Description:TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a control system.

BACKGROUND
Technologies relating to conventional control systems, including an automatic winder described in Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-74524), for example, are known. The automatic winder described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-74524 includes a processing unit such as a winding unit configured to perform predetermined processing relating to a winding package, a control unit configured to control operations of the processing unit, and a machine control device configured to collectively control or manage the automatic winder. The machine control device includes an operating unit for changing settings for controlling the processing unit.

SUMMARY
In the conventional control system, an operator (user) of the automatic winder, for example, inputs the settings for controlling the processing unit such as the winding unit via the operating unit of the machine control device. At this time, the user may check the state of processing that is being performed by the processing unit and input the settings via the operating unit. In this case, the user needs to repeatedly move between the processing unit and the machine control device, resulting in a burden on the user. This problem is particularly significant when a distance between the processing unit and the machine control device is long. Therefore, a control system that can improve operability has been required.
An aspect of the present invention is to provide a control system that can improve operability.
A control system according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a processing unit configured to perform processing relating to formation of a package formed by winding yarn; a management unit provided at a position different from a position of the processing unit and configured to manage a setting for controlling the processing unit; a control unit operable at a position closer to the processing unit than to the management unit and configured to control the processing unit and receive an input relating to the setting to change the setting; a first storage unit configured to store therein the setting managed by the management unit; and a second storage unit configured to store therein the setting for controlling the processing unit and, when the setting is changed by the control unit, store therein the changed setting. The processing unit is at least one of a transportation apparatus configured to transport a bobbin to and from a winding unit configured to wind the yarn from the bobbin to form the package, a feeding device configured to feed the bobbin to the transportation apparatus, a loading device configured to load the feeding device with the bobbin, and a doffing device configured to doff the package from the winding unit. The control unit outputs, when changing the setting, the changed setting stored in the second storage unit to the management unit. The management unit updates, when acquiring the changed setting output from the control unit, the setting stored in the first storage unit with the changed setting.
In the control system according to an aspect of the present invention, the management unit provided at a position different from that of the processing unit manages the setting for controlling the processing unit. In addition, the control unit operable at a position closer to the processing unit than to the management unit controls the processing unit and receives an input relating to the setting to change the setting. With this configuration, in a case of making an input relating to the setting while checking the state of processing that is being performed by the processing unit, for example, the user can make the input relating to the setting of the processing unit via the control unit operable at a position closer to the processing unit than to the management unit. Therefore, the burden of the user moving between the processing unit and the management unit can be reduced. In this control system, the control unit, when changing the setting, outputs the changed setting stored in the second storage unit to the management unit. The management unit, when acquiring the changed setting output from the control unit, updates the setting stored in the first storage unit with the changed setting. As a result, the setting stored in the first storage unit can be made identical with the setting stored in the second storage unit. Therefore, in a case of making an input relating to the setting for controlling the processing unit, for example, the user makes the input relating to the setting via the control unit without moving to the management unit, and thus a state can be made similar to that when an input relating to the setting is made via the management unit. Thus, the operability can be improved.
In the control system according to an aspect of the present invention, the control unit may be provided to the processing unit and may include an operating unit for receiving an input relating to the setting. The operating unit may include a display unit including a 7-segment display and an input unit including a button. In this case, the user can make an input relating to the setting via the simply configured operating unit.
In the control system according to an aspect of the present invention, the processing unit may be at least two of the winding unit, the transportation apparatus, the feeding device, the loading device, the doffing device, a package conveyor configured to transport the package doffed by the doffing device, and an airflow generation unit configured to form an airflow for performing processing relating to splicing in the winding unit. The operating units of the control units in the at least two processing units may each have the same configuration. In this case, the configurations of the operating units of the respective processing units are the same, whereby the operability of the operating units can be improved. In addition, the manufacturing cost of the operating units can be reduced.
In the control system according to an aspect of the present invention, the processing unit may be a plurality of winding units configured to wind the yarn from a bobbin to form the package and a transportation apparatus configured to transport the bobbin to and from the winding units. The winding units may be arranged along an arrangement direction to constitute an automatic winder. The transportation apparatus may be disposed at a first end of the automatic winder in the arrangement direction. The management unit may be disposed at a second end of the automatic winder in the arrangement direction and may manage the setting for controlling each of the winding units and the transportation apparatus. In this case, the management unit can manage the setting for controlling the winding units and the transportation apparatus.
In the control system according to an aspect of the present invention, the first storage unit may be provided to the management unit, and the second storage unit may be provided to the control unit. In this case, the setting can be stored in the first storage unit provided to the management unit and in the second storage unit provided to the control unit.
In the control system according to an aspect of the present invention, the control unit may be prohibited from outputting the changed setting to the management unit when the management unit is receiving an input relating to the setting. In this case, the control unit fails to output the changed setting to the management unit when the management unit is receiving an input relating to the setting. Therefore, the user who makes an input of the setting on the control unit can find out that the setting is being changed in the management unit provided at a remote position. In addition, the setting can be changed without considering the operating state of the control unit because the setting stored in the first storage unit is not changed when the setting is being changed in the management unit.
In the control system according to an aspect of the present invention, the control unit may be prohibited from receiving an input relating to the setting when the management unit is receiving an input relating to the setting. In this case, the control unit fails to receive an input relating to the setting when the management unit is receiving an input relating to the setting. Therefore, the user who makes an input of the setting on the control unit can find out that the setting is being changed in the management unit provided at a remote position. In addition, the setting can be changed without considering the operating state of the control unit because the setting stored in the first storage unit is not changed when the setting is being changed in the management unit.
In the control system according to an aspect of the present invention, the management unit may receive an input relating to the setting and change the setting. The management unit may be prohibited from receiving an input relating to the setting when the control unit is receiving an input relating to the setting. In this case, the management unit fails to receive an input relating to the setting when the control unit is receiving an input relating to the setting. Therefore, the user who makes an input of the setting on the management unit can find out that the setting is being changed in the control unit provided at a remote position. In addition, the setting can be changed without considering the operating state of the management unit because the setting stored in the second storage unit is not changed when the setting is being changed in the control unit.
In the control system according to an aspect of the present invention, settable contents may be more limited when the control unit receives an input relating to the setting than when the management unit receives an input relating to the setting. Therefore, the user can make an input relating to the setting via the control unit the settable contents of which are more limited than those of the management unit, for example.
The present invention can improve operability.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic of the configuration of a control system;
FIG. 2 is a front view of an automatic winder;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of a transportation apparatus;
FIG. 4 is a front view of a winding unit, the transportation apparatus, and a feeding device;
FIG. 5 is a front view of an operating unit;
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a functional configuration of the control system;
FIG. 7A is a front view of an example of the operation on the operating unit;
FIG. 7B is a front view of an example of the operation on the operating unit; and
FIG. 7C is a front view of an example of the operation on the operating unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Exemplary embodiments are described below in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the explanation of the drawings, identical or equivalent components are denoted by like reference numerals, and redundant explanation thereof is omitted.
A control system 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 winds yarn Y to form a package P. The control system 1 includes a bobbin feeding apparatus (processing unit) 4, an automatic winder 5, a transportation apparatus (processing unit) 6, and a machine control device (management unit) 7. For example, the bobbin feeding apparatus 4, the transportation apparatus 6, the automatic winder 5, and the machine control device 7 are arranged in this order in one direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 1). In the following description, the direction in which the bobbin feeding apparatus 4, the automatic winder 5, the transportation apparatus 6, and the machine control device 7 are arranged may be referred to simply as a "first direction". The bobbin feeding apparatus 4 is provided at a first end (on the right side in FIG. 1) of the transportation apparatus 6 in the first direction. The transportation apparatus 6 is provided at the first end (on the right side in FIG. 1) of the automatic winder 5 in the first direction. The machine control device 7 is provided at a second end (on the left side in FIG. 1) of the automatic winder 5 in the first direction.
The bobbin feeding apparatus 4 feeds a yarn feeding bobbin B supplied from a spinning frame (not illustrated) or the like to the transportation apparatus 6. The bobbin feeding apparatus 4 feeds an empty bobbin tube E (bobbin) supplied from the transportation apparatus 6 to the spinning frame or the like. The automatic winder 5 winds the yarn Y on the yarn feeding bobbin B transported from the bobbin feeding apparatus 4 via the transportation apparatus 6, thereby forming the package P. The transportation apparatus 6 transports the yarn feeding bobbin B from the bobbin feeding apparatus 4 to the automatic winder 5 and transports the empty bobbin tube E from the automatic winder 5 to the bobbin feeding apparatus 4.
Configuration of the Bobbin Feeding Apparatus 4
The bobbin feeding apparatus 4 feeds the yarn feeding bobbin B formed in the previous process, such as a spinning frame (not illustrated), to the transportation apparatus 6. In other words, the bobbin feeding apparatus 4 performs processing relating to the production of the package P. The bobbin feeding apparatus 4 includes a feeding device 41 and a loading device 42.
The feeding device 41 feeds the yarn feeding bobbin B to the transportation apparatus 6. The feeding device 41 includes a yarn feeding bobbin arrangement device (not illustrated) configured to align the direction of the yarn feeding bobbin B in a predetermined direction, the yarn feeding bobbin B being supplied from the loading device 42. The feeding device 41 feeds the supplied yarn feeding bobbin B onto a transportation route of the transportation apparatus 6. The loading device 42 receives the yarn feeding bobbin B formed in a spinning frame or the like. The loading device 42 can temporarily accumulate the yarn feeding bobbin B. The loading device 42 transfers the yarn feeding bobbin B to the feeding device 41.
The bobbin feeding apparatus 4 includes a feeding control device (control unit) 49 connected to the machine control device 7. The feeding control device 49 controls the operations of each unit of the feeding device 41 based on the instructions or the like from the machine control device 7.
Configuration of the Automatic Winder 5
As illustrated in FIG. 2, the automatic winder 5 includes a plurality of winding units (processing unit) 50, a doffing device 51, a package conveyor 52, and an airflow generation unit 53. The winding unit 50 winds the yarn Y from the yarn feeding bobbin B to form the package P. The doffing device 51 doffs the package P from the winding unit 50. The package conveyor 52 transports the package P doffed by the doffing device 51. The airflow generation unit 53 forms an airflow for performing processing relating to splicing in the winding unit 50.
The winding units 50 are arranged along an arrangement direction D to constitute the automatic winder 5. The arrangement direction D according to the present embodiment is identical with the first direction. For example, the automatic winder 5 may include 72 winding units 50 arranged in the arrangement direction D. In this case, the distance from the machine control device 7 to the transportation apparatus 6 in the first direction is 25 m or longer, for example. The winding unit 50 performs processing relating to the production of the package P. More specifically, the winding unit 50 winds the yarn Y from the yarn feeding bobbin B supplied from the transportation apparatus 6, thereby forming the package P. The winding unit 50 includes a yarn feeder 54, a tension applier 55, a yarn splicer 56, a yarn clearer 57, and a winder 58 arranged in order from the upstream (bottom in FIG. 2) to the downstream (top in FIG. 2) of the yarn path. The winding unit 50 further includes a unit control device (control unit) 59.
The yarn feeder 54 supports the yarn feeding bobbin B transported from the transportation apparatus 6 and assists in unwinding the yarn Y on the yarn feeding bobbin B. The yarn feeder 54 supplies the empty bobbin tube E from which all the yarn Y is unwound to the transportation apparatus 6. The tension applier 55 applies predetermined tension to the yarn Y running from the yarn feeder 54 to the winder 58. The yarn splicer 56 is a device configured to connect the ends of the yarn Y broken off for some reason, such as when the yarn Y is cut because a yarn defect is detected.
The yarn clearer 57 monitors the state of the yarn Y running from the yarn feeder 54 to the winder 58 between the yarn feeder 54 and the winder 58 to detect a yarn defect. The yarn clearer 57 determines whether to remove the detected yarn defect based on the set clearing conditions. If it is determined that the yarn defect should be removed, the yarn Y is cut by a cutter to remove the yarn defect. The cutter is attached to the yarn clearer 57. The cutter, however, may be provided separately from the yarn clearer 57. The winder 58 unwinds the yarn Y from the yarn feeding bobbin B supported by the yarn feeder 54 and winds the unwound yarn Y to form the package P.
The unit control device 59 is connected to the machine control device 7. The unit control device 59 is provided for each of the winding units 50. The unit control device 59 includes a unit controller 59A. The unit controller 59A controls the operations of each unit of the winding unit 50 based on the instructions or the like from the machine control device 7. The unit controller 59A recognizes information on the yarn Y that is being wound from the yarn feeding bobbin B based on the results of detection performed by the yarn clearer 57. Information on the length of the wound yarn Y is measured by the winder 58 or a dedicated yarn length sensor (not illustrated) provided separately and is transmitted to the unit controller 59A. The information on the length of the yarn Y transmitted to the unit controller 59A is transferred to the yarn clearer 57 by the unit controller 59A. The unit controller 59A may be provided for each group of a plurality of winding units 50.
The doffing device 51 doffs the package P formed by each of the winding units 50. In the configuration according to the present embodiment, one doffing device 51 is provided for a plurality of winding units 50. The doffing device 51 supplies the doffed package P to the package conveyor 52 provided at the rear of the machine. The package conveyor 52 transports the packages P supplied from the doffing device 51 to a predetermined position.
The airflow generation unit 53 forms a suction airflow or a swirling airflow in each unit of the winding unit 50, for example. The airflow generation unit 53 forms a suction airflow for sucking the yarn end of the yarn Y cut in the yarn splicer 56, for example. In addition, the airflow generation unit 53 forms an untwisting airflow for untwisting the sucked yarn end of the yarn Y, for example. Furthermore, the airflow generation unit 53 forms a swirling airflow for splicing the yarn Y cut in the yarn splicer 56, for example. The airflow generation unit 53 may include a suction source or the like to generate the airflows described above.
Configuration of the Transportation Apparatus 6
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the transportation apparatus 6 performs processing relating to the production of the package P. More specifically, the transportation apparatus 6 transports the yarn feeding bobbin B from the bobbin feeding apparatus 4 to the automatic winder 5 and transports the empty bobbin tube E from the automatic winder 5 to the bobbin feeding apparatus 4. The transportation apparatus 6 includes a route L1, a route L2, and bypass routes L3 and L4. The route L1 is a route for transporting the yarn feeding bobbin B to the automatic winder 5. The route L2 is a route for transporting the empty bobbin tube E from which the yarn Y is taken off in the automatic winder 5 to the bobbin feeding apparatus 4. The bypass routes L3 and L4 couple the route L1 and the route L2. The bypass route L3 is provided closer to the automatic winder 5 (refer to FIG. 1) (on the left side in FIG. 3) than to the bypass route L4. The route L1 may transport the empty bobbin tube E, and the route L2 may transport the yarn feeding bobbin B.
The transportation apparatus 6 includes a residual yarn amount checking sensor 61, a yarn end preparation device 62, a yarn presence/absence checking sensor 63, a residual yarn removal device 64, and a transportation control device (control unit) 69.
The residual yarn amount checking sensor 61 detects the amount of residual yarn on the bobbin (the yarn feeding bobbin B or the empty bobbin tube E) transported along the route L1. If the bobbin transported along the route L1 is the yarn feeding bobbin B on which the yarn Y is present (remains), the yarn end preparation device 62 performs processing for the yarn end on the yarn feeding bobbin B such that the yarn end can be caught in the automatic winder 5. If the bobbin transported along the route L1 is the empty bobbin tube E on which the yarn Y is not present (does not remain), the yarn end preparation device 62 does not perform the processing for the yarn end on the yarn feeding bobbin B. The yarn feeding bobbin B subjected to the processing for the yarn end by the yarn end preparation device 62 is transported to the automatic winder 5 along the route L1. If the bobbin transported along the route L1 is detected as the empty bobbin tube E on which the yarn Y does not remain by the residual yarn amount checking sensor 61, the empty bobbin tube E is transported from the route L1 to the route L2 via the bypass route L3.
The yarn presence/absence checking sensor 63 detects whether the yarn Y remains on the bobbin transported along the route L2. If the bobbin transported along the route L2 is the yarn feeding bobbin B on which the yarn Y is present, the yarn feeding bobbin B with the remaining yarn Y is transported from the route L2 to the residual yarn removal device 64 via the bypass route L4. The residual yarn removal device 64 removes the yarn Y from the yarn feeding bobbin B transported along the bypass route L4, thereby making the yarn feeding bobbin B into the empty bobbin tube E. The empty bobbin tube E resulting from removal of the yarn Y by the residual yarn removal device 64 is transported from the bypass route L4 to the route L1. The transportation control device 69 is connected to the machine control device 7. The transportation control device 69 controls the operations of each unit of the transportation apparatus 6 based on the instructions or the like from the machine control device 7. The residual yarn removal device 64 may be provided downstream the yarn presence/absence checking sensor 63 on the route L2 and upstream the bypass route L4.
As described above, the bobbin feeding apparatus 4, the transportation apparatus 6, and each of the winding units 50 perform processing relating to the production of the package P. The processing relating to the production of package P is, for example, a series of processing to produce the package P from the yarn feeding bobbin B.
Configuration of the Machine Control Device 7
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the machine control device 7 is provided at a position different from those of the winding units 50, the transportation apparatus 6, and the bobbin feeding apparatus 4 (hereafter, which may be referred to simply as a "processing unit") and manages the settings for controlling the processing unit. Note that "managing the settings" includes storing therein the settings for controlling the processing unit, receiving an input relating to the settings made by a user, updating the stored settings with the changed settings, outputting the changed settings to the processing unit, and performing the settings for controlling the processing unit.
The machine control device 7 includes a control unit 70 and an operating unit 71. The control unit 70 controls the winding units 50, the transportation apparatus 6, and the feeding device 41. The control unit 70 includes an electronic control unit including a central processing unit (CPU), a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), a communication device, a storage device, and other components. The control unit 70 according to the present embodiment is connected to the unit control device 59 of the winding unit 50, the transportation control device 69 of the transportation apparatus 6, and the feeding control device 49 of the bobbin feeding apparatus 4.
The operating unit 71 receives an input relating to the settings made by the user. The operating unit 71 includes a display unit 72 and an input unit 73. The display unit 72 according to the present embodiment displays information on the settings for controlling the processing unit. More specifically, the display unit 72 displays information on the setting items of the processing unit and information on the set values to be input to the processing unit. The input unit 73 receives an input relating to the settings made by the user. If the display unit 72 is a touch panel, the display unit 72 may serve as the input unit 73.
Operating Unit
As described above, the bobbin feeding apparatus 4 includes the feeding control device 49. The winding unit 50 includes the unit control device 59. The transportation apparatus 6 includes the transportation control device 69. The feeding control device 49, the unit control device 59, and the transportation control device 69 (hereinafter, which may be referred to simply as a "control unit") includes an electronic control unit including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an EEPROM, a communication device, a storage device, and other components. The control unit is provided to the processing unit and includes an operating unit for receiving operations performed by the user. With this configuration, the control unit is operable at a position closer to the processing unit than to the machine control device 7 via the operating unit.
As illustrated in FIG. 4, the transportation control device 69 includes an operating unit 81. The unit control device 59 includes an operating unit 82. The feeding control device 49 includes an operating unit 83. Each of the operating units 81, 82, and 83 (hereafter, which may be referred to simply as an "operating unit") is mounted at such a position that it can be operated by the user on the housing of the processing unit, for example. The operating units of the control units in the respective processing units each have the same configuration.
The following describes the configuration of the operating unit in greater detail with reference to FIG. 5. In the example in FIG. 5, the configuration of the operating unit 81 in the transportation control device 69 is explained, and explanation of the operating units 82 and 83 each having the same configuration as that of the operating unit 81 is omitted. The operating unit 81 receives an input relating to the settings made by the user.
As illustrated in FIG. 5, the operating unit 81 includes a cover 91, a display unit 92, and an input unit 93. The cover 91 covers electronic parts and other parts of the operating unit 81. The display unit 92 is exposed from the cover 91. The display unit 92 according to the present embodiment displays information on the settings for controlling the processing unit. More specifically, the display unit 92 displays the information on the setting items of the processing unit and the information on the set values of the processing unit. The display unit 92 includes what is called a 7-segment display that can display 3-digit numbers and alphabets. The characters, symbols, and the like displayed by the display unit 92 are not particularly limited.
The input unit 93 receives an input relating to the settings made by the user. The input unit 93 includes a plurality of buttons. The input unit 93 according to the present embodiment includes a center button 94, an upper button 95, and a lower button 96. The center button 94 is disposed at a position away from the display unit 92. The upper button 95 is disposed between the center button 94 and the display unit 92 (above the center button 94 in FIG. 5). The lower button 96 is disposed on the opposite side of the upper button 95 across the center button 94 (below the center button 94 in FIG. 5). The input unit 93 also includes a right button 97 and a left button 98 disposed facing each other with the center button 94 interposed therebetween in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the upper button 95 and the lower button 96 face each other.
Configuration of the Transportation Apparatus 6 and the Machine Control Device 7
The following describes the configuration of the transportation apparatus 6 and the machine control device 7 in greater detail. The processing units (the winding unit 50, the transportation apparatus 6, and the feeding device 41) partially have a common configuration. For this reason, the following describes the transportation apparatus 6 serving as one of the processing units. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the machine control device 7 and the transportation apparatus 6 are communicably connected. Note that the configurations of the processing units may partially differ depending on the contents of processing performed by the processing units.
The transportation apparatus 6 functionally includes the transportation control device 69 with the operating unit 81 described above, a second storage unit 84, and a communication unit 85. The transportation control device 69 is operable at a position closer to the transportation apparatus 6 than to the machine control device 7. The transportation control device 69 controls the transportation apparatus 6 and receives an input relating to the settings for controlling the transportation apparatus 6 to change the settings. The second storage unit 84 is provided to the transportation apparatus 6 and stores therein the settings for controlling the transportation apparatus 6. The communication unit 85 performs communications with a communication unit 75 of the machine control device 7.
The settings for controlling the transportation apparatus 6 include, for example, a rotary cutter tray rotation amount, a beater operation time, a searcher blade advance amount, a searcher blade descent length, searcher blade contact speed, a searcher blade standby time, and a top-hole lever operation start time.
The rotary cutter tray rotation amount is an amount by which the tray (not illustrated) with the yarn feeding bobbin B placed thereon is rotated to remove the yarn Y wound around the bottom (bottom part) of the yarn feeding bobbin B. The beater operation time is a time for bringing a brush (not illustrated) into contact with the yarn feeding bobbin B to disentangle tangled fluff on the yarn feeding bobbin B. The searcher blade advance amount is a distance of advancing a searcher blade (blade used to pull the yarn end off the surface of a yarn layer of the yarn feeding bobbin B) toward the yarn feeding bobbin B to cut back-wound yarn on the surface of the yarn layer of the yarn feeding bobbin B. The searcher blade descent length is a distance of descending the searcher blade toward the yarn feeding bobbin B to cut back-wound yarn on the yarn feeding bobbin B.
The searcher blade contact speed is speed at which the searcher blade is brought into contact with the yarn feeding bobbin B to cut back-wound yarn on the yarn feeding bobbin B. The searcher blade standby time is a time for blasting (blowing air into the space where the yarn Y runs to remove foreign matter or the like) while rotating the tray after cutting back-wound yarn on the yarn feeding bobbin B. In other words, the searcher blade standby time corresponds to the time for winding the yarn Y around the top (upper part) of the yarn feeding bobbin B. The top-hole lever operation start time is time (timing) of starting to push the yarn end against the yarn feeding bobbin B using a top-hole lever (not illustrated) after the yarn end of the yarn feeding bobbin B is sucked by a predetermined suction device (not illustrated).
The machine control device 7 functionally includes the control unit 70 with the operating unit 71 described above, the operating unit 71, a first storage unit 74, and a communication unit 75. The control unit 70 controls the transportation apparatus 6 and receives an input relating to the settings for controlling the transportation apparatus 6 to change the settings. The first storage unit 74 is provided to the machine control device 7 and stores therein the settings managed in the machine control device 7. The communication unit 75 performs communications with the transportation apparatus 6.
Processing of the Machine Control Device 7 and the Transportation Apparatus 6
The following describes a series of processing performed by the machine control device 7 and the processing unit when the user changes the settings of the processing unit. As described above, the processing units have the same functional configuration. For this reason, the following describes the transportation apparatus 6 serving as one of the processing units.
The following first describes an example where the user changes the settings of the transportation apparatus 6 via the operating unit 71 of the machine control device 7. The transportation apparatus 6 is controlled based on the settings managed by the machine control device 7. The first storage unit 74 and the second storage unit 84 store therein the settings for controlling the transportation apparatus 6.
First, the user makes an input relating to the settings via the operating unit 71. As a result, the control unit 70 changes the settings for controlling the transportation apparatus 6. At the same time, the transportation control device 69 is brought into a state of failing to receive an input relating to the settings made by the user via the operating unit 81. In other words, when the machine control device 7 is receiving an input relating to the settings, the transportation control device 69 is prohibited from receiving an input relating to the settings.
If the settings are changed in the control unit 70, the first storage unit 74 stores therein the changed settings. At this time, the first storage unit 74 may store therein the changed settings and erase the information on the settings before the change. In this case, the first storage unit 74 may store therein the information on the settings before the change in the first storage unit 74 until the settings before the change in the second storage unit 84 are updated with the changed settings. If the control unit 70 changes the settings, it outputs the changed settings stored in the first storage unit 74 to the transportation apparatus 6 via the communication unit 75.
If the transportation apparatus 6 acquires the changed settings output from the control unit 70 via the communication unit 85, the transportation apparatus 6 updates the settings stored in the second storage unit 84 with the changed settings. As a result, the settings stored in the second storage unit 84 can be made identical with the settings stored in the first storage unit 74. At this time, the transportation control device 69 terminates the state of being prohibited from receiving an input relating to the settings (in other words, the transportation control device 69 comes into a state of being capable of receiving an input relating to the settings). When an input relating to the settings is canceled, the transportation control device 69 also terminates the state of being prohibited from receiving an input relating to the settings. Through the processing described above, the settings of the transportation apparatus 6 are changed via the operating unit 71 of the machine control device 7.
The following describes an example where the user changes the settings of the transportation apparatus 6 via the operating unit 81 of the transportation apparatus 6. The transportation apparatus 6 is controlled based on the settings managed by the machine control device 7. The first storage unit 74 and the second storage unit 84 store therein the settings for controlling the transportation apparatus 6.
First, the user makes an input relating to the settings via the operating unit 81 of the transportation control device 69 at a position closer to the transportation apparatus 6 than to the machine control device 7. First, the user presses and holds the center button 94 of the input unit 93. As a result, the display unit 92 displays the information on the setting items of the transportation apparatus 6. At the same time, the machine control device 7 is brought into a state of failing to receive an input relating to the settings made by the user via the operating unit 71. In other words, when the transportation control device 69 is receiving an input relating to the settings, the machine control device 7 is prohibited from receiving an input relating to the settings.
In the example in FIG. 7A, the display unit 92 displays the characters "C01" indicating the setting item relating to the rotary cutter tray rotation amount. If the right button 97 and the left button 98 are pressed, the display unit 92 displays the characters (e.g., C02 to C09) that are information on the other setting items. The user selects the setting item to be changed by pressing the right button 97 and the left button 98 and presses the center button 94. As a result, the display unit 92 displays the information indicating the set value of the transportation apparatus 6 relating to the selected setting item.
In FIG. 7A, the user presses the right button 97 once while the characters "C01" are being displayed on the display unit 92. As a result, the display unit 92 can display the characters "C02" indicating the setting item relating to the length of time for bringing the brush into contact with the yarn feeding bobbin B. By pressing the center button 94 in this state, the setting item relating to the length of time for bringing the brush into contact with the yarn feeding bobbin B is determined as the setting item the set value of which is to be changed in a later operation.
In the example in FIG. 7B, the display unit 92 displays the characters "0.30" indicating the set value relating to the length of time for bringing the brush into contact with the yarn feeding bobbin B. If the upper button 95 and the lower button 96 are pressed, as illustrated in FIG. 7C, the display unit 92 displays the characters (0.35 in the example in FIG. 7C) that are information on the other set values. The user changes the set value of the selected setting item described above by pressing the upper button 95 and the lower button 96.
If the user changes the set value by pressing the upper button 95 and the lower button 96, the transportation apparatus 6 according to the present embodiment performs processing based on the changed set value. Therefore, the user can change the set value while checking the operation of the transportation apparatus 6 based on each set value. Note that when the user changes the set value by pressing the upper button 95 and the lower button 96, the second storage unit 84 may update the settings stored in the second storage unit 84. In this case, if the user cancels the change of the set value, the second storage unit 84 may update the settings stored in the second storage unit 84 with the settings stored in the first storage unit 74. In other words, the settings stored in the second storage unit 84 can be restored to the settings before the change.
Subsequently, the user presses and holds the center button 94 while the changed set value is being displayed on the display unit 92. As a result, the transportation control device 69 changes the settings for controlling the transportation apparatus 6. Until the center button 94 is pressed and held, the second storage unit 84 may store therein the settings before the change. In other words, if the user cancels the change of the set value, the settings stored in the second storage unit 84 can be restored to the settings before the change only by the second storage unit 84.
The foregoing has described an example of the operation performed by the user on the operating unit 81 to make an input relating to the settings on the transportation apparatus 6. The contents of the operation performed on the operating unit 81, however, are not limited to those described above and can be appropriately changed.
If the settings are changed in the transportation control device 69, the second storage unit 84 stores therein the changed settings. At this time, the second storage unit 84 may store therein the changed settings and erase the information on the settings before the change. In this case, the second storage unit 84 may store therein the information on the settings before the change in the second storage unit 84 until the settings before the change in the first storage unit 74 are updated with the changed settings. If the transportation control device 69 changes the settings, it outputs the changed settings stored in the second storage unit 84 to the machine control device 7 via the communication unit 85.
If the machine control device 7 acquires the changed settings output from the transportation control device 69 via the communication unit 75, the machine control device 7 updates the settings stored in the first storage unit 74 with the changed settings. As a result, the settings stored in the first storage unit 74 can be made identical with the settings stored in the second storage unit 84. At this time, the machine control device 7 terminates the state of being prohibited from receiving an input relating to the settings (in other words, the machine control device 7 comes into a state of being capable of receiving an input relating to the settings). When an input relating to the settings is canceled, the machine control device 7 also terminates the state of being prohibited from receiving an input relating to the settings. Through the processing described above, the settings of the transportation apparatus 6 are changed via the operating unit 81 of the transportation apparatus 6.
The foregoing has described the series of processing performed by the machine control device 7 and the processing units using the transportation apparatus 6 serving as one of the processing units as an example. However, the same processing may be performed by the winding unit 50 and the feeding device 41 serving as the other processing units.
Advantageous Effects
As described above, in the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, the machine control device 7 provided at a position different from that of the transportation apparatus 6 manages the settings for controlling the transportation apparatus 6. In addition, the transportation control device 69 operable at a position closer to the transportation apparatus 6 than to the machine control device 7 controls the transportation apparatus 6 and receives an input relating to the settings to change the settings. With this configuration, in a case of making an input relating to the settings while checking the state of processing that is being performed by the transportation apparatus 6, for example, the user can make the input relating to the settings of the transportation apparatus 6 via the transportation control device 69 operable at a position closer to the transportation apparatus 6 than to the machine control device 7. Therefore, the burden of the user moving between the transportation apparatus 6 and the machine control device 7 can be reduced.
In the control system 1, if the transportation control device 69 changes the settings, it outputs the changed settings stored in the second storage unit 84 to the machine control device 7. The machine control device 7, when acquiring the changed settings output from the transportation control device 69, updates the settings stored in the first storage unit 74 with the changed settings. As a result, the settings stored in the first storage unit 74 can be made identical with the settings stored in the second storage unit 84. Therefore, in a case of making an input relating to the settings for controlling the transportation apparatus 6, for example, the user makes the input relating to the settings via the transportation control device 69 without moving to the machine control device 7, and thus a state can be made similar to that when an input relating the setting is made via the machine control device 7. Thus, the operability can be improved.
In the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, the transportation control device 69 is provided to the transportation apparatus 6 and includes the operating unit 81 for receiving an input relating to the settings. The operating unit 81 includes the display unit 92 including the 7-segment display and the input unit 93 including the buttons. In this case, the user can make an input relating to the settings via the simply configured operating unit 81.
In the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, the processing units are the winding unit 50 configured to wind the yarn Y from the yarn feeding bobbin B to form the package P, the transportation apparatus 6 configured to transport the yarn feeding bobbin B to and from the winding unit 50, and the feeding device 41 configured to feed the yarn feeding bobbin B to the transportation apparatus 6. The operating unit 81 of the transportation control device 69 of the transportation apparatus 6, the operating unit 82 of the unit control device 59 of the winding unit 50, and the operating unit 83 of the feeding control device 49 of the bobbin feeding apparatus 4 have the same configuration. In this case, the configurations of the operating units of the respective processing units are the same, whereby the operability of the operating units can be improved. In addition, the manufacturing cost of the operating units can be reduced.
In the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, the processing units are a plurality of the winding units 50 configured to wind the yarn Y from the yarn feeding bobbin B to form the package P, the transportation apparatus 6 configured to transport the yarn feeding bobbin B to and from the winding units 50, and the feeding device 41 configured to feed the yarn feeding bobbin B to the transportation apparatus 6. The winding units 50 are arranged along the arrangement direction D to constitute the automatic winder 5. The transportation apparatus 6 is disposed at the first end of the automatic winder 5 in the arrangement direction D. The machine control device 7 is disposed at the second end of the automatic winder 5 in the arrangement direction D and manages the settings for controlling each of the winding units 50, the transportation apparatus 6, and the feeding device 41. In this case, the machine control device 7 can manage the settings for controlling the winding units 50, the transportation apparatus 6, and the feeding device 41.
In the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, the first storage unit 74 is provided to the machine control device 7. The second storage unit 84 is provided to the transportation control device 69. In this case, the settings can be stored in the first storage unit 74 provided to the machine control device 7 and in the second storage unit 84 provided to the transportation control device 69.
In the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, the machine control device 7 receives an input relating to the settings and changes the settings. When the machine control device 7 is receiving an input relating to the settings, the transportation control device 69 is prohibited from receiving an input relating to the settings. In this case, when the machine control device 7 is receiving an input relating to the settings, the transportation control device 69 fails to receive an input relating to the settings. Therefore, the user who makes an input of the settings on the transportation control device 69 can find out that the settings are being changed in the machine control device 7 provided at a remote position. In addition, the settings can be changed without considering the operating state of the transportation control device 69 because the settings stored in the first storage unit 74 are not changed when the settings are being changed in the machine control device 7.
In the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, the machine control device 7 receives an input relating to the settings and changes the settings. When the transportation control device 69 is receiving an input relating to the settings, the machine control device 7 is prohibited from receiving an input relating to the settings. In this case, when the transportation control device 69 is receiving an input relating to the settings, the machine control device 7 fails to receive an input relating to the settings. Therefore, the user who makes an input of the settings on the machine control device 7 can find out that the settings are being changed in the transportation control device 69 provided at a remote position. In addition, the settings can be changed without considering the operating state of the machine control device 7 because the settings stored in the second storage unit 84 are not changed when the settings are being changed in the transportation control device 69.
Modifications
While the embodiment according to the present invention has been described, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention.
In the embodiment described above, when the machine control device 7 is receiving an input relating to the settings, the transportation control device 69 is prohibited from receiving an input relating to the settings, for example. Alternatively, when the machine control device 7 is receiving an input relating to the settings, the transportation control device 69 may receive an input relating to the settings but be prohibited from outputting the changed settings to the machine control device 7. Also in this case, the transportation control device 69 fails to output the changed settings to the machine control device 7 when the machine control device 7 is receiving an input relating to the settings. Therefore, the user who makes an input of the settings on the transportation control device 69 can find out that the settings are being changed in the machine control device 7 provided at a remote position. In addition, the settings can be changed without considering the operating state of the transportation control device 69 because the settings stored in the first storage unit 74 are not changed when the settings are being changed in the machine control device 7. The transportation apparatus 6, for example, may be required to operate based on the changed settings by temporarily changing the settings of the transportation apparatus 6 without changing the settings managed by the machine control device 7. In this case, by prohibiting the transportation control device 69 from outputting the changed settings to the machine control device 7, the settings of the transportation apparatus 6 can be temporarily changed without changing the settings managed by the machine control device 7.
In the embodiment described above, the processing units are a plurality of winding units 50, the transportation apparatus 6, and the feeding device 41, for example. Alternatively, the processing units may be at least one of the transportation apparatus 6, the feeding device 41, the loading device 42, and the doffing device 51. For example, the processing units may include at least one device from the group consisting of the transportation apparatus 6, the feeding device 41, the loading device 42 and the doffing device 51, and at least one other device besides the at least one device, the other at least one device being from the group consisting of the transportation apparatus 6, the feeding device 41, the loading device 42, the winding unit 50, the doffing device 51, the package conveyor 52 and the airflow generation unit 53. If the processing units are any two or more of the winding units 50, the transportation apparatus 6, the feeding device 41, the loading device 42, the doffing device 51, the package conveyor 52, and the airflow generation unit 53, the operating units of the control units in the respective processing units preferably have the same configuration from the viewpoint of improving the operability of the operating units and reducing the manufacturing cost of the operating units.
If the control unit of the processing unit changes the settings, and the machine control device 7 updates the settings stored in the first storage unit 74 with the changed settings, the machine control device 7 may notify the user that the settings are changed by the control unit of the processing unit using the display unit 72, for example. The display unit 72, for example, may display only the setting item changed by the control unit of the processing unit or may display the setting item changed by the control unit of the processing unit out of all the setting items in a manner being distinguished from the other setting items (e.g., using different colors for the characters and the background). The display unit 72, for example, may display both the settings before the change and the settings after the change for all the setting items and may display information indicating that the settings are changed by the control unit of the processing unit near the display of the setting items (e.g., in a section for displaying the user who changes the settings). Furthermore, if the control unit of the processing unit changes the settings, and then the user performs an operation on the operating unit 71 of the machine control device 7, the display unit 72 may display a screen (e.g., a pop-up) configured to notify the user that the settings are changed by the control unit of the processing unit.
The settable contents may be more limited when the control unit of the processing unit receives an input relating to the settings than when the control unit 70 of the machine control device 7 receives an input relating to the settings. For example, the number of setting items receivable by the control unit of the processing unit may be smaller than that of setting items receivable by the control unit 70 of the machine control device 7. For example, the range of the set values relating to the setting items receivable by the control unit of the processing unit may be smaller than that of the set values relating to the setting items receivable by the control unit 70 of the machine control device 7. Therefore, the user can make an input relating to the settings via the transportation control device 69 the settable contents of which are more limited than those of the machine control device 7, for example.
In the embodiment described above, the first storage unit 74 is provided to the machine control device 7, and the second storage unit 84 is provided to the transportation control device 69, for example. The positions of the first storage unit 74 and the second storage unit 84, however, are not particularly limited. The first storage unit 74 and the second storage unit 84 may be implemented by the same hardware or different hardware.
In the embodiment described above, the set value relating to one of a plurality of setting items of the processing unit is changed by the control unit of the processing unit receiving an input relating to the settings, for example. Alternatively, the set value relating to one setting item in a setting item group (what is called a lot) including a plurality of setting items of the processing unit may be changed.
In this case, the first storage unit 74 and the second storage unit 84 store therein a plurality of setting items of the transportation apparatus 6 and the set values relating to the setting items as a lot, for example. The transportation apparatus 6 serving as one of the processing units includes a plurality of (e.g., two) transportation routes for transporting the bobbins between the bobbin feeding apparatus 4 and the automatic winder 5. The same lot (of the setting items and the set values relating to the setting items) is set for the two transportation routes.
If the transportation control device 69 of the transportation apparatus 6 changes the set value relating to a certain setting item for one of the two transportation routes for which the same lot is set, the transportation control device 69 of the transportation apparatus 6 may change the set value relating to the certain setting item to the changed set value for the other transportation route. In other words, the setting items of the processing unit for which the same lot is set can be changed at once.
In the embodiment described above, the transportation control device 69 is provided to the transportation apparatus 6. The transportation control device 69, however, simply needs to be operable at a position closer to the transportation apparatus 6 than to the machine control device 7 and may be a communication device, such as a tablet, configured to be communicable with the transportation apparatus 6, for example. Also in this case, the user can change the settings for controlling the transportation apparatus 6 by operating the communication device at a position closer to the transportation apparatus 6 than to the machine control device 7. The same applies to the feeding control device 49, the unit control device 59, and the like.
In the embodiment described above, one of the processing units is the automatic winder 5. The processing units, however, may include other textile machinery (e.g., open end spinning machine), for example.
, Claims:We claim:

1. A control system (1) comprising:
a processing unit (6, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, 53) configured to perform processing relating to production of a package (P) formed by winding yarn;
a management unit (7) provided at a position different from a position of the processing unit (6, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, 53) and configured to manage a setting for controlling the processing unit (6, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, 53);
a control unit (59, 69) operable at a position closer to the processing unit (6, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, 53) than to the management unit (7) and configured to control the processing unit (6, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, 53) and receive an input relating to the setting to change the setting;
a first storage unit (74) configured to store therein the setting managed by the management unit (7); and
a second storage unit (84) configured to store therein the setting for controlling the processing unit (6, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, 53) and, when the setting is changed by the control unit (59, 69), store therein the changed setting, wherein
the processing unit (6, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 ,53) is at least one of
a transportation apparatus (6) configured to transport a bobbin (B) to and from a winding unit (50) configured to wind the yarn from the bobbin (B) to form the package (P),
a feeding device (41) configured to feed the bobbin (B) to the transportation apparatus (6),
a loading device (42) configured to load the feeding device (41) with the bobbin (B), and
a doffing device (51) configured to doff the package (P) from the winding unit (50),
the control unit (59, 69) outputs, when changing the setting, the changed setting stored in the second storage unit (84) to the management unit (7), and
the management unit (7) updates, when acquiring the changed setting output from the control unit (59, 69), the setting stored in the first storage unit (74) with the changed setting.

2. The control system (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the control unit (59, 69) is provided to the processing unit (6, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, 53) and includes an operating unit (81, 82, 83) for receiving an input relating to the setting, and
the operating unit (81, 82, 83) includes:
a display unit (92) including a 7-segment display; and
an input unit (93) including a button.

3. The control system (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein
the processing unit (6, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, 53) is at least two of
the winding unit (50),
the transportation apparatus (6),
the feeding device (41),
the loading device (42),
the doffing device (51),
a package conveyor (52) configured to transport the package (P) doffed by the doffing device (51), and
an airflow generation unit (53) configured to form an airflow for performing processing relating to splicing in the winding unit (50), and
the operating units (81, 82, 83) of the control units (59, 69) in the at least two processing units (6, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, 53) each have the same configuration.

4. The control system (1) as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, wherein
the processing unit (6, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, 53) is a plurality of winding units (50) configured to wind the yarn from the bobbin (B) to form the package (P) and a transportation apparatus (6) configured to transport the bobbin (B) to and from the winding units (50),
the winding units (50) are arranged along an arrangement direction (D) to constitute an automatic winder (5),
the transportation apparatus (6) is disposed at a first end of the automatic winder (5) in the arrangement direction (D), and
the management unit (7) is disposed at a second end of the automatic winder (5) in the arrangement direction (D) and manages the setting for controlling each of the winding units (50) and the transportation apparatus (6).

5. The control system (1) as claimed in one of claims 1 to 4, wherein
the first storage unit (74) is provided to the management unit (7), and
the second storage unit (84) is provided to the control unit (59, 69).

6. The control system (1) as claimed in one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control unit (59, 69) is prohibited from outputting the changed setting to the management unit (7) when the management unit (7) is receiving an input relating to the setting.

7. The control system (1) as claimed in one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control unit (59, 69) is prohibited from receiving an input relating to the setting when the management unit (7) is receiving an input relating to the setting.
8. The control system (1) as claimed in one of claims 1 to 7, wherein
the management unit (7) receives an input relating to the setting and changes the setting, and
the management unit (7) is prohibited from receiving an input relating to the setting when the control unit (59, 69) is receiving an input relating to the setting.

9. The control system (1) as claimed in one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a settable content is more limited when the control unit (59, 69) receives an input relating to the setting than when the management unit (7) receives an input relating to the setting.