Thread lateral movement sensor
View Patent ↗A system for detecting the lateral movement of thread includes an optical device configured to emit an optical signal. The optical device includes a resonant cavity. The system further includes a driver configured to drive the optical signal. A mechanical guide is configured to receive a moving thread that scatters the optical signal such that a portion of the optical signal is reflected back into the resonant cavity of the optical device; causing a change in the optical signal. An optical detector is configured to detect the changed optical signal. Lateral movement detection circuitry is configured to detect lateral movements such as vibrations.
1. A method of measuring the speed and vibration of thread in a textile manufacturing system, the method comprising:
emitting an optical signal from a resonant cavity of an optical device, wherein at least a portion of the optical signal is scattered by a moving thread;
receiving at least a portion of the scattered optical signal back into the resonant cavity of the optical device, which causes a change in the optical signal emitted from the resonant cavity of the optical device;
detecting the changed optical signal at a photodiode optically coupled to the optical device; and
calculating a lateral movement of the thread based on the detected changed optical signal.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical device and the photodiode are comprised of the same monolithic structure.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical device is a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL).
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical device is a resonant cavity light emitting diode (RCLED).
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical device is a Fabry Perot laser.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting lateral movement of the thread comprises detecting vibrations of the thread.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting lateral movement of the thread comprises detecting a change in amplitude of a self mixing sequence output from the optical device.
8. A system for detecting the speed of thread in a textile manufacturing system, the system comprising
an optical device configured to emit an optical signal from a resonant cavity;
a driver coupled to the optical device, the driver configured to drive the optical signal;
a mechanical guide coupled to the optical device, the mechanical guide configured to receive a moving thread in a textile manufacturing process, wherein the moving thread scatters the optical signal such that a portion of the optical signal is reflected back into the resonant cavity of the optical device; causing a change in the optical signal emitted from the resonant cavity;
an optical detector optically coupled to the optical device, the optical detector configured to detect the changed optical signal; and
vibration detection circuitry coupled to the optical detector, wherein the vibration detection circuitry is configured to output a signal representing the lateral movement of the moving thread based on the detected changed optical signal.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the optical device and the optical detector are comprised of the same monolithic structure.
10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the optical device is a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL).
11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the optical device is a resonant cavity light emitting diode (RCLED).
12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the optical device is a Fabry Perot laser.
13. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a second optical detector configured to receive optical signals from the optical device; and
break detection circuitry coupled to the second optical detector, the break detection circuitry configured to output a signal indicating that the thread has broken based on the optical signals received at the second optical detector.