WO2006016757A1

WO2006016757A1 - Process for preparing patterned fabric

Info

Publication number: WO2006016757A1
Application number: PCT/KR2005/002556
Authority: WO
Inventors: Joon Seok Lee; Sung Min Kim
Original assignee: Industry-Academic Coorperation Foundation Yeungnam University; Saeil Precision Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2004-08-10
Filing date: 2005-08-05
Publication date: 2006-02-16
Also published as: KR20060014096A; KR100593072B1

Abstract

The present invention provides a preparing process for a patterned fabric, comprising following steps: (a) a step of selecting a pattern image; (b) a step of dividing the pattern image into unit cells; (c) a step of designing a woven yarn comprising colors of the unit cells in a serial order by linking the unit cells; (d) a step of preparing the woven yard as designed; and (e) a step of weaving the patterned fabric by using the woven yarn as a weft. Accordingly, a cut-pile fabric of colorful pattern can be prepared on an industrial scale by the present process.

Description

PROCESSFORPREPARINGPATTERNEDFABRIC

Technical Field

[I] The present invention relates to a process for preparing patterned fabric, specifically a preparing process of cut-pile fabric of colorful pattern with a conventional weaving machine.

Background Art

[2] Colorful patterned fabric has been conventionally prepared by printing patterns on the fabric or weaving the fabric with a special shedding equipment such as jacquard and dobby. However, the printed fabric has the pattern on either side of the fabric, and the fabric which is weaved with the jacquard or the dobby shedding equipment, so called uncut-pile fabric, has a problem that each side of the fabric has opposite color or the quality of the pattern on one side is inferior to the other. The colorful patterned cut- pile fabric of same color and quality on both sides was not able to be produced by a conventional process.

[3] On the other hand, the cut-pile fabric has been made by preparing a woven yarn from dyed yarn according to pattern and weaving the fabric with the woven yarn by hands, which is, nevertheless, very cost consuming.

[4] Accordingly, the present inventors endeavor to develop the present process capable of preparing the uncut-pile fabric of colorful pattern on an industrial scale.

[5]

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[6] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a process for preparing cut-pile fabric of colorful pattern on an industrial scale with a conventional weaving machine.

Technical Solution

[7] In accordance with the object of the present invention, there is provided a preparing process for patterned fabric, comprising following steps: [8] (a) a step of selecting a pattern image;

[9] (b) a step of dividing the pattern image into unit cells;

[10] (c) a step of designing a woven yarn comprising colors of the unit cells in a serial order by linking the unit cells;

[II] (d) a step of preparing the woven yard as designed; and

[12] (e) a step of weaving the patterned fabric by using the woven yarn as a weft.

Advantageous Effects [13] Accordingly, a cut-pile fabric of colorful pattern can be prepared on an industrial scale by the present process. Brief Description of the Drawings

[14] The objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention, when taken injunction with the accompanying drawings which respectively show:

[15] Fig. 1 : an outline of the present process ;

[16] Fig. 2: an executing screen of the present CAD program;

[17] Fig. 3: an example of pattern image bitmap;

[18] Fig. 4: an example of pattern image bitmap the color of which is adjusted;

[19] Figs. 5 and 6: examples of images having inadequate repeating unit;

[20] Fig. 7: a defining method of repeating unit;

[21] Figs. 8 and 9: examples of images having adequate repeating unit;

[22] Fig. 10: an example of image which is divided into unit cells;

[23] Fig. 11 : an example of automatic images re-division according to the thickness of weft.

[24] Fig. 12: a parameter input screen of the present program;

[25] Fig. 13: screens for simulating to prepare the woven yarn;

[26] Fig. 14: screens for simulating to prepare the patterned fabric;

[27] Fig. 15: LabJack U12 USB DIO (upper) and relay board (lower);

[28] Fig. 16: a conceptual diagram for controlling solenoid valve by a computer;

[29] Fig. 17: circuit wires for the present controller;

[30] Fig. 18: a setting screen for the present weaving machine controller;

[31] Fig. 19: a weft selecting apparatus;

[32] Fig. 20: an setting screen for defining the unit process of weaving;

[33] Fig. 21 : an example of the unit process of weaving;

[34] Fig. 22: a user interface for controlling the present weaving process;

[35] Fig. 23: a flow chart of the present process for preparing the patterned fabric.

[36]

Mode for the Invention

[37] The outline of the present process for preparing patterned fabric

[38] The present process for preparing cut-pile fabric of colorful pattern with a con¬ ventional weaving machine is outlined in Fig. 1.

[39] ® Selecting a pattern image and adjusting colors of the pattern

[40] A pattern image is designed or chosen. The number of colors in the pattern is preferably less than the number of wefts which can be inserted in a weaving machine employed since the weaving machine is limited in terms of the number and the type of weft to be employed. Otherwise, the colors of the image can be adjusted to have the affordable number of colors.

[41] (D Dividing the image of the pattern into unit cells

[42] The image of the pattern is divided to unit cells each of which has a single color.

The dimension of the unit cell is determined by the thickness of weft used for preparing a woven yarn. For example, in case of the weft of 2 mm thick employed for preparing the woven yarn, the image is divided to the unit cells of 2 x 2 mm.

[43] ® Designing and preparing a woven yarn

[44] A woven yarn is designed by liking all the unit cells. The woven yarn has all colors of the unit cells in a serial order by connecting the right end of each line to the left end of next line.

[45] A number of woven yarns can be simultaneously weaved by inserting wefts in an order of colors of the unit cells in the designed woven yarn followed by cutting between warps.

[46] ® Weaving patterned fabric

[47] The cut-pile fabric of desired pattern is weaved by using the woven yarn as a weft.

[48]

[49] Programming the present process for preparing patterned fabric

[50] The colorful patterned fabric can be obtained with the woven yarn which is designed by dividing the pattern image into the unit cells and linking them and woven by inserting wefts in an order of the colors of the unit cells in the designed woven yarn through a conventional weaving machine. For preparing the woven yarn, thousands of wefts may be necessarily inserted depending on the color complexity of the image, and it is difficult to determine the sequence of weft inserting manually. Accordingly, software was developed for adjusting the colors of the image, dividing the image into the unit cells and automatically generating the sequence of weft inserting.

[51] The present invention provides a CAD (Computer Aided Design) program which is explained in Example 1. The executing screen of the present CAD program is shown in Fig. 2. The present program is made in C++ language and operatible in Windows 98 system or equivalents.

[52] Example 1 : Programming the present process for preparing patterned fabric

[53] 1. Selecting a pattern image

[54] The size of the image and the number of colors are theoretically unlimited.

However, since a common weaving machine has a definite weft directional width and employs a limited number of wefts, the color and size of the image need to be adjusted in view of the feature of the weaving machine employed, as follows.

[55] ® Creating an image file

[56] The bitmap data of the image can be obtained by a textile cad, a scanner or a digital camera. The present CAD program is compatible with image files in the formats of BMP and JPG. Examples of the image are shown in Fig. 3.

[57] (D Adjusting colors

[58] Since a weaving machine can employ a limited number of wefts, the colors in the image need to be adjusted and grouped into affordable number by a technique of color quantization such as optimized octree, through space distance, nearest color and error diffusion method. In the present example, the colors are adjusted into eight groups by the optimized octree method since the weaving machine employed has eight weft changers. The adjusted images are shown in Fig. 4. In case that the quality of the adjusted image is significantly inferior to the original one, the weft changing apparatus is preferred to be improved.

[59] ® Defining a repeating unit

[60] A continuous pattern is preferred to have a complete repeating unit. For example, since the third pattern in Fig. 4 does not have the complete repeating unit, the quality of the woven fabric therefrom is less than perfect as shown in Fig. 5. For the best result, it is advisable to define the repeating unit precisely. The repeating unit can be redefined in view of the quality of repetitive pattern in the present program. When the image of the pattern is loaded, the repeating unit of the pattern is automatically repeated in four directions. As shown in Fig. 7, the repeating unit can be redefined by moving four controllers around the boundaries of the pattern. Figs. 8 and 9 shows the best result of an appropriate definition of the repeating unit while Figs. 5 and 6 show the patterns wherein the repeating unit is defined inappropriately.

[61]

[62] 2. Dividing the image into unit cells

[63] The image of the pattern is divided into square unit cells of mono color, the width and height of which is identical to the thickness of weft to be employed for the woven yarn. The present program automatically divides the image into the unit cells depending upon the size of the image and the thickness of weft. An example of divided image into unit cells is shown in Fig. 10. The size of the repeating unit, the size of the unit cell, and a color index of wefts are shown in the left hand side of the image in order to prepare wefts easily.

[64] In the present program, the unit cells are automatically redefined by changing the size of the image or the thickness of weft as shown in Fig. 11, which enables to try various dividing conditions to obtain the pattern of best quality. Further, when a parameter such as the size of image is changed, the present program concurrently shows resulting patterned fabric.

[65]

[66] 3. Designing and simulating to prepare a woven yarn [67] A long woven yarn is designed by connecting lines of the divided image one after another, and the woven yarn has information about all the colors of the unit cells. [68] The present program comprises a step of simulating to prepare the woven yarn before it is actually weaved. In the simulating step, the present program automatically generates the sequence of weft inserting according to parameter such as the width of desired fabric and the size of blank are leading and following the repeating unit, as shown in fig. 12. Upon inputting the parameters into the program, it shows the process of preparing hundreds or thousands of the woven yarns at a time. Fig. 13 shows an example of simulating to prepare the woven yarns. Any portion of the woven yarn can be checked by using scroll bar and the weft inserting sequence can be printed in a text file to be used for manual weaving process in a weaving machine which is not subject to automatic control.

[69] A number of woven yarns are actually prepared by weft inserting according to the color sequence of the unit cells in the designed woven yarn followed by cutting between warps. The more warps are used the more woven yarns are obtained.

[70] [71] 4. Simulating to weave patterned fabric [72] The patterned fabric is weaved by using the woven yarn as a weft. The present program comprises a step of simulating to weave the final patterned fabric. In the simulating step, the resulting pattern of fabric can be visualized and magnified. The simulating result can give a feedback to the steps of selecting the pattern image and dividing the image into the unit cells. Further, noise and shade may be added to the colors of the unit cells to give a 3-dimensional effect to the pattern of fabric as shown in Fig. 14.

[73] [74] Preparing the woven yarn and the patterned fabric according to the present process

[75] The present process comprises a step of preparing the woven yarn. [76] The specifications of the weaving machine which is employed in Examples 2 to 4 are shown in Table 1.

[77] Table 1

[78] A weaving machine is conventionally controlled by PLC (Programmable Logic

Controller). PLC stores and interprets the parameters for weaving inputted by a user and moves solenoid valves installed in the parts of the weaving machine such as heald, rapier and weft selecting apparatus. The solenoid valves controls the delivery of compressed air supplied from an external compressor to air pressure cylinders installed in the parts of the weaving machine, and subsequently controls the movement of the weaving machine. However, PLC control is not suitable to weave the patterned fabric of the present invention due to its insufficient memory capacity.

[79] Accordingly, the present invention provides a weaving machine controller which is capable of inserting up to tens of thousands wefts to weave the patterned fabric according to the present process.

[80] Example 2: Preparation of a weaving machine controller

[81] Each solenoid valve installed in parts of a weaving machine was opened when 24 V electric power was supplied between black and red electric wires within the solenoid, and closed when the electric power was shut down. Accordingly, the controller wherein 24 V electric power was supplied through a plural number of channels under control of a computer was required to control the weaving machine.

[82] In the weaving machine the sloping beam was let-off and taken-up at a specific rate by a servo motor and the elements to be controlled to prepare the woven yarn and the patterned fabric included healds, a weft selecting apparatus, a body and a rapier. Since the weaving machine employed in the present Example has six healds, eight wefts, one body and one rapier, the controller having sixteen channels was prepared.

[83] In the present Example, a loom controller based on USB port was employed in consideration of expandability of system. The USB port does not require an additional power supply and is compatible with any type of computers including laptop computer, as well as it can concurrently control a number of weaving machines up to 127. The present loom controller was prepared by combining Lab Jack Ul 2 USB DIO (data input/output) system and 16 channel relay board (RB -16) which is used for installing relays operated according to the signals from LabJack U12 as shown in Fig. 15.

[84] On the other hand, the relay board was provided with 5V power from the computer through USB port without an additional power supplier, and the solenoid valve of the weaving machine required 24 V electric pressure and at least 1 A electric current. Ac¬ cordingly, a circuit which supplied additional power of 24 V and 1 A to the solenoid valve and was controlled by a solid state relay (SSR) operated by 5 V power was employed in the present controller. The conceptual outline of the circuit is shown in Fig. 16. The SSR employed in the present controller was operated by 5 V electric power and the maximum operational load was 120 V and 3 A. Electrically insulated in and outlets ensured the stability of the controller and the operational status of the controller was checked through LED installed in the upper part thereof.

[85] The USB DIO system, the relay board, the power supplier and connecting cables were arranged in a single case to constitute the present controller for weaving machine. Fig. 17 shows the connecting cables of the controller, i.e., 220 V power supplier cable, solenoid connecting cable, and USB cable, from the left hand side. The solenoid connecting cable consists of 20 wires wherein the black ones are connected to the anode and the others are connected to the cathode of the solenoid. The SSR number assigned to each wire is represented in Table 2.

[86] Table 2 The color index of wire assigned to each SSR number

[87] [88] Example 3: Preparation of software controlling the present controller [89] A software module was prepared to control the conventional rapier weaving machine through the controller obtained in Example 2 and incorporated into the present CAD program. The Lab Jack Ul 2 USB DIO system was easily incorporated into the present CAD program since it was controlled in C language, and was able to control digital out port of 16 channels. The setting screen of the software is shown in Fig. 18.

[90] The content operatible by a user in the setting screen is explained in detail as follows.

[91] ® Assigning SSR number to each operation part of the weaving machine [92] A list of 16 computer controllable operation parts of the weaving machine with SSR numbers assigned thereto is represented in the left hand side of the setting screen. For example, Weft 1-8 represents wefts nos. 1 to 8 in the weft selecting apparatus, as shown in Fig. 19, and 'Rapier,' 'Body,' and 'Harness 1-6' represent the rapier head, the body and the healds, respectively. Although the weaving machine employed in the present invention has twenty healds, only six healds were under control since maximum 6 healds are sufficient for preparing the woven yarn for weaving the patterned fabric.

[93] SSR number can be assigned by selecting an operation part and a number in 'Switch number' and clicking 'Set,' which complements manual circuit connection and provides the circuit with connecting flexibility. After assigning 16 SSR numbers to all the operation parts, the weaving processes can be controlled by various combinations of the SSRs.

[94] (D Testing the operation parts

[95] Clicking 'Initialize' button, all SSRs set off, and the healds drop and the rapier, the weft selecting apparatus and the body retreat. A specific operation part can be tested by selecting the part and clicking 'On' and 'Off (A plural number of parts can be tested). The flash of LED above the SSR number on the relay board represents the proper signal transmission, and if the operation part does not work in spite the flash of the LED, the circuit should be checked.

[96] (D Defining the unit process of weaving

[97] The transferring and rolling movement of the rapier weaving machine is controlled by a servo motor which moves at a specific rate and is out of controlling scope by a computer. Accordingly, the unit process of weaving defined by a number of con¬ trollable unit movements such as a up and down movement of heald, a body hitting movement, and a weft selecting movement. Since the present weaving machine is supposed to operate process by process and each process occurs independently, the process can be controlled in a serial order even at a low weaving rate. The unit process to end in inserting a weft may comprise infinite combinations of the unit movements. A simple example of the combination of the unit movements follows as below.

[98] a) Up and down movement of heald

[99] The warps of basic fabric are split and hooked in two healds (defined as Nos. 1 and

2). Since upper shed opens in the rapier weaving machine employed in the present Example, No. 1 heald rises and No. 2 heald holds in a first step. For representing the opening of the upper shed, 'Harness 1' is selected in the combo-box featuring 'Choose Type,' as shown in Fig. 20. Then, 'Harness 1 On' appears in the list in the right hand side by selecting 'On' at radio button in the lower part and clicking 'Add.' In the same manner, 'Harness 2 Off item is added by selecting 'Harness 2' and clicking 'Off.' The executing the two items leads to opening of the upper shed by rising No. 1 heald and holding No. 2 heald in actual weaving process.

[ 100] b) Retardation of time

[101] While the timing of the weft inserting movement after the upper shed is open is controlled by crack timing in a conventional weaving machine, it can be finely controlled by defining time retardation in the present computer controlled weaving system. For defining the time retardation, 'Delay' is selected in 'Choose Type' combo box and a desired retardation time is put in the edit box below 'On' button followed by clicking 'Add.' Subsequently, 'Delay OOO ms' item is added in the list in the right hand side and the successive movement is delayed for the designated time during weaving process. The retardation time is designated on a millisecond (1/1000 sec) scale.

[102] c) Selecting a weft

[103] For inserting wefts in accordance with the weft inserting sequence generated in the present CAD program, 'Weft Selector' is selected, 'On' button is checked and 'Add' is clicked. 'Weft Selector On' item is added in the list in the right hand side and ap¬ propriate wefts are automatically selected and transferred to the rapier head. Suitable time retardation can be defined for each process.

[104] d) Inserting a weft

[105] 'Rapier On' item is added by selecting 'Rapier,' checking 'On' and clicking 'Add,' and the rapier holding the weft is inserted into open shed. And the rapier returns to original place by defining adequate retarding time and adding 'Rapier Off item. Then, the weft selecting apparatus is turned off by adding 'Weft Selecting Off by a similar procedure to (c). Adequate time retardation is also necessary in this step.

[106] e) Reversing the up and down movement of heald

[107] After inserting the weft, the upper shed is shut by No.l heald dropping and No. 2 heald rising, which is defined in the opposite manner to (a). Adequate time retardation can be defined.

[108] f) Body hitting movement

[109] The body hitting movement is performed by adding 'Body On' and 'Body Off and suitable time retardation may be defined.

[110] g) Managing a list of the unit movements

[111] The whole content of the list is cleared by clicking 'Clear,' and items in the list can be added, corrected, inserted and deleted. An item in the list is deleted by selecting the item and clicking 'Delete.' And an item can be corrected by selecting the item and clicking 'Edit.' For instance, if 'Harness 1 On' item is selected, 'Off is checked and 'Edit' is clicked, the item is corrected to 'Harness 1 Off.' An item is inserted between two items by selecting the lower item of the two items and defining the item to be inserted followed by clicking 'Add.' An example of the unit process of weaving is shown in Fig. 21.

[112] ® Testing the unit process of weaving

[113] After defining the unit process, the process can be tested by clicking 'Test One

Step.' The operation of every part of the weaving machine can be checked and adequate time retardation can be determined.

[114] Example 4: Weaving the woven yarn and the patterned fabric [115] The user interface for controlling the weaving process of the woven yarn and the patterned fabric is shown in Fig. 22.

[116] ® Preparation of the woven yarn

[117] The parameters for weaving the woven yarn are put in 'Weave Yarn' section. The repeating number of the pattern a warp direction is put in 'Repeat' and clicking 'Start.' The upper one of the two progress bars (Repeat Progress) represents the extent of ac¬ complishing the repeating units and the lower one (Unit Progress) represents the extent of inserting wefts in one unit. The process can be terminated by clicking 'ESC in case of troubleshooting in weft inserting. When the process is terminated, the process can be restarted by clicking Υes'in 'Resume weaving' message box.

[118] (D The preparation of the patterned fabric

[119] The patterned fabric can be woven by using the woven yarn obtained in ® as weft no.l. By clicking 'Start' in 'Weave fabric' section, the patterned fabric is woven by selecting the weft no. 1.

[120] The block diagram of the program for weaving patterned fabric by using the present weaving machine controller is shown in Fig. 23.

[121]

[122] While the invention has been described with respect to the above specific em¬ bodiments, it should be recognized that various modifications and changes may be made to the invention by those skilled in the art which also fall within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[123]

Industrial Applicability

[124] a cut-pile fabric of colorful pattern can be prepared on an industrial scale by the present process.

[125]

Claims

[1] A preparing process for a patterned fabric, comprising following steps:

(a) a step of selecting a pattern image;

(b) a step of dividing the pattern image into unit cells;

(c) a step of designing a woven yarn comprising colors of the unit cells in a serial order by linking the unit cells;

(d) a step of preparing the woven yard as designed; and

(e) a step of weaving the patterned fabric by using the woven yarn as a weft.

[2] The preparing process of claim 1, wherein the step (d) comprises following steps:

(dl) a step of weaving the woven yarn by inserting wefts in a sequence of colors of the unit cells; and

(d2) a step of preparing a plural number of the woven yarns by cutting between warps. [3] The preparing process of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the step (a) comprises a step of adjusting and grouping colors in the image into the number of wefts insertable to the weaving machine employed for preparing the woven yarn. [4] The preparing process of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the width and the height of the unit cell in the step (b) is identical to the thickness of the weft employed for the woven yarn. [5] The preparing process of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the unit cells are linked by connecting the right end of each line of the divided image with the left end of next line in the step of (c). [6] The preparing process of claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a step of simulating to prepare the designed woven yarn and a step of simulating to prepare the patterned fabric by using the woven yarn as a weft between the steps

(c) and (d). [7] A computer readable recording media storing a program executing following steps:

(a) a step of selecting a pattern image;

(b) a step of dividing the pattern image into unit cells;

(d) a step of preparing the woven yard as designed; and

(e) a step of weaving the patterned fabric by using the woven yarn as a weft. [8] The computer readable recording media of claim 7, wherein the step (d) comprises following steps:

(d2) a step of preparing a plural number of the woven yarns by cutting between warps. [9] The computer readable recording media of claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the step

(a) comprises a step of adjusting and grouping colors in the image into the number of wefts insertable to the weaving machine employed for preparing the woven yarn. [ 10] Patterned fabric prepared by the process of claim 1.