TRANSPORT VEHICLE FOR A TEXTILE FACTORY

Abstract

The present invention relates to a transport vehicle for a textile mill having a driving unit which is designed to drive autonomously to a defined destination within a textile mill, a carrying unit which is arranged on the driving unit, the carrying unit having an upper carrying surface facing away from the driving unit for carrying a unit to be transported which can have a textile material loaded onto it and unloaded from it. The transport vehicle further has a loading and unloading device with a loading and unloading arm having a conveyor unit for loading the textile material onto the unit to be transported and unloading the textile material from it. In order to be able to handle textile material within a textile mill in an improved manner, there is provision for the unit to be transported to be formed by a package buffer fixed on the upper carrying surface and each having a plurality of storage points for storing at least one wound or non-wound tube body, and/or by a tube handling unit fixedly arranged on the carrying unit at least for autonomously handling the tube body which can be stored in at least one storage point arranged on the upper carrying surface. In this case, the loading and unloading device is fixed to the carrying unit, in particular to the upper carrying surface, or to the unit to be transported, in which case the storage point can be loaded and unloaded by the loading and unloading device with the tube body.

Claims

1. A transport vehicle (1) for a textile mill, having a driving unit (20), which is designed to drive autonomously to a defined destination within a textile mill, a carrying unit (30) which is arranged on the driving unit (20), in particular in a non-destructively detachable manner, the carrying unit (30) having an upper carrying surface (32) facing away from the driving unit (20) for carrying a unit to be transported which can have a textile material loaded onto it and unloaded from it, and a loading and unloading device (60) with a loading and unloading arm (62) having a conveyor unit (64) for loading the textile material onto the unit to be transported and unloading the textile material from it, characterised in that the unit to be transported is formed by a package buffer (40) fixed, in particular in a non-destructively detachable manner, on the upper carrying surface (32) and having a plurality of storage points (42), in each case for storing at least one wound or non-wound tube body (2), and/or by a tube handling unit arranged in a fixed location, in particular in a non-destructively detachable manner, on the carrying unit (30) at least for autonomous handling of the tube body (2), which can be stored in at least one storage point (42) arranged on the upper carrying surface (32), the loading and unloading device (60) being fixed on the carrying unit (30), in particular to the upper carrying surface (32), or to the unit to be transported, and it being possible for the storage point (42) to be loaded and unloaded by the loading and unloading device (60) with the tube body (2).

2. The transport vehicle (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the loading and unloading arm (62) is linearly movable with the conveyor unit (64) along a linear guide (70) extending in particular vertically to the upper carrying surface (32).

3. The transport vehicle (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the unit to be transported is formed at least by the package buffer (40), with at least one storage point (42) of the plurality of storage points (42) being adapted to store at least two tube bodies (2) in series along the tube body length.

4. The transport vehicle (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the unit to be transported is formed at least by the package buffer (40) having at least two storage segment units (44, 46) each having at least one storage point (42), with the storage segment units (44, 46), of which there are at least two, and the loading and unloading device (60) being adapted to rotate relative to one another.

5. The transport vehicle (1) according to claim 4, characterised in that the storage segment units (44, 46), of which there are at least two, are formed by a frame structure (48) projecting vertically from the upper carrying surface (32), which frame structure (48) has on at least two of its vertical sides extending vertically to the upper carrying surface (32) in each case a plurality of storage points (42) extending in the horizontal and/or vertical direction, the frame structure (48) being arranged and set up on the upper carrying surface (32) so as to be able to rotate relative to the loading and unloading device (60).

6. The transport vehicle (1) according to claim 4, characterised in that the package buffer (40) is configured as a storage paternoster, the storage segment units (44, 46), of which there are at least two, each forming a shelf (58) of the storage paternoster which can be moved circumferentially at a distance from the upper carrying surface (32).

7. The transport vehicle (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the unit to be transported is formed by the tube handling unit, which has a thread catching unit for catching a thread end of a wound tube body (2), in particular one that has been received in the storage point (42).

8. The transport vehicle (1) according to claim 7, characterised in that the tube handling unit has a thread severing unit for severing a thread section of the thread caught by the thread catching unit which has been unwound from the wound tube body (2).

9. The transport vehicle (1) according to claim 7, characterised in that the thread catching unit is configured to be movable relative to the storage point (42) and the thread severing unit for severing the thread stretched between the wound tube body (2) and the thread catching unit in the course of the relative movement.

10. The transport vehicle (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the transport vehicle (1) is designed to supply at least the carrying unit (30), the unit to be transported and/or the loading and unloading device with operating energy and/or an operating medium autonomously or via an interface.

11. The transport vehicle (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the transport vehicle (1) has a weighing unit (94) by means of which at least the weight of the package buffer (40) or the weight of at least one loaded or unloaded tube body (2) can be detected for evaluation and/or display.

12. The transport vehicle (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the driving unit (20) has at least one protection unit (80) for protecting a driving component (22) from dirt lying around on the roadway of the transport vehicle (1) in at least one direction of travel of the transport vehicle (1) of the driving unit (20).

13. The transport vehicle (1) according to claim 1, characterised by at least one retractable and extendible support beam for supporting the transport vehicle (1) when stationary.

14. A textile material handling system (100), in particular for wound and/or non-wound tube bodies (2), in a textile mill, the system (100) having a control system (110) by means of which a transport vehicle (1) is controlled for moving to defined locations within the textile mill, characterised by a transport vehicle (1) according to claim 1.

15. The system (100) according to claim 14, characterised in that the system (100) forms a system for distributing textile material in a textile mill, the system (100) having a textile material removal station (120), a textile material receiving station (130), and the transport vehicle (1) for moving the textile material from the textile material removal station (120) to textile material receiving station (130), in which case at least the control system (110) and the transport vehicle (1) are interconnected for exchanging distribution information regarding textile material removal at the textile material removal station (120) and textile material delivery at the textile material receiving station (130).

Description

[0055] FIG. 1 shows a perspective schematic side view of a transport vehicle according to a first embodiment example,

[0056] FIG. 2 shows a perspective schematic side view of a transport vehicle according to a second embodiment example,

[0057] FIG. 3 shows a perspective schematic side view of a transport vehicle according to a third embodiment example,

[0058] FIG. 4 shows a perspective schematic side view of a transport vehicle according to a fourth embodiment example,

[0059] FIG. 5 shows a perspective schematic side view of a transport vehicle according to a fifth embodiment example;

[0060] FIG. 6 shows a schematic front view of a transport vehicle according to a sixth embodiment example; and

[0061] FIG. 7 shows a schematic plan view of a textile material handling system according to an embodiment example.

[0062] FIGS. 1 to 5 show different embodiments of a transport vehicle 1 in a purely schematic view, in which case identical reference signs are used for components, units, devices or equipment acting in the same way.

[0063] FIGS. 1 to 5 each show a perspective schematic side view of a transport vehicle 1, each with a package buffer 40 configured as a unit to be transported, in different embodiments. The transport vehicle 1 has a driving unit 20, which is designed to drive autonomously to a defined destination within a textile mill. For this purpose, the driving unit 20 according to this embodiment example is equipped in the usual manner with corresponding rollers, sensor systems, drives and a control unit, which enable the transport vehicle 1 to be moved in a defined manner.

[0064] According to one embodiment example, a carrying unit 30 is detachably arranged on the driving unit 20. The carrying unit 30 can thus be exchanged for another carrying unit 30 in an uncomplicated and rapid manner. Also, the carrying unit 30 can be combined with another driving unit 20.

[0065] According to a further embodiment example, the driving unit 20 and the carrying unit 30 form a non-disconnectable or inseparable structural unit with a common interior space in which electronic and electrical components as well as the chassis of the transport vehicle 1 are accommodated.

[0066] The carrying unit 30 has, on a side facing away from the driving unit 20, an upper carrying surface 32 for carrying a unit to be transported. The upper carrying surface 32 has a plurality of attachment points 34, by means of which one or more units to be transported can be arranged and fixed. In the embodiment examples according to FIGS. 1 to 5, the unit to be transported is in each case a package buffer 40, which is detachably fixed on the upper carrying surface 32 in order to be able to be removed or mounted in an uncomplicated and rapid manner. According to a further embodiment example, the package buffer 40 is fixedly, i.e. non-detachably, attached to the upper carrying surface 32.

[0067] Also arranged on the upper carrying surface 32 is a detachable loading and unloading device 60, which can be moved along a linear guide 70 vertically relative to the upper carrying surface 32. The linear guide 70 is also detachably mounted on the upper carrying surface 32. According to this embodiment example, the linear guide 70 and the loading and unloading device 60 are connected to an operating energy supply source via plug connections. The loading and unloading device 60 has a multi-articulated loading and unloading arm 62 with a conveyor unit 64 pivotally and rotatably mounted on a free end of an outer arm portion of the loading and unloading arm 62. The loading and unloading arm 62 with the conveyor unit 64 is thus freely movable in space in order to be able to reach any point in space along the reach of the loading and unloading arm 62, in particular any storage point 42 of the package buffer 40. According to a further embodiment example, the loading and unloading device 60 is configured as a collaborative robot, a so-called cobot, which has sensor systems for automatically shutting down the robot in order to be able to interact with an operator of the textile mill and avoid injuries to the operator. According to a further embodiment example, the cobot is preferably configured to be reactivated by an operator or a control device after an automatic shutdown. Preferably, predefinable conditions can be acknowledged or confirmed, in particular automatically, for the activation.

[0068] The package buffer 40 according to the first embodiment example shown in FIG. 1 has a cuboid frame structure 48 extending primarily vertically from the upper carrying surface 32. On a rear side, the frame structure 48 has a plurality of cross braces 50 extending horizontally between two vertical rear frame elements 52, each of which carries a plurality of storage points 42 arranged side by side. The first embodiment example shown is a purely exemplary example of seven cross braces 50, each with three storage points 42 arranged next to one another, each of which is designed to accommodate a non-wound and wound tube body 2. The frame structure 48 can very well be formed with a different number of cross braces 50 and storage points 42 as required.

[0069] The storage points 42 are designed to receive the tube bodies 2 at a slight angle to a horizontal plane in order to protect them from accidentally falling out. For this purpose, the storage points 42, which are formed as arbours according to this first embodiment example, extend obliquely upwards from the respective cross brace 50 to the horizontal plane crossing the respective cross brace 50. This allows the tube body 2 to be reliably held on the arbour by its weight alone.

[0070] According to a further embodiment example, the arbour is designed to clamp the tube body 2. For this purpose, the respective arbour has a clamping device on its outer circumferential surface, which is mounted by the elastic effect of a spring.

[0071] The frame structure 48 is configured such that a direct distance between a vertical front frame element 54 and the associated opposing rear frame element 52 is shorter than a length of the tube body 2 to be received by the storage point 42. This allows the front frame elements 54 to form a lateral support for the received wound tube bodies 2. Furthermore, the respective storage points 42 or tube bodies 2 can be handled or loaded and unloaded by the loading and unloading device 60 without the risk of obstruction by the front frame elements 54. In this case, the loading and unloading device 60 with the linear guide 70 are arranged on a narrow side of the frame structure 48 on the carrying unit 30. This allows the conveyor unit 64 to load and unload the package buffer 40 easily and reliably from the front.

[0072] The frame structure 48 of the package buffer 40 according to the second embodiment example shown in FIG. 2 differs from the first embodiment example described above in the distance between the respective rear and front frame elements 52, 54, which according to this second embodiment example is greater than one tube body length and less than two tube body lengths. According to a further embodiment example, the distance is equal to or greater than two tube body lengths. This favours protection of the tube body end faces during transport travel.

[0073] The storage points 42 are further configured to receive and store two hollow-cylindrical tube bodies 2 in series along a longitudinal axis of the tube body 2. Furthermore, a vertical side wall 56 is arranged on each of the narrow sides of the frame structure 48 for protecting the accommodated tube bodies 2. Moreover, adjacent storage points 42 are offset from one another in the vertical direction of the package buffer 40. In particular, the horizontal distance between a storage point 42 and a storage point 42 adjacent below or above it in the vertical direction is one-half the distance between two of the storage points 42 arranged immediately adjacent below or above it in a horizontal plane. The staggered arrangement allows a more compact arrangement of the tube bodies 2 in the vertical direction of the package buffer 40.

[0074] Furthermore, the storage points 42 are horizontally oriented so that tube bodies 2 accommodated in the storage points 42 are stored with their longitudinal axis horizontal. In this second embodiment example, the storage points 42 are provided with holding or clamping means which hold or clamp the tube bodies 2 in the horizontal position.

[0075] FIG. 3 shows a transport vehicle 1 according to a third embodiment example. The third embodiment example differs from the first and second embodiment examples in the embodiment of the package buffer 40 configured as a unit to be transported. According to this third embodiment example, the package buffer 40 is configured as a storage paternoster. For this purpose, a frame structure 48 is arranged on the carrying unit 30, which is provided with side walls 56 on at least three sides, which walls define a storage space within the frame structure 48, in which the storage points 42 are arranged on corresponding shelves 58 mainly in a vertical circumferential direction. The package buffer 40 is accessible from one side and the top adjacent thereto for the loading and unloading device 60 to load and unload the storage paternoster. In this third embodiment example, the shelf 58 is configured as a horizontal cross brace, from the upper side of which two vertical arbours project in each case for the respective, in particular clamping, accommodation of a tube body 2. According to a further embodiment example not shown, the shelf 58 can have a board-like surface on which the tube bodies 2 can be placed and stored. To ensure stability of the set-up tube body 2, the shelf 58 can have a recess corresponding to the cross section of the tube body 2, into which an end face of the tube body 2 can engage, or can also have an arbour projecting into the cavity of the tube body 2. Alternatively or additionally, at least one duct can be provided on the shelf 58, into which the tube body 2 can be inserted and removed from above.

[0076] FIG. 4 shows a fourth embodiment example of a transport vehicle 1. The fourth embodiment example differs from the first to third embodiment examples in that the package buffer 40 is configured as a unit to be transported. The frame structure 48 of the package buffer 40 according to this fourth embodiment example has first and second storage segment units 44, 46, each having a plurality of storage points 42; according to this fourth embodiment example, there is a total of 20 storage points divided into five rows arranged one above the other, each having four storage points 42 arranged side by side. The number of storage points 42 per first and second storage segment units 44, 46 can be selected as needed. The frame structure 48 has a rectangular frame for forming the first and second storage segment units 44, 46, with the rectangular frame having a plurality of horizontally extending cross braces 50 having a plurality of arbours on opposite sides of the rectangular frame for respectively forming a storage point 42. As described for the first embodiment example, the arbours are oriented obliquely upwards starting from the associated cross brace 50 for safe mounting and removal of a tube body 2. The first storage segment unit 44 is formed by one side of the rectangular frame of the frame structure 48, and the second storage segment unit 46 is formed by the side of the rectangular frame opposite thereto. According to a further embodiment example not shown, a third and in particular a fourth storage segment unit can be provided in that the frame structure forms a cuboid frame having, for example, four sides on which corresponding cross braces 50 with arbours are provided. Each side, which is configured to store a tube body 2, thus forms a corresponding storage segment unit.

[0077] The package buffer 40 according to this fourth embodiment example is provided to be rotatable. For this purpose, a turning device 90 is provided between the package buffer 40 and the carrying unit 30. The turning device 90 has a rotary plate 92 on which the package buffer 40 is rotatable about a vertical central axis of the rotary plate 92. Thus, in a simple manner, each storage segment unit 44, 46 can be made accessible to the loading and unloading device 60 for loading and unloading the package buffer 40.

[0078] FIG. 5 shows a transport vehicle 1 according to a fifth embodiment example, which, in contrast to the transport vehicle 1 according to the fourth embodiment example, is supplemented by a weighing unit 94 for detecting a weight of the package buffer 40. In this fifth embodiment example, the turning device is implemented by a non-visible shaft which protrudes centrally through the weighing unit 94 and engages below a carrying plate 96 for the package buffer 40. The shaft is coupled to a lifting and lowering device which is received by the carrying unit 30 and is adapted to lift and lower the package buffer 40 vertically via the shaft to correspondingly lift and rotate the package buffer 40 and to place it on the weighing unit 94. By means of the weighing unit 94, the weight of the package buffer 40 can thus be used to draw a conclusion about the weight of one, several or all of the loaded or unloaded tube bodies 2. The recorded and/or determined weight can be displayed via a display device. The display device can be provided on the transport vehicle 1, the textile machine or externally thereof, in which case the weighing unit 94 can be coupled to the display device directly or via an evaluation device.

[0079] A transport vehicle 1 according to a sixth embodiment example without a unit to be transported is shown in FIG. 6. In contrast to the embodiment examples described above, the transport vehicle 1 has a protection unit 80 in the form of a deflector for protecting a driving component 22 from dirt lying around on the roadway of the transport vehicle 1 in at least one direction of travel of the transport vehicle 1 of the driving unit 20, which in this sixth embodiment example is configured as a roller. The protection unit 80 protrudes from an underside of the driving unit 20 that is close to the roadway by a length that is at most equal to the distance between the roadway contact surface of the driving component 22 and the underside of the driving unit 20. Preferably, an end portion of the protection unit 80 can be formed by a flexible component such as a plurality of bristles extending in the direction of the roadway to provide a brushing effect. If that the end portion does not have a flexible component, the projecting length of the protection unit 80 is selected to be shorter than the distance described above. The protection unit 80 is detachably mounted on the underside near the driving component 22 for easy and quick replacement in the event of a defect or damage.

[0080] A transport vehicle 1 according to a further embodiment example not shown can have at least one retractable and extendible support beam for supporting the transport vehicle 1 when stationary. The support beam can, for example, be arranged on one side of the carrying unit 30 or driving unit 20. To support the transport vehicle 1 when stationary, the support beam can be designed in particular so that it can first be extended laterally, then in the direction of the roadway, and then retracted in reverse order.

[0081] According to a further embodiment example not shown, the transport vehicle 1 has, as the unit to be transported, a tube handling unit by means of which a tube body 2 stored in a storage point 42 arranged on the upper carrying surface 32 can be handled autonomously. The tube handling unit is configured as a thread search and cut-to-length unit, which has a thread catching unit for catching a thread end from a wound tube body 2 stored in the storage point 42, a thread severing unit in the form of a cutting knife for severing a thread section unwound from the wound tube body 2 of the thread caught by the thread catching unit, and a drive for rotating the wound tube body 2 in the storage point 42. For example, the storage point 42 can have an arbour which engages the tube body 2 in a clamping manner, the arbour being rotatable via a rotary drive. This makes it very easy to unwind the thread with a defined length from the wound tube body 2.

[0082] The thread catching unit is coupled or can be coupled with a blower, by means of which a suction flow is generated within the thread catching unit for sucking in or catching the thread. Furthermore, the thread catching unit is configured to be movable relative to the storage point 42 and the thread severing unit for severing the thread stretched between the wound tube body 2 and the thread catching unit in the course of the relative movement. This allows the caught thread to be guided over the cutting knife with its thread section running between the thread catching unit and the wound tube body 2, resulting in severing of the thread. For this purpose, the thread search and cut-to-length unit also has a clamping unit that moves along with the thread catching unit and clamps the thread near the thread catching unit to prevent the thread from being pulled out of the thread catching unit in the course of the relative movement. This allows the thread severing process to be performed more reliably.

[0083] According to a further embodiment example not shown the transport vehicle 1 has a rechargeable battery, by means of which all units transported by the transport vehicle 1 and requiring operating energy are autonomously supplied with operating energy. Alternatively, according to a further embodiment example not shown, the transport vehicle 1 has an interface via which the units transported by the transport vehicle 1, with the exception of the driving unit, can be supplied with operating energy and an operating medium such as the suction air flow for the thread catching unit. For example, the supply can be provided by connecting the interface to a corresponding mating connection point on a textile machine or on another device within the textile mill.

[0084] In this regard, with reference to FIG. 7, a textile material handling system 100 according to one embodiment example is described. The system 100 has a control system 110 and the transport vehicle 1 with the thread search and cut-to-length unit, in which case the control system 110 is adapted to move or cause the transport vehicle 1 to move to a textile machine based on a request from the textile machine and to perform a thread search and cut-to-length operation on a wound tube body 2 received at the textile machine. For this purpose, the transport vehicle 1 can have its own control unit, which moves the transport vehicle 1 in a defined manner and can be controlled or supplied with corresponding driving information by the control system 110. After reaching the textile machine, the transport vehicle 1 uses the unit to be transported, which is configured as a thread search and cut-to-length unit, to carry out the thread search and cut-to-length operation on the wound tube body 2 at the corresponding workstation of the textile machine, in this case a twisting or cabling machine. Alternatively, the transport vehicle 1 can remove the wound tube body 2 from the workstation of the textile machine and store it in the storage point 42 to perform the thread search and cut-to-length operation on the transport vehicle 1 itself. The latter has the advantage that no communication with the workstation or the textile machine is required in order to be able to pull off the caught thread from the wound tube body 2 in a defined manner.

[0085] In this case, the textile machine forms a textile material removal station 120. The wound tube body 2 with the thread cut to a defined length is transported by the transport vehicle 1 to a textile material receiving station 130 and deposited there. The textile material receiving station 130 can be a heat set creel, for example.

[0086] According to a further embodiment example, the textile material removal station 120 can be configured by a tube body magazine. In this further embodiment example, the transport vehicle 1 has a package buffer 40 as described above. The transport vehicle 1 is controlled to move to the textile material removal station 120 to remove a plurality of tube bodies 2 from the tube magazine or textile material removal station 120, or to unload them and store them in the package buffer 40 or to load the package buffer 40. Subsequently, the transport vehicle 1 is controlled to move to a textile machine forming a textile material receiving station 130, a twisting or cabling machine, in order to load the workstations of this textile machine with the stored tube bodies 2. Likewise, the transport vehicle 1 is controlled by the control system 110 to remove finished wound tube bodies 2 from another textile machine as a textile material removal station 120 and to transport them to a defined textile material receiving station 130, such as an intermediate store for temporarily storing wound tube bodies 2, to further processing within the textile mill, such as a removal transport store for storing wound tube bodies 2 until they are removed from the textile mill, or such as a heat set creel for immediate further processing of the wound tube bodies 2 and to transfer them to this station. In this case, the transport vehicle 1 and the control system 110 are wirelessly connected to one another to exchange information.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0087] 1 Transport vehicle [0088] 2 Tube body [0089] 20 Driving unit [0090] 22 Driving component [0091] 30 Carrying unit [0092] 32 Upper carrying surface [0093] 34 Fastening points [0094] 40 Package buffer [0095] 42 Storage point [0096] 44 First storage segment unit [0097] 46 Second storage segment unit [0098] 48 Frame structure [0099] 50 Cross brace [0100] 52 Rear frame element [0101] 54 Front frame element [0102] 56 Side wall [0103] 58 Shelf [0104] 60 Loading and unloading device [0105] 62 Loading and unloading arm [0106] 64 Conveyor unit [0107] 70 Linear guide [0108] 80 Protection unit [0109] 90 Turning device [0110] 92 Rotary plate [0111] 94 Weighing unit [0112] 96 Carrying plate [0113] 100 Textile material handling system [0114] 110 Control system [0115] 120 Textile material removal station [0116] 130 Textile material receiving station