Braiding Machine Reserve Zone Spindle Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing braiding machines struggle to produce uniform braided structures with significant variations in cross-section, resulting in inconsistent yarn density and angles between braided yarns due to the inability to adapt the number of spindles effectively.

Innovation Solution

A braiding machine with movable yarn feed spindles and reserve supports allows for easy addition or removal of spindles along a guide path, using a cooperative system between positioning elements and guide supports to maintain consistent yarn density and angles across varying cross-sections.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If the number of yarn feed spindles is increased to produce larger cross-section braided structures, then the cross-sectional size is improved, but the yarn density decreases and angles between yarns increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecross-sectional sizeVSAvoidyarn density uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a dynamic system where the number of active spindles can be varied during the braiding process. Spindles can be added to or removed from the guide path using positioning elements that cooperate with guide supports, allowing the machine to adapt the number of spindles to match the required cross-sectional size while maintaining consistent yarn density and angles throughout the braided structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Volume of moving object

If the number of yarn feed spindles is decreased to produce smaller cross-section braided structures, then the cross-sectional size is reduced, but the yarn density increases and angles between yarns decrease

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecross-sectional sizeVSAvoidyarn density uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables dynamic adjustment of the number of active spindles by allowing spindles to be removed from or added to the guide path. This dynamic capability permits the system to reduce the number of spindles for smaller cross-sections while maintaining uniform yarn density and appropriate yarn angles, preventing both excessive density and angle variations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Quantity of substance

If spindles are removed from the guide path to interrupt braiding, then the cross-sectional size is reduced, but the yarn from removed spindles remains intertwined creating transition irregularities

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of active spindlesVSAvoidbraiding uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces reserve supports as intermediary elements that receive spindles removed from the guide path. These reserve supports act as mediators to manage the yarn from removed spindles during the transition phase, preventing abrupt interruptions and maintaining braiding uniformity while allowing the number of active spindles to be reduced for smaller cross-sections.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Quantity of substance

If spindles are added to the guide path to increase cross-section, then the number of braided wires is increased, but complex operations are required to add spindles to the braiding

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of active spindlesVSAvoidspindle addition operation
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the spindle management system into distinct functional components: guide supports along the guide path for active braiding, positioning elements for spindle attachment and detachment, and reserve supports for storing inactive spindles. This segmentation enables simple, modular operations to add or remove spindles without complex maneuvers, facilitating easy adjustment of the number of active spindles for different cross-sections.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4556611B1Braiding machine with a reserve region
Publication Date: 2026.02.25 ARIANEGRP SAS
  • EP4556611B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4556611B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4556611B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a braiding machine comprising: - a plurality of yarn feed spindles (30) movable along a guide path (100) so as to participate in the braiding, - a reserve zone (20) capable of receiving at least one spindle (30) so as to interrupt its participation in the braiding.