Filament Guide Device

Abstract

In a filament guiding device, only the guiding portion that guides the filament bundle can be independently replaced. [Solution] The filament guiding device includes a punching section formed by punching a portion of a plate-shaped base element in the plate thickness direction, and a guide section attached to the punching section and guiding the filament bundle. The base element is a laminated assembly including a rigid holding layer that holds the guide section, and a spring layer made of a spring material. In the punching section, an insertion space for the guide section is defined between one edge and the other edge that face each other. The spring layer includes a cantilever formed in a portion that constitutes the one edge. The holding layer includes a first positioning portion that positions the guide section abutted from the one edge side, on a portion that constitutes the other edge. The cantilever urges the guide section inserted into the insertion space toward the other edge side, causing the guide section to abut against the first positioning portion.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a filament guiding device. [Background technology]

[0002] Filament guide devices that guide filaments or filament bundles are particularly necessary for proper filament processing in the production of filament yarns or ply yarns. Filament guide devices can be located upstream or downstream of various filament processing devices. Examples of filament processing devices include filament processing nozzles, such as interlace processing nozzles that create entangled portions in filament bundles and migration processing nozzles that distribute oils attached to filaments throughout the filaments. Examples of filament processing devices that do not fall under the category of filament processing nozzles include fiber separating devices that separate fewer filament bundles or single filaments from filament bundles.

[0003] Regarding the above-described filament guiding device, for example, the prior art described in Patent Document 1 is known. In this prior art, a splitting means of a splitting device splits multiple carbon fiber bundles into individual carbon fibers or individual carbon fiber bundles, and each split is passed through a splitting guide (a device corresponding to the "filament guiding device" in the present disclosure) so that they are always pulled out in a fixed direction. The splitting guide used in the examples of Patent Document 1 is configured such that a ceramic guide section that guides the carbon fiber or carbon fiber bundle (filament or filament bundle) is attached to each of the punch holes arranged in a row on a plate-shaped base element. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-255448 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the above-described conventional technology, the guide portion of each filament guide device (separating guide) must be fixed to prevent misalignment. The guide portion is often fixed by adhering it to a base element using adhesive or the like. However, filament guide devices are often placed in locations subject to high vibrations, and some of the guide portions are often damaged, such as chipped or scratched, by contact with other objects. If the guide portion is chipped or scratched, the filament guide device will no longer be able to properly guide the filament or filament bundle.

[0006] If a chip or damage occurs in the guide portion of the filament guiding device, it is difficult to separate the guide portion by peeling off the adhesive if the guide portion is adhered to the base element. Therefore, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, if a chip or damage occurs in the guide portion of the filament guiding device, there is a risk that the entire filament guiding device, including the base element to which the guide portion is adhered, will have to be replaced.

[0007] Therefore, the present disclosure is intended to solve the above problem, and aims to make it possible to independently replace only the guide portion that guides the filament or filament bundle in a filament guiding device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a filament guiding device for guiding a filament or a filament bundle. The filament guiding device includes a plate-shaped base element, a punched portion formed by punching a portion of the base element in the plate thickness direction, and a guide portion that is attached to the punched portion and guides the filament or filament bundle in the attached state. The base element is a laminated assembly including multiple layers, including a rigid holding layer that holds the guide portion in the attached state, and a spring layer made of a spring material. The punched portion has an insertion space defined between one edge and another edge facing each other, into which the guide portion is inserted. The spring layer includes a cantilever formed in a portion of the spring layer that constitutes the one edge. The holding layer includes a first positioning portion that positions the guide portion when the guide portion abuts against a portion of the holding layer that constitutes the other edge from the one edge side. The cantilever biases the guide portion inserted into the insertion space toward the other edge side, causing the guide portion to abut against the first positioning portion.

[0009] According to the above aspect, the guide portion of the filament guiding device is brought into contact with the first positioning portion of the retaining layer by the biasing force of the cantilever and is held in an attached state by the retaining layer. Therefore, the guide portion can be separated from the punching portion of the base element by applying an external force that resists the biasing force of the cantilever. Therefore, according to the above aspect, in the filament guiding device, only the guide portion that guides the filament or filament bundle can be independently replaced.

[0010] According to the above aspect, the guide portion in the attached state is brought into contact with the first positioning portion of the holding layer by the biasing force of the cantilever and is positioned by this first positioning portion. Therefore, the guide portion is positioned based on the first positioning portion of the holding layer regardless of dimensional variations. Therefore, according to the above aspect, it is possible to suppress positional deviation of the guide portion in the filament guiding device.

[0011] According to another aspect, the cantilever includes an extension portion extending along the one edge portion, and an abutment portion provided in a state of projecting from the extension portion toward the other edge portion and abutting against the guide portion from the one edge portion side. The extension portion is bent toward the one edge portion by the action of the guide portion inserted into the insertion space, which pushes the abutment portion toward the one edge portion.

[0012] According to the above aspect, by making the cantilever formed on the spring layer made of a spring material function as a cantilever spring, it is possible to make the cantilever exert a biasing force that biases the guide portion.

[0013] According to another aspect, the punched portion is formed by a notch cut into a side surface of the base element and sized to allow the guide portion to be inserted therein. The guide portion includes a first engagement portion extending along one edge and engaging with the one edge, a second engagement portion extending along the other edge and engaging with the other edge, and a connecting portion connecting the first and second engagement portions at a base portion that forms the bottom side of the notch. The notch is provided with a second positioning portion that abuts against the connecting portion from the bottom side of the notch to position the guide portion. The abutting portion abuts against an intermediate position of the first engagement portion between the tip portion and the base portion. The extending portion applies a biasing force to the guide portion as a reaction to the above-mentioned action from the guide portion via the abutting portion, thereby pressing the second engagement portion of the guide portion against the first positioning portion and positioning the guide portion.

[0014] According to the above aspect, the second positioning portion of the notch can position the guide portion in a direction different from the biasing force of the extending portion, which presses the second engagement portion of the guide portion against the first positioning portion of the punching section. Furthermore, because the abutting portion that applies the biasing force of the extending portion to the guide portion abuts against the middle position of the first engagement portion, tilt of the guide portion relative to the notch is suppressed more than when the abutting portion abuts against the tip or base of the first engagement portion. Therefore, according to the above aspect, misalignment of the guide portion in the filament guiding device can be further suppressed.

[0015] According to another aspect, the filament guiding device includes a base element having a plurality of notches arranged side by side along a side surface thereof, each of the plurality of notches having a guide portion attached thereto, and a cantilever formed corresponding to each of the plurality of notches and biasing the guide portion attached to the corresponding notch.

[0016] According to the above aspect, the plurality of guide portions attached to the plurality of notches, one each, are independently biased by separate cantilevers, thereby reducing the risk that when an external force is applied to a guide portion to separate it from the notch of the base element, the external force acts on the cantilevers biasing the guide portions other than the guide portion to be separated, causing the biasing of the guide portions by the cantilevers to be loosened.

[0017] According to another aspect, the guide portion includes a first engagement portion extending along one edge and engaging with the one edge, and a second engagement portion extending along the other edge and engaging with the other edge. The first engagement portion includes a first sandwiching groove that sandwiches the retaining layer and spring layer that constitute the one edge from both sides in the plate thickness direction. The second engagement portion includes a second sandwiching groove that sandwiches the retaining layer and spring layer that constitute the other edge from both sides in the plate thickness direction. The cantilever biases the guide portion toward the other edge with at least a portion of the cantilever inserted into the first sandwiching groove.

[0018] According to the above aspect, the guide portion sandwiches the retaining layer and the spring layer between its first sandwiching groove and second sandwiching groove, thereby suppressing misalignment in the thickness direction of the base element. Furthermore, the cantilever biases the guide portion with at least a portion thereof inserted in the first sandwiching groove, so that the first sandwiching groove restricts bending of the base element in the thickness direction. Therefore, according to the above aspect, it is possible to reduce the risk that the biasing force of the cantilever deviates in the thickness direction of the base element, preventing the guide portion from being properly biased toward the other edge. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present disclosure, in the filament guiding device, only the guiding portion that guides the filament or filament bundle can be independently replaced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing an interlacer to which a filament guiding device according to a first embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a right side view showing the interlacer of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a rear view showing the support layer of FIG. 3 alone. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a rear view showing the spring layer of FIG. 3 alone. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion VI in FIG. 3. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a filament guiding device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a rear view showing the spring layer of FIG. 7 alone. [Figure 9] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of part IX in FIG. 7. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a filament guiding device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a front view showing the support layer of FIG. 10 alone. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a front view showing the spring layer of FIG. 10 alone. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a right side view showing the filament guiding device of FIG. 10. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the directions of "front," "rear," "left," and "right" are defined by defining the forward (downstream) side of the filament or filament bundle guided by the filament guiding device as "front."

[0022] First Embodiment First, the configurations of the filament guiding device 10 and the filament guiding device 10A according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. The filament guiding device 10 and the filament guiding device 10A are each attached to an interlacer 90, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0023] The interlacer 90 is a device that simultaneously and parallelly forms interlaced filament portions (not shown) in each of a plurality of (32 in this embodiment) filament bundles 91. The interlacer 90 includes a main body 90A having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and a plurality of (16 in this embodiment) interlace guides 90B arranged in the left-right direction on the upper surface of the main body 90A.

[0024] Two filament bundles 91 are passed through each interlace guide 90B so that their travel routes do not interfere with each other. The main body 90A uses a built-in interlace processing nozzle (not shown) to spray air onto the filament bundles 91 passing through each interlace guide 90B, creating entangled portions (not shown) in these filament bundles 91. This processing is performed as each filament bundle 91 travels from rear to front.

[0025] The filament guiding device 10 is screwed to the front surface of the main body 90A, and the filament guiding device 10A is screwed to the rear surface of the main body 90A. The filament guiding device 10 and the filament guiding device 10A are each equipped with the same number of guiding units 20 (32 in this embodiment) as the number of filament bundles 91 that the interlacer 90 processes simultaneously, and are mounted in a line in one direction (left and right direction).

[0026] Each of the guiding units 20 attached to the filament guiding device 10A has one filament bundle 91 passing through it, and guides the filament bundle 91 toward the interlace guide 90B. Each of the guiding units 20 attached to the filament guiding device 10 has one filament bundle 91, which has an entangled portion (not shown) when passing through the interlace guide 90B, passing through it, and guides the filament bundle 91 toward a spinning device (not shown). In other words, the filament guiding device 10 and the filament guiding device 10A use the multiple guiding units 20 attached to them to guide each of the multiple filament bundles 91.

[0027] Here, the filament guiding device 10 and the filament guiding device 10A have exactly the same configuration, except that their mounting orientations are reversed by 180°, since the filament guiding device 10 is for the front and the filament guiding device 10A is for the rear. Therefore, in the following, detailed descriptions of the front filament guiding device 10 and the rear filament guiding device 10A will be given by representing the front filament guiding device 10. Detailed descriptions of the rear filament guiding device 10A will be omitted.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, the filament guiding device 10 comprises a base element 11 having an approximately rectangular plate shape, a punching section 14 formed by punching a portion of the base element 11 in its thickness direction (front-to-back direction), and a guide section 20 attached to the punching section 14.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 2, the base element 11 is a laminated assembly in which a rigid retaining layer 13 (see Fig. 4) and a spring layer 12 (see Fig. 5) made of a spring material are fastened together with fasteners 11A. The retaining layer 13 is made of, for example, a stainless steel sheet metal having a predetermined thickness, and is disposed on the base element 11 at a position opposite to the main body 90A of the interlacer 90. The spring layer 12 is made of, for example, a spring stainless steel sheet metal that is thinner than the retaining layer 13, and is disposed on the main body 90A side of the interlacer 90.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 3, the punched portions 14 are formed by U-groove-shaped notches carved into the upper side surface of the base element 11. In this embodiment, the punched portions 14 are formed by applying an appropriately selected punching process (for example, cutting or punching) to each of the retaining layer 13 and the spring layer 12 of the base element 11. The number of notches in the punched portions 14 is the same as the number of guide portions 20 attached to the filament guiding device 10 (32 in this embodiment), and the notches are arranged side by side in the left-right direction along the upper side surface of the base element 11. One guide portion 20 is attached to each of these punched portions 14.

[0031] In the U-groove (notch) of each punched portion 14, the groove walls on the right side (one side) and left side (the other side) extending upward are respectively one edge 14A and other edge 14B facing each other, as shown in Fig. 6. The distance between one edge 14A and the other edge 14B is set to a size that allows one guide portion 20 to be removably inserted therein (see Fig. 3). In other words, the punched portion 14 is a notch sized to allow one guide portion 20 to be inserted therein, and an insertion space 14D into which this guide portion 20 is inserted is set between the one edge 14A and the other edge 14B.

[0032] The guide unit 20 is a ceramic part called a "slit guide." The guide unit 20 of this embodiment is configured by connecting the base portions 21B and 22B of the first engagement portion 21 and the second engagement portion 22, which extend parallel to each other and sandwich a linear slit 20C, with a connecting portion 20A. The tip portions 21A and 22A of the first engagement portion 21 and the second engagement portion 22 are spaced apart from each other, and the filament bundle 91 (not shown in FIG. 6 ) can be inserted into the slit 20C through the gap between these tip portions 21A and 22A. The guide unit 20 of this embodiment is sometimes called a "U-shaped guide" because the first engagement portion 21 and the second engagement portion 22 are linear and its appearance resembles the letter "U."

[0033] The guide unit 20 is inserted into the punching unit 14 with the tip portions 21A, 22A of the first engagement portion 21 and the second engagement portion 22 facing upward and the connecting portion 20A facing downward (toward the bottom of the notch in the punching unit 14). At this time, the first engagement portion 21 engages with one edge portion 14A so as to extend along the one edge portion 14A. The second engagement portion 22 engages with the other edge portion 14B so as to extend along the other edge portion 14B. Furthermore, because the gap between the tip portions 21A, 22A that lead to the slit 20C is open upward, a state (not shown) in which the filament bundle 91 can be inserted into the slit 20C through this gap is maintained.

[0034] Additionally, the connecting portion 20A catches on the groove wall near the bottom of the U-shaped groove of the punched portion 14 where the groove width narrows. This configuration corresponds to the "second positioning portion" in this disclosure, and is therefore also referred to as the "second positioning portion 14C" below. The second positioning portion 14C abuts against the connecting portion 20A from the bottom side (lower side) of the notch of the punched portion 14, positioning the guide portion 20 in the up-down direction.

[0035] 1 and 6, the first engagement portion 21 has a first sandwiching groove 21C that sandwiches the retaining layer 13 and spring layer 12 that constitute the one edge portion 14A from both sides in the thickness direction of the base element 11 (see FIG. 1). The second engagement portion 22 has a second sandwiching groove 22C that sandwiches the retaining layer 13 and spring layer 12 that constitute the other edge portion 14B from both sides in the thickness direction of the base element 11. The connecting portion 20A has a sandwiching groove 20B that sandwiches the retaining layer 13 and spring layer 12 that constitute the portion from the bottom of the U-shaped groove of the punched portion 14 to the second positioning portion 14C from both sides in the thickness direction of the base element 11. These sandwiching grooves prevent the guide portion 20 from shifting in position when viewed in the thickness direction of the base element 11. In the guide portion 20 of this embodiment, the first sandwiching groove 21C, the sandwiching groove 20B, and the second sandwiching groove 22C are connected to one another in this order.

[0036] The portion of the retaining layer 13 that constitutes the other edge 14B of the retaining layer 13 that engages with the second engaging portion 22 of the guide portion 20 positioned by the second positioning portion 14C is a linear first positioning portion 13A. When the second engaging portion 22 of the guide portion 20 abuts against the side (right side) of the one edge 14A, the first positioning portion 13A positions the guide portion 20 in the left-right direction.

[0037] The spring layer 12 has a cantilever 12A formed in a portion of the spring layer 12 that constitutes the one edge 14A. With at least a portion of the cantilever 12A inserted into the first sandwiching groove 21C, the cantilever 12A biases the guide portion 20 inserted into the insertion space 14D toward the other edge 14B (left side), causing the guide portion 20 to abut against the first positioning portion 13A. In response to this, the first positioning portion 13A positions the guide portion 20 in the left-right direction.

[0038] In this embodiment, the cantilevers 12A are formed one by one corresponding to each of the plurality of punched portions 14 (notches) arranged in the left-right direction (see FIG. 3) along the upper side surface of the base element 11. These cantilevers 12A bias the guide portions 20 attached to the corresponding punched portions 14 (notches).

[0039] The configuration of the cantilever 12A will be described in more detail, mainly with reference to Figure 6. The cantilever 12A includes an extension 12B that extends upward from the bottom side of the U-groove of the punched portion 14 along one edge 14A, and an abutment portion 12C provided at the tip of the extension 12B. The abutment portion 12C has an arc shape that extends clockwise when viewed from the rear, and protrudes toward the other edge 14B (left side) beyond the extension 12B. In this embodiment, each component of the cantilever 12A is integrally formed as a whole by punching (e.g., cutting or punching) performed on the spring layer 12.

[0040] The overhang of the abutment portion 12C toward the other edge portion 14B (left side) is large enough to locally narrow the insertion space 14D into which the guide portion 20 is inserted in a natural state (see the imaginary line in FIG. 6 ) when no external force is applied to the cantilever beam 12A. Therefore, when the guide portion 20 is inserted into the insertion space 14D, its first engagement portion 21 pushes the abutment portion 12C toward the one edge portion 14A (right side). The action (external force) of the guide portion 20 pushing away the abutment portion 12C is transmitted to the extending portion 12B, causing the extending portion 12B to bend toward the one edge portion 14A (right side).

[0041] Here, extending portion 12B has a cantilevered configuration made of a spring material, and therefore functions as a cantilever spring that exerts spring elasticity in a direction that moves contact portion 12C toward other edge portion 14B (left side). Due to the spring elasticity of this cantilever spring, contact portion 12C contacts first engaging portion 21 of guide portion 20 (more specifically, the groove bottom of first sandwiching groove 21C) from the side of one edge portion 14A (right side).

[0042] In this embodiment, the extension 12B is formed to have a length that is approximately half the length of the first engagement portion 21. Therefore, the abutment portion 12C provided at the tip of the extension 12B is located at a position retracted from the opening of the notch of the punched portion 14 to the bottom side (lower side). The abutment portion 12C abuts at an intermediate position in the first engagement portion 21 between the tip portion 21A and the base portion 21B.

[0043] Furthermore, extending portion 12B applies a biasing force to guide portion 20 via abutting portion 12C as a reaction to the action (external force) of guide portion 20 pushing aside abutting portion 12C. This biasing force presses second engagement portion 22 of guide portion 20 against first positioning portion 13A of holding layer 13. First positioning portion 13A of holding layer 13 positions guide portion 20 in the left-right direction and holds guide portion 20 in an attached state in which it is attached to punching portion 14.

[0044] According to the filament guiding device 10 described above, the guiding portion 20 is brought into contact with the first positioning portion 13A of the retaining layer 13 by the biasing force of the cantilever 12A, and is held in an attached state by this retaining layer 13. Therefore, the guiding portion 20 can be separated from the punching portion 14 of the base element 11 by applying an external force that resists the biasing force of the cantilever 12A. Therefore, according to the filament guiding device 10, only the guiding portion 20 that guides the filament bundle 91 can be independently replaced.

[0045] Furthermore, according to the filament guiding device 10, the guiding part 20 in the attached state is brought into contact with the first positioning part 13A of the retaining layer 13 by the biasing force of the cantilever 12A, and is positioned by this first positioning part 13A. Therefore, the guiding part 20 is positioned based on the first positioning part 13A of the retaining layer 13, regardless of variations in its dimensions. Therefore, according to the filament guiding device 10, it is possible to suppress misalignment of the guiding part 20 in this filament guiding device 10.

[0046] Furthermore, according to the filament guiding device 10, the cantilever 12A formed on the spring layer 12 made of a spring material can be made to function as a cantilever spring, thereby causing the cantilever 12A to exert a biasing force that biases the guide portion 20.

[0047] Furthermore, with the filament guiding device 10, the second positioning portion 14C of the notch of the punching portion 14 can position the guide portion 20 in a vertical direction different from the biasing force of the extending portion 12B (a biasing force in the horizontal direction that presses the second engagement portion 22 of the guide portion 20 against the first positioning portion 13A of the punching portion 14). Furthermore, because the abutting portion 12C that applies the biasing force of the extending portion 12B to the guide portion 20 abuts against the middle position of the first engagement portion 21, tilt of the guide portion 20 with respect to the notch of the punching portion 14 is suppressed compared to when the abutting portion 12C abuts against the tip portion 21A or the base portion 21B of the first engagement portion 21. Therefore, with the filament guiding device 10, misalignment of the guide portion 20 in this filament guiding device can be further suppressed.

[0048] Furthermore, according to the filament guiding device 10, the multiple guide parts 20 attached one by one to the punching part 14 (notch) are each independently biased by a separate cantilever 12A. This reduces the risk that when an external force is applied to the guide parts 20 to separate them from the punching part 14 (notch) of the base element 11, this external force acts on the cantilever 12A biasing the guide parts 20 other than the guide part 20 to be separated, causing the biasing of the guide parts 20 by the cantilever 12A to be loosened.

[0049] Furthermore, according to the filament guiding device 10, the guide portion 20 sandwiches the retaining layer 13 and the spring layer 12 between the first sandwiching groove 21C and the second sandwiching groove 22C, thereby suppressing misalignment in the thickness direction of the base element 11. Furthermore, the cantilever 12A biases the guide portion 20 with at least a portion thereof inserted in the first sandwiching groove 21C, so that bending in the thickness direction of the base element 11 is restricted by the first sandwiching groove 21C. Therefore, according to the filament guiding device 10, it is possible to reduce the risk that the biasing force of the cantilever 12A deviates in the thickness direction of the base element 11, preventing the guide portion 20 from being properly biased toward the other edge portion 14B side (left side).

[0050] Furthermore, according to the filament guiding device 10, the guiding portion 20 is pressed against the first positioning portion 13A of the retaining layer 13 in a state where it is attached to the punching portion 14 of the base element 11. Therefore, according to the filament guiding device 10, it is possible to suppress slippage of the guiding portion 20 relative to the base element 11 (so-called "fretting") due to vibration or the like. It is also possible to suppress damage (specifically, wear, fatigue, corrosion, etc.) that is caused to the base element 11 or the guiding portion 20 by this slippage.

[0051] Second Embodiment Next, the configuration of a filament guiding device 30 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9. The filament guiding device 30 according to the second embodiment is an embodiment in which some parts have been changed from the filament guiding device 10 according to the first embodiment. Therefore, parts or configurations that are common to the configurations described in the above description of the filament guiding device 10 are designated by the same reference numerals as those used for these parts or configurations. Furthermore, common components related to parts that have been changed in the filament guiding device 30 according to the second embodiment are designated by reference numerals obtained by adding "20" to the reference numerals used for the configurations described in the description of the filament guiding device 10. Detailed descriptions of these parts or configurations will be omitted.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 7, the filament guiding device 30 includes a base element 31 made up of a laminated assembly in which a retaining layer 13 and a spring layer 32 are laminated, instead of the base element 11 (see Fig. 3) made up of a laminated assembly in which a retaining layer 13 and a spring layer 12 are laminated. As shown in Fig. 8, the spring layer 32 includes a cantilever 32A in which an abutment portion 32C is provided in the middle portion, instead of the cantilever 12A (see Fig. 3) in the spring layer 12 formed so that the abutment portion 12C is at the tip.

[0053] 9, the cantilever 32A has a linear guide portion 32D that extends upward from a contact portion 32C provided at the upper end of the extension portion 32B along one edge portion 34A. Here, the extension portion 32B and the contact portion 32C have the same configurations as the extension portion 12B and the contact portion 12C (see FIG. 6) of the spring layer 12 of the first embodiment, respectively, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0054] In a natural state (see the imaginary line in FIG. 9 ) where no external force is applied to the cantilever 32A, the guide portion 32D extends in an inclined manner toward the other edge 34B (left side). Therefore, in the natural state, the guide portion 32D partially narrows the upper portion of the insertion space 34D into which the guide portion 20 is inserted at the punched portion 34. Therefore, when the guide portion 20 is inserted into the insertion space 34D, its first engagement portion 21 pushes the guide portion 32D toward the one edge 14A (right side). The action (external force) of the guide portion 20 pushing the guide portion 32D away is transmitted to the extending portion 32B, causing the extending portion 32B to bend toward the one edge 34A (right side). As a result, the abutment portion 32C provided at the upper end of the extending portion 32B is slightly pulled toward the one edge 14A (right side) (not shown).

[0055] Thereafter, as the insertion of guide portion 20 continues, first engagement portion 21 pushes abutment portion 32C toward one edge portion 14A (right side), further compressing and bending extending portion 32B. At this time, guide portion 32D is pulled toward one edge portion 14A (right side), so the biasing force of extending portion 12B is applied to guide portion 20 only via abutment portion 32C.

[0056] In a state where the guide unit 20 is positioned in the up-down direction by the second positioning unit 34C (see the solid line in FIG. 9 ; hereinafter, also referred to as the “up-down positioning state”), the guide unit 32D is spaced apart from the bottom of the first clamping groove 21C but does not completely come out of the first clamping groove 21C. That is, in the up-down positioning state, the cantilever 32A at least partially blocks the first clamping groove 21C of the guide unit 20 with the guide unit 32D. If the cantilever 32A is not the rightmost cantilever 32A in the left-right arrangement (see FIG. 7 ), the cantilever 32A causes the guide unit 32D to enter the second clamping groove 22C (see FIG. 9 ) of the guide unit 20 attached to the adjacent punching unit 34 on the right. That is, in the up-down positioning state, the cantilever 32A at least partially blocks the second clamping groove 22C of the guide unit 20 with the guide unit 32D.

[0057] 9, the cantilever 32A is depicted with the upper end of the guide portion 32D in the vertically positioned state retracted slightly below the tip portions 21A and 22A of the first engagement portion 21 and the second engagement portion 22. However, the guide portion 32D of the cantilever 32A may be retracted further downward than shown, may be aligned in the vertical position with the tip portions 21A and 22A, or may protrude further upward than the tip portions 21A and 22A.

[0058] When the filament bundle 91 is inserted through the gap between the tip portions 21A, 22A (not shown) into the slits 20C of the guide sections 20 arranged side by side in the left-right direction, there is a risk that the filament bundle 91 may accidentally get caught between the left and right guide sections 20. In contrast, with the filament guiding device 30 described above, the space between the left and right adjacent guide sections 20, from the first sandwiching groove 21C of the left guide section 20 to the second sandwiching groove 22C of the right guide section 20, is at least partially blocked by the guide section 32D. Therefore, with the filament guiding device 30, it is possible to reduce the risk that the filament bundle 91 may accidentally get caught between the left and right guide sections 20.

[0059] Furthermore, in a configuration in which the abutment portion 32C, which locally narrows the insertion space 34D into which the guide portion 20 is inserted, is located at a position retracted from the opening of the notch of the punching section 34 to the bottom (lower side) (see FIG. 9), there is a risk that the guide portion 20 will get caught on the abutment portion 32C during insertion. In contrast, according to the filament guiding device 30 described above, the guide portion 20 pushes aside the guide portion 32D, causing the abutment portion 32C to be retracted toward the one edge portion 14A (right side), thereby reducing the risk that the guide portion 20 will get caught on the abutment portion 32C.

[0060] Furthermore, according to the filament guiding device 30, it is possible to obtain the same effects as those described above as those obtained by the filament guiding device 10 according to the first embodiment.

[0061] Third Embodiment Next, the configuration of a filament guiding device 40 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 13. The filament guiding device 40 can be attached to an interlacer (not shown) that provides an entangled portion of filaments to one filament bundle.

[0062] As shown in Figures 10 and 13, the filament guiding device 40 comprises a base element 41 having an approximately rectangular plate shape, a punching section 44 formed by punching a portion of the base element 41 in the thickness direction, and a guide section 50 attached to the punching section 44.

[0063] The base element 41 is erected with its plate surface facing the front-to-rear direction and the shorter side of its rectangle facing the up-to-down direction. The base element 41 is a laminated assembly formed by fastening a rigid retaining layer 43 (see FIG. 11) and a spring layer 42 (see FIG. 12) made of a spring material together using fasteners 41A. The retaining layer 43 is made of, for example, a stainless steel sheet metal having a predetermined thickness, and is disposed at the rear of the base element 41. The spring layer 42 is made of, for example, a spring stainless steel sheet metal that is thinner than the retaining layer 43, and is disposed at the front of the base element 41.

[0064] The cutout portion 44 is formed by a circular through-hole formed by appropriately selecting a cutout process (e.g., a cutout process or a punching process) in an upper portion of the plate surface of the base element 41. The edge portion 44A of the cutout portion 44 is configured so that any portion of the edge portion 44A faces any other portion of the edge portion 44A. Therefore, the edge portion 44A corresponds to both the "one edge portion" and the "other edge portion" in this disclosure. The opening formed between the opposing edges 44A in the cutout portion 44 is an insertion space 44D sized to allow one guide portion 50 to be removably inserted.

[0065] The guide portion 50 is a ceramic part called an “eyelet guide.” The guide portion 50 of this embodiment is configured such that a flange 51C that protrudes radially outward from one end of a cylindrical body 51 having a through-hole 50C through which a filament bundle (not shown) is passed is provided.

[0066] The guide unit 50 is inserted into the insertion space 44D of the punching unit 44 from the rear side (the side of the retaining layer 43) with its through hole 50C facing the front-rear direction and the flange 51C facing backward. At this time, the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 51 engages with the edge portion 44A of the punching unit 44. The flange 51C also catches on a portion of the retaining layer 43 that forms the edge portion 44A of the punching unit 44 from the rear side, thereby positioning the guide unit 50 in the front-rear direction. As a result, the guide unit 50 is attached to the punching unit 44 and, while held by the retaining layer 43, guides the filament bundle (not shown) that is passed through the through hole 50C in the front-rear direction.

[0067] A plurality of first positioning portions 43A are set in a portion of the retaining layer 43 that constitutes the edge portion 44A of the punched portion 44. When the cylindrical body 51 of the guide portion 50 abuts against the side of the edge portion 44A (the side of one edge) that faces the first positioning portion 43A, the first positioning portion 43A positions the guide portion 50 in the abutment direction. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 11, one first positioning portion 43A is set in each of the upper, lower, left, and right portions of the portion of the retaining layer 43 that constitutes the edge portion 44A of the punched portion 44.

[0068] 10, the spring layer 42 has cantilevers 42A formed in portions (corresponding to "portions constituting one edge portion" in the present disclosure) that face each of the first positioning portions 43A, among portions that constitute the edge portion 44A of the spring layer 42. In the present embodiment, one cantilever 42A is provided on each of the lower, upper, right, and left portions of the edge portion 44A of the punched portion 44 that face each of the first positioning portions 43A.

[0069] The cantilever 42A has an extension 42B that extends along the edge 44A of the punched portion 44 to one side of the circumferential direction of this edge 44A (clockwise in Figure 10), and an abutment portion 42C that is provided at the tip of this extension 42B.

[0070] The abutment portion 42C has an arc shape extending clockwise in a front view and protrudes further toward the center of the insertion space 44D (toward the opposing first positioning portion 43A, the other edge side) than the extending portion 42B. This protrusion is large enough to locally narrow the insertion space 44D into which the guide portion 50 is inserted in a natural state (see the imaginary lines in FIG. 10 ) when no external force is applied to the cantilever 42A. Therefore, when the guide portion 50 is inserted into the insertion space 44D, its cylindrical body 51 pushes the abutment portion 42C toward the outer periphery of the insertion space 44D (the side from which the cantilever 42A extends, the one edge side). The action (external force) of the guide portion 50 pushing away the abutment portion 42C is transmitted to the extending portion 42B, causing the extending portion 42B to bend toward the outer periphery of the insertion space 44D.

[0071] Here, extending portion 42B has a cantilever-like configuration made of a spring material, and therefore functions as a cantilever spring that exerts spring elasticity in a direction that moves abutting portion 42C toward the center of insertion space 44D (the side of the opposing first positioning portion 43A, the side of the other edge). Due to the spring elasticity of this cantilever spring, abutting portion 42C abuts against cylindrical body 51 of guide portion 50 from the outer periphery side (the side of one edge) of insertion space 44D from which cantilever 42A extends.

[0072] Furthermore, the extending portion 42B applies a biasing force to the guide portion 50 via the abutting portion 42C as a reaction to the action (external force) of the guide portion 50 pushing away the abutting portion 42C. This biasing force presses the cylindrical body 51 of the guide portion 50 against the opposing first positioning portion 43A. In other words, the extending portion 42B of the cantilever 42A biases the cylindrical body 51 of the guide portion 50 inserted into the insertion space 44D toward the opposing side (the side of the other edge) of the first positioning portion 43A, causing the cylindrical body 51 of the guide portion 50 to abut against this first positioning portion 43A.

[0073] In contrast, the first positioning portion 43A of the holding layer 43 positions the guide portion 50 in the contact direction (in this embodiment, the up-down direction or the left-right direction) in which the cylindrical body 51 is pressed, and holds the guide portion 50 in an attached state in which it is attached to the punching processing portion 44.

[0074] According to the filament guiding device 40 described above, it is possible to enjoy the same effects as those described above as those of the filament guiding device 10 according to the first embodiment.

[0075] In addition, according to the filament guiding device 40, by providing multiple first positioning portions 43A and cantilever beams 42A along the edge portion 44A of the punching processing portion 44, the guiding portion 50 can be positioned in the two-dimensional direction in which the plate surface of the base element 41 extends.

[0076] The above describes the embodiments for carrying out the present disclosure using the first to third embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various substitutions, modifications, and alterations are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, the embodiments for carrying out the present disclosure may include all substitutions, modifications, and alterations that do not depart from the spirit and purpose of the claims appended hereto. For example, the following various embodiments can be implemented as embodiments for carrying out the present disclosure.

[0077] (1) The application of this disclosure is not limited to a filament guiding device used in an interlacer that creates an intertwined portion of a filament bundle, but can also include various processing devices that perform some kind of processing on a filament. Examples of processing devices include a migration processing nozzle that distributes oil adhering to a filament throughout the filament, and a fiber separating device that separates a filament bundle into fewer filament bundles or single filaments. Here, if the processing device performs processing on a single filament, the filament guiding device may be one that guides only one filament.

[0078] (2) In the present disclosure, the base element laminate assembly is not limited to a two-layer configuration consisting of a retaining layer and a spring layer, but may be a configuration consisting of a combination of three or more layers. Examples of such configurations include a configuration in which the retaining layer or the spring layer itself is a laminated assembly of multiple layers. The above examples may also include a configuration in which the retaining layer and the spring layer are bonded together with an adhesive layer (specifically, for example, double-sided tape or adhesive), and this adhesive layer is added to the base element laminate assembly. The above examples may also include a configuration in which each part to be laminated on the base element or the base element itself is painted, and the paint layer is added to the base element laminate assembly.

[0079] (3) In the first or second embodiment described above, the second positioning portion that positions the guide portion in the vertical direction is not limited to the portion where the groove width narrows in the notch of the punched portion, but may be, for example, the bottom of the notch.

[0080] (4) In the first or second embodiment described above, the first sandwiching groove and the second sandwiching groove that sandwich the one edge portion and the other edge portion from both sides in the plate thickness direction of the base element are not limited to being continuous, but may have a slit at an appropriately set location. If the first sandwiching groove has a slit, a part of the cantilever beam may be exposed at the slit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 10 Filament guide device 10A Filament guide device 11 Base element (laminate assembly) 11A Fastener 12 Spring Layer 12A Cantilever 12B Extension 12C Contact part 13 Retention layer 13A First positioning part 14 Punched section (notch) 14A One edge 14B Other edge 14C Second positioning part 14D Insertion Space 20 Information Department 20A connecting part 20B clamping groove 20C Slit 21 First engaging part 21A Tip part 21B Base part 21C First clamping groove 22 Second engaging part 22A tip part 22B base part 22C Second clamping groove 30 Filament guide device 31 Base element (laminate assembly) 32 spring layer 32A Cantilever 32B Extension 32C Contact part 32D guide part 34 Punched section (notch) 34A One edge 34B Other edge 34C Second positioning part 34D Insertion Space 40 Filament guide device 41 Base Elements 41A Fastener 42 Spring Layer 42A Cantilever 42B Extension 42C Contact part 43 Retention layer 43A First positioning part 44 Punching section 44A Edge (one edge, other edge) 44D Insertion Space 50 Information Department 50C through hole 51 Cylinder 51C flange 90 Interlacer 90A main body 90B Interlace Guide 91 Filament bundle

Claims

1. A filament guiding device for guiding a filament or a filament bundle, a plate-shaped base element; a punched portion formed by punching a portion of the base element in its plate thickness direction; a guide portion that guides the filament or the filament bundle in an attached state to the punching processing portion; Equipped with the base element is a laminated assembly made up of multiple layers including a rigid holding layer that holds the guide portion in the attached state and a spring layer made of a spring material; The punching portion has a configuration in which an insertion space into which the guide portion is inserted is set between one edge portion and another edge portion facing each other, the spring layer includes a cantilever formed at a portion of the spring layer that constitutes the one edge portion, the retaining layer includes a first positioning portion that positions the guide portion when the guide portion abuts against the first edge portion at a portion of the retaining layer that constitutes the second edge portion, the cantilever biases the guide portion inserted into the insertion space toward the other edge portion, causing the guide portion to abut against the first positioning portion. Filament guide device.

2. 2. The filament guiding device according to claim 1, The cantilever beam an extension extending along the one edge; a contact portion that is provided in a state of projecting toward the other edge portion from the extending portion and that contacts the guide portion from the one edge portion side; Equipped with the extending portion is bent toward the one edge portion by the action of the guide portion inserted into the insertion space pushing the abutting portion toward the one edge portion; Filament guide device.

3. 3. The filament guiding device according to claim 2, the punched portion is formed by a notch engraved on a side surface of the base element, the notch having a size that allows the guide portion to be inserted; The guide unit is a first engagement portion extending along the one edge and engaging with the one edge; a second engagement portion extending along the other edge and engaging with the other edge; a connecting portion that connects the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion at a base portion that is a bottom side of the notch; Equipped with a second positioning portion that abuts against the connecting portion from a bottom side of the notch and positions the guide portion; the abutment portion abuts on the first engagement portion at an intermediate position between a tip portion and a base portion, the extension portion applies a biasing force as a reaction force of the action from the guide portion to the guide portion via the abutment portion, thereby pressing the second engagement portion of the guide portion against the first positioning portion, thereby positioning the guide portion. Filament guide device.

4. 4. The filament guiding device according to claim 3, a plurality of the notches are arranged side by side along the side surface of the base element; The guide portion is attached to each of the plurality of notches, The cantilevers are formed one by one corresponding to each of the plurality of notches, and bias the guide portions attached to the corresponding notches. Filament guide device.

5. 5. The filament guiding device according to claim 1, The guide unit is a first engagement portion extending along the one edge and engaging with the one edge; a second engagement portion extending along the other edge and engaging with the other edge; Equipped with the first engagement portion includes a first sandwiching groove that sandwiches the retaining layer and the spring layer that constitute the one edge portion from both sides in the plate thickness direction, the second engagement portion includes a second sandwiching groove that sandwiches the retaining layer and the spring layer that constitute the other edge portion from both sides in the plate thickness direction, the cantilever biases the guide portion toward the other edge portion with at least a portion of the cantilever inserted into the first sandwiching groove; Filament guide device.

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