What is claimed is:
1. A device for the electronic adjustment of hosiery tension in circular textile machines, comprising: a carriage; actuation means for moving said carriage so as to perform a translatory motion along an axis which is parallel to a diametrical axis of said circular textile machine; at least one transducer supported at said carriage; a hosiery advancement device to which said transducer is connected, said transducer being adapted to detect a contrasting force due to an advancement of a hosiery item being woven; and controller means for processing information related to said contrasting force and emitting a speed signal for said actuation means, in order to adjust a movement speed of said carriage in contrast with said contrasting force.
2. The device of claim 1, further comprising: a guiding element; and movement means to which said carriage is connected, said movement means being actuated by said actuation means in an actuation direction so as to perform a translatory motion along said guiding element, which is arranged substantially parallel to the diametrical axis of said circular machine and to the actuation direction of said movement means.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein said transducer is a load cell.
4. The device of claim 2, wherein said movement means comprise a belt, which is actuated by said actuation means.
5. The device of claim 2, further comprising a signal amplifier means for amplifying a signal emitted by said transducer, said signal amplifier means being arranged in a feedback configuration between said transducer and said controller means.
6. The device of claim 5, wherein said controller means are provided so as to receive in input a reference force signal and to compare said reference force signal with a signal emitted in output by said amplifier means.
7. The device of claim 6, wherein said actuation means comprises an electric motor.
8. The device of claim 6, wherein said electric motor is a stepper motor.
9. The device of claim 6, wherein said electric motor is a brushless motor.
10. The device of claim 6, wherein said transducer is provided so as to emit in output an electric signal which is proportional to a force applied thereto, said electric signal being sent to said signal amplifier means.
11. The device of claim 10, wherein said controller means comprises conversion means for analogdigital conversion of said signal emitted in output by said signal amplifier means, and sampling means for sampling said signal.
12. A method for adjusting the tension of a hosiery item in circular textile machines, comprising the steps of:
detecting a signal related to a contrasting force that a hosiery item being woven transmits to transducer means which is connected to a translatory element movable along a direction in which said contrasting force is applied;
sending the signal detected by said transducer means, which is proportional to said force applied to said transducer means, to controller means which receive in input a reference force signal;
performing a comparison between said reference force signal and said signal sent by said transducer means;
on the basis of said comparison, generating a speed signal for actuation means for moving said translatory element in an opposite direction with respect to a direction in which said contrasting force is applied.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: a step of amplifying said signal sent by said transducer means before sending the signal to said controller means.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein said electric speed signal for said actuation means is generated dynamically during weaving of said hosiery item.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An element, comprising:
a bimodal spring member movable between a first stable position and a second stable position; and
an arm extending from the bimodal spring member, wherein the arm moves in response to the bimodal spring member changing between the first stable position and the second stable position.
2. An element according to claim 1, wherein the bimodal spring member and the arm form an integral unit.
3. An element according to claim 1, further including:
a retaining element extending from the arm.
4. An element according to claim 3, wherein the retaining element defines a heel-capturing member.
5. An element according to claim 3, wherein the retaining element, the arm, and the bimodal spring member form an integral unit.
6. An element according to claim 1, further including:
an armbimodal spring interface that induces changes in position of the arm in response to the bimodal spring member changing between the first stable position and the second stable position.
7. An element according to claim 6, wherein at least some portion of the armbimodal spring interface extends through an opening defined in the bimodal spring member when the bimodal spring member is in the first stable position.
8. An element according to claim 7, wherein the portion of the armbimodal spring interface that extends through the opening when the bimodal spring member is in the first stable position does not extend through the opening when the bimodal spring member is in the second stable position.
9. An element according to claim 6, wherein the armbimodal spring interface, the arm, and the bimodal spring member form an integral unit.
10. An element according to claim 1, wherein when the bimodal spring member is in the first stable position, the arm is in an open position, and when the bimodal spring member is in the second stable position, the arm is in a closed position.
11. An element according to claim 1, further including:
a retaining element extending from the arm; and
an armbimodal spring interface that induces changes in position of the arm in response to the bimodal spring member changing between the first stable position and the second stable position.
12. An element according to claim 11, wherein the retaining element, the armbimodal spring interface, the arm, and the bimodal spring member form an integral unit.
13. An element according to claim 1, wherein the bimodal spring member is round or oval shaped with an opening defined therein.
14. An element according to claim 1, wherein the bimodal spring member stably maintains the first stable position and the second stable position when no external force is applied to the spring member.
15. A piece of footwear, comprising:
a shoe member; and
a foot-engaging element attached to the shoe member, wherein the foot-engaging element includes: (a) a bimodal spring member movable between a first stable position and a second stable position, and (b) an arm extending from the bimodal spring member, wherein the arm moves in response to the bimodal spring member changing between the first stable position and the second stable position.
16. A piece of footwear according to claim 15, wherein the foot-engaging element forms an integral unit.
17. A piece of footwear according to claim 15, wherein the foot-engaging element further includes a foot-retaining element extending from the arm.
18. A piece of footwear according to claim 17, wherein the foot-retaining element defines a heel-capturing member.
19. A piece of footwear according to claim 17, wherein the foot-retaining element, the arm, and the bimodal spring member are relatively positioned so as to define a space for receiving a user’s toes.
20. A piece of footwear according to claim 17, wherein the foot-retaining element, the arm, and the bimodal spring member form an integral unit.
21. A piece of footwear according to claim 15, wherein the foot-engaging element is located at a heel portion of the shoe member.
22. A piece of footwear according to claim 15, wherein the foot-engaging element is located at a toe portion of the shoe member.
23. A piece of footwear according to claim 15, wherein the foot-engaging element includes an armbimodal spring interface that induces changes in position of the arm in response to the bimodal spring member changing between the first stable position and the second stable position.
24. A piece of footwear according to claim 23, wherein at least some portion of the armbimodal spring interface extends through an opening defined in the bimodal spring member when the bimodal spring member is in the first stable position.
25. A piece of footwear according to claim 24, wherein the portion of the armbimodal spring interface that extends through the opening when the bimodal spring member is in the first stable position does not extend through the opening when the bimodal spring member is in the second stable position.
26. A piece of footwear according to claim 23, wherein the armbimodal spring interface, the arm, and the bimodal spring member form an integral unit.
27. A piece of footwear according to claim 15, wherein when the bimodal spring member is in the first stable position, the arm is in a foot-receiving position, and when the bimodal spring member is in the second stable position, the arm is in a foot-engaging position.
28. A piece of footwear according to claim 15, wherein the foot-engaging element further includes: (c) a foot-retaining element extending from the arm, and (d) an armbimodal spring interface that induces changes in position of the arm in response to the bimodal spring member changing between the first stable position and the second stable position.
29. A piece of footwear according to claim 28, wherein the foot-retaining element, the armbimodal spring interface, the arm, and the bimodal spring member form an integral unit.
30. A piece of footwear according to claim 15, wherein the foot-engaging element, at least in part, connects a midsole of the shoe member to a footbed of the shoe member.
31. A piece of footwear according to claim 15, wherein the foot-engaging element, at least in part, connects an outsole of the shoe member to a midsole of the shoe member.
32. A piece of footwear according to claim 15, wherein the bimodal spring member is round or oval shaped with an opening defined therein.
33. A piece of footwear according to claim 15, wherein the bimodal spring member stably maintains the first stable position and the second stable position when no external force is applied to the spring member.
34. A method of engaging a foot-receiving device with a user’s foot, comprising:
orienting a bimodal spring member in a first stable position to place a foot-engaging portion of the foot-receiving device in a foot-accepting position; and
moving the bimodal spring member from the first stable position to a second stable position to thereby move the foot-engaging portion of the foot-receiving device to a foot-engaging position.
35. A method according to claim 34, wherein, in the foot-engaging position, the foot-engaging portion of the foot-receiving device engages a user’s heel.
36. A method according to claim 34, wherein, in the foot-engaging position, the foot-engaging portion of the foot-receiving device engages a user’s toes.
37. A method according to claim 34, wherein the bimodal spring member is moved from the first stable position to the second stable position by a user’s foot.
38. A method according to claim 34, wherein the bimodal spring member stably maintains the first stable position and the second stable position when no external force is applied to the spring member.
39. A method of engaging an engaging device to another member, comprising:
orienting a bimodal spring member in a first stable position to place an engaging portion of the engaging device in an open position; and
moving the bimodal spring member from the first stable position to a second stable position to thereby move the engaging portion of the engaging device to a closed position.
40. A method according to claim 39, wherein the bimodal spring member stably maintains the first stable position and the second stable position when no external force is applied to the spring member.