Circular Knitting Machine Needle Cam Detachment for Yarn Integrity

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing jacquard knitting methods often cause breakage and overlapping of yarns and filaments due to excessive loading of old loops during welt stitching, especially with fragile or thin yarns and increased complexity in knitting patterns.

Innovation Solution

A method where needles selected for welting are not made to perform stitching, thereby avoiding excessive loading of old loops, by detaching the needle or its corresponding jack from the cam at the stitch position, preventing guidance by the cam and subsequent stitching.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If needles for welting perform stitching as guided by the cam, then all needles uniformly complete the stitching cycle, but yarn breakage and loop overlapping occur due to excessive loading of old loops

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuniformity of stitching cycleVSAvoidyarn integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating the behavior of needles based on their selection status. Needles selected for welting are given a different function (skipping stitching) compared to needles selected for knitting or tucking. This is achieved through the needle selection mechanism that detaches welting needles from the cam at the stitch position, allowing them to follow a different path and avoid the harmful stitching action, thus preventing yarn breakage while maintaining uniformity for other needles

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Device complexity

If the cam guides all needles including welting needles through the stitching position, then the cam structure remains simple and uniform, but fragile and thin yarns break due to excessive loading

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecam structure simplicityVSAvoidyarn strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by detaching the needle or its corresponding jack from the cam at the stitch position before the harmful stitching action occurs. This preliminary detachment prevents the needle from following the cam's stitching path, thereby avoiding excessive loading on fragile yarns before the damage can occur. The needle selection mechanism performs this detachment in advance, allowing welting needles to skip the stitching position entirely

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

This approach prevents breakage and overlapping of yarns and filaments by ensuring that needles for welting do not engage in stitching, thus maintaining the integrity of the fabric and reducing yarn breakage and loop distortion.

Implementation Method 1

an electromagnetic actuator, a selecting jack, and a rocking piece

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic actuation: Electromagnetic Induction

Implementation Method 2

a piezoelectric element that is a combination of a multi-stage piezoelectric actuator and a patterning jack

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPiezoelectric effect: Piezoelectric Effect

Data Source

PatentEP3165652B1Knitting method and circular knitting machine
Publication Date: 2024.05.29 PRECISION FUKUHARA WORKS LTD
  • EP3165652B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3165652B1 patent drawingFigure 2(a)~2(d)
  • EP3165652B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is a knitting method and a knitting mechanism, and a circular knitting machine, in which in jacquard or semi-jacquard knitting using a circular knitting machine, welt stitching is avoided so as to prevent the breakage and overlapping of yarns and filaments. According to the present invention, only needles selected for knitting and needles selected for tucking perform stitching, and needles selected for welting are prevented from performing stitching by a deactivation method, and thus the needles selected for welting do not perform stitching, so that the load on old loops can be suppressed, and breakage and overlapping of yarns and filaments can be prevented