Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a configuration in which fluid is
blown to remove yarn wastes attached to a travelling passage of
a yarn in a yarn monitoring device adapted to monitor a traveling
yarn.
10
2. Description of the Related Art
There is known a yarn winding machine, such as a spinning
machine or an automatic winder, adapted to wind a yarn around a
bobbin. The yarn winding machine of such kind includes a yarn
15 monitoring device (a yarn clearer) adapted to monitor status of
a travelling yarn in real time, and a yarn defect (a yarn portion
having abnormal quality) is detected by the yarn moni toring device.
In the yarn winding machine, when the yarn is wound, small
fiber wastes, yarn fragments and/or other wastes, and the like
20 (hereinafter collectively referred to as "yarn wastes") may fly
and attach to each portion. For example, when a large volume of
yarn wastes attaches to the yarn monitoring device, the status of
the yarn may not be accurately monitored by the yarn monitoring
device. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-232650
25 discloses a spinning machine including a cleaning nozzle adapted
to blow and remove the yarn wastes and the like accumulated in a
detecting head of the yarn clearer. The cleaning nozzle of which
one end is arranged facing an upper side of the yarn clearer, blows
compressed air around the detecting head.
30
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Since the compressed air needs to be generated by a compressor,
consuming a large amount of the compressed air becomes a cause of
cost increase. Therefore, the cleaning nozzle is desired to be
35 capable of removing the yarn wastes more reliably with less amount
2/24
of flow. Thus, consideration may be made to enhance efficiency and
reliability of the removal of ~theyarn wastes by devising. an
arrangement or a shape of the cleaning nozzle.
However, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No.
5 2005-232650 merely discloses rIa cleaning nozzle is arranged facing
an upper side of the yarn clearer", and does not disclose a detailed
description regarding an arrangement or a shape of such cleaning
nozzle.
An object of the present invention is to provide a
10 configuration capable of efficiently and reliably removing attached
yarn wastes in a yarn monitoring device.
A yarn monitoring device comprises a yarn passage defining
member including a wall surface adapted to define a yarn passage
for enabling passage of a yarn travelling along a yarn path, a
15 detecting section adapted to detect at least at a portion of the
wall surface, status of the yarn, and a blowing section adapted
to blow fluid in a blowing direction towards at least a portion
of the wall surface, the blowing section being configured such that
when viewed in a direction orthogonal to the yarn path and parallel
20 to the wall surface, the blowing direction is set diagonal to the
wall surface and the fluid flows along the wall surface.
A yarn winding machine comprises a winding section adapted
to wind a yarn, and the yarn monitoring device adapted to monitor
the yarn to be wound by the winding section.
25
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating an overall structure of
a spinning machine according to an embodiment of the present
invention.
30 FIG. 2 is a side view of a spinning unit.
FIG. 3 is an exterior perspective view of a yarn monitoring
device.
FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are schematic cross sectional views of
a holder.
35- FIG: 5 is a ~front view of the yarn monitoring device ..
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FIG. 6 is a planar cross sectional view of a first block.
FIG. 7 is a planar cross sectional view of a second block.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
5 Next, a spinning machine according to an embodiment of the
present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
A spinning machine 1 as a yarn winding machine illustrated in FIG.
1 includes a plurality of spinning units 2 arranged next to each
other, and a yarn joining cart 3.
10 As illustrated in FIG. 2, each spinning unit 2 includes a draft
device 4, a spinning device 5, a yarn monitoring device 6, a yarn
accumulating device 7, and a ~inding section 8 in this order from
upstream towards downstream. "Upstream" and "downstream" in the
present specification respectively indicate upstream and
15 downstream in a travelling direction of a fiber bundle and a spun
yarn at the time of spinning.
The draft device 4 stretches a sliver (material of a fiber
bundle) 9 into a fiber bundle 10. The draft device 4 includes a
plurality of draft rollers 11, 12, 13, and 14, and opposing rollers
20 arranged facing each draft roller. The plurality of draft rollers
11, 12, 13, and 14 are respectively rotated at a predetermined
rotation speed. By transporting the sliver 9 supplied from a sliver
case that is not illustrated by holding between the rotating draft
rollers 11, 12, 13, and 14 and the opposing rollers facing thereto,
25 the draft device 4 stretches (drafts) the sliver 9 into the fiber
bundle 10. The fiber bundle 10 drafted in the draft device 4 is
supplied to the spinning device 5.
The spinning device 5 generates the spun yarn 15 by adding
twists to the fiber bundle 10. Although the configuration of the
30 spinning device 5 is not limited in particular, the spinning device
5 according to the present embodiment is configured as a pneumatic
spinning device. The pneumatic spinning device 5 adds the twists
to the fiber bundle 10 by generating a whirling airflow in its
interior and applying the whirling airflow to the fiber bundle 10.
35::- . The spun yanl"15 generated 'in the' spinning device 5:'passes
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•
.. through the yarn monitoring device 6. The yarn monitoring device
. 6 monitors status of the travelling spun, yarn 15 and detects a yarn
portion with abnormal quality in the spun yarn 15 (a yarn defect) .
The yarn monitoring device 6 includes a cutter 16 adapted to cut
5 the spun yarn 15. The configuration of the yarn monitoring device
6 will be described in detail later.
The spun yarn that has passed through the yarn monitoring
device 6 is wound around a bobbin 17 by the winding section 8. The
winding section 8 includes a cradle arm 19, a winding drum 20, and
10 a traverse device 21.
The cradle arm 19 rotatably supports the bobbin 17 around
which the spun yarn 15 is wound. The winding drum 20 rotates the
bobbin 17 by being rotated in contact with an outer peripheral
surface of the bobbin 17. The traverse device 21 includes a traverse
15 guide 22 adapted to be driven from side to side (in a direction
of a winding width of the bobbin 17) while being engaged with the
spun yarn 15. The spun yarn 15 to be wound around the bobbin 17
is traversed by the traverse device 21.
By the spinning unit 2 configured as described above, the spun
20 yarn 15 can be generated from the sliver 9 and wound around the
bobbin 17. The bobbin 17 around which the spun yarn 15 is wound
is referred as to a "package".
In the spinning machine 1 according to the present embodiment,
the yarn accumulating device 7 is arranged between the yarn
25 monitoring device 6 and the winding section 8. The yarn
accumulating device 7, as illustrated in FIG. 2, includes a yarn
accumulating roller 23, and an electric motor 25 adapted to rotate
the yarn accumulating roller 23.
The yarn accumulating roller 23 can temporarily accumulate
30 a predetermined amount of the spun yarn 15 by winding the spun yarn
15 around an outer peripheral surface thereof. Since the yarn
accumulating device 7 temporarily accumulates the spun yarn 15 in
such a manner, the yarn accumulating device 7 functions as a kind
of a buffer. Thus, a fault ~a slackening of the spun yarn 15, for
35' example) where a 'sp-inning speed in the spinning device 5 'and a
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•
winding speed in the winding section 8 do not correspond to each
. other for some reason can be resolved.
Each spinning unit 2 includes a unit control section 26. The
unit control section 26 is adapted to appropriately control each
5 configuration provided in the spinning unit 2.
The yarn joining cart 3, as illustrated in FIG.l and FIG.2,
includes a yarn joining device 27 and suction devices (a suction
pipe 28 and a suction mouth 29).
The yarn joining device 27 is a device adapted to join yarn
10 ends (yarn joining). Although the configuration of the yarn
joining device 27 is not limited in particular, an air splicer,
for example, that twists the yarn ends together by a whirling airflow
may be employed. The suction pipe 28 sucks and catches a yarn end
fed from the spinning device 5, and guides the yarn end to the yarn
15 joining device 27. The suction mouth 29 sucks and catches a yarn
end from a package 18 supported by the winding section 8, and guides
the yarn end to the yarn joining device 27.
Next, an operation of when the yarn defect is detected by the
yarn monitoring device 6 will be described briefly.
20 The yarn monitoring device 6 sends a yarn defect detection
signal to the unit control section 26 when detecting the yarn defect
(an abnormal portion in the spun yarn 15). The unit control section
26 immediately activates the cutter 16 to cut the spun yarn 15 when
receiving the yarn defect detection signal. The spun yarn 15 that
25 is downstream of the cut portion is once wound into the package
18. In this case, the spun yarn 15 wound into the package 18 includes
a portion of the yarn defect detected by the yarn moni toring device
6. Furthermore, the unit control section 26 stops the winding in
the winding section 8. The unit control section 26 then sends a
30 control signal to the yarn joining cart 3, and controls the yarn
joining cart 3 to travel to a front of the spinning unit 2 where
the yarn defect has been detected.
After stopping at the front of the spinning unit 2, the yarn
joining cart 3 sucks and catches a yarn end fed from the spinning
35'" device· 5, and guides . the yarn end to the yarn joining device 27
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. . by the suction pipe 28. The spun yarn 15 is then guided to the outer
. peripheral surface of the yarn accumulating roller 23 by a hooking
mechanism that is not illustrated, and accumulated again. A
slackening of the spun yarn 15 that occurs during a yarn joining
5 operation is thus resolved by the yarn accumulating device 7.
Almost simultaneously, the yarn joining cart 3 sucks and catches
the yarn end wound into the package 18, and guides the yarn end
to the yarn joining device 27 by the suction mouth 29. In this case,
the portion of the yarn defect wound into the package 18 is sucked
10 and pulled out by the suction mouth 29. The portion of the yarn
defect detected by the yarn monitoring device 6 is thus removed
from the package 18.
The yarn joining device 27 joins the yarn ends together (yarn
joining) that has been guided by the suction pipe 28 and the suction
15 mouth 29. The spun yarn 15 that has been cut by the cutter 16 thus
becomes connected again between the spinning device 5 and the
winding section 8.
After a yarn joining operation in the yarn joining device
27 is completed, the unit control section 26 resumes winding of
20 the spun yarn 15 by the winding section 8. By the operations
described above, the yarn defect detected by the yarn monitoring
device 6 can be removed, and the winding of the spun yarn 15 into
the package 18 can be resumed.
Next, the configuration of the yarn monitoring device 6 will
25 be described in detail.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the yarn monitoring device 6
according to the present embodiment includes a holder (sensor
holding member) 30, a housing 31, and yarn path guides 32 and 33.
The holder 30 is a member made of plastic, where a detecting
30 section (such as sensor) for detecting the status of the spun yarn
15 is embedded in the interior thereof. The holder 30 is provided
with a first yarn path 34 where the spun yarn 15 passes through.
Therefore, the holder 30 may be referred to as a yarn passage
defining member. The first yarn passage 34 provided in the holder
35 . -30 is formed' as 'a groovea~long a travelling path "(hereinafter
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referred as toa "yarn path") of the spun yarn 15.
An outline shape of an inner wall surface of the first yarn
passage 34 is formed as a substantially U-shape when cut in a plane
orthogonal to the yarn path. That is, when the first yarn passage
5 34 is viewed in a direction parallel to the yarn path, one end portion
of the first yarn passage 34 is formed to be opened, and the other
end portion is formed to be closed (see FIG. 4B). In a following
description regarding the yarn monitoring device 6, when viewed
in a direction parallel to the yarn path, a front-back direction
10 of the yarn monitoring device 6 is defined by a direction in which
the opened side of the first yarn passage 34 faces (an upper side
of FIG.4B) as a "front", and by an opposite direction thereto as
a "back". That is, the opened side of the first yarn passage 34
is a front side of the yarn monitoring device 6.
15 The first yarn passage 34 includes a pair of side wall surfaces
35 and 35 arranged in parallel to each other with the yarn path
therebetween. The side wall surfaces 35 and 35 are arranged
parallel to the front-back direction of the yarn monitoring device
6 (a vertical direction of FIG. 4B) and the yarn path. The spun
20 yarn 15 passing through the first yarn passage 34 travels between
the side wall surfaces 35 and 35.
Next, a configuration of the detecting section will be
described with reference to FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B. The yarn monitoring
device 6 according to the present embodiment is configured as an
25 optical yarn monitoring device adapted to detect the status of the
spun yarn 15 by irradiating light to the spun yarn 15. Specifically,
the detecting section includes a light emitting element (a light
emitting section) 37 and a light receiving element (a light
receiving section) 38. An appropriate light emitting element such
30 as Light Emitting Diode (LED), for example, may be adopted as the
light emitting element 37. The light receiving element 38
configured as a photodiode converts an intensity of received light
into an electric signal and outputs the electric signal.
The light receiving element 38 is arranged such that a light
35,: :t~ceiving - surface' -thereofconstitutes a' part 'o·f .the side" ,:wa~ll
8/24
•
surface 35 of the first yarn passage 34. A transparent plate 39
made of resin is provided as a part of the s.ide wall surface 35
opposite to the light receiving element 38. The light emitting
element 37 is arranged opposite to the first yarn passage 34 with
5 the transparent plate 39 therebetween (inside the holder 30). The
light emitting element 37 irradiates light to the first yarn passage
34 via the transparent plate 39. The light emitting element 37 and
the light receiving element 38 are arranged facing each other with
the yarn path therebetween.
10 In the configuration described above, light from the light
emitting element 37 is received by the light receiving element 38
with a portion of the light being blocked by the spun yarn 15.
Therefore, the intensity of the light received by the light
receiving element 38 changes according to a thickness of the spun
15 yarn 15. The thickness of the spun yarn 15 thus can be detected
based on the intensity of the light received by the light receiving
element 38.
As described above, from a portion of the side wall surface
35 of the first yarn passage 34, the detecting section of the yarn
20 monitoring device 6 monitors the status of the spun yarn 15
(specifically, the thickness of the spun yarn 15) passing between
the side wall surfaces 35.
Next, the housing 31 of the yarn moni toring device 6 will be
described. The housing 31 includes a first block 41 and a second
25 block 42 arranged next to each other in a direction parallel to
the yarn path. The first block 41 and the second block 42 are made
of plastic, respectively. The first block 41 and the second block
42 are formed as a different body and separable.
As illustrated in FIG. 6, the holder 30 is mounted to the first
30 block 41. The first block 41 accommodates a circuit substrate 44
adapted to control the light emitting element 37 and the light
receiving element 38 of the detecting section.
The second block 42 is arranged upstream of the first block
41. As illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 7, the second block 42 is
35 .·'pr:ovided witha second yarn passage 43 where the" spun yarn 15 p.asses
9/24'
through. The second yarn passage 43 is formed as a groove along
. the yarn path, .andits cross-seQtionalshape is substantially
U-shaped. The second yarn passage 43 is formed so as to communicate
with the first yarn passage 34.
5 The cutter 16 is arranged in the second block 42. The cutter
16 can cut the spun yarn 15 travelling in the second yarn passage
43. A cutter drive mechanism (not illustrated) adapted to drive
the cutter 16 to cut the spun yarn 15 is arranged in the second
block 42.
10 The yarn path guides 32 and 33 are members for regulating the
yarn path of the spun yarn 15 and configured by material having
abrasion resistance (ceramic in the present embodiment). Each of
the yarn path guides 32 and 33 are separately arranged upstream
and downstream of the holder 30. The spun yarn 15 travels while
15 making contact with the yarn path guides 32 and 33. Since a
travelling position of the spun yarn 15 with respect to the holder
30 is stabilized, a status of the spun yarn 15 can be stably monitored
in the detecting section.
The yarn monitoring device 6 according to the present
20 embodiment includes a blowing section 45 adapted to blow a fluid
(specifically, compressed air) to the side wall surface 35 of the
first yarn passage 34. The yarn wastes and the like attached to
the side wall surface 35 thus can be blown away. The compressed
air may be blown periodically, or non-periodically under
25 appropriate timing. Since the side wall surface 35 (especially the
transparent plate 39 and the light receiving surface of the light
receiving element 38) can be kept clean in such a manner, the yarn
monitoring device 6 can accurately monitor the status of the spun
yarn 15.
30 Next, a configuration of the blowing section 45 of the yarn
monitoring device 6 according to the present embodiment will be
described in detail.
The object of the blowing section 45 is to blow away the yarn
wastes attached to the light receiving surface of the light
35 ' embodiment, the 'blowing sectiorr' 45 is providedrlO·t"in the first'
14/24
block 41 having the holder 30, but in the second block 42 arranged
. upstream of the ,first block 41. Thus, since the blowing section
45 is not provided in the holder 30 and the first block 41, the
holder 30 and the first block 41 can be simply configured.
5 As illustrated in FIG. 7 and the like, the second block 42
is connected to a compressed air supply hose 48 adapted to supply
the compressed air to the yarn monitoring device 6. A supply path
49 adapted to supply the compressed air from the compressed air
supply hose 48 to the blowing section 45 is provided in the second
10 block 42. In the present embodiment, an air supply path 50 for the
cutter blowing section 46 is also provided in the second block 42.
Since the compressed air supply paths 49 and 50 are provided in
the second block 42, an air supply path is not required to be provided
in the holder 30 and the first block 41. Therefore, the shapes of
15 the holder 30 and the first block 41 can be simply configured.
As described above, the yarn monitoring device 6 according
to the present embodiment includes the holder 30, the detecting
section, and the blowing section 45. The first yarn passage 34 for
enabling passage of the spun yarn 15 travelling along the
20 predetermined yarn path is provided in the holder 30. The detecting
section is adapted to detect at least at a portion of the side wall
surface 35 of the 'first yarn passage 34, the status of the spun
yarn 15. The blowing section 45 is adapted to blow the compressed
air in the predetermined blowing direction to the side wall surface
25 35 of the first yarn passage 34. When viewed in a direction
orthogonal to the yarn path and parallel to the side wall surface
35, the blowing direction is set diagonal with respect to the side
wall surface 35.
By diagonally blowing the compressed air to the side wall
30 surface 35, the compressed air applied to the side wall surface
35 flows along the side wall surface 35. Thus, since the airflow
can be applied to a wide area of the side wall surface 35, the yarn
wastes attached to the side wall surface 35 can be removed
efficiently with ,a small amount of flow.
,. -- - 35 In the-yarD" monitoring device 6 according to the present
15/24
..
5
10
15
embodiment, when viewed in a direction parallel 'to the yarn path,
. the blowing direction is set diagonal wi th respe,ct to the side wall
surface 35.
By blowing the compressed air diagonally even when viewed from
another direction, the yarn wastes on the side wall surface 35 can
be removed in a wider area.
In the yarn monitoring device 6 according to the present
embodiment, the first yarn passage 34 is formed as a groove along
the yarn path, and the blowing section 45 blows the compressed air
towards the interior of the first yarn passage 34.
By diagonally blowing the compressed air towards the interior
of the groove-like first yarn passage 34, the spiral flow is
generated in the first yarn passage 34. The yarn wastes on the side
wall surface 35 thus can be reliably removed with less amount of
flow.
In the yarn monitoring device 6 according to the present
embodiment, the blowing section 45 blows the compressed air from
the slit-like blowing mouth.
Since the belt-like airflow can be applied to the side wall
20 surface 35 by blowing the compressed air from the slit, the yarn
wastes can be removed in a wide area.
In the yarn monitoring device 6 according to the present
embodiment, the blowing section 45 blows the compressed air from
upstream towards downstream in the travelling direction of the spun
25 yarn 15.
If the compressed air is blown from downstream to the side
wall surface 35, the travelling spun yarn 15 could bring back the
yarn wastes that should have been blown away towards upstream by
the compressed air. Therefore, as described above, by blowing the
30 compressed air from upstream to the side wall surface 35, the yarn
wastes are blown away to downstream and not brought back by the
spun yarn 15. The yarn wastes thus can be removed efficiently.
The yarn monitoring device 6 according to the present
embodiment includes the first block 41 having the holder 30 and
".- 35'" the-second block 42 having ,the bluwing section 45,. 'Th-e first block
16/24
41 and the second~block 42 are arranged next to each other in the
. direction parallel to the yarn path. The compress.ed air supply path
49 for the blowing section 45 is provided in the second block 42.
Accordingly, since the compressed air supply path 49 is not
5 required to be provided in the first block 41 and the holder 30,
the first block 41 and the holder 30 can be formed into a simple
shape.
The yarn monitoring device 6 according to the present
embodiment includes the cutter 16 adapted to cut the spun yarn 15,
10 and the cutter blowing section 46 adapted to blow the compressed
air to the cutter 16 in the second block 42.
By arranging the cutter blowing section 46 separately from
the blowing section 45 in such a manner, the fluid can be blown
to the cutter 16 with pinpoint accuracy. The yarn fragments and
15 the like of the spun yarn 15 caught in the cutter 16 thus can be
reliably removed. Since the cutter 16 or the like is arranged in
the second block 42, the shape of the first block 41 can be
simplified.
The spinning machine 1 according to the present embodiment
20 includes the winding section 8 adapted to wind the spun yarn 15
and the yarn monitoring device 6 adapted to monitor the spun yarn
15 to be wound by the winding section 8.
The spinning machine 1 reliably enables the removal of the
yarn wastes attached to the first yarn passage 34 of the yarn
25 monitoring device 6 with a small amount of the fluid flow. Therefore,
the accuracy of the yarn monitoring by the yarn monitoring device
6 can be maintained at low cost, and the quality of the wound spun
yarn 15 can be enhanced.
Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention
30 is described above, the above configuration may be changed as below,
for example.
The configuration of the present application may be applied
not only to a spinning machine but to another kind of a yarn winding
machine such as an automatic winder. An automatic winder is a device
_.. - -35 adaptedtounw'ind a· yaTn of· a yarn~-supplying ~bobbin·.aTId "rewind the-·.
17/24
'. yarn around a winding bobbin while applying a predetermined tension
. to the, yarn. The status of the yarn to be rewound. can be accurately
monitored by employing the yarn moni toring device according to the
invention of the present application in the automatic winder.
5 In the description above, the yarn monitoring device is
described as an optical yarn monitoring device having one light
emitting element and one light receiving element, but, without
limiting thereto, the yarn monitoring device may include a plurality
of light emitting elements and/or a plurality of light receiving
10 elements. In the yarn monitoring device according to the
above-described embodiment, the thickness of the yarn is detected
by monitoring the intensity of the light blocked by the yarn, but,
without limiting thereto, whether or not a foreign substance is
included in the yarn may be detected by monitoring, for example,
15 intensity of reflected light from the yarn.
The detecting section may be adapted to detect the status of
the yarn not only by an optical sensor but, for example, by a
capacitance sensor. Even in this case, since the detecting
accuracy is lowered when the yarn wastes are accumulated in the
20 first yarn passage 34, there is an advantage to remove the yarn
wastes by the above-described configuration.
In the embodiment described above, the abnormal portion of
the yarn (the yarn defect) is detected by the yarn monitoring device
6, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. The yarn monitoring
25 device may be configured to detect and monitor at least one kind
of status of the travelling yarn such as a travelling speed of the
yarn or a travelled length of the yarn.
The unit control section 26, instead of being arranged in each
spinning unit 2, may be arranged in each of a plurality of the
30 spinning units 2 so that one unit control section 26 controls a
plurality of spinning units 2.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a yarn
monitoring device includes a yarn passage defining member, a
detecting section, and a blowing section. The yarn passage
-,- " "35 def:intng member' includes "a ,wall:~sur.face defining' a::yarn -passage- ..
18/24
• for enabling passage of a yarn travelling along a yarn path. The
~detecting section.is adapted to detect at leas~.at a portion of
the wall surface of the yarn passage, status of the yarn. The
blowing section is adapted to blow fluid in a blowing direction
5 towards at least a portion of the wall surface. When viewed in a
direction orthogonal to the yarn path and parallel to the wall
surface, the blowing direction is set diagonal with respect to the
wall surface. The fluid flows along the wall surface.
By diagonally blowing the fluid to the wall surface, the fluid
10 that hits the wall surface flows along the wall surface. Thus, since
the fluid can be applied to a wide area on the wall surface, yarn
wastes attached to the wall surface can be efficiently removed wi th
a small amount of flow.
In the yarn monitoring device, when viewed in a direction
15 parallel to the yarn path, the blowing direction is preferably set
diagonal with respect to the wall surface.
By blowing the fluid diagonally in such a manner even when
viewed from another direction, the yarn wastes attached to the wall
can be removed in wider area.
20 In the yarn monitoring device, the yarn passage is formed as
a groove along the yarn path, and the blowing section preferably
blows the fluid towards an interior of the yarn passage.
By blowing the fluid diagonally towards the interior of the
groove-like yarn passage, a spiral flow is generated in the yarn
25 passage. The yarn wastes attached to the wall surface thus can be
more reliably removed with less amount of flow.
In the yarn monitoring device, the blowing section preferably
blows the fluid from a slit-like blowing mouth.
By blowing the fluid from the slit, the yarn wastes can be
30 removed in a wide area since the belt-like fluid can be applied
to the wall surface.
In the yarn moni toring device, the blowing section preferably
blows the fluid from upstream toward downstream in a travelling
direction of the yarn.
- ....- '-35 . If the' fluidis'blown from'downstream to the 'wall S'urface-,-"-
19/24
the travelling yarn could bring back the yarn wastes that should
. have been blown away towards upstream by the fluid. Since the fluid
is blown from upstream to the wall surface, the yarn wastes are
blown away to downstream, and the yarn wastes are not brought back
5 by the yarn. The yarn wastes thus can be efficiently removed.
The yarn monitoring device includes a first block having the
yarn passage defining member, and a second block having the blowing
section. The first block and the second block are arranged next
to each other in a direction parallel to the yarn path. A supply
10 path of the fluid blown from the blowing section is provided in
the second block.
Since the fluid supply path is not required to be provided
in the first block and the yarn passage defining member, the first
block and the yarn passage defining member can be formed into a
15 simple shape.
The yarn monitoring device preferably includes a cutter
adapted to cut the yarn, and a cutter blowing section adapted to
blow the fluid to the cutter in the second block.
By arranging a dedicated blowing section for the cutter, the
20 fluid can be blown to the cutter with pinpoint accuracy. Yarn
fragments and the like caught in the cutter thus can be reliably
removed. Since the cutter or the like is arranged in the second
block, the shape of the first block can be simplified.
In the yarn monitoring device, the detecting section includes
25 a light emitting section adapted to emit light to the yarn, and
a light receiving section arranged facing the light emitting section
with the yarn path therebetween and adapted to receive the light
emitted by the light emitting section. The blowing direction of
the blowing section is set diagonal with respect to the wall surface
30 where the light receiving section is arranged.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a yarn
winding machine includes a winding section adapted to wind a yarn,
and the yarn monitoring device adapted to monitor the yarn to be
wound by the yarn winding section.
"" 35 The yarn winding-machine reli-ably enables' the- removal -of the-::
20/24
yarn wastes attached to the yarn passage of the yarn monitoring
. device .with a small amount of the fluid flow. Therefore, the
accuracy of the yarn monitoring by the yarn monitoring device can
be maintained at low cost, and the quality of the wound yarn can
5 be enhanced.
21/24

WE CLAIM:
L- A yarn monitoring device comprising:
a yarn passage defining member including a wall surface
adapted to define a yarn passage for enabling passage of a yarn
5 travelling along a yarn path,
a detecting section adapted to detect at least at a portion
of the wall surface, status of the yarn, and
a blowing section adapted to blow fluid in a blowing direction
towards at least a portion of the wall surface, the blowing section
10 being configured such that when viewed in a direction orthogonal
to the yarn path and parallel to the wall surface, the blowing
direction is set diagonal to the wall surface and the fluid flows
along the wall surface.
".
15 2. The yarn monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein
when viewed in a direction parallel to the yarn path, the blowing
direction is set diagonal with respect to the wall surface.
3. The yarn moni toring device according to claim 2, wherein
20 the yarn passage is formed as a groove along the yarn path, and
the blowing section is adapted to blow the fluid towards an interior
of the yarn passage.
4. The yarn moni toring device according to anyone of claim
25 1 through claim 3, wherein the blowing section includes a slit-like
opening from which the fluid is blown.
5. The yarn moni toring device according to anyone of claim
1 through claim 4, wherein the blowing section is adapted to blow
30 the fluid from upstream towards downstream in a traveling direction
of the yarn.
6. The yarn moni toring device according to anyone of claim
1 through claim 5, further comprising:
--"-35 a first blockinc-luding the yarn passage defining member, and'
22/24
a second block arranged next to the first block in a direction
.. parallel to the yarn path,the second block including the blowing
section and a supply path of the fluid blown from the blowing
section.
5
7. The yarn monitoring device according to claim 6, wherein
the second block includes a cutter adapted to cut the yarn, and
a cutter blowing section adapted to blow the fluid to the cutter.
10 8. The yarn monitoring device according to anyone of claim
1 through claim 7, wherein the detecting section includes a light
emitting section adapted to emit light to the yarn, and a light
receiving section arranged facing the light emitting section with
the yarn path therebetween and adapted to receive the light emitted
15 by the light emitting section, and
the blowing direction of the blowing section is set diagonally
with respect to the wall surface where the light receiving section
is arranged.
20 9. A yarn winding machine comprising:
a winding section adapted to wind a yarn, and
the yarn monitoring device according to anyone of claim 1
through claim 8, adapted to monitor the yarn to be wound by the
winding section.
25
10. A yarn monitoring device, substantially as herein
described with reference to accompanying drawing & examples.
11. A yarn winding machine, substantially as herein
30 described with reference to accompanying drawing & examples.