The present invention relates to a yarn joining device and a yarn winding device including the yarn joining device.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, in a yarn joining device (splicer) described in Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. H4-42173 (Patent Document 1), the yarn ends of two yarns are introduced into a yarn joining space formed in a yarn joining member and compressed air is injected into the yarn joining space so as to twist the yarn ends and join the yarns. A cutter is disposed on one side of the yarn joining member, and a clamp is disposed on the other side. An untwisting pipe is disposed between the yarn joining member and the cutter. When the yarn clamped (gripped) by the clamp is cut by the cutter, the yarn end is sucked by the untwisting pipe and untwisted by the airflow in the untwisting pipe. Thereafter, the untwisted yarn end is pulled out from the untwisting pipe, and the yarn ends are joined by a whirling flow in the yarn joining space.
When attempting to join a yarn having stretchability such as spandex yarn (hereinafter referred to as an elastic yarn) using the yarn joining device of Patent Document 1, the following problems arise That is, in a case of an elastic yarn, when the yarn clamped by a clamp is cut with the cutter, the cut yarn

shrinks abruptly, thus arising a problem that the yarn end cannot be sucked well by the untwisting pipe and the yarn joining operation may fail.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a yarn joining device capable of satisfactorily performing a yarn joining operation even with an elastic yarn.
A yarn joining device comprises a yarn joining member formed with a yarn joining space; a clamp adapted to clamp a yarn; a cutter adapted to cut the yarn clamped by the clamp; and an untwisting pipe formed with a suction port and adapted to suck and untwist a yarn end of the yarn cut by the cutter; the clamp, the yarn joining member, the untwisting pipe, and the cutter being disposed in this order; characterized in that a guide member formed with a contacting portion adapted to bend the yarn with respect to a virtual straight line connecting the cutter and the yarn joining member by coming into contact with the yarn between the cutter and the yarn joining member is disposed between the cutter and the untwisting pipe.
A yarn winding device comprises a yarn supplying section adapted to supply a yarn; a winding section adapted to wind the yarn supplied from the yarn supplying section; and the yarn joining device disposed between the yarn supplying section and the winding section.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration view of an

automatic winder according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration view of a winding unit.
FIGS. 3A and 3B are views illustrating a yarn joining operation by a yarn joining device.
FIGS. 4A and 4B are views illustrating the yarn joining operation by the yarn joining device.
FIGS. 5A and 5B are views illustrating the yarn joining operation by the yarn joining device.
FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a behavior of yarn around a guide member and a regulation member.
FIG. 7 is a view illustrating the behavior of the yarn around the guide member and the regulation member.
FIG. 8 is a view illustrating the behavior of the yarn around the guide member and the regulation member.
FIGS. 9A to 9C are views illustrating the guide member.
FIG. 10 is a view illustrating the regulation member.
FIGS. 11A and 11B are views illustrating alternative embodiments of the guide member.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be hereinafter described with reference to the drawings. (Automatic winder)
As illustrated in FIG. 1, an automatic winder 1 includes a plurality of winding units 2 (correspond to "yarn winding device" of the present invention) arranged in one direction, a doffing device 3 arranged so as to travel freely along the direction in which the plurality

of winding units 2 are arranged, and a machine-frame controlling device 4 that performs control on the entire automatic winder 1. In the following description, "left-right direction" refers to the left-right direction of FIG. 1 in which the plurality of winding units 2 (yarn joining devices 21) are arranged. In the following description, a direction perpendicular to the drawing plane of FIG. 1 is considered as a front-back direction, and a front side and a back side with respect to the direction perpendicular to the drawing plane of FIG. 1 are referred to as "front side" and "back side", respectively.
The automatic winder 1 is configured to transmit a signal from the machine-frame controlling device 4 to a control device (not illustrated) individually arranged for each winding unit 2, and wind a yarn Y unwound from a yarn supplying bobbin B in each of the winding units 2 to form a package P. When the package P is completed in a certain winding unit 2, the doffing device 3 moves to a position facing such a winding unit 2, and the completed package P is replaced with an empty winding tube Q. The machine-frame controlling device 4 can issue various commands to the control device (not illustrated) of each winding unit 2. The machine-frame controlling device 4 carries out monitoring of an operation state, setting and storing of operation parameters, and the like of the entire automatic winder 1. (Winding unit)
A detailed configuration of each winding unit 2 will be described below. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration view of the winding unit 2. The winding

unit 2 forms a package P by winding the yarn Y that is
unwound from the yarn supplying bobbin B onto the winding
tube Q while traversing the yarn Y. In the present
embodiment, the yarn Y is an elastic yarn having
5 stretchability such as spandex.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, the winding unit 2 includes a yarn supplying section 11 adapted to hold the yarn supplying bobbin in a state in which the yarn Y of the yarn supplying bobbin B can be supplied, a yarn
10 processing performing section 12 adapted to perform
various processes on the yarn Y unwound from the yarn supplying bobbin B held in the yarn supplying section 11, and a winding section 13 adapted to wind the yarn Y processed by the yarn processing performing section 12
15 around the winding tube Q to form the package P. The
yarn supplying section 11, the yarn processing performing section 12, and the winding section 13 are arranged sequentially from bottom to top.
The yarn supplying section 11 includes a bobbin
20 holding section 15 adapted to hold the yarn supplying
bobbin B and an unwinding assisting device 16 adapted to assist the unwinding of the yarn Y from the yarn supplying bobbin B. The unwinding assisting device 16 includes a cylindrical body 29 that covers the yarn
25 supplying bobbin B from above. The cylindrical body 29
is raised/lowered by a motor (not illustrated). In the unwinding assisting device 16, as the unwinding of the yarn Y proceeds, by lowering the cylindrical body 29, bulging (balloon) of the yarn Y that is being unwound is
30 regulated and tension of the yarn Y is stabilized. The
yarn supplying section 1 may not include the unwinding
6 / 44

assisting device 16.
The winding section 13 includes a cradle 14 adapted
to rotatably clamp the winding tube Q, and a traversing
drum 18. The traversing drum 18 is rotationally driven
5 by a drum motor (not illustrated). A helical traversing
groove 18a is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the traversing drum 18, and the winding section 13 is configured to traverse the yarn Y by the traversing groove 18a. As the traversing drum 18 rotates in a state
10 of making contact with the package P formed on the
winding tube Q while traversing the yarn Y by the traversing groove 18a, the package P is rotated in a winding direction by the contact friction with the traversing drum 18, and the yarn Y unwound from the yarn
15 supplying bobbin B is wound around the winding tube Q.
Instead of the traversing drum 18, the winding section 13 may include a drum in which the traversing groove 18a is not formed and a traversing device provided independently of the drum, and may wind the yarn Y into
20 the package P while traversing the yarn Y by the
traversing device.
The yarn processing performing section 12 arranged between the yarn supplying section 11 and the winding section 13 includes a yarn feeler 19, a tension applying
25 device 20, a yarn joining device 21, and a yarn clearer
22.
The yarn feeler 19 is arranged between the unwinding assisting device 16 and the tension applying device 20, and detects a presence and/or absence of the
30 traveling yarn Y.
The tension applying device 20 is adapted to apply
7 / 44

a predetermined tension to the traveling yarn Y. In FIG.
2, as an example, a so-called gate-type tension applying
device 20 is illustrated. In the gate-type tension
applying device 20, a plurality of fixed gates 20a and
5 a plurality of moveable gates 20b are alternately
arranged in a vertical direction. Therefore, by adjusting the position of the plurality of moveable gates 20b in a horizontal direction, the tension is applied to the yarn Y traveling between the fixed gates 20a and the
10 moveable gates 20b.
When a yarn defect is detected by the yarn clearer 22 to be described later and the yarn Y is cut by a cutter 22a, when the yarn Y breaks during winding, when the yarn Y of the yarn supplying bobbin B runs out and
15 the yarn supplying bobbin B is replaced, and the like,
the yarn joining device 21 joins the disconnected yarn Y from the yarn supplying bobbin B (yarn supplying section 11) and the yarn Y from the package P (winding section 13).
20 A lower yarn catching/guiding member 23 adapted to
catch the yarn Y from the yarn supplying bobbin B and guide the yarn Y to the yarn joining device 21 and an upper yarn catching/guiding member 24 adapted to catch the yarn Y from the package P and guide the yarn Y to
25 the yarn joining device 21 are respectively arranged
below and above the yarn joining device 21. The lower yarn catching/guiding member 23 is rotatable around a shaft 23a, and is swung up and down by being rotationally driven by a motor (not illustrated). The upper yarn
30 catching/guiding member 24 is rotatable around a shaft
24a, and is swung up and down by being rotationally
8 / 44

driven by a motor (not illustrated). The lower yarn
catching/guiding member 23 and the upper yarn
catching/guiding member 24 are connected to a suction
source (not illustrated).
5 The lower yarn catching/guiding member 23 includes
on an end portion thereof a suction part 23b that sucks and catches a yarn end of the yarn Y from the yarn supplying section 11. The lower yarn catching/guiding member 23 catches the yarn end of the yarn Y with the
10 suction part 23b at a lower position, and is swung upward
to guide the yarn Y to the yarn joining device 21.
The upper yarn catching/guiding member 24 includes on an end portion thereof a suction mouth 24b that sucks and catches a yarn end of the yarn Y from the winding
15 section 13. The upper yarn catching/guiding member 24
is first swung upward from the downward position to locate the suction mouth 24b in the vicinity of a contact point of the package P and the traversing drum 18, thus sucking and catching the yarn end of the yarn Y attached
20 to the surface of the package P. After catching the
yarn end of the yarn Y, the upper yarn catching/guiding member 24 is swung downward from the upward position to guide the caught yarn Y to the yarn joining device 21. The upper yarn catching/guiding member 24 may be
25 configured to catch the yarn Y and guide the yarn Y to
the yarn joining device 21 without swinging.
The yarn joining device 21 joins the yarn end of the yarn Y guided by the lower yarn catching/guiding member 23 and the yarn end of the yarn Y guided by the
30 upper yarn catching/guiding member 24 to form one yarn
Y. Configuration, operation, and the like of the yarn
9 / 44

joining device 21 will be explained in detail later.
The yarn clearer 22 constantly acquires
information on thickness of the traveling yarn Y, and
detects an abnormal part of the yarn Y where the
5 thickness is thicker than or equal to a predetermined
thickness as the yarn defect based on the thickness information of the yarn Y. The yarn clearer 22 is provided with the cutter 22a, and the cutter 22a immediately cuts the yarn Y when a yarn defect is
10 detected by the yarn clearer 22.
(Yarn joining device)
Next, the yarn joining device 21 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. FIGS. 3A, 4A and 5A are views of the yarn joining device 21 viewed
15 from the left. FIGS. 3B, 4B and 5B are views of the yarn
joining device 21 viewed from the front. The yarn joining device 21 includes a yarn joining member 31, untwisting pipes 32, an upper guide plate 33, a lower guide plate 34, yarn moving levers 35, yarn pressing levers 36, and
20 the like. In the following description, the yarn Y from
the yarn supplying section 11 is distinguished as the yarn Y1 and the yarn Y from the winding section 13 is distinguished as the yarn Y2 as necessary.
The yarn joining member 31 is formed in a block
25 shape, and is attached to a supporting plate 38 fixed to
a front surface of the supporting block 37. The yarn joining member 31 projects out from the supporting plate 38 towards a side (front side) of a yarn path on which the yarn Y travels. A yarn joining space 31a extending
30 in the vertical direction (first direction) is formed in
the yarn joining member 31 so as to pass through the
10 / 44

yarn joining member 31. Furthermore, a yarn insertion
gap 31b connected to the yarn joining space 31a is formed
in the yarn joining member 31 so as to be opened toward
the front side and to pass through the yarn joining
5 member 31 in the vertical direction. The yarn Y1 caught
by the lower yarn catching/guiding member 23 and the yarn Y2 caught by the upper yarn catching/guiding member 24 are guided to the yarn joining space 31a through the yarn insertion gap 31b. The upper and lower openings of
10 the yarn joining space 31a respectively function as
introduction ports 31c for introducing the yarn ends pulled out from the untwisting pipes 32 into the yarn joining space 31a, as will be described later.
In the inner wall of the yarn joining space 31a,
15 a nozzle hole (not illustrated) for ejecting compressed
air is formed. The nozzle hole is connected to a compressed air supply path formed in the supporting block 37. When the compressed air is ejected from the nozzle hole in a state in which the yarn end of the yarn Y1 and
20 the yarn end of the yarn Y2 are disposed in the yarn
joining space 31a, whirling flow is generated inside the yarn joining space 31a, and the yarn ends can be twisted together.
The upper guide plate 33 is disposed above the yarn
25 joining member 31. A guide groove 33a to which the yarn
Y1 is introduced and a guide groove 33b to which the yarn Y2 is introduced are formed in the upper guide plate 33. The guide groove 33a and the guide groove 33b are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction, and
30 the guide groove 33b is located further towards the right
side than the guide groove 33a. The upper guide plate 33
11 / 44

is provided with a cutter 41 and a clamp 42. The cutter
41 is provided with respect to the guide groove 33a.
The clamp 42 is provided with respect to the guide groove
33b.
5 The lower guide plate 34 is disposed below the yarn
joining member 31. A guide groove 34a to which the yarn Y1 is introduced and a guide groove 34b to which the yarn Y2 is introduced are formed in the lower guide plate 34. The guide groove 34a and the guide groove 34b are
10 arranged at intervals in the left-right direction, and
the guide groove 34b is located further towards the right side than the guide groove 34a. The guide grooves 34a and 34b are arranged almost directly under the guide grooves 33a and 33b, respectively. The lower guide plate
15 34 is provided with a cutter 43 and a clamp 44. The
cutter 43 is provided with respect to the guide groove 34b. The clamp 44 is provided with respect to the guide groove 34a.
The untwisting pipe 32 is a cylindrical member
20 extending in the front-back direction, and is supported
by the supporting block 37. A front end portion and a back end portion of the untwisting pipe 32 are opened in the front-back direction (second direction), and the opening at the front end portion functions as a suction
25 port 32a for sucking the yarn Y. Two untwisting pipes
32 are provided for sucking the yarn ends of the yarn Y1 and the yarn Y2, respectively. The untwisting pipe 32 for sucking the yarn Y1 is disposed between the yarn joining member 31 and the cutter 41 (upper guide plate
30 33) in the vertical direction. The untwisting pipe 32
for sucking the yarn Y2 is disposed between the yarn
12 / 44

joining member 31 and the cutter 43 (lower guide plate 34) in the vertical direction.
In the inner wall of the untwisting pipe 32, a
nozzle hole (not illustrated) for ejecting compressed
5 air is formed. The nozzle hole is connected to a
compressed air supply path formed in the supporting block 37. Airflow directed from the front side toward the back side is generated in the untwisting pipe 32 by ejecting compressed air from the nozzle hole. The yarn
10 end of the yarn Y can be sucked into the untwisting pipe
32 from the suction port 32a by the action of the airflow. Furthermore, the airflow can untwist the yarn end of the yarn Y introduced into the untwisting pipe 32.
A through-hole 38a is formed in the supporting
15 plate 38 at a position facing the untwisting pipes 32
(suction ports 32a). A regulation member 46 is attached to the front surface of the supporting plate 38 at a position where the through-hole 38a is formed. Although the regulation member 46 will be described in detail
20 later, a through-hole 47a (see FIG. 7) that passes
through in the front-back direction is formed. The yarn end of the yarn Y is introduced into the inside of the untwisting pipe 32 through the through-hole 47a of the regulation member 46, the through-hole 38a of the
25 supporting plate 38, and the suction port 32a of the
untwisting pipe 32.
The yarn moving levers 35 are disposed in a pair, above and below the yarn joining member 31. The upper yarn moving lever 35 is disposed between the upper
30 untwisting pipe 32 and the upper guide plate 33 in the
vertical direction. The lower yarn moving lever 35 is
13 / 44

disposed between the lower untwisting pipe 32 and the
lower guide plate 34 in the vertical direction. The
pair of yarn moving levers 35 are configured to be
integrally swung with a swing shaft (not illustrated)
5 extending in the vertical direction as the center. As
the yarn moving levers 35 are swung toward the back side, the yarns Y guided to the yarn joining space 31a are moved toward the back side by the yarn moving levers 35. A pair of yarn pressing levers 36 are disposed
10 above and below the yarn joining member 31. The upper
yarn pressing lever 36 is disposed between the yarn joining member 31 and the upper yarn moving lever 35 in the vertical direction. The lower yarn pressing lever 36 is disposed between the yarn joining member 31 and
15 the lower yarn moving lever 35 in the vertical direction.
The pair of yarn pressing levers 36 are configured to be integrally swung with a swing shaft (not illustrated) extending in the vertical direction as the center. As the yarn pressing levers 36 are swung toward the back
20 side, the yarns Y guided to the yarn joining space 31a
are pressed by the yarn pressing levers 36. Thus, when twists are applied to the yarn ends of the yarns Y in the yarn joining space 31a, the twists are prevented from being propagated beyond the yarn pressing lever 36.
25 (Yarn joining operation)
Next, a yarn joining operation when the yarn joining device 21 performs yarn joining of the yarn Y1 and the yarn Y2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A to 5B. FIGS. 3A and 3B are views illustrating a state
30 immediately before the yarns Y1 and Y2 are cut with the
cutters 41 and 43, respectively. FIGS. 4A and 4B are
14 / 44

views illustrating a state in which the yarn ends of the
yarns Y1 and Y2 are sucked by the respective untwisting
pipes 32. FIGS. 5A and 5B are views illustrating a state
in which the yarn ends of the yarns Y1 and Y2 are disposed
5 in the yarn joining space 31a.
When the yarn Y is disconnected for some reason, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the yarns Y1 and Y2 are introduced into the yarn joining space 31a through the yarn insertion gap 31b by the lower yarn catching/guiding
10 member 23 and the upper yarn catching/guiding member 24.
At this time, the yarn Y1 is also introduced into the guide grooves 33a, 34a, and the yarn Y2 is also introduced into the guide grooves 33b, 34b. The yarn moving lever 35 is swung toward the back side to move
15 the yarns Y1 and Y2 toward the back side in this state,
so that the yarn Y1 is pushed to the back of the guide grooves 33a and 34a, and the yarn Y2 is pushed to the back of the guide grooves 33b and 34b. Although the upper yarn catching/guiding member 24 is simply
20 illustrated as a circle in FIG. 3, it actually has a
rectangular suction mouth 24b as illustrated in FIG. 2.
Next, after the yarn Y1 introduced to the guide
groove 34a is clamped by the clamp 44, the yarn Y1
introduced to the guide groove 33a is cut by the cutter
25 41. At the same time, after the yarn Y2 introduced to
the guide groove 33b is clamped by the clamp 42, the yarn Y2 introduced to the guide groove 34b is cut by the cutter 43. Unnecessary portions of the cut yarns Y1 and Y2 are sucked by the lower yarn catching/guiding member
30 23 and the upper yarn catching/guiding member 24. When
cutting the yarns Y1 and Y2, airflow directed from the
15 / 44

front side toward the back side is generated in the
untwisting pipe 32. Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 4,
the yarn end of the cut yarn Y1 is sucked into the upper
untwisting pipe 32. The yarn end of the cut yarn Y2 is
5 sucked into the lower untwisting pipe 32. Then, the
yarn ends of the yarns Y1 and Y2 are untwisted by the airflow generated in the respective untwisting pipes 32. Subsequently, when the yarn moving levers 35 are further swung toward the back side, as illustrated in
10 FIG. 5, the untwisted yarn ends of the yarns Y1 and Y2
are pulled out from the respective untwisting pipes 32, and introduced into the yarn joining space 31a through the respective introduction ports 31c. When the compressed air is ejected into the yarn joining space
15 31a in a state in which the untwisted yarn ends of the
yarns Y1 and Y2 are introduced into the yarn joining space 31a, the yarn Y1 and the yarn Y2 are joined by the action of the whirling flow. Before the compressed air is ejected, the yarn pressing levers 36 are swung toward
20 the back side and the yarns Y1 and Y2 are pressed by the
yarn pressing levers 36. Thus, the twist can be prevented from being propagated beyond the yarn pressing levers 36 at the time of the yarn joining operation. When the yarn joining operation is completed, the yarn
25 moving levers 35 and the yarn pressing levers 36 are
returned to the initial position, and the winding of the yarn Y by the winding section 13 is resumed. (Problems in joining elastic yarns)
When attempting to join a yarn having
30 stretchability (hereinafter referred to as an elastic
yarn) such as spandex yarn using the yarn joining device
16 / 44

21 configured as above, the following problems occur.
That is, in a case of an elastic yarn, when the yarn Y1
clamped by the clamp 44 is cut by the cutter 41, the
yarn Y1 shrinks abruptly, whereby the yarn end of the
5 yarn Y1 cannot be sucked by the untwisting pipe 32 and
the yarn joining operation may fail. The same problem may occur when the yarn Y2 clamped by the clamp 42 is cut by the cutter 43. Even when pulling out the yarn ends of the yarns Y1 and Y2 sucked by the untwisting
10 pipes 32 from the untwisting pipes 32, the yarns Y1 and
Y2 shrink abruptly, and hence the yarn ends cannot be properly introduced into the yarn joining space 31a.
In the yarn joining device 21 of the present embodiment, guide members 45 and regulation members 46
15 are provided in order to solve the above-mentioned
problems in joining the elastic yarn. As illustrated in FIG. 3 and the like, a pair of guide members 45 is disposed above and below the yarn joining member 31. A pair of regulation members 46 are also disposed above
20 and below the yarn joining member 31. The lower guide
member 45 and the lower regulation member 46 are disposed at positions obtained by rotating the upper guide member 45 and the upper regulation member 46 by 180 degrees with the center of the yarn joining space 31a as viewed
25 from the front as a rotation axis. The upper guide member
45 and the upper regulation member 46 act on the yarn Y1. The lower guide member 45 and the lower regulation member 46 act on the yarn Y2. There is no difference in other points, and they have similar operations and
30 effects. Hereinafter, the upper guide member 45 and the
upper regulation member 46 will be described, and the
17 / 44

description of the lower guide member 45 and the lower
regulation member 46 will be omitted. However, the
description in which the description of the upper guide
member 45 and the upper regulation member 46 is turned
5 upside down corresponds to the description of the lower
guide member 45 and the lower regulation member 46. (Guide member)
FIGS. 6 to 8 are views illustrating the behavior of the yarn Y1 around the upper guide member 45 and the
10 upper regulation member 46 as viewed from the front.
FIG. 9A is a perspective view illustrating the guide member 45. FIG. 9B is a view of the guide member 45 as viewed from the front. FIG. 9C is a view of the guide member 45 as viewed from below.
15 As illustrated in FIG. 3 and the like, the guide
member 45 is disposed between the untwisting pipe 32 and the cutter 41 (upper guide plate 33) in the vertical direction, and bends the yarn Y1 between the cutter 41 and the yarn joining member 31. As illustrated in FIG.
20 9A, the guide member 45 is formed in a quadrangle pyramid
shape projecting out forward from the supporting plate 38, and is fixed to the supporting plate 38. In the present embodiment, the front surface of the guide member 45 is smaller than the back surface. The guide member
25 45 is formed with a contacting surface 45a and a guiding
surface 45b. The contacting surface 45a is a surface with which the yarn Y1 introduced to the yarn joining space 31a and the guide grooves 33a and 34a comes into contact. The guiding surface 45b guides the yarn Y1 to
30 the contacting surface 45a.
The contacting surface 45a is formed on the back
18 / 44

portion (portion on the supporting plate 38 side) of the
guide member 45, and is a plane substantially
perpendicular to the supporting plate 38 and facing the
direction of the yarn Y1 (approximately toward the left).
5 As illustrated in FIG. 6, when viewed from the front,
the contacting surface 45a is located on the outer side of the suction port 32a of the untwisting pipe 32 in the left-right direction (third direction). The contacting surface 45a is formed as an inclined surface inclined
10 with respect to the vertical direction. The contacting
surface 45a is formed to be located further on the outer side (left side) with respect to the suction port 32a in the left-right direction as it approaches the suction port 32a in the vertical direction (toward the lower
15 side).
A lower left end R of the contacting surface 45a, in other words, the portion R of the contacting surface 45a located on the outermost side with respect to the suction port 32a in the left-right direction, is
20 separated from the suction port 32a by a distance greater
than or equal to 1 mm and less than or equal to 3 mm in the left-right direction. In other words, in a parallel projection of the untwisting pipe 32 to a horizontal plane in the axial direction, the separation distance
25 between the portion closest to the suction port 32a in
the contacting surface 45a and the point most proximate to such a portion in the suction port 32a is greater than or equal to 1 mm and less than or equal to 3 mm. The guide member 45 is disposed such that a virtual
30 extension line L obtained by extending the contacting
surface 45a passes outward of the suction port 32a.
19 / 44

As illustrated in FIG. 9A, the guiding surface 45b
is connected to the front side of the contacting surface
45a. As illustrated in FIG. 9C, the guiding surface 45b
is formed as an inclined surface inclined with respect
5 to the front-back direction. The guiding surface 45b is
formed to approach the contacting surface 45a (toward the left side) even in the left-right direction as it approaches the contacting surface 45a in the front-back direction (toward the back side). The back end portion
10 of the guiding surface 45b and the front end portion of
the contacting surface 45a are connected to each other while forming a ridgeline therebetween. (Regulation member)
Next, the configuration of the regulation member
15 46 will be described with reference to FIG. 10. The
regulation member 46 has a configuration in which a main body portion 47 and a mounting portion 48 are integrally formed. A through-hole 47a, a first guiding groove 47b, and a second guiding groove 47c are formed in the main
20 body portion 47. The through-hole 47a passes through
the main body portion 47 in the front-back direction, and is connected the suction port 32a of the untwisting pipe 32 through the through-hole 38a formed in the supporting plate 38. The first guiding groove 47b and
25 the second guiding groove 47c are recesses formed on the
front surface of the main body portion 47. The first guiding groove 47b is formed approximately toward the upper side from the through-hole 47a, and has a role of guiding the yarn Y1 to the suction port 32a when the
30 yarn end of the yarn Y1 is sucked into the untwisting
pipe 32. The second guiding groove 47c is formed
20 / 44

approximately toward the lower right side from the
through-hole 47a, and has a role of guiding the yarn Y1
to the yarn joining space 31a when the yarn end of the
yarn Y1 is pulled out from the untwisting pipe 32.
5 The mounting portion 48 is a block-like member,
and the regulation member 46 can be mounted on the supporting plate 38 by fixing the mounting portion 48 to the supporting plate 38 with a screw. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the regulation member 46 is fixed to the
10 supporting plate 38 so that the mounting portion 48 is located on the virtual extension line L of the contacting surface 45a of the guide member 45.
Of the surfaces defining the second guiding groove 47c, a regulation surface 47d formed on the yarn joining
15 member 31 side will be described in detail. As illustrated in FIG. 10, the regulation surface 47d forms an angle θ with respect to the forming surface of the introduction port 31c of the yarn joining member 31, as viewed from the front. The angle θ is smaller than the
20 angle Φ formed by a straight line connecting a center O of the suction port 32a of the untwisting pipe 32 and an end S of the introduction port 31c closer to the untwisting pipe 32 with respect to the forming surface of the introduction port 31c.
25 (Behavior of elastic yarn)
How the yarn Y1 behaves in the case of the elastic yarn when the yarn joining device 21 includes the guide member 45 and the regulation member 46 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. FIG. 6 is a view
30 illustrating a state immediately before the yarn Y1 is cut by the cutter 41. FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a
21 / 44

state immediately after the yarn Y1 is cut by the cutter
41. FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a state when the yarn
end of the yarn Y1 is pulled out from the untwisting
pipe 32.
5 Before the yarn Y1 is cut by the cutter 41, as
illustrated in FIG. 6, the yarn Y1 between the cutter 41 and the yarn joining member 31 is in contact with the contacting surface 45a of the guide member 45. The yarn Y1 at this time is bent at the end R of the contacting
10 surface 45a, and is disposed in the first guiding groove
47b and the second guiding groove 47c of the regulation member 46.
When the yarn Y1 is cut by the cutter 41, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the yarn Y1 abruptly shrinks in
15 the direction of an arrow along the virtual extension
line L. Since this direction is different from the direction toward the suction port 32a of the untwisting pipe 32, shrinkage of the yarn Y1 toward the suction port 32a at the shortest distance can be reduced, and
20 the failure in suction and catching of the yarn end by
the untwisting pipe 32 can be avoided. Furthermore, since the mounting portion 48 of the regulation member 46 is disposed on the virtual extension line L, the yarn Y1 that has shrunk along the virtual extension line L
25 collides with the mounting portion 48, whereby abrupt
shrinkage of the yarn Y1 toward the suction port 32a can be effectively reduced. Therefore, the failure in suction and catching of the yarn end by the untwisting pipe 32 can be more effectively avoided, and the yarn
30 end of the yarn Y1 can be reliably sucked by the
untwisting pipe 32.
22 / 44

Thereafter, the yarn end of the yarn Y1 is untwisted by the untwisting pipe 32, and the yarn moving lever 35 is further swung backward so that the yarn end is pulled out from the untwisting pipe 32. At this time, 5 as illustrated in FIG. 8, the yarn Y1 is in contact with the regulation surface 47d of the regulation member 46. As described above, since angle θ < angle Φ (see FIG. 10), the yarn Y1 is bent at the end of the regulation surface 47d on the yarn joining member 31 side.
10 Therefore, the occurrence of rapid shrinkage of the yarn Y1 can be reduced by the friction of the yarn Y1 at the bent portion, and the yarn end of the yarn Y1 pulled out from the untwisting pipe 32 can be satisfactorily guided into the yarn joining space 31a through the introduction
15 port 31c. (Effect)
In the yarn joining device 21 according to the present embodiment, the guide member 45 formed with the contacting surface 45a adapted to bend the yarn Y by
20 making contact with the yarn Y (Y1) between the cutter 41 and the yarn joining member 31 is disposed between the cutter 41 and the untwisting pipe 32 in the vertical direction (first direction), and at least one part of the contacting surface 45a is located on the outer side
25 of the suction port 32a of the untwisting pipe 32 in the left-right direction (third direction) when viewed from the front-back direction (second direction). When the yarn Y which is an elastic yarn is cut by the cutter 41, the yarn Y is guided so as to shrink toward the outer
30 side of the suction port 32a by a portion of the contacting surface 45a of the guide member 45, the
23 / 44

portion being located on the outer side of the suction
port 32a. That is, since the shrinkage of the yarn Y
toward the suction port 32a at the shortest distance can
be reduced, the failure in suction and catching of the
5 yarn end by the untwisting pipe 32 can be avoided.
Therefore, even if the yarn Y is an elastic yarn, the yarn end of the yarn Y cut by the cutter 41 can be reliably sucked by the untwisting pipe 32, and the yarn joining operation can be satisfactorily performed.
10 In the present embodiment, the contacting surface
45a is a plane, and the virtual extension line L obtained by extending the contacting surface 45a passes outward of the suction port 32a when viewed from the front-back direction. According to such a configuration, as the
15 yarn Y cut by the cutter 41 shrinks while making contact
with the contacting surface 45a, the yarn Y is more reliably guided toward the outer side of the suction port 32a. Therefore, failure in suction and catching of the yarn end by the untwisting pipe 32 can be reliably
20 avoided, and the yarn end can be reliably sucked by the
untwisting pipe 32.
In the present embodiment, the contacting surface 45a has a shape facing the outer side of the suction port 32a in the left-right direction as it approaches
25 the suction port 32a in the vertical direction as viewed
from the front-back direction. This means, when viewed from the front-back direction, the contacting surface 45a is formed such that a portion of the contacting surface 45a located closer to the suction port 32a in
30 the vertical direction is located to be further outward
of the suction port 32a in the left-right direction.
24 / 44

According to such a configuration, the yarn Y cut by the
cutter 41 behaves so as to move away from the suction
port 32a as it shrinks while making contact with the
contacting surface 45a. Therefore, failure in suction
5 and catching of the yarn end by the untwisting pipe 32
can be reliably avoided, and the yarn end can be more reliably sucked by the untwisting pipe 32.
In the present embodiment, the regulation member 46 (collision member) to which the yarn Y cut by the
10 cutter 41 collides before being sucked by the untwisting
pipe 32 is disposed on the virtual extension line L. According to such a configuration, the yarn Y cut by the cutter 41 shrinks and collides with the regulation member 46, whereby the yarn Y can be effectively prevented from
15 being abruptly shrinking toward the suction port 32a.
Therefore, failure in suction and catching of the yarn end by the untwisting pipe 32 can be reliably avoided, and the yarn end can be more reliably sucked by the untwisting pipe 32.
20 In the present embodiment, the separation distance
from the suction port 32a in the left-right direction of the portion R of the contacting surface 45a located the farthest away from the suction port 32a in the left-right direction is greater than or equal to 1 mm and
25 less than or equal to 3 mm. It is considered in order to
reliably suck the yarn Y cut by the cutter 41 by the untwisting pipe 32, the effect is expected to be greater if the separation distance between the contacting surface 45a and the suction port 32a in the left-right
30 direction is longer. However, if this separation
distance is too long, the yarn Y will be largely bent by
25 / 44

that much, and the yarn path will become long. The length
of the yarn end to be sucked into the untwisting pipe 32
thus may change, and the desired untwisting may not be
performed. Therefore, by defining the separation
5 distance between the contacting surface 45a and the
suction port 32a in the left-right direction as described above, the untwisting pipe 32 can be reliably caused to suck the yarn end and satisfactorily perform the untwisting.
10 In the present embodiment, the guide member 45
includes the guiding surface 45b formed on the side (front side) farther from the suction port 32a than the contacting surface 45a in the front-back direction and adapted to guide the yarn Y to the contacting surface
15 45a. With such a guiding surface 45b provided on the
guide member 45, the yarn Y can be satisfactorily guided to the contacting surface 45a when guiding the yarn Y to the yarn joining space 31a from the side (front side) farther from the suction port 32a to the side (back side)
20 closer to the suction port 32a in the front-back
direction.
In the present embodiment, the guide member 45 is fixed to the supporting plate 38 detachably attached to the supporting block 37 (supporting member) adapted to
25 support the untwisting pipe 32. The guide member 45 is
effective when joining an elastic yarn, but may be unnecessary in a case of a general yarn that barely has elasticity. Even in such a case, according to the above-described configuration, the change of the yarn type can
30 be dealt with by simply replacing the supporting plate
38 without replacing the entire yarn joining device 21.
26 / 44

Conventionally, in order to prevent the yarn Y from rapidly shrinking when the yarn Y is cut by the cutter 41, a method is adopted in which the cutter 41 is provided with a clamp function and the yarn Y cut by the 5 cutter 41 is simultaneously clamped. However, in this case, the cutter 41 needs to be changed in order to deal with the change of the yarn type, and the main portion of the yarn joining device 21 needs to be changed significantly, which requires a great deal of effort.
10 In this respect, the configuration of the present embodiment which merely requires replacement of the supporting plate 38 is very advantageous.
In the present embodiment, the yarn joining device 21 further includes the regulation member 46 formed with
15 the regulation surface 47d for introducing the yarn end pulled out from the untwisting pipe 32 into the yarn joining space 31a through the introduction port 31c formed in the yarn joining member 31, where when viewed from the front-back direction, the angle θ formed between
20 the regulation surface 47d and the forming surface of the introduction port 31c is smaller than the angle Φ formed by a straight line connecting the center O of the suction port 32a and the end S closer to the untwisting pipe 32 in the introduction port 31c and the forming
25 surface. According to such a configuration, the yarn end can be pulled out from the untwisting pipe 32 while bending the yarn Y at the end on the yarn joining member 31 side of the regulation surface 47d. Therefore, the occurrence of rapid shrinkage of the yarn Y can be
30 reduced by the friction at the bent portion, and the yarn end pulled out from the untwisting pipe 32 can be
27 / 44

satisfactorily guided to the yarn joining space 31a.
In the present embodiment, the regulation member
46 is fixed to the supporting plate 38 detachably
attached to the supporting block 37 (supporting member)
5 adapted to support the untwisting pipe 32. The
regulation member 46 is effective when joining an elastic yarn, but may be unnecessary in a case of a general yarn that barely has elasticity. Even in such a case, according to the above-described configuration, the
10 change of the yarn type can be dealt by simply replacing
the supporting plate 38 without replacing the entire yarn joining device 21.
The winding unit 2 (yarn winding device) of the present embodiment includes the yarn supplying section
15 11 adapted to supply the yarn Y, the winding section 13
disposed at a position separated from the yarn supplying section 11 in the vertical direction and adapted to wind the yarn Y supplied from the yarn supplying section 11, and the yarn joining device 21 disposed between the yarn
20 supplying section 11 and the winding section 13 in the
vertical direction. Therefore, even when winding the elastic yarn, the yarn ends of the yarns Y1 and Y2 cut by the cutters 41 and 43 can be reliably sucked by the respective untwisting pipes 32 at the time of yarn
25 joining operation, and the yarn joining operation can be
satisfactorily performed.
The yarn joining device 21 according to the present embodiment includes the yarn joining member 31 formed with the yarn joining space 31a, the clamp 44 adapted to
30 clamp the yarn Y1, the cutter 41 adapted to cut the yarn
Y1 clamped by the clamp 44, and the untwisting pipe 32
28 / 44

formed with the suction port 32a and adapted to suck and
untwist the yarn end of the yarn Y1 cut by the cutter
41, where the clamp 44, the yarn joining member 31, the
untwisting pipe 32, and the cutter 41 are disposed in
5 such order from the side in which the yarn supplying
section 11 is arranged. The yarn joining device 21 includes the yarn joining member 31 formed with the yarn joining space 31a, the clamp 42 adapted to clamp the yarn Y2, the cutter 43 adapted to cut the yarn Y2 clamped
10 by the clamp 42, and the untwisting pipe 32 formed with
the suction port 32a and adapted to suck and untwist the yarn end of the yarn Y2 cut by the cutter 43, where the clamp 42, the yarn joining member 31, the untwisting pipe 32, and the cutter 43 are disposed in such order
15 from the side in which the winding section 13 is arranged.
The guide member 45 formed with the contacting surface 45a (contacting portion) adapted to bend the yarn Y1, Y2 with respect to the virtual straight line connecting the cutter 41, 43 and the yarn joining member 31 by coming
20 into contact with the yarn Y1, Y2 between the cutter 41,
43 and the yarn joining member 43 is disposed between the cutter 41, 43 and the untwisting pipe 32, 32.
In the yarn joining device 21 according to the present embodiment, at least a part of the contacting
25 surface 45a may be located on the outer side opposite to
the yarn joining space 31a with respect to the virtual straight line connecting the cutter 41, 43 and the yarn joining member 31.
The yarn joining device 21 according to the present
30 embodiment includes the contacting surface 45a which is
a plane to make a surface contact with the yarns Y1 and
29 / 44

Y2, and the virtual extension line L obtained by extending the contacting surface 45a passes outward of the suction port 32a.
In the yarn joining device 21 according to the
5 present embodiment, the contacting surface 45a may be
formed to be further away from the virtual straight line
connecting the cutter 41, 43 and the yarn joining member
31 as it approaches the suction port 32a.
In the yarn joining device 21 according to the
10 present embodiment, in parallel projection of the untwisting pipe 32 to a horizontal plane in the axial direction, the separation distance between the portion closest to the suction port 32a in the contacting surface 45a and the point most proximate to such a portion in
15 the suction port 32a is greater than or equal to 1 mm and less than or equal to 3 mm.
In the yarn joining device 21 according to the present embodiment, the guide member 45 includes the guiding surface 45b formed on the side farther from the
20 suction port 32a than the contacting surface 45a, and adapted to guide the yarn Y1, Y2 to the contacting surface 45a.
In the present embodiment, the yarn joining device 21 further includes the regulation member 46 formed with
25 the regulation surface 47d for regulating the yarn end pulled out from the untwisting pipe 32, where the introduction port 31c to which the yarn end is introduced after being regulated by the regulation surface 47d is formed in the yarn joining member 31, and when viewed
30 from the axial direction of the untwisting pipe 32, the angle θ formed by the virtual extension line of the
30 / 44

regulation surface 47d with respect to the forming
surface of the introduction port 31c is preferably
smaller than the angle Φ formed by the straight line
connecting the center O of the suction port 32a and the
5 end S on the side closer to the untwisting pipe 32 in
the introduction port 31c with respect to the forming
surface.
In the present embodiment, the yarn joining device
21 may include the supporting member 37 adapted to
10 support the untwisting pipe 32, and the supporting plate
38 detachably provided with respect to the supporting
member 37.
In the yarn joining device 21 according to the
present embodiment, the guide member 45 may be fixed to
15 the supporting plate 38.
In the yarn joining device 21 according to the
present embodiment, the regulation member 46 may be fixed
to the supporting plate 38.
(Other Embodiments)
20 Alternative embodiments in which various
modifications are made on the embodiment described above
will be described.
In the embodiment described above, the guide member
45 is formed in a quadrangular pyramid shape. However,
25 the specific shape of the guide member is not limited
thereto. Although the guiding surface 45b is provided
on the guide member 45, the guiding surface 45b may be
omitted.
In the embodiment described above, the entire
30 contacting surface 45a of the guide member 45 is disposed
on the outer side of the suction port 32a of the
31 / 44

untwisting pipe 32 in the left-right direction. However,
at least a part of the contacting surface 45a merely
needs to be disposed on the outer side of the suction
port 32a in the left-right direction.
5 In the embodiment described above, the contacting
surface 45a of the guide member 45 is formed as an inclined surface inclined with respect to the vertical direction, but the contacting surface 45a may not be formed as an inclined surface. For example, as
10 illustrated in FIG. 11A, a contacting surface 51a of a
guide member 51 may be parallel to the vertical direction. As illustrated in FIG. 11B, a contacting surface 52a of a guide member 52 may be a curved surface when viewed from the front-back direction. As described above, the
15 “contacting surface adapted to bend the yarn” in the
present invention also includes a curved surface that changes the direction of the yarn path by curving the yarn.
In the embodiment described above, the separation
20 distance between the portion R of the contacting surface
45a located on the outermost side of the suction port 32a in the left-right direction and the suction port 32a in the left-right direction is greater than or equal to 1 mm and less than or equal to 3 mm. However, this
25 separation distance may be less than 1 mm or greater
than 3 mm.
In the embodiment described above, the regulation member 46 (collision member) is disposed on the virtual extension line L. However, disposing the collision
30 member on the virtual extension line L is not a
requirement.
32 / 44

In the embodiment described above, the regulation
member 46 is provided to suitably guide the yarn end
pulled out from the untwisting pipe 32 to the yarn
joining space 31a. However, the regulation member 46
5 may be omitted.
In the embodiment described above, the guide member 45 and the regulation member 46 are attached to the supporting plate 38. However, where to attach the guide member 45 and the regulation member 46 can be
10 appropriately changed, and is not limited to the
supporting plate 38.
In the embodiment described above, the present invention is applied to the yarn joining device 21 provided in the winding unit 2 of the automatic winder
15 1. However, the present invention can also be applied
to the yarn joining device of other textile machines (e.g. air spinning machine).
In the embodiment described above, each winding unit 2 includes the yarn joining device 21. However,
20 the yarn joining device 21 may be mounted on a cart
provided commonly to the plurality of winding units 2.
In a yarn joining device (21) configured such that when a yarn (Y1) introduced into a yarn joining space (31a) of a yarn joining member (31) and clamped by a
25 clamp (44) is cut by a cutter (41), the yarn end is
sucked from a suction port (32a) of an untwisting pipe (32), a guide member (45) formed with a contacting surface (45a) that bends the yarn (Y1) by coming into contact with the yarn (Y1) between the cutter (41) and
30 the yarn joining member (31) is provided between the
cutter (41) and the untwisting pipe (32) in the vertical
33 / 44

direction. When viewed from a front-back direction in
which the untwisting pipe (32) is opened, at least a
part of the contacting surface (45a) is located on an
outer side of the suction port (32a) in a left-right
5 direction.
A yarn joining device according to the present invention relates to a yarn joining device including a yarn joining member formed with a yarn joining space; a clamp adapted to clamp a yarn; a cutter adapted to cut
10 the yarn clamped by the clamp; and an untwisting pipe
formed with a suction port and adapted to suck and untwist a yarn end of the yarn cut by the cutter; the clamp, the yarn joining member, the untwisting pipe, and the cutter being disposed in this order; where a guide
15 member formed with a contacting portion adapted to bend
the yarn with respect to a virtual straight line connecting the cutter and the yarn joining member by coming into contact with the yarn between the cutter and the yarn joining member is disposed between the cutter
20 and the untwisting pipe.
According to the present invention, when the elastic yarn is cut by the cutter, the yarn is guided so as to shrink toward an outer side of the suction port by the contacting portion of the guide member. That is,
25 since the shrinkage of the yarn toward the suction port
at the shortest distance can be reduced, failure in suction and catching of the yarn end by the untwisting pipe can be avoided. Therefore, according to the present invention, even if the yarn is an elastic yarn, the yarn
30 end of the yarn cut by the cutter can be reliably sucked
by the untwisting pipe, and the yarn joining operation
34 / 44

can be satisfactorily performed.
In the present invention, at least one part of the
contacting portion may be located on an outer side
opposite to the yarn joining space with respect to the
5 virtual straight line.
According to such a configuration, the cut yarn is
more reliably guided toward the outer side of the suction
port by the contacting portion. Therefore, according to
the present invention, even if the yarn is an elastic
10 yarn, the yarn end of the yarn cut by the cutter can be
more reliably sucked by the untwisting pipe, and the yarn joining can be more satisfactorily performed.
In the present invention, the contacting portion
may include a contacting surface which is a plane to
15 make a surface contact with the yarn; and a virtual
extension line obtained by extending the contacting
surface may pass outward of the suction port.
According to such a configuration, the yarn cut by
the cutter shrinks while making a surface contact with
20 the contacting plane, so that the yarn is more reliably
guided toward the outer side of the suction port.
Therefore, failure in suction and catching of the yarn
end by the untwisting pipe can be reliably avoided, and
the yarn end can be reliably sucked by the untwisting
25 pipe.
In the present invention, the contacting surface may be formed to be away from the virtual straight line as the contacting surface approaches the suction port.
According to such a configuration, the yarn cut by
30 the cutter shrinks while making contact with the
contacting surface, so that the yarn behaves so as to
35 / 44

move away from the suction port. Therefore, failure in
suction and catching of the yarn end by the untwisting
pipe can be more reliably avoided, and the yarn end can
be more reliably sucked by the untwisting pipe.
5 In the present invention, a collision member, to
which the yarn cut by the cutter collides before being sucked by the untwisting pipe, may be disposed on the virtual extension line.
According to such a configuration, the yarn cut by
10 the cutter shrinks and collides with the collision member,
so that the yarn can be effectively prevented from abruptly shrinking toward the suction port. Therefore, failure in suction and catching of the yarn end by the untwisting pipe can be more reliably avoided, and the
15 yarn end can be more reliably sucked by the untwisting
pipe.
In the present invention, in a parallel projection of the untwisting pipe to a horizontal plane in an axial direction, a separation distance between a portion
20 closest to the suction port in the contacting surface
and a point most proximate to the portion in the suction port may be greater than or equal to 1 mm and less than or equal to 3 mm.
It is considered that in order to reliably suck
25 the yarn cut by the cutter by the untwisting pipe, the
effect is expected to be greater as the separation distance between the contacting surface and the suction port is longer. However, if this separation distance is too long, the yarn will be greatly bent by that much and
30 the yarn path will become long. Then, the length of the
yarn end sucked into the untwisting pipe may change, and
36 / 44

the desired untwisting may not be performed. Therefore,
by defining the separation distance between the
contacting surface and the suction port as described
above, the untwisting pipe can be reliably caused to
5 suck the yarn end and satisfactorily perform the
untwisting.
In the present invention, the guide member may include a guiding surface formed on a side farther from the suction port than the contacting surface and adapted
10 to guide the yarn to the contacting surface.
By providing such a guiding surface on the guide member, the yarn can be satisfactorily guided to the contacting surface when being guided to the yarn joining space.
15 In the present invention, the yarn joining device
further includes a regulation member formed with a regulation surface for regulating the yarn end pulled out from the untwisting pipe; where the yarn joining member is formed with an introduction port to which the
20 yarn end is introduced after being regulated by the
regulation surface; and when viewed from an axial direction of the untwisting pipe, an angle formed by a virtual extension line of the regulation surface with respect to a forming surface of the introduction port is
25 smaller than an angle formed by a straight line
connecting a center of the suction port and an end closer to the untwisting pipe in the introduction port with respect to the forming surface.
When joining an elastic yarn, not only when the
30 yarn is cut with a cutter, but also when pulling out the
yarn end from the untwisting pipe, the yarn may not be
37 / 44

properly introduced into the yarn joining space due to
the rapid shrinkage of the yarn. Therefore, by providing
the above-described regulation member, the yarn end can
be pulled out from the untwisting pipe while the yarn is
5 bent at an end portion on the yarn joining member side
of the regulation surface. Therefore, the occurrence of rapid shrinkage of the yarn can be reduced by the friction at the bent portion, and the yarn end drawn from the untwisting pipe can be satisfactorily guided to
10 the yarn joining space.
In the present invention, the yarn joining device may further include a supporting member adapted to support the untwisting pipe; and a supporting plate detachably provided with respect to the supporting
15 member.
In the present invention, the guide member may be fixed to the supporting plate.
The guide member is effective when joining an elastic yarn, but may be unnecessary in a case of a
20 general yarn that barely has elasticity. Even in such a
case, according to the configuration described above, a change of a yarn type can be dealt by simply replacing the supporting plate without replacing the entire yarn joining device.
25 In the present invention, the regulation member
may be fixed to the supporting plate.
The regulation member of the present invention is effective when joining an elastic yarn, but may be unnecessary in a case of a general yarn that barely has
30 elasticity. Even in such a case, according to the
configuration described above, the change of the yarn
38 / 44

type can be dealt by simply replacing the supporting plate without replacing the entire yarn joining device.
A yarn winding device according to the present invention includes a yarn supplying section adapted to supply a yarn; a winding section adapted to wind the yarn supplied from the yarn supplying section; and the yarn joining device according to any one of the above disposed between the yarn supplying section and the winding section.
According to the present invention, even when winding an elastic yarn, the yarn end of the yarn cut by the cutter can be reliably sucked by the untwisting pipe in the yarn joining operation, and the yarn joining operation can be satisfactorily performed.

WE CLAIM

A yarn joining device (21) comprising:
a yarn joining member (31) formed with a yarn joining space (31a);
a clamp (42,44) adapted to clamp a yarn (Y, Yl, Y2) ;
a cutter (41, 43) adapted to cut the yarn (Y, Yl, Y2) clamped by the clamp (42, 44); and
an untwisting pipe (32) formed with a suction port (32a) and adapted to suck and untwist a yarn end of the yarn (Y, Yl, Y2) cut by the cutter (41, 43);
the clamp (42, 44), the yarn joining member (31), the untwisting pipe (32), and the cutter (41, 43) being disposed in this order; characterized in that
a guide member (45) formed with a contacting portion (45a) adapted to bend the yarn (Y, Yl, Y2) with respect to a virtual straight line connecting the cutter (41, 43) and the yarn joining member (31) by coming into contact with the yarn (Y, Yl, Y2) between the cutter (41, 43) and the yarn joining member (31) is disposed between the cutter (41, 43) and the untwisting pipe (32) .
2. The yarn joining device (21) as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one part of the contacting portion (45a) is located on an opposite side to the yarn joining space (31a) with respect to the virtual straight line connecting the cutter (41, 43) and the yarn joining member (31) .
3. The yarn joining device (21) as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the contacting portion (45a)

includes a contacting surface (45a) which is a plane to make surface contact with the yarn (Y, Yl, Y2) ; and
a virtual extension line (L) obtained by extending the contacting surface passes outward of the suction port (32a).
4. The yarn joining device (21) as claimed in any
one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the contacting surface
(45a) is formed to be away from the virtual straight line connecting the cutter (41, 43) and the yarn joining member (31) as the contacting surface (45a) approaches the suction port (32a).
5. The yarn joining device (21) as claimed in
claim 3 or 4, wherein a collision member (46), to which
the yarn (Y, Yl, Y2) cut by the cutter (41, 43) collides
before being sucked by the untwisting pipe (32), is
disposed on the virtual extension line (L).
6. The yarn joining device (21) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein in a parallel projection of the untwisting pipe (32) to a horizontal plane in an axial direction, a separation distance between a portion closest to the suction port (32a) in the contacting surface (45a) and a point most proximate to the portion in the suction port (32a) is greater than or equal to 1 mm and less than or equal to 3 mm.
7. The yarn joining device (21) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the guide member (45) includes a guiding surface (45a) formed on a side farther

from the suction port (32a) than the contacting surface (45a) and adapted to guide the yarn (Y, Yl, Y2) to the contacting surface (45a).
8. The yarn joining device (21) as claimed in any
one of claims 1 to 7, comprising
a regulation member (46) formed with a regulation surface (47d) adapted to regulate the yarn end pulled out from the untwisting pipe (32); wherein
the yarn joining member (31) is formed with an introduction port (31c) to which the yarn end is introduced after being regulated by the regulation surface (47d); and
when viewed from an axial direction of the untwisting pipe (32), an angle (9) formed by a virtual extension line (L) of the regulation surface (47d) with respect to a forming surface of the introduction port (31c) is smaller than an angle (<&) formed by a straight line connecting a center (0) of the suction port (32a) and an end (S) closer to the untwisting pipe (32) in the introduction port (31c) with respect to the forming surface.
9. The yarn joining device (21) as claimed in any
one of claims 1 to 8, comprising:
a supporting member (37) adapted to support the untwisting pipe (32); and
a supporting plate (38) detachably provided with respect to the supporting member (37).
10. The yarn joining device (21) as claimed in

claim 9, wherein the guide member (45) is fixed to the supporting plate (38).
11. The yarn joining device (21) as claimed in
claim 9 or 10, wherein the regulation member (46) is
fixed to the supporting plate (38).
12. A yarn winding device (2), comprising:
a yarn supplying section (11) adapted to supply a yarn (Y);
a winding section (13) adapted to wind the yarn (Y) supplied from the yarn supplying section (11); and
the yarn joining device (21) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 disposed between the yarn supplying section (11) and the winding section (13).