EP2428602B1 - Guide needle assembly for a Jacquard guide bar and Jacquard guide bar - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a guide needle assembly for a jacquard guide bar with a carrier, a plurality of guide needles, which are arranged on the carrier, each guide needle is provided with at least one offset drive, and a drive means which is electrically connected to the offset drives, wherein the drive means releasably with connected to the carrier.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a jacquard guide bar having a bar body and at least one such guide needle arrangement.

Such a guide needle arrangement for a jacquard guide bar and such a jacquard guide bar are made EP 2 192 218 A1 known. Here, the guide needles can be used individually in a guide bar. The guide bar has a number of slots for this purpose on, which serve to position the guide needles with their Verstellantrieben. Each guide needle has a plurality of electrical contacts, which are formed in the form of pins. The pins of a group of guide needles can be connected to a common plug having a socket for each pin. With the help of the plug, the group of guide needles can be attached to the guide bar at the same time.

Another guide needle arrangement for a jacquard guide bar and such a jacquard guide bar are, for example DE 196 13 385 C2 known. Here several guide needles are attached to a holder. The holder is attached to a segment, which in turn is fixed to the body of the bar. The segment points Contacts which are formed in the form of male or female terminal contacts that can come into contact with wires of a bus line, which is arranged on the bar body. The contact is made when the segment is attached to the body of the bar.

Jacquard guide bars are particularly suitable for producing knitwear with patterns, even if these patterns should have a more complicated structure. For this purpose, the guide needles can be controlled individually by the offset drives, so that the movement of the guide needles produced by the offset drives is superimposed on the offset movement of the bar body. This results in additional muster possibilities.

Even with a jacquard guide needle faults may occur during operation. For example, a laying needle may break or otherwise become defective. The offset drives can fail or no longer fulfill their function to the desired extent. Finally, it is also possible that the driver device is defective and must be replaced.

In the known case this is achieved a complete segment of the body of the bar and replaced. This allows a relatively quick repair of the guide bar, but is otherwise relatively expensive. It is not only replaced the defective guide needle, but a complete segment with bracket and guide needles and the offset drives. The offset drives are common designed as piezo ceramics. Piezo ceramics are a not inconsiderable cost factor in the production of the guide needle assembly. So if a complete segment needs to be replaced, then many intact offset drives and guide needles are disposed of, although this would not be necessary in and of itself. The removal of a laying needle or the offset drives pays off in many cases, because here a plastic casting must be destroyed.

The invention has for its object to keep repair costs low.

This object is achieved in a guide needle arrangement of the type mentioned above in that each offset drive has at least one spring contact against which the driver device bears with a contact surface.

With this configuration, it is possible to electrically and mechanically separate the driver device from the offset drives, so that when a defect occurs, it is possible first of all to investigate whether the driver device is defective or an offset drive on one of the guide needles. If the driver device is defective, then it is sufficient to replace the driver device. The guide needles with their offset drives can be left unchanged. In particular, you do not have intact offset drives to dispose. If only the offset drive or the offset drives of a single guide needle are defective, then it is also possible in this way to replace this single guide needle after removing the driver device. Once the driver device has been removed from the carrier and thus from the guide needles with their offset drives, the guide needles are freely accessible. The guide needles are arranged individually in this case in the carrier and can accordingly be removed individually from the carrier and used there again. Of course, you can replace this guide needle assembly against another guide needle assembly in case of a defect of a guide needle assembly. But you can then examine in a workshop, the guide needle assembly and replace or replace only the parts that are actually defective. Through the use of spring contacts to achieve a reliable electrical connection between the driver device and the offset drives. The spring contacts cause the electrical connection of an offset drive with a sufficient force applied to the driver device without causing destruction or damage to other parts, such as in a male or female contact. It is therefore possible to repeatedly solve and produce an electrical contact between the driver device and the offset drive. This keeps the repair costs relatively low.

Preferably, at least one guide needle, a mechanical abutment is provided in which the driver device is pivotable. It can thereby be achieved that the driver device is moved virtually perpendicular to the spring contacts, so that the springs of the spring contacts are acted against their effective direction. A lateral displacement of the driver device relative to the contact is avoided. This makes it possible to repeatedly produce or release electrical contacts without the risk of damage.

Preferably, the driver device has an attachment to the carrier. This can achieve two effects. On the one hand, the driver device is fixed in a position on the carrier in which its contact surfaces lie in the correct position relative to spring contacts of the offset drives. On the other hand, the driver device can be used to additionally hold the guide needles on the carrier. Once the driver device is mounted, the guide needles can not be removed from the carrier.

Preferably, similar contacts of all guide needles are arranged along a straight line. This facilitates the interchangeability of guide needles or units having the guide needles and offset drives. It is thus easy to make sure that you do not need different driver devices for different guide needles. The driver device may be relatively simple in terms of their contact surfaces.

Preferably, each guide needle has at least two offset drives, wherein each offset drive has its own spring contact and the spring contacts of the offset drives in the width direction and in the longitudinal direction of the guide needles are offset from one another. This creates a sufficiently large distance between the contacts of the offset drives. One can then on the one hand provided the driver device with sufficiently large contact surfaces, so that in each case a reliable electrical contact between the driver device and the offset drives achieved. On the other hand, you can also ensure that there is a sufficient distance between the contact surfaces, so that the risk of mutual interference of the offset drives by electrical means via the contact surfaces or other type of short circuit is not given.

The offset drives of a guide needle preferably have a common ground contact. The offset drives a guide needle thus have a common ground and thus a common ground contact. This keeps the effort for the mechanical and electrical construction of the guide needle assembly low.

Preferably, the spring contacts each have resilient levers. Springing levers allow a relatively large travel with little mechanical effort. For example, such a resilient lever may have a U- or V-shape, wherein a free end is electrically fixed to the offset drive, while the other free end forms a spring contact, which bears against the driver device.

Preferably, the guide needles are arranged in holders for offset drives, which in particular have opening windows in the offset direction, in which the spring contacts are arranged. This results in a relatively simple mechanical construction. The holders for offset drives, for example, may be formed at least partially from a plastic, so that they can be manufactured by means of an injection molding process. In such a plastic part can then easily accommodate the spring contacts.

It is also advantageous if the spring contacts are arranged offset from each other in the longitudinal direction of the guide needle. This results even in closely juxtaposed guide needles sufficient for electrical insulation distance between the spring contacts adjacent guide needles, so that short circuits are not to be feared.

The object is achieved in a jacquard guide bar of the type mentioned in that the guide needle assembly is formed as described above.

You can, as mentioned, then make relatively simple repair. While it is still beneficial to replace a guide needle assembly that is defective with an intact guide needle assembly. But you can then disassemble the guide needle assembly at least to the extent that individual valuable parts remain.

Preferably, the body of the body is at least partially electrically conductive and the driver device is electrically conductively applied to a conductive region of the body of the body. It is possible in this way to utilize the body of the bar itself as a conductor, for example as a ground conductor. In simple cases, this can be realized, for example, in that the body of the bar is formed of a carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic or a metal. If the bar has a body made of an electrically non-conductive material, you can make them conductive that, for example, ladder, especially flat conductor, applied to the body.

In an alternative or additional embodiment it can be provided that the bar body forms a bus line. In a bus line control commands for the driver devices can be transmitted serially, so that you no longer need a large number of individual wires of a line, but basically manages with two or three lines. The addressing of the individual guide needles then takes place in that each command is preceded by an address.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Darstellung einer Legenadelanordnung,

Fig. 2

eine Seitenansicht einer abgewandelten Legendelanordnung,

Fig. 3

einen Legenadelhalter in perspektivischer Darstellung im Ausschnitt aus einem ersten Blickwinkel und

Fig. 4

den Legenadelhalter aus einem anderen Blickwinkel.

The invention will be described below with reference to a preferred embodiment in conjunction with a drawing. Herein show:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of a guide needle assembly,

Fig. 2

a side view of a modified Legendelanordnung,

Fig. 3

a guide needle holder in perspective in the section from a first angle and

Fig. 4

the guide needle holder from a different angle.

A guide needle assembly 1 after Fig. 1 has a carrier 2, on which a plurality of guide needles 3 are arranged in the desired pitch. Each guide needle 3 is arranged in a holder 4, for example, inserted into an opening at the top of the holder 4. Each needle holder 4 has two offset drives 5, of which in Fig. 1 only one offset drive of an outer holder 4 can be seen. On the opposite side of the holder 4, a similar offset drive is arranged.

The offset drives 5 are formed in a conventional manner as piezo-ceramics, which cause an offset of the holder 4 when subjected to a predetermined voltage. This offset causes the guide needle to be moved in an offset direction. The offset direction is the direction along which all Guide needles 3 a guide needle assembly 1 are arranged one behind the other.

The drive means 6 has in the present case a circuit substrate 7, for example, a board made of an epoxy resin, on which one or more electrical components 8, such as a microprocessor , are arranged. Lines 9 on the circuit board then provide electrical paths available, can be passed through the electrical signals from the electrical components to the individual offset drives 5. The driver device 6 can be controlled via cable 10, so that the individual guide needles 3 can be moved in the desired manner.

The detailed explanation of such a guide needle assembly is mainly based on Fig. 2 , which represents a slightly modified embodiment of a guide needle assembly 1 on a jacquard guide bar 11. The jacquard guide bar 11 has a bar body 12, with a profile 13, in which the carrier 2 is mounted. The carrier 2 is then by means not shown, for example, screws through an opening 14 (FIG. Fig. 1 ) can be guided, attached to the bar body 12.

The bar body 12 has two conductive areas 15, 16. The conductive region 16 forms a ground line. If the ingot body 12 is electrically conductive as a whole, then the conductive region 16 can also be replaced by the ingot body 12 as a whole. The conductive area 15 then only has to be electrically insulated from the body of the bar 12.

The conductive region 15 is designed as a bus line. Commands for controlling the offset drives can be transmitted serially via a bus line. For this purpose, it is only necessary that each command is also connected to an address indicating which needle assembly 1 is to be controlled on the body of the body 12 and which needle 3 is to be moved in this guide needle assembly.

Incidentally, the same elements as in Fig. 1 provided with the same reference numerals.

The carrier 2 has a profile 17 into which a tip 18 on the holder 4 can be inserted. Furthermore, the carrier 2 has a projection 19 into which slots 20 are milled in accordance with the division into which a lug 21 engages. The grooves for the lugs 21 and 22 are consistent and are preferably made in the same operation, for example by milling. An eccentric pin 23 is arranged between the projection 19 and the holder 4 and presses the holder 4 with its tip 18 in the profile 17 of the carrier second

Each holder 4 has a head 24. The head 24 has at the end, which faces the guide needle 3, a hook-like extension 25, in which the circuit carrier 7 of the driver device 6 is inserted. If the circuit carrier 7 is inserted in this extension 25, then the circuit carrier 7 can be pivoted relative to the carrier 2. This is symbolized by a double arrow 26.

At the head 24 for each offset drive 5 each have a normally open contact 27, 28 and for both offset drives together a ground contact 29 is provided.

The two working contacts 27, 28 are offset relative to each other in the width direction as well as in the longitudinal direction of the guide needles 3 and the holder 4, i. they have a comparatively large distance from each other.

All contacts 27-29 are designed as spring contacts. So they are designed resiliently yielding. For this purpose, as shown in the Fig. 2 to 4 can be seen, the normally open contact 27, a spring lever 30 and the working contact 28, a spring lever 31. A corresponding spring lever for the ground contact 29 is not shown. The spring levers are arranged in windows 32 which open in the head 24 of the needle holder in the offset direction.

The spring lever 30, 31 are offset in the longitudinal direction of the guide needle 3 relative to each other. Since the guide needles 3 With respect to each other, this results in that all spring contacts 30 are located in a region which is closer to the guide needle 3, and all spring contacts 31 are in an area which is closer to the flag 21. This results even when the guide needles are closely adjacent, sufficient for electrical insulation distance between spring contacts 30, 31 adjacent guide needles. 3

The spring levers 30 have a V-shape ( 3 and 4 ) or a U-shape ( Fig. 2 ). In all cases, they allow a relatively large spring travel and ensure at the same time that their normally open contacts 27, 28 and the ground contact 29 reliably abut against contact surfaces on the circuit substrate 7.

When the circuit carrier 7 is pivoted along the double arrow 26 in the extension 25, then these contact surfaces 33 come approximately perpendicular to the normally open contacts 27, 28 and the ground contact 29, so that when the circuit carrier 7 is in its final position, the spring lever 30, 31 are only compressed, but need not be displaced laterally. In the final position, the driver device 6 is then connected to the carrier 2 by means of, for example, a screw 34.

The screw 34 can simultaneously make electrical contact with the conductive region 16. In addition, a contact pin 35 is provided which is also resilient. The contact pin 35 then establishes an electrical connection between the driver 6 and the conductive region 15 on the body of the body 12. With a screw 36, an electrically conductive connection to the body bar 12 is made.

Similar contacts of the offset drives 5 are all on a line that extends in the offset direction. This can be in Fig. 1 detect by contact eyes 37 for the ground contacts 29, 38 for the normally open contacts 27 and 39 for the normally open contacts 28. Each contact eye 37-39 is opposite to a contact surface.

Should a defect occur during operation, then one only has to detach the carrier 2 of a guide needle assembly 1 from the body of the bar 12. In one embodiment according to Fig. 1 you must also solve a connection of the cable 10 to the knitting machine. This is in the embodiment after Fig. 2 not necessary anymore. There, the electrical connection between the driver device 6 and a non-illustrated control device of the knitting machine is solved at the same time when removing the carrier 2 from the bar body 12.

The guide needle assembly 1 can then be replaced by a new and intact needle assembly 1.

The defective guide needle arrangement can be examined in a workshop. After removing the driver device 6, the driver device 6 can be checked for proper functioning. After loosening the eccentric pin 23, each holder 4 can be removed individually from the carrier 2. For example, if only one offset drive of a holder 4 is defective, then it is sufficient to replace this holder 4. The remaining holders with their offset drives 5 can remain in the carrier 2.

After the replacement of holders 4 and / or a driver device 6, the driver device 6 can again be attached to the extension 25 and pivoted there. With the system of the driver device 6 on the head 24 of all holders 4 then the electrical contact between the driver device 6 and the offset drives 5 is made. It is not necessary that the driver device actually abuts in identical manner on all heads 24, because the spring contacts allow 27-29 a certain balance.

With the assembly of the guide needle assembly 1 on the body bar 12 is then (at least in the embodiment according to Fig. 2 ) and the electrical connection to the control device of the knitting machine made, so that the knitting machine can continue to work quickly after a relatively short interruption.

In a manner known per se, stops 40 are provided on the carrier 2, which limit the movements of the guide needles 3 in the direction of displacement in each case.

Claims (12)

1. Guide needle assembly (1) for a jacquard guide bar (11), comprising a support (2), a plurality of guide needles (3) which are arranged on the support (2), each needle (3) being provided with at least one racking drive (5), and a driver device (6) which is electrically connected to the racking drives (5), the driver device (6) being releasably connected to the support (2), characterised in that each racking drive (5) comprises at least one spring contact (27-29) on which a contact surface (33) of the driver device (6) rests.
2. Guide needle assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that, for at least one guide needle (3), a mechanical abutment (25) is provided in which the driver device (6) can pivot.
3. Guide needle assembly according to either claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the driver device (6) comprises an attachment (34) to the support (2).
4. Guide needle assembly according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that similar contacts (27-29) for all the guide needles (3) are arranged in a straight line.
5. Guide needle assembly according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that each guide needle (3) comprises at least two racking drives (5), each racking drive (5) comprising its own spring contact and the spring contacts of the racking drives being offset from one another in the width direction and the longitudinal direction of the guide needles (3).
6. Guide needle assembly according to claim 5, characterised in that the racking drives (5) of a guide needle (3) comprise a joint earthing contact (29).
7. Guide needle assembly according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the spring contacts each comprise resilient levers (30, 31).
8. Guide needle assembly according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the guide needles (3) are arranged in holders (4) for racking drives, which holders comprise windows (32) which open in particular in the racking direction and in which the spring contacts (30, 31) are arranged.
9. Guide needle assembly according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the spring contacts (30, 31) are offset from one another in the longitudinal direction of the guide needle (3).
10. Jacquard guide bar (11) comprising a bar body (12) and at least one guide needle assembly (1) according to any of claims 1 to 9.
11. Jacquard guide bar according to claim 10, characterised in that the bar body (12) is electrically conductive at least in part and the driver device (6) rests on a conductive region (15, 16) of the bar body (12) in an electrically conducting manner.
12. Jacquard guide bar according to either claim 10 or claim 11, characterised in that the bar body forms a bus line.

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