This invention relates to the technical areas of a continuous open width fabric washing range, specifically involves the improvement of transportation mechanism for under liquid fabric transportation.
On a continuous open width fabric washing range, fabric will run through the washing compartments from going down into water and lifting up from water many times continuously driven by drums and rollers. The effectiveness of washing is the most important factor for a washing range but the satiability of fabric running condition is also playing a very important role here. If the fabric running condition is not stable, it will cause fabric elongation, uneven shrinkage and uneven washing. In order to achieve stable running condition, a steady and controllable fabric running tension is the most important factor.
As the minimum fabric running tension is bringing the benefit of least elongation, the best shrinkage, and even washing; fabric running tension has become one of the most critical issues on the design of continuous washing ranges. Basically, the fabric running tension is controlled by the synchronization of all driven drums and rollers on the continuous washing range. In principle, if all the driven drums and rollers are perfectly synchronized, zero tension could be achieved. In fact, it is not the case as fabric will be going down into water for under liquid washing and lifting up from water for water spraying on fabric's top surface. So, the fabric is actually transported by many drums and rollers in different diameters, some of them are installed under water and some of them are installed above water. The fabric is transported by driven drums and roller through the pulling force which is equal to the frictional force generated by the surface friction, the roller surface area, and the fabric running tension.
Assuming that the fabric width is the same, and at the same fabric running tension, the maximum frictional force is found on the driven top drum where fabric is wrapping the top section of drum with maximum nominal weight with its own fabric weight. And the least frictional force is always observed at the driven lower drum under liquid as fabric is only wrapping the lower section of the drum where minimum nominal weight is found due to the fact that the fabric is only floating under liquid as its fabric weight is neglected.
As a result, maximizing the frictional force on the lower drum under liquid is the solution of stabilizing the fabric running condition, realizing the better synchronization, and finally the solution to achieve lower fabric running tension.
It is remarked that Korean Patent Application
United States Patent
As per descriptions above, the target of this invention is to solve the existing problems such as fabric elongation, uneven shrinkage, uneven washing on the continuous open width fabric washing range; which caused by the under liquid fabric transportation where fabric is not being transported sufficiently due to the insufficient friction between the under liquid driven drums and the fabric being transported under liquid.
In order to tackle to technical problems raises by this invention, the technical solution being used is: the under liquid fabric transportation mechanism suitable for the continuous open width washing range, its characteristic is that such mechanism includes a driven rotor being installed inside the driven drum in the washing compartment; the said driven drum includes an external circumferential drum surface with support side plates and bushings on both ends, the bushings can be rotated on rotor shafts installed on the washing compartment; the external circumferential drum surface is punched with perforations on its surface for passing through of circulating liquid; the driven rotor has the rotor shafts which are mounted on rotorside plates of the rotor, both rotor shafts are installed with mechanical seals, one of the rotor shaft is extended outside the washing compartment for driving motor installation; the rotor is located inside and coaxial with the perforated external circumferential drum surface, wherein the driven rotor has paddling profiles on its circumference causing during rotation of the driven rotor a spinning of liquid inside the drum and relatively steady liquid outside the circumferential drum surface for creating, as per Bernoulli's principle, a pressure difference between the volumes inside and outside the perforated external circumferential drum surface, thereby creating a lower pressure inside the perforated external circumferential drum surface, for increasing by suction the surface friction between the lower part of the perforated external circumferential drum surface and the fabric.
The under liquid fabric transportation mechanism, its characteristic is that; the bushing is mounted with a chain sprocket, and the chain sprocket is driven by chain links which is connected to a driving mechanism.
The under liquid fabric transportation mechanism, its characteristic is that; the rotor shafts are installed in the bearing housings mounted on both sides of the washing compartment, there are mechanical seal between the bushing and the rotor shafts.
The said under liquid fabric transportation mechanism, its characteristic is that; there are ball bearings installed between the shafts and the bearing housings.
The effect of this invention is: to achieve the minimum fabric running tension for least elongation and best shrinkage, the solution is to design a mechanism which increases the surface friction between the lower perforated drum surface and the fabric. On this design, the Bernoulli's principle is implied. The new design named "Cyclone Rotor" will be rotated at variable speed inside the lower perforated drum which causes the spinning of water inside the drum. As per the Bernoulli's principle, the high speed spinning water is creating a lower pressure inside the perforated drum while the water outside the drum is relatively steady. And such pressure difference inside and outside the drum has created a suction effect while the fabric is transporting by this drum. As the suction effect has implied the same as increasing the friction between the drum and the fabric, the same frictional force can be maintained even with the less fabric running tension. As the pulling force for transporting the fabric on the lower perforated drum is secured, the lower fabric running tension along with the smoother fabric running condition is achieved.
The implementation (with explanations of the descriptions on the drawing) is described as follow.
As per drawing 1, 2, & 3, the under liquid fabric transportation mechanism on the continuous open width washing range, including the under liquid driven drum 2 and its driven rotor 3 are installed inside the washing compartment 1. The main function of the driven drum 2 is to transport the fabric 4 which the fabric 4 will be washed after passing through the washing compartment 1; the driven rotor 3 inside the driven drum 2 will be rotated in relatively higher speed inside the driven drum 2 which creates a lower pressure inside the perforated drum while the water is relatively steady outside the drum. Such pressure difference between the volumes inside and outside the perforated drum has created a suction effect while the fabric is transported by the drum. As a result, the friction between the perforated drum and the fabric is increased by such suction effect.
The structure of the driven drum 2 includes the external circumferential drum surface 21, the eternal drums are connected to bushings 23 which supported by the side plates 22. The external circumferential drum surface 21 is punched with perforations 211 on its surface for passing through of circulating liquid. In order to synchronize the linear speed of the driven drum 2, and the upper drum above the liquid surface inside the washing compartment 1, the bushings 23 are mounted with chain sprocket 24. And the chain sprocket 24 is linked with chain links 25 which connected to the driving mechanism 26.
The driven rotor 3 installed inside the external circumferential drum surface 21, which is a co-axial system with the rotor body 31, the rotor body 31 is connected by rotor side plates 32 which connected to the rotor shafts 33, the rotor shafts 33 are connected to bushings 23 and one of the rotor shafts 33 is extended outside the washing compartment for driving motor 5 installation; the rotor body 31 is having the paddling profiles 311 on its circumference. There is running fit between the rotor body 31 and the external circumferential drum surface 21, the paddling profiles 311 will push the liquid away from external circumferential drum surface 21 and create a relatively low pressure inside the driven drum 2, while liquid outside the external circumferential drum surface 21 is passing through the perforations 211 going inside the external circumferential drum surface 21, the fabric 4 will be hold on the surface of the external circumferential drum surface 21 caused by the suction effect above, and the fabric running tension can be reduced.
In order to avoid leakage for liquid from the rotor shafts 33 when the liquid level in washing compartment 1 is higher than rotor shafts 33, mechanical seals 11 are used on the rotor shafts 33 on the connection to the washing compartment 1. Lip seals 12 are used between the rotor shafts 33 and the mechanical seals 11. Bearings 13 are also used in this rotor shafts and mechanical seals 11 assembly.
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