FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to knitting needles. In particular the invention relates to a knitting needle capable of holding a stitch while the knitting needle is stored.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The craft of knitting by hand has long been practised and over the years has gradually spread throughout the world. In the past it was an important skill used to make and mend garments but as technology advanced and knitting machines were invented, hand knitting became more of a hobby.

Knitting is a method of manipulating yarn into various knitted creations from a combination of stitches on a knitting needle. There are numerous possible combinations of stitches and different sized needles available to knitters to suit different purposes. It is essential not to drop any of the stitches during the knitting procedure otherwise gaping holes will be evident in the garment being made. When an incomplete knitted project is momentarily set aside, it is rather easy to inadvertently lose a stitch or even several stitches, especially if the knitting needles that are being used do not provide much friction. Most knitters have experienced this frustration at one time or another and while it is possible to pick up any dropped stitches, it is a tedious process with a potential risk of missing one. The inventor is aware of point protectors that were developed to prevent the loss of stitches when knitting needles are not in use. These point protectors are in the form of caps that are can be fitted on the tip of the knitting needle.

This invention aims to provide a new solution to the problem of dropping stitches when a knitted project is not being worked on.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Broadly there is provided a knitting needle, which includes a knitting needle, having a needle shaft and a needle tip; and

an exposable catchment zone provided on a position along the knitting needle, for catching a piece of fibre when the catchment zone is exposed.

The exposable catchment zone may be in the form of a groove. Specifically the groove may be in the form of a circumferentially extending groove around a position along the knitting needle.

In particular the groove may be positioned between the needle shaft and the needle tip.

In one embodiment the knitting needle may include

a needle shaft; and

a displaceable needle tip connectable to the needle shaft, the needle tip being displaceable coaxially with the needle shaft, between a retracted position in which the needle tip extends continuously from the needle shaft and an extended position in which a catchment zone is formed between the needle shaft and the needle tip. The needle tip may be displaceable coaxially longitudinally with the needle shaft.

The catchment zone may be in the form of an indentation between the needle shaft and needle tip, exposed when the end of the needle shaft and the needle tip are spaced apart, and concealed when the needle shaft and displaceable needle tip are retracted onto each other.

In one embodiment the catchment zone may be in the form of a groove. In particular the groove may be in the form of a circumferentially extending groove on the knitting needle, between the needle shaft and the needle tip.

The catchment zone may be shaped and dimensioned to retain a portion of fabric. Specifically the catchment zone may be operable to retain at least one stitch of the fabric. The fabric may be in the form of yarn, thread, wool or the like. The groove may be between 1 mm and 2 mm wide. In one embodiment the groove may be of a differentiating colour, thereby to indicate when the needle is in a retracted or an extended position. In use, the retracted position will be used while knitting, in other words in a working condition, and the extended position will be used when the knitting needle is not used, in other words in a storage condition.

The needle shaft may be in the form of an elongate cylindrical member. The needle shaft may include two ends, a rear end and a front end.

The needle tip may be in the form of a short cylindrical member, tapering from a rear end to a front end. Preferably the rear end of the needle tip may be of an equal diameter to the front end of the needle shaft, such that, when the knitting needle is in a retracted position, the needle tip is contiguous with the needle shaft. The knitting needle may include a displacement arrangement for connecting the needle tip to the needle shaft, and allowing movement of the needle tip and needle shaft coaxially longitudinally away from and towards to each other.

The displacement arrangement may include a connection formation on the front end of the needle shaft and a complementary connection formation on the rear of the needle tip.

The connection formations may be in the form of a spigot formation and a complementary socket formation.

The spigot formation may be provided on either the front end of the needle shaft or on the rear end of the needle tip. In an embodiment in which the spigot formation is provided on the front end of the needle shaft, the socket formation may be provided on the rear end of the needle tip. In an embodiment in which the spigot formation is provided on the rear end of the needle tip, the socket formation may be provided on the front end of the needle shaft.

The spigot formation may be of a smaller diameter than the needle shaft and rear of the needle tip, thereby forming a base of the groove. The spigot formation may include a neck portion, forming the base of the groove. The neck portion may extend at about a 45° angle to the spigot formation.

In one embodiment the spigot and socket formations may be in the form of a threaded spigot and a matching threaded socket. The threaded spigot may be screwthreadingly received into the threaded socket. In use, in a retracted position, the threaded spigot may be screwed into the threaded socket, such that the needle tip extends continuously from the needle shaft. In use, in an extended position, the threaded spigot may be partially unscrewed from the threaded socket, such that the catchment zone is formed between the needle shaft and the needle tip.

In another embodiment the spigot formation may be slidably longitudinally movable in the socket formation. In one embodiment the displacement arrangement may include a connection formation on the front end of the needle shaft, a complementary connection formation on the rear of the needle tip and biasing means. The biasing means for urging the needle tip to a normally retracted position, onto the needle shaft. The biasing means may include a spring. Particularly the biasing means may be in the form of a spring connected between the needle shaft and needle tip, such that the rear end of the needle tip is urged onto the front end of the needle shaft. In use, when a user wants to catch a stitch, the needle tip is pulled from the needle shaft, to produce the catchment zone, into which the fabric can be caught once the needle tip is retracted again.

In one embodiment the displacement arrangement may include a retraction mechanism in the form of a bi-stable mechanism with a push button at a rear end of the needle shaft, the bi-stable mechanism being selectable between a retracted position and an extended position in which a groove is defined between the needle tip and needle shaft. In use, for every push of the push button, the needle tip is moved into either a retracted or extended position.

The bi-stable mechanism may include a ratchet mechanism with alternative deep and shallow grooves in which a follower, attached to the needle tip runs. In another embodiment the bi-stable mechanism may include a cam follower system in which a push button on the rear end of the needle shaft, selectively rotates a cam, and a follower running on the cam, the follower connected to the needle tip.

The invention is now described, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawing(s):

FIGURE(S)

In the figure(s):

Figure 1 shows a three dimensional view of a knitting needle, in accordance with the invention, in a retracted position;

Figure 2 shows the knitting needle of Figure 1 , in an extended position;

Figure 3 shows the knitting needle of Figure 1 , in an extended position, with one stitch caught in the catchment zone;

Figure 4 shows an exploded view of the knitting needle of Figure 1 ; Figure 5 shows a sectional view of the knitting needle in a retracted position;

Figure 6 shows a sectional view of the knitting needle in an extended position, with a stitch caught in the catchment zone;

Figure 7 shows an exploded view of another example of the displacement arrangement of the knitting needle in accordance with the invention;

Figure 8 shows a sectional view of the knitting needle in Figure 7, in a retracted position;

Figure 9 shows a sectional view of the knitting needle in Figure 7, in an extended position, with a stitch caught in the catchment zone. In the drawings, like reference numerals denote like parts of the invention unless otherwise indicated. EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In Figure 1 reference numeral 10 refers to a knitting needle, which includes a needle shaft 12 and a displaceable needle tip 14 connectable to the needle shaft 12, the needle tip 14 being displaceable coaxially with the needle shaft 12 between a retracted position (as shown in Figure 1 and 5) in which the needle tip 14 extends continuously from the needle shaft 12 and an extended position (as shown in Figure 2, 3 and 6) in which a catchment zone 16 is formed between the needle shaft 12 and the needle tip 14.

As shown, in this example the catchment zone 16 in the form of an indentation between the needle shaft 12 and needle tip 14, exposed when the end of the needle shaft 12 and the needle tip 14 are spaced apart, and concealed when the needle shaft 12 and displaceable needle tip 14 are retracted onto each other.

Specifically the catchment zone 16 is in the form of a groove. In particular the groove 16 is in the form of a circumferentially extending groove 16 on the knitting needle 10, between the needle shaft 12 and the needle tip 14.

The catchment zone 16 is shaped and dimensioned to retain a portion of fabric 50. Specifically the catchment zone 16 is shaped and dimensioned to retain at least one stitch of the fabric 50. The fabric 50 is in the form of yarn. The needle shaft 12 is in the form of an elongate cylindrical member.

The needle shaft 12 includes two ends, a rear end and a front end. The rear end includes a stopper 12.1.

The needle tip 14 is in the form of a short cylindrical member, tapering from a rear end 14.1 to a front end 14.2. The rear end 14.1 of the needle tip 14 is of an equal diameter to the front end 12.2 of the needle shaft 12, such that, when the knitting needle 10 is in a retracted position, the needle tip 14 is contiguous with the needle shaft 12. The knitting needle 10 includes a displacement arrangement for connecting the needle tip 14 to the needle shaft 12, and allowing movement of the needle tip 14 and needle shaft 12 coaxially longitudinally away from and towards to each other. In this embodiment the displacement arrangement include a first connection formation 18 on the front end 12.2 of the needle shaft 12 and a complementary second connection formation 20 on the rear 14.1 of the needle tip 14. As shown in Figure 4, 5 and 6, the first connection formation 18 is in the form of a socket formation provided on the needle shaft 12. The second connection formation 20 is in the form of a complementary spigot formation provided on the needle tip 14. The spigot formation 20 is provided on the rear end 14.1 of the needle tip 14 and the socket formation 18 is provided on the front end 12.2 of the needle shaft 12.

The spigot formation 20 may be of a smaller diameter than the needle shaft 12 and rear 14.1 of the needle tip 14, thereby forming a base of the groove 16. In this example the spigot formation 20 includes a neck portion 22, forming the base of the groove 16.

In this example the spigot 20 and socket 18 formations are in the form of a threaded spigot 20 and a matching threaded socket 18. The threaded spigot 20 is screwthreadingly received into the threaded socket 18. In use, in a retracted position (as shown in Figures 1 and 5), the threaded spigot 20 is screwed into the threaded socket 18, such that the needle tip 14 extends continuously from the needle shaft 12. In use, in an extended position (as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 6), the threaded spigot 20 is partially unscrewed from the threaded socket 18, such that the catchment zone 16 is formed between the needle shaft 12 and the needle tip 14.

Figure 7, 8 and 9 shows another embodiment of the displacement arrangement of the knitting needle 10. In this embodiment the displacement arrangement include a first connection formation 20 on the front end 12.2 of the needle shaft 12 and a complementary second connection formation 18 on the rear 14.1 of the needle tip 14.

The first connection formation 20 is in the form of a spigot formation provided on the needle shaft 12. The second connection formation 18 is in the form of a complementary socket formation provided on the needle tip 14.

The socket formation 18 is provided on the rear end 14.1 of the needle tip 14 and the spigot formation 20 is provided on the front end 12.2 of the needle shaft 12.

The spigot formation 20 is of a smaller diameter than the needle shaft 12 and rear 14.1 of the needle tip 14, thereby forming a base of the groove 16. In this example the spigot formation 20 includes a neck portion 22, forming the base of the groove 16.

In this example the spigot 20 and socket 18 formations are in the form of a threaded spigot 20 and a matching threaded socket 18. The threaded spigot 20 is screwthreadingly received into the threaded socket 18. In use, in a retracted position (as shown in Figure 8), the threaded spigot 20 is screwed into the threaded socket 18, such that the needle tip 14 extends continuously from the needle shaft 12. In use, in an extended position (as shown in Figure 9), the threaded spigot 20 is partially unscrewed from the threaded socket 18, such that the catchment zone 16 is formed between the needle shaft 12 and the needle tip 14. The inventor believes that the invention provides a new knitting needle, which prevents stitches from dropping off the end of the knitting needle.