Method for Maintaining Spinning Units of a Spinning Machine along with a Spinning Machine

Abstract

A method and associated spinning machine for maintaining spinning units of the spinning machine includes a plurality of the spinning units arranged next to one another and at least one maintenance device that is movable along the spinning units to perform maintenance procedures on the spinning units. Prior to maintenance of a spinning unit by the maintenance device, a housing of the spinning unit is opened. Subsequently, the maintenance is performed and then the housing is closed. One or both of the opening and the closing of the housing is carried out autonomously with a sealing device operably configured at the spinning unit.

Claims

1-15: (canceled)

16. A method for maintaining spinning units of a spinning machine, wherein the spinning machine includes a plurality of the spinning units arranged next to one another and at least one maintenance device that is movable along the spinning units to perform maintenance procedures on the spinning units, the method comprising: prior to maintenance of a spinning unit by the maintenance device, opening a housing of the spinning unit; subsequently performing the maintenance of the spinning unit with the maintenance device, and then closing the housing of the spinning unit; wherein one or both of the opening and the closing of the housing is carried out autonomously with a sealing device operably configured at the spinning unit.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the maintenance comprises one or both of cleaning of a spinning device or a thread draw-off nozzle at the spinning unit.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the housing of the spinning unit is opened before the maintenance device is positioned at the spinning unit to perform the maintenance.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising detecting approach of the maintenance device to the spinning unit, and timing the opening of the housing of the spinning unit with the approach such that the housing is open when the maintenance device arrives at the spinning unit.

20. The method according to claim 16, further comprising defining a surrounding area of the spinning unit, and detecting when the maintenance device enters the surrounding area.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein in order to carry out preventive maintenance of the spinning unit, the spinning unit is stopped and the opening of the housing of the spinning unit is performed when the maintenance device is detected in the surrounding area of the spinning unit.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein in the event of an interruption of production of the spinning unit, determination is made of whether the maintenance device is located in the surrounding area and, if the maintenance device is located in the surrounding area, the maintenance device is summoned to the spinning unit to perform the maintenance, and only then is production resumed.

23. The method according to claim 16, wherein after the housing is closed, the maintenance device continues along a travel path alongside the spinning units.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein after the maintenance of the spinning unit, the maintenance device closes the housing.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the maintenance of the spinning unit is a piecing of the thread carried out by a piecing device configured at the spinning unit.

26. The method according to claim 16, wherein the sealing device comprises an actuator configured with a cover on the housing to open or close the housing.

27. A spinning machine, comprising: a plurality of spinning units arranged next to one another; a maintenance device movable alongside of the spinning units for performance of maintenance at the spinning units; each spinning unit comprising a housing that is closed by a cover during spinning production, wherein the cover is movable to an open position to open the housing for maintenance by the maintenance device; a sealing device configured at the spinning unit and connected to the cover, the sealing device controllable to do on or both of autonomously move the cover to the open position before maintenance by the maintenance device or to autonomously move the cover to close the housing after maintenance by the maintenance device.

28. The spinning machine according to claim 27, wherein the sealing device is controllable to move the cover and open the housing upon detection of approach of the maintenance device to the spinning unit so that the housing is open when the maintenance device reaches the spinning unit.

29. The spinning machine according to claim 27, wherein the spinning units comprise a piecing device.

30. The pinning machine according to claim 27, wherein the sealing device comprises an actuator.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Further advantages of the invention are described in the following embodiments. The following is shown:

[0023] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a spinning machine with a multiple number of spinning units and a movable maintenance device; and

[0024] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a spinning unit with a sealing device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] 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.

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a spinning machine 1 with a multiple number of spinning units 2 (whereas, for the sake of simplicity, only one spinning unit 2 is provided with a reference sign) and a movable maintenance device 3. The maintenance device 3 is arranged in a movable manner on a rail 4 in a traverse direction 6. Preferably, as illustrated in the present case, the rail 4 extends around the spinning units 2, such that the maintenance device 3 can reach the other side of the spinning machine 1 from one side of the spinning machine 1.

[0027] With customary spinning machines 1, it is the case that a cover 5 (illustrated here by way of example at the spinning unit 2) of a housing 8 of the spinning units 2 is opened for maintenance by the maintenance personnel or by the maintenance device 3. The cover 5 of the housing 8 of the spinning unit 2 is pivotable in a pivoting direction 7, such that the housing 8 of the spinning unit 2 can be opened and/or closed. The opening of the cover 5 by the maintenance personnel is very time-consuming. Likewise, the opening of the cover 5 by the maintenance device 3 is still quite time-consuming, such that the productivity of the spinning machine 1 is reduced. In the case of a rotor spinning machine, the cover 5 is arranged on a housing 8 of the spinning rotor 10 (see FIG. 2), which is opened.

[0028] With the method in accordance with the invention, to maintain the spinning machine 1, the housing 8 of the spinning unit 2 is autonomously opened for maintenance. In addition or alternatively, the housing 8 of the spinning unit 2 is also closed autonomously after maintenance. The opening and/or closing is carried out by a sealing device 9, which is illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0029] FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of a spinning unit 2 with a sealing device 9 for opening and/or closing the housing 8 of the spinning unit 2. The present spinning unit 2 is designed as a spinning unit 2 of a rotor spinning machine, and features a spinning rotor 10 as a spinning element, which is rotatably mounted in the housing 8. The thread F produced by the spinning rotor 10 is withdrawn through a thread draw-off nozzle 11 and is fed to a winding device, which is not illustrated here. Likewise, the cover 5 for closing the housing 8 is visible. The opening and closing of the housing 8 takes place by means of the sealing device 9, which in the present case comprises a threaded spindle with a drive motor, and pivots the cover away from the housing 8 or pulls it up to the housing 8. After the housing 8 has been opened by means of the sealing device 9, the maintenance device 3 can maintain the spinning unit, in particular clean the spinning rotor 10 of the spinning unit 2.

[0030] If the maintenance device 3 no longer has to open the spinning unit 2 itself, during this time, the maintenance device 3 can complete maintenance work at another spinning unit 2 or use the time for the travel path to the next spinning unit 2 to be maintained. As a result, a total of more spinning units 2 can be maintained, such that the productivity of the spinning machine 1 increases.

[0031] Advantageously, the cover 5 of the spinning unit 2 can already be opened if it is foreseeable that the maintenance device 3 will pass by the spinning unit 2. For example, the spinning machine 1 comprises a control unit, which is not illustrated here, in which it is stored that the spinning unit 2 has not been maintained for a long period of time. In addition, the control unit recognizes that the maintenance device 3 is moving in the direction of the spinning unit 2. Preventive maintenance of the spinning unit 2 can be brought about, whereas the spinning unit 2 is stopped, the housing 8 of the spinning unit 2 is opened and the spinning unit 2 is waiting for the maintenance device 3 with a housing 8 that is already opened. Thereupon, the maintenance device 3 can maintain the spinning unit 2 and then immediately proceed to the next spinning unit 2 to be maintained.

[0032] Preferably, the maintenance operation of the maintenance device 3 includes the cleaning of the spinning rotor. For this, the spinning unit 2 is initially stopped and holds the thread firmly, in order to be able to piece it on after the cleaning of the rotor. After the rotor has been cleaned, the spinning unit 2 once again closes autonomously, and once again autonomously pieces on the thread F. As such, it is particularly advantageous if the spinning unit 2 has its own piecing device. In principle, however, it is likewise possible that the maintenance device 3 also carries out other activities, such as, for example, exchanging the spinning rotor or piecing on a thread.

[0033] The opening of the cover 5 can be brought about in such a manner that, upon arrival of the maintenance device 3 at the spinning unit 2, the opening of the cover 5 of the housing 8 is just completed. Thus, the spinning unit 2 can produce as long as possible. In addition, the maintenance device 3 can then start maintenance immediately.

[0034] If, on the other hand, a thread break occurs at the spinning unit 2, the control unit can summon the maintenance device 3 to the spinning unit 2, even before the spinning unit 2 autonomously starts piecing on the thread again. Thereby, advantageously, a surrounding area of the spinning unit 2, for example an area at a distance of up to five spinning units 2, is defined in advance. Of course, the surrounding area can also be defined in the form of a maximum permissible period of time for the travel path of the maintenance device 3 to the spinning unit 2. In the event of a thread breakage, there will initially be a check, by means of the control unit of the spinning machine 1, as to whether a maintenance device 3 is located in the surrounding area of the spinning unit 2. If this is the case, the spinning unit 2 already opens autonomously, such that the maintenance device 3 can take up the maintenance work, in particular the rotor cleaning, immediately after reaching the spinning unit 2. If, on the other hand, no maintenance device 3 is present in the surrounding area of the spinning unit 2, the spinning unit pieces on the thread F again by means of its own piecing device, without previously carrying out the cleaning of the rotor, since the spinning unit otherwise would be unproductively at a standstill for too long.

[0035] This invention is not limited to the illustrated and described embodiments. In particular, even if the invention has been described with reference to a rotor spinning machine, the spinning machine could also be designed as an air-jet spinning machine. 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

[0036] 1 Spinning machine [0037] 2 Spinning unit [0038] 3 Maintenance device [0039] 4 Rail [0040] 5 Cover [0041] 6 Traverse direction [0042] 7 Pivoting direction [0043] 8 Housing [0044] 9 Sealing device [0045] 10 Spinning rotor [0046] 11 Thread draw-off nozzle [0047] F Thread