Automatic winder

Abstract

To suppress inclination of a tray while suppressing hindrance to conveyance of the tray.SOLUTION: An automatic winder 1 includes a yarn winding unit 2 and a tray conveying device 5. The automatic winder 1 further includes the second guide 42, the first receiving section (the tray receiving section 43 and the guide surface 36a), and the force applying section 51. The contact area RG1 of the second guide 42 in contact with the tray body 100 is lower than the first receiving area (the contact areas RG2 and RG3) of the first receiving part in contact with the tray body 100 in the vertical direction. When viewed from the vertical direction, a first imaginary line segment VLS1, a second imaginary line segment VLS2, a first imaginary straight line VL1, and a second imaginary straight line VL2 are defined. The force applying portion 51 is disposed on the same side as the first receiving region with respect to the second imaginary straight line VL2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic winder. [Background technology]

[0002] The automatic winder disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a plurality of winder units (yarn winding units), a first bobbin transport path, a plurality of second bobbin transport paths, and a third bobbin transport path. Each of the plurality of yarn winding units winds a yarn unwound from a yarn supplying bobbin. The first bobbin transport path, the plurality of second bobbin transport paths, and the third bobbin transport path are part of a path for transporting a transport tray (tray) on which a yarn supplying bobbin is mounted in a substantially upright position. The path is formed by a substantially horizontal path panel (cover member) disposed above a transport surface on which the tray is placed.

[0003] Among the above-mentioned paths, the multiple second bobbin transport paths closely associated with the multiple yarn winding units will be described in more detail. The multiple second bobbin transport paths are provided corresponding to the multiple yarn winding units, respectively. Each second bobbin transport path is a path for supplying a tray transported on the first transport path to the corresponding yarn winding unit. The second bobbin transport path is a path for discharging a tray on which a yarn supplying bobbin used by the yarn winding unit is mounted to the third transport path. A tray contact portion (pressing portion) and an elastic support portion (receiving portion) are provided on the second bobbin transport path. The tray is clamped between the pressing portion and the receiving portion and held at a predetermined winding position. The yarn winding unit unwinds yarn from a yarn supplying bobbin mounted on a tray positioned at the winding position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-204104 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In recent years, automatic winders have been improved, and changes have been made to the structure and arrangement of the pressing portion and receiving portion. While these changes have improved the functionality of automatic winders, the following problem has become apparent. Specifically, it has become necessary to prevent the tray being pressed by the pressing portion and receiving portion from unintentionally tilting (in other words, the tray being partially lifted up). To prevent this phenomenon, it is conceivable to provide a protrusion that protrudes a portion of the cover member downward to prevent the tray from lifting up. However, if the position of the bottom end of the protrusion is not sufficiently low, the tray cannot be sufficiently prevented from lifting up. On the other hand, if the position of the bottom end of the protrusion is too low, the protrusion will interfere with the tray, hindering its transport.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to prevent the tray from tilting while preventing the tray from being hindered in transport. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An automatic winder according to a first aspect of the present invention includes: a yarn winding unit configured to unwind and wind a yarn from an upright yarn supplying bobbin; and a tray transport device configured to transport a tray body including the yarn supplying bobbin and a tray supporting the yarn supplying bobbin to the yarn winding unit, the tray transport device having a transport surface on which the tray is placed. The automatic winder includes: a pressing unit that presses the tray body transported on the transport surface in at least a horizontal direction; a first receiving unit that receives the tray body pressed by the pressing unit at a predetermined winding position; and a force applying unit that applies a force to the tray body toward the transport surface. a first pressing area of ​​the pressing unit that contacts the tray body is lower in the vertical direction than a first receiving area of ​​the first receiving unit that contacts the tray body; when viewed from the vertical direction, a first imaginary line segment connecting both ends of the first pressing area, a second imaginary line segment connecting both ends of the first receiving area, a first imaginary line segment passing through the center of the first imaginary line segment and the center of the second imaginary line segment, and a second imaginary line segment passing through the radial center of the yarn supplying bobbin and perpendicular to the first imaginary line segment are defined, the force application unit is located on the same side as the first receiving area with respect to the second imaginary line segment.

[0008] In the present invention, the pressing portion and the first receiving portion press the tray body against each other at least in the horizontal direction at different positions in the vertical direction. As a result, a force moment (hereinafter simply referred to as moment) acts in a direction that causes a portion of the tray body to lift off the conveying surface. More specifically, an upward force acts on a portion of the tray body on the same side as the receiving area with respect to the second imaginary line (hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, referred to as the first portion). In this configuration, the center of the moment is located on a portion opposite the first portion across the second imaginary line (hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, referred to as the second portion). Therefore, in a configuration in which the force applying portion applies a force toward the conveying surface to the second portion (hereinafter, referred to as the reference configuration), a large force is required to resist the moment due to the principle of leverage. In contrast, in the present invention, the force applying portion applies a force toward the conveying surface to the first portion. Therefore, the upward force due to the moment can be resisted with a smaller force than in the reference configuration. Furthermore, this configuration, which resists the moment with a small force, can prevent an unnecessarily large force from being applied to the tray body. This reduces the possibility that a force that would interfere with the tray's transport will be applied to the tray body. As a result, it is possible to prevent the tray from tilting while preventing the tray from being hindered in its transport.

[0009] The automatic winder of a second invention is the same as that of the first invention, wherein the yarn winding unit includes a winding section that winds the yarn unwound from the yarn supplying bobbin to form a package; a yarn joining device that joins a first yarn including a yarn end on the yarn supplying bobbin side and a second yarn including a yarn end on the package side when the yarn is broken between the yarn supplying bobbin and the package; a yarn guiding section that guides the first yarn to the yarn joining device; a pull-out suppressing section that presses the yarn supplying bobbin to prevent the first yarn from being unwound from the yarn supplying bobbin when the first yarn is guided to the yarn joining device by the yarn guiding section; and a tray body pressed by the pull-out suppressing section. a second receiving portion that receives the yarn supply bobbin at the winding position, and a second pressing region of the pull-out suppressing portion that comes into contact with the yarn supply bobbin has a portion that is located above the second receiving region that comes into contact with the tray body of the second receiving portion, and when, when viewed from the vertical direction, a third imaginary line segment connecting both ends of the second pressing region, a fourth imaginary line segment connecting both ends of the second receiving region, a third imaginary line passing through the center of the third imaginary line segment and the center of the fourth imaginary line segment, and a fourth imaginary line passing through the radial center of the yarn supply bobbin and perpendicular to the third imaginary line are defined, the force application portion is disposed on the same side as the second pressing region with respect to the fourth imaginary line segment.

[0010] In the present invention, an upward force acts on a portion (hereinafter referred to as the third portion) on the same side as the second pressing area relative to the fourth virtual line. In the present invention, the force applying unit applies a force toward the conveying surface to the third portion. This allows the force applying unit to resist the moment with a small force. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the tray from tilting while preventing the tray from being hindered in conveying.

[0011] The automatic winder of the third invention is characterized in that, in the first or second invention, the yarn winding unit has an unwinding assist section that is arranged to surround the yarn supplying bobbin that is arranged at the winding position when viewed vertically, and the unwinding assist section is configured to be movable to a position that at least partially overlaps with the yarn supplying bobbin in the vertical direction.

[0012] In the configuration of the present invention, if the tray tilts, the yarn wound on the yarn supplying bobbin may become pinched between the yarn supplying bobbin and the unwinding assisting part due to, for example, the yarn supplying bobbin unintentionally coming into contact with the unwinding assisting part. This may hinder unwinding of the yarn from the yarn supplying bobbin or cause the yarn to break. In such a configuration, the present invention is effective because it can prevent the tray from tilting using the force applying part.

[0013] The automatic winder of the fourth invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to third inventions, the tray has an attachment portion on which the yarn supplying bobbin is attached, and a base portion that is positioned below the attachment portion and is larger than the attachment portion in the radial direction of the yarn supplying bobbin, and the force application portion has a pressing member that contacts an upper surface of the base portion from above and presses the tray downward.

[0014] For example, a configuration may be provided in which the tray is attracted to the conveying surface by magnetism or negative pressure, but this may complicate the structure of the automatic winder. In the present invention, tilting of the tray can be prevented by the simple means of pressing the base portion downward with a pressing member.

[0015] The automatic winder of the fifth invention is characterized in that, in the fourth invention, the contact surface of the pressing member that comes into contact with the upper surface of the base portion is curved and convex downward.

[0016] Generally, the upper surface of the base of a tray is flat. Therefore, in a configuration in which the contact surface is flat, the contact area between the upper surface of the base and the contact surface is large. In contrast, in the present invention, the contact area between the upper surface of the base and the contact surface is relatively small. This reduces the frictional force acting between the upper surface of the base and the contact surface. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the tray from being impeded in transport.

[0017] The automatic winder of a sixth invention is the automatic winder of the fifth invention, characterized in that the pressing member is a sphere.

[0018] In the present invention, the contact area between the upper surface of the base and the contact surface can be minimized, thereby effectively preventing the tray from being impeded in its transport.

[0019] The automatic winder of a seventh invention is the automatic winder of the fifth or sixth invention, characterized in that the pressing member is rotatable with respect to the upper surface of the base portion.

[0020] In the present invention, the frictional force acting between the upper surface of the base and the contact surface can be effectively reduced compared to when the pressing member is configured to be non-rotatable, thereby effectively preventing the tray from being impeded in transport.

[0021] An automatic winder according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is any one of the fourth to seventh aspects of the present invention, characterized in that the force applying section has a biasing section configured to bias the pressing member downward.

[0022] The pressure member may be configured to press the upper surface of the base by, for example, its own weight. However, in such a configuration, a pressure member with an appropriate density and size must be provided in the force application section, which may reduce the design freedom regarding the placement of the pressure member. The present invention can suppress the reduction in the design freedom regarding the pressure member.

[0023] The automatic winder of a ninth invention is the automatic winder of the eighth invention, characterized in that the biasing portion has a spring.

[0024] The pressing member may be fixed to one of a pair of magnets that repel each other, for example, and pressed against the upper surface of the base by utilizing the repulsive force of the pair of magnets. However, in this case, the structure of the automatic winder may become complicated. In the present invention, the pressing member can be pressed against the upper surface of the base with a simple structure. Furthermore, the pressing force can be easily adjusted by replacing the spring with another spring as needed.

[0025] The automatic winder of the 10th invention is any of the first to ninth inventions, wherein the first receiving portion has a push-back portion that applies a push-back force to the tray body, which is located in a predetermined area including the winding position in the conveying direction in which the tray body is conveyed, to push the tray body upstream, and the pressing portion is configured to apply a propulsion force to the tray body to push the tray body downstream in the conveying direction against the push-back force.

[0026] In the above configuration, the pressing portion must strongly press the tray body against the push-back force, which may increase the moment described above. In such a configuration, the present invention is effective in preventing the tray from tilting by the force applying portion.

[0027] The automatic winder of the 11th invention is characterized in that, in the 10th invention, the first receiving portion extends in a predetermined direction that intersects both the direction in which the pressing portion presses the tray body and the direction in which the push-back portion pushes back the tray body, and has a tray guide portion configured to be able to guide the tray body in the predetermined direction within the predetermined area.

[0028] In the present invention, the tray body can be positioned within a predetermined area. Meanwhile, in the above-described configuration, the tray body is pushed from many directions by the pressing portion, the push-back portion, and the tray guide portion. This makes it difficult to determine the direction and strength of the horizontal force acting. Therefore, in a configuration in which tilting of the tray body is suppressed by providing an additional member that pushes the tray body horizontally, fine adjustments to the structure and placement of the additional member are required, which can significantly complicate the design. In this regard, in the present invention, tilting of the tray body can be suppressed by applying a force to the tray body in the vertical direction using the force application portion. This increases the degree of freedom in the design of the force application portion.

[0029] The automatic winder of the 12th invention is characterized in that, in the 10th or 11th invention, the pressing portion is configured to be able to eject the tray body from the yarn winding unit by pushing the tray body downstream in the conveying direction from the specified area against the pushing-back force of the pushing-back portion.

[0030] Generally, a tray has an attachment portion on which a yarn supplying bobbin is attached and a base portion that is located below the attachment portion and is larger than the attachment portion in the radial direction of the yarn supplying bobbin. Comparing a configuration in which a pressing portion presses the base portion with a configuration in which a pressing portion presses the attachment portion, the former configuration can push the tray body farther (i.e., further downstream in the conveyance direction). Therefore, in a configuration in which the pressing portion ejects the tray body from the yarn winding unit, it is preferable that the pressing portion be located at a vertically low position similar to that of the base portion. Therefore, due to the large difference in height between the pressing portion and the first receiving portion, the moment described above is large, and the tray body is likely to tilt. In such a configuration, the present invention is effective in preventing the tray from tilting using a force applying portion.

[0031] The automatic winder of the 13th invention is characterized in that, in the first to 12th inventions, the first receiving portion has a rotation prevention portion that prevents rotation of the yarn supplying bobbin around a vertical axis by contacting the yarn supplying bobbin attached to the tray.

[0032] Generally, it is required that the yarn supplying bobbin be easily attached to and detached from the tray. For this reason, the outer peripheral surface of the tray where the yarn supplying bobbin is attached is generally designed to have a gap between it and the inner peripheral surface of the yarn supplying bobbin. In such a configuration, a rotation prevention part is provided to prevent the yarn supplying bobbin from unintentionally rotating while the yarn is being unwound from the yarn supplying bobbin. Since the rotation prevention part needs to come into contact with the yarn supplying bobbin, it is required to be positioned slightly higher than the tray. Therefore, the tray body is likely to tilt due to the large height difference between the pressing part and the first receiving part, which results in a large moment as described above. In such a configuration, the present invention is effective in that it can prevent the tray from tilting using the force application part. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0033] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic plan view of an automatic winder according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the automatic winder. [Figure 4] 10(a) and 10(b) are plan views of the individual paths and their vicinity. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a more detailed front view of the lower end portion of the yarn winding unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the lower end portion of the yarn winding unit. [Figure 7] 10(a) and 10(b) are side views of the presser portion. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the position of a pressing portion. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is another diagram showing the position of the pressing portion. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing the action of force on a tray body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] An embodiment of the present invention will be described. For convenience of explanation, the direction parallel to the vertical direction in which gravity acts (the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 1) is referred to as the up-down direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the direction in which a plurality of yarn winding units 2, which will be described later, are arranged is referred to as the left-right direction. The left-right direction is perpendicular to the up-down direction. The direction perpendicular to both the up-down direction and the left-right direction is referred to as the front-rear direction. The direction in which a tray T, which will be described later, is transported is referred to as the transport direction. In FIG. 1 and other figures, an arrow indicating the transport direction is shown. The tray T is transported from the start point of the arrow to the end point of the arrow.

[0035] <Outline of automatic winder configuration> The schematic configuration of an automatic winder 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the schematic diagram shown in Fig. 1. The automatic winder 1 includes a plurality of yarn winding units 2, a bobbin processing device 3, a control box 4, and a tray transport device 5.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 1, the multiple yarn winding units 2 are arranged, for example, side by side in the left-right direction. Each of the multiple yarn winding units 2 unwinds a yarn Y (see FIG. 2) from a yarn supplying bobbin S and winds the unwound yarn Y to form a package P (see FIG. 2). The yarn supplying bobbin S is a long, thin, and approximately cylindrical object. After the yarn Y has been unwound, the yarn supplying bobbin S is treated as an empty bobbin E (see FIG. 1). The bobbin processing device 3 is arranged, for example, on the right side of the multiple yarn winding units 2. The bobbin processing device 3 supplies a tray T, which supports the yarn supplying bobbins S in an approximately upright position, to the tray conveying device 5. The tray T is a member on which the yarn supplying bobbins S are mounted. The bobbin processing device 3 also collects the tray T supporting the empty bobbins E returned from the tray conveying device 5. The control box 4 is arranged, for example, on the left side of the multiple yarn winding units 2. The control box 4 is provided with a main control unit 4a that performs overall control of the automatic winder 1. The tray transport device 5 is provided in an area where a plurality of yarn winding units 2 are arranged in the left-right direction (an area between the bobbin processing device 3 and the control box 4). The tray transport device 5 is configured to be able to transport trays T. The tray transport device 5 supplies trays T on which yarn supplying bobbins S are mounted to each yarn winding unit 2, and collects trays T on which empty bobbins E are mounted from each yarn winding unit 2. For ease of explanation, the combination of the trays T and the yarn supplying bobbins S mounted on the trays T will be referred to as a tray body 100 below.

[0037] <Yarn winding unit> The schematic configuration of the yarn winding unit 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a front view of the yarn winding unit 2. The yarn winding unit 2 unwinds the yarn Y from the yarn supplying bobbin S and winds the unwound yarn Y onto the winding bobbin B to form a package P. For convenience of explanation, the operation of the yarn winding unit 2 to wind the yarn Y will be referred to as a winding operation. The yarn winding unit 2 includes, for example, a frame 10, a tray support unit 11, an unwinding assist unit 12, a bobbin detection unit 13, a yarn feeler 14, a yarn joining device 15, a yarn clearer 16, a lower yarn catching and guiding unit 17 (the yarn guiding unit of the present invention), an upper yarn catching and guiding unit 18, a cradle 19, and a traverse drum 20.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 2, the frame 10 is, for example, a hollow member extending in the vertical direction. The installation position of the frame 10 is fixed. The tray support part 11 is disposed at the lowest part of the yarn winding unit 2. The tray support part 11 is configured to support the tray body 100 at a predetermined position (hereinafter referred to as the winding position) (the detailed configuration will be described later).

[0039] The unwinding assisting section 12 uses a restricting tube 12a to restrict the expansion (so-called balloon) of the yarn Y when the yarn Y is unwound from the yarn supplying bobbin S. The restricting tube 12a is configured to move downward as the amount of yarn wound on the yarn supplying bobbin S decreases, thereby maintaining the size of the balloon at a constant size. The restricting tube 12a (more precisely, the inner peripheral surface of the restricting tube 12a) is disposed so as to surround the yarn supplying bobbin S located at the winding position when viewed from the top and bottom (see FIG. 6). The restricting tube 12a is configured to be movable to a position where it at least partially overlaps with the yarn supplying bobbin S in the vertical direction (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2).

[0040] The bobbin detection unit 13 is configured to detect the tray body 100 located at the winding position. The bobbin detection unit 13 has a main body 13a and a pair of bobbin sensors 13b. The main body 13a is a generally inverted U-shaped member that opens downward when viewed from the front-to-rear direction. Lower ends of the main body 13a are disposed on both sides, for example, in the left-to-right direction, of the yarn supplying bobbin S located at the winding position. The bobbin sensors 13b are, for example, a transmissive optical sensor. The bobbin sensors 13b have, for example, a light-emitting unit 13c and a light-receiving unit 13d. The light-emitting unit 13c is attached to one lower end of the main body 13a in the left-to-right direction. The light-receiving units 13d are attached to the lower ends on both sides, respectively. One of the pair of bobbin sensors 13b is a light-emitting unit that emits light, and the other is a light-receiving unit that detects light.

[0041] The yarn feeler 14 is configured to be able to detect the yarn Y unwound from the yarn supply bobbin S. The yarn joining device 15 is a device that joins the ends of the broken yarn Y when the yarn Y is broken between the yarn supply bobbin S and the package P. The yarn clearer 16 is a device that acquires information about the quality of the yarn Y and cuts the yarn Y as necessary. The lower yarn catching and guiding unit 17 catches the broken yarn Y on the yarn supply bobbin S side (lower yarn Y1, the first yarn of the present invention) and guides it to the yarn joining device 15. The upper yarn catching and guiding unit 18 catches the broken yarn Y on the package P side (upper yarn Y2, the second yarn of the present invention) and guides it to the yarn joining device 15. The cradle 19 rotatably supports a winding bobbin B for winding the yarn Y. The winding bobbin B is located near the top of the yarn winding unit 2. A package P is formed by winding a predetermined amount of yarn Y onto the winding bobbin B. The traverse drum 20 comes into contact with the package P and rotates the package P. The traverse drum 20 has a traverse groove 20a that traverses the yarn Y by passing through it. The traverse drum 20 is driven to rotate by a winding motor (not shown). The traverse drum 20 is rotated with the outer peripheral surface of the winding bobbin B or the surface of the package P in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the traverse drum 20. As a result, the yarn Y unwound from the yarn supply bobbin S is wound onto the winding bobbin B while traversing. The cradle 19 and the traverse drum 20 together correspond to a winding section in the present invention.

[0042] <Control box> 1, the control box 4 is provided with, for example, a main control unit 4a. The main control unit 4a is housed, for example, inside the control box 4. The main control unit 4a is electrically connected to each component of the automatic winder 1 (see FIG. 3).

[0043] <Tray transport device> The tray transport device 5 transports trays T between the bobbin processing device 3 and the plurality of yarn winding units 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the tray transport device 5 has a first supply path 31, a second supply path 32, a recovery path 33, and a plurality of individual paths 34. The trays T are transported along each path by a conveyor device 35 (see FIG. 3) provided on each path and having a belt conveyor or the like. Each path is formed, for example, by a plurality of plate-shaped cover members 36 and other plate members. The plurality of cover members 36 and other plate members are arranged substantially horizontally above the conveyor device 35. The conveyor device 35 also has a transport surface 37 (see FIG. 5) on which the trays T are placed. The transport surface 37 is arranged substantially horizontally.

[0044] 1, the first supply path 31 is located, for example, behind the multiple yarn winding units 2. The first supply path 31 extends in the left-right direction across the area where the multiple yarn winding units 2 are arranged. The first supply path 31 extends, for example, in a substantially straight line. The right end of the first supply path 31 is connected to the bobbin processing device 3.

[0045] 1, the second supply path 32 is disposed between the first supply path 31 and the plurality of yarn winding units 2 in the front-rear direction. The second supply path 32 extends in the left-right direction across the area in which the plurality of yarn winding units 2 are disposed. Both ends of the second supply path 32 are connected to the first supply path 31. This allows the tray T to circulate on the first supply path 31 and the second supply path 32.

[0046] 1, the collection path 33 is disposed, for example, in front of the plurality of yarn winding units 2. The collection path 33 extends in the left-right direction across the area where the plurality of yarn winding units 2 are disposed. The right end of the collection path 33 is connected to the bobbin processing device 3. The tray T on which the empty bobbin E is supported is returned to the bobbin processing device 3 through the collection path 33.

[0047] The multiple individual paths 34 are paths individually provided corresponding to the multiple yarn winding units 2, respectively. As shown in FIG. 1 , the multiple individual paths 34 are arranged between the second supply path 32 and the recovery path 33 in the front-to-rear direction. The multiple individual paths 34 are arranged side by side in the left-to-right direction. For example, each individual path 34 extends in the front-to-rear direction while curving midway. A rear end of each individual path 34 is connected to the second supply path 32. A front end of each individual path 34 is connected to the recovery path 33.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 1, each individual path 34 has an introduction path 34a and a discharge path 34b. The introduction path 34a is the portion of the individual path 34 at and behind the winding position. The introduction path 34a is connected to the second supply path 32. The winding position is the position on the individual path 34 of the tray T that supports the yarn supplying bobbin S when the yarn Y is unwound from the yarn supplying bobbin S in the yarn winding unit 2. The winding position may vary slightly in the front-rear direction between the yarn winding units 2 due to design tolerances of the automatic winder 1. The winding position is included in a predetermined area of ​​the individual path 34 that extends in the front-rear direction. The predetermined area is defined by a guide surface 36a (see the thick lines in FIGS. 1, 4(a) and 4(b)) that is provided on a cover member 36 that forms the individual path 34 and that extends in the front-rear direction. In other words, the predetermined region of the present invention is the region in which the guide surface 36a extends in the front-rear direction within the region in which the individual paths 34 extend. The front-rear direction corresponds to the predetermined direction of the present invention. The predetermined direction is a direction that intersects with both the direction in which the second guide 42 (described later) presses the tray body 100 and the direction in which the tray receiving portion 43 (described later) pushes back the tray body 100. The portion of the cover member 36 on which the guide surface 36a is formed (hereinafter simply referred to as the guide surface 36a) corresponds to the tray guide portion of the present invention. Furthermore, the guide surface 36a is included in the first receiving portion of the present invention.

[0049] The discharge path 34b is a portion of the individual path 34 that is forward of the winding position. The discharge path 34b is connected to the recovery path 33. In this embodiment, each introduction path 34a is configured to be able to position up to three trays T, including the tray that is positioned at the winding position. However, the maximum number of trays T that can be positioned in each introduction path 34a is not limited to this.

[0050] <Electrical configuration of automatic winder> An outline of the electrical configuration of the automatic winder 1 will be described with reference to the block diagram of Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 3, the automatic winder 1 has a main control unit 4a and a plurality of unit control units 2a.

[0051] The main control unit 4a is provided in the control box 4. The main control unit 4a controls, for example, the conveyor device 35. The main control unit 4a is connected to a plurality of unit control units 2a so as to be able to communicate with each other. For example, the plurality of unit control units 2a are individually provided corresponding to the plurality of yarn winding units 2. Each unit control unit 2a controls the operation of each part of the corresponding yarn winding unit 2.

[0052] (Configuration of neighborhoods of individual routes) A more specific configuration of the vicinity of the individual path 34 will be described with reference to Figs. 4(a) to 6. Figs. 4(a) and 4(b) are plan views of the individual path 34 and its vicinity. Fig. 5 is a more detailed front view of the lower end of the yarn winding unit 2. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the lower end of the yarn winding unit 2. In Fig. 6, the yarn supplying bobbin S is hatched for ease of viewing. More specifically, the outer peripheral surface Ss and the upper surface Su of the yarn supplying bobbin S are hatched. In Figs. 4(a) to 6, the yarn Y wound around the yarn supplying bobbin S is not shown.

[0053] As shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), a first guide 41, a second guide 42 (a pressing portion of the present invention), and a tray receiving portion 43 (a push-back portion of the present invention) are provided near each individual path 34. The tray support portion 11 described above has the second guide 42 and the tray receiving portion 43 (see FIG. 2). These components allow the tray T to be received from the second supply path 32 into the individual path 34. In this embodiment, these components belong to the corresponding yarn winding unit 2. However, this is not limiting. These components may also belong to the tray transport device 5.

[0054] The first guide 41 is a member configured to permit or prohibit movement of the tray T from the second supply path 32 to the individual path 34. The first guide 41 is a roughly disk-shaped member. The first guide 41 is disposed in the vicinity of the connection portion of the introduction path 34a with the first supply path 31. The first guide 41 is attached so as to be rotatable about a rotation shaft 41a extending in the vertical direction. A notch 41b is formed in a portion of the first guide 41 in the circumferential direction. The number and shape of the first guides 41 are not limited to those described above. The first guide 41 is rotationally driven by a first motor 41c (see FIG. 3). Details of the operation of the first guide 41 will be omitted.

[0055] The second guide 42 is a member that guides the tray T, which has been guided to the introduction path 34a by the first guide 41, further downstream in the conveying direction. The second guide 42 is a member that supports the tray T at the winding position using the tray receiving portion 43 and the guide surface 36a (see FIG. 4(a)). The second guide 42 is, for example, a substantially rod-shaped member. The second guide 42 is configured to be rotatable around a rotation shaft 42a extending in the vertical direction. Each of the longitudinal ends of the second guide 42 is provided with a guide piece 42b that contacts the tray T. The second guide 42 is disposed downstream in the conveying direction from the first guide 41. The vertical positions of the first guide 41 and the second guide 42 are different from each other. Therefore, even if the first guide 41 and the second guide 42 overlap when viewed from the vertical direction, they do not interfere with each other. The second guide 42 is rotationally driven by a second motor 42c (see FIG. 3). The second motor 42c is, for example, a known stepping motor, and is configured to be able to rotate the second guide 42 in both a clockwise and counterclockwise direction when viewed from above.

[0056] A more specific position of the second guide 42 in the up-down direction will be described below, along with a more specific configuration of the tray body 100. As described above, the tray body 100 has the tray T and the yarn supplying bobbin S (see FIGS. 4(a) to 5). As shown in FIG. 5, the tray T supports the yarn supplying bobbin S in a substantially upright position. The tray T has a base portion Ta, a shaft portion Tb, and an attachment portion Tc.

[0057] The base portion Ta is a substantially circular plate-shaped portion. As shown in FIG. 5, the base portion Ta has a lower surface Ta1, a side surface Ta2, and an upper surface Ta3. The lower surface Ta1 is a substantially circular surface facing downward. The lower surface Ta1 is configured to contact an upward-facing conveying surface 37 provided on the conveyor device 35. The side surface Ta2 is a curved surface that is connected to the outer edge of the lower surface Ta1 and extends substantially vertically. The upper surface Ta3 is a substantially circular surface facing upward. The upper surface Ta3 is substantially flat. The upper surface Ta3 is connected to the upper end of the side surface Ta2. The second guide 42 is disposed at substantially the same position as the center of the base portion Ta in the up-down direction (see FIG. 5). Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the area of ​​the second guide 42 that contacts the base portion Ta will be referred to as a contact area RG1 (first pressing area of ​​the present invention). The contact area RG1 is included in the area where the base portion Ta is disposed in the up-down direction.

[0058] The shaft portion Tb is a substantially cylindrical portion. The shaft portion Tb protrudes upward from the upper surface Ta3 of the base portion Ta. The shaft portion Tb is disposed at substantially the center of the base portion Ta in the radial direction of the yarn supplying bobbin S (hereinafter simply referred to as the radial direction). In the radial direction, the shaft portion Tb is smaller than the base portion Ta. Conversely, the base portion Ta is larger than the shaft portion Tb in the radial direction. The shaft portion Tb contacts the guide surface 36a of the cover member 36 (see Figures 5 and 6). For convenience of explanation, the area of ​​the guide surface 36a that contacts the shaft portion Tb is referred to as the contact area RG2. The contact area RG2 is included in the first receiving area of ​​the present invention. The contact area RG2 is included in the area where the shaft portion Tb is disposed, for example, in the vertical direction.

[0059] The attachment portion Tc is, for example, a generally cylindrical portion. The attachment portion Tc protrudes upward from the upper end of the shaft portion Tb. The attachment portion Tc is disposed at approximately the center of the base portion Ta in the radial direction of the yarn supplying bobbin S (hereinafter simply referred to as the radial direction). In the radial direction, the attachment portion Tc is smaller than the shaft portion Tb. In other words, the base portion Ta and the shaft portion Tb are larger than the attachment portion Tc in the radial direction. The yarn supplying bobbin S is attached to the attachment portion Tc. More specifically, the attachment portion Tc is loosely fitted to the yarn supplying bobbin S. This is to allow the yarn supplying bobbin S to be easily attached to and detached from the tray T by a device (not shown) or an operator. Therefore, when attached to the attachment portion Tc, the yarn supplying bobbin S can rotate relative to the tray T around a vertical axis.

[0060] The tray receiving portion 43 is a member for receiving the tray body 100 at a predetermined winding position. The tray receiving portion 43 also applies a pushing force to the tray body 100, which is positioned in a predetermined region including the winding position, to push the tray body 100 upstream in the conveying direction. As shown in FIG. 4(a), the tray receiving portion 43 includes a swing shaft 43a, a main body 43b, a contact portion 43c (a rotation prevention portion of the present invention), and a rail 43d (see FIG. 6). The main body 43b can swing along the rail 43d around the swing shaft 43a. The main body 43b is biased toward the upstream side of the individual path 34 by a biasing member (not shown). The contact portion 43c is attached to the tip of the main body 43b. The contact portion 43c is formed of a resin material such as polyurethane. The contact portion 43c comes into contact with the yarn supplying bobbin S attached to the tray T and presses the yarn supplying bobbin S with the biasing force of the biasing member. As a result, the contact portion 43c receives the tray body 100 and prevents the yarn supplying bobbin S from rotating about its vertical axis. For convenience of explanation, the area of ​​the contact portion 43c that comes into contact with the yarn supplying bobbin S is referred to as the contact area RG3. The contact area RG3 is included in the area where the attachment portion Tc is located in the vertical direction (i.e., near the lower end of the yarn supplying bobbin S). The contact area RG3 is included in the first receiving area of ​​the present invention. In other words, the combination of the contact area RG2 and the contact area RG3 corresponds to the first receiving area of ​​the present invention. Furthermore, the contact area RG3 corresponds to the second receiving area of ​​the present invention. The tray receiving portion 43 is included in the first receiving portion of the present invention. In other words, the combination of the portion of the cover member 36 that comes into contact with the tray body 100 and the tray receiving portion 43 corresponds to the first receiving portion of the present invention. The tray receiving portion 43 corresponds to the second receiving portion of the present invention.

[0061] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the yarn winding unit 2 also has a pull-out suppression section 44. The pull-out suppression section 44 prevents the yarn Y from being pulled out from the yarn supplying bobbin S during yarn splicing by the yarn splicing device 15 (see FIG. 2). The pull-out suppression section 44 is a component also known as a kink preventer (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-286608). More specifically, if the lower yarn Y1 is pulled out from the yarn supplying bobbin S when the lower yarn catching and guiding section 17 guides the lower yarn Y1 to the yarn splicing device 15, the lower yarn Y1 may become slack, resulting in a failed yarn splice. The pull-out suppression section 44 is provided to prevent such unintended unwinding of the lower yarn Y1. For this reason, the pull-out suppression section 44 is located at a predetermined retracted position (not shown) where it does not interfere with the yarn supplying bobbin S during the winding operation. The pull-out suppressing portion 44 is configured to be positioned at a predetermined pull-out suppressing position (see FIGS. 5 and 6) at the timing when the yarn splicing is performed, to prevent the lower yarn Y1 from being unwound unintentionally.

[0062] More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the pull-out suppressing unit 44 includes a rotating shaft 44a, a support portion 44b, a brush 44c, and a presser motor 44d (see FIG. 3). The rotating shaft 44a extends in the vertical direction. The rotating shaft 44a rotatably supports the support portion 44b. The support portion 44b is, for example, a curved rod-shaped member. The support portion 44b rotates around the rotating shaft 44a. As shown in FIG. 6, the support portion 44b includes, for example, a straight portion 44b1 provided near the rotating shaft 44a and a curved portion 44b2 connected to the tip of the straight portion 44b1. The curved portion 44b2 has, for example, an arc shape when viewed vertically. The curved portion 44b2 is provided with a brush 44c. The brush 44c is positioned so that its tip presses the upper end of the yarn supplying bobbin S when the brush 44c is in the pull-out suppressing position. When the brushes 44c are in the pull-out suppressing position, they are arranged side by side in the circumferential direction of the yarn supplying bobbin S and extend radially inward of the yarn supplying bobbin S. The presser motor 44d (see FIG. 3) rotates the support portion 44b around the rotation shaft 44a. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the area of ​​the brush 44c that contacts the yarn supplying bobbin S will be referred to as the contact area RG4 (the second pressing area of ​​the present invention). The contact area RG4 is located near the upper end of the yarn supplying bobbin S in the up-down direction. The contact area RG4 can be considered to be formed substantially continuously when viewed vertically. The contact area RG4 has a portion that is located vertically above the second receiving area (contact area RG3) of the contact portion 43c of the tray receiving portion 43 that contacts the tray body 100.

[0063] (Operation of the second guide and tray receiving part) The operation of the second guide 42 and the tray receiving portion 43 will be briefly described with reference to FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b). The second guide 42 pushes the tray T conveyed by the first guide 41 at least horizontally with the guide piece 42b. The tray receiving portion 43 presses the tray T guided by the second guide 42 upstream (rearward). As a result, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the tray T is sandwiched between the second guide 42, the tray receiving portion 43, and the cover member 36. The unit control portion 2a controls the second motor 42c in accordance with the detection results of the pair of bobbin sensors 13b (see FIG. 2) to stop the tray T at an appropriate position (i.e., the winding position). As a result, the tray T is held in the winding position.

[0064] After unwinding of the yarn Y from the yarn supplying bobbin S is completed and the empty bobbin E is supported on the tray T, the second guide 42 is rotated in a direction pushing the tray T. At this time, the second guide 42 is rotated with a force that exceeds the biasing force of the biasing member that biases the tray receiving portion 43. In other words, the second guide 42 applies a propulsive force to the tray body 100 to push the tray body 100 downstream in the transport direction against the pushing-back force of the tray receiving portion 43. As a result, the tray T pressed against the guide piece 42b is transported so as to push aside the tray receiving portion 43 (see FIG. 4(b)). In other words, the second guide 42 pushes the tray body 100 downstream in the transport direction beyond the predetermined region, thereby discharging the tray body 100 from the yarn winding unit 2. In this way, the tray T is discharged to the discharge path 34b and transported to the recovery path 33.

[0065] In recent years, improvements to the automatic winder 1 have been made, and the structure, arrangement, etc. of the components for positioning the tray body 100 at the winding position (in this embodiment, the second guide 42 and the tray receiving portion 43) have been changed. While these changes have improved the functionality of the automatic winder 1, the following problem has become apparent. That is, it has become necessary to prevent the tray T from unintentionally tilting when pressed by the second guide 42 and the tray receiving portion 43 (in other words, a portion of the tray T from floating up). Particularly in this embodiment, if the tray T tilts, the yarn supplying bobbin S may come into contact with the regulating tube 12a (see FIG. 2), damaging or cutting the yarn Y. To prevent this phenomenon, it is conceivable to provide protrusions 36b and 36c (see FIG. 6) that protrude downward from portions of the cover member 36 to prevent the tray T from floating up. However, if the positions of the lower ends of the protrusions 36c and 36c are not sufficiently low, the tray cannot be sufficiently prevented from floating up. On the other hand, if the positions of the lower ends of the protrusions 36c and 36c are too low, the protrusions 36c and / or 36c will interfere with the tray T, hindering the transport of the tray T. Therefore, in order to prevent the tray T from tilting while suppressing the obstruction of the transport of the tray T, the automatic winder 1 is configured as follows.

[0066] <Details of automatic winder configuration> The configuration of the automatic winder 1 will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 6 to 9. Figs. 7(a) and 7(b) are side views of a force applying unit 51, which will be described later. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the position of the force applying unit 51 when viewed from the vertical direction. Fig. 9 is another diagram showing the position of the force applying unit 51 when viewed from the vertical direction.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 6, the tray conveying device 5 has a force applying unit 51. The force applying unit 51 applies a force downward (toward the conveying surface 37) to the tray body 100. More specifically, the force applying unit 51 in this embodiment is configured to press downward the upper surface Ta3 of the base portion Ta of the tray T positioned at the winding position. The force applying unit 51 is fixed to the cover member 36 via, for example, a fixing plate 52. More specifically, the cover member 36 is one cover member 36R of the pair of cover members 36 forming the individual path 34. For convenience of explanation, the other of the pair of cover members 36 is referred to as cover member 36L (see FIG. 6). The fixing plate 52 is, for example, disposed substantially horizontally on the cover member 36R and is fastened to the cover member 36R by, for example, screws.

[0068] The structure of the force applying unit 51 will be described. As shown in Fig. 7(a), the force applying unit 51 has a storage member 53, a sphere 54 (a pressing member of the present invention), and a biasing member 55 (a biasing unit of the present invention). In summary, the sphere 54 stored in the storage member 53 presses the tray T downward. The sphere 54 is supported by the storage member 53 via the biasing member 55 so as to be vertically movable and rotatable.

[0069] The housing member 53 houses the sphere 54 and the biasing member 55. The housing member 53 is, for example, a substantially cylindrical member. The housing member 53 is open downward when attached to the cover member 36. The housing member 53 has an inner circumferential surface 53a and a restricting surface 53b. The inner circumferential surface 53a is a surface formed on the inside of the housing member 53. The inner circumferential surface 53a rotatably surrounds the sphere 54. The lower end of the inner circumferential surface 53a is slightly curved inward in the radial direction of the inner circumferential surface 53a to prevent the sphere 54 from falling downward. In other words, the lower end of the inner circumferential surface 53a rotatably supports the sphere 54. The restricting surface 53b is a downward-facing surface formed on the upper end of the housing member 53. The restricting surface 53b restricts the upward movement of the biasing member 55. The sphere 54 is a member that contacts the upper surface Ta3 of the base portion Ta. The sphere 54 is a substantially spherical member made of, for example, metal. The sphere 54 is partially housed in the housing member 53. The lower end of the sphere 54 is exposed from the housing member 53. The lower end of the surface 54a of the sphere 54 (the contact surface of the present invention) contacts the upper surface Ta3 (see FIG. 7(b)). The lower end of the surface 54a is a part of a spherical surface. That is, the lower end of the surface 54a is curved and convex downward. The sphere 54 is disposed below the biasing member 55. The sphere 54 is movable in the vertical direction within a predetermined range (see the dashed arrow in FIG. 7(a)). The sphere 54 is configured to be rotatable relative to the housing member 53 and the biasing member 55. In other words, the sphere 54 is rotatable relative to the upper surface Ta3 of the base part Ta. The sphere 54 is biased downward by the biasing member 55.

[0070] The biasing member 55 includes, for example, a spring. The spring is preferably, for example, a known compression coil spring. The biasing member 55 is housed in the housing member 53. The biasing member 55 is disposed between the sphere 54 and the restriction surface 53b. When the biasing member 55 is deformed (see the dashed arrow in FIG. 7(b)), it biases the sphere 54 downward by its elastic restoring force.

[0071] The vertical arrangement of the force applying unit 51 will be described. The lower end of the sphere 54 of the force applying unit 51 is arranged so as to protrude downward from the upper surface Ta3 of the base part Ta when not in contact with the tray T (see FIG. 7(a)). When the base part Ta of the transported tray T comes into contact with the sphere 54, the sphere 54 is pushed up by the base part Ta. Thereafter, the sphere 54 comes into contact with the upper surface Ta3 of the base part Ta from above, and presses the upper surface Ta3 downward by its own weight and the biasing force of the biasing member 55 (see the solid arrow in FIG. 7(b)).

[0072] The horizontal arrangement of the force applying portion 51 will be described mainly with reference to Figures 8 and 9. First, the positional relationship between the force applying portion 51 and the second guide 42, the tray receiving portion 43, and the guide surface 36a will be described with reference to Figure 8.

[0073] First, a first virtual line segment VLS1 (see FIG. 8) is defined, which is a virtual line segment connecting both ends of the contact area RG1 when viewed vertically. When viewed vertically, the contact area RG1 is a short line (see FIG. 6). In FIG. 8, the contact area RG1 and the first virtual line segment VLS1 overlap. Here, the outer ends refer to one end point (point P1a) and the other end point (point P1b) of the contact area RG1 when viewed vertically (see FIG. 8). The ends refer to the pair of points P1 consisting of points P1a and P1b. The first virtual line segment VLS1 is a line segment connecting the pair of points P1 (i.e., connecting points P1a and P1b).

[0074] Also, a second virtual line segment VLS2 (see FIG. 8) is defined, which is a virtual line segment connecting both ends of the first receiving area (the combined contact area RG2 and contact area RG3) when viewed from the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the first receiving area is not formed continuously, but is formed discretely (i.e., divided into contact area RG2 and contact area RG3). Therefore, the both ends in such a case are defined as follows. The both ends are a pair of points P2 that have the longest shortest distance in the first receiving area when viewed from the vertical direction. In FIG. 8, point P2a on contact area RG2 and point P2b on contact area RG3 are included in the pair of points P2. The second virtual line segment VLS2 is a line segment connecting point P2a and point P2b.

[0075] 8, a point located at the center of the first imaginary line segment VLS1 is defined as point PC1. A point located at the center of the second imaginary line segment VLS2 is defined as point PC2. A virtual line passing through points PC1 and PC2 is defined as a first virtual line VL1. A point located at the radial center of the yarn supplying bobbin S located at the winding position when viewed from the vertical direction is defined as point PCS. A virtual line passing through point PCS and perpendicular to the first imaginary line VL1 is defined as a second virtual line VL2.

[0076] At this time, as shown in FIG. 8, the force applying portion 51 is disposed on the same side as the first receiving area (that is, the same side as the contact areas RG2 and RG3) with respect to the second virtual straight line VL2.

[0077] Next, the positional relationship between the drawing-out restricting portion 44 and the tray receiving portion 43 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0078] A third virtual line segment VLS3 (see FIG. 9) is defined as a virtual line segment connecting both ends of the contact area RG4 when viewed vertically. The outer ends here refer to one end point (point P3a) and the other end point (point P3b) of the contact area RG3 when viewed vertically (see FIG. 9). The two ends refer to the pair of points P3 consisting of points P3a and P3b. The third virtual line segment VLS3 is a line segment connecting the pair of points P3 (i.e., connecting points P3a and P3b).

[0079] Also, a fourth virtual line segment VLS4 (see FIG. 9) is defined, which is a virtual line segment connecting both ends of the contact area RG2 when viewed vertically. The outer ends here refer to one end point (point P4a) and the other end point (point P4b) of the contact area RG4 when viewed vertically (see FIG. 9). The two ends refer to the pair of points P4 consisting of points P4a and P4b. The fourth virtual line segment VLS4 is a line segment connecting the pair of points P4 (i.e., connecting points P4a and P4b).

[0080] 9, the point located at the center of the third imaginary line segment VLS3 is defined as point PC3. The point located at the center of the fourth imaginary line segment VLS4 is defined as point PC4. An imaginary line passing through points PC3 and PC4 is defined as a third imaginary line VL3. An imaginary line passing through point PCS and perpendicular to the third imaginary line VL3 is defined as a fourth imaginary line VL4.

[0081] At this time, as shown in FIG. 9, the force applying portion 51 is disposed on the same side as the contact area RG4 with respect to the fourth virtual straight line VL4.

[0082] (Action of Force) Next, the action of forces on the tray body 100 will be described with reference to the schematic diagram of Fig. 10. Fig. 10 schematically shows a force F1 when the second guide 42 described above presses the base part Ta, a reaction force (force F2) when the shaft part Tb is received by the first receiving part described above, a force F3 that partially lifts the base part Ta, and a force F4 when the force applying part 51 presses the upper surface Ta3. Please note that for ease of viewing the drawing, the positions of the respective components are strictly different from those shown in Fig. 8 and other figures.

[0083] When the tray body 100 is located at the winding position, forces F1 and F2 act on the tray T (see FIG. 10). In the vertical direction, the position on the tray T where force F1 is applied (see contact area RG1 in FIG. 5) is lower than the position on the tray T where force F2 is applied (see contact areas RG2 and RG3 in FIG. 5). In other words, the contact area RG1 is located vertically below the first receiving area (contact areas RG2 and RG3) where the first receiving portion contacts the tray body 100. When the second guide 42 and the first receiving portion press the tray body 100 at different positions in the vertical direction, a force moment (hereinafter simply referred to as moment) acts in a direction (i.e., upward) that causes a portion of the tray body 100 to lift up from the conveying surface 37. More specifically, a moment acts with the second virtual line VL2 (see FIG. 8) as the base, with the portion of the tray T on the same side as the contact area RG1 as the fulcrum of rotation. In other words, with respect to the second virtual straight line VL2 (see FIG. 8), a force F3 (see FIG. 10) acts on a portion of the tray T on the same side as the first receiving area. If the force application unit 51 were not provided, the tray body 100 would be likely to tilt as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 10. In this embodiment, due to the arrangement of the force application unit 51 described above, a force F4 is applied to the tray T downward (toward the conveying surface 37) against the force F3. This prevents the tray T from floating up.

[0084] Conversely, if the force application unit 51 is disposed on the same side as the contact area RG1 with respect to the second virtual straight line VL2 (see FIG. 8) (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 10), the force application unit 51 will press a portion of the tray T that is close to the fulcrum. In such a configuration (reference configuration), due to the principle of leverage, a large force is required to resist the moment. In this regard, in this embodiment, the upward force due to the moment can be resisted with a smaller force than in the reference configuration.

[0085] Even when the tray body 100 is pushed by the drawer suppressing portion 44 and the tray receiving portion 43, the upward force due to the moment can be resisted with a small force by the above-described arrangement of the force applying portion 51 based on the same principle. More specifically, in this embodiment, the above-described upward force acts on a portion on the same side as the contact area RG4 with respect to the fourth imaginary line VL4. The upward force can be resisted by the force applying portion 51.

[0086] As described above, the force application unit 51 is disposed on the same side as the first receiving area with respect to the second virtual straight line VL2. This allows the upward force due to the moment to be resisted with a small force. Furthermore, such a configuration that resists the moment with a small force can prevent an unnecessarily large force from being applied to the tray body 100. This reduces the possibility that a force that would interfere with the transport of the tray T will act on the tray body 100. As described above, it is possible to prevent the tray T from tilting while preventing the transport of the tray T from being interfered with.

[0087] Furthermore, the force application unit 51 is disposed on the same side as the contact area RG4 with respect to the fourth virtual straight line VL4. In this embodiment, an upward force acts on a portion on the same side as the contact area RG4 with respect to the fourth virtual straight line VL4. In this embodiment, the force application unit 51 can resist the moment with a small force. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the tray T from tilting while preventing the tray T from being hindered from being transported.

[0088] Furthermore, the regulating tube 12a of the unwinding assisting unit 12 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction to a position where it at least partially overlaps with the yarn supplying bobbin S. In this configuration, if the tray T tilts, the yarn supplying bobbin S may unintentionally come into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the regulating tube 12a, and the yarn Y wound around the yarn supplying bobbin S may become pinched between the yarn supplying bobbin S and the regulating tube 12a. This may hinder unwinding of the yarn Y from the yarn supplying bobbin S or cause the yarn Y to break. In this configuration, the configuration of this embodiment, which can prevent the tray T from tilting by the force applying unit 51, is effective.

[0089] The force applying unit 51 also has a sphere 54 that contacts the upper surface Ta3 of the base portion Ta from above and presses the tray T downward. In the present invention, tilting of the tray T can be prevented by the simple means of pressing the base portion Ta downward with the sphere 54.

[0090] Furthermore, the lower end (contact surface) of the surface 54a of the sphere 54 is curved and convex downward. Therefore, the contact area between the upper surface Ta3 of the substantially flat base part Ta and the contact surface is relatively small. This reduces the frictional force acting between the upper surface Ta3 of the base part Ta and the contact surface. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the tray T from being impeded in transportation.

[0091] The sphere 54 corresponds to the pressing member of the present invention. This makes it possible to minimize the contact area between the upper surface Ta3 of the base portion Ta and the lower end (contact surface) of the surface 54a of the sphere 54.

[0092] Furthermore, the spheres 54 are rotatable relative to the upper surface Ta3 of the base part Ta. This effectively reduces the frictional force acting between the upper surface Ta3 of the base part Ta and the lower end (contact surface) of the surface 54a of the spheres 54, compared to when the spheres 54 are configured to be non-rotatable. This effectively prevents the tray T from being impeded in its transport.

[0093] The force application unit 51 also has a biasing member 55 configured to bias the spheres 54 downward. The spheres 54 may be configured to press the upper surface Ta3 of the base unit Ta, for example, by their own weight. However, in such a configuration, it is necessary to provide the spheres 54 with an appropriate density and size in the pressing unit, which may reduce the design freedom regarding the arrangement of the spheres 54. The present invention can prevent a reduction in the design freedom regarding the spheres 54.

[0094] The biasing member 55 also has a spring. This allows the sphere 54 to be pressed against the upper surface Ta3 of the base part Ta with a simple structure. Furthermore, by replacing the spring with another spring as needed, the pressing force can be easily adjusted.

[0095] Furthermore, the second guide 42 applies a propulsive force to the tray body 100 to push the tray body 100 downstream in the conveyance direction against the pushing-back force of the tray receiving portion 43. In other words, the second guide 42 needs to strongly push the tray body 100 against the pushing-back force. This may increase the moment described above. In such a configuration, the configuration of this embodiment, which can prevent the tray T from tilting by the force applying portion 51, is effective.

[0096] The first receiving portion also has a tray guide portion (guide surface 36a). In this configuration, the tray body 100 is pushed from many directions by the second guide 42, the tray receiving portion 43, and the guide surface 36a. This makes it difficult to determine the direction and strength of the horizontal force acting. Therefore, in a configuration in which tilting of the tray body 100 is suppressed by providing an additional member that pushes the tray body 100 horizontally, fine adjustments to the structure and arrangement of the additional member are required, which may make the design significantly more difficult. In this regard, in this embodiment, tilting of the tray body 100 can be suppressed by applying a force to the tray body 100 in the vertical direction using the force applying portion 51. This increases the degree of freedom in designing the force applying portion 51.

[0097] Furthermore, the second guide 42 is configured to be able to push the tray body 100 downstream in the transport direction from the predetermined region against the pushing back force of the tray receiving portion 43, thereby discharging the tray body 100 from the yarn winding unit 2. The configuration of this embodiment in which the second guide 42 pushes the base portion Ta allows the tray body 100 to be pushed farther (i.e., further downstream in the transport direction). Therefore, due to the large difference in height between the second guide 42 and the first receiving portion, the moment described above is large, and the tray body 100 is likely to tilt. In such a configuration, the present invention is effective in that it can prevent the tray T from tilting using the force applying portion 51.

[0098] Furthermore, the contact portion 43c comes into contact with the yarn supplying bobbin S attached to the tray T, thereby preventing the yarn supplying bobbin S from rotating about the vertical axis. Since the contact portion 43c needs to come into contact with the yarn supplying bobbin S, it is required to be positioned slightly higher than the tray T. Therefore, due to the large difference in height between the second guide 42 and the first receiving portion, the moment described above is large, and the tray body 100 is likely to tilt. In such a configuration, the present invention is effective in that it can prevent the tray T from tilting using the force application portion 51.

[0099] Next, a modified example of the embodiment will be described, with the same reference numerals being used to designate components having the same configuration as the embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0100] (1) In the above embodiment, the force applying unit 51 has a sphere 54. However, this is not limited to this. Instead of the sphere 54, for example, a rotatable roller (not shown) may be provided. The roller may be rotatable around a horizontal axis, for example. In other words, the lower end of the peripheral surface of the roller may be curved and convex downward.

[0101] (2) In the above-described embodiments, the sphere 54 or roller serving as the pressing member is rotatable. However, this is not limited to this. The pressing member may be configured to be non-rotatable. In this case, the biasing member 55 may contact the tray T. In this case, the biasing member corresponds to the pressing member of the present invention.

[0102] (3) In the above-described embodiments, the contact surface of the pressing member that comes into contact with the upper surface Ta3 of the base portion Ta is curved and convex downward. However, this is not limited to this. The contact surface may be, for example, substantially flat.

[0103] (4) In the above-described embodiments, the force applying unit 51 has the biasing member 55, which is a compression coil spring. However, this is not limited to this. The biasing member 55 may be a spring other than a compression coil spring. Alternatively, the biasing member 55 may be an elastic body such as rubber. Alternatively, the force applying unit 51 may have, instead of the biasing member 55, a pair of magnets (not shown) that repel each other. The pair of magnets may be housed in the housing member 53. The pressing member may be fixed to one of the pair of magnets. Alternatively, the pressing member may be rotatably supported by one of the pair of magnets. The pressing member may be pressed against the upper surface Ta3 of the base portion Ta by utilizing the repulsive force of the pair of magnets.

[0104] (5) In the above-described embodiments, the force applying unit 51 presses down on the top surface Ta3 of the tray T. However, this is not limited to this. In addition to the force applying unit 51 described above, or instead of the force applying unit 51 described above, for example, suction holes (not shown) for sucking the tray T with negative pressure may be provided in the conveying surface 37. In this case, the base portion Ta of the tray T does not need to have a substantially horizontal top surface Ta3.

[0105] (6) In the above-described embodiments, the yarn winding unit 2 has the regulating tube 12a of the unwinding assisting part 12. However, this is not limited to this. Even if the regulating tube 12a is not provided in the yarn winding unit 2, suppressing the tilt of the tray T by the force applying part is effective in preventing the tray body 100 from getting caught on, for example, a surrounding component and becoming unable to move.

[0106] (7) In the above-described embodiments, the yarn winding unit 2 includes the pull-out suppressing portion 44 that presses the yarn supplying bobbin S to prevent the lower yarn Y1 from being unwound during yarn splicing. However, this is not limited to this. Instead of the pull-out suppressing portion 44, for example, a pull-out suppressing portion (not shown) that prevents the lower yarn Y1 from being unwound during yarn splicing while keeping the pressing force on the yarn supplying bobbin S as low as possible may be provided. In this case, the positional relationship between the force applying portion and the pull-out suppressing portion is not limited to that described above.

[0107] (8) In the above-described embodiments, the tray receiving portion 43 applies a pushing force to the tray body 100. However, this is not limited to this. The tray receiving portion 43 may be configured to be movable, for example, by a drive source (not shown), between a receiving position where the tray body 100 is received and a retracted position where the tray body is retracted from the individual path 34.

[0108] (9) In the above-described embodiment, the guide surface 36a is formed on the cover member 36. However, this is not limitative. The cover member 36 does not necessarily have to have the guide surface 36a.

[0109] (10) In the above-described embodiments, the contact portion 43c is configured to prevent the yarn supplying bobbin S from rotating around the vertical axis. However, this is not limited to this. The contact portion 43c does not have to be configured to prevent the yarn supplying bobbin S from rotating. In this case, however, the yarn supplying bobbin S is required to be attached to the tray T so as to be unable to rotate relative to the tray T. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 1 Automatic winder 2 Yarn winding unit 5 Tray transport device 12 Unpacking Auxiliary Department 15 Yarn splicing device 17 Lower thread catch guide (thread guide) 19 Cradle (winding part) 20 Traverse drum (winding section) 36a Guide surface (tray guide part) 37 Conveying surface 42 Second guide (pressure part) 43c Contact portion (first receiving portion, second receiving portion, push-back portion, anti-rotation portion) 44 Drawer restraint part 51 Force applying part 54 Sphere (holding member) 54a Surface (contact surface) 55 biasing member (biasing portion) 100 Tray body P Package RG1 contact area (first pressing area) RG2 Contact area (1st receiving area) RG3 Contact area (1st receiving area, 2nd receiving area) RG4 contact area (second pressing area) S yarn supply bobbin T-Tray Ta base Ta3 top surface Tc attachment part VL1 First virtual line VL2 Second virtual line VL3 Third virtual line VL4 4th virtual line VLS1 First virtual line segment VLS2 Second virtual line segment VLS3 Third virtual line segment VLS4 Fourth virtual line segment Y thread Y1 Lower thread (first thread) Y2 Upper thread (second thread)

Claims

1. a yarn winding unit configured to unwind and wind a yarn from an upright yarn supplying bobbin; a tray transport device configured to transport a tray body including the yarn supplying bobbin and a tray supporting the yarn supplying bobbin to the yarn winding unit, the tray transport device having a transport surface on which the tray is placed, a pressing section that presses the tray body being transported on the transport surface at least in a horizontal direction; a first receiving portion that receives the tray body being pressed by the pressing portion at a predetermined winding position; a force applying unit that applies a force to the tray body toward the conveying surface, a first pressing region of the pressing portion that contacts the tray body is located below a first receiving region of the first receiving portion that contacts the tray body in a vertical direction; When viewed vertically, When a first imaginary line segment connecting both ends of the first pressing region, a second imaginary line segment connecting both ends of the first receiving region, a first imaginary straight line passing through a center of the first imaginary line segment and a center of the second imaginary line segment, and a second imaginary straight line passing through the center of the yarn supplying bobbin in the radial direction and perpendicular to the first imaginary line are defined, The automatic winder is characterized in that the force application unit is arranged on the same side as the first receiving area with respect to the second virtual straight line.

2. The yarn winding unit includes: a winding unit that winds the yarn unwound from the yarn supplying bobbin to form a package; a yarn splicing device that, when the yarn is broken between the yarn supplying bobbin and the package, splices a first yarn including a yarn end on the yarn supplying bobbin side and a second yarn including a yarn end on the package side; a yarn guide section that guides the first yarn to the yarn joining device; a pull-out suppression unit that presses the yarn supplying bobbin to prevent the first yarn from being unwound from the yarn supplying bobbin when the first yarn is being guided to the yarn joining device by the yarn guiding unit; and a second receiving portion that receives the tray body pushed by the drawing-out suppressing portion at the winding position, a second pressing region of the pull-out suppressing portion that comes into contact with the yarn supplying bobbin has a portion that is located above a second receiving region of the second receiving portion that comes into contact with the tray body, When viewed vertically, When a third imaginary line segment connecting both ends of the second pressing region, a fourth imaginary line segment connecting both ends of the second receiving region, a third imaginary line segment passing through the center of the third imaginary line segment and the center of the fourth imaginary line segment, and a fourth imaginary line segment passing through the center of the yarn supplying bobbin in the radial direction and perpendicular to the third imaginary line are defined, The automatic winder according to claim 1 , wherein the force application unit is disposed on the same side as the second pressing area with respect to the fourth virtual straight line.

3. the yarn winding unit includes an unwinding assisting section that is arranged to surround the yarn supplying bobbin that is arranged at the winding position when viewed in a vertical direction, 3. The automatic winder according to claim 1, wherein the unwinding assisting section is configured to be movable to a position where it at least partially overlaps with the yarn supplying bobbin in the vertical direction.

4. the tray has a mounting portion on which the yarn supplying bobbin is mounted, and a base portion that is disposed below the mounting portion and is larger than the mounting portion in a radial direction of the yarn supplying bobbin, 4. The automatic winder according to claim 1, wherein the force applying section has a pressing member that contacts the upper surface of the base section from above and presses the tray downward.

5. 5. The automatic winder according to claim 4, wherein the contact surface of the pressing member that comes into contact with the upper surface of the base portion is curved and convex downward.

6. 6. The automatic winder according to claim 5, wherein the pressing member is a sphere.

7. 7. The automatic winder according to claim 5, wherein the pressing member is rotatable relative to the upper surface of the base portion.

8. 8. The automatic winder according to claim 4, wherein the force applying section has a biasing section configured to bias the pressing member downward.

9. 9. The automatic winder according to claim 8, wherein the biasing portion includes a spring.

10. the first receiving portion has a push-back portion that applies a push-back force to the tray body, the push-back force being for pushing the tray body, which is located in a predetermined region including the winding position, toward the upstream side in a conveying direction in which the tray body is conveyed, to the tray body; An automatic winder as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the pressing portion is configured to apply a propulsive force to the tray body to push the tray body downstream in the conveying direction against the push-back force.

11. The first receiving portion is 11. The automatic winder according to claim 10, further comprising a tray guide portion configured to extend in a predetermined direction intersecting both the direction in which the pressing portion presses the tray body and the direction in which the push-back portion pushes back the tray body, and to be able to guide the tray body in the predetermined direction within the predetermined region.

12. The automatic winder according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the pressing portion is configured to be able to eject the tray body from the yarn winding unit by pushing the tray body downstream in the conveying direction from the specified area against the pushing-back force of the pushing-back portion.

13. The first receiving portion is The automatic winder according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising a rotation prevention portion that prevents rotation of the yarn supplying bobbin around a vertical axis by contacting the yarn supplying bobbin attached to the tray.

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