Cooling device and thread processing machine

Abstract

The present application relates to a cooling device and a thread processing machine, and improves the cooling efficiency of a thread in a cooling device that cools a thread by cooling air. The cooling device (14) includes a cooling unit (31) that forms a thread travel space (S) in which a thread (Y) travels, and an intake duct (32) that forms an intake space (Ss) that is connected to the thread travel space. The intake duct has a duct wall portion (34) that forms one or more intake slits (38) that are disposed between the thread travel space and the intake space in a flow direction in which the cooling air flows and extend in a unit length direction. The cooling unit has a pair of unit wall plates (51) that are disposed on one side of the duct wall portion in a height direction. The pair of unit wall plates have a pair of unit wall surfaces (55) that are disposed on opposite sides of each other across the thread travel space in a width direction. The length of each of the pair of unit wall surfaces in the height direction is 30 mm or less.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling device for cooling filaments and a filament processing machine equipped with the cooling device. Background Technology

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a cooling device for a false-twisting machine (thread processing machine) used to perform false twisting on traveling threads. More specifically, the cooling device includes a pipe for supplying cooling air to the thread and a pair of thread guides disposed on the lower side of the pipe. A thread travel space is formed between the pair of thread guides for the thread to travel, and the thread travel space is connected to the internal space of the pipe (pipe inner space) via a slit formed in the lower part of the pipe. When an exhaust fan (negative pressure generating device) disposed at the end of the pipe rotates, a negative pressure is generated in the pipe inner space. As a result, gas flows into the thread travel space connected to the pipe inner space. This gas cools the thread as cooling air.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-047074

[0004] In recent years, there has been a demand for further improvements in the cooling efficiency of silk threads, for example, to cool thicker silk threads than before. In the aforementioned cooling devices, it is desirable to increase the speed of the cooling air (wind speed) in order to improve the cooling efficiency of the silk threads. However, the inventors of this application have discovered the following problem: even if the speed of the exhaust fan (i.e., the output of the negative pressure generating device) is simply increased to increase the negative pressure in the space inside the pipe, it is difficult to increase the wind speed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to improve the cooling efficiency of the yarn in a cooling device that cools the yarn with cooling air.

[0006] The cooling device of the first invention is configured to cool a traveling thread by means of cooling air. It is characterized by comprising: a cooling unit formed such that a thread travel space for the thread to travel extends along a predetermined length direction; and a pipe having an inner space connected to the thread travel space, the pipe having a pipe wall having one or more slits arranged between the thread travel space and the inner space of the pipe in the flow direction of the cooling air and extending along the length direction; the cooling unit having a pair of unit wall portions arranged on one side of the pipe wall portion in a height direction orthogonal to the length direction; the pair of unit wall portions having a pair of unit wall surfaces arranged on opposite sides of each other in a width direction orthogonal to both the length and height directions, separated by the thread travel space; and each of the pair of unit wall surfaces having a length of 30 mm or less in the height direction.

[0007] In this invention, when a negative pressure (or positive pressure) is generated within the duct space, cooling air flows into the thread travel space (formed between a pair of unit walls) connected to the duct space. The cooling air flows primarily along the height direction within the thread travel space. Here, when the pair of unit walls forming the flow path of the cooling air are relatively long in the height direction, the flow resistance (frictional resistance) of the cooling air flowing along the height direction is large, resulting in significant pressure loss and a substantial decrease in the cooling air velocity. In this invention, the length of each pair of unit walls in the height direction (hereinafter, for ease of explanation, also referred to as wall height) is 30 mm or less. This shortens the flow path of the cooling air. Therefore, the flow resistance is reduced, thus lowering the pressure loss, and a higher air velocity can be obtained. Consequently, the cooling efficiency of the thread can be improved in the cooling device that cools the thread with cooling air.

[0008] The cooling device of the second invention is configured to cool a traveling filament by means of cooling air. It is characterized by comprising: a cooling unit formed such that a filament travel space for the filament extends along a predetermined length direction; and a pipe having an inner space connected to the filament travel space, the pipe having a pipe wall having one or more slits arranged between the filament travel space and the inner space of the pipe in the flow direction of the cooling air and extending along the length direction; the cooling unit having a pair of unit wall portions arranged on one side of the pipe wall portion in a height direction orthogonal to the length direction; the pair of unit wall portions having a pair of unit wall surfaces arranged on opposite sides of each other in a width direction orthogonal to both the length and height directions, separated by the filament travel space; and in the length direction, within the wall surface arrangement area where the pair of unit wall surfaces are arranged, the sum of the lengths of one or more forming regions in the pipe wall portion having the one or more slits is longer than the sum of the lengths of the regions other than the one or more forming regions.

[0009] In this invention, the sum of the lengths of one or more forming regions is longer than the sum of the lengths of the other regions in the longitudinal direction. This increases the sum of the cross-sectional areas (i.e., opening areas) of one or more slits. Consequently, flow resistance is reduced, pressure loss is decreased, and a higher air velocity is achieved. Therefore, the cooling efficiency of the wire is improved. Furthermore, a configuration in which a slit extends across the entire area of ​​the wall surface arrangement in the longitudinal direction is also included in this invention.

[0010] The cooling device of the third invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, in the length direction, within the wall arrangement area where the pair of unit walls are arranged, the sum of the lengths of the more than one forming regions in the pipe wall where the more than one slit is formed is longer than the sum of the lengths of the regions other than the more than one forming regions.

[0011] In this invention, the configuration is the same as in the second invention, but the total length of the more than one forming region is relatively long. This further reduces flow resistance and pressure loss. Consequently, a higher air velocity can be obtained. Therefore, the cooling efficiency of the filament can be further improved.

[0012] The cooling device of the fourth invention is characterized in that, in the first or third invention described above, the portions of the pair of unit walls that face each other in the width direction are spaced apart by less than 1 mm in the width direction.

[0013] The "mutually facing portions in the width direction of a pair of unit walls" in this invention refers to the portions of a pair of unit walls that are substantially parallel to each other and are located between the pair of unit walls in the width direction without any other components disposed therebetween. Generally, if the fluid flow rate is the same, the fluid velocity is faster when the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path is smaller. However, when the width of the flow path is too narrow, the pressure loss caused by the walls forming the flow path increases, and the fluid flow rate decreases. In this invention, the pressure loss caused by the pair of unit walls can be reduced by lowering the wall height; therefore, even if the spacing between the pair of unit walls in the width direction is reduced, the resulting increase in pressure loss can be suppressed. Consequently, the area of ​​the cross-section orthogonal to the height direction in the wire travel space can be reduced, further increasing the air velocity.

[0014] The cooling device of the fifth invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to fourth inventions, the cooling unit has one or more wire guides, which are arranged in the wire travel space and configured to restrict the wire from moving to the other side in the height direction.

[0015] In this invention, the wire guide can be used to restrict the wire from moving to the other side in the height direction, thus preventing the wire from entering the space inside the pipe.

[0016] The cooling device of the sixth invention is characterized in that, in the fifth invention, in the height direction, the end of one or more wire guides on one side is positioned closer to the center of the pair of unit walls.

[0017] In this invention, the wire guide is positioned vertically away from the pipe, thus allowing the wire to be moved entirely away from the pipe in the vertical direction. Consequently, the wire can be reliably prevented from entering the space inside the pipe.

[0018] The cooling device of the seventh invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to sixth inventions, the cooling unit has: a first contact portion disposed on a portion of one of the pair of unit walls for contact with the filament; and a second contact portion disposed on a portion of the other of the pair of unit walls and disposed at a different position from the first contact portion in the length direction for contact with the filament.

[0019] In this invention, the thread can travel while in contact with either the first or second contact portion. This restricts the movement of the thread in the width direction. Furthermore, by contacting the thread with the first or second contact portion after it has been cooled by cooling air, the thread can be cooled more effectively.

[0020] The cooling device of the eighth invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to seventh inventions described above, it includes a negative pressure generating device configured to generate negative pressure in the space inside the pipe.

[0021] Normally, the yarn is coated with an oil to facilitate its smooth movement. Therefore, in configurations that supply cooling air from inside the duct toward the yarn's travel space, the oil may potentially scatter into the external space. In this invention, cooling air is drawn into the duct space, thus preventing the oil from scattering.

[0022] The cooling device of the ninth invention is characterized in that, in the eighth invention, the negative pressure generating device includes: an impeller configured to rotate; a motor configured to drive the impeller to rotate; and a speed changing unit configured to change the speed of the rotating shaft of the motor.

[0023] In the cooling apparatus of the present invention, a higher airflow speed can be obtained even if the negative pressure generated by the negative pressure generating device is lower than before. Here, when the negative pressure generating device is configured to change the negative pressure according to the rotational speed of the motor shaft, it is generally known that the power consumption of the motor is proportional to the cube of the corresponding rotational speed. Therefore, by reducing the corresponding rotational speed compared to the past, it is possible to significantly reduce the power consumption of the negative pressure generating device while obtaining the desired airflow speed.

[0024] The 10th invention's wire processing machine is characterized by comprising: a cooling device according to any one of the 1st to 9th inventions; a wire deformation application device configured to apply deformation to the wire; and a wire conveying device configured to convey the wire to the cooling device and the wire deformation application device for moving the wire, wherein the wire processing mechanism performs processing while moving the wire.

[0025] In this invention, the cooling device can be miniaturized and / or its power consumption reduced while effectively cooling the yarn. Therefore, the overall miniaturization and / or power consumption of the yarn processing machine can be achieved while ensuring the good quality of the yarn processed by the yarn processing machine. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a side view of the false twisting processing machine of this embodiment.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the unfolding of the false twisting processing machine along the path of the silk thread.

[0028] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 III-direction view.

[0029] Figure 4 (a) is Figure 3 A magnified view of a portion, (b) is in Figure 3 The diagram shows a portion of the cooling unit represented by dashed lines.

[0030] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 (a) is a cross-sectional view of the VV line.

[0031] Figure 6 This is a diagram that further illustrates the cooling unit.

[0032] Figure 7 yes Figure 4 An enlarged view of part (b).

[0033] Figure 8 This is a table that shows the wind speed of the cooling air and the evaluation results of the power consumption of the cooling device.

[0034] Figure 9 It is a graph showing the relationship between the cooling air velocity and the negative pressure.

[0035] Figure 10 It is a graph showing the relationship between the power consumption of the cooling device and the airflow speed of the cooling air.

[0036] Figure 11It is a graph showing the relationship between the different configurations of the cooling device and the wind speed of the cooling air.

[0037] Explanation of symbols

[0038] 1: False twisting processing machine (thread processing machine); 11: First thread feeding roller (thread conveying device); 14: Cooling device; 15: False twisting device (thread deformation application device); 31: Cooling unit; 31A: Cooling unit; 32: Air inlet pipe (pipe); 33: Negative pressure generating device; 34: Pipe wall; 35: Impeller; 36: Motor; 37: Frequency converter (speed changer); 38: Air inlet slit (slit); 51: Unit wall panel (unit wall panel) 51a: Unit wall panel (unit wall portion); 51b: Unit wall panel (unit wall portion); 55: Unit wall surface; 55a: Unit wall surface; 55b: Unit wall surface; 56a: Contact body (first contact portion); 56b: Contact body (second contact portion); 58: Wire guide; G: Spacing; R: Wall surface configuration area; R1: Forming area; R2: Non-forming area; S: Wire travel space; Ss: Air intake space (space inside the duct); Y: Wire. Detailed Implementation

[0039] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described. Figure 1 The direction perpendicular to the paper is defined as the length direction of the machine body. For ease of explanation, [the following is used] Figure 1 The front side of the paper and Figure 2 The left side of the paper is set as one side along the length of the machine body. Figure 1 The inside of the paper and Figure 2 The right side of the paper is designated as the other side along the length of the machine body. Figure 1 The left-right direction of the paper is defined as the width direction of the machine body. The direction orthogonal to both the length and width directions of the machine body is defined as the vertical direction (up-down direction) of gravity. The direction in which multiple threads Y (described later) travel side by side is defined as the direction of thread travel.

[0040] (The overall structure of a false twisting processing machine)

[0041] First, refer to Figures 1-3 The overall structure of the false twisting processing machine 1 (the wire processing machine of the present invention) of this embodiment will be described. Figure 1 This is a side view of the false twisting machine 1. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of unfolding the false twisting processing machine 1 along the path (silk channel) of the silk thread Y. Figure 3 yes Figure 1 III-direction view.

[0042] The false-twisting machine 1 is configured to perform false-twisting processing on a filament Y formed from synthetic fibers (e.g., polyester). The filament Y is, for example, a multifilament filament formed from multiple filaments. Alternatively, the filament Y may be composed of a single filament. The false-twisting machine 1 includes a filament feeding section 2, a processing section 3, and a winding section 4. The filament feeding section 2 is configured to supply the filament Y. The processing section 3 is configured to pull the filament Y from the filament feeding section 2 to perform false-twisting processing. The winding section 4 is configured to wind the filament Y processed by the processing section 3 into a winding bobbin Bw. Multiple components of the filament feeding section 2, processing section 3, and winding section 4 are arranged along the length of the machine body (see reference). Figure 2 The length direction of the machine body is the same as the travel plane of the yarn Y formed by the yarn channel from the yarn supply section 2 through the processing section 3 to the winding section 4. Figure 1 (The direction is perpendicular to the paper).

[0043] The yarn feeding section 2 has a bobbin 7 that holds multiple yarn feed packages Ps and supplies multiple yarns Y to the processing section 3. The processing section 3 is configured to pull out multiple yarns Y from the yarn feeding section 2 and process them. The processing section 3 is configured such that, starting from the upstream side in the yarn travel direction, it is arranged in sequence as follows: for example, a first yarn feeding roller 11 (the yarn feeding device of the present invention), a twist-stopping guide 12, a first heating device 13, a cooling device 14, a false twisting device 15 (the yarn deformation application device of the present invention), a second yarn feeding roller 16, a winding device 17, a third yarn feeding roller 18, a second heating device 19, and a fourth yarn feeding roller 20. The take-up section 4 has multiple take-up devices 21. Each take-up device 21 takes the yarns Y that have been false twisted by the processing section 3 onto a take-up bobbin Bw to form a take-up package Pw.

[0044] The false twisting processing machine 1 includes a main body 8 and a winding table 9 arranged at intervals along the width direction of the machine body. The main body 8 and the winding table 9 are configured to extend at approximately the same length along the length direction of the machine body. The main body 8 and the winding table 9 are arranged opposite each other in the width direction of the machine body. A working space Sw (see reference) is formed between the main body 8 and the winding table 9 for the operator to perform operations such as yarn loading. Figure 1 The false twisting machine 1 has a unit called a span, which includes a set of main bodies 8 and a take-up table 9. Within a span, the devices are configured to simultaneously perform false twisting on multiple yarns Y traveling in an arrangement along the length of the machine body. The false twisting machine 1 is configured such that the span is symmetrically arranged on the paper surface about the centerline C of the main body 8 in the width direction (the main body 8 is common in the left and right spans). Furthermore, multiple spans are arranged along the length of the machine body.

[0045] (Composition of the machining department)

[0046] Reference Figure 1 as well as Figure 2The configuration of the processing section 3 will be described. The first feed roller 11 is configured to unwind the yarn Y from the feed package Ps installed in the feed section 2 and feed it to the first heating device 13. For example, as Figure 2 As shown, the first feed roller 11 is configured to feed one yarn Y to the first heating device 13. Alternatively, the first feed roller 11 may also be configured to feed multiple adjacent yarns Y downstream in the yarn travel direction. The anti-twist guide 12 is configured to prevent the twist applied to the yarn Y by the false twist device 15 from propagating upstream of the anti-twist guide 12 in the yarn travel direction.

[0047] The first heating device 13 is configured to heat the yarn Y fed from the first yarn feed roller 11. For example, as... Figure 2 As shown, the first heating device 13 is configured to heat two threads Y, but is not limited to this. For example, the first heating device 13 may also be configured to heat one thread Y. Alternatively, the first heating device 13 may be configured to heat three or more threads Y.

[0048] Cooling device 14 is a non-contact device that cools multiple filaments Y using cooling air. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the cooling device 14 includes multiple cooling units 31, an air intake duct 32 (the duct of the present invention) on which the multiple cooling units 31 are installed, and a negative pressure generating device 33. The cooling device 14 uses the negative pressure generating device 33 to generate negative pressure in the internal space of the air intake duct 32 (the air intake space Ss, the duct space of the present invention), thereby supplying cooling air to the multiple filament travel spaces S respectively formed in the multiple cooling units 31. In addition, negative pressure refers to pressure lower than atmospheric pressure (more specifically, in this embodiment, it refers to the air pressure in the space outside the cooling device 14).

[0049] like Figure 3 As shown, a plurality of cooling units 31 are arranged along the length of the fuselage. The plurality of cooling units 31 are mounted on the air intake duct 32. Each of the plurality of cooling units 31 extends along a direction intersecting (approximately orthogonal) the length of the fuselage. In this embodiment, each cooling unit 31 extends in a generally straight line. However, this is not a limitation (for example, each cooling unit 31 may be curved, etc.). Each cooling unit 31 has a thread travel space S for a single thread Y to travel. The thread Y traveling within the thread travel space S is cooled by cooling air. The plurality of cooling units 31 includes two cooling units 31A and 31B arranged adjacent to each other along the length of the fuselage. The distance between cooling units 31A and 31B along the length of the fuselage increases, for example, towards the downstream side of the thread travel direction. The two cooling units 31A and 31B are linearly symmetrical about a predetermined straight line L as an axis of symmetry.

[0050] The intake duct 32 is configured to supply cooling air to multiple cooling units 31. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the intake duct 32 extends along the length of the fuselage. An intake space Ss extending along the length of the fuselage is formed within the intake duct 32. The intake space Ss is connected to multiple wire travel spaces S. Multiple cooling units 31 are installed in the intake duct 32. More specifically, a duct wall 34 extending along the length of the fuselage is formed in the intake duct 32. The multiple cooling units 31 are, for example, threadedly fixed to the duct wall 34. Multiple intake slits 38 (see reference) are formed on the duct wall 34. Figure 4 (b). The slit of the present invention. (Details will be described later).

[0051] The negative pressure generating device 33 is, for example, a known blower. The negative pressure generating device 33 is, for example, disposed on one or the other side of the intake duct 32 along the length of the machine body (as an example, in...). Figure 3 The negative pressure generating device 33 has, for example, a rotatable impeller 35, a motor 36 that drives the impeller 35 to rotate, and a frequency converter 37 (speed changing unit of the present invention) that can change the rotational speed of the rotating shaft (not shown) of the motor 36. The motor 36 is, for example, a known AC motor. The negative pressure generating device 33 uses the motor 36 to drive the impeller 35 to rotate, thereby generating negative pressure in the intake space Ss. More details about the cooling device 14 will be described later.

[0052] The false twisting device 15 is positioned downstream of the cooling device 14 in the yarn travel direction and is configured to twist the yarn Y. The false twisting device 15 can be, for example, a known friction disc type or a known belt type, but is not limited to these. The second feed roller 16 is configured to convey the yarn Y, processed by the false twisting device 15, to the winding device 17. The feed speed of the second feed roller 16 on the yarn Y is faster than the feed speed of the first feed roller 11 on the yarn Y. As a result, the yarn Y is stretched and false twisted between the first feed roller 11 and the second feed roller 16.

[0053] The interlacing device 17 is configured to apply interlacing to the yarn Y. The interlacing device 17 has, for example, a known interlacing nozzle that applies interlacing to the yarn Y by means of airflow.

[0054] The third feed roller 18 is configured to feed the yarn Y, which is traveling downstream of the winding device 17 in the yarn travel direction, to the second heating device 19. For example, as Figure 2As shown, the third feed roller 18 is configured to feed one yarn Y to the second heating device 19. Alternatively, the third feed roller 18 may be configured to feed multiple adjacent yarns Y downstream in the yarn travel direction. Furthermore, the feed speed of the third feed roller 18 to the yarn Y is slower than the feed speed of the second feed roller 16 to the yarn Y. Therefore, the yarn Y is slack between the second feed roller 16 and the third feed roller 18. The second heating device 19 is configured to heat the yarn Y fed from the third feed roller 18. The second heating device 19 extends vertically, and one is provided in each span. The fourth feed roller 20 is configured to feed the yarn Y heated by the second heating device 19 to the winding device 21. For example, as... Figure 2 As shown, the fourth feed roller 20 is configured to feed one yarn Y to the winding device 21. Alternatively, the fourth feed roller 20 may be configured to feed multiple adjacent yarns Y downstream in the yarn travel direction. The feed speed of the fourth feed roller 20 to the yarn Y is slower than the feed speed of the third feed roller 18 to the yarn Y. Therefore, the yarn Y is slack between the third feed roller 18 and the fourth feed roller 20.

[0055] In the processing section 3 configured as described above, the yarn Y, stretched between the first feed roller 11 and the second feed roller 16, is twisted by the false twisting device 15. The twist formed by the false twisting device 15 propagates to the anti-twist guide 12 and does not propagate upstream of the anti-twist guide 12 in the yarn travel direction. After being heat-set by the first heating device 13, the stretched and twisted yarn Y is cooled by the cooling device 14. Downstream of the false twisting device 15 in the yarn travel direction, the yarn Y is untwisted, but the heat setting maintains the false twisted wavy state of the yarn Y (i.e., maintains the curl of the yarn Y).

[0056] The false-twisted yarn Y is relaxed between the second feed roller 16 and the third feed roller 18 while being wound by the winding device 17, and then guided downstream in the yarn travel direction. Next, the yarn Y is relaxed between the third feed roller 18 and the fourth feed roller 20 while being heat-treated by the second heating device 19. Finally, the yarn Y fed from the fourth feed roller 20 is wound by the winding device 21.

[0057] (Structure of the winding section)

[0058] Reference Figure 2The configuration of the take-up section 4 will be described. The take-up section 4 has multiple take-up devices 21. Each take-up device 21 is configured to take up a yarn Y on a take-up bobbin Bw. The take-up device 21 has a fulcrum guide 41, a traverse device 42, and a cradle 43. The fulcrum guide 41 is a guide that serves as the fulcrum when the yarn Y traverses. The traverse device 42 is configured to reciprocate the yarn Y via the traverse guide 45. The cradle 43 is configured to support the take-up bobbin Bw so that it can rotate freely. A contact roller 46 is arranged near the cradle 43. The contact roller 46 contacts the surface of the take-up package Pw and applies contact pressure. In the take-up section 4 configured as described above, the yarn Y fed from the fourth feed roller 20 is taken up by each take-up device 21 onto the take-up bobbin Bw and forms a take-up package Pw.

[0059] In recent years, there has been a demand to further improve the cooling efficiency of the wire Y, for example, to cool thicker wire Y than before. Here, "improving cooling efficiency" can have multiple meanings. For example, "being able to rapidly cool the wire Y in a short time," "achieving a higher airflow with a smaller negative pressure," and "reducing the power consumption of the negative pressure generating device 33 used to achieve the desired airflow" all equate to improving cooling efficiency. In order to "rapidly cool the wire Y in a short time," it is desirable to increase the speed of the cooling air (airflow velocity). However, the inventors of this application have discovered the following problem: even if the negative pressure in the intake duct 32 is increased by simply increasing the rotational speed of the impeller 35 (i.e., the output of the negative pressure generating device 33), it is difficult to increase the airflow velocity. Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to improve the cooling efficiency of the wire Y, the cooling device 14 further has the following configuration.

[0060] (Detailed composition of the cooling system)

[0061] Reference Figure 4 (a)~ Figure 7 A more detailed description of the cooling device 14 is provided below. Figure 4 (a) is Figure 3 A magnified view of a portion of it. Figure 4 (b) is in Figure 3 The diagram of a portion of the enlarged image shows the cooling unit 31A indicated by dashed lines. Figure 5 yes Figure 4 VV-line cross-sectional diagram. Figure 6 This diagram further illustrates the cooling unit 31A to make the thread travel space S easier to observe. Figure 7 yes Figure 4 An enlarged view of part (b). Figure 6 as well as Figure 7 The vertical direction on the paper is parallel to the length direction of the unit, which will be described later.

[0062] As described above, cooling unit 31A and cooling unit 31B are configured in a line-symmetrical manner (see reference). Figure 3 Therefore, in the following description of cooling unit 31, only cooling unit 31A will be described in detail, while the description of cooling unit 31B will be omitted.

[0063] Will Figure 4 In (a) and (b), the direction perpendicular to the paper is defined as the height direction. The height direction is... Figure 5 The vertical direction is parallel to the horizontal direction on the paper. The height direction is orthogonal to the length direction of the body. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the height direction has at least a vertical component. In this embodiment, one side of the height direction can be described as approximately the lower side. Furthermore, the other side of the height direction can be described as approximately the upper side. However, it should be noted that the relationship between the height direction and the vertical direction can change depending on the orientation of the cooling device 14.

[0064] Furthermore, for ease of explanation, directions orthogonal to both the length and height directions of the aircraft are defined as orthogonal directions (see reference). Figure 4 (a)). Cooling unit 31A and cooling unit 31B extend at least along an orthogonal direction. In this embodiment, cooling unit 31A and cooling unit 31B extend along a direction slightly inclined relative to the orthogonal direction. Furthermore, the direction in which cooling unit 31A extends is referred to as the unit length direction (the length direction of the present invention). For ease of explanation, the direction orthogonal to both the unit length direction and the height direction is referred to as the width direction (see reference). Figure 5 ). Figure 5 The left side of the paper is the width side. Figure 5 The right side of the paper is the other side in the width direction.

[0065] In this embodiment, the element length direction is a defined direction with orthogonal components (refer to...). Figure 4 (a) and (b)). In other words, in this embodiment, the length direction of the unit is the same regardless of the position of the cooling unit 31 in the orthogonal direction. In addition, when the cooling unit 31 is bent or otherwise when viewed from the height direction, the length direction of the unit changes according to the position of the cooling unit 31 in the orthogonal direction.

[0066] (Composition of the cooling unit)

[0067] like Figure 4 (a)~ Figure 7As shown, the cooling unit 31A has a pair of unit wall panels 51 (a pair of unit wall portions of the present invention). The pair of unit wall panels 51 are disposed on one side of the air intake duct 32 in the height direction (more specifically, on one side of the duct wall portion 34 in the height direction). The pair of unit wall panels 51 (unit wall panels 51a, 51b) are respectively elongated components for forming the wire travel space S. In the width direction, the wire travel space S is formed between a pair of unit wall surfaces 55 (described later) disposed on the pair of unit wall panels 51. The unit wall panels 51a, 51b extend relatively long along the unit length direction. Unit wall panel 51a is disposed on one side of the wire travel space S in the width direction. Unit wall panel 51b is disposed on the other side of the wire travel space S in the width direction.

[0068] Unit wall panel 51a is, for example, a component with a generally C-shaped cross-section formed by sheet metal processing of a flat metal component (see reference). Figure 5 The unit wall panel 51a may also be fixed to the pipe wall 34, for example. Alternatively, the unit wall panel 51a may be configured to be movable relative to the unit wall panel 51b, at least in the width direction. When the unit wall panel 51a is movable, for example, when performing maintenance on the cooling unit 31A, cleaning operations such as the wire guide 58 (described later) become easier. The unit wall panel 51a has a base end portion 52a, a middle portion 53a, and a front end portion 54a (see...). Figure 5 ).

[0069] The base end portion 52a is the end portion disposed on the other side of the unit wall panel 51a in the height direction and extending along the width direction. The intermediate portion 53a is the portion extending from the end portion on the other side of the width direction of the base end portion 52a to one side in the height direction. At least one unit wall surface 55a extending along the height direction is formed at the end portion on the other side of the width direction of the intermediate portion 53a. The unit wall surface 55a is one of a pair of unit wall surfaces 55. The unit wall surface 55a is a surface including the curved surfaces formed at both ends of the intermediate portion 53a in the height direction during sheet metal processing (see reference). Figure 5 (The thicker the wire). The unit wall surface 55a is a surface used to form the wire travel space S in the cooling unit 31A. For example, a plurality of contact bodies 56a (the first contact portion of the present invention) are provided on the unit wall surface 55a, arranged separately from each other in the unit length direction. (Refer to...) Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 The contact body 56a is configured to actively contact the traveling thread Y. This prevents accidental contact between the thread Y and portions of the unit wall 55a where the contact body 56a is not located. The thickness (i.e., length in the width direction) of the contact body 56a is, for example, 0.35 mm. The front end portion 54a extends from one end of the middle portion 53a in the height direction towards one side in the width direction.

[0070] Unit wall panel 51b is, for example, a component formed by sheet metal processing of a flat metal part, having a generally C-shaped cross-section facing the opposite direction to unit wall panel 51a (see reference). Figure 5 Unit wall panel 51b is fixed to the pipe wall 34, for example, by screws (not shown). Unit wall panel 51b in Figure 5 The cross-section shown has a base end 52b, a middle part 53b, and a front end 54b.

[0071] The base end portion 52b is the end portion disposed on the opposite side of the unit wall panel 51b in the height direction and extending along the width direction. The intermediate portion 53b is the portion extending from the end portion 52b on one side of the body length direction toward one side in the height direction. At least one unit wall surface 55b extending along the height direction is formed at the end portion of the intermediate portion 53b on one side in the width direction. The unit wall surface 55b is the other of a pair of unit wall surfaces 55. The unit wall surface 55b is disposed on the opposite side of the unit wall surface 55a in the width direction, separated by a wire travel space S. In other words, a pair of unit wall surfaces 55 are disposed on opposite sides of each other in the width direction, separated by a wire travel space S. Similar to the unit wall surface 55a, the unit wall surface 55b includes curved surfaces formed at both ends of the intermediate portion 53b in the height direction (see reference). Figure 5 (The thicker the wire). The unit wall surface 55b is a surface used together with the unit wall surface 55a to form the wire travel space S. For example, a plurality of contact bodies 56b (the second contact portion of the present invention) are provided on the unit wall surface 55b, arranged separately from each other in the unit length direction. (Refer to...) Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 This prevents accidental contact between the wire Y and the portion of the unit wall 55b where the contact body 56b is not located. The thickness (i.e., length in the width direction) of the contact body 56b is, for example, 0.35 mm. The contact body 56b is positioned at a different location in the unit length direction than the contact body 56a (see reference). Figure 6 The front end 54b is a portion that extends from one end of the middle portion 53b in the height direction to the other side in the width direction.

[0072] In the width direction, for example, a plurality of plate-shaped spacers 57 are provided between the unit wall surface 55a and the unit wall surface 55b. Figure 5 (Only one is shown in the figure). Multiple spacers 57 are arranged at intervals along the length of the unit cell (illustration omitted). The multiple spacers 57 are configured to define the distance (i.e., the interval in the width direction) between unit cell wall surfaces 55a and 55b. The thickness (i.e., the length in the width direction) of the spacers 57 is, for example, 1 mm or less. Thus, the interval G in the width direction between the mutually facing portions of a pair of unit cell wall surfaces 55 (refer to...) Figure 5The distance between the two unit walls 55 is 1 mm or less. In this embodiment, "the portion of the pair of unit walls 55 that faces each other in the width direction" refers to the portion of the pair of unit walls 55 that is substantially parallel to each other and is the portion in the width direction between the pair of unit walls 55 where no other components are disposed. In other words, the distance between unit walls 55a and unit walls 55b in the width direction (distance G) is 1 mm or less in the height direction of the portions of the pair of unit walls 55 that are curved and not substantially parallel to each other. In addition, in this embodiment, the two ends of the pair of unit walls 55 in the height direction (the curved portions that are not substantially parallel to each other) are not included in "the portion of the pair of unit walls 55 that faces each other in the width direction". Furthermore, for example, the distance between unit wall 55a and contact body 56b in the width direction is 0.65 mm, but this distance is not included in "the distance in the width direction of the portion of the pair of unit walls 55 that faces each other in the width direction". The same applies to the distance between unit wall 55b and contact body 56a in the width direction.

[0073] In the width direction, for example, a plurality of wire guides 58 are provided between the unit wall surface 55a and the unit wall surface 55b (see reference). Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 Alternatively, only one wire guide 58 may be provided. One or more wire guides 58 are components used to prevent the wire Y from being sucked into the intake space Ss. Each wire guide 58 is disposed in the wire travel space S. As an example, three wire guides 58 are provided in this embodiment. Each wire guide 58 is, for example, disposed in the height direction at a position closer to one side than the spacer 57. Each wire guide 58 is configured such that the wire Y contacts the end of each wire guide 58 in the height direction. Therefore, each wire guide 58 restricts the wire Y from moving to the other side in the height direction. Thus, it is possible to prevent the wire Y from being sucked into the intake space Ss. Each wire guide 58 is preferably disposed in the height direction at a position closer to one side than the center of the pair of unit walls 55. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the wire Y from being sucked into the intake space Ss.

[0074] The thread travel space S passes through the aforementioned multiple air intake slits 38 (see reference). Figure 4 (b) and Figure 5 It connects to the intake space Ss formed in the intake duct 32. Multiple intake slits 38 extend, for example, along the height direction through the duct wall 34 (see reference). Figure 5 And extends along the length of the element (refer to...) Figure 4 (b)). Multiple air intake slits 38 are arranged on the downstream side of the wire travel space S and the upstream side of the air intake space Ss in the flow direction of the cooling air flow.

[0075] In the cooling device 14 described above, when a negative pressure is generated in the intake space Ss by the negative pressure generating device 33, the cooling air flows mainly from one side to the other in the height direction within the wire travel space S (see reference). Figure 5 (The arrow). Furthermore, the cooling air is drawn into the intake space Ss through the intake slit 38. In order to improve the cooling efficiency of the filament Y in the cooling device 14, the inventors of this application have focused on reducing the frictional resistance (flow path resistance) of the flow path through which the cooling air flows, as follows.

[0076] (Components used to improve cooling efficiency)

[0077] The following describes two configurations that are effective in improving cooling efficiency. In the first configuration, the length (hereinafter, also simply referred to as wall height) of each pair of unit walls 55 in the height direction is 30 mm or less. In other words, the length from the inlet 59 of the wire travel space S to one end of the intake slit 38 in the height direction is 30 mm or less. The position of the inlet 59 in the height direction is the same as the position of one end of the pair of unit walls 55 in the height direction (see reference). Figure 5 Furthermore, the conventional wall height is, for example, 34 mm. Therefore, the wall height in the cooling device 14 is lower than before. Consequently, when the yarn travel space S is considered as the flow path of the cooling air, the flow path of the cooling air, which mainly flows along the height direction, becomes shorter in the height direction. Therefore, by reducing flow path resistance, pressure loss is reduced, and thus, even without increasing the output of the negative pressure generating device 33, the air velocity of the cooling air can be increased compared to the conventional configuration. Additionally, as in this embodiment, when the spacer 57 and the yarn guide 58 are provided in the yarn travel space S, from the viewpoint of ensuring the installation area of ​​the spacer 57 and the yarn guide 58, a wall height of 10 mm or more is preferable.

[0078] Next, the second configuration will be explained. For ease of explanation, the region along the length of the element where a pair of element walls 55 are arranged is referred to as the wall arrangement region R (refer to...). Figure 4 For ease of explanation, in the length direction of the unit, within the wall configuration area R, the multiple areas in the pipe wall 34 where multiple air intake slits 38 are formed are referred to as the forming area R1 (see reference). Figure 7 Furthermore, for ease of explanation, in the length direction of the unit, within the wall configuration region R, the multiple regions other than the forming region R1 are referred to as non-forming regions R2 (see reference). Figure 7 In the length direction of the unit cell, the sum of the lengths of the multiple forming regions R1 is longer than the sum of the lengths of the non-forming regions R2 (see reference). Figure 4(b) In other words, in the length direction of the unit, the sum of the lengths of the multiple forming regions R1 is longer than half the length of the wall configuration region R. Therefore, the sum of the cross-sectional areas (i.e., opening areas) of the multiple air intake slits 38 can be increased. Thus, by reducing the flow path resistance in the multiple air intake slits 38, pressure loss is reduced, thereby increasing the airflow velocity of the cooling air.

[0079] A specific example of the second configuration will be explained. For instance, the length of the wall configuration area R in the unit length direction is 550 mm. Figure 4 As shown in (b), five air intake slits 38 are formed corresponding to one cooling unit 31. That is, there are five forming regions R1 within a wall configuration area R. The length of each forming region R1 in the unit length direction is, for example, 90 mm. The sum of the lengths of the five forming regions R1 in the unit length direction is 450 mm. In addition, the width (length in the width direction) of each forming region R1 is, for example, 3 mm. Furthermore, for example, in a wall configuration area R, in addition to the five forming regions R1, there are six non-forming regions R2. The lengths of each non-forming region R2 in the unit length direction are approximately equal. The sum of the lengths of the six non-forming regions R2 in the unit length direction is designed to be 100 mm.

[0080] The inventors of this application believe that by using the first and second configurations described above, pressure loss can be reduced and the airflow speed of the cooling air can be increased.

[0081] (Confirmation of the effect related to improved cooling efficiency)

[0082] The inventors of this application have conducted the following evaluation related to the improvement of cooling efficiency of various cooling devices having the first and / or second configurations described above. (Refer to...) Figures 8-11 Explain the evaluation content and results. Figure 8 This is a table that shows the wind speed of the cooling air and the evaluation results of the power consumption of various cooling devices. Figure 9 It is a graph showing the relationship between the cooling air velocity and the negative pressure. Figure 10 It is a graph showing the relationship between the power consumption of various cooling devices and the airflow speed of the cooling air. Figure 11 It is a graph showing the relationship between the different configurations of various cooling devices and the wind speed of the cooling air.

[0083] The inventors of this application have made two main evaluations. As a first evaluation, in a cooling device that has the same first and second configurations as cooling device 14... Figures 8-10 The "embodiments" in the text) and cooling devices that do not have the first and second components ( Figures 8-10Various physical property values ​​were compared between the "comparative examples" in the document. As a second evaluation, the improvement in cooling effect was also confirmed in a cooling device (not shown) having only one of the first and second configurations (see [reference]). Figure 11 ).

[0084] The content and results of the first evaluation will be explained. The inventors of this application have prepared a cooling device (not shown) for an embodiment and a cooling device (not shown) for a comparative example. The configuration of the cooling device for the embodiment is described below. Regarding the first configuration, the wall height (the length of a pair of unit walls 55 in the height direction) is 27 mm. Regarding the second configuration, five forming regions R1 are provided similarly to the above-described specific example. The sum of the lengths of the multiple forming regions R1 in the unit length direction is 450 mm. The sum of the lengths of the multiple non-forming regions R2 in the unit length direction is 100 mm.

[0085] On the other hand, the cooling device of the comparative example is configured as follows. Regarding the first configuration, the height of a pair of unit wall surfaces (not shown) is 34 mm. Regarding the aforementioned second configuration, nine forming regions (not shown) are provided. The length of each forming region in the unit length direction is 30 mm. The sum of the lengths of the multiple forming regions in the unit length direction is 270 mm. Furthermore, ten non-forming regions (not shown) are provided. The sum of the lengths of the multiple non-forming regions in the unit length direction is 280 mm. That is, in the comparative example, the sum of the lengths of the multiple forming regions in the unit length direction is equal to or shorter than the sum of the lengths of the multiple non-forming regions in the unit length direction.

[0086] In the cooling apparatus of the embodiments and the comparative examples, the inventors of this application operated a known blower (negative pressure generating device 33) and set conditions for generating negative pressure (static pressure) within the air intake space Ss. More specifically, in order to obtain the specified negative pressure, the inventors of this application used a frequency converter (frequency converter 37) to switch the frequency of the signal sent to the motor (motor 36). The frequency of the signal is proportional to the rotational speed of the motor's shaft. Under various conditions, the inventors of this application obtained the time-average wind speed (average wind speed) near the inlet 59 of the yarn travel space S and the power consumption value of the blower (see reference). Figure 8 The cooling air velocity was measured using an anemometer manufactured by Kanomax Corporation of Japan, namely the Anemo Master (a registered trademark of the company). More specifically, the tip of the anemometer probe was positioned near the center of the unit length of the wire travel space S. The power consumption information of the blower was obtained using the aforementioned frequency converter. The negative pressure of the intake space Ss was measured using a known pressure gauge. Figure 8In the examples and comparative examples, the absolute value of the negative pressure (in kPa), the frequency (in Hz), the average wind speed (in m / s), and the power consumption (in kW) are shown. Hereinafter, the value of the negative pressure is expressed as an absolute value. The larger the absolute value, the stronger the suction force of the blower.

[0087] In both the embodiment and the comparative example, the negative pressure setting value was switched between three conditions: 0.3 kPa, 0.6 kPa, and 1.0 kPa. The higher the negative pressure setting value, the higher the frequency (i.e., the higher the rotational speed of the motor shaft). Furthermore, as the negative pressure increases, the frequency difference between the embodiment and the comparative example gradually increases. Specifically, when the negative pressure setting value is 0.3 kPa, the frequency in both the embodiment and the comparative example is 22 Hz. On the other hand, when the negative pressure setting value is 1.0 kPa, the frequency in the embodiment is 42 Hz, and the frequency in the comparative example is 46 Hz. That is, the result is that, in the embodiment, even if the rotational speed of the motor shaft is lower than in the comparative example, the same level of negative pressure can be generated. Based on this result, it is inferred that, in the cooling device of the embodiment, the load on the motor is reduced because the pressure loss is reduced by the first and second configurations described above.

[0088] exist Figure 9 In the curve graph, based on Figure 8 The table below illustrates the relationship between average airflow and negative pressure in the embodiments and comparative examples. The horizontal axis represents negative pressure, and the vertical axis represents average airflow. When the negative pressure setting is 0.3 kPa, the average airflow in the comparative example is 0.96 m / s, and the average airflow in the embodiment is 1.77 m / s. When the negative pressure setting is 0.6 kPa, the average airflow in the comparative example is 1.19 m / s, and the average airflow in the embodiment is 2.57 m / s. When the negative pressure setting is 1.0 kPa, the average airflow in the comparative example is 1.35 m / s, and the average airflow in the embodiment is 3.07 m / s. Under each negative pressure condition, the average airflow in the embodiment is approximately twice that of the average airflow in the comparative example. Therefore, a higher airflow can be obtained in the embodiment (i.e., improved cooling efficiency).

[0089] Furthermore, as described above, in the cooling device of the embodiment, the average wind speed when the negative pressure setting is 0.3 kPa is 1.77 m / s. This value is greater than the average wind speed (1.35 m / s) in the cooling device of the comparative example when the negative pressure setting is 1.0 kPa. Thus, in the embodiment, even with a relatively low negative pressure, a very high wind speed can be obtained (i.e., the cooling efficiency is significantly improved).

[0090] exist Figure 10 In the curve graph, based on Figure 8The table below illustrates the relationship between power consumption and average wind speed in the embodiments and comparative examples. The horizontal axis represents the average wind speed, and the vertical axis represents the power consumption of the blower (especially the motor). For example, in the comparative example, the power consumption required to achieve a wind speed of 1.35 m / s is 3.05 kW. The frequency at this time is 46 Hz. In contrast, in the embodiment, the power consumption required to achieve a wind speed of 1.77 m / s is only 0.34 kW. The frequency at this time is 22 Hz. That is, in the embodiment, the power consumption required to achieve the same level of wind speed as before is reduced by approximately 90% compared to the past. Generally, it is known that the power consumption of a motor capable of changing the rotational speed of its shaft is proportional to the cube of the corresponding rotational speed. Therefore, it can be considered that such a significant reduction in power consumption (i.e., a substantial improvement in cooling efficiency) can be achieved.

[0091] As described above, it is evident that in the cooling device of this embodiment, the airflow can be increased even without increasing the negative pressure, and power consumption can be reduced. These effects all imply improved cooling efficiency. Furthermore, while the wall height is set to 27 mm in this embodiment, a significant improvement in cooling efficiency can be expected as long as the wall height is lower than the conventional 34 mm (e.g., 30 mm or less). Moreover, if the height is lower than 27 mm, further improvements in cooling efficiency can be expected.

[0092] Next, the content and results of the second evaluation will be explained. The inventors of this application also evaluated whether the cooling efficiency was improved in cases where the cooling device 14 had only one of the first configuration (wall height of 30 mm or less) or the second configuration (the sum of the lengths of the forming region R1 is longer than the sum of the lengths of the non-forming region R2). The inventors of this application prepared the following four types of cooling devices. The first type of cooling device is the cooling device of the above embodiment, having both the first and second configurations. The second type of cooling device has only the first configuration (here, the wall height is 27 mm). That is, in the second type of cooling device, the sum of the lengths of the forming region R1 is the same as in the comparative example. The third type of cooling device has only the second configuration. That is, in the third type of cooling device, the wall height is the same as in the comparative example. The fourth type of cooling device is the cooling device of the comparative example.

[0093] The inventors of this application set the negative pressure of the intake space Ss to a constant condition and obtained information on the wind speed of the cooling air for the first to fourth cooling devices. Figure 11 The results are shown in the bar chart. The vertical axis represents the airflow speed. In summary, in any of the first to third cooling devices, a higher airflow speed (i.e., higher cooling efficiency) can be obtained than in the comparative example. That is, it can be seen that as long as at least one of the first and second configurations described above is present, the cooling efficiency can be improved.

[0094] As described above, the length (wall height) of each pair of unit walls 55 in the height direction is 30 mm or less. This shortens the flow path of the cooling air. Therefore, flow resistance is reduced, pressure loss is decreased, and a higher air velocity can be obtained. Consequently, the cooling efficiency of the wire Y can be improved.

[0095] Furthermore, the sum of the lengths of the forming regions R1 along the unit length direction is longer than the sum of the lengths of the non-forming regions R2 along the unit length direction. This allows for an increase in the cross-sectional area (i.e., opening area) of the intake slit 38. Consequently, flow path resistance is reduced, thus lowering pressure loss and resulting in a higher airflow velocity. Therefore, the cooling efficiency of the filament Y can be improved.

[0096] Furthermore, the width-direction spacing G of the mutually facing portions of a pair of unit wall surfaces 55 is less than 1 mm. Generally, if the fluid flow rate is the same, the smaller the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path, the faster the fluid velocity. However, when the width of the flow path is too narrow, the pressure loss caused by the wall forming the flow path increases, and the fluid flow rate decreases. In this embodiment, the pressure loss caused by the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 can be reduced by lowering the wall height. Therefore, even if the spacing G is reduced, the increase in pressure loss caused by this can be suppressed. Consequently, the area of ​​the cross-section orthogonal to the height direction of the filament travel space S can be reduced, and the air velocity can be further increased.

[0097] Furthermore, the cooling unit 31 has one or more wire guides 58. These wire guides 58 can restrict the movement of the wire Y to the other side in the height direction, thus preventing the wire Y from entering the intake duct 32. Moreover, the wire guides 58 are positioned away from the intake duct 32 in the height direction, thereby ensuring that the wire Y is entirely away from the intake duct 32 in the height direction. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the wire Y from entering the intake space Ss.

[0098] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the thread Y can travel while alternately contacting the contact body 56a and the contact body 56b. This restricts the movement of the thread Y in the width direction. Moreover, by contacting the thread Y with the contact body 56a or the contact body 56b, which has been cooled by cooling air, the thread Y can be cooled more effectively.

[0099] Furthermore, cooling air is generated from the yarn travel space S towards the intake space Ss by the negative pressure generating device 33. Normally, the yarn Y is coated with an oil to ensure its smooth travel. Therefore, in a configuration where cooling air is supplied from the duct space towards the yarn travel space S, the oil may potentially scatter into the external space (more specifically, the working space Sw). In this embodiment, the cooling air is drawn into the intake space Ss, thus preventing the problem of oil scattering.

[0100] Furthermore, the negative pressure generating device 33 includes an impeller 35, a motor 36, and a frequency converter 37. In the cooling device 14 with improved cooling efficiency, the frequency converter 37 reduces the rotational speed of the motor 36 shaft compared to the past, thereby significantly reducing the power consumption of the negative pressure generating device 33 while achieving the desired airflow speed.

[0101] Furthermore, the cooling device 14 can be effectively cooled while simultaneously miniaturizing the cooling device 14 and / or reducing power consumption. The false twisting machine 1 can be miniaturized and / or its overall power consumption reduced while ensuring the good quality of the yarn Y processed by the false twisting machine 1.

[0102] Next, variations of the above-described embodiments will be described. However, for parts having the same structure as the above-described embodiments, the same symbols will be used and their descriptions will be appropriately omitted.

[0103] (1) In the above embodiment, the portion of a pair of unit wall surfaces 55 that faces each other in the width direction has a width-direction spacing G of 1 mm or less. However, it is not limited to this. The spacing G may also be greater than 1 mm.

[0104] (2) In the embodiments described above, the cooling unit 31 has contact body 56a and contact body 56b. However, it is not limited to this. It is not necessary to provide contact body 56a and contact body 56b.

[0105] (3) In the embodiments described above, in the height direction, one end of one or more wire guides 58 is positioned further to one side than the center of the pair of unit walls 55. However, this is not a limitation. One end of one or more wire guides 58 may also be positioned further to the other side than the center of the pair of unit walls 55.

[0106] (4) In the embodiments described above, the cooling unit 31 has one or more wire guides 58. However, it is not limited to this. It is not necessary to provide wire guides 58. In this configuration, it is not necessary to ensure an area for providing wire guides 58. Therefore, the wall height can be lower than 10 mm. For example, the wall height can be 5 mm. In addition, in this configuration, certain measures are preferably taken to prevent the wire Y from being sucked into the air intake space Ss.

[0107] (5) In the embodiments described above, the cooling unit 31 has a spacer 57. However, it is not limited to this. Instead of the spacer 57, the positional relationship between the unit wall surface 55a and the unit wall surface 55b in the width direction may be defined by a positioning member (not shown).

[0108] (6) In the embodiments described above, the cooling unit 31 has a pair of unit wall panels 51 formed by sheet metal processing. However, it is not limited to this. As a configuration equivalent to the pair of unit wall portions of the present invention, a pair of block components (not shown) formed by machining may be provided instead of the pair of unit wall panels 51. A pair of wall surfaces corresponding to the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 may also be formed on the pair of block components. In this case, the pair of wall surfaces may also be formed so that they are not curved like the pair of unit wall surfaces 55, but are substantially straight in a cross section orthogonal to the length direction of the unit.

[0109] Alternatively, the pair of walls corresponding to the pair of unit walls 55 can also be formed, for example, by machining a block-shaped component. In this case, the aforementioned spacer 57 or positioning component (not shown) may not be provided.

[0110] Alternatively, the pair of walls corresponding to the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 can also be formed, for example, by machining a portion of the pipe wall 34. In this case, the wall height can be further reduced. The wall height can be, for example, 1 mm. In this case, the spacer 57 or positioning component (not shown) may not be provided.

[0111] (7) In the embodiments described above, a plurality of air inlet slits 38 are provided on the pipe wall 34 corresponding to one cooling unit 31. However, this is not a limitation. For example, a single elongated air inlet slit (not shown) may be provided corresponding to one cooling unit 31. Furthermore, this single air inlet slit may be integrally formed throughout the wall surface arrangement area R in the unit length direction. This configuration is also included in the configuration of the present invention where "the sum of the lengths of one or more forming areas is longer than the sum of the lengths of the areas other than one or more forming areas".

[0112] (8) In the embodiments described above, the negative pressure generating device 33 includes a motor 36 as an AC motor and a frequency converter 37. However, it is not limited to this. Instead of the motor 36, a DC motor (not shown) may be provided, for example. Furthermore, the rotational speed of the motor shaft can be changed by changing the magnitude of the voltage applied to the DC motor.

[0113] (9) In the embodiments described above, the negative pressure generating device 33 is configured to change the rotational speed of the rotating shaft of the motor 36 (or a DC motor not shown). However, it is not limited to this. The negative pressure generating device 33 may, for example, have a power transmission mechanism (not shown) arranged between the rotating shaft and the impeller 35 in the transmission direction for transmitting power to the impeller. The power transmission mechanism may, for example, have multiple gears (not shown) and be configured to switch the gear ratio. With this configuration, the magnitude of the generated negative pressure can also be changed by switching the rotational speed of the impeller 35.

[0114] (10) In the embodiments described above, the negative pressure generating device 33 is a blower. However, it is not limited to this. As the negative pressure generating device of the present invention, a fan or an air intake device (not shown) may also be provided, for example.

[0115] (11) In the embodiments described above, a negative pressure is generated in the intake space Ss (the space inside the pipe) by utilizing the negative pressure generating device 33, thereby supplying cooling air to the thread travel space S. However, this is not a limitation. Instead of the negative pressure generating device 33, a device that generates positive pressure (a pressure higher than the air pressure in the space outside the cooling device 14) can be provided. In this case, cooling air is supplied from the pipe space toward the thread travel space S. In this case, pressure loss can also be reduced by reducing flow path resistance. In addition, in this configuration, the cooling air is sprayed toward the working space Sw. When the cooling air is sprayed toward the working space Sw, as described above, the oil may scatter into the working space Sw. Therefore, in this configuration, a scattering prevention device (not shown) configured to prevent the oil from scattering into the working space Sw can also be provided.

[0116] (12) The cooling device 14 described above is not limited to the false twisting machine 1, but can also be applied to known false twisting machines (not shown) with other configurations. For example, the present invention can also be applied to the false twisting machine (not shown) described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-74219. This false twisting mechanism is capable of twisting two threads together to form one thread. This false twisting mechanism is capable of winding the twisted thread or the two untwisted threads onto a single cradle. As an example, the present invention can also be applied to such a false twisting machine. Alternatively, in addition to the false twisting machine, the cooling device 14 can also be applied to known pneumatic processing machines (not shown) and other thread processing machines that process while the thread (not shown) is moving.

Claims

1. A cooling device configured to cool a traveling filament by means of cooling air, characterized in that, have: Multiple cooling units are configured such that the thread travel space for the aforementioned threads extends along a predetermined length direction; and The pipes form internal spaces that connect to the respective filament travel spaces of the multiple cooling units. The aforementioned pipe has a pipe wall portion, which is formed with one or more slits that are disposed between the wire travel space and the pipe interior space in the flow direction of the cooling airflow, directly connecting the wire travel space of each of the plurality of cooling units to the pipe interior space, and extending along the length direction. The cooling unit described above has a pair of unit walls disposed on one side of the pipe wall in a height direction orthogonal to the length direction described above. The aforementioned pair of unit wall portions have a pair of unit wall surfaces, which are arranged on opposite sides in a width direction orthogonal to both the aforementioned length direction and the aforementioned height direction, separated by the aforementioned thread travel space. The length of each of the aforementioned pair of unit walls in the aforementioned height direction is less than 30 mm.

2. A cooling device configured to cool a traveling filament by means of cooling air, characterized in that, have: Multiple cooling units are configured such that the thread travel space for the aforementioned threads extends along a predetermined length direction; and The pipes form internal spaces that connect to the respective filament travel spaces of the multiple cooling units. The aforementioned pipe has a pipe wall portion, which is formed with one or more slits that are disposed between the wire travel space and the pipe interior space in the flow direction of the cooling airflow, directly connecting the wire travel space of each of the plurality of cooling units to the pipe interior space, and extending along the length direction. The cooling unit described above has a pair of unit walls disposed on one side of the pipe wall in a height direction orthogonal to the length direction described above. The aforementioned pair of unit wall portions have a pair of unit wall surfaces, which are arranged on opposite sides in a width direction orthogonal to both the aforementioned length direction and the aforementioned height direction, separated by the aforementioned thread travel space. In the aforementioned length direction, within the wall configuration area where the aforementioned pair of unit walls are configured, the sum of the lengths of the more than one forming region in the pipe wall where the aforementioned one or more slits are formed is longer than the sum of the lengths of the regions other than the aforementioned one or more forming regions.

3. The cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the aforementioned length direction, within the wall configuration area where the aforementioned pair of unit walls are configured, the sum of the lengths of the more than one forming region in the pipe wall where the aforementioned one or more slits are formed is longer than the sum of the lengths of the regions other than the aforementioned one or more forming regions.

4. The cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The portions of the aforementioned pair of unit walls that face each other in the aforementioned width direction are spaced apart by less than 1 mm in the aforementioned width direction.

5. The cooling device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The portions of the aforementioned pair of unit walls that face each other in the aforementioned width direction are spaced apart by less than 1 mm in the aforementioned width direction.

6. The cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The cooling unit has one or more wire guides, which are arranged in the wire travel space and configured to restrict the wire from moving to the other side in the height direction.

7. The cooling device according to claim 6, characterized in that, In the aforementioned height direction, the end of one or more guide wires on one side is positioned closer to the center of the pair of unit walls on that side.

8. The cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The above-mentioned cooling unit has: The first contact portion is disposed on a portion of one of the aforementioned pair of unit walls for contact with the aforementioned wire; and The second contact portion is provided on a portion of the other of the pair of unit walls and is arranged at a different position from the first contact portion in the length direction for contact with the wire.

9. The cooling device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The above-mentioned cooling unit has: The first contact portion is disposed on a portion of one of the aforementioned pair of unit walls for contact with the aforementioned wire; and The second contact portion is provided on a portion of the other of the pair of unit walls and is arranged at a different position from the first contact portion in the length direction for contact with the wire.

10. The cooling device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The above-mentioned cooling unit has: The first contact portion is disposed on a portion of one of the aforementioned pair of unit walls for contact with the aforementioned wire; and The second contact portion is provided on a portion of the other of the pair of unit walls and is arranged at a different position from the first contact portion in the length direction for contact with the wire.

11. The cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, A negative pressure generating device is configured to generate negative pressure in the space inside the aforementioned pipe.

12. The cooling device according to claim 6, characterized in that, A negative pressure generating device is configured to generate negative pressure in the space inside the aforementioned pipe.

13. The cooling device according to any one of claims 7, 9, and 10, characterized in that, A negative pressure generating device is configured to generate negative pressure in the space inside the aforementioned pipe.

14. The cooling device according to claim 8, characterized in that, A negative pressure generating device is configured to generate negative pressure in the space inside the aforementioned pipe.

15. The cooling device according to claim 11, characterized in that, The above-mentioned negative pressure generating device has the following features: An impeller is configured to rotate; The motor is configured to rotate and drive the aforementioned impeller; and The speed change unit is configured to change the speed of the rotating shaft of the motor.

16. The cooling device according to claim 12, characterized in that, The above-mentioned negative pressure generating device has the following features: An impeller is configured to rotate; The motor is configured to rotate and drive the aforementioned impeller; and The speed change unit is configured to change the speed of the rotating shaft of the motor.

17. The cooling device according to claim 13, characterized in that, The above-mentioned negative pressure generating device has the following features: An impeller is configured to rotate; The motor is configured to rotate and drive the aforementioned impeller; and The speed change unit is configured to change the speed of the rotating shaft of the motor.

18. The cooling device according to claim 14, characterized in that, The above-mentioned negative pressure generating device has the following features: An impeller is configured to rotate; The motor is configured to rotate and drive the aforementioned impeller; and The speed change unit is configured to change the speed of the rotating shaft of the motor.

19. A wire processing machine, characterized in that, have: The cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 18; A thread deformation application device configured to apply deformation to the aforementioned thread; and A thread conveying device is configured to convey the thread to the cooling device and the thread deformation application device, thereby causing the thread to travel. The aforementioned thread processing mechanism is designed to process the aforementioned thread while it is being moved.

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