EP3307933B1 - Braiding machine - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a braiding machine, in particular round braiding machine, for braiding a continuous continuously or oscillating braided core, with at least two bundles of braided filaments and with a braiding ring arranged between the braided filaments and the emergence point of the braiding threads on the braided core, over the inner surface of which the braided threads are guided become.

In braiding machines, in particular in round braiding machines, braiding cores are frequently supplied which have a constant cross-section or a cross-section which changes considerably in the longitudinal direction of the braiding core in order to give the component to be produced its later shape.

The braids can in this case remain in the later component or be removed as a lost core again.

The braiding threads used may be individual threads or else braiding fibers, for example rovings made of carbon or glass fibers.

From these braided or braided fibers can be produced by braiding around a braid core so-called preforms, which serve the later production of a variety of components made of fiber-reinforced plastics. For a high quality of the later components, it is imperative that the braiding threads or braiding fibers be laid down as precisely as possible on the braided core.

In the conventional braiding process, bobbins receive the bobbin threads, which are moved on guide tracks relative to each other so as to form a braid. The clappers have different directions of rotation around the braid core.

In round braiding machines, the guideways are two counter-rotating concentric circular paths, in the center of which - axially offset - the braiding core to be braided moves. It is thus achieved that the braiding threads or braiding fibers of the clapper in the positive direction of rotation continuously cross over with those of the negative direction of rotation, so that a braided core is formed when braiding a braided core.

If braided cores with complex core geometry are used in the braiding machines, one can not achieve a uniform braid structure with the usually round braided rings with a constant opening cross section.

Even with braided core cross sections with widely differing side lengths, when using rigid braided rings with a circular opening cross section, considerable differences in the local braiding angle, the layer thickness and the thread concentration on the individual sides of the braided core arise in some cases.

Likewise, in the case of curved braided cores, different braid structures are produced on the inner and outer radius of curvature when using the known rigid braided rings with a circular opening cross section.

To remedy this situation, describes the DE 10 2010 047 193 A1 a round braiding machine having a braid ring of four angled segments, all of which can be simultaneously displaced radially by the same travel path towards or away from the braid core. The individual segments overlap at their free ends. The adjusting devices engage in their angled region.

This arrangement has the disadvantage that the individual segments of the braiding ring can only follow cross-sectional changes of the braided core, if these run symmetrically to the longitudinal axis of the braiding ring. Local bulges or indentations of the braided core can not be followed, so that the quality of the braid suffers. Likewise, no braids with very different side lengths can be braided with sufficient quality.

Another solution is from the US Pat. No. 6,679,152 B1 known. Here, at least one adjustable braiding ring in the manner of an iris diaphragm is provided in a round braiding machine. Again, only all segments can be adjusted simultaneously by the same angular amount. Therefore, even with this braiding ring, it is not possible to follow the unilaterally changing cross-sectional shape of a braided core.

Finally, out of the DE 101 15 953 A1 a braiding machine with two different sized, rigid braided rings with circular opening cross-section known which are arranged coaxially to each other and the braided core in the yarn feeding direction behind each other and during the braiding process in the axial direction opposite to each other periodically back and forth, so that alternately only one of the braided rings Thread deflection takes over while the other is unlocked, so as to achieve a fiber-sparing thread guide especially on shear-sensitive fibers.

The object of the present invention is to further develop a braiding machine using a rigid braiding ring in such a way that the braided ring opening cross section can be adapted both to the circumference and in the geometric shape to the respective core core cross section.

This object is achieved by the braiding machine characterized in claim 1. The subclaims describe advantageous developments of the invention.

The invention is based on the recognition that the cross section of a braided core can be imaged by at least two rigid braiding rings, even if these two braided rings are positioned so that their opening cross sections at least partially overlap such that the resulting Overlap opening the geometrically closest comes to braiding at the moment to be braided core cross-section. Thus, the mesh structure can be kept much more constant or locally influenced. Thus, the overlap opening of the at least two braiding rings can be optimally adapted to almost all cross-sectional changes of the braided core and thus optimally guide the braided fibers or braiding fibers. As a result, it is possible to always ensure the deposit-oriented feeding point of the braiding threads on the respective Wickchtkernumfang. Above all, however, the free distance between the inner surface of the overlap cross section and the casserole point on the wicker core can always be kept very low. Here, the adaptation of the overlap opening of the braiding rings takes place during the braiding process.

The developments of the invention according to claims 2 to 4 describe particularly suitable opening cross sections for the individual braiding rings, with which the Wickchtkernquerschnitte used today can almost completely map.

When using two or more Flechtringen these can also be arranged nested, as the development of the invention proposes according to claim 5.

Depending on the Wickchtkernquerschnitt it makes sense to use according to claim 6 three geometrically similar from the opening cross-section Flechtringe. Here, each braiding ring is separately adjustable, so that the set of all three braiding rings together opening cross section can be adapted to almost any cross section of the braided core.

The developments of the invention according to claims 7 to 9 describe an advantageous way, as the setting of the individual braiding rings can be carried out technically favorable. Instead of the spindle drive Timing belts can also be used. Thus, the individual braiding rings can be easily controlled. Also, this structure is very robust.

In certain braided core geometries, it may also be useful, in addition to a horizontal and vertical adjustability of the braided rings (x and y axis) also provide a rotation about the z-axis when the. Flechtringe have a deviating from a circular opening cross-section.

Fig. 1

eine Seitenansicht eines Flechtkerns mit auflaufenden Flechtfäden;

Fig. 2

eine erste Ausführungsform der Erfindung mit zwei Flechtringen;

Fig. 3

eine zweite Ausführungsform der Erfindung mit zwei ineinander verschachtelten Flechtringen;

Fign. 4a bis 4d

eine Kombination von zwei eiförmigen Flechtringen;

Fign. 5a bis 5d

eine Kombination von drei eiförmigen Flechtringen;

Fign. 6a bis 6d

eine Kombination von drei ellipsenförmigen Flechtringen;

Fign. 7a bis 7d

eine Kombination von drei kreisringförmigen Flechtringen.

In the following, the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to some embodiments. It shows in a highly schematic representation:

Fig. 1

a side view of a wicker core with accumulating braids;

Fig. 2

a first embodiment of the invention with two Flechtringen;

Fig. 3

a second embodiment of the invention with two interlaced Flechtringen;

FIGS. 4a to 4d

a combination of two ovate braided rings;

FIGS. 5a to 5d

a combination of three egg-shaped braided rings;

FIGS. 6a to 6d

a combination of three elliptical braided rings;

FIGS. 7a to 7d

a combination of three circular braided rings.

In Fig. 1 a side view of a part of a braid core 1 is shown.

The braid core 1 has a longitudinal axis 2 and changing cross-sectional areas, which are not always arranged symmetrically to its longitudinal axis 2. Thus, it has in the peripheral region 3 a symmetrical circumferential cross-sectional enlargement, while in the peripheral region 4 has a one-sided bulge and in the peripheral region 5 has a one-sided depression. This is followed in the peripheral region 6 by a symmetrical constriction, which then increases symmetrically to the peripheral region 7 again.

In the example shown, the transitions between the individual areas are continuous, but they can also be jumpy.

The transport direction of the braided core is denoted by 8.

On the Flechtkern1 run usually a variety of braiding or braiding fibers 9 and possibly also additional standing or 0 ° threads (not shown). In this example, only two braiding threads or braiding fibers 9 are shown by way of illustration. These are subtracted from braided filament coils, not shown. They are deflected in this example by the inner circumference of a first rigid braiding ring 10. This braiding ring 10 has a constant invariable diameter which is larger than the largest diameter of the braid core 1 to be braided.

Depending on the arrangement of the bobbin thread can be dispensed with this first braiding ring 10 also.

Close to the point of emergence of the braiding threads 9 on the circumference of the braid core 1 are in Fig. 1 arranged two braided rings 11 and 12, whose arrangement and adjustment are described below. Depending on the present in the emergence point of the braiding threads 9 Flechtkernkontur the two Flechtringe 11, 12 mutually adjusted so that at least a part of its inner peripheral surface is very close to the currently wound surface contour of the braid core 1 and the braiding threads 9 are deflected almost parallel and at a small distance from the surface of the braided core 1 to each other and the braid core contour.

Fig. 2 shows a first embodiment of the invention in perspective schematic representation.

The two braided rings 11, 12 each have an egg-shaped opening cross section 13.

The two braided rings 11, 12 are held by two laterally arranged tabs 15, 16, via which they are arranged on a frame 17 on its front and back. In or on the frame 17 drive means, not shown, are provided, each braided ring 11 and 12 has its own, independently of the other braiding ring controllable drive means. Each drive means allows the associated braiding ring 11 or 12 a horizontal (displacement about the x-axis) and vertical displacement (displacement about the y-axis). As a result, the overlapping opening 18 jointly covered by the two braided rings 11, 12 is varied. This overlapping opening 18 corresponds as geometrically as possible to the instantaneous core core cross-section, so that the braiding threads accumulate in the correct position on the circumference of the braided core.

As a drive device linear slide with spindle or belt drive are preferred. It may also be useful in these braided rings 11, 12 with non-circular opening cross-section, the braided rings 11, 12 additionally to twist (adjustment about the z-axis).

If the flaps 15, 16 additionally cranked, the two braided rings 11, 12 may be arranged very close to each other, such as Fig. 2 illustrated.

The adjustment of the braiding rings 11, 12 takes place during the braiding process so that it is always ensured that the casserole point of the braiding threads 9 is close to the instantaneous circumference of the braid core 1, even if its cross section changes.

The solution after Fig. 3 differs from the arrangement Fig. 2 in that the braided rings 11 ', 12' each have a slot 19 on their circumference, so that they can be inserted into one another, as it were interleaved. Thus, the two braided rings 11 ', 12' for the braiding threads act practically like a single guide. Otherwise, the description of the Fig. 2 made statements here too.

In the FIGS. 4a to 4d Different combinations of two braided rings 11, 12 and 11 ', 12' with an egg-shaped opening cross-section 13 are shown in front views. In the respective overlap opening 18 different cross-sectional shapes of braided cores 1 are located. As can easily be seen, both small and large round cross-sections of braided cores ( 4b, 4c ) with suitable combinations of egg-shaped braiding rings as well as small and larger rectangular braid core cross-sections ( Figure 4a, 4d ). Here, aspect ratios (B / H) of up to 3: 1 can be processed.

In the FIGS. 5a to 5d are shown in front view different combinations of three braided rings 11, 12, 20, each with egg-shaped opening cross-section. Attached and drivable they can according to the arrangement according to Fig. 2 his. Again, it is easy to see that with the three braided rings also an overlap opening 18 are set with very different opening cross-section for different braided core contours can. So can - like the FIGS. 5c shows - even triangular Wickchtkernquerschnitte be braided with high quality.

Instead of Flechtringen with an egg-shaped opening cross-section and combinations of Flechtringen 21, 22, 23 can be used with elliptical opening cross-section, as in the front views in the FIGS. 6a to 6d is shown. Again, with very different settings of the three braided rings 21, 22, 23 to each other very different overlap openings 18 realize.

FIGS. 7a to 7d each show in front view combinations of three Flechtringen 24, 25, 26 with annular opening cross-sections 13. This also very different overlapping openings 18 can be generated so that even this Flechtringanordnung with high filing quality can be adapted to different Wickchtkernquerschnitte.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

braid

2

Longitudinal axis of 1

3 to 7

Peripheral areas of 1

8th

Transport direction of 1

9

braided

10

rigid braid ring

11

first adjustable braiding ring

12

second adjustable braiding ring

11 ', 12'

nested braided rings

13

egg-shaped opening cross-section of 11

14

egg-shaped opening cross-section of 12

15

flap

16

flap

17

frame

18

overlapping opening

19

Slot from 11, 12

20

third adjustable braided ring

21, 22, 23

adjustable braiding rings with elliptical opening cross section

24, 25, 26

adjustable braided rings with circular opening cross section

Claims (9)

1. A braiding machine, especially a round braiding machine, for braiding a continuously-supplied braiding core, with at least two braiding-thread spools and with a braiding ring arranged between the braiding-thread spools and the run-on point of the braiding threads onto the braiding core, over the inner surface of which ring the braiding threads are guided,
   wherein at least two braiding rings (11, 12, 11', 12', 21, 22, 24, 25) with a constant opening cross-section (13) in each case are arranged in series adjacent to each other, characterised in that the opening cross-sections (13) delimited by the braiding rings (11, 12, 11', 12', 21, 22, 23, 24, 25) form an overlap opening (18) which is geometrically adapted to the braiding-core cross-section which is momentarily to be braided, and in that the braiding rings (11, 12, 11', 12', 21, 22, 23, 24, 25) are arranged so as to be individually adjustable for geometric adaptation of the overlap opening.
2. A braiding machine according to Claim 1, characterised in that
   the braiding rings (24, 25, 26) in each case have a circular-ring-shaped opening cross-section.
3. A braiding machine according to Claim 1, characterised in that
   the braiding rings (21, 22, 23) have an ellipsoidal opening cross-section.
4. A braiding machine according to Claim 1, characterised in that
   the braiding rings have an ovoid opening cross-section (11, 12, 11', 12', 20).
5. A braiding machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that
   two braiding rings (11', 12') are provided which have on their periphery in each case a slot (19) so that they can be inserted into one another.
6. A braiding machine according to one of the preceding Claims 1 to 4, characterised in that
   three braiding rings (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25) of the same kind are provided directly adjacent.
7. A braiding machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that
   each braiding ring (11, 12, 11', 12', 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25) is arranged in the braiding-ring plane so as to be adjustable in a translatory manner along two axes.
8. A braiding machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that
   each braiding ring (11, 12, 11', 12', 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25) is adjustable by means of a linear guide.
9. A braiding machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that
   a spindle drive with separate ability to be actuated is provided for adjusting each braiding ring (11, 12, 11', 12', 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25).

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