Knitting Sinker With Thinned Frontal Section to Reduce Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing knitting systems experience wear issues due to contact between sinkers and latch needles, leading to increased wear and the need for frequent replacements, especially under centrifugal and inertial forces.
Innovation Solution
A sinker with a working section featuring two regions of varying thickness, where the region with reduced thickness allows the latch needle to move without contact, reducing wear and increasing the lifespan of both the sinker and needle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the sinker and latch needle are positioned to engage properly during knitting operation, then knitting function is achieved, but wear occurs between the sinker and latch due to contact
Solution Approach 1:
The sinker is designed with non-uniform thickness, featuring a thinned region in the frontal section where the latch needle passes by. This local modification creates clearance that prevents contact between the latch and sinker, thereby eliminating wear while maintaining proper knitting function in other areas
2Ease of operation
If the latch needle operates with proper engagement, then knitting operation is maintained, but centrifugal and inertial forces cause latch deflection and increased wear over time
Solution Approach 1:
By locally thinning the sinker in the frontal section, the design creates a clearance zone that accommodates latch deflection caused by centrifugal and inertial forces. This prevents the latch from contacting the sinker during operation, thereby eliminating the harmful wear effect while maintaining stable knitting operation
3Reliability
If the sinker thickness is increased to reduce wear, then sinker durability improves, but the sinker becomes less stable and less sensitive to thread cutting
Solution Approach 1:
The sinker features localized thickness variation with the frontal section thinned to prevent latch contact and the rear section maintaining full thickness for structural stability. This local modification allows the sinker to be durable where needed while remaining stable and thread-sensitive where required
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~7
AI summary
Proposed is a sinker (2) provided with a region (23) of reduced thickness on its working part (9). As a result, a clearance space is created on at least one side of the sinker (2). This clearance space makes it possible to reduce the distance between the sinker (2) and the latch needle (3) or to reduce the wear between these two elements. The clearance space furthermore does not change the distance between the sinker and the latch needle on the other side of the sinker. The sinker (2) according to the invention preferably has a clearance space on both sides, so that this sinker can be used in circular knitting machines which are designed for both rotational directions.