Tray transfer system and tray storage apparatus

(19)

(11)

EP 0 866 016 A3

(12)	EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88)	Date of publication A3:
	05.04.2000 Bulletin 2000/14

(43)	Date of publication A2:
	23.09.1998 Bulletin 1998/39

(21)	Application number: 98104818.4

(22)	Date of filing: 17.03.1998

(51)	International Patent Classification (IPC)⁷: B65H 67/06, D01H 9/18

(84)	Designated Contracting States:
	AT BE CH DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE
	Designated Extension States:
	AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30)

Priority:

21.03.1997 JP 6794697
21.03.1997 JP 6794797

(71)	Applicant: Murata Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
	Minami-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 601 (JP)

(72)	Inventor:
	Yokota, Itaru Yasu-gum, Shiga (JP)

(74)	Representative: Liedl, Christine, Dipl.-Chem. et al
	Albert-Rosshaupter-Strasse 65 81369 München 81369 München (DE)

(54)	Tray transfer system and tray storage apparatus

(57) To store unwanted empty trays that may occur on a transfer path, as required to facilitate lot changes and to enable the number of trays to be adjusted optimally depending on the yarn count number or the winding speed. In a tray transfer system that supplies bobbins to an automatic winder composed of a plurality of winding units installed in parallel, a tray storage apparatus 15 for stacking a plurality of empty trays for storage is located in the middle of an empty tray transfer path 19 in a bobbin processing section 12. When the lack of an installed bobbin in a bobbin installation apparatus 16 is detected, the tray storage apparatus 15 is activated to store all trays for a particular yarn type, these trays being transferred along the empty tray transfer path 19.

Search report