Cleaning head and cleaning device for cleaning a spinning rotor along with a method for cleaning a spinning rotor

Abstract

A cleaning head of a cleaning device for cleaning a spinning rotor, by means of a feed device, be fed into a predetermined cleaning position in the interior of the spinning rotor. The cleaning head has a cleaning element formed as a scraper element arranged in such a manner that, in the predetermined cleaning position of the cleaning head, it is fed to the open edge of the spinning rotor. A cleaning device for cleaning a spinning rotor features a corresponding cleaning head. With a method for cleaning a spinning rotor by means of the cleaning device, after feed of the cleaning head into the cleaning position, the open edge of the spinning rotor is cleaned by means of the scraper element.

Claims

1. A cleaning head for a cleaning device used to clean a spinning rotor that has a fiber slide wall, a fiber collection groove, and an open edge at an uppermost portion of the fiber slide wall, wherein the cleaning device has a feed device that feeds the cleaning head into a fixed predetermined cleaning position in an interior of the spinning rotor, the cleaning head comprising: a cleaning element formed as a scraper element comprising a unitary member with a continuous elongated scraper edge at an end thereof turned towards the spinning rotor, the unitary member oriented on the cleaning head such that the scraper edge extends longitudinally into the spinning rotor transverse to the fiber collection groove; and the scraper element arranged on the cleaning head at a location such that, in the fixed predetermined cleaning position of the cleaning head with the cleaning head in the interior of the spinning rotor, the scraper edge is disposed longitudinally against the fiber slide wall and extends to or partially outward from the interior of the spinning rotor past the open edge of the spinning rotor for cleaning the open edge of the spinning rotor.

2. The cleaning head according to claim 1, wherein the scraper element is made of a flexible material at least at the scraper edge.

3. The cleaning head according to claim 1, wherein the scraper element is mounted on the cleaning head so as to be extendable from the cleaning head.

4. The cleaning head according to claim 1, wherein the scraper edge is oriented at an angle () of less than 20 relative to the fiber slide wall.

5. The cleaning head according to claim 1, wherein the scraper edge defines an angle () with respect to a longitudinal extension of the scraper element between 60 and 85.

6. The cleaning head according claim 1, wherein the scraper element comprises a scraper surface, the scraper element mounted on the cleaning head such that the scraper surface in the cleaning position of the cleaning head encloses an angle () relative to the fiber slide wall of less than 75.

7. The cleaning head according to claim 6, wherein the angle () is greater than 15.

8. The cleaning head according to claim 1, comprising multiple ones of the scraper elements that are fed to the open edge of the spinning rotor in the fixed predetermined cleaning position of the cleaning head.

9. The cleaning head according to claim 1, further comprising a first additional cleaning element that is fed to the fiber collection groove of the spinning rotor in the fixed predetermined cleaning position of the cleaning head.

10. The cleaning head according to claim 9, wherein the first additional cleaning element comprises a scraper that extends from the cleaning head.

11. The cleaning head according to claim 9, wherein the first additional cleaning element comprises a compressed air nozzle.

12. The cleaning head according to claim 9, further comprising a second additional cleaning element that is fed to the fiber slide wall in the fixed predetermined cleaning position of the cleaning head.

13. The cleaning head according to claim 1, wherein the scraper element comprises an insertion chamfer.

14. The cleaning head according to claim 1, further comprising a positioning device configured with the scraper element that, in the fixed predetermined cleaning position of the cleaning head, ensures the scraper edge is disposed at the open edge of the spinning rotor.

15. A cleaning head for a cleaning device used to clean a spinning rotor that has a fiber slide wall, a fiber collection groove, and an open edge at an uppermost portion of the fiber slide wall, wherein the cleaning device has a feed device that feeds the cleaning head into a fixed predetermined cleaning position in an interior of the spinning rotor, the cleaning head comprising: a cleaning element formed as a scraper element; the scraper element arranged on the cleaning head at a location such that, in the fixed predetermined cleaning position of the cleaning head in the interior of the spinning rotor, the scraper element is disposed against and extends to or partially outward from the interior of the spinning rotor past the open edge of the spinning rotor for cleaning the open edge of the spinning rotor; and wherein the scraper element comprises a scraper edge formed by a beveled contour.

16. A cleaning device for cleaning a spinning rotor that has a fiber slide wall, a fiber collection groove, and an open edge at an uppermost portion of the fiber slide wall, the cleaning device comprising: a cleaning head; a feed device that feeds the cleaning head into a fixed predetermined cleaning position in an interior of the spinning rotor; the cleaning head comprising a cleaning element formed as a scraper element comprising a unitary member with a continuous elongated scraper edge at an end thereof turned towards the spinning rotor, the unitary member oriented on the cleaning head such that the scraper edge extends longitudinally into the spinning rotor transverse to the fiber collection groove; and the scraper element arranged on the cleaning head at a location such that, in the fixed predetermined cleaning position of the cleaning head within the interior of the spinning rotor, the scraper edge is disposed longitudinally against the fiber slide will and extends to or partially outward from the interior of the spinning rotor past the open edge of the spinning rotor for cleaning the open edge of the spinning rotor.

17. The cleaning device according to claim 16, further comprising a drive unit for rotating the cleaning head.

18. The cleaning device according to claim 16, wherein the cleaning head is a replaceable element on the cleaning device.

19. A method for cleaning a spinning rotor having a fiber slide wall, a fiber collection groove, and an open edge at an uppermost portion of the fiber slide wall, the method comprising: feeding a cleaning device having a cleaning head into a fixed predetermined cleaning position in the interior of the spinning rotor, the cleaning head having a cleaning element defined as a scraper element comprising a unitary member with a continuous elongated scraper edge at an end thereof turned towards the spinning rotor, the unitary member oriented on the cleaning head such that the scraper edge extends longitudinally into the spinning rotor transverse to the fiber collection groove, wherein at the fixed predetermined cleaning position with the cleaning head within the interior of the spinning rotor, the scraper edge is disposed longitudinally against the fiber slide wall and extends to or partially outward from the interior of the spinning rotor beyond the open edge; and at the fixed predetermined cleaning position, cleaning the open edge of the spinning rotor with the scraper element.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the open edge is cleaned with a pushing movement of the scraper element.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the open edge is cleaned by a reversing movement of the scraper element.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the cleaning head is fed with the scraper element through a combined rotation-forward movement into the interior of the spinning rotor, wherein the scraper element undergoes a temporary deformation.

23. A method for cleaning a spinning rotor having a fiber slide wall, a fiber collection groove, and an open edge at an uppermost portion of the fiber slide wall, the method comprising: feeding a cleaning device having a cleaning head into a fixed predetermined cleaning position in the interior of the spinning rotor, the cleaning head having a cleaning element defined as a scraper element, wherein at the fixed predetermined cleaning position, the scraper element is disposed against the open edge and extends to or partially outward from the interior of the spinning rotor beyond the open edge; at the fixed predetermined cleaning position, cleaning the open edge of the spinning rotor with the scraper element; and wherein at the fixed predetermined cleaning position of the cleaning head, the spinning rotor is also pneumatically cleaned with a first compressed air stream.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the pneumatic cleaning is started prior to or during feed of the cleaning head to the fixed predetermined cleaning position such that the first compressed air stream is directed at the open edge of the spinning rotor or the fiber slide wall of the spinning rotor as the cleaning head moves to the fixed predetermined cleaning position.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the cleaning head is initially fed to a docking position where the first compressed air stream is directed at the open edge of the spinning rotor or the fiber slide wall of the spinning rotor prior to feeding the cleaning head to the fixed predetermined cleaning position.

26. The method according to claim 23, wherein the first compressed air stream is directed at the fiber collection groove, and further comprising directing a second compressed air stream from the cleaning head to the fiber slide wall of the spinning rotor at the fixed predetermined cleaning position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Additional advantages of the invention are described on the basis of the embodiments presented below. The following is shown:

(2) FIG. 1 is a cleaning head of a cleaning device and a spinning rotor in a partially sectional, schematic overview display;

(3) FIG. 2 is an additional variant of a cleaning head, which is fed to the spinning rotor in a cleaning position;

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic top view of the opening of a spinning rotor with a cleaning head located therein;

(5) FIG. 4 is a detailed view of a cleaning head with a scraper element in a cleaning position;

(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a scraper element fed to the fiber slide wall of a spinning rotor;

(7) FIG. 6 is an additional design of a cleaning head in a docking position;

(8) FIG. 7 is an additional design of a cleaning head in a cleaning position; and

(9) FIG. 8 is a detailed view of a scraper element 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) 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.

(11) FIG. 1 shows a spinning rotor 3 and a cleaning head 1 of a cleaning device 2 in a schematic, partially sectional overview display. In a conventional manner, the spinning rotor 3 features a fiber slide wall 4, a fiber collection groove 5 and an open edge 6. While, with conventional cleaning devices 2, emphasis has always been placed on a particularly good cleaning of the fiber collection groove 5 and the fiber slide wall 4, the cleaning of the open edge 6 of the spinning rotor 3 has not taken place, or has only taken place through a compressed air stream.

(12) However, it has been found that it is frequently the case that significant deposits accumulate in the area of the open edge 6 of the spinning rotor 3. Due to the tolerances of the mounting position of the spinning rotor 3 in the spinning device, it must be ensured that, on the one hand, the fibers can be fed in all cases at the fiber slide wall, and, on the other hand, a sufficient distance for reaching the fiber collection groove 5 is still covered. Therefore, the feed must always be approximately 1 mm in distance from the open edge 6 of the spinning rotor 3, such that, because of the feeding, significant deposits always form on the same place on the open edge 6. This problem arises in particular with polyester fibers provided with a finishing agent.

(13) According to the present invention, it is envisaged that the cleaning head 1 is provided with a cleaning element designed as a scraper element 7, which, when the cleaning head 1 is located in the cleaning position I (see FIG. 2), is precisely fed to the open edge 6 of the spinning rotor 3. Thereby, the cleaning head 1 is arranged in a cleaning device 2, which has a feed device (not shown here), in order to feed the cleaning head 1 into a predetermined cleaning position I (see FIG. 2) in the interior of the spinning rotor 3. Thereby, the scraper element 7 features a scraper edge 8, which cleans the open edge 6 of the spinning rotor 3. According to this figure, an insertion chamfer 11 is also arranged at the scraper element 7, in order to facilitate the insertion of the cleaning head 1 into the spinning rotor 3 in the cleaning position I.

(14) FIG. 2 shows a cleaning head 1 in its cleaning position I fed to the spinning rotor 3. It is thereby evident that the scraper edge 8 of the scraper element 7 is now precisely fed to the open edge 6 of the spinning rotor 3, and is thereby able to clean it. Thereby, the present cleaning head 1 advantageously features an additional cleaning element, which in the present case is formed by two extendable scrapers 10. These are fed into the cleaning position I of the cleaning head 1 of the fiber collection groove 5, in order to enable a reliable cleaning of the spinning rotor 3 there. The additional cleaning element, which in the present case is designed as a scraper 10, may be also designed in another manner, for example as a cleaning brush or a compressed air nozzle 13. For example, FIGS. 6 and 7 show additional designs of a cleaning head 1, in which, for cleaning the open edge 6 of the spinning rotor 3, the scraper element 7 is combined with several compressed air nozzles 13.

(15) FIG. 3 shows a schematic top view of the opening of a spinning rotor 3 with a schematically shown cleaning head 1 that is found therein, with a scraper element 7 arranged thereon. According to this figure, the scraper element 7 is made of a limited flexible material, for example a plastic material. On the one hand, this imparts upon the scraper element 7 the necessary rigidity to scrape off contaminants from the open edge 6 of the spinning rotor 3, but on the other hand enables the dropping away of the scraper element 7 upon the insertion of the cleaning head 1 into the spinning rotor 3. This makes it possible to insert the cleaning head 1 into the spinning rotor 3 by means of a rotational movement, in particular a combined rotation-forward movement, wherein the scraper element 7 drops away upon contact with the open edge 6 of the spinning rotor 3 and is pressed against the cleaning head 1. If the cleaning head 1 is then set in the cleaning position I (see also FIG. 4), due to its flexibility and elasticity, the scraper element 7 falls back to its original position and makes contact with the edge 6 of the spinning rotor 3 to be cleaned. Thereby, in a structurally simple manner, it is possible to arrange the scraper element 7 rigidly on the cleaning head 1. In doing so, a complicated mechanism for extending the scraper element 7 or for feeding the scraper element 7 at the open edge 6 is not required.

(16) FIG. 4 in turn shows a cleaning head 1 with a scraper element 7 in the cleaning position I fed to the spinning rotor 3. The scraper element 7 is mounted on the cleaning head 1 in such a manner that, in the cleaning position, it is particularly preferentially oriented in a manner parallel to the fiber slide wall 4. However, it is also possible and advantageous if the scraper edge 8 of the scraper element 7 is oriented at an angle of less than 20 with the fiber slide wall 4 of the spinning rotor 3. In doing so, it is also possible to clean various spinning rotors 3 with various slide wall angles with a single cleaning head 1 or with a single scraper element 7. Conventional spinning rotors feature, for example, a sliding wall angle of between 10 and 25. As such, the scraper edge 8 of the scraper element 7 is preferentially designed as a beveled contour, which, in its angle (see FIG. 8), is adjusted to the slide wall angle of the spinning rotor 3 to be cleaned.

(17) FIG. 8 shows a schematic view of a scraper element 7 with such a scraper edge 8 formed by a beveled contour. The angle of the scraper edge 8 or the beveled contour of the scraper element 7 is designed, as the case may be, with respect to the longitudinal extension of the scraper element 7, for adjustment to the sliding wall angle of the spinning rotors 3, which is between 10 and 25. Preferentially, the angle with respect to the longitudinal extension of the scraper element 7 is between 60 and 85, in particular preferentially between 70 and 80, in order to achieve the best possible cleaning effect with the various spinning rotors 3 with various slide wall angles .

(18) As also shown in FIG. 4, that scraper element 7 is arranged, in relation to its longitudinal extension, preferentially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis 14 of the cleaning head 1. However, it is also possible to form the scraper element 7 in a different manner and a different shaping, or arrange it in a manner oblique to the cleaning head 1. Thereby, it is only essential that, due to the arrangement and the shape of the scraper edge 8 of the scraper element 7, the open edge 6 can be easily achieved with various spinning rotors 3.

(19) According to the design of FIG. 4, a positioning device 12 is still provided on the cleaning head 1. This may be formed as, for example, a positioning edge, a projection or even several projections, and supports the scraper element 7 in such a manner that, upon insertion into the spinning rotor 3, even during a contact with the open edge 6 of the spinning rotor 3, it is not pressed from its position.

(20) FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a scraper element 7 fed to the open edge 6 of a spinning rotor 3. For the best possible cleaning effect, it is thereby advantageous if a scraper surface 9 of the scraper element 7, in the cleaning position with the fiber slide wall 4 or with the open edge 6 of the spinning rotor 3, as the case may be, encloses an angle of between 15 and 75. In a particularly advantageous manner, by means of such angle between the scraper element 7 and the fiber slide wall 4, it is also possible to clean the spinning rotor 3 by means of a reversing movement. Likewise, however, the cleaning of the spinning rotor 3 can be carried out with a purely pushing movement or a purely pulling movement. For this purpose, the cleaning head 1 includes a drive unit for rotating the cleaning head 1 in one or in both directions of rotation.

(21) FIG. 6 shows an additional design of a cleaning head 1, with which, in addition to the scraper element 7 for cleaning the open edge 6 of the spinning rotor 3, an additional cleaning element for cleaning the fiber collection groove 5 is provided. In the present case, the additional cleaning element is designed as a compressed air nozzle 13. Thereby, the compressed air nozzle 13 is arranged in such a manner that, with the cleaning head 1 located in the cleaning position I, it is fed to the fiber collection groove 5.

(22) In the present case of FIG. 6, the cleaning head 1 is shown in a docking position II, in which it is centered just opposite from the spinning rotor 3 to be cleaned and contacts this by means of docking elements, which are not shown. As the figure shows, in this docking position II, the compressed air nozzle 13, which is provided for cleaning the fiber collection groove 5, is in a position in which it is at a level with the open edge 6 of the spinning rotor 3. It is now provided that the pneumatic cleaning is started by means of one or more compressed air nozzles 13, already in the docking position II of the cleaning head 1. As a result, a first advantageous cleaning the fiber slide wall 4 is achieved, while the cleaning head 1 is driven from the docking position II into the cleaning position I of FIG. 7. Depending on the arrangement of the compressed air nozzle 13, the open edge 6 of the spinning rotor 3 is thereby subjected to the cleaning. Thereby, it is particularly advantageous if the cleaning head 1 is held in the docking position II for a predetermined period of time and, during this predetermined period of time, the compressed air nozzle 13 is subjected to compressed air. Thereby, a particularly good and intensive cleaning of the fiber slide wall 4 can take place. Thereby, it may also be provided, for example, that the cleaning head 1 is moved in steps from the docking position II into the cleaning position I, in order to perform, after each step, a pneumatic cleaning for a predetermined period of time.

(23) FIG. 7 shows an additional design of a cleaning head 1, with which, in addition to the scraper element 7, two compressed air nozzles 13 are arranged on the cleaning head 1. In the cleaning position I shown here, the open edge 6 of the spinning rotor 3 is finally cleaned by means of the scraper element 7, under the rotation of the cleaning head 1, while the fiber collection groove 5 is cleaned by means of a compressed air stream through the compressed air nozzle 13. It is also possible here to, despite the cleaning of the fiber collection groove 5 by the compressed air nozzle 13, optionally provide an additional scraper 10 for cleaning the fiber collection groove 5, as indicated here by the dashed figure. Finally, in the present case, an additional compressed air nozzle 13 is provided, by means of which, in the cleaning position I, an additional compressed air stream is directed at the fiber slide wall 4 of the spinning rotor 3. Moreover, with this design, it is, as described in FIG. 6, clearly possible to initially take the cleaning head 1 into the docking position II, and start the pneumatic cleaning by means of at least the front compressed air nozzle 13 turned towards the spinning rotor 3, already in the docking position II.

(24) By means of the described cleaning head 1 with a scraper element 7 for cleaning the open edge 6 of the spinning rotor 3, with this invention, it is possible to clean the open edge 6 of the spinning rotor 3 such that a build-up and subsequent detachment of contaminants during the spinning process is avoided. This can both improve the yarn quality and piecing quality, and reduce the number of yarn breaks caused by such detaching deposits.

(25) The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown. It is also possible to, for example, design a scraper element 7 without an insertion chamfer 11 and to arrange this on the cleaning head 1 in a manner that is not rigid, but movable (for example, extendable from the cleaning head as depicted by the dashed and solid line positions of the scraper elements 7 in FIGS. 1 and 2). Likewise, in addition to the scraper element 7, various other cleaning elements such as compressed air nozzles 13 and scrapers 10, in various combinations, can be arranged on the cleaning head 1. Thereby, it is also possible to arrange two or more scraper elements 7 in a circumferential direction, offset to the cleaning head 1. Thereby, a particularly good cleaning can be achieved, since, based on the partial flexibility of the scraper element 7, under certain circumstances, a repeated driving over of deposits is necessary, in order to detach them from the fiber slide wall 4 or the open edge 6 of the spinning rotor 3, as the case may be.

(26) Modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments illustrated or described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(27) 1 Cleaning head 2 Cleaning device 3 Spinning rotor 4 Fiber slide wall 5 Fiber collection groove 6 Open edge 7 Scraper element 8 Scraper edge 9 Scraper surface 10 Scraper 11 Insertion chamfer 12 Positioning device 13 Compressed air nozzle 14 Longitudinal axis I Cleaning position II Docking position Angle between scraper edge and fiber slide wall Angle between scraper surface and fiber slide wall Angle between the beveled contour and the longitudinal extension of the scraper element Slide wall angle