Full-automatic cotton sliver jointing device and method

Abstract

The invention relates to a full-automatic sliver jointing device and method. The joint device comprises a servo walking mechanism, a robot body, a visual system, a flexible grabbing mechanism and a high-precision joint mechanism. The servo walking mechanism is installed on the machine frame, the robot body is fixedly installed on the servo walking mechanism and moves along with the servo walking mechanism, and the visual system, the flexible grabbing mechanism and the high-precision joint mechanism are installed on the robot body. According to the full-automatic cotton sliver jointing device, unmanned operation of the whole process from broken end detection, positioning, grabbing to jointing is achieved, and the labor cost and the labor intensity are greatly reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to sliver splicing in textile industrial production, specifically to a fully automatic sliver splicing device and method. More particularly, it relates to a fully automatic sliver splicing device and method based on machine vision and servo drive. Background Technology

[0002] In the spinning process of the textile industry, cotton slivers can break due to uneven tension, fiber entanglement, or equipment vibration. The vast majority of breakage repairs rely on manual operation. Workers need to locate the break, find two broken ends, and manually splice or thread them together. This is not only labor-intensive and inefficient, but also results in inconsistent splice quality, dependence on worker experience, and an impact on the uniformity and strength of the final yarn.

[0003] At present, there are some attempts in existing technologies for automatic splicing devices for cotton slivers, but the following problems are common: (1) Inaccurate positioning: It is difficult to accurately locate the small cotton fiber break in the complex cotton spinning environment; (2) Unreliable gripping: Traditional rigid robotic arms are prone to damage to fluffy cotton slivers or cannot effectively grip them; (3) Poor splicing quality: Simple mechanical actions are difficult to simulate the process of manual splicing, and there are likely to be details (weak points) or excessive thickness at the splice, which will affect the subsequent processes; (4) Lack of flexible processing capability: It is unable to adapt to the changes in the physical properties of cotton slivers under different varieties and different humidity environments.

[0004] Therefore, the low level of automation and intelligence in existing sliver splicing technology, coupled with poor controllability of splice quality, has become a key bottleneck restricting further improvements in the quality of drawing and even yarn. Developing a novel sliver splicing device that is compact, highly adaptable, and capable of real-time detection and closed-loop control has become an urgent need for the industry. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the existing technical problems, the first aspect of the present invention provides a fully automatic tampon splicing device, comprising: a servo walking mechanism, a robot body, a vision system, a flexible gripping mechanism, and a high-precision splicing mechanism; the servo walking mechanism is mounted on a frame, the robot body is fixedly mounted on the servo walking mechanism and moves together with it, and the vision system, the flexible gripping mechanism, and the high-precision splicing mechanism are respectively mounted on the robot body.

[0006] Suitablely, the fully automatic splicing device for slivers can be applied to drawing frames or roving frames.

[0007] The servo walking mechanism is a linear guide rail mounted on the frame, parallel to the running path of the cotton sliver. It is driven by a high-precision servo motor, which enables the entire device to move and position precisely in the area where the cotton sliver may break.

[0008] Preferably, the servo walking mechanism expands the working range of a single device, enabling it to serve multi-eye (multiple drawing units) drawing machines.

[0009] The robot body has a robotic arm, which is fixedly mounted on the servo walking mechanism and moves with it.

[0010] Preferably, the robot body is used to carry the end effector (i.e., a flexible gripping mechanism and a high-precision joint mechanism) to a designated location.

[0011] The vision system is mounted at the end of the robot and includes at least one high-resolution industrial camera.

[0012] Preferably, the vision system is used for:

[0013] Head breakage location: Once a head breakage is detected and the machine stops, the servo walking mechanism moves to the head breakage point, and the coordinates of the two head breaks (front head and tail head) in three-dimensional space are calculated precisely by vision.

[0014] Status monitoring: Monitor and record the status of the cotton strips before and after the splice.

[0015] The flexible gripping mechanism is installed at the end of the robot body and uses a soft robotic arm as the gripping tool. The soft robotic arm is made of pneumatically driven flexible silicone. It can gently and firmly wrap around and grip the broken ends of fluffy tampons without damaging the surface structure of the tampons, adapting to the irregular shape of the tampons.

[0016] The high-precision connector mechanism includes the following three servo units:

[0017] (1) Clamping servo unit, which drives the clamping clamp,

[0018] Preferably, the clamping pliers have a soft material pressure head; and the center surface of the U-shaped curved groove inside the clamping pliers is designed with friction texture to increase gripping force;

[0019] (2) A winding servo unit that drives a winding bar that rotates around an axis to wind two broken fibers together;

[0020] (3) The servo unit drives the entire winding mechanism to move forward and backward along the axial direction of the cotton strip through the slide rail, so that the fiber winding is more uniform and tighter.

[0021] Appropriately, three servo motors work together to drive the high-precision connector mechanism, completing precise connector actions.

[0022] The high-precision connector mechanism also includes an atomizing humidification system; preferably, in the atomizing humidification system, a micro atomizing hole is integrated in the U-shaped curved groove inside the clamping clamp. Water is drawn from an external water tank by a water pump and delivered to the atomizing hole through the water inlet, so that the water mist can evenly penetrate into the broken area of ​​the clamped cotton strip.

[0023] There are three water inlets, which lead to the three sides of the U-shaped curved groove, and water enters each side individually.

[0024] The function of the atomizing humidification system is to humidify the splice area of ​​the cotton sliver, increase the cohesion between fibers, soften the fibers, and make it easier for the fibers to entangle and combine with each other during the subsequent winding process, thereby greatly improving the strength and uniformity of the splice.

[0025] A second aspect of the present invention provides a method for automatically splicing tampons, the method comprising the following steps:

[0026] (1) Positioning and movement: The vision system accurately positions the front and tail ends in three-dimensional space. The control system plans the path based on the coordinate data, drives the servo walking mechanism and the robot body, and moves the flexible gripping mechanism and the high-precision joint mechanism to the end position.

[0027] (2) Grasping the severed head: The soft robotic arm gently grasps the front and tail severed heads in sequence or simultaneously and guides them into the clamping jaws of the jointing mechanism;

[0028] (3) Clamping and humidification: The clamping servo unit drives the clamping clamp to clamp the two broken heads. At the same time, the atomizing humidification system is started to spray water mist into the broken head area through the micro atomizing hole for pretreatment.

[0029] (4) Winding Joint: The winding servo unit and the feed servo unit work together to drive the winding bar to execute a preset winding program (such as a specific number of turns and reciprocating stroke), fully and evenly winding the two broken fibers together. During this process, humidification is performed continuously or intermittently; and

[0030] (5) Release and reset: After the winding is completed, the clamping clamp is released and the soft manipulator releases the connected cotton strip; the robot body and servo walking mechanism are reset and waiting for the next instruction.

[0031] The fully automatic tampon splicing device of the present invention has the following significant advantages:

[0032] 1. Fully automated: It realizes unmanned operation of the entire process from head detection, positioning, grasping to jointing, which greatly reduces labor costs and labor intensity.

[0033] 2. High success rate and high quality: Machine vision ensures accurate yarn breakage positioning. A soft robotic arm ensures a non-destructive and reliable grasping process. A three-servo-driven splicing mechanism simulates the complex movements of manual splicing, combined with a unique atomizing humidification function, resulting in tight fiber bonding, high strength, and excellent uniformity at the splice, with virtually no imperfections, greatly improving yarn quality.

[0034] 3. High adaptability: Flexible gripping and programmable splicing action enable it to adapt to slivers of different linear densities and materials.

[0035] 4. High efficiency: The servo system has a fast response speed, and the entire connection process can be completed in a few seconds, which is much faster than manual operation, reducing downtime and improving equipment utilization. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0037] Figure 1 This is an overall schematic diagram of the fully automatic sliver splicing device of the present invention applied to a drawing frame;

[0038] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a flexible gripping mechanism and a vision system;

[0039] Figure 3a and Figure 3b This is a schematic diagram of a high-precision connector mechanism; and

[0040] Figure 4a and Figure 4b This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure and components of the clamping forceps;

[0041] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping state of the clamping forceps.

[0042] The diagram is labeled as follows: 1-Drawing machine frame, 2-Servo walking mechanism, 3-Sliver can, 4-Water tank, 5-Robot body, 6-High-precision joint mechanism, 7-Flexible gripping mechanism, 8-Vision system, 9-Clamping clamp, 10-Pressure head, 10A-Pressure head A, 10B-Pressure head B, 11-U-shaped curved groove, 12-Winding bar, 13-Clamping servo, 14-Winding servo, 15-Infeed / Outfeed servo, 16-Slide rail, 17-Friction texture, 18-Water inlet, 18A-Water inlet A, 18B-Water inlet B, 18C-Water inlet C, 19-Atomizing hole. Detailed Implementation

[0043] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, taking the fully automatic splicing device for cotton slivers applied to a drawing frame as an example.

[0044] The fully automatic tampon splicing device of the present invention includes a servo walking mechanism 2, a robot body 5, a high-precision splicing mechanism 6, a flexible gripping mechanism 7, and a vision system 8.

[0045] like Figure 1 As shown, the servo walking mechanism 2 is mounted on the frame 1 of the drawing frame and is a linear guide rail parallel to the sliver's running path. A high-precision servo motor drives the servo walking mechanism 2, enabling the device to move and position precisely within the area where sliver breakage occurs. The servo walking mechanism 2 can be applied to multi-eye drawing frames.

[0046] The robot body 5 is mounted and fixed on the servo walking mechanism 2, and can move together with the servo walking mechanism 2. The robot body 5 has a robotic arm, which is used to carry the flexible gripping mechanism 7 and the high-precision joint mechanism 6 to the designated position.

[0047] like Figure 2 As shown, the vision system 8 is located at the end of the robot body 5 and includes at least one high-resolution industrial camera. When a sliver break is detected, the drawing machine stops, the servo walking mechanism 2 moves to the break point, and the vision system 8 accurately calculates the coordinate positions of the front and tail breaks in three-dimensional space. The vision system 8 also monitors and records the state of the sliver before and after the splice.

[0048] Similarly, Figure 2 As shown, the flexible gripping mechanism 7 is installed at the end of the robot body 5. The flexible gripping mechanism 7 uses a soft robotic arm as the gripping tool. The soft robotic arm is made of pneumatically driven flexible silicone; the soft robotic arm will not damage the surface structure of the tampons, gently and firmly wraps and grips the broken ends of fluffy tampons, and adapts to the irregular shape of the tampons.

[0049] like Figure 3a and Figure 3b As shown, the high-precision connector mechanism 6 includes three servo units. The clamping servo unit includes a clamping clamp 9 and a clamping servo 13. The winding servo unit includes a winding rod 12 and a winding servo 14. The in / out servo unit includes an in / out servo 15 and a slide rail 16.

[0050] like Figure 4a and Figure 4b As shown, the center surface of the U-shaped curved groove 11 inside the clamp 9 is provided with friction texture 17 to increase gripping force. The friction texture 17 is cross-knurled, with a texture depth of 0.2 mm and a smooth surface without burrs. The clamp is also equipped with pressure heads, namely pressure head 10A and pressure head 10B.

[0051] The high-precision connector mechanism 6 also includes an atomizing humidification system. Water is drawn from the water tank 4 by a water pump and then delivered to the atomizing hole 19 through the water inlet 18, so that the water mist can be evenly penetrated into the area of ​​the broken end of the clamped cotton swab.

[0052] like Figure 4b As shown in the left figure, the three water inlets lead to the three faces of the U-shaped curved groove 11, and the three water channels operate independently, with water entering from each of the three faces separately. Figure 4b As shown in the right figure, the diameter of the atomizing hole 19 is 5 micrometers, and the hole spacing between the atomizing holes 19 is 5 mm.

[0053] During the automatic splicing of the broken ends, the two broken ends are placed crosswise in the U-shaped curved groove 11. The clamping servo 13 drives the connecting rod through the lead screw, which drives the pressure heads 10A and 10B on the two clamping clamps 9 to simultaneously press the cotton strip. The pressing force is adjusted according to the different specifications of the cotton strip. The pressure heads 10A and 10B are made of vulcanized silicone rubber with fine textures on the surface (similar to fingerprints), and the entire pressing environment simulates the gripping of the cotton strip by hand.

[0054] The feed servo 15 drives the lead screw to drive the winding servo 14 through the slide rail 16 to insert the winding rod 12 into the middle of the cotton strip in the U-shaped curved groove 11.

[0055] The atomizing humidification system is activated, with a water pressure of 0.8 bar and a spray time of 0.1 seconds. Water is delivered to the atomizing port 19 through the three water inlets 18, thereby spraying onto the broken end of the tampon and increasing the stickiness of the tampon.

[0056] The winding servo 14 is directly connected to the winding rod 12 via a coupling. The winding rod 12 is made of stainless steel with a diameter of 6mm and a cross-knurled surface with a pattern depth of 0.2mm. The surface is smooth and burr-free. It winds at a speed of 5 turns / second and runs for 2 seconds to connect the broken cotton strips.

[0057] The entry / exit servo 15 operates to pull out the winding servo 14 and the winding rod 12, and the clamping servo 13 operates to open the pressure head A and pressure head B. Then the soft robotic arm removes the cotton strip.

[0058] The fully automatic splicing device for tampons of the present invention achieves completely unmanned operation, with accurate positioning, tight and uniform fiber bonding, and high strength. At the same time, the entire splicing process is completed within a few seconds, which greatly reduces labor costs and improves production efficiency.

[0059] The specific embodiments described above further illustrate the purpose, technical solution, and beneficial effects of the present invention. It should be understood that the above description is only a specific embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the scope of the concept and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fully automatic tampon splicing device, characterized in that, include: The robot comprises a servo walking mechanism, a robot body, a vision system, a flexible gripping mechanism, and a high-precision connector mechanism. The servo walking mechanism is mounted on a frame, and the robot body is fixedly mounted on the servo walking mechanism and moves together with it. The vision system, the flexible gripping mechanism, and the high-precision connector mechanism are respectively mounted on the robot body.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is applied to a drawing frame or a roving frame.

3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the servo walking mechanism is a linear guide rail parallel to the running path of the cotton sliver mounted on the frame, driven by a high-precision servo motor, which drives the entire device to move and position precisely in the area where the cotton sliver may break.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the robot body has a robotic arm for carrying the flexible gripping mechanism and the high-precision connector mechanism to a designated position.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the vision system comprises at least one high-resolution industrial camera; wherein the vision system is used for: Decapitation Location: Once a decapitation is detected, the machine stops, and the servo-driven walking mechanism moves to the decapitation point. The vision system accurately calculates the coordinate positions of the front and tail decapitations in three-dimensional space. Status monitoring: Monitor and record the status of the cotton strips before and after the splice.

6. The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the flexible gripping mechanism uses a soft robotic arm as a gripping tool, and its material is pneumatically driven flexible silicone; wherein the soft robotic arm gently and firmly wraps and grips the loose cotton strip ends without damaging the surface structure of the tampons, adapting to the irregular shape of the tampons.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the high-precision connector mechanism comprises the following three servo units: (1) A clamping servo unit that drives the clamping pliers; preferably, the clamping pliers have a soft material pressure head; and the center surface of the U-shaped curved groove inside the clamping pliers is designed with friction texture to increase gripping force; (2) A winding servo unit that drives a winding bar that rotates around an axis to wind two broken fibers together; (3) The servo unit drives the entire winding mechanism to move forward and backward along the axial direction of the cotton strip through the slide rail, so that the fiber winding is more uniform and tighter.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the high-precision connector mechanism further includes an atomizing humidification system; preferably, in the atomizing humidification system, a micro-atomizing hole is integrated in the U-shaped curved groove inside the clamping clamp, water is drawn from an external water tank by a water pump and delivered to the atomizing hole through a water inlet, so that the water mist penetrates evenly into the clamped cotton strip breakage area.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein preferably, there are three water inlets, each leading to one of the three faces of the U-shaped curved groove, and each face receives water individually.

10. A method for automatically splicing tampons, wherein the method preferably employs the fully automatic tampon splicing device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the method comprises the following steps: (1) Positioning and movement: The vision system accurately positions the front and tail ends in three-dimensional space. The control system plans the path based on the coordinate data, drives the servo walking mechanism and the robot body, and moves the flexible gripping mechanism and the high-precision joint mechanism to the end position. (2) Grasping the severed head: The soft robotic arm gently grasps the front and tail severed heads in sequence or simultaneously and guides them into the clamping jaws of the jointing mechanism; (3) Clamping and humidification: The clamping servo unit drives the clamping clamp to clamp the two broken heads. At the same time, the atomizing humidification system is started to spray water mist into the broken head area through the micro atomizing hole for pretreatment. (4) Winding joint: The winding servo unit and the inlet / outlet servo unit work together to drive the winding bar to execute the preset winding program, so as to fully and evenly wind the two broken fibers together. During this period, humidification is carried out continuously or intermittently. as well as (5) Release and reset: After the winding is completed, the clamping clamp is released and the soft manipulator releases the connected cotton strip; the robot body and servo walking mechanism are reset and waiting for the next instruction.

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