Braiding fibers with programmably driven carriers

Abstract

A braiding machine includes multiple carriers driven along paths that are programmatically defined. The braiding machine has a powered platform that contains an array of electromagnets that are selectively energized by an electronic controller. The carriers ride on respective movers, which are placed on or above the platform. The movers contain respective arrays of permanent magnets. The electromagnets magnetically interact with the permanent magnets to form planar motors, which can drive the movers in arbitrary directions along the platform and can rotate the movers. The electronic controller controls the movers individually, with each mover following its own path and with all movers operating simultaneously.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This claims the benefit of United Sates Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 771,257, filed Mar. 13, 2025, the contents and teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.BACKGROUND

[0002] Braiding machines have been used for over a century for creating ropes, sleeves, tubes, and the like. FIG. 1 shows a braider design 100, generally known as a “maypole braider.” In this design, multiple carriers 110 attach to respective bobbins 112, which contain coils of fiber 114. As shown in a horizontally rotated arrangement of FIGS. 2a and 2b, the bobbins 112 dispense fiber 114 onto a mandrel 120, which may be advanced through the braider 100 as the fiber 114 is paid out. The carriers 110 move along quasi-sinusoidal paths, with roughly half of the carriers 110 running clockwise and roughly half running counterclockwise, causing dispensed fibers to crisscross with one another and thus to form interleaved, braided patterns of fiber on the mandrel.

[0003] FIG. 3 shows a simplified view of portions of the braider 100 of FIGS. 1, 2a, and 2b. Here, multiple horn plates 310 are arranged in a ring 300 with the mandrel 120 placed at the center. The mandrel 120 may be replaced in some examples with a simple anchor point, such as when braiding rope. The horn plates 310 have external gears 410 (FIG. 4), which mesh with external gears of adjacent horn plates 310. The geared horn plates 310 may be driven by a drive sprocket 420 (FIG. 4). The geared arrangement causes adjacent horn plates 310 to rotate in alternating directions.

[0004] As further shown in FIG. 3, the horn plates 310 have slots 320 for engaging with the carriers 110. The slots 320 also form pass-throughs with slots 320 of adjacent horn plates 310 when the slots align, for conveying carriers 110 between adjacent horn plates 310. Rotation of the horn plates 310 causes a first set of carriers 110 to run clockwise, along a quasi-sinusoidal curve 330 (shown in gray), and further causes a second set of carriers 110 to run counterclockwise, along a quasi-sinusoidal curve 340 (shown in black). The crisscrossing movement of carriers 110 results in a braided pattern of fibers on the mandrel 120. Although FIG. 3 shows only two carriers 110, one should appreciate that the braider 100 can be loaded with many carriers 110, which may be arranged in such a way as to avoid collisions as the two sets of carriers move in opposite directions around the ring 300.

[0005] Movement of carriers 110 may be facilitated further by channels 510 (FIG. 5), which may be formed beneath the horn plates 310, and which guide the carriers 110 along the intersecting, quasi-sinusoidal paths 330 and 340. For example, the carriers 110 may include posts (not shown) that extend through slots 320 of the horn plates 310 and into the channels 510. The posts may terminate in elongated guides, which ensure that the carriers can only follow straight paths through crossover points 520 formed by the intersecting channels 510.

[0006] Although the braider 100 is complex, even more complex designs have been built, such as 3D maypole braiders that include two or more concentric rings, such as rings 300a and 300b in FIG. 7, in which the depicted curve 710 shows an example carrier path that extends between the rings. Other complex designs include 3D rectangular braiders (FIG. 8), and radial braiders, including 3D (drum) radial braiders (FIG. 9), which create intricate and densely interleaved braids. Some designs allow additional fibers to be laid down axially along a mandrel, for providing enhanced tensile strength in the finished product, while other designs allow for rotation of the entire ring 300 (FIG. 3), which causes fibers that would otherwise be axial to twist along helical paths, for providing enhanced torsional strength. Many complex designs and variants have been built. An example of a helical braider is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,288, issued Nov. 9, 1999, the contents and teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.SUMMARY

[0007] Certain embodiments are directed to a braiding machine. The braiding machine includes a powered platform containing an array of electromagnets, an electronic controller electrically coupled to the powered platform for selectively energizing the electromagnets based on programmed sequences, and multiple movers. The movers include respective fiber carriers and respective arrays of permanent magnets. The electromagnets of the powered platform are magnetically coupled with the arrays of permanent magnets to form planar motors constructed and arranged to drive the movers along the powered platform based on the programmed sequences as fibers from the fiber carriers pay out to form a braided product.

[0008] Other embodiments are directed to a method of braiding fiber using the braiding machine as described above. Still other embodiments are directed to a computer program product. The computer program product includes a set of non-transitory, computer-readable media having instructions which, when executed by the electronic controller of the braiding machine, cause the braiding machine to perform a method of braiding fiber. The method includes controlling the movers to travel along the powered platform based on the programmed sequences such that the movers pay out fibers to form the braided product.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The foregoing and other features and advantages will be apparent from the following description of particular embodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of various embodiments.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective, upper front-right view of a maypole braider.

[0011] FIG. 2a is a perspective top view of fibers being braided onto a mandrel in the maypole braider of FIG. 1.

[0012] FIG. 2b is a lower perspective view of fibers being braided onto the mandrel, looking up from the bottom of the FIG. 2a perspective.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a simplified plan view of portions of a maypole braider, including a ring of interlocking horn plates.

[0014] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of interlocking horn plates that are geared together.

[0015] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a channel structure formed beneath the horn plates of FIG. 4.

[0016] FIG. 6 is a simplified plan view that shows variable lengths of fibers between carriers and a mandrel.

[0017] FIG. 7 is a simplified plan view of portions of a multi-layer maypole braider, with multiple rings of interlocking horn plates.

[0018] FIG. 8 is a front plan view of an example rectangular braider.

[0019] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an example 3D radial braider.

[0020] FIG. 10 is a diagram of a braiding machine according to one or more embodiments.

[0021] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example method of braiding fiber, according to one or more embodiments.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Unfortunately, the designs for braiders shown in FIGS. 1-9 are complex to build and difficult to modify. As braiders include many interlocking mechanical parts, they cannot easily be changed once their designs are set. This means that braiders generally cannot be retooled for braiding new parts with different braid patterns or fiber counts, i.e., number or carriers 110. Rather, entirely new braiders may be needed.

[0023] Further, operation of any individual braider is highly constrained. In the braider shown in FIG. 3, for example, it is sometimes desirable to remove carriers 110 during a braiding operation, such as to accommodate tapered mandrels. In such cases, leaving all carriers in place could result in an undesirable piling up of fibers on the mandrel 120. However, owing to the fixed geometry of the braider of FIG. 3, removing a carrier 110 from the braider would create a gap between adjacent fibers, which could weaken the braided structure and convey an unsightly appearance.

[0024] Further still, the fact that carriers follow quasi-sinusoidal paths means that the length of fiber between a carrier and the mandrel may shorten as the carrier moves from a crest of its waveform path to a trough (see FIG. 6). Coil springs may be provided to retract the fibers in such cases, but retracting the fibers comes at the cost of stressing the fibers and increasing wear and complexity in system components.

[0025] To address the above deficiencies at least in part, an improved technique provides a braiding machine having multiple carriers driven along paths that are programmatically defined. For example, the braiding machine has a powered platform that contains an array of electromagnets that are selectively energized by an electronic controller, such as a computer coupled to associated drive circuitry. The carriers ride on respective movers, which are placed on the platform, where they may touch the platform or hover above the platform. The movers contain respective arrays of permanent magnets. The electromagnets in the platform magnetically interact with the permanent magnets in the movers to form planar motors, which can drive the movers in arbitrary directions along the platform, can rotate the movers, and in some cases can tilt the movers. The electronic controller controls the movers individually, with each mover following its own path and with all movers or any number of them operating simultaneously.

[0026] Advantageously, the improved braiding machine does not require large, complex, and difficult-to-modify horn plates, nor does it require associated gears and channels. Rather, similar functionality can be achieved based on programming in the electronic controller, e.g., by defining paths for respective movers in software. The carriers placed on such movers can follow similar paths to the curves 330 and 340 shown in FIG. 3, without the need for complex mechanical structures.

[0027] Although the new braiding machine can drive carriers along the same paths 330 and 340 as shown in FIG. 3, the new braiding machine is not limited to such paths and indeed can drive carriers along a virtually limitless number of paths covering a wide variety of shapes. For example, the braiding machine can move carriers not only along quasi-sinusoidal paths, but also along rectangular paths, triangular paths, or other-shaped paths, for example. The braider can also move carriers through areas that would normally correspond to the centers of the horn plates, which would not be possible in previous designs. Further, braiding does not require that all carriers move in undulating paths. For example, a first carrier can follow a circular path while a second carrier can follow an undulating path the crosses the circular path.

[0028] If it is desired to taper a braided part, a carrier that is no longer needed can easily be steered out of the way of the other carriers, and the electronic controller can redistribute the movers for the remaining carriers on the fly to form a uniformly spaced pattern, such that no gaps appear in the braided product as a result of the carrier that has been removed.

[0029] In addition, the need for recoil springs can be reduced or eliminated by rotating carriers as they extend between crests and troughs along their crisscrossing paths. For example, a carrier may pay out fiber from an eyelet, and the eyelet may be offset from the center of the carrier. When the carrier is moved toward the crest of its waveform path, the carrier can rotate so that the eyelet is closer to the mandrel. When the same carrier is moved to the trough of the waveform path, the carrier can rotate so that the eyelet is farther from the mandrel. In some cases, such rotation makes it possible to keep the distance between the eyelet and the mandrel constant, or nearly constant, as the carrier moves along its path, greatly reducing or eliminating the need for recoil springs.

[0030] The improved technique opens up a myriad of possibilities. Concentric rings, like multiple concentric instances of the ring 300 (FIG. 3), can be programmed for creating multilayer braids, and carriers need not be constrained to only one ring (see also FIG. 7). For example, a carrier crisscrossing with other carriers on an inner ring can move to an outer ring and back again, and vice-versa, for creating complex, multilayer braids, such as braids in which a braid formed by crisscrossing carriers moving along the inner ring is interconnected with a braid formed crisscrossing carriers moving along the outer ring.

[0031] In some arrangements, fiber laid down from an inner ring 300a onto an inner layer of a braided product can be moved to an outer layer laid down from an outer ring 300b, to expose the fiber so that it is visible from the outside. For example, fiber of a different color or texture from the other fibers can be selectively moved between the inner layer and the outer layer to create visual effects, such as text, logos, and interesting patterns.

[0032] Using the improved technique, rectangular 3D braiders can easily be formed. Also, radial braiders, including radial 3D braiders, can be constructed from multiple platform segments arranged into a ring or a drum, with carriers / movers facing inwardly and paying out fiber onto a mandrel that moves through a center of the ring or drum.

[0033] Further, the effect of rotating an entire ring 300 to lay down helical fibers can be simulated easily by programming movers to follow circular paths centered on an advancing mandrel. Two movers can be programmed to move in opposite circular paths, one clockwise and one counterclockwise, to lay down helical fibers wound in opposite directions. The two circular paths can have different radii to avoid collisions. Bias fibers may be applied from movers, and such movers can follow paths inside, outside, or even through the circular paths followed by the carriers that lay down the helical fibers. For example, movers for bias fibers can follow undulating paths that cross through the circular paths. Axial fibers can be laid down from fixed-position movers or from stationary carriers placed on the platform. The possibilities are endless.

[0034] The new braiding machine can be easily modified. As the paths of movers can be individually programmed, the braiding machine can be changed from one braiding arrangement to another simply by changing the software, and in some cases by adding or removing movers / carriers from the platform, and / or by adding or removing tiles. The frequencies, amplitudes, and shapes of the waveforms can be changed for braiding different products. Such changes also can be made on the fly, while braiding a single product. Thus, the same hardware platform can easily be retooled for accommodating new products and functions.

[0035] Embodiments of the improved technique will now be described. One should appreciate that such embodiments are provided by way of example to illustrate certain features and principles but are not intended to be limiting.

[0036] FIG. 10 shows an example braiding machine 1000 according to one or more embodiments. The braiding machine 1000 includes a platform 1002, multiple movers 1110, and an electronic controller 1030. Carriers 1012 are attached to respective movers 1010 and carry bobbins of fiber, which pay out onto a mandrel 120 during operation. The platform 1002 is composed of multiple platform segments 1020, which may also be referred to herein as “tiles.” The tiles are connected together in a manner that provides an approximately continuous surface of sufficient size and dimensions to accommodate the desired paths (e.g., 330, 340) of the movers 1010. In an example, the electronic controller 1030 runs a software program 1040 that defines the paths of the movers 1010, e.g., based on input from human users or algorithms, and drives individual movers 1010 along their defined paths.

[0037] In some examples, a rail 1050 or other retaining structure may be provided at or near an edge of the platform 1002, at multiple edges, or completely around the platform 1002, to provide docking locations for the movers 1010. For example, movers 1010 may be docked to the rail 1050 and retained when not in use, during maintenance, or when the braiding machine 1000 is powered down. A UPS 1060 may be provided in some examples to provide temporary power to the braiding machine 1000 in the event of a loss of line voltage. For example, the UPS 1060 can detect the loss of line voltage and inform the electronic controller 1030 of the power loss. Under UPS-provided power, the electronic controller 1030 can steer the movers 1010 to docked positions along the rail 1050, where they are held in place during and after a controlled shutdown. The rail 1050 and UPS 1060 can be particularly useful when the platform 1002, or any of its tiles 1020, is oriented other than upright and horizontally, such as in vertical braiders, radial braiders, and the like, where a loss of power could otherwise cause movers to fall off the platform.

[0038] The tiles 1020 are active devices that contain arrays of electromagnets that are energized under control of the electronic controller 1030. Each of the tiles 1020 receives power and control from the electronic controller 1030, e.g., via direct connection and / or through other tiles. The movers 1010 contain arrays of permanent magnets and may be passive devices. Suitable systems of tiles and movers are available for purchase. One such system known as XPlanar is available from Beckhoff Automation, which has an office in Savage, Minnesota. A similar system is available from Planar Motor of British Columbia, Canada. Existing versions of these systems can be used off the shelf for certain braiding applications, such as those in which the platform 1002 is horizontal and the movers 1010 ride on top of the platform 1002. Models with higher retention force can be used with vertical platforms or even drum-shaped platforms. Such models are currently available or can be developed readily from current designs.

[0039] One of the benefits of the braiding machine 1000 is that the paths of the movers 1010 need not be quasi-sinusoidal, as shown, but may instead be square or triangular, for example. The unconstrained and uncluttered arrangement allows for a variety of wave shapes, and such wave shapes can be varied on the fly. Movers 1010 can be added or removed as desired, for accommodating different diameters of the mandrel 120 (or no mandrel, such as when braiding rope), and movers 1010 can immediately be redistributed in uniform arrangements that result in uniform braids. Also, movers 1010 can easily be programmed to rotate as they follow crisscrossing paths, to minimize or avoid the need for coil springs or other ways of retracting fiber.

[0040] The braiding machine 1000 can easily implement multiple (two or more) concentric rings to provide an arrangement similar to that shown in FIG. 7, but without the complexity or mechanical constraints. Different colored fibers can be moved between concentric rings (e.g., 300a, 300b) for creating patterns (e.g., text, logos, designs) visible from the outside. Axial fibers can be provided from stationary movers (or fixed carriers), and helical fibers can be created by directing movers along circular paths.

[0041] Rectangular braiders, like the one shown in FIG. 8, can be realized merely by programming the movers 1010 to move in a rectangular grid. In addition, tiles 1020 can be arranged to form a segmented drum, similar to the one shown in FIG. 9, for realizing a radial braider or 3D radial braider. Tiles 1020 can be added or removed to achieve desired shapes and sizes of the platform. Most excitingly, entirely new types of braids can be discovered and developed which would not have been feasible or even possible using prior technology.

[0042] FIG. 11 shows an example method 1100 for operating the braiding machine 1000, according to one or more embodiments. At step 1110, a number of movers 1010 to be used in forming a braid is defined, as well as multiple paths to be followed by the respective movers 1010. Such definitions may be encoded, for example, in the program 1040 that runs on the electronic controller 1030.

[0043] An operator or a robot can load bobbins of fiber onto carriers 1012 on the movers 1010, and place the movers 1010 onto the platform 1002. At step 1120, the operator directs the program 1040 to drive the movers 1010 to starting positions. The operator or robot can then string the fibers onto a mandrel 120 (or other site where braiding is to begin) and direct the program to begin braiding. At 1130, the program 1040 responds to the operator command to execute a braiding sequence, at which time the movers 1010 begin to follow their defined paths. One should appreciate that the term “program” as used herein can contain any number of software components, firmware components, applications, and / or services. Thus, the program 1040 need not be a single application.

[0044] As the braiding sequence proceeds, movers 1010 may be moved into or out of their normal paths of operation. For example, movers 1010 can be moved away from their paths (e.g., parked on the rail 1050) to accommodate tapered mandrels. Also, when carriers 1012 run out of fiber, the movers 1010 conveying such carriers 1012 can be moved away (e.g., parked). The carrier 1012, or just its bobbin, can be replaced with a fully loaded carrier or bobbin, and the two fiber ends can be spliced together. The mover can then be put back into operation for continued braiding. In some arrangements, the entire mover having the spent carrier can be replaced with a new mover having a full carrier.

[0045] In some examples, the above-described method may be embodied at least in part as a computer program product 1150 including one or more non-transient, computer-readable storage media, such as a magnetic disk, magnetic tape, compact disk, DVD, optical disk, flash drive, solid state drive, SD (Secure Digital) chip or device, Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), and / or the like. Any number of computer-readable media may be used. The media may be encoded with instructions which, when executed on one or more computers or other processors, perform the process or processes described herein. Such media may be considered articles of manufacture or machines, and may be transportable from one machine to another.

[0046] Having described certain embodiments, numerous alternative embodiments or variations can be made. Further, although features have been shown and described with reference to particular embodiments hereof, such features may be included and hereby are included in any of the disclosed embodiments and their variants. Thus, it is understood that features disclosed in connection with any embodiment are included in any other embodiment.

[0047] As used throughout this document, the words “comprising,”“including,”“containing,” and “having” are intended to set forth certain items, steps, elements, or aspects of something in an open-ended fashion. Also, as used herein and unless a specific statement is made to the contrary, the word “set” means one or more of something. This is the case regardless of whether the phrase “set of” is followed by a singular or plural object and regardless of whether it is conjugated with a singular or plural verb. Also, a “set of” elements can describe fewer than all elements present. Thus, there may be additional elements of the same kind that are not part of the set. Further, ordinal expressions, such as “first,”“second,”“third,” and so on, may be used as adjectives herein for identification purposes. Unless specifically indicated, these ordinal expressions are not intended to imply any ordering or sequence. Thus, for example, a “second” event may take place before or after a “first event,” or even if no first event ever occurs. In addition, an identification herein of a particular element, feature, or act as being a “first” such element, feature, or act should not be construed as requiring that there must also be a “second” or other such element, feature or act. Rather, the “first” item may be the only one. Also, and unless specifically stated to the contrary, “based on” is intended to be nonexclusive. Thus, “based on” should be interpreted as meaning “based at least in part on” unless specifically indicated otherwise. Further, although the term “user” as used herein may refer to a human being, the term is also intended to cover non-human entities, such as robots, bots, and other computer-implemented programs and technologies. Although certain embodiments are disclosed herein, it is understood that these are provided by way of example only and should not be construed as limiting.

[0048] Those skilled in the art will therefore understand that various changes in form and detail may be made to the embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the following claims.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0022]Unfortunately, the designs for braiders shown in FIGS. 1-9 are complex to build and difficult to modify. As braiders include many interlocking mechanical parts, they cannot easily be changed once their designs are set. This means that braiders generally cannot be retooled for braiding new parts with different braid patterns or fiber counts, i.e., number or carriers 110. Rather, entirely new braiders may be needed.

[0023]Further, operation of any individual braider is highly constrained. In the braider shown in FIG. 3, for example, it is sometimes desirable to remove carriers 110 during a braiding operation, such as to accommodate tapered mandrels. In such cases, leaving all carriers in place could result in an undesirable piling up of fibers on the mandrel 120. However, owing to the fixed geometry of the braider of FIG. 3, removing a carrier 110 from the braider would create a gap between adjacent fibers, which could weaken the braided structure and convey an unsightly appearan...

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This claims the benefit of United Sates Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 771,257, filed Mar. 13, 2025, the contents and teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.BACKGROUND

[0002] Braiding machines have been used for over a century for creating ropes, sleeves, tubes, and the like. FIG. 1 shows a braider design 100, generally known as a “maypole braider.” In this design, multiple carriers 110 attach to respective bobbins 112, which contain coils of fiber 114. As shown in a horizontally rotated arrangement of FIGS. 2a and 2b, the bobbins 112 dispense fiber 114 onto a mandrel 120, which may be advanced through the braider 100 as the fiber 114 is paid out. The carriers 110 move along quasi-sinusoidal paths, with roughly half of the carriers 110 running clockwise and roughly half running counterclockwise, causing dispensed fibers to crisscross with one another and thus to form interleaved, braided patterns of fiber on the mandrel.

[0003] FIG. 3 shows a simplified view of portions of the braider 100 of FIGS. 1, 2a, and 2b. Here, multiple horn plates 310 are arranged in a ring 300 with the mandrel 120 placed at the center. The mandrel 120 may be replaced in some examples with a simple anchor point, such as when braiding rope. The horn plates 310 have external gears 410 (FIG. 4), which mesh with external gears of adjacent horn plates 310. The geared horn plates 310 may be driven by a drive sprocket 420 (FIG. 4). The geared arrangement causes adjacent horn plates 310 to rotate in alternating directions.

[0004] As further shown in FIG. 3, the horn plates 310 have slots 320 for engaging with the carriers 110. The slots 320 also form pass-throughs with slots 320 of adjacent horn plates 310 when the slots align, for conveying carriers 110 between adjacent horn plates 310. Rotation of the horn plates 310 causes a first set of carriers 110 to run clockwise, along a quasi-sinusoidal curve 330 (shown in gray), and further causes a second set of carriers 110 to run counterclockwise, along a quasi-sinusoidal curve 340 (shown in black). The crisscrossing movement of carriers 110 results in a braided pattern of fibers on the mandrel 120. Although FIG. 3 shows only two carriers 110, one should appreciate that the braider 100 can be loaded with many carriers 110, which may be arranged in such a way as to avoid collisions as the two sets of carriers move in opposite directions around the ring 300.

[0005] Movement of carriers 110 may be facilitated further by channels 510 (FIG. 5), which may be formed beneath the horn plates 310, and which guide the carriers 110 along the intersecting, quasi-sinusoidal paths 330 and 340. For example, the carriers 110 may include posts (not shown) that extend through slots 320 of the horn plates 310 and into the channels 510. The posts may terminate in elongated guides, which ensure that the carriers can only follow straight paths through crossover points 520 formed by the intersecting channels 510.

[0006] Although the braider 100 is complex, even more complex designs have been built, such as 3D maypole braiders that include two or more concentric rings, such as rings 300a and 300b in FIG. 7, in which the depicted curve 710 shows an example carrier path that extends between the rings. Other complex designs include 3D rectangular braiders (FIG. 8), and radial braiders, including 3D (drum) radial braiders (FIG. 9), which create intricate and densely interleaved braids. Some designs allow additional fibers to be laid down axially along a mandrel, for providing enhanced tensile strength in the finished product, while other designs allow for rotation of the entire ring 300 (FIG. 3), which causes fibers that would otherwise be axial to twist along helical paths, for providing enhanced torsional strength. Many complex designs and variants have been built. An example of a helical braider is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,288, issued Nov. 9, 1999, the contents and teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.SUMMARY

[0007] Certain embodiments are directed to a braiding machine. The braiding machine includes a powered platform containing an array of electromagnets, an electronic controller electrically coupled to the powered platform for selectively energizing the electromagnets based on programmed sequences, and multiple movers. The movers include respective fiber carriers and respective arrays of permanent magnets. The electromagnets of the powered platform are magnetically coupled with the arrays of permanent magnets to form planar motors constructed and arranged to drive the movers along the powered platform based on the programmed sequences as fibers from the fiber carriers pay out to form a braided product.

[0008] Other embodiments are directed to a method of braiding fiber using the braiding machine as described above. Still other embodiments are directed to a computer program product. The computer program product includes a set of non-transitory, computer-readable media having instructions which, when executed by the electronic controller of the braiding machine, cause the braiding machine to perform a method of braiding fiber. The method includes controlling the movers to travel along the powered platform based on the programmed sequences such that the movers pay out fibers to form the braided product.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The foregoing and other features and advantages will be apparent from the following description of particular embodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of various embodiments.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective, upper front-right view of a maypole braider.

[0011] FIG. 2a is a perspective top view of fibers being braided onto a mandrel in the maypole braider of FIG. 1.

[0012] FIG. 2b is a lower perspective view of fibers being braided onto the mandrel, looking up from the bottom of the FIG. 2a perspective.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a simplified plan view of portions of a maypole braider, including a ring of interlocking horn plates.

[0014] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of interlocking horn plates that are geared together.

[0015] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a channel structure formed beneath the horn plates of FIG. 4.

[0016] FIG. 6 is a simplified plan view that shows variable lengths of fibers between carriers and a mandrel.

[0017] FIG. 7 is a simplified plan view of portions of a multi-layer maypole braider, with multiple rings of interlocking horn plates.

[0018] FIG. 8 is a front plan view of an example rectangular braider.

[0019] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an example 3D radial braider.

[0020] FIG. 10 is a diagram of a braiding machine according to one or more embodiments.

[0021] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example method of braiding fiber, according to one or more embodiments.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Unfortunately, the designs for braiders shown in FIGS. 1-9 are complex to build and difficult to modify. As braiders include many interlocking mechanical parts, they cannot easily be changed once their designs are set. This means that braiders generally cannot be retooled for braiding new parts with different braid patterns or fiber counts, i.e., number or carriers 110. Rather, entirely new braiders may be needed.

[0023] Further, operation of any individual braider is highly constrained. In the braider shown in FIG. 3, for example, it is sometimes desirable to remove carriers 110 during a braiding operation, such as to accommodate tapered mandrels. In such cases, leaving all carriers in place could result in an undesirable piling up of fibers on the mandrel 120. However, owing to the fixed geometry of the braider of FIG. 3, removing a carrier 110 from the braider would create a gap between adjacent fibers, which could weaken the braided structure and convey an unsightly appearance.

[0024] Further still, the fact that carriers follow quasi-sinusoidal paths means that the length of fiber between a carrier and the mandrel may shorten as the carrier moves from a crest of its waveform path to a trough (see FIG. 6). Coil springs may be provided to retract the fibers in such cases, but retracting the fibers comes at the cost of stressing the fibers and increasing wear and complexity in system components.

[0025] To address the above deficiencies at least in part, an improved technique provides a braiding machine having multiple carriers driven along paths that are programmatically defined. For example, the braiding machine has a powered platform that contains an array of electromagnets that are selectively energized by an electronic controller, such as a computer coupled to associated drive circuitry. The carriers ride on respective movers, which are placed on the platform, where they may touch the platform or hover above the platform. The movers contain respective arrays of permanent magnets. The electromagnets in the platform magnetically interact with the permanent magnets in the movers to form planar motors, which can drive the movers in arbitrary directions along the platform, can rotate the movers, and in some cases can tilt the movers. The electronic controller controls the movers individually, with each mover following its own path and with all movers or any number of them operating simultaneously.

[0026] Advantageously, the improved braiding machine does not require large, complex, and difficult-to-modify horn plates, nor does it require associated gears and channels. Rather, similar functionality can be achieved based on programming in the electronic controller, e.g., by defining paths for respective movers in software. The carriers placed on such movers can follow similar paths to the curves 330 and 340 shown in FIG. 3, without the need for complex mechanical structures.

[0027] Although the new braiding machine can drive carriers along the same paths 330 and 340 as shown in FIG. 3, the new braiding machine is not limited to such paths and indeed can drive carriers along a virtually limitless number of paths covering a wide variety of shapes. For example, the braiding machine can move carriers not only along quasi-sinusoidal paths, but also along rectangular paths, triangular paths, or other-shaped paths, for example. The braider can also move carriers through areas that would normally correspond to the centers of the horn plates, which would not be possible in previous designs. Further, braiding does not require that all carriers move in undulating paths. For example, a first carrier can follow a circular path while a second carrier can follow an undulating path the crosses the circular path.

[0028] If it is desired to taper a braided part, a carrier that is no longer needed can easily be steered out of the way of the other carriers, and the electronic controller can redistribute the movers for the remaining carriers on the fly to form a uniformly spaced pattern, such that no gaps appear in the braided product as a result of the carrier that has been removed.

[0029] In addition, the need for recoil springs can be reduced or eliminated by rotating carriers as they extend between crests and troughs along their crisscrossing paths. For example, a carrier may pay out fiber from an eyelet, and the eyelet may be offset from the center of the carrier. When the carrier is moved toward the crest of its waveform path, the carrier can rotate so that the eyelet is closer to the mandrel. When the same carrier is moved to the trough of the waveform path, the carrier can rotate so that the eyelet is farther from the mandrel. In some cases, such rotation makes it possible to keep the distance between the eyelet and the mandrel constant, or nearly constant, as the carrier moves along its path, greatly reducing or eliminating the need for recoil springs.

[0030] The improved technique opens up a myriad of possibilities. Concentric rings, like multiple concentric instances of the ring 300 (FIG. 3), can be programmed for creating multilayer braids, and carriers need not be constrained to only one ring (see also FIG. 7). For example, a carrier crisscrossing with other carriers on an inner ring can move to an outer ring and back again, and vice-versa, for creating complex, multilayer braids, such as braids in which a braid formed by crisscrossing carriers moving along the inner ring is interconnected with a braid formed crisscrossing carriers moving along the outer ring.

[0031] In some arrangements, fiber laid down from an inner ring 300a onto an inner layer of a braided product can be moved to an outer layer laid down from an outer ring 300b, to expose the fiber so that it is visible from the outside. For example, fiber of a different color or texture from the other fibers can be selectively moved between the inner layer and the outer layer to create visual effects, such as text, logos, and interesting patterns.

[0032] Using the improved technique, rectangular 3D braiders can easily be formed. Also, radial braiders, including radial 3D braiders, can be constructed from multiple platform segments arranged into a ring or a drum, with carriers / movers facing inwardly and paying out fiber onto a mandrel that moves through a center of the ring or drum.

[0033] Further, the effect of rotating an entire ring 300 to lay down helical fibers can be simulated easily by programming movers to follow circular paths centered on an advancing mandrel. Two movers can be programmed to move in opposite circular paths, one clockwise and one counterclockwise, to lay down helical fibers wound in opposite directions. The two circular paths can have different radii to avoid collisions. Bias fibers may be applied from movers, and such movers can follow paths inside, outside, or even through the circular paths followed by the carriers that lay down the helical fibers. For example, movers for bias fibers can follow undulating paths that cross through the circular paths. Axial fibers can be laid down from fixed-position movers or from stationary carriers placed on the platform. The possibilities are endless.

[0034] The new braiding machine can be easily modified. As the paths of movers can be individually programmed, the braiding machine can be changed from one braiding arrangement to another simply by changing the software, and in some cases by adding or removing movers / carriers from the platform, and / or by adding or removing tiles. The frequencies, amplitudes, and shapes of the waveforms can be changed for braiding different products. Such changes also can be made on the fly, while braiding a single product. Thus, the same hardware platform can easily be retooled for accommodating new products and functions.

[0035] Embodiments of the improved technique will now be described. One should appreciate that such embodiments are provided by way of example to illustrate certain features and principles but are not intended to be limiting.

[0036] FIG. 10 shows an example braiding machine 1000 according to one or more embodiments. The braiding machine 1000 includes a platform 1002, multiple movers 1110, and an electronic controller 1030. Carriers 1012 are attached to respective movers 1010 and carry bobbins of fiber, which pay out onto a mandrel 120 during operation. The platform 1002 is composed of multiple platform segments 1020, which may also be referred to herein as “tiles.” The tiles are connected together in a manner that provides an approximately continuous surface of sufficient size and dimensions to accommodate the desired paths (e.g., 330, 340) of the movers 1010. In an example, the electronic controller 1030 runs a software program 1040 that defines the paths of the movers 1010, e.g., based on input from human users or algorithms, and drives individual movers 1010 along their defined paths.

[0037] In some examples, a rail 1050 or other retaining structure may be provided at or near an edge of the platform 1002, at multiple edges, or completely around the platform 1002, to provide docking locations for the movers 1010. For example, movers 1010 may be docked to the rail 1050 and retained when not in use, during maintenance, or when the braiding machine 1000 is powered down. A UPS 1060 may be provided in some examples to provide temporary power to the braiding machine 1000 in the event of a loss of line voltage. For example, the UPS 1060 can detect the loss of line voltage and inform the electronic controller 1030 of the power loss. Under UPS-provided power, the electronic controller 1030 can steer the movers 1010 to docked positions along the rail 1050, where they are held in place during and after a controlled shutdown. The rail 1050 and UPS 1060 can be particularly useful when the platform 1002, or any of its tiles 1020, is oriented other than upright and horizontally, such as in vertical braiders, radial braiders, and the like, where a loss of power could otherwise cause movers to fall off the platform.

[0038] The tiles 1020 are active devices that contain arrays of electromagnets that are energized under control of the electronic controller 1030. Each of the tiles 1020 receives power and control from the electronic controller 1030, e.g., via direct connection and / or through other tiles. The movers 1010 contain arrays of permanent magnets and may be passive devices. Suitable systems of tiles and movers are available for purchase. One such system known as XPlanar is available from Beckhoff Automation, which has an office in Savage, Minnesota. A similar system is available from Planar Motor of British Columbia, Canada. Existing versions of these systems can be used off the shelf for certain braiding applications, such as those in which the platform 1002 is horizontal and the movers 1010 ride on top of the platform 1002. Models with higher retention force can be used with vertical platforms or even drum-shaped platforms. Such models are currently available or can be developed readily from current designs.

[0039] One of the benefits of the braiding machine 1000 is that the paths of the movers 1010 need not be quasi-sinusoidal, as shown, but may instead be square or triangular, for example. The unconstrained and uncluttered arrangement allows for a variety of wave shapes, and such wave shapes can be varied on the fly. Movers 1010 can be added or removed as desired, for accommodating different diameters of the mandrel 120 (or no mandrel, such as when braiding rope), and movers 1010 can immediately be redistributed in uniform arrangements that result in uniform braids. Also, movers 1010 can easily be programmed to rotate as they follow crisscrossing paths, to minimize or avoid the need for coil springs or other ways of retracting fiber.

[0040] The braiding machine 1000 can easily implement multiple (two or more) concentric rings to provide an arrangement similar to that shown in FIG. 7, but without the complexity or mechanical constraints. Different colored fibers can be moved between concentric rings (e.g., 300a, 300b) for creating patterns (e.g., text, logos, designs) visible from the outside. Axial fibers can be provided from stationary movers (or fixed carriers), and helical fibers can be created by directing movers along circular paths.

[0041] Rectangular braiders, like the one shown in FIG. 8, can be realized merely by programming the movers 1010 to move in a rectangular grid. In addition, tiles 1020 can be arranged to form a segmented drum, similar to the one shown in FIG. 9, for realizing a radial braider or 3D radial braider. Tiles 1020 can be added or removed to achieve desired shapes and sizes of the platform. Most excitingly, entirely new types of braids can be discovered and developed which would not have been feasible or even possible using prior technology.

[0042] FIG. 11 shows an example method 1100 for operating the braiding machine 1000, according to one or more embodiments. At step 1110, a number of movers 1010 to be used in forming a braid is defined, as well as multiple paths to be followed by the respective movers 1010. Such definitions may be encoded, for example, in the program 1040 that runs on the electronic controller 1030.

[0043] An operator or a robot can load bobbins of fiber onto carriers 1012 on the movers 1010, and place the movers 1010 onto the platform 1002. At step 1120, the operator directs the program 1040 to drive the movers 1010 to starting positions. The operator or robot can then string the fibers onto a mandrel 120 (or other site where braiding is to begin) and direct the program to begin braiding. At 1130, the program 1040 responds to the operator command to execute a braiding sequence, at which time the movers 1010 begin to follow their defined paths. One should appreciate that the term “program” as used herein can contain any number of software components, firmware components, applications, and / or services. Thus, the program 1040 need not be a single application.

[0044] As the braiding sequence proceeds, movers 1010 may be moved into or out of their normal paths of operation. For example, movers 1010 can be moved away from their paths (e.g., parked on the rail 1050) to accommodate tapered mandrels. Also, when carriers 1012 run out of fiber, the movers 1010 conveying such carriers 1012 can be moved away (e.g., parked). The carrier 1012, or just its bobbin, can be replaced with a fully loaded carrier or bobbin, and the two fiber ends can be spliced together. The mover can then be put back into operation for continued braiding. In some arrangements, the entire mover having the spent carrier can be replaced with a new mover having a full carrier.

[0045] In some examples, the above-described method may be embodied at least in part as a computer program product 1150 including one or more non-transient, computer-readable storage media, such as a magnetic disk, magnetic tape, compact disk, DVD, optical disk, flash drive, solid state drive, SD (Secure Digital) chip or device, Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), and / or the like. Any number of computer-readable media may be used. The media may be encoded with instructions which, when executed on one or more computers or other processors, perform the process or processes described herein. Such media may be considered articles of manufacture or machines, and may be transportable from one machine to another.

[0046] Having described certain embodiments, numerous alternative embodiments or variations can be made. Further, although features have been shown and described with reference to particular embodiments hereof, such features may be included and hereby are included in any of the disclosed embodiments and their variants. Thus, it is understood that features disclosed in connection with any embodiment are included in any other embodiment.

[0047] As used throughout this document, the words “comprising,”“including,”“containing,” and “having” are intended to set forth certain items, steps, elements, or aspects of something in an open-ended fashion. Also, as used herein and unless a specific statement is made to the contrary, the word “set” means one or more of something. This is the case regardless of whether the phrase “set of” is followed by a singular or plural object and regardless of whether it is conjugated with a singular or plural verb. Also, a “set of” elements can describe fewer than all elements present. Thus, there may be additional elements of the same kind that are not part of the set. Further, ordinal expressions, such as “first,”“second,”“third,” and so on, may be used as adjectives herein for identification purposes. Unless specifically indicated, these ordinal expressions are not intended to imply any ordering or sequence. Thus, for example, a “second” event may take place before or after a “first event,” or even if no first event ever occurs. In addition, an identification herein of a particular element, feature, or act as being a “first” such element, feature, or act should not be construed as requiring that there must also be a “second” or other such element, feature or act. Rather, the “first” item may be the only one. Also, and unless specifically stated to the contrary, “based on” is intended to be nonexclusive. Thus, “based on” should be interpreted as meaning “based at least in part on” unless specifically indicated otherwise. Further, although the term “user” as used herein may refer to a human being, the term is also intended to cover non-human entities, such as robots, bots, and other computer-implemented programs and technologies. Although certain embodiments are disclosed herein, it is understood that these are provided by way of example only and should not be construed as limiting.

[0048] Those skilled in the art will therefore understand that various changes in form and detail may be made to the embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the following claims.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0022]Unfortunately, the designs for braiders shown in FIGS. 1-9 are complex to build and difficult to modify. As braiders include many interlocking mechanical parts, they cannot easily be changed once their designs are set. This means that braiders generally cannot be retooled for braiding new parts with different braid patterns or fiber counts, i.e., number or carriers 110. Rather, entirely new braiders may be needed.

[0023]Further, operation of any individual braider is highly constrained. In the braider shown in FIG. 3, for example, it is sometimes desirable to remove carriers 110 during a braiding operation, such as to accommodate tapered mandrels. In such cases, leaving all carriers in place could result in an undesirable piling up of fibers on the mandrel 120. However, owing to the fixed geometry of the braider of FIG. 3, removing a carrier 110 from the braider would create a gap between adjacent fibers, which could weaken the braided structure and convey an unsightly appearan...

Claims

1. A braiding machine, comprising:a powered platform containing an array of electromagnets;an electronic controller electrically coupled to the powered platform for selectively energizing the electromagnets based on programmed sequences; andmultiple movers, the movers including respective fiber carriers and respective arrays of permanent magnets, wherein the electromagnets of the powered platform are magnetically coupled with the arrays of permanent magnets to form planar motors constructed and arranged to drive the movers along the powered platform based on the programmed sequences as fibers from the fiber carriers pay out to form a braided product.

2. The braiding machine of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is constructed and arranged to control the movers individually, such that the movers are enabled to follow their own respective paths along the powered platform simultaneously.

3. The braiding machine of claim 2, wherein the powered platform includes multiple platform segments placed adjacently to form an extended surface over which the electronic controller can direct the movers to travel.

4. The braiding machine of claim 3, wherein the planar motors are constructed and arranged to drive the movers along paths that simulate movements of carriers in a maypole braider.

5. The braiding machine of claim 3, wherein the powered platform includes a central region that contains no platform segment and provides a space into which fibers from the fiber carriers can extend to form the braided product.

6. The braiding machine of claim 3, wherein the planar motors are constructed and arranged to drive the movers along paths that simulate movements of carriers in a 3D rectangular braider.

7. The braiding machine of claim 3, wherein the extended surface formed by the platform segments has an enclosed cylindrical shape arranged for radial braiding.

8. The braiding machine of claim 3, wherein the platform segments arranged in one configuration are modular and can be rearranged to form a different configuration.

9. A method of braiding fiber using a braiding machine as recited in claim 1, comprising:controlling the movers, by the electronic controller, to travel along the powered platform based on the programmed sequences such that the movers pay out fibers to form the braided product.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein controlling the movers includes:directing a first set of the movers to travel in a first path around a ring in a first direction; anddirecting a second set of the movers to travel in a second path around the ring in a second direction opposite the first direction,wherein the first path and the second path cross each other at multiple locations.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:directing a third set of the movers to travel around a second ring in the first direction, the second ring being concentric with the first ring; anddirecting a fourth set of the movers to travel around the second ring in the second direction.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein fiber paid out from the first and second sets of movers has a different color or texture from fiber paid out from the third and fourth sets of movers, and wherein the method further comprises directing one of the first set of movers to travel from the first ring to the second ring and then back to the first ring to create a visible pattern in the braided product.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising directing one of the first set of movers to travel from the first ring to the second ring and then back to the first ring to interconnect a braid formed by the first and second movers with a braid formed by the third and fourth movers.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first path is an undulating path, wherein a first mover of the first set of movers includes an eyelet that is offset from a center of the first mover, wherein the first mover pays out a fiber through the eyelet, and wherein the method further comprises directing the first mover to rotate such that the eyelet is closer to the braided product when the undulating path is farther from the mandrel and such that the eyelet is farther from the braided product when the undulating path is closer to the mandrel, thereby reducing variations in a length of the fiber between the eyelet and the braided product.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising directing a fifth set of the movers to remain stationary as the first set of movers and the second set of movers move along the first and second paths, such that fibers paid out from the fifth set of movers form one or more axial fibers in the braided product.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising directing the first set of movers and the second set of movers to travel around the ring such that the first path and the second path revolve together around the braided product, causing the fibers to twist along helical paths as they pay out to the braided product.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising directing at least one mover to travel in a circular path to lay down a helical fiber on the braided product.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the first path is one of (i) a quasi-sinusoidal path, (ii) a rectangular path, or (iii) a triangular path.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein controlling the movers includes:steering at least one of the movers away from the ring to provide a tapering in the braided product; andredistributing remaining movers such that they are uniformly spaced around the ring.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein controlling the movers includes:steering a particular mover of the movers away from the ring;after a carrier or bobbin of the particular mover is replaced with a new carrier or bobbin and fiber ends are spliced together, steering the particular mover back into the ring for continued braiding.

21. The method of claim 10, wherein controlling the movers includes steering the movers to parked positions prior to powering down or maintaining the braiding machine.

22. The method of claim 10, wherein the braiding machine further includes an uninterruptable power supply (UPS), and wherein controlling the movers includes, upon the UPS detecting a loss of line voltage, steering the movers to parked positions where the movers are retained in place.

23. A computer program product including a set of non-transitory, computer-readable media having instructions which, when executed by the electronic controller of the braiding machine as recited in claim 1, cause the braiding machine to perform a method of braiding fiber, the method comprising controlling the movers to travel along the powered platform based on the programmed sequences such that the movers pay out fibers to form the braided product.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the computer-readable media has a second set of instructions which, when executed by an electronic controller, cause the braiding machine to braid a second braided product having a different braiding pattern than the braided product.

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