension, take-down weight or loop length during the knitting of the side walls and the front wall of the ventilation channel. 
   
   
       19 : A ventilated garment panel knitted by the method according to  claim 11 . 
   
   
       20 : A garment incorporating a ventilated garment panel knitted by the method according to  claim 11 .