JP2018066442A - Coupling device and spun yarn take-up equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify a motion necessary for attaching and detaching a male coupler and a female coupler in a coupling device in which the male coupler is relatively inserted to the female coupler to have a connection state.SOLUTION: A female coupler 74 has an outer cylinder member 91, an inner cylinder member 92 disposed inside of the outer cylinder member 91 relatively movably in an axial direction to the outer cylinder member 91, and pressed by the male coupler 73 in inserting the male coupler 73, and a spring 93 energizing the inner cylinder member 92 toward a tip end side from a basic end side of the female coupler 74. The male coupler 73 presses the inner cylinder member 92 to the basic end side against energization force of the spring 93 to have a connection state, when a driving portion moves the female coupler 74 to a connecting position, the connection state is kept by keeping the female coupler 74 at the connecting position, and the connection state is released by returning the female coupler 74 to an initial position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

  The present invention relates to a coupling device and a spinning take-up facility.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a coupling device in which an air plug and an air socket are connected by inserting the air plug into the air socket. The air socket includes a socket case, a cylindrical sleeve disposed outside the socket case, a lock spring that biases the sleeve toward the distal end side of the air socket, and a lock ball provided in the socket case. Configured. When the sleeve is moved to the base end side against the urging force of the lock spring, the lock ball is retracted into the concave portion formed on the inner peripheral surface of the sleeve to be in a free state. In this way, the air plug can be inserted into or removed from the air socket by moving the sleeve to bring the lock ball into a free state.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-59090

  In the coupling device described in Patent Document 1, as described above, when the air plug (hereinafter referred to as “male coupler”) and the air socket (hereinafter referred to as “female coupler”) are attached and detached, the sleeve of the female coupler is used. Need to be moved. For this reason, for example, if the robot is to perform an operation of attaching and detaching the male coupler and the female coupler, it is necessary not only to move the male coupler or the female coupler in the axial direction but also to move the sleeve. Arise. In this case, the structure and operation control of the robot become very complicated, leading to an increase in the cost of the robot, and the time required for attaching and detaching the male coupler and the female coupler may be increased.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and in a coupling device that is connected by inserting a male coupler relative to a female coupler, an operation required for attaching and detaching the male coupler and the female coupler is performed. The purpose is to simplify.

  A coupling device according to the present invention is a coupling device that is connected by inserting a male coupler relative to a female coupler, wherein at least one movable coupler of the male coupler and the female coupler is connected. And a drive part for attaching and detaching the male coupler and the female coupler by moving between an initial position not connected to the other coupler and a connected position connected to the other coupler, wherein the female coupler is an outer cylinder extending in the axial direction. A member, and an inner cylinder member extending in the axial direction that is provided inside the outer cylinder member so as to be relatively movable in the axial direction with respect to the outer cylinder member, and is pushed by the male coupler when the male coupler is inserted. A spring for urging the inner cylindrical member from the proximal end side to the distal end side of the female coupler, and the drive unit moves the movable coupler to the coupling position. Thus, the male coupler pushes the inner cylinder member toward the proximal end against the biasing force of the spring to enter the connected state, and the movable coupler is maintained at the connected position so that the connected state is The connected state is released by returning the movable coupler to the initial position.

  In the present invention, the driving unit moves the movable coupler (male coupler or female coupler) between the initial position and the coupling position, so that the male coupler and the female coupler are in the coupled state, or the coupled state is released. Is configured to do. Therefore, when the male coupler and the female coupler are attached / detached, it is not necessary to move the sleeve of the female coupler independently as in the prior art, and the operation required for attaching / detaching the male coupler to the female coupler can be simplified.

  Further, in the coupling device according to the present invention, it is preferable that a space is provided in which the male coupler can further push the inner cylindrical member into the proximal end side when the movable coupler is in the coupling position. .

  Such a space ensures that the movable coupler does not stop accurately at the connecting position due to the assembly error of the device, the operation error of the drive unit, etc. Even if it is pushed to the side, it is possible to avoid applying an excessive force to each coupler or drive unit.

  In the coupling device according to the present invention, a step portion having an inner diameter on the distal end side larger than an inner diameter on the proximal end side is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical member, and the distal end of the male coupler It is preferable that the male coupler can push the inner cylindrical member into the base end side by contacting the stepped portion.

  As described above, the tip of the male coupler contacts the stepped portion, so that the inner cylindrical member can be easily and reliably pushed in by the male coupler.

  Further, in the coupling device according to the present invention, the inner cylinder member is provided with a lock ball that can protrude radially inward from an inner peripheral surface of the inner cylinder member, and the lock is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the male coupler. A concave engaging portion that can engage with the ball is formed. When in the connected state, the lock ball protrudes radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical member, and engages with the engaging portion. Good.

  In the present invention, the driving unit maintains the movable coupler in the coupling position, so that the coupling state is maintained. However, when a high internal pressure is applied in the coupling state, the inner cylinder member resists the biasing force of the spring by the internal pressure. There is a risk of moving to the base end side and releasing the connected state unintentionally. Therefore, as described above, the lock ball engages with the engaging portion in the connected state, thereby preventing the inner cylinder member from moving even when a high internal pressure is applied, and ensuring the connected state. Can be maintained.

  Further, in the coupling device according to the present invention, the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder member is formed with a concave retracting portion in which at least a part of the lock ball can be retracted, and on the proximal end side with respect to the retracting portion. And a projecting portion whose inner peripheral surface projects radially inward from the retracting portion, and when the male coupler does not push the inner cylindrical member into the proximal end side, the lock When at least a part of the ball is retracted to the retracting portion, and the male coupler pushes the inner cylindrical member into the proximal end side, the lock ball is pushed radially inward by the projecting portion and the engagement It is good to engage a part.

  According to such a configuration, the lock ball can be automatically engaged with the engaging portion in the process in which the male coupler pushes the inner cylinder member to bring the male coupler and the female coupler into a connected state.

  Further, in the coupling device according to the present invention, when a fluid flows through the male coupler and the female coupler in the connected state, the inner diameter of the coupler positioned on the upstream side in the fluid flowing direction is positioned on the downstream side. It is preferable that the inner diameter of the coupler be smaller than the inner diameter.

  If the inner diameter of the coupler located on the upstream side is larger than the inner diameter of the coupler located on the downstream side, the flow path suddenly narrows at the boundary between both couplers, and pressure loss is likely to occur. Therefore, as described above, the pressure loss can be suppressed by setting the inner diameter of the coupler located on the upstream side to be equal to or smaller than the inner diameter of the coupler located on the downstream side.

  The spinning take-up equipment according to the present invention has a spinning take-up device and a suction holding member capable of sucking and holding the yarn by a negative pressure generated when the compressed fluid is supplied, and sucking and holding the yarn by the suction holding member. However, a yarn hooking robot that performs a yarn hooking operation on the spinning take-up device, and a compression fluid supply portion that supplies a compression fluid to the yarn hooking robot, and reaches the suction holding member from the compression fluid supply portion. The compressed fluid supply path includes an equipment-side supply pipe extending from the compressed fluid supply section to the spinning take-up device, and a robot-side supply pipe connected to the suction holding member, and the robot-side supply pipe and the robot Any one of the above coupling devices is provided between the equipment side supply pipe.

  In the present invention, since any one of the above coupling devices is provided between the robot side supply pipe and the equipment side supply pipe, the robot side supply pipe and the equipment side supply pipe can be easily attached and detached.

  Further, the spinning take-up equipment according to the present invention has a spinning take-up device and a suction holding member capable of sucking and holding the yarn, and sucking and holding the yarn with the suction holding member while threading the spinning take-up device. A yarn threading robot that performs the work, and a yarn discarding unit that discards the yarn sucked by the suction holding member, and the yarn discharge path from the suction holding member to the yarn discarding unit includes the suction holding member Between the robot-side discharge pipe and the equipment-side discharge pipe, and any one of the above A coupling device is provided.

  In the present invention, since any one of the above coupling devices is provided between the robot-side discharge pipe and the equipment-side discharge pipe, the robot-side discharge pipe and the equipment-side discharge pipe can be easily attached and detached.

  Further, in the spinning take-up facility according to the present invention, it is preferable that the driving unit is provided in the yarn hooking robot.

  In this case, the threading robot can attach and detach the robot side supply pipe and the equipment side supply pipe, or attach and detach the robot side discharge pipe and the equipment side discharge pipe.

It is a schematic block diagram of the spinning take-up equipment which concerns on this embodiment. It is a front view of a spinning take-up device and a yarn hooking robot. It is a side view of a spinning take-up device and a yarn hooking robot. It is a block diagram which shows the electrical structure of a spinning take-up installation. It is sectional drawing of a suction. It is a side view of a coupling device. It is a bottom view of a support unit. It is an arrow directional view in the VIII-VIII cross section of FIG. It is sectional drawing of a male coupler and a female coupler. It is sectional drawing which shows the attachment or detachment operation | movement with a male coupler and a female coupler. It is a flowchart which shows a series of operation | movement regarding a thread | yarn hanging operation | work.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described.

(Overall structure of spinning take-up equipment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a spinning take-up facility according to the present embodiment. A spinning take-up facility 1 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of spinning take-up devices 2 arranged in a horizontal direction, a yarn hooking robot 3 that performs a yarn hooking operation on the plurality of spinning take-up devices 2, and each spinning take-up device. 2 and a centralized control device 4 that controls the operation of the threading robot 3, a compressed air supply unit 5 that supplies compressed air (an example of compressed fluid) to the threading robot 3, and the thread from the threading robot 3 are discarded. A waste yarn box 6. In the present embodiment, one yarn threading robot 3, one compressed air supply unit 5 and one waste yarn box 6 are provided for all the spinning take-up devices 2 provided in the spinning take-up facility 1. Shall. In FIG. 1, the illustration of the yarn is omitted in order to prevent the drawing from becoming complicated. In the following description, the direction in which the plurality of spinning take-up devices 2 are arranged is defined as the left-right direction, and the direction that is horizontal and orthogonal to the left-right direction is defined as the front-rear direction.

(Spinning take-up device)
Details of the spinning take-up device 2 will be described. FIG. 2 is a front view of the spinning take-up device 2 and the yarn hooking robot 3, and FIG. 3 is a side view of the spinning take-up device 2 and the yarn hooking robot 3. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the spinning take-up facility 1.

  The spinning take-up device 2 takes up a plurality of yarns Y spun from a spinning device (not shown) and winds them around a plurality of bobbins B to form a plurality of packages P. More specifically, the spinning take-up device 2 sends a plurality of yarns Y spun from a spinning device (not shown) to the winding unit 13 by the first godet roller 11 and the second godet roller 12, and the winding unit 13 A plurality of packages P are formed by winding them around a plurality of bobbins B, respectively.

  The first godet roller 11 is a roller whose axial direction is substantially parallel to the left-right direction, and is disposed above the front end of the winding unit 13. The first godet roller 11 is rotationally driven by a first godet motor 111 (see FIG. 4).

  The second godet roller 12 is a roller whose axial direction is substantially parallel to the left-right direction, and is disposed above and behind the first godet roller 11. The second godet roller 12 is rotationally driven by a second godet motor 112 (see FIG. 4). The second godet roller 12 is supported by the guide rail 14 so as to be movable. The guide rail 14 extends obliquely so as to be positioned upward as it goes rearward. The 2nd godet roller 12 is comprised so that it can be moved along the guide rail 14 with the cylinder 113 (refer FIG. 4). As a result, the second godet roller 12 is disposed in the vicinity of the winding position (see the solid line in FIG. 3) when winding the yarn Y and the first godet roller 11, and the yarn hooking when performing the yarn hooking. It can move between positions (see the dashed line in FIG. 3).

  The spinning take-up device 2 further includes an aspirator 15 and a yarn regulating guide 16. The aspirator 15 sucks and holds in advance a plurality of yarns Y spun from the spinning device before the yarn threading operation by the yarn threading robot 3. The aspirator 15 extends in the left-right direction, and a suction port 15a for sucking the yarn Y is formed at the right end thereof. The aspirator 15 is disposed slightly above the first godet roller 11 so that the suction port 15a is positioned in the vicinity of the plurality of yarns Y.

  The yarn regulating guide 16 is disposed between the first godet roller 11 and the aspirator 15 in the vertical direction. The yarn regulating guide 16 is, for example, a known comb-like yarn guide, and defines the interval between adjacent yarns Y when a plurality of yarns Y are hung. Further, the yarn regulating guide 16 is configured to be moved in the left-right direction (the axial direction of the first godet roller 11) by a cylinder 114 (see FIG. 4). As a result, the yarn regulating guide 16 is movable in the left-right direction between a protruding position that protrudes from the tip of the first godet roller 11 and a retracted position that is within the range where the first godet roller 11 is disposed. It has become.

  The winding unit 13 includes a plurality of fulcrum guides 21, a plurality of traverse guides 22, a turret 23, two bobbin holders 24, and a contact roller 25.

  The plurality of fulcrum guides 21 are individually provided for the plurality of yarns Y and arranged in the front-rear direction. The plurality of traverse guides 22 are individually provided for the plurality of yarns Y and arranged in the front-rear direction. The plurality of traverse guides 22 are driven by a common traverse motor 116 (see FIG. 4) and reciprocate in the front-rear direction. Thereby, the yarn Y hung on the traverse guide 22 is traversed around the fulcrum guide 21.

  The turret 23 is a disk-shaped member whose axial direction is substantially parallel to the front-rear direction. The turret 23 is rotationally driven by a turret motor 117 (see FIG. 4). Each of the two bobbin holders 24 has an axial direction substantially parallel to the front-rear direction, and is rotatably supported by the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the turret 23. A plurality of bobbins B individually provided for the plurality of yarns Y are mounted on each bobbin holder 24 side by side in the front-rear direction. Each of the two bobbin holders 24 is rotationally driven by an individual winding motor 118 (see FIG. 4).

  When the upper bobbin holder 24 is driven to rotate, the yarn Y traversed by the traverse guide 22 is wound around the bobbin B to form a package P. When the package P is fully wound, the upper and lower positions of the two bobbin holders 24 are exchanged by rotating the turret 23. As a result, the bobbin holder 24 that has been positioned on the lower side is moved upward, and the package Y can be formed by winding the yarn Y around the bobbin B attached to the bobbin holder 24. Further, the bobbin holder 24 that has been positioned on the upper side moves to the lower side, and the package P is recovered by a package recovery device (not shown).

  The contact roller 25 is a roller whose axial direction is substantially parallel to the front-rear direction, and is disposed immediately above the upper bobbin holder 24. The contact roller 25 makes contact with the surface of the plurality of packages P supported by the upper bobbin holder 24, thereby applying contact pressure to the surface of the package P being wound, thereby adjusting the shape of the package P.

(Threading robot)
Next, the threading robot 3 will be described. The threading robot 3 includes a main body 31, a robot arm 32, and a threading unit 33.

  The main body 31 is configured in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a robot control device 102 (see FIG. 4) for controlling the operation of the robot arm 32 and the yarn hooking unit 33 is mounted therein. The main body 31 is suspended by two guide rails 35 and is movable in the left-right direction along the two guide rails 35. The two guide rails 35 are disposed in front of the plurality of spinning take-up devices 2 at intervals in the front-rear direction, and extend in the left-right direction across the plurality of spinning take-up devices 2. That is, the yarn hooking robot 3 is configured to be movable in the left-right direction in front of the plurality of spinning take-up devices 2.

  Four wheels 36 are provided at the upper end of the main body 31. Two of these four wheels 36 are arranged on the upper surface of each guide rail 35. The four wheels 36 are rotationally driven by the moving motor 121 (see FIG. 4), and the four wheels 36 are rotationally driven, so that the main body 31 is moved in the left-right direction along the two guide rails 35. Moving. In addition, in order to grasp where the threading robot 3 is located in the left-right direction, the threading robot 3 is provided with an encoder 123 (see FIG. 4) that detects the position of the threading robot 3 in the left-right direction. Yes.

  The robot arm 32 is attached to the lower surface of the main body 31. The robot arm 32 includes a plurality of arms 32a and a plurality of joint portions 32b that connect the arms 32a. Each joint portion 32b incorporates an arm motor 122 (see FIG. 4). When the arm motor 122 is driven, the arm 32a swings around the joint portion 32b. Thereby, the robot arm 32 can be operated three-dimensionally.

  The yarn hooking unit 33 is attached to the tip of the robot arm 32. The yarn hooking unit 33 is provided with a suction 37 for sucking and holding the yarn Y and a cutter 38 for cutting the yarn Y.

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the suction 37. The suction 37 includes a suction pipe 37a that extends linearly, and a compressed air pipe 37b that is integrally connected to an intermediate portion of the suction pipe 37a. One end portion of the suction tube 37a serves as a suction port 37c for sucking the yarn Y, and a robot-side waste yarn hose 82 is connected to the other end portion of the suction tube 37a. In addition, one end portion of the compressed air tube 37b communicates with the suction tube 37a through the communication hole 37d, and a robot-side compressed air hose 72 is connected to the other end portion of the compressed air tube 37b. The communication hole 37d is formed obliquely with respect to the suction pipe 37a so as to be positioned on the other end side of the suction pipe 37a as it approaches the suction pipe 37a.

  In the suction 37 configured as described above, as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 5, the compressed air flowing into the suction pipe 37a from the compressed air pipe 37b flows from one end side to the other end side of the suction pipe 37a. This flow creates a negative pressure at the suction port 37c, and the yarn Y can be sucked from the suction port 37c. The yarn Y sucked from the suction port 37c is directly discharged to the robot side waste yarn hose 82 by the air flow in the suction pipe 37a. The yarn hooking robot 3 performs the yarn hooking operation while sucking and holding the yarn Y by the suction 37.

  Furthermore, the yarn hooking robot 3 has a robot side connecting unit 34 that constitutes a part of a coupling device described later. The robot side connection unit 34 will be described later.

(Pressurized air supply route and waste yarn route)
In the spinning take-up equipment 1, a compressed air supply path 7 for supplying compressed air from the compressed air supply unit 5 to the suction 37 of the yarn hooking robot 3 shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1, and shown by a one-dot chain line in FIG. A waste yarn path 8 for discarding the yarn Y from the suction 37 to the waste yarn box 6 is provided.

  The compressed air supply path 7 is divided into an equipment-side compressed air hose 71 extending from the compressed air supply unit 5 to the plurality of spinning take-up devices 2 and a robot-side compressed air hose 72 disposed in the yarn hooking robot 3. Similarly, the waste yarn path 8 includes a facility-side waste yarn hose 81 extending from the plurality of yarn take-up devices 2 to the waste yarn box 6 and a robot-side waste yarn hose 82 provided in the yarn hooking robot 3. It is divided. The equipment-side compressed air hose 71 and the robot-side compressed air hose 72 are attached and detached, and the equipment-side waste yarn hose 81 and the robot-side waste thread hose 82 are attached and detached. This is performed by a coupling device 9 comprising a unit 34. The coupling device 9 will be described in detail later.

  The facility-side compressed air hose 71 is composed of a main hose 71 a connected to the compressed air supply unit 5 and a plurality of sub hoses 71 b branched from the main hose 71 a toward the plurality of spinning take-up devices 2. A facility-side connection unit 40 is provided at the downstream end of each sub hose 71b, and a robot-side connection unit 34 is provided at the upstream end of the robot-side compressed air hose 72. In addition, an on-off valve 75 that can be controlled by the centralized control device 4 is provided in the middle of each sub hose 71b.

  The facility-side waste yarn hose 81 includes a main hose 81a connected to the waste yarn box 6 and a plurality of sub hoses 81b branched from the main hose 81a toward the plurality of yarn take-up devices 2. The equipment side connection unit 40 is provided at the upstream end of each sub hose 81b, and the robot side connection unit 34 is provided at the downstream end of the robot side waste yarn hose 82.

  When the robot-side connecting unit 34 provided in the yarn hooking robot 3 is connected to any of the equipment-side connecting units 40 provided in each spinning take-up device 2 (in detail, this means connection between couplers described later). The facility-side compressed air hose 71 and the robot-side compressed air hose 72 are connected, and the facility-side waste yarn hose 81 and the robot-side waste yarn hose 82 are connected. As a result, compressed air can be supplied from the compressed air supply unit 5 to the suction 37, and the yarn Y can be discarded from the suction 37 to the waste yarn box 6. Each spinning take-up device 2 is provided with a connection sensor 76 that detects that each facility-side connection unit 40 is connected to the robot-side connection unit 34.

(Coupling device)
Next, the coupling device 9 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the coupling device 9 includes a facility side connection unit 40 and a robot side connection unit 34. A plurality of equipment side connection units 40 are provided corresponding to each spinning take-up device 2. Each facility-side connection unit 40 is disposed in the vicinity of each spinning take-up device 2. More specifically, each facility-side connecting unit 40 is fixed to the guide rail 35 in a state of being disposed between the two front and rear guide rails 35 above the winding unit 13 of each spinning take-up device 2. . The robot side connecting unit 34 is attached to the upper surface of the main body 31 of the yarn hooking robot 3 so as to be positioned below the facility side connecting unit 40 (see FIG. 3).

  FIG. 6 is a side view of the coupling device 9. The facility-side connecting unit 40 is provided with a male coupler 73 to which a facility-side compressed air hose 71 is connected and a male coupler 83 to which a facility-side waste yarn hose 81 is connected. On the other hand, the robot side connecting unit 34 is provided with a female coupler 74 to which the robot side compressed air hose 72 is connected and a female coupler 84 to which the robot side waste yarn hose 82 is connected. The male coupler 73 and the female coupler 74 are connected to connect the equipment-side compressed air hose 71 and the robot-side compressed air hose 72. Further, the male coupler 83 and the female coupler 84 are connected to connect the equipment-side waste yarn hose 81 and the robot-side waste yarn hose 82.

  The facility-side connection unit 40 includes two fixing members 41 that are respectively fixed to the guide rails 35, and a plate-like fixing base 42 that is provided substantially horizontally between the two fixing members 41 and is fixed to the fixing member 41. A plate-like movable base 43 provided substantially horizontally below the fixed base 42, two guide cylinders 44 attached to the movable base 43, and two male couplers 73, 83 fixed to the movable base 43. Have. As will be described in detail later, the male couplers 73 and 83 are attached to the movable base 43 so that the positional deviation between the couplers can be corrected.

  The male couplers 73 and 83 are fixed in a state where they are inserted into mounting holes (not shown) formed in the movable base 43 so that the respective axial directions are substantially parallel to the vertical direction. Portions of the male couplers 73 and 83 that protrude downward from the movable base 43 are portions that are inserted and connected to the female couplers 74 and 84, respectively. Of the male couplers 73 and 83, portions protruding upward from the fixed base 42 are portions to which the equipment-side compressed air hose 71 (sub-hose 71b) and the equipment-side waste yarn hose 81 (sub-hose 81b) are connected, respectively.

  The robot side connection unit 34 includes a plate-like base member 51 fixed to the upper surface of the main body 31 of the yarn hooking robot 3, two bar-like guide members 52 extending upward from the base member 51, and upper and lower Two slide members 53 externally fitted to the two guide members 52 movably in the direction, a plate-like first support member 54 fixed substantially horizontally to the two slide members 53, and the first support member 54 Two pin members 55 extending upward from the plate, a plate-like second support member 56 fixed substantially horizontally to the two pin members 55, and a cylinder attached to the lower surface of the first support member 54 57.

  The female couplers 74 and 84 are fixed in a state where they are inserted into mounting holes (not shown) formed in the second support member 56 so that their axial directions are substantially parallel to the vertical direction. The portions of the female couplers 74 and 84 that protrude upward from the second support member 56 are portions into which the male couplers 73 and 83 are inserted and connected. The portions of the female couplers 74 and 84 that protrude downward from the second support member 56 are portions to which the robot-side compressed air hose 72 and the robot-side waste yarn hose 82 are connected, respectively.

  When the first support member 54 is moved upward by the cylinder 57 in a state where the male coupler 73 and the female coupler 74 face each other and the male coupler 83 and the female coupler 84 face each other, the first support member 54, the female couplers 74 and 84 fixed to the second support member 56 move upward, and the male couplers 73 and 83 are inserted relative to the female couplers 74 and 84. As a result, the male coupler 73 and the female coupler 74 are connected, and the male coupler 83 and the female coupler 84 are connected. In addition, it can suppress that the female couplers 74 and 84 incline with respect to an up-down direction by inserting and guiding the pin member 55 in the guide cylinder 44. FIG.

(Position correction function)
Next, the positional deviation correction function of the equipment side connection unit 40 will be described. When the axial center of the male coupler 73 (83) coincides with the axial center of the female coupler 74 (84), the male coupler 73 (83) and the female coupler 74 (84) can be connected without any problem. However, if the stop position of the yarn hooking robot 3 deviates from the original position due to, for example, an error of the encoder 123, the axis of the male coupler 73 (83) and the axis of the female coupler 74 (84) deviate in the horizontal direction. Therefore, there is a possibility that the connection between the male coupler 73 (83) and the female coupler 74 (84) may be hindered. Even in such a case, in order to enable the connection between the male coupler 73 (83) and the female coupler 74 (84), the equipment side connection unit 40 has a positional deviation correction function for correcting the above-described deviation. ing.

  FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the facility side connection unit 40, and FIG. 8 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow VIII-VIII in FIG. As described above, the facility-side coupling unit 40 includes the fixed base 42 that is provided substantially horizontally between the two fixed members 41 and the movable base 43 that is provided substantially horizontally below the fixed base 42. The fixed base 42 and the movable base 43 are both rectangular in plan view. The male couplers 73 and 83 are fixed to the movable base 43.

  Two positioning bolts 45 and two holding bolts 46 are fixed to the fixed base 42. The two positioning bolts 45 are respectively disposed at two corners of the rectangular fixed base 42 that are diagonal to each other. The two holding bolts 46 are respectively arranged at two corners of the rectangular fixed base 42 that are diagonal to each other and are not provided with the positioning bolt 45. That is, in the plan view, the two holding bolts 46 are provided on both sides across the line L connecting the two positioning bolts 45.

  The positioning bolt 45 is provided so as to extend downward from the fixed base 42, and includes a shaft portion 45a screwed to the fixed base 42 and a positioning portion 45b provided below the shaft portion 45a. The positioning part 45b is formed in a conical shape whose diameter increases toward the lower side. The movable base 43 has a positioning hole 43a having a diameter larger than the diameter of the shaft portion 45a and smaller than the maximum diameter of the positioning portion 45b and into which the positioning bolt 45 is inserted. A tapered surface 43b is formed at the lower end portion of the inner peripheral surface of the positioning hole 43a along the outer shape of the positioning portion 45b. With such a configuration, the movable base 43 is held by the positioning bolt 45 while being positioned by the positioning portion 45 b of the positioning bolt 45.

  The holding bolt 46 is provided so as to extend downward from the fixed base 42, and includes a shaft portion 46a screwed to the fixed base 42 and a holding portion 46b provided below the shaft portion 46a. The holding part 46b is formed in a disk shape having a larger diameter than the shaft part 46a. The holding part 46b is provided with a holding washer 47 having an outer diameter larger than the diameter of the holding part 46b. The movable base 43 has a holding hole 43c having a diameter larger than the diameter of the shaft portion 46a and smaller than the outer diameter of the holding washer 47 and into which the holding bolt 46 is inserted. With such a configuration, the movable base 43 is held by the holding bolt 46 via the holding washer 47.

  Further, the facility-side connecting unit 40 is provided with two springs 48 that urge the movable base 43 downward. The two springs 48 are provided close to the inside of the holding bolt 46 so as to be aligned with the holding bolt 46 in the front-rear direction. That is, in plan view, the two springs 48 are provided on both sides across the line L connecting the two positioning bolts 45.

  The fixed base 42 and the movable base 43 are formed with receiving holes 42a and 43d for receiving the springs 48, respectively. The upper surface of the accommodation hole 42 a and the lower surface of the accommodation hole 43 d are each closed by a lid member 49. The springs 48 accommodated in the accommodation holes 42 a and 43 d are not fixed to the upper and lower lid members 49. The accommodation hole 42a has substantially the same diameter as the diameter of the spring 48, and the relative movement of the fixed base 42 and the spring 48 in the horizontal direction is restricted. On the other hand, the accommodation hole 43d has a diameter larger than the diameter of the spring 48, and the movable base 43 and the spring 48 are allowed to move relative to each other in the horizontal direction.

  A resin sheet member 50 is provided between the fixed base 42 and the movable base 43. The sheet member 50 is preferably made of a material having a smaller coefficient of friction than the fixed base 42 and the movable base 43. For example, ultrahigh molecular polyethylene (UHMW), polyacetal (POM), polyamide (PA6 / nylon 6), tetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). / Teflon) or any other resin may be used. Or you may comprise the sheet | seat member 50 with a nonferrous metal material whose friction coefficient is 0.5 or less. In addition, a hole into which the above-described positioning bolt 45, holding bolt 46, spring 48, etc. can be inserted is formed at an appropriate position of the sheet member 50.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, in a standby state where the male couplers 73 and 83 are not connected to the female couplers 74 and 84, the movable base 43 is engaged with the positioning bolt 45 by its own weight or the biasing force of the spring 48. (Engagement between the taper surface 43b and the positioning portion 45b), and the positioning is achieved by this. At this time, since the movable base 43 is held not only by the two positioning bolts 45 but also by the two holding bolts 46 (holding washers 47), the positioning state can be stably maintained. Further, when the movable base 43 is urged by the two springs 48, a part of the movable base 43 is lifted from the positioning bolt 45 and the holding bolt 46 (holding washer 47) and tilted with respect to the horizontal direction. Can be suppressed.

  FIG. 8B shows a state in which the axial misalignment between the male couplers 73 and 83 and the female couplers 74 and 84 is corrected by moving the male couplers 73 and 83 by the distance d in the horizontal direction. When the female couplers 74 and 84 move upward, as shown in FIG. 8B, the female couplers 74 and 84 come into contact with the male couplers 73 and 83 from below, and the male couplers 73 and 83 move upward. As a result, the movable base 43 to which the male couplers 73 and 83 are fixed also moves upward, and the engagement between the movable base 43 and the positioning bolt 45 is released. As a result, the movable base 43 becomes movable in the horizontal direction within the range of the difference between the diameter of the shaft portion 45a of the positioning bolt 45 and the inner diameter of the positioning hole 43a of the movable base 43. Therefore, even if the axial centers of the male coupler 73 (83) and the female coupler 74 (84) are displaced in the horizontal direction, the displacement can be corrected by the movement of the male coupler 73 (83) in the horizontal direction. The coupler 73 (83) and the female coupler 74 (84) can be connected. The fixed base 42 has a male coupler 73 so that the male couplers 73 and 83 and the guide tube 44 fixed to the movable base 43 are not prevented from moving in the horizontal direction when the movable base 43 is in a movable state. , 83 and the guide tube 44 are formed with a notch 42b.

(Specific configuration of coupler)
Next, a specific configuration capable of connecting the male coupler 73 (83) to the female coupler 74 (84) by simply inserting the coupler will be described. The male coupler 83 has basically the same configuration as the male coupler 73 and the female coupler 74 has basically the same configuration as the female coupler 84, although there are some differences in size and shape. Therefore, the specific configurations of the male coupler 73 and the female coupler 74 will be described below.

  9 is a cross-sectional view of the male coupler 73 and the female coupler 74, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an attaching / detaching operation of the male coupler 73 and the female coupler 74. In addition, in FIG.9 and FIG.10, illustration of each hose connected to each coupler is abbreviate | omitted.

  The male coupler 73 is fixed to the movable base 43 of the facility side connection unit 40 and is configured in a cylindrical shape. On the outer peripheral surface of the male coupler 73, an annular groove 73a in which the O-ring 80 is fitted and an annular groove-shaped engaging portion 73b in which a lock ball 94 described later can be engaged are formed.

  The female coupler 74 includes an outer cylinder member 91 fixed to the second support member 56 of the robot side connection unit 34, an inner cylinder member 92 provided inside the outer cylinder member 91, and the inner cylinder member 92 connected to the female coupler 74. A spring 93 that urges toward the distal end side and a plurality of lock balls 94 provided on the inner cylinder member 92 are provided. The inner cylinder member 92 includes a large-diameter portion 92a on the distal end side, a small-diameter portion 92b on the base end side having a smaller inner diameter than the large-diameter portion 92a, and a step portion 92c formed at the boundary between the large-diameter portion 92a and the small-diameter portion 92b. And have. The male coupler 73 can be inserted into the large diameter portion 92a, but cannot be inserted into the small diameter portion 92b. That is, when the male coupler 73 is inserted into the large-diameter portion 92 a, the distal end of the male coupler 73 comes into contact with the stepped portion 92 c, and the inner coupler 92 can be pushed into the proximal end side by the male coupler 73.

  A plurality of accommodation holes 92d are formed in the large diameter portion 92a of the inner cylinder member 92 in the circumferential direction, and a lock ball 94 is accommodated in each accommodation hole 92d. Note that the lock ball 94 accommodated in the accommodation hole 92d is configured such that at least a part thereof can protrude radially inward and radially outward from the accommodation hole 92d. Further, the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical member 91 is formed with a concave retreating portion 91a that is annularly cut out at the distal end thereof, and is located closer to the base end side than the retreating portion 91a than the retreating portion 91a. A protrusion 91b is formed with an inner peripheral surface protruding radially inward. When the inner cylindrical member 92 is not pushed into the proximal end side, at least a part of the lock ball 94 can be retracted to the retracting portion 91a.

  The attachment / detachment operation between the male coupler 73 and the female coupler 74 will be described. When attaching and detaching the male coupler 73 and the female coupler 74, the cylinder 57 of the robot side connecting unit 34 may be driven to move the female coupler 74 in the vertical direction. Hereinafter, as shown in FIG. 10A, the position of the female coupler 74 in the standby state in which the male coupler 73 and the female coupler 74 are not connected is referred to as an initial position, and as shown in FIG. The position of the female coupler 74 in the connected state in which the male coupler 73 and the female coupler 74 are connected is referred to as a connection position.

  When connecting the male coupler 73 and the female coupler 74, the cylinder 57 of the robot side connecting unit 34 is driven to move the female coupler 74 upward from the initial position. As a result, the male coupler 73 is relatively inserted into the female coupler 74. As shown in FIG. 10 (b), when the tip of the male coupler 73 is in contact with the stepped portion 92 c of the inner cylindrical member 92, the engaging portion 73 b of the male coupler 73 comes to a position facing the lock ball 94. From this state, as shown in FIG. 10 (c), when the female coupler 74 is further moved to the upper connecting position, the male coupler 73 resists the biasing force of the spring 93 and causes the inner cylindrical member 92 to move to the female coupler 74. It is pushed into the base end side to enter a connected state. At this time, the lock ball 94 is pushed radially inward by the inner peripheral surface of the protruding portion 91b, so that the lock ball 94 engages with the engaging portion 73b of the male coupler 73, and the male coupler 73, the inner cylinder member 92, Are engaged. Further, the airtight state is maintained by the O-ring 80.

  The inner diameter of the male coupler 73 and the inner diameter of the small-diameter portion 92b of the female coupler 74 are substantially the same (for example, 1 inch), and a step is generated at the boundary between the male coupler 73 and the female coupler 74 when connected. Not to be. 10C, when the female coupler 74 is in the coupling position, the spring 93 is not fully contracted, and the male coupler 73 further moves the inner cylindrical member 92 to the proximal end side of the female coupler 74. A space that can be pushed in is secured.

  Here, in the conventional coupling device, the lock ball is moved by the operation of the sleeve provided in the female coupler. However, since the male coupler does not contact the sleeve, the operation is separate from the operation of inserting the male coupler into the female coupler. There was a need to manipulate the sleeve. On the other hand, in this embodiment, as described above, the inner cylindrical member 92 is provided with the lock ball 94, and when the male coupler 73 is relatively inserted into the female coupler 74, the inner cylindrical member 92 is pushed in and the lock ball 94 is inserted. 94 is moved. Therefore, the male coupler 73 and the female coupler 74 can be attached and detached simply by inserting the male coupler 73 relative to the female coupler 74 and pulling it out.

  When the male coupler 73 and the female coupler 74 are in the connected state, the cylinder 57 maintains the female coupler 74 in the connected position while performing the threading operation. As a result, the state in which the inner cylindrical member 92 is in contact with the male coupler 73 by the urging force of the spring 93 is maintained, and the connected state between the male coupler 73 and the female coupler 74 is maintained.

  When releasing the connection state between the male coupler 73 and the female coupler 74, the cylinder 57 is driven to move the female coupler 74 downward from the connection position. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10B, the outer cylinder member 91 moves downward relative to the inner cylinder member 92, so that the retracting portion 91 a of the outer cylinder member 91 is opposed to the lock ball 94. come. Then, the lock ball 94 comes out of the engaging portion 73b of the male coupler 73 and retracts to the retracting portion 91a, and the engagement between the male coupler 73 and the inner cylinder member 92 is released. From this state, as shown in FIG. 10A, when the female coupler 74 is further returned to the initial position below, the connection state between the male coupler 73 and the female coupler 74 is released.

  Here, as described above, in this embodiment, since the connected state is maintained by the cylinder 57 maintaining the female coupler 74 in the connected position, it is fundamental to maintain the connected state without the lock ball 94. Is possible. However, as already described, since the compressed air flows through the male coupler 73 and the female coupler 74 in the connected state, a high internal pressure (for example, about 1.0 MPa) acts. Therefore, if there is no lock ball 94, the inner cylinder member 92 may move to the proximal end side of the female coupler 74 so as to be separated from the male coupler 73 due to internal pressure, and the connected state may be released. On the other hand, if the lock ball 94 is provided, the male coupler 73 and the inner cylinder member 92 are engaged with each other in the connected state. The connection state is reliably maintained without moving to the base end side of the female coupler 74 so as to leave the connection. Note that a high internal pressure does not act on the male coupler 83 and the female coupler 84 provided in the waste yarn path 8, and therefore the lock ball 94 may not be provided on the female coupler 84.

(Electric configuration of the spinning take-up equipment)
Next, the electrical configuration of the spinning take-up facility 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the spinning take-up facility 1 has a centralized control device 4 for controlling the entire facility. The centralized control device 4 includes an operation unit 4a for an operator to make various settings, and a display unit 4b for displaying a screen for assisting the setting and a screen showing the state of each unit. As shown in FIG. 4, each spinning take-up device 2 is provided with a winding control device 101, and the winding control device 101 controls the operation of each drive unit provided in the spinning take-up device 2. . Further, the threading robot 3 is provided with a robot control device 102, and the robot control device 102 controls the operation of each drive unit provided in the threading robot 3.

  The central control device 4 is communicably connected to each winding control device 101 and the robot control device 102 by wireless or wired communication. Further, a detection signal from an encoder 123 provided in the yarn threading robot 3 and a detection signal from a connection sensor 76 provided corresponding to each spinning take-up device 2 are input to the central control device 4. The central control device 4 controls the opening / closing of the on-off valve 75 provided in each sub hose 71b of the facility-side compressed air hose 71.

(A series of flows related to threading work)
When yarn threading is required in a certain spinning take-up device 2, a signal indicating that a yarn hooking request has been made is sent from the winding control device 101 of the spinning take-up device 2 to the central control device 4. Then, the yarn hooking robot 3 is caused to execute a yarn hooking operation for the yarn take-up device 2 so that the winding of the yarn Y in the yarn take-up device 2 can be resumed. Each open / close valve 75 is closed when the threading robot 3 is not performing the threading operation.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a series of operations related to the threading operation. The central control device 4 moves the yarn hooking robot 3 to the front of the predetermined spinning take-up device 2 that is the target of the yarn hooking operation (step S1). At this time, the robot control device 102 controls the moving motor 121 while referring to the detection signal of the encoder 123, so that the robot side connection unit 34 provided in the yarn hooking robot 3 corresponds to the predetermined spinning take-up device 2. Then, the yarn hooking robot 3 is stopped so as to face the facility-side connecting unit 40 provided as described above.

  When the movement of the yarn threading robot 3 to the predetermined spinning take-up device 2 is completed, the robot control device 102 drives the cylinder 57 provided in the robot side connection unit 34 to move the female couplers 74 and 84 from the initial position. The connection position is raised (step S2). As a result, the predetermined male coupler 73 and the female coupler 74 corresponding to the predetermined spinning take-up device 2 are connected, and the predetermined male coupler 83 and the female coupler 84 corresponding to the predetermined spin-taking device 2 are connected. It becomes a state.

  When a signal indicating that the predetermined male coupler 73 and the female coupler 74 are connected is sent from the connection sensor 76 corresponding to the predetermined male coupler 73 (step S3). Subsequently, the on-off valve 75 corresponding to the predetermined male coupler 73 is opened (step S4). Then, the compressed air supply path 7 communicates from the compressed air supply unit 5 to the suction 37 of the yarn hooking robot 3 via the equipment-side compressed air hose 71, the male coupler 73, the female coupler 74, and the robot-side compressed air hose 72. Since the facility-side waste yarn hose 81 is not provided with an on-off valve, the robot side waste yarn hose 82 and the female coupler can be connected from the suction 37 only by connecting a predetermined male coupler 83 and a female coupler 84. 84, the waste yarn path 8 reaching the waste yarn box 6 through the male coupler 83 and the facility-side waste yarn hose 81 is communicated.

  Thus, when negative pressure is generated at the suction port 37c of the suction 37 of the yarn hooking robot 3 and the yarn Y can be sucked and held by the suction 37, the robot controller 102 drives the yarn hooking unit 33 and the arm motor 122 as appropriate. As a result, the yarn threading operation is performed on the predetermined spinning take-up device 2 (step S5). When the threading operation is finished, the central control device 4 closes the on-off valve 75 (step S6), and then the robot control device 102 drives the cylinder 57 to move the female couplers 74 and 84 from the coupling position to the initial position. Lower (step S7). As a result, the connection state between the predetermined male coupler 73 and the female coupler 74 is released, and the connection state between the predetermined male coupler 83 and the female coupler 84 is released. Then, the winding of the yarn Y by the predetermined spinning take-up device 2 is resumed (step S8).

(effect)
In the coupling device 9 according to the present embodiment, the cylinder 57 (driving unit) moves the female coupler 74 (84), which is a movable coupler, between the initial position and the coupling position, so that the male coupler 73 (83) The female coupler 74 (84) is configured to be connected or released. Therefore, when the male coupler 73 (83) and the female coupler 74 (84) are attached and detached, there is no need to move the sleeve of the female coupler alone as in the prior art, and the male coupler 73 (83) and the female coupler 74 (84). ) Can be simplified.

  Further, in the coupling device 9 according to the present embodiment, when the female coupler 74 (84) is in the coupling position, the male coupler 73 (83) further moves the inner cylinder member 92 to the proximal end side of the female coupler 74 (84). Space that can be pushed in is secured. By securing such a space, the female coupler 74 (84) does not stop accurately at the coupling position due to the assembly error of the apparatus, the operation error of the cylinder 57, etc. Even if the cylindrical member 92 is pushed to the base end side of the female coupler 74 (84) than expected, an unreasonable force is applied to the male coupler 73 (83), the female coupler 74 (84), the cylinder 57, and the like. Can be avoided.

  Further, in the coupling device 9 according to the present embodiment, the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical member 92 is formed with a stepped portion 92c having a larger inner diameter on the distal end side than an inner diameter on the proximal end side. 83) is configured such that the male coupler 73 (83) can push the inner cylinder member 92 toward the proximal end side by contacting the stepped portion 92c with the tip of 83). As described above, the tip of the male coupler 73 (83) comes into contact with the stepped portion 92c, whereby the inner cylindrical member 92 can be easily and reliably pushed in by the male coupler 73 (83).

  Further, in the coupling device 9 according to the present embodiment, the inner cylinder member 92 is provided with a lock ball 94 that can protrude radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylinder member 92 and the male coupler 73 (83). A concave engaging portion 73b that can engage with the lock ball 94 is formed on the outer peripheral surface. When in the connected state, the lock ball 94 protrudes radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical member 92, Engage with the mating portion 73b. In the present embodiment, the cylinder 57 maintains the female coupler 74 (84) in the coupling position, so that the coupled state is maintained. It moves to the proximal end side of the female coupler 74 (84) against the urging force, and the connected state may be unintentionally released. Therefore, as described above, when the lock ball 94 is engaged with the engaging portion 73b in the connected state, the inner cylinder member 92 is prevented from moving even when a high internal pressure is applied. The state can be reliably maintained. That is, such a configuration is particularly effective for the male coupler 73 and the female coupler 74 provided in the compressed air supply path 7 on which a high internal pressure acts.

  Further, in the coupling device 9 according to the present embodiment, on the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical member 91, a concave retracting portion 91a in which at least a part of the lock ball 94 can be retracted, and a proximal end side with respect to the retracting portion 91a And a protruding portion 91b whose inner peripheral surface protrudes radially inward from the retracting portion 91a is formed, and the male coupler 73 (83) does not push the inner cylindrical member 92 into the proximal end side. When at least a part of the lock ball 94 is retracted to the retracting portion 91a, and the male coupler 73 (83) pushes the inner cylindrical member 92 toward the proximal end side, the lock ball 94 is radially inward by the protruding portion 91b. To be engaged with the engaging portion 73b. Therefore, in the process in which the male coupler 73 (83) pushes the inner cylindrical member 92 to connect the male coupler 73 (83) and the female coupler 74 (84), the lock ball 94 is automatically engaged with the engaging portion 73b. Can be engaged.

  In the coupling device 9 according to the present embodiment, the inner diameter of the male coupler 73 (or female coupler 84) located on the upstream side in the fluid flow direction is the female coupler 74 (or male coupler 83) located on the downstream side. The inner diameter is less than or equal to. Therefore, the flow path does not suddenly narrow at the boundary between both couplers, and pressure loss can be suppressed. In particular, waste yarn also flows inside the male coupler 83 and the female coupler 84 provided in the waste yarn path 8, but the inner diameter of the female coupler 84 positioned on the upstream side is equal to or smaller than the inner diameter of the male coupler 83 positioned on the downstream side. As a result, it is possible to prevent the waste yarn from being caught at the boundary between both couplers.

  In the spinning take-up facility 1 according to the present embodiment, the coupling device 9 is provided between the robot-side compressed air hose 72 (robot-side supply pipe) and the facility-side compressed air hose 71 (equipment-side supply pipe). Therefore, the robot-side pressure air hose 72 and the equipment-side pressure air hose 71 can be easily attached and detached.

  In the spinning take-up facility 1 according to the present embodiment, the coupling device 9 is provided between the robot-side waste yarn hose 82 (robot-side discharge pipe) and the facility-side waste yarn hose 81 (equipment-side discharge pipe). Therefore, the robot side waste yarn hose 82 and the equipment side waste yarn hose 81 can be easily attached and detached.

  Further, in the spinning take-up facility 1 according to the present embodiment, the cylinder 57 is provided in the yarn hooking robot 3, so that the robot side pneumatic hose 72 and the equipment side pressure pneumatic hose 71 are attached and detached by the yarn hooking robot 3. Alternatively, the robot side waste yarn hose 82 and the equipment side waste yarn hose 81 can be attached and detached.

(Other embodiments)
The embodiment of the present invention has been described above. However, the form to which the present invention can be applied is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention, as exemplified below. Can be added.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the connecting portions provided on the equipment side are the male couplers 73 and 83, and the connecting portions provided on the robot side are the female couplers 74 and 84. However, the connecting portion provided on the equipment side may be a female coupler, and the connecting portion provided on the robot side may be a male coupler.

  In the above embodiment, the male coupler 73 (83) and the female coupler 74 (84) are attached and detached by moving the female coupler 74 (84) on the robot side. However, the male coupler 73 (83) and the female coupler 74 (84) may be attached and detached by moving the male couplers 73 and 83 on the equipment side.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the male coupler 73 (83) and the female coupler 74 (84) are connected by moving the female coupler 74 (84) on the robot side upward. However, the male coupler 73 (83) and the female coupler 74 (84) may be connected by moving the male coupler 73 (83) on the equipment side downward. Alternatively, the male coupler 73 (83) may move upward and the female coupler 74 (84) may move downward.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the installation side connection unit 40 was arrange | positioned above the robot side connection unit 34, and the installation side connection unit 40 shall have a position shift correction function. However, the robot side connection unit 34 may be disposed above the equipment side connection unit 40, and the robot side connection unit 34 may have a positional deviation correction function.

  In the above embodiment, the positioning bolt 45 functions as a positioning member. However, the specific mode of the positioning member is not limited to the bolt. For example, the positioning member may be fixed to the fixed base 42 by welding or the like.

  In the above embodiment, the sheet member 50 is provided between the fixed base 42 and the movable base 43 in order to improve the slidability of the movable base 43. However, instead of providing the sheet member 50, a material having a small friction coefficient may be applied to the lower surface of the fixed base 42 or the upper surface of the movable base 43, or a process for improving the slidability may be performed. However, when the slidability is reduced due to wear or the like, a configuration in which the sheet member 50 is separately provided as in the above-described embodiment is preferable because only the sheet member 50 needs to be replaced.

  In the above embodiment, the female couplers 74 and 84 on the robot side are attached to the common second support member 56. However, it is not essential to attach the female couplers 74 and 84 to a common member, and the female couplers 74 and 84 may be moved individually.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the installation side connection unit 40 shall be fixed to the guide rail 35 for the yarn threading robot 3, the location which fixes the installation side connection unit 40 is not limited to this.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the compressed air supply part 5 and the waste yarn box 6 shall be provided one by one with respect to all the spinning take-up apparatuses 2 provided in the spinning take-up equipment 1. FIG. However, the pneumatic supply unit 5 or the waste yarn box 6 may be provided individually for each spinning take-up device 2, or the pressurized air supply unit 5 or the waste yarn box 6 may be provided for each predetermined number of the spinning take-up devices 2. May be.

  In the above embodiment, one yarn hooking robot 3 is provided for all the spinning take-up devices 2 provided in the spinning take-up facility 1. However, the yarn hooking robot 3 may be provided for each predetermined number of the spinning take-up devices 2.

  In the above-described embodiment, all the series of operations related to the threading operation are automatically performed by the threading robot 3 and the centralized control device 4. However, some operations may be performed by an operator. For example, the operator may attach / detach the male coupler 73 (83) and the female coupler 74 (84), or the operator may open / close the on-off valve 75.

  In the above embodiment, the on-off valve 75 is provided on the upstream side of the male coupler 73. However, instead of providing the on-off valve 75, a female coupler 74 with a built-in valve may be used so that the valve automatically opens at the time of connection.

  Further, the control target of the central control device 4 and the control target of the robot control device 102 are not limited to those shown in the above embodiment. For example, the central control device 4 may be configured to control up to a specific operation of the yarn hooking robot 3. Further, the robot control device 102 may control the on-off valve 75 or receive a detection signal from the connection sensor 76.

  In the above embodiment, the “facility-side supply pipe”, “robot-side supply pipe”, “equipment-side discharge pipe”, and “robot-side discharge pipe” in the present invention are each configured by a hose. . However, each of these pipes may be constituted by a metal pipe or the like instead of a hose.

  In the above embodiment, the threading robot 3 is a suspension type that is suspended from the guide rail 35, but the threading robot 3 is not limited to the suspension type. For example, the yarn hooking robot 3 may be configured to travel on the floor surface.

  In the above embodiment, when the male coupler 73 (83) and the female coupler 74 (84) are connected, the female coupler 74 (84) relatively contacts the male coupler 73 (83) from below, The movable base 43 is assumed to be movable from the positioning state. However, the movable base 43 may be moved from the positioning state to the movable state by inserting the pin member 55 shown in FIG. As described above, the movable base 43 is brought into a movable state by the contact between the pin member 55 and the guide cylinder 44, so that the deviation can be corrected more reliably.

1: Spinning take-up equipment 2: Spinning take-up device 3: Yarn hanging robot 5: Pressure air supply unit (compressed fluid supply unit)
6: Waste yarn box (Yarn waste department)
7: Pressure air supply path (compression fluid supply path)
8: Waste yarn path (thread discharge path)
9: Coupling device 37: Suction (suction holding member)
57: Cylinder (drive unit)
71: Equipment side compressed air hose (equipment side supply pipe)
72: Robot side pneumatic hose (robot side supply pipe)
73: Male coupler 73b: Engaging portion 74: Female coupler (movable coupler)
81: Equipment-side waste yarn hose (equipment-side discharge pipe)
82: Robot side waste yarn hose (robot side discharge pipe)
83: Male coupler 84: Female coupler (movable coupler)
91: Outer cylinder member 91a: Retraction part 91b: Protruding part 92: Inner cylinder member 92c: Step part 93: Spring 94: Lock ball Y: Yarn

Claims (9)

A coupling device that is connected by inserting a male coupler relative to a female coupler,
The male coupler and the female coupler are attached and detached by moving at least one of the male coupler and the female coupler between an initial position that is not connected to the other coupler and a connection position that is connected. Equipped with a drive unit,
The female coupler is
An outer cylinder member extending in the axial direction;
An inner cylinder member extending in the axial direction, which is provided inside the outer cylinder member so as to be relatively movable in the axial direction with respect to the outer cylinder member, and is pushed by the male coupler when the male coupler is inserted;
A spring for urging the inner cylinder member from the proximal end side to the distal end side of the female coupler;
Have
The drive unit is
By moving the movable coupler to the coupling position, the male coupler pushes the inner cylinder member toward the proximal end against the biasing force of the spring, and enters the coupled state.
By maintaining the movable coupler in the connected position, the connected state is maintained,
The coupling device is released by returning the movable coupler to the initial position.   2. The coupling according to claim 1, wherein when the movable coupler is in the coupling position, a space is provided in which the male coupler can further push the inner cylindrical member into the proximal end side. apparatus. On the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylinder member, a step portion having an inner diameter on the distal end side larger than an inner diameter on the proximal end side is formed,
3. The coupling according to claim 1, wherein the male coupler can push the inner cylindrical member into the base end side by contacting a tip of the male coupler with the stepped portion. apparatus. The inner cylinder member is provided with a lock ball that can project radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the inner cylinder member, and a concave engagement portion that can engage the lock ball on the outer circumferential surface of the male coupler. Is formed,
4. The device according to claim 1, wherein in the connected state, the lock ball protrudes radially inward from an inner peripheral surface of the inner cylinder member and engages with the engagement portion. The coupling device as described. On the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder member,
A concave retraction part in which at least a part of the lock ball can be retreated, and
A projecting portion that is formed on the base end side with respect to the retracting portion, and an inner peripheral surface projects radially inward from the retracting portion;
Is formed,
When the male coupler does not push the inner cylinder member into the proximal end side, at least a part of the lock ball is retracted to the retracting portion,
5. When the male coupler pushes the inner cylinder member toward the proximal end, the lock ball is pushed radially inward by the protrusion and engages with the engagement portion. Coupling device.   When fluid flows through the male coupler and the female coupler in the connected state, the inner diameter of the coupler located on the upstream side in the fluid flow direction is equal to or smaller than the inner diameter of the coupler located on the downstream side. The coupling device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. A spinning take-up device;
A yarn hook which has a suction holding member capable of sucking and holding a yarn by a negative pressure generated when a compressed fluid is supplied, and performs a yarn hooking operation on the spinning take-up device while sucking and holding the yarn by the suction holding member. With robots,
A compressed fluid supply unit for supplying a compressed fluid to the threading robot;
With
The supply path of the compressed fluid from the compressed fluid supply unit to the suction holding member is
A facility-side supply pipe extending from the compressed fluid supply unit to the spinning take-up device;
A robot-side supply pipe connected to the suction holding member;
Have
A spinning take-up facility, wherein the coupling device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is provided between the robot-side supply tube and the facility-side supply tube. A spinning take-up device;
A yarn holding robot having a suction holding member capable of sucking and holding the yarn, and performing a yarn hooking operation on the spinning take-up device while sucking and holding the yarn by the suction holding member;
A yarn discarding unit for discarding the yarn sucked by the suction holding member;
With
The yarn discharge path from the suction holding member to the yarn discarding portion is:
A robot side discharge pipe connected to the suction holding member;
A facility-side discharge pipe extending from the spinning take-up device to the yarn disposal section;
Have
A spinning take-up facility, wherein the coupling device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is provided between the robot-side discharge tube and the facility-side discharge tube.   The spinning take-up facility according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the driving unit is provided in the yarn hooking robot.

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