EP1618237A2

EP1618237A2 - Thread feeding device and cable for the same

Info

Publication number: EP1618237A2
Application number: EP04721190A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Richard Kaufmann; Friedrich Dinkelmann
Original assignee: Memminger IRO GmbH
Current assignee: Memminger IRO GmbH
Priority date: 2003-04-26
Filing date: 2004-03-17
Publication date: 2006-01-25
Also published as: DE10318931A1; WO2004097093A2; TWI271375B; WO2004097093A3; CN1780949A; US20060231662A1; DE10318931B4; TW200500287A

Abstract

The invention relates to a thread feeding device (1) which comprise a clamp (3) for fixing to a machinery ring (4). Contact pins arranged on the clamp (3) serve for insertion in a flat cable (17) that is retained on the machinery ring (4). In order to orient the flat cable (17) before and during insertion in the correction position, a guide element (37) is movably mounted on or next to the clamp. In the vertical orientation, said element is preferably held by a spring arm (47). The flat cable (17), on its flanks, is preferably provided with grooves that may likewise serve to orient the flat cable (17) before and during insertion in the correction position. The tips of the contact pins slide into the grooves, thereby orienting the flat cable (17 or 54).

Description

Thread delivery device and cable for such

The invention relates to a thread delivery device with electrical components and a cable for contacting such a thread delivery device.

Thread delivery devices are used, for example, on knitting machines or on other textile machines to deliver a thread, for example with a predetermined tension or in a prescribed quantity, to a point consuming the thread. The thread delivery devices pull the thread from a spool of thread and hold it ready on a drum for consumption by the thread consuming machine or deliver it this. Such thread delivery devices are usually attached in large numbers on a corresponding holder, for example a so-called machine ring. They have a clamp for this. In addition to the mechanical connection to the textile machine, such thread delivery devices generally also require an electrical connection in order to be able to connect existing electrical components.

From DE-OS 21 48 653 a yarn delivery device in the form of a storage feeder is known which has a yarn delivery drum controlled by an electric motor. The drum and the motor are fastened to a horizontally extending holder which has a downward-opening jaw-like clamp at one free end. A hook-like leg of this clamp has a clamping screw, the axis of which is oriented transversely to the opening direction of the mouth. On the side opposite the clamping screw, several contact pins are arranged, which have sharpened tips. They serve to pierce the insulation of a cable and to contact the conductors present in the cable. The cable is a ribbon cable, which is arranged on a carrier (machine ring) with a rectangular cross-section. The contacts are axially movably mounted in at least one embodiment, so that they can be pushed back a little when reefing on the cable.

When making contact, it is important that the contact pins safely hit the conductor hidden in the cable. The connection of a thread delivery device to a textile machine must therefore be carried out with care. The level of care with which the thread delivery device can be used however, cannot be predetermined by the manufacturer of the thread delivery device.

Based on this, it is an object of the invention to provide a thread delivery device which can be mechanically and electrically correctly connected to a textile machine in a particularly simple and safe manner.

In addition, it is an object of the invention to provide a cable which supports a safe connection of the thread delivery device to a textile machine in a manner which is less prone to errors.

This object is achieved with a thread delivery device according to claim 1 and additionally or alternatively with a cable according to claim 14:

The thread delivery device according to the invention has a fastening clamp with contact pins. These are preferably arranged in a fixed position. In individual cases, however, it may also be expedient to arrange the contact pins so that they can move axially.

A guide element is assigned to the individual contact pin or the contact pins (if there are several), which guides the cable when the contact pins are inserted, in particular with respect to the transverse direction of the conductor. The guide element is preferably adapted to the contour of the conductor. The conductor is formed, for example, by a flat cable with a rectangular cross section. Accordingly, the guide element then has a mouth with an approximately rectangular or trapezoidal cross-section, which largely corresponds to that of the flat cable. The leadership Rungselement is only movably mounted longitudinally, but not transversely to the contact pins, so that it holds the cable when piercing so that the contact pins meet the conductor or the conductor of the cable safely.

In a first embodiment, the guide element is mounted stationary with respect to the base body, the contact pins being mounted so as to be axially movable. In the rest position, they are withdrawn so far that they do not protrude into the interior of the guide element. The cable can thus be inserted into the guide element by placing the thread delivery device on the machine ring. When the fastening screw is screwed in, the thread delivery device is first fixed. When the fastening screw is screwed in further, a deflection mechanism can cause the contact pins to be advanced axially and thus to penetrate the cable. Alternatively, however, it is also possible to use a separate actuating means, such as a lever, e.g. to be activated via a cam drive or a separate screw, i.e. pierce the interior enclosed by the guide element in a mouth-like manner in order to contact the cable.

Alternatively, the contact pins can be fixed and the guide element can be arranged to be movable. This applies in particular to particularly simple and robust embodiments. In this case, the guide element is preferably mounted in a resilient manner, a spring means serving to tension the guide element in a receiving position. In the receiving position it is in front of the tips of the contact pins. It ensures that the cable or another conductor is inserted into the guide element can without getting caught on the tips of the contact pins and thereby being pushed out of its desired position. Even if the cable on the machine ring (mounting rail) of the textile machine is held only relatively loosely, for example by means of cable ties, correct contacting of the conductor of the cable is possible, even if the thread delivery devices are installed with a certain negligence.

The contact pins can be connected to various electrical components of the thread delivery device, such as, for example, an electrical switch, a sensor, a display device, a motor, a magnetic coupling or the like. The line belonging to the textile machine, which is contacted by the contact pins, preferably leads to central control thereof. Individual lines can be connected to a voltage supply. The lines can be signal lines and / or supply lines.

The contact pins are preferably designed as piercing contact pins in the manner of needles. They can have a round or angular (flat) cross section, for example to pierce a conductor. This is particularly useful if the conductor is designed as a strand. It is also possible to design the piercing contacts as insulation displacement contacts, for example in the form of longitudinally slotted contact tongues. They pierce cable insulation and pick up the conductor in their slot, contacting it.

A ribbon cable with one, two or more conductors can be used as the cable. The ribbon cable has a preferably rectangular cross section (with rounded corners). The guide element ensures here that the contact pins hit the conductors when piercing. In a preferred embodiment of the cable, this has recesses on at least the side facing the piercing contacts, which guide the piercing contacts and the cable relative to one another when piercing. The recesses are, for example, grooves arranged parallel to the conductors, which can be formed in one flat side of the cable or in both flat sides lying opposite one another. With regard to a plane oriented radially to the conductor and at right angles on the flat side, the grooves are preferably arranged in the center of this plane. The grooves can be assigned to some of the conductors or to all conductors. In a preferred embodiment of the cable, it has two thicker conductors, which are designed as strands, which serve, for example, as supply lines, and one or more thinner strands, which serve, for example, as a signal line. The flat sides of the cable are provided with grooves only in the area of the signal lines, the outer contour of the cable otherwise hardly deviating from the rectangle.

Further details of advantageous embodiments of the invention result from subclaims, from the drawing and / or from the description.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawing. Show it:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a thread delivery device with a belt drive, FIG. 2 shows a thread delivery device with a motor drive in a schematic side view,

3 shows a clamp of the thread delivery device according to FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 for mechanical fastening and for electrical contacting of the thread delivery device in a schematic side view on another scale,

FIG. 4 shows the clamp according to FIG. 3 when slipped over a mounting rail or a machine ring in a partially sectioned side view,

5 shows the clamp according to FIG. 4 when fastened to the machine ring, FIG.

FIG. 6 shows the clamp in the clamped state in a partially sectioned side view,

Figure 7 shows an embodiment of a cable for contacting yarn delivery devices, on an enlarged scale and in a sectional view and

Figure 8 shows a modified embodiment of a yarn delivery device with movably mounted contact pins in a partially broken side view.

FIG. 1 illustrates a thread delivery device 1 which has a basic body 2 in the form of a holder or housing which can be fastened with a clamp 3 to a mounting rail or a machine ring 4 of a textile machine, such as a knitting machine. The base body 2 projects cantilevered from the clamp 3 and carries a thread delivery device 5. In the embodiment according to FIG. 1, this is formed by a thread delivery wheel 6 arranged below the base body 2, which is supported by a rotatably mounted axle 7 which penetrates the base body 2 vertically. This carries at its upper end above the base body 2 one or more pulleys 8, 9, which can optionally be coupled to the axis 7 via a clutch disc 11. The thread feed wheel 6 can be assigned a thread brake 12, which is arranged on the free end of the base body 2 remote from the clamp 3, as well as one or more thread feeler levers 13, 14, which are arranged in front of and behind the thread feed wheel 6 in the thread travel path and on the Base body 2 are pivotally mounted. They are connected to switches 13a, 14a which are arranged in the interior of the base body 2 and which open or close an electrical circuit when the corresponding thread feeler lever 13 or 14 swivels from a raised position into a freely hanging position under the action of its own weight and / or a supporting spring , To indicate this state, a signal lamp 16 is arranged on a preferably vertically downward extension 15 of the otherwise essentially horizontally arranged base body 2, which is switched on and off by the thread feeler lever 13 and / or 14. For power supply of the signal lamp 16 and / or for signaling the state ^'s of the yarn feeler lever 13 and / or the yarn feeler lever 14 a flat cable 17 is arranged on the machine ring. 4 This is somewhat fixed to the machine ring 4, for example with cable ties, adhesive strips or the like.

Terminal 3 is formed by an open mouth. This includes a leg 18, which first extends approximately horizontally in a straight extension of the base body 2 and then extends vertically downward at an angle. The leg 18 defines a mouth 19, the vertical height of which is approximately as large as the height of the machine ring 4 and the horizontal width of which is greater than the width of the flat cable 17 and that of the machine ring 4 taken together. In side view, the mouth 19 has approximately a rectangular contour. A clamping screw 21, which is seated in a horizontally oriented threaded bore of the leg 18, is used to clamp the thread delivery device 1 on the machine ring 4. The threaded bore and the clamping screw 21 are arranged approximately centrally in the mouth 19.

The flat cable 17 is arranged on the side of the machine ring 4 facing away from the clamping screw 21. On this side of the mouth 19, contact pins 22, 23, 24, 25 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are arranged, which are held on the base body 2 at a distance parallel to one another and electrically insulated from one another. They extend towards the leg 18 and are oriented essentially parallel to the clamping screw 21. The contact pins 22 to 25 are preferably held stationary and arranged vertically one above the other. However, you can also with respect to the longitudinal direction of the flat cable 17, ie perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in FIG. 4, so that the stitch holes to be formed on the flat cable 17 are at a greater distance from one another. Each contact pin 22 to 25 preferably has a length such that it does not touch the flat cable 17 when it is inserted into the open mouth 19 with the machine ring 4. The contact pins 22 to 25 are provided at their respective free ends 26, 27, 28, 29 with a tip which is suitable for piercing the insulating jacket 31 of the flat cable 17. In this jacket 31, a plurality of conductors 32, 33, 34, 35 are arranged, which are preferably formed by a copper strand. The vertical spacing of the conductors 32 to 35 coincide with the vertical spacing of the contact pins 22 to 25.

The tips 26 to 29 of the contact pins 22 to 25 protrude into a mouth-like recess 36, the size of which slightly exceeds that of the cross section of the flat cable 17. However, the tips 26 to 29 do not protrude from this recess 36. In the area of the contact pins 22 to 25, a chamber in the manner of a vertical slot is formed in the wall in question, in which the recess 36 is formed, in which a guide element 37 is seated. This guide element 37, which is preferably made of plastic, has a mouth 41 delimited at the top and bottom by two projections 38, 39, the size of which corresponds to the cross section of the flat cable 17 and which opens toward the clamping screw 21. Between the projections 38, 39, the guide element 37 has a substantially flat contact surface 42, which is penetrated by bores 43, 44, 45, 46. The bores accommodate the contact pins 22 to 25, as can be seen in particular from FIG. 1. 3, 4 and 5, the guide element 37 is illustrated in its receiving position. It is movably mounted along the contact pins 22 to 25 and is held on a spring arm 47 which is integrally formed thereon. This is also shown in Figure 1. The guide element 37 is thereby movable so far that it can be pressed into the slot-like recess in which the contact pins 22 to 25 are seated. His back 48 can thereby be brought closer to the bottom 49 of the recess in question.

The thread delivery device 1 described so far is mounted on a machine ring 4 as follows:

For assembly, the clamping screw 21 is first screwed out of the mouth 19 so far that the mouth 19 is completely released. In this state, the thread delivery device 1 is placed with its clamp 3 onto the machine ring 4 from above. The flat cable 17 lies opposite the mouth 41 of the guide element 37. This state can be seen from FIG. 1 as well as from FIG. 4. If the fastening screw 21 is now tightened somewhat, the flat cable 17 enters the mouth 41 of the guide element 37, as shown in FIG. 5. The guide element 37, which is guided precisely in the vertical direction by its spring arm 47, picks up the flat cable 17 between the projections 38 and 39 and, if necessary, corrects its height, so that its conductors 32 to 35 precisely at the level of the contact pins 22, 23, 24, 25 stand.

If the fastening screw 21 is now tightened further, the flat cable 17 and the guide element 37, as shown in FIG. 6, are pushed onto the contact pins 22 to 25. While the guide element 37 in which the contact pin te 22 to 25 surrounding recess disappears, the flat cable 17 enters the recess 36, which is delimited at the top and bottom by step-shaped stops 51, 52. The contact pins 22 to 25 penetrate the jacket 31 of the flat cable 17 and pierce the conductors 32 to 35. This state is illustrated in Figure 6. The machine ring 4 is immediately clamped against the stops 51 to 52, the contact surfaces of which lie in a common plane, as a result of which the mechanical fastening of the thread delivery device 1 is also achieved.

FIG. 2 illustrates a modified embodiment of the thread delivery device, in which the thread delivery device 5 is driven by a motor 53. This sits on top of the base body 2 and replaces the pulleys 8, 9 according to FIG. 1. The motor 53 is controlled, for example, by thread tension sensors on the thread delivery device 1, which are not illustrated in any more detail. The flat cable 17 on the machine ring 4 again serves to supply power to the motor 53. The same is contacted in the manner described above. The terminal 3 and the electrical contacting device formed by it is designed according to Figures 3 to 6. Reference is made accordingly to these figures and their description and additionally to the description of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 shows a modified embodiment of the flat cable 17 as a flat cable 54. The flat cable 54 has an insulating jacket 31, the cross section of which has an approximately rectangular outline. Several, for example six, wires 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60 are accommodated in the jacket 31, which are designed, for example, as copper strands. The cores 55 to 60 are each Weil surrounded by its own insulation 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66. The insulation 61 to 66 can be multicolored. All cores 55 to 60 are arranged in a common vertical plane 67, which is oriented parallel to the flat sides 68, 69 of the flat cable 54. While the wires 55, 56 serve, for example, as energy supply lines and have a larger cross section, the wires 57 to 60 can serve as signal lines and have a correspondingly smaller cross section. Correspondingly, the center distances of the wires 57 to 60 are also less than the center distances of the wires 55, 56. The center distances of the wires 57 to 60 can be less than half the thickness of the flat cable 54, ie less than the distance of the vertical plane 67 from one of the flat sides 69 or 68. The safe and correct contacting of the wires 57 to 60 is in these circumstances by grooves

71, 72, 73, 74, 75 and 76, 77, 78 relieved, which are formed in the flat side 68 or 69. At least one of the two flat sides 68, 69 is provided with corresponding grooves. The groove 71 is arranged approximately in the center of a radial plane 79 of the wire 57, which is perpendicular to the vertical plane 67. Correspondingly, the groove 71 is at the same height as the wire 57. The grooves are also located

72, 73, 74 at the same level with the wires 58, 59, 60. The grooves 75 to 78 are also at the same height with the wires 57 to 60.

Such a flat cable 54 is particularly well suited for piercing with and without guide element 37. The grooves 71 to 74 guide piercing contact pins. Conversely, when the contact pins 54 find their way into the grooves 71 to 74 like prongs of a comb, the height of the flat cable 54 is automatically oriented in the correct position relative to the contact pins. FIG. 8 illustrates a further embodiment of a thread delivery device 1. If this corresponds to the thread delivery devices described above, reference is made to the above description using the same reference numerals. Deviating from the previous illustration, the following applies:

8, the guide element 37 is formed by a corresponding contour 81 in the side wall of the mouth 19 facing the flat cable 17. The contact pins 22, 23, 24, 25 are in the rest position outside the contour 81. They are carried by a carrier 82, on which they are fixedly spaced parallel to one another and are kept insulated. The contact pins 22, 23, 24, 25 are connected to a further electrical circuit (not shown), the motor 53, the signal lamp 16 and / or another electrical device via flexible line means (flexible printed circuit board or the like). The carrier 82 is guided by a guide device 83. the contact pins 22, 23, 24, 25 axially movable. The guide device 83 is indicated in FIG. 8 by two slide guides which are arranged at both ends of the carrier 82. Alternatively, resilient webs or similar means can also be used here, via which the carrier 82 can be connected to the base body 2. A separate drive, which is formed in the present exemplary embodiment by a rotatably mounted eccentric 84, is used for actuation, ie for the specific insertion of the contact pins 22, 23, 24, 25 into the flat cable 17. The eccentric 84 is formed by a cam 85 which is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to a hand lever or a similar actuating element, which is not further illustrated. It serves to move the carrier 82 axially. On Spring means which are not further illustrated biases the carrier 82 into its retracted position illustrated in FIG. 8, in which the contact pins 22, 23, 24, 25 do not penetrate into the mouth 41. However, if the cam 85 is pivoted, this causes the carrier 32 to move axially, as a result of which the contact pins 22, 23, 24, 25 penetrate into the mouth 41.

The thread delivery device 1 according to FIG. 8 is used as follows:

If it is to be mounted on the machine ring 4, it is placed on it, as illustrated in FIG. 8. The carrier 82 is in the retracted position shown, so that the mouth 41 is free. Now the fastening screw 42 is tightened, whereby the thread delivery device 1 is clamped on the machine ring 4. The flat cable 17 lies in the mouth 41 and has not yet been contacted. By rotating the cam 85, the contact pins 22, 23, 24, 25 are axially displaced so that they penetrate into the flat cable 17 and contact its conductor 32, 33, 34, 35. The cam 85 remains in this position either by its shape or by a separate locking or locking device. However, it is also possible to refrain from such a determination and to rely on the fact that the contact pins 22, 23, 24, 25 inserted into the flat cable 17 remain frictionally in place.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 8, an actuating device is provided which moves the carrier 82 towards the flat cable 17, with no retraction being provided or by means of a spring means. It's alterna- tiv possible to provide an actuator that acts both pushing and pulling, such as a toggle drive, a screw drive, a link guide or the like.

The thread delivery device 1 according to the invention has a clamp 3 for attachment to a machine ring 4. At the terminal 3, contact pins 22 to 25 are arranged, which are used for piercing into a flat cable 17 held on the machine ring 4. A guide element 37, which is movably mounted on or near the clamp, serves for the correct orientation of the flat cable 17 before and during the piercing process. In the vertical direction, it is preferably held by a spring arm 47. The flat cable 17 preferably has grooves on its flanks, which can also serve for the correct orientation of the flat cable before and during the piercing process. The tips of the contact pins 22 to 25 find in the grooves, which thereby cause the alignment of the flat cable 17 or 54.

Reference character list

1 thread delivery device

2 basic bodies

3 clamp

4 machine ring

5 thread delivery device

6 thread delivery wheel

7 axis

8, 9 pulley

11 clutch

12 thread brake

13, 14 thread feeler lever

15 extension

16 signal lamp

17 flat cables

18 legs

19 mouth

21 clamping screw

22, 23, 24, 25 contact pins

26, 27, 28, 29 tip

31 coat

32, 33, 34, 35 conductors

36 recess

37 guide element

38, 39 projections 1 mouth 2 contact surface 3, 44, 45, 46 holes 7 spring arm 8 back 9 bottom 1, 52 stops engine

Flat cable, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60 core, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66 insulation

Vertical plane, 69 flat side, 72, 73, 74, grooves, 76, 77, 78 grooves

radial plane

contour

carrier

guide means

eccentric

cam

Claims

Claims:

1. Thread delivery device (1)

with a base body (2) which has a thread delivery device (5) and at least one electrical device (14a, 53),

with a fastening clamp (3) which is provided for fastening the thread delivery device (1) to a textile machine,

with at least one contact pin (22, 23, 24, 25) which is arranged at the fastening clamp (3) and is set up for contacting a conductor (32, 33, 34, 35), and

with a guide element (37) which is arranged adjacent to the contact pin (22, 23, 24, 25), the guide element (37) and the contact pin (22, 23, 24, 25) being movably mounted with respect to one another.

2. Thread delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that the electrical device is a switch

(14a) and / or a sensor and / or a motor (53).

3. Thread delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide element (37) is movably mounted with respect to the base body (2).

4. Thread delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact pin (22, 23, 24, 25) with respect to the base body (2) is axially movable.

5. Thread delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that the fastening clamp (3) has a downwardly open mouth (19).

6. Thread delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that the fastening clamp (3) is a clamping screw

(21), the axis of which extends transversely to its opening direction.

7. Thread delivery device according to / claim 1, characterized in that the contact pin (22, 23, 24, 25) extends transversely to the opening direction of the mouth (19).

8. Thread delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact pin (22, 23, 24, 25) is mounted in a stationary manner.

9. Thread delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact pin (22, 23, 24, 25) extends into an interior of the mouth (19) enclosed.

10. Thread delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that a plurality of contact pins (22, 23, 24, 25) are provided which are arranged in parallel and at a distance from one another in order to contact different conductors (32, 33, 34, 35).

11. Thread delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact pin (22, 23, 24, 25) is a piercing contact.

12. Thread delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that the conductors (32, 33, 34, 35) are combined in a cable (17).

13. Thread delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cable (17) has a rectangular cross section.

14. Cable (54), in particular for connecting thread delivery devices,

with an insulating jacket (31) which surrounds several conductors (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60) and has a rectangular outline in cross section,

with recesses (71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78) provided in the jacket (31), which are arranged next to the conductors (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60) and assigned to them to guide piercing contacts during piercing.

15. Cable according to claim 14, characterized in that the recesses (71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78) are grooves arranged parallel to each other.

16. Cable according to claim 15, characterized in that the grooves (71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78) are arranged on a flat side (68, 69) of the jacket (31).

17. Cable according to claim 15, characterized in that the grooves (71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78) are arranged on opposite flat sides (68, 69) of the cable (54), two each grooves (71, 75) and a conductor (_57) are arranged in a common plane (79).

18. Thread delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide element (37) parallel to the contact pin (22, 23, 24, 25) is movably held.

19. Thread delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide element (37) is resiliently biased towards a receiving position.

20. Thread delivery device according to claim 19, characterized in that the guide element (37) has a mouth adapted to the cable contour (41).

21. Thread delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide element (37), when it is in the receiving position, separates the conductor from the contact pin (22, 23, 24, 25).