EP1020554B2 - Device for designing knitwear made on a knitting machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The apparatus has at least one memory to store the data for the knitting at the knitter, a display to show the design images of the knitting and at least one input to alter the images. The design images show at least one display for the stitches and a display to show the yarn movements which can be altered through the input unit. The apparatus to design a knitted product, produced on a knitter, has at least one memory (10) to store the data for the knitting at the knitter. It has at least one display to show the design images of the knitting and at least one input to alter the images. The design images show at least one display for the stitches (11) and a display to show the yarn movements (12) which can be altered through the input unit. When the image is altered at one display (11,12), the other display (12,11) is adjusted simultaneously to meet the changes. The two displays (11,12) are shown together and at the same time on a screen. A number of sections of one display (11) and/or the other display (12) are shown together and at the same time on at least one screen. The front and back sides of the knitting design of one display (11) and/or the other display are shown together and at the same time on at least one screen. The stitch display (11) gives a virtual reality presentation in three dimensions of all the elements of the stitching such as the stitches, the catch, and floats. The input unit allows changes to be made at each needle position to change the type, size and shape of the stitches in the display, and be related to the nature of the knitting yarn. The yarn movement display (12) has symbols for all the movements of the yarn at the needles, and the needle actions, such as in or out of use, stitch transfer and take-up, casting off and the like, together with the knitter operating parameters such as for the yarn guides and the slide movements, fabric take-off, needle bed racking, etc. The symbols for the yarn movement display (12), with the needle actions, can be combined into modules. The stitches in the stitch display (11) can also be combined into modules. The modules are stored in memory (10). The modules are taken from memory to be used as the knitting design, with a system which monitors that modules can only be used together in a structure which can be knitted at a knitting machine. The modules are brought together in their displays (11,12) to show the knitted fabric and the knitting execution, with defined threshold modules between the stitch and needle deployment displays for the fabric being designed. An overlay brings together several knitted rows of one display (11) and/or the other display (12) into a knitted row, giving a graphic correction on at least one display screen, together with a presentation of module repetitions and/or mirror images of the modules. The presentation of the modules can be enlarged on the display screen. The memory (10) has stored data for known Jacquard pattern structures to be shown as stitches and also the needle and yarn movement actions required. A generator provides the data to show the front and reverse sides of the Jacquard fabric patterning, and the input unit gives the user an interactive facility to convert the Jacquard pattern data into control data for the knitter. The memory (10) also holds data for most frequently used conversion algorithms between pattern and control data sets. The same memory (10) is used for data relating to the knitted stitches and the data for the needle actions and yarn movements to form the stitches.

Description

The invention relates to a device for designing knitted products produced on a knitting or knitting machine with at least one storage device for receiving the necessary for the production of the knitted product on the knitting or knitting machine data, at least one display device for displaying design images of the knitted product and at least one input device to change the design images.

Such patterning devices are for example from the EP 0 640 707 A1 , of the DE 44 31 898 A1 as well as the WO 94/11794 known. With these patterning systems, it is possible to fully exploit the knitting possibilities of electronically controlled, fully automatic knitting or knitting machines. It can be used to design and produce knitted fabrics with intricate weaves, highly complex color patterns and elaborate contours.

In the previously known sampling systems, the parameters of the knitted product to be produced are input in different input groups, which can or must be edited separately. These input groups mainly contain form information, color information, structure information, jacquard information and mesh size information. In addition, yarn properties and machine parameters must be entered. From these data, computer-controlled processing sequences form data with which a knitting or knitting machine can produce the desired knitted product. The knitted product is usually printed on the display device of the patterning machine in the form of a threadline (eg in the case of the yarn guide) WO 94/11794 ), which illustrates the knitting process - knitting series for knitting series - by symbols. In this form, in most known systems, the knitted product is also input and then converted by a conversion program into the control data for the knitting machine. In addition, the known from the above documents sampling systems have conversion programs that can convert the yarn path representation in a mesh display and display. However, a direct conversion of the mesh image representation in a yarn guide is not possible.

In the "Knitting International", no. 1238, June 1997, a 3D-mesh simulator is described, which, however, does not allow a change in the knit in the mesh display and thus does not translate such a change into another representation. The program "Simula" of the company LOGICA, Cavezzo, Italy allows the generation and modification of a knitwear by means of color segments.

The fact that the above-mentioned sampling systems for creating the design data for the knitted product require the input of knit data and machine parameters and primarily indicate the threadline representation of the knitted product, they are primarily suitable for the technically oriented user. For a fashion designer who creates his designs in real mesh images, however, they are not a suitable design tool, since the mesh image representation can only be done as the threadline representation downstream operation on the known systems. An input and change in the structure of the knitted product is possible only in the threadline representation, so that it must be controlled in order to use the patterning system effectively.

The present invention has for its object to enable the generation of control data for the production of a knitted product for a knitting or knitting machine users without knowledge of the thread running line symbolism.

The object is achieved with an aforementioned device according to the invention that at least one mesh image representation and a yarn guide representation of the mesh product representable and changeable by the at least one input device as the design images, wherein the design means mitverändert simultaneously changing the presentation of one of the representations via an input device ,

In the design device according to the invention, it is now possible to use both the yarn path representation and the mesh image representation for input and correction of the elements of a mesh product, wherein simultaneously the data of the other representations are mitverändert. The device is thus suitable as a design tool for both pure fashion designers and for more technically oriented users. Preferably, the mesh image representations and the associated yarn guide representations can be displayed simultaneously on the display device. Of course, even further, for example machine closer representations of the mesh product can be additionally displayed by the design device, if desired.

Further advantages result if several sections of the knitted product can be displayed simultaneously on the at least one display device in mesh image representation and / or yarn running representation. This simultaneous representation can be made possible, for example, with the windowing technique known per se. All windows are equal when editing and visualize the same knitting information. Changes in a window cause the appearance of the changed knit specification in the other window (s). A modification of the threadline representation can be viewed immediately in the realistic mesh image representation. This facilitates the detection of errors or unwanted effects. Also, the front and the back of the mesh product can be displayed in mesh image representation and / or yarn running representation on the at least one display device.

The mesh image representation may preferably contain a realistic, three-dimensional representation of all elements of a mesh product such as mesh, catch, float, wherein individual elements can be incorporated by offset and Umhängeoperationen in a different direction than the wales of the basic knit. In this case, with the at least one input device for each needle position of the mesh product, the type, the shape and the size of the mesh in the mesh image representation can be specified and changed. In addition, there may be indications as to which knitting yarn the stitch should be formed with. In addition, the design means may comprise means for calculating and mapping the mesh shape depending on the type, size and shape of the adjacent stitches and depending on the properties of the knitting yarns used. This results in a particularly realistic image of the mesh product to be produced.

Structural patterns such as braid, aran, etc. have sections in which stitches from the vertically extending wales are laterally transferred to the mesh of another wale. This creates forces in the knitted fabric which influence the orientation of the stitches. In a preferred embodiment of the design device, the user can be offered various types of representation. Once the Grundmaschenverband in unchanged arrangement and only the stitches, which are laterally and / or vertically suspended, be shown as elongated as the distance from their Ausgangsschenchenstäbchen to the suspended position. However, the mesh can also be represented as it looks in accordance with the forces acting in the mesh forces in reality, whereby the lying in the immediate vicinity of the staggered stitches stitches of the Grundmaschenverbandes be somewhat elongated or shortened. The user can also be given the opportunity to change individual elements such as mesh, catch or float in their position according to his visual perception of the overall mesh.

When knitted with stitches of different size and yarn thickness, these stitches can be displayed faithfully in terms of both the thread size and their size in the mesh image representation.

The threadline representation of the knitwear may include symbols for all the elements of the knitwear such as knit, catch, floats and the needles of the knitting or knitting machine and their activities such as knitting, non-knitting, transferring, taking over, dropping, etc., and preferably symbols for parameters of knitting or knitting machine such as yarn guide and carriage movements, fabric take-off, needle bed offset or the like.

A strong design simplification can be achieved in that the design means comprises means for combining mesh groups of the mesh image representation and symbols of the threadline representation into modules and memory devices for storing these modules. These modules can then be reused later in the same mesh product elsewhere or even as a new mesh product as a unit. In addition, means may be provided for the mesh-technically correct integration of the modules when they are inserted into the stitch pattern representation and / or yarn running representation of a mesh product. The connection of the mesh between the module and the basic knit of the knitted product then corresponds to the real conditions.

The design means may also comprise means for graphically superimposing a plurality of knitting courses of a threadline representation into a knitting course or for combining a plurality of knitting courses of a stitched picture representation on the at least one display device. As a result, several rows of knitting can be pushed together so that they are represented in their vertical extent as a single row of knitting. As a result, applications in the form of spatial structures can be represented very realistically on the display device. Special advantages of these facilities in jacquard patterns. Here, for example, in a three-color jacquard, the three rows of knitting necessary for producing a visual knitting line can be pushed together in a row. The stitches on the back of the jacquard are placed behind the stitching on the jacquard front panel, which corresponds to a realistic appearance of a jacquard knit. In other double-faced knits, too, the stitches of the second surface appear as viewed on the first surface.

If the mesh product to be produced has a tipping area, then this can be imaged horizontally according to the knitting sequence on the knitting or knitting machine knitting row for knitting row. The stitches, which do not knit in the spike area, are stretched so long until they participate in the knitting process again. But even here, the presentation can be "pushed together" so that a more realistic representation results, in which the rows of stitches between the Spickelbereichen obliquely with respect to the courses of the basic knit run.

Even jacquard patterns can be imaged in a so-called rectified representation, in which all color knitting rows for generating a line of sight of the jacquard pattern are shown one above the other in the vertical direction. In addition, the design device can be devices for the graphic equalization of combined knitted rows in the stitch pattern representation and / or superimposed knitted rows in the threadline representation on the at least have a display device.

Further great advantages can be achieved if devices for duplicating and / or mirroring modules as well as devices for enlarging modules are provided on the at least one display device. The number of stitches per knitting module in height and width is arbitrary. This also applies to the external shape.

Knitting modules can be formed in two ways: either as a cutout of a knitted fabric in stitch pattern or thread running or as a separate knit, which is created in stitch pattern or threadline representation. For the knitting modules there are automatically both types of display. Thus, a knitting module produced in the threadline representation can be used at any time in a mesh image representation of a knitted product and is then also there to be seen in mesh image representation. It is also possible that knitting modules form the edge of a knit. When inserted into the design image of a mesh product, the modules can be joined together horizontally or vertically, added offset to one another, or even placed at a defined distance from one another. You can also specify an area to be filled by a specific module. If the modules are not included in this area, the remaining area will be filled with corresponding sub-modules.

For each knitting module additional attributes can be stored, which indicate their possibility of use. These attributes may include, for example, the mirroring capability of the module to the left and right or up and down or the integrity of the module, i. H. the requirement that the module can only be used as a whole in the mesh product. With the help of attributes, it can also be stated that the module must be knitted for itself when it is formed in the mesh product. The machine fineness in which the module must be formed or the maximum possible offset of the module can also be specified as attributes.

When inserting a module into a basic knit of a knitted product, the following criteria can be taken into account:

If in the same set of the basic knitted fabric and a module meshes are made, then meshes of the module in its part replace a mesh of basic knitted fabric. If, on the other hand, stitches are formed in the row of basic knits and stitches are transferred in the module knitting row, then a transfer row is inserted in the basic knit. If stitches are transferred in the knitting course of the basic knit and stitches are formed in the module knit line, then the stitches of the module in its area replace the stitches of the next knitting course of the basic knit. If stitches are transferred both in the basic knit and in the module in the same knitting row, the offset and transfer movements take place according to a predeterminable ranking. If loops are thrown in a module knitting row, then a kick-off row is inserted in the basic knit, if a row of throw-off rows does not already exist in the same knitting row of the basic knit. In the basic knitted fabric as well as in the module, height repeats can be marked in which the knitting sequence must not be changed by the module integration routines.

The same module can be inserted into basic knits with a variety of weave types. At the same time, the user can specify how the process automatism should react to the different types of knitting in the border area of the module. Such specifications can be defined individually for each needle, which lies directly inside or outside the module contour. In this way it can be determined with which assignment type - stitch, catch, no stitch - a needle in the border area has to be modified. In addition, it is possible to specify how the basic knit should be modified in the border area depending on the type of occupation of the needles there. For this purpose, separate boundary modules are defined. Such a boundary module can be inserted directly at the boundary between knitting module and basic knit or in a knitting technology-related distance to it.

The design means may also include a jacquard generator for designing the jacquard visible side tie structure with the jacquard back of a stitched and / or stitched knit fabric. The colors of the visible side can be specified in the stitch pattern or threadline representation or as a meshed color image. All jacquard connection structures between the visible side and the back, which represent the prior art in the knitting technique, may already be contained in a memory of the device and are offered to the user in menu presentation for use. If the user has selected a connection structure of the menu, the desired connection structure is automatically formed by the jacquard generator depending on the jacquard viewing side. However, the user can also use the jacquard generator to define a connection structure and save it.

After input of knit data in stitch pattern representation or thread running representation calculated from the design means the control data for the knitting or knitting machine. However, the implementation of knitting information in control data is sometimes ambiguous. There may be different possibilities for this, for example. The design means may therefore conveniently comprise an interactive means for influencing the translation of the design images of the knitted product into control data for the knitting or knitting machine via the at least one input device. This makes it possible, by hand, one of several implementation options of the design images into the control data. Storage means may also be provided for storing frequently required implementation algorithms specified by the interactive device between design images of the knit product and control data for the knitting machine. This gives the user the option of selecting an existing algorithm for a given conversion problem, so that it does not have to be reentered. The interactive device may also be adjustable so that the user can determine, for all detected implementation problems, whether his interactively made inputs should automatically be considered for the entire mesh product or, in general, for all knitted products to be manufactured.

The invention also relates to a method for the design of knitted products produced on a knitting machine, which is characterized in that the knitted product is displayed on a display device at least in stitched representation and yarn guide representation and the other representations are changed simultaneously when one of the representations is changed. The mesh image representation and the threadline representation can each be converted into design data for the mesh product and stored in a common memory unit. For both types of representation of the mesh product thus a common data set is generated, whereby the simultaneous implementation of the change of a representation is facilitated to the other representation.

The invention also relates to a knitting machine having a design device according to the invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the possibilities of a design device according to the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing.

Fig. 1

eine Prinzipdarstellung einer erfindungsgemäßen Entwurfseinrichtung zusammen mit einer Flachstrickmaschine;

Fig. 2

eine Prinzipdarstellung einer Speichereinheit sowie einer Maschenbilddarstellung und einer Fadenlaufdarstellung eines Gestrickausschnittes;

Fig. 3

eine Frontansicht eines Monitors mit Fenstern mit verschiedenen Maschenbild- und Fadenlaufdarstellungen;

Fig. 4

eine Maschenbilddarstellung eines Maschenerzeugnisses;

Fig. 5

eine Maschenbilddarstellung des Randbereichs eines Maschenerzeugnisses;

Fig. 6 a), b)

zwei verschiedene Maschenbilddarstellungen einer Maschenkreuzung in einem Gestrick;

Fig. 7

eine Maschenbilddarstellung eines Gestricks mit Maschen unterschiedlicher Größe und Garnstärke;

Fig. 8 a), b)

zwei verschiedene Maschenbilddarstellungen eines Gestricks mit einer Wellenapplikation;

Fig. 9 a), b)

die Vorder- und die Rückseite eines Zweifarb-Jacquardgestricks in Maschenbilddarstellung;

Fig. 10 a), b)

zwei unterschiedliche Möglichkeiten der Darstellung eines Spickelbereichs eines Gestricks;

Fig. 11

eine Fadenlaufdarstellung eines Zopfgestricks;

Fig. 12 a), b)

eine Fadenlaufdarstellung eines ZweifarbJacquardgestricks in entzerrter und überlagerter Form;

Fig. 13 a), b)

eine Fadenlaufdarstellung eines Spickelbereichs eines Gestricks in entzerrter und zusammengeschobener Form;

Fig. 14 a), b), c)

eine schematische Darstellung eines Strickmoduls mit Kennzeichnung der Randbereiche des Strickmoduls und des umgebenden Gestricks;

Fig. 15

eine schematische Darstellung eines in ein Gestrick eingesetzten Strickmoduls mit einem Grenzmodul;

Fig. 16

eine schematische Darstellung einer Eingabemaske eines Jacquard-Generators;

Fig. 17 a), b)

eine schematische Darstellung eines aus mehreren Bereichen zusammengesetzten Strickmoduls in Originalgröße und in aufgedehnter Größe.

In detail show:

Fig. 1

a schematic diagram of a design device according to the invention together with a flat knitting machine;

Fig. 2

a schematic diagram of a memory unit and a mesh image representation and a yarn guide representation of a fabric cutout;

Fig. 3

a front view of a monitor with windows with different stitch pattern and threadline representations;

Fig. 4

a mesh image representation of a mesh product;

Fig. 5

a mesh image representation of the edge region of a mesh product;

Fig. 6 a), b)

two different mesh representations of a mesh interlacing in a knit;

Fig. 7

a mesh image representation of a knitted mesh with different size and yarn size;

Fig. 8 a), b)

two different mesh images of a knitted fabric with a wave application;

Fig. 9 a), b)

the front and the back of a two-color Jacquard knitted fabric in stitched representation;

Fig. 10 a), b)

two different ways of displaying a Spickelbereichs a knitted fabric;

Fig. 11

a yarn guide representation of a Zopfgestricks;

Fig. 12 a), b)

a threadline representation of a two-color Jacquard knit in equalized and superimposed form;

Fig. 13 a), b)

a yarn guide representation of a Spickelbereichs a knitted fabric in equalized and collapsed form;

Fig. 14 a), b), c)

a schematic representation of a knitting module with marking of the edge regions of the knitting module and the surrounding knitted fabric;

Fig. 15

a schematic representation of a knitting module used in a knitted fabric with a limit module;

Fig. 16

a schematic representation of an input mask of a jacquard generator;

Fig. 17 a), b)

a schematic representation of a composite of several areas knitting module in original size and in an expanded size.

Fig. 1 shows a possible configuration of a knitted product design device according to the invention with a computer 1, a monitor 3 as a display device and a keyboard 2 and a graphics tablet 4 as input devices. In addition, an external mass storage 6 and a printer 5 are connected to the computer 1 as a further display device. The control data generated by the design device are forwarded in the example shown to a flat knitting machine 8, as indicated by an arrow 7.

Fig. 2 illustrates the two different design images that can be displayed on the display device 3 of the design system. It is a mesh image representation 11 and a yarn guide 12 of the mesh product. Both representations 11 and 12 are generated from data of a common memory 10, which is symbolically indicated here. Even when editing and changing one of the two representations 11 or 12, the same data record on the memory 10 is changed in each case. This makes it possible to mitzuverändern the other representation simultaneously when changing one of the representations 11 or 12.

In Fig. 3 is the monitor 3 off Fig. 1 shown enlarged. On the screen, a plurality of windows 20, 21, 22, 23 are displayed, wherein the windows 20, 21 mesh images and the windows 22, 23 contain thread representations. By means of this windowing technique, it is thus possible to simultaneously make both mesh image representations and yarn course representations visible in several sections of the mesh product.

Fig. 4 shows a section of a mesh image representation, from which the realism of this representation becomes clear. Various elements are shown, such as a legal mesh 30, a legal mesh 31 pulled up over two mesh heights, a right-hand stitch 32, which is looped over to the left, and a stitch 33, which is looped over to the right. The mesh 34 is a legal mesh that is pulled up over three mesh heights. All stitches are shown in three dimensions and can of course also be colored, the color suitably corresponds to the color of the knitting thread used.

Fig. 5 shows the mesh image representation of a peripheral region of a mesh product. Two right-stitches 35 and 36 are connected by a connection loop 37. This corresponds to the representation in Fig. 5 exactly the actual thread course of the associated knitted piece.

Fig. 6 Figure 12 shows the stitched image representation of a mesh product having a mesh overcross in two different display modes. In Fig. 6 a) Only the actually intersecting stitches are drawn obliquely to the vertical, while all other stitches, in particular those immediately below the intersecting stitches 40 and 41 are located completely unchanged. In contrast, in Fig. 6b) the circumstances displayed more realistically. Here now not only the actually intersecting stitches run obliquely to the vertical, but also the adjacent stitches, such as the stitches 40 'and 41', as is the case in the real knitted piece due to the forces acting on it through the mesh intersection.

In Fig. 7 the mesh image representation of a knit fabric is shown with meshes of different sizes and yarn counts. Again, the transition between the small, made with fine yarn right meshes 45 and the large, made with coarser yarn stitches 46 is carried out close to reality.

Fig. 8 relates to a mesh image representation of a knitted fabric with a dark-drawn wave application 51. In Fig. 8 a) the two knitting rows of the wave application 51 are shown in normal size and the stitches 52 formed before and after the application 51 are shown drawn in the length. Fig. 8 a) is thus a rather theoretical representation, but shows the application 51 itself very well. In Fig. 8b) however, a more realistic representation has been chosen. The two courses of the wave application 51 'are pushed together here and the remaining stitches 50' shown in their original size and unstretched. To enable these forms of presentation, the design device includes means for graphically equalizing and superposing meshes and courses.

Fig. 9 a) shows the front of a two-color jacquard knitted mesh and Fig. 9b) the back of the associated knit. It is possible to display both representations together on the screen of the monitor 3.

In Fig. 10 Two different ways of displaying a tipping area with mesh symbols are shown. In Fig. 10 a) the two Spickelbereiche 61 and 63 are shown horizontally according to their production on the machine. The region 60 is the knit region immediately before the first spandrel region 61, while the region 64 is the spandex region subsequent to the second spandex region 63. The two Spickelbereiche 61 and 63 are separated by a region 62 full knit width. The stitches 65 and 66 in the tucking regions 61 and 63, which in the manufacture of the tipping region depend on needles which temporarily do not take part in the knitting process of the knitting and knitting machine during the tying operation, are shown drawn out. The elongation extends over as many knitting rows as the associated needle of the respective stitch does not participate in the knitting process. In the more realistic representation in Fig. 10b) the stitches in the intermediate region 62 'run obliquely, while all stitches in the spatter regions 61' and 63 'are shown in undistorted size.

Fig. 11 shows a first threadline representation of a 2x3 braid knit. The rows 1, 2, 4 and 8 contain knitting information for stitch formation in the front and rear needle bed V, H of a flat knitting machine. In the rows 3 and 5, details of transfers of stitches of the needles 9, 10 and 11 or of 6, 7 and 8 from the front needle bed V to the rear needle bed H are shown. Rows 6 and 7 include needle bed offset and tag details. Thus, in row 6, the stitches of the needles 6, 7 and 8 are offset from the rear needle bed H by three stitches to the right and transferred to the front needle bed V. In row 7 the transfer of the stitches of the needles 9, 10 and 11 from the back needle bed H is shown offset by three stitches to the left on the front needle bed V. In contrast to the mesh image representation, the yarn guide is no longer realistic, but is generated by symbols. The threadline representation corresponds more to the operations that the knitting or knitting machine for making the mesh product must perform.

In Fig. 12 Two different possibilities of the threadline representations of a two-color jacquard knit are shown. Fig. 12 a) shows for each color of the two-color jacquard knit a separate knitting row, wherein the rows 1, 3, 5 and 7 of the first color and the rows 2, 4, 6 and 8 of the second color are assigned. In Fig. 12b) in each case two of the knitting rows are made Fig. 12 a) superimposed and thus form a visual knitting series, ie a row of knitting, as it subsequently appears on the finished product. The stitches 70 are stitches formed in the first color and the stitches 71 are stitches formed in the second color.

Fig. 13 shows two ways of yarn path representation of Spickelbereichen a knitted piece. In Fig. 13 a) At a first knit area 80 with full knit width, a first spandex area 81 follows, in which fewer and fewer needles are involved in the knitting process. This is followed by a knit area 82 in full knit width, followed by another spandex area 83, in which increasingly more knitting needles participate in the knitting process until the full knit width is reached again in area 84. The representation in Fig. 13b) is closer to reality. Here now the stitches of the intermediate region 82 'run obliquely to the knitting direction, as they subsequently appear in the finished fabric. The remaining areas 80 ', 81', 83 'and 84' remain opposite in their representation Fig. 13 a) unchanged.

Fig. 14 a) illustrates the insertion of a knitting module 110 bordered by a thick black line into a basic knit 100. The border stitches of the knitting module 110 to the basic knit 100 are designated by 111, while the boundary stitches of the basic knit 100 to the knitting module 110 are designated by 101. For incorporation of the knitting module 110 into the basic knit 100, changes in these limit stitches 101 and / or 111 may be necessary beforehand, so that the knitting module 110 can be correctly integrated into the basic knit 100. In Fig. 14b) For example, a stylized template 200 is indicated for any boundary mesh 101 or 111. The symbol 201 indicates the operation of the needle on the front needle bed V, while the icon 203 is the operation of the needle on the back needle bed H. The slash 202 serves as a pure separator between the symbols 201 and 203 for front and rear needle bed V, H. Fig. 14b) However, not only contains the information for a border mesh 200, but in an AND operation also knitting information for adjacent border needles 200 'and 200''. In Fig. 14c) For example, an entire boundary module 300 is shown which, in the illustrated example, consists of six needles or meshes 300 '. Of course, depending on the pattern of the knitting module 110 and the basic knit 100, such a boundary module 300 may also extend over more or fewer needles. This is in Fig. 15 clarified. Here, the knitting module 110 has now been inserted into the basic knit 100. The limit needle 5/5 of the basic knit 100 here requires an entire limit module 300, which modifies the basic knit to be able to correctly integrate the knit module 110 into the basic knit 100. The module 300 extends over the three needles 5/5, 4/5 and 3/5.

Fig. 16 shows an input mask of a jacquard generator with which a three-color jacquard knit can be designed. The columns 410, 420 and 430 of the mask 400 are associated with the three colors. The pattern of each color selected here extends across two needles in width, for which reason the columns 410, 420 and 430 are again divided into two subcolumns 411, 412; 421, 422; 431, 432 are divided. Lines 440 and 450 are the two rows of the jacquard pattern. These two rows repeat over the height of the knitted piece over and over again. Each of the lines 440, 450 is again divided into three sub-lines 441 to 443 and 451 to 453 corresponding to the three colors of the knitting threads used. In the squares resulting from the fine division of the rows and columns corresponding to needle positions, it is indicated for each needle of the front and rear needle beds V, H whether or not a stitch is knitted. The indications for front and rear needle bed V, H are separated by slashes 461. For example, in the last line 443 of the transverse bar 460, the needle on the front needle bed V does not knit at this needle position. However, a loop 450 is produced on the rear needle bed H. At the next needle position, neither the front nor rear needle knits. At the subsequent needle position, a loop 462 is again produced on the rear needle bed H, two needle positions later on the front needle bed V a stitch 463. With the help of this input mask can also enter very complex Jacquard pattern and then the mesh image representation or thread running representation on the display 3 picture.

In Fig. 17 a knitting module 510 is shown, which is composed of several components, namely a middle field 500, edge fields 505, 506, 507 and 508 and corner fields 501, 502, 503 and 504. The knitting module 510 is particularly suitable for expansion, ie enlargement in a knitted piece, as in FIG Fig. 17b) is shown. For this purpose, the center panel 500 is multiplied according to the desired size of the entire area and the edge areas 505, 506, 507 and 508 extended accordingly. The corner pieces 501, 502, 503 and 504 remain unchanged, but are mitverschoben.

The illustrated design and presentation possibilities of the knitting product design device according to the invention are merely exemplary. It can be entered into the system and other relevant for the design of a mesh product of any shape and pattern specifications and processed. In addition, the design device is not only suitable for designing garments, but also technical garments.

Claims (22)

1. Device for designing knitted products manufactured on a knitting or hosiery machine, comprising at least one storage device (6, 10) for recording data required for the production of the knitted product on the knitting or hosiery machine (8), at least one display device (3, 5) for displaying design images of the knitted product and at least one input device (2, 4) for altering the design images, characterised in that at least one knitted structure display (11, 20, 21) and one yarn course display (12, 22, 23) of the knitted product may be displayed as design images and be altered by the at least one input device (2, 4), wherein the design device, when one of the displays (11, 20, 21; 12, 22, 23) is altered, simultaneously alters the other displays (11, 20, 21; 12, 22, 23) accordingly, and in that the knitted structure display (11, 20, 21) and the yarn course display (12, 22, 23) may be displayed simultaneously on the at least one display device (3, 5).
2. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that a plurality of sections of the knitted product in knitted structure display (11, 20, 21) and/or yarn course display (12, 22, 23) may be displayed simultaneously on the at least one display device (3, 5).
3. Device according to either of claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the face and the back of the knitted product in knitted structure display (11, 20, 21) and/or yarn course display (12, 22, 23) may be displayed on the at least one display device (3, 5).
4. Device according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the knitted structure display (11, 20, 21) contains a true-to-life, three-dimensional image of all of the elements of a knitted product, such as the stitch (30 to 36, 40, 41, 40', 41', 45, 46, 52), tuck and float.
5. Device according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the type, the shape and the size of the stitch (30 to 36, 40, 41, 40', 41', 45, 46, 52) may be indicated and altered in the knitted structure display (11, 20, 21) for each needle position of the knitted product, using the at least one input device (2, 4).
6. Device according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that it comprises devices for calculating and representing the stitch shape as a function of the type, size and shape of the adjacent stitches and as a function of the properties of the knitting yarns used.
7. Device according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the yarn course display (12, 22, 23) comprises symbols for all of the elements of the knitted product, such as the stitch (462, 463), tuck and float, and for the needles of the knitting or hosiery machine (8) and the functions thereof, such as knitting, not knitting, transferring, taking over, discarding, etc., and preferably comprises symbols for parameters of the knitting or hosiery machine (8), such as yarn guide movements and slide movements, product withdrawal, needle bed racking, etc.
8. Device according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that it comprises devices for combining groups of symbols of a yarn course display (12, 22, 23) of a knitted product into modules, devices for combining stitch groups of a knitted structure display (11, 20, 21) of a knitted product into modules (110, 510), and storage devices (6, 10) for storing said modules.
9. Device according to claim 8, characterised in that it comprises devices for binding modules (110, 510) in a technologically correct manner during the insertion of a knitted product into the knitted structure display (11, 20, 21) and/or yarn course display (12, 22, 23).
10. Device according to either of claims 8 and 9, characterised in that it comprises devices for binding any module (110, 510) into the knitted structure display and/or yarn course display (11, 20, 21; 12, 22, 23) of a knitted product of any binding type.
11. Device according to any of claims 8 to 10, characterised in that it comprises devices for defining limit modules between the knitted structure display or yarn course display of a knitting module and the knitted structure display or yarn course display of a knitted product.
12. Device according to any of claims 1 to 11, characterised in that it comprises devices for overlaying a plurality of knitting rows of a yarn course display (12, 22, 23) and/or for combining a plurality of knitting rows of a knitted structure display (11, 20, 21) into a single knitting row.
13. Device according to any of claims 1 to 12, characterised in that it comprises devices for graphically separating combined knitting rows in the knitted structure display (11, 20, 21) or overlaid knitting rows in the yarn course display (12, 22, 23) on the at least one display device (3, 5).
14. Device according to any of claims 8 to 13, characterised in that it comprises devices for multiplying and/or reflecting modules (110, 510) on the at least one display device (3, 5).
15. Device according to any of claims 8 to 14, characterised in that it comprises devices for enlarging modules (110, 510) on the at least one display device (3, 5).
16. Device according to any of claims 1 to 15, characterised in that it comprises storage regions (6, 10) comprising data for given Jacquard connection structures in knitted structure display and yarn course display (11, 20, 21; 12, 22, 23).
17. Device according to any of claims 1 to 16, characterised in that it comprises a Jacquard generator for designing the connection structure of the Jacquard visible side to the Jacquard back of a knitted product in knitted structure display and/or yarn course display (11, 20, 21; 12, 22, 23).
18. Device according to any of claims 1 to 17, characterised in that it comprises an interactive device for influencing the conversion of the design images of the knitted product into control data for the knitting or hosiery machine (8), via the at least one input device (2, 4).
19. Device according to claim 18, characterised in that it comprises storage devices (6, 10) for storing frequently required conversion algorithms, which are indicated by the interactive device, between design images of the knitted product and control data for the knitting or hosiery machine (8).
20. Knitting or hosiery machine comprising a design device according to any of claims 1 to 19.
21. Method for designing knitted products manufactured on a knitting or hosiery machine, characterised in that the knitted product, at least in knitted structure display (11, 20, 21) and yarn course display (12, 22, 23), is displayed simultaneously on a display device (3, 5) and, when each of the displays (11, 20, 21; 12, 22, 23) is altered, the other displays (11, 20, 21; 12, 22, 23) are altered simultaneously via an input device (2, 4).
22. Method according to claim 22, characterised in that the knitted structure display (11, 20, 21) and the yarn course display (12, 22, 23) are each converted into design data for the knitted product and deposited in a common storage unit (10).

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