Knitting machine and method for weaving rectangular-section three-dimensional surface core woven preform

Abstract

The invention provides a knitting machine and method for weaving a rectangular-section three-dimensional surface core knitted preform, the knitting machine comprises driving plates and a spindle, the driving plates are arranged in multiple rows on the surface of an upper plate, the number of the driving plates in even rows is one more than that of the driving plates in odd rows, the driving plates in the odd rows are arranged at positions right opposite to the positions between the two adjacent driving plates in the even rows, and the spindle is arranged on the upper plate. The rotating center connecting lines between the two adjacent driving plates in the odd-numbered row and the adjacent driving plates in the middle even-numbered row form a square; the spindles are arranged on the edge of the drive plate, circular grooves are formed in the surface of an upper plate at the bottom of the drive plate, and the odd-numbered rows of circular grooves and the even-numbered rows of circular grooves are tangent and communicated. Parts of sections of each row of circular grooves in the odd-numbered rows are communicated with parts of sections of the circular grooves in the even-numbered rows to form longitudinal rails, parts of sections of the circular grooves in the even-numbered rows are communicated with parts of sections of the circular grooves in the odd-numbered rows to form transverse rails, and guide blocks at the bottoms of the spindles move along the circular grooves. The problem of low knitting efficiency caused by intermittent movement of a spindle of an existing knitting machine is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of braiding machine equipment, and in particular relates to a braiding machine and a method for weaving a three-dimensional surface-core braided preform with a rectangular cross-section. Background Art

[0002] The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present invention and do not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0003] Three-dimensional braided composites have been widely used in aerospace, transportation, and other fields due to their excellent mechanical properties and structural designability. Rectangular-cross-section 3D braided preforms are a key type of reinforcement structure. Their internal fiber bundles extend parallel to the component surface and intertwine with each other. This structural feature allows some fiber bundles to maintain continuity even when the composite component's surface is damaged, ensuring that the component maintains high mechanical properties even in harsh environments.

[0004] Currently, the weaving of rectangular cross-section three-dimensional core-braided preforms primarily relies on matrix braiding equipment. However, the technical challenges with this braiding method are that the spindle motion is intermittent, resulting in low braiding efficiency and difficulty meeting the needs of efficient production; the large number of movement steps and complex braiding process increase the difficulty of equipment control; and the difficulty of automation, which relies on manual intervention, limits large-scale industrial production. While traditional three-dimensional rotary braiding machines have improved braiding efficiency to a certain extent, their dial arrangement typically adopts a regular orthogonal or circular distribution, making it difficult to directly adapt to the forming requirements of rectangular cross-section three-dimensional core-braided preforms. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In response to the above problems, the present invention provides a weaving machine and method for weaving rectangular cross-section three-dimensional surface core woven preforms. By optimizing the layout structure of the dial and thereby changing the movement trajectory of the spindle, the problems of the existing weaving machines, such as the large number of movement steps and the intermittent movement of the spindle, resulting in low weaving efficiency and the inability to complete the weaving requirements of rectangular cross-section three-dimensional surface core woven preforms, are solved.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solutions: In a first aspect, the present invention provides a braiding machine for weaving a rectangular cross-section three-dimensional core braided preform, comprising: an upper disc, a dial, and a spindle; the dial is rotatably disposed on a surface of the upper disc, the dials being arranged in multiple rows, divided into odd rows and even rows, the number of dials in the even row being one more than the number of dials in the odd row, the dials in the odd row being arranged at a center position directly opposite to between two adjacent dials in the even row, and a rotation center line connecting two adjacent dials in the odd row and an adjacent dial in the even row between them forms a square; The spindle is arranged at the edge of the dial, and the upper plate surface of each dial bottom is provided with a circular groove. The circular grooves of adjacent rows of the dial bottom are connected to each other and form an 8-shape. The circular grooves of the odd rows are tangent to and connected with the circular grooves of the even rows; partial segments of each column of the circular grooves in the odd rows are connected with partial segments of the circular grooves in the even rows to form a longitudinal track, and partial segments of the circular grooves in the even rows are connected with partial segments of the circular grooves in the odd rows to form a transverse track. The guide block at the bottom of the spindle is inserted into the circular groove and moves along the circular groove.

[0007] As a further implementation, it further includes a lower plate, a dial shaft and a dial gear; the dial gear is arranged between the upper plate and the lower plate, the dial gear is connected to the dial through the dial shaft, and the dial gear is driven by a driving mechanism.

[0008] As a further implementation method, the dial shaft is connected to the upper plate and the lower plate respectively through bearings, and the dial shaft is connected to the dial gear through a spline; the dial shaft is connected to the dial through a spline, and a fastener is provided at the end of the dial shaft, and the fastener fixes the dial to the dial shaft.

[0009] As a further implementation, the dial is disc-shaped, and a U-shaped groove is provided at the edge of the dial. There are four U-shaped grooves, which are evenly distributed on the edge of the dial.

[0010] As a further implementation method, the spindle includes a sliding base, a support rod and a fixed rod; the support rod is arranged at the top center position of the sliding base, and the fixed rod is arranged at the edge position of the sliding base; the guide block is arranged at the bottom of the sliding base, and each spindle has two guide blocks, and the installation center line passes through the two holes in the center of the spindle base.

[0011] As a further implementation method, the top and bottom of the sliding base are both disc-shaped, and the middle part is a cylindrical structure. The cylinder in the middle of the sliding base cooperates with the U-shaped groove, and the sliding base is driven by a dial to move along the circular groove on the surface of the upper plate.

[0012] As a further implementation, the longitudinal track and the transverse track are arranged in a cross pattern; the spindles on the dial move along the longitudinal track and the transverse track respectively.

[0013] As a further implementation, adjacent dial gears are meshed with each other, so that the dials can rotate synchronously.

[0014] As a further implementation, a fixing device is provided on the fixing rod for pressing and fixing the wire reel placed on the supporting rod.

[0015] In a second aspect, the present invention further provides a method for operating a braiding machine for weaving a rectangular cross-section three-dimensional surface-core braided preform, comprising the following steps: S1. According to actual needs, the dial gear is driven by a driving device to rotate, and the dial drives the spindle to rotate; S2. The spindle on each of the dials moves along the longitudinal track and the transverse track respectively. When moving along the longitudinal or transverse track, the spindle passes through the U-shaped grooves on the dials in the odd-numbered rows and the even-numbered rows respectively.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages and positive effects: The dials of the present invention are arranged in multiple rows, and the number of dials in the even row is one more than the number of dials in the odd row. The dials in the odd row are arranged at the center position between two adjacent dials in the even row. The staggered arrangement of the odd and even rows of dials makes the odd row of dials face the gap between the even row of dials to form a close arrangement similar to a honeycomb structure, and the rotation center connection line between the adjacent dials in the odd and even rows is a square; the spindles are arranged at the edge of the dial, and the upper plate surface of the bottom of each dial is provided with a circular groove. The circular grooves on the bottoms of adjacent rows of dials are interconnected and form an 8-shape. The spindles smoothly transition in the cross track through the guide block, and the circular grooves of the odd row are tangent to and connected with the circular grooves of the even row; each column of the circular grooves in the odd row is connected with a portion of the circular grooves in the even row to form a longitudinal track, and the circular grooves in the even row are connected with a portion of the circular grooves in the odd row to form a transverse track. The guide block at the bottom of the spindle is inserted into the circular groove and moves along the circular groove. The spindles are constrained by the dial groove and the upper disk track at the same time. Driven by the dial, some spindles move along the horizontal track and some spindles move along the longitudinal track, forming a three-dimensional surface core weaving trajectory. The longitudinal / transverse separation of the track enables the spindles in different rows to move in both directions synchronously, directly generating a three-dimensional surface core weaving preform structure with a rectangular cross-section, reducing the number of weaving actions and improving production efficiency.

[0017] The dial of the present invention is provided with four U-shaped grooves evenly distributed along its edge. The U-shaped grooves are used to cooperate with the spindles and drive them to move around the circular grooves. When the spindles move to a position where two circular grooves intersect, they disengage from the original U-shaped groove of the dial and enter the adjacent circular groove to continue moving. By cyclically moving multiple spindles on longitudinal or transverse tracks, a three-dimensional surface-core braided preform structure with a rectangular cross-section is woven. The spindle guide block is provided at the bottom of the sliding base, so that the guide block ensures that the spindles can be smoothly disengaged from the U-shaped grooves during movement in the circular grooves, preventing the spindles from getting stuck on a particular dial and causing weaving chaos. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The accompanying drawings, which constitute a part of the present invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute improper limitations on the present invention.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the braiding machine of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the distribution structure of the knitting machine dials of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a diagram of the transverse and longitudinal tracks of the braiding machine of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the motion trajectory of the spindles of the even-numbered row dials of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the spindle motion trajectory of the odd-numbered row dials of the present invention.

[0020] In the figure: 1. Lower plate; 2. Upper plate; 3. Dial shaft; 4. Dial gear; 5. Dial; 6. Spindle; 7. Fixing rod; 8. Support rod; 9. Circular groove; 10. U-shaped groove. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] It should be noted that the following detailed description is illustrative and is intended to provide further explanation of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used in the present invention have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs.

[0022] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present invention. As used herein, unless otherwise clearly indicated in the present invention, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "include" and / or "comprising" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or their combinations; Example 1 This embodiment provides a braiding machine for weaving a rectangular cross-section three-dimensional surface core braided preform, such as Figure 1-Figure 2 As shown, it includes: an upper plate 2, a dial 5 and a spindle 6; the dial 5 is rotatably arranged on the surface of the upper plate 2, and the dials 5 are arranged in multiple rows, divided into odd rows and even rows. The number of dials 5 in the even row is one more than the number of dials 5 in the odd row. The dial 5 in the odd row is arranged at a center position directly opposite to the center position between two adjacent dials 5 in the even row. The staggered arrangement of the dials 5 in the odd and even rows makes the gaps between the dials 5 in the odd row and the dials 5 in the even row form a close arrangement similar to a honeycomb structure, and the rotation center line between the dials 5 in two adjacent odd rows and the adjacent dial 5 in the even row between them forms a square. The spindle 6 is arranged at the edge of the dial 5. A circular groove 9 is provided on the surface of the upper plate 2 at the bottom of each dial 5. The circular grooves 9 at the bottom of adjacent rows of dials 5 are interconnected and form an 8-shape. The spindle 6 smoothly transitions in the cross track through the guide block. The circular grooves 9 in the odd rows are tangent to and connected with the circular grooves 9 in the even rows; partial sections of the circular grooves 9 in each column of the odd rows are connected with partial sections of the circular grooves 9 in the even rows to form a longitudinal track, and partial sections of the circular grooves 9 in the even rows are connected with partial sections of the circular grooves 9 in the odd rows to form a transverse track. The guide block at the bottom of the spindle 6 is inserted into the circular groove 9 and moves along the circular groove 9. The spindles 6 are constrained by the grooves of the dial 5 and the tracks of the upper disk 2 at the same time. Under the push of the dial 5, part of the spindles 6 move along the transverse track, and part of the spindles 6 move along the longitudinal track, forming a three-dimensional surface core weaving trajectory. The longitudinal / transverse separation of the track enables the spindles 6 in different rows to perform bidirectional movement synchronously, directly generating a three-dimensional surface core weaving preform structure with a rectangular cross-section, reducing the number of weaving actions and improving production efficiency.

[0023] As a further implementation, it also includes a lower plate 1, a dial shaft 3 and a dial gear 4; the dial gear 4 is arranged between the upper plate 2 and the lower plate 1, the dial gear 4 is connected to the dial 5 through the dial shaft 3, and the dial gear 4 is driven by a driving mechanism.

[0024] As a further implementation method, the dial shaft 3 is connected to the upper plate 2 and the lower plate 1 respectively through bearings. The precise positioning of the bearings ensures the concentricity of the upper plate 2, the lower plate 1 and the dial shaft 3, avoiding wear caused by eccentric loads. The bearings share radial / axial loads, reduce direct contact wear between the shaft and the disc body, and improve overall durability. The dial shaft 3 and the dial gear 4 are connected by splines to ensure that the gear and the shaft rotate strictly synchronously to prevent transmission lag or slippage; the dial shaft 3 and the dial 5 are connected in the form of splines, and a fastener is provided at the end of the dial shaft 3. The fastener fixes the dial 5 on the dial 5 shaft, and the multi-tooth meshing structure of the spline provides a larger contact area, can withstand greater torque and distribute it evenly, allow micro-axial adjustment, compensate for installation errors, and keep the rotation center stable.

[0025] As a further implementation method, the dial 5 is disc-shaped, and a U-shaped groove 10 is provided at the edge of the dial 5. There are four U-shaped grooves 10, which are evenly distributed on the edge of the dial 5; the U-shaped groove 10 is used to cooperate with the spindle 6 and drive the spindle 6 to move around the circular groove 9. When the spindle 6 moves to the position where two circular grooves 9 are tangent, the spindle 6 disengages from the U-shaped groove 10 of the original dial 5 and enters the adjacent circular groove 9 to continue moving. By cyclically moving multiple spindles 6 on the longitudinal track or the transverse track, a three-dimensional surface-core woven preform structure with a rectangular cross-section is woven.

[0026] As a further implementation method, the spindle 6 includes a sliding base, a support rod 8 and a fixed rod 7; the support rod 8 is arranged at the top center position of the sliding base, and the support rod 8 is used to place the winding drum. Since the position accuracy of the silk thread needs to be guaranteed during the weaving process to ensure the weaving effect of the woven product, the fixed rod 7 is arranged at the edge position of the sliding base, and the fixed rod 7 cooperates with the fixing device to fix and tighten the winding drum; the guide block is arranged at the bottom of the sliding base, and each spindle 6 has two guide blocks, and the center line of the installation circle passes through the two holes in the center of the spindle sliding base, so that the guide block ensures that the spindle 6 can be smoothly disengaged from the U-shaped groove 10 during the movement of the circular groove 9, thereby avoiding the spindle 6 being stuck on a dial 5 and causing weaving chaos.

[0027] As a further implementation method, the top and bottom of the sliding base are both disc-shaped, and the middle part is a cylindrical structure. The cylinder in the middle of the sliding base cooperates with the U-shaped groove 10, and the dial 5 drives the sliding base to move along the circular groove 9 on the surface of the upper plate 2.

[0028] As a further implementation, Figure 3As shown, the longitudinal track and the transverse track are arranged in a cross pattern; the spindle 6 on the dial 5 moves along the longitudinal track and the transverse track respectively; the movement process of the spindle 6 is shown in FIG. Figure 4 shown.

[0029] As a further implementation method, the adjacent dial gears 4 are engaged with each other, so that the dials 5 can rotate synchronously, and the rotation directions of adjacent dials 5 are opposite; the dial gears 4 only require one driving device to drive all the dial gears 4, and can also realize the synchronous rotation of all the dial gears 4, greatly reducing the number of knitting actions.

[0030] As a further implementation method, a fixing device is provided on the fixing rod 7 for pressing and fixing the wire reel placed on the support rod 8; the fixing device provided on the fixing rod 7 is connected to the fixing rod 7 through an elastic component or a fastener. When the elastic component is used for connection, the fixing device can move back and forth along the fixing rod 7 under the action of elastic force, and the wire reel is pressed by the elastic force; when the fastener is used, the wire reel is directly pressed and fixed by the fastener.

[0031] Example 2 This embodiment provides a method for operating a braiding machine for weaving a rectangular cross-section three-dimensional surface-core braided preform, comprising the following steps: S1. According to actual needs, the dial gear 4 is driven by a driving device to rotate, and the dial 5 drives the spindle 6 to rotate. When the spindle 6 moves to a position where two circular grooves 9 are tangent, the spindle 6 disengages from the U-shaped groove 10 of the original dial 5 and enters the adjacent circular groove 9 to continue moving. A three-dimensional surface core braided preform structure with a rectangular cross-section is woven by a plurality of spindles 6 moving cyclically on a longitudinal track or a transverse track. Adjacent dial gears 4 are engaged with each other, so that the dials 5 can rotate synchronously, and the rotation directions of adjacent dials 5 are opposite. The dial gear 4 only requires one driving device to drive all the dial gears 4. S2. The spindles 6 on each of the dials 5 move along the longitudinal track and the transverse track respectively. When moving along the longitudinal or transverse track, the spindles will pass through the U-shaped grooves on the odd-numbered and even-numbered rows of dials respectively, forming a three-dimensional surface core weaving trajectory. The longitudinal / transverse separation of the track enables the spindles 6 in different rows to perform bidirectional movement synchronously, directly generating a three-dimensional surface core weaving preform structure with a rectangular cross-section, reducing the number of weaving actions and improving production efficiency.

[0032] Although the above describes the specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications or variations that can be made by those skilled in the art on the basis of the technical solution of the present invention without any creative work are still within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A braiding machine for weaving a rectangular cross-section three-dimensional surface-core braided preform, characterized in that: The invention comprises an upper plate, a dial and a spindle; the dial is rotatably arranged on the surface of the upper plate, and the dials are arranged in multiple rows, divided into odd rows and even rows. The number of dials in the even row is one more than the number of dials in the odd row. The dial in the odd row is arranged at a center position directly opposite to the center between two adjacent dials in the even row, and the rotation center line between two adjacent dials in the odd row and the adjacent dial in the even row between them forms a square. The spindle is arranged at the edge of the dial, and the upper plate surface of each dial bottom is provided with a circular groove. The circular grooves of adjacent rows of the dial bottom are connected to each other and form an 8-shape. The circular grooves of the odd rows are tangent to and connected with the circular grooves of the even rows; partial segments of each column of the circular grooves in the odd rows are connected with partial segments of the circular grooves in the even rows to form a longitudinal track, and partial segments of the circular grooves in the even rows are connected with partial segments of the circular grooves in the odd rows to form a transverse track. The guide block at the bottom of the spindle is inserted into the circular groove and moves along the circular groove.

2. A braiding machine for weaving a rectangular cross-section three-dimensional surface-core braided preform according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a lower plate, a dial shaft and a dial gear; the dial gear is arranged between the upper plate and the lower plate, the dial gear is connected to the dial through the dial shaft, and the dial gear is driven by a driving mechanism.

3. A braiding machine for weaving a rectangular cross-section three-dimensional surface-core braided preform according to claim 2, characterized in that: The dial shaft is connected to the upper plate and the lower plate respectively through bearings, and the dial shaft is connected to the dial gear through a spline; the dial shaft is connected to the dial through a spline, and a fastener is provided at the end of the dial shaft, and the fastener fixes the dial on the dial shaft.

4. A braiding machine for weaving a rectangular cross-section three-dimensional surface-core braided preform according to claim 3, characterized in that: The dial is disc-shaped, and a U-shaped groove is provided at the edge of the dial. There are four U-shaped grooves, which are evenly distributed on the edge of the dial.

5. A braiding machine for weaving a rectangular cross-section three-dimensional surface-core braided preform according to claim 4, characterized in that: The spindle includes a sliding base, a support rod and a fixed rod; the support rod is arranged at the top center position of the sliding base, and the fixed rod is arranged at the edge position of the sliding base; the guide block is arranged at the bottom of the sliding base, and each spindle has two guide blocks, and the installation center line passes through the two holes in the center of the spindle base.

6. A braiding machine for weaving a rectangular cross-section three-dimensional surface-core braided preform according to claim 5, characterized in that: The top and bottom of the sliding base are both disc-shaped, and the middle part is a cylindrical structure. The cylinder in the middle of the sliding base cooperates with the U-shaped groove.

7. A braiding machine for weaving a rectangular cross-section three-dimensional surface-core braided preform according to claim 6, characterized in that: The longitudinal track and the transverse track are arranged in a cross pattern; the spindles on the dial move along the longitudinal track and the transverse track respectively.

8. A braiding machine for weaving a rectangular cross-section three-dimensional surface-core braided preform according to claim 7, characterized in that: Adjacent dial gears mesh with each other, so that the dials can rotate synchronously.

9. A braiding machine for weaving a rectangular cross-section three-dimensional surface-core braided preform according to claim 8, characterized in that: A fixing device is provided on the fixing rod.

10. The operating method of a braiding machine for weaving a rectangular cross-section three-dimensional surface-core braided preform according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1. According to actual needs, the dial gear is driven by a driving device to rotate, and the dial drives the spindle to rotate; S2. The spindle on each of the dials moves along the longitudinal track and the transverse track respectively. When moving along the longitudinal or transverse track, the spindle passes through the U-shaped grooves on the odd-numbered and even-numbered rows of dials respectively.

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