Circular knitting machine and respective method to control textile quality by use of digital camera
AssigneeSmartex Europe, Unipessoal Lda.
InventorsGilberto Martins Loureiro, António Jorge Mendes Da Rocha
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A circular knitting machine, a method for controlling textile fabric defects, and a method for retrofitting a circular knitting machine are provided. The circular knitting machine includes a fixed support structure, a rotational support structure, and a system for controlling textile fabric defects. The system includes a digital camera for capturing digital images of knitted textile fabric, a data processor for processing the captured digital images, a camera support structure for holding the camera, and a lighting system to illuminate the knitted textile fabric from the camera side for capture by the digital camera. The camera support structure is fixed to the rotational structure.
Claims18
A circular knitting machine having a fixed support structure, a rotational support structure that rotates with respect to the fixed support structure, and a system for controlling textile fabric defects, said circular knitting machine comprising:
- a roller for flattening a circular knitted web into said textile fabric;
- and
- a cylinder arranged on a lower part of said rotational support structure for rolling-in the flattened textile fabric,
- said system comprising
- a digital camera for capturing digital images of the knitted textile fabric,
- a data processor for processing the captured digital images, and
- a camera support structure for holding the camera,
- wherein the camera support structure is fixed to and rotates, together with the held camera, with the rotational support structure.
A method for retrofitting a circular knitting machine having a fixed support structure and a rotational support structure that rotates with respect to the fixed support structure, with a system for controlling textile fabric defects, the method comprising:
- fitting said circular knitting machine with the system to obtain the retrofitted circular knitting machine, wherein said circular knitting machine comprises
- a roller for flattening a circular knitted web into said textile fabric, and
- a cylinder arranged on a lower part of said rotational support structure for rolling-in the flattened textile fabric,
- wherein said system comprises
- a digital camera for capturing digital images of the knitted textile fabric,
- a data processor for processing the captured digital images, and
- a camera support structure for holding the camera, and
- wherein the camera support structure is fixed to and rotates, together with the held camera, with the rotational support structure.
A method for controlling textile fabric defects of a circular knitting machine having a fixed support structure, a rotational support structure that rotates with respect to the fixed support structure, and a system for controlling the textile fabric defects, said circular knitting machine comprising:
- a roller for flattening a circular knitted web into said textile fabric, and
- a cylinder arranged on a lower part of said rotational support structure for rolling-in the flattened textile fabric,
- said system comprising
- a digital camera for capturing digital images of the knitted textile fabric,
- a data processor for processing the captured digital images, and
- a camera support structure for holding the camera,
- wherein the camera support structure is fixed to and rotates, together with the held camera, with the rotational support structure, and wherein the method comprises:
- capturing the digital images of the knitted textile fabric using the rotating camera;
- and
- using the data processor for processing the captured digital images for detecting knitted textile fabric defects.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.