Tufting Machine Needle Bar Grouping for Pile Density
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tufting machines require increased pile locations and needle bar movements to achieve higher pile density, leading to reduced working speed and increased yarn waste.
Innovation Solution
A tufting machine with a needle bar shiftable in the longitudinal direction, where groups of needles have yarns of different properties, allowing for increased pile density without additional pile locations by positioning needles to generate piles with the same property at higher density, and using a yarn threading formula NP=NN-A, where NP is the number of different properties, NN is the number of needles, and A is an integer from 1 to NN/2, enabling up to half of yarns to have the same property.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the number of pile locations is increased to achieve higher pile density, then the pile density is improved, but the working speed is reduced due to additional needle bar movements
Solution Approach 1:
The needle bar is divided into groups of needles, where each group contains needles with yarns of the same property. This segmentation allows multiple needles to work simultaneously at different pile locations, increasing pile density without requiring additional needle bar movements, thereby maintaining working speed.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of increasing pile density by adding more pile locations along the needle bar longitudinal direction (one dimension), the invention utilizes the transverse dimension by arranging multiple needles in groups that can be selectively activated. This dimensional shift allows simultaneous pile generation at multiple locations without extending the needle bar movement path.
2Quantity of substance
If the number of pile locations is increased to achieve higher pile density, then the pile density is improved, but the yarn waste is increased
Solution Approach 1:
Different groups of needles are assigned yarns of different properties (colors, materials, structures) based on the specific requirements of different fabric regions. This local quality assignment ensures that yarn is used efficiently only where needed, reducing waste while achieving high pile density through selective needle activation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter of yarn property distribution by grouping needles with identical yarn properties together. This allows the system to vary yarn properties locally across different fabric regions without requiring physical changes to the yarn supply system, thereby optimizing yarn usage and reducing waste.
3Illumination intensity
If groups of needles with yarns of different properties are used, then the optical appearance of yarn properties is enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The needle bar is segmented into distinct groups, with each group containing needles threaded with yarns of the same property. This segmentation simplifies the overall threading complexity by creating modular units that can be independently controlled and activated, while still achieving enhanced optical appearance through the combination of different colored groups.
Solution Approach 2:
Within each group, all needles use yarns of the same property, creating homogeneity at the group level. This homogeneity simplifies the control logic and threading process, while the variation between groups provides the desired optical diversity and enhanced appearance.
Data Source
AI summary
A tufting machine (100) comprises a needle bar (10) shiftable in a needle bar longitudinal direction (L), a plurality of needles (12) being provided on the needle bar (10) following each other in the needle bar longitudinal direction (L), each needle (12) being individually selectable for carrying out a stitch and thereby generating a pile on a backing fabric, further comprising such a yarn threading that, on the needle bar (10), groups (G) of the needles (12) following each other in the needle bar longitudinal direction (L) and comprising a predetermined number of needles (12) are generated, the needles (12) of each group (G) having yarns of different properties threaded therethrough, the number of yarns of different properties associated with each group (G) being less than the number needles (12) within each group (G), such that, within each group (G), at least two needles (12) have yarns of the same property threaded therethrough.