Shedding Machine Sealing Device Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing shed forming machines for looms face challenges in effectively sealing oil within the machine to prevent splashing and contamination during high-speed operations, particularly due to the complexity and expense of precise manufacturing and sealing requirements around the outlet opening crossed by oscillating levers.

Innovation Solution

A shed forming machine with a sealing device comprising stacked sealing spacers and seals, where the spacers have grooves that allow the seals to be mounted close to the machine's fixed parts, forming a channel for the seal's heel, providing a compact and easy-to-assemble solution that is economically advantageous and facilitates maintenance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If sealing profiles and gaskets are precisely manufactured and mounted around the hood and frame, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but manufacturing cost and assembly time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing effectivenessVSAvoidmanufacturing cost and assembly time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing device is divided into multiple sealing spacers stacked along the common shaft, each spacer being a simple, inexpensive component that can be manufactured and assembled independently. This segmentation replaces the need for complex, precisely manufactured sealing profiles while maintaining effective sealing through the collective action of multiple simpler elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Sealing spacers are introduced as intermediary elements between the outlet levers and the sealing gasket. These spacers provide a mounting surface for the gasket and create the necessary sealing geometry without requiring precise manufacturing of the hood or frame themselves, thus simplifying the overall manufacturing process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of manufacture

If sealing spacers are stacked along the common shaft with grooves defining seal receiving channels, then assembly simplicity and manufacturing cost are reduced, but sealing precision must be maintained

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly simplicity and manufacturing costVSAvoidsealing groove precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing function is segmented across multiple spacers rather than requiring a single complex sealing structure. Each spacer contains grooves that receive sealing elements, and the cumulative effect of these segmented grooves creates the complete sealing path, reducing the precision burden on any single component.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The sealing gasket acts as a flexible element that can accommodate minor variations in groove geometry. The flexible nature of the gasket compensates for imprecisions in the rigid spacer grooves, maintaining effective sealing while allowing for simpler manufacturing of the spacer components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Data Source

PatentEP4095296B1Shedding machine
Publication Date: 2024.03.13 STAUBLI FAVERGES SA
  • EP4095296B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4095296B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4095296B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

This crowd-forming machine includes exit levers (14) oscillating about a common shaft (22) centered on a longitudinal axis (A22), a hood, a frame, and a sealing device (40, 52, 54) comprising sealing spacers (40) stacked along the common shaft, and at least one sealing gasket (52, 54). Each sealing spacer includes a band (402) and an internal radial edge. The sealing gasket (52, 54) extends in a principal direction parallel to the longitudinal axis (A22) of the common shaft (22) and bears against a fixed part of the machine. Each sealing spacer (40) has at least one groove (416, 436) extending parallel to its primary axis (A40) and opening on each side of the sealing spacer. The grooves of the sealing spacers of the sealing device (40, 52, 54) together define a channel (G2, G4) for receiving a heel of the sealing joint.