Flatbed Knitting Machine Yarn Feeding Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
In flatbed knitting machines, the vertical movement of yarn feeder ports to prevent interference and ensure proper yarn feeding complicates the carrier configuration and increases manufacturing costs, and self-propelled carriers with vertical movement mechanisms increase drive loads.
Innovation Solution
A flatbed knitting machine with self-propelled carriers and a controller that adjusts the lead and speed of carriers to maintain proper yarn feeding heights, avoiding interference with knitting needles, even when multiple carriers intersect, and reduces the need for a vertical movement mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the yarn feeder port is positioned at a lower height to ensure proper yarn feeding, then yarn feeding efficiency is improved, but interference with knitting needles occurs and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from vertical movement (one dimension) to horizontal movement (another dimension) to resolve the contradiction. The yarn feeder port is moved horizontally along the track to position itself ahead of the knitting needle, achieving proper yarn feeding without requiring vertical displacement. This dimensional change eliminates the need for complex vertical movement mechanisms while maintaining feeding efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic positioning of the yarn feeder port by enabling it to move horizontally along the track according to the knitting pattern requirements. The port can be selectively positioned at different locations (including ahead of the needle or at the needle position) based on real-time knitting needs, allowing the system to adapt without complex vertical mechanisms.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple carriers are used for pattern knitting, then design versatility is improved, but interference between yarn feeder ports and knitting needles occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses horizontal positioning along the track to resolve interference issues. Multiple carriers can operate simultaneously at different horizontal positions on the same track, with the yarn feeder port moving ahead of the knitting needle in the horizontal direction. This eliminates vertical interference while enabling complex patterns through coordinated horizontal movements of multiple carriers.
Solution Approach 2:
The yarn feeder port is positioned ahead of the knitting needle in advance, delivering the yarn to the expected position before the needle arrives. This preliminary positioning allows multiple carriers to operate without interference, as each carrier's yarn is already in place when its corresponding needle reaches the knitting position.
3Manufacturing precision
If self-propelled carriers with vertical movement mechanisms are installed, then yarn feeding control is improved, but drive load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces vertical movement with horizontal movement along the track. The self-propelled carrier moves horizontally to position the yarn feeder port ahead of or at the knitting needle, eliminating the need for vertical movement mechanisms. This reduces the drive load while maintaining precise positioning control through the horizontal track system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the vertical movement mechanism from the carrier system, keeping only the essential horizontal self-propelled movement along the track. This simplification reduces the drive load while retaining sufficient control capability through horizontal positioning and speed regulation.
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~1(b)
Figure 2
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AI summary
The invention provides a flatbed knitting machine that enables proper feeding of a knitting yarn without moving vertically a yarn feeder port as well as a method for properly feeding the yarn. A height of a yarn feeder port 10 is held high to avoid interference with knitting needles 12 that advance to the needle bed gap even when the yarn feeders 10 of a plurality of tracks intersect, and to allow a knitting yarn 11 to be caught on a hook of the knitting needle 12. As shown in Fig. 1(a), when a knitting yarn is properly fed from a feeder port 9 of a yarn feeding position 9a that advances by a lead "X0" only to a knitting needle at a yarn catching position 4a, the yarn fed from the yearn feeder port 10 located at the position only "y" higher from the yarn feeder port 9 can be subject to the equivalent yarn catching conditions. Even if the knitting yarn 11 from the feeder port 10 is fed to the knitting needle 12, making the lead "X2" of the yarn feeder port 10 only "x" larger than the lead "X0" of the yarn feeder port 9 can achieve the same gradient for the knitting yarn 11. As shown in Fig. 1(b), adjusting leads "X1", "X2", and "X3" at the yarn feeding positions 10a, 10d, and 10s in accordance with knitting conditions of knitting needles 12a, 12d, and 12s further enables appropriate yarn feeding.