Development of laid-in knitted fabric for buoyant swimwear

Abstract

As the use of buoyant swimwear by children in residential swimming becomes more common, the investigation of the effects of buoyant textiles is crucial for the optimisation of functional buoyant clothing design. This study investigated buoyant knitted fabrics developed using an inlaid knitting technique for buoyant swimwear application. The impact of the inner diameter, outer diameter, and the linear density of the inlaid tube on the buoyant ability of the buoyant fabrics were analyzed using multiple linear regression. The result demonstrated that the fabric's net buoyant force was significantly affected by all three parameters, with inner diameter having the greatest effect, followed by the outer diameter and linear density of the inlaid tube. The increase in the net buoyant force of the fabric can be predicted by the increase in the inner diameter of its inlaid tube and linear density and decrease in the outer diameter. The divergence of the results for specimens inlaid with Silicon tube and from the result predicted by multiple linear regression indicate that the net buoyant force is also affected by the linear density and the wall thickness of the inlaid tube. The new knowledge of this study can contribute to the production of buoyant layers inside the buoyant swimwear in replace of air chambers to improve the limitation of nondistributed buoyancy, accidental punctuation and bulkiness in conventional buoyant swimwear.

A New Geometric Model of Laid-in Weft-Knitted Fabrics

“…After obtaining the length of OJ 1 _ from equation (19) or (20) and the length ofJ 1 Q from equation (24), the loop length of weft-knitted ground yarns (l 1 ) under the four cases can be calculated using equation (8).…”

“…1 The linear densities and laid-in configurations of inlay yarns largely determine the pressure delivery and user acceptability of compression therapy. 1,5,8 In addition, inlay materials and laidin structures are applied in textile-based electronics, such as flexible strain sensors 5 and wearable fiberoptic smart materials, 6 and in biomedical orthopedic supportive devices, 7 buoyant swimwear, 8 and reinforced composite materials. 9 The application of inlay threads in loop structures influences morphologies, mechanical hysteresis, and tension properties of functional fabrics.…”

Influence of inlaid material, yarn and knitted structure on the net buoyant force and mechanical properties of inlaid knitted fabric for buoyant swimwear

“…The development of buoyant fabric with air containers or foam rods has been investigated in several studies. [14][15][16][17] The thickness and structure of knitted fabric have been found to have a significant effect on the weight, tensile, moisture management and compression properties of the fabric. [18][19][20][21][22] The focus of this study is therefore the effect of inlaid material, yarn and knitted structure on the net buoyant force and the compression and tensile properties of buoyant fabric.…”

Design of novel buoyant swimming vest using inlay knitting technology

“…4 To reduce the bulkiness of conventional buoyant swimwear, research and experiments were carried out as a means of exploring the benefits of integrating knitting technology into the development of buoyant material. 15,16 The high extension and recovery properties of knitted fabrics provide incentive to incorporate them into sportswear, as they can stretch by 15-20% in width without significant yarn extension. 17 Knitted fabrics' stretchiness allows a knitted garment to fit to the wearer's body, which is important for swimwear.…”

“…16 Also, the net buoyant force of the fabric increases when the inner diameter and linear density of the inlaid tube increases and the outer diameter decreases. 15 When considering aesthetics, ultraviolet (UV)-curable inkjet printing is an optimal design option for knitted buoyant fabric due to its high-resolution prints compared with water marbling and handdrawing with acrylic paints. 27 Fabric printed in a color with the greatest lightness and the fewest overprints had the lowest fabric weight and thickness, along with better bending recovery and resilience properties.…”