Flat Knitting Machine Thread Guide Height Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flat knitting machines face challenges in adjusting thread guides' vertical position efficiently and cost-effectively, particularly with increasing needle space and complexity in synchronization of drive units, leading to high costs and limited installation space.
Innovation Solution
A flat knitting machine with a thread guide that can be moved along a rail, featuring a control element that can be rotated about an axis parallel to the rail, allowing the thread feed part to be adjusted in height at any position, eliminating the need for permanent movement of control plates and reducing the complexity and cost of the drive system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If self-sufficiently driven thread guides with horizontally movable rails are used to adjust vertical position, then thread guide positioning is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase due to separate drive units and precise synchronization requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the thread guide movement function and the vertical position adjustment function into a single integrated mechanism. The thread guide is moved along the rail by a carriage that simultaneously controls the vertical position of the thread feed part, eliminating the need for separate drive units and reducing synchronization complexity while maintaining positioning precision
Solution Approach 2:
The carriage serves multiple functions: it moves the thread guide along the rail and simultaneously adjusts the vertical position of the thread feed part. This multi-functional design reduces the overall number of components and simplifies the drive system while achieving both positioning and height adjustment requirements
2Manufacturing precision
If control plates with cams are used for vertical adjustment, then thread feed part height is improved, but installation space is insufficient due to required high thread guide rail
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a vertical adjustment mechanism requiring height in the vertical dimension to a horizontal adjustment mechanism where the carriage moves along the rail in the horizontal direction while controlling vertical position. This dimensional change allows compact installation without requiring excessive vertical space or high thread guide rails
3Manufacturing precision
If highly dynamic electric motors with precise synchronization are used, then positioning accuracy is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By combining the movement and height adjustment functions into a single carriage mechanism, the patent reduces the number of motors from two highly dynamic synchronized motors to a single motor system, significantly reducing cost while maintaining positioning accuracy through the integrated mechanical design
Solution Approach 2:
The carriage acts as an intermediary mechanism that translates horizontal movement into simultaneous vertical position adjustment of the thread feed part. This mechanical mediation achieves precise positioning without requiring multiple high-performance motors and complex synchronization control systems
Data Source
Figure 1a~1c
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AI summary
The machine has a thread guide (1) movable along a thread guide rail (100), and exhibiting a thread-supply-part (2) that is adjustable in vertical direction. A control element (3) is rotatably driven around an axis that extends parallel to the guide rail. The control element stresses the thread-supply-part at each position of the thread guide on the guide rail and adjusts the thread-supply-part in vertical position. The control element extends parallel to the guide rail over an entire movement area of the thread guide.