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US 11,286,594 B2Granted
Knitting machine with electronic auxiliary component
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsStuart W. Dealey, Adrian Meir, Gagandeep Singh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A knitting machine may include a needle bed and a carriage that is movable along the needle bed. The carriage may be configured to engage at least one feeder to move a dispensing area of the feeder along the needle bed while dispensing a yarn, where the carriage includes an interface for providing power to an auxiliary component.
Claims16
A knitting machine, the knitting machine comprising:
- a needle bed;
- a carriage that is movable along the needle bed, wherein the carriage engages at least one feeder to move a dispensing area of the feeder along the needle bed while dispensing a yarn;
- and
- at least one sensor that is fixed to the carriage such that the sensor moves relative to the needle bed when the carriage moves along the needle bed,
- wherein a control system of the knitting machine adjusts movement of the carriage based on feedback received form the at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor is a laser sensor, and wherein the laser sensor determines when a needle of the needle bed is damaged or broken and then sends a feedback signal to the control system of the knitting machine to indicate that the needle is damaged or broken.
2 more elements
A knitting machine, the knitting machine comprising:
- a needle bed comprising a first set of needles and a second set of needles;
- a carriage that is movable along the needle bed and actuates each of the first set of needles and the second set of needles;
- and
- a laser sensor that is fixed to the carriage such that the laser sensor moves relative to the needle bed when the carriage moves along the needle bed,
- wherein a control system of the knitting machine adjusts movement of at least one of the carriage, a feeder, and the needle bed based on feedback received form the laser sensor, and wherein the laser sensor determines when a needle of the needle bed is damaged or broken and then sends a feedback signal to the control system of the knitting machine to indicate that the needle is damaged or broken.
2 more elements
A method, comprising:
- knitting a knitted component using a knitting machine having a needle bed and a carriage,
- wherein the carriage is movable along the needle bed, wherein the carriage engages at least one feeder to move a dispensing area of the feeder along the needle bed while dispensing a yarn,
- wherein at least one sensor that is fixed to the carriage such that the sensor moves relative to the needle bed when the carriage moves along the needle bed, and
- wherein a control system of the knitting machine adjusts movement of the carriage based on feedback received form the at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor is a laser sensor, and wherein the laser sensor determines when a needle of the needle bed is damaged or broken and then sends a feedback signal to the control system of the knitting machine to indicate that the needle is damaged or broken.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.