Warp Knitting Tool Assembly with Filling Element

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional knitting tool designs struggle to maintain stability and prevent deformation at high gauges, leading to potential collisions and reduced fabric quality due to insufficient lateral support and web weakness, especially when trying to produce finer fabrics.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a filling element between adjacent knitting tools on their side flanks, outside the grooves, to provide lateral support and reduce the thickness of the needles without compromising stability, allowing for a thinner, more manageable needle design that maintains load-bearing capacity and reduces collision risks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the number of knitting needles is increased to produce finer fabrics, then the fineness of the knitted fabric is improved, but the webs between the grooves become too thin to provide sufficient lateral support

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefineness of knitted fabricVSAvoidlateral support capability of webs
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The filling element acts as an intermediary component positioned between adjacent knitting needles. It provides lateral support to the needles without requiring the webs between grooves to be thick, thus enabling high needle density while maintaining structural support.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of providing support through the web thickness (one dimension), the filling element introduces support in the lateral dimension between needles. This shifts the support mechanism from vertical web structure to horizontal filling element structure.

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

2Manufacturing precision

If the thickness of knitting needles is reduced to enable finer fabrics, then the fineness of the knitted fabric is improved, but the lateral stability of the knitting needles is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefineness of knitted fabricVSAvoidlateral stability of knitting needle
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The filling element serves as a mediator that provides lateral stability to thin knitting needles. By positioning filling elements between adjacent needles, the system achieves needle stability without requiring increased needle thickness, thus maintaining fabric fineness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Weight of moving object

If the thickness of knitting needles is reduced, then the mass of the knitting needle is decreased, but the risk of collision with guide needles increases due to loss of lateral stability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemass of knitting needleVSAvoidcollision risk with guide needles
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The filling element acts as a protective intermediary that prevents lateral displacement of thin knitting needles. This mediation reduces the risk of collision with guide needles while allowing the use of lighter, thinner needles that reduce mass and improve productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Weight of moving object

If the thickness of knitting needles is reduced, then the mass of the knitting needle is decreased, but the load-bearing capacity is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemass of knitting needleVSAvoidload-bearing capacity of knitting needle
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The filling element provides additional load-bearing support between adjacent knitting needles. This intermediary structure compensates for the reduced load-bearing capacity of thinner needles, allowing the system to use lighter needles while maintaining overall structural strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

5Productivity

If conventional knitting needle designs are used at high gauges, then the number of knitting needles per inch is increased, but the webs between grooves become too weak and may break under lateral distortion forces

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of knitting needles per inchVSAvoidstrength of webs between grooves
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The filling element serves as a reinforcement intermediary that compensates for the weakened web structure. By introducing this additional support element between grooves, the system can accommodate higher needle densities without the webs becoming too thin and vulnerable to breaking.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2045385B1Warp knitting tool assembly and warp knitting tool
Publication Date: 2010.04.21 KARL MAYER TEXTILMASCHFAB GMBH
  • EP2045385B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2045385B1 patent drawingFigure 2~9

AI summary

A working tool arrangement (1) is described, comprising a tool holder (3) having several parallel grooves (10) and several working tools (2), each of which has a holding area (12) arranged in one of the grooves (10) and a working end (15, 16). The aim is to achieve a high degree of fineness. For this purpose, at least one filler element (18) is provided between adjacent working tools (2), arranged between the holding area (12) and the working end (15, 16).