Flat knitting machine and automatic centering structure thereof

Abstract

This invention provides a flat knitting machine and its automatic center-finding structure, including a needle plate and rollers arranged at the knitting exit of the needle plate. A set of center-finding baffles is arranged at the traction inlet of the rollers, forming a center-finding channel connecting the knitting exit to the traction inlet and guiding the knitted fabric. The length direction of the center-finding baffles is along the length direction of the knitting machine, and the width direction connects the knitting exit to the roller inlet, so that the opposing surfaces of the set of center-finding baffles form a parallel center-finding channel connecting the knitting exit to the roller inlet. Through the center-finding baffle structure between the needle plate and the rollers, the knitting and traction of the fabric can be smoothly achieved in a non-waste yarn start-up knitting process, ensuring knitting safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of flat knitting machine technology, and more specifically, to a flat knitting machine and its automatic center-finding structure. Background Technology

[0002] Flyknit uppers are a new type of knitted upper, typically woven using a flat knitting machine. The fabric is directly woven from yarn, eliminating the need for cutting and splicing, thus reducing multiple steps in the traditional manufacturing process.

[0003] Traditional fabric weaving requires a start-up process, which involves weaving a section of useless waste yarn for subsequent weaving. However, the knitting process for shoe uppers does not involve waste yarn start-up. Instead, by optimizing the weaving program and machine settings, the knitting needles move precisely according to the shoe upper weaving requirements from the beginning, directly forming an effective weaving structure in the first row, without the need for waste yarn.

[0004] Because there is no waste yarn used for the upper, the upper is directly woven and fed into the roller position. After the upper is woven, the two ends of the sleeve are prone to curling, making it difficult for the upper to be clamped by the roller. Instead, it tends to fall between the needle plate and the roller. This causes the upper material to accumulate under the needle plate, pushing the needle plate up. The continued weaving of the upper is also pulled, which can easily cause the entire upper to have irregular patterns.

[0005] Therefore, how to improve the safety of the shoe upper knitting process is a problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Utility Model Content

[0006] In view of this, the present invention provides a flat knitting machine and its automatic centering structure to improve safety during the knitting process of shoe uppers.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution:

[0008] An automatic center-finding structure for a flat knitting machine includes a needle plate and a roller arranged at the knitting exit of the needle plate. The traction inlet of the roller is provided with a set of center-finding baffles that guide the knitting exit. The set of center-finding baffles form a center-finding channel that connects the knitting exit to the traction inlet and guides the knitted fabric.

[0009] Preferably, in the above-mentioned automatic center-finding structure of the flat knitting machine, the needle plate includes a front needle plate and a rear needle plate arranged front to back, and a set of center-finding baffles includes a front baffle distributed below the front needle plate and a rear baffle distributed below the rear needle plate.

[0010] Both the front baffle and the rear baffle have guide ramps arranged at the ends near the needle plate.

[0011] Preferably, in the above-mentioned automatic centering structure of the flat knitting machine, both the front baffle and the rear baffle are provided with a transverse bending portion at the end near the roller, and a roller brush portion that frictionally engages with the roller extends from the transverse bending portion.

[0012] Preferably, in the above-mentioned automatic centering structure of the flat knitting machine, roller seats are provided at both ends of the roller in the length direction, and baffle seats are fixedly mounted on the roller seats.

[0013] Preferably, the above-mentioned automatic centering structure of the flat knitting machine further includes a needle plate seat for mounting the needle plate and the roller. Multiple centering seats extend from one side of the needle plate seat that supports the needle plate, and the extended ends of the centering seats are fixedly supported by the centering baffle.

[0014] Preferably, in the above-mentioned automatic centering structure of the flat knitting machine, the needle plate seat is provided with a plurality of mounting grooves distributed below the front needle plate and the rear needle plate, and the centering seat includes a front bracket and a rear bracket respectively installed in the mounting grooves;

[0015] The front bracket is used to fix and support the front baffle, and the rear bracket is used to fix and support the rear baffle.

[0016] Preferably, in the above-mentioned automatic centering structure of the flat knitting machine, the front support and the rear support are plate-shaped supports arranged substantially parallel to the needle plates on the corresponding sides.

[0017] Preferably, in the above-mentioned automatic centering structure of the flat knitting machine, the extended end of the centering seat has a transversely arranged transverse centering seat that overlaps with the transverse bending portion.

[0018] And a vertically arranged vertical centering seat that provides lateral support to the centering baffle.

[0019] Preferably, in the above-mentioned automatic centering structure of the flat knitting machine, the centering baffle includes multiple centering baffles arranged in segments along the length direction, and two adjacent centering baffles are connected by the centering seat.

[0020] The vertical centering seat has a vertical transition end face that transitions with the plane of the two adjacent centering baffles.

[0021] A flat knitting machine for fly knitting shoe uppers, wherein the flat knitting machine is provided with a needle plate and rollers that cooperate with the knitting of the shoe uppers, and an automatic center-finding structure as described in any of the above is provided between the needle plate and the rollers.

[0022] This utility model provides an automatic center-finding structure for a flat knitting machine, including a needle plate and rollers arranged at the needle plate's knitting exit. A set of center-finding baffles, designed to guide the knitting, are arranged at the roller's traction inlet. These baffles form a center-finding channel connecting the knitting exit to the traction inlet, guiding the knitted fabric. When the needle plate performs the knitting work, especially for shoe uppers, it first knits the two back sections of the upper. By setting a set of planar center-finding baffles at the knitting exit, with the baffles' length direction along the knitting machine's length direction and their width direction connecting the knitting exit to the roller inlet, a parallel center-finding channel is formed between the opposing baffles. The two back sections of the upper enter the center-finding channel. When the upper curls, it is guided by the center-finding channel into the roller inlet and smoothly enters the roller, where it is pulled to complete the upper knitting process. The center-finding baffle structure between the needle plate and the rollers enables smooth knitting and traction of the fabric in waste-yarn-free start-up knitting processes, ensuring knitting safety. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a front view of the automatic centering structure of the flat knitting machine provided in this application;

[0025] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Longitudinal cross-sectional structure diagram of the automatic centering structure of a flat knitting machine;

[0026] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the installation structure of the center baffle;

[0027] Figure 4 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the support structure of the central baffle;

[0028] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the support structure in the first direction for finding the central seat;

[0029] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the support structure in the second direction for finding the central seat. Detailed Implementation

[0030] This utility model discloses a flat knitting machine and its automatic center-finding structure, which improves the safety of the shoe upper knitting process.

[0031] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0032] like Figures 1-4 As shown, Figure 1 This is a front view of the automatic centering structure of the flat knitting machine provided in this application; Figure 2 for Figure 1 Longitudinal cross-sectional structure diagram of the automatic centering structure of a flat knitting machine; Figure 3 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the installation structure of the center baffle; Figure 4 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the support structure of the central baffle.

[0033] This application provides an automatic center-finding structure for a flat knitting machine, including a needle plate 1 and rollers 2 arranged at the knitting exit of the needle plate 1. A set of center-finding baffles 3 are arranged at the traction inlet of the rollers 2, forming a center-finding channel 4 connecting the knitting exit to the traction inlet and guiding the knitted fabric. When the needle plate performs the knitting work, especially when knitting the upper 5, it first knits the two back sections of the upper 5. By setting a set of planar center-finding baffles 3 at the knitting exit, with the length of the baffles 3 along the length of the knitting machine and the width connecting the knitting exit to the roller inlet, a parallel center-finding channel 4 is formed between the opposing surfaces of the baffles 3, connecting the knitting exit to the roller inlet. The two back sections of the upper 5 enter the center-finding channel 4. When the upper curls, it is guided by the center-finding channel 4 into the roller inlet and smoothly enters the roller 2, where the roller 2 pulls the fabric to complete the knitting of the upper 5. The centering baffle 3 structure set between the needle plate 1 and the roller 2 enables the smooth weaving and pulling of the fabric in the non-waste yarn start-up knitting process, ensuring the safety of knitting.

[0034] In a specific embodiment of this case, the needle plate 1 includes a front needle plate and a rear needle plate arranged front to back, and the centering baffle 3 includes a front baffle distributed below the front needle plate and a rear baffle distributed below the rear needle plate; both the front baffle and the rear baffle are provided with guide slopes 31 at the ends near the needle plate 1. Adapting to the needle plate arrangement structure of a flat knitting machine, the needle plate 1 is arranged front to back with a front needle plate and a rear needle plate, and the knitting work is carried out synchronously. Adapting to the front and rear needle plate arrangement structure of the knitting machine, the fabric is conveyed vertically. When curling occurs, the curling direction can occur in both the front and rear directions. The centering baffle 3 is positioned so that the front baffle corresponds to the position of the front needle plate and the rear baffle corresponds to the position of the rear needle plate, so that it can guide the fabric when curling occurs in both the front and rear directions. Meanwhile, it was not considered that the front and rear needle plates would move laterally during the knitting process, requiring the reservation of knitting space. This resulted in a knitting gap between the front and rear baffles and the needle plates. A guide slope 31 was arranged on the side of the front and rear baffles closest to the needle plates, so that the entrance width of the centering channel 4 was greater than the middle width, making it easier to guide the fabric into the roller 2.

[0035] In a specific embodiment of this case, both the front baffle and the rear baffle are provided with a transverse bending portion 32 at one end near the roller 2, and a roller brush portion 33 extends from the transverse bending portion 32 to rub against the roller. Utilizing the structure of the front and rear baffles extending close to the roller, with the transverse bending portion 32 extending laterally from the front baffle and the same transverse bending portion 32 provided on the rear baffle, and the two transverse bending portions 32 extending in opposite directions, the transverse bending portion 32 forms a mounting plane opposite to the roller 2. The roller brush portion 33, arranged along the length direction, is provided on this transverse bending portion 32. The roller brush portion 33 contacts and engages with the roller 2, which can remove static electricity generated during the traction process of the roller 2, eliminating static electricity and further improving safety.

[0036] In a specific embodiment of this case, roller seats 21 are provided at both ends of the roller 2 along its length. The flat knitting machine has a large lateral length. Utilizing the two opposing squeeze roller structures of the roller 2, the ends of the squeeze rollers are rotated and supported by the roller seats 21. A baffle seat 34 is fixedly mounted on the roller seat 21. The baffle seat 34 is a yarn guide mounted on the roller seat 21 and its function is to limit movement. During installation, the axial notch of the yarn guide must exceed a predetermined distance from the knitting area of ​​the needle plate, so that the yarn at both ends of the needle plate can be clamped by the outer sheath of the roller and smoothly pulled out. If the yarn guide is not installed correctly, the yarn at both ends may not be pulled out.

[0037] In a specific embodiment of this case, a needle plate seat 6 for mounting the needle plate 1 and roller 2 is also included. Multiple centering seats 7 extend from one side of the needle plate seat 6 that supports the needle plate. The extended ends of the centering seats 7 are fixedly supported by the centering baffle 3. Considering that the flat knitting machine has a large lateral length structure, the excessively long centering baffle 3 requires high material strength. Using the needle plate seat 6, multiple centering seats 7 arranged at intervals along the length direction are pre-processed on the needle plate seat 6. It is understandable that, to accommodate the positions of the front and rear baffles, centering seats 7 are provided on the needle plate mounting end faces on both the front and rear sides of the needle plate seat 6. The centering seat 7 located at the front end is the front centering seat, with one side fixedly connected to the needle plate seat and the other side extending to support the front baffle. The centering seat 7 located at the rear end is the rear centering seat, which also adopts the same configuration, with one side fixedly mounted to the needle plate seat and the other side extending to support the rear baffle.

[0038] In the preferred structure, the centering seat 7 is a plate-shaped structure, which is arranged in a basically parallel manner with the needle plates on the corresponding sides to provide stable support for the front baffle and the rear baffle.

[0039] Furthermore, the needle plate holder 6 has multiple mounting grooves 61 distributed below the front and rear needle plates. The centering seat 7 includes a front bracket and a rear bracket respectively installed in the mounting grooves 61; the front bracket is used to fix and support the front baffle, and the rear bracket is used to fix and support the rear baffle. The purpose of the mounting grooves 61 is to prevent interference between the centering seat and the needle plate after installation. Through the mounting grooves 61, the centering seat 7 sinks into the mounting grooves 61, ensuring the stability of the needle plate installation.

[0040] In a specific embodiment of this case, the front support and the rear support are plate-shaped supports arranged substantially parallel to the needle plates 1 on the corresponding sides. Corresponding to the front and rear arrangement of the needle plates, the needle plate seat 6 has a front needle plate seat and a rear needle plate seat corresponding to the position of the needle plate 1. The centering seat 7 is configured to include a front support and a rear support. The front support is installed on the front needle plate seat, and the rear support is installed on the rear needle plate seat. At the same time, in order to avoid the front support and the rear support occupying too much space between the needle plates and the rollers, both the front support and the rear support are set to be plate-pile structures. Furthermore, the front support and the rear support are arranged substantially parallel to the needle plates on the corresponding sides to reduce space occupation and avoid affecting the knitting work of the needle plates and the pulling work of the rollers.

[0041] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the support structure in the first direction for finding the central seat; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the support structure in the second direction for finding the central seat.

[0042] In one specific embodiment of this case, the extended end of the centering seat 7 has a transversely arranged transverse centering seat 71 that overlaps with the transverse bending portion 32, and a vertically arranged vertical centering seat 72 that provides transverse support for the centering baffle.

[0043] The mounting end of the centering seat 7 cooperates with the mounting groove 61 on the needle plate seat 6 to install and position the centering seat. Both the front and rear baffles have vertical sections connecting the knitting outlet to the roller inlet, as well as horizontal bending sections 32, so that the vertical cross-sections of the front and rear baffles are basically L-shaped. The extended end of the centering seat 7 is also provided with a horizontal centering seat 71 and a vertical centering seat 72. The horizontal centering seat 71 supports the horizontal bending section 32, and the vertical centering seat 72 cooperates with the baffle structure on its corresponding side.

[0044] Preferably, the centering baffle 3 comprises multiple centering baffles arranged in segments along its length, with adjacent centering baffles connected by a centering seat 7; the vertical centering seat 72 has a vertical transition end face that transitions with the plane of the two adjacent centering baffles. The centering baffle 3 has a relatively long span structure, and by arranging it as a multi-segment centering baffle structure, the difficulty of manufacturing and using the centering baffle is reduced. The multiple centering baffles are spliced ​​together along their length to form a continuous centering baffle, and splicing gaps are formed between adjacent centering baffles. To adapt to the plate-like structure of the centering seat, the extended end of the centering seat is cut into three sections along the width direction. The middle section is a vertical centering seat, and the left and right sections are horizontal centering seats. The left and right sections of the centering seat support the two adjacent centering baffles. At the same time, the extended end of the vertical centering seat is set as a transition connection structure with the two adjacent centering seats. The vertical centering seat forms a transition connection structure with the adjacent two-end centering baffles. The vertical centering seat is formed by folding the plate surface to form a vertical transition end face, which works together with the centering baffles to guide the weaving.

[0045] Based on the automatic center-finding structure of the flat knitting machine provided in the above embodiments, this utility model also provides a flat knitting machine for fly knitting of shoe uppers. The flat knitting machine is provided with a needle plate and rollers that cooperate with the knitting of the shoe uppers. The automatic center-finding structure of the flat knitting machine provided in the above embodiments is provided between the needle plate and the rollers of the flat knitting machine.

[0046] Since this flat knitting machine adopts the automatic centering structure of the flat knitting machine described in the above embodiment, please refer to the above embodiment for the beneficial effects brought by the automatic centering structure of the flat knitting machine.

Claims

1. An automatic centring structure for a flat knitting machine, characterised in that, It includes a needle plate and a roller arranged at the knitting exit of the needle plate. The traction inlet of the roller is provided with a set of centering baffles that guide and cooperate with it. The set of centering baffles forms a centering channel that connects the knitting exit to the traction inlet and guides the knitted fabric.

2. The automatic centring structure for a flat knitting machine according to claim 1, characterised in that, The needle plate includes a front needle plate and a rear needle plate arranged front to back, and a set of centering baffles includes a front baffle distributed below the front needle plate and a rear baffle distributed below the rear needle plate; Both the front baffle and the rear baffle have guide ramps arranged at the ends near the needle plate.

3. The automatic centring structure for a flat knitting machine according to claim 2, characterised in that, Both the front baffle and the rear baffle have a transverse bend at one end near the roller, and a roller brush protruding from the transverse bend has a frictional engagement with the roller.

4. The automatic centring structure for a flat knitting machine according to claim 3, characterised in that, Roller seats are provided at both ends along the length of the roller, and baffle seats are fixedly mounted on the roller seats.

5. The automatic centring structure for a flat knitting machine according to claim 4, characterised in that, It also includes a needle plate seat for mounting the needle plate and the roller, wherein a plurality of centering seats extend from one side of the needle plate seat supporting the needle plate, and the extended ends of the centering seats are fixedly supported by the centering baffle.

6. The automatic centring structure for a flat knitting machine according to claim 5, characterised in that, The needle plate holder has multiple mounting grooves distributed below the front needle plate and the rear needle plate, and the centering seat includes a front bracket and a rear bracket respectively installed in the mounting grooves; The front bracket is used to fix and support the front baffle, and the rear bracket is used to fix and support the rear baffle.

7. The automatic centring structure for a flat knitting machine according to claim 6, characterised in that, The front support and the rear support are plate-shaped supports arranged substantially parallel to the needle plates on the corresponding sides.

8. The automatic centring structure for a flat knitting machine according to claim 7, characterised in that, The extended end of the centering seat has a transverse arrangement, which overlaps with the transverse bending portion to form a transverse centering seat. And a vertically arranged vertical centering seat that provides lateral support to the centering baffle.

9. The automatic centring structure for a flat knitting machine according to claim 8, characterised in that, The centering baffle includes multiple centering baffles arranged in segments along the length direction, and two adjacent centering baffles are connected by a centering seat. The vertical centering seat has a vertical transition end face that transitions with the plane of the two adjacent centering baffles.

10. A flat knitting machine for flyknit knitting of an upper, characterized in that, The flat knitting machine is equipped with a needle plate and rollers for knitting the shoe upper, and an automatic center-finding structure for the flat knitting machine as described in any one of claims 1-9 is provided between the needle plate and the rollers.

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