Classifications

• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
  • D04B—KNITTING
  • D04B15/00—Details of, or auxiliary devices incorporated in, weft knitting machines, restricted to machines of this kind
  • D04B15/06—Sinkers
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
  • D04B—KNITTING
  • D04B15/00—Details of, or auxiliary devices incorporated in, weft knitting machines, restricted to machines of this kind
  • D04B15/88—Take-up or draw-off devices for knitting products
  • D04B15/90—Take-up or draw-off devices for knitting products for flat-bed knitting machines

Definitions

• the movable sinker suspends the portion pressing the stitch from the stitch to stop the operation of pressing the stitch (see Patent Literature 1, for example).
• the movable sinker is used together with a fixed sinker for sinker loop formation (see Patent Literature 2, for example).
• the movable sinker to be used in combination with the fixed sinker is provided with a claw at the leading end to advance into and retreat from the needle bed gap, and is capable of fulfilling the function of depressing fabric by hooking the claw on the fabric from one of needle beds on both sides across the needle bed gap.
• the function of depressing the fabric can also be fulfilled by a movable sinker not to be used in combination with a fixed sinker.
• the knitting needle 15 slides in the needle groove to cause a hook 15a at a leading end thereof to advance into and retreat from the needle bed gap 11.
• a stitch 20 illustrated in Figs. 4 , 5 , and 6 is formed using knitting yarn fed from above the needle bed gap 11 and knitted fabric 21 is suspended to a lower side of the needle bed gap 11.
• the knitting needle 15 is a latch needle, and opens and closes the hook 15a using a latch 15b.
• the needle plate 14 between the knitting needles 15 has a leading end adjacent to the needle bed gap 11 where a fixed sinker 16 is mounted.
• a carriage 18 having a cam surface facing a surface of the needle bed 12 with an interval therebetween travels back and forth in the longitudinal direction over each needle bed 12.
• the cam surface is provided with a knitting cam for driving the knitting needle 15 and a sinker cam 19 for driving the movable sinker 1.
• the sinker cam 19 drives the movable sinker 1 in such a manner as to cause the operative region 4 to retreat from the needle bed gap 11 by pressing the passive arm 2a of the movable sinker 1.
• Driving for causing the operative region 4 to advance into the needle bed gap 11 is done through biasing from the wire spring 1a.
• Fig. 4 illustrates the motion of the flatbed knitting machine 10 while the movable sinker 1 is in a position and a state indicated by the solid lines in Fig. 3 .
• the knitting needle 15 draws knitting yarn fed in the needle bed gap 11 toward the needle bed 12 using the hook 15a to form the stitch 20
• the moving arm 5 of the movable sinker 1 retreats from the needle bed gap 11 in order to disable the operation of pressing the stitch 20 at the knitting yarn receiving portion 5a.
• the hook 15a advances into the needle bed gap 11 in order to receive knitting yarn to be fed for forming a new stitch 20
• an old stitch moves relatively from the hook 15a toward a needle shank and is cleared.
• Fig. 5 illustrates the motion of the flatbed knitting machine 10 subsequent to Fig. 4 .
• This motion corresponds to a situation where the movable sinker 1 is in a position and a state indicated by the dashed lines in Figs. 1 and 3 .
• the spring portion 8 is elastically deformed.
• the operative portion 6 advances into the needle bed gap 11 and can capture the fabric 21 therein.
• the moving arm 5 as a portion except for the operative portion 6, the pressure-receiving portion 7, the spring portion 8, and the regulating portion 9 rocks from Fig. 4 to Fig.
• the operative region 4 also rocks entirely along arc-like paths having radii corresponding to distances from the respective constituting portions to the rocking fulcrum 3a. These paths will collectively be called a first path.
• the operative portion 6 to pass under the needle bed gap wire 17 to become the lower claw is shifted from the first path to a second path different from the first path by pressing force from the pressing wire 16a as the pressing means on the pressure-receiving portion 7.
• the second path passes through a position closer to the needle bed gap 11 than the first path, allowing depression of the fabric 21 to be started earlier than in a case of following the first path continuously.
• Trying to start the depression at such a position only through rocking motion along the first path requires a shape of a greater distance from the rocking fulcrum 3a, so that large space is necessary for the rocking motion.
• the operative portion 6 can get closer to the needle bed gap 11 in limited space. Thus, even if the fabric 21 is thin, the operative portion 6 is still allowed to reach the fabric 21 in such a manner as to be hooked on the fabric 21.
• a rocking radius can be greater along the second path than along the first path, it is possible for a path of the depression after hooking on the fabric 21 to become a nearly vertical path.
• the pressure-receiving portion 7 or the pressing means it is possible to determine the second path in such a manner as to pass through a position different from the position along the first path such as a position over or under the needle bed gap 11 in addition to the position closer to the needle bed gap 11.
• Fig. 6 illustrates the motion of the flatbed knitting machine 10 subsequent to Fig. 5 .
• the operative portion 6 depresses the fabric 21 to a lower side of the needle bed gap 11 and the knitting yarn receiving portion 5a presses the stitch 20 simultaneously.
• the position and state of the movable sinker 1 follow the first path.
• the operative portion 6, the pressure-receiving portion 7, the spring portion 8, and the regulating portion 9 having been shifted to the second path are released from the elastic deformation of the spring portion 8.
• the operative portion 6 depresses the fabric 21 to a lower side of the needle bed gap 11.
• the fabric 21 may be depressed only in returning from the second path to the first path. Furthermore, by changing the shape of the pressure-receiving portion 7 or the arrangement of the pressing wire 16a, for example, the pressure-receiving portion 7 may be kept pressed continuously to the end without being released from the pressing force.
• the stitch 20 or the fabric 21 to act on the operative portion 6 of the movable sinker 1 in the needle bed gap 11 may exert tension of moving the operative portion 6 closer to the needle bed 12 facing the operative portion 6.
• the regulating portion 9 is provided at an interval of moving farther from the needle bed gap 11 relative to the pressure-receiving portion 7.
• the pressing wire 16a placed inside this interval in Fig. 6 regulates movement of the regulating portion 9 to cause the operative portion 6 to stay within a range covering the first path.
• the pressing wire 16a and the regulating portion 9 function as regulating means that prevents deviation of the operative portion 6 by prohibiting the operative portion 6 from crossing the needle bed gap center plane 11a and getting into the needle bed 12 facing the operative portion 6 across the needle bed gap 11.
• Prohibiting the operative portion 6 from getting into the facing needle bed 12 fulfills the effects of preventing interference with the front and back needle beds 12 by the movable sinker 1 during racking and preventing plastic deformation of the spring portion 8.
• the regulating portion 9 has a role as a stopper if the operative portion 6 is pulled by the stitch 20 in a zone where the pressing wire 16a is between the regulating portion 9 and the pressure-receiving portion 7, which is a zone including an operative zone where the operative portion 6 performs the operation of depressing the fabric 21.
• the jutting portion 5c of the moving arm 5 also functions as a stopper to regulate the displacement.
• the jutting portion 5c further functions as a stopper if the operative portion 6 is pulled toward the facing needle bed 12. By doing so, the jutting portion 5c causes the operative portion 6 to stay within a range covering the second path.
• the regulating portion 9 and the pressing wire 16a, and the jutting portion 5c function as the regulating means that causes the operative portion 6 to stay within the range covering the first path and within the range covering the second path respectively and prohibits the operative portion 6 from getting into the facing needle bed 12.
• Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 illustrate the shape of a movable sinker 31 according to an example 2 of the present invention and the configuration of a flatbed knitting machine 30 including the movable sinker 31.
• the movable sinker 31 includes a moving arm 35, an operative portion 36, a pressure-receiving portion 37, a spring portion 38, and a regulating portion 39 in an operative region 34, and has a configuration similar to that of the movable sinker 1 in Fig. 1 except for the moving arm 35.
• the moving arm 35 of the example 2 exists only between the wire spring receiver 2b and the spring portion 38.
• the operative portion 36, the pressure-receiving portion 37, and the regulating portion 39 are connected to the moving arm 35 through the elastically deformable spring portion 38.
• the flatbed knitting machine 30 has a configuration similar to that of the flatbed knitting machine 10 in Fig. 2 .
• the pressure-receiving portion 37 illustrated in Fig. 8 receives pressing force from the needle bed gap wire 17 to be placed in positions and states indicated by solid lines, dashed lines, alternate long and short dashed lines, and alternate long and two short dashed lines.
• the operative portion 36, the pressure-receiving portion 37, the spring portion 38, and the regulating portion 39 move along a first path in the state indicated by the solid lines, in the state indicated by the dashed lines, and in the state indicated by the alternate long and two short dashed lines, and move along a second path in a state before and in a state after the state indicated by the alternate long and short dashed lines.
• the needle bed gap wire 17 further performs operation on the regulating portion 39. Specifically, the needle bed gap wire 17 further have functions as pressing means and regulating means.
• the operative portion 36 has a function as the knitting yarn receiving portion 5a of the movable sinker 1 in Fig. 1 .
• Figs. 9 , 10 , 11 , and 12 illustrate the motions of the flatbed knitting machine 30 corresponding to the solid lines, the dashed lines, the alternate long and short dashed lines, and the alternate long and two short dashed lines in Fig. 8 respectively.
• the pressure-receiving portion 37 is separated from the needle bed gap wire 17 so does not receive pressing force.
• the operative portion 36, the pressure-receiving portion 37, the spring portion 38, and the regulating portion 39 move along the first path.
• the pressure-receiving portion 37 contacts the needle bed gap wire 17 to start application of pressing force, thereby causing the operative portion 36, the pressure-receiving portion 37, the spring portion 38, and the regulating portion 39 to start to shift to the second path.
• the operative portion 36 is pushed to a maximum by the pressing force on the pressure-receiving portion 37 from the needle bed gap wire 17.
• Fig. 11 further illustrates a state where, in response to a situation where pressing force from the needle bed gap wire 17 is applied suddenly to the pressure-receiving portion 37 so the operative portion 36 is about to displace largely toward the needle bed gap 11, the regulating portion 39 functions as a stopper to regulate the displacement.
• the needle bed gap wire 17 does not press the pressure-receiving portion 37 so the operative portion 36, the pressure-receiving portion 37, the spring portion 38, and the regulating portion 39 return to the first path.
• the needle bed gap wire 17 performs operation on the regulating portion 39 so the operative portion 36 is regulated so as not to be deviated toward the needle bed gap 11 by the tension of the fabric 21.
• the operative portion 36 depresses the fabric 21 to a lower side of the needle bed gap 11.
• the operative portion 36 as an upper claw can prevent the old stitch 22 from being lifted when the old stitch 22 tries to move toward an upper side of the needle bed gap 11 in conjunction with the advancing motion of the knitting needle 15 into the needle bed gap 11.
• Fig. 13 illustrates the shape of a movable sinker 41 according to an example 3 of the present invention.
• the movable sinker 41 includes a moving arm 45, an operative portion 46, a pressure-receiving portion 47, a spring portion 48, and a regulating portion 49 in an operative region 44.
• the moving arm 45 has a configuration similar to that of the moving arm 5 in Fig. 1 except for the absence of a portion corresponding to the jutting portion 5c.
• Fig. 14 illustrates the configuration and motion of a flatbed knitting machine 40 including the movable sinker 41 in Fig. 13 .
• Figs. 15 , 16 , and 17 illustrate the motion of the flatbed knitting machine 40. This motion is basically the same as the motion of the movable sinker 1 illustrated in Figs. 4 , 5 , and 6 .
• the needle bed gap wire 17 and the regulating portion 49 function as regulating means that regulates the operative portion 46 of the movable sinker 41 so as to cause the operative portion 46 to stay within a range including a range covering a first path and within a range covering a second path and to prohibit the operative portion 46 from getting into the needle bed 12 facing the operative portion 46 across the needle bed gap 11.
• the flatbed knitting machine 10, 30, 40 includes the thin part at the needle plate 14 as a supporting mechanism that supports the movable sinker 1, 31, 41.
• the thin part supports the movable sinker 1, 31, 41 in such a manner as to cause the moving arm 5, 35, 45 of the operative region 4, 34, 44 of the movable sinker 1, 31, 41 to move in a direction of advancing into and retreating from the needle bed gap 11 along the first path.
• the moving arm 5, 35, 45 is a portion defined by excluding at least the operative portion 6, 36, 46, the pressure-receiving portion 7, 37, 47, an elastic piece (spring portion 8, 38, 48), and the regulating portion 9, 39, 49 from the operative region 4, 34, 44.
• the flatbed knitting machine 10, 30, 40 has the sinker cam 19 as a driving mechanism that drives the passive region 2 to move the moving arm 5, 35, 45 along the first path. Portions including the operative portion 6, 36, 46 also move partway along the first path.
• the pressing wire 16a is provided in the example 1 and the example 3 and the needle bed gap wire 17 is provided in the example 2, each functioning as the pressing means that is provided at least midway along the first path and presses the pressure-receiving portion 7, 37, 47 of the movable sinker 1, 31, 41 to shift the operative portion 6, 36, 46 from the first path to the second path different from the first path.
• the pressing wire 16a or the needle bed gap wire 17 as the pressing means is supported by the fixed sinker 16 in such a manner as to pass through in an area where the pressure-receiving portion 7, 37, 47 moves along the first path.
• the present invention is further applicable to a case using only a movable sinker without using the fixed sinker 16.
• the movable sinker may be provided with an edge for forming a sinker loop and a wire passing through in the longitudinal direction may be supported by providing a supporting member. Instead of providing the supporting member for each knitting needle 15, the supporting members may be provided at intervals between members.
• a groove cam or a projection projecting in the longitudinal direction from a fixed sinker can function in the same way as the wire as the pressing means.
• a movable sinker not to make rocking motion but to make linear motion is also applicable.
• the linear-motion movable sinker may be housed in a sinker groove having a flat bottom placed on a sinker floor and may slide in the sinker groove.
• This sinker groove functions as a supporting mechanism for the linear-motion movable sinker.
• a portion supported in the sinker groove and to slide therein corresponds to a supporting region, a moving arm is supported in the supporting region adjacent to a needle bed gap, and a portion corresponding to an operative portion, a pressure-receiving portion, or a regulating portion is connected to the moving arm through an elastic piece.
• the moving arm and the other portions move along linear patterns as the collective first path, and a portion such as the operative portion shifts to the second path in response to pressing force on the pressure-receiving portion.
• a portion such as the operative portion shifts to the second path in response to pressing force on the pressure-receiving portion.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Knitting Machines (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=90607834

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Family Cites Families (8)

• 2023
  • 2023-08-31 JP JP2024555669A patent/JP7796895B2/ja active Active
  • 2023-08-31 CN CN202380070940.5A patent/CN119998513B/zh active Active
  • 2023-08-31 EP EP23874579.8A patent/EP4600414A1/en active Pending
  • 2023-08-31 WO PCT/JP2023/031929 patent/WO2024075449A1/ja not_active Ceased
  • 2023-08-31 KR KR1020257014496A patent/KR20250073488A/ko active Pending

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