Patent Application
20240254665
The present invention relates to the field of automated textile processing technology, particularly a method for automatically handling flat knitting knots in continuous knitting process.
In flat knitting process, knots often occur in yarns due to uneven thickness, yarn breakage, or yarn reel changes. In the past, knots in flat knitting process were often manually knotted and then continued with the knitting process. For certain yarns and fabric structures, small knots do not affect the smoothness and aesthetics of the fabric. However, as consumer demands for the appearance and quality of fabrics increase, knots in certain yarns or intricate knitting structures, increases the difficulty of knitting and the risk of dropped stitches, making it more prone to larger holes and higher wastage of knitted products.
Chinese Patent Application No. CN200680043124.1 discloses A method for handling the joint of a knitting yarn in which the knitting yarn is switched accurately at an arbitrary position of knitting width and the joint of a knitting yarn can be cut and removed from a fabric. In a weft knitting machine comprising a yarn piecing means for piecing a knitting yarn under use with a knitting yarn selected from a plurality of knitting yarns for switching and joining them together, a yarn gripping means having at least two yarn gripping portions movable along the needle bed, and a means for cutting yarns, the yarn piecing means pieces the knitting yarn (A) under use with a yarn (B) for switching, and the yarn gripping means grips the knitting yarns (A, B) in front and rear of the joint of the knitting yarns (A, B). The knitting yarns (A, B) are then cut, respectively, on the sides not including the joint of the knitting yarns (A, B) gripped by the yarn gripping means, a portion becoming the end yarn of the knitting yarn (B) used for knitting is gripped by the yarn gripping means when the knitting yarn (B) is cut, and the cut end including the joint is removed from the fabric in the middle of knitting.
The existing technical solution mentioned above has the following defects: The knitting pattern in this method is predetermined, and the occurrence of knots is due to yarn changes, resulting in fixed positions for the knots. However, knots generated by fancy yarns, yarn breakage, or yarn reel changes have randomness and are not fixed at specific positions in the pattern. Therefore, this method is not suitable for situations where knots appear randomly.
The objective of the present invention is to provide a fully automatic method for handling flat knitting knots in continuous knitting process, aiming to solve the aforementioned problems in the prior art.
The technical purpose of The present invention is achieved through the following technical scheme:
A flat knitting continuous knitting process method for automatic processing the knots, comprising the following steps:
The knot alarm is equipped with the capability to detect knots and emit a signal.
In a further embodiment, the knot handling program is associated with the knot alarm, and the knot handling program is automatically activated after the knot alarm is triggered.
In a further embodiment, manually adjust the detection position of the knot alarm before knitting to identify and alarm knots that can affect the appearance of the fabric.
In a further embodiment, the knot handling program is a compiled fixed process module set in the machine program.
In a further embodiment, The actions controlled by the knot handling program include: the anti-ladder action when pulling out the yarn segment containing the knot from the knitting area, securing the yarn segment after pulling it out of the knitting area, the anti-ladder action when reinserting the yarn into the knitting area, and cutting off the excess yarn segment with scissors.
In a further embodiment, The knot handling program is divided into six sub-programs based on the position of the knot occurrence: the knot alarm processing program when the carriage moves left and is positioned in the middle of the knitting area, the knot alarm processing program when the carriage moves left and is positioned at the left edge of the carriage, the knot alarm processing program when the carriage moves left and is positioned at the right edge of the carriage, the knot alarm processing program when the carriage moves right and is positioned in the middle of the knitting area, the knot alarm processing program when the carriage moves right and is positioned at the left edge of the carriage, and the knot alarm processing program when the carriage moves right and is positioned at the right edge of the carriage.
In a further embodiment, After completing the actions controlled by the knot handling program, the machine automatically switches to the previous knitting program, and then continues the subsequent knitting process following the steps before the alarm was triggered.
In a further embodiment, The anti-ladder action during both the pulling out and reinsertion involves the alternating organization of floats and tucks, while the yarn segment is secured using a clip.
In a further embodiment, After the fabric is fully knitted and removed from the machine, excess yarn is manually cut off, and there is no need for further end hiding or anti-ladder processes.
The invention has the following specific advantages:
The process method of the present invention utilizes a knot alarm set on the flat knitting machine to automatically detect knots on the yarn. Once a knot is detected, the yarn segment containing the knot can be pulled out and secured without manual intervention. This process method effectively eliminates knots randomly generated by various yarn specifications, ensuring the aesthetics of the textile products and improving production efficiency. Therefore, the present invention is suitable for widespread application in flat knitting manufacturing.
The present invention is further described in details with accompanying drawings as follows. The same parts and components are designated with the same reference numerals. It should be noted that the terms “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, “top”, and “bottom” used in the following description refer to the directions in Figures, and the terms “bottom surface” and “top surface”, “inner” and “outer” respectively refer to facing towards or away from specific components geometrically. Additionally, the terms “first” and “second” are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or indicating the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, features designated as “first” and “second” may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description herein, the term “multiple” means two or more unless the direction of the center is specifically defined otherwise.
As shown in
The knot handling program calls the corresponding subprogram based on the alarm position of the knot alarm and the knitting direction of the knitting machine. The number of subprograms is determined by the type of fabric being knitted. In this embodiment, the knot handling program is divided into six subprograms based on the position of the knot occurrence: the knot alarm processing program when the carriage moves left and is positioned in the middle of the knitting area, the knot alarm processing program when the carriage moves left and is positioned at the left edge of the carriage, the knot alarm processing program when the carriage moves left and is positioned at the right edge of the carriage, the knot alarm processing program when the carriage moves right and is positioned in the middle of the knitting area, the knot alarm processing program when the carriage moves right and is positioned at the left edge of the carriage, and the knot alarm processing program when the carriage moves right and is positioned at the right edge of the carriage. The six subprograms of the knot handling program control the same machine actions, but the positions of the machine actions for handling knots are different. By setting the six subprograms, the machine can quickly determine the appropriate side edge of the knitting machine to handle the yarn segment containing the knot based on the knitting progress, thereby improving the speed of knot handling.
The actions controlled by the knot handling program include: The anti-ladder action when pulling out the yarn segment containing the knot from the knitting area, securing the yarn segment after pulling it out of the knitting area, the anti-ladder action when reinserting the yarn into the knitting area, and cutting off the excess yarn segment with scissors. The anti-ladder action during both the pulling out and reinsertion is the same, achieved by alternating the float and tuck of the yarn. The yarn segment is secured by clamping using a clip set on the machine, which is activated under program control.
Specific implementation process: To further illustrate the process of the method of the present invention, as shown in
The knitting machine carriage moves left, and the knot alarm immediately triggers an alarm when it detects knots on the yarn to be used for knitting. Upon receiving the alarm, the machine automatically loads the knot handling program. The knot handling program analyzes that the carriage is moving left and the alarm position is in the middle of the knitting area. Subsequently, the subprogram of the knot handling program for the case when the carriage is moving left and in the middle of the knitting area is executed. The machine pulls the yarn to the right side, alternately it with tuck. After the yarn leaves the knitting area, a clip on the machine clamps the yarn near the knot. The machine then pulls the yarn back to the left side into the knitting area, again alternating it with tuck. Once the yarn is knitted back to the position where the alarm was triggered, the machine cuts the yarn containing the knot with scissors, resulting in two yarn ends. After completing the knitting process, the two exposed yarn ends are manually cut off.
In the embodiments disclosed in this invention, terms such as “installation,” “connection,” “linking,” and “fixing” should be interpreted in a broad sense. For example, “connection” can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection. “Linking” can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediary. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of these terms in the disclosed embodiments of this invention based on the specific circumstances.
The specific embodiment described above is only an explanation of the present invention, and it is not intended to limit The present invention. Those skilled in the art can make modifications to the present embodiment without creative contribution as needed after reading this specification, but such modifications are protected by the patent law as long as they fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202111386481.0 | Nov 2021 | CN | national |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/CN2022/132731 | Nov 2022 | WO |
| Child | 18629220 | US |
