Cooling device and yarn processing machine

Abstract

To improve yarn cooling efficiency of a cooling device for cooling a yarn by a cooling air.SOLUTION: A cooling device 14 has a cooling unit 31 in which a yarn travelling space S for allowing a yarn Y to travel is formed, and an air intake duct 32 in which an air intake space Ss connected to the yarn travelling space S is formed. The air intake duct 32 has a duct wall portion 34 on which one or more air intake slits 38 that are disposed between the yarn travelling space S and the air intake space Ss in a flow direction in which a cooling air flows and extend along a longitudinal direction of the unit. The cooling unit 31 has a pair of unit wall plates 51 disposed on one side of the duct wall portion 34 in a height direction. The pair of unit wall plates 51 has a pair of unit wall surfaces 55 disposed on opposite sides to each other across the yarn travelling space S in a width direction. Length of each of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 in the height direction is 30 mm or less.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling device for cooling yarn, and a yarn processing machine including the cooling device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a cooling device provided in a false twisting machine (yarn processing machine) that false twists a traveling yarn. More specifically, the cooling device has a duct for supplying cooling air to the yarn, and a pair of guides provided below the duct. A yarn traveling space in which the yarn travels is formed between the pair of guides, and the yarn traveling space is connected to the internal space of the duct (duct inner space) through a slit formed in the lower part of the duct. When an exhaust fan (negative pressure generating device) provided at the end of the duct rotates, negative pressure is generated in the duct inner space. As a result, gas flows into the yarn traveling space connected to the duct inner space. Such gas cools the yarn as cooling air. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-047074 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, there has been a demand for further improving the cooling efficiency of yarn, for example, to cool thicker yarns than before. In order to improve the cooling efficiency of the above-mentioned cooling device, it is desirable to be able to increase the speed (wind speed) of the cooling air. However, the inventors of the present application have found a problem that it is difficult to increase the wind speed even if the rotation speed of the exhaust fan (i.e., the output of the negative pressure generating device) is simply increased to increase the negative pressure in the space inside the duct.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to improve the cooling efficiency of a yarn in a cooling device that cools the yarn with cooling air. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A cooling device of a first invention is a cooling device configured to cool a running yarn with cooling air, comprising: a cooling unit having a yarn running space, in which the yarn runs, formed to extend in a predetermined length direction; and a duct having a duct inner space connected to the yarn running space, wherein the duct has a duct wall portion disposed between the yarn running space and the duct inner space in a flow direction of the cooling air and having one or more slits extending along the length direction, the cooling unit has a pair of unit wall portions disposed on one side of the duct wall portion in a height direction perpendicular to the length direction, the pair of unit wall portions having a pair of unit wall surfaces disposed on opposite sides of the yarn running space in a width direction perpendicular to both the length direction and the height direction, and a length in the height direction of each of the pair of unit wall surfaces is 30 mm or less.

[0007] In the present invention, when a negative pressure (or a positive pressure) occurs in the duct space, the cooling air flows into the yarn traveling space (the space formed between a pair of unit wall surfaces) connected to the duct space. The cooling air flows mainly in the height direction in the yarn traveling space. Here, if the pair of unit wall surfaces forming the flow path of the cooling air are long in the height direction, the flow path resistance (friction resistance) when the cooling air flows in the height direction is large, so that a large pressure loss occurs and the speed (wind speed) of the cooling air is significantly reduced. In this regard, in the present invention, the length in the height direction of each of the pair of unit wall surfaces (hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, also referred to as the wall height) is 30 mm or less. This shortens the flow path through which the cooling air flows. Therefore, the flow path resistance can be reduced and the pressure loss can be reduced, so that a large wind speed can be obtained. Therefore, in a cooling device that cools the yarn by the cooling air, the cooling efficiency of the yarn can be improved.

[0008] A cooling device of a second invention is a cooling device configured to cool a running yarn with cooling air, the cooling device comprising: a cooling unit in which a yarn running space, through which the yarn runs, is formed to extend in a predetermined length direction; and a duct in which a duct internal space connected to the yarn running space is formed, the duct having a duct wall portion disposed between the yarn running space and the duct internal space in a flow direction of the cooling air and in which one or more slits extending along the length direction are formed, the cooling unit having a pair of unit wall portions disposed on one side of the duct wall portion in a height direction perpendicular to the length direction, the pair of unit wall portions having a pair of unit wall surfaces disposed on opposite sides to each other across the yarn running space in a width direction perpendicular to both the length direction and the height direction, and a total length of one or more formation regions in which the one or more slits are formed in the duct wall portion within a wall surface arrangement region in which the pair of unit wall surfaces are arranged in the length direction is longer than a total length of a region excluding the one or more formation regions.

[0009] In the present invention, the sum of the lengths of one or more formation regions in the longitudinal direction is longer than the sum of the lengths of the other regions. This allows the sum of the cross-sectional areas (i.e., the opening areas) of one or more slits to be increased. This reduces flow path resistance and pressure loss, thereby allowing a high wind speed to be obtained. This improves the yarn cooling efficiency. Note that the present invention also includes a configuration in which one slit is formed over the entire wall surface arrangement region in the longitudinal direction.

[0010] The cooling device of the third invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, in the longitudinal direction, within a wall surface arrangement area in which the pair of unit wall surfaces are arranged, the sum of the lengths of one or more formation areas of the duct wall portion in which the one or more slits are formed is longer than the sum of the lengths of the areas excluding the one or more formation areas.

[0011] In the present invention, as in the configuration of the second invention, the total length of one or more formation regions is long. This makes it possible to further reduce the flow resistance and the pressure loss. Therefore, a higher wind speed can be obtained. Therefore, the yarn cooling efficiency can be further improved.

[0012] The cooling device of the fourth invention is characterized in that, in the first or third invention, the distance in the width direction between the portions of the pair of unit wall surfaces that face each other in the width direction is 1 mm or less.

[0013] In the present invention, the "parts of a pair of unit walls facing each other in the width direction" refer to the parts of the pair of unit walls that are approximately parallel to each other and have no other members disposed between the pair of unit walls in the width direction. In general, if the flow rate of a fluid is the same, the smaller the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path, the faster the flow rate of the fluid. However, if the width of the flow path is too narrow, the pressure loss due to the walls forming the flow path increases, and the flow rate of the fluid decreases. In the present invention, the pressure loss due to the pair of unit walls can be reduced by lowering the wall height, so that even if the interval between the pair of unit walls in the width direction is reduced, the increase in pressure loss due to this can be suppressed. Therefore, the cross-sectional area of ​​the yarn traveling space perpendicular to the height direction can be reduced, and the wind speed can be further increased.

[0014] The cooling device of the fifth invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to fourth inventions, the cooling unit has one or more yarn guides that are arranged in the yarn running space and configured to restrict movement of the yarn to the other side in the height direction.

[0015] In the present invention, the yarn guide can restrict the movement of the yarn to the other side in the height direction, so that the yarn can be prevented from entering the space inside the duct.

[0016] The cooling device of the sixth invention is characterized in that, in the fifth invention, the ends of the one side of the one or more yarn guides are positioned on the one side of the center of the pair of unit wall surfaces in the height direction.

[0017] In the present invention, since the yarn guide is disposed at a position far from the duct in the height direction, the yarn can be kept away from the duct as a whole in the height direction, and therefore it is possible to reliably prevent the yarn from entering the space inside the duct.

[0018] The cooling device of the seventh invention is characterized in that, in any of the first to sixth inventions, the cooling unit has a first contact portion for contacting the yarn, which is provided on a part of one of the pair of unit wall surfaces, and a second contact portion for contacting the yarn, which is provided on a part of the other of the pair of unit wall surfaces and is positioned at a position different from the first contact portion in the longitudinal direction.

[0019] In the present invention, the yarn can be run while being in contact with the first contact portion or the second contact portion. This restricts the movement of the yarn in the width direction. Furthermore, the yarn can be cooled more effectively by being in contact with the first contact portion or the second contact portion that has been cooled by the cooling air.

[0020] The cooling device of an eighth aspect of the present invention is any one of the first to seventh aspects of the present invention, further comprising a negative pressure generating device configured to generate negative pressure in the space within the duct.

[0021] Generally, an oil is applied to the yarn to make it run smoothly. For this reason, for example, in a configuration in which cooling air is supplied from the duct space toward the yarn running space, there is a risk that the oil will scatter into the external space. In the present invention, the cooling air can be sucked into the duct space, so the problem of the oil scattering can be avoided.

[0022] The cooling device of the 9th invention is characterized in that, in the 8th invention, the negative pressure generating device has an impeller configured to rotate, a motor configured to drive the impeller to rotate, and a rotation speed change unit configured to be able to change the rotation speed of the rotating shaft of the motor.

[0023] In the cooling device of the present invention, even if the negative pressure generated by the negative pressure generating device is smaller than that of the conventional device, a large wind speed can be obtained. Here, when the negative pressure generating device is configured to be able to change the negative pressure according to the rotation speed of the rotating shaft of the motor, it is generally known that the power consumption of the motor is proportional to the cube of the rotation speed. Therefore, by reducing the rotation speed compared to the conventional device, the power consumption of the negative pressure generating device can be significantly reduced while obtaining the desired wind speed.

[0024] A yarn processing machine of a tenth invention is characterized in that it comprises a cooling device of any of the first to ninth inventions, a yarn deformation imparting device configured to impart deformation to the yarn, and a yarn feeding device for running the yarn, configured to feed the yarn to the cooling device and the yarn deformation imparting device, and is configured to process the yarn while running it.

[0025] In the present invention, it is possible to efficiently cool the yarn while miniaturizing the cooling device and / or reducing power consumption. Therefore, it is possible to miniaturize the entire yarn processing machine and / or reduce power consumption while ensuring good quality of the yarn processed by the yarn processing machine. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a false twisting machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a false twisting machine deployed along a yarn path. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a view taken along the arrow III in FIG. [Figure 4] 4(a) is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 3, and FIG. 4(b) is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 3 in which a cooling unit is indicated by a dotted line. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a further schematic diagram of the cooling unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 4(b) is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. [Figure 8] 11 is a table showing evaluation results of the wind speed of cooling air and the power consumption of the cooling device. [Figure 9] 11 is a graph showing the relationship between the wind speed of cooling air and negative pressure. [Figure 10] 1 is a graph showing the relationship between power consumption of a cooling device and the wind speed of cooling air. [Figure 11] 11 is a graph showing the relationship between differences in the configuration of the cooling device and the wind speed of the cooling air. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 1 is the machine base longitudinal direction. For ease of explanation, the front side of FIG. 1 and the left side of FIG. 2 are defined as one side in the machine base longitudinal direction, and the back side of FIG. 1 and the right side of FIG. 2 are defined as the other side in the machine base longitudinal direction. The left-right direction of FIG. 1 is defined as the machine base width direction. The direction perpendicular to both the machine base longitudinal direction and the machine base width direction is defined as the up-down direction (vertical direction) in which gravity acts. The direction in which multiple yarns Y (described later) run side by side is defined as the yarn running direction.

[0028] (Overall configuration of false twist processing machine) First, the overall configuration of a false twisting machine 1 of this embodiment (yarn processing machine of the present invention) will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. Fig. 1 is a side view of the false twisting machine 1. Fig. 2 is a schematic view of the false twisting machine 1 developed along the path (yarn path) of the yarn Y. Fig. 3 is a view seen from the arrow III in Fig. 1.

[0029] The false twisting machine 1 is configured to be capable of false twisting a yarn Y made of a synthetic fiber (e.g., polyester). The yarn Y is, for example, a multifilament yarn made of a plurality of filaments. Alternatively, the yarn Y may be made of a single filament. The false twisting machine 1 includes a yarn supplying section 2, a processing section 3, and a winding section 4. The yarn supplying section 2 is configured to be capable of supplying the yarn Y. The processing section 3 is configured to pull out the yarn Y from the yarn supplying section 2 and perform false twisting. The winding section 4 is configured to wind the yarn Y processed by the processing section 3 onto a winding bobbin Bw. Each of the components of the yarn supplying section 2, the processing section 3, and the winding section 4 is arranged in a plurality of rows in the longitudinal direction of the machine (see FIG. 2). The longitudinal direction of the machine is a direction perpendicular to the running plane of the yarn Y (the plane of the paper in FIG. 1) formed by the yarn path from the yarn supplying section 2 through the processing section 3 to the winding section 4.

[0030] The yarn supplying section 2 has a creel stand 7 that holds a plurality of yarn supply packages Ps, and supplies a plurality of yarns Y to the processing section 3. The processing section 3 is configured to pull out a plurality of yarns Y from the yarn supplying section 2 and process them. The processing section 3 is configured to include, in order from the upstream side in the yarn running direction, a first feed roller 11 (yarn feeding device of the present invention), a twist stop guide 12, a first heating device 13, a cooling device 14, a false twist device 15 (yarn deformation imparting device of the present invention), a second feed roller 16, an intertwining device 17, a third feed roller 18, a second heating device 19, and a fourth feed roller 20. The winding section 4 has a plurality of winding devices 21. Each winding device 21 winds the yarn Y false twisted in the processing section 3 onto a winding bobbin Bw to form a winding package Pw.

[0031] The false twisting machine 1 has a main machine base 8 and a winding table 9 arranged at an interval in the width direction of the machine base. The main machine base 8 and the winding table 9 are provided so as to extend to approximately the same length in the longitudinal direction of the machine base. The main machine base 8 and the winding table 9 are arranged so as to face each other in the width direction of the machine base. Between the main machine base 8 and the winding table 9, a working space Sw is formed for an operator to perform work such as threading (see FIG. 1). The false twisting machine 1 has a unit called a span, which includes a pair of the main machine base 8 and the winding table 9. In one span, each device is arranged so that multiple yarns Y running in a line in the longitudinal direction of the machine base can be false twisted simultaneously. In the false twisting machine 1, this span is arranged symmetrically on the left and right of the drawing with the center line C in the width direction of the main machine base 8 as the axis of symmetry (the main machine base 8 is common to the left and right spans). In addition, multiple spans are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the machine base.

[0032] (Configuration of processing part) The configuration of the processing unit 3 will be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. The first feed roller 11 is configured to unwind the yarn Y from the yarn supplying package Ps attached to the yarn supplying unit 2 and send it to the first heating device 13. For example, as shown in Fig. 2, the first feed roller 11 is configured to send one yarn Y to the first heating device 13. Alternatively, the first feed roller 11 may be configured to be able to send each of adjacent yarns Y downstream in the yarn running direction. The twist stop guide 12 is configured to prevent the twist imparted to the yarn Y by the false twist device 15 from propagating upstream of the twist stop guide 12 in the yarn running direction.

[0033] The first heating device 13 is configured to heat the yarn Y fed from the first feed roller 11. The first heating device 13 is configured to be capable of heating two yarns Y, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, but is not limited to this. The first heating device 13 may be configured to be capable of heating one yarn Y, for example. Alternatively, the first heating device 13 may be configured to be capable of heating three or more yarns Y.

[0034] The cooling device 14 is a non-contact device that cools the multiple yarns Y with cooling air. As shown in FIG. 3, the cooling device 14 has multiple cooling units 31, an air intake duct 32 (duct of the present invention) to which the multiple cooling units 31 are attached, and a negative pressure generating device 33. The cooling device 14 supplies cooling air to the multiple yarn traveling spaces S formed in each of the multiple cooling units 31 by generating negative pressure in the internal space (air intake space Ss, duct inner space of the present invention) of the air intake duct 32 by the negative pressure generating device 33. Note that the negative pressure means a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure (more specifically, the air pressure in the space outside the cooling device 14 in this embodiment).

[0035] As shown in FIG. 3, the cooling units 31 are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the machine base. The cooling units 31 are attached to an intake duct 32. Each of the cooling units 31 extends in a direction intersecting (approximately perpendicular to) the longitudinal direction of the machine base. In this embodiment, each cooling unit 31 extends in a substantially straight line. However, this is not limited thereto (for example, each cooling unit 31 may be curved, etc.). Each cooling unit 31 has a yarn running space S in which one yarn Y runs. The yarn Y running in the yarn running space S is cooled by cooling air. The cooling units 31 include two cooling units 31A and 31B arranged adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction of the machine base. The interval between the cooling units 31A and 31B in the longitudinal direction of the machine base is, for example, larger toward the downstream side in the yarn running direction. The two cooling units 31A and 31B are configured to be line-symmetrical with each other with a predetermined straight line L as an axis of symmetry.

[0036] The intake duct 32 is a duct configured to supply cooling air to the cooling units 31. As shown in FIG. 3, the intake duct 32 extends in the longitudinal direction of the machine base. An intake space Ss extending in the longitudinal direction of the machine base is formed in the intake duct 32. The intake space Ss is connected to the yarn running spaces S. The cooling units 31 are attached to the intake duct 32. More specifically, the intake duct 32 is formed with a duct wall portion 34 extending in the longitudinal direction of the machine base. The cooling units 31 are fixed to the duct wall portion 34, for example, by screws. The duct wall portion 34 is formed with a plurality of intake slits 38 (see FIG. 4(b) ; slits of the present invention; details will be described later).

[0037] The negative pressure generating device 33 is, for example, a known blower. The negative pressure generating device 33 is, for example, disposed at an end of one side or the other side (for example, one side in FIG. 3) in the machine base longitudinal direction of the intake duct 32. The negative pressure generating device 33 has, for example, a rotatable impeller 35, a motor 36 that rotates and drives the impeller 35, and an inverter device 37 (rotation speed changer of the present invention) that can change the rotation speed of a rotating shaft (not shown) of the motor 36. The motor 36 is, for example, a known AC motor. The negative pressure generating device 33 generates negative pressure in the intake space Ss by rotating and driving the impeller 35 by the motor 36. The cooling device 14 will be described in more detail later.

[0038] The false twist device 15 is disposed downstream of the cooling device 14 in the yarn running direction, and is configured to impart a twist to the yarn Y. The false twist device 15 is, for example, but not limited to, a known disk friction type false twist device or a known belt type false twist device. The second feed roller 16 is configured to feed the yarn Y processed by the false twist device 15 to the intertwining device 17. The conveying speed of the yarn Y by the second feed roller 16 is faster than the conveying speed of the yarn Y by the first feed roller 11. As a result, the yarn Y is stretch-twisted between the first feed roller 11 and the second feed roller 16.

[0039] The interlacing device 17 is configured to interlace the yarn Y. The interlacing device 17 has, for example, a known interlace nozzle that interlaces the yarn Y by air flow.

[0040] The third feed roller 18 is configured to send the yarn Y traveling downstream of the intertwining device 17 in the yarn traveling direction to the second heating device 19. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the third feed roller 18 is configured to send one yarn Y to the second heating device 19. Alternatively, the third feed roller 18 may be configured to send adjacent yarns Y to the downstream side in the yarn traveling direction. The conveying speed of the yarn Y by the third feed roller 18 is slower than the conveying speed of the yarn Y by the second feed roller 16. Therefore, the yarn Y is relaxed between the second feed roller 16 and the third feed roller 18. The second heating device 19 is configured to heat the yarn Y sent from the third feed roller 18. The second heating device 19 extends along the vertical direction, and one is provided for each span. The fourth feed roller 20 is configured to send the yarn Y heated by the second heating device 19 to the winding device 21. 2, the fourth feed roller 20 is configured to be able to feed one yarn Y to the winding device 21. Alternatively, the fourth feed roller 20 may be configured to be able to feed adjacent yarns Y each downstream in the yarn running direction. The conveying speed of the yarn Y by the fourth feed roller 20 is slower than the conveying speed of the yarn Y by the third feed roller 18. Therefore, the yarn Y is relaxed between the third feed roller 18 and the fourth feed roller 20.

[0041] In the processing section 3 configured as above, the yarn Y drawn between the first feed roller 11 and the second feed roller 16 is twisted by the false twist device 15. The twist formed by the false twist device 15 propagates to the twist stop guide 12, but does not propagate upstream of the twist stop guide 12 in the yarn running direction. The yarn Y to which a twist has been imparted while being drawn is heated and heat-set by the first heating device 13, and then cooled by the cooling device 14. The yarn Y is untwisted downstream of the false twist device 15 in the yarn running direction, but the yarn Y maintains its wavy false twisted state due to the heat setting (i.e., the crimp of the yarn Y is maintained).

[0042] The false-twisted yarn Y is entangled by the entanglement device 17 while being relaxed between the second feed roller 16 and the third feed roller 18, and then guided downstream in the yarn running direction. The yarn Y is then heat-treated by the second heating device 19 while being relaxed between the third feed roller 18 and the fourth feed roller 20. Finally, the yarn Y sent from the fourth feed roller 20 is teeth, It is wound up by a winding device 21.

[0043] (Configuration of winding section) The configuration of the winding section 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. The winding section 4 has a plurality of winding devices 21. Each winding device 21 is configured to be able to wind the yarn Y onto one winding bobbin Bw. The winding device 21 has a fulcrum guide 41, a traverse device 42, and a cradle 43. The fulcrum guide 41 is a guide that serves as a fulcrum when the yarn Y is traversed. The traverse device 42 is configured to be able to traverse the yarn Y by the traverse guide 45. The cradle 43 is configured to rotatably support the winding bobbin Bw. A contact roller 46 is disposed near the cradle 43. The contact roller 46 contacts the surface of the winding package Pw to apply contact pressure. In the winding section 4 configured as above, the yarn Y sent from the fourth feed roller 20 is wound onto the winding bobbin Bw by each winding device 21 to form the winding package Pw.

[0044] Here, in recent years, there has been a demand for further improving the cooling efficiency of the yarn Y, for example, for the purpose of cooling a thicker yarn Y than before. Here, "improving cooling efficiency" can have various meanings. For example, "enabling the yarn Y to be rapidly cooled in a short time," "obtaining a high wind speed with a small negative pressure," and "reducing the power consumption of the negative pressure generating device 33 to obtain a desired wind speed" all correspond to improving the cooling efficiency. Among these, in order to "enable the yarn Y to be rapidly cooled in a short time," it is desirable to be able to improve the speed (wind speed) of the cooling wind. However, the inventor of the present application found a problem that the wind speed is difficult to increase even if the rotation speed of the impeller 35 (i.e., the output of the negative pressure generating device 33) is simply increased to increase the negative pressure in the intake duct 32. Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to improve the cooling efficiency of the yarn Y, the cooling device 14 further has the following configuration.

[0045] (Details of cooling system configuration) Further details of the cooling device 14 will be described with reference to Figs. 4(a) to 7. Fig. 4(a) is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 3. Fig. 4(b) is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 3, in which the cooling unit 31A is indicated by a dotted line. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a further schematic view of the cooling unit 31A to make the yarn traveling space S easier to see. Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 4(b). The up-down direction on the paper of Figs. 6 and 7 is parallel to the unit longitudinal direction described later.

[0046] As described above, cooling unit 31A and cooling unit 31B are configured to be line-symmetrical with each other (see FIG. 3). Therefore, in the following, regarding cooling unit 31, only cooling unit 31A will be described in detail, and a description of cooling unit 31B will be omitted.

[0047] The direction perpendicular to the paper surface of Figures 4(a) and (b) is defined as the height direction. The height direction is parallel to the up-down direction of the paper surface of Figure 5. The height direction is a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the machine base. In this embodiment, the height direction has at least a vertical component. In this embodiment, one side in the height direction can be roughly rephrased as the lower side. In addition, the other side in the height direction can be roughly rephrased as the upper side. However, it should be noted that the relationship between the height direction and the up-down direction can change depending on the orientation in which the cooling device 14 is arranged.

[0048] For ease of explanation, the direction perpendicular to both the machine base longitudinal direction and height direction is referred to as the orthogonal direction (see FIG. 4(a)). Cooling unit 31A and cooling unit 31B extend at least in the orthogonal direction. In this embodiment, cooling unit 31A and cooling unit 31B each extend in a direction slightly tilted from the orthogonal direction. The extension direction of cooling unit 31A is referred to as the unit longitudinal direction (length direction of the present invention). For ease of explanation, the direction perpendicular to both the unit longitudinal direction and height direction is referred to as the width direction (see FIG. 5). The left side of the paper in FIG. 5 is one side in the width direction. The right side of the paper in FIG. 5 is the other side in the width direction.

[0049] In this embodiment, the unit longitudinal direction is a predetermined direction having an orthogonal component (see FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b)). In other words, in this embodiment, the unit longitudinal direction is the same regardless of the position of the cooling unit 31 in the orthogonal direction. Note that if the cooling unit 31 is curved or the like when viewed from the height direction, the unit longitudinal direction changes depending on the position of the cooling unit 31 in the orthogonal direction.

[0050] (Cooling unit configuration) As shown in Figs. 4(a) to 7, the cooling unit 31A has a pair of unit wall plates 51 (a pair of unit wall portions of the present invention). The pair of unit wall plates 51 are arranged on one side in the height direction of the intake duct 32 (more specifically, on one side in the height direction of the duct wall portion 34). Each of the pair of unit wall plates 51 (unit wall plates 51a, 51b) is a long member for forming the yarn running space S. In the width direction, the yarn running space S is formed between a pair of unit wall surfaces 55 (described later) provided on the pair of unit wall plates 51. The unit wall plates 51a, 51b extend long along the unit longitudinal direction. The unit wall plate 51a is arranged on one side in the width direction of the yarn running space S. The unit wall plate 51b is arranged on the other side in the width direction of the yarn running space S.

[0051] The unit wall plate 51a is a member having a substantially C-shaped cross section, formed, for example, by sheet metal processing a metal flat plate member (see FIG. 5). The unit wall plate 51a may be fixed, for example, to the duct wall portion 34. Alternatively, the unit wall plate 51a may be configured to be movable at least in the width direction relative to the unit wall plate 51b. If the unit wall plate 51a is movable, for example, cleaning work of the thread guide 58 described later and the like is facilitated during maintenance of the cooling unit 31A. The unit wall plate 51a has a base end portion 52a, an intermediate portion 53a, and a tip portion 54a (see FIG. 5).

[0052] The base end 52a is a portion disposed at the other end in the height direction of the unit wall plate 51a and extending in the width direction. The middle portion 53a is a portion extending from the other end in the width direction of the base end 52a to one side in the height direction. A unit wall surface 55a extending at least in the height direction is formed at the other end in the width direction of the middle portion 53a. The unit wall surface 55a is one of a pair of unit wall surfaces 55. The unit wall surface 55a is a surface including a curved surface formed at both ends in the height direction of the middle portion 53a during sheet metal processing (see the thick line in FIG. 5). The unit wall surface 55a is a surface for forming the yarn running space S in the cooling unit 31A. The unit wall surface 55a is provided with a plurality of contact bodies 56a (first contact parts of the present invention; see FIGS. 5 and 6) arranged apart from each other in the unit longitudinal direction. The contact body 56a is configured to actively bring the running yarn Y into contact with the contact body 56a. This prevents the yarn Y from unintentionally contacting a portion of the unit wall surface 55a where the contact body 56a is not provided. The thickness (i.e., the length in the width direction) of the contact body 56a is, for example, 0.35 mm. The tip portion 54a is a portion that extends from one end of the intermediate portion 53a in the height direction to one side in the width direction.

[0053] The unit wall plate 51b is a member formed, for example, by sheet metal processing a metal flat plate member, and has a substantially C-shaped cross section facing in the opposite direction to the unit wall plate 51a (see FIG. 5). The unit wall plate 51b is fixed to the duct wall portion 34, for example, by a screw (not shown). In the cross section shown in FIG. 5, the unit wall plate 51b has a base end portion 52b, an intermediate portion 53b, and a tip portion 54b.

[0054] The base end 52b is a portion that is disposed at the other end of the unit wall plate 51b in the height direction and extends in the width direction. The middle portion 53b is a portion that extends from one end of the base end 52b in the machine frame longitudinal direction to one side in the height direction. At one end of the middle portion 53b in the width direction, a unit wall surface 55b extending at least in the height direction is formed. The unit wall surface 55b is the other of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55. The unit wall surface 55b is disposed on the opposite side of the unit wall surface 55a across the yarn traveling space S in the width direction. In other words, the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 are disposed on the opposite sides of each other across the yarn traveling space S in the width direction. The unit wall surface 55b includes curved surfaces that are formed at both ends of the middle portion 53b in the height direction, similar to the unit wall surface 55a (see the thick line in FIG. 5). The unit wall surface 55b is a surface for forming the yarn traveling space S together with the unit wall surface 55a. The unit wall surface 55b is provided with, for example, a plurality of contact bodies 56b (second contact portions of the present invention; see Figs. 5 and 6) spaced apart from one another in the unit longitudinal direction. This prevents the yarn Y from unintentionally contacting a portion of the unit wall surface 55b where the contact bodies 56b are not provided. The thickness (i.e., length in the width direction) of the contact body 56b is, for example, 0.35 mm. The contact body 56b is disposed at a position different from the contact body 56a in the unit longitudinal direction (see Fig. 6). The tip portion 54b is a portion extending from one end of the intermediate portion 53b in the height direction to the other side in the width direction.

[0055] In the width direction, for example, a plurality of plate-shaped spacers 57 (only one is shown in FIG. 5) are provided between the unit wall surface 55a and the unit wall surface 55b. The plurality of spacers 57 are arranged at intervals in the unit longitudinal direction (not shown). The plurality of spacers 57 are configured to determine the distance in the width direction between the unit wall surface 55a and the unit wall surface 55b (i.e., the interval in the width direction). The thickness (i.e., the length in the width direction) of the spacer 57 is, for example, 1 mm or less. As a result, the interval G in the width direction (see FIG. 5) between the portions of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 facing each other in the width direction is 1 mm or less. In this embodiment, the "portions of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 facing each other in the width direction" refers to portions of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 that are approximately parallel to each other and in which no other members are arranged between the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 in the width direction. In other words, in the portion where both the unit wall surface 55a and the unit wall surface 55b extend along the height direction, the interval (interval G) between the unit wall surface 55a and the unit wall surface 55b in the width direction is 1 mm or less. In this embodiment, both ends (parts that are bent and not substantially parallel to each other) of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 in the height direction are not included in the "parts of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 that face each other in the width direction". In addition, for example, the interval between the unit wall surface 55a and the contact body 56b in the width direction is 0.65 mm, but this interval is not included in the "interval in the width direction between the parts of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 that face each other in the width direction". The same applies to the interval in the width direction between the unit wall surface 55b and the contact body 56a.

[0056] In the width direction, for example, a plurality of yarn guides 58 are provided between the unit wall surface 55a and the unit wall surface 55b (see Figs. 5 and 6). Alternatively, only one yarn guide 58 may be provided. The one or more yarn guides 58 are members for preventing the yarn Y from being sucked into the air intake space Ss. Each yarn guide 58 is disposed in the yarn running space S. As an example, in this embodiment, three yarn guides 58 are provided. Each yarn guide 58 is disposed, for example, on one side of the spacer 57 in the height direction. Each yarn guide 58 is configured so that the yarn Y comes into contact with an end portion of each yarn guide 58 on one side in the height direction. As a result, each yarn guide 58 restricts the movement of the yarn Y to the other side in the height direction. Therefore, the yarn Y is prevented from being sucked into the air intake space Ss. Each yarn guide 58 is preferably disposed on one side of the center of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 in the height direction. As a result, the yarn Y can be reliably prevented from being sucked into the air intake space Ss.

[0057] The yarn traveling space S is connected to the air intake space Ss formed in the air intake duct 32 via the above-mentioned air intake slits 38 (see Figs. 4(b) and 5). The air intake slits 38, for example, penetrate the duct wall 34 in the height direction (see Fig. 5) and extend in the unit longitudinal direction (see Fig. 4(b)). The air intake slits 38 are disposed downstream of the yarn traveling space S and upstream of the air intake space Ss in the flow direction of the cooling air.

[0058] In the cooling device 14 as described above, when negative pressure is generated in the intake space Ss by the negative pressure generating device 33, the cooling air flows mainly from one side to the other side in the height direction in the yarn traveling space S (see the arrows in FIG. 5). Furthermore, the cooling air is sucked into the intake space Ss through the intake slits 38. In order to improve the cooling efficiency of the yarn Y in the cooling device 14, the inventors of the present application have focused on reducing the frictional resistance (flow path resistance) of the flow path through which the cooling air flows, as described below.

[0059] (Configuration for improving cooling efficiency) Two configurations effective for improving the cooling efficiency will be described. In the first configuration, the length in the height direction of each of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 (hereinafter also simply referred to as the wall height) is 30 mm or less. In other words, the length in the height direction from the inlet 59 of the yarn traveling space S to one end of the intake slit 38 is 30 mm or less. The position of the inlet 59 in the height direction is the same as the position of one end of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 in the height direction (see FIG. 5). Note that the conventional wall height is, for example, 34 mm. Therefore, the wall height in the cooling device 14 is lower than that of the conventional one. As a result, when the yarn traveling space S is regarded as a flow path of the cooling air, the flow path of the cooling air that mainly flows in the height direction becomes shorter in the height direction. Therefore, by reducing the flow path resistance and reducing the pressure loss, the wind speed of the cooling air can be increased compared to the conventional configuration without increasing the output of the negative pressure generating device 33. When the spacer 57 and the yarn guide 58 are provided in the yarn traveling space S as in this embodiment, the wall height is preferably 10 mm or more in order to ensure an installation area for the spacer 57 and the yarn guide 58.

[0060] Next, the second configuration will be described. For convenience of explanation, an area in the unit longitudinal direction where a pair of unit wall surfaces 55 are arranged is called a wall surface arrangement area R (see FIG. 4). For convenience of explanation, a plurality of areas in the duct wall portion 34 within the wall surface arrangement area R where a plurality of intake slits 38 are formed is called a formation area R1 (see FIG. 7). In addition, In the longitudinal direction of the unit, For ease of explanation, the multiple regions within the wall surface arrangement region R, excluding the formation region R1, are referred to as non-formation region R2 (see FIG. 7). In the unit longitudinal direction, the sum of the lengths of the multiple formation regions R1 is longer than the sum of the lengths of the non-formation regions R2 (see FIG. 4(b)). In other words, in the unit longitudinal direction, the sum of the lengths of the multiple formation regions R1 is longer than half the length of the wall surface arrangement region R. This makes it possible to increase the sum of the cross-sectional areas (i.e., the opening areas) of the multiple intake slits 38. This makes it possible to reduce the flow resistance in the multiple intake slits 38 and reduce pressure loss, thereby increasing the wind speed of the cooling air.

[0061] A specific example of the second configuration will be described. For example, the length of the wall surface arrangement region R in the unit longitudinal direction is 550 mm. As shown in FIG. 4(b), five intake slits 38 are formed corresponding to one cooling unit 31. That is, five formation regions R1 exist in one wall surface arrangement region R. The length of each formation region R1 in the unit longitudinal direction is, for example, 90 mm. The sum of the lengths of the five formation regions R1 in the unit longitudinal direction is 450 mm. The width (length in the width direction) of each formation region R1 is, for example, 3 mm. Also, for example, six non-formation regions R2 exist in one wall surface arrangement region R in addition to the five formation regions R1. The lengths of each non-formation region R2 in the unit longitudinal direction are approximately equal. The sum of the lengths of the six non-formation regions R2 in the unit longitudinal direction is designed to be 100 mm.

[0062] The inventors of the present application have considered that the above-mentioned first and second configurations can reduce pressure loss and increase the speed of cooling air.

[0063] (Confirmation of the effect of improving cooling efficiency) The inventors of the present application conducted the following evaluations regarding improvements in the cooling efficiency of various cooling devices having the above-mentioned first and / or second configurations. The contents and results of the evaluations will be described with reference to Figs. 8 to 11. Fig. 8 is a table showing the evaluation results of the cooling air speed and the power consumption of various cooling devices. Fig. 9 is a graph showing the relationship between the cooling air speed and negative pressure. Fig. 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the power consumption and the cooling air speed of various cooling devices. Fig. 11 is a graph showing the relationship between the difference in the configuration of various cooling devices and the cooling air speed.

[0064] The inventors of the present application mainly performed two evaluations. In the first evaluation, various physical properties were compared between a cooling device having the first configuration and the second configuration similar to the cooling device 14 ("Example" in Figs. 8 to 10) and a cooling device not having the first configuration and the second configuration ("Comparative Example" in Figs. 8 to 10). In the second evaluation, it was confirmed whether the cooling effect was improved even in a cooling device (not shown) having only one of the first configuration and the second configuration (see Fig. 11).

[0065] The contents and results of the first evaluation will be described. The inventors prepared a cooling device according to an embodiment (not shown) and a cooling device according to a comparative example (not shown). The cooling device according to the embodiment is configured as follows. Regarding the first configuration, the wall height (length in the height direction of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55) is 27 mm. Regarding the second configuration, five formation regions R1 are provided, as in the above-mentioned specific example. The sum of the lengths of the multiple formation regions R1 in the unit longitudinal direction is 450 mm. The sum of the lengths of the multiple non-formation regions R2 in the unit longitudinal direction is 100 mm.

[0066] On the other hand, the cooling device according to the comparative example is configured as follows. In the first configuration, the height of a pair of unit wall surfaces (not shown) is 34 mm. In the above-mentioned second configuration, nine formation regions (not shown) are provided. The length of each formation region in the unit longitudinal direction is 30 mm. The sum of the lengths of the multiple formation regions in the unit longitudinal direction is 270 mm. In addition, ten non-formation regions (not shown) are provided. The sum of the lengths of the multiple non-formation regions in the unit longitudinal direction is 280 mm. In other words, in the comparative example, the sum of the lengths of the multiple formation regions in the unit longitudinal direction is equal to or shorter than the sum of the lengths of the multiple non-formation regions in the unit longitudinal direction.

[0067] The inventors operated a known blower (negative pressure generating device 33) in the cooling device according to the embodiment and the cooling device according to the comparative example, and set the conditions for the negative pressure (static pressure) generated in the air intake space Ss. More specifically, the inventors used an inverter (inverter device 37) to switch the frequency of a signal sent to a motor (motor 36) in order to obtain a predetermined negative pressure. The frequency of the signal is proportional to the rotation speed of the motor's rotating shaft. The inventors obtained the time-averaged value (average air speed) of the air speed near the inlet 59 of the yarn traveling space S and the power consumption value of the blower under each condition (see FIG. 8). The air speed of the cooling air was measured using Anemomaster (registered trademark of the company), which is an anemometer manufactured by Japan Kanomax Co., Ltd. More specifically, the tip of the probe of the anemometer was placed near the center of the yarn traveling space S in the unit longitudinal direction. The information on the power consumption of the blower was obtained using the inverter. The magnitude of the negative pressure in the air intake space Ss was measured using a known pressure gauge. 8 shows the absolute value of the negative pressure (unit: kPa), the frequency (unit: Hz), the average wind speed (unit: m / s), and the power consumption (unit: kW) for the example and the comparative example. Below, the negative pressure value is shown as an absolute value. The larger the absolute value, the stronger the suction force by the blower.

[0068] The negative pressure setting value was switched between three conditions of 0.3 kPa, 0.6 kPa, and 1.0 kPa in both the embodiment and the comparative example. The higher the negative pressure setting value, the higher the above-mentioned frequency (i.e., the rotation speed of the rotating shaft of the motor became higher). In addition, as the negative pressure increased, the difference in the frequency between the embodiment and the comparative example gradually increased. Specifically, when the negative pressure setting value was 0.3 kPa, the frequency in the embodiment and the comparative example were both 22 Hz. On the other hand, when the negative pressure setting value was 1.0 kPa, the frequency in the embodiment was 42 Hz, and the frequency in the comparative example was 46 Hz. In other words, the embodiment was able to generate the same magnitude of negative pressure even if the rotation speed of the rotating shaft of the motor was smaller than that of the comparative example. According to this result, it is estimated that the load on the motor was reduced in the cooling device according to the embodiment due to the reduction in pressure loss caused by the first and second configurations described above.

[0069] In the graph of FIG. 9, the relationship between the average wind speed and the negative pressure in the embodiment and the comparative example is shown based on the table of FIG. 8. The horizontal axis indicates the negative pressure, and the vertical axis indicates the average wind speed. When the negative pressure setting value is 0.3 kPa, the average wind speed in the comparative example is 0.96 m / s, and the average wind speed in the embodiment is 1.77 m / s. When the negative pressure setting value is 0.6 kPa, the average wind speed in the comparative example is 1.19 m / s, and the average wind speed in the embodiment is 2.57 m / s. When the negative pressure setting value is 1.0 kPa, the average wind speed in the comparative example is 1.35 m / s, and the average wind speed in the embodiment is 3.07 m / s. Under each negative pressure condition, the average wind speed in the embodiment is about twice the average wind speed in the comparative example. This shows that a large wind speed can be obtained in the embodiment (i.e., the cooling efficiency is improved).

[0070] As described above, in the cooling device according to the embodiment, the average wind speed is 1.77 m / s when the negative pressure is set to 0.3 kPa. This value is larger than the average wind speed (1.35 m / s) when the negative pressure is set to 1.0 kPa in the cooling device according to the comparative example. Thus, in the embodiment, a very large wind speed was obtained even with a small negative pressure (i.e., the cooling efficiency was greatly improved).

[0071] In the graph of FIG. 10, the relationship between the power consumption and the average wind speed in the embodiment and the comparative example is shown based on the table of FIG. 8. The horizontal axis indicates the average wind speed, and the vertical axis indicates the power consumption of the blower (particularly the motor). For example, in the comparative example, the power consumption required to obtain a wind speed of 1.35 m / s is 3.05 kW. The frequency at this time is 46 Hz. In contrast, in the embodiment, the power consumption required to obtain a wind speed of 1.77 m / s is only 0.34 kW. The frequency at this time is 22 Hz. That is, in the embodiment, the power consumption required to obtain a wind speed equivalent to that of the conventional example is reduced by nearly 90% compared to the conventional example. It is generally known that the power consumption of a motor capable of changing the rotation speed of the rotating shaft is proportional to the cube of the rotation speed. Therefore, it is considered that such a remarkable power consumption reduction effect was obtained (i.e., the cooling efficiency was greatly improved).

[0072] As described above, it was found that in the cooling device according to the embodiment, the wind speed can be increased and power consumption can be reduced without increasing the negative pressure. Both of these effects mean an improvement in cooling efficiency. In the embodiment, the wall height was set to 27 mm, but if the wall height were lower than the conventional 34 mm (for example, 30 mm or less), it is expected that the cooling efficiency would be significantly improved. Furthermore, if the height were lower than 27 mm, it is expected that the cooling efficiency would be further improved.

[0073] Next, the contents and results of the second evaluation will be described. The inventors of the present application evaluated whether the cooling efficiency is improved even when the cooling device 14 has only one of the first configuration (wall height is 30 mm or less) and the second configuration (the total length of the formation region R1 is longer than the total length of the non-formation region R2). The inventors of the present application prepared the following four types of cooling devices. The first type of cooling device is a cooling device according to the above-mentioned embodiment, and has both the first and second configurations. The second type of cooling device has only the first configuration (here, the wall height is 27 mm). That is, in the second type of cooling device, the total length of the formation region R1 is the same as in the above-mentioned comparative example. The third type of cooling device has only the second configuration. That is, in the third type of cooling device, the wall height is the same as in the above-mentioned comparative example. The fourth type of cooling device is a cooling device according to the above-mentioned comparative example.

[0074] The inventors of the present application set the negative pressure in the intake space Ss to a certain condition and obtained information on the wind speed of the cooling air for each of the first to fourth types of cooling devices. The results are shown in the bar graph of FIG. 11. The vertical axis indicates the wind speed. In summary, a higher wind speed (i.e., higher cooling efficiency) was obtained in each of the first to third types of cooling devices compared to the comparative example. In other words, it was found that it is possible to improve the cooling efficiency by having at least one of the first and second configurations described above.

[0075] As described above, the length in the height direction (wall surface height) of each of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 is 30 mm or less. This shortens the flow path through which the cooling air flows. This reduces the flow path resistance and pressure loss, making it possible to obtain a high air speed. This improves the cooling efficiency of the yarn Y.

[0076] In addition, the total length of the formation region R1 in the unit longitudinal direction is longer than the total length of the non-formation region R2 in the unit longitudinal direction. This allows the cross-sectional area (i.e., the opening area) of the intake slit 38 to be increased. This reduces flow resistance and pressure loss, allowing a high wind speed to be obtained. This improves the cooling efficiency of the yarn Y.

[0077] Further, the interval G in the width direction between the portions of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 facing each other in the width direction is 1 mm or less. In general, if the flow rate of a fluid is the same, the smaller the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path, the faster the flow rate of the fluid. However, if the width of the flow path is too narrow, the pressure loss due to the wall surfaces forming the flow path increases, and the flow rate of the fluid decreases. In this regard, in the present embodiment, the pressure loss due to the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 can be reduced by lowering the wall height. Therefore, even if the interval G is reduced, the increase in pressure loss due to this can be suppressed. Therefore, the area of ​​the cross section perpendicular to the height direction of the yarn traveling space S can be reduced, and the wind speed can be further increased.

[0078] The cooling unit 31 also has one or more yarn guides 58. The yarn guides 58 can restrict movement of the yarn Y to the other side in the height direction, thereby preventing the yarn Y from entering the air intake duct 32. Furthermore, the yarn guides 58 are disposed at a position far from the air intake duct 32 in the height direction, so that the yarn Y can be moved away from the air intake duct 32 as a whole in the height direction. This can reliably prevent the yarn Y from entering the air intake space Ss.

[0079] In this embodiment, the yarn Y can be made to run while being alternately in contact with the contact body 56a and the contact body 56b. This restricts the movement of the yarn Y in the width direction. In addition, the yarn Y can be cooled more effectively by being in contact with the contact body 56a or the contact body 56b that has been cooled by the cooling air.

[0080] Furthermore, the negative pressure generating device 33 generates cooling air flowing from the yarn running space S to the air intake space Ss. Generally, an oil is applied to the yarn Y to allow the yarn Y to run smoothly. For this reason, in a configuration in which cooling air is supplied from the space inside the duct to the yarn running space S, for example, there is a risk that the oil will splash into the external space (more specifically, the working space Sw). In this regard, in the present embodiment, the cooling air is sucked into the air intake space Ss, so the problem of the oil splashing can be avoided.

[0081] Moreover, the negative pressure generating device 33 has an impeller 35, a motor 36, and an inverter device 37. In the cooling device 14 with improved cooling efficiency, the inverter device 37 reduces the number of revolutions of the rotating shaft of the motor 36 compared to the conventional case, so that the power consumption of the negative pressure generating device 33 can be significantly reduced while obtaining a desired wind speed.

[0082] Furthermore, the cooling device 14 can be made smaller and / or consume less power while efficiently cooling the yarn Y by the cooling device 14. Thus, the false twisting machine 1 as a whole can be made smaller and consume less power while maintaining good quality of the yarn Y processed by the false twisting machine 1.

[0083] Next, a modified example of the embodiment will be described, in which the same reference numerals will be used to designate components similar to those in the embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0084] (1) In the above embodiment, the gap G between the portions of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 facing each other in the width direction is 1 mm or less. However, this is not limited to this. The gap G may be greater than 1 mm.

[0085] (2) In the above embodiment, the cooling unit 31 has the contact body 56a and the contact body 56b. However, this is not limited to this. The contact body 56a and the contact body 56b do not necessarily have to be provided.

[0086] (3) In the above embodiment, one end of one of the thread guides 58 is disposed on one side of the center of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 in the height direction. However, this is not limited to this. One end of one of the thread guides 58 may be disposed on the other side of the center of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55.

[0087] (4) In the above-described embodiment, the cooling unit 31 has one or more yarn guides 58. However, this is not limited to the above. The yarn guide 58 does not necessarily have to be provided. In such a configuration, there is no need to secure a space for providing the yarn guide 58. Therefore, the above-described wall height may be lower than 10 mm. The wall height may be, for example, 5 mm. In such a configuration, it is preferable that some measure be taken to prevent the yarn Y from being sucked into the intake space Ss.

[0088] (5) In the above embodiment, the cooling unit 31 has the spacer 57. However, this is not limited to this. Instead of the spacer 57, a positioning member (not shown) may be used to determine the positional relationship between the unit wall surface 55a and the unit wall surface 55b in the width direction.

[0089] (6) In the above-described embodiment, the cooling unit 31 has a pair of unit wall plates 51 that are formed by sheet metal processing. However, this is not limited to this. As a configuration equivalent to the pair of unit walls of the present invention, for example, a pair of machined block members (not shown) may be provided instead of the pair of unit wall plates 51. A pair of wall surfaces equivalent to the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 may be formed on the pair of block members. In this case, the pair of wall surfaces may not have curved surfaces like the pair of unit wall surfaces 55, and may be formed to be approximately linear in a cross section perpendicular to the unit longitudinal direction.

[0090] Alternatively, the pair of wall surfaces corresponding to the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 may be formed, for example, by cutting a single block-shaped member. In this case, the above-mentioned spacer 57 or positioning member (not shown) may not be provided.

[0091] Alternatively, the pair of wall surfaces corresponding to the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 may be formed, for example, by cutting a part of the duct wall portion 34. In this case, the wall height may be even lower. The wall height may be, for example, 1 mm. In this case, the spacer 57 or the positioning member (not shown) may not be provided.

[0092] (7) In the above embodiments, a plurality of intake slits 38 are provided in the duct wall portion 34 corresponding to one cooling unit 31. However, this is not limited to this. For example, one elongated intake slit (not shown) may be provided corresponding to one cooling unit 31. Furthermore, the single intake slit may be formed across the entire wall surface arrangement region R in the unit longitudinal direction. Such a configuration is also included in the configuration of the present invention in which "the sum of the lengths of one or more formation regions is longer than the sum of the lengths of the regions excluding one or more formation regions."

[0093] (8) In the above embodiments, the negative pressure generating device 33 has the motor 36, which is an AC motor, and the inverter device 37. However, this is not limited to this. For example, a DC motor (not shown) may be provided instead of the motor 36. In addition, the rotation speed of the rotating shaft of the motor may be changed by changing the magnitude of the voltage applied to the DC motor.

[0094] (9) In the above embodiments, the negative pressure generating device 33 is configured to be able to change the rotation speed of the rotating shaft of the motor 36 (or a direct current motor, not shown). However, this is not limited to this. The negative pressure generating device 33 may, for example, have a power transmission mechanism (not shown) arranged between the rotating shaft and the impeller 35 in the transmission direction in which power is transmitted to the impeller. The power transmission mechanism may, for example, have a plurality of gears, not shown, and may be configured to be able to switch the gear ratio. With such a configuration, the magnitude of the negative pressure generated may be changed by switching the rotation speed of the impeller 35.

[0095] (10) In the above embodiments, the negative pressure generating device 33 is a blower. However, this is not limited to this. For example, a fan (not shown) or an aspirator (not shown) may be provided as the negative pressure generating device of the present invention.

[0096] (11) In the above embodiment, the negative pressure generating device 33 generates a negative pressure in the intake space Ss (space inside the duct), thereby supplying cooling air to the yarn traveling space S. However, this is not limited to this. Instead of the negative pressure generating device 33, a device that generates a positive pressure (pressure higher than the air pressure in the space outside the cooling device 14) in the duct space may be provided. In this case, the cooling air is supplied from the duct space toward the yarn traveling space S. In this case, the pressure loss can also be reduced by reducing the flow path resistance. In this configuration, the cooling air is blown toward the working space Sw. If the cooling air is blown toward the working space Sw, as described above, there is a risk that the oil agent will be splashed into the working space Sw. Therefore, in this configuration, it is preferable to provide a splash prevention device (not shown) configured to prevent the oil agent from splashing into the working space Sw.

[0097] (12) The cooling device 14 described above is not limited to the false twisting machine 1, and can also be applied to known false twisting machines (not shown) having other configurations. For example, the present invention may be applied to the false twisting machine (not shown) described in JP 2009-74219 A. The false twisting machine is configured to be capable of forming one yarn by doubling two yarns. The false twisting machine is configured to be capable of winding one doubling yarn or two undoubling yarns on a single cradle. For example, the present invention may be applied to such a false twisting machine. Alternatively, the cooling device 14 can be applied to a yarn processing machine that processes a yarn (not shown) while it is traveling, such as a known air processing machine (not shown), in addition to the false twisting machine. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 1. False twist processing machine (yarn processing machine) 11 First feed roller (yarn feeding device) 14 Cooling device 15 False twist device (yarn deformation device) 31 Cooling unit 31A Cooling Unit 32 Intake duct (duct) 33 Negative pressure generating device 34 Duct wall 35 Impeller 36 Motor 37 Inverter device (rotation speed change unit) 38 Intake slit (slit) 51 Unit wall plate (unit wall part) 51a Unit wall plate (unit wall part) 51b Unit wall plate (unit wall part) 55 Unit wall 55a Unit wall 55b Unit wall 56a Contact body (1st contact part) 56b Contact body (second contact part) 58 Thread guide G interval R Wall placement area R1 forming area R2 non-formation area S Yarn running space Ss Intake space (space inside duct) Y Thread

Claims

1. A cooling device configured to cool a traveling yarn by cooling air, A cooling unit in which a yarn traveling space in which the yarn travels is formed to extend in a predetermined length direction; A duct having a duct inner space connected to the yarn traveling space, The duct is a duct wall portion having one or more slits disposed between the yarn traveling space and the duct inner space in a flow direction of the cooling air and extending along the length direction; the cooling unit has a pair of unit walls arranged on one side of the duct wall in a height direction perpendicular to the length direction, The pair of unit wall portions has a pair of unit wall surfaces arranged on opposite sides of the yarn traveling space in a width direction perpendicular to both the length direction and the height direction, A cooling device, characterized in that the length of each of the pair of unit walls in the height direction is 30 mm or less.

2. A cooling device configured to cool a traveling yarn by cooling air, A cooling unit in which a yarn traveling space in which the yarn travels is formed to extend in a predetermined length direction; A duct having a duct inner space connected to the yarn traveling space, The duct is a duct wall portion having one or more slits disposed between the yarn traveling space and the duct inner space in a flow direction of the cooling air and extending along the length direction; the cooling unit has a pair of unit walls arranged on one side of the duct wall in a height direction perpendicular to the length direction, The pair of unit wall portions has a pair of unit wall surfaces arranged on opposite sides of the yarn traveling space in a width direction perpendicular to both the length direction and the height direction, A cooling device characterized in that, in the longitudinal direction, within a wall surface arrangement area in which the pair of unit wall surfaces are arranged, the sum of the lengths of one or more formation areas of the duct wall in which the one or more slits are formed is longer than the sum of the lengths of areas excluding the one or more formation areas.

3. The cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the longitudinal direction, within a wall surface arrangement area in which the pair of unit wall surfaces are arranged, the sum of the lengths of one or more formation areas of the duct wall portion in which the one or more slits are formed is longer than the sum of the lengths of areas excluding the one or more formation areas.

4. 4. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein a distance in the width direction between portions of the pair of unit walls that face each other in the width direction is 1 mm or less.

5. The cooling unit comprises: The cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising one or more yarn guides arranged in the yarn traveling space and configured to restrict movement of the yarn to the other side in the height direction.

6. The cooling device according to claim 5 , wherein the one end of the one or more yarn guides is disposed on the one side of a center of the pair of unit walls in the height direction.

7. The cooling unit comprises: a first contact portion for contacting the yarn, the first contact portion being provided on a part of one of the pair of unit walls; a second contact portion for contacting the yarn, the second contact portion being provided on a part of the other of the pair of unit walls and positioned at a position different from the first contact portion in the longitudinal direction.

8. The cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a negative pressure generating device configured to generate negative pressure in the space within the duct.

9. The negative pressure generating device is 9. The cooling device according to claim 8, further comprising: an impeller configured to rotate; a motor configured to drive the impeller to rotate; and a rotation speed change unit configured to be able to change the rotation speed of a rotating shaft of the motor.

10. A cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, A yarn deformation imparting device configured to impart deformation to the yarn; a yarn feeding device for running the yarn, the yarn being configured to feed the yarn to the cooling device and the yarn deformation imparting device; A yarn processing machine configured to process the yarn while it is traveling.

Images