Tubular double-needle bed warp knitting machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12385174-B2
Application number	US-202318450118-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2023
Priority date	Feb 24, 2021
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

A tubular double-needle bed warp knitting machine includes a warp let-off mechanism, and a loop-forming mechanism. The loop-forming mechanism includes guide needles in a circular pattern, two circular needle beds arranged internally and externally, knitting needles in a circular pattern along the internal and external needle beds, and knitting components that move in coordination with the knitting needles. Some of the guide needles form loops on the internal and external circular needle beds to connect sections of the two fabric pieces to create a three-dimensional tubular fabric. The formed three-dimensional tubular fabric gradually exits the knitting area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tubular double-needle bed warp knitting machine, comprising a warp let-off mechanism, and a loop-forming mechanism,
wherein the warp let-off mechanism includes warp beams, guide reeds, and tension rods, and the warp beams include flanges, and there are a pair of warp beams in each of the four directions of the warp let-off mechanism, each pair of the warp beams includes a pair of guide reeds and a pair of tension rods;
wherein the loop-forming mechanism includes guide needles arranged in a circular pattern, two circular needle beds being arranged as an inner circular needle bed and an outer circular needle bed, knitting needles arranged in a circular pattern along the inner and outer needle beds, and knitting components configured to move in coordination with the knitting needles, the knitting components include knocking-over bars and sinkers;
wherein the knitting needles are latch needles, and the knitting components are configured to move in coordination with the knitting needles, backs of the latch needles on the two circular needle beds are opposite to each other, the guide needles are used to add yarns, and the latch needles configured to hook introduced yarns and to form loops, with the knocking-over bars and the sinkers coordinating with movements of the latch needles;
wherein the guide needles are arranged in three concentric circles, configured to form an inner circle of guide needles, a middle circle of guide needles, and an outer circle of guide needles, the three circles of guide needles are configured to undergo synchronized periodic expansion, contraction, and curved shogging motion;
wherein the outer circle of guide needles is configured to cooperate with the outer circular needle bed to form loops, and the inner circle of guide needles is configured to cooperate with the inner circular needle bed to form loops, the outer circular needle bed is configured to form a first fabric piece, and the inner circular needle bed is configured to form a second fabric piece, and the middle circle of guide needles are configured to alternately move on the inner and outer circular needle beds to connect partial or all sections of the first and second fabric pieces to create a three-dimensional tubular fabric.

2. A tubular double-needle bed warp knitting machine according to claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional tubular fabric is configured to gradually exit the knitting area.

3. A preparation method of a three-dimensional tubular fabric, using the tubular double-needle warp knitting machine according to claim 1 for knitting, the guide needles being used to add yarns, and the latch needles configured to hook the introduced yarns in and form the loops, with the knocking-over bars and the sinkers configured to coordinate with movements of the latch needles, the method comprising the following steps:
S1: raising the knitting needles to the highest position, expanding the three circles of guide needles, lowering the knitting needles, and contracting the three circles of guide needles to their original position, during this expansion-contraction cycle, the outer circle of guide needles and the middle circle of guide needles participate in a yarn feeding process, while the inner circle of guide needles does not participate in the yarn feeding process;
S2: raising the knitting needles to the highest position again, and contracting the three circles of guide needles, lowering the knitting needles again, expanding the three circles of guide needles to their original position, during this contraction-expansion cycle, the inner circle of guide needles and the middle circle of guide needles participate in yarn laying process, while the outer circle of guide needles does not participate in the yarn laying process;
S3: repeating S1 to S2.

4. A preparation method of the three-dimensional tubular fabric according to claim 3 , wherein before S1, the method includes adjusting an interval distance between the outer circular needle bed and the inner circular needle bed based on a thickness requirement of the fabric.

5. A preparation method of the three-dimensional tubular fabric according to claim 3 , wherein the yarns used are made from natural fibers or chemical fibers.

6. A preparation method of the three-dimensional tubular fabric according to claim 5 , wherein the chemical fibers can be polyester fibers, polypropylene fibers, nylon fibers, acrylic fibers, or viscose fibers.

Assignees

• Univ Jiangnan

Inventors

• Ma Pibo
• Yu Shuang
• Jiang Gaoming
• Cong Honglian

Classifications

• D04B25/02

  Tubular machines · CPC title

• D04B21/20

  specially adapted for knitting articles of particular configuration · CPC title

• D04B27/16

  Warp beams; Bearings therefor · CPC title

• D04B27/24

  Thread guide bar assemblies · CPC title

• Y02P70/62

  related technologies for production or treatment of textile or flexible materials or products thereof, including footwear · CPC title