EP1302766A2 - A unit for detecting a marking on a fabric - Google Patents
A unit for detecting a marking on a fabric Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP1302766A2 EP1302766A2 EP02019978A EP02019978A EP1302766A2 EP 1302766 A2 EP1302766 A2 EP 1302766A2 EP 02019978 A EP02019978 A EP 02019978A EP 02019978 A EP02019978 A EP 02019978A EP 1302766 A2 EP1302766 A2 EP 1302766A2
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- fabric
- sensor
- marking
- unit
- feed
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
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Classifications
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06H—MARKING, INSPECTING, SEAMING OR SEVERING TEXTILE MATERIALS
- D06H3/00—Inspecting textile materials
- D06H3/08—Inspecting textile materials by photo-electric or television means
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a unit for detecting a marking made on a fabric.
- knitted fabric is normally produced in the form of a tube and is subsequently fed along a feed path to a cutting station for being opened along a marking directrix, which is usually defined as the so-called “needle waste” and must be detected uniquely by a detecting unit set in the cutting station itself.
- Detecting units of a known type are designed to cooperate with a device for moving the fabric, which displaces the fabric in a direction transverse to the feed path so as to cause the needle waste to collimate continuously with a blade which performs cutting of the fabric itself, and are provided with a linear sensor defined by an array of photodiodes oriented in the direction of the fabric, and with an illuminator of a through type set on the opposite side of the feed path of the fabric with respect to the photodiodes.
- known detecting units are also provided with an analogue multiplexer for converting the signals from the photodiodes by means of just one 8-bit A-D converter and have a scanning frequency of approximately 11 kHz for a total of one hundred scans of the entire array per second.
- the detecting units of the type described above present a number of drawbacks due, among other things, also to the low number of sensors and to the simplicity of the detection algorithm, which limit the possibility of their use and their detecting capacity.
- the low number of sensors from which there derives a very limited resolution, prevents detection of particularly small needle waste or needle waste involving little contrast, and, in addition, in order to obtain a proper contrast it is frequently necessary to stretch the fabric to a greater extent than would be convenient for preventing a degradation of the quality of the fabric itself.
- the positioning of the sensor and of the illuminator on opposite sides with respect to the feed path causes some types of fabric, which are particularly thick or anyway not permeable to light, not to be detected, since the light information is insufficient for it to reach the sensor.
- the marking directrix is not indicated by differences of density of the threads in the fabric, but in other ways, such as by folds or lines traced with indelible felt pens or lines of different colour, the difficulty of detection very frequently renders any processing that is not very closely assisted by the operator other than advantageous, so that totally manual processing carried out by the operator is to be preferred.
- the purpose of the present invention is to provide a unit for detecting a marking on a fabric which will be free from the drawbacks described above.
- a unit for detecting a marking on a fabric, the said unit being set along a feed path of the fabric and comprising a sensor for the detection of said marking and a lighting device, which in turn comprises a first illuminator, set on the opposite side of the feed path with respect to the sensor and designed for illuminating said marking to transmit to the sensor a light signal that passes through the fabric, the unit being characterized in that said sensor is a linear CMOS viewing sensor having a viewing resolution on the fabric of at least 68 ⁇ m.
- number 1 designates as a whole a unit for detecting a marking M made on a knitted fabric T fed, in a substantially continuous way, along a vertical feed path P.
- the unit 1 is set along the path P, and comprises a box-type body 2 having a front wall 3, which is designed to come into substantial contact with the fabric T and is provided with a window 4 enclosed by a glass 5.
- the unit further comprises a sensor 6 for detection of the marking M, the said sensor being supported inside the body 2, and a lighting device 7 designed for illuminating the fabric T to send a light signal S to the sensor 6.
- the sensor 6 is a linear CMOS viewing sensor having a viewing resolution on the fabric T of at least 68 ⁇ m, and a viewing area on the fabric T defined by a height, measured parallel to a direction D of feed of the fabric T itself, of 3 mm, and by a width, measured transverse to the direction D of feed, of 70 mm.
- the unit 1 is further equipped with an anamorphic focusing device 8, which is designed to receive the light signal S and comprises two prisms 9 and 10 and a mirror 11, designed to develop a focal length of 25.5 cm in a direction orthogonal to a direction of passage of the light signal S with respect to the fabric T.
- the mirror 11 is set inside the body 2 in a position directly facing the glass 5 and has a reflecting surface 12 of its own inclined by an angle of 45° with respect to the glass 5.
- the two prisms 9 and 10 are supported inside the body 2 by a two-axes slide 13, which is designed to enable correct positioning of the prisms 9 and 10 themselves with respect to the sensor 6, which is fixed on a support that enables movements along four axes during assembly to obtain a proper collimation with the optical system.
- the lighting device 7 comprises two illuminators 20 and 21, of which the illuminator 20 is set on the opposite side of the path P of feed with respect to the sensor 6 and is designed to illuminate the marking M so as to transmit to the sensor 6 a light signal S that passes through the fabric T, whilst the illuminator 21 is set on the same side as the sensor 6 with respect to the path P and is designed to illuminate the marking M so as to transmit to the sensor 6 a light signal S reflected by the fabric T. Consequently, the illuminator 20 is set outside the body 2 in a position facing the window 4, whilst the illuminator 21 is set inside the body 2, which is also set in a position facing the window 4.
- Both of the illuminators 20 and 21 are built with solid-state monochromatic emitters, are activatable alternately with respect to one other, and each comprises two rows of LEDs 24 set on opposite sides of the viewing area.
- the LEDs 24 of each row define a given angle with respect to the path P so as to enhance the surface roughness of the fabric T.
- the illuminators 20 and 21 are alternately lit up and turned off with respect to one another, and at each lighting-up there is acquired an image of the fabric T detected by the sensor 6. Operating in this manner, it is possible to acquire alternately images of different perspectives of the same portion of fabric T. In addition, the fact of keeping the illuminators 20 and 21 cyclically turned on and turned off enables optimal exploitation of the characteristics of the LEDs 24 in such a way as to double their lighting power.
- the unit 1 comprises a digital signal processor (DSP) and a microcontroller 25, which are set in a dedicated housing outside the body 2, and are connected to the sensor 6 by means of shielded and differential electrical lines for detecting the marking M.
- the microcontroller 25 is a microprocessor containing an on-board memory and peripheral equipment, and its use together with that of the DSP makes possible implementation of a very sophisticated mathematical algorithm to obtain, in this way, a proper detection of many of the types of markings M.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Materials Engineering (AREA)
- Textile Engineering (AREA)
- Treatment Of Fiber Materials (AREA)
- Control Of Vending Devices And Auxiliary Devices For Vending Devices (AREA)
Abstract
A unit (1) for detecting a marking (M) made on a fabric
(T), the unit being set along a path (P) for feeding of the
fabric (T), and having a linear CMOS viewing sensor (6) for
detection of the marking (M), and a lighting device (7)
provided with two LED illuminators, which are set on
opposite sides of the feed path (P) and are designed for
illuminating the marking (M) to transmit to the sensor (6)
respective light signals passing through the fabric (T) and
reflected by the fabric (T) itself.
Description
The present invention relates to a unit for detecting a
marking made on a fabric.
In the textile industry, knitted fabric is normally
produced in the form of a tube and is subsequently fed
along a feed path to a cutting station for being opened
along a marking directrix, which is usually defined as the
so-called "needle waste" and must be detected uniquely by a
detecting unit set in the cutting station itself.
Detecting units of a known type are designed to cooperate
with a device for moving the fabric, which
displaces the fabric in a direction transverse to the feed
path so as to cause the needle waste to collimate
continuously with a blade which performs cutting of the
fabric itself, and are provided with a linear sensor
defined by an array of photodiodes oriented in the
direction of the fabric, and with an illuminator of a
through type set on the opposite side of the feed path of
the fabric with respect to the photodiodes.
In addition, known detecting units are also provided
with an analogue multiplexer for converting the signals
from the photodiodes by means of just one 8-bit A-D
converter and have a scanning frequency of approximately 11
kHz for a total of one hundred scans of the entire array
per second.
The detecting units of the type described above present
a number of drawbacks due, among other things, also to the
low number of sensors and to the simplicity of the
detection algorithm, which limit the possibility of their
use and their detecting capacity. For example, the low
number of sensors, from which there derives a very limited
resolution, prevents detection of particularly small needle
waste or needle waste involving little contrast, and, in
addition, in order to obtain a proper contrast it is
frequently necessary to stretch the fabric to a greater
extent than would be convenient for preventing a
degradation of the quality of the fabric itself.
The positioning of the sensor and of the illuminator on
opposite sides with respect to the feed path causes some
types of fabric, which are particularly thick or anyway not
permeable to light, not to be detected, since the light
information is insufficient for it to reach the sensor.
Finally, in the case where the marking directrix is not
indicated by differences of density of the threads in the
fabric, but in other ways, such as by folds or lines traced
with indelible felt pens or lines of different colour, the
difficulty of detection very frequently renders any
processing that is not very closely assisted by the
operator other than advantageous, so that totally manual
processing carried out by the operator is to be preferred.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a
unit for detecting a marking on a fabric which will be free
from the drawbacks described above.
According to the present invention, a unit is provided
for detecting a marking on a fabric, the said unit being
set along a feed path of the fabric and comprising a sensor
for the detection of said marking and a lighting device,
which in turn comprises a first illuminator, set on the
opposite side of the feed path with respect to the sensor
and designed for illuminating said marking to transmit to
the sensor a light signal that passes through the fabric,
the unit being characterized in that said sensor is a
linear CMOS viewing sensor having a viewing resolution on
the fabric of at least 68 µm.
The invention will now be described with reference to
the annexed drawings, which illustrate a non-limiting
example of embodiment and in which:
- Figure 1 is a front elevation, with parts removed for clarity of exposition, of a preferred embodiment of the unit of the present invention; and
- Figure 2 illustrates a cross section according to the line Il-II of Figure 1.
With reference to Figures 1 and 2, number 1 designates
as a whole a unit for detecting a marking M made on a
knitted fabric T fed, in a substantially continuous way,
along a vertical feed path P.
The unit 1 is set along the path P, and comprises a
box-type body 2 having a front wall 3, which is designed to
come into substantial contact with the fabric T and is
provided with a window 4 enclosed by a glass 5.
The unit further comprises a sensor 6 for detection of
the marking M, the said sensor being supported inside the
body 2, and a lighting device 7 designed for illuminating
the fabric T to send a light signal S to the sensor 6.
The sensor 6 is a linear CMOS viewing sensor having a
viewing resolution on the fabric T of at least 68 µm, and a
viewing area on the fabric T defined by a height, measured
parallel to a direction D of feed of the fabric T itself,
of 3 mm, and by a width, measured transverse to the
direction D of feed, of 70 mm.
The ratio between the height and width of the sensor 6
and the ratio between the height and width of the viewing
area are different from one another, in so far as the
sensor 6 has a height of 125 µm and a width of 7.988 mm,
whilst the height of the viewing area is 3 mm and the width
of the viewing area is 70 mm, and in order not to lose
sensitivity and/or resolution in reading, the unit 1 is
further equipped with an anamorphic focusing device 8,
which is designed to receive the light signal S and
comprises two prisms 9 and 10 and a mirror 11, designed to
develop a focal length of 25.5 cm in a direction orthogonal
to a direction of passage of the light signal S with
respect to the fabric T.
In particular, the mirror 11 is set inside the body 2
in a position directly facing the glass 5 and has a
reflecting surface 12 of its own inclined by an angle of
45° with respect to the glass 5. The two prisms 9 and 10
are supported inside the body 2 by a two-axes slide 13,
which is designed to enable correct positioning of the
prisms 9 and 10 themselves with respect to the sensor 6,
which is fixed on a support that enables movements along
four axes during assembly to obtain a proper collimation
with the optical system.
The lighting device 7 comprises two illuminators 20 and
21, of which the illuminator 20 is set on the opposite side
of the path P of feed with respect to the sensor 6 and is
designed to illuminate the marking M so as to transmit to
the sensor 6 a light signal S that passes through the
fabric T, whilst the illuminator 21 is set on the same side
as the sensor 6 with respect to the path P and is designed
to illuminate the marking M so as to transmit to the sensor
6 a light signal S reflected by the fabric T. Consequently,
the illuminator 20 is set outside the body 2 in a position
facing the window 4, whilst the illuminator 21 is set
inside the body 2, which is also set in a position facing
the window 4.
Both of the illuminators 20 and 21 are built with
solid-state monochromatic emitters, are activatable
alternately with respect to one other, and each comprises
two rows of LEDs 24 set on opposite sides of the viewing
area. In particular, the LEDs 24 of each row define a given
angle with respect to the path P so as to enhance the
surface roughness of the fabric T.
The illuminators 20 and 21 are alternately lit up and
turned off with respect to one another, and at each
lighting-up there is acquired an image of the fabric T
detected by the sensor 6. Operating in this manner, it is
possible to acquire alternately images of different
perspectives of the same portion of fabric T. In addition,
the fact of keeping the illuminators 20 and 21 cyclically
turned on and turned off enables optimal exploitation of
the characteristics of the LEDs 24 in such a way as to
double their lighting power.
Finally, as illustrated schematically in Figures 1 and
2, the unit 1 comprises a digital signal processor (DSP)
and a microcontroller 25, which are set in a dedicated
housing outside the body 2, and are connected to the sensor
6 by means of shielded and differential electrical lines
for detecting the marking M. The microcontroller 25 is a
microprocessor containing an on-board memory and peripheral
equipment, and its use together with that of the DSP makes
possible implementation of a very sophisticated
mathematical algorithm to obtain, in this way, a proper
detection of many of the types of markings M.
It is understood that the invention is not limited to
the embodiment described and illustrated herein, which is
thus to be considered purely as an example of embodiment of
the unit for detecting a marking on a fabric, which hence
may undergo further modifications as regards embodiments
and arrangement of parts, as well as regards details of
construction and assembly.
Claims (9)
- A unit (1) for detecting a marking (M) on a fabric (T), said unit being set along a path (P) of feed of the fabric (T) and comprising a sensor (6) for the detection of said marking (M) and a lighting device (7), which in turn comprises a first illuminator (20), set on the opposite side of the feed path (P) with respect to the sensor (6) and designed for illuminating said marking (M) so as to transmit to the sensor (6) a light signal (S) that passes through the fabric (T), the unit (1) being characterized in that said sensor (6) is a linear CMOS viewing sensor (6) having a viewing resolution on the fabric (T) of at least 68 µm.
- The unit according to Claim 1, characterized in that the viewing sensor (6) has a viewing area on the fabric (T) defined by a height, measured parallel to a direction of feed of the fabric (T) itself, equal to 3 mm, and by a width, measured transverse to the direction of said feed, of 70 mm.
- The unit according to Claim 2, characterized in that the ratio between the height and width of the viewing sensor (6) and the ratio between the height and width of the viewing area are different from one another, the unit comprising an anamorphic focusing device (8), which is designed to receive said light signal (S) and comprises two prisms (9, 10) and a mirror (11) designed to develop a given focal length in a direction orthogonal to the direction of passage of the light signal (S) through the fabric (T) .
- The unit according to Claim 3, characterized in that said focal distance is 25.5 cm.
- The unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lighting device (7) comprises a second illuminator (21) set on the same side of the sensor (6) with respect to the path (P) of feed of the fabric (T) and designed for illuminating said marking (M) so as to transmit to the sensor (6) a light signal (S) reflected by the fabric (T).
- The unit according to Claim 5, characterized in that both of said illuminators (20, 21) are built using solid-state monochromatic emitters, and are activatable alternately with respect to one another.
- The unit according to Claim 6, characterized in that each illuminator (20, 21) comprises two rows of LEDs (24) set on opposite sides of the viewing area, said LEDs defining a given angle with respect to the path (P) of feed of the fabric (T) to enhance the surface roughness of the fabric (T) itself.
- The unit according to Claim 5, characterized in that it comprises a digital signal processor (DSP), and a microcontroller (25) for detecting said marking (M).
- A unit for detecting a marking on a fabric, substantially as described with reference to the annexed drawings.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| ITTO20010975 ITTO20010975A1 (en) | 2001-10-16 | 2001-10-16 | UNIT FOR THE DETECTION OF A MARKING ON A FABRIC. |
| ITTO20010975 | 2001-10-16 |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| EP1302766A2 true EP1302766A2 (en) | 2003-04-16 |
| EP1302766A3 EP1302766A3 (en) | 2004-08-11 |
Family
ID=11459258
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP02019978A Withdrawn EP1302766A3 (en) | 2001-10-16 | 2002-09-05 | A unit for detecting a marking on a fabric |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP1302766A3 (en) |
| IT (1) | ITTO20010975A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP2103927A2 (en) | 2008-03-17 | 2009-09-23 | EADS Deutschland GmbH | Method for automated monitoring of textile reinforcement material for the production of fibre reinforced plastics |
Family Cites Families (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0604875B1 (en) * | 1992-12-31 | 1999-04-21 | Zellweger Uster, Inc. | Continious two dimensional monitoring of thin webs of textile materials |
| DE19643406A1 (en) * | 1996-10-21 | 1998-04-30 | Deutsches Textilforschzentrum | Fast, high resolution optical surface scanner for textile webs, etc. |
| DE29911072U1 (en) * | 1999-04-30 | 1999-09-23 | Mahlo GmbH & Co. KG, 93342 Saal | Device for determining the draft angle of a textile web |
-
2001
- 2001-10-16 IT ITTO20010975 patent/ITTO20010975A1/en unknown
-
2002
- 2002-09-05 EP EP02019978A patent/EP1302766A3/en not_active Withdrawn
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP2103927A2 (en) | 2008-03-17 | 2009-09-23 | EADS Deutschland GmbH | Method for automated monitoring of textile reinforcement material for the production of fibre reinforced plastics |
| DE102008014656A1 (en) * | 2008-03-17 | 2009-10-01 | Eads Deutschland Gmbh | Method for the automated monitoring of textile reinforcing materials for the production of fiber-reinforced plastics |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| ITTO20010975A1 (en) | 2003-04-16 |
| EP1302766A3 (en) | 2004-08-11 |
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