Automatic system for picking up textile products
The system addresses inefficiencies in drafting textile products by using a presence sensor and control unit to manage actuators, ensuring the gripping device operates only when products are present, thereby enhancing efficiency and reducing energy consumption.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- LOGIC SRL
- Filing Date
- 2025-11-24
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-04
AI Technical Summary
Existing systems for drafting textile products, such as stockings and socks, are inefficient in terms of process time and energy consumption due to the gripping device performing unnecessary movements when the draft zone is empty, and lack effective evaluation of product presence before actuation.
A system with a presence sensor to detect textile products in the draft zone, controlling actuators to move the basket and gripping device only when products are present, and using a control unit to manage the gripper's movement for effective pickup.
Significantly reduces energy and time consumption by ensuring the gripping device moves only when necessary, improving the efficiency of textile product drafting.
Smart Images
Figure IB2025062009_04062026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
TITLEAutomatic system for picking up textile products DESCRIPTIONField of the invention
[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of hosiery .
[0002] In particular, the present invention relates to an automatic system for drafting textile products .Description of the prior art
[0003] In the hosiery field, semi- finished textile products , such as stockings and / or socks , are arranged loosely inside a basket , from which said products must be drafted one by one in order to be subsequently sent to equipment that completes their processing .
[0004] In particular, drafting is carried out by means of an automatic gripping device that performs a downward movement along a predetermined traj ectory inside a rotating basket containing the semi- finished products . The state of the art provides either baskets that rotate continuously or baskets that rotate intermittently, with rotation being activated after a number of failed pickups , in any case making the rotation dependent on the outcome of the drafting operation and considering the basket as a passive element governed by the drafting system .
[0005] In the case of a basket with intermittent rotation, i f the gripping device picks up a semi- finished product , the basket does not rotate and the gripping device repeats the operation as long as it succeeds in picking up a product . When the gripping device performs a predetermined number of failed drafting operations , that is , without picking up any semi- finished product , the basket is rotated so that the gripping device performs drafting in a di f ferent area of the basket .
[0006] In the case of a basket with continuous rotation, the gripping device attempts indefinitely to pick up a semifinished product , the basket continues to rotate even i f it is empty or i f no more semi- finished products can be picked up, and the fai led drafting process stops only when an operator introduces additional semi- finished products into the basket or stops the machine by pressing a stop button . The drawback of both of the above processes lies in the fact that the gripping device performs the downward movement into the basket and the pickup operation regardless o f whether semi- finished products are present in the draft zone .
[0007] Therefore , even when the draft zone is free of semifinished products , the gripping device must still perform at least the predetermined number of failed drafting operations before rotation of the basket occurs .
[0008] Such a process is therefore extremely inef ficient, both in terms o f process time and energy consumption, especially during phases in which the basket contains only a few semi- finished products .
[0009] Another example is shown in document WO2007138629A1 , which discloses a system for handling textile products , wherein a gripping device is controlled on the basis of signals provided by a sensor that detects the passage of products along a guide . However, said document does not provide any system allowing the e f fective presence of products in the draft zone to be evaluated before actuation of the gripping device , nor does it allow discrimination between success ful pickups and failed pickups .Summary of the invention
[0010] It is therefore an obj ect of the present invention to provide a system for drafting textile products that allows the presence of textile products in the draft zone of a rotating basket to be evaluated before performing a drafting operation .
[0011] It is a further obj ect of the present invention to provide such a system that allows textile products to be picked up more ef fectively than in the prior art .
[0012] It is a further obj ect of the present invention to provide such a system that allows correct drafting of textile products to be evaluated before sending them to equipment that completes their processing .
[0013] These and other obj ects are achieved by a system for drafting textile products comprising : a basket arranged to hold at least one textile product , said basket defining an internal volume V; a gripping device arranged to pick up said or each textile product in said basket ; a first actuator arranged to move said basket ; a second actuator arranged to move said gripping device along a predetermined traj ectory y, alternately, in a first direction, to bring said gripping device at a draft zone within said internal volume V of said basket , or in a second direction, opposite to said first direction, to move said gripping device away from said draft zone; a control unit ; wherein the main feature is that the system further comprises a presence sensor arranged to acquire information regarding the presence of textile products at said draft zone and to send said information to said control unit , and wherein said control unit is arranged to :command said first actuator to move said basket ; stop the movement of said basket when said presence sensor detects the presence of a predetermined amount of textile products at said draft zone; command said second actuator to move said gripping device in said first direction; command said gripping device to pick up a textile product ; command said second actuator to move said gripping device in said second direction .
[0014] Accordingly, the first actuator moves the basket until the presence sensor detects the presence of a predetermined amount of textile products at the draft zone . When the presence sensor detects the textile products , the gripper is moved to said draft zone and picks up a textile product .
[0015] In this way, the gripper is moved only when necessary, with a signi ficant saving of energy and time compared to prior-art systems .
[0016] The predetermined amount of textile products may also include only a single textile product .
[0017] In particular, said first actuator is arranged to move said basket by bringing it into rotation about an axis y -
[0018] Advantageously, said predetermined traj ectory y is a straight axis y .
[0019] In particular, said gripping device comprises : a frame arranged to be moved along said traj ectory y; a gripper including at least two j aws , said j aws being arranged to be moved between an open configuration and a closed configuration; a movable shaft integral with said gripper and arranged to perform a relative translation with respect to said frame along said traj ectory y as a result of an impact between said gripper and an obstacle along said traj ectory y; a translation sensor arranged to detect said relative translation between said movable shaft and said frame and to send a corresponding translation signal to said control unit .
[0020] In particular, the gripper is a pneumatic gripper .
[0021] Advantageously, the gripper is configured such that the j aws move between the open configuration and the closed configuration by means of a roto-translation that causes them to simultaneously rotate about their respective rotation axes xl and x2 and move toward each other . In this way, the j aws substantially replicate the movement performed by the thumb and index finger of a person when grasping an ob j ect .
[0022] In particular, the movable shaft performs said relative translation with respect to the frame as a result of impact with a textile product .
[0023] In particular, an elastic element is further provided and arranged to oppose said relative translation between said movable shaft and said frame .
[0024] In particular, said translation sensor is , alternatively, an optical , magnetic, or inductive sensor .
[0025] Advantageously, when said presence sensor detects the presence of at least one textile product at said draft zone , said control unit is arranged to : command said gripping device to arrange said j aws in said open configuration ; command said second actuator to move said gripping device in said first direction; receive from said translation sensor said translation signal ; following said translation signal , command said second actuator to stop the movement of said gripping device ; command said gripping device to arrange said j aws in said closed configuration ; command said second actuator to move said gripping device in said second direction .
[0026] In this way, the control unit stops the movement of the gripping device when the latter comes into contact with a textile product , or with a programmable delay with respect to that moment , so as to achieve ef fective pickup of said product .
[0027] In particular, said system further comprises an auxiliary presence sensor arranged to veri fy the presence of obj ects at a monitoring point PM along said traj ectory y and wherein, when said second actuator moves said gripping device in said second direction, said control unit is arranged to : acquire a blocking signal when said auxiliary presence sensor does not veri fy the presence of obj ects at said monitoring point PM ,' in response to said blocking signal , command said second actuator to stop the movement of said gripping device ; determine the position of a predetermined point Pp of said gripping device along said traj ectory y; calculate the distance d between said monitoring point PM and said predetermined point Pp along said traj ectory y; in the case in which the condition d<d* is met, where d* is a predetermined value , set a failed pickup status ;in the case in which the condition dhd* is met , set a success ful pickup status .
[0028] In particular, in the case of a failed pickup, the control unit is arranged to bring the j aws into the open configuration and to repeat the textile product pickup operations .
[0029] In particular, the value d* is determined in relation to the length of the speci fic product to be drafted . I f di is the length of the product , d* = di / 2 + 5 , where 5 is a predetermined parameter .
[0030] In this way, the control unit can identi fy the condition in which the gripper has not picked up any textile product or has picked up tangled textile products or, alternatively, has picked up the textile product at a point that is not suitable for subsequent stages of the process .
[0031] Advantageously, said presence sensor comprises a laser photocell .
[0032] Advantageously, said presence sensor comprises a digital camera .
[0033] In particular, said control unit is arranged to use optical recognition algorithms for textile products , for example optical recognition algorithms based on the use of arti ficial intelligence .
[0034] Advantageously, in the case in which said gripping device is unable to pick up said textile product for apredetermined number of times , said control unit is arranged to command said first actuator to move said basket again .
[0035] In particular, said basket comprises at least two dividing septa, which allow di f ferent types of textile products to be separated from each other, so as to allow simultaneous handling of semi- finished products of di f ferent types .Brief description of the drawings
[0036] The invention will now be illustrated by the following description of some embodiments , provided by way of example and not of limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which :Figure 1 shows a possible embodiment of the system for drafting textile products according to the present invention;Figure 2 shows a sectional view of the embodiment of Figure 1 ;Figure 2A shows a detail of Figure 2 ;Figure 3A shows the gripping device during movement in the first direction;Figure 3B shows the gripping device after interruption of the movement due to the translation signal ;Figure 4A shows the gripping device during movement in the second direction;Figure 4B shows the gripping device after interruptionof the movement due to the blocking signal ;Figures 5A to 5D show successive phases of closure of the j aws of the gripper, in a preferred embodiment .Description of some preferred embodiments
[0037] With reference to Figures 1 , 2 and 2A, the system 100 for drafting textile products according to the present invention comprises a basket 110 arranged to hold at least one textile product and defining an internal volume V, and a gripping device 120 arranged to pick up one or more textile products from the basket 110 .
[0038] The system 100 further comprises a first actuator 130 arranged to move the basket 110 by rotating it about a vertical axis y, and a second actuator 140 arranged to move the gripping device 120 along a predetermined traj ectory y, for example a vertical straight line . In particular, the second actuator 140 is arranged to move the gripping device 120 in a first direction, to bring it at a draft zone 115 inside the basket , or in a second direction, to move the gripping device 120 away from the basket 110 itsel f .
[0039] The system 100 further comprises a presence sensor 150 arranged to acquire information regarding the presence of textile products at the draft zone 115 and to send such information to a control unit .
[0040] In particular, with reference al so to Figures 3A and 3B, the gripping device 120 comprises a frame 121 arranged to be moved along the traj ectory y, a pneumatic gripper 122 including two aws 122 ' arranged to be moved between an open configuration and a closed configuration, a movable shaft 123 integral with the pneumatic gripper 122 and arranged to perform a relative translation with respect to the frame 121 , and a translation sensor 125 arranged to detect the relative translation between the movable shaft 123 and the frame 121 .
[0041] In particular, with reference also to Figures 5A to 5D, in the preferred embodiment shown, the gripper 122 is configured such that the j aws 122 ' move between the open configuration and the closed configuration by means of a roto-translation that causes them to simultaneously rotate about their respective rotation axes xl and x2 and move toward each other, so as to substantially replicate the movement performed by the thumb and index finger of a person when grasping an obj ect .
[0042] Advantageously, the system is configured such that the control unit commands the first actuator 130 to rotate the basket 110 about the axis y and stops such movement when the presence sensor 150 detects the presence of at least one textile product at the draft zone 115 .
[0043] When the basket 110 is stationary, the control unit commands the gripping device 120 to bring the j aws 122 ' into the open configuration and subsequently commands the second actuator 140 to move the gripping device 120 in the first direction, until the aws 122 ' are brought at the draft zone 115 [ Fig . 3A] . When the j aws come into contact with a textile product , the movable shaft 123 translates slightly upward as a result of the encountered obstacle , and the translation sensor 125 detects such translation and sends a corresponding signal to the control unit [ Fig . 3B ] .
[0044] Following receipt of the translation signal , the control unit stops the movement of the gripping device 120 and brings the j aws 122 ' into the closed configuration so as to grip the textile product . Finally, the control unit commands the second actuator 140 to move the gripping device 120 in the second direction, opposite to the first direction, and to move it away from the basket 110 .
[0045] With reference al so to Figures 4A and 4B, the system 100 further comprises an auxiliary presence sensor 160 arranged to verify the presence of obj ects at a monitoring point PM along the traj ectory y .
[0046] In this way, whi le the control unit is commanding the upward movement of the gripping device 120 , the auxiliary presence sensor 160 monitors the point PM, at which the gripping device 122 passes first and subsequentlya possible textile product gripped by the pneumatic gripper122. When the auxiliary presence sensor 160 no longer detects any object at the monitoring point PM, the control unit receives a blocking signal and stops the upward movement of the gripping device 122.
[0047] Since the position of the monitoring point PM is known, the control unit can therefore calculate the distance d, along the trajectory y, between the point PM and a predetermined point Pp of the gripping device 122, for example the lower end of the jaws 122' . If such distance d is lower than a predetermined value d* , the control unit determines a failed pickup status and must subsequently repeat the drafting operation. Otherwise, the control unit determines a successful pickup status.
[0048] The value d* can be set in relation to the type and length of the textile product to be picked up. In particular, d* may have a different value for each type of textile product present in the basket. For example, if the point Pp coincides with the lower end of the jaws 122' and di is the length of the textile product to be picked up, the value d* is set as d* = di / 2 + 5, where 5 is a small value with respect to the value of d. In fact, if the gripping device 120 has actually picked up a textile product, the case providing the lowest value of d is that in which the jaws 122' have gripped the product exactly at its middle,so that the textile product extends below the j aws 122 ' by an amount equal to di / 2 . I f the distance d is lower than such amount di / 2 , increased by a small amount 5 to account for measurement uncertainty, this means that the gripping device 120 has not picked up any textile product or has picked up a tangled product that is not suitable for subsequent processing stages .
[0049] In the case in which the gripping device 120 is unable to correctly pick up a textile product for a predetermined number of times , the control unit may be programmed to command the first actuator 130 to move the basket 110 again .
Claims
CLAIMS1. A system (100) for drafting textile products including: a basket (110) arranged to hold at least one textile product, said basket (110) defining an internal volume V; a gripping device (120) arranged to pick up said or each textile product in said basket (110) ; a first actuator (130) arranged to move said basket (110) ; a second actuator (140) arranged to move said gripping device (120) along a predetermined trajectory y, alternately, in a first direction, to bring said gripping device (120) at a draft zone (115) within said internal volume V of said basket (110) , or in a second direction, opposite to said first direction, to move said gripping device (120) away from said draft zone (115) ; a control unit; said system (100) characterized in that it also includes a presence sensor (150) arranged to acquire information regarding the presence of textile products at said draft zone (115) and to send said information to said control unit, and in that said control unit is arranged to: command said first actuator (130) to move saidbasket (110) ; stop the movement of said basket (110) when said presence sensor (150) detects the presence of a certain amount of textile products at said draft zone (115) ; command said second actuator (140) to move said gripping device (120) in said first direction; command said gripping device (120) to pick up a textile product; command said second actuator (140) to move said gripping device (120) in said second direction.
2. The system (100) for drafting textile products, according to claim 1, in which said first actuator (130) is arranged to move said basket (110) by bringing it into rotation around an axis y.
3. The system (100) for drafting textile products, according to claim 1, in which said predetermined trajectory y is a straight axis y.
4. The system (100) for drafting textile products, according to claim 1, wherein said gripping device (120) comprises :- a frame (121) arranged to be moved along said trajectory y; a gripper (122) including at least two jaws(122' ) , said j ws (122' ) being arranged to be moved between an open configuration and a closed configuration;- a movable shaft (123) integral to said gripper(122) and arranged to perform a relative translation with respect to said frame (121) along said trajectory y due to an impact between said gripper (122) and an obstacle along said trajectory ;- a translation sensor (125) arranged to detect said relative translation between said movable shaft(123) and said frame (121) and to send a corresponding translation signal to said control unit .
5. The system (100) for drafting textile products, according to claim 4, in which, when said presence sensor (150) detects the presence of at least one textile product at said draft zone (115) , said control unit is arranged to: command said gripping device (120) to arrange said jaws (122' ) in said open configuration; command said second actuator (140) to move said gripping device (120) in said first direction; receive from said translation sensor (125) said translation signal;following said translation signal, command said second actuator (140) to stop the movement of said gripping device (120) ; command said gripping device (120) to arrange said jaws (122' ) in said closed configuration; command said second actuator (140) to move said gripping device (120) in said second direction.
6. The system (100) for drafting textile products, according to claim 1, wherein said system (100) further comprises an auxiliary presence sensor (160) arranged to verify the presence of objects at a monitoring point PM along said trajectory y and wherein, when said second actuator (140) moves said gripping device (120) in said second direction, said control unit is arranged to: acquire a blocking signal when said auxiliary presence sensor (160) fails to verify the presence of objects at said monitoring point PM; in response to said blocking signal, command said second actuator (140) to stop the movement of said gripping device (120) ; determine the position of a predetermined point Pp of said gripping device (120) along said trajectory Y; calculate the distance d between said monitoring point PM and said predetermined point Pp along saidtrajectoryin case the condition d<d* is met, where d* is a predetermined value, set a failed pickup status; in case the condition dhd* is met, set a successful pickup status.
7. The system (100) for drafting textile products, according to claim 1, wherein said presence sensor (150) includes a laser photocell.
8. The system (100) for drafting textile products, according to claim 1, wherein said presence sensor (150) includes a digital camera.
9. The system (100) for drafting textile products, according to claim 1, wherein, in case said gripping device (120) is unable to pick up said textile product for a predetermined number of times, said control unit is arranged to command said first actuator (130) to move said basket (110) again.
10. The system (100) for drafting textile products, according to claim 1, wherein said basket (110) includes at least two dividing septa (111) .