Raschel Knitting Elongating Device with Teflon Plate

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional Raschel knitting machines struggle to produce nets with elongated stitches, as the existing methods for elongating stitches are limited by the stability of the stitch material and result in high friction, which can lead to material breakage and restrict the ability to produce wide nets without significant stretching.

Innovation Solution

An elongating device is integrated into the Raschel knitting machine, featuring an oblong, flexible object with a surface for positioning the stitch and an abutment portion for reciprocating motion, which reduces friction and allows for controlled elongation of stitches by moving the stitch surface during the knitting process, thereby increasing the stitch length without material breakage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Length of moving object

If conventional Raschel knitting machines are used to produce nets with elongated stitches, then the stitch length can be increased, but the friction on the stitch material increases significantly leading to material breakage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestitch lengthVSAvoidfriction on stitch material
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A Teflon-coated plate is introduced as an intermediary surface between the stitch material and the knitting machine components. The Teflon coating provides a low-friction surface that allows the stitch material to slide easily during the elongation process, significantly reducing friction and preventing material breakage while enabling increased stitch length

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The physical-chemical properties of the contact surface are changed by applying a Teflon coating, which has inherently low friction characteristics. This parameter change (surface friction coefficient) enables the stitch material to be elongated without experiencing excessive friction forces that would cause breakage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Area of stationary object

If the stitch material is elongated to increase mesh width, then wider nets can be produced, but the material stability decreases leading to breakage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemesh widthVSAvoidmaterial stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The Teflon-coated plate serves as a mediator that facilitates material elongation while protecting the material from damage. The low-friction surface allows the material to be stretched to increase mesh width without the high friction forces that would compromise material stability and cause breakage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Area of stationary object

If additional rows of loops are added to produce extra wide nets, then the net width increases, but the device complexity and production effort increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenet widthVSAvoidmachine complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of adding more needles and rows of loops (which would increase device complexity), the invention changes the physical parameters of the existing system by introducing a Teflon-coated plate. This allows the existing machine configuration to produce wider nets through material elongation rather than through structural expansion

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention introduces a dynamic element (the Teflon-coated plate that moves with the reciprocating motion) that enables variable net width production without changing the fixed needle configuration. The material can be elongated dynamically during the knitting process to achieve desired width

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP2683863B2Device for elongating stitches, elongating device for producing a net with elongated stitches, method for producing a net with elongated stitches
Publication Date: 2018.07.25 KARATZIS
  • EP2683863B2 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2683863B2 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2683863B2 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A method, an elongating device, a Raschel knitting machine comprising the elongating device for producing nets with elongated stitches and a net comprising elongated stitches is described. The method comprises the steps of continuously generating new loops for elongating the two rows of loops by additional loops and dragging the rows of loops in a machine direction, generating a first stitch of the weft by joining the weft to a loop of the first row and to a loop of the second row, and positioning the first stitch across a surface of an elongating device for preventing the first stitch from traveling with the warps knitted to loops in the machine direction. The joining is configured for elongating the first stitch by pulling additional weft material, and the surface of the elongating device is carrying out a reciprocating movement towards the first stitch. Further, an elongating device for elongating of the stitches is described.