Bale opener and method for operating the bale opener

Abstract

The invention relates to a bale opener (1) for opening fibre bales (2) placed on a ground surface (3), comprising a machine frame (4) and a height-adjustable pick-up unit (5), which is held and guided on the machine frame, the pick-up unit (5) comprising a pick-up unit housing (6), which has an extent in the housing longitudinal direction (Xx), in the housing transverse direction (Yx) and in the housing vertical direction (Zx), and two pick-up rollers (7) arranged spaced apart from one another in the pick-up unit housing (6) in the housing longitudinal direction (Xx) for picking-up fibres from the fibre bales, characterised in that a sensor unit (26) for measuring an orientation of the pick-up unit housing (6) is provided in the room, the sensor unit being arranged in a defined position relative to the pick-up unit housing (6) and being communicatively connected to a control unit (15), the control unit being configured to trigger a warning if the orientation of the pick-up unit housing (6) is outside a predefined tolerance range. The invention further relates to a method for operating the bale opener.

Description

[0001] Title: Bale opener and method for operating the bale opener

[0002] Description

[0003] The present invention relates to a bale opener for opening fiber bales placed on a floor, comprising a machine frame and a height-adjustable removal unit that is held and guided on the machine frame. The removal unit comprises a removal housing that extends in the longitudinal direction of the housing, the transverse direction of the housing, and the vertical direction of the housing. The removal rollers are arranged in the removal housing at a distance from one another in the longitudinal direction of the housing, and are used to remove fibers or fiber flakes from the fiber bales. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for operating the bale opener.

[0004] A bale opener for opening pressed fiber bales is known from WO 2019 / 211013 A1. The bale opener comprises a machine frame that can be moved along a setup direction of the fiber bales and a collector unit with a collector housing and two collector rollers arranged in the collector housing. The collector unit is arranged between two side walls of the machine frame in a height-adjustable manner and is suspended from the machine frame by means of traction mechanisms. The traction mechanisms are operatively connected to a drive motor to enable the height of the collector unit to be adjusted. Guide rollers are arranged at both ends of the collector housing, which roll along guide profiles of the side walls. During assembly on site by the customer, the collector unit is suspended and aligned in the desired direction.

[0005] This design has proven itself in practice as it allows high production volumes to be achieved. However, the alignment of the doffer unit can change due to improper handling of the bale opener, constant load or even during regular operation over years. A doffer unit suspended at an angle can have production-related disadvantages, especially if the doffer unit is tilted in the direction of travel. During a pass, the doffer roller moving in front in the direction of travel should be in deeper engagement with the fiber bale than the doffer roller positioned at the rear. If the doffer unit is tilted to the right about its transverse axis, which is perpendicular to the direction of travel, the doffer roller moving in front can be too high when the direction of travel is to the left, and too low when the direction of travel changes to the right.This can lead to different production quantities being removed during the forward and return travel, and the flake sizes of the flakes removed from the pressed fiber bales by the doffer rollers can vary significantly. This also applies if the doffer unit is tilted to the left.

[0006] The object of the present invention is therefore to eliminate the disadvantages of the prior art and to provide a bale opener that ensures the most consistent preparation of fiber flakes for downstream spinning preparation machines and avoids varying production quantities during the run. It is also the object of the present invention to provide a method that ensures the most consistent preparation of fiber flakes for downstream spinning preparation machines and avoids varying production quantities during the run.

[0007] The object is achieved by a bale opener of the type mentioned at the outset in that a sensor unit is provided for measuring an alignment of the collector housing in space, wherein the sensor unit is arranged in a defined position relative to the collector housing and is communicatively connected to a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to trigger a warning if the alignment of the collector housing lies outside a predetermined tolerance range.

[0008] An advantage is that the bale opener itself can indicate or warn when the alignment of the doffer housing is outside the specified tolerance range, i.e., when it deviates from a target alignment, particularly one specified by the manufacturer, to such an extent that negative effects on the uniformity of the flake preparation and the production quantity are to be expected or will occur during further operation of the bale opener. This allows for early countermeasures to be initiated before the misalignment of the doffer housing disrupts the production process of downstream spinning preparation machines.

[0009] Misalignment of the doffer housing directly affects the position of the doffer rollers relative to the fiber bales. Thus, by knowing the alignment of the doffer housing, the position of the two doffer rollers pivotally mounted on the doffer housing can be determined. If the doffer housing is misaligned, the two doffer rollers may be positioned higher or lower than intended, which can cause the processing quality of the fiber flakes to fluctuate significantly during the forward and return travel of a pass in which the two doffer rollers remove fibers from the fiber bales.

[0010] Preferably, the sensor unit is arranged, in particular only, on the collector housing. The defined position in which the sensor unit and the collector housing are arranged relative to one another can be clearly specified, in particular by the manufacturer. Furthermore, the sensor unit can be configured to measure the orientation of the collector housing relative to the vertical direction. The local direction of the acceleration due to gravity (symbol g) is thus used to measure the orientation of the collector housing in space. By referring to the vertical direction or a horizontal reference plane oriented perpendicular to it, measurement inaccuracies that can arise, for example, from uneven ground at the installation location of the bale opener can be reduced or eliminated. This enables an overall simple determination of whether the collector housing has assumed an inclined position and whether this lies outside the specified tolerance range.If the floor is sloping, one or two correction angles can be stored in the control unit to shift the tolerance range by the corresponding correction angle. This allows the machine frame to stand perpendicular to the floor plane spanned by the floor.

[0011] Attached to the pickup housing, the sensor unit is tasked with detecting the actual orientation of the pickup housing. When the pickup housing is tilted, the direction from which gravity acts on the sensor unit changes. The control unit receives the measurement signals from the sensor unit and determines the actual orientation of the pickup housing based on the measured values.

[0012] In the desired orientation, the pickup housing can, for example, be aligned such that the vertical direction of the housing runs parallel to the vertical direction. Furthermore, the pickup housing can be aligned in the desired orientation such that the vertical direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the housing and, more preferably, perpendicular to a pickup plane spanned by the longitudinal direction of the housing and the transverse direction of the housing. The pickup plane can thus be aligned absolutely horizontally in the desired orientation. In the case of a sloping floor, the corresponding correction angle can also be taken into account compared to the vertical direction. In particular, the pickup plane is arranged parallel to the reference plane. The transverse direction of the housing, the longitudinal direction of the housing and the vertical direction of the housing preferably define a Cartesian coordinate system assigned to the pickup housing.

[0013] Furthermore, the sensor unit can have at least one sensor module that is configured to measure a pitch angle between the longitudinal direction of the housing and a horizontal reference plane to which the vertical direction is normal. This can be used to detect an inclined position in the removal direction in which the pickup housing is tilted to the left or right or tilted about its longitudinal axis. If the pitch angle lies outside the tolerance range, the pickup rollers are too low or too high in the forward and return travel. In the target alignment, the pitch angle can be 0 degrees or correspond to the size of the corresponding correction angle. By way of example only, the tolerance range can include a minimum pitch angle of -5 degrees and a maximum pitch angle of +5 degrees. The manufacturer can also specify a significantly smaller tolerance range, for example + / - 2 degrees and furthermore possible + / - 0.5 degrees, in order to always ensure optimal removal behavior.In particular, to measure the pitch angle, a measuring axis of the at least one sensor module can be aligned parallel to the longitudinal direction of the housing. The sensor unit can have at least two sensor modules for measuring the pitch angle, which can be arranged at a distance from one another in the transverse direction of the housing, each at a longitudinal end of the collector housing. In this way, a one-sided tilt of the collector housing can also be detected if the collector housing has twisted. Furthermore, the sensor unit can have at least one sensor module that is configured to measure a roll angle between the transverse direction of the housing and a or the horizontal reference plane to which the vertical direction is normal. This can be used to detect an tilt transverse to the removal direction, in which the collector housing is tilted forwards or backwards or tilted about its transverse axis. In this tilted position, the bale mass is removed at an angle.In other words, the inclined position of the collector unit is incorporated into the bale pattern. As a result, the bale pattern cannot be processed completely down to the ground, at least on the higher side of the collector housing. In the target orientation, the roll angle can be 0 degrees or correspond to the size of the corresponding correction angle. By way of example only, the tolerance range can include a minimum roll angle of -5 degrees and a maximum roll angle of +5 degrees. The manufacturer can also specify a significantly smaller tolerance range, for example + / - 2 degrees and furthermore possibly + / - 1 degree, in order to always ensure optimal removal behavior. In particular, to measure the roll angle, a measuring axis of the at least one sensor module can be parallel to the transverse direction of the housing.

[0014] The sensor unit can comprise just one sensor module or several of the sensor modules. If several sensor modules are provided, they can be of the same type or of different designs. Furthermore, the measuring axes of at least some of the sensor modules can be aligned the same or differently to one another. In principle, however, all of the measuring axes can also be aligned the same. The at least one sensor module can be a 1-, 2-, or 3-axis sensor module. If the sensor unit has several sensor modules, the measuring axes can be aligned parallel to the longitudinal direction of the housing and / or parallel to the transverse direction of the housing. This allows the sensor unit to measure its orientation in two axes, so that the spatial inclination of the sensor unit or the receiver housing relative to the vertical direction can be determined.

[0015] According to a first embodiment, the at least one sensor module can be an inclination sensor. For example only, the inclination sensor can be fluid-based if high accuracy is required across the entire measuring range, or it can be a MEMS (“Micro Electro Mechanical Systems”)-based inclination sensor, which is particularly cost-effective and flexible to use. Likewise, the inclination sensor can be a mechanical ball-and-bubble sensor with relatively low accuracy. If multiple measurement axes are to be covered, because the pitch and roll angles are to be measured, several inclination sensors can be used that are aligned differently. It is also possible to provide at least one multi-axis, in particular a two-axis, inclination sensor.To compensate for the movements and vibrations that occur during the bale opener's operation during inclination measurement, the at least one inclination sensor can also be a combination of two measuring principles. For example, two different types of MEMS sensors can be used, such as an acceleration sensor and a gyroscope.

[0016] According to a second embodiment, which can be used alternatively or in addition to the first embodiment, the at least one sensor module can be an acceleration sensor. In a conventional manner, the acceleration sensor measures the acceleration acting on it. Since vibrations and shocks are also detected in addition to the inclination measurement, the acceleration sensor provides more reliable measurements, especially when the pickup unit is stationary.

[0017] For all embodiments, the at least one sensor module can transmit the measurement data electronically as a voltage level or via a current interface to the control unit. Digital transmissions are also possible. The sensor unit can have an electrical output for each measuring axis, which is connected to the control unit. If the orientation of the sensor unit changes, the voltage applied to the respective output changes. For calibration, an initial value for the zero point can be determined for each measuring axis and stored in the control unit. Based on this, the control unit can determine the change compared to the zero or target orientation and, in particular, the degree of change in the orientation of the pickup housing by subtracting the measured actual value from the initial value. If the sensor unit is arranged in a defined position on the pickup housing, calibration is preferably carried out in the target orientation.

[0018] In order to measure the orientation of the pickup housing in space, the sensor unit can be arranged at a distance from the pickup housing as an alternative to being arranged on the pickup housing. For example, the sensor unit can comprise an optical detection device, such as a camera, a laser system for profile detection, or the like, wherein the recorded actual measured values ​​for the current orientation of the pickup housing can be compared with predetermined (image) data stored in the control unit for the target orientation. The sensor unit can be arranged facing the pickup unit and, for example, on the machine frame or fixed relative to the ground on a support structure, such as a pedestal, a column, a building or machine wall, an operator portal of the bale opener, or the like.

[0019] Furthermore, the collector unit can have at least two pressure rollers, to which the collector plane is arranged tangentially. The sensor unit is preferably arranged on a planar housing surface of the collector housing. In particular, the housing surface or the surface section occupied by the sensor unit is aligned parallel to the collector plane. Preferably, the vertical direction in the desired orientation is perpendicular to the housing surface, whereby at least one correction angle can be taken into account here too in the case of a sloping floor. Advantageously, the sensor unit is firmly and permanently connected to the collector housing and can be screwed, riveted, glued, etc. to the collector housing. During removal, the collector unit can rest on the fiber bale in the collector plane.

[0020] The two pressure rollers can be arranged one in front of and one behind the doffer rollers in the longitudinal direction of the housing and can be rotatably mounted on the doffer housing. A possible third pressure roller can be arranged between the doffer rollers and rotatably mounted on the doffer housing. The pressure rollers thus ensure that the surfaces of the fiber bales run under the doffer unit and can be driven in rotation by a drive. As the doffer unit moves over the fiber bales, the surface of the fiber bales is evened out by the front pressure roller in the removal direction before the leading doffer roller engages the surface. Instead of or in addition to the pressure rollers, guide plates can also be used, the underside of which can define the doffer plane.

[0021] The stripper unit preferably has adjustment means for displacing the stripper rollers relative to one another along the vertical axis of the housing, wherein the control unit is communicatively connected to the adjustment means and is configured to control the adjustment means during the forward and reverse travel such that the stripper roller leading in the removal direction of the two stripper rollers has a smaller distance from the stripper plane than the stripper roller trailing in the removal direction of the two stripper rollers. In other words, the stripper rollers can be displaced vertically relative to one another or in the desired orientation of the stripper housing along the vertical direction. During each travel, the removal direction can in particular change once, in particular from forward travel to reverse travel.

[0022] The machine frame can be moved back and forth on the ground along a longitudinal direction of the machine, along which the fiber bales can be arranged. With the movable bale opener, the removal direction corresponds to the direction of travel of the bale opener across the ground. A change of direction from forward to reverse is provided for each pass, during which the bale opener is moved, for example, first to the left and then to the right across the bale array, or, in the case of multiple batches, at least only a portion of the bale array.

[0023] The bale opener can have a portal design. In particular, the machine frame can have a first side panel and a second side panel, as well as at least one portal profile connecting the two side panels. The side panels can define a machine vertical axis that is perpendicular to the ground. If the ground is level, the machine vertical axis can correspond to the vertical direction. The machine frame can be designed to be movable on the ground in order to be able to move the collector unit over the fiber bale. The side panels can have rollers, wherein the rollers of the first side panel are guided by a guide rail attached to the ground to guide the machine frame along a travel path, in particular a straight one. The rollers of the second side panel can run over the ground without further guidance.For height-adjustable guidance of the pickup unit, frame-side guide elements can be arranged on the two side walls, which interact with the pickup-side guide elements arranged on the pickup unit. The frame-side guide elements can be arranged on the inner sides of the side walls facing each other and can be designed, for example, as guide rails. The frame-side guide elements can run parallel to the vertical axis of the machine. The pickup-side guide elements can comprise rollers that roll along the guide rails.

[0024] Furthermore, the bale opener can have alignment means for aligning the collector housing relative to the machine frame. In this way, the collector housing can be aligned, in particular, in the desired orientation and, if necessary, any misalignment can be corrected to prevent the collector housing from tilting during its height adjustment along the frame-side guide elements. In the desired orientation, the machine's vertical axis can preferably be perpendicular to the collector plane. If the floor is tilted, the machine's vertical axis can be aligned at an angle to the vertical direction by the corresponding correction angle.

[0025] The alignment means and the guide means preferably cooperate to align the pickup housing about the transverse housing direction, i.e. to adjust the pitch angle. For this purpose, at least one pair of pickup-side guide elements can be arranged on each end face of the pickup unit so as to be adjustable relative to one another in the longitudinal direction of the pickup housing in order to be able to adjust the distance between the guide elements forming the respective pair. For alignment, preferably only the position relative to the transverse housing axis of one of the two guide elements forming the respective pair is changed. In this way, the pickup housing can be aligned about its transverse housing axis in order to adjust the pitch angle. The adjustable guide elements can be eccentrically mounted guide rollers that roll on the frame-side guide elements.The rotation axes of the guide rollers can be aligned parallel to the transverse direction of the pickup housing. For example, the alignment means can have eccentric bolts, in particular hexagon bolts, on which the guide rollers are mounted. For each end face of the pickup unit, the guide elements can comprise several guide rollers, which are arranged in pairs to one another and accommodate the frame-side guide elements between them. A bottom pair of guide rollers can be adjustable for aligning the pickup housing and, for example, have the eccentric bearing. A top pair of guide rollers can have a fixed bearing relative to the pickup housing. Furthermore, the pickup unit, which is arranged height-adjustably between the two side cheeks, can be suspended from the machine frame by means of a traction mechanism.The traction means, for example, belts from which the pickup unit is suspended, can be operatively connected to a drive motor for adjusting the height of the pickup unit. Preferably, the alignment means and the traction means cooperate to align the pickup housing along the housing's longitudinal direction. By changing and fixing the length of the traction means, the inclination of the pickup housing about the housing's transverse axis, or the roll angle, can be changed. In particular, the alignment means have a belt buckle for each traction means to adjust the width of a loop formed by the traction means and to fix it.

[0026] Furthermore, the control unit can be communicatively connected to a display unit in order to visually indicate that the tolerance range has been exceeded when the warning is triggered. For this purpose, the display unit can, for example, comprise lighting elements arranged according to a predetermined geometric shape. The shape can be a line that has at least one straight, one curved and / or one kinked section. The lighting elements can be controlled by the control unit according to predetermined lighting scenarios in order to display the alignment of the pickup housing. For this purpose, the lighting scenario can involve the lighting elements lighting up in the same or different colors. For example, the assumption of the target alignment can be indicated by green lighting elements and the departure from the target alignment can be indicated increasingly by yellow, orange and / or red colors depending on the degree of misalignment.This is particularly advantageous if the sensor unit offers a measurement accuracy that allows, for example, alignment to be determined to the exact degree. When the lights are completely red, the control unit could stop the bale opener and / or issue acoustic warning signals as a further countermeasure. Warning signals can also be sent to a higher-level control center, which can comprise a stationary device and / or mobile devices. If the tolerance range is exceeded, the control unit could issue an escalating warning, for example with the following stages: (1) activating the visual warning, (2) activating the acoustic warning, (3) stopping the bale opener. Further or different stages are conceivable and possible. In this way, people in the vicinity of the bale opener, and even people far away from the bale opener, can be alerted to the misalignment via a higher-level control system or mobile devices.

[0027] A further solution to the above-mentioned problem consists in a method for operating the previously described bale opener, wherein the sensor unit measures the spatial orientation of the collector housing and transmits measured values ​​to the control unit, wherein the control unit triggers a warning if the orientation of the collector housing lies outside a predetermined tolerance range. The method according to the invention results in the same advantages as those described in connection with the bale opener according to the invention, so that reference is made here for short to the above description. It is understood that all of the aforementioned configurations of the bale opener are transferable to the method and vice versa.

[0028] The pickup unit can be aligned in the desired orientation on-site during commissioning of the bale opener, during maintenance or servicing work, or similar. In order to determine the orientation of the pickup housing or to obtain angle values ​​based on the measured values ​​of the sensor unit, the method can include a calibration step before a pass. The calibration step can be used to determine the absolute zero of the sensor unit in order to eliminate the so-called zero point error ("zero offset"). During the calibration step, the pickup housing is preferably in the desired orientation. Then, at least one initial measured value, which can represent the desired orientation, is transmitted from the sensor unit to the control unit and stored in the control unit as an output value. There, the output value is selected.This allows the initial value to be used to further determine whether the actual alignment is within or outside the tolerance range.

[0029] Instead of determining the initial value using the calibration described above, a standard value can also be used. This can, for example, be stored in the control unit or entered manually. For example, the zero-point values ​​of the sensor unit can be provided by the manufacturer or measured in a disassembled state, in which the sensor unit was positioned on a horizontal plane for measurement, for example. In this respect, the method can, instead of the calibration step, or if necessary, also include an initial step in which at least one initial value representing a target alignment, which is stored in the control unit, is selected.

[0030] Furthermore, the tolerance range can be measured. For this purpose, the pickup housing can be deflected to the limit values, and the corresponding measurement signals from the sensor unit can be stored in the control unit. Alternatively or additionally, the tolerance range can be stored in the control unit or entered manually. Possible correction angles due to an uneven floor can be taken into account.

[0031] During and / or after the pass, the method can further comprise at least one test step in which the sensor unit transmits at least one actual measured value representing the current alignment (“actual alignment”) of the pickup housing to the control unit, wherein the control unit checks, based on the at least one selected output value, whether the actual measured value lies outside the tolerance range. The test step is preferably carried out when the bale opener is stationary, for example while the bale inspection is being set up. In particular, the machine frame is always at the same point on its travel path during the test step. For example, the machine frame can be at one of the two end or turning points or in the middle of the travel path. In particular, the machine frame is at the same point at which the calibration was carried out during the test step.If the test step is performed during the run, a delay, such as a one-minute delay, can be set when the control unit detects the misalignment, during which it checks whether the misalignment persists. This way, temporary misalignments due to localized ground unevenness do not trigger a warning.

[0032] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment. It shows:

[0033] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bale opener according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a pickup unit of the bale opener is aligned in a desired orientation and a bale display is constructed on a support surface of the bale opener;

[0034] Figure 2 is a further perspective view of the bale opener of Figure 1, showing a front side panel without access doors;

[0035] Figure 3 is a schematically simplified cross-sectional view of a pickup unit of the bale opener from Figure 1, wherein the pickup unit is aligned in the desired orientation and pickup rollers of the pickup unit are set for a direction of travel to the left;

[0036] Figure 4 shows the pickup unit from Figure 3 aligned in the desired orientation, with the pickup rollers set for a direction of travel to the right;

[0037] Figure 5 shows the pickup unit from Figure 3, wherein the pickup unit is misaligned or tilted about a transverse axis of the housing and the pickup rollers are set for a direction of travel to the left;

[0038] Figure 6 shows the misaligned doffer unit from Figure 5, with the doffer rollers set for a right-hand travel direction;

[0039] Figure 7 is a schematically simplified side view of the bale opener from Figure 1, wherein the pickup unit is misaligned or tilted about a housing longitudinal axis;

[0040] Figure 8 is a front view of the pickup unit of the bale opener from Figure 1; and

[0041] Figure 9 is a perspective detailed view of the bale opener from Figure 1, wherein the doffer unit is shown without the housing cover. Figures 1 to 2 show a spinning preparation machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is designed as a bale opener 1. The bale opener 1 is used in a manner known per se for opening pressed fiber bales 2, in particular of cotton, shredded fibers or the like, which are placed next to one another in several rows on a floor 3 along a machine longitudinal direction X. The bale opener 1 has a machine frame 4 which is movable on the floor 3 along the machine longitudinal direction X. A doffer unit 5 is held and guided on the machine frame 4 and is height-adjustable along a machine vertical axis Z.The collector unit 5 has a collector housing 6 which is open downwards, i.e. towards the bottom 3, in which two drivable collector rollers 7 are arranged for removing fibre flakes from the surfaces of the fibre bales 2.

[0042] To illustrate the spatial orientation of the bale opener 1, Figures 1, 2, and 7 show the machine longitudinal direction X, a machine transverse direction Y, and the machine vertical direction Z, which are defined in terms of a spatially fixed Cartesian coordinate system and indicated by corresponding arrows. Assuming that the floor 3 is absolutely horizontal, the machine vertical axis Z runs parallel to the vertical direction L. The floor

[0043] 3 then lies in a horizontal reference plane H, to which the plumb line L is perpendicular. However, the floor 3 at the installation site is often uneven, which is why the plumb line L or the reference plane H perpendicular to it is used to align the receiver housing 6 instead of the floor 3.

[0044] Furthermore, in order to clarify the orientation of the pickup housing 6 in space, a housing longitudinal direction X', a housing transverse direction Y' and a housing vertical direction Z' are shown in Figures 3 to 7, which are assigned in the sense of a body-fixed, Cartesian coordinate system of the pickup housing 6 and are indicated by corresponding arrows.

[0045] The machine frame 4 comprises a front side wall 9 on a front side 8 of the bale opener 1 and a rear side wall 11 on a rear side 10 of the bale opener 1. Rollers 12 are arranged on the rear side wall 11, which guide the machine frame

[0046] 4 roll along the machine's longitudinal direction X on a guide rail 13 mounted on the floor 3. Below the front side panel 9, further rollers 14 are arranged, which roll directly on the floor 3 when the machine frame 4 moves back and forth.

[0047] The bale opener 1 has an electrical control unit 15 for monitoring and controlling the movement functions, sensors, and actuators of the bale opener 1. In Figure 2, the front side panel 9 is shown without access doors, allowing a clear view of the control unit 15. The bale opener 1 can be manually controlled via a control panel 16, which is located outside the travel path of the machine frame 4. An operator can access the electrical control unit 15 via the control panel 16 and, if necessary, also via an optional input / output interface (not shown) arranged on the front side panel 9.

[0048] Two portal profiles 17, 18 extend between the two side walls 9, 11, which are arranged at a distance from one another and rigidly connect the two side walls 9, 11. The pickup unit 5 is suspended from the machine frame 4 in a manner known per se by means of two tension means 19 arranged at a distance from one another, wherein the tension means 19 are coupled to a drive for adjusting the height of the pickup unit 5. Such a suspension is described in WO 2019 / 211013 A1, with particular reference being made to the description of the mode of operation on page 9, line 25 to page 12, line 4, and the figures mentioned therein.

[0049] Viewed from the front side 8 of the bale opener 1 shown in Figure 2, the machine frame 4 moves the collector unit 5 in one pass, first in the forward direction, here to the left, and then, after a change of direction, in the reverse direction, here to the right. The forward movement is indicated by arrow A, and the return movement is indicated by arrow B. After each pass, the height-adjustable collector unit 5 can be lowered further by one feed.

[0050] The collector housing 6 has an extension in the housing longitudinal direction X', the housing transverse direction Y', and the housing vertical direction Z'. The collector housing 6 has a box-like basic shape that is open towards the bottom. Its extension in the housing transverse direction Y' can be more than twice the extension in the housing longitudinal direction X'. This ratio is preferably between 2.3 to 1 and 3.5 to 1. The rotatably driven drive rollers 7 are rotatably mounted in the collector housing 6 and arranged at a distance from one another in the housing longitudinal direction X'. The fiber flocks detached from the collector rollers 7 are sucked away in a manner known per se via a suction device 25 arranged above the collector rollers 7 and fed for further use via a transport channel 20. The transport channel 20 runs outside the installation area of ​​the bale display along the rear side 10 of the bale opener 1.

[0051] Three pressure rollers 21 can be rotatably mounted on the doffer housing 6 in the longitudinal housing direction X' in front of and between the doffer rollers 7, parallel to the axis. The pressure rollers 21 press on the surface of the fiber bales 2 and ensure that the surfaces of the fiber bales 2 enter the doffer unit 5. A doffer plane E is defined below the pressure rollers 21, which is arranged tangentially to the pressure rollers 7 and aligned parallel to the housing longitudinal direction X' and the housing transverse direction Y'.

[0052] The doffer unit 5 has an engagement switch with adjustment means 22 in order to displace the doffer rollers 7 within the doffer housing 6 relative to one another and parallel to the vertical direction Z' of the housing. Figure 8 shows a front view of the front side cheek 9. The adjustment means 22 comprise a rocker 24 on each end face that can be pivoted about a central pivot point 23. For pivoting, an actuator (not shown) acts on the rocker 24 on the end face of the rear side cheek 11. The actuator is communicatively connected to the control unit 15. The control unit 15 is configured to control the actuator during each pass such that a doffer roller 7' of the two doffer rollers 7 leading in the direction of travel has a smaller distance from the doffer plane E than a doffer roller 7" of the two doffer rollers 7 trailing in the direction of travel.In this way, the current consumption of both pickup rollers 7', 7" is always largely the same.

[0053] With a view to Figure 3, the doffer unit 5 moves to the left and is located, here as an example, in the forward run A. Accordingly, the leading, left doffer roller 7' is deeper into the fiber bale 2 than the trailing, right doffer roller 7". With a view to Figure 4, the doffer unit 5 moves to the right and is located, here as an example, in the return run B, with the right doffer roller 7" now reaching deeper into the fiber bale than the trailing, left doffer roller 7'.

[0054] In order to achieve the maximum possible production quantity and the most uniform flock processing possible, the collector housing 6 must be arranged or held in a defined, i.e. predetermined, target orientation in space, as shown in Figures 1 to 4. In the target orientation, a pitch angle α formed between the vertical direction L and the housing longitudinal axis X' is, in this case, 0 degrees. Furthermore, a roll angle β formed between the vertical direction L and the housing transverse direction Y' is, in this case, 0 degrees. However, events during the operation of the bale opener 1 can cause the collector housing 6 to tilt about the housing longitudinal axis X' and / or the housing transverse axis Y'. In the case of a sloping floor 3, on which the machine vertical axis X can be perpendicular, the pitch angle α or the roll angle β in the target orientation can correspond to a respective correction angle in order to compensate for the slope of the floor 3.

[0055] In Figures 5 and 6, the doffer housing 6 is tilted to the right about the housing transverse axis Y', so that the pitch angle a, here as an example, is +2 degrees. In Figure 5 it can be seen that in the left-facing direction of travel (forward travel A), both doffer rollers 7', 7" are at the same height and the engagement switch is virtually eliminated. Looking at Figure 6, after the change of direction (return travel B), the doffer roller 7" leading to the right is, in addition to the vertical displacement due to the engagement switch, deeper into the material of the fiber bale 2 by the level of the inclined position or the pitch angle a and works the bale surface unevenly.

[0056] With reference to Figure 8, the collector housing 6 is tilted clockwise around the housing's longitudinal axis X', or backwards, so that the roll angle ß is, here as an example, +2 degrees. This inclined position is reflected in the bale view as an inclined profile. To measure the actual alignment, a sensor unit 26 is provided, which is arranged in a defined position relative to the collector housing 6. The sensor unit 26 is communicatively connected to the control unit 15, wherein the control unit 15 is configured to trigger a warning if the actual alignment of the collector housing 6 lies outside a predetermined tolerance range. The control unit 15 is also connected to a display unit, which can provide a visual warning if the misalignment is detected.The display unit can, for example, comprise a light-emitting diode strip 27, which can be arranged on the machine housing of the machine frame 4 and, more preferably, on the machine housing of the portal profiles 17, 18, so that it is clearly visible from the outside on both sides. The display unit can also include a display 28 of the control panel 16. Furthermore, the display unit can also include a mobile device (not shown).

[0057] The sensor unit 26 has at least one sensor module 29, 30, which can be an inclination sensor or an acceleration sensor. Both sensor types are generally suitable for measuring the orientation of the pickup housing 6 relative to the vertical direction L.

[0058] In the embodiment shown, the sensor unit 26 comprises, by way of example, only two of the sensor modules 29, 30, which are spaced apart from one another along the housing transverse axis Y' and arranged at each of the two ends of the pickup housing 6. Each sensor module 29, 30 is biaxial, i.e., has two measuring axes. A first of the two measuring axes measures the pitch angle α between the housing longitudinal direction X' and the horizontal reference plane H, to which the vertical direction L is normal, and a second of the two measuring axes measures the roll angle β between the housing transverse direction Y' and the horizontal reference plane H.

[0059] Furthermore, the sensor unit 26 is arranged on the inside of a housing wall 31 of the receiver housing 6, which is why the sensor modules 29, 30 are shown in Figures 1 and 2 by dashed lines. The housing wall 31 can, as shown here, be the upper housing wall, i.e., the cover of the receiver housing 6. Preferably, the housing wall 31 is flat where the sensor unit 26 is attached and aligned parallel to the receiver plane E. The sensor unit 26 can be attached to the receiver housing 6 by means of screws, rivets, adhesive, or the like in order to firmly define the defined position on the receiver housing 6.

[0060] A target alignment, which can be specified by the manufacturer, is stored in the control unit 15. In the target alignment, the pickup housing 6 can be aligned, here as an example, with the housing longitudinal direction X' and the housing transverse direction Y', each parallel to the horizontal reference plane H. Preferably, the housing wall 31 or the area of ​​the housing wall 31 occupied by the sensor unit 15 is aligned parallel to the horizontal reference plane H in the target alignment. An alignment other than horizontal is also possible, especially if a correction angle needs to be taken into account due to an inclined floor 3.

[0061] The tolerance range within which a deviation from the target alignment is acceptable can be specified in the control unit 15. The tolerance range can, for example, include a pitch angle range of + / - 5 degrees and a roll angle range of + / - 10 degrees. The target alignment or zero position can, but does not have to, be in the middle of the tolerance range. It is also conceivable in principle that an inclination in one direction is tolerable to a greater extent than in the other. Using the pitch angle α as an example, the tolerance range could cover the range from a minimum pitch angle α of -7 degrees to a maximum pitch angle α of +5 degrees. The pitch angle range and the roll angle range can also influence each other. Outside the tolerance range, the pickup housing 6 is misaligned to such an extent that the control unit 15 triggers the warning.

[0062] In order to align the pickup housing 6 in the desired orientation or to correct the misalignment, the bale opener 1 has alignment means 32 which, here as an example, interact with the pulling means 19 for height adjustment and guide means 33 of the bale opener 1, see Figures 8 and 9.

[0063] Specifically, the pickup unit 5 suspended between the two side walls 9, 11 is guided on the two side walls 9, 11. To guide the height-adjustable pickup housing 6, frame-side guide elements are arranged on the two side walls 9, 11. These comprise, here, vertically aligned guide profiles 34, which are arranged on mutually facing inner sides of the side walls 9, 11 and protrude into the space formed between the two side walls 9, 11. The guide profiles 34 can be designed, for example, as guide rails, either by being formed integrally with the respective side wall or by being fastened to the respective side wall 9, 11, for example by screwing.

[0064] Furthermore, on each end face of the pickup housing 6, pickup-side guide elements 35 are arranged, which are supported on the guide profiles 34. The pickup-side guide elements 35 are explained in detail below using one of the two end faces as an example, whereby the structure can be the same on both end faces. Four guide rollers 36, 37, 38, 39 and one support roller 40 are arranged on each end face and are rotatably mounted on the pickup housing 6. The axes of rotation of the guide rollers 36, 37, 38, 39 are aligned parallel to the transverse direction Y' of the housing, and the axis of rotation of the support roller 40 is aligned parallel to the longitudinal direction X' of the housing. The guide rollers 36, 37, 38, 39 are divided into pairs and form an upper pair of rollers 36, 37 and a lower pair of rollers 38, 39. The guide profile 34 of the respective side cheek 9, 11 engages between the respective pair of guide rollers 36, 37, 38, 39.When the pickup housing 6 is raised and lowered, the guide rollers 36, 37, 38, 39 roll along the side flanks of the guide profile 34. The support roller 40 lies between the pickup housing 6 and the guide profile 34 and rolls along the central web of the guide profile 34 facing the pickup housing 6.

[0065] To align the collector housing 6 about the housing transverse axis Y', i.e. to correct the pitch angle α, the alignment means 32 have two eccentric bolts 41, 42, in particular hexagonal bolts, on which the two guide rollers 38, 39 of the lower roller pair are rotatably mounted. The guide rollers 36, 37 of the upper pair, on the other hand, are fixedly mounted on the collector housing 6. If, for example, by turning the two bolts 41, 42, the two guide rollers 38, 39 of the lower pair are displaced to the left, as viewed from the front 8 of the bale opener 1 to the rear side cheek 11, the collector housing 6 is rotated clockwise about the housing transverse direction Y'. In this way, a negative pitch angle α can be corrected. In an analogous manner, a positive pitch angle a can be corrected by turning the two bolts 41, 42 in opposite directions.The adjustment of the pickup housing 6 about the housing transverse axis Y' can be carried out until the pitch angle a is at least approximately 0 degrees or corresponds to the respective correction angle.

[0066] To align the pickup housing 6 around the housing's longitudinal axis X', i.e., to correct the roll angle ß, the alignment means 32 have fixing means 43 for adjusting and fixing the length of the two tension means 19, from which the two ends of the pickup housing 6 are suspended. Specifically, the fixing means 43 are belt buckles for regulating and fixing the width of a loop formed by the tension means 19. The lengthening or shortening of the respective tension means 19 can be continued until the roll angle ß is at least approximately 0 degrees or corresponds to the respective correction angle.

[0067] To calibrate the sensor unit 26 during initial commissioning of the bale opener 1, the pickup housing 6 of the suspended pickup unit 5 is first moved into the desired orientation. To measure the pitch angle α, a conventional spirit level can be placed on the outside of the housing wall 31. For this purpose, the measuring axis of the spirit level points parallel to the longitudinal direction of the housing. To measure the roll angle β, a tape measure can be used to determine the distance to one of the portal profiles 17, 18 arranged above the pickup unit 5 at both ends of the pickup housing 6. After aligning the pickup housing 6 in the desired orientation (here: pitch angle α = 0 degrees and roll angle β = 0 degrees), the measured values ​​transmitted from the sensor unit 26 to the control unit 15 can be saved as output or "zero" values ​​in the control unit 15.The output values ​​are used during operation of the bale opener 1 to determine whether the detected actual alignment lies within or outside the tolerance range. Instead of determining the output values ​​using the calibration described above, standard values ​​that may be stored in the control unit 15 by the manufacturer can also be used.

[0068] The tolerance range can be stored in the control unit 15 or entered manually. However, it can also be measured. For this purpose, the pickup housing 6 can be deflected to the limit values, i.e., the minimum and maximum pitch angle α and the minimum and maximum roll angle β, and the measured values ​​transmitted by the sensor unit 26 can be stored in the control unit 15. The voltage or current values ​​at the respective limit values ​​form the tolerated measured value range.

[0069] During and / or after the passage of the bale opener 1, the control unit 15 checks whether the measured values ​​transmitted by the sensor unit 26 are within the tolerated value range. If the measured values ​​leave the tolerated value range, this indicates that the current alignment ("actual alignment") of the pickup housing 6 is outside the tolerance range. The control unit 15 then triggers the warning. If the actual alignment is within the tolerance range, no warning is triggered.

[0070] The invention is not limited in its implementation to the preferred embodiment described above. Rather, a number of variants are conceivable, which utilize the presented solution even in fundamentally different embodiments. All features and / or advantages apparent from the claims, the description, or the drawings, including structural details or spatial arrangements, may be essential to the invention both individually and in a wide variety of combinations.

[0071] Reference symbol

[0072] 1 bale opener 36 guide roller

[0073] 2 fiber bales 37 guide roller

[0074] 3 Floor 38 Guide roller

[0075] 4 Machine frame 39 Guide roller

[0076] 5 Pick-up unit 40 Support roller

[0077] 6 pickup housing 41 bolts

[0078] 7 Pick-up roller 42 bolts

[0079] 8 Front 43 Fixative

[0080] 9 Sidewall

[0081] 10 Back

[0082] 11 Sidewall

[0083] 12 roller

[0084] 13 Guide rail a pitch angle

[0085] 14 Roller ß Roll angle

[0086] 15 Control unit A flow

[0087] 16 Control panel B Return

[0088] 17 Portal profile E Customer level

[0089] 18 Portal profile H reference plane

[0090] 19 Traction means L Vertical direction

[0091] 20 Transport channel X Machine longitudinal direction

[0092] 21 Pressure roller Y cross machine direction

[0093] 22 Adjustment means Z machine vertical direction

[0094] 23 Pivot point X' Housing longitudinal direction

[0095] 24 Rocker Y' housing transverse direction

[0096] 25 Extraction device Z' housing vertical direction

[0097] 26 Sensor unit

[0098] 27 LED strip

[0099] 28 Display

[0100] 29 Sensor module

[0101] 30 sensor module

[0102] 31 Housing wall

[0103] 32 alignment tools

[0104] 33 leadership tools

[0105] 34 Leadership profile

[0106] 35 Guide element

Claims

- AMENDED CLAIMS received by the International Bureau on 28 November 2023 (28.11.2023) 1. Bale opener (1) for opening fiber bales (2) placed on a floor (3), comprising a machine frame (4) and a height-adjustable pickup unit (5) which is held and guided on the machine frame (4), wherein the pickup unit (5) has a pickup housing (6) which has an extension in the housing longitudinal direction (X'), in the housing transverse direction (Y') and in the housing vertical direction (Z'), and two pickup rollers (7) arranged in the pickup housing (6) at a distance from one another in the housing longitudinal direction (X') for removing fibers from the fiber bales (2), wherein a sensor unit (26) is provided for measuring an orientation of the pickup housing (6) in space, wherein the sensor unit (26) is arranged in a defined position relative to the pickup housing (6) and is communicatively connected to a control unit (15), wherein the control unit (15) is configured to trigger a warning,if the alignment of the pickup housing (6) lies outside a predetermined tolerance range, characterized in that the sensor unit (26) is arranged on the pickup housing (6) and is configured to measure the alignment of the pickup housing (6) relative to the vertical direction (L).

2. Bale opener (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor unit (26) has at least one sensor module (29, 30) which is configured to measure a pitch angle (α) between the housing longitudinal direction (X') and a horizontal reference plane (H) to which the vertical direction (L) is normal.

3. Bale opener (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the sensor unit (26) has at least two of the sensor modules (29, 30) configured to measure the pitch angle (α), which are arranged spaced apart from one another in the housing transverse direction (Y') at each end of the pickup housing (6).

4. Bale opener (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sensor unit (26) has at least one sensor module (29, 30) which is configured to measure a roll angle (β) between the housing transverse direction (Y') and a or the horizontal reference plane (H) to which the vertical direction (L) is normal.

5. Bale opener (1) according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the at least one sensor module (29, 30) is an inclination sensor or an acceleration sensor.

6. Bale opener (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the pickup unit (5) has at least two pressure rollers (21), wherein a pickup plane (E) aligned parallel to the housing longitudinal direction (X') and the housing transverse direction (Y') is arranged tangentially to the pressure rollers (21).

7. Bale opener (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the doffer unit (5) has adjusting means (22) for displacing the doffer rollers (7) relative to one another parallel to the vertical direction (Z') of the housing, wherein the control unit (15) is communicatively connected to the adjusting means (22) and is configured to control the adjusting means (22) during a pass in which the two doffer rollers (7) remove fibers from the fiber bales (2) in such a way that a doffer roller (7'; 7") leading in a removal direction (A, B) of the two doffer rollers (7) has a smaller distance from the doffer plane (E) than a doffer roller (7"; 7') trailing in the removal direction (A; B) of the two doffer rollers (7).

8. Bale opener (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the bale opener (1) has alignment means (32) for aligning the pickup housing (6) relative to the machine frame (4).

9. Bale opener (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the machine frame (4) has a first side cheek (9) and a second side cheek (11) and at least one portal profile (17, 18) connecting the two side cheeks (9, 11) to one another, wherein for the height-adjustable guidance of the pickup unit (5) frame-side guide elements (34) are arranged on the two side cheeks (9, 11), which interact with pickup-side guide elements (35) arranged on the pickup unit (5).

10. Bale opener (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that the guide elements (35) on the pickup side comprise eccentrically mounted guide rollers (38, 39) which roll on the guide elements (34) on the frame side.

11. Bale opener (1) according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the control unit (15) is communicatively connected to a display unit (27, 28), wherein the display unit (27, 28) visually indicates that the tolerance range has been left when the warning is triggered.

12. Method for operating a bale opener according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the sensor unit (26) detects the orientation of the receiver housing (6) in the room and transmits measured values ​​to the control unit (15), wherein the control unit (15) triggers a warning if the alignment of the receiver housing (6) lies outside a predetermined tolerance range.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that the method comprises, prior to a pass in which the two doffer rollers remove fibers from the fiber bales (2), either a calibration step in which the doffer housing (6) is in a desired orientation and at least one initial measured value is transmitted from the sensor unit (26) to the control unit (15) and stored and selected in the control unit (15) as an initial value, or an initial step in which at least one initial value representing a desired orientation, which is stored in the control unit (15), is selected.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that the method comprises at least one test step during and / or after the passage, in which the sensor unit (26) transmits at least one actual measured value representing the current orientation of the pickup housing (6) to the control unit (15), wherein the control unit (15) checks, based on the at least one selected output value, whether the actual measured value lies outside the tolerance range.

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