JP3465968B2 - Yarn measuring device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a yarn length measuring device, for example, for measuring a knitting yarn on a knitting machine, measuring a yarn supplied to a dyeing machine, or measuring an embroidery yarn on an embroidery sewing machine. To use.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The applicant has proposed a length measuring device for measuring the length of a knitting yarn with a rotary encoder and controlling the stitch length of a knitting machine to control the loop length (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-62, 62-62). 977). FIG. 10 shows an example of such a length measuring device.
And the knitting yarn 1 is supplied to the knitting machine through the yarn feeding roller 02 and the side tension 03. However, in this type of length measuring device, when the knitting yarn 1 is weak, the knitting yarn 1 may break due to friction with the rotary encoder 01. Further, when the friction between the knitting yarn 1 and the rotary encoder 01 is small, a length measurement error may occur due to the slip of the yarn, and when the movement direction of the carriage of the knitting machine is reversed, the length measurement error is caused by the inertia of the rotary encoder 01. May occur.

Although the above-mentioned publication shows only the application to the knitting machine, the measurement of the thread length is important also in the control of the embroidery machine and the dyeing. In the case of an embroidery machine, controlling the length of the embroidery thread can prevent the embroidery from warping because the length of the embroidery thread is inappropriate. Further, in the case of dyeing, inventory can be reduced by dyeing only the required length of yarn.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a yarn length measuring device which is free from yarn breakage, slippage in an encoder, and length measurement error due to inertia of the encoder. The present invention is intended to prevent a measurement error due to movement / stop / reversal of the carriage (claims 1 to 4). Another object of the present invention is to make it possible to detect a mark for length measurement with a small sensor so that the length can be measured immediately on the side where the yarn is used (claims 1 to 4). An object of the present invention is to provide a permanent mark that does not affect the color tone of the yarn, can be dyed after the mark, and is permanent. An object of the present invention is to provide a mark having excellent durability and a particularly small measurement error. An object of the present invention is to use a mark that has a low mark cost and does not affect the yarn at all.

[0005]

The yarn length measuring device of the present invention has marking means for applying marks, which cannot be detected by the naked eye, to the yarn at equal intervals, and a mark detecting sensor for detecting the marks in a non-contact manner. In addition, the length measuring device is integrated with the knitting machine, the constant speed roller supplies the yarn to the marking means at a constant speed, and the buffer for temporarily storing the yarn supplies the yarn to the knitting machine. A yarn length measuring device for stitch stitch control of a knitting machine, characterized in that a difference between a speed and a yarn feeding speed of the constant velocity roller is absorbed.

Here, it is preferable to use an infrared or ultraviolet optical mark or an electrostatic mark as the mark, but any mark that cannot be detected by the naked eye may be used, and such a mark does not affect the appearance of the thread. It can be dyed after the mark is provided. The mark is particularly preferably an infrared or ultraviolet fluorescent mark. Infrared and ultraviolet optical marks are invisible to the naked eye and do not affect the color tone of the thread. If the absorption wavelength of the dye and the absorption wavelength of the mark are different, it is possible to perform the marking independently of the dyeing. For example, after the mark is provided, the marking can be performed, or the dyed yarn can be marked. If the mark is an infrared or ultraviolet fluorescent mark, fluorescence is detected, so
The mark detection error is particularly small. Further, in the case of the fluorescent mark, even if the absorption wavelength of the dye and the fluorescence wavelength of the mark match, it is rare to perform dyeing enough to completely absorb the fluorescence,
Marks can be easily detected. When using the electrostatic mark unlike the optical mark, the cost of the mark itself is unnecessary. In the case of an electrostatic mark, the marking head charges the thread to form a mark, and the electrostatic potential sensor detects the mark.
And the electrostatic mark has no effect on the thread.

The type of marking means is determined by the type of mark. For example, when an optical mark is used, the ink of the mark material is applied with a printer such as an inkjet or bubble jet, or the mark is printed with a thermal printer, a stamp, a roller or the like. Print. Of these, the thermal printer is a ribbon for transferring marks, and an inkjet or bubble jet printer, a stamp, or a roller is preferable.

The mark detection sensor may be any as long as it can detect the mark in a non-contact manner. For example, in the case of an optical mark,
A sensor in which an LED and a photodiode are combined or an ultraviolet light source and a phototube are combined is preferable, and a sensor using an LED and a photodiode is particularly preferable. Such sensors are mass-produced for smoke sensors and proximity sensors. If the mark is an electrostatic mark, a yarn potential detection sensor may be used.

The yarn length measuring device of the present invention is used for controlling a knitting machine as shown in the embodiment. In the control of the knitting machine, the problem is how to absorb the change in the yarn feeding speed due to the change in the operating state of the carriage in the knitting machine. Therefore, the yarn is supplied to the marking means at a constant speed by the constant velocity roller, and the yarn is temporarily accommodated in a buffer provided between the constant velocity roller and the knitting machine.

[0010]

According to the present invention, a mark which cannot be detected by the naked eye is provided, and the mark detecting sensor detects the yarn in a non-contact manner. Therefore, there is no yarn breakage, yarn slippage, or encoder length inertial error in the conventional example, and stitch stitch control of the knitting machine can be performed accurately. The mark detection sensor is a non-contact sensor and can be miniaturized. For example, an optical mark sensor can be composed of a light source and a light receiving element, and static electricity can be detected by a potential sensor. For this reason, the sensor can be provided immediately behind the device using the yarn, for example in the vicinity of the carriage of the knitting machine. The yarn is fed by a constant speed roller or the like to provide the marks at equal intervals, but this portion is far from the knitting machine and the like, and does not cause a sudden tension change in the yarn, so that it does not cause yarn breakage.

If the mark is an infrared or ultraviolet optical mark, the mark is invisible to the naked eye and does not affect the appearance of the thread. It is also possible to dye the thread after the mark is provided, and the mark can be read after dyeing if the absorption wavelength of the dye and the absorption wavelength of the mark are different. The mark is preferably an infrared or ultraviolet fluorescent mark, and the mark is accurately detected while avoiding the influence of diffused reflection on the surface of the thread, especially on the hairy part of the thread. Even if the absorption wavelength of the dye and the fluorescence wavelength match, most of the fluorescence is rarely absorbed and the mark can be detected. Further, if the mark is an electrostatic mark, it does not affect the thread at all, and the mark material is unnecessary.

When the length measuring device is used for controlling the knitting machine, the moving speed of the yarn fluctuates due to a change in the operating state of the carriage of the knitting machine. Therefore, the constant speed roller supplies the yarn at a constant speed to the marking means, and a buffer is provided between the constant speed roller and the knitting machine to temporarily accommodate the yarn and to adjust the speed of use of the yarn in the knitting machine. It prevents the marking at equal intervals from becoming impossible due to changes. Equal spacing does not always mean equal spacing,
It means the equal intervals in each operation mode.

[0013]

1 to 9 show an embodiment and its modification, and FIG. 1 shows the most basic embodiment. In FIG. 1, 1 is a knitting yarn, 2 is a cone thereof, 4 and 4 are constant velocity rollers for feeding the knitting yarn 1 to a marking head 6 (FIGS. 6 and 7) at a constant velocity,
Reference numeral 8 is a mark provided by the marking head 6. The constant speed roller 4 supplies the knitting yarn 1 to the marking head 6 at a constant speed without being affected by the introduction speed of the knitting yarn 1 into the knitting machine, and the constant speed roller 4 is provided between the marking head 6 and the knitting machine. You may arrange.

The mark 8 is an infrared or ultraviolet optical mark and may be either a light absorption mark or a fluorescent mark, but here it is an infrared fluorescent mark. As a material for the infrared fluorescent mark, stealth ink or the like for printing a bar code which is invisible to the naked eye is used. The mark 8 has, for example, a width of 1 to
The width is 10 mm, here 3 mm, and the pitch is 5 to 5 in order to measure the length of the yarn on the knitting machine with an error of 1% or less.
It was about 10 cm. However, the pitch of the marks 8 may be changed depending on the operation mode of the knitting machine, and the marks 8 may be provided at a pitch of, for example, 6 mm in addition to the above-mentioned pitch of 5 to 10 cm.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a reservoir for temporarily containing the knitting yarn 1, such as the cylinder 30 shown in FIG.
Side tension 03 etc. is used. 12 is a knitting machine, here a flat knitting machine for high-mix low-volume production. A mark detection sensor 14 is shown in FIG. Reference numeral 16 denotes a length measuring circuit, which includes a bandpass filter 18 for taking out only a signal having a duration similar to that of the mark 8 to cut noise, and a differentiating circuit 20 for detecting the edge of the mark 8 to increase detection accuracy.
And a comparison circuit 22 for detecting the mark 8 by comparing the obtained differential signal with the threshold value. The signal of the comparison circuit 22 is input to the timer 24, and the timer 24 generates an enable signal for enabling the comparison circuit 22 so that the comparison circuit 22 can be operated during the time when the next mark 8 cannot appear. To mask. Then, the mark detection signals from the comparison circuit 22 are integrated by the addition / subtraction type integrator 26. The length measuring circuit 16 can determine the length of the knitting yarn 1 sent to the knitting machine 12,
The play of the knitting yarn 1 in the knitting machine 12 is not known, and this play is the length from the receiving end of the knitting yarn 1 in the knitting machine 12 to the yarn carrier (not shown). The position of the yarn carrier is known from the control data (knitting data of the knitting machine) of the knitting machine 12, and this is subtracted from the integrated value of the detection signal of the mark 8 in the integrator 26, and the knitting yarn actually consumed in the knitting machine 12 is obtained. 1, the length of the knitting yarn 1 used for knitting is obtained. The correction of the yarn carrier position is common in each of the embodiments shown in FIGS.

There are two types of pitches for forming the marks 8 on the marking head 6, that is, a pitch of 6 mm in addition to the above-mentioned pitch of 5 to 10 cm. These are determined by the operation mode of the knitting machine 12, and the main routine (normal knitting work) is performed. ) In 5-10c
The pitch is m, and the pitch is 6 mm in the loop length routine (preparatory work until the determination of the stitch). These modes are also input to the integrator 26 and the timer 24 to change the unit of integration in the integrator 26 and the mask time in the timer 24. Further, the measurement result of the length measuring circuit 16 is input to the knitting machine 12, and the stitches of the knitting machine 12 are controlled in accordance with this to control the loop length to knit a knitted fabric.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment in which a dyeing machine 28 is provided between the knitting machine 12 and the marking head 6. 30 is a cone, and the dyeing machine 28 dyes 30 cones. Needless to say, the dyeing is not limited to the cone unit, and the knitting yarn 1 after the length measurement may be sent to the dyeing machine 28, and the knitting yarn 1 may be dyed on-time by a bubble jet or the like in the dyeing machine 28. If you do this,
The knitting yarn 1 can be partially dyed according to the pattern of the knitted fabric, and a knitting fabric having a color pattern can be knitted with one knitting yarn 1. The other points are the same as the embodiment of FIG.

In FIG. 3, the pitch of the marks 8 is, for example, 50c.
An example in which the amount of material used for the mark 8 is reduced to about m will be shown. In the figure, 32 is a cylinder having a length of about 50 cm, for example.
Aspirate to the bottom of. Reference numeral 36 is a light emitting head, and 38 is a light receiving head, and the liquid level gauge may be used for detecting the knitting yarn 1 in the cylinder 32. 40 is a clamp for stopping the knitting yarn 1.

The knitting yarn 1 is sucked to the bottom of the cylinder 32 by the suction pump 34, and is levitated by the tension from the knitting machine 12.
In many cases, it is necessary to actually measure the length of the knitting yarn 1 when the carriage of the knitting machine 12 is stopped, and when the carriage stop signal of the knitting machine 12 is generated, the mark detection sensor 1
When the mark 4 is detected by the mark 8, the clamp 40 presses the knitting yarn 1 and stops it. At this time, the mark 8 is located at a position facing the mark detection sensor 14, and the reference position at a pitch of 50 cm can be known. Next, the knitting yarn 1 is sucked by the pump 34, the slack of the knitting yarn 1 in the cylinder 32 disappears, and the head 36,
At 38, the position of the bottom of the knitting yarn 1 is detected. As a result, the length of the knitting yarn 1 in the cylinder 32 can be known. Then, the length of the yarn in the cylinder 32 determined by the heads 36 and 38 is subtracted by the integrator 26 from the length of the yarn in 50 cm unit determined by the mark detection sensor 14 to measure the yarn length.

In each of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, since one mark detection sensor 14 is used to detect the yarn length in a single phase, the knitting yarn 1 of the knitting yarn 1 is reversed when the carriage is reversed by the knitting machine 12. Even if the moving direction reverses and returns to the sensor 14 side, it cannot be detected.
Therefore, in the embodiment of FIG. 4, the two-phase mark detection sensor 14
A and 14B are used to detect the movement of the knitting yarn 1 in the opposite direction. In FIG. 4, 42 is an edge detection circuit,
Reference numeral 44 is a comparison circuit, 46 is a combinational logic circuit, and 48 is an up / down counter similar to the integrator 26.

In FIG. 4, the marks 8 have a width of 3 mm and a pitch of 6 mm. FIG. 5 shows the operation of the embodiment shown in FIG.
The sensor 14A detects whether the mark 8 is inside or outside (see FIG. 5).
1)), the sensor 14B detects the rising edge and the falling edge of the mark 8 (2 in FIG. 5)). Then, the moving direction and the moving amount of the knitting yarn 1 can be detected by the combination logic of the signals of the sensors 14A and 14B. For example, assume that when the signal of sensor 14A is high and sensor 14B detects a rising edge, the yarn is fed from left to right. Similarly, the sensor 14
It is assumed that when the signal A is low and the sensor 14B detects the falling edge, the knitting yarn 1 is also sent from left to right.
On the contrary, when the signal of the sensor 14A is low and the sensor 14B detects the rising edge, or when the signal of the sensor 14A is high and the sensor 14B detects the falling edge, the yarn is reversed and sent from right to left. To do. Therefore, the signal of the up / down counter 48 changes as shown in 3) of FIG. 5 with respect to the output waveforms of 1) and 2) of FIG. 5, and the movement amount of the yarn in the forward direction is changed to the movement amount of the yarn in the reverse direction. And accurately measure the yarn length used.

FIG. 6 shows an example of the marking head 6.
Nozzle 50 such as ink jet or bubble jet is thread 1
For example, 2 to 4 pieces are arranged around, and the infrared fluorescent ink is applied over the entire length of the thread 1 to form the mark 8. 7 shows a marking head 52 of a modified example, a pair of stamps 54, 54 are provided above and below the knitting yarn 1, and infrared fluorescent ink is supplied from the ink supply hole 56 to stamp from above and below the knitting yarn 1. When the knitting yarn 1 is soft and pressed by the stamp 54, the knitting yarn 1 is deformed into a flat shape, and the mark 8 can be provided on almost the entire length of the knitting yarn 1. The same applies to the transfer roller instead of the stamp 54. An ink ribbon thermal printer can be used as the marking head 6 in addition to this, but the marking heads of FIGS. 6 and 7 are preferable because the ribbon is required as a consumable item.

FIG. 8 shows an example of the mark detection sensor 14.
Reference numeral 58 is an LED, 60 is a photodiode, and the window of the photodiode 60 has a bandpass filter, and detects only the fluorescence from the mark 8. The LED 58, the photodiode 60, and the knitting yarn 1 are surrounded by a shield coated with a pigment that absorbs light having a fluorescent wavelength to eliminate stray light. The mark detection sensor 14 detects only the fluorescence from the mark 8,
It is not affected by irregularly reflected light from the lLED 58 on the hair or the like of the knitting yarn 1. Furthermore, even after dyeing after providing the mark 8,
Usually, the mark 8 can be detected because the dye 8 is not dyed enough to completely absorb the fluorescence.

Returning to FIG. 1, the operation of the embodiment will be described. The knitting machine 12 has two operation modes, a loop length routine and a main routine. In the loop length routine, the value of the stitch is calculated so that knitting can be performed with a predetermined loop length. The knitting machine 12 is driven and feedback is given when the loop length deviates from a predetermined value. The loop length routine is a formation for obtaining the optimum value of stitches before actual production, and finds the optimum value of stitches in several courses.
On the other hand, in the main routine, for example, feedback is added to each course in units of several courses. Therefore, in the loop length routine, it is necessary to measure the length of the knitting yarn 1 at a pitch as short as possible, and the marks 8 are formed at a pitch of 6 mm, for example. On the other hand, in the main routine, for example, the length of the knitting yarn 1 is set to 1
It suffices that the measurement be performed with an accuracy of about 1% at intervals of about 0 m, and the marks 8 have a pitch of 5 to 10 cm.

The knitting yarn 1 is supplied to the marking head 6 at a constant speed by the constant speed rollers 4 and 4, and infrared fluorescent ink is applied to form the mark 8 as shown in FIG. 6 or 7. Knitting machine 12
When the operation of the carriage changes, the introduction speed of the knitting yarn 1 changes. A reservoir 10 is provided in order to prevent this influence from reaching the marking head 6, and the knitting yarn 1 is temporarily accommodated in the reservoir 10 to absorb the movement change of the carriage. The mark detection sensor 14 includes the reservoir 10 and the knitting machine 1.
It is provided between the two and, particularly preferably, around the carriage, and the measurement is performed immediately near the place where the knitting is actually performed. This is possible because the sensor 14 is a small one consisting of the LED 58, the photodiode 60 and the surrounding shield. Then, the bandpass filter 18 removes noise from the signal from the sensor 14, the differentiating circuit 20 detects rising or falling of the mark 8, and the comparing circuit 20 detects the mark. Noise that cannot be removed by the bandpass filter 18 is removed by masking the comparison circuit 22 with the timer 24. Then, the detection signals of the marks 8 are integrated by the integrator 26, and the stitch control is applied to the knitting machine 12.

These operations are the same in each of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, and in the case of FIG. 2, the knitting yarn 1 only used by the knitting machine 12 is used.
Is dyed and supplied to the knitting machine 12 in the cone 30. In FIG. 2, the length of the yarn wound around the cone 30 is detected by the number of rotations of the constant speed roller 4, but it may be measured literally by the mark detection sensor 14. The operation of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is obvious from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 3, the pitch of the marks 8 is increased, and in FIG. 4, the case where the knitting yarn 1 moves in the opposite direction is also detected.

FIG. 9 shows an example using the mark 8'using static electricity. The basic configuration of the length measuring device is the same as that of the embodiment of FIG. 1, and a high voltage pulse is applied to the electrostatic head 62 from the pulse generator 64 to charge the knitting yarn 1 to form the mark 8 ′.
In this case, the marks 8'have a width of 3 mm and a pitch of 6 mm, for example. Next, the electrostatic head 62 detects the rising or falling of the mark 8 ', and the length measuring circuit 16 measures the length of the yarn. In this way, the knitting yarn 1 is not changed at all, and the cost of the mark 8'is unnecessary.

[0028]

According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. 1) Since there is no yarn breakage in the length measuring device, a slip of the yarn with respect to the length measuring device, or a measurement error due to inertia of the length measuring device, the stitch control of the knitting machine can be accurately performed (claim 1 ~ 4). 2) A small mark detection sensor can be used, and the length can be measured immediately on the side of the device using the yarn (claims 1 to 4). 3) The constant speed roller supplies the yarn to the marking means at a constant speed, and the buffer absorbs the change in the yarn supply speed to the knitting machine, so that the influence of the change in the operating state of the carriage of the knitting machine can be ignored. Items 1 to 4). 4) When the mark is an infrared or ultraviolet optical mark, the appearance of the yarn does not change, dyeing is possible after the mark is formed, and it is a permanent mark (claim 2). 5) When the mark is a fluorescent mark, there is no measurement error due to diffused reflection on the hairs of the yarn, and the influence of dyeing on the detection of the mark is particularly small (claim 3). 6) If the mark is an electrostatic mark, it does not affect the thread at all, and the material cost of the mark is unnecessary (claim 4).

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a yarn length measuring device of an embodiment using an infrared fluorescent paint.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a modified length measuring device.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a length measuring device according to a second modification.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a length measuring device according to an embodiment using two-phase detection.

FIG. 5 is an operation waveform diagram of the length measuring apparatus of the embodiment using two-phase detection.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing application of infrared fluorescent paint in Examples.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing application of infrared paint in an example.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing mark detection in the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a yarn length measuring device according to an embodiment using electrostatic detection.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a conventional length measuring device.

[Explanation of symbols]

01 Rotary encoder 02 Thread feed roller 03 Side tension 1 knitting yarn 2 cones 4 constant speed roller 6 marking head 8 mark 10 Reservoir 12 knitting machines 14 mark detection sensor 16 Length measuring circuit 18 bandpass filter 20 Differentiation circuit 22 Comparison circuit 24 timer 26 integrator 28 Dyeing machine 30 corn 32 cylinders 34 Suction pump 36 light emitting head 38 Light receiving head 40 clamps 42 Edge detection circuit 44 Comparison circuit 46 Combinational logic circuit 48 up-down counter 50 nozzles 52 Marking head 54 stamp 56 ink supply hole 58 LED 60 photodiode 62 electrostatic head 64 pulse generator 66 potential head

Front page continued (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G01B 11/00-11/30 D03D 29/00-51/46 D04B 3/00-19/00 D04B 23/00-39 / 08 D05B 1/00-97/12 G01B 7/00-7/30 G01B 21/00-21/30

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A knitting machine having a length measuring device, which has marking means for applying unmarkable marks to the thread at equal intervals on the thread and mark detection sensors for non-contact detection of the marks. The yarn is supplied integrally to the marking means by the constant speed roller at a constant speed, and further, the buffer for temporarily storing the yarn supplies the yarn to the knitting machine and the yarn is fed by the constant speed roller. A yarn length measuring device for stitch stitch control of a knitting machine, characterized by absorbing a difference in speed. 2. The yarn length measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the mark is an optical mark of infrared or ultraviolet wavelength. 3. The yarn length measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the mark is an infrared or ultraviolet fluorescent mark. 4. The yarn length measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the mark is an electrostatic mark, the marking head is a charging unit, and the mark detection sensor is an electrostatic potential sensor.
Place