WO2003057610A1

WO2003057610A1 - Supporting element for winding yarns

Info

Publication number: WO2003057610A1
Application number: PCT/IB2002/000079
Authority: WO
Inventors: Enzo Scaglia
Original assignee: Scaglia Spa
Priority date: 2002-01-11
Filing date: 2002-01-11
Publication date: 2003-07-17
Also published as: AU2002219432A1; EP1343711A1

Abstract

Supporting element for winding yarns (F), comprising an electronic-type memory (15) able to memorize a plurality of information associated with the yarn (F) temporally wound, located at any point, advantageously outside the space occupied by said yarn (F).

Description

"SUPPORTING ELEMENT FOR WINDING YARNS" * * * * *

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention concerns a supporting element for yarns, such as for example a bobbin, a spindle, a cop, a spool or similar, wherein the yarn is wound to form a coil. In this description the word yarn should be taken to mean any type of thread or yarn no matter how it is produced, both from natural and artificial fibers, and also metal threads. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known that, in order to be stored and then re-used, yarns in general are wound on supporting elements such as cops, spindles, bobbins, spools or similar, to form the corresponding coils. Usually means to indicate the characteristics of the wound yarn, such as for example the count, the number of the color etc., are associated with such supporting elements,

Conventional indication means are of a mechanical type and mainly consist of disks or rings applied at one end of the supporting element, so that they can be easily recognized on sight by the operators .

Another conventional system to identify the supporting elements is to use different colors.

Such indication means have the disadvantage, however, that they can contain only a limited quantity of information. Consequently it is convenient that a particular supporting element, with which certain indication means are associated, is always used for the same type of yarn, to which the characteristics indicated by said indication means correspond.

The present Applicant has devised and embodied this invention to overcome these shortcomings, which businessmen working in this field particularly complain of. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The supporting element for winding yarns according to the invention is set forth and characterized in the main claim, while the dependent claims describe other innovative features of the invention.

One purpose of the invention is to make a supporting element for winding yarns which will be provided with indication means to indicate the characteristics of the yarn itself, which will allow to memorize a large quantity of information and can also be of the re-writable type.

In accordance with this purpose, the supporting element according to the invention comprises an electronic-type memory, in which a plurality of information associated with the type of yarn temporally wound on said supporting element is able to be memorized.

Said electronic memory advantageously comprises an electronic micro-circuit, microchip or RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device) of a conventional type, a few square millimetres in size and able to contain millions of pieces of elementary information both on the characteristics of the yarn and also on the different operations to which it has been subjected, and on the machine on which it has been worked, and on the period of time when such operations were carried out. Said electronic memory is able to be written and/or read by means of any conventional means, both in contact and remote, for example by means of transceiver devices, such as transponders or similar.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other characteristics of the invention will become clear from the following description of some preferential forms of embodiment, given as a non-restrictive example, with reference to the attached drawings wherein: Fig. 1 is a side view of a first supporting element for yarns according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a side view of a second supporting element for yarns according to the invention; Fig. 3 is a prospective view of a third supporting element for yarns according to the invention; Fig. 4 is a side view, partly in section, of the supporting element shown in Fig. 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME PREFERENTIAL EMBODIMENTS With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, a supporting element 10 according to the invention comprises a central body 11 or cop, substantially shaped like a truncated cone (Fig. 1) or cylindrical (Fig. 2) . A yarn F, of any type, preferably a yarn of synthetic or natural fibers, is able to be wound on the supporting element 10.

According to a variant, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the supporting element 10 comprises two flanges 12 and 13 arranged at the ends of the central body 11, to define the space inside which the wound yarn F is arranged. According to a characteristic feature of the invention, the supporting element 10 comprises an electronic-type memory .15 consisting of a conventional microchip, in which a plurality of information associated with the type of yarn F temporally wound on the supporting element 10 is able to be memorized.

The memory 15, which is advantageously inserted in a position not covered by the yarn F, such as for example on the lower part of the central body 11 (Figs. 1 and 2), or on the flange 12 (Figs. 3 and 4), is able to be written and/or read by means of a conventional recording and/or reading device 16, mounted on a fixed support 17.

The memory 15 can be of the fixed or non-erasable type, so as to permanently codify the supporting element 10 with which it is associated, or of the re-writable type so as to up-date or extend the information contained therein.

The memory 15 can be written/read either through contact or remote, for example by means of transceiver devices such as transponders, RFID or similar.

If the supporting element 10 is limited in size, and/or intended to rotate at very high speeds, for example in the range of 30,000-32,000 rpm, as is the case of yarns for women's stockings, in order to balance the weight of the memory 15, even though it weighs only a few grams, a counter-weight 18 of the same entity (weight) can advantageously be mounted on the flange 12, on the part diametrically opposite the memory 15.

It is clear however that modifications or additions of parts can be made to the support element 10 for yarns as described heretofore without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

It is also clear that, although the invention has been described with reference to a specific example, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent applications, all of which shall come within the field and scope of this invention.

Claims

1 - Supporting element for winding yarns (F) , characterized in that it comprises an electronic-type memory (15) able to memorize a plurality of information associated with the temporally wound yarn (F) .

2 - Supporting element as in claim 1, characterized in that said memory (15) is located at any point whatsoever, advantageously outside the space occupied by said yarn (F) .

3 - Supporting element as in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a cop (11) , substantially cylindrical or conical in shape, and that said memory (15) is mounted in the lower part of said cop (11) .

4 - Supporting element as in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a central body (11) and two flanges (12, 13) at its ends, and that said memory (15) is mounted in one of said flanges (12) .

5 - Supporting element as in claim 1, characterized in that said memory (15) is of the non-erasable type, so as to permanently codify the supporting element (10) with which it is associated.

6 - Supporting element as in claim 1, characterized in that said memory (15) is of the re-writable type, so that the information contained therein can be changed and/or updated. 7 - Supporting element as in claim 1, characterized in that said memory (15) comprises a microchip or RFID.

8 - Supporting element as in claim 7, characterized in that said microchip weighs several grams .

9 - Supporting element as in claim 1, characterized in that said memory (15) is able to be written and/or read by means of a recording and/or reading device (16) , mounted on a fixed support (17) .

10 - Supporting element as in claim 1, characterized in that said memory (15) is able to be written/read either in contact or remote, by means of transceiver devices such as transponders or similar.

11 - Supporting element as in claim 4, characterized in that in said flange (12), on the part diametrically opposite said memory (15) , a counter-weight (18) is mounted with the same weight as said memory (15) .