Method for Cleaning a Textile Machine

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for cleaning a textile machine (21) consisting of a multiple number of identical work stations (2), whereas a cleaning request is issued for a work station (2) and the work station (2) to be cleaned is approached and cleaned by a mobile cleaning device (1). In accordance with the invention, it is proposed that the cleaning request is issued depending on the events that have occurred at the respective work stations (2) since the last cleaning process. The invention also relates to a textile machine (21) with a multiple number of identical work stations (2), a mobile cleaning device (1) and a control device (23), whereas the control device (23) is formed to issue cleaning requests for work stations (2) and the cleaning device (1) is formed to approach and clean a work station (2) for which a cleaning request was issued, and the control device (23) is formed in such a manner that it issues cleaning requests depending on events that have occurred at the respective work stations (2) since the last cleaning process.

Claims

1. Method for cleaning a textile machine (21) consisting of a multiple number of identical work stations (2), whereas a cleaning request is issued for a work station (2) and the work station (2) to be cleaned is approached and cleaned by a mobile cleaning device (1), characterized in that the cleaning request is issued depending on the events that have occurred at the respective work stations (2) since the last cleaning process.

2-14. (canceled)

Description

[0027] FIG. 1 a side view of a cleaning device in front of a work station and

[0028] FIG. 2 a top view of a textile machine with a multiple number of work stations and two cleaning devices.

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a mobile cleaning device 1 in front of a work station 2 of a textile machine. In this case, this is a rotor spinning machine. The method in accordance with the invention is, however, applicable in principle to other spinning machines or, in general, to any textile machine with a multiple number of identical work stations 2 and a mobile cleaning device 1.

[0030] The work station 2 features a spinning unit 3, which spins a sliver 5 coming from a canister 4 into a thread 6. The thread 6 is then taken up by a pair of draw-off rollers 7 and wound on a coil 9 by means of a traverse element 8.

[0031] Events such as a change of the canister 4, a change of the coil 9 or a setting of the thread 6 are transmitted from the work station 2 to a control device of the textile machine. If a predetermined threshold value of weighted events for the work station 2 is reached or exceeded, the control device requests the cleaning of the work station 2 by the cleaning device 1.

[0032] The cleaning device 1 then travels along rails 10 to the work station 2, where it positions itself precisely by means of a positioning element 11 assigned to the work station. In this embodiment, the cleaning itself is carried out by a suction nozzle 12. The suction nozzle 12 is thereby connected to the chassis 16 of the cleaning device 1 by means of several arms 13, 14, 15. The suction nozzle 12 and the arms 13, 14 can be swiveled around horizontal axes 17, 18, 19, and the suction nozzle can also be swiveled around the vertical axis 20. Thus, the suction nozzle 12 can be moved to the objects of the work station 2 to be vacuumed.

[0033] However, the method described here is not limited to cleaning by sucking away contamination; rather, other cleaning methods, for example with compressed air or with mechanical cleaning elements, are also conceivable.

[0034] FIG. 2 shows a top view of a textile machine 21 with a multiple number of work stations 2 and two cleaning devices 1. Thereby, the cleaning devices can be moved along the rails 10.

[0035] The work stations 2 are assigned to one of three areas: an exclusive area EB1 which is located on a machine side of the textile machine 21, an exclusive area EB2, which is located on the other machine side, and an overlapping area Ü.

[0036] The work stations 2 send information regarding events such as the changing of canisters, the changing of coils and/or setting processes to a control device 23 arranged at the machine end 22. Such events are provided with a weighting factor by the control device 23. Thereby, the greater the contamination associated with the event, the greater the weighting factor. For each work station 2, a sum of the weighted events is formed. In doing so, events that have arisen at adjacent work stations 2 are also counted, but such events are provided with a further weighting factor, which is the smaller, as the distance from the event to the work station 2 is larger.

[0037] If a threshold value for weighted events for a work station 2 is exceeded, a cleaning request is issued for such work station 2. If the work station 2 is located in the exclusive area EB1, which is assigned to the upper cleaning device 1 in FIG. 2, the cleaning device 1 travels to the work station 2 for which the cleaning request was issued. The lower cleaning device 1 in FIG. 2 is also responsible for the work stations 2 in the exclusive area EB2. However, if the cleaning request is issued for a work station in the overlapping area Ü, the cleaning process is carried out by the cleaning device 1, which features the lower workload.

[0038] Along the path of the cleaning device 1 to the work station 2, for which the cleaning request was issued, all work stations 2, whose weighted event sum exceeds a certain threshold value, are also cleaned.

[0039] After the cleaning has been completed, the weighted event sum for the cleaned work station 2 is set to zero and the counting starts from the beginning.

[0040] This invention is not limited to the illustrated and described embodiments. Variations within the scope of the claims, just as the combination of characteristics, are possible, even if they are illustrated and described in different embodiments.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0041] 1 Cleaning device

[0042] 2 Workstation

[0043] 3 Spinning unit

[0044] 4 Canister

[0045] 5 Sliver

[0046] 6 Thread

[0047] 7 Pair of draw-off rollers

[0048] 8 Traverse element

[0049] 9 Coil

[0050] 10 Rails

[0051] 11 Positioning element

[0052] 12 Suction nozzle

[0053] 13 Arm

[0054] 14 Arm

[0055] 15 Arm

[0056] 16 Chassis

[0057] 17 Horizontal axis

[0058] 18 Horizontal axis

[0059] 19 Horizontal axis

[0060] 20 Vertical axis

[0061] 21 Textile machine

[0062] 22 Machine end

[0063] 23 Control device

[0064] EB1 Exclusive area

[0065] EB2 Exclusive area

[0066] Ü Overlapping area