Knitted covers

• US 5,711,169 A
• Filed: 03/20/1996
• Issued: 01/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Leeke, Gary John, Gregory, Giles Timothy, Proctor, Malcolm Frederick
• Primary Examiner(s): CALVERT, JOHN JAMES
• Application Number:
  US08/619,052
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 66/193, 66/194, 66/195, 66/196, 66/198, 5/653, 5/737, 297/218
• US Class Current: 66/196
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5833 by hook-and-loop type fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/22 specially adapted for knitting goods of particular configuration
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/0113 One surface including hollow piping or integrated straps, e.g. for inserts or mountings
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2505/08 Upholstery, mattresses

Abstract

A fabric upholstered structure having a core whose external surface is covered by a knitted fabric cover, the external surface of the cover having at least one strip of hook member of any hook/loop fastener attached hereto, the hook member engaging knitted loops on the internal surface of the cover which are formed integrally with the knitted cover.

Claims

1. A fabric upholstered structure comprising a core with an external surface covered by a knitted fabric cover of a generally double jersey construction having a front layer and a back layer that are interconnected by knitted stitches, said cover comprising an attachment region in which the back layer is not connected to the front layer and in which region the back layer has a different stitch structure than in the double jersey construction, the external surface of the core having at least one strip of hook fasteners attached thereto, hooks of the hook fasteners engaging with knitted loops on the back layer in said attachment region of the fabric cover.

2. A structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cover is a double jersey type construction comprising a front layer and a rear layer, and said attachment region comprises a single jersey tube portion extending in a course-wise direction integrally knitted with said rear layer, the hooks of said hook fasteners engaging knitted stitches of at least a portion of the single jersey tube.

3. A structure as claimed in claim 2 wherein the single jersey portion is a tubular portion having an inner face and an outer face, which tubular portion was split longitudinally of the tube, exposing the inner face of the single jersey material for engagement with the hook fastener member.

4. A structure as claimed in claim 2 wherein the single jersey portion is a tubular portion knitted from at least one yarn which is a high bulk/textured yarn.

5. A structure as claimed in claim 4 wherein the tubular portion is knitted from a plurality of yarns, and a plurality of courses of said tubular portion consist of high bulk/textured yarn only.

6. A structure as claimed in claim 2 wherein the single jersey portion is a tubular portion that extends in a course-wise direction and the tubular portion comprises a plurality of courses of single jersey structure in which at least some of the knitted loops are coarser than the knitted loops of the double jersey structure.

7. A structure as claimed in claim 6 wherein the coarser loops consist of slip stitches formed during the knitting process.

8. A structure as claimed in claim 6 wherein the knitted loops are mis-knitted half gauge or quarter gauge knitted stitches.

9. A structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cover is a double jersey construction having a front layer and a rear layer, and the rear layer in said attachment region includes wale-wise extending portions of ladder back jacquard, the hooks of said hook fasteners engaging in knitted stitches of the ladder back jacquard portions.

10. A structure as claimed in claim 9 wherein the ladder-back jacquard region extends across about 15 wales with a knitted loop being formed every fifth wale for a 12 gauge knitted fabric and a knitted loop being formed every other wale for a 5 gauge knitted fabric.