Other

The University of Manchester

Bm Polyco Limited

Smartlife Technology Limited

Entellfibres Limited

Tilak Dias

William Hurley

Kimberley Mitcham

William Cooke

Anura Fernando

Najmal Hassan Chaudhury

Paul Charles William Beatty

Adrian Keith Griffiths

Rajcoomar Baboo Ramgulam

Dimuth Jayawarna

Simon Challis

John Geraghty

Steven Smith

An electronic transducer comprises a knitted structure extendible in two dimensions defined by its courses and wales.

Linear electronic transducer

An electronic transducer comprises a knitted structure extendible in two dimensions defined by its courses and wales. An electro-conductive yarn () defines at least one single course in the structure adjacent non-conductive yarns (), and is to be part of a circuit providing an indication of an electrical characteristic of the yarn. When unextended in either direction, successive loops of the stitches including the electro-conductive yarn are in engagement. Extension of the structure in the course direction separate loops forming the stitches, and extension in the wale direction urges the loops together. The structure can be used in methods of registering extension of the structure in either or both of the course and wale directions.

A non-invasive sensor has a contact membrane () and a cover membrane (), the cover membrane being adapted for extension of a body surface to project the contact membrane against a body surface beneath it. The contact membrane will normally be attached to the cover membrane around its periphery such that at least one of the membranes forms a convex outer surface, and a spacing material () can be interposed between the membranes to achieve this object. The cover membrane may extend over a support element (), with the contact membrane overlaying and spaced from the other face of the support element by spacing material.

Contact sensors

A cut-resistant fabric has at least a fabric section knitted with composite metallic core yarns (). One or each of some or all courses of the knitted section comprises a first core yarn () knitting alternate first stitches and a second core yarn () knitting alternate second stitches. Each core yarn () extends between its respective alternate stitches floating in the intermediate stitch. This arrangement increases the bulk of the yarn material by unit area in the section, adding considerably to its cut-resistant properties. The fabric has a particular application in gloves for use in the meat-cutting and foam-cutting industries.

Cut-resistant gloves

In a method of knitting a garment having a defined axis (A), the knitting layers are formed in a direction parallel to the axis. Pathways () defined by distinctive yarns extending substantially parallel to the axis are incorporated in the knitting process seriatim, each distinctive yarn being knitted into its respective pathway using the same yarn feeder. The distinctive yarns are normally conductive, to provide connections to sensors () located on the garment, and such sensors may themselves be an integral part of the garment fabric.

Knitting techniques

There is disclosed a knitting machine comprising: at least one knitting needle; at least one positive yarn feed device for feeding yarn to said at least one knitting needle; needle monitoring means for providing information relating to the at least one knitting needle during the course of a knitting operation; and a controller for controlling the operation of the positive yarn feed device; in which the controller is adapted to: receive information from the needle monitoring means during the course of a knitting operation; use said information to calculate a desired amount of yarn to be fed to a knitting needle; and control the positive yarn feed device so that the positive yarn feed device feeds the desired amount of yarn to the knitting needle during the course of the knitting operation.

Knitting machines and methods of knitting

There is disclosed a method for making a pressure garment, comprising the steps of:

Pressure garment

A precision yarn ( ) delivery system for the delivery of yarn from a yarn supply to a yarn utilising point, comprising a temporary yarn store ( ) intermediate the supply and the utilisation point in which the yarn ( ) is held under low tension and is fed from the store as required by the utilisation point.

Growing community of inventors

Stockport, United Kingdom

Tilak Dias