EP2592179B1 - Clapper for a braiding machine and a braiding machine equipped with same and method for applying tension to braided material - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a bobbin for a braiding machine and a braiding machine equipped therewith and a method for applying a tension to a braiding material.

DE 10 2008 033 561 A1 describes a bobbin for a braiding machine with a bobbin and a coil system associated with the brake system with at least one brake shoe and a thread tensioning device. In this case, the brake system is associated with a trigger to release after applying a predetermined voltage, the brake system, so that a predetermined thread length can be supplied.

The voltage applied to the filament varies from a time shortly after release to re-engagement of the brake system, and then until the trigger is released again to release the brake system. US 3362282 describes a clapper for a braiding machine with at least one displaceably or displaceably arranged deflection roller and at least one stationary deflection roller. In both, the lace DE 10 2008 033 561 A1 and the US 3362282 a braiding material must be wound onto the bobbin before braiding can begin.

The object of the invention is thus to provide a novel bobbin with which a set-up time can be reduced and which can minimize a fluctuation in the tension of the braiding material. In addition, a corresponding method for applying a voltage to a braiding material to be created.

This object is solved by the features of the independent claims. Advantageous developments are defined in the dependent claims.

According to one aspect, a bobbin for a braiding machine is provided, comprising: at least one displaceably arranged or displaceably arranged deflection roller and at least one stationary deflection roller and a cord which is guided around the deflection rollers, wherein the displaceably arranged deflection roller by a tension member with a Tension is applied, and one end of the cord is connected to a fixing piece which can receive one end of a braiding material to apply a tension to the braiding material.

By the braid material is connected to the fixing piece and not, as in the prior art, must be guided over several roles to a bobbin, a set-up time can be significantly reduced because one end of the braiding material must be included only in the fixing. In addition, a voltage with which the fixing piece is acted upon, be kept substantially constant or a fluctuation of the voltage can be kept substantially lower, because the fixing piece does not have to unwind braiding and thus a brake system with shutter, which inevitably leads to voltage fluctuations omitted can.

The fixing piece can be designed as a clamping piece, which can hold and position one end of the braiding material by a simple clamping. However, the invention is not limited to this, but any other manner of fixing the end of the braiding material may be used, for example, fixation via a loop or a self-locking fixation or the like.

Preferably, the at least one displaceably arranged deflection roller is mounted on a carriage, which can slide along a guide, preferably a linear guide.

More preferably, the tension member has a wound around an axis Leaf spring, which is attached at one end to the axis and is at the other end in operative connection with the at least one displaceably arranged deflection roller. This operative connection is achieved, for example, in that the other end of the leaf spring is attached to the displaceable deflection roller. Alternatively, in the case of disposing a movable carriage on which the displaceable diverting pulley is mounted, the other end of the leaf spring may be mounted on the carriage. However, a lever mechanism, gear or the like may be interposed between the other end of the leaf spring and the displaceable guide roller to make the operative connection between these two elements.

Preferably, the leaf spring is mounted by screws or other easily detachable connection technology. In this way, the leaf spring can be easily and quickly replaced. Thus, a set-up time of the machine for replacing a faulty leaf spring or changing a spring rate is significantly reduced to increase the productivity of the machine.

Preferably, a plurality of displaceable and stationary deflection rollers is provided, so that a displacement path of the carriage is minimized in relation to the displacement of the fixing. Thus, even without the presence of coil carriers, on the one hand, a sufficient thread length of a braiding material can be supplied to a braiding process and, on the other hand, a tension can be kept substantially constant.

Preferably, a plurality of deflection rollers are arranged on an axis of a deflection roller, which are independently rotatable. In this way, a compact clapper with a maximum displaceable fixing piece can be created.

More preferably, the tension member applies a substantially constant tension to the braiding material. This allows a very precise braiding process, ie a very uniform braid can be produced.

The voltage applied to the fixing piece 15 can be maintained substantially constant, in particular, by keeping a deflection of the leaf spring or spiral spring wound around the axis as low as possible. In other words, the deflection of the leaf spring due to the displacement of the carriage in relation to the length of the leaf spring preferably wound several times around the axis is so small that the tensile force applied to the carriage remains substantially constant.

Substantially constant in this context means that the force applied to the braiding material varies less than about 10%, preferably less than about 5%, most preferably less than about 2%.

It is best to use a coil spring that is wound on a reel and pulls a spring force away from the reel during straight unwinding due to the change in shape from the curved shape to a rectilinear shape. In this way, the coil spring, regardless of the deflection, substantially constant spring force. In other words, the coil spring is not a spring acting according to Hooke's Law, but a constant force spring or a constant force generating means. Such springs are sold for example by the company Misumi Europe under the trade name coil spring CFS.

The leaf spring can also be easily replaced due to the attachment via rivets or screws.

Further, a deflection of the leaf spring due to the arrangement of the plurality of displaceable and stationary pulleys can be further reduced.

According to another aspect, a braiding machine with two bobbins and two fixing pieces is provided, wherein a braided material is clamped with its ends between the two fixing pieces of the two bobbins and guided over a hook of a braiding mandrel. In this way, eliminates the tedious winding the braid on two bobbins, a long time to Preparing the machine requires. Thus, a set-up time of the braiding machine can be significantly shortened to increase productivity.

• Anordnen zumindest einer verlagerbaren oder verschiebbaren Umlenkrolle und zumindest einer ortsfesten Umlenkrolle sowie einer Schnur, die um die Umlenkrollen geführt ist,
• Beaufschlagen der verlagerbar angeordneten Umlenkrolle mit einer Spannung durch ein Spannungsglied,
• Verbinden eines Endes der Schnur mit einem Fixierstück, und
• Aufnehmen eines Endes eines Flechtmaterials mit dem Fixierstück, um eine Spannung auf das Flechtmaterial aufzubringen.

According to a further aspect, a method for applying a tension to a braiding material is provided with the following steps:

• Arranging at least one displaceable or displaceable deflection roller and at least one stationary deflection roller and a cord which is guided around the deflection rollers,
• Acting on the displaceably arranged deflection roller with a tension by a tension member,
• Connecting one end of the cord with a fixing piece, and
• Receiving an end of a braiding material with the fixing piece to apply a tension to the braiding material.

• Wickeln einer Blattfeder um eine Achse, und
• Anbringen eines Endes der Blattfeder an der Achse und des anderen Endes an der zumindest einen verlagerbar angeordneten Umlenkrolle, um das Spannungsglied zu bilden.

Preferably, the method for applying a tension to a braiding material further comprises the following steps:

• Winding a leaf spring about an axis, and
• Attaching one end of the leaf spring to the axle and the other end to the at least one displaceably arranged pulley to form the tension member.

• Fig. 1 zeigt eine perspektivische Ansicht eines erfindungsgemäßen Klöppels mit dem Fixierstück.
• Fig. 2 zeigt eine schematische Draufsicht auf eine Flechtmaschine mit zwei erfindungsgemäßen Klöppeln sowie einem Flechtdorn.
• Fig. 3 zeigt eine Schwankung der auf das Flechtmaterial aufgebrachten Spannung gemäß dem Stand der Technik.
• Fig. 4 zeigt ein Diagramm der auf das Flechtmaterial aufgebrachten Spannung mit einem Klöppel gemäß der Erfindung.

The invention will now be explained in more detail by means of an embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings.

• Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a bobbin according to the invention with the fixing.
• Fig. 2 shows a schematic plan view of a braiding machine with two bobbins according to the invention and a braiding mandrel.
• Fig. 3 shows a variation of the voltage applied to the braiding material tension according to the prior art.
• Fig. 4 shows a diagram of the voltage applied to the braid material tension with a clapper according to the invention.

As in Fig. 1 and 2 is shown, the beater according to the invention has a fixing piece 15, which can receive a braiding material 3 preferably in a clamping manner and / or fix or position. An opposite end of the fixing piece 15 is connected to a cord 11 or a wire or yarn or the like, which is wound over a plurality of stationary deflection rollers 5 and a plurality of displaceably arranged deflection rollers 6. Accordingly, when a braiding material 3 is consumed during braiding, the fixing piece 15 is pulled away from the bobbin and pulled toward the braiding mandrel 1, respectively. Accordingly, the cord 11 is pulled further through the fixing piece 15 and the displaceable deflection rollers 6 move in the direction of the stationary deflection rollers 5. However, a distance covered by the displaceable deflection rollers 6 is less than the distance traveled by the fixing piece 15 because the cord 11 is wound several times around the stationary deflection rollers 5 and the displaceable deflection rollers 6.

In order to guide the displaceable deflection rollers 6, these are preferably mounted on a carriage 13 which can move along a linear guide 12. However, the invention is not limited thereto, but the displaceable deflection rollers 6 can also move on another path, for example a curved path, or via a lever mechanism. It is only important that the displaceable deflection rollers 6 can move during the consumption of the braiding material 3 in the direction of the stationary deflection rollers 5 out.

In this embodiment, the displaceable deflecting rollers 6 are displaceable along the linear guide 12 by being arranged on the carriage 13, which can slide along the linear guide 12. In other words, the carriage 13 slides along the linear guide 12 in the direction of the stationary deflection rollers 5 in order to move the displaceable deflection rollers 6 in the direction of the stationary deflection rollers 5.

The required tension for braiding is applied to the braiding material 3 by a corresponding tension on the displaceable deflection rollers 6. Preferably, for this purpose, the carriage 13 or the displaceable deflection rollers 6 is connected to a leaf spring 14, which is further preferably wound on an axis 10. Due to the winding of the leaf spring 14 on the axis 10, a dimension of the bobbin can be kept small and at the same time a deflection of the leaf spring 14 are kept low in relation to their entire length. The small deflection of the leaf spring 14 brings the effect that, as in Fig. 4 is shown, a voltage applied to the displaceable deflection rollers 6 regardless of a travel S of the carriage 13 along the linear guide 12 remains substantially constant, ie, the voltage varies by a maximum of 10%, preferably by a maximum of 5%, preferably at most 2% ,

Preferably, three mutually independently rotatable pulleys 5, 6 rotatably mounted on an axis 20 of the pulley and more preferably there are a pair of axles 20, each with three stationary pulleys 5 and a pair of axles 20, each with three displaceable pulleys 6. In this way a travel S of the carriage 13 along the linear guide 12 in relation to a displacement of the fixing 15 due to the consumption of the braiding material 3 low. However, the invention is not limited to the number of deflection rollers 5, 6 mentioned here. Rather, fewer or more deflection rollers 5, 6 and fewer or more axes 20 may be arranged.

More preferably, the cord 11 is guided by a guide eye 18 before the end of the cord 11 is connected to the fixing piece 15. In this case, the axis 10 of the leaf spring 14, the linear guide 12 with the carriage 13 and the stationary deflection rollers 5 with the axes 20 and the displaceable deflection rollers 6 with the axes 20 are preferably arranged on a base body 17. The fixing piece 15, however, floats freely by the tension of the cord 11, which continues on the braiding material 3, as in Fig. 2 is shown.

As in Fig. 3 is shown, a variation of the force F, which is plotted on the vertical axis, compared to the path S, which is plotted on the horizontal axis, in the prior art is relatively large, because the force F must rise until the trigger of the Braking system releases the brake system. Thereafter, the force drops to the minimum vertex and rises again until the trigger releases the brake system again.

Fig. 4 shows, however, the voltage curve of the force in the bobbin invention Fig. 1 and 2 , Because the deflection of the leaf spring 14 is relatively small relative to its entire length, the force applied to the carriage 13 is substantially constant regardless of the travel S of the carriage 13. Due to the substantially constant force F, a braiding process is substantially improved, so that a more uniform braid can be produced. This is particularly advantageous in the case of very small components, such as in precision components such as braided stents for insertion into a body passage of a living body.

In addition, the bobbin according to the invention has the advantage of the short set-up time, which comes into play especially when only small thread lengths of a braiding material to be processed. In particular, when creating closed-loop loops (so-called "closed loop" fabrics), a continuous braiding process can not be used and braiding often has to be interrupted in order to stretch new braiding material 3 between two bobbins and place it on a braiding mandrel 1. Here, the braiding machine according to the invention or the bobbin offers significant advantages, because the braiding material 3 only has to be placed around a hook 2 of the braiding mandrel 1 and must be received in the fixing pieces 15, as in Fig. 2 is shown. A set-up time in the "closed loop" weave is thus considerably shortened. In addition, very precise, in particular micro-components, such as stents, can be produced in a high yield and with increased precision in a short time.

Another advantage of the invention is that the fixing piece 15 automatically moves to the guide eye 18 after loosening the braiding material 3.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

braiding mandrel

2

hook

3

plaiting

5

stationary deflection roller

6

displaceable deflection roller

11

line

12

linear guide

13

carriage

14

leaf spring

15

fixing piece

17

body

18

Dominant eye

20

Axle of the pulley

Claims (10)

1. A bobbin carrier for a braiding machine, comprising at least one displaceably or shiftably arranged reversing reel (6) and at least one stationary reversing reel (5), characterized by a cord (11) guided around the reversing reels (5, 6), wherein the displaceably arranged reversing reel (6) is applied with tension by a tensioning member and an end of the cord (11) is connected to a fixing piece (15) that is capable of receiving an end of a braiding material (3) to apply tension to the braiding material (3).
2. The bobbin carrier according to claim 1, wherein the at least one displaceably arranged reversing reel (6) is attached to a carriage (13) that can slide along a guide, preferably a linear guide (12).
3. The bobbin carrier according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the tensioning member comprises a leaf spring (14) wound around an axle, which with its one end is attached to the axle and with its other end is in operative connection with the at least one displaceably arranged reversing reel (6).
4. The bobbin carrier according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a plurality of displaceable and stationary reversing reels (5, 6) is provided.
5. The bobbin carrier according to one of the preceding claims, wherein on an axle (20) of a reversing reel (5, 6) there are arranged several reversing reels that are rotatable independently of one another.
6. The bobbin carrier according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the tensioning member applies a substantially constant tension.
7. A braining machine comprising at least one bobbin carrier according to one of the preceding claims.
8. The braiding machine according to claim 7, wherein a braiding material (3), with its ends, is clamped between two fixing pieces (15) of two bobbin carriers according to one of claims 1 to 7 and is guided via a hook (2) of a braiding mandrel (1).
9. A method for applying tension to a braiding material (3), comprising the steps of:

   arranging at least one displaceable or shiftable reversing reel (6) and at least one stationary reversing reel (5), as well as a cord (11) guided around the reversing reels (5, 6),

   applying tension to the displaceably arranged reversing reel (6) by a tensioning member,

   connecting an end of the cord (11) to a fixing piece (15), and

   receiving an end of a braiding material (3) with the fixing piece (15) to apply tension to the braiding material (3).
10. The method for applying tension to a braiding material (3) according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

    winding a leaf spring (14) around an axle, and

    attaching one end of the leaf spring to the axle and the other end to the at least one displaceably arranged reversing reel (6) to form the tensioning member.

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