A laser-based textile fabric thickness measuring device and method

Abstract

The application relates to a laser-based textile fabric thickness measuring device and measuring method, which comprises a base, two front and rear arranged folding mechanisms and two left and right arranged measuring mechanisms; the folding mechanism comprises a folding stand, a lifting block vertically sliding on the folding stand and a rotating shaft shaft-connected to the lifting block, the rotating shaft is fixedly connected with a mounting rod, and the mounting rod is fixedly connected with multiple side-by-side comb teeth; the measuring mechanism comprises two oppositely moving sliding base plates, the sliding base plates are fixedly connected with measuring stands, upper tooth columns and lower tooth columns are respectively horizontally slidably connected to the upper and lower ends of the measuring stands, the lower tooth columns and the upper tooth columns are transmissionally connected, laser ranging sensors and receiving plates are respectively arranged on the two lower tooth columns, the application significantly improves the accuracy, repeatability and efficiency of thickness measurement, is especially suitable for processing ultra-thin, soft or irregular surface fabrics, and provides an objective and efficient thickness detection solution for the textile industry.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of textile technology, specifically to a laser-based textile fabric thickness measuring device and method. Background Technology

[0002] Thickness is a crucial physical indicator in the production, quality inspection, and R&D of textile fabrics, directly affecting the fabric's feel, warmth, breathability, and subsequent processing performance. However, accurately measuring the thickness of single-layer textile fabrics has always presented significant challenges. First, single-layer fabrics are typically thin (millimeters or even sub-millimeters), and the pressure applied by conventional contact measuring tools (such as micrometers) can easily cause compression deformation of soft, elastic fabrics, distorting the measurement values ​​and failing to reflect their true thickness. Second, due to the inherent characteristics of textile materials (such as fiber distribution, weave or knit structure, surface hairiness, etc.), the fabric itself exhibits thickness non-uniformity at both the micro and macro scales. Measurements at a single point or a few points often lack representativeness, making it difficult to obtain statistically significant average thickness or thickness distribution information.

[0003] Furthermore, the fuzz or texture on the fabric surface can interfere with the reading accuracy of some non-contact sensors (such as optical sensors). To address the low accuracy of single-layer measurements, existing technologies often employ multi-layer stacking measurements followed by averaging. However, manually stacking multiple layers of fabric is not only inefficient but also makes it difficult to ensure that each layer is tightly packed, flat, gap-free, and without additional tension. Air gaps or misalignments between layers can lead to increased cumulative errors, ultimately affecting the accuracy of single-layer thickness calculations. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a dedicated device capable of automatically, efficiently, and non-contactly (or with low contact stress) preparing tightly fitted multi-layer fabric samples, accurately measuring their total thickness, and reliably deducing the single-layer thickness. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a laser-based device and method for measuring the thickness of textile fabrics.

[0005] The present invention is achieved through the following technical solution: a laser-based textile fabric thickness measuring device is provided, including a base, two folding mechanisms arranged in front and back and two measuring mechanisms arranged in left and right. The folding mechanism includes a folding column, a lifting block that slides vertically on the folding column, and a rotating shaft connected to the lifting block. The lifting blocks of the two folding mechanisms move up and down in opposite directions. A mounting rod is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, and multiple comb teeth are fixedly connected to the mounting rod. When the mounting rod is in a horizontal state, the comb teeth of the two folding mechanisms are staggered. The measuring mechanism includes two relatively movable sliding base plates. A measuring column is fixedly connected to the sliding base plates. An upper toothed column and a lower toothed column are horizontally slidably connected to the upper and lower ends of the measuring column, respectively. The lower toothed column and the upper toothed column are connected by a drive. The two upper toothed columns slide relative to each other, and the two lower toothed columns slide relative to each other. A laser rangefinder and a receiving plate are respectively mounted on the two lower toothed columns.

[0006] As an optimization, the sliding base plate is horizontally slidably connected to the base, and the base is equipped with a cylinder that drives the sliding base plate to slide horizontally.

[0007] As an optimization, a spring is installed on the upper toothed column, and the spring pushes the two upper toothed columns to move relative to each other.

[0008] As an optimization, a vertical drive shaft is axially connected to the side of the measuring column. A small gear that meshes with the upper gear column is fixed to the upper end of the drive shaft, and a large gear that meshes with the lower gear column is fixed to the lower end of the drive shaft.

[0009] As an optimization, an upper rack and a lower rack are fixedly connected to the upper and lower ends of the folding column, respectively, and a rotating gear is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft. When the rotating gear moves up and down with the lifting block to the upper and lower ends, it meshes with the upper rack and the lower rack, respectively.

[0010] As an optimization, the pivots of the two folding mechanisms are set coaxially, and the mounting rod is perpendicular to the pivot.

[0011] As an optimization, the middle part of the mounting rod is fixed to the rotating shaft, and the mounting rods of the two folding mechanisms remain parallel when they move up and down in opposite directions.

[0012] As an optimization, the side of the folding column is axially connected to a vertical lead screw, which is threadedly connected to the lifting block. The lower end of the lead screw is fixedly connected to a pulley, and the two pulleys are connected by a transmission belt. The column also includes a drive motor for driving the lead screw to rotate.

[0013] As an optimization, the two lead screws rotate in opposite directions.

[0014] A laser-based method for measuring the thickness of textile fabrics includes the following steps: a. In the initial state, both mounting rods are set horizontally and arranged vertically. The fabric is laid flat on the comb teeth of the lower mounting rod. The two mounting rods move in opposite directions to make the comb teeth cross vertically, so that the fabric alternately passes around the comb teeth of the two mounting rods. Then the two mounting rods rotate around their respective axes in a parallel state until the comb teeth of the two mounting rods rotate to the same plane, thus achieving the bonding of multiple layers of fabric. b. The two measuring mechanisms move relative to each other until the two sliding base plates contact each other. After the two upper toothed columns clamp the multi-layer fabric, they slide horizontally relative to the measuring column, which drives the lower toothed column to slide horizontally relative to the measuring column. The distance between the two lower toothed columns is measured by the laser range sensor and the receiving plate to obtain the distance between the two upper toothed columns, thereby obtaining the total thickness of the multi-layer fabric. c. Divide the total thickness of the multi-layered fabric by the number of layers to obtain the thickness of a single layer.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The laser-based textile fabric thickness measuring device and method of this invention realizes the automation and tight multi-layer stacking of fabric through a unique folding mechanism: by using a liftable and rotatable mounting rod and its staggered comb teeth, a single layer of fabric is automatically and regularly folded into a tightly fitted multi-layer structure, which effectively eliminates the gaps, wrinkles and uneven tension problems introduced by manual stacking, ensures the integrity of multi-layer samples and the authenticity of interlayer contact, and lays a solid foundation for subsequent accurate measurement.

[0016] The measurement process employs non-contact laser ranging technology. Through two relatively moving measuring mechanisms and their linked upper and lower toothed column design, the clamping measurement of the thickness of multi-layer samples is cleverly transformed into laser measurement of the distance between the rigid lower toothed columns: when the upper toothed column clamps the multi-layer sample in parallel, the lower toothed column is driven to move synchronously through the transmission mechanism. The fixed distance between the two lower toothed columns is directly measured using a high-precision laser ranging sensor and a receiving plate. This distance is then accurately converted into the distance between the clamping surfaces of the two upper toothed columns (i.e., the total thickness of the multi-layer fabric).

[0017] This method completely avoids the compression errors caused by applying pressure to soft fabrics using traditional contact thickness gauges, and laser measurement itself has extremely high accuracy and stability. Finally, dividing the measured total thickness by the accurate number of layers formed by automated folding yields a more reliable and statistically significant average thickness of a single layer of fabric. The entire device and method significantly improve the accuracy, repeatability, and efficiency of thickness measurement, making it particularly suitable for handling ultra-thin, soft, or irregularly shaped fabrics, providing the textile industry with an objective and efficient thickness inspection solution. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a front view of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a top view of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a front view of a single folding mechanism of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a top view of the two folding mechanisms of the present invention; Figure 5 This is the initial state of the invention. Figure 4 Sectional view of plane AA; Figure 6 The two comb teeth of this invention after crossing Figure 4 Sectional view of plane AA; Figure 7 The mounting rod of the present invention after rotation Figure 4 Sectional view of plane AA; Figure 8 For the completed folding of the present invention Figure 4 Sectional view of plane AA; Figure 9 This is a front view of the initial state of the measuring mechanism of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a front view of the measuring mechanism of the present invention in its measuring state; As shown in the figure: 1. Base, 2. Folding mechanism, 3. Measuring mechanism, 4. Fabric, 21. Folding column, 22. Lifting block, 23. Rotating shaft, 24. Mounting rod, 25. Comb teeth, 26. Rotary gear, 27. Upper rack, 28. Lower rack, 29. Lead screw, 210. Pulley, 211. Drive motor, 31. Sliding base plate, 32. Cylinder, 33. Measuring column, 34. Upper gear column, 35. Drive shaft, 36. Lower gear column, 37. Pinion, 38. Large gear, 39. Spring, 310. Laser rangefinder sensor, 311. Receiving plate. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To clearly illustrate the technical features of this solution, the following detailed implementation method will be used to explain the solution.

[0020] like Figures 1-10 As shown, a laser-based textile fabric thickness measuring device of the present invention includes a base 1, two folding mechanisms 2 arranged front to back, and two measuring mechanisms 3 arranged left to right; the base 1 is fixed to the ground and has a hollow internal structure. Figure 2 As shown in the top view, the two measuring mechanisms 3 are symmetrically arranged on the left and right, and the two folding mechanisms 2 are arranged in front and behind. The two folding mechanisms 2 are used to fold the fabric into multiple layers, and the two measuring mechanisms 3 are used to measure the thickness of the folded fabric, thereby calculating the thickness of a single layer of fabric.

[0021] The folding mechanism includes a folding column 21, a lifting block 22 that slides vertically on the folding column 21, and a rotating shaft 23 that is axially connected to the lifting block 22. The folding column 21 is vertically fixed to the base 1. The lifting block 22 is vertically slidable on the left or right side of the folding column 21 via a slide rail and a slider. The rotating shaft 23 passes through the lifting block 22 and is rotatably connected to the lifting block 22 via a bearing. The axis of the rotating shaft 23 extends front to back. In this embodiment, the rotating shafts 23 of the two folding mechanisms are coaxially arranged, such as... Figure 4As shown, in order to achieve coaxial arrangement, in this embodiment, the lifting blocks 22 of the two folding mechanisms are positioned in the same position on the left and right sides, that is, they are arranged side by side in front and behind. Therefore, the two folding columns 21 are staggered in the left and right directions.

[0022] A mounting rod 24 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 23, and the mounting rod 24 is perpendicular to the rotating shaft 23. The middle part of the mounting rod 24 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 23, and multiple comb teeth 25 are fixedly connected to one side of the mounting rod 24. Multiple comb teeth 25 are evenly arranged along the length of each mounting rod 24. The comb teeth 25 are round rods and perpendicular to the mounting rod 24. In this embodiment, the comb teeth 25 are made of solid stainless steel round rods with a smooth surface to reduce friction with the fabric.

[0023] When the mounting rod 24 is in a horizontal position, the comb teeth 25 of the two folding mechanisms are staggered. Therefore, when the two mounting rods 24 are at the same height, the comb teeth 25 on the two mounting rods 24 are coplanar and staggered. When folding the fabric, the fabric 4 is laid flat on the comb teeth 25 of the lower mounting rod 24. The two mounting rods 24 move up and down in opposite directions, causing the comb teeth to cross vertically, so that the fabric 4 alternately wraps around the comb teeth 25 of the two mounting rods 24, as shown. Figure 6 As shown.

[0024] The lifting blocks 22 of the two folding mechanisms move up and down in opposite directions, thereby causing the comb teeth 25 of the two folding mechanisms to move in opposite directions. In order to achieve the lifting of the lifting blocks 22, as follows: Figure 3 As shown, the folding column 21 has a vertical lead screw 29 axially connected to its side. The lead screw 29 is threadedly connected to the lifting block 22. The upper end of the lead screw 29 is rotatably connected to the upper end of the folding column 21 through a mounting plate. The lower end of the lead screw 29 passes into the base 1 and is rotatably connected through a bearing at the point of penetration.

[0025] A pulley 210 is fixedly connected to the lower end of the lead screw 29. The two pulleys 210 are connected by a transmission belt, thereby realizing the synchronous rotation of the two lead screws 29. Since the two lifting blocks 22 move up and down in opposite directions, the rotation directions of the two lead screws 29 in this application are opposite.

[0026] It also includes a drive motor 211 that drives any lead screw 29 to rotate, and a pulley is fixedly connected to the lower end of any lead screw 28. The drive motor 211 drives the pulley to rotate through the transmission belt, thereby driving the lead screw 28 to rotate.

[0027] Due to such Figure 6 As shown in the diagram, when the comb teeth of the two folding mechanisms intersect, the fabric 4 can alternately wrap around the comb teeth 25 of the two mounting rods 24, but as... Figure 6 As shown, the mounting rod 24 is in a horizontal state at this time. Since there is a certain gap between adjacent comb teeth, there is a large gap between the multiple layers of fabric, making it difficult to measure after the multiple layers of fabric are bonded together.

[0028] Therefore, after the comb teeth of the two folding mechanisms intersect, this application causes the mounting rod 24 to rotate around the axis of the rotating shaft 23, and the two mounting rods 24 rotate in the same direction, so that the mounting rods 24 of the two folding mechanisms remain parallel when they move up and down in opposite directions. The rotation process is as follows: Figure 7 As shown, until both mounting rods 24 are rotated to a vertical position, at which point all comb teeth are arranged vertically, as shown. Figure 8 As shown, there is only a gap of one comb tooth between the multiple layers of fabric, and all the fabrics can be bonded together by pressing with a very small amount of pressure.

[0029] To enable the mounting rod 24 to rotate around the axis of the rotating shaft 23 after the comb teeth of the two folding mechanisms interlock, an upper rack 27 and a lower rack 28 are fixedly connected to the upper and lower ends of the folding column 21, respectively. A rotating gear 26 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 23. When the rotating gear 26 moves up and down with the lifting block 22 to the upper and lower ends, it meshes with the upper rack 27 and the lower rack 28, respectively. Figure 4 As shown, since the folding column 21 in one folding mechanism is located to the left of the rotating gear 26, and the folding column 21 in the other folding mechanism is located to the right of the rotating gear 26, the upper rack 27 and lower rack 28 in one folding mechanism are located to the left of the rotating gear 26, and the upper rack 27 and lower rack 28 in the other folding mechanism are located to the right of the rotating gear 26. This results in one of the rotating gears 26 meshing with the upper rack and the other meshing with the lower rack when the rotating gears 26 in the two folding mechanisms move up and down in opposite directions, and the rotation direction of the rotating gears 26 is consistent. This also ensures that the mounting rods 24 of the two folding mechanisms remain parallel when they move up and down in opposite directions.

[0030] After both mounting rods 24 are rotated to the vertical position, the fabric is in a near-fitted state, and the thickness is measured by the measuring mechanism.

[0031] like Figure 9 , 10 As shown, the two measuring mechanisms 3 are arranged symmetrically on the left and right. Each measuring mechanism includes two relatively movable sliding base plates 31. The sliding base plates 31 are horizontal steel plates and are slidably connected to the base 1 by slide rails and sliders, thereby realizing the relative sliding of the two measuring mechanisms 3.

[0032] The sliding base plate 31 is horizontally slidably connected to the base 1. The base 1 is equipped with a cylinder 32 that drives the sliding base plate 31 to slide horizontally. The two cylinders 32 drive the two sliding base plates 31 to slide respectively. The two sliding base plates 31 slide relative to each other and stop after colliding.

[0033] A measuring column 33 is fixedly connected to the sliding base plate 31. Upper toothed columns 34 and lower toothed columns 36 are horizontally slidably connected to the upper and lower ends of the measuring column 33, respectively. The two upper toothed columns 34 slide relative to each other. A spring 39 is installed on the upper toothed column 34. The spring 39 pushes the two upper toothed columns 34 to move relative to each other. In the free state, the distance between the two upper toothed columns 34 is less than the distance between the two sliding base plates 31. Therefore, before the two sliding base plates 31 stop colliding, the two upper toothed columns 34 have already tightened the multi-layer fabric and achieved the pressing and bonding of the multi-layer fabric through the elasticity of the spring. The elasticity of the spring should not be too large, otherwise it will cause the fabric to be over-compressed.

[0034] The two lower toothed columns 36 slide relative to each other. A laser rangefinder 310 and a receiving plate 311 are respectively mounted on the two lower toothed columns 36. The laser rangefinder 310 emits a laser to the receiving plate 311 to detect the distance between the two lower toothed columns 36.

[0035] During measurement, the upper toothed column 34 is positioned between the two mounting rods 24, thus clamping the multi-layered fabric in the middle. The lower toothed column 36 is positioned below the lower end of the bottom mounting rod 24, thus not affecting laser emission.

[0036] In this application, the spacing of the lower toothed column 36 is measured using a laser, ensuring precise measurement. This avoids the inaccuracy caused by diffuse reflection from the fabric, which is a problem with traditional laser-based measurements.

[0037] The lower gear column 36 and the upper gear column 34 are connected by a transmission. In this embodiment, a vertical transmission shaft 35 is axially connected to the side of the measuring column 33. A small gear 37 that meshes with the upper gear column 34 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the transmission shaft 35, and a large gear 38 that meshes with the lower gear column 36 is fixedly connected to the lower end of the transmission shaft 35. The diameter of the large gear 38 is larger than the diameter of the small gear 37, thereby magnifying the thickness of the multi-layer fabric before measurement and improving measurement accuracy.

[0038] A laser-based method for measuring the thickness of textile fabrics, using the aforementioned measuring device, includes the following steps: a. In the initial state, both mounting rods 24 are horizontally set and arranged vertically. The fabric 4 is laid flat on the comb teeth 25 of the lower mounting rod 24. The two mounting rods 24 move vertically in opposite directions so that the comb teeth cross vertically, so that the fabric 4 alternately passes around the comb teeth 25 of the two mounting rods 24. Then the two mounting rods 24 rotate around their respective pivots 23 in a parallel state until the comb teeth 25 of the two mounting rods 24 rotate to the same plane, so as to achieve the bonding of multiple layers of fabric 4. b. The two measuring mechanisms move relative to each other until the two sliding base plates 31 contact each other. After the two upper toothed columns 34 clamp the multi-layer fabric 4, they slide horizontally relative to the measuring column 33, which drives the lower toothed column 36 to slide horizontally relative to the measuring column 33. The distance between the two lower toothed columns 36 is measured by the laser range sensor 310 and the receiving plate 311 to obtain the distance between the two upper toothed columns 34, thereby obtaining the total thickness of the multi-layer fabric 4. c. Divide the total thickness of the multi-layered fabric by the number of layers to obtain the thickness of a single layer.

[0039] Of course, the above description is not limited to the examples above. Technical features not described in this invention can be implemented by or using existing technology, and will not be repeated here. The above embodiments and drawings are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this invention and are not intended to limit this invention. This invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments. Those skilled in the art should understand that any changes, modifications, additions or substitutions made by those skilled in the art within the scope of this invention do not depart from the spirit of this invention and should also fall within the scope of protection of the claims of this invention.

Claims

1. A laser-based method for measuring the thickness of textile fabrics, characterized in that: The measuring device includes a base (1), two folding mechanisms (2) arranged in front and back, and two measuring mechanisms (3) arranged in left and right. The folding mechanism includes a folding column (21), a lifting block (22) that slides vertically on the folding column (21), and a rotating shaft (23) that is axially connected to the lifting block (22). The lifting blocks (22) of the two folding mechanisms move up and down in opposite directions. A mounting rod (24) is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft (23). Multiple comb teeth (25) are fixedly connected to the mounting rod (24). When the mounting rod (24) is in a horizontal state, the comb teeth (25) of the two folding mechanisms are staggered. The measuring mechanism includes two relatively movable sliding base plates (31), and a measuring column (33) is fixedly connected to the sliding base plate (31). An upper toothed column (34) and a lower toothed column (36) are horizontally slidably connected to the upper and lower ends of the measuring column (33), respectively. The lower toothed column (36) and the upper toothed column (34) are connected by a transmission. The two upper toothed columns (34) slide relative to each other, and the two lower toothed columns (36) slide relative to each other. A laser rangefinder sensor (310) and a receiving plate (311) are respectively mounted on the two lower toothed columns (36). The measurement method includes the following steps: a. In the initial state, both mounting rods (24) are set horizontally and arranged vertically. The fabric (4) is laid flat on the comb teeth (25) of the lower mounting rod (24). The two mounting rods (24) move vertically in opposite directions so that the comb teeth cross vertically, so that the fabric (4) alternately passes around the comb teeth (25) of the two mounting rods (24). Then the two mounting rods (24) rotate around their respective axes (23) in a parallel state until the comb teeth (25) of the two mounting rods (24) rotate to the same plane, so as to achieve the bonding of multiple layers of fabric (4). b. The two measuring mechanisms move relative to each other until the two sliding base plates (31) come into contact. After the two upper toothed columns (34) clamp the multi-layer fabric (4), they slide horizontally relative to the measuring column (33), which drives the lower toothed column (36) to slide horizontally relative to the measuring column (33). The distance between the two lower toothed columns (36) is measured by the laser range sensor (310) and the receiving plate (311), and the distance between the two upper toothed columns (34) is obtained, thereby obtaining the total thickness of the multi-layer fabric (4). c. Divide the total thickness of the multi-layered fabric by the number of layers to obtain the thickness of a single layer.

2. The laser-based method for measuring the thickness of textile fabrics according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sliding base plate (31) is horizontally slidably connected to the base (1), and the base (1) is equipped with a cylinder (32) that drives the sliding base plate (31) to slide horizontally.

3. The laser-based method for measuring the thickness of textile fabrics according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper toothed column (34) is equipped with a spring (39), which pushes the two upper toothed columns (34) to move relative to each other.

4. The laser-based method for measuring the thickness of textile fabrics according to claim 1, characterized in that: The measuring column (33) has a vertical drive shaft (35) axially connected to its side. The upper end of the drive shaft (35) is fixedly connected to a small gear (37) that meshes with the upper gear column (34), and the lower end of the drive shaft (35) is fixedly connected to a large gear (38) that meshes with the lower gear column (36).

5. The laser-based method for measuring the thickness of textile fabrics according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper rack (27) and lower rack (28) are fixedly connected to the upper and lower ends of the folding column (21), respectively. A rotating gear (26) is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft (23). When the rotating gear (26) moves up and down with the lifting block (22) to the upper and lower ends, it meshes with the upper rack (27) and lower rack (28) respectively.

6. The laser-based method for measuring the thickness of textile fabrics according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pivots (23) of the two folding mechanisms are coaxially arranged, and the mounting rod (24) is perpendicular to the pivot (23).

7. The laser-based method for measuring the thickness of textile fabrics according to claim 1, characterized in that: The middle part of the mounting rod (24) is fixed to the rotating shaft (23), and the mounting rods (24) of the two folding mechanisms remain parallel when they rise and fall in opposite directions.

8. The laser-based method for measuring the thickness of textile fabrics according to claim 1, characterized in that: The folding column (21) has a vertical lead screw (29) axially connected to its side. The lead screw (29) is threadedly connected to the lifting block (22). The lower end of the lead screw (29) is fixedly connected to a pulley (210). The two pulleys (210) are connected by a transmission belt. The column also includes a drive motor (211) that drives any lead screw (29) to rotate.

9. The laser-based method for measuring the thickness of textile fabrics according to claim 8, characterized in that: The two lead screws (29) rotate in opposite directions.

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