JP2002294540A - Colored pattern-knitting machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a colored pattern-knitting machine, ink-jet dyeing a stock yarn by synchronizing with the knitting movement of the knitting machine and capable of producing a figure of the colored pattern not restricted by its knitted texture and without having a positional deviation. SOLUTION: This colored pattern-knitting machine is provided by sending the stock yarn 2 dyed at an ink jet-dyeing part 4 from a yarn-feeding port 7 into a knitting part 8, detecting the knitting movement of the knitting part 8 with a knitting motion-measuring part 9 (an optical fiber sensor) and controlling the dyeing movement of the dyeing part 4 with a controller 11 responding to its detected signal.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a color pattern knitting machine for knitting a color pattern knitted fabric from an ink jet dyed yarn, and more particularly to a color pattern knitting machine capable of controlling a dyeing operation so as to be synchronized with the knitting operation. Regarding improvement.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the present textile manufacturing industry, due to the severe slump in consumption, the cost of processing has been reduced and the number of kinds and the number of lots have been reduced. In the cloth manufacturing industry, in particular, capital investment focused on speeding up the production has been made so far, and the response to the production system for high-value-added products with a large variety of small lots has been delayed. At present, when consumption is sluggish, there is a need for a system capable of quickly producing high-value-added products that meet various consumer needs without waste.

[0003] In recent years, ink-jet printing technology has attracted attention as one of multi-product small-lot production systems, and several ink-jet printers for fabrics have been developed (for example, Takayuki Kato, Takemasa Futaki, Kazumasa Matsuki, "Ink-Jet Printing" Development of the system Nassenger KS-160, “Konica T
ech Rep, vol. 11, pp. 65-68, 1998. and Kazuo Kusuki, "On Wonder Print in Senjo Notebook," Textile Processing, vol. 49, n
o.13pp.638-644, 1997.). In addition, there are some examples in which this inkjet printing technique is applied to a fabric manufacturing process. In addition, research reports on unwrapping printing technology for inkjet printing of warp yarns in the weaving process in advance (for example, Hiroshi Saito, Seishiro Terashima, Kazuo Abe, "Prototype Silk Fabric by Inkjet Printing System", Report of Yamagata Industrial Technology Center, no.28, pp. .21-25, 1997. and Ryo Kaneko, Yukio Igada,
“Research on the advancement and labor-saving of the loosening printing technology. Research on the advancement of the loosening printing.,” Saitama Textile Research Institute Research Report, vol.1995, pp.53-58, 1996. Patent application for ink-jet printing on fabric immediately before the winding mechanism (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-70953), knitting and tying the yarn while ink-jet dyeing it, and then supply the yarn to the flat knitting machine to knit A patent application (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-311753) for such a technique is found.

[0004]

However, no technique has been studied for producing a colored pattern knit in a knitting machine by dyeing an original yarn by ink jet while perfectly synchronizing with a knitting operation. Conventionally, the patterning of a colored pattern of a knit product has been limited to patterning by color thread replacement, jacquard in which a plurality of color threads are knitted in multiple layers, or printing after fabric production. The patterning by changing the color thread is that the pattern that can be expressed is limited, the jacquard knits the color thread in multiple layers, the fabric becomes thicker, and the fabric making time is required in proportion to the number of layers, In printing, it is difficult to align the knitting structure and the pattern with the superficial pattern expression.

An object of the present invention is to control a yarn so as to be subjected to ink-jet coloring and dyeing in front of a yarn feeder while synchronizing with a knitting operation of a knitting machine, and to form a colored pattern which is not restricted by a knitting structure without displacement. It is an object of the present invention to provide a color pattern knitting machine capable of performing the same.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a color pattern knitting machine according to the present invention comprises an ink jet dyeing means for dyeing a yarn, and a knitting means for knitting a color pattern knitted fabric from the dyed yarn. A knitting operation detecting means for detecting the knitting operation of the knitting means; and a control means for controlling the dyeing operation of the ink jet dyeing means in synchronization with the knitting operation in response to a detection signal from the knitting operation detecting means. And that it is provided with.

In the present invention, the knitting operation detecting means preferably uses an optical fiber sensor.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a color pattern knitting machine according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the color pattern knitting machine of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a yarn package, 2 is a yarn, 3 is a yarn feeding section, 4 is an ink jet dyeing section, 5 is a roller guide, 6 is a heating steam section, 7 is a yarn feeder, and 8 is a knitting section (knitting section). Machine), 9 is a knitting operation measuring unit, 1
0 is an external storage unit, 11 is a controller, 12 is an input unit,
13 is an arithmetic unit, 14 is an internal storage unit, 15 is a control unit, 16
Is a knitted fabric feeding section, and 17 is a knitted fabric.

In the above embodiment, the yarn 2 is fed from the yarn package 1 to the ink jet dyeing unit 4 by the yarn feeding unit 3.
And dyed by inkjet. The dyed yarn 2 is heated and dried in the heating steam section 6 via the roller guide 5 and reaches the knitting section 8 from the yarn feeder 7. The knitting unit 8 is a known circular knitting machine or flat knitting machine, and the knitted fabric 17 knitted by the knitting unit 8 is sent out by the knitted fabric feeding unit 16.

The knitting operation by the knitting section 8 is detected by the knitting operation measuring section 9 and the detection signal is sent to the controller 11.
Is input to the input unit. The external storage unit 10 has input setting information necessary for color and pattern organization. This configuration information
The information includes knitting structure condition information, knitting operation information, stitch yarn length information, raw yarn information, raw yarn length from the dyeing section to the knitting section, and color / pattern information.
Is temporarily read to the internal storage unit 14 and then sent to the calculation unit 13. The calculation unit 13 calculates the dyeing timing for each knitting operation (knitting stitch number) from the setting information, instructs the control unit 15 to start dyeing, and responds to the knitting operation measurement (detection) signal input from the knitting operation measurement unit 9. The knitting stitch number is calculated, and a dyeing instruction is output to the control unit 15.
The control unit 15 controls the dyeing operation of the inkjet dyeing unit 4 according to the output from the arithmetic unit 13. FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of the above-described hardware, and FIG. 3 shows a flow sheet of the controller.

As the knitting operation measuring section 9, it is preferable to use an optical fiber sensor. The optical fiber sensor can be installed in a very small space, and the knitting operation measuring unit 9 can be configured without significantly remodeling or designing a conventional circular knitting machine or flat knitting machine. This means that the user of the knitting machine can simply add the knitting operation measuring unit and the ink jet dyeing unit to the knitting machine currently on hand, and add the latest dyeing technology without significant cost, resulting in a large industrial economy. The effect is obtained.

[0012]

Next, examples of the present invention based on the above embodiment will be described. Embodiment I FIG. 7 shows a hardware configuration of Embodiment I of the present invention, and the same symbols as those in FIG. 1 represent the same or similar devices. As shown in the figure, the present embodiment is a circular knitting machine 8a (Fukuhara Seiki Seisakusho Co., Ltd., model PFW, pot diameter 660 mm, number of needles 1500, needle interval 18
5.4mm, rotation speed 15.6rpm), circular knitting machine power inverter 8
b (AC200V 3PHASE 0_60Hz), Optical fiber sensor 9a for circular knitting machine operation measurement (FS-MIH, FU-21X, F manufactured by Keyence Corporation)
-2HA, response time 20μsec), inkjet nozzle 4
a and its controller 4b (made by LAC Co., Ltd., spray method, allowable air pressure 0.4MPa or less, response speed up to 100μ)
sec, open collector drive), nozzle air compressor 4c, input circuit 4d, output circuit 4e, heater 6a
(2 pieces of aluminum plate 400mm x 150mm x 5mm, 2 pieces of silicon rubber heater 400mm x 150mm 360W), temperature sensor 6
b, a measurement control PC 11a and a power supply 8c.

The ink jet nozzle 4a and the heater 6a are fixed in front of the yarn feeder of the circular knitting machine 8a, and a plurality of non-torque roller guides 5 (B202020 manufactured by Yuasa Itomichi Kogyo Co., Ltd.) are used to heat the ink jet nozzle 4a. And forming a yarn path extending over the yarn feeder of the knitting machine (FIG. 8). The yarn is rotated above and below the heater surface, and the drying process length is set to 40c depending on the number of rotations.
m, 120cm, 200cm, 280cm can be changed. Also, to prevent the yarn path from being disturbed by the air from the ink jet nozzle 4a, a distance of 5 mm from the vicinity of the front end of the ink jet nozzle is used.
Attach the fixed guide 6c at the position.

As shown in FIG. 9, in the circular stitch, a cylindrical needle bed 92 having a needle groove formed therein and a knitting needle 91 accommodated in the needle groove rotate in the circumferential direction and are fixed to the outer periphery of the needle bed. The knitting needle 91 is formed each time the knitting needle 91 reciprocates in the groove direction by the set cam 93. Therefore, each time one needle groove passes through the cam 93, one stitch is formed. Therefore, the measurement of the knitting operation is performed by fixing the optical fiber sensor 95 at one point on the outer periphery of the needle bed and detecting the passage of 1500 needle grooves. Table 1 below shows a configuration example of the measurement control PC 11a with respect to the measurement control PC 11a of the optical fiber sensor 95.

[0015]

[Table 1]

Next, the software configuration of the measurement control PC 11a will be described. Control of the inkjet nozzle 4a requires real-time processing at intervals of 100 μsec. In addition, a GUI application for displaying output data, outputting start / end instructions, and displaying output progress is also required. Therefore, the OS of the measurement control PC 11a has a hard real-time property and a real-time
Use Linux.

For example, if the OS is RTLinux (a module for extending Linux to support time-critical real-time tasks, RTLinux homepage, “http: //www.rtlinux.o
rg ”(as of March 2001)), Intel MMX Pentium 233
Parallel port output at 10μsec interval is possible even with CPU of about MHz (for example, Rikuri Funaki, “Basic knowledge of RT-Linux introduction and programming,” Interface extra number Introduction to UNIX OS for engineers, Seiji Yamagishi (ed.) , CQ Publishing Company, Tokyo, pp88
_93, 2000. and Yuichiro Mori, et al., “RTLinux Real-Time Processing Programming Handbook, Shuwa System, Tokyo,
pp12_174,2000. ”) Linux that is hard-real-time expanded to control inkjet nozzles,
And the counting of the knitting operation is performed by the periodic task of RTLinux. The image data to be printed is 1500bit wide 24bitB
The part of the GUI program that gives MP data, displays output data and gives a periodic operation instruction to a real-time task is as follows:
GTK + (home page, “h
ttp: //www.gtk.org/ ”, (as of March 1, 2001). Also, Glade (h
ome page, “http://www.glade.pn.org/”, (March 1, 2001
Day)).

Table 2 shows a development environment of this embodiment, FIG. 10 shows a control flow diagram, FIG. 11 shows a layout of a GUI application to be created, and FIG. 12 shows a task relation diagram.

[0019]

[Table 2]

The RT-Linux module generates the following five real-time tasks. 1. RT-Task1 Stores color information sent from the non-real-time GUI program from the RT-FIFO in a variable. After the storage is completed, the storage completion notification data is written to the RT-FIFO. This task operates once immediately before output. Task priority is set to 6. 2. RT-Task2 operates at a cycle of the initial set value of 40 μsec, and samples the output signal of the optical fiber sensor 9a. The number of needles that have passed through the optical fiber sensor 9a is counted, and the stitch number to be knitted (vertical direction, horizontal direction) is stored in a variable. Task priority is set to 5. 3. RT-Task3 Operates at the cycle of the initial setting value 100μsec. By referring to the number of the knitted stitch and the color information corresponding to the number, an ON_OFF command for the inkjet nozzle is output to the parallel port. Task priority is set to 4. 4. RT-Task3 Outputs the ON / OFF command of the inkjet nozzle 4a to the parallel port 11a '. It operates only when the nozzle is opened and closed independently. Task priority is set to 5. The yarn 2
Is, for example, polyester filament processed yarn (150d, 3
In this case, the used inks are a prepared disperse dye ink and a commercially available pigment ink (Table 3), and an example of a pixmap based on the ink is shown in FIG.

[0021]

[Table 3]

Embodiment II The knitting section 8 is, for example, a circular knitting machine. In a circular stitch, a cylindrical needle bed with a needle groove and a knitting needle contained in the needle groove rotate in the circumferential direction, and the knitting needle reciprocates in the groove direction by a cam fixed to the outer periphery of the needle bed. It is formed every time. Therefore, one stitch is formed each time one needle groove passes through the cam. Therefore, the knitting operation measuring unit 9 in the circular knitting machine,
For example, it is configured as shown in FIGS. 4 (a), (b) and (c).

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 91 denotes a knitting needle, 92 denotes a needle bed,
93 is a cam, 94 is a scale, and 95 is a scale sensor (optical fiber sensor). Knitting needle 91 in circular knitting machine
Is fixed to the needle bed 92 (or a cylinder that rotates in conjunction with the needle bed or a component that rotates in conjunction with the needle bed) into which the needle bed 92 is inserted. The scale 94
The scale sensor 95 is fixed to one point of the knitting machine located on the outer circumference of the knitting machine. The stitches are formed by the needle bed 92 and the knitting needle 91 rotating in the circumferential direction, and the knitting needle 91 reciprocating in the groove direction. The scale 94 rotates in conjunction with the knitting needle 91. The knitting operation is detected by measuring the displacement amount of the scale 94 by the scale sensor 95.

Embodiment III Next, the knitting operation measuring section 9 when a flat knitting machine is used as the knitting section 8 is configured as shown in FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b). In FIG. 5, 96 is a knitting needle, 97 is a needle bed, 98 is a carriage, 9
9 is an optical fiber sensor.

The formation of the flat stitches in the flat knitting machine is performed by the carriage 78 (a cam device for forming the stitches on the back side, a stitch adjusting device, a cam actuating device on the front side, and parts of the flat knitting machine for mounting brushes, etc.). Floor 97 (comb-shaped celestial teeth at the upper end,
This is performed by operating the knitting needle 96 while reciprocating on a needle groove into which the knitting needle is inserted and a cut-out plate-shaped part formed from a metal band for preventing the knitting needle from coming out. An optical fiber sensor 99 is fixed to one point of the carriage 98,
The groove of the needle bed 97 passing through the sensor 99 (or knitting needle,
Alternatively, the knitting operation is detected by detecting the number of crowns on the needle bed.

Embodiment IV The knitting measuring section 9 in the flat knitting machine may be configured as shown in FIG. In the embodiment shown in FIG.
00 and fix the scale sensor 101 to the carriage 98
Fixed to. Scale 10 fixed parallel to needle bed 97
0 and scale sensor 101 fixed to carriage 98
The knitting operation is detected by measuring the displacement of the carriage 98 which reciprocates on the needle bed 97.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention, in a knitting machine for knitting a yarn while knitting a yarn to obtain a knitted fabric of a desired color pattern, a color having no misregistration with a color pattern designed in advance. A patterned knitted fabric can be obtained, and the color pattern is not restricted by the knitting structure, so that a knit product can have high added value and the production process can be rationalized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a flowchart of hardware in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a flow sheet of a controller in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of a knitting operation measuring unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of a knitting operation measuring unit according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing still another configuration example of the knitting operation measuring unit.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of Example I of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a yarn path in Example I.

FIG. 9 is a control flowchart of a personal computer (PC) for measurement control in Example I.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a knitting operation measuring method according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a layout of a GUI application.

FIG. 12 is a task relation diagram.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a pixmap according to the first embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Yarn package 2 Yarn 3 Yarn feed section 4 Ink-jet dyeing section 5 Roller guide 6 Heating steam 7 Yarn feeder 8 Knitting section 9 Knitting operation measuring section 10 External storage section 11 Controller

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) D06P 7/00 D06P 7/00 // D04B 35/36 D04B 35/36 (72) Inventor Hiroshige Ogawa Gifu 19-4-1 Gifu Prefecture, Production and Information Technology Research Institute, 4-179 Sue-cho, Kakamigahara-shi, Prefecture (72) Inventor Yoshimichi Endo 19-19 Gifu Prefectural Institute of Production Information Technology, 4-179, Sue-cho, Kakamigahara-shi, Gifu (72) Inventor Chiba Shiba 800-5 Koyamacho, Machida-shi, Tokyo F-term in ELC Corporation (reference) 3B154 AA07 AB03 AB21 BA07 BA53 BB33 BB77 BC07 BC42 CA13 CA22 CA36 DA13 4H057 AA03 DA01 DA33 FA23 GA06 4L054 AA01 AB03 AB04 CA02 CA06 CA08 HA03 KA02 KA12 NA03 NA05 NA06

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An ink jet dyeing means for dyeing a yarn, a knitting means for knitting a colored pattern knitted fabric from a dyed yarn, a knitting operation detecting means for detecting a knitting operation of the knitting means, and the knitting operation Control means for controlling the dyeing operation of the ink jet dyeing means in synchronization with the knitting operation in response to a detection signal from the detecting means. 2. The color pattern knitting machine according to claim 1, wherein said knitting operation detecting means includes an optical fiber sensor.