Flat knitting machine

Abstract

The utility model provides a flat knitting machine with a pull-down device. The pull-down device is provided with a curved needle which can pass through a tooth opening and catch knitting yarn even if the width of the tooth opening is narrow. A flat knitting machine is provided with: a front needle bed; the rear needle bed is opposite to the front needle bed; a yarn feeder that supplies a knitting yarn to a cutout formed between the front needle bed and the rear needle bed; and a pull-down device that captures the knitting yarn extending from the yarn feeder to the cutout and pulls down the knitting yarn below the cutout, the pull-down device including: a moving body configured to be movable in a longitudinal direction of the front needle bed and the rear needle bed; and a curved needle supported so as to be capable of moving up and down with respect to the moving body, the curved needle having a hook for hooking the knitting yarn, and the extending direction of the hook as viewed from above the cutout intersects the width direction of the cutout.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a flat knitting machine with a pull-down device, which captures the knitting yarn when cutting off the knitting yarn extending from the terminal coil of a knitted fabric to a yarn feeder. Background Art

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a flat knitting machine having a knitting yarn holding and cutting device. The flat knitting machine has a front needle bed, a rear needle bed, and a yarn feeder. The yarn feeder supplies knitting yarn to a needle bed gap formed between the front needle bed and the rear needle bed. The knitting yarn supplied from the yarn feeder is knitted by the knitting needles of the front needle bed and the rear needle bed.

[0003] The knitting yarn holding and cutting device comprises: a pulling-down device for catching the knitting yarn extending from the final loop of the knitted fabric knitted by the needle bed to the yarn feeder and pulling it down to the lower part of the tooth opening; a holding device for holding the knitting yarn; and a cutting device for cutting the knitting yarn. The pulling-down device comprises a looper configured to be movable up and down. The looper has a hook at the upper end of the looper. The hook hooks the knitting yarn above the tooth opening. The extending direction of the hook observed from the upper part of the tooth opening is along the width direction of the tooth opening. The width direction of the tooth opening is a direction orthogonal to the length direction of the front needle bed and the rear needle bed.

[0004] [Prior art literature]

[0005] [Patent Literature]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-173248 Utility Model Content

[0007] [Issues to be Solved by the Utility Model]

[0008] There is a need to reduce the width of the tooth gap on a flat knitting machine. For example, if the width of the tooth gap is reduced, it is easy to obtain a knitted fabric with dense loops. However, if the width of the tooth gap is reduced, when the looper arranged below the tooth gap rises, the hook of the looper may not be able to pass through the tooth gap. If the hook is reduced, the hook may not be able to catch the knitting yarn.

[0009] In view of the above circumstances, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a flat knitting machine having a pull-down device having a looper that can pass through a tooth gap even if the width of the tooth gap is narrow and can catch a knitting yarn.

[0010]

Methods for solving the problem

[0011] <1> The flat knitting machine of the utility model has:

[0012] front needle bed;

[0013] a rear needle bed, opposite to the front needle bed;

[0014] a yarn feeder for supplying knitting yarn to a tooth gap formed between the front needle bed and the rear needle bed; and

[0015] A pull-down device is used to catch the knitting yarn extending from the yarn feeder toward the tooth opening and pull it down to the bottom of the tooth opening.

[0016] It is characterized in that

[0017] The pull-down device comprises:

[0018] a movable body configured to be movable along the longitudinal direction of the front needle bed and the rear needle bed; and

[0019] The bending needle is supported so as to be movable up and down relative to the moving body.

[0020] The looper needle has a hook for hooking the knitting yarn.

[0021] An extending direction of the needle hook viewed from above the tooth gap intersects with a width direction of the tooth gap.

[0022] <2> As the above <1> In one aspect of the flat knitting machine described above, an angle formed by the extending direction and the width direction may be greater than or equal to 30° and less than or equal to 90°.

[0023] <3> As the above <1> In one aspect of the flat knitting machine described above, an angle formed by the stretching direction and the width direction may be greater than or equal to 45° and less than or equal to 80°.

[0024] <4> As the above <1> to <3> A mode of the flat knitting machine described in any one of the items may also be provided with a control unit, which controls the movement of at least one of the movable body and the yarn feeder in a manner that brings the movable body and the yarn feeder closer to each other during or after the rise of the bending needle.

[0025] <5> As the above <4> In one aspect of the flat knitting machine described above, the control section may control the movable body so as to move the movable body in a direction approaching the yarn feeder.

[0026] <6> As the above <1> to <5> In one embodiment of the flat knitting machine described in any one of the above, the looper may include a front looper corresponding to the front needle bed and a rear looper corresponding to the rear needle bed.

[0027] The needle hook includes a front needle hook formed on the front curved needle and a rear needle hook formed on the rear curved needle.

[0028] The front hook is tilted in such a way that the front end of the front hook approaches the front needle bed when viewed from above the tooth gap.

[0029] The rear needle hook viewed from above the needle bed gap is inclined so that the front end portion of the rear needle hook approaches the rear needle bed.

[0030] <7> As the above <6> One aspect of the flat knitting machine described above may include a displacement mechanism that displaces the front hook toward the front needle bed and displaces the rear hook toward the rear needle bed above the needle bed gap.

[0031] <8> As the above <7> In one embodiment of the flat knitting machine described above, the displacement mechanism may include:

[0032] A guide groove, wherein the front side bending needle and the rear side bending needle are arranged in an overlapping state;

[0033] A connecting shaft connects the lower portion of the front side looper and the lower portion of the rear side looper so as to be rotatable with each other; and

[0034] A spring is arranged between the front bending needle and the rear bending needle.

[0035] [Effect of utility model]

[0036] In the flat knitting machine described in <1>, the extension direction of the needle hook when viewed from above the tooth opening is not along the width direction of the tooth opening, but intersects with the width direction of the tooth opening. Such a needle hook can easily pass through the tooth opening when the curved needle moves up and down. Therefore, even if the needle hook is not reduced, the needle hook can pass through the tooth opening with a narrow width. In addition, since it is not necessary to reduce the needle hook, it is easy to catch the knitting yarn with the needle hook.

[0037] In the flat knitting machine described in <2>, the extending direction of the hook is inclined at 30° or more relative to the width direction of the needle bed gap. Therefore, when the looper moves up and down, the hook can easily pass through the needle bed gap.

[0038] In the flat knitting machine described in <3>, the extending direction of the hook is inclined by 45° or more and 80° or less relative to the width direction of the tooth gap. The hook inclined by 45° or more relative to the width direction can easily pass through the tooth gap. In addition, the hook inclined by 80° or less relative to the width direction can easily catch the knitting yarn.

[0039] In the flat knitting machine described in <4> above, the yarn feeder and the looper come close to each other during or after the looper is raised, so that the knitting yarn is easily caught by the needle hook.

[0040] In the flat knitting machine described in <5>, the knitting yarn is more easily caught by the needle hook than when the yarn feeder is close to the looper. As described in detail in the embodiment, the elevation angle of the knitting yarn does not change from the final loop to the yarn feeder, so the needle hook is more likely to catch the knitting yarn.

[0041] The flat knitting machine described in <6> above has a front looper corresponding to the front needle bed and a rear looper corresponding to the rear needle bed. Therefore, no matter whether the final loop connected to the knitting yarn extending from the yarn feeder is located on the front needle bed or the rear needle bed, the knitting yarn can be reliably caught by any looper.

[0042] In the flat knitting machine described in <7>, the front hook is close to the front needle bed above the tooth gap, and the rear hook is close to the rear needle bed. Therefore, no matter whether the final loop is located on the front needle bed or the rear needle bed, the knitting yarn can be reliably caught by the hook of any looper.

[0043] In the flat knitting machine described in <8>, the front looper and the rear looper overlapped with the spring are arranged in the guide groove, and the lower part of the front looper and the lower part of the rear looper are connected. In such a structure, the front hook of the front looper can be displaced to approach the front needle bed, and the rear hook of the rear looper can be displaced to approach the rear needle bed only by raising the front looper and the rear looper along the guide groove. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] Figure 1 It is a schematic side view of the flat knitting machine shown in Embodiment 1.

[0045] Figure 2 It is a schematic side view of the pull-down device provided in the flat knitting machine shown in the first embodiment.

[0046] Figure 3 This is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a curved needle arranged in a guide groove.

[0047] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the looper of the pull-down device shown in the first embodiment has been lowered.

[0048] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the looper of the pull-down device shown in the first embodiment has risen.

[0049] 6(A) is a top view illustrating the positional relationship between the hook of the looper and the knitting yarn when the looper is lowered, and FIG. 6(B) is a side view of FIG. 6(A) as viewed from the side.

[0050] 7(A) is a top view illustrating the positional relationship between the hook of the looper and the knitting yarn when the looper is raised, and FIG. 7(B) is a side view of FIG. 7(A) as viewed from the side.

[0051] Fig. 8(A) is a top view illustrating the positional relationship between the hook of the looper and the knitting yarn when the looper is close to the yarn feeder, and Fig. 8(B) is a side view of Fig. 8(A) as viewed from the side.

[0052] 9(A) is a schematic diagram showing a state where the looper of the pull-down device shown in Embodiment 2 is lowered, and FIG. 9(B) is a schematic diagram showing a state where the looper of FIG. 9(A) is raised.

[0053] [Description of Reference Numerals]

[0054] 1 Flat knitting machine

[0055] 1B rear needle bed, 1F front needle bed, 1G tooth gap

[0056] 10 Framework

[0057] 11 Yarn feeder, 11Y knitting yarn

[0058] 15 Control Unit

[0059] 19 knitting needles

[0060] 2 Knitting yarn holding and cutting device

[0061] 3 Pull-down device

[0062] 30 Mobile

[0063] 31 base, 31B fixed shaft, 31F inner frame, 31S rotating shaft

[0064] 32 support body, 32g slider groove, 32h connecting hole, 32s slit

[0065] 33 Rotating body

[0066] 33C Cam surface, 33E Engagement part, 33L Lever

[0067] 34, 35 pressure plate

[0068] 4 Loop needle

[0069] 4S slider, 40 hook, 41 arm, 43 protrusion

[0070] 5 Front side curved needle

[0071] 50 front hook, 50p front end

[0072] 51 front base, 52 front handle, 59 extension

[0073] 6 Rear side bend needle

[0074] 60 rear hook, 60p front end

[0075] 61 rear base, 62 rear handle, 69 extension

[0076] 7 Displacement mechanism

[0077] 70 guide groove, 70L lower part, 70U upper part, 75 connecting shaft, 79 spring

[0078] 8. Holding device

[0079] 80 Rotating shaft, 80C arm parts

[0080] 81, 83 fixed piece, 82 movable piece

[0081] 9 Cutting device

[0082] 91 Fixed blade, 92 Movable blade

[0083] θ1, θ2 angles DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0084] <Implementation Method 1>

[0085] The following is based on Figure 1 An example of an embodiment of the flat knitting machine of the present invention will be described up to FIG. 8(B) .

[0086]

Overall structure

[0087] Figure 1 The flat knitting machine 1 of the present embodiment is a two-needle bed flat knitting machine. Unlike this embodiment, the structure of the present invention can also be applied to a four-needle bed flat knitting machine. Figure 1 As shown, the flat knitting machine 1 of this example includes a front needle bed 1F and a rear needle bed 1B, a yarn feeder 11 (FIG. 6 (A) to FIG. 8 (B)), and a knitting yarn holding and cutting device 2. The flat knitting machine 1 also includes a control unit 15 for controlling the operation of the structure of the flat knitting machine 1. The control unit 15 is composed of, for example, a computer. Hereinafter, each structure of the flat knitting machine will be described in detail.

[0088]

Needle bed

[0089] exist Figure 1 In the figure, only a part of the structure of the front needle bed 1F and the rear needle bed 1B is shown. The front needle bed 1F and the rear needle bed 1B each have a plurality of knitting needles 19 for knitting a knitted fabric. The front needle bed 1F and the rear needle bed 1B are fixed to the frame 10 of the flat knitting machine 1. The front needle bed 1F and the rear needle bed 1B are arranged in a mountain shape in such a way that the front ends of the knitting needles 19 of each needle bed are opposite to each other. A tooth gap 1G is formed between the upper end of the front needle bed 1F and the upper end of the rear needle bed 1B. Figure 1 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 In FIG. 1 , the height of the tooth gap 1G is indicated by a two-dot chain line extending in the horizontal direction of the paper.

[0090] In this example, the direction is defined based on the front needle bed 1F and the rear needle bed 1B. First, the longitudinal direction of the front needle bed 1F and the rear needle bed 1B is defined as the X direction. Figure 1In the figure, the X direction is the direction extending in the depth direction of the paper. Next, the direction in which the front needle bed 1F and the rear needle bed 1B are relative to each other is set as the Y direction. The Y direction is the direction perpendicular to the X direction. Finally, the height direction of the flat knitting machine 1 is set as the Z direction. The Z direction is the direction perpendicular to the X direction and the Y direction.

[0091]

Yarn feeder

[0092] As shown in Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B, the yarn feeder 11 is arranged above the needle bed 1G and supplies the knitting yarn 11Y to the needle bed 1G. The knitting yarn 11Y supplied to the needle bed 1G is hooked on the knitting needle 19 and is pulled into the front needle bed 1F or the rear needle bed 1B to form a loop.

[0093] The yarn feeder 11 is configured to be movable in the direction along the X direction. The yarn feeder 11 may be self-propelled or may be linked by a triangular carriage (not shown). The triangular carriage is a member that reciprocates on the front needle bed 1F and the rear needle bed 1B along the X direction. The triangular carriage has a triangular system that enables the knitting needles 19 to perform knitting operations. The movement of the yarn feeder 11 is controlled by the control unit 15.

[0094]

Knitting yarn holding and cutting device

[0095] like Figure 2 As shown, the knitting yarn holding and cutting device 2 is a structure in which the pulling device 3, the holding device 8 and the cutting device 9 are integrated. Figure 2 is from Figure 1 A diagram of the knitting yarn holding and cutting device 2 observed on the right side of the paper. As shown in Figures 6 (A) to 8 (B), the pull-down device 3 is a device that captures the knitting yarn 11Y extending from the final loop of the knitted fabric knitted on the front needle bed 1F or the rear needle bed 1B to the yarn feeder 11 and pulls it down to the bottom of the tooth gap 1G. The final loop is the loop that is finally hooked on the knitting needle 19 in the knitted fabric. The holding device 8 is a device that grabs and holds the knitting yarn 11Y pulled down to the bottom of the tooth gap 1G. The cutting device 9 is a device that cuts off a portion of the knitting yarn 11Y that is closer to the final loop than the portion grabbed by the holding device 8. By holding the knitting yarn 11Y by the holding device 8, it is possible to start knitting of other knitted fabrics using the knitting yarn 11Y. The operation of the knitting yarn holding and cutting device 2 is controlled by the control unit 15.

[0096] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the pull-down device 3 includes a moving body 30 that moves along the X direction and a looper 4 that is supported to be able to move up and down relative to the moving body 30. In this example, the holding device 8 and the cutting device 9 are mounted on the moving body 30 and move together with the moving body 30. Different from this example, the holding device 8 and the cutting device 9 may also be a structure independent of the pull-down device 3.

[0097] The movable body 30 includes a base 31, a support body 32, and a rotating body 33. The base 31 is supported from below by a fixed shaft 31B and a rotating shaft 31S. The base 31 moves in the X direction along the fixed shaft 31B and the rotating shaft 31S. The fixed shaft 31B and the rotating shaft 31S are rod-shaped bodies extending in the X direction. The fixed shaft 31B is fixed to the inner frame 31F in an immovable manner. The rotating shaft 31S is supported to the inner frame 31F in a manner that can rotate around its axis. The inner frame 31F is fixed to the frame 10 in an immovable manner. A motor that rotates the rotating shaft 31S is arranged in the inner frame 31F. The driving mechanism that moves the base 31 is, for example, a structure that includes a rack fixed to the base 31 and a pinion arranged on the frame 10. The pinion is driven by a motor arranged on the frame 10, for example. The driving mechanism is not particularly limited as long as it is a structure that can move the movable body 30. For example, the driving mechanism may be a structure including a belt and a pulley.

[0098] The support body 32 is fixed to the base 31. The support body 32 supports the curved needle 4 so that it can slide in the up-down direction. The rotating body 33 is a driving mechanism for moving the curved needle 4 up and down. Figure 2 As shown, the support body 32 is fixedly fixed to the surface of the movable body 30 facing the X direction. Therefore, it can be said that the looper 4 is supported so as to be movable up and down relative to the movable body 30.

[0099] The support body 32 includes a slider groove 32g in which the slider 4S of the looper 4 is arranged, and a front looper 5 ( Figure 3 The slider groove 32g is formed on the surface of the support body 32 opposite to the base 31. The slider groove 32g extends from the upper end to the lower end of the support body 32. The guide groove 70 is formed on the surface of the support body 32 opposite to the surface on which the slider groove 32g is provided. The guide groove 70 extends from the upper end of the support body 32 to a position halfway near the lower end.

[0100] The support body 32 further includes a connecting hole 32h connecting the slider groove 32g and the guide groove 70 at a position slightly below the support body 32, and a slit 32s connecting the slider groove 32g and the guide groove 70 at a position at the upper end of the support body 32. Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, the connecting hole 32h has a long hole shape extending in the Z direction, that is, the vertical direction. The connecting hole 32h is a space for allowing the connecting shaft 75 of the bending needle 4 described later to slide in the vertical direction. The slit 32s is a space for allowing the front side handle 52 ( Figure 3 ) and the rear handle 62 ( Figure 3 ) can slide in the up and down directions. Figure 2As shown, the opening of the slider groove 32g is covered by the pressing plate 34, and the opening of the guide groove 70 is covered by the pressing plate 35. By these pressing plates 34 and 35, the bending needle 4 is prevented from falling off from the openings of the slider groove 32g and the guide groove 70.

[0101] like Figure 3 As shown, the guide groove 70 of this example in which the bending needle 4 is arranged has an upper portion 70U and a lower portion 70L of different widths. The width of the upper portion 70U along the Y direction is wider than the width of the lower portion 70L along the Y direction. The bending needle 4 of this example arranged in the guide groove 70 has a slider 4S, a front bending needle 5, and a rear bending needle 6. Figure 3 In the figure, the slider 4S is indicated by a double-dashed line. The slider 4S includes an arm portion 41 branching from the slider 4S in the Y direction. The arm portion 41 includes a protrusion 43 extending in the X direction. The protrusion 43 is pressed upward by a rotating body 33 described later. As a result, the curved needle 4 moves upward. The structure of the curved needle 4 will be described in detail later.

[0102] The rotating body 33 is rotatably mounted on the base 31. The structure of the rotating body 33 is the same as that described in Patent Document 1. Here, the structure of the rotating body 33 is briefly described. Figure 4 As shown, the rotating body 33 is fixed to the outer periphery of the rotating shaft portion 31S. The rotating shaft portion 31S is mounted on the inner frame portion 31F ( Figure 1 ) is rotated. Therefore, as the rotating shaft portion 31S rotates, the rotating body 33 rotates. The rotating body 33 has a rod 33L and a concave engaging portion 33E. The outer peripheral surface of the rod 33L is formed in an arc shape. When the curved needle 4 is lowered, the outer peripheral surface of the front end of the rod 33L contacts or approaches the protrusion 43. When the rotating body 33 rotates counterclockwise, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 1 , the protrusion 43 is fitted into the engagement portion 33E, and the protrusion 43 is pushed upward. The rod 33L functions as a guide that smoothly guides the protrusion 43 to the engagement portion 33E.

[0103] The rotating body 33 has a cam surface 33C. The cam surface 33C is a surface having concave and convex portions. The cam surface 33C is used to Figure 1 , Figure 2 The rotating shaft portion 80 shown rotates. Most of the rotating shaft portion 80 is arranged inside the base portion 31 in a rotatable manner. The lower portion of the rotating shaft portion 80 protrudes from the lower portion of the moving body 30. An arm member 80C is arranged on the protruding portion. The arm member 80C contacts the cam surface 33C. The portion of the cam surface 33C that contacts the arm member 80C changes along with the rotation of the rotating body 33. The rotating shaft portion 80 rotates by pressing the arm member 80C by the cam surface 33C.

[0104] A movable piece 82 (FIG. 6(B) etc.) of the holding device 8 and a movable blade 92 (FIG. 6(B) etc.) of the cutting device 9 described later are fixed to the upper end of the rotating shaft portion 80. Therefore, the movable piece 82 and the movable blade 92 rotate by the rotation of the rotating shaft portion 80. In this example, when the looper 4 descends, the holding device 8 holds the knitting yarn 11Y, and the cutting device 9 cuts the knitting yarn 11Y.

[0105] The structures of the holding device 8 and the cutting device 9 are also the same as those described in Patent Document 1. The holding device 8 includes plate-shaped fixed pieces 81, 83 and a plate-shaped movable piece 82. The movable piece 82 is arranged between the fixed piece 81 and the fixed piece 83. By the rotation of the movable piece 82, a V-shaped gap is formed between the fixed pieces 81, 83 and the movable piece 82 when viewed from above. In a state where the knitted yarn 11Y is arranged in the gap, the movable piece 82 is closed, whereby the knitted yarn 11Y is sandwiched and held by the fixed pieces 81, 83 and the movable piece 82. The cutting device 9 includes a fixed blade 91 and a movable blade 92. By the rotation of the movable blade 92, the knitted yarn 11Y clamped by the fixed blade 91 and the movable blade 92 is cut.

[0106]

Bending needle

[0107] Main reference Figure 3 , the structure of the looper 4 of this example is described. The looper 4 has at least one hook 40. As described above, the looper 4 of this example has a slider 4S, a front looper 5, and a rear looper 6. The front looper 5 corresponding to the front needle bed 1F is a member configured to easily catch the knitting yarn 11Y extending from the final loop hooked on the front needle bed 1F to the yarn feeder 11. The rear looper 6 corresponding to the rear needle bed 1B is a member configured to easily catch the knitting yarn 11Y extending from the final loop hooked on the rear needle bed 1B to the yarn feeder 11. The front looper 5 and the rear looper 6 have hooks 40, 40, respectively. The hook 40 of the front looper 5 is referred to as a front hook 50. The hook 40 of the rear looper 6 is referred to as a rear hook 60. Unlike this example, the front looper 5 and the rear looper 6 may also be a structure that moves up and down independently.

[0108] The front side looper 5 includes a front side base 51, a front side handle 52 fixed to the front side base 51, and a front side needle hook 50 formed at the front end of the front side handle 52. The front side base 51 is a rigid body extending in the Z direction. Figure 3 As shown, a projection 59 is formed at a portion of the front base 51 that is opposite to the inner peripheral surface of the guide groove 70. The front handle 52 is a plate that is thinner in the Y direction and can be elastically deformed in the Y direction. Figure 2 The front hook 50 is not visible because it is blocked by the rear handle 62, but is bent in the X direction like the rear handle 62. Through this bent portion, the front hook 50 is arranged at a position close to the yarn feeder 11. Figure 3As shown, the front handle portion 52 is also bent in the Y direction at a position above the bent portion bent in the X direction.

[0109] The front hook 50 protrudes from the upper end of the front shank 52 in the X direction, that is, in the direction approaching the yarn feeder 11. As shown in FIG. 6 (A), the front hook 50 viewed from above the tooth gap 1G is inclined so that the front end 50p of the front hook 50 approaches the front needle bed 1F. The extension direction of the front hook 50 viewed from above the tooth gap 1G, that is, the direction from the front shank 52 toward the front end 50p, intersects with the width direction of the tooth gap 1G, that is, the Y direction. Since the extension direction of the front hook 50 intersects with the width direction of the tooth gap 1G, the front hook 50 can easily pass through the tooth gap 1G even if the width of the tooth gap 1G is narrow. The larger the angle θ1 formed by the width direction of the tooth gap 1G and the extension direction of the front hook 50, the easier it is for the front hook 50 to pass through the tooth gap 1G even if the front hook 50 is enlarged. The angle θ1 is, for example, not less than 30° and not more than 90°. If the angle θ1 is 30° or more, and further 45° or more, the front hook 50 can easily pass through the tooth gap 1G. The smaller the angle θ1 is, the closer the angle of the extension direction of the front hook 50 to the extension direction of the knitting yarn 11Y is to a right angle when viewed from above the tooth gap 1G, and the easier it is for the front hook 50 to catch the knitting yarn 11Y. Therefore, the angle θ1 is preferably 80° or less. The angle θ1 in this example is 75°.

[0110] like Figure 3 As shown, the rear side looper 6 is arranged in parallel with the front side looper 5 inside the guide groove 70. The rear side looper 6 has a structure symmetrical to the front side looper 5 across the central axis of the guide groove 70. Specifically, the rear side looper 6 has a rear side base 61, a rear side handle 62 fixed to the rear side base 61, and a rear side needle hook 60 formed at the front end of the rear side handle 62. Figure 3 As shown, a projection 69 is formed at a portion of the rear base 61 that faces the inner peripheral surface of the guide groove 70. The rear handle 62 is bent toward the front handle 52 and abuts against the front handle 52.

[0111] The rear needle hook 60 protrudes from the upper end of the rear shank 62 in the X direction, that is, in the direction approaching the yarn feeder 11. As shown in FIG. 6 (A), the rear needle hook 60 viewed from above the tooth gap 1G is inclined so that the front end 60p of the rear needle hook 60 approaches the rear needle bed 1B. The extension direction of the rear needle hook 60 viewed from above the tooth gap 1G, that is, the direction from the rear shank 62 toward the front end 60p, intersects with the width direction of the tooth gap 1G, that is, the Y direction. The angle θ2 formed by the width direction of the tooth gap 1G and the extension direction of the rear needle hook 60 is, for example, greater than 30° and less than 90°, and further greater than 45° and less than 80°. The angle θ2 formed in this example is 75°.

[0112] like Figure 3As shown in FIG. 1 , the pull-down device 3 of this example further includes a displacement mechanism 7. The displacement mechanism 7 displaces the front hook 50 toward the front needle bed 1F above the tooth gap 1G, and displaces the rear hook 60 toward the rear needle bed 1B. The displacement mechanism 7 is not essential, but the displacement mechanism 7 makes it easier for the looper 4 to catch the knitting yarn 11Y. The displacement mechanism 7 of this example includes a connecting shaft 75 and a spring 79. In this example, the guide groove 70, the extension portion 59 of the front looper 5, and the extension portion 69 of the rear looper 6 also constitute a part of the displacement mechanism 7.

[0113] The connecting shaft 75 connects the lower part of the front side looper 5 and the lower part of the rear side looper 6 in a manner that allows them to rotate with each other. In this example, the connecting shaft 75 connects the lower end of the front side base 51 and the lower end of the rear side base 61 in a manner that allows them to rotate with each other. The connecting shaft 75 is arranged in the middle part of the slider 4S. The connecting shaft 75 extends along the X direction. Therefore, by the front side looper 5 rotating around the connecting shaft 75, the front side needle hook 50 is displaced in the direction close to the front needle bed 1F or in the direction away from the front needle bed 1F. Similarly, by the rear side looper 6 rotating around the connecting shaft 75, the rear side looper 6 is displaced in the direction close to the rear needle bed 1B or in the direction away from the rear needle bed 1B.

[0114] The spring 79 is disposed between the front base 51 and the rear base 61. The front looper 5 and the rear looper 6 are pressed in the direction of the distance between the upper part of the front looper 5 and the upper part of the rear looper 6 by the elastic force of the spring 79. When the looper 4 is in the descending state, the extension part 59 of the front looper 5 and the extension part 69 of the rear looper 6 abut against the lower part 70L of the guide groove 70, and the upper part of the front looper 5 and the rear looper 6 is in the closed state.

[0115] When the bend needle 4 rises and the extensions 59 and 69 are arranged at the position of the upper portion 70U of the guide groove 70, the width of the upper portion 70U in the Y direction is larger than the width of the lower portion 70L in the Y direction, so the upper portions of the front bend needle 5 and the rear bend needle 6 are in an open state. When the bend needle 4 descends, the upper portions of the front bend needle 5 and the rear bend needle 6 are in a closed state, and the front handle 52 of the front bend needle 5 and the rear handle 62 of the rear bend needle 6 are in a contact state. In this example, the upper and lower portions of the extensions 59 and 69 are formed by inclined surfaces, and the portion of the upper portion 70U of the guide groove 70 connected to the lower portion 70L is also formed by an inclined surface. Therefore, the extensions 59 and 69 can move smoothly between the lower portion 70L and the upper portion 70U of the guide groove 70.

[0116] [Operation of the knitting yarn holding and cutting device]

[0117] Mainly referring to Fig. 6 (A) to Fig. 8 (B), the steps of catching the knitting yarn 11Y, holding the knitting yarn 11Y and cutting the knitting yarn 11Y by the knitting yarn holding and cutting device 2 are described. Fig. 6 (A) to Fig. 8 (A) are diagrams showing the positional relationship between the yarn feeder 11 and the looper 4 as viewed from above. Fig. 6 (A) to Fig. 8 (B) are diagrams showing the positional relationship between the yarn feeder 11 and the looper 4 as viewed from the Y direction. Fig. 6 (A) to Fig. 8 (A) show the cutting device 9, and Fig. 6 (A) to Fig. 8 (B) show the holding device 8 and the cutting device 9.

[0118] Figure 6 (A) and Figure 6 (B) show Figure 4 The positional relationship between the yarn feeder 11 and the looper 4 when the looper 4 is lowered is shown. In this example, the final loop is formed on the knitting needle 19 of the rear needle bed 1B, and the knitting yarn 11Y extends from the final loop toward the yarn feeder 11. At this time, the movable blade 92 of the cutting device 9 is closed. As shown in FIG. 6 (A), the front looper 5 and the rear looper 6 are in contact on the center line (single-dot chain line) that divides the width of the tooth gap 1G into two.

[0119] Here, unlike the present example, the front looper 5 and the rear looper 6 may be respectively arranged at a position closer to the front needle bed 1F and a position closer to the rear needle bed 1B than the center line when the looper 4 is lowered. In the structure in which the front looper 5 and the rear looper 6 are arranged at positions closer to the front needle bed 1F and the rear needle bed 1B as viewed from the center line, the displacement mechanism 7 may not be provided. In addition, in this structure, even if the angle θ1 and the angle θ2 are 90°, the front hook 50 and the rear hook 60 can easily catch the knitting yarn 11Y.

[0120] like Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 7 , when the rotating body 33 of the pull-down device 3 rotates counterclockwise and the looper 4 is lifted by the rotating body 33, the yarn feeder 11 and the looper 4 are in the state shown in FIG. 7 (A) and FIG. 7 (B). The rotation of the rotating body 33, that is, the motor that rotates the rotating shaft 31S is controlled by the control unit 15 ( Figure 1 ) control. If the bend needle 4 rises, and the extension portion 59 of the front bend needle 5 and the extension portion 69 of the rear bend needle 6 reach the upper portion 70U of the guide groove 70, the gap between the front needle hook 50 of the front bend needle 5 and the rear needle hook 60 of the rear bend needle 6 opens. At the moment when the extension portions 59, 69 reach the upper portion 70U, the front needle hook 50 and the rear needle hook 60 are located above the tooth mouth 1G. That is, after the front needle hook 50 and the rear needle hook 60 pass through the tooth mouth 1G, the gap between the two needle hooks 50, 60 opens, so the two needle hooks 50, 60 will not be hooked on the tooth mouth 1G.

[0121] In the structure of this example, by the rotation of the rotating body 33, Figure 1 , Figure 2The rotating shaft portion 80 of the cutting device 9 rotates, and the movable blade 92 of the cutting device 9 also rotates. As a result, the interval between the fixed blade 91 and the movable blade 92 is widened. In addition, the movable piece 82 of the holding device 8 also rotates, and the interval between the movable piece 82 and the fixed pieces 81 and 83 is widened.

[0122] In this example, further, as shown in FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B) , the pull-down device 3 moves toward the yarn feeder 11. As shown in FIGS. Figure 1 The control unit 15 shown in the figure moves the movable body 30 toward the yarn feeder 11, thereby implementing the movement of the pull-down device 3. Specifically, the control unit 15 controls the movement of the movable body 30 in a manner that the movable body 30 moves in a direction close to the yarn feeder 11. Different from this example, the control unit 15 may control the movement of the yarn feeder 11 in a manner that the yarn feeder 11 moves in a direction close to the pull-down device 3.

[0123] As the yarn feeder 11 and the pull-down device 3 approach each other in the X direction, the rear needle hook 60 and the knitting yarn 11Y intersect as shown in FIG8(A). The looper 4 descends from this state, and thereby the knitting yarn 11Y is reliably hooked by the rear needle hook 60. When the pull-down device 3 moves toward the yarn feeder 11, the angle of the knitting yarn 11Y extending from the final loop toward the yarn feeder 11 as viewed from above the tooth gap 1G does not change, so the knitting yarn 11Y is easily caught by the rear needle hook 60. The knitting yarn 11Y hooked on the rear needle hook 60 is wound around the surface of the rear shank 62 facing the rear needle bed 1B, and is difficult to be separated from the rear needle hook 60.

[0124] In FIGS. 6A and 6B , an example is described in which the knitting yarn 11Y hooked on the rear needle bed 1B is caught. However, when the knitting yarn 11Y is hooked on the front needle bed 1F, the knitting yarn 11Y is caught by the front hook 50 .

[0125] Here, it is not necessary to bring the pull-down device 3 shown in Fig. 8 (A) and Fig. 8 (B) close to the yarn feeder 11. For example, by increasing the rear hook 60 or making the angle of the extension direction of the rear hook 60 relative to the extension direction of the knitting yarn 11Y close to a right angle when viewed from above the tooth gap 1G, the possibility of failing to capture the knitting yarn 11Y by the rear hook 60 can be reduced even if the pull-down device 3 is not brought close to the yarn feeder 11.

[0126] <Implementation Method 2>

[0127] In the second embodiment, the displacement mechanism 7 different from the first embodiment is described based on FIG. 9 (A) and FIG. 9 (B). FIG. 9 (A) and FIG. 9 (B) show the looper 4 of the second embodiment arranged in the guide groove 70. FIG. 9 (A) shows the state where the looper 4 is lowered, and FIG. 9 (B) shows the state where the looper 4 is raised. The looper 4 of this example includes a slider 4S and a front looper 5 and a rear looper 6 fixed to the upper end of the slider 4S in a cantilevered manner. The front looper 5 is a leaf spring-shaped member whose upper end is bent toward the front needle bed 1F. The rear looper 6 is a leaf spring-shaped member whose upper end is bent toward the rear needle bed 1B. In this structure, when the looper 4 is stored in the guide groove 70, the front looper 5 and the rear looper 6 are elastically deformed in a manner close to a straight line shape along the inner diameter of the guide groove 70. When the looper 4 rises and the upper part of the looper 4 protrudes from the guide groove 70, the front looper 5 and the rear looper 6 approach the front needle bed 1F and the rear needle bed 1B, respectively. Therefore, the front looper 5 easily catches the knitting yarn 11Y extending from the front needle bed 1F, and the rear looper 6 easily catches the knitting yarn 11Y extending from the rear needle bed 1B. When the looper 4 falls, the front looper 5 and the rear looper 6 are stored in the guide groove 70, and the front looper 5 and the rear looper 6 are elastically deformed in a manner close to a straight line shape along the inner diameter of the guide groove 70.

[0128] <Other Implementation Methods>

[0129] The looper 4 may be composed of only the front looper 5 or the rear looper 6. For example, in the flat knitting machine 1 having only the front looper 5, if knitting is controlled so that the final loop is formed on the front needle bed 1F, only the front looper 5 can catch the knitting yarn 11Y.

Claims

1. A flat knitting machine (1), comprising: Front needle bed (1F); A rear needle bed (1B), opposite to the front needle bed (1F); A yarn feeder (11) supplies knitting yarn (11Y) to a tooth gap (1G) formed between the front needle bed (1F) and the rear needle bed (1B); and A pull-down device (3) captures the knitting yarn (11Y) extending from the yarn feeder (11) toward the tooth opening (1G), and pulls the knitting yarn (11Y) downward toward the tooth opening (1G). It is characterized in that The pull-down device (3) comprises: A movable body (30) configured to be movable along the length direction of the front needle bed (1F) and the rear needle bed (1B); and The bending needle (4) is supported in a manner capable of moving up and down relative to the moving body (30). The curved needle (4) has a needle hook (40) for hooking the knitting yarn (11Y). The extension direction of the needle hook (40) viewed from above the tooth gap (1G) intersects with the width direction of the tooth gap (1G).

2. The flat knitting machine (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: An angle formed by the extending direction and the width direction is greater than or equal to 30° and less than or equal to 90°.

3. The flat knitting machine (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: An angle formed by the extending direction and the width direction is greater than or equal to 45° and less than or equal to 80°.

4. The flat knitting machine (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: A control unit (15) is provided, wherein the control unit (15) controls the movement of at least one of the movable body (30) and the yarn feeder (11) in such a manner that the movable body (30) and the yarn feeder (11) are brought closer to each other during or after the rise of the looper (4).

5. The flat knitting machine (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that: The control unit (15) controls the movable body (30) in such a manner that the movable body (30) moves in a direction approaching the yarn feeder (11).

6. The flat knitting machine (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The curved needle (4) comprises a front curved needle (5) corresponding to the front needle bed (1F) and a rear curved needle (6) corresponding to the rear needle bed (1B). The needle hook (40) comprises a front needle hook (50) formed on the front curved needle (5) and a rear needle hook (60) formed on the rear curved needle (6). The front needle hook (50) viewed from above the tooth gap (1G) is inclined in such a way that the front end portion (50p) of the front needle hook (50) approaches the front needle bed (1F). The rear needle hook (60) viewed from above the tooth gap (1G) is inclined in such a manner that the front end portion (60p) of the rear needle hook (60) approaches the rear needle bed (1B).

7. The flat knitting machine (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that: A displacement mechanism (7) is provided, which displaces the front needle hook (50) toward the front needle bed (1F) above the tooth gap (1G) and displaces the rear needle hook (60) toward the rear needle bed (1B).

8. The flat knitting machine (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that: The displacement mechanism (7) comprises: A guide groove (70), wherein the front curved needle (5) and the rear curved needle (6) are arranged in the guide groove (70) in an overlapping state; A connecting shaft (75) connects the lower part of the front side bending needle (5) and the lower part of the rear side bending needle (6) in a manner that they can rotate relative to each other; and The spring (79) is arranged between the front bending needle (5) and the rear bending needle (6).

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