Segmented airbag sword belt device and control method thereof and three-dimensional special loom

Abstract

This invention discloses a segmented airbag-type rapier belt device, comprising a flexible rapier belt body composed of several airbag sections along its length. Each airbag section includes an airbag, an inlet pipe and a vent pipe connecting the airbag, several compression valves controlling the opening / closing of the inlet and vent pipes, and an air passage for supplying air to the airbag. The segmented airbag-type rapier belt device of this invention is lightweight and flexible. Under inflation pressure, it exhibits rigidity, capable of bearing the weight of the rapier belt itself, the rapier tip, and the weft yarn during suspended weft insertion in the shed. Under normal pressure, it exhibits flexibility, can be bent and stored in the rapier belt pulley outside the shed, or can be converted to warp direction, thus occupying minimal space. It is suitable for the fabrication of three-dimensional multilayer fabrics in composite material preform production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of textile machinery manufacturing and relates to a rapier device in a three-dimensional special loom used for manufacturing three-dimensional woven composite material preforms. Background Technology

[0002] Rapier looms are a type of shuttleless loom with a very wide range of applications. The rapier belt or rapier shaft is a key component for weft insertion in rapier looms. On rapier looms, it is usually driven by a rapier wheel, which carries the rapier head and weft yarn to complete the weft insertion function.

[0003] Rapier looms typically have rigid and flexible rapiers. A rigid rapier's rapier is rigid and can directly carry the weft yarn into the shed suspended in the air. This characteristic is ideal for weaving multi-layered fabrics in three-dimensional weaving. However, when a rigid rapier exits the shed, it inevitably occupies space outside the shed, meaning a rigid rapier loom occupies at least twice the width of the fabric in the width direction. Therefore, rigid rapier looms cannot be used for wide-width fabrics. A flexible rapier's rapier strip is flexible and can be wound around the shed, thus not occupying much space and allowing for the weaving of wide-width fabrics. However, the flexible rapier strip cannot support the weight of the rapier head and the strip itself, and cannot carry the weft yarn into the shed suspended in the air. Multiple guide hooks need to be installed inside the shed along the width direction to form a shuttle path supporting the flexible rapier strip. The guide hooks inevitably rub against the warp yarns. For three-dimensional multilayer composite fabrics, this friction is aggravated, causing the warp yarns to pill and seriously affecting weaving. In particular, when implementing multilayer weft insertion, the shed center height of each layer is different. It is necessary to adjust the height of the weft insertion rapier to align with the shed center while simultaneously adjusting the height of the guide hooks in the entire shed to form a flat shed path that supports the rapier. This is a very difficult and costly mechanical and electronic system. Therefore, multilayer fabric looms generally do not use this flexible rapier solution. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to solve the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention aims to provide a segmented airbag type rapier belt device, wherein the rapier belt is rigid in the weft insertion shed, and can suspend and support its own weight, the weight of the rapier head and the weight of the weft yarn; outside the shed, it is flexible, can be rolled up and stored, and does not take up much space.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned technical objectives and effects, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solution:

[0006] A segmented airbag-type sword belt device includes a flexible sword belt body, which is composed of a plurality of airbag sections along its length; each airbag section includes an airbag, an air inlet pipe and an air outlet pipe connecting the airbag, a plurality of squeeze valves for controlling the opening / closing of the air inlet pipe and the air outlet pipe, and an air passage for supplying air to the airbag.

[0007] Furthermore, the squeeze valve includes a valve handle connected to a pair of pressure roller shafts, on which pressure rollers are rotatably mounted, and also includes a valve shaft. The squeeze valve is pivotally mounted on the flexible scimitar body via the valve shaft. When the squeeze valve is pivoted in the first position, the pressure rollers are located at the vent pipe, squeezing and closing the vent pipe and opening the inlet pipe. When the squeeze valve is pivoted in the second position, the pressure rollers are located at the inlet pipe, squeezing and closing the inlet pipe and opening the vent pipe.

[0008] Furthermore, the segmented airbag-type sword belt device of the present invention also includes a stop rod assembly, the stop rod assembly including a fixing block for fixed connection to the outside, the fixing block being connected to the stop rod via a compression spring reset mechanism, and the end of the stop rod being pivotally mounted with a stop block via a torsion spring.

[0009] Furthermore, the stop block includes a pointed portion and a blunt portion. The pointed portion is composed of a horizontal surface and a sloped surface, and the blunt portion includes a straight section and a sloped section. When the spring reset mechanism is in the reset state, the horizontal surface is in contact with the flexible sword belt body, and the straight section is perpendicular to the flexible sword belt body.

[0010] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0011] The segmented airbag-type rapier belt device of this invention is lightweight and flexible. Under inflation pressure, it exhibits rigidity, capable of bearing the weight of the rapier belt itself, the rapier tip, and the weft yarn during suspended weft insertion in the shed. Under normal pressure, it exhibits flexibility, can be bent and stored in the rapier belt pulley outside the shed, or can be converted to warp direction, thus occupying minimal space. It is suitable for the fabrication of three-dimensional multilayer fabrics in composite material preform production.

[0012] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to better understand the technical means of the present invention and to implement it according to the contents of the specification, the preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Specific embodiments of the present invention are given in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0013] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and, together with their description, serve to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the segmented airbag-type sword belt device of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the extrusion valve of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the specific structure of the segmented airbag-type sword belt device of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the valve handle from the first position to the second position in a segmented airbag-type sword belt device of the present invention in an airbag series embodiment.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the valve handle from the first position to the second position in a parallel airbag embodiment of the segmented airbag-type sword belt device of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the stop assembly of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the sword-feeding process in the segmented airbag-type sword belt device control method of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the sword retraction process in the segmented airbag-type sword belt device control method of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the segmented airbag-type sword belt device of the present invention, featuring a double-layer fabric weave.

[0023] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the segmented airbag-type sword belt device of the present invention, featuring a double-layered fabric weave. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0025] It should be noted that all directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, upper end, lower end, top, bottom, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicator will also change accordingly. Example 1:

[0026] See Figures 1-3 As shown, a segmented airbag-type sword belt device includes a flexible sword belt body 1, which is composed of several airbag sections along its length; each airbag section includes an airbag 2, an air inlet pipe 201 and an air outlet pipe 202 connecting the airbag 2, several compression valves 3 for controlling the opening / closing of the air inlet pipe 201 and the air outlet pipe 202, and an air passage 4 for supplying air to the airbag 2.

[0027] Preferred, such as Figure 4As shown, the airbag sections are connected in series. The air passage 4 is connected to the air intake pipe 201 of the airbag 2 in the first airbag section. The airbag 2 in the remaining airbag sections is connected to the airbag 2 in the previous airbag section through the air intake pipe 201.

[0028] Preferred, such as Figure 5 As shown, several airbag sections are connected in parallel, and the air intake pipe 201 of the airbag 2 in each airbag section is connected to the air passage 4.

[0029] See Figure 2 As shown, the squeeze valve 3 includes a valve handle 301, which is connected to a pair of pressure roller shafts 302. Pressure rollers 303 are rotatably mounted on the pressure roller shafts 302. It also includes a valve shaft 304. The squeeze valve 3 is pivotally mounted on the flexible sword belt body 1 via the valve shaft 304. When the squeeze valve 3 is pivoted in the first position, the pressure rollers 303 are located at the vent pipe 202, squeezing and closing the vent pipe 202 and opening the air inlet pipe 201. When the squeeze valve 3 is pivoted in the second position, the pressure rollers 303 are located at the air inlet pipe 201, squeezing and closing the air inlet pipe 201 and opening the vent pipe 202.

[0030] Further, see Figure 6 As shown, the segmented airbag-type sword belt device of this embodiment also includes a stop rod assembly. The stop rod assembly includes a fixing block 501 for fixed connection to the outside. The fixing block 501 is connected to the stop rod 503 through a compression spring reset mechanism 502. The end of the stop rod 503 is pivotally provided with a stop block 505 through a torsion spring 504.

[0031] Furthermore, the stop block 505 includes a pointed portion 5051 and a blunt portion 5052. The pointed portion is composed of a horizontal surface and a sloped surface, and the blunt portion 5052 includes a straight section 50521 and a sloped section 50522. When the spring reset mechanism 502 is in the reset state, the horizontal surface is in contact with the flexible sword belt body 1, and the straight section 50521 is perpendicular to the flexible sword belt body 1.

[0032] Furthermore, the airbag 2, the air inlet pipe 201, and the air outlet pipe 202 of the flexible sword belt body 1 are hollow double-walled fabrics, while the remaining part of the flexible sword belt body 1 is a single-walled fabric. The hollow double-walled fabric and the single-walled fabric are high-performance composite fiber fabrics.

[0033] Preferred, such as Figure 9As shown, this is an example of airbags connected in series. The first airbag is connected to the air supply duct, the second airbag is connected to the first airbag via an air intake pipe, the third airbag is connected to the second airbag via an air inlet pipe, and so on, following the same pattern to continue with the fourth, fifth, and so on, until the required rapier length is reached. The width direction of the flexible rapier body is the weft direction of the loom, and the length direction of the flexible rapier body is the warp direction of the loom. Depending on the loom width, multiple weave patterns can be arranged side by side to improve weaving efficiency.

[0034] Preferred, Figure 10 As shown, this is also an example of airbags connected in series. Figure 9 The improved design in the middle section shows that the air bladder section uses a more zigzag design, while the other parts remain unchanged. This design provides better rigidity to the sword belt during inflation.

[0035] Preferably, each wall thickness of the hollow double-wall fabric is a single-layer fabric or a multi-layer fabric; the wall thickness of the single-wall fabric is the sum of the wall thicknesses of the hollow double-wall fabric.

[0036] Preferably, the high-performance composite material fiber is one or more of carbon fiber, basalt fiber, aramid fiber, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber, glass fiber, or quartz fiber. Example 2:

[0037] This embodiment discloses a control method for a segmented airbag-type sword belt device as shown in Embodiment 1, including:

[0038] 1. During the weft insertion, the segmented airbag-type sword belt device moves from left to right. The stop rod assembly is located on the right side of the valve handle 301. As the segmented airbag-type sword belt device moves, the valve handle 301 is blocked by the blunt portion 5052 of the stop block 505 at the end of the stop rod 503. The valve handle 301 turns from the second position to the first position. The pressure roller 303 opens the air inlet pipe 201 and closes the air outlet pipe 202. At the same time, the stop block 505 drives the stop rod 503 to move upward along the curve of the valve handle 301 until it passes the valve handle 301 and is reset by the spring reset mechanism 502. The valve handle 301 of the second airbag section is blocked in sequence, ..., until the valve handle 301 of the Nth airbag section is blocked, reaching the required sword belt length for weft insertion, thus completing the weft insertion.

[0039] For details, see Figure 7 As shown in the diagram, the sword-carrying device moves from left to right during the sword-advancing process. The four diagrams from left to right represent the four stages of contact between the stop and the valve handle:

[0040] S1: The valve handle is on the left side of the stop lever;

[0041] S2: The valve handle is tilted due to the obtuse straight section of the stop block;

[0042] S3: The valve handle continues to tilt, the air inlet is open, and the air outlet is about to close. At this time, the valve handle contacts the oblique section of the blunt part of the stop block, generating an upward force to push the stop lever.

[0043] S4: The valve handle is in the first position, fully closing the vent, and the stop rod passes over the valve handle.

[0044] 2. When retracting the sword, assuming the segmented airbag sword belt moves from right to left, the stop rod assembly is on the left side of the valve handle 301. As the segmented airbag sword belt device moves, the valve handle 301 of the Nth airbag section is blocked by the tip 5051 of the stop block 505 at the end of the stop rod 503, generating an upward force to push the valve handle 301. The valve handle 301 turns from the first position to the second position, opening the vent pipe 202 and closing the inlet pipe 201. At the same time, the stop block 505 pivots and generates an upward force to push the stop rod 503. After the stop rod 503 passes the valve handle 301, it is reset by the compression spring reset mechanism, and the stop block 301 is reset by the torsion spring 504. This process is repeated for the N-1th airbag section's valve handle 301, ..., until the valve handle 301 of the 1st airbag section, completing the sword retraction.

[0045] See details Figure 8 As shown in the diagram, the sword-carrying device moves from right to left during the sword retraction process. The four diagrams from left to right represent the four stages of contact between the stop lever and the valve handle:

[0046] S1: The valve handle is on the right side of the stop lever, and the valve handle contacts the 45-degree inclined surface of the stop block tip;

[0047] S2: When the valve handle is tilted, the vent opens, and at the same time, the stop block rotates under the action of the valve handle while driving the stop lever to rise.

[0048] S3: The valve handle is vertical in the second position. The air inlet is closed. The stop block rotates 90 degrees and the stop lever rises to the highest position, about to pass the valve handle.

[0049] S4: When the stop lever passes the valve handle, the stop block is reset under the action of the torsion spring, and the stop lever is reset under the action of the compression spring.

[0050] From the above sword-advancing and sword-retreating processes, it can be seen that the lateral movement force of the sword belt device during sword-advancing and retraction, through the blocking contact between the stop block and the valve handle, generates a force that pushes the valve handle from the first position to the second position or from the second position to the first position. Simultaneously, it generates a force that pushes the stop rod upwards past the valve handle. After passing the valve handle, the stop block and stop rod are reset by the torsion spring and compression spring. The process then proceeds to the next airbag section.

[0051] This is a low-cost "automatic" control solution, but the valve handle and stop need to be made of materials with good wear resistance, such as ceramic materials. Example 3:

[0052] This embodiment discloses a three-dimensional special loom that uses a segmented airbag rapier belt device as described in Embodiment 1.

[0053] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A segmented airbag-type sword belt device, comprising a flexible sword belt body (1), characterized in that: The flexible sword belt body (1) is composed of several airbag sections in the length direction; the airbag section includes an airbag (2), an air inlet pipe (201) and an air outlet pipe (202) connecting the airbag (2), several squeeze valves (3) controlling the opening / closing of the air inlet pipe (201) and the air outlet pipe (202), and an air passage (4) supplying air to the airbag (2).

2. The segmented airbag-type sword belt device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the airbag sections is connected in series. The air passage (4) is connected to the air inlet pipe (201) of the airbag (2) in the first airbag section. The airbags (2) in the remaining airbag sections are connected to the airbags (2) in the previous airbag section through the air inlet pipe (201).

3. The segmented airbag-type sword belt device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Several of the airbag sections are connected in parallel, and the air inlet pipe (201) of the airbag (2) in each airbag section is connected to the air passage (4).

4. The segmented airbag-type sword belt device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The squeeze valve (3) includes a valve handle (301) connected to a pair of pressure roller shafts (302). A pressure roller (303) is rotatably mounted on the pressure roller shaft (302). The valve also includes a valve shaft (304). The squeeze valve (3) is pivotally mounted on the flexible sword belt body (1) via the valve shaft (304). When the squeeze valve (3) is pivoted in the first position, the pressure roller (303) is located at the vent pipe (202), squeezing and closing the vent pipe (202) and opening the air inlet pipe (201). When the squeeze valve (3) is pivoted in the second position, the pressure roller (303) is located at the air inlet pipe (201), squeezing and closing the air inlet pipe (201) and opening the vent pipe (202).

5. The segmented airbag-type sword belt device according to claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a stop rod assembly, which includes a fixing block (501) for fixed connection to the outside. The fixing block (501) is connected to the stop rod (503) through a spring reset mechanism (502). The end of the stop rod (503) is pivotally provided with a stop block (505) through a torsion spring (504). The stop block (505) includes a tip (5051) and a blunt part (5052). The tip is composed of a horizontal surface and a slope surface. The blunt part (5052) includes a straight section (50521) and a sloped section (50522). When the spring reset mechanism (502) is in the reset state, the horizontal surface is in contact with the flexible sword belt body (1), and the straight section (50521) is perpendicular to the flexible sword belt body (1).

6. The segmented airbag-type sword belt device according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that: The airbag (2), air inlet pipe (201) and air outlet pipe (202) of the flexible sword belt body (1) are hollow double-walled fabrics, and the rest of the flexible sword belt body (1) is a single-walled fabric. The hollow double-walled fabric and the single-walled fabric are high-performance composite fiber fabrics.

7. The segmented airbag-type sword belt device according to claim 6, characterized in that: Each wall thickness of the hollow double-walled fabric is a single-layer or multi-layer fabric; the wall thickness of the single-walled fabric is the sum of the wall thicknesses of the hollow double-walled fabrics.

8. The segmented airbag-type sword belt device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The high-performance composite material fiber is one or more of carbon fiber, basalt fiber, aramid fiber, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber, glass fiber, or quartz fiber.

9. The control method for the segmented airbag-type sword belt device as described in claim 5, characterized in that: 1) When the sword is inserted, the segmented airbag type sword belt device moves from left to right. The stop rod assembly is on the right side of the valve handle (301). As the segmented airbag type sword belt device moves, the valve handle (301) is blocked by the blunt part (5052) of the stop block (505) at the end of the stop rod (503). The valve handle (301) turns from the second position to the first position. The pressure roller (303) opens the air inlet pipe (201) and closes the air outlet pipe (202). At the same time, the stop block (505) drives the stop rod (503) to move upward along the curve of the valve handle (301) until it passes the valve handle (301) and is reset by the spring reset mechanism (502). The valve handle (301) of the second airbag section is blocked in sequence, ..., until the valve handle (301) of the Nth airbag section is blocked, and the required sword belt length for weft insertion is reached, thus completing the weft insertion. 2) When the sword is withdrawn, assuming the segmented airbag sword belt moves from right to left, the stop rod assembly is on the left side of the valve handle (301). As the segmented airbag sword belt device moves, the valve handle (301) of the Nth airbag section is blocked by the tip (5051) of the stop block (505) at the end of the stop rod (503), generating an upward force to push the valve handle (301). The valve handle (301) turns from the first position to the second position, opening the vent. The air pipe (202) is closed and the air intake pipe (201) is shut off. At the same time, the stop block (505) pivots and generates an upward force to push the stop rod (503). The stop rod (503) passes the valve handle (301) and is reset by the compression spring reset mechanism. The stop block (301) is reset by the torsion spring (504). The valve handle (301) of the N-1th airbag section is blocked in sequence, ... until the valve handle (301) of the 1st airbag section, thus completing the retraction.

10. A three-dimensional special loom, characterized in that: Use the segmented airbag-type sword belt device as described in claim 6.

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