Compound Needle Slider Groove Lint Ingress Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing compound needles for stitch-forming textile machines suffer from increased power consumption and wear due to lint and dirt penetration during high-speed knitting operations, compromising stability and efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A compound needle design with a slider guided in a groove that exerts a downward force on the groove base, preventing lint and dirt ingress by ensuring secure contact, and featuring shank walls and a guide bar for enhanced stability and rigidity, along with a diagonally rising profile to minimize stitch widening.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the groove has an additional opening in its base or in one of the shaft cheeks to remove lint, then lint removal is improved, but the stability of the needle is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelint removalVSAvoidneedle stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the harmful lint and dirt from the groove by using the slider to push them out through the opening in the groove base, while maintaining the structural integrity of the needle by keeping the opening small and positioned at the bottom where it least affects stability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The slider is designed to move dynamically within the groove, pushing lint and dirt toward the opening for removal while maintaining secure contact with the groove base during operation, thus adapting the system's state based on operational needs

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If knitting speed is increased to improve productivity, then productivity is improved, but lint and dirt penetration increases leading to increased power consumption and wear

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveknitting speedVSAvoidlint and dirt penetration
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The slider is designed to automatically push lint and dirt out of the groove during its operational movement, using the force generated during normal knitting operations to maintain the groove's cleanliness without requiring external intervention or additional cleaning mechanisms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The groove opening is positioned and sized to preliminarily prevent lint and dirt from penetrating deep into the groove before they can cause significant harm, creating a barrier that intercepts contaminants at the point of entry

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If the slider contact area with groove base is reduced to facilitate movement, then ease of operation is improved, but lint and dirt can penetrate more easily

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveslider movementVSAvoidlint and dirt ingress
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The groove base is designed with a localized opening at a specific position where lint removal is most effective, while maintaining solid contact between the slider and groove base at the majority of the interface area to prevent contamination, thus applying different structural qualities to different locations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4389951B1Compound needle for knitting textile machines, knitting textile machine and method for knit stitch formation
Publication Date: 2025.09.10 GROZ BECKERT KG
  • EP4389951B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4389951B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4389951B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a slider needle (1) for stitch-forming textile machines, a stitch-forming textile machine, and a method for stitch formation. To reduce the introduction of dirt and lint into the groove (6) of a slider needle (1), a slider needle (1) according to the invention is designed and operated in a stitch-forming textile machine such that, during operation, a force (13) acts downwards in the vertical direction (y) on the working area (11) of the slider (10) of the slider needle (1), pressing the slider (10) onto the groove base (8) of the groove (6).