The present invention relates to a fully fabricated three-dimensional knitted cover. Such seat covers are known e.g. from EP 0 361 855 B1. The disadvantage of these three-dimensional covers is the fact that the visual finish in the region of the contour lines, such as e.g. spiked lines, lacks true homogeneity and thus visual appeal.
It is thus the object of the invention to provide a knitted cover and a method for producing a knitted cover which masks the contour lines for visual appeal.
In accordance with the invention a tubular knit is integrated in the region of at least one contour line in a seat cover. Contour line in this context is understood to be one of the following:
a line at which the knit changes,
a widening, narrowing or spike line
a corner, edge or rim of a two-dimensional or three-dimensional seat cover or
strongly contoured portions of a three-dimensional cover.
This tubular knit is knitted to the seat cover in knitting the latter so that it is integrally joined to the cover. This is achievable either by transferring prefabricated parts over a comb into the knitting portion of the flat bed machine or by knitting the tubular knit on separate needle beds with subsequent transfer to the needle beds on which the knitted cover is being knitted. However, it is just as possible to simply knit the bead or tubular knit into the cover whilst the remaining needles for knitting the cover remain inactive. The tubular knit conceals the contour line similar to piping to thus create a neat finish. In addition, the contour line is protected from being physically damaged.
The tubular knit must not necessarily take the form of a closed tubing, it instead being configured as a single-ply knitted tag or taking the form of a two-ply knitted tag in which e.g. one ply is knitted closer and/or with elastic thread material and/or thermalized so that this ply is closer than the other ply, resulting in the tag rolling up into an open tubing. However, the tubular knit may also be knitted as a closed tubing. The way in which the tubular knit is configured is irrelevant for its function in masking and protecting the contour lines from damage.
To produce a variety of visual effects the tubing can, of course, be knitted with patterns, markings, defined perforations, reinforcements, optical fibers, differing binding variants, in thermoplastic or elastic materials, e.g. with a rubber thread having an elasticity exceeding 50%, as a result of which this piping may also be employed as a bumper rim.
Lengthwise the tubing may be knitted ditferingly in thickness, or it may be spiked to produce a jagged edge in thus creating a wealth of differing patterns, all of which, however, serve in the same way to mask the contour lines or to protect them from damage in forming a bumper edge.