Integrated Movable Sinker Torque Spring Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing movable sinker systems for flat knitting machines, with separate sinker and wire spring components, face increased manufacturing costs, longer working hours, and variations in shape and spring characteristics, leading to difficulties in maintaining the appropriate relationship between displacement and load within the working load range.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a torque spring portion with the sinker portion, formed by a fine-blanking process, allows for a U-letter shape equivalent to separate torque springs, with a projection part adding extra line length, enabling appropriate spring energization and stable motion while reducing manufacturing costs and variations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the sinker member and wire spring are manufactured as separate components, then assembly flexibility is improved, but manufacturing cost increases and manufacturing time extends
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the sinker member and wire spring into a single integrated component manufactured by punch press working. The sinker member includes an integrated wire spring portion that provides both the sinker function and spring energization, eliminating the need for separate assembly of these components. This integration resolves the contradiction by improving manufacturing efficiency while maintaining functional flexibility through the unified design.
2Ease of manufacture
If the sinker member and wire spring are manufactured as separate components, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but manufacturing cost and working hours increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the wire spring portion directly into the sinker member as a single punch-press-formed component. The wire spring portion is formed as an integral part of the sinker member body, allowing both components to be manufactured simultaneously in one operation. This resolves the contradiction by eliminating separate manufacturing processes and assembly steps, thereby reducing cost and time while maintaining the necessary functional flexibility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate sinker and wire spring components are used, then functional separation is improved, but variations in shape and spring characteristics increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a unified sinker member with an integrated wire spring portion formed by punch press working. Since both the sinker body and spring portion are manufactured as one integrated component in a single process, dimensional variations and spring characteristic variations are eliminated. The integrated structure ensures consistent geometric relationships and mechanical properties, resolving the contradiction by maintaining functional versatility while achieving high manufacturing precision.
4Adaptability or versatility
If separate sinker and wire spring components are used, then component independence is improved, but the relationship between displacement and load becomes unstable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the wire spring portion directly into the sinker member structure, creating a unified component where the spring portion and sinker body form a single mechanical system. This integration ensures that the displacement-load relationship remains stable and predictable, as the spring characteristics are inherently tied to the sinker geometry. The unified structure eliminates assembly variations and ensures consistent mechanical behavior, resolving the contradiction by maintaining component functionality while achieving reliable performance.
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
This integration allows for low-cost manufacturing, reduced manufacturing time, and stabilized knitted fabric quality by maintaining the necessary displacement and load relationship within the working load range, while ensuring the strength and precision of the sinker portion.
Implementation Method 1
The wire spring 3 has a base end part 3a elastically latched to a spring hold part 2e provided where the arm part 2b is extended from the inverted Ω-Ietter shape part of the sinker member 2
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~1(b)
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
To provide a movable sinker and a flat knitting machine that can be manufactured at a low cost even when a torque spring portion is integrated to a sinker portion, can eliminate individual variations, and can shorten manufacturing work hours. From the intermediate section between a support part 12a and an arm part 12b of a sinker portion 12 of a movable sinker 11, a torque spring portion 13 is extended in the direction opposite to the arm part 12b. Following the extending part 13a, a roundabout part 13b is formed to take roundabout course to a virtual center of a circle 4c on the inner circumferential side of the support part 12a. Following the roundabout part 13b, an idle end part 13c that runs parallel to the extending part 13a is formed. Between the roundabout part 13b and the idle end part 13c, a projection part 13d that projects outwards in the radial direction is provided to add the line length of the torque spring. By the addition of the line length, the relationship between sufficient amount of displacement and the load can be obtained for the sinker even manufactured from punching out process by a press machine.