POSITIONING AND CENTERING DEVICE FOR A MAINTENANCE CARRIER OF A TEXTILE MACHINE, TEXTILE MACHINE WITH THIS DEVICE, AND POSITIONING AND CENTERING METHOD OF A MAINTENANCE CARRIER IN A TEXTILE MACHINE

Description

FIELD OF APPLICATION

[0001] The present invention relates to a positioning and centring device for a service cart of a textile machine, a textile machine comprising said device, and a method for positioning and centring a service cart in a textile machine.STATE OF THE ART

[0002] As is known, industrial textile machines, such as spinning and winding machines, make extensive use of automatic or semi-automatic service carts to carry out technological process operations otherwise performed manually, such as doffing a reel or piecing yarn after a break.

[0003] These are extremely complex and articulated mechatronic devices, which must perform their operating cycles with great accuracy so as not to affect the productivity of the machine and the quality of the yarn.

[0004] In a manner in itself known, the unit to be subjected to a particular operating cycle sends a signal to the service cart (or to one of the service carts), which reaches it, positioning itself thereat.

[0005] In this context, the problem arises of improving the position control of the service cart, as regards the identification of the unit to be subjected to the operating cycle and as regards the centring of the cart with respect thereto.

[0006] In this regard, it is known to use a centring device comprising a mechanical system comprising a stop provided on the service cart, such as an electrically or pneumatically operated retractable lever, which engages in a corresponding seat made in a fixed position of the unit. In addition, the device comprises a transmitter / receiver type optical LED positioning system, which enables the service cart to decode the unit identification code, for example its number.

[0007] This solution, although widely appreciated and used, is however subject to drawbacks, such as: the mechanical wear induced by the repetitiveness of the positioning cycles, the dirt produced by the textile environment that over time can compromise the kinematics of the centring unit, the inaccuracy due to the elastic deformation of the structure subjected to the weight of the service cart, the need for dedicated drives and related electrical equipment and the consequent undesirable stresses that the drive can undergo in case of inaccurate centring.

[0008] In addition, the mechanical centring system cannot be customized for each unit, since it is the same for all the units in the same section.

[0009] Another known solution again provides for an optical communication system between the cart and the unit, but the mechanical centring is replaced by a reflection system using a reflector. In this case, however, the functionality is particularly compromised by the dirt induced by the fibrils that are deposited on it, partially or completely obscuring the reflector.

[0010] The use of a laser supplied with the service cart that can read the protrusion of a reference element of the unit, typically a plastic plate in the shape of a parallelepiped, is also known. From the multi-point reading of the projection, the cart is able to interpolate the nominal centring position. The unit number is instead identified by a radiofrequency system in which an antenna on board the cart generates an electric field that excites the circuit of a passive tag installed on the head.

[0011] Lastly, the use of optical positioning and centring systems using laser pointers and barcodes is a known technique. The unit number is identified by means of the number contained in the code, while centring is achieved by means of two or more bar sub-codes placed equidistant in series, so that the nominal centring position is obtained by linear interpolation of the aforesaid subpositions. However, this solution implies the need for several sub-codes to ensure accurate positioning, thus increasing the code footprint.

[0012] WO 2009 / 152933 A1 discloses a textile machine comprising a large number of workstations and at least one service assembly which can be moved along the workstations for operating and / or maintaining the individual workstations, the service assembly has a drive which can be controlled by a control unit, wherein each workstation is provided with a barcode, by means of which it can be identified and by means of which the service assembly can be positioned.PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The need is therefore felt to resolve the drawbacks and limitations mentioned with reference to the prior art.

[0014] The need is therefore felt to provide a device, a textile machine and a method enabling the positioning and centring of a service cart of a textile machine to be carried out efficiently and accurately.

[0015] Such requirement is satisfied by a positioning and centring device for a service cart of a textile machine according to claim 1, by an industrial textile machine according to claim 2, and by a method for positioning and centring a service cart in a textile machine according to claim 10.DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly comprehensible from the description given below of its preferred and non-limiting embodiments, wherein: figure 1 schematically shows a textile machine comprising a device for positioning and centring a cart according to a possible embodiment of the present invention; figure 2 schematically shows a unit of a textile machine comprising a portion of a positioning and centring device of a cart according to a possible embodiment of the present invention; figure 3 schematically shows a unit of a textile machine and a cart comprising a device for positioning and centring a cart according to a possible embodiment of the present invention; and figure 4 schematically shows a component of a textile machine according to a possible embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] The elements or parts of elements common to the embodiments described below will be indicated using the same reference numerals.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] In Figures 2 and 3, reference numeral 20 globally denotes a positioning and centring device for a service cart 16 of a textile machine 12.

[0019] Figures 2 and 3 relate to an operating unit 14 of a winding machine and associated service cart 16, in particular a doffing cart. This reference should not be understood in a limiting sense, but purely by way of example, since the principles of the present invention can also be applied in the same way to other types of industrial textile machines and other types of service cart.

[0020] The device, given its nature and purpose, applies to textile machines 12 comprising a plurality of operating units 14.

[0021] The positioning and centring device 20 essentially comprises: a cryptogram 22 provided on each of the operating units 14, an optical scanner 24, provided on the service cart 16, suitable for scanning the cryptogram 22, and a control unit 26 operatively connected to the optical scanner 24 and to the drive means 18.

[0022] The cryptogram 22 comprises a reference for centring 28 the optical scanner 24 with respect to the cryptogram 22, and an identification code 30 of the operating unit 14 on which it is provided.

[0023] The control unit 26, following a service request signal from an operating unit 14, is suitable to: operate the drive means 18 to move the at least one service cart 16 to the operating unit 14, the cryptogram 22 of which, read by said optical scanner 24, contains the identification code 30 of the operating unit 14 that requested the service; and centring the service cart 16 relative to the operating unit 14 based on the centring reference 28 of the cryptogram 22.

[0024] According to the invention, the cryptogram 22 is a QR code (Quick Response Code).

[0025] As can be seen in the example in figure 4, the QR code is a two-dimensional matrix made up of three macrosquares placed at three vertices of the matrix, functional for defining the correct alignment of the code with respect to an optical reader (scanner) in terms of orientation and angle during reading.

[0026] The QR code further comprises a plurality of black and white pixels within the main square, which contain and synthesize all the information.

[0027] As is known, to access the content of the QR code, it is sufficient to scan the code with an optical reader, such as the optical reader of a smartphone, to obtain the information encoded in the matrix, such as text, numbers, internet addresses, etc.

[0028] Consequently, for a QR code type cryptogram 22, the centring reference 28 corresponds to the three macro squares located at three vertices of the matrix, while the identification code 30 of the operating unit 14 is defined by the plurality of black and white pixels within the main square.

[0029] According to a possible embodiment, the QR code may be a square having a side length of at least 25 mm.

[0030] The present invention further relates to an industrial textile machine 12 comprising at least two operating units 14 and at least one cart 16 serving the operating units 14 by using drive means 18.

[0031] The industrial textile machine 12 further comprises the positioning and centring device 20 of the type just described.

[0032] According to a possible embodiment, the control unit 26 may for example be placed on each service cart 16, or may be centralized.

[0033] The drive means 18 of the service cart 16 may be of the type in themselves known, such as a track along which a service cart is moved by means of a drive. Since the drive means are not the specific subject of this description, no further detail will be provided.

[0034] According to a possible embodiment, the cryptogram 22 may also contain an operating unit identification code legible by an operator. In this way, the identification code 30 of the operating unit 16 can also be read by an operator without the aid of a dedicated scanning instrument of the identification code.

[0035] The cryptogram 22 may be placed, for example, in a front portion of the operating unit 16, so as to be in a position facilitating scanning by the optical scanner 24 provided on the service cart.

[0036] According to a possible embodiment, the control unit 26 may be centralized and in operational communication with the plurality of operating units 14 and with the at least one service cart 16.

[0037] According to a possible embodiment, the industrial textile machine 12 may be, for example, a spinning machine or a winding machine.

[0038] In addition, the principles of the present invention may be applied to an automatic or semi-automatic doffing or piecing service cart 16.

[0039] A method for positioning and centring a service cart 16 in a textile machine 12 according to one embodiment of the present invention is described below.

[0040] The method essentially comprises the steps of: providing a textile machine 12 of the type just described; sending a service request signal from an operating unit 14 to at least one service cart 16; operating the drive means 18 to move the at least one service cart 16 to the operating unit 14, the cryptogram 22 of which, read by said optical reader 24, contains the identification code 30 of the operating unit 14 that requested the service; and centring the service cart 16 relative to the operating unit 14 based on the centring reference 28 of the cryptogram 22.

[0041] The method thus enables a service cart 16 to reach the operating unit 14 requesting the service (for example a doffing or piecing operation) and, once the operating unit that requested the service has been identified, to centre the service cart 16 with respect to the operating unit 14 using said cryptogram 22, in particular thanks to the centring reference.

[0042] According to a possible embodiment, the industrial textile machine 12 may comprise at least two service carts 16, which may even be of different types.

[0043] Advantageously, the method may comprise a step in which the control unit 26, based on the operating information of the service carts 16, such as processing status and distance from the operating unit 14 that requested the service, decides which of the service carts 16 to send to the operating unit 14 requesting the service.

[0044] Thus, the advantages that can be achieved by the present invention are now apparent.

[0045] Two key aspects of the invention relate, for example, to: identification of the operating unit number by scanning the contents of the cryptogram, namely the QR code (e.g., "10" being the identification number of unit no. 10); and centring of the service cart 16 with respect to said operating unit 14 by processing the correct alignment information of the optical scanner with the cryptogram, being the QR code, by the automation of the service cart 16: this way the cart is automatically centred by exploiting the alignment references (position detection pattern) that an optical scanner normally uses to scan the code.

[0046] The use of the QR code for positioning the cart enables significant operating advantages to be achieved, such as: reduced code size compared to the traditional barcode solution; less sensitivity of the system to dirt and wear, resulting in improved position control reliability and overall machine performance; real time availability of additional information on the operating conditions of the unit by scanning the QR code with a device connected to the network of the textile machine computer; insensitivity of the QR code to the orientation in the given position and consequent simplification of the application processes of the same aimed at guaranteeing its installation according to a predefined angle.

[0047] Furthermore, from an operating point of view, there is an improvement in centring, which is carried out in correspondence with the unit, and therefore in the immediate vicinity of the yarn path and not in positions of the head that require further centring with respect to the unit itself, such as the tube magazine where the barcode is usually applied.

[0048] Also, there is an improvement in the user-machine interface in terms of system accessibility.

[0049] A person skilled in the art may make modifications to the embodiments described above, while remaining within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. Positioning and centring device (20) for a service cart (16) of a textile machine (12) comprising at least two operating units (14), said service cart (16) being provided with drive means (18), said positioning and centring device (20) comprising : - a cryptogram (22) provided on each of said operating units (14), - an optical reader (24) provided on said service cart (16) adapted to read said cryptogram (22), and - a control unit (26) operatively connected to said optical reader (24) and to said drive means (18); said cryptogram (22) comprising a centring reference (28) for said optical reader (24) with respect to said cryptogram (22), and an identification code (30) of the operating unit (14) on which it is provided; said control unit (26), following a service request signal from an operating unit (14), being adapted to: - operate said drive means (18) to move said at least one service cart (16) to the operating unit (14) the cryptogram (22) of which read by said optical reader (24) contains the identification code (30) of the operating unit (14) that requested the service; and - centring said service cart (16) relative to said operating unit (14) based on the centring reference (28) of said cryptogram (22); said cryptogram (22) being a QR code.

2. Industrial textile machine (12) comprising at least two operating units (14) and at least one service cart (16) for said operating units (14) provided with drive means (18), said industrial textile machine (12) further comprising a positioning and centring device (20) for said service cart with respect to said operating units (14) ; characterised in that said positioning and centring device (20) is a positioning and centring device (20) according to claim 1.

3. Industrial textile machine (12) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said QR code is a square, having a side length of at least 25 mm.

4. Industrial textile machine (12) according to any of the claims 2-3, characterized in that said cryptogram (22) also contains an operating unit identification code readable by an operator.

5. Industrial textile machine (12) according to any one of the claims 2-4, characterized in that said industrial textile machine (12) is a spinning machine.

6. Industrial textile machine (12) according to any of the claims 2-5, characterized in that said industrial textile machine (12) is a winding machine.

7. Industrial textile machine (12) according to any of the claims 2-6, characterized in that said service cart (16) is a doffing cart of an automatic or semi-automatic type.

8. Industrial textile machine (12) according to any of the claims 2-6, characterized in that said service cart (16) is a piecing cart of an automatic or semi-automatic type.

9. Industrial textile machine (12) according to any of the claims 2-8, characterized in that said control unit (26) is centralized and in operational communication with the plurality of operating units (14) and with the at least one service cart (16).

10. Method for positioning and centring a service cart (16) in a textile machine (12), comprising the steps of: - providing a textile machine (12) according to any of claims 2-9; - sending a service request signal from an operating unit (14) to at least one service cart (16); - operating said drive means (18) to move said at least one service cart (16) to the operating unit (14) the cryptogram (22) of which, read by said optical reader (24), contains the identification code (30) of the operating unit (14) that requested the service; and - centring said service cart (16) relative to said operating unit (14) based on the centring reference (28) of said cryptogram (22).

11. The method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it comprises a step in which the control unit (26), on the basis of the operational information of the service carts (16), decides which of the service carts (16) to send to the operating unit (14) that requested the service.