CN108795301B - Bonding device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a bonding apparatus capable of suppressing a decrease in work efficiency when bonding a sheet having a stepped portion and suppressing a defective bonding of the sheet due to a change in a discharge distance. The bonding device discharges the adhesive from the discharge port of the nozzle to the lower cloth disposed on the lower cloth supporting surface of the lower cloth supporting portion. The second roller is disposed above the first roller so that the lower cloth is interposed between the second roller and the first roller, and is capable of moving up and down. When the stepped portion of the lower cloth passes between the first roller and the second roller, the second roller moves up and down. The magnetic sensor detects the vertical position of the second roller. The CPU of the bonding apparatus moves the lower cloth support portion up and down based on the up-down position of the second roller detected by the magnetic sensor.

Description

Bonding device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a bonding apparatus.

Background

There is a bonding apparatus for bonding two sheets in a stacked state with an adhesive. The cloth bonding apparatus disclosed in japanese patent application laid-open No. 2010-222140 includes a nozzle, a belt, and a first roller, and is capable of performing a bonding operation of conveying an upper cloth and a lower cloth while bonding the upper cloth and the lower cloth to each other. The nozzle has a discharge port on a lower surface thereof, and is capable of discharging the adhesive from the discharge port toward the upper surface of the lower cloth. The first roller is provided on the downstream side of the nozzle in the cloth conveying direction. The belt extends from the underside of the nozzle to the underside of the first roller and supports the lower cloth from the underside. The first roller and the belt convey the upper cloth and the lower cloth while sandwiching the upper cloth and the lower cloth coated with the adhesive therebetween and pressing the upper cloth and the lower cloth against each other.

The cloth bonding apparatus may bond a lower cloth having a portion (hereinafter, referred to as a stepped portion) whose thickness varies in a transport direction. In this case, a distance between the discharge port and the upper surface of the lower cloth (hereinafter, referred to as a discharge distance) changes before and after the step portion of the lower cloth passes through the discharge port. When the discharge distance is too large, a portion where the adhesive is not applied is generated on the lower cloth. When the discharge distance is too small, a portion where the adhesive is excessively applied may be generated on the lower cloth. When the discharge distance is smaller than the thickness of the lower cloth, the lower cloth interferes with the nozzle, and thus poor conveyance occurs. That is, since there is a possibility that a defective adhesion occurs when the discharge distance is changed, the operator needs to maintain the discharge distance at a predetermined distance in order to apply an appropriate amount of the adhesive to the lower cloth. Therefore, when the cloth bonding apparatus conveys the stepped portion of the lower cloth to the lower side of the discharge port, the operator stops the bonding operation by the cloth bonding apparatus. The operator moves the belt up and down and adjusts the up and down position of the belt in accordance with the height of the stepped portion of the lower cloth, thereby maintaining the discharge distance at a predetermined distance. The operator restarts the bonding operation by the cloth bonding apparatus. Therefore, when the cloth bonding apparatus bonds the stepped portion of the lower cloth, the number of steps increases, which may result in a reduction in work efficiency.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to provide a bonding device which can inhibit the reduction of work efficiency when bonding a sheet with a step part and inhibit poor bonding of the sheet caused by the change of a discharge distance.

The bonding apparatus according to claim 1 comprises: a conveying mechanism, one side of which is pressed and connected with the second sheet in a state of overlapping the first sheet by the adhesive, and one side of which conveys the first sheet and the second sheet along a conveying direction crossed with the vertical direction; a nozzle having a discharge port for discharging the adhesive to an adhesive surface that is an upper surface of the first sheet, the nozzle being disposed upstream of the conveying mechanism in the conveying direction and at a position between the first sheet and the second sheet in the vertical direction; a supply mechanism for supplying the adhesive to the nozzle; and a discharge conveyance control unit that controls the conveyance mechanism and the supply mechanism, and conveys the first sheet and the second sheet while pressing the first sheet and the second sheet against each other while discharging the adhesive from the discharge port and applying the adhesive to the bonding surface of the first sheet, wherein the bonding apparatus includes: a support mechanism having a support surface for supporting the first sheet from below the nozzle, the support mechanism being capable of moving up and down; a specific member provided upstream of the nozzle in the conveying direction, the specific member supporting the first sheet from below; a counter member that is opposed to the specific member from above and is capable of moving up and down, the counter member sandwiching the first sheet between the counter member and the specific member; a first detection unit for detecting a vertical position of the opposing member; a first driving unit connected to the support mechanism and capable of moving the support mechanism up and down; and a vertical movement control unit that controls the first drive unit when the discharge conveyance control unit controls the conveyance mechanism and the supply mechanism, the vertical movement control unit including: a first vertical movement control unit that moves the support mechanism downward when the first detection unit detects that the vertical position of the opposing member has been displaced upward; and a second vertical motion control unit that moves the support mechanism upward when the first detection unit detects that the vertical position of the opposing member has been displaced downward.

When a portion (hereinafter, referred to as a stepped portion) where the thickness of the first sheet changes in the conveying direction passes between the specific member and the opposing member, the opposing member performs an up-and-down movement. The first detection unit detects the vertical position of the opposing member. Therefore, the first detection portion can detect the amount of thickness change of the first sheet (i.e., the height of the stepped portion of the first sheet) when the stepped portion of the first sheet passes between the specific member and the opposing member. When the thickened stepped portion of the first sheet passes between the specific member and the opposing member rises, the supporting mechanism descends. When the step portion of the first sheet, the thickness of which is thinned, passes between the specific member and the opposing member descends, the supporting mechanism ascends. Since the support mechanism supports the first sheet from below by the support surface below the nozzle, the distance between the discharge port and the support surface (hereinafter referred to as a nozzle gap) changes when the support mechanism moves up and down. That is, when the stepped portion of the first sheet passes between the specific member and the opposing member, the bonding apparatus can adjust the distance between the discharge port and the bonding surface of the first sheet (hereinafter, referred to as a discharge distance) by adjusting the nozzle gap in accordance with the amount of change in the thickness of the first sheet. Therefore, the bonding apparatus can suppress a decrease in work efficiency when bonding a sheet having a stepped portion, and can suppress a bonding failure of the sheet due to a change in the discharge distance.

In the bonding apparatus according to claim 2, the nozzle may discharge the adhesive from the discharge port to a specific end portion on one side in a specific direction orthogonal to the transport direction and the vertical direction on the bonding surface, and the specific member may be a first roller that is capable of reciprocating rotation about an axis extending in the transport direction, and the bonding apparatus may include: a second detection unit that detects whether or not the first sheet is located at a predetermined detection position that is upstream of the discharge port in the conveyance direction and downstream of the first roller in the conveyance direction; a second driving unit connected to the first roller and capable of rotating the first roller; and a movement control unit that controls the second driving unit when the discharge conveyance control unit controls the conveyance mechanism and the supply mechanism, the movement control unit including: a first movement control unit that rotates the first roller in a first rotational direction and moves the first sheet to one side in the specific direction when the second detection unit detects that the first sheet is not at the detection position; and a second movement control unit that rotates the first roller in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction and moves the first sheet to the other side in the specific direction when the second detection unit detects that the first sheet is located at the detection position. When the first sheet is not at the detection position, the bonding apparatus can move the first sheet located at a position deviated from the detection position in a direction toward the detection position by rotating the first roller in the first rotation direction. When the first sheet is located at the detection position, the bonding apparatus can move the first sheet located at the detection position in a direction away from the detection position by rotating the first roller in the second rotation direction. The bonding device repeatedly moves the first sheet in either one of a direction of being deviated from the detection position and a direction of being directed toward the detection position, and thus can control the specific direction position of the specific end portion. The adhesive device can apply the adhesive to the specific end portion of the first sheet by discharging the adhesive from the discharge port to the specific end portion of the first sheet at the controlled specific directional position. Therefore, the bonding apparatus can stabilize the application accuracy of the adhesive to the specific end of the first sheet. Since the opposing member is in contact with the adhesive surface of the first sheet, the first sheet can be prevented from floating and failing to follow the rotation of the first roller. The bonding device can control the specific direction position of the specific end part by using the opposite member, and can adjust the discharge distance according to the vertical position of the opposite member. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a member for controlling the specific directional position of the specific end portion and a member for adjusting the discharge distance independently of each other, and therefore the bonding apparatus can suppress the enlargement of the apparatus.

In the bonding apparatus according to claim 3, the bonding apparatus may include a support member that supports the opposing member so as to be capable of moving the opposing member up and down, the support member including: a support portion for supporting the opposing member; an arm portion extending in the conveying direction, the arm portion supporting the support portion; and a swing shaft portion that extends in the specific direction and is provided at a position offset in the conveyance direction with respect to the support portion, the swing shaft portion supporting the arm portion so as to be able to swing. When the support member supports the opposing member so as to be able to linearly move the opposing member in the vertical direction, the arrangement position of the support member is limited to the upper side of the opposing member, and therefore the degree of freedom in designing the arrangement position of the support member is reduced. In contrast, since the swing shaft portion is offset in the conveying direction with respect to the support portion, the degree of freedom in designing the arrangement position of the arm portion is improved. Therefore, according to the bonding apparatus of the present invention, the arrangement position of the arm portion can be easily determined in consideration of the members arranged around the arm portion.

In the bonding apparatus according to claim 4, the bonding apparatus may include a subject provided at a position shifted in the transport direction with respect to the swing shaft portion in the arm portion, and the first detection portion may be a proximity sensor capable of detecting a vertical position of the subject in a non-contact manner. The arm portion supports a support portion that supports the opposing member, and the object is placed at a position offset in the transport direction with respect to the swing shaft portion in the arm portion. Therefore, the proximity sensor can detect the vertical position of the opposing member by detecting the vertical position of the subject. The proximity sensor can detect the vertical position of the opposing member in a non-contact manner, and therefore the bonding apparatus can suppress damage to the opposing member and the like.

In the adhesion device according to claim 5, the subject may be a magnetic body, and the proximity sensor may be a magnetic sensor. The magnetic sensor is less susceptible to foreign matter such as dust than an optical sensor, and therefore, even in an environment with a large amount of dust, the vertical position of the opposing member can be detected with high accuracy. Therefore, the bonding apparatus can suppress a bonding failure of the sheet due to a change in the discharge distance.

In the bonding device according to claim 6 or 7, the subject may be located on a side opposite to the side where the support portion is located with respect to the swing shaft portion, and a distance between the swing shaft portion and the subject may be larger than a distance between the swing shaft portion and the support portion. When the step portion of the first sheet passes between the specific member and the opposing member, the arm portion swings about the swing shaft portion. The distance between the swing shaft portion and the magnet is larger than the distance between the swing shaft portion and the support portion, and therefore, the amount of movement in the up-down direction of the magnet is larger than the amount of movement in the up-down direction of the opposing member. Therefore, even if the amount of movement of the opposing member in the vertical direction is small, the amount of movement of the magnet in the vertical direction can be increased, and the magnetic sensor can detect the vertical position of the opposing member with high accuracy by detecting the vertical position of the magnet. Therefore, the bonding apparatus can suppress a bonding failure of the sheet due to a change in the discharge distance.

In the bonding apparatus according to claim 8, the bonding apparatus may include an acquisition unit that is capable of acquiring the vertical position of the opposing member detected by the first detection unit, and the vertical movement control unit may control the first drive unit after a time corresponding to a distance in the conveyance direction between the opposing member and the discharge port and a conveyance speed at which the conveyance mechanism conveys the first sheet has elapsed from when the acquisition unit acquires the vertical position of the opposing member. Since the opposed member is located on the upstream side of the discharge port in the conveying direction, there is a time difference between the timing at which the step portion of the first sheet passes between the specific member and the opposed member and the timing at which the step portion of the first sheet passes between the support surface and the discharge port. The time difference varies according to the distance in the conveying direction between the opposing member and the discharge port and the conveying speed of the first sheet. The bonding apparatus moves the support mechanism up and down after a time corresponding to the time difference has elapsed since the vertical position of the opposing member was acquired. Accordingly, the bonding device can move the support mechanism up and down when the step portion of the first sheet passes between the support surface and the discharge port, in accordance with the step portion passing between the specific member and the opposing member.

In the bonding apparatus according to claim 9, the opposing member may be a second roller that is capable of reciprocating rotation about an axis extending in the specific direction, and an outer peripheral surface of the second roller may have an opposing portion that is recessed radially inward along an outer shape of the first roller in the specific direction. Since the second roller has the facing portion, the area in which the first sheet is in contact with the first roller and the second roller can be increased in a state in which the first sheet is disposed between the second roller and the first roller. Therefore, according to the bonding apparatus of the present invention, the first sheet does not float and can follow the rotation of the first roller.

In the bonding apparatus according to claim 10, the opposing member may be a plate-like member fixed to the support portion. Since the plate-like opposing member is fixed to the support portion, the bonding apparatus can suppress an increase in the space required for disposing the opposing member, as compared with a case where the opposing member is rotated or the like. Therefore, the bonding apparatus can suppress the expansion of the apparatus.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the bonding apparatus 1.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal structure of the bonding apparatus 1.

Fig. 3 is a left side view of the bonding apparatus 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the nozzle 11.

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the nozzle 11.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the lower cloth support mechanism 400.

Fig. 7 is a rear view of the position adjustment mechanism 410.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the conveyance control unit 50 (with the upper cloth support plate 53 removed).

Fig. 9 is a left side view of the conveyance control unit 50 (with the cover 501 removed) when the second roller 57 is located at the third position.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the holding portion 54 (first position) and the upper cloth support plate 53 (first position).

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the holding portion 54 (first position) and the upper cloth support plate 53 (second position).

Fig. 12 is a rear view of the conveyance control unit 50.

Fig. 13 is a left side view of the conveyance control unit 50 (with the cover 501 removed) when the second roller 57 is located at the fourth position.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the holding portion 54 (second position) and the upper cloth support plate 53 (second position).

Fig. 15 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the bonding apparatus 1.

Fig. 16 is a flowchart of the first process.

Fig. 17 is a flowchart of the bonding process.

Fig. 18A to 18D are diagrams for explaining the operation in the nozzle gap adjustment process.

Fig. 19 is a flowchart of the nozzle gap adjustment process.

Fig. 20 is a flowchart of the second process.

Fig. 21 is a rear view of the conveyance control unit 50 having the photosensor 241.

Fig. 22 is a perspective view of the plate-like body 571 and the supporting member 581.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention will be described. The following description uses the left and right, front and back, and up and down shown by arrows in the drawings. The bonding apparatus 1 can perform a bonding operation of bonding two objects to be bonded with an adhesive Z (see fig. 18A). The object to be bonded is a flexible sheet, and includes, for example, a lower cloth C1 and an upper cloth C2 (see fig. 9).

The mechanical structure of the bonding apparatus 1 will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 14. As shown in fig. 1, the bonding apparatus 1 includes a base 2, a column 3, an arm 4, and a head 5. The base unit 2 is rectangular parallelepiped and fixed to a table. The column part 3 is columnar and extends upward from the upper surface of the pedestal part 2. The arm portion 4 extends leftward from the upper end of the column portion 3. The head 5 protrudes leftward from the left end of the arm portion 4.

The housing part 2 supports the mounting member 31. The mounting member 31 has a fixing portion 32 and a holding portion 33. The fixing portion 32 is a plate shape having a rectangular shape when viewed from the left side and extending to the lower side of the base portion 2, and the fixing portion 32 is fixed to the left surface of the base portion 2. The front end upper portion of the fixing portion 32 extends to the front side of the housing portion 2. The holding portion 33 is in the form of a box extending leftward from the lower portion of the fixing portion 32 and opening upward and leftward.

The holding portion 33 fixes the fixing portion 34. The fixing portion 34 has a rectangular plate shape and extends substantially parallel to the horizontal plane. The fixing portion 34 has a holding portion 35 fixed to the upper side. The holding portion 35 has a triangular shape when viewed from the left side, and the upper surface of the holding portion 35 is inclined rearward and upward.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the holding portion 35 holds the lower transport arm 7 and the lower roller drive mechanism 15 at the upper side. The lower transport arm 7 is box-shaped and inclined upward and forward. The lower transport arm 7 supports a lower rotation shaft 211 at a distal end portion. The lower rotating shaft 211 extends in the left-right direction and protrudes leftward from the lower conveying arm 7. The left end portion of the lower rotating shaft 211 supports the lower roller 18.

The lower roll driving mechanism 15 includes a lower conveyance motor 111, a first pulley, a timing belt, and a second pulley. The lower conveyance motor 111 is fixed to the holding portion 35 on the right side of the lower conveyance arm 7. The first pulley is fixed to an output shaft of the lower conveyance motor 111. The second pulley is fixed to the right end of the lower rotating shaft 211 in the lower transport arm 7. The synchronous belt is erected between the first belt wheel and the second belt wheel. The power of the lower conveyance motor 111 is transmitted to the lower roller 18 via the first pulley, the timing belt, the second pulley, and the lower rotation shaft 211. Therefore, the lower roll driving mechanism 15 rotates the lower roll 18 by the power of the lower conveying motor 111.

The head 5 (see fig. 1) supports the support arm 16, the upper cylinder 122 (see fig. 15), and the upper roller driving mechanism 21. The support arm 16 extends downward from the rear end of the head 5 and projects forward, and has an L-shape when viewed from the left. The support arm 16 supports the shaft portion 5B at the tip end portion. The shaft portion 5B extends in the left-right direction.

The shaft portion 5B supports the upper transport arm 6 in a rotatable manner with respect to the upper transport arm 6. The upper transport arm 6 has a box shape, and the upper transport arm 6 extends in the front-rear direction with the front portion extending obliquely forward and downward. The rear end of the upper transport arm 6 is located in the lower end of the support arm 16 and behind the shaft portion 5B. The upper transport arm 6 supports an upper rotating shaft 72 at a front end portion. The upper rotating shaft 72 extends in the left-right direction and protrudes leftward from the upper conveying arm 6. The upper rotating shaft 72 supports the upper roller 12 at the left end portion.

The upper cylinder 122 is disposed within the support arm 16. The movable portion of the upper cylinder 122 extends in the vertical direction and is connected to the rear end portion of the upper transport arm 6. The upper transport arm 6 is driven by the upper cylinder 122 to swing about the shaft portion 5B. The upper roller 12 moves closer to or farther from the lower roller 18 in conjunction with the oscillation of the upper transport arm 6.

The upper roller driving mechanism 21 includes an upper conveyance motor 112, a first pulley 21A, a first timing belt 21B, a second pulley, a second timing belt, and a third pulley. The upper conveying motor 112 is fixed to the rear left upper portion of the head 5. The first pulley 21A is fixed to an output shaft 112A of the upper conveyance motor 112. The second belt pulley is arranged in the upper conveying arm 6. The first timing belt 21B is erected between the first pulley 21A and the second pulley. The third pulley is fixed to the right end of the upper rotating shaft 72 in the upper conveying arm 6. The second synchronous belt is erected between the second belt wheel and the third belt wheel. The power of the upper conveyance motor 112 is transmitted to the upper roller 12 via the first pulley 21A, the first timing belt 21B, the second pulley, the second timing belt, the third pulley, and the upper rotation shaft 72. Therefore, the upper roll driving mechanism 21 rotates the upper roll 12 by the power of the upper conveying motor 112.

The lower roller 18 and the upper roller 12 are opposed in the up-down direction. The lower roller 18 and the upper roller 12 sandwich the lower cloth C1 and the upper cloth C2 (see fig. 9) overlapped vertically from above and below. Hereinafter, a position where the lower roller 18 and the upper roller 12 sandwich the lower cloth C1 and the upper cloth C2 is referred to as a nip position P (see fig. 9), and the upper roller 12 and the lower roller 18 are collectively referred to as a conveying mechanism 14. The conveyance mechanism 14 conveys the upper cloth C2 and the lower cloth C1 at the nip position P while pressing the upper cloth C2 and the lower cloth C1 together with the upper cloth C2 superimposed on the lower cloth C1 by means of the adhesive Z (see fig. 18A). Hereinafter, the direction in which the lower cloth C1 and the upper cloth C2 are conveyed by the conveying mechanism 14 is referred to as a conveying direction (see arrow M in fig. 9). The conveying direction is from the front side toward the rear side.

The head 5 has a lever 9, a cover 29, and a lever swinging mechanism 22. The rod 9 extends downward from the left side inside the head 5 and is arm-shaped. The nozzle support portion 10 is detachably attached to the lower end of the rod 9 so as to support the nozzle support portion 10. As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the nozzle support portion 10 has a first portion 10A and a second portion 10B. The first portion 10A is substantially prismatic, the upper surface of the first portion 10A being fixed to the rod 9. The second portion 10B is substantially rod-shaped and extends downward from the lower surface of the first portion 10A. The second portion 10B supports the nozzle 11 at a lower end.

The nozzle 11 is substantially rod-shaped and extends rightward from a lower end portion of the second portion 10B. The cross-sectional shape of the nozzle 11 orthogonal to the extending direction thereof is a triangular shape. The nozzle 11 is disposed upstream in the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism 14 and between the lower cloth C1 and the upper cloth C2 in the up-down direction. The nozzle 11 has a first surface 11A, a second surface 11B, and an inclined surface 11C. The first surface 11A faces downward and extends in the conveying direction and the left-right direction. The second surface 11B faces forward and extends upward from the front end of the first surface 11A. The inclined surface 11C is provided on the upper side of the first surface 11A and on the rear side of the second surface 11B, and is inclined rearward and downward. The inclined surface 11C connects the rear end of the first surface 11A and the upper end of the second surface 11B.

The first surface 11A has a discharge port 11D. The discharge port 11D is a plurality of through holes arranged in the left-right direction, and is provided on the front side of the front-rear direction center portion of the nozzle 11. In the present embodiment, the discharge port 11D is provided near the tip end of the first surface 11A. The nozzle 11 discharges the adhesive Z (see fig. 18A) from the discharge port 11D toward the upper surface (hereinafter referred to as an adhesive surface E) of the lower cloth C1 downward. The adhesive surface E is vertically opposed to the lower surface of the upper cloth C2 on the downstream side in the transport direction of the nozzle 11.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the cover 29 covers the rod 9, and the cover 29 is box-shaped and fixed to the rod 9. The lever swing mechanism 22 has a nozzle motor 113 and a speed reduction mechanism 23. The nozzle motor 113 is a pulse motor and is provided on the left side in the head 5. An output shaft of the nozzle motor 113 extends forward from the nozzle motor 113. The reduction mechanism 23 has a worm, a support shaft 26, and a worm wheel 25. The worm is fixed to an output shaft of the nozzle motor 113. The worm is rotatable integrally with an output shaft of the nozzle motor 113 about an axis extending in the conveying direction. The support shaft 26 extends in the left-right direction above the worm, and the support shaft 26 has a cylindrical shape. The left end of the support shaft 26 is coupled to the upper end of the rod 9. The left end of the support shaft 26 is closed, and the right end of the support shaft 26 is open. The worm wheel 25 is provided to the right of the lever 9. The worm wheel 25 is fixed to the support shaft 26 and meshes with the upper end of the worm. The worm rotates by the driving of the nozzle motor 113, and the worm wheel 25 rotates integrally with the support shaft 26. The speed reduction mechanism 23 transmits the power of the nozzle motor 113 to the lever 9 at a predetermined speed reduction ratio (1: 50 in the present embodiment).

The lever 9 is driven by the nozzle motor 113 to swing about the support shaft 26. The nozzle 11 moves in a direction approaching or separating from the conveyance mechanism 14 in front of the conveyance mechanism 14 in association with the swing of the lever 9. The lever 9 supports the nozzle 11 so that the nozzle 11 can move between the close position and the retracted position. When the nozzle 11 is located at the close position, the discharge port 11D faces the outer peripheral surface of the lower roller 18 with a gap. When the nozzle 11 is located at the retreat position, the nozzle 11 is separated from the conveyance mechanism 14 forward and upward than when the nozzle 11 is located at the close position.

The head 5 has a mounting portion 41 and a supply mechanism 45. The mounting portion 41 is provided at a substantially central portion of the head portion 5, and includes a cover 41A (see fig. 1), a housing portion 41B, a cover 41C, and a heater 131 (see fig. 15). The cover 41A has a substantially rectangular box shape and extends upward from the upper surface of the head 5. The cover 41A is opened in the vertical direction. The housing portion 41B is provided in the cover 41A. The housing portion 41B has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box shape and extends from the inside of the head portion 5 to the upper end of the cover 41A. The housing portion 41B opens upward. The housing portion 41B houses the inner container therein so that the inner container can be attached and detached. The cover 41C is detachably provided on the upper side of the housing 41B, and the cover 41C opens and closes the upper opening of the housing 41B. The inner container is for storing hot-melt adhesive Z (see fig. 18A). When the adhesive Z is heated to a predetermined temperature, the adhesive Z becomes liquid, and when the temperature of the adhesive Z is lower than the predetermined temperature, the adhesive Z becomes solid. The heater 131 is provided in the storage portion 41B and heats the inner container stored in the storage portion 41B. The adhesive Z melts and becomes liquid under the heating of the heater 131.

The supply mechanism 45 has a pump motor 114 and a gear pump 46. The pump motor 114 is provided in the arm unit 4 (see fig. 1). An output shaft 114A of the pump motor 114 extends leftward from the pump motor 114. The gear pump 46 is provided on the front side of the mounting portion 41 and connected to the right end portion of the support shaft 26. The output shaft 114A is connected to the gear pump 46 via a gear 46A. The gear pump 46 can suck the adhesive Z from the inner container stored in the storage portion 41B and supply the sucked adhesive Z to the nozzle 11.

The flow path of the adhesive Z (see fig. 18A) will be described. The adhesive Z flows through the respective flow paths in the gear pump 46, the support shaft 26, the rod 9, the nozzle support 10, and the nozzle 11 to reach the discharge port 11D (see fig. 5). The rod 9 has a heater 132 (see fig. 15) in the vicinity of the flow path inside. The heat of the heater 132 is conducted to the nozzle 11 via the nozzle support portion 10. The heater 132 heats the adhesive Z flowing toward the discharge port 11D in the rod 9.

The pump motor 114 is driven, and the gear pump 46 sucks the adhesive Z from the inner container stored in the storage portion 41B. While the heater 131 and the heater 132 heat the adhesive Z, the adhesive Z flows through the respective flow paths from the inner container and is discharged downward from the discharge port 11D.

The lower cloth support mechanism 400 is described with reference to fig. 6 and 7. As shown in fig. 6, the bonding apparatus 1 has a lower cloth support mechanism 400. The lower cloth support mechanism 400 is provided upstream in the conveying direction of the lower roller 18 and is fixed to the machine base 2 (see fig. 1). The lower cloth support mechanism 400 includes a base 405, a position adjustment mechanism 410, and a lower cloth support portion 420. The lower cloth support part 420 is provided below the nozzle 11 and is movable up and down. The upper surface of the lower cloth support portion 420 (hereinafter referred to as a lower cloth support surface 420A) is disposed at a position intersecting the discharge trajectory of the adhesive Z discharged from the discharge port 11D by the nozzle 11, and extends parallel to the horizontal plane. The lower cloth support surface 420A supports a portion of the lower cloth C1 to which the adhesive Z is to be attached to the bonding surface E from below at the lower side of the nozzle 11, and guides the lower cloth C1 between the upper roller 12 and the lower roller 18. The lower cloth supporting surface 420A determines the upper and lower positions of the portion of the lower cloth C1 to be adhered to the adhering surface E by the adhesive Z.

The base 405 has a substantially rectangular plate shape in front view, and is fixed to the left surface of the base unit 2. The base 405 supports a position adjustment mechanism 410. The position adjustment mechanism 410 supports the lower cloth support portion 420 so that the lower cloth support portion 420 can move up and down, and can adjust the up and down position of the lower cloth support portion 420. The lower cloth support mechanism 400 adjusts the distance between the discharge port 11D and the lower cloth support surface 420A (hereinafter referred to as the nozzle gap X) by moving the lower cloth support 420 up and down by the position adjustment mechanism 410. The bonding apparatus 1 can adjust the distance (hereinafter, referred to as a discharge distance Y) between the discharge port 11D and the bonding surface E of the lower cloth C1 placed on the lower cloth support surface 420A by adjusting the nozzle gap X (see fig. 18A). The bonding apparatus 1 performs control to keep the discharge distance Y (see fig. 18A) constant by adjusting the nozzle gap X.

As shown in fig. 6 and 7, the position adjustment mechanism 410 includes an adjustment motor 412, a screw 414, a coupling belt 415, a coupling base 413, and a coupling body 417. The adjustment motor 412 is fixed to the lower end of the base 405. An output shaft 412A of the adjustment motor 412 protrudes downward, and the output shaft 412A is driven by the adjustment motor 412 to rotate in the first output direction and the second output direction. The second output direction is a rotational direction opposite to the first output direction. The output shaft 412A fixes the pulley 412B. The screw 414 is provided at a position shifted to the right and rear with respect to the output shaft 412A. The screw 414 can rotate around an axis extending in the vertical direction. The lower end of the screw 414 is fixed with a pulley 414A. The connecting belt 415 is endless and is stretched between the pulley 412B and the pulley 414A. The base 405 rotatably supports the upper and lower ends of the screw 414 with respect to the screw 414. The screw 414 has a screw thread portion on an outer peripheral surface. Fig. 6 and 7 omit illustration of the thread portion of the screw 414. The thread portion of the screw 414 is formed spirally above the coupling band 415 along the axis of the screw 414. The coupling base 413 extends in the vertical direction in the front view, and the vertical center of the coupling base 413 extends in the left direction. The connection base 413 supports the lower cloth support part 420. The connection base 413 has a through hole 416. The through hole 416 extends in the vertical direction. The upper end of the through-hole 416 is expanded in diameter compared to the other portions of the through-hole 416. The screw 414 passes through the through hole 416.

As shown in fig. 7, the engaging body 417 is a cylindrical body extending in the vertical direction, and the engaging body 417 is fitted into and fixed to the upper end portion of the through-hole 416 (see fig. 6). The engaging body 417 has a hole portion 417A. An inner circumferential surface of hole 417A forms a threaded portion. Fig. 7 omits illustration of the threaded portion of hole 417A. The threaded portion is formed in a spiral shape along the center line of the hole 417A. The threaded portion of the engaging body 417 is engaged with the threaded portion of the screw 414.

When the power of the adjustment motor 412 is transmitted to the screw 414 via the coupling belt 415, the screw 414 rotates. As the screw 414 rotates, the engagement body 417 moves up and down integrally with the coupling base 413 and the lower cloth support portion 420. When the output shaft 412A is rotated in the first output direction by the adjustment motor 412, the lower cloth support part 420 is lowered. When the output shaft 412A is rotated in the second output direction by the adjustment motor 412, the lower cloth support part 420 is raised. Therefore, the position adjustment mechanism 410 can adjust the vertical position of the lower cloth support portion 420 by adjusting the driving force of the motor 412.

The conveyance control unit 50 will be described with reference to fig. 1, 8 to 14. In fig. 12, the lower roller 18, the nozzle support portion 10, the nozzle 11, the lower cloth support portion 420, and the like are not illustrated. The conveyance control unit 50 is for controlling the left-right position of the right end portion (hereinafter referred to as specific end portion F) of the lower cloth C1. The bonding apparatus 1 is attached with the conveyance control unit 50 in a detachable manner. As shown in fig. 8 and 9, the conveyance control unit 50 includes a base 51, a cover 501, an upper cloth support plate 53, a holding portion 54, a moving mechanism 55, and left and right air cylinders 123.

The base 51 has a rectangular plate shape when viewed from the left side, and the base 51 is fixed to the front end portion of the left surface of the fixing portion 32 by screws. The front end of the base 51 is located on the front side of the base 2. The operator attaches and detaches the base 51 to and from the fixing portion 32, thereby attaching and detaching the conveyance control unit 50 to and from the bonding apparatus 1. The base 51 supports the receiving portion 511 and the receiving portion 512. The receiving portion 511 is substantially rod-shaped and open upward, and extends leftward from the upper portion of the distal end portion of the base portion 51. The receiving portion 511 has a wall portion 514 at the left end portion. The wall 514 is substantially rod-shaped and extends rearward from the left end of the receiving portion 511. As shown in fig. 9, the receiving portion 512 is plate-shaped in a plan view, and extends leftward from a lower portion of the base portion 51. The receiving portion 512 supports the receiving portion 513. The receiving portion 513 is plate-shaped in front view, and extends upward from the front end of the receiving portion 512.

As shown in fig. 1, the cover 501 has a box shape that is open downward, rearward, and rightward, and an upper wall portion of the cover 501 is fixed to an upper end of the receiving portion 513 (see fig. 9). The upper surface of the cover 501 is a lower cloth support plate 52. The lower cloth support plate 52 extends parallel to the horizontal plane and is provided on the front side of a first roller 56 (see fig. 9) and a second roller 57, which will be described later. The lower cloth support plate 52 is located below the nozzle 11 (see fig. 2). The lower cloth support plate 52 supports the lower cloth C1 from the lower side and guides the lower cloth C1 between the first roller 56 and the second roller 57.

As shown in fig. 8, the base 51 supports the first guide member 51A, the second guide member 51B, and the third guide member 51C on the rear side of the receiving portion 511. The first guide member 51A, the second guide member 51B, and the third guide member 51C are cylindrical and extend in the left-right direction between the left surface of the base portion 51 and the wall portion 514. The first guide member 51A, the third guide member 51C, and the second guide member 51B are arranged in this order from the front to the rear. The first guide member 51A is located on the upper side of the second guide member 51B and the third guide member 51C.

As shown in fig. 8 and 9, the upper cloth support plate 53 is provided on the front side of the transport mechanism 14 and above the nozzle 11 (see fig. 10). That is, the lower cloth support plate 52 is located at the lower side of the upper cloth support plate 53. The upper cloth support plate 53 covers the holding portion 54 and the like from the upper side. The upper cloth support plate 53 supports the upper cloth C2 from the lower side and guides the upper cloth C2 between the upper roller 12 and the lower roller 18. A portion of the front half of the upper cloth support plate 53 (hereinafter referred to as a first portion 53A) extends substantially parallel to the horizontal plane. A rear half portion (hereinafter referred to as a second portion 53B) of the upper cloth support plate 53 extends obliquely rearward and downward from a rear end of the first portion 53A. The upper cloth support plate 53 is bent from the first portion 53A to the second portion 53B. The rear end of the second portion 53B is located above the rear end of the nozzle 11. The rear end of the second portion 53B extends along the inclined surface 11C (see fig. 4).

The upper cloth support plate 53 has a coupling portion 60. The first guide member 51A and the third guide member 51C support the coupling portion 60 so that the coupling portion 60 can move in the left-right direction. The connection portion 60 includes a first connection portion 61, a second connection portion 62, and an extension portion 63. The first coupling portion 61 and the second coupling portion 62 extend in the front-rear direction and extend downward from the rear end portion, and are supported by the first guide member 51A so that the first coupling portion 61 and the second coupling portion 62 can move in the left-right direction. The second coupling portion 62 is arranged parallel to the first coupling portion 61 on the left side of the first coupling portion 61. The first connecting portion 61 and the second connecting portion 62 are connected to the lower surface of the first portion 53A. The extension 63 is connected to the first connecting portion 61 and the second connecting portion 62. The extension 63 extends rearward from the lower end of the first coupling portion 61 and the lower end of the second coupling portion 62, and extends to the vicinity of the second guide member 51B via the third guide member 51C. The third guide member 51C supports the extension portion 63 so that the extension portion 63 can move in the left-right direction.

The upper cloth support plate 53 is movable in the left-right direction between a first position (see fig. 10) and a second position (see fig. 11) in accordance with the movement of the coupling portion 60 in the left-right direction. When the coupling portion 60 moves to the leftmost side, the upper cloth support plate 53 is located at the first position. When the coupling portion 60 moves to the rightmost direction, the upper cloth support plate 53 is located at the second position. As shown in fig. 10, when the upper cloth support plate 53 is at the first position, the left rear end of the second portion 53B is aligned with the nozzle 11 on the upstream side in the transport direction of the nozzle 11. That is, in the first position, the upper cloth support plate 53 enters the moving path of the nozzle 11. As shown in fig. 11, when the upper cloth support plate 53 is located at the second position, the upper cloth support plate 53 is shifted to the right side from the first position. That is, in the second position, the upper cloth support plate 53 is positioned on the right side of the right end portion of the nozzle 11 and retreats outside the movement path of the nozzle 11.

The holding portion 54 is provided above the lower cloth support plate 52 and below the upper cloth support plate 53, and holds the photosensor 141 and the second roller 57, which will be described later. As shown in fig. 8 and 9, the holding portion 54 includes a moving portion 54A, an engaging portion 54B, a first portion 541, a second portion 542, a third portion 543, a fourth portion 544, and a fifth portion 545. The moving portion 54A is substantially in the shape of a letter U open to the front side in plan view. The second guide member 51B supports the moving portion 54A so that the moving portion 54A can move in the left-right direction. The engaging portion 54B extends forward from the left front end portion of the moving portion 54A. The third guide member 51C supports the engagement portion 54B so that the engagement portion 54B can move in the left-right direction. The engaging portion 54B can be engaged with the extension portion 63 by contacting from the left side. The first portion 541 extends leftward from the left rear end of the moving portion 54A. The second portion 542 is rectangular in plan view, and extends forward from the left side of the front end portion of the first portion 541. The second portion 542 is for holding the sensor case 542A. The sensor case 542A has a rectangular shape when viewed from the left side, and a magnetic sensor 143 (see fig. 15) described later is housed inside the sensor case 542A. The third portion 543 extends in the left-right direction on the rear surface of the first portion 541, and the left end portion thereof extends while being bent rearward, and the third portion 543 has a substantially L-shape in plan view. The fourth portion 544 extends downward from the rear end of the third portion 543. The fifth portion 545 extends leftward from the lower end of the fourth portion 544.

As shown in fig. 12, the holder 54 supports the photosensor 141 at the tip of the fifth region 545. The photosensor 141 is located on the front side of the discharge port 11D (see fig. 5) and on the rear side of the first roller 56 and the second roller 57, which will be described later. The photosensor 141 is located below the nip position P and is offset to the right from the center of the first roller 56. The photosensor 141 is a reflective photosensor in which a light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion are integrated. The holding portion 54 supports the reflection plate 141A at the rear end portion of the third portion 543. The reflection plate 141A extends leftward from the rear end of the third portion 543 to above the photosensor 141. The lower surface of the reflection plate 141A is a reflection surface and is orthogonal to the vertical direction.

The light emitting portion of the photosensor 141 emits light upward toward the reflection plate 141A. The reflection plate 141A reflects light emitted from the light emitting portion of the photosensor 141 toward the light receiving portion of the photosensor 141. The light receiving portion of the photo sensor 141 receives the reflected light from the reflection plate 141A. The light traveling path L is a straight line extending between the photosensor 141 and the reflection plate 141A. When the lower cloth C1 exists on the traveling path L of the light emitted by the light emitting portion of the photosensor 141, the lower cloth C1 blocks the light emitted by the light emitting portion of the photosensor 141. The reflective plate 141A cannot reflect light, and the light-receiving portion of the photosensor 141 cannot receive light emitted from the light-emitting portion of the photosensor 141. The photo sensor 141 detects whether the lower cloth C1 is located at a predetermined detection position a based on whether the light receiving portion receives the light emitted by the light emitting portion. The detection position a is an intersection of the travel path L of the light emitted by the light emitting portion of the photosensor 141 and the conveyance path of the lower cloth C1, and is located on the conveyance direction upstream side of the discharge port 11D and on the conveyance direction downstream side of the first roller 56 and the second roller 57 described later. The detection position a is located between the center and the right end of the first roller 56 when viewed from the back.

As shown in fig. 9, the moving mechanism 55 moves the lower cloth C1 in the left-right direction on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the detection position a. The moving mechanism 55 includes a left-right conveyance motor 115, a first roller 56, a second roller 57, and a roller swing mechanism 68. The left and right conveyance motors 115 are fixed to a bracket extending upward from the upper surface of the receiving portion 512. The output shaft 115A of the left and right conveyance motors 115 extends rearward from the left and right conveyance motors 115. The output shaft 115A is rotated in a counterclockwise direction (hereinafter referred to as a third output direction) and a clockwise direction (hereinafter referred to as a fourth output direction) when viewed from the rear side by the driving of the left and right conveyance motors 115. The support rod 115B has a columnar shape and is provided above the output shaft 115A. The support rod 115B extends in the front-rear direction at the rear upper side of the left and right conveyance motors 115. The support bar 115B is supported by a bracket. The output shaft 115A fixes the first gear 48A. The distal end portion of the support rod 115B rotatably supports the second gear 48B. The second gear 48B meshes with an upper end portion of the first gear 48A.

The first roller 56 has a disk-like shape when viewed from the back side with a predetermined width in the front-rear direction, and the first roller 56 is provided on the front side of the detection position a. The first roller 56 supports the lower cloth C1 from below with an upper end portion, and the first roller 56 has a rotation shaft 56A. The rotary shaft 56A is cylindrical having a through hole penetrating in the front-rear direction, and the rotary shaft 56A protrudes forward from the center of the first roller 56. The support rod 115B penetrates the through hole of the rotary shaft 56A. The support rod 115B supports the rotary shaft 56A at the rear end portion so that the rotary shaft 56A can rotate. The distal end of the rotary shaft 56A is connected to the second gear 48B. That is, the output shaft 115A is coupled to the first roller 56 via the first gear 48A and the second gear 48B. The bonding apparatus 1 can dispose the output shaft 115A below the rotation shaft 56A through the first gear 48A and the second gear 48B. Therefore, the bonding apparatus 1 can house the left and right conveyance motors 115 below the lower cloth support plate 52.

As shown in fig. 12, a rotation axis (hereinafter referred to as a first axis Q1) passing through the center of the first roller 56 extends in the conveying direction (i.e., the front-rear direction). The first roller 56 is capable of reciprocating rotation in a clockwise direction (hereinafter referred to as a second rotational direction R2) and a counterclockwise direction (hereinafter referred to as a first rotational direction R1) when viewed from the back side centering on the first axis Q1. When the output shaft 115A is rotated in the third output direction by the left-right conveyance motor 115, the first roller 56 is rotated in the second rotation direction R2 by the first gear 48A and the second gear 48B. When the output shaft 115A is rotated in the fourth output direction by the left-right conveyance motor 115, the first roller 56 is rotated in the first rotation direction R1 by the first gear 48A and the second gear 48B. As shown in fig. 9, the first roller 56 has a plurality of grooves 56B at equal intervals in the entire circumferential direction of the outer circumferential surface. The plurality of slots 56B extend in the conveying direction (i.e., parallel to the first axis Q1).

As shown in fig. 12, the second roller 57 is opposed to the first roller 56 from above and is movable up and down. The second roller 57 is made of, for example, resin and has a smooth outer peripheral surface. The second roller 57 includes an opposing portion 57A on the outer peripheral surface of the second roller 57. The facing portion 57A is formed by recessing the outer peripheral surface of the second roller 57 inward in the radial direction (direction orthogonal to the rotation axis of the second roller 57) along the shape of the first roller 56 in the left-right direction. That is, the opposing portion 57A is circular-arc-shaped with the first axis Q1 as the center when viewed from the rear. In a state where the lower cloth C1 is disposed between the second roller 57 and the first roller 56, the facing portion 57A can be in contact with the adhesive surface E of the lower cloth C1 (see fig. 18A). A rotation axis (hereinafter referred to as a second axis Q2) passing through the center of the second roller 57 extends in a direction orthogonal to the first axis Q1 (i.e., a left-right direction). The second roller 57 is rotatable clockwise when viewed from the right side with the second axis Q2 as the center. The second roller 57 can prevent the lower cloth C1 from floating from the first roller 56 by contacting the adhesive surface E of the lower cloth C1, and can assist the conveyance of the lower cloth C1 by performing driven rotation in accordance with the conveyance of the lower cloth C1.

As shown in fig. 8 and 9, the roller swing mechanism 68 includes a support member 58, an urging member 59, and a swing cylinder 124. The support member 58 has a support shaft portion 58A, a swing shaft portion 58C, a connecting arm 58D, and a pair of arm portions 58B, and the support member 58 supports the second roller 57 so as to be able to swing the second roller 57 in the vertical direction.

The support shaft portion 58A extends in the left-right direction, and supports the second roller 57 so that the second roller 57 can rotate. The pair of arm portions 58B extend in the conveying direction, and are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. The pair of arm portions 58B support both ends of the support shaft portion 58A at their respective rear end portions. Rear end portions of the pair of arm portions 58B are located above the first roller 56. The left arm portion 58B of the pair of arm portions 58B has a magnetic body 91 at the tip end portion. The magnetic body 91 is a permanent magnet and is located near the left side of the sensor case 542A (magnetic sensor 143). The portions near the rear end portions of the pair of arm portions 58B are connected by the connecting arm 58D. The connecting arm 58D extends in the left-right direction between the pair of arm portions 58B in front of the second roller 57.

As shown in fig. 9 and 13, a pair of swing shaft portions 58C extend in parallel with the support shaft portion 58A, and the pair of swing shaft portions 58C are provided at positions on the upstream side in the conveying direction with respect to the support shaft portion 58A and on the downstream side in the conveying direction with respect to the magnetic body 91. The magnetic body 91 is on the opposite side of the swing shaft portion 58C from the side where the support shaft portion 58A is located. The distance T1 between the swing shaft portion 58C and the magnetic body 91 is greater than the distance T2 between the swing shaft portion 58C and the support shaft portion 58A. The pair of swing shaft portions 58C support the center portions of the pair of arm portions 58B in a swingable manner with the pair of arm portions 58B. The pair of arm portions 58B can swing about the swing shaft portion 58C. The second roller 57 can be displaced in a direction in which the opposing portion 57A approaches or separates from the first roller 56 in accordance with the swinging of the pair of arm portions 58B.

As shown in fig. 8 and 9, the biasing member 59 is provided above the arm portion 58B and is located at a position where the arm 58D is connected in the front-rear direction. The urging member 59 of the present embodiment is a compression coil spring. One end of the urging member 59 is fixed to the lower surface of the fixing portion 59A. The fixing portion 59A is provided on the lower surface of the first portion 541 and protrudes rearward from the rear end portion of the first portion 541 at the intermediate position in the left-right direction of the pair of arm portions 58B. The other end of the biasing member 59 is engaged with the connecting arm 58D. The biasing member 59 biases the second roller 57 downward via the pair of arm portions 58B. The urging member 59 urges the second roller 57 to prevent the lower cloth C1 from floating from the first roller 56.

As shown in fig. 8, the swing cylinder 124 is provided on the upper surface of the second portion 542. The swing cylinder 124 has a movable portion 124A and a coupling portion 124B. The movable portion 124A extends rearward from the swing cylinder 124. The coupling portion 124B is fixed to the rear end portion of the movable portion 124A and extends in the left-right direction. The left end of the coupling portion 124B is connected to the front end of the engaging portion 125. The engaging portion 125 is a plate member having a substantially L-letter shape in plan view. The rear end of the engaging portion 125 extends in the left-right direction and can be engaged with the pin 58E of the arm portion 58B from the rear side. The pin 58E protrudes upward from the front end of the right arm portion 58B. When the movable portion 124A of the swing cylinder 124 protrudes rearward, the engaging portion 125 is separated from the pin 58E. At this time, the tip end portion of the arm portion 58B swings upward by the urging member 59, and the second roller 57 approaches the first roller 56. When the movable portion 124A of the swing cylinder 124 retreats forward, the engagement portion 125 engages with the pin 58E, and the tip end portion of the arm portion 58B swings downward against the urging member 59. The second roller 57 is distant from the first roller 56. Therefore, the second roller 57 can be displaced between the third position (see fig. 9) and the fourth position (see fig. 13) in accordance with the swing of the arm portion 58B. As shown in fig. 9, when the second roller 57 is located at the third position, the opposing portion 57A opposes the first roller 56 from above and contacts the adhesive surface E of the lower cloth C1 along the outer peripheral surface of the first roller 56. As shown in fig. 13, when the second roller 57 is located at the fourth position, the opposing portion 57A is separated upward from the first roller 56 than when the second roller 57 is located at the third position. At this time, the lower end of the second roller 57 is positioned at the upper side of the upper end of the first roller 56.

As shown in fig. 8, left and right air cylinders 123 are provided between the first guide member 51A and the third guide member 51C in the front-rear direction, and the left and right air cylinders 123 are fixed to the upper end of the base 51. The left and right cylinders 123 are located above the extension setting portion 63. The distal end portions of the movable portions 123A of the left and right cylinders 123 are connected to the upper surface of the second portion 542. The movable portion 123A moves in the left-right direction in accordance with the driving of the left and right cylinders 123. The holding portion 54 is movable between a first position (see fig. 10 and 11) and a second position (see fig. 14) in response to driving of the left and right cylinders 123. As shown in fig. 10 and 11, when the holding portion 54 is located at the first position, the second roller 57 is aligned with the nozzle 11 on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the nozzle 11. That is, in the first position, the second roller 57 enters the moving path of the nozzle 11. As shown in fig. 14, when the holding portion 54 is located at the second position, the second roller 57 is shifted rightward from the first position. That is, in the second position, the second roller 57 is positioned on the right side of the right end portion of the nozzle 11 and retreats outside the movement path of the nozzle 11.

The upper cloth support plate 53 is movable in the left-right direction with respect to the holding portion 54. When the holding portion 54 moves from the first position (see fig. 10) to the second position (see fig. 14), the engaging portion 54B (see fig. 8) contacts and engages the extended portion 63 (see fig. 8) from the left side. The engaging portion 54B engages with the extended portion 63 from the left side, and moves the upper cloth support plate 53 from the first position to the second position. When the holding portion 54 moves from the second position (see fig. 14) to the first position (see fig. 11), the engagement portion 54B is separated from the extension portion 63 in the left direction, and therefore, the engagement between the engagement portion 54B and the extension portion 63 is released. The upper cloth support plate 53 maintains the second position (see fig. 11).

The electrical structure of the bonding apparatus 1 will be described with reference to fig. 15. The bonding apparatus 1 includes a control apparatus 100. The control device 100 has a CPU101, a ROM102, a RAM103, a storage device 104, a drive circuit 105, and a drive circuit 106. The CPU101 collectively controls the operation of the bonding apparatus 1. The CPU101 is connected to the ROM102, RAM103, storage device 104, drive circuit 105, drive circuit 106, switch 19, pedal 8, heater 131, heater 132, optical sensor 141, proximity sensor 142, magnetic sensor 143, and speaker 151.

The ROM102 stores programs for executing various processes, information on a separation distance H (see fig. 18A) to be described later, and the like. The RAM103 temporarily stores various information such as a rise flag and a fall flag described later. The storage device 104 is a nonvolatile storage device for storing various setting values and the like. The drive circuit 105 controls the driving of the lower conveyance motor 111, the upper conveyance motor 112, the nozzle motor 113, the pump motor 114, the left and right conveyance motors 115, and the adjustment motor 412 based on instructions from the CPU 101. The drive circuit 106 controls the driving of the upper cylinder 122, the left and right cylinders 123, and the swing cylinder 124 based on instructions from the CPU 101.

The switches 19 are provided in plurality in the lower portion of the front surface of the head 5. The switch 19 inputs various instructions corresponding to the operation of the operator to the CPU 101. A pedal 8 is provided at a lower portion of the table, and an operator operates the pedal 8 with his foot. The pedal 8 instructs the CPU101 to start and end the bonding operation in accordance with the operation of the operator. The CPU101 controls the temperatures of the heater 131 and the heater 132. The optical sensor 141 outputs an on signal to the CPU101 when receiving light, and outputs an off signal to the CPU101 when not receiving light. The proximity sensor 142 detects the left and right positions of the holding portion 54. The proximity sensor 142 outputs an on signal to the CPU101 when the holding portion 54 is at the first position, and outputs an off signal to the CPU101 when the holding portion 54 is not at the first position. The speaker 151 is used to output various sounds. The magnetic sensor 143 is a magnetoresistive element capable of detecting the vertical position of the magnetic body 91 in a non-contact manner. The magnetic body 91 and the second roller 57 are provided in one member (arm portion 58B), and the arm portion 58B is supported by the swing shaft portion 58C so as to be able to swing, so that the vertical position of the magnetic body 91 corresponds to the vertical position of the second roller 57. Therefore, the magnetic sensor 143 can detect the vertical position of the second roller 57.

The first process is explained with reference to fig. 16. The operator turns on the power of the bonding apparatus 1 to start the bonding apparatus 1. The CPU101 reads a program from the ROM102 and executes first processing.

The CPU101 determines whether or not an instruction (hereinafter referred to as a first instruction) to move the holding unit 54 to the second position (see fig. 14) is acquired (S21). The first instruction is input by the operator operating the switch 19. When the CPU101 determines that there is no first instruction (S21: NO), the CPU101 shifts the process to S31.

When the CPU101 determines that the first instruction has been acquired (yes in S21), the CPU101 controls the swing cylinder 124 to move the second roller 57 to the fourth position (see fig. 13) (S22). Therefore, even if the holding portion 54 moves between the first position (see fig. 10) and the second position (see fig. 14), the second roller 57 does not interfere with the first roller 56. The CPU101 controls the left and right air cylinders 123 to move the holding portion 54 to the second position (S23). When the holding portion 54 moves from the first position to the second position, the engaging portion 54B engages with the extended portion 63, and the upper cloth support plate 53 also moves to the second position. Therefore, even if the nozzle 11 moves between the close position (see fig. 2) and the retracted position (see fig. 3), the nozzle 11 does not interfere with the holding portion 54 and the upper cloth support plate 53. The CPU101 controls the swing cylinder 124 to move the second roller 57 to the third position (see fig. 9) (S24). The CPU101 shifts the process to S31.

The CPU101 determines whether or not an instruction to move the nozzle 11 to the retracted position (see fig. 3) (hereinafter referred to as a retraction instruction) is acquired (S31). The retraction instruction is input by the operator operating the switch 19. When the CPU101 determines that the back-off instruction is not given (S31: no), the CPU101 shifts the process to S41.

When the CPU101 determines that the retraction instruction has been acquired (yes in S31), the CPU101 determines whether the holding section 54 is located at the first position (see fig. 10) based on the signal from the proximity sensor 142 (S32). Upon receiving the on signal from the proximity sensor 142, the CPU101 determines that the holding portion 54 is located at the first position (S32: yes). When the nozzle 11 moves between the close position and the retracted position when the holding portion 54 is located at the first position, the nozzle 11 may interfere with the second roller 57 or the upper cloth support plate 53. The CPU101 prohibits the swing of the lever 9 by the driving of the nozzle motor 113 and reports an error (S33). When an error occurs, the CPU101 outputs a warning sound from the speaker 151. The CPU101 may display a warning on the display unit. The CPU101 shifts the process to S41. After the operator operates the switch 19 to move the holding portion 54 to the second position, the operator operates the switch 19 again to input the retraction instruction to the bonding apparatus 1.

Upon receiving the close signal from the proximity sensor 142, the CPU101 determines that the holding portion 54 is not in the first position (S32: no). When the holding portion 54 is not at the first position, the upper cloth support plate 53 is not at the first position (see fig. 14). When the holding portion 54 and the upper cloth support plate 53 are not in the first position, even if the nozzle 11 moves between the close position and the retracted position, the nozzle 11 does not interfere with the second roller 57 and the upper cloth support plate 53. The CPU101 controls the nozzle motor 113 to swing the lever 9 and move the nozzle 11 to the retracted position (S34). The CPU101 shifts the process to S41. In a state where the nozzle 11 is located at the retracted position, the operator cleans the nozzle 11 and the like.

The CPU101 determines whether or not an instruction to move the nozzle 11 to the close position (see fig. 2) (hereinafter referred to as a close instruction) is acquired (S41). The proximity instruction is input by the operator operating the switch 19. When the CPU101 determines that there is no proximity instruction (S41: NO), the CPU101 shifts the process to S51.

When the CPU101 determines that the proximity instruction has been acquired (S41: yes), the CPU101 determines whether the holding part 54 is located at the first position based on the signal from the proximity sensor 142 (S42). Upon receiving the on signal from the proximity sensor 142, the CPU101 determines that the holding portion 54 is located at the first position (S42: yes). The CPU101 prohibits the swing of the lever 9 by the driving of the nozzle motor 113 and reports an error (S43). The CPU101 shifts the process to S51. After the operator operates the switch 19 to move the holding portion 54 to the second position, the operator operates the switch 19 again to input an approach instruction to the bonding apparatus 1.

Upon receiving the close signal from the proximity sensor 142, the CPU101 determines that the holding portion 54 is not in the first position (S42: no). The CPU101 controls the nozzle motor 113 to swing the lever 9 and move the nozzle 11 to the close position (S44). The CPU101 shifts the process to S51.

The CPU101 determines whether or not an instruction (hereinafter referred to as a second instruction) to move the holding unit 54 to the first position (see fig. 11) is acquired (S51). The second instruction is input by the operator operating the switch 19. When the CPU101 determines that the second instruction is not given (S51: NO), the CPU101 shifts the process to S61.

When the CPU101 determines that the second instruction has been acquired (YES in S51), the CPU101 controls the swing cylinder 124 to move the second roller 57 to the fourth position (S52). The CPU101 controls the left and right air cylinders 123 to move the holding portion 54 to the first position (S53). When the holding portion 54 moves from the second position to the first position, the engagement between the engaging portion 54B and the extension portion 63 is released, and therefore the upper cloth support plate 53 maintains the second position (see fig. 11). The CPU101 controls the swing cylinder 124 to move the second roller 57 to the third position (S54). The CPU101 shifts the process to S61.

As shown in fig. 11, in a state where the upper cloth support plate 53 is not located above the lower cloth support plate 52, the operator places the lower cloth C1 between the first roller 56 and the second roller 57 on the lower cloth support plate 52. The operator arranges the downstream end in the conveying direction of the lower cloth C1 between the upper roller 12 and the lower roller 18. The operator manually moves the upper cloth support plate 53 from the second position to the first position. The operator places the upper cloth C2 on the upper cloth support plate 53. The operator overlaps the downstream end of the upper cloth C2 in the conveying direction with the upper side of the lower cloth C1 between the upper roller 12 and the lower roller 18.

As shown in fig. 16, the CPU101 determines whether or not an instruction to start the bonding operation (hereinafter referred to as a bonding start instruction) is acquired (S61). The bonding start instruction is input by the operator operating the pedal 8. When the CPU101 determines that there is no bonding start instruction (S61: NO), the CPU101 returns the process to S21. When the CPU101 determines that the bonding start instruction has been acquired (S61: YES), the CPU101 executes the bonding process (S62).

The bonding process is described with reference to fig. 17. In the bonding process, the CPU101 performs a process related to a nozzle gap adjustment process (see fig. 19) described later. In the bonding process, the CPU101 controls the lower conveyance motor 111, the upper conveyance motor 112, and the pump motor 114 to press the lower cloth C1 and the upper cloth C2 against each other and convey the lower cloth C1 and the upper cloth C2 while discharging the adhesive Z from the discharge port 11D and applying the adhesive Z to the specific end portion F of the lower cloth C1.

The CPU101 acquires information of the separation distance H (see fig. 18A) from the ROM102 (S71). The separation distance H is a distance in the conveying direction between the first passing point S1 and the second passing point S2. The first passing point S1 is the conveying direction position between the first roller 56 and the second roller 57. In detail, the first passing point S1 is a position where the second roller 57 contacts the lower cloth C1. The second passing point S2 is the position in the conveying direction between the discharge port 11D and the lower cloth supporting surface 420A. Specifically, the second passing point S2 is a position where the discharge trajectory of the adhesive Z discharged from the discharge port 11D by the nozzle 11 intersects the conveyance path of the lower cloth C1.

The CPU101 acquires information of the conveying speeds of the lower cloth C1 and the upper cloth C2 from the RAM103 (S72). The conveying speeds of the lower cloth C1 and the upper cloth C2 correspond to the rotation speeds of the lower conveying motor 111 and the upper conveying motor 112. The information of the conveyance speed is stored in advance in the RAM 103. The CPU101 calculates a delay time based on the separation distance H and the conveying speed (S73). Since the second passing point S2 is located on the conveying direction downstream side of the first passing point S1, there is a time difference between the timing at which a predetermined point in the conveying direction of the lower cloth C1 passes through the first passing point S1 and the timing at which the predetermined point passes through the second passing point S2. The delay time corresponds to a time difference between a time when a predetermined point in the conveying direction of the lower cloth C1 passes the first passing point S1 and a time when the second passing point S2 is passed.

The CPU101 controls the upper cylinder 122 to swing the upper transport arm 6 downward (S74). As the upper transport arm 6 swings downward, the upper roller 12 sandwiches the upper cloth C2 and the lower cloth C1 between the upper roller and the lower roller 18 in a state where the upper cloth C2 is overlapped on the upper side of the lower cloth C1. The CPU101 executes the nozzle gap adjustment processing (S75).

The nozzle gap adjustment process will be described with reference to fig. 18A to 18D and fig. 19. For convenience, fig. 18A to 18D omit illustration of a plurality of members. In the present embodiment, the bonding apparatus 1 sometimes bonds the lower cloth C1 having a portion (hereinafter referred to as a step portion) whose thickness changes in the conveying direction. When there is a bonded portion where the end portions of two pieces of cloth are bonded in advance, the bonded portion has a step portion K1 (see fig. 18A and 18B) where the thickness of the cloth is increased and a step portion K2 (see fig. 18C and 18D) where the thickness of the cloth is decreased. When the step portions K1 and K2 pass the first passing point S1, the second roller 57 swings upward or downward in accordance with the amount of change in the thickness of the lower cloth C1 (i.e., the height of the step portions K1 and K2). The rising amount or the falling amount of the second roller 57 is equal to the heights of the step portion K1 and the step portion K2. The pair of arm portions 58B swing about the swing shaft portion 58C in accordance with the swing of the second roller 57. The magnetic body 91 swings by the amount corresponding to the swing amount of the second roller 57 as the pair of arm portions 58B swing.

When the step portions K1, K2 pass the second passing point S2, the discharge distance Y changes if the nozzle gap X is constant. In this case, a defective adhesion between the lower cloth C1 and the upper cloth C2 may occur due to a change in the discharge distance Y. In the bonding apparatus 1, the discharge distance Y is preferably kept constant. In the nozzle gap adjustment process, the CPU101 can maintain the discharge distance Y constant by adjusting the nozzle gap X in accordance with a change in the vertical position of the second roller 57 (i.e., the thickness of the lower cloth C1). Therefore, the bonding apparatus 1 can suppress the defective bonding between the lower cloth C1 and the upper cloth C2 due to the variation in the discharge distance Y by executing the nozzle gap adjustment process.

As shown in fig. 19, the CPU101 acquires the vertical position of the second roller 57 (magnetic body 91) detected by the magnetic sensor 143 (S81). The CPU101 determines whether the vertical position of the second roller 57 has been displaced upward (S82). This determination is made based on the detection result of the magnetic sensor 143 in S81. When the CPU101 determines that the vertical position of the second roller 57 has not been displaced upward (S82: no), the CPU101 shifts the process to S85. As shown in fig. 18A, when the step portion K1 passes the first passing point S1, the second roller 57 rises by an amount corresponding to the height of the step portion K1. The magnetic body 91 descends by the amount corresponding to the ascending amount of the second roller 57 (see arrow J1). When the CPU101 detects the lowering of the magnetic body 91, the CPU101 determines that the up-down position of the second roller 57 has been displaced upward (S82: yes). The CPU101 detects the rising amount of the second roller 57 (i.e., the height of the step portion K1) from the falling amount of the magnetic body 91. The CPU101 turns on the rise flag (S83). At this time, the CPU101 starts measuring the delay time with the timer (S84). The timer is stored in the RAM 103. As shown in fig. 18A, 18B, when the step portion K1 passes the first passing point S1, the step portion K1 passes the second passing point S2 after a predetermined delay time elapses from the time when the first passing point S1 passes.

The CPU101 determines whether the vertical position of the second roller 57 has been displaced downward (S85). When the CPU101 determines that the vertical position of the second roller 57 has not been displaced downward (S85: no), the CPU101 shifts the process to S91. As shown in fig. 18C, when the step portion K2 passes the first passing point S1, the second roller 57 descends by an amount corresponding to the height of the step portion K2. The magnetic body 91 is raised by the amount corresponding to the amount of lowering of the second roller 57 (see arrow J3). When the CPU101 detects the rise of the magnetic body 91, the CPU101 determines that the up-down position of the second roller 57 has been displaced downward (S85: yes). The CPU101 detects the amount of lowering of the second roller 57 from the amount of raising of the magnetic body 91. The CPU101 turns on the down flag (S86). At this time, the CPU101 starts measuring the delay time with the timer (S87). As shown in fig. 18C and 18D, when the step portion K2 passes the first passing point S1, the step portion K2 passes the second passing point S2 after a delay time elapses from the time when the first passing point S1 passes.

The CPU101 determines whether the up flag is on (S91). When the up flag is off (S91: no), the CPU101 shifts the process to S95. When the up flag is on (S91: YES), the CPU101 refers to the timer of the RAM103 to determine whether or not the delay time has elapsed (S92). Until the delay time elapses (S92: no), the step portion K1 is located at the position in the conveying direction between the second roller 57 and the discharge port 11D. The CPU101 shifts the process to S95.

As shown in fig. 18B, when the delay time has elapsed (S92: yes), the step portion K1 is located at the second passing point S2. When the step portion K1 passes through the second passing point S2, the discharge distance Y becomes smaller according to the height of the step portion K1, assuming that the nozzle gap X is constant. The CPU101 controls the adjustment motor 412 to rotate the output shaft 412A in the first output direction in accordance with the amount of rise of the second roller 57 (i.e., the height of the step portion K1) (S93). The position of the lower cloth support portion 420 is lowered in accordance with the rotation of the output shaft 412A in the first output direction (see arrow J2). Since the nozzle gap X becomes larger as the thickness of the lower cloth C1 becomes larger, the bonding apparatus 1 can maintain the discharge distance Y constant. The CPU101 turns off the rise flag (S94). At this point, the timer is reset.

The CPU101 determines whether the down flag is on (S95). When the down flag is off (S95: no), the CPU101 returns the process to the bonding process (see fig. 17). When the down flag is on (S95: YES), the CPU101 refers to the timer of the RAM103 to judge whether the delay time has elapsed (S96). Until the delay time elapses (S96: no), the step portion K2 is located at the position in the conveying direction between the second roller 57 and the discharge port 11D. The CPU101 returns the process to the bonding process.

As shown in fig. 18D, when the delay time has elapsed (S96: yes), the step portion K2 is located at the second passing point S2. When the step portion K2 passes through the second passing point S2, the discharge distance Y becomes larger according to the height of the step portion K2, assuming that the nozzle gap X is constant. The CPU101 controls the adjustment motor 412 to rotate the output shaft 412A in the second output direction in accordance with the amount of lowering of the second roller 57 (S97). The position of the lower cloth support portion 420 is raised with the rotation of the output shaft 412A in the second output direction (see arrow J4). Since the nozzle gap X becomes smaller as the thickness of the lower cloth C1 becomes thinner, the bonding apparatus 1 can maintain the discharge distance Y constant. The CPU101 turns off the down flag (S98). At this point, the timer is reset. The CPU101 returns the process to the bonding process.

As shown in fig. 17, the CPU101 controls the pump motor 114 to supply the adhesive Z from the inner container stored in the storage portion 41B to the nozzle 11 (S76). The nozzle 11 discharges the adhesive Z from the discharge port 11D toward the adhesive surface E of the lower cloth C1 supported by the lower cloth support surface 420A. The CPU101 controls the lower conveying motor 111 and the upper conveying motor 112 to rotate the upper roller 12 and the lower roller 18 (S77). The upper roller 12 and the lower roller 18 rotate to feed the lower cloth C1 and the upper cloth C2 in the feeding direction while the lower cloth C1 and the upper cloth C2 are pressed together in a vertically overlapped state by the adhesive Z. The lower cloth C1 moves in the conveying direction, and the second roller 57 is also driven to rotate.

The CPU101 determines whether or not an instruction to end the bonding operation (hereinafter referred to as a bonding end instruction) is acquired (S78). The bonding end instruction is input by the operator operating the pedal 8. When the CPU101 determines that no bonding end instruction has been issued (S78: no), the CPU101 returns the process to S75, and continues the nozzle gap adjustment process (S75) and the bonding operation (S76, S77). When the CPU101 determines that the bonding end instruction has been acquired (yes in S78), the CPU101 ends the nozzle gap adjustment processing and the bonding operation, and returns the processing to S21 (see fig. 16) of the first processing.

The second process is explained with reference to fig. 20. When the operator turns on the power of the bonding apparatus 1 to start the bonding apparatus 1, the CPU101 reads a program from the ROM102 and executes a second process. The CPU101 causes the second processing to be executed in parallel with the first processing (see fig. 16).

The CPU101 determines whether or not there is an instruction to start control of the moving mechanism 55 (hereinafter referred to as a conveyance control start instruction) (S101). The conveyance control start instruction is input by the operator operating the switch 19. When the CPU101 determines that the conveyance control start instruction is not given (S101: no), the CPU101 repeats S101.

The operator inputs a conveyance control start instruction before inputting a bonding start instruction. When the CPU101 determines that the conveyance control start instruction has been acquired (S101: yes), the CPU101 determines whether the lower cloth C1 is located at the detection position a based on the signal from the optical sensor 141 (S102). Upon receiving the off signal from the photosensor 141, the CPU101 determines that the lower cloth C1 is located at the detection position a (S102: yes). The CPU101 controls the left and right conveyance motors 115 to rotate the output shaft 115A in the third output direction (S103). The first roller 56 rotates in the second rotation direction R2 in accordance with the rotation of the output shaft 115A in the third output direction. The first roller 56 rotates in the second rotational direction R2, and the lower cloth C1 sandwiched between the first roller 56 and the opposite portion 57A is moved to the left. The CPU101 shifts the process to S105.

Upon receiving the on signal from the light sensor 141, the CPU101 determines that the lower cloth C1 is not at the detection position a (S102: no). The CPU101 controls the left and right conveyance motors 115 to rotate the output shaft 115A in the fourth output direction (S104). The first roller 56 rotates in the first rotation direction R1 in accordance with the rotation of the output shaft 115A in the fourth output direction. The first roller 56 rotates in the first rotational direction R1, and the lower cloth C1 sandwiched between the first roller 56 and the opposite portion 57A moves to the right. The CPU101 shifts the process to S105.

The CPU101 determines whether or not there is an instruction to end the control of the moving mechanism 55 (hereinafter referred to as a conveyance control end instruction) (S105). The conveyance control end instruction is input by the operator operating the switch 19. When the CPU101 determines that the conveyance control end instruction has not been issued (no in S105), the CPU101 returns the process to S102, and repeats S102 to S104 at a predetermined cycle. After the operator inputs the bonding end instruction, the operator inputs a conveyance control end instruction. When the CPU101 determines that the conveyance control end instruction has been acquired (yes in S105), the CPU101 stops driving of the left and right conveyance motors 115, and returns the process to S101.

As described above, when the step portions K1 and K2 of the lower cloth C1 pass between the first roller 56 and the second roller 57 (i.e., the first passing point S1), the second roller 57 swings in the up-down direction. The magnetic sensor 143 detects the vertical position of the second roller 57. Therefore, when the step portions K1 and K2 pass the first passing point S1, the magnetic sensor 143 can detect the thickness variation of the lower cloth C1 (i.e., the height of the step portions K1 and K2). When the thickened step portion K1 of the lower cloth C1 passes the first passing point S1 and the second roller 57 ascends (S82: yes, S91: yes), the lower cloth supporting part 420 descends (S93). When the step portion K2 of the thinned thickness of the lower cloth C1 passes the first passing point S1 and the second roller 57 descends (S85: yes, S95: yes), the lower cloth support part 420 ascends (S97). Since the lower cloth support part 420 supports the lower cloth C1 from below by the lower cloth support surface 420A on the lower side of the nozzle 11, the nozzle gap X changes when the lower cloth support part 420 moves up and down. That is, when the stepped portion of the lower cloth C1 passes through the first passing point S1, the bonding apparatus 1 can adjust the nozzle gap X according to the amount of change in the thickness of the lower cloth C1, thereby adjusting the discharge distance Y. Therefore, the bonding apparatus 1 can suppress a decrease in the work efficiency when bonding the lower cloth C1 having the stepped portion, and can suppress a bonding failure between the lower cloth C1 and the upper cloth C2 due to a change in the discharge distance Y.

When the lower cloth C1 is located at the detection position a, the bonding apparatus 1 can move the lower cloth C1 located at the detection position a in a direction away from the detection position a (i.e., to the left) by rotating the first roller 56 in the second rotation direction R2. When the lower cloth C1 is not at the detection position a, the bonding apparatus 1 can move the lower cloth C1 located at a position deviated from the detection position a in a direction toward the detection position a (i.e., to the right) by rotating the first roller 56 in the first rotation direction R1. Since the bonding apparatus 1 repeatedly performs S102 to S104 to repeatedly move the lower cloth C1 in either one of the direction away from the detection position a and the direction toward the detection position a, the left and right positions of the specific end portion F can be controlled. The bonding apparatus 1 can discharge the adhesive Z from the discharge port 11D while controlling the left and right positions of the specific end portion F. That is, the bonding apparatus 1 can apply the adhesive to the specific end portion F by discharging the adhesive Z from the discharge port 11D to the specific end portion F of the lower cloth C1 at the controlled left and right positions. Therefore, the bonding apparatus 1 can stabilize the application accuracy of the adhesive to the specific end portion F of the lower cloth C1. Since the second roller 57 is in contact with the adhesive surface E of the lower cloth C1, the lower cloth C1 can be prevented from floating and failing to follow the rotation of the first roller 56. The bonding apparatus 1 can control the left-right position of the specific end portion F by the second roller 57, and can adjust the discharge distance Y according to the up-down position of the second roller 57. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a member for controlling the left-right position of the specific end portion F and a member for adjusting the discharge distance Y independently of each other, and therefore the bonding apparatus 1 can suppress the expansion of the apparatus.

When the support member 58 supports the second roller 57 so as to be able to linearly move the second roller 57 in the vertical direction, the arrangement position of the support member 58 is limited to the upper side of the second roller 57, and thus the degree of freedom in designing the arrangement position of the support member 58 is reduced. In contrast, since the swing shaft portion 58C is offset in the conveying direction with respect to the support shaft portion 58A, the degree of freedom in designing the arrangement position of the arm portion 58B is improved. Therefore, with the bonding apparatus 1, the arrangement position of the arm portion 58B can be easily determined in consideration of the members arranged around the arm portion 58B.

The arm portion 58B supports the support shaft portion 58A, the support shaft portion 58A supports the second roller 57, and the arm portion 58B includes a magnetic sensor 143 at a position offset in the conveying direction with respect to the swing shaft portion 58C. Therefore, the magnetic sensor 143 can detect the vertical position of the second roller 57 by detecting the vertical position of the magnetic body 91. Since the magnetic sensor 143 can detect the vertical position of the second roller 57 in a non-contact manner, the bonding apparatus 1 can suppress damage to the second roller 57 and the like.

The bonding apparatus can be used in a sewing factory or the like where a cloth is sewn. Sewing factories sometimes have a lot of dust generated from cloth. Since the magnetic sensor 143 is less susceptible to foreign matter such as dust than an optical sensor, the vertical position of the second roller 57 can be detected with high accuracy even in an environment with a large amount of dust. Therefore, the bonding apparatus 1 can suppress a defective bonding between the lower cloth C1 and the upper cloth C2 due to a change in the discharge distance Y.

When the step portions K1 and K2 of the lower cloth C1 pass the first passing point S1, the arm portion 58B swings about the swing shaft portion 58C. Since the distance T1 between the swing shaft portion 58C and the magnetic body 91 is greater than the distance T2 between the swing shaft portion 58C and the support shaft portion 58A, the amount of movement in the vertical direction of the magnetic body 91 is greater than the amount of movement in the vertical direction of the second roller 57. Therefore, even if the amount of movement in the vertical direction of the second roller 57 is small, the amount of movement in the vertical direction of the magnetic body 91 can be increased, and the magnetic sensor 143 can detect the vertical position of the second roller 57 with high accuracy by detecting the vertical position of the magnetic body 91. Therefore, the bonding apparatus 1 can suppress a defective bonding between the lower cloth C1 and the upper cloth C2 due to a change in the discharge distance Y.

Since the second roller 57 is located on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the discharge port 11D, there is a time difference between the timing at which the step portions K1 and K2 in the conveying direction of the lower cloth C1 pass through the first passing point S1 and the timing at which the step portions K2 pass between the lower cloth supporting surface 420A and the discharge port 11D (i.e., the second passing point S2). This time difference varies according to the distance in the conveying direction between the second roller 57 and the discharge port 11D (i.e., the separation distance H) and the conveying speed of the lower cloth C1. The bonding apparatus 1 acquires the up-down position of the second roller 57 from the magnetic sensor 143, and then moves the lower cloth support 420 up and down after a time corresponding to the time difference (i.e., delay time) has elapsed (S92: yes, S96: yes) (S93, S97). Accordingly, the bonding apparatus 1 can move the lower cloth support part 420 up and down when the step portions K1 and K2 pass the second passing point S2, corresponding to the step portions K1 and K2 passing the first passing point S1.

The facing portion 57A is formed by recessing the outer circumferential surface of the second roller 57 inward in the radial direction along the outer shape of the first roller 56 in the left-right direction. Since the second roller 57 has the facing portion 57A, the area of the lower cloth C1 in contact with the first roller 56 and the second roller 57 can be increased in a state where the lower cloth C1 is disposed between the second roller 57 and the first roller 56. Therefore, with the bonding apparatus 1, the lower cloth C1 does not float, and can follow the rotation of the first roller 56.

The lower cloth C1 of the above embodiment corresponds to the first sheet of the present invention. The upper fabric C2 corresponds to a second sheet. The CPU101 executing S76 and S77 of fig. 17 corresponds to the discharge conveyance control section. The lower cloth support surface 420A corresponds to a support surface. The lower cloth support portion 420 corresponds to a support mechanism. The first roller 56 corresponds to a specific member. The second roller 57 corresponds to an opposing member. The support member 58 corresponds to a support member. The magnetic sensor 143 corresponds to a first detection unit. The adjustment motor 412 corresponds to a first driving unit. The CPU101 executing S93 and S97 in fig. 19 corresponds to the vertical movement control unit. The CPU101 executing S93 of fig. 19 corresponds to the first vertical motion control section. The CPU101 executing S97 corresponds to a second up-down motion control section. The optical sensor 141 corresponds to a second detection unit. The left and right conveyance motors 115 correspond to a second driving unit. The CPU101 executing S103 and S104 in fig. 20 corresponds to a movement control unit. The CPU101 executing S104 of fig. 20 corresponds to the first movement control unit. The CPU101 executing S103 corresponds to a second movement control unit. The support shaft portion 58A corresponds to a support portion. The arm portion 58B corresponds to an arm portion. The swing shaft portion 58C corresponds to a swing shaft portion. The CPU101 executing S81 of fig. 19 corresponds to the acquisition unit. The magnetic material 91 corresponds to a subject.

The present invention can be variously modified from the above-described embodiments. The optical sensor 141 may be a transmission type photoelectric sensor, a CCD camera, or the like. Next, a case where the bonding apparatus 1 includes an optical sensor 241, which is a transmissive photosensor, instead of the optical sensor 141 will be described with reference to fig. 21. Members having the same functions as those of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted. The light sensor 241 includes a light emitting portion 241A and a light receiving portion 241B. The light emitting portion 241A is provided on the left side of the first roller 56 and the second roller 57. The light emitting portion 241A is located on the front side of the discharge port 11D and on the rear side of the first roller 56 and the second roller 57. The light emitting portion 241A emits light rightward from a position above the upper end portion of the first roller 56. The light receiving portion 241B is provided on the lower side of the lower cloth support portion 420 between the center and the left end portion of the first roller 56. The light receiving portion 241B is located on the front side of the discharge port 11D and is the rear side of the first roller 56 and the second roller 57. The lower cloth support surface 420A has a light receiving window 52B at a position corresponding to the light receiving portion 241B. The light receiving window 52B is an opening that penetrates the lower cloth support surface 420A in the vertical direction. The bonding apparatus 1 has a reflection plate 241C instead of the reflection plate 141A. The left end of the reflecting plate 241C is a reflecting surface inclined upward to the left. The reflecting surface is disposed between the center and the left end of the first roller 56.

The light emitting portion 241A emits light toward the reflecting plate 241C. The reflector 241C reflects the light emitted from the light emitting portion 241A downward toward the light receiving portion 241B. The light receiving section 241B receives the light reflected by the reflection plate 241C via the light receiving window 52B. The light path L extends from the light emitting portion 241A to the reflecting plate 241C, bends downward, and then extends to the light receiving portion 241B. When the lower cloth C1 is positioned on the travel path L of the light emitted by the light emitting part 241A, the lower cloth C1 blocks the light emitted by the light emitting part 241A. The light receiving section 241B does not receive the light emitted from the light emitting section 241A. The light sensor 241 detects whether the lower cloth C1 is located at the detection position a based on whether the light receiving portion 241B receives the light emitted by the light emitting portion 241A. The detection position a is located between the center and the left end portion of the first roller 56 in the left-right direction.

In the modification, the specific end portion F is the left end portion of the lower cloth C1. The first rotational direction R1 is a clockwise direction when viewed from the back. The second rotational direction R2 is counterclockwise when viewed from the back. The third output direction is a clockwise direction when viewed from the back. The fourth output direction is counterclockwise when viewed from the back.

In the above embodiment, the optical sensor 141 is provided on the front side of the discharge port 11D and on the rear side of the first roller 56 and the second roller 57, but the optical sensor 141 may be provided on the front side of the first roller 56 and the second roller 57 or on the rear side of the discharge port 11D. In this case, the light traveling path L may be adjusted so that the light emitted from the light emitting portion of the photosensor 141 reaches the detection position a located on the front side of the discharge port 11D. The light emitted from the light sensor 141 may be visible light or light other than visible light. The light emitted from the light sensor 141 may be continuous light or pulsed light.

The proximity sensor 142 may also detect whether the holding portion 54 is located at the second position. The CPU101 may also execute S33, S43 when the holding portion 54 is not at the second position based on the signal from the proximity sensor 142 in S32, S42. The CPU101 may execute S34, S44 when the holding portion 54 is located at the second position.

The second roller 57 has the opposite portion 57A, but the second roller 57 may not have the opposite portion 57A. That is, the second roller 57 may have a cylindrical shape. The bonding apparatus 1 may also have an elastic member instead of the second roller 57. The elastic member is in contact with the adhesive surface E of the lower cloth C1, and can prevent the lower cloth C1 from floating from the first roller 56 even for the lower cloths C1 having different thicknesses.

The cross-sectional shape of the nozzle 11 perpendicular to the left-right direction may be a circular shape instead of a triangular shape, or may be a polygonal shape. The holding portion 54 may omit the engaging portion 54B. The operator may manually move the upper cloth support plate 53 to the first position and the second position. The operator may manually move the holding portion 54 to the first position and the second position.

The first roller 56 has a plurality of grooves 56B at equal intervals in the entire circumferential direction of the outer circumferential surface, but the first roller 56 may have at least one groove 56B in a part of the outer circumferential surface. The grooves 56B may not be parallel to the conveying direction, and may be arranged in a lattice shape. The groove 56B may be omitted, and a recess or a projection may be used instead of the groove 56B. The bonding apparatus 1 may omit the conveyance control unit 50. The bonding apparatus 1 may have a support table instead of the first roller 56. The support table may support the lower cloth C1 from below between the support table and the second roller 57. Instead of the lower roller 18, the conveying mechanism 14 may employ a belt. The object to be bonded is not limited to a cloth, and may be a long tape. The rod 9 may support the nozzle 11 so that the nozzle 11 can move in the left-right direction or the front-back direction.

As shown in fig. 22, the moving mechanism 55 may have a plate-like body 571 instead of the second roller 57 and a support member 581 instead of the support member 58. In fig. 22, members having the same functions as those of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted. The support member 581 has a fixing portion 581A, a connecting arm 58D, a pair of arm portions 58B, and a pair of swing shaft portions 58C, and the support member 581 supports the plate-like body 571 in such a manner that the plate-like body 571 can swing in the vertical direction. The fixing portion 581A is a rear end portion of each of the pair of arm portions 58B. The fixing portion 581A corresponds to a support portion of the present invention. The plate-like body 571 has a rectangular shape in plan view. The plate 571 is fixed to the fixing portion 581A. The plate-like body 571 faces the first roller 56 from above below the fixing portion 581A. The lower surface of the plate-like body 571 can be displaced in a direction toward or away from the first roller 56 in accordance with the swinging of the pair of arm portions 58B. The lower surface of the plate-shaped body 571 is flat. In a state where the lower cloth C1 is disposed between the plate-like body 571 and the first roller 56, the lower surface of the plate-like body 571 can be brought into contact with the adhesive surface E of the lower cloth C1. The upstream end 571A and the downstream end 571B of the plate-like body 571 in the conveying direction are bent upward.

Since the plate-like body 571 is fixed to the fixing portion 581A, the bonding apparatus 1 can suppress an increase in the space required for disposing the plate-like body 571, as compared with a case where the plate-like body 571 is rotated like the second roller 57. Therefore, the bonding apparatus 1 can suppress the expansion of the apparatus. Since the upstream end portion 571A is bent upward, when the lower cloth C1 enters the lower side of the plate-like body 571, the lower cloth C1 is less likely to be caught by the upstream end portion 571A than in the case where the upstream end portion 571A is not bent upward. Since the downstream end portion 571B is bent upward, when the lower cloth C1 passes under the plate-like body 571, the lower cloth C1 is less likely to be caught by the downstream end portion 571B than when the downstream end portion 571B is not bent upward. Therefore, the plate-like body 571 can prevent the lower cloth C1 from being hindered from being conveyed, and can prevent the lower cloth C1 from floating and being unable to follow the rotation of the first roller 56.

The support member 58 supports the second roller 57 so that the second roller 57 can swing in the vertical direction, but the support member 58 may support the second roller 57 so that the second roller 57 can linearly move in the vertical direction. The bonding apparatus 1 may have an urging member such as a spring as the support member 58. In the bonding apparatus 1, a fixing portion may be provided above the second roller 57, one end of the biasing member may be fixed to the fixing portion, and the other end of the biasing member may be fixed to the second roller 57. The urging member may urge the second roller 57 downward. The magnetic body 91 is located on the opposite side of the swing shaft portion 58C from the side where the support shaft portion 58A is located, but may be located on the same side of the swing shaft portion 58C as the side where the support shaft portion 58A is located. In this case, the support shaft portion 58A may be located between the swing shaft portion 58C and the magnetic body 91.

The magnetic body 91 may also be an electromagnet instead of a permanent magnet. The magnetic sensor 143 may be a hall element or another sensor instead of the magnetoresistive element. Preferably, the other sensor is a proximity sensor (an inductive proximity sensor, a capacitance proximity sensor, a laser displacement meter, or the like). The proximity sensor is a generic term for a sensor capable of detecting the position of a subject in a non-contact manner.

The CPU101 performs control (nozzle gap adjustment processing) for keeping the discharge distance Y constant by adjusting the nozzle gap X according to the vertical position of the second roller 57, but may not keep the discharge distance Y constant. When the step portion of the lower cloth C1 is bonded and the amount of discharge of the adhesive Z changes, the CPU101 may adjust the nozzle gap X so as to have a discharge distance Y corresponding to the amount of discharge of the adhesive Z.

Instead of providing the output shaft 412A at a position offset from the screw 414 in the conveying direction and the left-right direction, the output shaft 412A may be provided coaxially with the screw 414 in the adjustment motor 412. The bonding apparatus 1 may be configured such that the adjustment motor 412 is provided below the screw 414. The output shaft 412A may protrude upward from the adjustment motor 412. The bonding apparatus 1 may not have the connection tape 415. Instead of the coupling belt 415, the bonding apparatus 1 may be provided with a chain, a gear, or the like. The bonding apparatus 1 may move the lower cloth support portion 420 up and down by a hydraulic pressure, an air cylinder, or the like instead of the adjustment motor 412.

Claims (10)

1. A bonding apparatus (1) comprises:

a conveying mechanism (14) which, at one side, performs pressure contact in a state that a second sheet (C2) is overlapped on a first sheet (C1) through an adhesive (Z), and conveys the first sheet and the second sheet along a conveying direction crossed with the vertical direction;

a nozzle (11) having a discharge port (11D) for discharging the adhesive to an adhesive surface (E) which is an upper surface of the first sheet, the nozzle being disposed upstream of the conveying mechanism in the conveying direction and at a position between the first sheet and the second sheet in the vertical direction;

a supply mechanism (45) for supplying the adhesive to the nozzle; and

a discharge conveyance control unit (101) that controls the conveyance mechanism and the supply mechanism, discharges the adhesive from the discharge port, applies the adhesive to the bonding surface of the first sheet, and conveys the first sheet and the second sheet while pressing the first sheet and the second sheet against each other,

the bonding apparatus is characterized by comprising:

a support mechanism (420) having a support surface (420A) for supporting the first sheet from below the nozzle, the support mechanism being capable of moving up and down;

a specifying member (56) provided upstream of the nozzle in the conveying direction, the specifying member supporting the first sheet from below;

a counter member (57) which is opposed to the specific member from above and is capable of moving up and down, and which sandwiches the first sheet between the counter member and the specific member;

a first detection unit (143) for detecting the vertical position of the opposing member;

a first drive unit (412) that is connected to the support mechanism and that can move the support mechanism up and down; and

a vertical movement control unit that controls the first drive unit when the discharge conveyance control unit controls the conveyance mechanism and the supply mechanism,

the vertical movement control unit includes:

a first vertical movement control unit that moves the support mechanism downward when the first detection unit detects that the vertical position of the opposing member has been displaced upward; and

and a second vertical movement control unit that moves the support mechanism upward when the first detection unit detects that the vertical position of the opposing member has been displaced downward.

2. Bonding device according to claim 1,

the nozzle discharges the adhesive from the discharge port to a specific end portion (F) on one side in a specific direction orthogonal to the transport direction and the vertical direction in the adhesive surface,

the specific member is a first roller capable of reciprocating rotation about an axis (Q1) extending in the conveying direction,

the bonding apparatus includes:

a second detection unit (141) for detecting whether or not the first sheet is located at a predetermined detection position

(A) A predetermined detection position located upstream of the discharge port in the conveying direction and downstream of the first roller in the conveying direction;

a second drive unit (115) which is connected to the first roller and can rotate the first roller; and

a movement control unit that controls the second driving unit when the discharge conveyance control unit controls the conveyance mechanism and the supply mechanism,

the movement control unit includes:

a first movement control unit that rotates the first roller in a first rotational direction and moves the first sheet to one side in the specific direction when the second detection unit detects that the first sheet is not at the detection position; and

and a second movement control unit that rotates the first roller in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction and moves the first sheet to the other side in the specific direction when the second detection unit detects that the first sheet is located at the detection position.

3. Bonding device according to claim 2,

the bonding device comprises a support member (58) for supporting the relative member in a manner of enabling the relative member to move up and down,

the support member has:

a support portion (58A) for supporting the opposing member;

an arm (58B) that extends in the conveyance direction, the arm supporting the support portion; and

and a swing shaft portion (58C) that extends in the specific direction and is provided at a position offset in the conveyance direction with respect to the support portion, the swing shaft portion supporting the arm portion so as to be able to swing.

4. Bonding device according to claim 3,

the bonding device has a subject (91) provided at a position shifted in the conveyance direction with respect to the swing shaft portion in the arm portion,

the first detection unit is a proximity sensor capable of detecting the upper and lower positions of the subject in a non-contact manner.

5. Bonding device according to claim 4,

the subject is a magnetic body,

the proximity sensor is a magnetic sensor.

6. Bonding device according to claim 4,

the subject is located on the opposite side of the support portion with respect to the swing shaft portion,

a distance (T1) between the swing shaft portion and the subject is greater than a distance (T2) between the swing shaft portion and the support portion.

7. Bonding device according to claim 5,

the subject is located on the opposite side of the support portion with respect to the swing shaft portion,

the distance between the swing shaft portion and the subject is larger than the distance between the swing shaft portion and the support portion.

8. The bonding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,

the bonding apparatus includes an acquisition unit capable of acquiring the vertical position of the opposing member detected by the first detection unit,

the up-down movement control portion controls the first driving portion after a time corresponding to a distance (H) in the conveying direction between the opposing member and the discharge port and a conveying speed at which the conveying mechanism conveys the first sheet has elapsed from when the acquisition portion acquires the up-down position of the opposing member.

9. The bonding apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 7,

the opposing member is a second roller capable of reciprocating rotation about an axis (Q2) extending in the specific direction,

the outer peripheral surface of the second roller has a facing portion (57A) formed by recessing the outer peripheral surface inward in the radial direction along the shape of the first roller in the specific direction.

10. The bonding apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 7,

the opposing member is a plate-like member fixed to the support portion.

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