CH721302A2 - Multifilament yarn for knitted sports socks - Google Patents

Abstract

The aim was to create a multifilament yarn, preferably as a base yarn for knitted socks (1) for use in sports, which achieves socks with increased strength and abrasion resistance while improving wearing comfort. To achieve this, the multifilament yarn was formed from between 80 and 120 individual yarn filaments, with the yarn filaments making up the following proportions in weight percent of the resulting multifilament yarn: - 50wt% to 60wt% viscose filament, preferably > 55wt%, - 20wt% to 25wt% aramid filament, preferably 23wt% and meta-aramid filaments, - 18wt% to 22wt% polyamide filament, preferably 20wt% and - 1wt% to 3wt% elastane filament, preferably 2wt%.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention describes a multifilament yarn, preferably as a base yarn for knitted socks for use in sports and sports socks made from a multifilament yarn.

State of the art

[0002] Here we are interested in yarns that are preferably used to knit socks or stockings. Socks can be knitted from a variety of yarns, depending on the knitting style, the knitting machine, and the intended use of the socks. Some common yarns for socks are wool, particularly sheep's wool, which is known for its warming properties and ability to wick away moisture. Merino wool is often preferred because of its softness. Cotton is good for lighter and breathable socks, ideal for warmer weather conditions. Synthetic fibers or chemical fibers made from polyester and polyester blends are also popular choices because they are durable, stretchy, and quick-drying. Nylon is often added to sock yarns to increase durability and elasticity. Bamboo fibers are also gaining popularity for socks because they are soft, antibacterial, and moisture-absorbing.

[0003] Although the terms socks and stockings are used synonymously here, there are some differences in their use and length. Socks are generally shorter and usually reach to or just above the ankle. They are often intended for everyday use, sports, or leisure activities. Stockings, on the other hand, are generally longer and can reach to or beyond the knee. The knitted socks of interest here are produced on circular knitting machines using well-known knitting processes on an industrial scale, so the yarn must be suitable for this purpose. The yarn must also be able to be processed into special knitting patterns in order to achieve the desired properties such as moisture management, temperature regulation, and breathability in different sections of the knit. The choice of yarn depends on the intended use. For example, merino wool can provide natural insulation and odor control, while synthetic fibers, which are usually hydrophobic, such as polyester, can have better moisture wicking and drying properties.

[0004] In socks, it is often desirable to incorporate additional knitting patterns made from the yarn used in the basic sock knit or using an additional yarn into the basic sock knit. These include knitted-in padding or raised elements that provide additional properties, such as increased comfort or improved ventilation. For such knitting structures, the yarn used must also be suitable for the basic sock knit or compatible with the additional yarn.

[0005] Although some yarns in the form of multifilament yarns made of yarn filaments of different materials and with different properties are known today, the achievable properties of those used in sports and especially for racing are still not entirely satisfactory.

Description of the invention

[0006] The object of the present invention is to create a yarn composition of a multifilament yarn made of different yarn filaments, which improves socks for sports in particular, whereby wearing comfort is increased despite increased strength and abrasion resistance, the multifilament yarn can be knitted on an industrial knitting machine and many possibilities are open for the introduction of additional knitting structures in the socks.

[0007] The socks knitted with this multifilament yarn in this yarn composition are also claimed as a further invention.

Short description of the drawings

[0008] Features, details, and advantages of the invention will also become apparent from the following description of slightly modified embodiments of the invention. Figure 1 shows a perspective rear view of a knitted sock and a section of the base fabric with the yarn composition in a net knit structure.

Description

[0009] Figure 1 shows a sock 1 knitted from a multifilament yarn. This sock 1 consists essentially and in large areas of a net-like base fabric 10, which encloses a user's foot when worn. The net-like base fabric 10 partially has larger gaps than stitch spaces, which increases air circulation and air supply to the user's skin. Various knitting patterns are known to those skilled in the art as the net-like base fabric 10.

[0010] A cuff 11 is knitted into the side of the sock 1 facing the calf, whereby an additional yarn can be used. The cuff 11 ensures that the sock 1 stays on the leg and does not slip down. The cuff 11 is elastic to adapt to different leg circumferences, which plays an important role in the wearing comfort of the sock 1. A protective pad 12 is knitted in here in the area of the Achilles tendon using at least one additional yarn during the production of the sock 1 on a knitting machine. The protective pad 12 protects the user's Achilles tendon from rubbing inside a shoe. Also knitted into the basic knitted fabric 10 is at least one instep protection pad 13 in the area of the instep of a foot on the top of the metatarsal, from the base of the toes to the beginning of the leg. This area includes tendons, muscles, blood vessels, and nerves, which should be protected by additionally knitted instep protection pads 13, especially in sports socks.

[0011] It has been shown that the wearing comfort of sports socks can and must be increased by using an optimized yarn in the form of a multifilament with an optimized composition to protect a user's foot during athletic exertion. For this purpose, the basic knit 10, which forms the knitted base of the sock 1, is knitted with a multifilament yarn consisting of at least 80 to 120 individual yarn filaments.

[0012] Preferably, the number of individual yarn filaments in the multifilament yarn is greater than 100, and more preferably, it is 115 +/- 5 individual yarn filaments in a strand of the multifilament yarn. Due to the high number of individual yarn filaments, the multifilament yarn exhibits extremely high strength.

[0013] Since the yarn filaments are produced by extrusion, the average diameters of the individual yarn filaments are typically between 50 micrometers and 200 micrometers and the average diameter of the processed multifilament yarn is typically between 0.8 mm and 1.6 mm.

[0014] Thinner multifilament yarns with Tex values ranging from 50 to a maximum of 200 are used to manufacture this functional underwear. Tex is a metric unit and measures the weight in grams of 1,000 meters of yarn.

[0015] Additionally, the individual yarn filaments are preferably twisted or braided together, so that the multifilament yarn has a stranded configuration, which increases the cohesion of the yarn filaments and further enhances the overall strength. This can be achieved by high-twisting or air-texturing or air-entangling.

[0016] The chemical composition of the yarn filaments and thus of the resulting multifilament yarn results in socks with a high level of comfort. Additionally, it was discovered that the resulting socks have a higher flame retardancy than expected due to the multifilament yarn.

[0017] The multifilament yarn is composed of yarn filaments, expressed as a percentage by weight, of the resulting multifilament yarn as follows: – 50 wt% to 60 wt% viscose filament, which can be defined as inherently flame-retardant and flame-resistant according to the European Chemical Fiber Federation (CIRFS). The viscose filament is preferably produced using the modal fiber production process. Well-known trade names include LENZING FR fibers. Particularly preferably, the multifilament yarn comprises 55 wt% of the viscose filament. – 20 wt% to 25 wt% aramid filament, preferably 23 wt%, where aramid is defined as a polyamide with aromatic groups in the main chain, in which at least 85% of the amide groups are directly bonded to two aromatic rings. Meta-aramid filaments (e.g., Nomex® from DuPont or Teijinconex® from Teijin Aramid) should be used. – 18wt% to 22wt% polyamide filament, preferably 20wt%, with the preferred polyamide being PA 6.6 = polyhexamethylene adipamide and/or PA 6 = polycaprolactam and/or PA14 = polytetradecanamide and/or PA11 = polyaminoundecanedioamide and/or PA12 = polylaurolactam. – 1wt% to 3wt% elastane filament, most preferably 2wt%, i.e. an elastomer filament that consists of at least 85% polyurethane by weight and is therefore also abbreviated PUE (PolyUrethane Elastic).

[0018] The chemical and physical properties of the individual yarn filaments along and across the fiber longitudinal direction or fiber orientation are different, which is why the individual yarn filaments and thus the multifilament yarn can be described as anisotropic.

[0019] Due to the nature of the multifilament yarn, the strand formation, and the chemical composition described above, heat conduction is effectively prevented, and the slightly textured surface of the multifilament yarn offers little surface area for flames to attack, thus providing the multifilament yarn with increased flame-retardant properties. This flame-resistant multifilament yarn has no melting point, so there is no risk of burns from hot, liquid plastic. The material only carbonizes at temperatures above 400°C.

[0020] The knitted functional underwear presented here, usually seamless and single-layered, at least in part, is knitted with a special multifilament yarn in a basic knitting structure along at least several areas in a novel 3D knitting structure. This multifilament yarn forms the base yarn of the functional underwear and can also be knitted in sections with other, different yarns. Seamlessly knitted tubular parts of the functional underwear are joined to form an upper and a lower part. The special multifilament yarn can be used exclusively in some areas of the functional underwear and can be interlaced with an additional, different yarn during the knitting process in other areas. The functional underwear is primarily flame-retardant.

[0021] Since different areas are exposed to less elevated temperatures and/or additional functions such as moisture wicking or breathability are desired, the yarn mix and knitting pattern may differ in these areas, as can be seen in Figures 1 and 2.

[0022] The basic knitted fabric made of special multifilament yarn has a 3D knitting structure, which is created by the knitting pattern used, knitted on a circular knitting machine.

[0023] The additional functional knit structures are knitted into the functional underwear from the multifilament yarn alone, mixed with other yarns, or from a different yarn, as can be seen from the differently structured and colored sections of the functional underwear. Here, the correspondingly different functional knit structures are knitted into the elbows, spine, chest, genitals, and backs of the knees.

[0024] This 3D knitted structure made from the special multifilament yarn comprises knitted hollow shapes with air pockets, whereby the hollow shapes were created as elongated, i.e., longer than wide, and thus tubular or hose-shaped elements during the knitting process. Due to the air pockets and the tubular shape, these hollow shapes protrude from a knitted fabric surface, thus forming raised hollow shapes. Distributed across the functional underwear, this 3D knitted structure forms the basic knitted fabric made from the multifilament yarn defined in more detail below. A plurality of hollow shapes is preferably homogeneous and distributed across the functional underwear in a regularly repeating pattern.

[0025] Due to the 3D knitted structure, knitted hollow shapes with air pockets, arranged in different hollow-shape patterns, lie directly on the user's skin, i.e., protruding from the knitted surface of the base yarn toward the skin. The user's skin is indicated in Figure 3a by the thick black line. This hollow-shape pattern comprises a plurality of knitted hollow shapes, forming the 3D knitted structure. The elongated hollow shapes are formed by the multifilament yarn, as schematically shown in Figure 3a.

[0026] Resulting sports socks 1 are preferably worn in racing under racing suits by an athlete directly on the skin.

List of reference symbols

[0027] 1 Socks 10 Base fabric 11 Waistband 12 Protective padding (in the area of the Achilles tendon) 13 Instep protection padding

Claims (10)

1. Multifilament yarn, preferably as a base yarn for knitted socks (1) for use in sports, characterized in that the multifilament yarn is formed from between 80 and 120 individual yarn filaments, wherein the yarn filaments make up the following proportions in weight percent of the resulting multifilament yarn: – 50 wt% to 60 wt% viscose filament, preferably > 55 wt%, – 20 wt% to 25 wt% aramid filament, preferably 23 wt% and aramid filaments, – 18 wt% to 22 wt% polyamide filament, preferably 20 wt%, and – 1 wt% to 3 wt% elastane filament, preferably 2 wt%. 2. Multifilament yarn according to claim 1, wherein the multifilament yarn preferably comprises more than 100 and more preferably 115 (+/-5) individual yarn filaments. 3. Multifilament yarn according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the average filament diameters of the individual yarn filaments made of the different materials are between 50 micrometers and 200 micrometers. 4. Multifilament yarn according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the individual yarn filaments are twisted or braided together so that the multifilament yarn has a stranded configuration. 5. Multifilament yarn according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the average diameters of the processed multifilament yarn are between 0.8 mm and 1.6 mm. 6. Multifilament yarn according to one of the preceding claims, which has Tex values between 50 and 200 Tex. 7. Multifilament yarn according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the polyamide used is preferably PA 6.6 = polyhexamethylene adipamide and/or PA 6 = polycaprolactam and/or PA14 = polytetradecanamide and/or PA11 = polyaminoundecanedioamide and/or PA12 = polylaurolactam. 8. Multifilament yarn according to one of the preceding claims, wherein elastane filament is understood to mean a filament which consists of at least 85% by weight of polyurethane. 9. Multifilament yarn according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the aramid used is a polyamide with aromatic groups in the main chain, in which at least 85% of the amide groups are directly bonded to two aromatic rings, preferably meta-aramid filaments. 10. Sports socks made from a multifilament yarn according to one of the preceding claims, for forming a net-like basic knit, wherein the sports socks (1) have a waistband (11), a protective pad (12) in the area of the Achilles tendon of a user and at least one instep protection pad (13) along the instep of the sports sock (1), wherein the waistband (11), protective pad (12) and instep protection pad (13) are knitted with another yarn or the multifilament yarn.