Curved Textile Machine Indicator for Remote Monitoring

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Operators in textile machines have difficulty recognizing the operational state of winding units from a distance due to the placement of lamps or luminous buttons on the front side of each unit, making it hard to identify operational failures.

Innovation Solution

The textile machine is designed with a first indicating section on the lateral and front sides of the supporting body, which is curved and extends continuously, allowing operators to easily recognize the operational state of yarn winding units from various angles, and includes a second indicating section for maintenance needs on the front side, along with an operation switch that protrudes when the unit is intentionally turned off.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If lamps or luminous buttons are provided on the front side of each winding unit, then operators can identify operational failures when close to the machine, but operators far away from the winding units cannot easily recognize the operational state

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisibility of operational stateVSAvoidoperator monitoring capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The indicating section is extended from the front side to the lateral side of the supporting body, creating a multi-dimensional visual indication system. This allows operators to view the operational state from different positions (front or side) and distances, resolving the contradiction between close-up identification and remote monitoring capabilities

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of operation

If the indicating section is provided only on the front side, then the structure is simple, but operators cannot recognize operational states from various angles and distances

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemonitoring accessibilityVSAvoidindicating section configuration
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The indicating section integrates both front side and lateral side indications into a unified system on the supporting body. This merged configuration provides comprehensive visibility from multiple angles while maintaining structural coherence, balancing monitoring accessibility with device complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Loss of information

If the operation switch is recessed, then the structure is compact, but operators cannot easily distinguish intentional stop states from operational states

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational state distinctionVSAvoidswitch visibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The operation switch incorporates color-coded indicators (yellow for intentional stop, green for operational state) that change based on the switch position. This color-change mechanism provides clear visual distinction between different operational states, resolving the information loss problem while maintaining compact structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

Data Source

PatentEP2272782B1Textile machine
Publication Date: 2013.09.25 MURATA MASCH LTD
  • EP2272782B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2272782B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2272782B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A plurality of winding units (2), each including a spooling main body (5) rewinds a yarn of supplying bobbin (B) into a package (P) and a supporting body (6) which supports the spooling main body, are arranged next to one another. A curved surface (20) of the supporting body (6) has an alarm lamp (25) which is capable of indicating an operational state of a winding unit. Such a structure allows an operator who is far away from one winding unit in a direction in which the winding units are arranged next to one another to recognize the operational state of the winding units easily. (Fig. 4).