JP2023177483A - Yarn tension control device, knotter device and flat-knitting machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a yarn tension control device capable of controlling tension applied to a yarn, a knotter device, and a flat-knitting machine.SOLUTION: A yarn tension control device comprises: a motor 31 to generate drive power; a cam 33 constituted so as to be rotatable by the drive power of the motor 31; a pair of yarn guides 37A, 37B to guide a yarn A to a prescribed position; a kick spring 39 to generate energizing force; and an arm that is swingably supported along a virtual plane passing between the pair of yarn guides 37A, 37B, has an insertion hole 38a allowing the yarn A guided by the pair of yarn guides 37A, 37B to be inserted and a pin 38b on which the cam 33 can act, is energized by the kick spring 39 in a direction for applying tension to the yarn A, and increases the tension applied to the yarn A by swinging in a direction to be separated away from the pair of yarn guides 37A, 37B based on a position at which the energizing force of the kick spring 39 is balanced with the tension of the yarn A due to action of the cam 33 to the pin 38b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a yarn tension control device, and a technique for a knotter device and flat knitting machine equipped with the yarn tension control device.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a device that applies tension to yarn supplied to a textile machine using the biasing force of a spring. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a device that is provided in a knotter device and applies a constant tension to a thread using the biasing force of a spring. Furthermore, it is known that flat knitting machines are also provided with a device that applies tension to the yarn using the biasing force of a spring.

However, since the device disclosed in Patent Document 1 applies a constant tension to the thread even in states other than the thread tying operation, there are problems such as an unnecessarily high load being applied to the thread. Therefore, a yarn tension applying device that can control the tension applied to the yarn is desired.

Patent No. 2614775

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a yarn tension control device, a knotter device, and a flat knitting machine that can control the tension applied to yarn. That's true.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is as described above, and next, means for solving this problem will be explained.

That is, the thread tension control device according to the present invention includes a motor that generates a driving force, a cam configured to be rotatable by the driving force of the motor, a pair of thread guides that guide the thread to a predetermined position, and an attached thread guide. A spring that generates a force, an insertion portion that is swingably supported along an imaginary plane passing between the pair of yarn guides, and through which the yarn guided by the pair of yarn guides is inserted, and the cam actuated. The thread is biased by the spring in a direction that applies tension to the thread, and the action of the cam on the action portion balances the biasing force of the spring and the tension of the thread. The apparatus further includes an arm that increases the tension applied to the yarn by swinging in a direction away from the pair of yarn guides based on the position.
With this configuration, the tension applied to the yarn can be controlled.

Further, the arm swings in a direction approaching the pair of thread guides based on the balanced position due to the action of the cam on the action portion, thereby reducing the tension applied to the thread. be.
With this configuration, the tension applied to the yarn can be controlled more precisely.

Further, one end of the spring is fixed to the arm, and the other end of the spring is fixed to the cam.
With this configuration, the biasing force of the spring can be controlled.

The cam includes a first cam configured to be able to act on the acting portion of the arm, and a second cam to which the other end of the spring is fixed, and the cam is driven by the driving force of the motor. It is configured such that it is possible to switch which of the first cam and the second cam rotates.
With this configuration, the biasing force of the spring can be controlled, and the tension applied to the thread can be easily increased.

Further, the cam includes a first cam configured to act on the acting portion of the arm, and a second cam to which the other end of the spring is fixed, and the cam includes the first cam or Either one of the second cams is fixed to the motor shaft of the motor, and the other of the first cam or the second cam is connected to the first cam or the second cam via a differential device. connected to either one of the second cams, and opposed to either the first cam or the second cam as either the first cam or the second cam rotates; It is configured to rotate in the direction.
With this configuration, the biasing force of the spring can be controlled, and the tension applied to the thread can be easily increased.

Further, the knotter device includes a thread tension control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
With this configuration, the tension applied to the thread can be changed before tying the thread, during tying the thread, and after tying the thread.

Further, the flat knitting machine is provided with a yarn tension control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
By configuring in this way, it is possible to suppress the yarn crossing from becoming longer when the weft yarns at the ends of the knitted fabric are reversed.

As an effect of the present invention, the tension applied to the yarn can be controlled.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a yarn feeding mechanism to which a yarn tension control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied. Similarly, a perspective view of the thread tension control device. Similarly, the bottom view of the thread tension control device before thread knotting. Similarly, a bottom view of the thread tension control device during thread tying. Similarly, the bottom view of the thread tension control device at the end of thread knotting. (a) A bottom view of a cam etc. of a first other example. (b) A bottom view of a cam, etc. of a second alternative example. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a thread tension control device according to a second embodiment. Similarly, (a) is a side sectional view showing a state in which the first cam and the motor shaft are engaged. (b) A side sectional view showing a state in which the second cam and the motor shaft are engaged. Similarly, (a) is a bottom view of the thread tension control device before tying the thread. (b) A bottom view of the thread tension control device during thread tying. (c) A bottom view of the thread tension control device at the end of thread knotting. FIG. 7 is a front view of a thread tension control device according to a third embodiment. Similarly, (a) is a bottom view of the thread tension control device during thread tying. (b) A bottom view of the thread tension control device at the end of thread knotting. (c) A bottom view of the thread tension control device before tying the thread. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a yarn feeding mechanism when a yarn tension control device is applied to a flat knitting machine.

Below, the directions indicated by arrow U, arrow D, arrow F, arrow B, arrow L, and arrow R in the figures are defined as upward direction, downward direction, forward direction, backward direction, left direction, and right direction, respectively. I will explain. Further, in the drawings, illustrations of each component are appropriately omitted for simplification of illustration.

As shown in FIG. 1, the yarn feeding mechanism 1 is configured to supply yarn A used for knitting a knitted fabric from a yarn cone 2 to a flat knitting machine 4 via a knotter device 3. In the yarn feeding mechanism 1, a knotter device 3 is arranged downstream of the yarn cone 2 in the yarn feeding direction, and a flat knitting machine 4 is arranged downstream of the knotter device 3 in the yarn feeding direction.

In the flat knitting machine 4, the yarn feeder 5 moves along the needle bed 7 in conjunction with the carriage 6. A large number of knitting needles 8 are arranged in parallel on the needle bed 7, and the knitting needles 8 move forward and backward into the needle gap 9, draw in the yarn A from the yarn feeder 5, and knit the knitted fabric product C.

The knotter device 3 splices the yarn A currently in use in the flat knitting machine 4 and the new yarn A wound around the yarn cone 2. The knotter device 3 includes a yarn selection section 10 and a yarn splicing section 20.

The yarn selection section 10 is configured to be able to guide the yarn A selected from the plurality of yarns A supplied from the yarn cone 2 to the yarn splicing section 20 . The yarn splicing section 20 is configured to be able to splice the yarn A selected by the yarn selection section 10 and the yarn A currently in use in the flat knitting machine 4. The yarn splicing section 20 is provided on the downstream side of the yarn selection section 10 in the yarn feeding direction. The yarn splicing section 20 is provided with a yarn tension control device 30 .

The configuration of the thread tension control device 30 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 4. Although the cam 33 and the arm 38 are rotatable or swingable members, the following description will be made based on the positions shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.

The thread tension control device 30 controls the tension of the thread A when tying the thread. The thread tension control device 30 includes a motor 31, a motor base 32, a cam 33, a thread guide 37, an arm 38, and a kick spring 39.

The motor 31 generates driving force. Although any motor can be used as the motor 31, stepping motors and servo motors are suitable. The motor 31 includes a motor shaft 31a that is rotatable by the generated driving force. The motor 31 is arranged with the axial direction of the motor shaft 31a facing up and down, and is provided so that the amount and direction of rotation of the motor shaft 31a can be adjusted by a control section (not shown).

The motor base 32 supports the motor 31. The motor base 32 is formed in an appropriate shape capable of supporting the motor 31, and is provided below the motor 31 so that the motor shaft 31a is inserted therethrough. The motor base 32 is provided with a pin 32a.

The pin 32a is provided so as to extend downward from the lower surface of the motor base 32 near a portion through which the motor shaft 31a is inserted. An end portion of a kick spring 39, which will be described later, is engaged with the pin 32a.

The cam 33 is configured to be rotatable by the driving force of the motor 31. More specifically, the cam 33 is inserted into and fixed to the lower end of the motor shaft 31a below the motor base 32, and is provided to rotate around the axis of the motor shaft 31a as the motor shaft 31a rotates. The cam 33 is formed into a substantially L-shaped plate, and is arranged with the plate surface facing in the vertical direction. A first protrusion 35 and a second protrusion 36 are formed on the cam 33 .

The first protrusion 35 is a protrusion on one side of the two protrusions forming the approximately L-shape of the cam 33, and when the cam 33 rotates clockwise when viewed from the bottom, an arm 38 (described later) This acts on the pin 38b. The first protrusion 35 is formed to extend approximately to the right from the portion through which the motor shaft 31a is inserted, to a position where it can act on the pin 38b. The first protrusion 35 is formed with a first pressing surface 35a that faces the pin 38b, and when the cam 33 rotates clockwise when viewed from the bottom, the first pressing surface 35a presses the pin 38b.

The second protrusion 36 is the other protrusion of the two protrusions forming the approximately L-shape of the cam 33, and when the cam 33 rotates in the counterclockwise direction when viewed from the bottom, the second protrusion 36 is an arm that will be described later. 38 pins 38b. The second protrusion 36 is formed to extend substantially rearward from the portion through which the motor shaft 31a is inserted to a position where it can act on the pin 38b. The second protrusion 36 is formed to extend substantially perpendicularly to the first protrusion 35 . A second pressing surface 36a facing the pin 38b is formed on the second protrusion 36, and when the cam 33 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the bottom, the second pressing surface 36a presses the pin 38b.

The thread guide 37 guides the thread A to a predetermined position. The thread guide 37 extends from the motor base 32 to the side of the motor base 32 (to the right in this embodiment). A pair of thread guides 37 are provided above and below. Hereinafter, the upper thread guide 37 may be referred to as a thread guide 37A, and the lower thread guide 37 may be referred to as a thread guide 37B. As shown in FIG. 4, an insertion hole 37a is formed at the tip of the thread guide 37, and the thread A supplied from the thread cone 2 is inserted through the insertion hole 37a. The insertion hole 37a of the thread guide 37A and the insertion hole 37a of the thread guide 37B are formed at overlapping positions when viewed from the bottom.

The arm 38 is for changing the tension applied to the thread A guided by the thread guide 37. The arm 38 is a rigid body formed in the shape of a long rod and a plate, and is arranged with the plate surface facing in the vertical direction. The arm 38 is inserted into and fixed to the motor shaft 31a, and is provided to swing around the axis of the motor shaft 31a. The arm 38 is provided between the motor base 32 and the cam 33 in the vertical direction and between the thread guide 37A and the thread guide 37B, and extends along a virtual plane passing between the thread guide 37A and the thread guide 37B. Supported so that it can swing freely. The virtual plane is a plane that intersects with a line segment connecting the insertion hole 37a of the thread guide 37A and the insertion hole 37a of the thread guide 37B, and is a horizontal plane in this embodiment. The arm 38 includes an insertion hole 38a and a pin 38b.

The insertion hole 38a shown in FIG. 4 is formed to vertically pass through the tip of the arm 38, and the thread A guided by the thread guide 37 is inserted therethrough. The insertion hole 38a is arranged so that the distance from the center of the axis of the motor shaft 31a to the center of the insertion hole 38a in plan view is the same as the distance from the center of the axis of the motor shaft 31a to the center of the insertion hole 37a of the thread guide 37 in plan view. It is formed in a certain position. In this way, the insertion hole 38a is formed at a position where the center of the insertion hole 38a can coincide with the center of the insertion hole 37a of the thread guide 37 when the arm 38 swings.

The cam 33 can act on the pin 38b. The outer shape of the pin 38b is formed into a cylindrical shape, and is provided so as to extend from the lower surface of the arm 38 to the same height as the lower surface of the cam 33 or below the lower surface of the cam 33. The pin 38b is provided near the cam 33 in the longitudinal direction of the arm 38 and at a position that does not overlap with the cam 33 when viewed from the bottom. More specifically, the pin 38b is provided between the first protrusion 35 and the second protrusion 36 in the circumferential direction centered on the axis of the motor shaft 31a when viewed from the bottom. In this way, the pin 38b is provided at a position where the first pressing surface 35a of the first projection 35 and the second pressing surface 36a of the second projection 36 can come into contact when the cam 33 rotates.

The kick spring 39 biases the arm 38. The kick spring 39 is provided between the motor base 32 and the arm 38 so that the motor shaft 31a is inserted through the center of the kick spring 39. One end of the kick spring 39 is fixed to the arm 38, and the other end of the kick spring 39 is fixed to the pin 32a of the motor base 32. The kick spring 39 provided in this manner urges the arm 38 in a direction that applies tension to the thread A, more specifically, in a direction in which the arm 38 swings counterclockwise when viewed from the bottom. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the biasing force of the kick spring 39 applied to the arm 38 and the tension of the thread A are balanced.

The operation of each member of the thread tension control device 30 when controlling the tension of the thread A will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. The yarn tension control device 30 controls the tension applied to the yarn A when the yarn A selected by the yarn selection section 10 in the yarn splicing section 20 and the yarn A currently in use in the flat knitting machine 4 are tied together. Hereinafter, the time before tying the thread will be referred to as "before tying," the time during tying will be referred to as "during tying," and the final time of tying the knot will be referred to as "end of tying."

As shown in FIG. 3, before tying the thread, the motor 31 is driven to rotate the cam 33 clockwise in the bottom view from the position shown in FIG. 35a is brought into contact with the pin 38b of the arm 38. Further, by rotating the cam 33 clockwise when viewed from the bottom, the first protrusion 35 presses the pin 38b of the arm 38 against the biasing force of the kick spring 39, and the center of the insertion hole 38a of the arm 38 is aligned with the thread. The arm 38 is rotated in a clockwise direction when viewed from the bottom, that is, from the position shown in FIG. As seen, the distal end portion of the arm 38 is swung in the direction toward the insertion hole 37a of the thread guides 37A, 37B.

Thereby, the thread A can be guided to a position where no tension is applied to the thread A. Therefore, it is possible to prevent unnecessary load from being applied to the thread A before tying the thread. Hereinafter, the position of the arm 38 shown in FIG. 3 will be referred to as a "first position."

As shown in FIG. 4, during tying, the motor 31 is driven to rotate the cam 33 counterclockwise when viewed from the bottom from the position shown in FIG. The cam 33 is moved to a position where neither of the pins 38b of the arm 38 comes into contact with the pin 38b of the arm 38. Then, the cam 33 does not act on the arm 38, and only the biasing force of the kick spring 39 is applied. At this time, the arm 38 swings by a predetermined angle in the counterclockwise direction when viewed from the bottom from the first position shown in FIG. 3 due to the biasing force of the kick spring 39. As a result, the portion of the thread A inserted into the insertion hole 38a of the arm 38 is pulled by the arm 38.

Thereby, the tension of the kick spring 39 applied to the thread A can take up the slack in the thread A that occurs during the thread tying. Hereinafter, the position of the arm 38 shown in FIG. 4 will be referred to as a "second position."

As shown in FIG. 5, at the end of tying the thread, the motor 31 is driven to rotate the cam 33 counterclockwise in the bottom view from the position shown in FIG. The surface 36a is brought into contact with the pin 38b of the arm 38. Further, by rotating the cam 33 in the counterclockwise direction when viewed from the bottom, the second protrusion 36 presses the pin 38b of the arm 38, and the arm 38 is further rotated from the second position shown in FIG. 4 in the counterclockwise direction when viewed from the bottom. That is, the distal end portion of the arm 38 is swung in a direction away from the insertion hole 37a of the thread guides 37A, 37B in plan view. As a result, the thread A is forcibly pulled by the arm 38.

Thereby, at the end of the thread knot, the knot of the thread A can be tightened by forcibly pulling the thread A. Hereinafter, the position of the arm 38 shown in FIG. 5 will be referred to as the "third position."

As described above, the thread tension control device 30 according to the present embodiment can change the tension applied to the thread A depending on each thread tying scene. Therefore, while the load on the thread A is reduced when the thread is not tied, the slack in the thread A can be taken up or the knot of the thread A can be made stronger when the thread is tied. Further, since the arm 38 is made of a rigid body, control with excellent responsiveness can be performed.

Although the first embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the technical idea of the invention described in the claims. It is.

For example, in the present embodiment, the cam 33 uses two protrusions, the first protrusion 35 and the second protrusion 36, to swing the arm 38 in a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction when viewed from the bottom. However, the arm 38 may be swung clockwise and counterclockwise when viewed from the bottom by one protrusion. That is, the cam 33 does not necessarily have to include two protrusions, but may include one protrusion.

FIG. 6A shows a cam 33A that is a first alternative example of the cam 33, and shows a state in which the biasing force of the kick spring 39 applied to the arm 38 and the tension of the thread A are balanced. The cam 33A shown in FIG. 6A differs from the cam 33 shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 in that it does not include the second protrusion 36. When it is desired to prevent the cam 33A from applying a load to the thread A before tying the thread, the cam 33A is rotated clockwise when viewed from the bottom, and the pin 38b of the arm 38 is pressed by the first pressing surface 35a, as in FIG. Press. Thereby, the arm 38 can be swung to the first position shown in FIG.

On the other hand, when it is desired to forcibly pull the thread A at the end of the thread knotting, the first protrusion 35 is The pin 38b of the arm 38 is pressed by the second pressing surface 35b, which is the surface opposite to the first pressing surface 35a. Thereby, the arm 38 can be swung to the third position shown in FIG. 5, and the knot of the thread A can be tightened.

Further, in the present embodiment, one end of the kick spring 39 is fixed to the arm 38 and the other end of the kick spring 39 is fixed to the motor base 32, but the other end of the kick spring 39 is fixed to the cam 33 instead of the motor base 32. It may be fixed to. Thereby, by rotating the cam 33, the other end of the kick spring 39 moves, so that the urging force of the kick spring 39 applied to the arm 38 can be changed. Therefore, the tension applied to the thread A during thread tying can be controlled depending on the ease with which the thread A stretches and contracts.

Specifically, if the tension applied to the thread A by the kick spring 39 is too large because the thread A is relatively difficult to stretch, the cam 33 is rotated so that the biasing force of the kick spring 39 is reduced. can be moved. On the other hand, if the tension applied to the thread A by the kick spring 39 is too small because the thread A is relatively easily stretchable, the cam 33 may be rotated so that the biasing force of the kick spring 39 is increased. Can be done.

However, when the other end of the kick spring 39 is fixed to the cam 33, when the cam 33 is rotated to press and swing the arm 38, the first protrusion 35 or the second protrusion 36 of the cam 33 There is a problem that as the arm 38 approaches the pin 38b, the arm 38 escapes due to the force of the kick spring 39, making it impossible to accurately align the arm 38 to the first position. In order to solve this problem, a cam 33B shown in FIG. 6(b) may be configured.

FIG. 6(b) shows a cam 33B that is a second alternative example of the cam 33, and shows a state in which the biasing force of the kick spring 39 applied to the arm 38 and the tension of the thread A are balanced. The cam 33B shown in FIG. 6(b) differs from the cam 33 shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 in that it includes a third protrusion 46. In the cam 33B, the other end of the kick spring 39 is fixed to the first protrusion 35. The third protrusion 46 is formed between the first protrusion 35 and the pin 38b of the arm 38 so as to extend approximately to the right from a portion through which the motor shaft 31a is inserted. The third protrusion 46 is formed with a third pressing surface 46a that faces the pin 38b. The third pressing surface 46a is formed at a position closer to the pin 38b than the first pressing surface 35a of the first protrusion 35 is.

In the cam 33B, the distance from the pin 38b of the arm 38 to the third pressing surface 46a is shorter than the distance to the first pressing surface 35a, so when the cam 33B is rotated clockwise when viewed from the bottom, the arm 38 It is possible to easily bring the third pressing surface 46a into contact with the pin 38b before it escapes. On the other hand, when the cam 33B is rotated counterclockwise when viewed from the bottom, the first protrusion 35 separates from the arm 38, so the biasing force of the kick spring 39 increases, and as the biasing force increases, the tension of the thread A increases. increases. When the thread A reaches a predetermined tension, the angular displacement of the arm 38 due to the biasing force of the kick spring 39 stops, but the second protrusion 36 presses the pin 38b and swings the arm 38 to the third position shown in FIG. By moving the thread A, the thread A can be forcibly pulled.

Alternatively, a sensor may be provided to measure the tension applied to the thread A, and the position of the arm 38 may be adjusted based on the measured value of the sensor. Thereby, the tension applied to the yarn A can be controlled to a desired value.

Alternatively, a motor whose shaft torque can be obtained may be used as the motor 31, and the position of the arm 38 may be adjusted based on the value of the shaft torque obtained by the motor 31. Thereby, the tension applied to the yarn A can be controlled to a desired value. Note that the shaft torque acquired by the motor 31 includes not only the tension applied to the thread A but also the biasing force of the kick spring 39. For this reason, it is preferable to provide a sensor for detecting the position of the arm 38 so that the position of the end point of the kick spring 39 can be determined by the sensor. This makes it possible to grasp the change in the biasing force of the kick spring 39, so that the tension applied to the thread A can be calculated by subtracting the biasing force of the kick spring 39 from the shaft torque acquired by the motor 31.

Next, a yarn tension control device 50 according to a second embodiment will be described using FIGS. 7 to 9. The yarn tension control device 50 according to the second embodiment differs from the yarn tension control device 30 according to the first embodiment mainly in that a lifting member 41a is provided on the motor shaft 31a, and that the cam 33 is replaced with a lifting member 41a. It is provided with a first cam 53 and a second cam 56. Note that illustration of the motor base 32 and thread guide 37 is omitted in FIGS. 7 to 9. Furthermore, although the first cam 53, the second cam 56, and the arm 38 are rotatable or swingable members, the following description will be made based on the positions shown in FIGS. 7 and 9(b).

The elevating member 41a is formed in a hollow shape with one end open, and is provided so as to enclose the motor shaft 31a. The cross-sectional shape of the opening of the lifting member 41a is, for example, similar to the cross-sectional shape of the motor shaft 31a, although it is not limited. It is provided to be movable up and down by a solenoid (not shown) provided in the. The lower end of the elevating member 41a is formed into a shape that can engage with the first cam 53 and the second cam 56. The lower end portion of the elevating member 41a is formed, for example, in a polygonal shape when viewed from the bottom that is larger in diameter than the other portions of the elevating and lowering member 41a, and is formed, for example, from a decagonal shape to a pentagonal shape when viewed from the bottom.

The first cam 53 is for swinging the arm 38, and is inserted through the lower end of the elevating member 41a. The first cam 53 is formed into a plate shape, and is arranged with the plate surface facing in the up-down direction. A protrusion 55 is formed on the first cam 53 .

The protrusion 55 extends rearward left from a portion through which the elevating member 41a is inserted to a position where it can act on the pin 38b of the arm 38, and is formed so as to come into contact with the pin 38b when the first cam 53 rotates. Ru. The protrusion 55 is formed with a first pressing surface 55a and a second pressing surface 55b, and when the first cam 53 rotates in the clockwise direction when viewed from the bottom, the first pressing surface 55a presses the pin 38b. When the first cam 53 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the bottom, the second pressing surface 55b presses the pin 38b.

The second cam 56 is for controlling the biasing force of the kick spring 39, and is inserted into the elevating member 41a above the first cam 53. The second cam 56 is formed into a plate shape, and is arranged with the plate surface facing in the vertical direction. A protrusion 58 is formed on the second cam 56 .

The protrusion 58 extends approximately to the right from the portion through which the elevating member 41a is inserted. The other end of the kick spring 39 is fixed to the protrusion 58 .

The elevating member 41a is provided so that its lower end can move up and down between a position where it engages with the first cam 53 shown in FIG. 8(a) and a position where it engages with the second cam 56 shown in FIG. 8(b). When the elevating member 41a is located at the position shown in FIG. 8(a), the first cam 53 can be rotated by driving the motor 31. On the other hand, when the elevating member 41a is located at the position shown in FIG. 8(b), the second cam 56 can be rotated by driving the motor 31. In this way, the first cam 53 and the second cam 56 are configured to be able to switch which of the first cam 53 and the second cam 56 is rotated by the driving force of the motor 31.

Next, the operation of each member of the thread tension control device 50 when controlling the tension of the thread A will be described using FIG.

As shown in FIG. 9(a), before tying the thread, the first cam 53 is moved clockwise when viewed from the bottom by driving the motor 31 with the lifting member 41a moved to the position shown in FIG. 8(a). The pin 38b of the arm 38 is pressed by the first pressing surface 55a by rotating in the circumferential direction. Thereby, the arm 38 can be swung to the first position shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 9(b), during tying, the first cam 53 is rotated counterclockwise when viewed from the bottom until the protrusion 55 does not come into contact with the pin 38b of the arm 38. Then, the arm 38 swings counterclockwise in the bottom view to the second position shown in FIG. It is pulled by arm 38. This makes it possible to take up the slack in the thread A that occurs during thread tying.

At this time, the second cam 56 can be rotated by driving the motor 31 while the elevating member 41a is moved to the position shown in FIG. 8(b). Thereby, the biasing force of the kick spring 39 applied to the arm 38 can be changed, and in turn, the tension applied to the thread A when taking up the slack of the thread A can be controlled.

In this way, by making the cam that presses the arm 38 and the cam to which the other end of the kick spring 39 is fixed as separate members, the biasing force of the kick spring 39 can be made variable, and the tension caused by the tension of the arm 38 can be made variable. Forcibly applying tension to A can be performed independently, thereby making it possible to achieve both.

As shown in FIG. 9(c), at the end of the thread tying, the motor 31 is driven with the lifting member 41a moved to the position shown in FIG. 8(a) to move the first cam 53 counterclockwise when viewed from the bottom. By rotating in the direction, the protrusion 55 presses the pin 38b of the arm 38. Thereby, the arm 38 can be swung to the third position shown in FIG. 5, and the knot of the thread A can be tightened.

Although the second embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and appropriate changes can be made within the scope of the technical idea of the invention described in the claims. It is.

For example, in the present embodiment, in order to switch which of the first cam 53 and the second cam 56 is rotated by the driving force of the motor 31, the elevating member 41a is moved up and down by a solenoid or the like. The first cam 53 and the second cam 56 may each move up and down.

Next, a thread tension control device 60 according to a third embodiment will be described using FIGS. 10 and 11. The yarn tension control device 60 according to the third embodiment differs from the yarn tension control device 30 according to the first embodiment mainly in that it includes a first cam 63 and a second cam 66 instead of the cam 33, and It is equipped with a differential gear 69. Note that illustration of the motor base 32 and thread guide 37 is omitted in FIGS. 10 and 11.

The first cam 63 is for swinging the arm 38 and is formed in the same shape as the first cam 53 of the second embodiment. A pressing surface 65a is formed on the protrusion 65 of the first cam 63, and when the first cam 63 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the bottom, the pressing surface 65a presses the pin 38b.

The second cam 66 is for controlling the biasing force of the kick spring 39, and is formed in the same shape as the second cam 56 of the second embodiment. The second cam 66 is fixed to the motor shaft 31a and is provided to rotate around the axis of the motor shaft 31a as the motor shaft 31a rotates. The other end of the kick spring 39 is fixed to the protrusion 68 of the second cam 66 .

The first cam 63 is connected to the second cam 66 via a differential gear 69 provided between the first cam 63 and the second cam 66. Thereby, the first cam 63 is configured to rotate in a direction opposite to the direction in which the second cam 66 rotates as the second cam 66 rotates due to the driving force of the motor 31.

Next, the operation of each member of the thread tension control device 60 when controlling the tension of the thread A will be explained using FIG.

If you want to change the biasing force of the kick spring 39 while tying the thread, as shown in FIG. The kick spring 39 can be moved to change the biasing force of the kick spring 39. Specifically, by rotating the second cam 66 in the counterclockwise direction when viewed from the bottom, the second cam 66 is separated from the arm 38, so that the biasing force of the kick spring 39 increases. On the other hand, by rotating the second cam 66 in the clockwise direction when viewed from the bottom, the second cam 66 approaches the arm 38, so that the biasing force of the kick spring 39 is reduced.

When it is desired to forcibly apply tension to the thread A at the end of tying the thread, as shown in FIG. The cam 63 is rotated counterclockwise when viewed from the bottom, and the pressing surface 65a of the protrusion 65 is brought into contact with the pin 38b of the arm 38. By further rotating the first cam 63 in the counterclockwise direction when viewed from the bottom, the protrusion 65 presses the pin 38b of the arm 38, causing the arm 38 to further swing counterclockwise when viewed from the bottom. Thereby, the arm 38 can be swung to the third position shown in FIG. 5, and the knot of the thread A can be tightened.

If you do not want to apply tension to the thread A before tying the thread, as shown in FIG. 11(c), the driving force of the motor 31 moves the first cam 63 in the clockwise direction when viewed from the bottom from the position shown in FIG. 11(b). Rotate it. When the first cam 63 rotates in the clockwise direction when viewed from the bottom, the arm 38 contacts the first cam 63 due to the biasing force of the kick spring 39 and swings together with the first cam 63 in the clockwise direction when viewed from the bottom. Thereby, the arm 38 can be swung to the first position shown in FIG.

As described above, the yarn tension control devices 30, 50, and 60 according to the first to third embodiments of the present invention are provided in the knotter device 3, but as shown in FIG. It may be provided. An example in which the yarn tension control devices 30, 50, and 60 are provided in the flat knitting machine 4 will be described below.

In a conventional flat knitting machine, when inlaying knitting yarn from either the left or right side of the flat knitting machine, the tension at the end of the knitted fabric on the side far from the yarn tension control device installed near the side of the flat knitting machine increases when the yarn feeder is reversed. becomes smaller. In particular, when high-stiffness fibers are used as the inlay yarn, the tension applied by the spring bias cannot follow the change in the tension of the yarn, and there is a problem that the inlay yarn crosses for a long time at the far end of the knitted fabric when it is turned. there were.

In the present invention, by providing the yarn tension control devices 30, 50, and 60 in the flat knitting machine 4, when inlaying high-rigidity fibers as wefts, the end of the knitted fabric on the side far from the yarn tension control devices 30, 50, and 60 When the yarn feeder is reversed, the arm 38 is swung to the third position shown in FIG. It is possible to prevent the thread of time from becoming too long.

3 Knotter device 4 Flat knitting machine 30, 50, 60 Yarn tension control device 31 Motor 33 Cam 37 Yarn guide 38 Arm 39 Kick spring 53, 63 First cam 56, 66 Second cam 69 Differential gear

Claims (7)

A motor that generates driving force,
a cam configured to be rotatable by the driving force of the motor;
a pair of thread guides that guide the thread to a predetermined position;
a spring that generates a biasing force;
It has an insertion part that is swingably supported along an imaginary plane passing between the pair of thread guides, through which the thread guided by the pair of thread guides is inserted, and an action part in which the cam can act. , the spring is biased in the direction of applying tension to the thread, and the action of the cam on the action section causes the pair of wires to be biased with respect to a position where the biasing force of the spring and the tension of the thread are balanced. an arm that increases tension applied to the yarn by swinging in a direction away from the yarn guide;
Equipped with
Thread tension control device. The arm is
By the action of the cam on the action portion, the tension applied to the thread is reduced by swinging in a direction approaching the pair of thread guides based on the balanced position.
The yarn tension control device according to claim 1. one end of the spring is fixed to the arm, and the other end of the spring is fixed to the cam;
The thread tension control device according to claim 1 or claim 2. The cam is
a first cam configured to be able to act on the acting portion of the arm; and a second cam to which the other end of the spring is fixed;
configured to be able to switch which of the first cam and the second cam is rotated by the driving force of the motor;
The yarn tension control device according to claim 3. The cam is
a first cam configured to act on the acting portion of the arm; and a second cam to which the other end of the spring is fixed;
Either the first cam or the second cam is fixed to a motor shaft of the motor,
Either the first cam or the second cam is connected to either the first cam or the second cam via a differential device, and the first cam or the second cam configured to rotate in the opposite direction to either the first cam or the second cam when one of the second cams rotates;
The yarn tension control device according to claim 3. A knotter device comprising the thread tension control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. A flat knitting machine comprising the yarn tension control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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