Method for cleaning a textile machine

Abstract

A method for cleaning a textile machine having a plurality of work stations includes issuing a cleaning request for a first one of the work stations. In response to the cleaning request, the first work station is approached and cleaned by a mobile cleaning device that travels alongside of the textile machine. The cleaning requests are issued for the work stations depending on specifically identified contamination-generating events that have occurred at or near the respective work station since a last cleaning process at the work station. A textile machine configured in accordance with the method is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for cleaning a textile machine having a plurality of work stations, the method comprising: issuing a cleaning request for a first one of the work stations; in response to the cleaning request, the first work station is approached and cleaned by a mobile cleaning device that travels alongside of the textile machine; wherein cleaning requests are issued for the work stations depending on specifically identified contamination-generating events that have occurred at or near the respective work stations since a last cleaning process at the work stations; and wherein in a cleaning run by the mobile cleaning device to the first work station, a non-requesting second work station located along the cleaning run is also cleaned when events that have occurred at the second work station since the last cleaning process from the second work station indicate that a cleaning process request from the second work station is forthcoming.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the events include one or more of the following: predetermined disruptions, predetermined combinations of measured values of quality, piecing processes, changing of bobbins; and changing of cans.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dependency on the events is based on exceeding a specific number of the events at the work stations.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dependency on the events is based on a predetermined sequence of the events.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dependency on the events is further based on a predetermined period of time elapsing since the last cleaning process at the work stations.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning request is issued only for running ones of the work stations.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile cleaning device is separate from a maintenance device that also runs along the textile machine.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the events are given different weighted values according to degree of potential contamination the events may produce at the work stations, the dependency on the events based on exceeding a defined sum of the weighted values at the work stations.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, for a particular work station, the events are weighted according to distance between where the events occurred and the particular work station.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein multiple ones of the mobile cleaning devices are assigned to different respective sections of the textile machine, wherein an overlapping area of the textile machine is defined between two of the sections and work stations within the overlapping area can be cleaned by the mobile cleaning device assigned to each section adjacent the overlapping area.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein a cleaning request for one of the work stations in the overlapping area is carried out by the mobile cleaning device from one of the adjacent sections having a lesser workload.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein a cleaning request for one of the work stations in the overlapping area is carried out by the mobile cleaning device from one of the adjacent sections that is closer to the work station for which the cleaning request was issued.

13. A textile machine, comprising: a plurality of work stations; a mobile cleaning device configured to travel along the textile machine work to perform cleaning processes at the work stations; a control device in communication with the work stations and the mobile cleaning device; the control device configured to issue cleaning requests for the work stations, wherein the mobile cleaning device travels to a work station for which a cleaning request was issued and performs a cleaning process; wherein the cleaning requests are issued by the control device for the work stations depending on specifically identified contamination-generating events that have occurred at or near the respective work station since a last cleaning process at the work station; and wherein the control device is further configured to issue a cleaning request to a second work station located along a cleaning run by the mobile cleaning device to a first work station when events that have occurred at the second work station since the last cleaning process from the second work station indicate that a cleaning process request from the second work station is forthcoming.

14. The textile machine according to claim 13, wherein the mobile cleaning device is separate from a maintenance device that also runs along the textile machine.

15. The textile machine according to claim 13, wherein the mobile cleaning device is a component of a maintenance device that runs along the textile machine.

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 side view of a cleaning device in front of a work station; and

(3) FIG. 2 is a top view of a textile machine with a multiple number of work stations and two cleaning devices.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) 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.

(5) FIG. 1 shows a mobile cleaning device 1 in front of a work station 2 of a textile machine. In this case, the textile machine 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.

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

(7) Events such as a change of the can 4, a change of the bobbin 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.

(8) 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 herein 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.

(9) 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.

(10) FIG. 2 shows a top view of a textile machine 21 with a multiple number of work stations 2 and two cleaning devices 1. The cleaning devices can be moved along the rails 10.

(11) 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 .

(12) The work stations 2 send information regarding events such as the changing of cans, the changing of bobbins and/or piecing 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. The greater the contamination associated with the event, the greater is 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.

(13) 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 U, the cleaning process is carried out by that cleaning device 1 that features the lower workload.

(14) 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.

(15) 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.

(16) 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 SKINS

(17) 1 Cleaning device 2 Workstation 3 Spinning unit 4 Can 5 Sliver 6 Thread 7 Pair of draw-off rollers 8 Traverse element 9 Bobbin 10 Rails 11 Positioning element 12 Suction nozzle 13 Arm 14 Arm 15 Arm 16 Chassis 17 Horizontal axis 18 Horizontal axis 19 Horizontal axis 20 Vertical axis 21 Textile machine 22 Machine end 23 Control device EB1 Exclusive area EB2 Exclusive area Overlapping area