Cloth supply device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cloth spreading apparatuses face inefficiencies in processing time due to the need for spreading clamps to move long distances when handling cloths with varying upper edge widths, especially when multiple types of cloths are mixed.
Innovation Solution
A cloth supply device with double measurement paths and sag-specific supply paths that measure the degree of sagging of the cloth's upper edge and route the conveying clamps accordingly, reducing the moving distance of the spreading clamps and optimizing cloth delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the spreading clamps move from the delivery position to grasp adjacent corners of cloths with varying upper edge widths, then the cloth spreading function is achieved, but the operating time from feeding to spreading increases due to long moving distances
Solution Approach 1:
The cloth supply device performs preliminary classification and positioning of cloths based on their upper edge width before the spreading operation. By measuring the sagging degree of the upper edge and routing cloths through specific supply paths (inner or outer) in advance, the system ensures that cloths are already positioned optimally when reached by the spreading clamps, eliminating the need for long-distance movements during the spreading operation itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The supply device divides the cloth supply system into multiple segmented paths (inner supply path and outer supply path) based on cloth type. This segmentation allows different width categories of cloths to be routed through different paths, enabling parallel processing and reducing the average movement distance of spreading clamps by delivering cloths to positions matched to their specific width requirements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the spreading clamps move long distances to accommodate cloths with large upper edge width, then all cloth types can be processed, but the processing efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary measurement of the upper edge sagging degree and predetermined routing through inner or outer supply paths before the spreading operation. This advance preparation ensures that when spreading clamps receive cloths, they are already at optimally positioned locations corresponding to their width, eliminating time-wasting long-distance movements and significantly improving processing efficiency while maintaining the ability to handle multiple cloth types.
Solution Approach 2:
Different supply paths (inner and outer) are assigned to different cloth width categories. By matching specific cloth types to specific localized supply paths based on their upper edge width characteristics, the system optimizes the delivery position for each cloth type, reducing the average movement distance of spreading clamps and improving overall productivity without sacrificing adaptability.
3Device complexity
If cloths are conveyed at predetermined intervals through a single path, then the conveying system is simple, but the ability to sort and optimize delivery positions by cloth type is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The conveying system is segmented into multiple supply paths (inner and outer paths) that branch from the common conveying path. This segmentation enables the system to classify and route different cloth types to different delivery positions based on their upper edge width characteristics, providing adaptability and versatility in cloth type handling while maintaining relatively simple conveying mechanisms through modular path design.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically selects which supply path (inner or outer) to use based on the measured sagging degree of the cloth's upper edge. This dynamic routing capability allows the conveying system to adapt to different cloth types in real-time, optimizing delivery positions without requiring a completely complex fixed multi-path system, thus balancing device complexity with adaptability.
Data Source
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AI summary
In this cloth supply device, a moving distance of spreading clamps in spreading a cloth is reduced regardless of the difference in type of cloth to thereby shorten the spreading time and increase the processing efficiency. The device includes: double measurement paths through which a pair of conveying clamps that are respectively fed with adjacent corners of the upper edge part of a cloth and grasp these corners respectively pass side by side; a sag sensor that measures a degree of sagging of the upper edge part of the cloth between the corners having been respectively grasped by the pair of conveying clamps passing through the double measurement paths side by side; multiple sag-specific supply paths that are specified according to the degree of sagging of the upper edge part and each branch off from the double measurement paths; and cloth classification and supply control means that passes the pair of conveying clamps grasping the corners of the cloth respectively through double sag-specific supply paths corresponding to the degree of sagging of the upper edge part of that cloth among the multiple sag-specific supply paths, and transfers the corners of the cloth from the pair of conveying clamps to the pair of spreading clamps that are positioned so as to correspond to these double sag-specific supply paths.