Segmented Flat Knitting for Parallel Pair-of-Uppers Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing textile manufacturing machines, particularly flat knitting machines, take significant time to produce each upper due to the carriage and needles needing to travel along the needle bed multiple times, leading to inefficiencies in production time and increased effort and expense.
Innovation Solution
A method for manufacturing a pair of uppers on a textile manufacturing machine by forming a first and second upper in a configuration where the length is at least twice the width, using a V-bed flat knitting machine with a separation element to prevent interference between sections, allowing simultaneous or partially overlapping knitting of left and right uppers, reducing the travel distance of feeders and carriages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a knitting machine knits one upper at a time sequentially, then the machine structure remains simple and easy to operate, but the production time increases significantly and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The needle bed is divided into multiple sections (e.g., first section and second section) that can independently knit different uppers simultaneously. Each section has its own carriage and feeders, allowing parallel production of multiple uppers without requiring a completely new machine design.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple knitting operations are merged into a single machine by combining multiple needle beds, carriages, and feeder systems into one integrated knitting machine, enabling simultaneous production of multiple uppers while maintaining a unified machine structure.
2Productivity
If the carriage and needles travel along the needle bed to produce each course, then the knitting process is simple and reliable, but the travel distance increases leading to slower production speed
Solution Approach 1:
The knitting process transitions from sequential production (one upper completing all courses before starting the next) to parallel production (multiple uppers progressing through courses simultaneously on different sections), effectively adding a temporal dimension to the production process and reducing total completion time.
3Productivity
If multiple uppers are knitted simultaneously on the same machine, then productivity increases, but the risk of interference between knitting sections increases
Solution Approach 1:
The needle bed is divided into multiple independent sections with separate carriages and feeders for each section. This segmentation allows each section to operate independently, knitting different uppers simultaneously without interference, while maintaining overall machine coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
Separate feeders and carriages act as intermediaries between the yarn sources and the needle beds, allowing independent control and movement for each knitting section. This intermediary system prevents interference between sections while enabling coordinated simultaneous operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure generally relates to a knitting machine (200) and a method of manufacturing a pair of uppers (100) using a knitting machine (200). The knitting machine comprises a first section (202) for knitting a first upper (100) on the knitting machine (200), a second section (204) for knitting a second upper (100) on the knitting machine (200) at a time that at least partially overlaps with the knitting of the first upper (100), and a separation element located between the first section (202) and the second section (204). The separation element provides a physical barrier between the first section (202) and the second section (204).