Yarn Winding Apparatus Weight Control via Thickness Measurement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing yarn winding apparatuses struggle to produce packages of uniform weight due to variations in yarn thickness, which cannot be adequately corrected by existing weight measurement and rotation correction methods.

Innovation Solution

A yarn winding apparatus that includes a yarn thickness detecting section, a yarn length detecting section, and a weight calculating section, which uses the detected yarn thickness and length, along with stored specific gravity information, to accurately calculate and manage the yarn weight, ensuring packages are formed with minimized weight deviations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the total number of rotations is corrected based on weight measurement of the previous package, then the winding control is improved, but the weight uniformity deteriorates when yarn thickness varies between supply bobbins

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveweight measurement precisionVSAvoidpackage weight uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent measures the yarn thickness in advance before winding begins, using this preliminary information to calculate the expected package weight and determine the appropriate total number of rotations. This preliminary measurement of yarn thickness allows the system to proactively adjust winding parameters rather than reactively correcting based on post-winding weight measurements, thereby maintaining package weight uniformity even when yarn thickness varies between supply bobbins

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the measured yarn thickness is fed back into the control system to dynamically adjust the total number of rotations for the current package. This feedback loop ensures that variations in yarn thickness are compensated for in real-time, maintaining consistent package weights despite changes in yarn properties between supply bobbins or within a single supply bobbin

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Extent of automation

If the total number of rotations is adjusted based on previous winding results, then the winding control is improved, but the weight variation cannot be suppressed when yarn thickness changes significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewinding control automationVSAvoidpackage weight consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary measurement of yarn thickness before the winding process starts, using this advance information to calculate the appropriate total number of rotations. This preliminary action enables the automated control system to adapt to yarn thickness variations without relying solely on feedback from previous packages, thereby maintaining package weight consistency even when yarn thickness changes significantly between supply bobbins

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent incorporates feedback from yarn thickness measurements into the automated winding control system. The measured yarn thickness is fed back to the control unit, which automatically adjusts the total number of rotations to compensate for thickness variations. This feedback mechanism enables the automated system to maintain precise package weight control despite significant yarn thickness changes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Device complexity

If only weight measurement and rotation correction are used, then the control system is simple, but it cannot adequately handle yarn thickness variations within and between supply bobbins

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol system complexityVSAvoidpackage weight uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces yarn thickness measurement as an intermediary parameter between the control system and the winding process. This intermediary measurement provides direct information about yarn properties, enabling the control system to calculate and adjust the total number of rotations based on actual yarn thickness rather than relying solely on weight measurements from previous packages. This intermediary step significantly improves package weight uniformity while adding only moderate complexity to the control system

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2664571B1Yarn winding apparatus
Publication Date: 2015.09.30 MURATA MASCH LTD
  • EP2664571B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2664571B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2664571B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A winding unit (2) of an automatic winder (1) includes a yarn supplying section (11), a winding section (13) that winds a yarn Y supplied from the yarn supplying section (11) around a winding tube (17) into a package, a yarn clearer (22) that detects thickness of the yarn Y, and a unit controller (26). The unit controller (26) includes a yarn length calculating section (41) that calculates the length of the yarn Y wound around the winding tube (17) and a weight calculating section (42) that calculates a yarn weight of the package. The weight calculating section (42) calculates the yarn weight of the package based on the thickness of the yarn Y detected by the yarn clearer (22), the length of the yarn Y detected by the yarn length calculating section (41), and information on the specific gravity of the yarn Y.