EP4470953A1

EP4470953A1 - Doffing device and automatic winder

Info

Publication number: EP4470953A1
Application number: EP24175720.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Kenichi Ueda
Original assignee: Murata Machinery Ltd
Current assignee: Murata Machinery Ltd
Priority date: 2023-05-31
Filing date: 2024-05-14
Publication date: 2024-12-04
Also published as: CN119059368A; JP2024172173A

Abstract

The occurrence of problems in a doffing device, which are caused by the installation of a blower device, is avoided. A doffing device 3 includes a housing 50, wheels 82, a suction mouth 54, a seed yarn suction 74, and a blower device 58. The suction mouth 54 and the seed yarn suction 74 are configured to be able to suck a yarn Y by a negative pressure. The blower device 58 has a blower motor 92 to generate the negative pressure, and is connected to the suction mouth 54 and the seed yarn suction 74. The blower device 58 is provided below the wheel 82 and is on the inner side of both ends of the housing 50 in the left-right direction, and when viewed in the front-rear direction, the blower device 58 is disposed across the both sides of a virtual center line VLc in the left-right direction.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a doffing device configured to perform doffing for a winding device winding a yarn, and an automatic winder.
Patent Literature 1 ( Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2018-65659 ) recites a doffing device configured to perform doffing for a winding device winding a yarn. The doffing device includes a housing hanging down from a rail extending in a predetermined direction, a wheel which allows the housing to run along the rail, and a suction mouth (suction member) which is attached to the housing to temporarily suck and hold a yarn. The suction member has a suction port, and is configured to be able to suck a yarn by generating a negative pressure at the suction port by using a negative pressure source.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As the negative pressure source, a blower device having a typical blower motor may be mounted on the doffing device. In this case, it is conceivable to provide the blower outside the housing in a predetermined direction. However, with this configuration, the blower motor which is typically heavy is placed at an end portion of the doffing device in the predetermined direction, and this may adversely affect on the balance of the doffing device in the predetermined direction. In addition, there may be a need to lengthen the rail to support the blower, and this may increase the cost.
An object of the present invention is to suppress the occurrence of problems in a doffing device, which are caused by the installation of a blower device.
According to a first aspect of the invention, a doffing device is capable of performing doffing for a winding device configured to wind a yarn, and hangs down from a rail extending in a predetermined direction to be able to run along the rail, the doffing device comprising: a housing; a wheel which is provided above the housing and is configured to allow the housing to run along the rail; a sucking unit which is configured to be able to suck the yarn by a negative pressure; and a blower device which includes a blower motor for generating the negative pressure and is connected to the sucking unit, the blower device being provided below the wheel and being on the inner side of both ends of the housing in the predetermined direction, and when viewed in an orthogonal direction that is orthogonal to both the predetermined direction and an up-down direction, the blower device being disposed, in the predetermined direction, across both sides of a virtual center line passing through a point equidistant from the both ends of the housing and extending in the up-down direction.
According to the arrangement of the present invention, in the doffing device hanging down from the rail, the blower device is provided at a central part in the predetermined direction of the housing, which is below the wheel. This allows the center of gravity of the doffing device to be close to the center in the up-down direction and the predetermined direction, as compared to an arrangement in which the blower device is positioned above the wheel or at an end portion in the predetermined direction. It is therefore possible to stably balance the running doffing device. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress the cost increase due to, for example, the elongation of the rail. Because of the above, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of problems in the doffing device, which are caused by the installation of the blower device. Furthermore, as compared to an arrangement in which the blower device is positioned above the wheel or at an end portion in the predetermined direction, the layout of the pipes and wires connected to the blower device is simplified.
According to a second aspect of the invention, the doffing device of the first aspect is arranged so that, when the wheel is mounted on the rail, the blower device is provided below the rail, and the distance between the rail and the blower motor in the up-down direction is shorter than the total length of the blower motor in the up-down direction.
If the blower motor is positioned to be remote from the rail, there is a risk that the housing may experience significant vibrations due to the vibration of the blower motor in operation, with the contact portion between the wheel and the rail acting as a fulcrum. According to the arrangement of the present invention, the blower motor is positioned to be very close to the rail. It is therefore possible to suppress the vibration of the housing. Furthermore, because the blower device is provided below the rail, the operator is able to easily access the blower device in the maintenance of the doffing device hanging down from the rail.
According to a third aspect of the invention, the doffing device of the first or second aspect is arranged so that the blower device includes a dust box in which a dust yarn is collected by utilizing a negative pressure generated by the blower motor and accumulated, the dust box has an access port which allows an operator to access the inside of the dust box, and the access port is positioned to be accessible from a work passage provided below the rail, when the wheel is mounted on the rail. According to a fourth aspect of the invention, the doffing device of the third aspect further comprises a detachable member which is detachably attached to the blower device and is configured to allow gas to flow to the blower motor side by an operation of the blower device, the access port having an opening portion to which the detachable member is detachably attached, and the opening portion being open to face the work passage, when the detachable member is detached.
Typically, the dust yarn collected into the dust box can be automatically discharged from the dust box by a known waste yarn removal device. However, there may be a need for the operator to clean the inside of the dust box when a trouble occurs or maintenance is performed. Even in such cases, according to the arrangement of the present invention, the operator can easily access the access port from the work passage. Therefore, the inside of the dust box can be easily cleaned.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, the doffing device of any one of the first to fourth aspects further comprises a pipe member which is connected to the blower device and is configured to allow gas to flow to the blower motor side by an operation of the blower device, the pipe member being at least partially transparent.
The transparency means that the inside of the at least part of the pipe member can be seen through, and the operator is able to visually check the state of the inside of the pipe member. The arrangement of the present invention allows the operator to visually check at least part of the inside of the pipe member with ease, while the blower device is in operation. Therefore, the operator can easily check whether the inside of the pipe member is clogged.
The invention further provides an automatic winder having a plurality of winding devices that are arranged side by side in the predetermined direction and a doffing device according to the invention, wherein the rail is arranged in an upper region or above the winding devices such that the doffing device hanging down from the rail can be moved to a selected one of the winding devices for performing doffing for the selected winding device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of an automatic winder of the present embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a side view which schematically shows a yarn winding unit.
FIG. 3 shows a doffing device which is viewed from the yarn winding unit side in a front-rear direction.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of an upper part of the doffing device shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a side view of the doffing device.
FIG. 6 is a plan view of the doffing device.
FIG. 7 is a front elevation of a blower device.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a detachable pipe has been detached from the blower device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following will describe an embodiment of the present invention. For convenience of explanation, the direction in which later-described yarn winding units 2 (winding devices of the present invention) are aligned is referred to as a left-right direction (predetermined direction in the present invention), as shown in FIG. 1. The direction in which gravity acts is referred to as an up-down direction. The direction orthogonal to both the left-right direction and the up-down direction is referred to as a front-rear direction (orthogonal direction of the present invention).

[Automatic Winder]

The following will describe a schematic structure of an automatic winder 1 of the present embodiment, with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the automatic winder 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic winder 1 includes yarn winding units 2, a doffing device 3, a bobbin supplier 4, a waste yarn removal device 5, and a machine controller 6.
Each of the yarn winding units 2 is configured to form a package P by winding a yarn Y pulled out from a yarn supplying bobbin B onto a take up tube Q (see FIG. 2). The yarn winding units 2 are aligned in the left-right direction.
The doffing device 3 is provided above the yarn winding units 2. The doffing device 3 is arranged to be movable along rails R extending in the left-right direction. The doffing device 3 is configured to perform various processes for each of the yarn winding units 2. The doffing device 3 will be further detailed later.
The bobbin supplier 4 is configured to be able to supply yarn supplying bobbins B to the yarn winding units 2. The bobbin supplier 4 is configured to supply a conveyance tray T supporting a yarn supplying bobbin B to a lower portion of each yarn winding unit 2.
The waste yarn removal device 5 is a device for removing, for example, waste yarn collected by and accumulated in the doffing device 3, from the doffing device 3. The waste yarn removal device 5 is connectable to a rear end portion of the doffing device 3, for example.
The machine controller 6 is positioned to the left of the yarn winding units 2, for example. The machine controller 6 is electrically connected to a unit controller 2a of each yarn winding unit 2 and a doffing controller 3a of the doffing device 3, and communicates with these controllers.

(Yarn Winding Unit)

The following will describe an example of the structure of each yarn winding unit 2 with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a side view which schematically shows the yarn winding unit 2. In FIG. 2, the right side of the sheet corresponds to the front side in the front-rear direction, whereas the left side of the sheet corresponds to the rear side in the front-rear direction.
As shown in FIG. 2, the yarn winding unit 2 includes a yarn supplying unit 10, a yarn processing unit 20, a yarn storage device 30, and a winding unit 40. The yarn supplying unit 10 is arranged to be able to supply a yarn Y wound on a yarn supplying bobbin B. The yarn processing unit 20 is configured to be able to carry out various processes for the yarn Y supplied from the yarn supplying unit 10. The yarn storage device 30 is configured to temporarily store the yarn Y processed by the yarn processing unit 20. The winding unit 40 is configured to be able to form a package P by pulling the yarn Y out from the yarn storage device 30 and winding the yarn Y onto a take up tube Q. The yarn supplying unit 10, the yarn processing unit 20, the yarn storage device 30, and the winding unit 40 are aligned in this order from bottom to top.
The yarn supplying unit 10 includes a yarn unwinding assisting device 11 which is configured to assist unwinding of the yarn Y from the yarn supplying bobbin B. To be more specific, the yarn unwinding assisting device 11 is configured to adjust, by an adjusting cylinder 12, a bulge which is formed when the yarn Y is unwound from the yarn supplying bobbin B.
As shown in FIG. 2, the yarn processing unit 20 includes an upper yarn capturing unit 21, a yarn joining device 22, a lower yarn capturing unit 23, a tensioner 24, a yarn monitoring device 25, and a guide mechanism 26. Hereinafter, the upstream side in a yarn running direction in which a yarn Y runs will be simply referred to as an upstream side. The downstream side in the yarn running direction will be simply referred to as a downstream side. The upper yarn capturing unit 21, the yarn joining device 22, the free end of the lower yarn capturing unit 23 in its position that is indicated in two-dot chain lines in Fig. 2, the tensioner 24, and the yarn monitoring device 25 are provided in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side. When a yarn Y is divided between the yarn supplying unit 10 and the winding unit 40, a part of the divided yarn Y on the yarn supplying unit 10 side (lower side, i.e., the upstream side) may be termed a lower yarn. On the other hand, a part of the divided yarn Y on the winding unit 40 side (upper side, i.e., the downstream side) may be termed an upper yarn.
The upper yarn capturing unit 21 is configured to suck and capture an upper yarn (in this case, a yarn Y above the yarn joining device 22 and below the yarn storage device 30) and guide the captured yarn to the yarn joining device 22. The yarn joining device 22 is configured to perform yarn joining of the divided yarn Y. To be more specific, the yarn joining device 22 is configured to join yarn ends that are guided to the yarn joining device 22 by the upper yarn capturing unit 21 and the lower yarn capturing unit 23. The lower yarn capturing unit 23 is configured to suck and capture a lower yarn (in this case, a yarn Y below the yarn joining device 22) and guide the captured yarn to the yarn joining device 22. To be more specific, by an unillustrated drive unit, the lower yarn capturing unit 23 is able to turn and move an opening at its leading end portion between a position (indicated by solid lines in FIG. 2) on the downstream side (upper side) of the adjusting cylinder 12 and a position (indicated by two-dot chain lines in FIG. 2) on the downstream side (upper side) of the yarn joining device 22. At the leading end portion, a clamp lid is provided to be put on the opening. By closing this clamp lid, it is possible to prevent the sucking and at the same time to clamp a sucked yarn Y. The tensioner 24 is configured to be able to apply a predetermined tension to a running yarn Y. The yarn monitoring device 25 is configured to detect a defect (yarn defect) in a yarn Y and cut the yarn Y. The guide mechanism 26 is configured to be able to guide a yarn (upper yarn) on the winding unit 40 side to the upper yarn capturing unit 21 when the yarn Y is divided between the yarn supplying unit 10 and the winding unit 40.
The yarn storage device 30 is configured to be able to pull a yarn Y out from the yarn supplying unit 10 and temporarily store the yarn Y by winding the yarn Y onto a yarn storage roller 31.
As shown in FIG. 2, the winding unit 40 includes a cradle 41, a traversing drum 42, and a traverse guide 43. The winding unit 40 traverses the yarn Y by the traversing drum 42 while causing the take up tube Q attached to the cradle 41 to be passively rotated by the traversing drum 42. With this, the winding unit 40 forms a package P by winding the yarn Y onto the rotating take up tube Q while traversing the yarn Y.
As shown in FIG. 2, each yarn winding unit 2 includes a unit controller 2a. The unit controller 2a includes, for example, a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The unit controller 2a controls the operation of each of the yarn supplying unit 10, the yarn processing unit 20, the yarn storage device 30, and the winding unit 40. Each unit controller 2a is configured to be able to communicate with the machine controller 6.
For more details of each constituent feature of the above-described yarn winding unit 2, see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2018-65659 , for example.

[Doffing Device]

The following will outline the structure of the doffing device 3 mainly with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 shows the doffing device 3 which is viewed from the yarn winding unit 2 side (i.e., the rear side) in the front-rear direction. Please note that the left-right direction in FIG. 3 is opposite to the left-right direction of the sheet.
The doffing device 3 is configured to perform processes such as a doffing process (doffing), a type change process, and an upper yarn breakage dealing process by operating in conjunction with the yarn winding unit 2. The doffing process is a process to replace a package P finished at a yarn winding unit 2 with a new empty take up tube Q. The type change process is a process to change the type of the yarn Y wound by the winding unit 40. The upper yarn breakage dealing process is a process performed when a yarn Y is divided between a package P and the yarn storage device 30 in the yarn running direction, in order to pull a yarn Y (upper yarn) out from the package P and guide the yarn Y to the guide mechanism 26.
The doffing device 3 includes, for example, a housing 50, a multifunction arm 51, a chuck 52, a cradle opener 53, a suction mouth 54 (sucking unit of the present invention), a seed yarn supplier 55, a vertical guide lever 56, a yarn skipping lever 57, a blower device 58, and a running unit 59.
The housing 50 is a box-shaped member that extends to be long in, for example, the up-down direction. The housing 50 is roughly rectangular in shape when viewed in the front-rear direction, for example. The positions of both ends in the left-right direction of the housing 50 are therefore defined. The housing 50 is provided below the rails R, for example. The housing 50 has an opening in a rear surface. The members such as the multifunction arm 51, the chuck 52, the cradle opener 53, the suction mouth 54, the seed yarn supplier 55, the vertical guide lever 56, the yarn skipping lever 57, and the blower device 58 are, for example, accommodated in or attached to the housing 50.
The multifunction arm 51 is used for all of the doffing process, the type change process, and the upper yarn breakage dealing process. The multifunction arm 51 has an arm portion 61, a guide portion 62, and a clamp cutter portion 63. The multifunction arm 51 is arranged to be able to guide and/or to cut and hold the yarn Y in various situations by driving the guide portion 62 and the clamp cutter portion 63 attached to the leading end portion of the arm portion 61.
The arm portion 61 is configured to be swung in various directions by, for example, multiple unillustrated motors. The guide portion 62 is configured to be able to guide the yarn Y. The guide portion 62 is configured to be swung by, for example, an unillustrated motor. The clamp cutter portion 63 includes an unillustrated cutter for cutting the yarn Y and an unillustrated clamp for holding the yarn Y. The clamp cutter portion 63 is configured, for example, to perform the cutting of the yarn Y and the holding of a yarn end of the yarn Y having been cut, substantially simultaneously, by an unillustrated air cylinder.
When a chucking portion 52b of the chuck 52 is accommodated in the housing 50, the multifunction arm 51 is preferably provided, for example, below the chucking portion 52b.
The chuck 52 is used for the doffing process and the type change process. The chuck 52 is attached to the shaft 52a extending in the left-right direction to be rotatable in the housing 50. The chuck 52 is, for example, rotationally driven about the shaft 52a by an unillustrated motor. At a leading end of the chuck 52, the chucking portion 52b is provided to be able to grip a take up tube Q. For example, the chuck 52 takes an empty take up tube Q out from an unillustrated stocker at an upper end portion of the automatic winder 1, grips the take up tube Q at the chucking portion 52b, and rotates downward. As a result, the empty take up tube Q is positioned in the vicinity of the cradle 41.
The cradle opener 53 is used for the doffing process and the type change process. The cradle opener 53 is, for example, provided in the vicinity of a right end portion of the housing 50. The cradle opener 53 is driven by, e.g., a suitable driving source such as an air cylinder or a motor. The cradle opener 53 performs various operations such as swinging and rotating, and operates an unillustrated cradle lever provided on the cradle 41. When the cradle lever is operated, a package P becomes detachable from the cradle 41. Furthermore, an empty take up tube Q becomes attachable to the cradle 41.
The suction mouth 54 is configured to be able to suck and hold a yarn end of the yarn Y (upper yarn) wound on the package P, when, for example, the type change process and the upper yarn breakage dealing process are performed. The suction mouth 54 is provided at a position substantially identical with that of the package P in the up-down direction. A suction port 54a extending in the left-right direction is provided at the rear end of the suction mouth 54. The suction mouth 54 is configured to be movable between a standby position and a near position that is close to the yarn winding unit 2 as compared to the standby position. The suction mouth 54 is connected to the blower device 58. The suction mouth 54 is able to suck and hold the yarn Y by a negative pressure generated at the suction port 54a by the blower device 58. Immediately below the right end portion of the suction mouth 54, a mouth cutter 54b is provided to be able to cut the yarn Y.
The seed yarn supplier 55 is configured to be able to supply a yarn Y of a new type in the type change process. Hereinafter, a yarn Y of a new type supplied from the seed yarn supplier 55 will be referred to as a seed yarn Ys for convenience. The seed yarn supplier 55 includes a seed yarn bobbin supporter 71, a seed yarn blowing nozzle 72, a seed yarn guide pipe 73, a seed yarn suction 74 (sucking unit of the present invention), and a seed yarn clamp cutter 75.
The seed yarn bobbin supporter 71 is, for example, provided in the vicinity of the right end portion of the housing 50. The seed yarn bobbin supporter 71 is configured to, for example, substantially horizontally support a seed yarn bobbin Bs on which the seed yarn Ys has been wound. The seed yarn blowing nozzle 72 is configured to blow a yarn end of the seed yarn Ys upward, for example. The seed yarn guide pipe 73 is configured to guide, toward the seed yarn suction 74, the yarn end of the seed yarn Ys blown by the seed yarn blowing nozzle 72. The seed yarn suction 74 is configured to be able to suck and capture the yarn end of the seed yarn Ys. The seed yarn suction 74 has a suction port (not illustrated) that is open rearward, for example. The seed yarn suction 74 is connected to the blower device 58. The seed yarn suction 74 sucks and captures the yarn end of the seed yarn Ys jutting out from the exit of the seed yarn guide pipe 73 by utilizing a negative pressure. The seed yarn Ys sucked and captured by the seed yarn suction 74 is then cut and held by, for example, the seed yarn clamp cutter 75.
The vertical guide lever 56 is used in the type change process and the upper yarn breakage dealing process. The vertical guide lever 56 is mainly used to pull the yarn Y downward. The vertical guide lever 56 is provided, for example, in the vicinity of the suction mouth 54 and the seed yarn supplier 55, as shown in FIG. 3. The vertical guide lever 56 is positioned, for example, immediately behind the housing 50. The vertical guide lever 56 is configured to be rotatable about a rotation shaft 56a extending at least in the front-rear direction.
The yarn skipping lever 57 is used in the type change process and the upper yarn breakage dealing process. The yarn skipping lever 57 is arranged to be swingable about a swing shaft 57a which extends in the left-right direction, for example. The swing shaft 57a is provided at the lowest end portion of the doffing device 3, for example. At a leading end portion of the yarn skipping lever 57, a yarn picking portion 57b is provided to pick up the yarn Y. The yarn skipping lever 57 picks up, by the yarn picking portion 57b, the yarn Y which is pulled downward by the vertical guide lever 56, and guides the yarn Y to the guide mechanism 26 (see FIG. 2).
The blower device 58 is configured to be able to generate a negative pressure in the suction mouth 54 and the seed yarn suction 74 described above, for example. The details of the blower device 58 will be given later.
The running unit 59 (see FIG. 3 to FIG. 6) is configured to cause the housing 50 to run along two rails R extending in the left-right direction, for example. Each rail R is, e.g., substantially C-shaped in a cross section orthogonal to the left-right direction, for example (see FIG. 5). Each rail R has a mounting surface R1 on which later-described wheels 82 are mounted. Below the two rails R, there is a work passage 7 (see FIG. 1 and FIG. 2) that allows operators to pass therethrough. In the present embodiment, the work passage 7 includes, for example, a floor surface 7a on which the operators can walk and a working space Sw immediately above the floor surface 7a (see FIG. 2).
The running unit 59 includes, for example, a unit box 81 and plural (four in the present embodiment) wheels 82. The unit box 81 is, for example, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box. The unit box 81 accommodates a running driving mechanism (not illustrated) including a motor, for example. The unit box 81 is fixed to an upper end of the housing 50, for example. The wheels 82 are rotationally driven by the running driving mechanism. The wheels 82 are, for example, provided on the front side and the rear side of the unit box 81, for example (see FIG. 5 and FIG. 6). Each of the wheels 82 is provided to be mounted on the mounting surface R1 of one of the two rails R. With the arrangement described above, the doffing device 3 hangs down from the two rails R. The number of the rails R is not limited to two. In addition, the number of the wheels 82 is not limited to four.
As shown in FIG. 2, the doffing device 3 includes a doffing controller 3a. The doffing controller 3a includes, for example, a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The doffing controller 3a is configured to be able to communicate with the machine controller 6. The doffing controller 3a controls the sections of the doffing device 3 based on instructions from the machine controller 6.

(Outline of Each Process Performed by Automatic Winder)

In the automatic winder 1, as the yarn winding unit 2 operates in conjunction with the doffing device 3, the doffing process, the type change process, and the upper yarn breakage dealing process are performed. The doffing controller 3a and the unit controller 2a exchange signals through, for example, the machine controller 6. The following will describe the outline of each of these processes.
The doffing process will be outlined. For example, when the formation of a package P is completed at a winding unit 2, the unit controller 2a stops the rotation of the traversing drum 42 and the yarn storage roller 31. At this stage, the yarn Y is still connected between the package P and the yarn storage device 30. Subsequently, the unit controller 2a transmits a signal requesting the doffing process to the doffing controller 3a through the machine controller 6. The doffing controller 3a moves the doffing device 3 to the front of the yarn winding unit 2. The doffing controller 3a moves the clamp cutter portion 63 to a position where the yarn Y can be cut and held, and causes the clamp cutter portion 63 to cut and hold the yarn Y. Thereafter, the unit controller 2a rotates the traversing drum 42 and winds a part of the yarn Y on the winding unit 40 side onto the package P. Subsequently, the doffing controller 3a causes the cradle opener 53 to operate the cradle 41. As a result of this operation, the package P is released from the cradle 41. Subsequently, the doffing controller 3a moves the clamp cutter portion 63 to a position where the yarn Y can be interposed between a new take up tube Q and the cradle 41. The doffing controller 3a then controls the chuck 52 to attach an empty take up tube Q to the cradle 41. The doffing controller 3a causes the cradle opener 53 to operate the cradle 41, so as to fix the yarn Y held by the clamp cutter portion 63 to the take up tube Q. Furthermore, the doffing controller 3a performs bunch winding to wind the yarn Y onto an end portion of the take up tube Q. Thanks to this doffing process, it becomes possible to resume the winding of the yarn Y.
The type change process will be outlined. In an initial state, a package P has been detached from the cradle 41. In the seed yarn supplier 55, the seed yarn Ys pulled out from the seed yarn bobbin Bs was guided to the seed yarn clamp cutter 75 through the seed yarn guide pipe 73, and has been held by the seed yarn clamp cutter 75. The doffing controller 3a causes the clamp cutter portion 63 to hold the seed yarn Ys by, for example, controlling the multifunction arm 51. For example, as a process similar to the doffing process, the doffing controller 3a performs the formation of bunch winding by fixing the seed yarn Ys to an empty take up tube Q. Furthermore, the unit controller 2a slightly rotates the traversing drum 42. As a result, a starter package (not illustrated) is formed on the take up tube Q. Thereafter, the doffing controller 3a cuts the seed yarn Ys between the seed yarn bobbin Bs and the starter package by, for example, controlling the multifunction arm 51. Furthermore, the doffing controller 3a causes the suction mouth 54 to pull the seed yarn Ys out from the starter package. Thereafter, the doffing controller 3a controls the vertical guide lever 56 and the yarn skipping lever 57 to guide the seed yarn Ys to the guide mechanism 26. As a result, it becomes possible to join the yarn Y supplied from the yarn supplying unit 10 with the seed yarn Ys wound on the starter package by using the yarn joining device 22.
The upper yarn breakage dealing process will be outlined. The upper yarn breakage is cutting of the yarn Y between the yarn storage device 30 and the package P in the yarn running direction, due to a trouble. The upper yarn breakage dealing process is roughly divided into two processes, i.e., a remaining yarn removal process and an upper yarn guide process. The remaining yarn removal process is a process of removing the remaining yarn wound on the yarn storage device 30. For example, the operator may perform the remaining yarn removal process. The upper yarn guide process is a process similar to the above-described type change process. That is to say, the doffing controller 3a causes the suction mouth 54 to pull the yarn Y out from the package P in production. Thereafter, the doffing controller 3a controls the vertical guide lever 56 and the yarn skipping lever 57 to guide the yarn Y to the guide mechanism 26. This makes it possible to join the yarn Y on the yarn supplying unit 10 side with the yarn Y on the winding unit 40 side by using the yarn joining device 22.

(Specific Details of Blower Device and Its Surroundings)

The arrangement of the blower device 58 and its surroundings will be further detailed with reference to FIG. 4 to FIG. 8. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of an upper part of the doffing device 3 shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a side view of the doffing device 3. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the doffing device 3. FIG. 7 is a front elevation of the blower device 58. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a later-described detachable pipe 97 (a detachable member and a pipe member of the present invention) has been detached from the blower device 58. To suppress the occurrence of various problems caused by the installation of the blower device 58, the blower device 58 and its surroundings are arranged as described below.
The blower device 58 is a device that is configured to generate a suction force by using a negative pressure, for example, at the suction mouth 54 and the seed yarn suction 74. As shown in FIG. 4 to FIG. 8, the blower device 58 includes, for example, a base 91, a blower motor 92, an impeller member 93, and a dust box 94. The impeller member 93 and the dust box 94 are attached to the base 91.
The base 91 is, for example, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box. The base 91 is open on the both sides in the left-right direction. For example, a casing 93a (described below) of the impeller member 93 is connected to the left end of the base 91. For example, the dust box 94 is connected to the right end of the base 91. For example, a filter 91a (see FIG. 4) is provided at a right end portion inside the base 91. The filter 91a prevents a later-described waste yarn Yw (see FIG. 7) from sucking toward the blower motor 92 side.
The blower motor 92 is a motor configured to rotationally drive an impeller 93b (described later) provided in the impeller member 93. The blower motor 92 is, for example, arranged on the opposite side of the base 91 over the impeller member 93 in the left-right direction. The blower motor 92 is attached to a left side surface of the casing 93a (described later) of the impeller member 93, for example. The blower motor 92 has a housing 92a that accommodates various members, for example.
The impeller member 93 is configured to suck the air (gas) on the base 91 side and discharge the air to the outside space. The impeller member 93 is, for example, provided between the base 91 and the blower motor 92 in the left-right direction. The impeller member 93 includes, for example, the casing 93a and the impeller 93b. The casing 93a is a cylindrical box-shaped member, for example. The impeller 93b is accommodated in the casing 93a to be rotatable. For example, in the outer circumferential surface of the casing 93a, exhaust ports 93c are formed to be aligned in the circumferential direction of the casing 93a. Each exhaust port 93c allows the internal space of the casing 93a to communicate with the outside space of the casing 93a. The impeller 93 is configured to rotate to discharge the gas on the base 91 side to the outside space of the casing 93a. More specifically, for example, a known vortex impeller is employed as the impeller 93b. The vortex impeller is an impeller used, for example, in a known centrifugal pump. The impeller 93b is rotationally driven by the blower motor 92. The impeller 93b rotates to suck the gas in the internal space of the casing 93a and discharges the gas to the outside in the radial direction of the impeller 93b (i.e., to the outside space of the casing 93a) through the exhaust ports 93c. This generates a negative pressure in, for example, the internal space of the dust box 94 which is connected to the internal space of the base 91.
The dust box 94 is a box-shaped member that is designed to be able to collect and accumulate the waste yarn Yw and unillustrated cotton fly (fiber waste floating in the space where the automatic winder 1 is installed). The dust box 94 is attached to, for example, a right side face of the base 91. At a front end portion of the dust box, for example, a suction port 94a (an access port of the present invention; see FIG. 7 and FIG. 8) is formed to suck air including the dust yarn Yw.
As shown in FIG. 5, the dust box 94 is connected to the suction mouth 54 through the suction port 94a and the pipe 95. In the flow direction of air, a box-shaped relay member 98 (see FIG. 5) is provided between, for example, the pipe 95 and the suction port 94a. In the relay member 98, a shutter (not illustrated) may be provided to be able to allow and prohibit the air in the pipe 95 to flow toward the dust box 94 side, for example. Furthermore, the dust box 94 is connected to the seed yarn suction 74 through the suction port 94a and the pipe 96 (a pipe member of the present invention). In the flow direction of air, the relay member 98 is provided between, for example, the pipe 96 and the suction port 94a. In the relay member 98, a shutter (not illustrated) may be provided to be able to allow and prohibit the air in the pipe 96 to flow toward the dust box 94 side, for example.
For example, preferably, the pipe 96 is at least partially transparent. The transparency of the pipe 96 means that the inside of the at least part of the pipe 96 can be seen through, and the operator is able to visually check the state of the inside. When the operator is able to visually check the state of the inside, the at least part of the pipe 96 may be colored, for example. The same applies to the other members. In the present embodiment, for example, a part in the longitudinal direction of the pipe 96 is made of a transparent material such as acrylic. This arrangement allows the operator to visually check at least part of the inside of the pipe 96 with ease, while the blower device 58 is in operation (see FIG. 7). Furthermore, for example, the pipe 95 may be at least partially transparent.
In the flow direction of air, the detachable pipe 97 (see FIG. 5 to FIG. 8) is provided between, for example, the suction port 94a and the relay member 98. The detachable pipe 97 is arranged to be attachable to and detachable from at least the dust box 94. The detachable pipe 97 may be attachable to and detachable from both the dust box 94 and the relay member 98 (see FIG. 8). The detachable pipe 97 is, for example, positioned in front of the dust box 94. This allows the operator to access the detachable pipe 97 from the front side (work passage 7 side). Preferably, the detachable pipe 97 is at least partially transparent.
For example, at a rear end portion of the dust box 94, a connection pipe 94b (see FIG. 4) is formed to connect the waste yarn removal device 5 (see FIG. 1) with the dust box 94. The connection pipe 94b is configured to be openable and closable by a shutter mechanism 94c having, for example, an unillustrated shutter. The shutter is closed when the blower device 58 is in operation. When the shutter is open, the cotton fly in the dust box 94 can be removed by the waste yarn removal device 5.
In the blower device 58 arranged as described above, the blower motor 92 rotationally drives the impeller wheel 93b, with the result that the gas in the base 91 and the gas in the dust box 94, for example, are sucked into the impeller member 93 and discharged to the outside space. This generates a negative pressure around the suction port 54a of the suction mouth 54 through the dust box 94 and the pipe 95, and hence the yarn Y around the suction port 54a is sucked. Furthermore, the above-described arrangement generates a negative pressure around the suction port of the seed yarn suction 74 through the dust box 94 and the pipe 96, and hence the yarn Y around the suction port is sucked.
The yarn Y sucked and removed by the suction mouth 54 or the seed yarn suction 74 is collected into the dust box 94 through the suction port 94a, as the waste yarn Yw. The cotton fly is also collected into the dust box 94. The air sucked into the dust box 94 flows through the filter 91a toward the impeller member 93 side, and is discharged to the outside space through the exhaust ports 93c (see, e.g., a dotted arrow in FIG. 6). On the other hand, the movement of the waste yarn Yw and the cotton fly (hereinafter, waste yarn Yw, etc.) towards the impeller member 93 is blocked by the filter 91a. For this reason, the waste yarn Yw, etc. is accumulated inside the dust box 94. By connecting the dust box 94 to the waste yarn removal device 5 at a given timing, it is possible to remove the waste yarn Yw, etc. from the dust box 94. Furthermore, when, for example, a trouble occurs or maintenance is performed, the dust yarn Yw, etc. must be removed from the dust box 94. In such cases, the suction port 94a can be exposed to the outside by detaching the detachable pipe 97 from the dust box 94 (see FIG. 8) . This allows the operator to access the inside of the dust box 94 through the suction port 94a and remove the waste yarn Yw, etc. inside the dust box 94.

(Details of Disposition of Blower Device)

The disposition of the blower device 58 will be detailed. As shown in FIG. 4, the blower device 58 is arranged substantially at the center of the doffing device 3 in the left-right direction. More specifically, the following assumes that the doffing device 3 hangs down from the rails R (i.e., the doffing device 3 is disposed so that wheels 82 are mounted on the rails R). At this time, the blower device 58 is positioned below the rails R and the wheels 82, for example. The blower device 58 is provided on the inner side of the both ends in the left-right direction of the housing 50. In the left-right direction, the position of the left end of the housing 50 will be referred to a position PL, whereas the position of the right end will be referred to as a position PR. Furthermore, a virtual straight line which passes through a point that is equidistant from the positions PL and PR in the left-right direction and extends in the up-down direction when viewed in the front-rear direction will be referred to as a virtual center line VLc. When viewed in the front-rear direction, the blower device 58 is disposed across the both sides of the virtual center line VLc in the left-right direction. The blower device 58 is, for example, provided above the chuck 52 (see FIG. 3).
The disposition of the blower motor 92 will be further detailed. As shown in FIG. 4, the blower motor 92 is positioned immediately below the rails R. As a more detailed example, the interval (i.e., the shortest distance in the up-down direction) between the rails R and the blower motor 92 is defined as an interval D. Furthermore, the total length of the blower motor 92 in the up-down direction is defined as a total length Lt. More specifically, the total length Lt may be defined by, for example, the length in the up-down direction of the housing 92a. The interval D is shorter than the total length Lt, for example. As such, the blower motor 92 is positioned in the vicinity of the rails R in the up-down direction (in other words, in the vicinity of the wheels 82).
As described above, in the doffing device 3 hanging down from the rails R, the blower device 58 is provided at a central part in the left-right direction of the housing 50, which is below the wheels 82. This allows the center of gravity of the doffing device 3 to be close to the center in the up-down direction and the left-right direction, as compared to an arrangement in which the blower device 58 is positioned, for example, above the wheels 82 or at an end portion in the left-right direction. It is therefore possible to stably balance the running doffing device 3. Furthermore, as compared to an arrangement in which the blower device 58 is placed outside the housing 50 in the left-right direction, it is possible to suppress the cost increase due to, for example, the elongation of the rails R. Because of the above, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of problems in the doffing device 3, which are caused by the installation of the blower device 58. Furthermore, as compared to an arrangement in which the blower device 58 is positioned above the wheels 82 or at an end portion in the left-right direction, the layout of the pipes and wires connected to the blower device 58 is simplified.
As described above, the blower motor 92 is positioned to be very close to the rails R. If the blower motor 92 is positioned to be remote from the rails R, there is a risk that the housing 50 may experience significant vibrations due to the vibration of the blower motor 92 in operation, with the contact portion between the wheel 82 and the rail R acting as a fulcrum. In this regard, according to the present embodiment, the vibration of the housing 50 caused by the vibration of the blower motor 92 can be reduced as compared to the configuration where the blower motor 92 is positioned to be remote from the rails R. Furthermore, because the blower device 58 is provided below the rails R, the operator is able to easily access the blower device 58 in the maintenance of the doffing device 3 hanging down from the rails R.
When the wheels 82 are on the rails R, the suction port 94a of the dust box 94 is positioned to be accessible from the work passage 7. More specifically, the suction port 94a of the dust box 94 has a circular opening portion that allows the detachable pipe 97 to be attached and detached. When the detachable pipe 97 has been detached from the opening portion, the circular opening portion is open to face the work passage 7. This allows the operator to easily access the suction port 94a. Therefore, the inside of the dust box 94 can be easily cleaned.
The detachable pipe 96 is at least partially transparent. This arrangement allows the operator to visually check at least part of the inside of the pipe 96 with ease, while the blower device 58 is in operation. Therefore, the operator can easily check whether the inside of the pipe 96 is clogged.
The following will describe modifications of the above-described embodiment. The members identical with those in the embodiment above will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and the explanations thereof are not repeated.

(1) In the embodiment above, members such as the pipe 96 are at least partially transparent. However, the disclosure is not limited to this arrangement. The members such as the pipe 96 may not be transparent. In other words, the members such as the pipe 96 may not be arranged to be seen through.
(2) In the embodiment above, the suction port 94a is equivalent to the access port of the present invention. However, the disclosure is not limited to this arrangement. For example, in the dust box 94, an opening (not illustrated) different from the suction port 94a may be formed at a position accessible from the work passage 7. In this case, a door (not illustrated) which is able to open and close the opening is required.
(3) In the embodiment above, the suction port 94a is provided at a position accessible from the work passage 7. However, the disclosure is not limited to this arrangement. The suction port 94a may not be accessible from the work passage 7.
(4) In the embodiment above, the blower motor 92 is provided immediately below the rails R. However, the disclosure is not limited to this arrangement. The blower motor 92 may be positioned to overlap the rails R in the up-down direction or above the rails R, for example. Alternatively, the blower motor 92 may be positioned to be far below the rails R in the up-down direction, for example.
(5) In the embodiment above, the suction mouth 54 and the seed yarn suction 74 are equivalent to the sucking unit of the present invention. However, the disclosure is not limited to this arrangement. In addition to the suction mouth 54 and the seed yarn suction 74, or in place of the suction mouth 54 and the seed yarn suction 74, another sucking unit capable of sucking the yarn Y by a negative pressure generated by the blower device 58 may be provided.
(6) The present invention is applied to the doffing device 3 configured to perform doffing for the yarn winding unit 2 having the yarn storage device 30. However, the disclosure is not limited to this arrangement. For example, the present invention may be applied to a doffing device (not illustrated) that performs processing for a yarn winding unit (see, e.g., Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2017-19570 ) that does not have a yarn storage device 30. Furthermore, the present invention may also be applied to other doffing devices (not illustrated) each of which movably hangs down from rails R and has a blower device 58.
(7) As a whole, the present invention allows to avoid the occurrence of problems in a doffing device, which are caused by the installation of a blower device. A doffing device 3 may include a housing 50, wheels 82, a suction mouth 54, a seed yarn suction 74, and a blower device 58. The suction mouth 54 and the seed yarn suction 74 may be configured to be able to suck a yarn Y by a negative pressure. The blower device 58 may have a blower motor 92 to generate the negative pressure, and may be connected to the suction mouth 54 and the seed yarn suction 74. The blower device 58 is provided below the wheel 82 and is on the inner side of both ends of the housing 50 in the left-right direction, and when viewed in the front-rear direction, the blower device 58 is disposed across the both sides of a virtual center line VLc in the left-right direction.

Claims

A doffing device (3) capable of performing doffing for a winding device (2) configured to wind a yarn (Y), and hanging down from a rail (R) extending in a predetermined direction to be able to run along the rail (R), the doffing device (3) comprising:
a housing (50);

a wheel (82) which is provided above the housing (50) and is configured to allow the housing (50) to run along the rail (R);

a sucking unit (54, 74) which is configured to be able to suck the yarn (Y) by a negative pressure; and

a blower device (58) which includes a blower motor (92) for generating the negative pressure and is connected to the sucking unit (54, 74),

the blower device (58) being provided below the wheel (82) and being on the inner side of both ends of the housing (50) in the predetermined direction, and

when viewed in an orthogonal direction that is orthogonal to both the predetermined direction and an up-down direction, the blower device (58) being disposed, in the predetermined direction, across both sides of a virtual center line (VLc) passing through a point equidistant from the both ends of the housing (50) and extending in the up-down direction.
The doffing device (3) according to claim 1, wherein,
when the wheel (82) is mounted on the rail (R),

the blower device (58) is provided below the rail (R), and

the distance (D) between the rail (R) and the blower motor (92) in the up-down direction is shorter than the total length (Lt) of the blower motor (92) in the up-down direction.
The doffing device (3) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,
the blower device (58) includes a dust box (94) in which a dust yarn (Yw) is collected by utilizing a negative pressure generated by the blower motor (92) and accumulated,

the dust box (94) has an access port (94a) which allows an operator to access the inside of the dust box (94), and

the access port (94a) is positioned to be accessible from a work passage (7) provided below the rail (R), when the wheel (82) is mounted on the rail (R).
The doffing device (3) according to claim 3, further comprising
a detachable member (97) which is detachably attached to the blower device (58) and is configured to allow gas to flow to the blower motor (92) side by an operation of the blower device (58),

the access port (94a) having an opening portion to which the detachable member (97) is detachably attached, and

the opening portion being open to face the work passage (7), when the detachable member (97) is detached.
The doffing device (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising
a pipe member (96, 97) which is connected to the blower device (58) and is configured to allow gas to flow to the blower motor (92) side by an operation of the blower device (58),

the pipe member (96, 97) being at least partially transparent.
An automatic winder having a plurality of winding devices (2) that are arranged side by side in the predetermined direction and a doffing device (3) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the rail (R) is arranged in an upper region or above the winding devices (2) such that the doffing device (3) hanging down from the rail can be moved to a selected one of the winding devices (2) for performing doffing for the selected winding device (2).