Monitoring apparatus
AssigneeRieter Machine Works, Ltd.
InventorsGiorgio Citterio, Werner Hartmeier
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A monitoring apparatus is described for the contact-free monitoring of a region adjacent to a service robot of a ring spinning machine. The apparatus includes an electro-acoustic converter for transmitting a sonic signal which is divided into a sonic measurement signal S.sub.SM and a sonic reference signal S.sub.SR. An electronic control unit delivers a fault signal if no sonic signal has been received by the expiry of a reference transit time. If, on the other hand, a sonic measurement signal is received prior to the expiry of the reference transit time, the control unit delivers a recognition signal to indicate the presence of an object in the monitored region.
Claims11
A monitoring apparatus for mounting on a movable machine part, said apparatus comprising
- at least one electro-acoustic converter for transmitting a sonic signal into a monitored region and for receiving a reflected sonic signal from an object in said monitored region;
- means for dividing said transmitted sonic signal into a sonic measurement signal directed into said monitored region and a sonic reference signal for direction onto a reference reflector having a predetermined distance from said convertor, said reference signal having a reference transit time dependent on said distance, said means being disposed to direct a reflected sonic reference signal from the reflector to said converter and a reflected measurement signal from an object to said converter;
- and
- an electronic control unit connected to said converter for delivering a fault signal in response to a failure of said converter to receive a reflected sonic signal within said reference transit time and for delivering a recognition signal representative of an object in said monitored region in response to reception of a reflected measurement signal before expiration of said reference transmit time.
In combination
- a spinning machine;
- a service robot movable in a path along said machine;
- at least one electro-acoustic converter mounted on said robot for transmitting a sonic signal into a monitored region in said path and for receiving a reflected sonic signal from an object in said monitored region;
- a reference reflector disposed at a predetermined distance from said converter;
- means for dividing said transmitted sonic signal into a sonic measurement signal directed into said monitored region and a sonic reference signal for direction onto said reflector said reference signal having a reference transit time dependent on said distance, said means being disposed to direct a reflected sonic reference signal from the reflector to said converter and a reflected measurement signal from an object to said converter;
- and
- an electronic control unit connected to said converter for delivering a fault signal in response to a failure of said converter to receive a reflected sonic signal within said reference transit time and for delivering a recognition signal representative of an object in said monitored region in response to reception of a reflected measurement signal before expiration of said reference transit time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.