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] The present invention relates to a bale opener for opening fiber bales placed on the ground, comprising a machine frame and a height-adjustable take-up unit which is held and guided on the machine frame, wherein the take-up unit has a take-up housing extending in the longitudinal, transverse, and vertical directions, and two take-up rollers spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction within the take-up housing for removing fibers or fiber flakes from the fiber bales. The present invention further relates to a method for operating the bale opener.

[0002] From DE 10 2018 110 690 A1, a bale opener is known with a pickup unit that is arranged in a space between the two side walls and suspended by two traction elements. Each of the two traction elements is guided over an associated deflection pulley, with a rotary sensor arranged on each of the two deflection pulleys to obtain a more precise height position measurement through mathematical calculation. This also makes it possible to detect any misalignment of the pickup unit between the side walls. If, for example, the rotary sensor readings at the two deflection pulleys differ from each other by a definable value, the pickup unit is misaligned, and a signal can be output via an evaluation unit to a control unit of the bale opener, for example, to stop the bale opener.

[0003] A bale opener for opening compressed fiber bales is known from WO 2019 / 211013 A1. The bale opener comprises a machine frame movable along the direction in which the fiber bales are placed and a take-up unit with a take-up housing and two take-up rollers arranged in the take-up housing. The take-up unit is arranged between two side panels of the machine frame in a height-adjustable manner and is suspended from the machine frame by means of tension members. The tension members are operatively connected to a drive motor to allow the height of the take-up unit to be adjusted. Guide rollers are arranged at both ends of the take-up housing, which roll on guide profiles of the side panels. During on-site customer assembly, the take-up unit is attached and aligned in the desired position.

[0004] This design has proven successful in practice, as it allows for high production volumes. However, improper handling of the bale opener, continuous stress, or even regular operation over years can cause the alignment of the take-up unit to change. A tilted take-up unit can lead to production disadvantages, especially if the unit is tilted in the direction of travel. During a pass, the take-up roller leading in the direction of travel should be in deeper contact with the fiber bales than the rear take-up roller. If the take-up unit is tilted to the right around its transverse axis perpendicular to the direction of travel, the take-up roller leading in the direction of travel may be too high when traveling to the left and too low when changing direction to the right.This can lead to different production quantities being removed during the forward and reverse passes, and to significant variations in the flake size of the fiber flakes extracted from the pressed fiber bales by the take-off rollers. This also applies analogously if the take-off unit is tilted to the left.

[0005] 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 possible preparation of fiber flakes for subsequent spinning preparation machines and avoids varying production quantities in each pass. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method that ensures the most consistent possible preparation of fiber flakes for subsequent spinning preparation machines and avoids varying production quantities in each pass.

[0006] The problem is solved by a bale opener of the type mentioned above by providing a sensor unit for measuring the orientation of the pickup housing in space. The sensor unit is arranged in a defined position relative to the pickup housing and is communicatively connected to a control unit. The control unit is configured to trigger a warning signal if the orientation of the pickup housing is outside a predefined tolerance range. The sensor unit is arranged on the pickup housing and configured to measure the orientation of the pickup housing relative to the vertical direction.

[0007] A key advantage is that the bale opener itself can indicate or warn if the alignment of the pickup housing is outside the specified tolerance range, meaning it deviates so significantly from a target alignment (especially one specified by the manufacturer) that subsequent operation of the bale opener is likely to have, or will have, negative effects on the uniformity of the flake processing and the production volume. This allows for early countermeasures to be taken before the misalignment of the pickup housing disrupts the production process of downstream spinning preparation machines.

[0008] A misalignment of the take-off housing directly affects the angle of the take-off rollers relative to the fiber bales. Therefore, knowing the alignment of the take-off housing allows conclusions to be drawn about the position of the two take-off rollers, which are rotatably mounted on the housing. If the take-off housing is misaligned, the two take-off rollers may be positioned higher or lower than intended, which can cause significant fluctuations in the processing quality of the fiber flakes during the forward and reverse passes of a cycle in which the two take-off rollers remove fibers from the fiber bales.

[0009] According to the invention, the local direction of the acceleration due to gravity (symbol g) is used to measure the orientation of the pickup housing in space. By referencing the plumb line or a horizontal reference plane perpendicular to it, measurement inaccuracies that may arise, for example, from uneven ground at the installation site of the bale opener can be reduced or eliminated. This allows for a simple determination of whether the pickup housing is tilted and whether this tilt is outside the specified tolerance range.

[0010] Preferably, the sensor unit is arranged only on the receiver housing. The defined position in which the sensor unit and the receiver housing are arranged relative to each other can be clearly specified, particularly by the manufacturer. If the floor is sloped, one or two correction angles can be stored in the control unit to shift the tolerance range by the corresponding correction angle. In this way, the machine frame can stand perpendicular to the floor plane defined by the ground.

[0011] Attached to the pickup housing, the sensor unit's function is to detect the current 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 uses these readings to determine the current orientation of the pickup housing.

[0012] In the desired orientation, the pickup housing can, for example, be oriented such that the housing's vertical direction runs parallel to the vertical direction. Furthermore, the pickup housing can be oriented such that the vertical direction is perpendicular to the housing's longitudinal direction and, more preferably, perpendicular to a pickup plane defined by the housing's longitudinal and transverse directions. The pickup plane can thus be perfectly horizontal in the desired orientation. In the case of a sloping base, the corresponding correction angle relative to the vertical direction can also be taken into account. In particular, the pickup plane is arranged parallel to the reference plane. Preferably, the housing's transverse direction, longitudinal direction, and vertical direction define a Cartesian coordinate system associated with the pickup housing.

[0013] Furthermore, the sensor unit can include at least one sensor module configured to measure a pitch angle between the longitudinal direction of the housing and a horizontal reference plane to which the plumb line is perpendicular. This allows for the detection of a tilt in the material removal direction, where the cutter housing is inclined to the left or right or tilted about its longitudinal axis. If the pitch angle is outside the tolerance range, the cutter rollers are positioned too low or too high in the forward and reverse directions. In the target orientation, the pitch angle can be 0 degrees or correspond to the size of the corresponding correction angle. For example, the tolerance range can include a minimum pitch angle of -5 degrees and a maximum pitch angle of +5 degrees. Manufacturers can also specify a significantly smaller tolerance range, for example, + / - 2 degrees, and even further, + / - 0.5 degrees, to ensure optimal material removal at all times.In particular, for measuring the pitch angle, a measuring axis of 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 spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction of the housing and arranged at opposite longitudinal ends of the receiver housing. In this way, a one-sided tilt of the receiver housing can also be detected if the receiver housing has twisted.

[0014] Furthermore, the sensor unit can include at least one sensor module configured to measure a roll angle between the housing's transverse direction and a horizontal reference plane to which the plumb line is perpendicular. This allows for the detection of an inclination perpendicular to the removal direction, where the pickup housing is tilted forward or backward, or about its transverse axis. In this case, the bale pattern is removed at an angle. In other words, the inclination of the pickup unit is incorporated into the bale pattern. As a result, the bale pattern cannot be completely removed down to the ground, at least on the higher side of the pickup housing. In the target orientation, the roll angle can be 0 degrees or correspond to the magnitude of the corresponding correction angle. For illustrative purposes only, the tolerance range can include a minimum roll angle of -5 degrees and a maximum roll angle of +5 degrees.Manufacturers can also specify a significantly smaller tolerance range, for example + / - 2 degrees and even + / - 1 degree, to ensure optimal material removal at all times. In particular, for measuring the roll angle, one measuring axis of at least one sensor module can be parallel to the transverse direction of the housing.

[0015] The sensor unit can comprise a single sensor module or multiple sensor modules. If multiple sensor modules are used, they can be of the same type or have different designs. Furthermore, the measuring axes of at least some of the sensor modules can be aligned in the same or different ways. In principle, all measuring axes can also be aligned in the same way. The at least one sensor module can be a 1-, 2-, or 3-axis sensor module. If the sensor unit has multiple 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 along two axes, enabling the determination of the spatial inclination of the sensor unit or the receiver housing relative to the vertical.

[0016] According to an initial embodiment, at least one sensor module can be an inclination sensor. For example, 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. Alternatively, the inclination sensor can be a mechanical ball bank or bubble sensor with lower accuracy. If multiple measuring axes are required, such as measuring pitch and roll angles, several inclination sensors with different orientations can be used. It is also possible to use at least one multi-axis, particularly two-axis, inclination sensor.To compensate for the movements and vibrations that occur during the operation of the bale opener when measuring the tilt, at least one tilt sensor can also be a combination of two measuring principles. For example, two different types of MEMS sensors can be used, such as an accelerometer and a gyroscope.

[0017] According to a second embodiment, which can be used as an alternative or in addition to the first embodiment, at least one sensor module can be an accelerometer. The accelerometer measures the acceleration acting upon it in a manner known per se. Since vibrations and shocks are also detected in addition to tilt measurements, the accelerometer provides more reliable measurements, especially when the consumer unit is stationary.

[0018] For all configurations, at least one sensor module can transmit the measurement data electronically as voltage levels or via a current interface to the control unit. Digital transmission is also possible. The sensor unit can have one electrical output per measuring axis, which is connected to the control unit. When the orientation of the sensor unit changes, the voltage at the respective output changes. For calibration, an output 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 sensor housing, by subtracting the measured actual value from the output value. If the sensor unit is arranged in a defined position on the sensor housing, calibration is preferably performed in the target orientation.

[0019] To measure the orientation of the pickup housing in space, the sensor unit can be positioned at a distance from the pickup housing, as an alternative to being mounted directly on it. For example, the sensor unit can include an optical detection device, such as a camera, a laser system for profile detection, or similar equipment. The measured actual values ​​for the current orientation of the pickup housing can then be compared with predefined (image) data stored in the control unit to determine the target orientation. The sensor unit can be mounted facing the pickup unit and, for example, on the machine frame or relative to the floor, fixed to a support structure such as a pedestal, a column, a building or machine wall, an operator portal of the bale opener, or similar.

[0020] Furthermore, the sensor unit can have at least two pressure rollers to which the sensor plane is arranged tangentially. The sensor unit is preferably arranged on a planar housing surface of the sensor housing. In particular, the housing surface or the surface section occupied by the sensor unit is aligned parallel to the sensor plane. Preferably, the plumb line in the target orientation is perpendicular to the housing surface, whereby at least one correction angle can also be taken into account in the case of a sloping base. Advantageously, the sensor unit is firmly and permanently connected to the sensor housing and can be screwed, riveted, glued, etc. to the sensor housing.

[0021] During the removal process, the take-off unit can rest on the fiber bale in the take-off plane.

[0022] The two pressure rollers can be positioned one in front of and one behind the take-up rollers along the longitudinal axis of the housing and are rotatably mounted on the take-up housing. A possible third pressure roller can be positioned between the take-up rollers and also rotatably mounted on the take-up housing. The pressure rollers thus ensure that the surfaces of the fiber bales are fed under the take-up unit and can be driven by a rotary actuator. As the take-up unit moves over the fiber bales, the surface of the fiber bales is smoothed by the pressure roller that is always in front in the direction of removal, before the preceding take-up 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 take-up plane.

[0023] Preferably, the pickup unit has adjusting means for displacing the pickup rollers relative to each other along the housing's vertical axis. The control unit is communicatively connected to the adjusting means and configured to actuate them during the forward and reverse passes such that the pickup roller leading in the removal direction has a smaller distance to the pickup plane than the pickup roller trailing in the removal direction. In other words, the pickup rollers can be displaced vertically relative to each other, i.e., in the target orientation of the pickup housing along the vertical direction. During each pass, the removal direction can change, in particular once, from forward to reverse.

[0024] The machine frame can be moved back and forth on the floor along a longitudinal direction, along which the fiber bales can be positioned. With the movable bale opener, the removal direction corresponds to the direction of travel of the bale opener across the floor. Each pass includes a change of direction from forward to reverse, in which the bale opener, for example, first moves to the left and then to the right across the bale area, or, in the case of multiple batches, at least only a portion of the bale area.

[0025] 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 vertical axis of the machine that is perpendicular to the ground. If the ground is level, the vertical axis of the machine can be plumb. The machine frame can be designed to move along the ground to allow the take-up unit to be moved over the fiber bale. The side panels can have rollers, with the rollers of the first side panel being guided along a track, particularly a straight one, by a guide rail attached to the ground. The rollers of the second side panel can run freely along the ground without further guidance.For height-adjustable guidance of the pickup unit, frame-side guide elements can be arranged on both side walls, interacting with pickup-side guide elements located on the pickup unit itself. The frame-side guide elements can be arranged on the inner surfaces of the side walls facing each other and can, for example, be designed as guide rails. The frame-side guide elements can run parallel to the machine's vertical axis. The pickup-side guide elements can include rollers that roll along the guide rails.

[0026] Furthermore, the bale opener can have alignment devices for aligning the pickup housing relative to the machine frame. This allows the pickup housing to be aligned, particularly in its intended position, and any misalignment to be corrected to prevent the pickup housing from tilting during height adjustment along the frame-side guide elements. In the intended position, the machine's vertical axis is preferably perpendicular to the pickup plane. If the floor is uneven, the machine's vertical axis can be angled relative to the vertical by the corresponding correction angle.

[0027] Preferably, the alignment means and the guide means for aligning the pickup housing about the transverse direction of the housing, i.e., for adjusting the pitch angle, work together. For this purpose, at least one pair of the pickup-side guide elements on each end face of the pickup unit can be adjustable relative to each other in the longitudinal direction of the pickup housing, in order to adjust the distance between the guide elements forming the respective pair. For alignment, preferably only the position relative to the transverse axis of the housing 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 axis to adjust the pitch angle. The adjustable guide elements can be eccentrically mounted guide rollers that roll on the frame-side guide elements.The axes of rotation 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, particularly hexagonal bolts, on which the guide rollers are mounted. Each end face of the pickup unit can have several guide rollers arranged in pairs, with the frame-side guide elements positioned between them. A bottom pair of guide rollers can be adjustable for aligning the pickup housing and may, for example, have eccentric mounting. A top pair of guide rollers can have fixed mounting relative to the pickup housing.

[0028] Furthermore, the pickup unit, which is arranged between the two side walls and is height-adjustable, can be suspended from the machine frame by means of tension members. These tension members, for example, straps from which the pickup unit hangs, can be operatively connected to a drive motor for height adjustment of the pickup unit. Preferably, the alignment means and the tension members work together to align the pickup housing around its longitudinal axis. By changing and fixing the length of the tension members, the inclination of the pickup housing around its transverse axis, or the roll angle, can be altered. In particular, each alignment means has a buckle to adjust and fix the width of a loop formed by the tension member.

[0029] Furthermore, the control unit can be communicatively connected to a display unit to visually indicate when a warning signal is triggered and the tolerance range is exceeded. For this purpose, the display unit can, for example, include lighting elements arranged according to a predetermined geometric shape. This shape can be a line that includes 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 to indicate the alignment of the sensor housing. The lighting scenario can involve the lighting elements illuminating in the same color or in different colors. For example, the correct alignment can be indicated by green lighting elements, and the deviation from the correct alignment can be indicated by increasingly yellow, orange, and / or red colors, depending on the degree of misalignment.This is particularly advantageous if the sensor unit offers a level of measurement accuracy that allows, for example, precise determination of the orientation. As a further countermeasure, the control unit could stop the bale opener and / or issue audible warning signals as soon as the indicator lights turn completely red. Warning signals can also be sent to a higher-level control center, which may include a stationary unit and / or mobile devices. When 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 audible warning, (3) stopping the bale opener. Other or different stages are conceivable and possible. In this way, people in the vicinity of the bale opener, as well as those further away from the bale opener via a higher-level control system or mobile devices, can be alerted to the misalignment.

[0030] Another solution to the aforementioned problem consists of a method for operating the bale opener described above, wherein the sensor unit measures the orientation of the pickup housing in space and transmits measured values ​​to the control unit, the control unit triggering a warning signal if the orientation of the pickup housing lies outside a predetermined tolerance range. The method according to the invention offers the same advantages as those described in connection with the bale opener according to the invention, so reference is made here, for the sake of brevity, to the above description. It is understood that all the aforementioned embodiments of the bale opener are transferable to the method and vice versa.

[0031] The pickup unit can be aligned on-site during commissioning of the bale opener, during maintenance or servicing, or similar procedures. To determine the orientation of the pickup housing, or to obtain angle values, based on the sensor unit's measurements, the process can include a calibration step prior to each run. This calibration step establishes the absolute zero of the sensor unit, eliminating the so-called zero-point error ("zero offset"). During the calibration step, the pickup housing is preferably in the target orientation. At least one initial measurement, representing the target orientation, is then transmitted from the sensor unit to the control unit and stored there as an output value. The control unit then selects this output value.This allows the initial value to be used for further determination of whether the actual alignment is within or outside the tolerance range.

[0032] Instead of determining the initial value using the calibration described above, a standard value can also be used. This value can, for example, be stored in the control unit or entered manually. For instance, the zero-point values ​​of the sensor unit may have been provided by the manufacturer or measured when the unit was removed from the system, for example, by placing the sensor unit on a horizontal plane for measurement. Therefore, instead of the calibration step, or if necessary, an additional initial step can be included in which at least one initial value representing a target orientation, stored in the control unit, is selected.

[0033] Furthermore, the tolerance range can be measured. For this purpose, the sensor housing can be deflected up 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. This allows for the consideration of possible correction angles due to uneven ground.

[0034] During and / or after the operation, the method can further include at least one test step in which the sensor unit transmits at least one actual measured value representing the current orientation ("actual orientation") of the pickup housing to the control unit, the control unit checking, based on the at least one selected output value, whether the actual measured value is outside the tolerance range. Preferably, the test step is performed when the bale opener is stationary, for example, during the setup of the bale display. In particular, the machine frame is always at the same point in its travel path during the test step. For example, the machine frame can be at one of the two endpoints or turning points, or in the middle of the travel path. In particular, the machine frame is at the same point during the test step where the calibration was performed.If the test step is performed during the pass, a delay, for example of 1 minute, can be set when the control unit detects a misalignment, during which it checks whether the misalignment persists. In this way, short-term misalignments due to local floor irregularities do not trigger a warning.

[0035] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment. It shows: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a bale opener according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a receiving unit of the bale opener is aligned in a desired orientation and a bale display is set up on a mounting surface of the bale opener; Figure 2 shows another perspective view of the bale opener made of Figure 1, showing a front side panel without access doors; Figure 3 a schematically simplified cross-sectional view of a take-up unit of the bale opener made of Figure 1 , wherein the pickup unit is aligned in the target orientation and the pickup rollers of the pickup unit are set for a left-hand direction of travel; Figure 4 shows the pickup unit aligned in the target orientation. Figure 3 , wherein the pickup rollers are set for a right-hand direction of travel; Figure 5 the pickup unit made of Figure 3 , wherein the pickup unit is misaligned or tilted about a transverse housing axis and the pickup rollers are set for a left-hand direction of travel; Figure 6 shows the misaligned pickup unit made of Figure 5 , wherein the take-up rollers are set for a right-hand direction of travel; Figure 7 a schematically simplified side view of the bale opener made of Figure 1, wherein the pickup unit is misaligned or tilted about a longitudinal housing axis; Figure 8 shows a front view of the pickup unit of the bale opener made of Figure 1 ; and Figure 9, a perspective detail view of the bale opener from Figure 1 , where the pickup unit is shown without the housing cover.

[0036] In the Figures 1 to 2Figure 1 shows a spinning preparation machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, designed as a bale opener 1. The bale opener 1 serves, in a manner known per se, to open compressed fiber bales 2, in particular made of cotton, shredded fibers, or the like, which are arranged side by side in several rows along a machine longitudinal direction X on a floor 3. The bale opener 1 has a machine frame 4 that is movable on the floor 3 along the machine longitudinal direction X. A take-up unit 5 is held and guided on the machine frame 4 and is height-adjustable along a machine vertical axis Z. The take-up unit 5 has a take-up housing 6 that is open downwards, i.e., towards the floor 3, in which two driven take-up rollers 7 are arranged for removing fiber flakes from the surfaces of the fiber bales 2.

[0037] In the Figures 1, 2 and 7To illustrate the orientation of the bale opener 1 in space, the machine's longitudinal direction X, a machine transverse direction Y, and the machine's vertical direction Z are shown. These are defined in terms of a fixed Cartesian coordinate system and indicated by corresponding arrows. Assuming that the base 3 is perfectly horizontal, the machine's vertical axis Z runs parallel to the vertical direction L. The base 3 then lies in a horizontal reference plane H, to which the vertical direction L is perpendicular. However, the base 3 is often uneven at the installation site. Therefore, instead of the base 3, the vertical direction L, or the reference plane H perpendicular to it, is used to align the pickup housing 6.

[0038] Furthermore, in the Figures 3 to 7To clarify the orientation of the receiver housing 6 in space, a longitudinal housing direction X', a transverse housing direction Y' and a vertical housing direction Z' are drawn, which are assigned in the sense of a body-fixed, Cartesian coordinate system of the receiver housing 6 and are indicated by corresponding arrows.

[0039] The machine frame 4 comprises a front side panel 9 on a front side 8 of the bale opener 1 and a rear side panel 11 on a rear side 10 of the bale opener 1. Guide rollers 12 are arranged on the rear side panel 11, which roll along a guide rail 13 mounted on the floor 3 to guide the machine frame 4 along the longitudinal direction X of the machine. Further guide rollers 14 are arranged below the front side panel 9, which roll directly on the floor 3 when the machine frame 4 is moved back and forth.

[0040] The bale opener 1 has an electrical control unit 15 for monitoring and controlling movement functions, sensors, and actuators of the bale opener 1. In the Figure 2 The front side panel 9 is shown without access doors, thus providing a clear view of the control unit 15. The bale opener 1 can be manually controlled via an operating 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 operating panel 16 and, if necessary, also via an optional input / output interface (not shown) located on the front side panel 9.

[0041] Between the two side walls 9, 11 extend two spaced-apart portal profiles 17, 18, which rigidly connect the two side walls 9, 11 to each other. The pickup unit 5 is suspended from the machine frame 4 in a manner known per se by means of two spaced-apart tension members 19, the tension members 19 being 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 to the description of the operation on page 9, line 25 to page 12, line 4 and the figures mentioned therein.

[0042] With regard to the in the Figure 2In the front view 8 of the bale opener 1 shown, the machine frame 4 moves the pickup unit 5 in one pass, first forward (here to the left) and, after a change of direction, backward (here to the right). The forward movement is indicated by arrow A and the backward movement by arrow B. After each pass, the height-adjustable pickup unit 5 can be lowered by one further feed.

[0043] The take-up housing 6 has an extent in the longitudinal direction X', the transverse direction Y', and the vertical direction Z'. The take-up housing 6 has a bottom-opening, box-shaped base. Its extent in the transverse direction Y' can be more than twice the extent in the longitudinal direction X'. Preferably, this ratio is between 2.3:1 and 3.5:1. The rotatably driven drive rollers 7 are rotatably mounted in the take-up housing 6 and spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction X'. The fiber flakes released by the take-up rollers 7 are extracted in a manner known per se via a suction device 25 arranged above the take-up rollers 7 and fed via a transport channel 20 for further use. The transport channel 20 runs outside the standing area of ​​the bale opener along the rear side 10 of the bale opener 1.

[0044] In the longitudinal direction X' of the housing, in front of and between the take-up rollers 7, three pressure rollers 21 can be rotatably mounted on the take-up housing 6, parallel to the axis. The pressure rollers 21 press against the surface of the fiber bales 2 and ensure that the surfaces of the fiber bales 2 enter the take-up unit 5. Below the pressure rollers 21, a take-up plane E is defined, which is arranged tangentially to the pressure rollers 7 and aligned parallel to the longitudinal direction X' of the housing and the transverse direction Y' of the housing.

[0045] The pickup unit 5 has an engagement switch with adjusting means 22 to displace the pickup rollers 7 within the pickup housing 6 relative to each other and parallel to the housing vertical direction Z'. In the Figure 8Figure 1 shows a front view of the front side panel 9. The adjusting means 22 each comprise a rocker 24 pivotable about a central pivot point 23 on each end panel. An actuator (not shown) acts on the rocker 24 at the end panel of the rear side panel 11 to pivot the rocker. The actuator is communicatively connected to the control unit 15. The control unit 15 is configured to actuate the actuator during each pass such that a leading pickup roller 7' of the two pickup rollers 7 has a smaller distance to the pickup plane E than a trailing pickup roller 7" of the two pickup rollers 7. In this way, the current consumption of both pickup rollers 7', 7" is always as close to the same as possible.

[0046] With regard to the Figure 3The take-up unit 5 moves to the left and is located, for example, in the leading section A. Accordingly, the leading, left take-up roller 7' is positioned deeper in the fiber bale 2 than the trailing, right take-up roller 7". With regard to the Figure 4 The take-up unit 5 moves to the right and is, here by way of example, in the return stroke B, whereby the right take-up roller 7" now engages deeper in the fiber bale than the following left take-up roller 7'.

[0047] To achieve the maximum possible production volume and the most uniform flock preparation possible, the receiver housing 6 must be arranged or held in a defined, i.e., predetermined, orientation in space, as shown in the Figures 1 to 4As shown. In the intended orientation, the pitch angle α formed between the vertical direction L and the longitudinal axis X' of the housing is 0 degrees. Furthermore, the roll angle β formed between the vertical direction L and the transverse direction Y' of the housing is also 0 degrees in the intended orientation. However, events during the operation of the bale opener 1 can cause the receiver housing 6 to tilt about the longitudinal axis X' and / or the transverse axis Y'. On a sloping base 3, where the vertical axis X can be perpendicular, the pitch angle α and / or the roll angle β in the intended orientation can correspond to a respective correction angle to compensate for the slope of the base 3.

[0048] In the Figures 5 and 6 The pickup housing 6 is tilted to the right about the housing transverse axis Y', so that the pitch angle α, here by way of example, is +2 degrees. In the Figure 5It is evident that in the left-hand direction of travel (forward A), both pickup rollers 7', 7" are at the same height, and the engagement switching is virtually eliminated. Looking at the Figure 6 After the change of direction (reverse B), the take-up roller 7" which is moving forward to the right is now, in addition to the vertical displacement due to the engagement switch, deeper in the material of the fiber bale 2 by the level of the inclination or the pitch angle α and works the bale surface unevenly.

[0049] With regard to the Figure 7 The pickup housing 6 is tilted clockwise around the longitudinal axis X' or backwards, so that the roll angle β, in this example, is +2 degrees. This tilt is reflected as an angled profile in the bale view.

[0050] A sensor unit 26 is provided for measuring the actual alignment and is arranged in a defined position relative to the pickup housing 6. The sensor unit 26 is communicatively connected to the control unit 15, which is configured to trigger a warning signal if the actual alignment of the pickup housing 6 is outside a predefined tolerance range. The control unit 15 is also connected to a display unit that can provide a visual warning signal when misalignment is detected. The display unit can, for example, comprise a light-emitting diode strip 27, which can be clearly visible from both sides of the machine housing of the machine frame 4 and, more preferably, on the machine housing of the portal profiles 17, 18. The display unit can also include a display 28 of the operator panel 16. Furthermore, the display unit can also include a mobile device (not shown).

[0051] 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 fundamentally suitable for measuring the orientation of the receiver housing 6 relative to the vertical direction L.

[0052] In the illustrated embodiment, the sensor unit 26 comprises, by way of example, two of the sensor modules 29, 30, which are spaced apart from each other along the housing transverse axis Y' and arranged at each of the two ends of the receiver housing 6. Each sensor module 29, 30 is designed with two axes, that is, it 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 perpendicular 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.

[0053] 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 located in the Figures 1 and 2 The housing wall 31 is represented by dashed lines. As shown here, the housing wall 31 can 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 its position on the receiver housing 6.

[0054] The control unit 15 contains a target orientation, which may be predefined by the manufacturer. In this target orientation, the receiver housing 6, shown here as an example, can be aligned with both its longitudinal direction X' and its transverse direction Y' 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 26, is aligned parallel to the horizontal reference plane H in the target orientation. A target orientation other than horizontal is also possible, particularly if a correction angle needs to be taken into account due to a sloping base 3.

[0055] The control unit 15 can define a tolerance range within which a deviation from the target alignment is acceptable. This tolerance range can, for example, encompass 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 necessarily have to, lie in the middle of the tolerance range. It is also conceivable that a greater degree of tilt in one direction is tolerable than in the other. Using the pitch angle α as an example, the tolerance range could extend 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 receiver housing 6 is misaligned to such an extent that the control unit 15 triggers the warning signal.

[0056] To align the receiver housing 6 in the desired orientation or to correct misalignment, the bale opener 1 has alignment means 32 which, shown here as an example, interact with the tension means 19 for height adjustment and guide means 33 of the bale opener 1; see the Figures 8 and 9 .

[0057] Specifically, the pickup unit 5, suspended between the two side panels 9, 11, is guided by these two side panels. To guide the height-adjustable pickup housing 6, frame-side guide elements are arranged on the two side panels 9, 11. These guide elements comprise, in this case, vertically oriented guide profiles 34, which are arranged on the inner surfaces of the side panels 9, 11 facing each other and project into the space formed between the two side panels 9, 11. The guide profiles 34 can, for example, be designed as guide rails, either by being formed integrally with the respective side panel or by being attached to the respective side panel 9, 11, for example, by screws.

[0058] Furthermore, six customer-side guide elements 35 are arranged on each end face of the pickup housing, supported by the guide profiles 34. The customer-side guide elements 35 are explained in detail below using one of the two end faces as an example, although the design 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 arranged in pairs, forming an upper pair consisting of rollers 36, 37 and a lower pair consisting 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 is located between the pickup housing 6 and the guide profile 34 and rolls along the central web of the guide profile 34 that faces the pickup housing 6.

[0059] To align the pickup 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 pickup housing 6. If, for example, by rotating the two bolts 41, 42, the two guide rollers 38, 39 of the lower pair are displaced to the left when viewed from the front 8 of the bale opener 1 towards the rear side wall 11, the pickup housing 6 is rotated clockwise about the housing transverse direction Y'. In this way, a negative pitch angle α can be corrected. Similarly, a positive pitch angle α can be corrected by rotating the two bolts 41, 42 in the opposite direction.The adjustment of the receiver housing 6 about the housing transverse axis Y' can be carried out until the pitch angle α is at least approximately 0 degrees or corresponds to the respective correction angle.

[0060] To align the pickup housing 6 about its longitudinal axis X', i.e., to correct the roll angle β, the alignment means 32 have fixing means 43 to adjust and fix the length of the two tensioning means 19 from which the two ends of the pickup housing 6 are suspended. Specifically, the fixing means 43 are buckles to regulate and fix the width of a loop formed by the tensioning means 19. The lengthening or shortening of the respective tensioning means 19 can be carried out until the roll angle β is at least approximately 0 degrees or corresponds to the respective correction angle.

[0061] To calibrate the sensor unit 26 during the initial commissioning of the bale opener 1, the receiver housing 6 of the suspended receiver unit 5 is first moved into its target orientation. A conventional spirit level can be placed on the outside of the housing wall 31 to measure the pitch angle α. For this purpose, the measuring axis of the spirit level should point parallel to the longitudinal direction of the housing. A measuring tape can be used to determine the distance at both ends of the receiver housing 6 to one of the portal profiles 17, 18 located above the receiver unit 5. After aligning the receiver housing 6 in its target orientation (here: pitch angle α = 0 degrees and roll angle β = 0 degrees), the measured values ​​transmitted by the sensor unit 26 to the control unit 15 can be stored as output or "zero" values ​​in the control unit 15.The initial values ​​are used in the operation of bale opener 1 to determine whether the detected actual orientation is within or outside the tolerance range. Instead of determining the initial values ​​using the calibration described above, standard values, which may be stored by the manufacturer in control unit 15, can also be used.

[0062] The tolerance range can be stored in the control unit 15 or entered manually. It can also be measured. For this purpose, the sensor 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 ​​corresponding to the respective limit values ​​constitute the toleranced measured value range.

[0063] 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 ranges. If the measured values ​​deviate from the tolerated value ranges, this indicates that the current orientation ("actual orientation") of the pickup housing 6 is outside the tolerance range. The control unit 15 then triggers the warning. If the actual orientation is within the tolerance range, no warning is triggered.

[0064] The invention is not limited in its implementation to the preferred embodiment described above. Rather, a number of variants are conceivable, which utilize the solution presented even in fundamentally different designs. All features and / or advantages arising from the claims, the description, or the drawings, including design details or spatial arrangements, can be essential to the invention, both individually and in various combinations. Reference sign 1 Ball opener 36 leadership role 2 Fiber bales 37 leadership role 3 Floor 38 leadership role 4 machine frame 39 leadership role 5 Customer unit 40 support roller 6 Customer housing 41 bolt 7 take-off roller 42 bolt 8 front 43 fixer 9 side cheek 10 Back 11 side cheek 12 roller 13 guide rail α Pitching angle 14 roller β roll angle 15 control unit A Preliminary 16 control panel B Return 17 Portal profile E Customer level 18 Portal profile H Reference plane 19 Traction L plumb line 20 Transport channel X Machine longitudinal direction 21 pressure roller Y Machine transverse direction 22 Adjustment device Z Machine height adjustment 23 pivot point X' Housing longitudinal direction 24 rocker Y' Housing transverse direction 25 extraction system Z' Housing height adjustment 26 Sensor unit 27 LED strip 28 Display 29 Sensor module 30 Sensor module 31 housing wall 32 Alignment aids 33 Management tools 34 Leadership profile 35 Guide element

Claims

1. Bale opener (1) for opening fibre bales (2) set up on a ground (3), with a machine frame (4) and a height-adjustable detacher unit (5) which is held and guided on the machine frame (4), wherein the detacher unit (5) comprises a detacher housing (6) which features an extension in the longitudinal housing direction (X'), in the transverse housing direction (Y') and in the vertical housing direction (Z'), and two detacher rollers (7) which are arranged spaced apart from each other in the detacher housing (6) in the longitudinal housing direction (X') for detaching fibres from the fibre bales (2), wherein a sensor unit (26) for measuring an alignment of the detacher housing (6) is provided in the room, wherein the sensor unit (26) is arranged in a defined position to the detacher housing (6) and is connected communicatively to a control unit (15), wherein the control unit (15) is configured, to issue a warning if the alignment of the detacher housing (6) is outside of the specified tolerance range and characterised in that the sensor unit (26) is arranged on the detacher housing (6) and configured to measure the alignment of the detacher housing (6) relative to the vertical direction (L).

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

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

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

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

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

7. Bale opener (1) according to claim 6, characterised in that the detacher unit (5) comprises adjusting mechanisms (22) for shifting the detacher rollers (7) relative to each other parallel to the vertical housing direction (Z'), wherein the control unit (15) is connected communicatively to the adjusting mechanisms (22) and configured to activate the adjusting mechanisms (22) in such a way during a passage in which the two detacher rollers (7) detach fibres from the fibre bales (2), that a leading detacher roller (7', 7") of the two detacher rollers (7) in a detaching direction (A, B) has a smaller distance to the detacher level (E) than a trailing detacher roller (7", 7') of the two detacher rollers (7) in a detaching direction (A, B).

8. Bale opener (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the bale opener (1) comprises alignment mechanisms (32) for aligning the detacher housing (6) relative to the machine frame (4).

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

10. Bale opener (1) according to claim 9, characterised in that the detacher-side guide elements (35) include eccentrically mounted guide rollers (38, 39) which roll off on the frame-side guide elements (34).

11. Bale opener (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the control unit (15) is connected communicatively with a display unit (27, 28), wherein the display unit (27, 28) displays the leaving of the tolerance range optically when a warning is issued.

12. Method for operating a bale opener according to one of the claims 1 to 11, characterised in that the sensor unit (26) measures the alignment of the detacher housing (6) in the room and transmits the measured values to the control unit (15), wherein the control unit (15) issues a warning if the alignment of the detacher housing (6) is outside the specified tolerance range.

13. Method according to claim 12, characterised in that the method, chronologically before a passage in which the two detacher rollers detach fibres from the fibre bales (2), includes either a calibration step during which the detacher housing (6) is positioned in a setpoint alignment and at least one initial measured value is transmitted from the sensor unit (26) to the control unit (15) and is saved and selected on the control unit (15) as the initial value, or an initial step during which at least one initial value, which represents a setpoint alignment and is saved on the control unit (15), is selected.

14. Method according to claim 13, characterised in that the method includes at least one checking step during and / or chronologically after the passage, during which the sensor unit (26) transmits at least one actual measured value which represents the current alignment of the detacher housing (6), to the control unit (15), wherein the control unit (15) checks a selected initial value as to whether the actual measured value is outside the tolerance range.

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