Fabric Relaxation Drying with Rigid Vibration Compaction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fabric treatment methods, particularly for knitted fabrics, fail to effectively restore dimensional stability and hand feel due to insufficient transmission of mechanical vibrations, leading to residual tensions and instability during washing and drying.
Innovation Solution
A machine and method combining mechanical vibration and thermal treatment using a rigid vibrating platform and heated drying tunnel, where the fabric is treated in open-width form with vibrations exceeding gravity acceleration, ensuring comprehensive relaxation and compacting of the fabric mass.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a flexible conveyor belt is used for fabric treatment, then the fabric can be easily conveyed, but the vibrations are not adequately transmitted to the fabric
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a rigid vibrating platform instead of a flexible conveyor belt to transmit vibrations effectively to the fabric while maintaining ease of operation through continuous motion and fabric feeding mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies mechanical vibration through a rigid platform to transmit sufficient vibratory forces to the fabric, resolving the contradiction by using rigidity rather than flexibility for effective vibration transmission
2Manufacturing precision
If the fabric is treated in rope form in a tumbler, then dimensional stability can be improved, but the process is discontinuous and labour-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous treatment by feeding fabric continuously through a vibrating platform and drying tunnel, eliminating the discontinuous loading and unloading required by tumbler methods
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical tumbling action with a combination of vibratory motion and thermal treatment, achieving dimensional stability through a more efficient continuous process
3Ease of operation
If vibrations are applied to opened-out fabric with limited acceleration, then fibre friction is reduced, but the forces of inertia are insufficient to dimensionally recover the fabric
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a rigid vibrating platform that generates sufficient inertial forces through controlled vibration, simultaneously achieving fibre relaxation and dimensional recovery of the fabric
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the acceleration parameter by using a rigid platform that can transmit higher accelerations to the fabric, transforming the treatment from low-acceleration surface vibration to high-acceleration mass vibration
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The combined mechanical and thermal treatment effectively reduces residual tensions, enhances dimensional stability, and improves hand feel by inducing significant accelerations that compact and stabilize the fabric, addressing the limitations of prior art methods.
Implementation Method 1
a rigid, vibrating platform (2) for treating a mass (3) of fabric T in open-width form... the acceleration imparted to the fabric T is such that it is greater than gravity
Implementation Method 2
the forces of inertia generated and acting on the fibres are insufficient to dimensionally recover and stabilize the fabric
Implementation Method 3
a drying tunnel (16) equipped with a hot air distributor (8)... the fabric is treated by the special combined action of heat and mechanical vibration
Implementation Method 4
drying of a fabric, especially a knitted fabric, while simultaneously obtaining an effect of recovery, swelling and relaxation
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A machine and a method for treating fabrics, comprise in combination a step of inducing substantially vertical vibrations in a quantity of fabric in the form of a substantially compact accumulation and a simultaneous step of drying the rest of the fabric which is in an extended form.