The invention relates to a sensor system, in particular for a ring spinning machine with a ring frame. The invention is concerned in particular with the design of components which are intended to make possible the realisation of what is referred to as an individual spindle sensor system.
An overview of the basic known solutions for sensor systems in a ring spinning machine can be derived from the technical article “Sensors for Thread Monitors” in Textiltechnik 34(1984) 3(page 131).
Optical sensors are known from EP-A480 898 and DE-A-2334389.
EP-A480898 shows in a principle sketch (
According to the Description of
In FIGS. 4 to 6 of EP-A480 898 a mounting unit for the design embodiment according to
EP-A480898 also mentions DE-A-2334389 as a prior publication of an optical sensor, which can be provided for in the form of a light barrier or a reflection head. DE-A-2334389 is not primarily concerned with sensors, however, but rather with a revolution speed regulating device for a ring spinning machine. An optical sensor is only mentioned as one variant among others, and it already becomes clear from the schematic representation (
The problem of this invention is to propose components which allow for the use of what is referred to as a reflection head in the individual spindle sensor arrangement of a ring spinning machine.
The problem is resolved by the Features of Claim 1.
The claimed solution offers the advantage that the (opposed) geometric relationships of the transmitter and receiver elements of a spinning position can be predetermined and the final installation thereby rendered easier.
The present invention can be used in combination with the invention according to EP-A-1052314 and/or EP-A-1074645.
Certain features of the embodiment examples in these applications, however, must be adapted for this purpose.
Embodiments of the invention are described in detail hereinafter on the basis of the Figures. These show:
aA modification of the arrangement according to
First the design of the ring frame of a ring spinning machine and the solution according to EP-A-1074645 are considered, after which an embodiment of a carrier according to the invention will be explained.
The ring frame 110 in
For directing air flows, penetration apertures 126 and strips 128 are provided in the support part 111, which pass out beneath the contact part 113 of the support part 111.
The penetration apertures 126 allow for the deflection of the air flowing along the cops according to the arrows 140a, 140b. The ring frame according to
The ring frame 150 in
The connection elements 340, 342 also serve as securing elements for a signal evaluation unit SA, which is connected by means of leads 354, 356 to the display 348 and the sensor 346. The holding element 344 therefore also serves as a part cover for the channel inside the base 330.
According to EP-A-1074645, the sensor 346 is designed for preference as a magnetic sensor. This design has also proved its value in technical terms. It has transpired, however, that this choice of sensor element exerts a determinant influence on the overall costs, and that it is very difficult for the end product (1000+ sensors with evaluation electronics, cabling, and operating guide system) to be offered at a price which is attractive for the purchaser of the ring spinning machine. Optical sensors can be purchased more cheaply. As has already been shown in the introduction, however, there has hitherto been no design known to the Applicants with reflection heads as traveller sensors.
In
Secured to the front face 156 (only visible on the left) of the ring frame is a U-shaped profile 200, which, like the base part 330 (
The fitting of the profile should, however, be carried out in such a way that the upper (left) edge of the profile 200 lies in one plane with the contact surface 113. The profile 200 is open to the top, and the channel is therefore closed by cover elements (“sensor carriers”) 202 according to the present invention, whereby in
Each cover element 202 comprises a cover plate 204, of which one edge strip 206 lies on the contact surface 113, and two elastic securing strips 208, 210, which project downwards into the channel and form a snap connection with the side walls of the profile 200. The securing strip 208 forms the lower part of a wall, which exhibits a stop 207, and the strip 210 forms the lower part of a wall 211 which exhibits a stop 209. The stops 207, 209 come into contact with the free edges of the profile 200, and so define the angle setting of the cover plate 204 in relation to the contact surface 113.
Each cover plate 204 carries four housings 212, whereby in
Each housing 212 comprises two side walls 214 to 216 respectively (
The “rear face” of the housing 212, i.e. the housing wall, which is located opposite the operating aisle between two adjacent machines, is formed by a curved wall part 226, which has been removed in
The electronic printed circuit board 232 is in its basic concept similar to the printed circuit board which was described in connection with EP 1074645 (
The position of the printed circuit board inside the housing is therefore 212 specified. It should be emphasised that this securing arrangement for the printed circuit board is by no means of importance for the invention. For preference, the securing arrangement is secure enough to guarantee the positioning of the printed circuit board against shaking (vibrations), but nevertheless to allow for the removal of the printed circuit board from the housing for the purpose of replacement. The securing of the printed circuit board can be guaranteed, for example, by the simple stops 230 being changed to elastic elements, which together with the edge parts of the printed circuit board form the snap connection.
The printed circuit board 232 differs from the printed circuit boards of EP-A-107645 in that it is equipped with a light transmitter element 235 (
There are various different light transmitter-receiver elements on offer on the market, and they are normally provided with their own individual optics systems for bundling the transmitted and received light beams respectively. It is possible for a transmitter/receiver element pair to be found, which, apart from light permeability, does not impose any special demands on the front face 224. This happy combination is improbable, however, as a consideration of the broader problems in connection with the application provided for in the ring spinning machine will show. These boarder problems are reproduced here only by way of summary headings:
In addition to this, no economical solution has been provided for the system to be adjusted individually to each individual application possibility, in particular due to the fact that the adaptation work in most cases would have to be carried out by the end users, which would incur a market disadvantage for the suppliers.
It is therefore no essential to the invention, but very advantageous, for an optical arrangement to be provided for in the front face itself, which favours the flexibility of the solution in relation to uncontrollable changes in the environment. The design of the front face should therefore be explained as the next point.
An individual “window” 240, 242 (
According to certain definitions (see Dubbel), light-measuring technology is concerned with “visible radiation in the wavelength range λ=380 nm (blue) to 780 nm (red)”. The term “light” in this Description, however, is not restricted to the visible electromagnetic oscillations. The term in this situation also encompasses the low-energy forms of radiation, which can also be put to use in the monitoring of machines operated by people, in particular the ranges of the infra-red and ultra-violet spectra adjacent to the visible range. The transmitter 236 in the embodiment according to FIGS. 4 to 7 emits radiation for preference in the infra-red range, for example with a wavelength in the order of magnitude of 850 nm to 950 nm. It is entirely possible, however, for light in the visible range to be used, in particular if a laser has been selected as the transmitter element.
The term “light permeable” in this situation, however, does not mean absolute transparency. A certain attenuation (absorption) of the emitted energy is permissible, provided that the receiver exhibits sufficient sensitivity. The material of the window can be selected in such a way that it creates a filter effect and therefore allows through certain wavelengths (which are predetermined by the selection of the transmitter). The material could, for example, be selected in such a way that it is practically impermeable to wavelengths outside the infra-red range. This additional measure is, however, not essential to the invention.
The wall parts adjacent to the windows exhibit in any event, for preference, a relatively low light permeability. This applies not only to the side walls 212, 214 and the roof part 218, but also to the partition wall 244 between the “pockets” which accommodate the transmitter 236 and receiver 238. As a result of this measure, a “short-circuit” (crosstalk) between the transmitter 236 and the receiver 238 is counter-acted. The relative permeability of the wall parts does not necessarily have to be provided by the choice of the material, but can (also) be determined by the wall thickness. For preference, both measures (choice of material as well as choice of wall thickness) are used in order to achieve the effect required. The front part of the housing is for preference formed from one single material and, to the purpose, is formed in one piece. The preferred material is a plastic, for example a polycarbonate. The windows can present a wall thickness in the range from 0.5 to 1.5 mm, while the relatively impermeable wall parts have a substantially greater thickness.
The diode LED is intended to emit visible light, since this element serves as a part of the operating guide system. The concept of the operating guide system has already been explained in EP-A-1074645 (FIGS. 8 to 10), and the description will not be repeated here. What is important for this system is a signal which is visually perceivable, which shows that a fault has arisen at a spinning position concerned. In other words, the housing 212 should not serve as a display means.
In the design embodiment according to
Within the framework of the guide concept described in EP-A-1074645, however, it is not advisable for the entire rear part of the housing 212 to be designed as transparent. The alarm or call signal which is emitted by a specific spinning position should only be perceivable by an operator person within a predetermined spatial area around this spinning position, and the side walls 214, 216 in the rear part of the housing 212 are therefore essentially impermeable to the radiation which is emitted by the diode LED. The shape of the side walls 214, 216, especially in the rear part of the housing, is selected in such a way in relation to the position of the diode LED inside the housing that an operator person will only perceive the signal when it enters the specified recognition field in the vicinity of the spinning position.
On the basis of
A segment of the “surface” of the spinning ring 180 is indicated in
When observing this diagram, consideration may be given to the notion of “optimising” this geometry. The axes 251, 253 could, for example, approach near to one another in the direction of the spinning ring, and in any event intersect at a point on the segment F. The distance interval s should be kept as small as possible, without the risk of a “short-circuit” (crosstalk, or direct transfer from the transmitter to the receiver). The distance interval A must also be kept small.
There are, however, limits to these attempts at optimisation. For technical spinning reasons, the distance interval A cannot be selected as too small. In the first place, the housing 212 approaching close to the spinning ring 180 could cause a disturbance in the thread run, and, in addition, this approach is limited by the need to be able to operate the spinning position. A distance interval A of less than 10 mm is therefore problematic in all cases, and is therefore for preference to be avoided. For preference, this distance interval amounts to more than 15 mm, and for preference a distance interval is of 20 mm or more. With an increasing distance interval A, however, the angle setting of the axes 251, 253 in relation to the contact surface 113 increases in significance. The greater the distance interval A is chosen to be, the more precisely this angle setting must be determined, in order to avoid the beam 250 either falling onto the surface 113 in front of the spinning ring, or expanding uselessly above the spinning ring in the area of the thread balloon.
An attempt at optimisation will in many cases come to nothing, however, because it must be assumed that the spinning position circumstances will change during the service life of the sensor system, e.g. because a conventional spinning ring (112,
The radiation-emitting surface of the transmitter 236 should be located as close as possible to the window 240 (
The light-sensitive surface of the receiver 238 exhibits for preference a somewhat greater distance interval to the overlap area Ü than the distance interval A from the transmitter 236. This can be guaranteed by a smaller distance interval a (
This can also be guaranteed if the receiver 238 comes in contact with a conical surface T2 (indicated diagrammatically by broken lines,
In order to increase the light yield, the window 242 and/or the window 240 can be designed as a lens. Different types of lenses are possible, whereby
The word “outer surface” relates to the surface which is located on the outside of the housing 212. The “inner surface” lies inside the cavity of the housing 212. The curvature of the outer surface can, but does not necessarily have to be, the same for both lenses (windows) 240, 242, i.e. for the transmitter as well as for the receiver.
These examples are not to be understood as exclusive choices, but are intended to illustrate the range of possible choices. The optimum shape for a given application should be determined empirically. By exploiting this possibility the maximum possible distance interval A for otherwise given circumstances can be increased, without falling beneath a traveller recognition threshold of the sensor system. A further possibility pertains in incorporating a lens in the housing 212. This, however, requires the formation of a lens mounting in the housing 212 and the installation work for fitting the lenses into this mounting, which can be avoided by integrating the lenses into the housing structure itself.
In the preferred embodiment, the housing 212 forms what is referred to as a multi-functional monolithic housing. As a minimum, the functions of protection and/or positioning and/or light bundling can be integrated in this monolithic housing, but for preference also the display function, which shows up a defective spinning position. The display can be designed in such a way that it displays both a thread break, as well as a spindle with an incorrect speed of rotation (e.g. a creep spindle, see EP-A-1074645).
The preferred manufacturing method consists of forming the cover elements 202 from plastic complete from one piece in an injection-moulding process. This is also possible if the rear wall 226 must be formed from a different material to the side walls 214, 216 and cover part 218, for example in order to give a specific colour to the alarm or call signal.
It would of course be possible for individual parts of the cover element to be formed on the basis of an individual optimum method, or from individual optimum (different) materials, and for these parts to be assembled in order to manufacture the element 202. The housings 212 could, for example, be manufactured individually and connected by intermediate parts to form a cover element. Such housings could, for example, be adhesively bonded to the intermediate parts.
The invention is not restricted to use in ring spinning machines, nor, in a ring spinning machine, to the scanning of the traveller.
According to the concept described in EP-A-1074645, the section lamp of a given section lights up if at least one spinning position within this section presents a defect, such as a thread break, for example. The section lamp of the section concerned should as far as possible be readily identifiable from the machine end, even if the section affected is located in the middle of the machine. The light yield from the source should therefore be exploited as efficiently as possible in the preferred directions. A solution to this problem is shown in
In
Located inside the profile is a printed circuit board P with a light emitting diode 282, which by means of suitable lead connections to the printed circuit board P can be excited such as to light up. This diode 283 represents the light source for the individual section lamp in each case.
The body 282 consists of a disk-shaped head part 284 and a cylindrical stem 285. The body 282 is for preference formed from one piece, and specifically in the preferred embodiment from a light-permeable plastic. The stem 265 is pushed through the hole 281, until the head part 284 comes in contact against the outer surface AF of the wall 280. The front face 286 of the stem 285 is then in the vicinity of the diode 283 and conducts practically all the light emitted from the diode into the stem 285. The cylindrical outer surface of the stem 285 now functions towards the interior as a mirror, so that the light entering over the front face 286 is conducted further in the longitudinal direction of the stem as far as the head part 284.
The head part 284 is hollowed out by a conical-shaped excavation 287. The base of the excavation 287 lies in the plane of the free-standing surface of the head part, and the tip lies in the plane of the surface which is in contact with the surface AF. The conical-shaped surface in turn forms a mirror, which bends the light emerging from the stem 286 through about 90°, so that this light is now conducted further approximately parallel to the surface AF. The light can then leave the body 282 over the cylindrical surface 289 of the head part, and is therefore readily visible in the longitudinal direction of the machine, but conversely is scarcely visible in the longitudinal direction of the stem 285. The invention is not restricted to the details of the embodiment according to
The invention therefore makes provision in this respect for a housing part for an optical display. This housing part comprises a light-permeable part (e.g. the stem 285), which is formed for the light transmission in a first direction (e.g. in the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal part). This direction runs on a reflection surface (e.g. the conical surface 287), which can deflect the light out of the first direction into a second preferred direction.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1390/02 | Aug 2002 | CH | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/CH03/00543 | 8/12/2003 | WO | 4/27/2006 |