Textile Articles And Thermal Treatment Thereof

Abstract

A textile article comprising a knitted tubular member is disclosed. The tubular member is fixated and being knitted from one or more types of knitting-loops, where each type of knitting-loops is characterized by a substantially uniform shape and size.

1 . A textile article comprising a knitted tubular member defining a longitudinal direction and a circumferential direction, said tubular member being knitted from at least one type of knitting-loops, each type of said at least one type of knitting-loops being characterized by a substantially uniform shape and size along at least one of said longitudinal and said circumferential directions, whereby said tubular member is fixated.  
     
     
         2 . The textile article of  claim 1 , wherein a density of said knitting-loops is selected so as to provide said tubular member with at least one of a predetermined size and a predetermined specific weight.  
     
     
         3 . The textile article of  claim 1 , wherein said size of said type of knitting-loops is selected so as to provide said tubular member with at least one of a predetermined size and a predetermined specific weight.  
     
     
         4 . The textile article of  claim 1 , wherein said substantially uniform size is characterized by a variance which is lower than 20%.  
     
     
         5 . The textile article of  claim 1 , wherein said substantially uniform shape is characterized by a similarity parameter which is at least 80% for every two knitting-loops along said circumferential direction.  
     
     
         6 . A textile article comprising a knitted tubular member defining a longitudinal direction, said tubular member having a first open end and a second open end, wherein at least one end of said first open end and said second open end substantially devoid of arcs in a plane parallel to said longitudinal direction, whereby said tubular member is fixated.  
     
     
         7 . The textile article of  claim 6 , wherein said at least one end is characterized by a deviation from linearity of less than 10%.  
     
     
         8 . The textile article of  claim 6 , wherein said at least one end is substantially orthogonal to said longitudinal direction.  
     
     
         9 . The textile article of  claim 6 , wherein said tubular member is foldable on a planar surface parallel to said longitudinal direction, such that at least a 95% physical contact is established between a front side of said at least one end and a back side thereof.  
     
     
         10 . The textile article of  claim 6 , wherein said tubular member is foldable on a planar surface parallel to said longitudinal direction, such that there is at least 95% overlap between a front side of said tubular member and a back side thereof.  
     
     
         11 . The textile article of  claim 6 , wherein said at least one end comprises a welt.  
     
     
         12 . The textile article of  claim 1  wherein said tubular member is colored by at least one color wherein each color of said at least one color has a substantially uniform hue.  
     
     
         13 . A textile article comprising a knitted tubular member, said tubular member being fixated and colored by at least one color wherein each color of said at least one color has a substantially uniform hue.  
     
     
         14 . The textile article of  claim 1 , wherein said tubular member is knitted from a yarn material selected from the group consisting of an elastomer, a polyester, a cationic polyester, a nylon, a polyurethane, cotton, viscose and any combination thereof.  
     
     
         15 . The textile article of  claim 1 , wherein said tubular member is knitted spirally about said longitudinal direction in a manner such that each spiral turn comprises N rows of knitting-loops, wherein N is larger than one.  
     
     
         16 . The textile article of  claim 1 , wherein said tubular member is knitted reciprocatively about said longitudinal direction.  
     
     
         17 . The textile article of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one additional knitted member.  
     
     
         18 . The textile article of  claim 17 , wherein said at least one additional knitted member comprises an additional tubular member.  
     
     
         19 . The textile article of  claim 17 , wherein said at least one additional knitted member is selected from the group consisting of a sleeve and a collar.  
     
     
         20 . A device for holding a tubular member in a thermal treatment zone, the device comprising a base and a form having at least two shafts mounted for rotating with respect to said base, said at least two shafts being adapted for receiving the tubular member and revolving the tubular member with respect to said base.  
     
     
         21 . A system for thermally treating a tubular member, comprising 
 a thermal treatment zone for transferring heat to the tubular member; and    a holding device for holding the tubular member in said thermal treatment zone, wherein said holding device comprises a base and a form having at least two shafts mounted for rotating with respect to said base, said at least two shafts being adapted for receiving the tubular member and revolving the tubular member with respect to said base.    
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of a temperature and time of treatment in said thermal treatment zone is selected for fixation of the tubular member.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of a temperature and time of treatment in said thermal treatment zone is selected for boarding the tubular member.  
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of a temperature and time of treatment in said thermal treatment zone is selected for relaxation of the tubular member.  
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising a conveyor for conveying said holding device into said thermal treatment zone.  
     
     
         26 . A method of thermally treating a tubular member, comprising mounting the tubular member on a holding device and transferring heat to the tubular member while continuously revolving the tubular member with respect to the device.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said holding device comprises a form having at least two shafts mounted for rotating with respect to a base and adapted for receiving the tubular member and revolving the tubular member with respect to said base.  
     
     
         28 . The device, system or method of  claim 20 , wherein a rotation rate of said shafts is selected such that when the tubular member is in the thermal treatment zone, time of contact between the tubular member and said shafts is substantially equally distributed among different portions of the tubular member.  
     
     
         29 . The device, system or method of  claim 20 , wherein said at least two shafts are generally cylindrical.  
     
     
         30 . The device, system or method of  claim 20 , wherein a transverse separation between said at least two shafts is selected so as to allow mounting the tubular member thereon while knitting-loops forming the tubular member are subjected to tension.  
     
     
         31 . The device, system or method of  claim 30 , wherein said transverse separation is adjustable.  
     
     
         32 . The device, system or method of  claim 20 , wherein said shafts are generally parallel one with respect to each other.  
     
     
         33 . The device, system or method of  claim 20 , wherein said shafts are inclined one with respect to each other so as to allow said form to receive tubular members having a trapezoidal cross section.  
     
     
         34 . The device, system or method of  claim 33 , wherein an inclination angle of said shafts is adjustable.  
     
     
         35 . The device, system or method of  claim 20 , wherein said form further comprises a cross-piece connecting top ends of said shafts and configured to allow said shafts to rotate with respect to said cross-piece.  
     
     
         36 . The device, system or method of  claim 35 , wherein said cross-piece has a rounded shape.  
     
     
         37 . The device, system or method of  claim 20 , wherein said shafts are made from a thermally insulating material.  
     
     
         38 . The device, system or method of  claim 20 , wherein said shafts comprise an external layer of thermally insulating material.  
     
     
         39 . The device, system or method of  claim 37 , wherein said thermally insulating material is characterized by a heat conductivity of less than 40 Watt per meter per degree.  
     
     
         40 . The device, system or method of  claim 38 , wherein said thermally insulating material is characterized by a heat conductivity of less than 40 Watt per meter per degree.  
     
     
         41 . The device, system or method of  claim 37 , wherein said thermally insulating material is characterized by a specific heat of at least 700 Joules per Kg per degree.  
     
     
         42 . The device, system or method of  claim 38 , wherein said thermally insulating material is characterized by a specific heat of at least 700 Joules per Kg per degree.  
     
     
         43 . The device, system or method of  claim 20 , wherein said shafts comprise a plurality of cooling holes.  
     
     
         44 . The device, system or method of  claim 20 , wherein said shafts are substantially hollow.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein said shafts are made from a thermally conducting material and the method further comprises cooling said shafts prior to said mounting of the tubular member on said holding device.  
     
     
         46 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein said shafts are made from a thermally conducting material.  
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein said shafts are made from a thermally conducting material and the system further comprises a cooling mechanism for cooling said shafts prior to the mounting of the tubular member on said holding device.  
     
     
         48 . The device or system of  claim 20 , further comprising a mechanism for establishing rotation of at least one of said shafts while being in the thermal treatment zone.  
     
     
         49 . The device or system of  claim 48 , wherein said mechanism comprises a gear wheel.  
     
     
         50 . The device or system of  claim 48 , wherein said mechanism comprises a moving belt.