Sensing and/or analysis system for thread feeder
First Claim
1. A yarn feeding device comprising:
- a stationary motor housing having an electric drive motor mounted therein, said motor driving a rotatable longitudinally extending hollow shaft;
a spool body rotatably supported by said hollow shaft and extending substantially coaxially from said housing, said spool body defining a peripheral, longitudinally extending yarn storage surface thereon;
means for holding said spool body stationary relative to said housing;
a rotatable winding member fixedly attached to said hollow shaft and positioned between said housing and said spool body, said winding member tangentially winding yarn fed axially through said hollow shaft onto said yarn storage surface at an end thereof adjacent said housing, and yarn being withdrawn from said yarn storage surface at an end thereof remote from said housing;
a rail fixedly secured to and extending longitudinally from said housing past said spool body and being radially spaced apart from said yarn storage surface; and
a yarn sensing system including active sensor means positioned within said spool body for signalling the presence or absence of yarn in a yarn sensing area of said yarn storage surface, first wireless communication means located apart from said spool body for receiving signals indicative of the presence or absence of yarn in said yarn sensing area, second wireless communication means located within said spool body for communicating signals from said active sensor means to said first wireless communication means, circuit means for processing signals from said active sensor means, and means located within said spool body for supplying electrical input energy to at least said active sensor means and said second wireless transmission means.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a sensing and analyzing system for a yarn feeder with yarn storing unit, one or more sensor elements which may be coupled to one or more circuits are used for evaluating or sensing sensor information. At least one sensor element is placed in the unit, from a yarn detection standpoint, in an uncritical relationship to the unit'"'"'s yarn transporting surface and a yarn turn travelling forward on this. The transmitting members are designed to relay information from each sensor element in the unit in unprocessed or processed form to receiving members located outside the unit. Energy emitting members within the unit ensure energy supply to the sensor elements and the circuits belong thereto. When using optical emitting elements, these are included in an arrangement which supplements or alternatively substantially reduces the influence of vibrations in the unit on the sensing or analyzing result.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A yarn feeding device comprising:
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a stationary motor housing having an electric drive motor mounted therein, said motor driving a rotatable longitudinally extending hollow shaft; a spool body rotatably supported by said hollow shaft and extending substantially coaxially from said housing, said spool body defining a peripheral, longitudinally extending yarn storage surface thereon; means for holding said spool body stationary relative to said housing; a rotatable winding member fixedly attached to said hollow shaft and positioned between said housing and said spool body, said winding member tangentially winding yarn fed axially through said hollow shaft onto said yarn storage surface at an end thereof adjacent said housing, and yarn being withdrawn from said yarn storage surface at an end thereof remote from said housing; a rail fixedly secured to and extending longitudinally from said housing past said spool body and being radially spaced apart from said yarn storage surface; and a yarn sensing system including active sensor means positioned within said spool body for signalling the presence or absence of yarn in a yarn sensing area of said yarn storage surface, first wireless communication means located apart from said spool body for receiving signals indicative of the presence or absence of yarn in said yarn sensing area, second wireless communication means located within said spool body for communicating signals from said active sensor means to said first wireless communication means, circuit means for processing signals from said active sensor means, and means located within said spool body for supplying electrical input energy to at least said active sensor means and said second wireless transmission means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification