Filament Folding with Powder Brake Tension Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for folding wholly aromatic polyamide filaments into bundles struggle with maintaining uniform tension, leading to twisted or loosened filaments, which results in reduced modulus, surface area, and poor workability during optic fiber covering, causing thread cutting, uneven surfaces, and reduced quality in optic cables.

Innovation Solution

A method involving release-winding multiple filaments under uniform tension using tension controllers, such as mechanical or electrical systems with sensors and brakes, to regulate the rotational speed of creels and maintain constant tension, ensuring the filaments are folded in a non-twisted state.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If multiple filaments are release-wound from separate creels without tension regulation, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the release-winding tension of each filament cannot be controlled to be constant, leading to deviation in tensions and partial loosening of filaments

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuniformity of release-winding tensionVSAvoidcomplexity of tension control system
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the tension control system into separate independent units, with each creel equipped with its own tension controller. This segmentation allows each filament to be controlled independently while maintaining overall system simplicity, resolving the contradiction between precise tension uniformity and device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each creel is equipped with a self-contained tension controller that automatically regulates the release-winding tension of its own filament without requiring complex centralized control. This self-service approach enables precise tension control while keeping the overall device complexity low.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Strength

If filaments are folded in a twisted state to maintain bundle integrity, then the bundle structure is stable, but the modulus is lowered and surface area is decreased during the covering process

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemodulus of filament bundleVSAvoidbundle structure stability
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary tension control during the release-winding process to ensure filaments are uniformly tensioned before folding. This preliminary action prevents the need for twisting to maintain bundle integrity, allowing the filaments to be folded in a non-twisted state while maintaining both strength and structural stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Manufacturing precision

If filaments are release-wound with different paths to the folding point, then the creel arrangement is flexible, but the release-winding tension becomes difficult to control to be constant, especially for high denier filaments

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconstancy of release-winding tensionVSAvoidcomplexity of path regulation system
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements separate tension controllers for each creel, segmenting the control system to independently manage the release-winding tension for each filament path. This allows flexible creel arrangement while maintaining constant tension control for each filament regardless of its path to the folding point.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Reliability

If the bundle of filament is used to cover optic fiber, then the workability is good, but thread cutting occurs causing poor workability and increased production cost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveworkability during optic fiber coveringVSAvoidthread cutting
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary uniform tension control during the filament folding process to prevent length differences and ensure all filaments are evenly tensioned before bundle formation. This preliminary action eliminates the conditions that lead to thread cutting during subsequent optic fiber covering, improving reliability while eliminating harmful effects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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 method ensures a bundle of filaments with consistent weight and length distribution, preventing filament loosening and thread cutting, resulting in higher modulus, wider surface area, and improved workability during optic fiber covering, with reduced irregularities and enhanced quality of optic cables.

Implementation Method 1

there was proposed a process for preventing thread cutting by using a yarn feed roller that has a separate motor to control a rotational speed of the feed roller so as to maintain the winding tension of the winder constant

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP2692917B1Method of folding filament
Publication Date: 2015.07.08 KOLON INDUSTRIES INC
  • EP2692917B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2692917B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method for producing a bundle of filament in non-twisted states from a plurality of filaments comprising: release-winding the filaments from a creel part consisting of a plurality of creels (1), each of which has a bobbin (2) wound with each of the filaments and rotates by a rotational axis under a release-winding tension, then, folding the released filaments together by means of multiple driver rollers (3a), (3b) and (3c); and winding the folded filaments over a winder (5) to produce the bundle of filament, wherein each of the creels (1) is equipped with a release-winding tension controller (6) (abbrev. to "tension controller") for regulating a rotational speed of the creel to control the release-winding tension of the filament to be constant, wherein the tension controller (6) is an electrical tension controller, characterized in that the electrical tension controller is a powder brake.