Slide Spring Bead Design for Textile Machine Rigidity

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing slide springs in stitch-forming textile machines lack sufficient rigidity and precise guidance, leading to suboptimal stitch formation and increased load peaks, while also being difficult to stack and separate efficiently.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates a slide spring with a groove-shaped bead that has a concave inside and a convex outside, allowing for stacking and improved guidance, with beads having similar cross-sectional contours for secure stacking and enhanced support in the needle channel when the hook is closed.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If slide springs are made with conventional designs, then they can be manufactured simply, but they lack sufficient rigidity and precise guidance

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproverigidityVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The slide spring incorporates a bead with specific geometric features (convex outer side, concave inner side) at particular locations to enhance rigidity and guidance where needed, while maintaining simpler geometry in other regions. This localized structural enhancement provides the required mechanical performance without unnecessarily increasing overall complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The bead structure adds a dimensional feature to the slide spring that extends beyond the basic flat spring geometry. This three-dimensional feature provides additional structural support and guidance surfaces that improve rigidity and positioning precision in the needle channel

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of manufacture

If slide springs have conventional geometry, then manufacturing is simple, but stacking and separation are difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidstacking and separation
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The bead structure introduces asymmetric geometry to the otherwise symmetric slide spring design. The convex outer side and concave inner side create a directional stacking interface that enables easy nesting of multiple springs while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through standard forming processes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

The bead geometry is specifically designed to enable nested stacking of multiple slide springs. The convex outer side of one spring fits into the concave inner side of another, creating a compact stacked arrangement that simplifies handling, storage, and separation of multiple springs

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Manufacturing precision

If slide springs lack guidance features, then structure is simple, but guidance in needle channel is imprecise

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveguidance precisionVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The guide section incorporates specific geometric features (bead with convex outer side and concave inner side) at the location where guidance is needed in the needle channel. This localized structural enhancement provides precise guidance surfaces without adding complexity to the entire spring structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The bead structure adds a three-dimensional guidance feature that extends beyond the basic flat spring geometry. This dimensional enhancement creates precise contact surfaces with the needle channel walls, improving guidance accuracy and stitch formation precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

4Manufacturing precision

If slide springs have insufficient rigidity, then stress on components is reduced, but stitch formation precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestitch formation precisionVSAvoidload peaks
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The bead structure provides localized rigid support at critical positions where stitch formation precision is required. This localized rigidity enhancement ensures precise stitch formation while the overall spring design continues to provide stress relief and load distribution

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This design increases the rigidity of the slide spring, improves guidance and stitch formation precision, reduces load peaks, and simplifies the stacking and separation of slide springs, while reducing manufacturing and handling efforts.

Implementation Method 1

each outwardly curved, convex bead of the bead is shaped such that it fits completely into an inwardly curved, concave bend of the bead, so that a convex bead outer side can be received by a concave bead inner side

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical interlocking:

Implementation Method 2

a guide section for guiding on a needle body

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Implementation Method 3

a closing section for closing a hook opening

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3283678B1Slide spring, slide, slide needle, guide arrangement, and method for producing at least one slide spring
Publication Date: 2022.03.23 GROZ BECKERT KG
  • EP3283678B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3283678B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3283678B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A slide spring (112) for a slide, said slide spring (112) having a closing section (122) for closing a hook opening, a connection section (124) for connecting to a slide body, and a guide section (126) for guiding on a needle body, wherein the slide spring (112) extends in a spring longitudinal direction (I), in a spring transverse direction (b), and in a spring height direction (h), wherein the slide spring (112) has at least one crimp (140) with a concave crimp inner side (142) and a convex crimp outer side (144), wherein the slide spring (112) is stackable. A slide for a slide needle, wherein the slide has a first slide spring (112) of this type and a second slide spring of this type. A slide needle for a stitch-forming textile machine, wherein the slide needle has a slide of this type, and the slide is displaceable in a needle longitudinal direction (I) relative to a needle body for opening and/or closing a hook opening. A guide arrangement for a stitch-forming textile machine, wherein the guide arrangement has at least one slide needle of this type, and the at least one slide needle is guided in a needle channel in a channel longitudinal direction (I). A method for producing at least one slide spring (112) of this type, wherein multiple slide springs (112, 114) are stacked in such a way that each convex crimp outer side (144) is accommodates by a concave crimp inner side (142).