Flat Knitting Machine Yarn Feeder Guidance for Stable Height Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The feeder tip in conventional flat knitting machines can shift out of the region where it can feed yarn to the target position on the side of the needle bed gap, leading to inefficiencies and potential collisions.
Innovation Solution
A flat knitting machine with a yarn feeder configuration that includes a feeder rod, converting means, and guiding means to adjust the feeder tip's direction closer to vertical, preventing it from moving out of the yarn feedable region, and includes a feeder tip height adjusting mechanism to optimize yarn feeding height.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the feeder tip is moved up or down to adjust yarn-feeding height, then the yarn feeding height can be optimized for different knitting conditions, but the feeder tip may shift toward the front or rear needle bed and move out of the region where it can feed yarn to the target position
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a guide mechanism as an intermediary between the feeder tip and the needle bed gap. This guide mechanism constrains the feeder tip's movement path, ensuring that when the yarn-feeding height is adjusted, the feeder tip remains within the effective feeding region and does not shift laterally toward the front or rear needle bed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a vertical dimension constraint to the feeder tip movement. By providing a guide that allows movement primarily in the vertical direction (up and down for height adjustment) while preventing lateral movement, the system separates the useful degree of freedom (height adjustment) from the harmful degree of freedom (lateral displacement).
2Ease of operation
If the feeder tip is moved up or down, then the yarn-feeding height can be changed, but the feeder tip may move out of the region where it can feed yarn to the target position on the side of the needle bed gap
Solution Approach 1:
The guide mechanism acts as an intermediary that enables easy height adjustment while preventing harmful lateral movement. The guide allows vertical movement for height adjustment but blocks lateral displacement, thus maintaining both ease of operation and yarn feeding efficiency.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the feeder rod is moved up or down without directional control, then the yarn-feeding height can be adjusted, but the feeder tip may collide with other components or move to ineffective positions
Solution Approach 1:
The guide mechanism provides beforehand cushioning by pre-establishing constrained movement paths. Before any harmful collision or ineffective positioning can occur, the guide mechanism is already in place to prevent lateral movement, ensuring the feeder tip remains within the safe and effective operational region throughout the height adjustment range.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a flat knitting machine capable of inhibiting the feeder tip from moving out of the region where the feeder tip can feed yarn to the target position that is on the side of the needle bed gap, the target position being a position where a knitting needle takes hold of the yarn, when the feeder tip is moved up or down. In a flat knitting machine (100) including needle beds (110); a yarn passage rail (130) that installed above the needle beds (110); a yarn feeder (1) including a feeder tip (23a) for supplying knitting yarn to a knitting needle (111); and a feeder tip position adjusting elongated hole (24a) and a screw (40) for adjusting the yarn-feeding height of the feeder tip (23a), the yarn feeder (1) includes: a feeder rod (20) to which the feeder tip (23a) is provided; a raising bias unit guiding groove (11) that guides the feeder rod (20) in a guide direction inclined with respect to the vertical direction; and feeder tip side guides (31) and carrier base side guide (32) that convert a moving direction of the feeder tip (23a) to a direction bringing the moving direction of the feeder tip (23a) closer to the vertical direction than the guide direction, in response to a change in the height of the feeder tip (23a), at least within a height range where the feeder tip (23a) is allowed to feed the yarn a position at which the yarn is taken hold of.