CN116810884A

CN116810884A - Improved lighting control apparatus

Info

Publication number: CN116810884A
Application number: CN202310313951.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 亚历山德罗·科尔西科皮科利诺
Original assignee: Comelz Co ltd
Current assignee: Comelz Co ltd
Priority date: 2022-03-28
Filing date: 2023-03-28
Publication date: 2023-09-29
Also published as: IT202200006062A1; BR102023005685A2; FR3134327A1

Abstract

An apparatus (1, 1') for processing and/or inspecting a material to be cut is disclosed, comprising a table (2) adapted to provide a support plane for the material to be cut; -at least one first projector (20) adapted to project the element (S) onto the table (2); -at least one second projector (21) adapted to project said element (S) onto the table (2), the second projector (21) being of a different type with respect to the first projector (20) and adapted to project the element (S) according to a different projection mode; a control unit (C) for managing the device (1), the control unit (C) being operatively connected to the first projector (20) and the second projector (21) and comprising operating means configured to allow defining said projection elements and to selectively activate one of the first projector (20) and the second projector (21); and an illumination system (15) adapted to illuminate the table (2). The control unit (C) is configured to control the lighting system (15) based on the activated projector, wherein the control unit (C) is configured to automatically switch the lighting system (15) between a first lighting mode when the first projector (20) is selected and a second lighting mode when the second projector (21) is selected.

Description

Improved lighting control apparatus

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a device for cutting material, such as for cutting pelts, leather, synthetic materials and the like, the following description being made with reference to the field of application, for the purpose of simplifying the description thereof only. In some embodiments, the apparatus of the present invention may also be an apparatus for inspecting textiles or leather.

Background

As is well known in this particular technical field, there are various devices capable of performing automatic cutting of a material sheet according to a predetermined cutting pattern; the material to be cut may be, for example, leather, fabric, nonwoven, synthetic material, or the like. The apparel, accessories, and footwear industries use, for example, various materials, such as leather, nonwoven fabrics, synthetic materials. Although the materials vary in terms of manufacture and smoothness, they have the common feature of being in the form of planar articles and being subjected to a cutting operation.

There are machines provided with a conveyor belt capable of moving the sheet to be cut into a cutting chamber, which is generally closed at its top and at least on both sides, and provided with at least one movable cutting unit for cutting the sheet, while the cut-off portion is conveyed by the conveyor belt outside the cutting chamber towards a collecting area.

There are also simpler devices, so-called cutting tables or tables, which have no closed cutting chamber (usually no conveyor belt) and only (usually stationary) tables on which the material to be cut is arranged. In the apparatus there is typically at least one track for a sliding carriage that moves at least one laterally extending beam or arm that supports a movable cutting unit for cutting sheets arranged on a table. Once the cut is completed, the robotic arm is moved to release the working area and allow the operator to collect the cut portions, which may be done when the cutting head cuts the sheet material at another area of the table.

The machine described above is very flexible and allows easy cutting of samples and small batches of pelts, synthetic materials and all kinds of fabrics.

It is known to provide these devices with a suitable projector capable of projecting onto a table a profile to be cut (also called "template") defined by the control system of the device. In particular, by projecting the templates onto the material arranged on the table, the operator can correctly determine their placement and orientation, thus optimizing the cutting step. Further, after cutting, the operator is assisted in collecting the cut articles due to the projector described above.

Furthermore, there are inspection devices on which the fabric or leather to be inspected is placed before cutting. During inspection, the operator analyzes the fabric disposed on these devices to detect and mark all defects, which are recorded and stored in a digital file. Also in this case, there may be a projector for projecting defects marked on the material.

A common problem with all these devices relates to the illumination of the table, sometimes too strong or too weak, or in any case unsuitable for the type of operation to be performed.

In particular, it is known to use two different types of projectors, namely a laser projector during the step of placing the template, for example, before the cutting step, and a video projector during the collecting step, for example, after the cutting step. Laser projectors allow for the projection of clearly visible templates, while video projectors have the advantage of being able to project large amounts of templates and other visual information simultaneously.

However, the optimum illumination required for a laser projector is different from that required for a video projector, and for this reason, when switching from one projector to another, there is a problem of visibility of the projection template, and the operator does not work under ideal conditions.

The technical problem underlying the present invention is to devise a device, in particular a device with improved lighting control, with structural and functional characteristics that allow to overcome the above-mentioned limitations and drawbacks that still affect the known solutions, allowing the user observing the projection template to work optimally in all cases.

Disclosure of Invention

The solution idea of the invention is to provide a device with two different types of projectors, in particular a laser projector and a video projector, wherein the illumination of the work table is automatically adjusted by a control unit (which comprises the operation settings of the machine) according to the selected projector, wherein the selection of the projector is performed based on the operation to be performed, for example manually and/or automatically by a user through selection means connected to the control unit. Thus, if a first projector (i.e. a laser projector) is selected, e.g. during the step of projecting the template onto the material, the control unit sets a first illumination mode, whereas if a second projector (i.e. a video projector) is selected, e.g. during the step of collecting the cut items, the control unit sets a second illumination mode, e.g. with a lower intensity (or no illumination, lamp off), so that the illumination of the table is optimal in any projection mode, thus making it not difficult for the user to observe the projected template.

Based on the solution idea, the above-mentioned technical problem is solved by an apparatus for handling and/or inspecting a material to be cut, comprising: a table adapted to provide a support plane for the material to be cut; at least one first projector adapted to project the element onto the table; at least one second projector adapted to project the element onto the table, the second projector being of a different type with respect to the first projector and adapted to project the element according to a different projection mode (wherein the different projection mode comprises different aspects of a template, for example onto a material, and may also comprise a different number of projection templates, for example a greater number); a control unit for managing the apparatus, the control unit being operatively connected to the first projector and the second projector and comprising operating means configured to allow definition of the projection element and selective activation of one of the first projector and the second projector; and a lighting system adapted to illuminate the work table, characterized in that the control unit is configured to control the lighting system based on the activated projector, wherein the control unit is configured to automatically switch the lighting system between a first lighting mode when the first projector is selected and a second lighting mode when the second projector is selected.

The first and second illumination modes are not limited to a determined light intensity or color or other element; for example, they may also include turning off the lights.

More specifically, the invention includes the following additional and optional features, which may be used alone or in combination as desired.

According to an aspect of the invention, the first projector may comprise at least one laser source and the second projector may be a (matrix) video projector.

According to an aspect of the invention, the control unit may be configured to modify the intensity of the light emitted by the lighting system in switching between the first lighting mode and the second lighting mode, and vice versa.

According to an aspect of the invention, the intensity of the light emitted by the lighting system in the first lighting mode may be greater than the intensity of the light emitted by the lighting system in the second lighting mode.

According to an aspect of the invention, the lighting system may comprise LEDs controllable by the control unit.

According to an aspect of the invention, the control unit may be configured to allow setting of the lighting pattern of the lighting system, the setting being stored in the control unit.

According to an aspect of the invention, the apparatus may comprise a support element adapted to support at least the first projector and the second projector.

According to an aspect of the invention, the support element may be in the form of a cross beam support structure maintained suspended above the table by at least one support column extending from said table.

The table may be a fixed plane and may be unobstructed along at least two parallel sides of the larger extension.

According to an aspect of the invention, the apparatus may be a cutting machine comprising at least one cutting unit adapted to cut material arranged on a table.

According to an aspect of the invention, the apparatus may comprise at least one arm at least partly above (i.e. above) the table and adapted to support the cutting unit, wherein said arm is supported by the support element.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the arm may be cantilevered to the table by the above-described beam support structure.

According to an aspect of the invention, the element to be projected may be a template corresponding to the contour to be cut and/or the cut contour, the position and orientation of which with respect to the table may be defined by the user by means of the control unit.

According to an aspect of the invention, the apparatus may be a fabric or leather inspection machine comprising a plurality of image detectors adapted to acquire images of fabric or leather on a table, wherein the control unit is configured to process the images acquired by said image detectors and to generate a digital copy of the inspected fabric, and a signalling element adapted to indicate defects on the surface of the fabric, wherein the control unit is further configured to associate defects on the fabric indicated by the signalling element with the acquired fabric images, possibly generating a report indicating the shape and location of at least the defects on the fabric.

According to an aspect of the invention, the first projector and the second projector may be adapted to project the profile of the defect signaled by the signaling element onto the fabric. For example, when a first projector reaches a limit in the number of defects it can project, a second projector may be activated.

According to an aspect of the invention, the control unit may be configured to define a plurality of cutting areas on the digitized image, wherein the type, number and position of said cutting areas are defined and optimized based on information acquired by the control unit during the inspection of the fabric, such as different qualities of the fabric, the second projector being adapted to project said defined cutting areas onto the fabric.

According to an aspect of the invention, the signaling element may be provided with a light emitting element detectable by the image detector, the coordinates of the movement of said light emitting element being calculated by the control unit.

According to an aspect of the invention, the control unit may be configured to identify the location, shape and/or entity of the fabric surface defect based on coordinates of the movement of the lighting element.

According to an aspect of the invention, the control unit may be operatively connected to a storage unit adapted to store at least a digitized image of the inspected fabric and a report indicative of the generation of a fabric defect.

For example, the storage unit may be a cloud unit that a user can access remotely through a particular application and/or a particular address.

The characteristics and advantages of the device of the present invention will become clear from the description made hereinafter of embodiments thereof, by way of indicative and non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

In the drawings:

figure 1 shows a perspective view of a device according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 shows a rear view of the device of figure 1;

figure 3 shows another perspective view of the device of figure 1;

fig. 4 shows an example of a template projected by a projector of a device according to an embodiment of the invention;

figure 5 shows a partial detail of the device of figure 1; and

figure 6 shows an apparatus according to an alternative embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

With reference to the figures, the reference numerals 1 and 1' generally denote schematically a device (or machine) according to the invention.

It is noted that the figures represent schematic drawings and are not drawn to scale, but rather they are drawn to emphasize important features of the invention. Furthermore, in the drawings, different elements are depicted in a schematic way, and their shapes may vary depending on the desired application. It should also be noted that in the figures, like reference numerals refer to elements that are identical in shape or function. Finally, the specific features described with respect to the embodiments shown in the figures may also be applied to other embodiments shown in other figures.

It should also be noted that the process may be reversed, if desired, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Furthermore, positional references used in this specification, including indications such as below or above, above … or below … or similar phrases, always refer to the operational configuration shown in the figures, and they should not be designated in any way as limiting. In any case, said reference is used in practice by the skilled person when referring to the components of the device of the invention.

To facilitate the following description of the device, as shown in fig. 1, two orthogonal directions of orthogonal movement of the cutting unit corresponding to the device are identified by way of example: direction Y and direction X. In particular, as will be shown in more detail below, the direction X is also denoted as the sliding direction of the arm of the device 1.

In one example, the apparatus 1 is suitable for processing, in particular for automatic cutting of hides, leather, synthetic materials, etc. Even more specifically, the device 1 is suitable for automatically cutting pieces of foldable or flexible material, such as fabrics for clothing, pelts, and fabrics for footwear, automobiles, household items, or non-wovens, leather, synthetic materials, etc. In particular, the apparatus is suitable for the processing of leather materials (the term fabric is sometimes used as synonymous with leather), even if other materials are obviously possible.

It is also observed that the teachings of the present invention are not limited to cutting devices, but also to devices for inspecting textiles, in particular leather, as will be described in detail hereinafter. The device according to the invention is thus a device for processing and/or inspecting a material to be cut.

In any case, as a non-limiting example, the majority of the following description shows a cutting device (denoted by reference numeral 1), while at the end of the description, an example of a device for inspecting fabric or leather will also be provided (which will be denoted by reference numeral 1'), wherein the inventive teaching is the same for both said devices.

In the context of the present invention, the term "sheet" refers to any element of essentially two-dimensional dimensions of any shape and material and determined (usually reduced) thickness, which will be cut by the apparatus 1, also unwound from a roll. In general, the material is also referred to as a planar material, obviously without limiting its shape or composition.

In a non-limiting example where the apparatus 1 is a cutting machine, it is a numerical control machine comprising a control unit C comprising suitable memory units and suitably programmed and designated for its management and automatic control. The control unit C may be, for example, an integrated or computer unit which may be external to the device 1 and operatively connected to the device 1. Furthermore, the control unit C may be a single control unit or may comprise a plurality of local and/or remote units. Thus, the control unit C can control the apparatus 1 so as to obtain automatic cutting of the sheet. In any event, the invention is not limited to an architecture for a control unit C, which may generally be any suitable computer unit, including one or more units as needed and/or in the environment.

The apparatus 1 of the invention is a so-called cutting table and comprises a table 2 adapted to provide a support plane or work surface (denoted by reference numeral α) for a sheet (denoted by reference numeral M) to be cut. The table 2 preferably has a quadrangular plan (even more preferably substantially rectangular) and on which at least one cutting unit or cutting head 3 carried by at least one arm or beam 4 is arranged. In one embodiment, the table 2 is a fixed plane on which the material to be cut is arranged and along at least two parallel sides of the larger extension there is no obstruction.

In the case where the table 2 has a rectangular shape, as shown, the direction Y (the lateral direction of the table) is parallel to its short side, and the direction X is parallel to its long side. As previously described, the direction X is also referred to as the sliding direction of the arm 4, and therefore, in the embodiment, the arm 4 slides along the long side of the table 2. However, for the purpose of the present invention, the arm 4 may slide along the short side of the table 2 and thus the sliding direction is the Y direction, as the present invention is not limited to a particular sliding direction of the arm 4.

In general, the term table 2 refers to a structure supporting a sheet to be cut, said plane being provided with at least two opposite sides of a larger extension and at least two opposite sides of a smaller extension (preferably rectangular or at least defining a rectangular working surface), and having a certain thickness, thus referring to the term "side" as a part of the side edge of the table 2.

The device 1 comprises a base 5, for example in the shape of a box, which supports the table 2 and possibly encloses the mechanical and electronic components of the device 1.

More specifically, the apparatus 1 comprises at least one cutting unit 3, in particular designated for cutting the sheet arranged on the table 2, wherein the cutting unit 3 is not limited to a particular type. According to one embodiment, the apparatus 1 comprises a single cutting unit 3, but the invention is not limited thereto, and the number of cutting units may be varied as desired and/or as the case may be.

As previously mentioned, the device 1 comprises at least one arm 4, the arm 4 being at least partially above the table 2 and being adapted to support the cutting unit 3, the cutting unit 3 being movable on said arm 4, in particular slidable along a longitudinal axis of said arm 4, said longitudinal axis being parallel to the axis Y. The arm 4 has a substantially parallelepiped shape, the main portion extending along the direction Y.

Furthermore, the apparatus 1 comprises a support element 9 adapted to support the arm 4 above the table 2.

In one embodiment, the arm 4 is cantilevered and slides in the X direction by the support element 9 described above. However, the embodiments are merely illustrative and the teachings of the present invention are not limited to a particular support and sliding configuration of the arm 4.

In particular, in the example and in the non-limiting embodiment of fig. 1, 2 and 3, the arm 4 is cantilevered on the table 2 by means of a support element 9 and is movable in the sliding direction X. In other words, the device 1 may comprise at least one arm 4 at least partially above the table 2 and adapted to support the cutting unit 3, wherein said arm 4 is supported by the support element 9.

As shown in the examples of fig. 1, 2 and 3, the support element 9 of the arm 4 is in the form of a beam support (or architrave) structure, still indicated with reference numeral 9, kept suspended above the table 2 by at least one support element or upright 9 a. More specifically, in one embodiment, the support uprights 9a extend perpendicularly from the table 2, in particular at a peripheral edge portion of said table 2. More specifically, the support column 9a is arranged on one of the short sides of the table 2. Thus, the arm 4 may be cantilevered to the table 2 by the beam support structure described above.

The management of the device 1 by the user may be performed, for example, by means of a control panel 12, the control panel 12 being provided with a display and keys, arranged, for example, at the periphery of the table 2 and operatively connected to the control unit C.

In one embodiment, the apparatus 1, in particular the table 2, is conceptually divided into two working areas. In this way, when the cutting unit 3 cuts portions of the sheet in a first zone, the operator can collect portions of material that have been cut in a second adjacent zone, which are alternated during operation of the device 1. Therefore, it is possible to work with time masking (time masking), i.e., the cutting operation and the collecting operation occur within the masking time, with higher efficiency and productivity; this type of machine is also known as a "swing". This operation may be performed by a single cutting unit suitably controlled by the control unit C and moved from one area to an adjacent area, or may be performed by two cutting units suitably controlled by the control unit C.

Furthermore, the apparatus 1 comprises an illumination system, schematically indicated with 15 in the figure, configured to illuminate the table 2, in particular the material arranged thereon. For example, the lighting system 15 may comprise suitable LEDs controllable by the control unit C, for example arranged on the support element 9 and oriented to illuminate the material in the most suitable way.

In the case of a cutting machine, it is very convenient to project a template corresponding to the contour to be cut onto the material arranged on the table 2 (as schematically shown in fig. 4), so that the operator can make the most suitable placement and orientation on the material to be cut, optimizing the cutting process and the subsequent collection process.

For this purpose, the device 1 comprises a plurality of projectors, including in particular: at least one first projector 20 adapted to project a template (indicated with reference S) onto the table 2; and a second projector 21 adapted to project the above-mentioned template S onto the table 2 according to different projection modes, said second projector 21 being of a different type with respect to the first projector 20 and therefore having different projection characteristics of the template S.

In one embodiment, the first projector 20 comprises at least one laser source (and possibly even more than one), and the second projector 21 is a video projector (e.g. an LCD projector, and for example it may also be referred to as a "matrix projector"). The different projection modes of the projectors 20 and 21 described above include, for example, different aspects of the template projected onto the material M, as well as different numbers of projectable templates, in particular a greater number of projectable templates of the video projector relative to the laser projector.

Video projectors allow for the projection of many more templates than laser projectors (e.g., video projectors allow for the projection of all desired templates), laser allows for better definition of the projected profile (laser projection is not limited by the maximum number of pixels, as is the case with video projectors), and the intensity of the projected profile is higher, so lasers are particularly useful in the placement step. The video projector is mainly used for the post-cut collection step, which will also be observed below. In addition, video projectors allow projection of colors and other different types of information (e.g., also including text). In any event, the particular use of the projector is merely indicative and does not limit the scope of the invention.

As mentioned above, in the case of a cutting machine of the type described above, the element S to be projected is a template corresponding to the contour to be cut and/or the contour cut, the position and orientation of which with respect to the table 2 can be defined by the user through the control unit C. For example, by means of a first projector 20 (laser projector), one or more templates S can be projected onto the material M to be cut, and the apparatus 1 comprises means operatively connected to the control unit C, by means of which the operator can move and orient the template projected onto the material M in the most suitable way (for example a mouse or a touch pad).

In other words, the control unit C is operatively connected to the first projector 20 and the second projector 21 and comprises operating means configured to allow definition of the projection elements, which definition also comprises (in addition to automatic selection of the cutting profile, the projection elements may be defined automatically by the control unit based on process information or in any suitable way) selection of the placement and orientation of the projection elements, as described above. For example, the device 1 may be provided with a mouse or similar instrument connected to a computer used by the user when projecting the template S for positioning and orienting said template S with respect to the material M to be cut. Buttons (e.g., buttons associated with a mouse) may also be present for fixing the selected position and orientation, which are fixed and stored for subsequent processing steps after pressing the button. The above-described means may be considered as part of the control unit C or they may be considered as peripheral devices of the control unit C executing specific commands without limiting the scope of protection of the invention.

The control unit C further comprises means allowing selective activation of one of the first projector 20 and the second projector 21, for example the above-mentioned buttons, or may also provide suitable commands for this purpose. For example, selection of a particular template S by a mouse button may result in turning off the first projector 20 and activating the second projector 21, or at the end of the cutting step, automatically activating the second projector 21 (and turning off the first projector 20) to assist the operator in the collecting step.

Advantageously, according to the invention, the control unit C is configured to control the lighting system 15 based on the activated projector, for example by varying the intensity of the emitted light in the most suitable way. In particular, the control unit C is configured to cause the lighting system 15 to automatically switch between a first lighting mode when the first projector 20 is selected and a second lighting mode when the second projector 21 is selected. The above-described illumination modes are not limited by specific settings (e.g. intensity, color temperature, etc.), e.g. they (in particular the second illumination mode) may also provide for switching off the lamp.

This is advantageous because the first projector 20 (i.e. the laser projector) allowing the operator to optimally choose the placement and orientation of the single template S requires a different illumination of the table 2 with respect to the second projector 21 (the video projector), in particular the second projector 21 requires a lower brightness (for example in the collecting step).

Thus, the control unit C is configured to modify the intensity of the light emitted by the illumination system 15 in a switch between a first projection mode with the first projector 20 and a second projection mode with the second projector 21, and vice versa. In particular, the intensity of the light emitted in the first illumination mode (by the laser projector) is higher relative to the intensity of the light emitted in the second illumination mode (by the video projector), which may also involve turning off the lamp (and thus not gradually adjusting).

In this way, advantageously, depending on the projector used, the operator always has an optimal field of view, in which the intensity of the emitted light is automatically adjusted by the control system of the device 1.

As discussed above, for example, in the pre-cut placement step, the template S is projected by a first (laser) projector 20, while in the post-cut placement step, a second (video) projector 21 is preferably used, which requires a lower intensity for the best view, which is set automatically once said second projector 21 is selected. It is clear that the above-described switching between the two illumination modes may also take place during a pre-cut placement step of the templates S, for example when the operator wants to have a global view of all selected templates by means of the second video projector 21, which cannot be performed by a laser projector which cannot project a large number of templates at the same time.

The various lighting modes of the lighting system 15 may be preset by a user, said settings being stored in the control unit C.

In a preferred embodiment, the first and second projectors 20 and 21 are arranged on the support element 9. In other words, the support element 9 is adapted to support at least the first projector 20 and the second projector 21, as well as other components of the device 1. The device 1 may in fact be equipped with a control monitor 35 and a control camera, said components being advantageously supported by the support 9 (which may have any suitable shape) together with the projector described above, without the need to use other supports.

As previously mentioned, in the case of a pendulum cutter, there may be four projectors, namely a first projector 20 and a second projector 21 for each working area, with all previous considerations being valid for the projectors. This embodiment is shown in fig. 1, 2 and 3.

Finally, as mentioned above, in an alternative embodiment of the invention, the apparatus of the invention may be an inspection machine (even if other materials are possible) for fabrics, in particular leather, which is now identified with reference numeral 1' and is schematically shown in fig. 6. In particular, in this case, the term "fabric" preferably includes leather (even if other materials may not be checked frequently). It is clear that all aspects discussed above in relation to the projector and its control in the cutter are also valid for the below described textile inspection machine, which is why the same reference numerals will be used.

In general, in this case, the device 1' always comprises: the table 2, which may be inclined if desired; the projectors 20 and 21 described above; a control unit C; and an illumination system 15, which may include various types of lamps.

In this embodiment, the device 1' further comprises a plurality of image detectors 30 adapted to acquire images of the leather arranged on the table 2, wherein the control unit C is configured to process the images acquired by said image detectors 30 and to generate a digital copy of the inspected leather that can be stored.

In this case, as shown in fig. 6, the support element 9 may be a box-shaped support, wherein only the side facing the user is open, on which the projectors 20 and 21, the illumination system 15 and the image detector 30 are arranged (e.g. on the upper side facing the table 2). It is clear that other shapes of the support 9 are possible, the figures being provided by way of indicative and non-limiting example only of the invention.

In this embodiment, the device 1 further comprises a signaling element 31 adapted to be used by an operator to indicate defects on the leather surface. For example, the signalling element 31 may be provided with a lighting element, which may be detected by an image detector, the coordinates of the movement of which are calculated by the control unit C in order to accurately identify the position of the defect indicated by the operator.

The control unit C is then configured to associate the defect on the hide indicated by the signalling element 31 with the acquired hide image, possibly generating a report indicating at least the shape and the position of the defect on the hide. Furthermore, the control unit C may be configured to identify the location, shape and/or entity of the leather surface defect based on the coordinates of the movement of the lighting element.

Suitably, the control unit C may be operatively connected to a storage unit adapted to contain at least a digitized image of the leather being inspected and a report indicating the generation of a leather defect. For example, the storage unit may be a cloud unit that a user can access remotely through a particular application and/or a particular address.

In this case, the first projector 20 and the second projector 21 are adapted to project the profile of the identified defect onto the leather, which profile is then displayed on the material, simplifying the inspection work. Thus, the operator may switch between the first (laser) projector 20 and the second (video) projector 21 as desired, and as described above, the control unit C adjusts the illumination accordingly, so that an optimal view of the defects projected onto the material is always ensured.

Furthermore, the control unit C is configured to define a plurality of cutting areas (also called quality areas) on the digitized image, wherein the type, number and position of said cutting areas are defined and optimized based on the information acquired by the control unit C during the leather inspection; in this case, one of the above-mentioned projectors, preferably the second (video) projector 21, which is capable of projecting color images and/or other information, can easily project said cut areas onto the leather in order to directly observe the material of the various quality areas.

The above-described embodiments, in which the second (video) projector 21 projects various quality areas onto the fabric, can also be implemented for the cutting machine 1, for example for optimizing the placement of templates on the material to be cut, which has been checked beforehand.

It is also observed that in this embodiment the control unit C may be divided into two separate processing units, one for managing the illumination and one for managing the defects, but it is clear that the invention is not limited thereto and that many other embodiments are possible.

It is clear that the invention also relates to a generic system from a combination of the above-mentioned cutting machine and fabric inspection machine, for example, arranged in sequence, with any suitable mechanical structure.

In summary, the present invention allows to overcome technical problems excellently, to provide the above-mentioned device and to solve all the drawbacks of the prior art.

Advantageously, it is possible to obtain an optimal control of the illumination without modifying the mechanical and electronic structure of the device in any way, since the components used are substantially unchanged and only simple commands are added to the control unit, which is thus able to perform an automatic adjustment of the illumination system based on the selected projector.

In this way, in the cutting machine and the inspection machine, the operator always has an optimal view of the elements projected onto the material in each operating mode, so that it is possible to switch from one mode to the other in an extremely simple manner.

It is evident that the person skilled in the art is able to make numerous modifications and variants to the device described above, in order to satisfy contingent and specific requirements, all contained within the scope of protection of the invention, as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. Device (1, 1') for processing and/or inspecting a material to be cut, comprising:

-a table (2) adapted to provide a support plane for the material to be cut;

-at least one first projector (20) adapted to project elements (S) onto said table (2);

-at least one second projector (21) adapted to project said element (S) onto said work table (2), said second projector (21) being of a different type with respect to said first projector (20) and adapted to project said element (S) according to a different projection mode;

-a control unit (C) for managing the device (1), said control unit (C) being operatively connected to the first projector (20) and the second projector (21) and comprising operating means configured to allow defining the projection element and to selectively activate one of the first projector (20) and the second projector (21); and

-an illumination system (15) adapted to illuminate the table (2),

characterized in that the control unit (C) is configured to control the lighting system (15) based on the activated projector, wherein the control unit (C) is configured to automatically switch the lighting system (15) between a first lighting mode when the first projector (20) is selected and a second lighting mode when the second projector (21) is selected.

2. The device (1, 1') according to claim 1, wherein the first projector (20) comprises at least one laser source and the second projector (21) is a video projector.

3. A device (1, 1') according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit (C) is configured to modify the intensity of light emitted by the lighting system (15) in switching between the first and second lighting modes, and vice versa.

4. A device (1, 1') according to claim 3, wherein the intensity of the light emitted by the illumination system (15) in the first illumination mode is greater than the intensity of the light emitted by the illumination system (15) in the second illumination mode.

5. The device (1, 1') according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lighting system (15) comprises LEDs controllable by the control unit (C).

6. The device (1, 1') according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (C) is configured to allow setting of a lighting pattern of the lighting system (15), the setting being stored in the control unit (C).

7. The device (1, 1') according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a support element (9) adapted to support at least the first projector (20) and the second projector (21).

8. The apparatus (1, 1') according to claim 7, wherein said support element (9) is in the form of a cross-beam support structure which is kept suspended from said table (2) by at least one support column (9 a) extending from said table (2); wherein the table (2) is a fixed plane and is unobstructed along at least two parallel sides of the larger extension.

9. The apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, being a cutting machine comprising at least one cutting unit (3) adapted to cut material arranged on the table (2).

10. Device (1) according to claim 9, wherein the element (S) to be projected is a template corresponding to the contour to be cut and/or the cut contour, the position and orientation of which with respect to the table (2) can be defined by the user through the control unit (C).

11. The apparatus (1') according to any one of claims 1 to 8, which is a textile or leather inspection machine, comprising:

-a plurality of image detectors (30) adapted to acquire images of the fabric or leather on the table (2), wherein the control unit (C) is configured to process the images acquired by the image detectors (30) and to generate a digital copy of the fabric under inspection; and

a signalling element (31) adapted to indicate a defect on the fabric surface,

wherein the control unit (C) is further configured to associate a defect on the fabric indicated by the signaling element (31) with the acquired fabric image.

12. The device (1') according to claim 11, wherein:

the first projector (20) and the second projector (21) are adapted to project the outline of the defect signaled by the signaling element (31) onto the fabric, and/or

The control unit (C) is configured to define a plurality of cutting areas on a digitized image, wherein the type, number and position of the cutting areas are defined and optimized based on information acquired by the control unit (C) during the fabric inspection, the second projector (21) being adapted to project the defined cutting areas onto the fabric.