JP7637584B2 - Cooling device and yarn processing machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cooling device for cooling yarn, and a yarn processing machine equipped with the cooling device.

Patent Document 1 discloses a cooling device provided in a false twist processing machine (yarn processing machine) that false twists a running yarn. More specifically, the cooling device has a duct for supplying cooling air to the yarn, and a pair of guides provided on the lower side of the duct. A yarn running space in which the yarn runs is formed between the pair of guides, and the yarn running space is connected to the internal space of the duct (duct inner space) through a slit formed in the lower part of the duct. When an exhaust fan (negative pressure generating device) provided at the end of the duct rotates, negative pressure is generated in the duct inner space. As a result, gas flows into the yarn running space connected to the duct inner space. Such gas cools the yarn as cooling air.

JP 2011-047074 A

In recent years, there has been a demand for further improving the cooling efficiency of yarn, for example to cool thicker yarns than before. In order to improve the cooling efficiency of the above-mentioned cooling device, it is desirable to be able to increase the speed (wind speed) of the cooling air. However, the inventor of the present application discovered a problem in that simply increasing the number of rotations of the exhaust fan (i.e., the output of the negative pressure generating device) to increase the negative pressure in the space inside the duct makes it difficult to increase the wind speed.

The object of the present invention is to improve the cooling efficiency of a yarn in a cooling device that cools the yarn with cooling air.

The cooling device of the first invention is a cooling device configured to cool a traveling yarn with cooling air, and includes a cooling unit in which a yarn traveling space in which the yarn travels is formed to extend in a predetermined length direction, and a duct in which a duct inner space connected to the yarn traveling space is formed, the duct has a duct wall portion in which one or more slits extending along the length direction are formed and disposed between the yarn traveling space and the duct inner space in the flow direction in which the cooling air flows, the cooling unit has a pair of unit wall portions disposed on one side of the duct wall portion in a height direction perpendicular to the length direction, the pair of unit wall portions have a pair of unit wall surfaces disposed on opposite sides of the yarn traveling space in a width direction perpendicular to both the length direction and the height direction, and the length of each of the pair of unit wall surfaces in the height direction is 30 mm or less.

In the present invention, when a negative pressure (or a positive pressure) occurs in the duct space, the cooling air flows into the yarn running space (the space formed between a pair of unit walls) connected to the duct space. The cooling air flows mainly in the height direction in the yarn running space. Here, if the pair of unit walls forming the cooling air flow path are long in the height direction, the flow path resistance (friction resistance) is large when the cooling air flows in the height direction, so that a large pressure loss occurs and the speed (wind speed) of the cooling air is significantly reduced. In this regard, in the present invention, the length in the height direction of each of the pair of unit walls (hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, also referred to as the wall height) is 30 mm or less. This shortens the flow path through which the cooling air flows. Therefore, the flow path resistance can be reduced and the pressure loss can be reduced, so a large wind speed can be obtained. Therefore, the cooling efficiency of the yarn can be improved in a cooling device that cools the yarn with cooling air.

The cooling device of the second invention is a cooling device configured to cool a traveling yarn with cooling air, and includes a cooling unit in which a yarn traveling space in which the yarn travels is formed to extend in a predetermined length direction, and a duct in which a duct inner space connected to the yarn traveling space is formed, and the duct has a duct wall portion in which one or more slits extending along the length direction are formed and disposed between the yarn traveling space and the duct inner space in the flow direction in which the cooling air flows, and the cooling unit has a pair of unit wall portions disposed on one side of the duct wall portion in a height direction perpendicular to the length direction, and the pair of unit wall portions have a pair of unit wall surfaces disposed on opposite sides of the yarn traveling space in a width direction perpendicular to both the length direction and the height direction, and the total length of one or more formation areas in which the one or more slits are formed in the duct wall portion in the wall surface arrangement area in which the pair of unit wall surfaces are arranged in the length direction is longer than the total length of the area excluding the one or more formation areas.

In the present invention, the sum of the lengths of one or more formation regions in the longitudinal direction is longer than the sum of the lengths of the other regions. This allows the sum of the cross-sectional areas (i.e., the opening areas) of one or more slits to be increased. This reduces flow path resistance and pressure loss, resulting in a high wind speed. This improves the yarn cooling efficiency. Note that the present invention also includes a configuration in which one slit is formed over the entire wall surface arrangement region in the longitudinal direction.

The cooling device of the third invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, in the longitudinal direction, within the wall surface arrangement area in which the pair of unit wall surfaces are arranged, the sum of the lengths of one or more formation areas in the duct wall portion in which the one or more slits are formed is longer than the sum of the lengths of the areas excluding the one or more formation areas.

In the present invention, as in the configuration of the second invention, the total length of one or more formation regions is long. This makes it possible to further reduce flow resistance and pressure loss. This allows for even greater wind speeds to be obtained. This further improves the cooling efficiency of the yarn.

The cooling device of the fourth invention is characterized in that in the first or third invention, the distance in the width direction between the portions of the pair of unit walls that face each other in the width direction is 1 mm or less.

In the present invention, the "parts of a pair of unit walls facing each other in the width direction" refer to the parts of the pair of unit walls that are approximately parallel to each other and where no other members are disposed between the pair of unit walls in the width direction. In general, if the flow rate of a fluid is the same, the smaller the cross-sectional area of the flow path, the faster the flow rate of the fluid. However, if the width of the flow path is too narrow, the pressure loss due to the walls forming the flow path increases, and the flow rate of the fluid decreases. In the present invention, the pressure loss due to the pair of unit walls can be reduced by lowering the wall height, so that even if the distance between the pair of unit walls in the width direction is reduced, the increase in pressure loss due to this can be suppressed. Therefore, the cross-sectional area of the yarn traveling space perpendicular to the height direction can be reduced, and the wind speed can be further increased.

The cooling device of the fifth invention is any one of the first to fourth inventions, characterized in that the cooling unit has one or more yarn guides arranged in the yarn running space and configured to restrict the movement of the yarn to the other side in the height direction.

In the present invention, the yarn guide can restrict the yarn from moving to the other side in the height direction, preventing the yarn from entering the space inside the duct.

The cooling device of the sixth invention is the fifth invention, characterized in that, in the height direction, the one end of the one or more yarn guides is disposed on the one side of the center of the pair of unit walls.

In the present invention, the yarn guide is positioned far from the duct in the height direction, so the yarn can be moved away from the duct as a whole in the height direction. This ensures that the yarn is prevented from entering the space inside the duct.

The cooling device of the seventh invention is any one of the first to sixth inventions, characterized in that the cooling unit has a first contact portion for contacting the yarn, which is provided on a part of one of the pair of unit walls, and a second contact portion for contacting the yarn, which is provided on a part of the other of the pair of unit walls and is located at a position different from the first contact portion in the longitudinal direction.

In the present invention, the yarn can be run while in contact with the first contact portion or the second contact portion. This restricts the movement of the yarn in the width direction. In addition, the yarn can be cooled more effectively by contacting the first contact portion or the second contact portion that has been cooled by the cooling air.

The cooling device of the eighth invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to seventh inventions, it is provided with a negative pressure generating device configured to generate negative pressure in the space inside the duct.

Generally, an oil is applied to the yarn to allow it to run smoothly. For this reason, for example, in a configuration in which cooling air is supplied from the space inside the duct toward the yarn running space, there is a risk that the oil will splash into the external space. In the present invention, the cooling air can be sucked into the space inside the duct, so the problem of oil splashing can be avoided.

The cooling device of the ninth invention is the eighth invention, characterized in that the negative pressure generating device has an impeller configured to rotate, a motor configured to drive the impeller to rotate, and a rotation speed changing unit configured to be able to change the rotation speed of the rotating shaft of the motor.

In the cooling device of the present invention, a high wind speed can be obtained even if the negative pressure generated by the negative pressure generating device is smaller than in the past. Here, when the negative pressure generating device is configured to be able to change the negative pressure according to the rotation speed of the motor's rotating shaft, it is generally known that the power consumption of the motor is proportional to the cube of the rotation speed. Therefore, by reducing the rotation speed compared to the past, the power consumption of the negative pressure generating device can be significantly reduced while still obtaining the desired wind speed.

The yarn processing machine of the tenth invention is characterized in that it comprises a cooling device of any one of the first to ninth inventions, a yarn deformation imparting device configured to impart deformation to the yarn, and a yarn feeding device for running the yarn, configured to feed the yarn to the cooling device and the yarn deformation imparting device, and is configured to process the yarn while it is running.

The present invention allows for efficient cooling of the yarn while miniaturizing the cooling device and/or reducing power consumption. Therefore, it is possible to miniaturize the entire yarn processing machine and/or reduce power consumption while ensuring good quality of the yarn processed by the yarn processing machine.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a false twisting machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a false twisting machine deployed along a yarn path. FIG. 3 is a view taken along the arrow III in FIG. 1 . 4A is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 3, and FIG. 4B is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 3 in which a cooling unit is indicated by a dotted line. FIG. 4( a ) is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V in FIG. FIG. 2 is a further schematic diagram of the cooling unit. FIG. 4B is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 11 is a table showing evaluation results of the wind speed of cooling air and the power consumption of the cooling device. 11 is a graph showing the relationship between the wind speed of cooling air and negative pressure. 1 is a graph showing the relationship between power consumption of a cooling device and the wind speed of cooling air. 11 is a graph showing the relationship between differences in the configuration of the cooling device and the wind speed of the cooling air.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 1 is the longitudinal direction of the machine base. For ease of explanation, the front side of FIG. 1 and the left side of FIG. 2 are defined as one side in the longitudinal direction of the machine base, and the back side of FIG. 1 and the right side of FIG. 2 are defined as the other side in the longitudinal direction of the machine base. The left-right direction of FIG. 1 is defined as the width direction of the machine base. The direction perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction and the width direction of the machine base is defined as the up-down direction (vertical direction) in which gravity acts. The direction in which multiple yarns Y (described later) run side by side is defined as the yarn running direction.

(Overall configuration of false twisting machine)
First, the overall configuration of a false twisting machine 1 of this embodiment (yarn processing machine of the present invention) will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is a side view of the false twisting machine 1. Figure 2 is a schematic view of the false twisting machine 1 developed along the path (yarn path) of the yarn Y. Figure 3 is a view seen from the arrow III in Figure 1.

The false twisting machine 1 is configured to be able to false twist yarn Y made of synthetic fibers (e.g., polyester). The yarn Y is, for example, a multifilament yarn made of multiple filaments. Alternatively, the yarn Y may be made of a single filament. The false twisting machine 1 includes a yarn supplying section 2, a processing section 3, and a winding section 4. The yarn supplying section 2 is configured to be able to supply the yarn Y. The processing section 3 is configured to pull out the yarn Y from the yarn supplying section 2 and perform false twisting. The winding section 4 is configured to wind the yarn Y processed by the processing section 3 onto a winding bobbin Bw. The components of the yarn supplying section 2, the processing section 3, and the winding section 4 are arranged in a plurality of rows in the longitudinal direction of the machine (see FIG. 2). The longitudinal direction of the machine is a direction perpendicular to the running plane of the yarn Y (the plane of the paper in FIG. 1) formed by the yarn path from the yarn supplying section 2 through the processing section 3 to the winding section 4.

The yarn supplying section 2 has a creel stand 7 that holds multiple yarn supply packages Ps, and supplies multiple yarns Y to the processing section 3. The processing section 3 is configured to pull out multiple yarns Y from the yarn supplying section 2 and process them. The processing section 3 is configured to have, in order from the upstream side in the yarn running direction, a first feed roller 11 (yarn feeding device of the present invention), a twist stop guide 12, a first heating device 13, a cooling device 14, a false twist device 15 (yarn deformation imparting device of the present invention), a second feed roller 16, an intertwining device 17, a third feed roller 18, a second heating device 19, and a fourth feed roller 20. The winding section 4 has multiple winding devices 21. Each winding device 21 winds the yarn Y false twisted in the processing section 3 onto a winding bobbin Bw to form a winding package Pw.

The false twisting machine 1 has a main machine base 8 and a winding table 9 arranged at an interval in the machine width direction. The main machine base 8 and the winding table 9 are arranged so as to extend to approximately the same length in the machine longitudinal direction. The main machine base 8 and the winding table 9 are arranged so as to face each other in the machine width direction. Between the main machine base 8 and the winding table 9, a work space Sw is formed for an operator to perform work such as threading (see FIG. 1). The false twisting machine 1 has a unit called a span, which includes a set of the main machine base 8 and the winding table 9. In one span, each device is arranged so that multiple yarns Y running in a line in the machine longitudinal direction can be false twisted simultaneously. In the false twisting machine 1, this span is arranged symmetrically on the left and right of the drawing with the center line C in the machine width direction of the main machine base 8 as the axis of symmetry (the main machine base 8 is common to the left and right spans). In addition, multiple spans are arranged in the machine longitudinal direction.

(Configuration of processing part)
The configuration of the processing unit 3 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The first feed roller 11 is configured to unwind the yarn Y from the yarn supply package Ps attached to the yarn supplying unit 2 and send it to the first heating device 13. For example, as shown in Figure 2, the first feed roller 11 is configured to send one yarn Y to the first heating device 13. Alternatively, the first feed roller 11 may be configured to be able to send each of adjacent yarns Y downstream in the yarn running direction. The twist stop guide 12 is configured to prevent the twist imparted to the yarn Y by the false twist device 15 from propagating upstream of the twist stop guide 12 in the yarn running direction.

The first heating device 13 is configured to heat the yarn Y sent from the first feed roller 11. The first heating device 13 is configured to be able to heat two yarns Y, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, but is not limited to this. The first heating device 13 may be configured to be able to heat one yarn Y, for example. Alternatively, the first heating device 13 may be configured to be able to heat three or more yarns Y.

The cooling device 14 is a non-contact device that cools multiple yarns Y with cooling air. As shown in FIG. 3, the cooling device 14 has multiple cooling units 31, an intake duct 32 (duct of the present invention) to which the multiple cooling units 31 are attached, and a negative pressure generating device 33. The cooling device 14 supplies cooling air to multiple yarn running spaces S formed in each of the multiple cooling units 31 by generating negative pressure in the internal space of the intake duct 32 (intake space Ss, duct space of the present invention) using the negative pressure generating device 33. Note that negative pressure means a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure (more specifically, in this embodiment, the air pressure in the space outside the cooling device 14).

As shown in FIG. 3, the cooling units 31 are arranged in a line in the longitudinal direction of the machine base. The cooling units 31 are attached to the intake duct 32. Each of the cooling units 31 extends in a direction intersecting (approximately perpendicular to) the longitudinal direction of the machine base. In this embodiment, each cooling unit 31 extends in a substantially straight line. However, this is not limited to this (for example, each cooling unit 31 may be curved, etc.). Each cooling unit 31 has a yarn running space S in which one yarn Y runs. The yarn Y running in the yarn running space S is cooled by cooling air. The cooling units 31 include two cooling units 31A and 31B arranged adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction of the machine base. The distance between the cooling units 31A and 31B in the longitudinal direction of the machine base is, for example, larger toward the downstream side in the yarn running direction. The two cooling units 31A and 31B are configured to be linearly symmetrical with respect to each other with a predetermined straight line L as an axis of symmetry.

The intake duct 32 is a duct configured to supply cooling air to the multiple cooling units 31. As shown in FIG. 3, the intake duct 32 extends in the machine base longitudinal direction. An intake space Ss extending in the machine base longitudinal direction is formed in the intake duct 32. The intake space Ss is connected to the multiple yarn running spaces S. The intake duct 32 is provided with multiple cooling units 31. More specifically, the intake duct 32 is provided with a duct wall portion 34 extending in the machine base longitudinal direction. The multiple cooling units 31 are, for example, screwed to the duct wall portion 34. The duct wall portion 34 is provided with multiple intake slits 38 (see FIG. 4(b). Slits of the present invention. Details will be described later).

The negative pressure generating device 33 is, for example, a known blower. The negative pressure generating device 33 is, for example, disposed at one end or the other end (for example, one end in FIG. 3 ) of the intake duct 32 in the machine base longitudinal direction. The negative pressure generating device 33 has, for example, a rotatable impeller 35, a motor 36 that drives the impeller 35 to rotate, and an inverter device 37 (rotation speed change unit of the present invention) that can change the rotation speed of the rotating shaft (not shown) of the motor 36. The motor 36 is, for example, a known AC motor. The negative pressure generating device 33 generates negative pressure in the intake space Ss by driving the impeller 35 to rotate by the motor 36. The cooling device 14 will be described in more detail later.

The false twist device 15 is disposed downstream of the cooling device 14 in the yarn running direction and is configured to impart a twist to the yarn Y. The false twist device 15 is, for example, a known disk friction type false twist device or a known belt type false twist device, but is not limited thereto. The second feed roller 16 is configured to send the yarn Y processed by the false twist device 15 to the interlacing device 17. The conveying speed of the yarn Y by the second feed roller 16 is faster than the conveying speed of the yarn Y by the first feed roller 11. As a result, the yarn Y is stretch-twisted between the first feed roller 11 and the second feed roller 16.

The interlacing device 17 is configured to interlace the yarn Y. The interlacing device 17 has, for example, a known interlace nozzle that interlaces the yarn Y by air flow.

The third feed roller 18 is configured to send the yarn Y traveling downstream of the intertwining device 17 in the yarn running direction to the second heating device 19. The third feed roller 18 is configured to send one yarn Y to the second heating device 19, for example, as shown in FIG. 2. Alternatively, the third feed roller 18 may be configured to send adjacent yarns Y to the downstream side in the yarn running direction. The conveying speed of the yarn Y by the third feed roller 18 is slower than the conveying speed of the yarn Y by the second feed roller 16. Therefore, the yarn Y is relaxed between the second feed roller 16 and the third feed roller 18. The second heating device 19 is configured to heat the yarn Y sent from the third feed roller 18. The second heating device 19 extends along the vertical direction and is provided one per span. The fourth feed roller 20 is configured to send the yarn Y heated by the second heating device 19 to the winding device 21. The fourth feed roller 20 is configured to be able to feed one yarn Y to the winding device 21, for example, as shown in FIG. 2. Alternatively, the fourth feed roller 20 may be configured to be able to feed adjacent yarns Y to the downstream side in the yarn running direction. The conveying speed of the yarn Y by the fourth feed roller 20 is slower than the conveying speed of the yarn Y by the third feed roller 18. Therefore, the yarn Y is relaxed between the third feed roller 18 and the fourth feed roller 20.

In the processing section 3 configured as above, the yarn Y stretched between the first feed roller 11 and the second feed roller 16 is twisted by the false twist device 15. The twist formed by the false twist device 15 propagates to the twist stop guide 12, but does not propagate upstream of the twist stop guide 12 in the yarn running direction. The yarn Y that has been stretched and twisted is heated and heat-set by the first heating device 13, and then cooled by the cooling device 14. The yarn Y is untwisted downstream of the false twist device 15 in the yarn running direction, but the above-mentioned heat setting maintains the yarn Y in a wavy false twisted state (i.e., the crimp of the yarn Y is maintained).

The false twisted yarn Y is entangled by the entanglement device 17 while being relaxed between the second feed roller 16 and the third feed roller 18, and then guided downstream in the yarn running direction. The yarn Y is further heat-treated by the second heating device 19 while being relaxed between the third feed roller 18 and the fourth feed roller 20. Finally, the yarn Y sent from the fourth feed roller 20 is wound by the winding device 21.

(Configuration of the winding section)
The configuration of the winding section 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. The winding section 4 has a plurality of winding devices 21. Each winding device 21 is configured to be able to wind the yarn Y onto one winding bobbin Bw. The winding device 21 has a fulcrum guide 41, a traverse device 42, and a cradle 43. The fulcrum guide 41 is a guide that serves as a fulcrum when the yarn Y is traversed. The traverse device 42 is configured to be able to traverse the yarn Y by the traverse guide 45. The cradle 43 is configured to rotatably support the winding bobbin Bw. A contact roller 46 is disposed near the cradle 43. The contact roller 46 contacts the surface of the winding package Pw to apply contact pressure. In the winding section 4 configured as above, the yarn Y sent from the fourth feed roller 20 is wound onto the winding bobbin Bw by each winding device 21 to form the winding package Pw.

Here, in recent years, there has been a demand for further improving the cooling efficiency of the yarn Y, for example, to cool a thicker yarn Y than before. Here, "improving cooling efficiency" can have various meanings. For example, "enabling the yarn Y to be rapidly cooled in a short time," "obtaining a high wind speed with a small negative pressure," and "reducing the power consumption of the negative pressure generating device 33 to obtain a desired wind speed" all correspond to improving the cooling efficiency. Among these, in order to "enable the yarn Y to be rapidly cooled in a short time," it is desirable to be able to improve the speed (wind speed) of the cooling air. However, the inventor of the present application found a problem that the wind speed is difficult to increase even if the rotation speed of the impeller 35 (i.e., the output of the negative pressure generating device 33) is simply increased to increase the negative pressure in the intake duct 32. Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to improve the cooling efficiency of the yarn Y, the cooling device 14 further has the following configuration.

(Detailed configuration of the cooling device)
Further details of the cooling device 14 will be described with reference to Figs. 4(a) to 7. Fig. 4(a) is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 3. Fig. 4(b) is a diagram in which the cooling unit 31A is indicated by a dotted line in the enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a further schematic view of the cooling unit 31A to make it easier to see the yarn traveling space S. Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 4(b). The up-down direction on the paper of Figs. 6 and 7 is parallel to the unit longitudinal direction described later.

As described above, cooling unit 31A and cooling unit 31B are configured to be line-symmetrical with each other (see FIG. 3). Therefore, in the following, only cooling unit 31A will be described in detail regarding cooling unit 31, and a description of cooling unit 31B will be omitted.

The direction perpendicular to the paper surface of Figures 4(a) and (b) is the height direction. The height direction is parallel to the up-down direction of the paper surface of Figure 5. The height direction is a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the machine base. In this embodiment, the height direction has at least a vertical component. In this embodiment, one side in the height direction can be roughly rephrased as the lower side. In addition, the other side in the height direction can be roughly rephrased as the upper side. However, it should be noted that the relationship between the height direction and the up-down direction can change depending on the orientation in which the cooling device 14 is arranged.

For ease of explanation, the direction perpendicular to both the machine base longitudinal direction and height direction is referred to as the orthogonal direction (see FIG. 4(a)). Cooling unit 31A and cooling unit 31B extend at least in the orthogonal direction. In this embodiment, cooling unit 31A and cooling unit 31B each extend in a direction slightly tilted from the orthogonal direction. The extension direction of cooling unit 31A is referred to as the unit longitudinal direction (length direction of the present invention). For ease of explanation, the direction perpendicular to both the unit longitudinal direction and height direction is referred to as the width direction (see FIG. 5). The left side of the paper in FIG. 5 is one side in the width direction. The right side of the paper in FIG. 5 is the other side in the width direction.

In this embodiment, the unit longitudinal direction is a predetermined direction having a component in the orthogonal direction (see Figures 4(a) and (b)). In other words, in this embodiment, the unit longitudinal direction is the same regardless of the position of the cooling unit 31 in the orthogonal direction. Note that if the cooling unit 31 is curved or the like when viewed from the height direction, the unit longitudinal direction changes depending on the position of the cooling unit 31 in the orthogonal direction.

(Configuration of cooling unit)
As shown in FIG. 4(a) to FIG. 7, the cooling unit 31A has a pair of unit wall plates 51 (a pair of unit wall portions of the present invention). The pair of unit wall plates 51 are arranged on one side in the height direction of the intake duct 32 (more specifically, on one side in the height direction of the duct wall portion 34). Each of the pair of unit wall plates 51 (unit wall plates 51a, 51b) is a long member for forming the yarn traveling space S. In the width direction, the yarn traveling space S is formed between a pair of unit wall surfaces 55 (described later) provided on the pair of unit wall plates 51. The unit wall plates 51a, 51b extend long along the unit longitudinal direction. The unit wall plate 51a is arranged on one side in the width direction of the yarn traveling space S. The unit wall plate 51b is arranged on the other side in the width direction of the yarn traveling space S.

The unit wall plate 51a is a member having a substantially C-shaped cross section, formed, for example, by sheet metal processing a flat metal plate member (see FIG. 5). The unit wall plate 51a may be fixed, for example, to the duct wall portion 34. Alternatively, the unit wall plate 51a may be configured to be movable at least in the width direction relative to the unit wall plate 51b. If the unit wall plate 51a is movable, for example, cleaning work of the thread guide 58, which will be described later, is facilitated during maintenance of the cooling unit 31A. The unit wall plate 51a has a base end portion 52a, an intermediate portion 53a, and a tip end portion 54a (see FIG. 5).

The base end 52a is a portion that is disposed at the other end in the height direction of the unit wall plate 51a and extends in the width direction. The intermediate portion 53a is a portion that extends from the other end in the width direction of the base end 52a to one side in the height direction. A unit wall surface 55a extending at least in the height direction is formed at the other end in the width direction of the intermediate portion 53a. The unit wall surface 55a is one of a pair of unit wall surfaces 55. The unit wall surface 55a is a surface that includes a curved surface that is formed at both ends in the height direction of the intermediate portion 53a during sheet metal processing (see the thick line in FIG. 5). The unit wall surface 55a is a surface for forming the yarn running space S in the cooling unit 31A. The unit wall surface 55a is provided with, for example, a plurality of contact bodies 56a (first contact parts of the present invention; see FIGS. 5 and 6) that are arranged apart from each other in the unit longitudinal direction. The contact body 56a is configured to actively bring the running yarn Y into contact with the contact body 56a. This prevents the yarn Y from unintentionally contacting a portion of the unit wall surface 55a where the contact body 56a is not provided. The thickness (i.e., the length in the width direction) of the contact body 56a is, for example, 0.35 mm. The tip portion 54a is a portion that extends from one end of the middle portion 53a in the height direction to one side in the width direction.

The unit wall plate 51b is a member formed, for example, by sheet metal processing a flat metal member, and has a generally C-shaped cross section in the opposite direction to that of the unit wall plate 51a (see FIG. 5). The unit wall plate 51b is fixed to the duct wall 34, for example, by a screw (not shown). In the cross section shown in FIG. 5, the unit wall plate 51b has a base end 52b, an intermediate portion 53b, and a tip end 54b.

The base end 52b is a portion that is disposed at the other end of the unit wall plate 51b in the height direction and extends in the width direction. The intermediate portion 53b is a portion that extends from one end of the base end 52b in the machine frame longitudinal direction to one side in the height direction. At one end of the intermediate portion 53b in the width direction, a unit wall surface 55b extending at least in the height direction is formed. The unit wall surface 55b is the other of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55. The unit wall surface 55b is disposed on the opposite side of the unit wall surface 55a across the yarn running space S in the width direction. In other words, the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 are disposed on the opposite sides of each other across the yarn running space S in the width direction. The unit wall surface 55b includes curved surfaces formed at both ends of the intermediate portion 53b in the height direction, similar to the unit wall surface 55a (see the thick line in FIG. 5). The unit wall surface 55b is a surface for forming the yarn running space S together with the unit wall surface 55a. The unit wall surface 55b is provided with, for example, a plurality of contact bodies 56b (second contact parts of the present invention; see Figs. 5 and 6) spaced apart from each other in the unit longitudinal direction. This prevents the yarn Y from unintentionally contacting parts of the unit wall surface 55b where the contact bodies 56b are not provided. The thickness (i.e., the length in the width direction) of the contact body 56b is, for example, 0.35 mm. The contact body 56b is disposed at a different position from the contact body 56a in the unit longitudinal direction (see Fig. 6). The tip portion 54b is a portion that extends from one end of the intermediate portion 53b in the height direction to the other side in the width direction.

In the width direction, for example, a plurality of plate-shaped spacers 57 (only one is shown in FIG. 5) are provided between the unit wall surface 55a and the unit wall surface 55b. The plurality of spacers 57 are arranged at intervals in the unit longitudinal direction (not shown). The plurality of spacers 57 are configured to determine the distance in the width direction between the unit wall surface 55a and the unit wall surface 55b (i.e., the interval in the width direction). The thickness (i.e., the length in the width direction) of the spacer 57 is, for example, 1 mm or less. As a result, the interval G in the width direction (see FIG. 5) between the portions of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 facing each other in the width direction is 1 mm or less. In this embodiment, the "portions of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 facing each other in the width direction" refers to portions of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 that are approximately parallel to each other and in which no other members are arranged between the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 in the width direction. In other words, in the portion where both unit wall surfaces 55a and 55b extend along the height direction, the widthwise distance (distance G) between unit wall surfaces 55a and 55b is 1 mm or less. In this embodiment, the two ends of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 in the height direction (the portions that are bent and not substantially parallel to each other) are not included in the "portions of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 that face each other in the width direction." Also, for example, the widthwise distance between unit wall surface 55a and contact body 56b is 0.65 mm, but this distance is not included in the "widthwise distance between the portions of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 that face each other in the width direction." The same applies to the widthwise distance between unit wall surface 55b and contact body 56a.

In the width direction, for example, a plurality of thread guides 58 are provided between the unit wall surface 55a and the unit wall surface 55b (see Figs. 5 and 6). Alternatively, only one thread guide 58 may be provided. One or more thread guides 58 are members for preventing the thread Y from being sucked into the air intake space Ss. Each thread guide 58 is arranged in the thread running space S. As an example, in this embodiment, three thread guides 58 are provided. Each thread guide 58 is arranged, for example, on one side of the spacer 57 in the height direction. Each thread guide 58 is configured so that the thread Y comes into contact with an end portion on one side of each thread guide 58 in the height direction. As a result, each thread guide 58 restricts the movement of the thread Y to the other side in the height direction. Therefore, the thread Y is prevented from being sucked into the air intake space Ss. Each thread guide 58 is preferably arranged on one side of the center of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 in the height direction. As a result, the thread Y can be reliably prevented from being sucked into the air intake space Ss.

The yarn running space S is connected to the air intake space Ss formed in the air intake duct 32 via the above-mentioned multiple air intake slits 38 (see Figures 4(b) and 5). The multiple air intake slits 38, for example, penetrate the duct wall portion 34 in the height direction (see Figure 5) and extend in the unit longitudinal direction (see Figure 4(b)). The multiple air intake slits 38 are arranged downstream of the yarn running space S and upstream of the air intake space Ss in the flow direction in which the cooling air flows.

In the cooling device 14 as described above, when negative pressure is generated in the intake space Ss by the negative pressure generating device 33, the cooling air flows mainly from one side to the other in the height direction within the yarn running space S (see the arrows in Figure 5). Furthermore, the cooling air is sucked into the intake space Ss through the intake slits 38. In order to improve the cooling efficiency of the yarn Y in the cooling device 14, the inventors of the present application focused on reducing the frictional resistance (flow path resistance) of the flow path through which the cooling air flows, as follows.

(Configuration for improving cooling efficiency)
Two configurations effective for improving the cooling efficiency will be described. In the first configuration, the length in the height direction of each of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 (hereinafter also simply referred to as the wall height) is 30 mm or less. In other words, the length in the height direction from the inlet 59 of the yarn traveling space S to one end of the intake slit 38 is 30 mm or less. The position of the inlet 59 in the height direction is the same as the position of one end of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 in the height direction (see FIG. 5). Note that the conventional wall height is, for example, 34 mm. Therefore, the wall height in the cooling device 14 is lower than the conventional one. As a result, when the yarn traveling space S is regarded as a flow path of the cooling air, the flow path of the cooling air that mainly flows in the height direction is shortened in the height direction. Therefore, by reducing the flow path resistance and reducing the pressure loss, the wind speed of the cooling air can be increased compared to the conventional configuration without increasing the output of the negative pressure generating device 33. In addition, when the spacer 57 and the yarn guide 58 are provided in the yarn traveling space S as in this embodiment, it is preferable that the wall height be 10 mm or more in order to ensure an installation area for the spacer 57 and the yarn guide 58.

Next, the second configuration will be described. In the unit longitudinal direction, the region in which the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 are arranged is called the wall surface arrangement region R (see FIG. 4) for convenience of explanation. In the unit longitudinal direction, within the wall surface arrangement region R, the multiple regions in which the multiple intake slits 38 are formed in the duct wall portion 34 are called the formation region R1 (see FIG. 7) for convenience of explanation. In addition, in the unit longitudinal direction, within the wall surface arrangement region R, the multiple regions excluding the formation region R1 are called the non-formation region R2 (see FIG. 7) for convenience of explanation. In the unit longitudinal direction, the sum of the lengths of the multiple formation regions R1 is longer than the sum of the lengths of the non-formation regions R2 (see FIG. 4(b)). In other words, in the unit longitudinal direction, the sum of the lengths of the multiple formation regions R1 is longer than half the length of the wall surface arrangement region R. This makes it possible to increase the sum of the cross-sectional areas (i.e., the opening areas) of the multiple intake slits 38. Therefore, the flow resistance in the plurality of intake slits 38 can be reduced, and the pressure loss can be reduced, thereby increasing the wind speed of the cooling air.

A specific example of the second configuration will be described. For example, the length of the wall surface arrangement region R in the unit longitudinal direction is 550 mm. As shown in FIG. 4B, five intake slits 38 are formed corresponding to one cooling unit 31. That is, five formation regions R1 exist in one wall surface arrangement region R. The length of each formation region R1 in the unit longitudinal direction is, for example, 90 mm. The sum of the lengths of the five formation regions R1 in the unit longitudinal direction is 450 mm. The width (length in the width direction) of each formation region R1 is, for example, 3 mm. Also, for example, in one wall surface arrangement region R, in addition to the five formation regions R1, there are six non-formation regions R2. The lengths of each non-formation region R2 in the unit longitudinal direction are approximately equal. The sum of the lengths of the six non-formation regions R2 in the unit longitudinal direction is designed to be 100 mm.

The inventors believe that the above first and second configurations can reduce pressure loss and increase the speed of the cooling air.

(Confirmation of the effect of improving cooling efficiency)
The inventors of the present application conducted the following evaluations regarding improvements in the cooling efficiency of various cooling devices having the above-mentioned first and/or second configurations. The contents and results of the evaluations will be described with reference to Figs. 8 to 11. Fig. 8 is a table showing the evaluation results of the cooling air speed and the power consumption of various cooling devices. Fig. 9 is a graph showing the relationship between the cooling air speed and negative pressure. Fig. 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the power consumption of various cooling devices and the cooling air speed. Fig. 11 is a graph showing the relationship between the differences in the configurations of various cooling devices and the cooling air speed.

The inventors of the present application conducted two main evaluations. In the first evaluation, various physical properties were compared between a cooling device having the same first and second configurations as cooling device 14 ("Example" in Figs. 8 to 10) and a cooling device not having the first and second configurations ("Comparative Example" in Figs. 8 to 10). In the second evaluation, it was confirmed whether the cooling effect was improved even in a cooling device having only one of the first and second configurations (not shown) (see Fig. 11).

The contents and results of the first evaluation will be described. The inventors prepared a cooling device according to an embodiment (not shown) and a cooling device according to a comparative example (not shown). The configuration of the cooling device according to the embodiment is as follows. For the first configuration, the wall height (length in the height direction of the pair of unit walls 55) is 27 mm. For the second configuration, five formation regions R1 are provided, as in the specific example described above. The sum of the lengths of the multiple formation regions R1 in the unit longitudinal direction is 450 mm. The sum of the lengths of the multiple non-formation regions R2 in the unit longitudinal direction is 100 mm.

On the other hand, the configuration of the cooling device according to the comparative example is as follows. In the first configuration, the height of a pair of unit walls (not shown) is 34 mm. In the second configuration described above, nine formation regions (not shown) are provided. The length of each formation region in the unit longitudinal direction is 30 mm. The sum of the lengths of the multiple formation regions in the unit longitudinal direction is 270 mm. In addition, ten non-formation regions (not shown) are provided. The sum of the lengths of the multiple non-formation regions in the unit longitudinal direction is 280 mm. In other words, in the comparative example, the sum of the lengths of the multiple formation regions in the unit longitudinal direction is equal to or shorter than the sum of the lengths of the multiple non-formation regions in the unit longitudinal direction.

The inventors operated a known blower (negative pressure generating device 33) in the cooling device according to the embodiment and the cooling device according to the comparative example, and set the conditions for the negative pressure (static pressure) generated in the intake space Ss. More specifically, the inventors used an inverter (inverter device 37) to switch the frequency of the signal sent to the motor (motor 36) to obtain a predetermined negative pressure. The frequency of the signal is proportional to the rotation speed of the motor's rotating shaft. The inventors obtained the time-averaged value (average wind speed) of the wind speed near the entrance 59 of the yarn running space S and the power consumption value of the blower under each condition (see FIG. 8). The wind speed of the cooling air was measured using Anemomaster (a registered trademark of the company), an anemometer manufactured by Japan Kanomax Co., Ltd. More specifically, the tip of the probe of the anemometer was placed near the center of the yarn running space S in the unit longitudinal direction. The information on the power consumption of the blower was obtained using the inverter. The magnitude of the negative pressure in the intake space Ss was measured using a known pressure gauge. FIG. 8 shows the absolute value of the negative pressure (unit: kPa), the frequency (unit: Hz), the average wind speed (unit: m/s), and the power consumption (unit: kW) for the example and comparative example. Below, the negative pressure values are shown as absolute values. The larger the absolute value, the stronger the suction force by the blower.

The negative pressure setting value was switched between three conditions of 0.3 kPa, 0.6 kPa, and 1.0 kPa in both the embodiment and the comparative example. The higher the negative pressure setting value, the higher the above-mentioned frequency (i.e., the rotation speed of the motor's rotating shaft became higher). Note that as the negative pressure increased, the difference in frequency between the embodiment and the comparative example gradually increased. Specifically, when the negative pressure setting value was 0.3 kPa, the frequency in the embodiment and the comparative example were both 22 Hz. On the other hand, when the negative pressure setting value was 1.0 kPa, the frequency in the embodiment was 42 Hz, and the frequency in the comparative example was 46 Hz. In other words, the embodiment was able to generate the same magnitude of negative pressure even if the rotation speed of the motor's rotating shaft was smaller than that of the comparative example. According to this result, it is estimated that the load on the motor was reduced in the cooling device according to the embodiment due to the reduction in pressure loss caused by the first and second configurations described above.

The graph in FIG. 9 shows the relationship between the average wind speed and the negative pressure in the embodiment and the comparative example based on the table in FIG. 8. The horizontal axis shows the negative pressure, and the vertical axis shows the average wind speed. When the negative pressure setting value was 0.3 kPa, the average wind speed in the comparative example was 0.96 m/s, and the average wind speed in the embodiment was 1.77 m/s. When the negative pressure setting value was 0.6 kPa, the average wind speed in the comparative example was 1.19 m/s, and the average wind speed in the embodiment was 2.57 m/s. When the negative pressure setting value was 1.0 kPa, the average wind speed in the comparative example was 1.35 m/s, and the average wind speed in the embodiment was 3.07 m/s. Under each negative pressure condition, the average wind speed in the embodiment was about twice the average wind speed in the comparative example. This showed that a large wind speed was obtained in the embodiment (i.e., the cooling efficiency was improved).

As mentioned above, in the cooling device according to the embodiment, the average wind speed is 1.77 m/s when the negative pressure is set to 0.3 kPa. This value is greater than the average wind speed (1.35 m/s) when the negative pressure is set to 1.0 kPa in the cooling device according to the comparative example. Thus, in the embodiment, a very high wind speed was obtained even with a small negative pressure (i.e., the cooling efficiency was greatly improved).

The graph in FIG. 10 shows the relationship between the power consumption and the average wind speed in the embodiment and the comparative example based on the table in FIG. 8. The horizontal axis shows the average wind speed, and the vertical axis shows the power consumption of the blower (particularly the motor). For example, in the comparative example, the power consumption required to obtain a wind speed of 1.35 m/s is 3.05 kW. The frequency at this time is 46 Hz. In contrast, in the embodiment, the power consumption required to obtain a wind speed of 1.77 m/s is only 0.34 kW. The frequency at this time is 22 Hz. In other words, in the embodiment, the power consumption required to obtain a wind speed equivalent to that of the conventional example is reduced by nearly 90% compared to the conventional example. It is generally known that the power consumption of a motor that can change the rotation speed of the rotating shaft is proportional to the cube of the rotation speed. Therefore, it is considered that such a remarkable power consumption reduction effect was obtained (i.e., the cooling efficiency was greatly improved).

As described above, it was found that in the cooling device according to the embodiment, the wind speed can be increased and power consumption can be reduced without increasing the negative pressure. Both of these effects mean improved cooling efficiency. Note that in the embodiment, the wall height was set to 27 mm, but if the wall height were lower than the conventional 34 mm (for example, 30 mm or less), it is expected that the cooling efficiency would be significantly improved. Furthermore, if the height were lower than 27 mm, it is expected that the cooling efficiency would be further improved.

Next, the contents and results of the second evaluation will be described. The inventors of the present application evaluated whether the cooling efficiency is improved even when the cooling device 14 has only one of the first configuration (wall height is 30 mm or less) and the second configuration (the total length of the formation region R1 is longer than the total length of the non-formation region R2). The inventors of the present application prepared the following four types of cooling devices. The first type of cooling device is the cooling device according to the above-mentioned embodiment, and has both the first and second configurations. The second type of cooling device has only the first configuration (here, the wall height is 27 mm). That is, in the second type of cooling device, the total length of the formation region R1 is the same as in the comparative example described above. The third type of cooling device has only the second configuration. That is, in the third type of cooling device, the wall height is the same as in the comparative example described above. The fourth type of cooling device is the cooling device according to the comparative example described above.

The inventors set the negative pressure in the intake space Ss to a certain condition and obtained information on the wind speed of the cooling air for each of the first to fourth types of cooling devices. The results are shown in the bar graph of FIG. 11. The vertical axis indicates the wind speed. In summary, a higher wind speed (i.e., higher cooling efficiency) was obtained for each of the first to third types of cooling devices compared to the comparative example. In other words, it was found that it is possible to improve cooling efficiency by having at least one of the first and second configurations described above.

As described above, the length in the height direction (wall height) of each of the pair of unit walls 55 is 30 mm or less. This shortens the flow path through which the cooling air flows. This reduces flow path resistance and pressure loss, allowing a high wind speed to be obtained. This improves the cooling efficiency of the yarn Y.

In addition, the sum of the lengths of the formation region R1 in the unit longitudinal direction is longer than the sum of the lengths of the non-formation region R2 in the unit longitudinal direction. This allows the cross-sectional area (i.e., the opening area) of the intake slit 38 to be increased. This reduces flow resistance and pressure loss, allowing a high wind speed to be obtained. This improves the cooling efficiency of the yarn Y.

The widthwise distance G between the portions of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 that face each other in the widthwise direction is 1 mm or less. In general, if the flow rate of the fluid is the same, the smaller the cross-sectional area of the flow path, the faster the flow rate of the fluid. However, if the width of the flow path is too narrow, the pressure loss due to the walls that form the flow path increases, and the flow rate of the fluid decreases. In this regard, in this embodiment, the pressure loss due to the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 can be reduced by lowering the wall height. Therefore, even if the distance G is reduced, the increase in pressure loss due to this can be suppressed. Therefore, the cross-sectional area of the yarn traveling space S perpendicular to the height direction can be reduced, and the wind speed can be further increased.

The cooling unit 31 also has one or more yarn guides 58. The yarn guides 58 can restrict the movement of the yarn Y to the other side in the height direction, thereby preventing the yarn Y from entering the intake duct 32. Furthermore, since the yarn guides 58 are positioned far from the intake duct 32 in the height direction, the yarn Y can be moved away from the intake duct 32 as a whole in the height direction. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the yarn Y from entering the intake space Ss.

In addition, in this embodiment, the yarn Y can be run while being alternately in contact with the contact body 56a and the contact body 56b. This restricts the movement of the yarn Y in the width direction. In addition, the yarn Y can be cooled more effectively by being in contact with the contact body 56a or the contact body 56b that has been cooled by the cooling air.

The negative pressure generating device 33 also generates cooling air that flows from the yarn running space S toward the air intake space Ss. Generally, an oil is applied to the yarn Y to allow the yarn Y to run smoothly. For this reason, for example, in a configuration in which cooling air is supplied from the space inside the duct toward the yarn running space S, there is a risk that the oil will splash into the external space (more specifically, the working space Sw). In this regard, in the present embodiment, the cooling air is sucked into the air intake space Ss, so the problem of oil splashing can be avoided.

The negative pressure generating device 33 also has an impeller 35, a motor 36, and an inverter device 37. In a cooling device 14 with improved cooling efficiency, the inverter device 37 reduces the number of rotations of the rotating shaft of the motor 36 compared to conventional cooling devices, thereby significantly reducing the power consumption of the negative pressure generating device 33 while still obtaining the desired wind speed.

Furthermore, the cooling device 14 can be made smaller and/or consume less power while efficiently cooling the yarn Y. This allows the false twisting machine 1 as a whole to be made smaller and/or consume less power while still ensuring good quality of the yarn Y processed by the false twisting machine 1.

Next, we will explain modified versions of the above embodiment. However, parts that have the same configuration as the above embodiment will be given the same reference numerals and their explanations will be omitted as appropriate.

(1) In the above embodiment, the gap G in the width direction between the portions of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 that face each other in the width direction is 1 mm or less. However, this is not limited to this. The gap G may be greater than 1 mm.

(2) In the above embodiment, the cooling unit 31 has contact body 56a and contact body 56b. However, this is not limited to this. Contact body 56a and contact body 56b do not necessarily have to be provided.

(3) In the above embodiment, one end of one or more thread guides 58 is arranged on one side of the center of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 in the height direction. However, this is not limited to this. One end of one or more thread guides 58 may be arranged on the other side of the center of the pair of unit wall surfaces 55.

(4) In the above embodiment, the cooling unit 31 has one or more yarn guides 58. However, this is not limited to this. The yarn guide 58 does not necessarily have to be provided. In such a configuration, there is no need to secure an area for providing the yarn guide 58. Therefore, the above-mentioned wall height may be lower than 10 mm. The wall height may be, for example, 5 mm. In such a configuration, it is preferable that some kind of ingenuity is implemented to prevent the yarn Y from being sucked into the intake space Ss.

(5) In the above embodiment, the cooling unit 31 has a spacer 57. However, this is not limited to this. Instead of the spacer 57, a positioning member (not shown) may be used to determine the positional relationship in the width direction between the unit wall surface 55a and the unit wall surface 55b.

(6) In the above embodiments, the cooling unit 31 has a pair of unit wall plates 51 that are machined from sheet metal. However, this is not limited to this. As a configuration equivalent to the pair of unit walls of the present invention, for example, a pair of machined block members (not shown) may be provided instead of the pair of unit wall plates 51. A pair of wall surfaces equivalent to the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 may be formed on the pair of block members. In this case, the pair of wall surfaces may not have curved surfaces like the pair of unit wall surfaces 55, and may be formed so as to be approximately straight in a cross section perpendicular to the unit longitudinal direction.

Alternatively, the pair of wall surfaces corresponding to the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 may be formed, for example, by cutting a single block-shaped member. In this case, the above-mentioned spacer 57 or positioning member (not shown) may not be provided.

Alternatively, the pair of wall surfaces corresponding to the pair of unit wall surfaces 55 may be formed, for example, by cutting a portion of the duct wall portion 34. In this case, the wall height may be even lower. The wall height may be, for example, 1 mm. In this case, the spacer 57 or the positioning member (not shown) may not be provided.

(7) In the above embodiment, multiple intake slits 38 are provided in the duct wall 34 corresponding to one cooling unit 31. However, this is not limited to this. For example, one elongated intake slit (not shown) may be provided corresponding to one cooling unit 31. Furthermore, the single intake slit may be formed across the entire wall arrangement region R in the unit longitudinal direction. Such a configuration is also included in the configuration of the present invention in which "the sum of the lengths of one or more formation regions is longer than the sum of the lengths of the regions excluding one or more formation regions."

(8) In the above embodiment, the negative pressure generating device 33 has the motor 36, which is an AC motor, and the inverter device 37. However, this is not limited to this. For example, a DC motor (not shown) may be provided instead of the motor 36. In addition, the rotation speed of the motor's rotating shaft may be changed by changing the magnitude of the voltage applied to the DC motor.

(9) In the above embodiments, the negative pressure generating device 33 is configured to be able to change the rotation speed of the rotating shaft of the motor 36 (or a direct current motor, not shown). However, this is not limited to this. The negative pressure generating device 33 may, for example, have a power transmission mechanism (not shown) arranged between the rotating shaft and the impeller 35 in the transmission direction in which power is transmitted to the impeller. The power transmission mechanism may, for example, have multiple gears, not shown, and may be configured to be able to switch the gear ratio. With this configuration, the magnitude of the negative pressure generated may be changed by switching the rotation speed of the impeller 35.

(10) In the above embodiments, the negative pressure generating device 33 is a blower. However, this is not limited to this. For example, a fan (not shown) or an aspirator (not shown) may be provided as the negative pressure generating device of the present invention.

(11) In the above embodiment, the negative pressure generating device 33 generates a negative pressure in the intake space Ss (space inside the duct) to supply cooling air to the yarn running space S. However, this is not limited to this. Instead of the negative pressure generating device 33, a device that generates a positive pressure (pressure higher than the air pressure in the space outside the cooling device 14) in the duct space may be provided. In this case, the cooling air is supplied from the duct space to the yarn running space S. In this case, the pressure loss can be reduced by reducing the flow resistance. In this configuration, the cooling air is blown toward the working space Sw. If the cooling air is blown toward the working space Sw, as described above, there is a risk that the oil agent will be scattered into the working space Sw. Therefore, in this configuration, it is preferable to provide a scattering prevention device (not shown) configured to prevent the oil agent from scattering into the working space Sw.

(12) The cooling device 14 described above is not limited to the false twisting machine 1, and can also be applied to known false twisting machines (not shown) having other configurations. For example, the present invention may be applied to the false twisting machine (not shown) described in JP 2009-74219 A. The false twisting machine is configured to be able to combine two yarns to form one yarn. The false twisting machine is configured to be able to wind one combined yarn or two uncombined yarns on a single cradle. For example, the present invention may be applied to such a false twisting machine. Alternatively, the cooling device 14 can be applied to a yarn processing machine that processes a yarn (not shown) while it is running, such as a known air processing machine (not shown), in addition to the false twisting machine.

1. False twist processing machine (yarn processing machine)
11 First feed roller (yarn feeding device)
14 Cooling device 15 False twist device (yarn deformation device)
31 Cooling unit 31A Cooling unit 32 Intake duct (duct)
33 Negative pressure generating device 34 Duct wall portion 35 Impeller 36 Motor 37 Inverter device (rotation speed changing portion)
38 Intake slit (slit)
51 Unit wall plate (unit wall part)
51a Unit wall plate (unit wall portion)
51b Unit wall plate (unit wall portion)
55 Unit wall surface 55a Unit wall surface 55b Unit wall surface 56a Contact body (first contact portion)
56b Contact body (second contact part)
58 Yarn guide G Spacing R Wall surface arrangement area R1 Formation area R2 Non-formation area S Yarn running space Ss Intake space (space inside duct)
Y Thread

Claims (10)

A cooling device configured to cool a traveling yarn by cooling air,
A cooling unit in which a yarn traveling space in which the yarn travels is formed to extend in a predetermined length direction;
A duct having a duct inner space connected to the yarn traveling space,
The duct is
a duct wall portion having one or more slits disposed between the yarn traveling space and the duct inner space in a flow direction of the cooling air and extending along the length direction;
the cooling unit has a pair of unit walls arranged on one side of the duct wall in a height direction perpendicular to the length direction,
The pair of unit wall portions has a pair of unit wall surfaces arranged on opposite sides of the yarn traveling space in a width direction perpendicular to both the length direction and the height direction,
A cooling device, characterized in that the length of each of the pair of unit walls in the height direction is 30 mm or less. A cooling device configured to cool a traveling yarn by cooling air,
A cooling unit in which a yarn traveling space in which the yarn travels is formed to extend in a predetermined length direction;
A duct having a duct inner space connected to the yarn traveling space,
The duct is
a duct wall portion having one or more slits disposed between the yarn traveling space and the duct inner space in a flow direction of the cooling air and extending along the length direction;
the cooling unit has a pair of unit walls arranged on one side of the duct wall in a height direction perpendicular to the length direction,
The pair of unit wall portions has a pair of unit wall surfaces arranged on opposite sides of the yarn traveling space in a width direction perpendicular to both the length direction and the height direction,
A cooling device characterized in that, in the longitudinal direction, within a wall surface arrangement area in which the pair of unit wall surfaces are arranged, the sum of the lengths of one or more formation areas of the duct wall in which the one or more slits are formed is longer than the sum of the lengths of areas excluding the one or more formation areas. The cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that in the longitudinal direction, within the wall surface arrangement area in which the pair of unit walls are arranged, the sum of the lengths of the one or more formation areas in the duct wall in which the one or more slits are formed is longer than the sum of the lengths of the areas excluding the one or more formation areas. The cooling device according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that the distance in the width direction between the portions of the pair of unit walls that face each other in the width direction is 1 mm or less. The cooling unit comprises:
The cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising one or more yarn guides arranged in the yarn traveling space and configured to restrict movement of the yarn to the other side in the height direction. The cooling device according to claim 5, characterized in that, in the height direction, the one end of the one or more yarn guides is disposed on the one side of the center of the pair of unit walls. The cooling unit comprises:
a first contact portion provided on a part of one of the pair of unit walls for contacting the yarn;
a second contact portion for contacting the yarn, the second contact portion being provided on a part of the other of the pair of unit walls and positioned at a position different from the first contact portion in the longitudinal direction. The cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it is provided with a negative pressure generating device configured to generate negative pressure in the space inside the duct. The negative pressure generating device is
9. The cooling device according to claim 8, further comprising: an impeller configured to rotate; a motor configured to drive the impeller to rotate; and a rotation speed change unit configured to be able to change the rotation speed of a rotating shaft of the motor. A cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
A yarn deformation imparting device configured to impart deformation to the yarn;
a yarn feeding device for running the yarn, the yarn being configured to feed the yarn to the cooling device and the yarn deformation imparting device;
A yarn processing machine configured to process the yarn while it is traveling.

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