Monitoring apparatus

• US 5,083,298 A
• Filed: 09/28/1990
• Issued: 01/21/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rieter Machine Works, Ltd. (Rieter Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Rieter Machine Works, Ltd. (Rieter Holding AG)
• Inventors: Citterio, Giorgio, Hartmeier, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): Pihulic, Daniel T.
• Application Number:
  US07/590,310
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 367/96, 367/13, 367/909, 367/93, 73/1 DV
• US Class Current: 367/96
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/31 Textiles threads or artificial strands of filaments
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 54/26 having one or more servicing units moving along a plurality of fixed winding units
• CPC Class Codes: D01H 13/005 Service carriages travelling along the machines characteristics relating to the apparatus supported by the carriage, see relevant groups, e.g. D01H9/005, D01H9/10, D01H13/145, D01H15/00

Abstract

A monitoring apparatus is described for the contact-free monitoring of a region adjacent to a service robot of a ring spinning machine. The apparatus includes an electro-acoustic converter for transmitting a sonic signal which is divided into a sonic measurement signal S_SM and a sonic reference signal S_SR. An electronic control unit delivers a fault signal if no sonic signal has been received by the expiry of a reference transit time. If, on the other hand, a sonic measurement signal is received prior to the expiry of the reference transit time, the control unit delivers a recognition signal to indicate the presence of an object in the monitored region.

Claims

1. A monitoring apparatus for mounting on a movable machine part, said apparatus comprising

at least one electro-acoustic converter for transmitting a sonic signal into a monitored region and for receiving a reflected sonic signal from an object in said monitored region;

means for dividing said transmitted sonic signal into a sonic measurement signal directed into said monitored region and a sonic reference signal for direction onto a reference reflector having a predetermined distance from said convertor, said reference signal having a reference transit time dependent on said distance, said means being disposed to direct a reflected sonic reference signal from the reflector to said converter and a reflected measurement signal from an object to said converter; and

an electronic control unit connected to said converter for delivering a fault signal in response to a failure of said converter to receive a reflected sonic signal within said reference transit time and for delivering a recognition signal representative of an object in said monitored region in response to reception of a reflected measurement signal before expiration of said reference transmit time.

2. A monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said convertor is an ultrasonic converter.

3. A monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means is a passive sonic deflecting element.

4. A monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 1 which further comprises an adjustably mounted reference reflector for receiving said reference signal from said means.

5. A monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fault signal is one of an acoustic signal and a visual signal.

11. A monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sonic measurement signal is directed through a beam path into said monitored region and which further comprises a reference reflector outside said beam path for receiving said sonic reference signal.

6. In combination

a spinning machine;

a service robot movable in a path along said machine;

at least one electro-acoustic converter mounted on said robot for transmitting a sonic signal into a monitored region in said path and for receiving a reflected sonic signal from an object in said monitored region;

a reference reflector disposed at a predetermined distance from said converter;

means for dividing said transmitted sonic signal into a sonic measurement signal directed into said monitored region and a sonic reference signal for direction onto said reflector said reference signal having a reference transit time dependent on said distance, said means being disposed to direct a reflected sonic reference signal from the reflector to said converter and a reflected measurement signal from an object to said converter; and

an electronic control unit connected to said converter for delivering a fault signal in response to a failure of said converter to receive a reflected sonic signal within said reference transit time and for delivering a recognition signal representative of an object in said monitored region in response to reception of a reflected measurement signal before expiration of said reference transit time.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein said reflector is disposed on said machine.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein said reflector is a floor supporting said machine.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein said reflector is mounted on said robot.

10. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein said robot is movable in opposite directions in said path and has a pair of said convertors, each converter being disposed to transmit a sonic signal in an opposite direction of said path from the other converter.