BE1020024A3 - BRUSH PROCESSING DEVICE HAVING A MANUALLY CHARGED BRUSH BODY SUPPLY DEVICE. - Google Patents

Abstract

Brush treatment device (1) provided with a brush body supply device (2) comprising an entry point (14) and an exit point (15) as well as an exit device (18) . The exit point (15) being arranged in the region of a loading point (16). The brush body supply device (2) has a rotatable transport device (9) comprising several housings (10) arranged on its outer periphery and spaced from each other in the circumferential direction, each intended for a brush (3). The output device (18) has at least one brush ejector (19) movable between a rest position and an ejection position acting on the brush body (3) to be ejected.

Description

The present invention relates to a brush treatment device having a manually loadable brush body supply device comprising an entry point and a exit point as well as an output device for outputting a brush body at the exit point, the exit point of the brush body supply device being disposed in the region of a loading point of a downstream processing station.

Such brush treatment devices with a low degree of automation are used when brushes are to be manufactured cheaply. In the simplest case, an operator places a brush body directly in the loading point of a treatment station, for example a stuffing device, without a brush body supply device being present. Since the stuffing operation for a toothbrush lasts only about 1 to 5 seconds and immediately afterwards another brush body has to be inserted, this operator can not perform any other task, for example the introducing tufts of bristles into the tamping device or handling containers with brushes that have finished stuffing or with new non-stuffed brush bodies. To do this, a second operator is required, or the stuffing operation must be interrupted to perform the corresponding activities.

Since this requires time and personnel, DE 1 197 431 discloses, for example, a brush treatment device comprising a stack magazine as a brush body supply device. Several brush bodies can be placed on top of each other in the stacking magazine so that for a few stuffing cycles there is time for other activities such as filling the brush stock before you have to complete the stacking magazine with new brush bodies.

Such a stacking magazine is not suitable for all brush bodies, however. For example, brush bodies with a curved body profile or protruding lamellae or also brush bodies that are already partially stacked can not be stacked in such a stacking magazine.

Here, the intermediate storage and the supply of the brush body could in fact take place via a device comprising a feed belt and a gripper as described for example in the document DE 43 11 974 C2, such However, the device is complex and therefore expensive. In addition, it takes a lot of room for such a device.

Therefore, the purpose is to provide a brush treatment device of the type mentioned at the beginning which is simple and inexpensive and allows the supply of any brush body.

The object is achieved according to the invention because the brush body supply device has a transport device rotatable about an axis of rotation, comprising a plurality of housings disposed on its periphery and spaced apart from one another in the direction of rotation. peripheral direction, each intended for a brush body, because a retaining device is associated with each of the housings for fixing a brush body in the housing concerned and because the output device has at least one brush ejector movable between a rest position and an ejection position acting on the brush body to be ejected.

An operator can place each time a brush body in free housings of the transport device. Due to the separate accommodation of a brush body in each housing, brush bodies with complex outer contour or partially stacked brush bodies can also be processed. Due to a rotational movement of the transport device, the brush bodies are transported into the region of the exit point and are transferred by the brush ejector of the housing concerned into a corresponding housing of the downstream processing station. Since a plurality of brush body housings are provided on the outer periphery of the transport device, the treatment station can be supplied with brush bodies held therein, while the operator also exercises for the duration of a period of time. or several work cycles of the processing station of other activities, for example filling with stuffing material. The operator can then load with new brush bodies the housings of the transport device become free during this time and returned to the region of the point of entry. Since loading each of the slots with a brush body requires little time, the processing can be performed without interruptions.

An advantageous embodiment provides that the transport device has a head-side support member and a handle-side support member axially spaced therefrom, which support members respectively have the brush body housings. arranged on the outer periphery. For example, the support members may have recesses which respectively form in pairs a housing for a brush body. This allows a simple and inexpensive manufacture of the transport device with little material, since no continuous massive support on the longitudinal side is necessary. Because of this structure, the transport device further has a minimal weight, is therefore easy to handle and can be rotated using little energy.

For this purpose, it is appropriate that the support elements respectively have a circular or polygonal outer contour. The support elements may in particular be circular disks or disks with, for example, an octagonal outer contour.

The retainers may preferably be respectively designed as clamping members and movable against a biasing force from a holding position to a release position. This allows a simple and fast insertion of the brush bodies in the housing by an operator and secondly a simple and reliable ejection of a brush body at the point of exit. The brush bodies, however, are securely retained during transport and an inadvertent fall of a brush body of the housing concerned is avoided.

The position of the brush body in the longitudinal direction is important so that, upon ejection of a brush body and transfer to the loading point of the downstream processing device, the brush body is in a defined orientation and that the subsequent treatment, for example the stuffing of bristles in orifices of the brush body can take place precisely. In order to bring the brush bodies into the desired longitudinal position, it is appropriate for the brush body supply device to have a longitudinal stop on the head and / or handle side for the brush bodies. The operator can thus place a brush body in a housing such that it rests on the head and / or the handle side against one of the stops and thus takes a defined position in the longitudinal direction of the body.

It is thus ensured that after advancing the downstream processing station, when a new brush body is expected at its loading point, a brush body is ready for transfer to the exit point of the body supply device. of brush, the transport device of the brush body supply device can be coupled to a drive of the downstream processing station. Delays in loading the downstream processing device, which may result from the fact that the transport device of the brush body supply device must first be moved to a corresponding output position, are avoided by such a device. synchronization.

The entire brush body supply device may also be coupled with a positioning drive of the downstream processing device. In the case of a tamping device as a downstream processing device, its drum carrying the brush bodies performs positioning movements along the three axes in space during stuffing. When the brush body supply device participates in these positioning movements, no positioning movement in a transfer position is necessary before the transfer of a body, which can reduce the cycle time.

Said at least one brush ejector may preferably have a pneumatic drive. This allows a simple and precise control of the brush ejector. Other types of drive are also conceivable, for example by means of an engine.

In order to quickly readjust the brush body supply device to another type of brush body and to realize the brush body supply device so that it can be used universally, it is appropriate that the housings have adjustment elements to adapt their housing cross-section to different brush bodies.

For adaptation to different length brush bodies, the head-side support member, the handle-side support member, the head-end longitudinal stop, the sleeve-side longitudinal stop and / or retainer supporting the retainers may be axially positionable relative to each other.

It is advantageous if at least one sensor is provided for detecting the brush body in a housing and preferably at least one sensor is provided which detects whether a brush body is in one of the housings preceding the housing. exit point. Basically, it is actually possible to associate a sensor to each housing, which sensor detects whether a brush body is in the housing concerned. However, in order to be able to check whether a brush body is in one of the relevant housings preceding the exit point, it is sufficient that at least one sensor is associated with the exit point, which sensor detects whether a brush body is in a dwellings before the exit point. If no brush body is in place, subsequent rotation of the transport device can be prevented via a drive control so that an operator can still place a brush body before the free housing continues to pivot in the inaccessible region of the exit point.

The brush treatment device according to the invention will be explained in more detail on the basis of the drawings. These show on fig. 1 and FIG. 2 respectively a perspective view of a brush treatment device with a brush body supply device, FIG. 3 is a side view of a brush treatment device with a brush body supply device provided with a longitudinal stop of the head side, FIG. 4 is a side view of a brush treatment device with a brush body supply device provided with a longitudinal end stop on the handle side, FIG. 5 in fig. 7 side views of a brush treatment device upon the exit of a brush body from the brush body supply device, FIG. 8 a sectional representation of a brush treatment device with a retaining plate supporting a plurality of retainers, FIG. 9 a support member with brush body housings disposed on the outer periphery and FIG. A support member with brush body housings disposed on the outer periphery, having adjustment members.

A brush treatment device designated in its entirety by 1 has, according to FIGS. 1 to 7, a device for supplying a manually loadable brush body 2. Brush bodies 3 retained on the brush body supply device 2 may be transferred to a downstream processing device 4. The downstream processing device 4 is a stuffing device provided with a tamping tool 5 and a drum 6 rotatably retained on a drum support 7.

The brush body supply device 2 has a conveying device 9 rotatable about an axis of rotation 8, comprising a plurality of housings 10 disposed on its outer periphery and spaced from each other in the peripheral direction, each intended to A carrier body 9 has a head-end support member 11a and an axially spaced sleeve-side support member 11b, and a simple structure of the body supply device results therefrom. brush 2 with minimal weight and therefore a minimal mass to move.

A retaining plate 12 having a plurality of retainers 13 associated with the housings 10 is provided between the head-end support member 11a and the handle-side support member 11b.

The respective housings in the upper region of the brush body supply device 2 form the entry point 14. A brush body 3 can be placed in each of the housings 10 in these positions by an operator. Due to the rotation of the transport device 9, a brush body 3 reaches the outlet point 15 which is above the loading point 16 of the downstream processing device 4. There, a brush body 3 can be transferred from its housing 10 into a clamping device 17 of the drum 6.

For this purpose, as shown in particular in FIGS. 5 to 7, an output device 18 is provided with two brush ejectors 19. After a brush body 3 has been brought by the transport device 9 into the region of the exit point 15 and that a free clamping device 17 is in the region of the loading point 16 of the drum 6 (Figure 5), the brush body 3 is ejected to the air of the brush ejectors 19 of the housing 10 of the transport device 9 (FIG. 6), in that the brush body 3 is subjected at the head and the handle side to the action of a longitudinally displaceable biasing element. In doing so, the brush body 3 is pushed out of its retainer 13 into the clamping member 17 of the drum 6. When the clamping member 17 firmly holds the brush body 3, the biasing elements 20 are removed. (Figure 7) and the drum 6 can bring the brush body 3 by 90 ° rotation in front of the tamping tool 5 (Figure 8).

The brush ejectors 19 can respectively operate pneumatically.

In FIG. 8, one can also see the retaining plate 12 with the retaining devices 13. The retaining devices 13 respectively have a stop bar 21 as a fixed stop for a brush body 3. The stop bar 21 can be adjusted through an oblong hole 22 in the axial direction as well as in its angular position and then be fixed by a fixing screw 23 to be able to adapt the retaining device 13 to different brush bodies 3. The body of 3 is held tight between the stop bar 21 and a clamping bar 24 rotatably mounted on a rotary bolt 25, the clamping force being produced by a pressure spring 26 disposed between the stop bar 21 and the clamping bar 24. If no brush body 3 is in the retaining device 13 concerned, the deflection of the clamping bar 24 is limited by a round stop 27. When placing a brush body 3 d in a retaining device 13, which is possible in one of the retaining devices 13 located in the entry point 14 indicated in broken lines, the clamping bar 24 is deflected against the restoring force of the pressure spring 26 and the brush body 3 is clamped between the clamp bar 24 and the stop bar 21. This allows a simple placement of a brush body 3 in a retainer 13 as well as a simple removal of the brush body 3.

The housings 10 of the support members 11a, 11b may be, as shown in FIG. 9, simple recesses on the outer periphery of the support members 11a, 11b.

In order to quickly adapt the conveying device 9 of the brush body supply device 2 to different brush body shapes, for example in terms of thickness and profiling, the support members 11a, 11b exhibit, as shown in FIG. 10, on their recesses 10 displaceable lateral brackets 28 and support brackets 29. These can be respectively locked in the desired position and orientation via an oblong hole 30 and a fixing screw 31 for adapting the free region of the housing concerned 10 to the properties of the type of brush body to be treated. This possibility of adaptation by means of side brackets and support 28, 29 as adjustment elements is simple in terms of design and therefore cheap.

In each case, according to FIGS. 1 and 2 as well as 5 to 7, the brush body supply device 2 has a longitudinal stop 32a on the head side and a longitudinal stop 32b on the handle side in the form of a circular disc. Due to the longitudinal stops 32a, 32b, it is ensured that the brush bodies 3 will be placed in the housings 10 in the correct axial position which is required so that the brush bodies 3 can be correctly transferred into the clamping member 17 6. As a result, the placement of a brush body 3 in the housing 10 concerned is particularly simple. In the embodiment according to Figure 3, only a longitudinal stop 32a of the head side is provided and in the embodiment according to Figure 4, only a longitudinal stop 32b of the handle side is provided. When placing a brush body 3 in a housing 10, it must be carefully observed that the brush body 3 rests with its corresponding end against the longitudinal stop 32a, 32b concerned.

The support elements 11a, 11b, the retaining plate 12 as well as the longitudinal stops 32a, 32b are respectively rotatably arranged on a hollow shaft 33, which hollow shaft 33 is mounted to rotate about the axis of rotation 8.

On the hollow shaft 33 is a driven gear 34 which is drivingly connected via a driving gear 35 to a motorized drive, thereby allowing the transport device 9 to rotate. The drive 36 is retained by means of a retaining element 37 and a bar 38 on the drum support 7 (FIG. 2) so that the entire transport device 9 accompanies the positioning movement (arrows Pf1 , Pf2, Pf3, Figure 1) of the drum 6.

For the adaptation to brush bodies of different length, the support elements 11a, 11b, the retaining plate 12 as well as the longitudinal stops 32a, 32b can be axially positioned on the hollow shaft 33 in a manner not shown and be fixed in a relevant position.

The rotary drive for the transport device can also be coupled to the rotary drive for the drum 6 to synchronize the two rotary movements.

Instead of the motorized drive 36, it is also possible to engage the transport device 9 via a brake control wheel on the hollow shaft 33.

The brush body supply device 2 shown in the figures has housings 10 for eight brush bodies 3. Of course, embodiments with more or fewer housings are also possible.

With a sensor 100 shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, it is possible to check whether a brush body 3 is in the housing 10 in question preceding the exit point 15. If no brush body is in place, a rotation The transport device 9 can be prevented by means of a drive control so that an operator can still place a brush body before the empty housing continues to pivot in the inaccessible region of the exit point. 15.

It is also possible to provide a protection device which monitors the entry point 14 and prevents a rotation of the transport device 9 when an operator places a brush body 3 in a housing 10. The protection device can, for example, be made by a light barrier or a light grid.

Claims (10)

A brush treatment device (1) provided with a brush body supply device (2) comprising an entry point (14) and an exit point (15) and an exit device (18) for removing a brush body (3) at the exit point (15), the exit point (15) of the brush body supply device (2) being disposed in the region of a point loading device (16) for a downstream treatment station (4), characterized in that the brush body supply device (2) has a rotatable transport device (9) comprising a plurality of housings (10) disposed on its outer periphery and spaced from each other in the circumferential direction, each for a brush body (3), in that a retainer (13) for fixing a brush body (3) in the the housing (10) concerned is associated with each of the housings (10) and in that the output device (18) has at least one oins a brush ejector (19) movable between a rest position and an ejection position acting on the brush body (3) to be ejected. Brush treatment device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the conveying device (9) has a support member (11a) on the head side and a support element (11b) on the handle side arranged axially at a distance from the latter, which supporting elements (11a, 11b) respectively have the housings (10) of brush body disposed on the outer periphery. 3. Brush treatment device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the support elements (11a, 11b) respectively have a circular or polygonal outer contour. Brush treatment device according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the retaining devices (13) are respectively designed as clamping elements and can be displaced against a restoring force of a position retainer in a release position. Brush treatment device according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the brush body supply device (2) has a longitudinal stop on the head side and / or a longitudinal stop on the handle side. (32a, 32b) for the brush bodies (3). Brush treatment device according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the conveying device (9) of the brush body supply device (2) is coupled with a drive of the treatment station. (4) downstream. 7. Brush treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that at least one brush ejector (19) has a pneumatic drive. Brush treatment device according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the seats (10) have adjustment elements for adapting their housing cross-section to different brush bodies (3). . Brush treatment device according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the support member (11a) on the head side, the support element (11b) on the handle side, the longitudinal stop ( 32a), the longitudinal end (32b) of the handle side and / or a retaining plate (12) supporting the retaining devices (13) are axially positionable relative to each other for adaptation to different bodies of brush (3). Brush treatment device according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that at least one sensor (100) is provided for detecting the brush body (3) in a housing and in that at least one sensor (100) is preferably provided which detects whether a brush body (3) is in one of the housings (10) preceding the exit point (15).