Yarn storage feed device
AssigneeBtsr International S.P.A.
InventorTiziano Barea
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A storage feed device for a yarn which unwinds from a corresponding bobbin and is fed to a textile machine. The device includes a rotary or fixed drum and an optical sensor member arranged to sense the movement of the yarn towards the textile machine. The optical sensor includes a plurality of emitters and receivers between which a light beam is generated and is interrupted by the yarn during its movement. The optical sensor includes a first fixed part and a second fixed part which includes the emitter and receiver elements, the first part being coaxial with the rotary member, the second being annular and surrounding the first part, the yarn moving between the parts.
Claims20
A yarn storage feed device for unwinding yarn from a corresponding bobbin to be fed to a textile machine, the yarn storage feed device comprising:
- a casing;
- a control unit;
- a rotary drum driven by a respective electric motor, the motor being controlled and commanded by the control unit, the yarn winding onto the rotary drum in the form of turns;
- and
- an optical sensor, connected to the control unit and arranged to sense movement of the yarn, said optical sensor comprising:
- a plurality of light emitter elements for generating a plurality of light beams, and
- a plurality of light receiver elements for receiving the plurality of light beams from the light emitter elements,
- at least one fixed part with which said light emitter and light receiver elements are associated, said at least one fixed part comprising a fixed annular member coaxial with the rotary drum, the fixed annular member defining a void and being positioned about the rotary drum, wherein at least one of the plurality of light emitter elements, the plurality of light receiver elements, and combinations thereof are associated with the fixed annular member wherein the fixed annular member is located in a position to allow the yarn to move between said rotary drum and said fixed annular member,
- wherein said plurality of light emitter elements and light receiver elements are located to allow the yarn, moving between said fixed annular member and said rotary drum, to interrupt the plurality of light beams,
- wherein the control unit is connected to, and is arranged to control, the plurality of light emitter elements and the plurality of light receiver elements on the basis of measurements of a direction of rotation of the electric motor, and a rotational velocity of the electric motor, and signals originating from said plurality of light receiver elements,
- said control unit for determining whether the yarn is in the stage of being loaded onto the rotary drum or whether the yarn is being unloaded from said rotary drum, hence enabling said control unit to determine how much yarn is present on the rotary drum by defining a number of turns of the yarn on the rotary drum and a quantity of yarn withdrawn by the textile machine.
A method for feeding a yarn to a textile machine using a storage feed device, the storage feed device comprising
- a casing,
- a control unit,
- a rotary drum driven by a respective motor, the motor being commanded and controlled by the control unit,
- the yarn winding onto the rotary drum in the form of turns,
- said control unit being connected to an optical sensor arranged to sense the movement of the yarn,
- said yarn intercepting, at the exit of the drum, a plurality of light signals generated and received by light emitter and light receiver elements associated with at least one fixed part of the optical sensor,
- said at least one fixed part comprising an annular member positioned annularly about the rotary drum to be coaxial with the rotary drum,
- the method, under control of the control unit, and on the basis of an interception sequence of said light signals, comprising the steps of:
- determining an operative stage of the feed device, wherein the operative stage indicates whether the yarn is being fed to the textile machine or whether the yarn is being loaded onto the drum,
- the control unit measuring and regulating a velocity and position of the rotary drum, and based on the velocity and position of the rotary drum the control unit:
- counts the quantity of yarn loaded onto the drum;
- calculates the quantity of yarn withdrawn by the textile machine;
- and
- measures the quantity of yarn remaining on the drum after its withdrawal of the yarn by the textile machine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.