Weft Knitting Machine Sinker Dynamics for Yarn Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional weft knitting machines experience issues with residual shadows on fabrics due to delayed yarn position changes, which affect the quality of pattern and color changes in knitted fabrics, and require significant modifications to accommodate yarn changes through various sinkers, reducing the number of deployable needles.
Innovation Solution
A weft knitting machine design featuring sinkers with linear displacement movement and needles with specific retracting tracks to change yarn positions quickly, allowing the facing yarn to be positioned above the nose and the bottom yarn in the throat, enabling real-time yarn changing without altering the machine's integral structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If yarn position changes are delayed in conventional weft knitting machines, then the machine structure remains simple, but residual shadows appear on the fabric and pattern quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sinker is designed with dynamic capability to change its position between two predetermined positions (first position for standard knitting, second position for yarn position change). This dynamic adjustment allows the sinker to actively participate in yarn position changing, enabling quick response without complex external mechanisms, thus improving fabric pattern quality while maintaining relatively simple machine structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The sinker is given multiple functions: it performs both standard knitting operations and yarn position changing operations. By making the sinker multi-functional, the patent avoids adding separate dedicated mechanisms for yarn position change, thereby improving manufacturing precision without significantly increasing device complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If yarn position changes are implemented through various sinkers in conventional machines, then yarn changing capability is improved, but the number of deployable needles is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The sinker is designed to perform multiple functions including both standard knitting and yarn position changing. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve versatile yarn changing capability without requiring additional specialized components that would reduce the number of deployable needles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the yarn position changing function with the existing sinker mechanism. By merging these functions into a single component rather than adding separate mechanisms, the patent maintains a high density of deployable needles while achieving adaptable yarn changing capability.
3Speed
If the yarn carrier changes yarn position quickly, then yarn changing speed is improved, but residual shadows still appear because needles are remotely located
Solution Approach 1:
The sinker acts as an intermediary mechanism between the yarn carrier and the needles. It receives the quickly changed yarn position from the yarn carrier and directly transmits this change to the needles at the knitting point, ensuring that the yarn position change is immediately reflected in the knitting process without residual shadows.
Solution Approach 2:
The sinker performs preliminary action by pre-positioning the yarn at the correct location before the needle reaches the knitting point. This ensures that when the needle engages the yarn, the position change has already been completed, preventing residual shadows while maintaining high yarn changing speed.
Data Source
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AI summary
A weft knitting machine knitting structure (10) capable of changing yarn positions is provided. A facing yarn (30) and a bottom yarn (31) positioned below the facing yarn (30) are fed during knitting, the weft knitting machine knitting structure (10) comprises a plurality of sinkers (11) and a plurality of needles (12), the plurality of needles (12) are respectively arranged adjacent to one of the plurality of sinkers (11), and each of the plurality of sinkers (11) is guided to perform a linear displacement movement (116). Each of the plurality of needles (12) is provided with a hook (121) and a latch (122) for performing a closing action relative to the hook (121). The machine comprises two needle tracks wherein one needle in the first needle track performs a normal plating and a needle in the second needle track performs an interchanged plating. A needle in the second needle track is closed before a needle in the first needle track.