A creel with an integrated yarn conveying and control system

Abstract

The present invention provides a communication system for a yarn creel, which has sensors and displays located in an array of yarn positions and communicates with a creel controller to facilitate the transmission and display of end information and the analysis of operating data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the automation of the tufting process, and more particularly to improvements in creel operation and a design optimized for tufting industrial applications. Background Art

[0002] In the past few years, human-machine interfaces (HMIs) have been developed for tufting machines to improve the operator control of the machines. Limited electronics have also been added to creels used with tufting machines, but it is believed that the creels and tufting machines could not share information, especially near real-time information, previously. Significant advantages can be realized through real-time communication between the creel and the tufting machine supplied by the creel, and by equipping the creel with indicator, display, and sensor electronics. Summary of the Invention

[0003] A novel system integrates a computer-based tufting machine pattern processing system with one or more of an electronic sensor-based yarn breakage system, an adjustable pressure-sensitive yarn tension system, a digital camera-based vision system for carpet inspection or machine monitoring, a position-based manual switch, and a creel yarn positioning system with visible markings. During the entire tufting process, these interconnected items provide computer control to improve machine performance, reduce the occurrence of defective carpet products, and increase the productivity of tufting machine operators, support staff, and management. Since all these networked items can provide data to a production monitoring system for aggregation, analysis, and presentation, management becomes easier.

[0004] Typically, an integrated yarn delivery and control system sends, receives, stores, processes, and transfers critical information - from the initial selection of the correct bobbin position to the output of the tufted fabric. The system is integrated into the yarn delivery creel and, based on the tufting machine pattern file input by the user, can be presented in the form of visual cues such as lighting or text and graphics displays to indicate the position of the creel and determine the specific color and size of the bobbins. Bobbins are also referred to as spools or yarn packages, depending on the context. This allows workers loading or maintaining the creel to quickly determine where to find a specific bobbin and reduces errors in producing defective carpet products.

[0005] When the yarn moves in the yarn feeding system, the broken yarn sensor and the automatically adjusted tight end detector may stop the tufting machine and alert the operator to the specific area or location of the problem yarn. The tight end detector can save the settings stored together with the tufting pattern file stored in the computer for quick style changes. Pattern or color defects in the carpet can be identified by a vision detection system located on the output side of the tufting machine to notify the machine operator when it detects that the color or pattern may not meet the specifications. Buttons or manual switches located at the yarn bobbin position can provide context-based operator information or audit data. Operator alerts can be a combination of one or more forms of visual notification, audible notification, messages displayed on a monitor or display, or alerts transmitted via a mobile device.

[0006] Finally, the integrated yarn delivery and control system can collect data from the entire tufting system and provide summary information and analysis to facilitate troubleshooting of the machine, raw materials, patterns, machine operators, and other potential sources of variation, as well as machine productivity.

[0007] When a pattern is loaded into the tufting machine, an appropriate amount of yarn must be pre-loaded on the creel or beam so that each needle can use this yarn during the process of sewing the product. A creel is a simple frame where yarn bobbins are placed, and the yarn bobbins supply yarn to the designated needles on the relevant tufting machine. Generally, yarn bobbins must be installed on the creel to correspond to each tufting machine needle used for the tufting pattern. Therefore, a relatively large and complex structure may be produced to feed yarn into a typical range of 800 to even 2000 individual needles. In addition to providing an array of positions for hundreds of yarn bobbins, the creel must also guide these individual yarns out of the creel in a way that avoids tangling, breakage, and snapping. Another yarn delivery mechanism is called a beam. A beam is a large circular spool around which multiple strands of yarn are wound. Each strand of yarn sews a vertical pattern column through the tufting machine needles, or in the case of needle shifting or backing fabric, sews one color in several adjacent or nearly adjacent columns of the pattern. In the tufting industry, these are usually referred to as shafts, or shafts for single needles.

[0008] For each pattern, except for simple solid colors, it is necessary to place different yarn bobbins on the creel or wind different yarns on the beam so that the yarn can be fed into specific needles on the tufting machine. The present invention is mainly applicable to the creel, but some elements of the present invention can also be used for yarn fed from the beam.

[0009] When loading yarn onto a creel, the yarn bobbins must be associated with the needle positions on the tufting machine. In addition to color changes in the pattern, the amount of yarn consumed can also vary. Therefore, for heavily used yarns, three-pound yarn cones or spools may be required, while less used tufting yarns may be fed into the creel from two-pound spools. Even, it is also desirable to customize the desired length of the wound yarn spools, which is necessary for short-run modes, so that large amounts of yarn do not remain on the spools mounted on the creel at the end of the production run. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a creel with a display function that can access pattern information available for the tufting machine. Another object of the present invention is to achieve near-real-time communication of data transmitted from the tufting machine to the creel enabled by a controller. Another object of the present invention is to provide a creel that can display text and graphic information at the mounting positions of the yarn bobbins in the creel.

[0010] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide real-time and offline data for analyzing machine operations and optimization. Some or all of these objects can be achieved by various embodiments of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a tufting machine and a creel;

[0012] FIG. 1B is a simplified schematic view of a tufting machine and a creel, which shows the operating components;

[0013] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the steps currently used in the design and manufacture of tufted fabrics;

[0014] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the data input and processing for creating pattern instructions for a tufting machine that is operable to produce fabrics of fixed and variable specifications with multiple pattern options;

[0015] Figure 4A is a tufting machine operator interface screen showing the movement patterns of two needle bars and basic tufting parameters;

[0016] Figure 4B is an operator interface screen from the tufting machine showing the four-color threadup (ABCD) for an exemplary pattern, and the interface screen has basic color, yarn feed, and pattern information;

[0017] Figure 4C is a tufting machine operator interface screen showing various yarn feed parameters for the tufting pattern;

[0018] Figure 5It is a schematic diagram of system hardware for a creel that is exemplary connected to a display and sensors, and the system hardware has a controller connected to an operator interface or a controller interface of a related tufting machine;

[0019] Figure 6 It is a diagram of an exemplary display module with a manual switch;

[0020] Figure 7 It is a diagram of several exemplary interconnected display modules;

[0021] Figure 8 It is an exemplary screen display for creating a virtual creel;

[0022] Figure 9 It is an exemplary creel operation screen that has various controller options for a creel equipped with a display and sensors;

[0023] Figure 10 It is a creel operator screen display that shows exemplary configuration options and templates available in creel and yarn management. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0024] Next, turning to FIG. 1A, there is shown a conventional tufting machine 10 having a take-up roller 19 for tufted fabric and a double creel 14 for holding bobbins or yarn shafts. It should be understood that various aspects of the present invention can be implemented on a variety of tufting machines, not just the wide-width loom 10 shown in FIG. 1A. In fact, versions of the system can be implemented on most computer-controlled tufting devices and can capture and process sensor data in a wider range of settings.

[0025] For purposes of explanation, the tufting machine 10 disclosed in FIG. 1B includes a rotating needle shaft or main drive shaft 11 that is driven by a drive motor or a stitch drive mechanism 12 of other conventional means. A rotating eccentric mechanism 15 mounted on the rotating needle shaft 11 is adapted to reciprocate a vertical push rod 16 to vertically reciprocate a needle bar sliding bracket 17 and a needle bar 18. The needle bar 18 supports a plurality of longitudinally arranged, or staggered longitudinally arranged, evenly spaced tufting needles 20 that extend transversely to the feed direction of the backing fabric or material 22. The backing fabric 22 is longitudinally moved through the tufting machine 10 in the direction 21 by a backing fabric feed mechanism 23 and is supported by a needle plate and needle plate fingers through the backing fabric support.

[0026] Yarn 25 is fed from creel 14 into the pattern-controlled yarn feed device 26 and then into the corresponding needles 20. As each needle 20 carries the yarn 25 through the backing fabric 22, the hook or latch needle is reciprocally driven by the latch needle driver 29 to pass through each corresponding needle 20 and hold the end of the corresponding yarn 25 to form a loop. The cut loop tuft can be formed by cutting the loops using a cutter: a cut / loop or horizontal cut / loop (LCL) device can also be used, and it can have its own controller, just like the yarn feed device, the needle bar or backing shifter, and the backing feed device.

[0027] The needle bar movement device 32 is designed to move the needle bar 18 laterally or transversely relative to the needle bar support 17 by a predetermined lateral distance, which is typically equal to the gauge or a multiple of the gauge, and in either lateral direction relative to the normal center position of the backing fabric 22, and this is also the case for each stroke of the needle 20. In some configurations, multiple rows of needles are mounted in the needle bar, or multiple needle bars can move simultaneously or independently. The jute or backing shifter can move the backing fabric laterally relative to the laterally fixed needle bar, or move simultaneously with one or more laterally moving needle bars.

[0028] To generate an input encoder signal for the needle bar movement device 32 corresponding to each stroke of the needle 20, the encoder 34 can be mounted on the stub shaft 35 or in another suitable position to transmit position information from which the tufting machine controller can determine the position of the needles in the tufting loops. Optionally, the drive motor can use a commutator to indicate the motor position, and the controller can infer the position of the associated driven component from the motor position. As Figure 3 shown in the schematic diagram, the operator control device 24 is also connected to the tufting machine controller to provide the necessary pattern information to the memory associated with the various tufting machine controllers before the machine operation.

[0029] Then turning to Figure 2 , in the existing process, the first step in designing and manufacturing a tufted fabric is to create the graphic design 28 to be tufted. The design can be created by a painter or modified based on a photograph or an existing image. In either case, the image should be created or processed to limit the color palette to a manageable number of yarn selections, which is preferably between 2 and 12, and most commonly around 2 to 6 colors. Preferably, this design process is performed on a design workstation running Texcelle or Tuftco design software, although sometimes the operating interface of the tufting machine also includes an automatic design function.

[0030] The next step 30 is to load the pattern image or data into a tufting machine that has a controller which runs operating interface software (such as the Tuftworks software suite from Tuftco) and processes the pattern graphics to create machine instructions. These steps can be performed using a modern tufting machine operator control device 24. The tufting machine should be threaded with the appropriate yarn 31. When using the Tuftworks system, there are two main steps before creating the machine instructions. One step 33 (in Figure 2 which) is to assign a shift pattern or a step pattern to the needle bar 18 (shown in FIG. 1B) and assign a stitching rate to that pattern. In the case of a two-color mode, it is very practical to use a very simple back-and-forth step pattern where the needle bar only moves from a static point to a position offset by one measurement unit and then repeats.

[0031] The step of threading the tufting machine with the yarn 31 requires associating the tufting machine with a yarn creel 14 or a yarn beam. The yarn creel must be loaded so that the yarn corresponding to the first needle on the tufting machine can be fed into the appropriate side of the tufting machine. This requires that when loading the creel, the appropriate color and possibly the appropriate yarn bobbin size be in the position on the creel that feeds the first needle. In the yarn creel 14 shown in FIG. 1A, different carpet mills may specify positions at the top or bottom of the creel, or any of the four corners of the creel, to feed the first needle of the tufting machine at 16 different positions (i.e., top or bottom positions). When the creel position corresponding to the needle position on the associated tufting machine is sensed, the pattern input and real-time data available at the tufting machine operator's position can be used for the operation of that creel. Therefore, it is beneficial to transfer information from the tufting machine interface or controller for access by the creel worker or technician.

[0032] Prior art attempts to automate the creel loading process mainly include the PatternPerfect creel system provided by Essex, Inc., which includes a controller mounted on the creel that provides a lighting flash. In the PatternPerfect system, LEDs are associated with the position of each bobbin on the creel. PatternPerfect lights the LEDs with a single color to load a specific type of color or color pack in sequence, and a six-color pattern requires six separate passes through the creel. In addition, the pattern must be specifically configured to be loaded into the controller through the PatternPerfect system's operator interface. This means that different information and files are used in the tufting machine and the associated PatternPerfect-equipped creel in different information and files.

[0033] Sometimes, it is useful to load a pattern directly onto the creel interface so that the creel can be loaded without communicating with the running tufting machine. This is the case with a mobile creel that is pushed into place for use, or when the tufting machine is associated with multiple creels (or creel sections) to allow for pattern making and yarn loading of different patterns simultaneously. Additionally, in the double creel 14 of FIG. 1, one pattern can be loaded in a specific creel section (such as the top layer), while a separate pattern is fed from a separate set of yarn bobbins (such as the bottom layer). However, it is also desirable to use the pattern loaded onto the tufting machine operator interface for the associated creel.

[0034] Figure 3 An overview diagram is provided that outlines how data input from a pattern file is combined with operator input to create a pattern information file. This pattern information file is transferred from the operator interface computer to the tufting machine controller for the appropriate axes whose movement causes the movement, feeding, and reciprocation of components to form a tufted fabric. In particular, as Figure 3 can be seen, at the operator interface 101, a PCX format pattern file 102 can be loaded that graphically depicts the image to be tufted. At the operator interface 101, the operator enters the yarn feed rate 103, yarn lead 104, shift pattern 105, and specification information for the machine and tufting styles 106 - 108. Using this information, the tufting machine generates, validates, and stores a yarn feed pattern suitable for the various needles on the tufting machines 110 - 112, and this information can be used by the yarn feed controller 113 to operate the pattern control yarn feed device 26 (as shown in FIG. 1B). Additionally, the shift pattern information 105 is stored (114) and can be used by the shift controller, and fabric shift and feed information is generated and stored (116 - 118) and can be used by the fabric controller 119.

[0035] Figure 4A An operator interface screen for a tufting machine is shown that can be used to create patterns involving yarn placement. Patterns can be created with one or two rows of needles. The operator can specify the shift pattern for the needle bar and the back shift. The shift pattern 105 shown depicts the front and back needle bars shifting simultaneously in alternating directions in four or more consecutive steps. In Figure 4A , the stitch rate 106 is nominally set at 10 stitches per inch. However, the actual number of stitches per inch is the specified 10 stitches per inch multiplied by the number of different yarns. If tufting at a speed different from the 1 / 10 gauge specification of the tufting machine, a coefficient is used to compensate for the different needle densities required for non - machine specifications.

[0036] Figure 4BAn operator interface screen is shown, in which the yarn end 104 is assigned to the pattern and the yarn stack height 103, which are assigned for different yarns and whose appearance is reflected in the graphic pattern image 102. Shown in the figure are four-color (ABCD) yarn ends, with a high stack height for each of two yarns and a medium stack height for two other yarns, thus giving six colors to the image display 102.

[0037] Figure 4C An additional operator screen is shown, having the function of combining a hollow needle tufting machine and a yarn placement machine. Generally, a double needle bar or graphic machine has a uniform color pattern, and since the backing shifter allows for variable specifications, the machine specifications 107 can be specified. For yarn placement, the yarn lengths for the burying needles or pulling needles and additional needles are specified. The result of all this pattern information is that a relatively accurate estimate of the yarn consumption can be calculated and verified against the fabric obtained in production. Additionally, during production, the yarn consumption can be estimated and verified. After enabling the creel, appropriate information can be sent to the creel controller and displayed in a preferred manner.

[0038] Figure 5An exemplary overview of a creel connected to a tufting machine operating control device is shown, where a computer 24 of the machine operator communicates with a controller in the tufting machine 10, and yarn feed pattern data, shift mode data, backing feed command data, and cut / loop data information are fed into the tufting machine 10. Software with an operator interface (HMI) on this computer 24 communicates with a creel controller 62, which may also have an operator interface (HMI), and communicates wired or wirelessly with sensors 70 and a yarn illumination module 80. The sensor 70 and display 80 technologies may be in separate units or combined in a composite unit. The display technology may be limited to LED-type devices that can change color, light intensity, or even blink, and may include a screen display providing graphical or text information, or may include both of these display aspects. In the illustrated embodiment, Ethernet cabling 60 connects the creel operator interface controller 62 to an Ethernet hub 63, which in turn is connected to a wired sensor package 70a that includes a microcontroller 71 and a plurality of sensor devices 74-77, and the microcontroller 71 communicates with a microcontroller 73. Since a large number of yarn bobbins can be installed in a single creel, multiple sensor packages 70a can be distributed on the creel. Additionally, the Ethernet hub 63 communicates with a wired display module 80a, which also includes an Ethernet controller 81 that communicates with a microcontroller 83, and the microcontroller 83 provides instructions to a multicolor LED unit. A wireless computer or tablet can also be associated with the creel controller 62 to allow the use of creel functions while working within the creel, rather than being restricted to a fixed location, at multiple yarn bobbin positions simultaneously.

[0039] In the wireless sensor / display version, the Ethernet hub 63 is connected to a wireless router 65, which has a microcontroller 67, a wireless transceiver 68 that communicates with an Ethernet controller 66, to provide wireless communication 61 to the sensor package 70b and the wireless display module 80b, and the sensor package 70b has a wireless transceiver 72, and the wireless display module 80b has a wireless transceiver 82 that communicates with a microcontroller 83. As Figure 6 shown, a thin film transistor (TFT) display used by the wireless display module is shown, where the wireless display module 80b and a first thin film transistor (TFT) display 84, a wireless antenna 89 are in a combined unit. The thin film transistor display 84 schematically shows a needle position number 91, a yarn color name 92, a bobbin size 93, and a yarn dye lot 94. The information displayed can vary according to the needs of a particular carpet manufacturer to provide the most relevant information to creel workers or technicians at any particular time during creel loading or operation. The yarn display module 80b may also include sensors or sensor interfaces. In Figure 6In the illustrated embodiment, a sensor in the form of a manual pushbutton switch 99 is included. A creel technician or worker can press button 99 to send a context signal to the creel controller. Figure 7 A wireless display module 80b that communicates wired with displays 84, 85, and 86 is shown. The top module is located on the tree or column of the display / sensor assembly and provides communication functionality for each component of the creel tree or column.

[0040] Figure 8 A virtual creel 130 used in the operator interface (HMI) available at the operator control device 24 of the creel 14 or tufting machine is shown. To create a virtual creel for a specific physical creel 14, the pattern interface must understand the relationship between the yarn bobbin position and the needles on the tufting machine. The virtual creel maps the physical characteristics of the creel that should be included in the mapping algorithm to the actual creel. The shown virtual creel HMI supports the input of physical characteristics, and the input physical characteristics include the number of yarn ends per tree (or per column) of the creel 131, the number of layers of the creel 132, the number of columns per channel on the creel 133, and the number of column rows 134 on the creel. Using this information and the knowledge of the position associated with the first needle (usually the top or bottom position at a corner of a floor of the creel), the virtual creel can be determined by an algorithm. Depending on whether the yarn ends increase from left to right, front to back, or top to bottom within the creel, the needle position numbers are assigned to the creel position sequence. When the virtual creel is configured, yarn 104 is input or transferred from the tufting machine ( Figure 4B ) and assigned to the virtual creel mapping.

[0041] In operation, when the virtual creel is in place, as shown in step 30 of Figure 2 , a pattern is loaded into the tufting machine, and then the entry of the yarn causes the yarn to be assigned to different creel positions, and when the creel is loaded, the required position information is illuminated or displayed. Alternatively, the pattern or end information can be directly loaded onto the creel controller. The creel controller can have an operator interface 140, as shown in Figure 9 , providing various options for the creel technician. For example, as shown in Figure 8 , the technician can select the configuration screen 141, set the end ID and color 142, configure the end positions in the virtual creel 143, enter the review mode 144, input the applicable yarn bobbin size 148, set the screen page 147, directly load the pattern 146, or utilize the debug tool 145. Of particular note is that setting the screen page allows the display unit within the creel to display information on multiple screens. This allows the display unit to cycle through multiple patterns or cycle between pattern information, sensor information, or historical data.

[0042] The inspection mode 144 allows selected yarn packages to be illuminated randomly or systematically for verification before the yarn is fed from the creel into the tufting machine. Mispositioned yarn can cause significant downtime and waste. An inspection function is provided that can minimize these interruptions by using button 99, or by being tracked by a technician or creel worker carrying a mobile operator interface. Figure 10 A configuration screen 120 is provided that allows selection of a communication network 122, selection of command instructions 124, selection of a template 126 optimized for various screen displays 128, and allows various color options 129.

[0043] After configuring and loading the pattern information, Figure 3 One or more of the sensor packages 70a and 70b in can convey various desired information to the operator control devices of the creel and the tufting machine. Additionally, the information can be conveyed to creel display locations associated with specific yarn package positions. Similarly, information from the tufting machine, such as a yarn tensioning signal near the pattern-controlled yarn feed device 26, can be conveyed back to the creel controller and displayed on the creel HMI, or displayed via a screen or an LED at the associated yarn package position.

[0044] Many modifications to the structures disclosed in this invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art. However, it should be understood that the embodiments disclosed in this invention, which relate to the preferred embodiments of the invention, are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limitations on the invention. All such modifications that do not depart from the spirit of the invention are included within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A communication system for a creel, the creel being for supplying yarn to a tufting machine and having an array of positions for mounting yarn packages, the communication system comprising: A controller that communicates with a plurality of sensors located near the yarn mounting positions; The controller communicates with a plurality of displays located near the yarn mounting positions; The controller accesses a virtual creel for mapping the yarn ends of a pattern to the yarn mounting positions, wherein the virtual creel supports the input of physical characteristics, and the input physical characteristics include the number of yarn ends per column of the creel, the number of layers of the creel, the number of columns in each channel on the creel, and the number of column rows on the creel; and Input information and operator input information, where the input information includes data input information from a pattern file, and the input information or the operator input information includes at least pattern information including yarn ends; Wherein, the controller communicates with the tufting machine during the tufting pattern, the yarns are assigned to different yarn mounting positions, and the yarns are fed from the creel into the tufting machine.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a manually operable switch.

3. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the display includes an LED.

4. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the display includes a screen capable of displaying text and graphics.

5. The communication system according to claim 1, further comprising an operator interface.

6. The communication system according to claim 5, wherein the operator interface can be viewed on a mobile device wirelessly connected to the controller.

7. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the controller communicates wirelessly with the plurality of displays.

8. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of modules located near the yarn mounting positions include at least one of the plurality of sensors and at least one of the plurality of displays.

9. A method for coordinating display and sensor information from a yarn creel with an operator interface of a tufting machine, the creel having a controller that communicates with the tufting machine during a tufting pattern, the method comprising the steps of: Input pattern information into the tufting machine; Extract or generate yarn end information from the pattern information; Map the yarn end information to a plurality of yarn mounting positions in the creel, wherein the yarns are assigned to different yarn mounting positions, and the yarns are fed from the creel into the tufting machine; Activate the displays located near the selected yarn mounting positions; Install a yarn bobbin at the mounting position of the selected yarn near the activated display; and Drive the sensors, where the drive sensors are near the selected yarn mounting positions.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the sensor is a manual switch.

11. A creel, comprising: An array of positions for installing yarn bobbins; A controller that communicates with a plurality of screens capable of displaying graphic and text information, the plurality of screens being located near the yarn mounting positions, and the controller communicates with the relevant tufting machine during the tufting pattern; And An operator interface for specifying the graphic and text information displayed on the screens, wherein the operator interface provides parameters for use in mapping a virtual creel that associates the yarn mounting positions in the creel with the needle positions on the relevant tufting machine, and the virtual creel supports the input of physical characteristics, and the input physical characteristics include the number of yarn ends per column of the creel, the number of layers of the creel, the number of columns in each channel on the creel, and the number of column rows on the creel, wherein the yarns are assigned to different yarn mounting positions, and the yarns are fed from the creel into the tufting machine.

12. The creel according to claim 11 further includes a controller, and the controller communicates with a plurality of sensors located near the yarn installation position.

13. The creel according to claim 11, wherein the operator interface can be operated through wired or wireless communication with the controller.

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