Cleaning device for cleaning a rotor disk of a spinning rotor

Abstract

A cleaning device for cleaning a rotor disk of a spinning rotor has a cleaning head with at least one cleaning element, and a receptacle on which the cleaning head is mounted and which can be fed to the spinning rotor for cleaning the rotor disk. The cleaning head includes at least one bearing area by means of which the cleaning head is mounted on the receptacle. A longitudinal direction of the bearing area defines an axial direction of the cleaning head. The cleaning head is mounted in the axial direction in a floating manner on the receptacle, and/or the cleaning element is mounted in the axial direction in a floating manner on the cleaning head.

Claims

1. A cleaning device for cleaning a rotor disk of a spinning rotor, comprising: a receptacle mounted to a feed unit configured for positioning the receptacle relative to the spinning rotor in an axial direction; a cleaning head comprising at least one bearing area on a proximal end slidingly mounted in the axial direction in a floating manner inside the receptacle, the cleaning head comprising a distal end with at least one pivotably mounted cleaning element for cleaning the spinning rotor; an actuator in the cleaning head configured to angularly position the at least one pivotably mounted cleaning element; and wherein during operation the receptacle is axially positioned by the feed unit relative to the spinning rotor, the actuator actuates the at least one pivotably mounted cleaning element to angularly position for engagement with the rotor disk of the spinning rotor, and engagement of the cleaning element with the rotor disk axially moves the cleaning head relative to the receptacle in the floating manner along the at least one bearing area.

2. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein a degree of floating axial play between the cleaning head and the receptacle along the at least one bearing area is defined by a backlash in the axial direction of the cleaning head relative to the receptacle.

3. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning head comprises an air supply and the actuator comprises a piston axially actuated by compressed air from the air supply from a retracted piston position to an extended piston position to engage and actuate the at least one pivotably mounted cleaning element.

4. The cleaning device according to claim 3, wherein the receptacle comprises an air chamber in communication with the air supply through an overflow opening.

5. The cleaning device according to claim 4, wherein the air chamber comprises an exhaust opening configured with a shut-off valve.

6. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning element is a scraper movably mounted on the cleaning head so as to extend into the rotor disk when moved relative to the cleaning head.

7. The cleaning device according to claim 6, wherein during the extending of the scraper, the cleaning head is movable along the receptacle within a degree of floating axial play between the cleaning head and the receptacle along the at least one bearing area to position the scraper in the axial direction with respect to a rotor groove of the rotor disk.

8. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning element further comprises a blow hole in communication with an air supply in the cleaning head for supplying compressed air to the blow hole.

9. The cleaning device according to claim 8, wherein by supplying the blow hole with compressed air, the cleaning head is caused to be positioned in the axial direction with respect to a rotor groove of the rotor disk.

10. The cleaning device according to the claim 9, wherein the cleaning head comprises a stop disposed to position the cleaning head in the axial direction with respect to the rotor groove.

11. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one bearing area is defined by a circumferentially extending groove along which the cleaning head is mounted inside the receptacle, the groove defining axial limits of a degree of floating axial play between the cleaning head and the receptacle along the at least one bearing area.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages of the invention are described in the following embodiments. The following is shown:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic, sectional view of a cleaning device and a spinning rotor in a first position;

(3) FIG. 2 is the cleaning device of FIG. 1 in a second position, in which it is fed to the spinning rotor;

(4) FIG. 3 is the cleaning device of FIG. 1 in an additional position, in which it is fed to the spinning rotor;

(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic, sectional view of a cleaning device according to another design;

(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic, sectional view of a cleaning device according to an additional design, whereas the cleaning device is fed to a spinning rotor; and

(7) FIG. 6 is the cleaning device of FIG. 5 in an additional position, in which an additional cleaning element is used.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) Reference will now be made to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are shown in the drawings. Each embodiment is provided by way of explanation of the invention, and not as a limitation of the invention. For example features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be combined with another embodiment to yield still another embodiment. It is intended that the present invention include these and other modifications and variations to the embodiments described herein.

(9) FIG. 1 shows a cleaning device 1 for cleaning a rotor disk 2 of a spinning rotor 3. The spinning rotor 3 features, in addition to the rotor disk 2, a rotor shaft 13, on which the rotor disk 2 is fastened in a fixed manner or a detachable manner. Upon the spinning of fiber material, the operation of open-end rotor spinning devices always results in contamination, particularly on the inner side of the spinning rotor. The contamination may differ depending on the fiber material used or the degree of cleaning of the fiber material, and may also contain heavy buildups on the inner side of the spinning rotor 3. In particular, the rotor groove 8 is herein subjected to considerable contamination, which adversely affects the further spinning process. Therefore, the spinning rotors 3 must be cleaned regularly, in particular in the area of the rotor groove 8, for which the cleaning device 1 is provided.

(10) The cleaning device 1 includes a receptacle 6, which can be fed to the spinning rotor 3 by means of a feed unit 9 (which is only indicated schematically here), and on which a cleaning head 4 for cleaning the spinning rotor 3 is arranged. The cleaning device 1 may be arranged by means of the feed unit 9 (for example) on a maintenance device that can be moved along the spinning positions of an open-end rotor spinning machine, whereas the feed unit 9 may include a pneumatic cylinder, an electric linear drive, or another drive, in order to feed the receptacle 6 with the cleaning head 4 to the spinning rotor 3. The maintenance device and the open-end rotor spinning device are not shown. The receptacle 6 of the present cleaning device surrounds the spinning rotor 3 in the shape of a pot, and may contain a rotary drive, by means of which the spinning rotor 3 can be driven during its cleaning. However, it is also possible for the spinning rotor 3 to be set into rotation by means of a drive arranged on the open-end rotor spinning device. In addition, it is, of course, also conceivable to carry out a cleaning of the spinning rotor 3 without a rotary movement.

(11) For cleaning the spinning rotor 3 or the rotor groove 8, the present cleaning head 4 features, as cleaning elements 5, two scrapers 5a, which are mounted on the cleaning head 4 so as to be pivotable around a scraper axis SA. The pivoting out of the scrapers 5a, which can be actuated, for example, by means of a piston 14, is here indicated by a dash-dotted line. The piston 14 is herein moved to the right, as indicated by the arrow. The piston 14 may be actuated pneumatically, for which the cleaning head 4 features an air supply 10 (see FIGS. 4-6) and can be subjected to compressed air. However, it is also possible to extend the scraper 5a by means of a motor, or in a different manner. Therefore, the present view is to be understood as merely exemplary. The cleaning head 4 features at least one bearing area 7, which in the present case is formed in a cylindrical manner by its outer diameter on the area turned towards the receptacle 6, and which defines an axial direction AR of the cleaning head 4 through its longitudinal axis, here the center longitudinal axis. However, the cleaning head 4 may, of course, also feature additional or other cylindrical areas or bearing areas 7, which define the axial direction AR.

(12) With the illustrated cleaning device 1, the cleaning head 4 is now mounted in the axial direction AR in a floating manner on the receptacle 6, and features an axial backlash. In the present case, the cleaning head 4 is shown in a middle position, in which it features a backlash in the axial direction AR with respect to the receptacle 6, as represented by the two gaps x. As an alternative to the view that is shown, however, it would also be possible for the cleaning head 4 itself to be mounted on the receptacle 6 in a fixed manner (i.e., without any backlash), and a gap to be provided between the scraper or scrapers 5a and the cleaning head 4.

(13) In the following descriptions of FIGS. 2 to 6, the same reference signs are used for characteristics that are identical or at least comparable to the design shown in FIG. 1 or the position of the cleaning device 1 shown in FIG. 1. If they are not explained once again in detail, their design and/or modes of operation correspond to the design and mode of operation of the characteristics described above. Thus, the differences with FIG. 1 will be primarily discussed below.

(14) FIG. 2 shows the cleaning device 1 of FIG. 1 in a second position, in which the cleaning head 4 has already been fed to the spinning rotor 3 by means of the receptacle 6 and the feed unit 9. Herein, the problem often arises that, based on adjustment errors of the cleaning device 1 with respect to the feed unit 9 or the movable maintenance device, based on positional deviations of the maintenance device with respect to the spinning position, based on a backlash between the various components or based on other causes, the positioning of the cleaning device 1 cannot take place precisely in the axial direction with respect to the spinning rotor 3, such that the cleaning elements 5 often cannot precisely reach the rotor groove 8. At that point, the reliable cleaning of the rotor groove 8 is no longer possible.

(15) In the example shown in FIG. 2, the cleaning device 1 is, for example, positioned too far away from the spinning rotor 3 in the axial direction AR. Therefore, upon the extension of the scrapers 5a, they do not arrive in the rotor groove 8, but instead make contact with the rotor slide wall 17 of the rotor disk 2. However, due to the further impact of the piston 14 or another actuating element, for example a motor, and of the diameter increasing in the direction of the rotor groove 8, the cleaning head 4 is now moved in the axial direction AR with respect to the receptacle 6, while eliminating at least one part of the axial backlash (see arrows). Herein, the scrapers 5a slide along the slope of the rotor slide wall 17 into the rotor groove 8, and are now correctly positioned with respect to it, as indicated by the dash-dotted line. Based on the diameter of the rotor disk 2, which decreases once again in the area of the rotor base 18, an increased expenditure of force would be required for the further axial displacement of the cleaning head 4, such that no further movement of the cleaning head 4 takes place.

(16) FIG. 3 shows another position of the cleaning device 1, in which the cleaning device 1 has already been fed to the spinning rotor 3, and the cleaning head 4 has already positioned itself correctly with respect to the rotor groove 8. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the cleaning device 1 has been positioned too close to the spinning rotor 3, such that the scrapers 5a have initially impinged on the rotor base 18 of the spinning rotor 3. Based on the further impact of the piston 14 or of the actuating element of the scrapers 5a, the scrapers 5a herein have been slid along the slope of the rotor base 18 in the direction of the larger diameter of the rotor groove 8, whereas, in turn, the backlash between the cleaning head 4 and the feed unit 6 in turn has been at least partially eliminated on the one side of the cleaning head 4. In the present case, the cleaning head 4 is shown in its fully retracted position with respect to the receptacle 6, such that a gap 2x now arises between the cleaning head 4 and the receptacle 6 in the left area of the figure. Of course, the cleaning head 4 does not have to be displaced by the complete gap x or 2x; rather, different intermediate positions are also possible depending on the gap of the cleaning head 4 from the spinning rotor 3 after feeding.

(17) FIG. 4 shows an additional design of a cleaning device 1, with which the cleaning element 5 is formed not by a scraper 5a, but by a blow hole 5b. The cleaning head 4 herein features an air guide 10, through which compressed air can be fed to the cleaning head 4. By means of the compressed air fed via the air supply 10, the blow hole 5b is in turn subjected to compressed air. In the present case, two mutually opposite blow holes 5b are shown. Herein, through the subjecting of the blow hole 5b with compressed air, the cleaning head 4 is in turn positioned in the axial direction AR with respect to the spinning rotor 3. This is achieved by the fact that the cleaning device 1 or the receptacle 6 of the cleaning device 1, as the case may be, features an air chamber 12, which is in connection with the air supply 10 through at least one overflow opening 15.

(18) In the present case, the overflow opening 15 is formed only by an annular gap between the housing 9 and the cleaning head 4, as symbolized by a small, curved arrow. However, a defined overflow opening 15 can also be provided between the cleaning head 4 and the air chamber 12. If compressed air arrives in the air chamber 12 through the overflow opening 15, this results in the entire cleaning head 4 being displaced with the blow hole or holes 5b in the axial direction AR of the cleaning head 4, as symbolized in the present case by the two small arrows near the cleaning head 4. Thereby, the position of the cleaning head 4 with respect to the spinning rotor 3 can be adjusted. According to the present example, the cleaning head 4 features a stop 11, which works together with a corresponding stop of the receptacle 6. Thereby, the cleaning head 4 with the blow hole 5b can be brought very close to the rotor groove 8 and thereby positioned with respect to it. Since cleaning by means of a blow hole 5b does not require a precise alignment of the cleaning element 5 with respect to the rotor groove 8, like cleaning by means of a scraper 5a, a good alignment of the blow hole 5b with respect to the spinning rotor 3 can already be obtained through the widest possible extension of the cleaning head 4 from the receptacle 6. However, as an alternative or in addition, a stop 11 could also be provided, which makes contact with the spinning rotor 3 and thus enables an even more precise positioning relative to it, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

(19) FIG. 5 shows an additional design of a cleaning device 1, which features, as cleaning elements 5, both two scrapers 5a and a blow hole 5b. Herein, through the air supply 10, compressed air can be fed to the cleaning head 4, and the piston 14 can be displaced, which in turn actuates the scrapers 5a. For reasons of clarity, the backlash of the cleaning head 4 or the gaps x are not shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. An exhaust opening 16 is herein allocated to the air chamber 12. If, upon the impact of the piston 14 or upon the actuation of the scrapers 5a with compressed air, which is fed through the air supply 10, compressed air arrives in the air chamber 12 through the overflow opening 15, this can escape through the exhaust opening 16 without any problem. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the cleaning head 4 is mounted in a floating manner in or on the receptacle 6, such that an automatic adjustment of the cleaning head 4 in the axial direction is possible, and the rotor groove 8 can be cleaned by means of the scrapers 5a.

(20) However, if there is a desire to clean the rotor groove 8 or a different area of the spinning rotor 3 by means of the blow hole 5b, and not by means of the scraper 5a, the exhaust opening 16 can be closed by means of a shut-off valve (not shown), as symbolized in FIG. 6 by means of a line in the area of the exhaust opening 16. As a result, upon the subjecting of the cleaning head 4 with compressed air, as described in FIG. 4, compressed air also arrives in the air chamber 12 through the overflow opening 15, such that the cleaning head 4 is displaced to the right in the axial direction AR (see arrow). In the present case, a stop 11 is arranged on the cleaning head 4, which makes contact with the spinning rotor 3 upon axial displacement, such that the cleaning head 4 is automatically positioned correctly with respect to the spinning rotor 3, in particular with respect to the rotor groove 8 of the spinning rotor 3. In the present case, the stop 11 makes contact with the rotor base 18 of the spinning rotor 3.

(21) With the design shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 with an exhaust opening 16 that can be shut off, it is possible for the cleaning head 4, as shown in FIGS. 1-3, to be mounted in a free-floating manner within the receptacle 6, in order to automatically position the scrapers 5a, and enable the subjecting of the air chamber 12 after the shut-off of the exhaust opening 16, which actively pushes the cleaning head out of the receptacle 6. Therefore, the cleaning head 4 or the cleaning device 1 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 can be used in a particularly flexible manner. Likewise, for the cleaning device 1 with such an air chamber 12 that can be shut off, it is also conceivable to design the cleaning head 4 in two or more parts, as is also shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Thus, in a simple manner, different cleaning elements 5 can be arranged on the cleaning device 1 in a replaceable form. Of course, such a two-part design of the cleaning head 4 could also advantageously be used in the cleaning devices 1 of FIGS. 1 to 4.

(22) 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

(23) 1 Cleaning device 2 Rotor disk 3 Spinning rotor 4 Cleaning head 5 Cleaning element 5a Scraper 5b Blow hole 6 Receptacle 7 Bearing area 8 Rotor groove 9 Feed unit 10 Air supply 11 Stop 12 Air chamber 13 Rotor shaft 14 Piston 15 Overflow opening 16 Exhaust opening 17 Slide wall 18 Rotor base AR Axial direction SA Scraper axis X Gap