Knitting needle

Abstract

A metallic knitting needle is disclosed that includes a knitting needle tip and a holding shaft. The knitting needle tip is used to entwine stitches. The holding shaft extends from the knitting needle tip in a shaft longitudinal direction. The holding shaft also has at least three gripping surfaces for holding the knitting needle. The gripping surfaces each have a plurality of elevations distributed in the longitudinal direction. Each two adjacent gripping surfaces are connected by a rounded transition region.

1 . A knitting needle, comprising:
 a knitting needle tip for entwining stitches and a holding shaft which extends from the knitting needle tip in a shaft longitudinal direction and has at least three gripping surfaces for holding the knitting needle,   wherein the gripping surfaces each have a plurality of elevations distributed in the longitudinal direction, and wherein in each case two adjacent gripping surfaces are connected by a rounded transition region.   
     
     
         2 . The knitting needle according to  claim 1 , wherein the holding shaft has four gripping surfaces which are each arranged in pairs parallel to and spaced apart from one another such that the holding shaft has a substantially square cross section. 
     
     
         3 . The knitting needle according to  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the plurality of elevations is arranged in a section of the gripping surfaces that is adjacent to the knitting needle tip. 
     
     
         4 . The knitting needle according to  claim 1 , wherein, in order to produce the holding shaft, in a deformation step a cylindrical, cross-sectionally circular, hollow-cylindrical metal piece is deformed such that at least three pressing surfaces come into contact with the metal piece and such that the at least three gripping surfaces are formed. 
     
     
         5 . The knitting needle according to  claim 4 , wherein, in the deformation step, the cylindrical metal piece is pressed in a pressing tool by at least three, preferably four pressing surfaces substantially simultaneously into a triangular, or square cross section with the rounded transition regions. 
     
     
         6 . The knitting needle according to  claim 1 , wherein the elevations which are distributed in the longitudinal direction are produced in the deformation step or in a further deformation step by a pressing surface or the pressing surfaces each having a corresponding recess for each elevation. 
     
     
         7 . The knitting needle according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the holding shaft has a shaft circumference U and the elevations are arranged at an elevation spacing A from one another which corresponds to 0.1 to 1 times the value of the shaft circumference U, and/or   the elevations have an elevation height H which corresponds to 1 to 10% of the value of the shaft circumference.   
     
     
         8 . The knitting needle according to  claim 1 , wherein each rounded transition region in each case has a rounding radius R R    which is smaller than 1/10 and/or greater than 1/100, preferably greater than 1/50 of a or the shaft circumference, and/or   the elevations each have in sections a partially cylindrical shape with an elevation radius R E  and are oriented transversely with respect to the shaft longitudinal direction, wherein the elevation radius R E  has a value of 200% to 500% of the rounding radius R R  of the rounded transition region.   
     
     
         9 . The knitting needle according to  claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical metal piece comprises aluminum, copper and/or brass. 
     
     
         10 . The knitting needle according to  claim 1 , wherein, in order to produce the holding shaft in the deformation step a hollow-cylindrical metal piece having a wall thickness of at least 0.2 mm, preferably at least 0.3 mm is deformed. 
     
     
         11 . The knitting needle according to  claim 1 , wherein the knitting needle tip is obtained by forming, an end-side section of the cylindrical metal piece, in a rotary swaging or rotary hammering machine. 
     
     
         12 . The knitting needle according to  claim 1 , furthermore comprising:
 a knitting needle rear part which is formed at an end of the holding shaft that faces away from the knitting needle tip,   wherein the knitting needle rear part is obtained by forming, an end-side section of the cylindrical metal piece, in a rotary swaging or rotary hammering machine.   
     
     
         13 . A circular knitting needle, comprising:
 a first and a second knitting needle according to  claim 12 ; and   a cord connecting the two knitting needles at their knitting needle rear parts and intended for guiding and holding the stitches,   wherein the cord is connected to the holding shaft by the knitting needle rear part, wherein the knitting needle rear part is compressed with the holding shaft.   
     
     
         14 . The circular knitting needle according to  claim 13 , wherein the cord is formed from a monofilament which comprises a thermoplastic. 
     
     
         15 . The circular knitting needle according to  claim 14 , wherein the cord comprises a substantially constant cord diameter and an end portion which is adjacent to the knitting needle rear part, is formed correspondingly with respect to the knitting needle rear part and has an increased cord diameter. 
     
     
         16 . A method for producing a knitting needle according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a) providing a hollow-cylindrical metal piece;   b) bringing at least three pressing surfaces into contact with the metal piece; and   c) pressing the cylindrical metal piece by means of the pressing surfaces into a triangular or square cross section, with gripping surfaces having in each case a plurality of rounded transition regions and elevations which are distributed in the longitudinal direction, wherein the pressing surfaces each have a corresponding recess for each elevation.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , furthermore comprising the steps of:
 d) forming a front end-side section of the cylindrical metal piece, in a rotary swaging or rotary hammering machine in order to produce a knitting needle tip; and/or   e) forming an end-side section of the cylindrical metal piece, in a rotary swaging or rotary hammering machine in order to produce a knitting needle rear part.   
     
     
         18 . The knitting needle according to  claim 1 , wherein the knitting needle is metallic.