CN110300525B - Slide fastener chain correcting device and correcting method - Google Patents

Abstract

The correction device (10) of the present invention comprises: a chain supply unit (20) for supplying the fastener chain (1) in which curling has occurred; a chain conveying section (30) disposed downstream of the chain supply section (20); a chain heating section (40) disposed between the chain supply section (20) and the chain conveying section (30); a chain cooling section (50) disposed between the chain heating section (40) and the chain conveying section (30); and a chain tension applying unit (60) that applies tension to the fastener chain (1). Thus, the shape of the curled fastener chain (1) can be straightened, and the element interval of the left element row (3) and the element interval of the right element row (3) can be matched with each other.

Description

Slide fastener chain correcting device and correcting method

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a correction device and a correction method for correcting the shape of a dyed fastener chain in which curling is generated by thermal shrinkage after a dyeing process using a supercritical fluid is performed.

Background

Conventionally, in the case of dyeing a fiber product, a large amount of water has been used as a dyeing medium, but problems such as water resource saving and waste liquid disposal have been pointed out, and development of a dyeing technique having less influence on the environment has been demanded. In such a technique, as a dyeing method in which the discharge amount of waste liquid is extremely small and the influence on the environment is small, a method using a supercritical fluid as a dyeing medium has been proposed.

The supercritical fluid is a high-density fluid having a condensation property formed when the temperature and pressure are equal to or higher than the critical temperature and critical pressure of a substance, and has both gas diffusibility and liquid solubility. As the compound to be a supercritical fluid, water, carbon dioxide, and the like are known. A dyeing method using supercritical carbon dioxide as a supercritical fluid is a method of dissolving a dye in supercritical carbon dioxide to dye a fiber product or the like.

This dyeing method using supercritical carbon dioxide has many advantages over conventional dyeing methods in which, for example, a fiber product is immersed in a dyeing liquid, such as the following: the dyeing time can be shortened; the carbon dioxide can be recycled; no dyeing waste liquid is generated; the drying procedure of the dyed fiber product is not needed; excess dye can be recovered.

As for such a dyeing method using supercritical carbon dioxide, for example, japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2005-273098 (patent document 1) discloses the following method and apparatus: a colored article such as a fiber product is formed with gradation lines having a shade with good reproducibility by using supercritical carbon dioxide.

Further, international publication No. 2012/105011 (patent document 2) filed by the present applicant describes a cleaning method and a cleaning apparatus therefor as follows: after the product is dyed in the autoclave using the supercritical fluid, the dyed product and the autoclave are washed following the dyeing process.

As shown in fig. 4, the dyeing/cleaning apparatus 100 of patent document 2 includes: a dyeing/cleaning unit 110 that performs dyeing of a product (fiber product) and cleaning of the dyed fiber product and an autoclave 111; a supply unit 120 that supplies carbon dioxide to the dyeing/cleaning unit 110; a discharge unit 130 that discharges carbon dioxide from the dyeing/cleaning unit 110; and a recovery unit 140 that recovers the carbon dioxide discharged through the discharge unit 130.

The dyeing/washing unit 110 has: an autoclave 111 for storing a product; a circulation path 112 for circulating supercritical carbon dioxide in the autoclave 111; a circulation pump 113 disposed on the circulation path 112; a heating/cooling unit 114 that heats and cools the supercritical carbon dioxide circulating in the circulation path 112 and the carbon dioxide supplied from the supply unit 120; a temperature control unit 115 that measures the temperature in the autoclave 111 and controls the operation of the heating/cooling unit 114; and a pressure control unit 116 that measures the pressure in the autoclave 111 and controls the operation of a supply pump 122 described later and the opening and closing of a discharge valve 131 described later.

The autoclave 111 of patent document 2 is formed so that a fiber product can be stored and held in a drum (or a reel), not shown, together with the drum in a state where the fiber product is wound around the drum. The autoclave 111 has an inlet through which the supercritical carbon dioxide flows into the inside and an outlet through which the supercritical carbon dioxide flows out from the inside. In this case, the supercritical carbon dioxide flowing into the autoclave 111 from the inlet flows radially outward from the central axis of the drum held in the autoclave 111, and flows out to the circulation path 112 from the outlet of the autoclave 111.

A circulation path 112 is connected to an outflow port and an inflow port of the autoclave 111, and a circulation pump 113 and a heating/cooling unit 114 are provided on the circulation path 112. The circulation path 112 can return the supercritical carbon dioxide flowing out from the outlet of the autoclave 111 to the inlet of the autoclave 111 again to circulate the supercritical carbon dioxide.

The temperature control unit 115 includes: a temperature sensor 115a that measures the temperature in the autoclave 111; and a temperature control main body part 115b that controls the operation of the heating/cooling part 114 based on the measurement result of the temperature sensor 115 a. The temperature control unit 115 controls the temperature in the autoclave 111. The pressure control unit 116 includes: a pressure sensor 116a that measures the pressure in the autoclave 111; and a pressure control main body 116b that controls the operation of the supply pump 122 and the opening and closing of the discharge valve 131 based on the measurement result of the pressure sensor 116 a. The pressure control section 116 controls the pressure in the autoclave 111.

The supply unit 120 includes: a storage tank 121 that stores carbon dioxide; a supply pump 122 that supplies carbon dioxide from the storage tank 121 toward the dyeing/cleaning unit 110; a cooler unit (1 st cooler unit) 123 disposed between the tank 121 and the supply pump 122; and a preheating unit 124 disposed downstream of the supply pump 122 and configured to preheat the carbon dioxide before supplying the carbon dioxide to the dyeing and cleaning unit 110.

The supply pump 122 of the supply unit 120 pumps liquid carbon dioxide from the storage tank 121 and supplies the carbon dioxide to the dyeing and washing unit 110. The flow rate (supply amount) of the carbon dioxide supplied to the pump 122 is controlled by the pressure control unit 116 of the dyeing/cleaning unit 110.

Further, the supply pump 122 is provided in a pipe line separately disposed from the circulation path 112, and thus, after the dyeing treatment of the product in the autoclave 111 is completed, pure supercritical carbon dioxide containing no dye can be continuously supplied to the cleaning unit while circulating the supercritical carbon dioxide in the autoclave 111 and the circulation path 112 by the circulation pump 113. Therefore, the cleaning process of the product and the autoclave 111 can be continuously performed following the dyeing process.

The cooler portion 123 of the supply unit 120 is disposed upstream of the supply pump 122, and cools the carbon dioxide pumped from the tank 121 by the supply pump 122. By cooling the carbon dioxide with the cooler portion 123, the carbon dioxide can be directly supplied to the supply pump 122 in a liquid state, and thus the supply of the carbon dioxide to the supply pump 122 can be stabilized.

The preheating unit 124 can preheat the carbon dioxide passing through the supply pump 122 to a supercritical state before supplying the carbon dioxide passing through the supply pump 122 to the dyeing and washing unit 110. Further, a bypass path 125 is provided between the supply pump 122 and the dyeing and washing unit 110, and the bypass path 125 enables the carbon dioxide supplied from the supply pump 122 to be supplied to the dyeing and washing unit 110 without passing through the preheating unit 124. Further, a 1 st opening/closing valve 126 and a 2 nd opening/closing valve 127 for switching the flow path of carbon dioxide are disposed at a position upstream of the preheating section 124 and on the bypass path 125.

The discharge unit 130 includes: a discharge valve 131 for discharging the supercritical carbon dioxide from the circulation path 112; and a separation tank 132 disposed downstream of the discharge valve 131. In this case, the discharge valve 131 is connected to the pressure control unit 116, and the opening and closing of the discharge valve 131 is controlled by the pressure control unit 116. The separation tank 132 is used to separate the dye and other impurities from the carbon dioxide discharged and gasified.

The recovery unit 140 has: a compressor 141 that sucks carbon dioxide in a gaseous state from the separation tank 132 and compresses the carbon dioxide in the gaseous state; and an aftercooler unit 142 for cooling the compressed carbon dioxide to a liquid state. The carbon dioxide liquefied by the aftercooler 142 is transferred to the storage tank 121 of the supply unit 120 and stored therein.

When a fiber product is dyed using the dyeing and washing apparatus 100 of patent document 2 as described above, the fiber product is first wound around a drum, and the fiber product is stored and held in the autoclave 111 together with the drum. Further, a dye (disperse dye) is contained in the autoclave 111 together with the fiber product.

Next, the supply pump 122 of the supply unit 120 is driven to supply carbon dioxide from the storage tank 121 to the dyeing/cleaning unit 110 via the supply pump 122 and the preheating unit 124. At this time, the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas is increased by the supply pump 122, and the carbon dioxide gas is further heated by the preheating unit 124 and supplied to the dyeing and cleaning unit 110 in a supercritical state.

In the dyeing/cleaning unit 110, when carbon dioxide in a supercritical state (hereinafter, referred to as supercritical carbon dioxide) is supplied from the supply unit 120, the circulation pump 113 is driven, and the supplied supercritical carbon dioxide is circulated through the circulation path 112 and the autoclave 111. In this case, the supercritical carbon dioxide introduced into the autoclave 111 flows in a radial direction from the central axis portion toward the outer peripheral portion of the drum around which the fiber product is wound, and flows out from the outlet of the autoclave 111.

The temperature control unit 115 controls the driving of the heating/cooling unit 114 disposed in the circulation path 112 while measuring the temperature in the autoclave 111, thereby maintaining the temperature in the autoclave 111 at a predetermined temperature. The pressure control unit 116 measures the pressure in the autoclave 111 and controls the operation of the supply pump 122 and the opening and closing of the discharge valve 131, thereby maintaining the pressure in the autoclave 111 at a predetermined set pressure.

By circulating the supercritical carbon dioxide as described above in the autoclave 111 for a predetermined time, the fibers of the fiber product housed in the autoclave 111 are swollen by the heat of the supercritical carbon dioxide, and the supercritical carbon dioxide in which the dye is dissolved enters the swollen fibers and diffuses, so that the fiber product is dyed. In such a dyeing treatment using supercritical carbon dioxide, a fiber product can be dyed in a relatively short time without using water.

In the dyeing/cleaning apparatus 100 of patent document 2, after the dyeing process is completed, the fiber product and the portion through which the supercritical carbon dioxide passes, such as the autoclave 111, are continuously cleaned.

In this cleaning process, the supply pump 122 is driven and the discharge valve 131 is opened while the supercritical carbon dioxide is circulated through the circulation path 112. Thereby, pure supercritical carbon dioxide containing no dye is supplied from the supply unit 120 to the dyeing/cleaning unit 110, and at the same time, supercritical carbon dioxide in which the dye is dissolved is discharged from the dyeing/cleaning unit 110 via the discharge valve 131.

As a result, while the concentration of the dye in the supercritical carbon dioxide circulating through the autoclave 111 and the circulation path 112 is decreased with time, the fiber product, the autoclave 111, and the like can be cleaned with the supercritical carbon dioxide. At this time, while the fiber product or the like is cleaned, the temperature in the autoclave 111 is lowered to the glass transition temperature or less at a predetermined temperature lowering rate by controlling the heating/cooling unit 114 by the temperature control unit 115. This can suppress precipitation of the dye dissolved in the supercritical carbon dioxide, and also can suppress color separation of the dye from the fiber by shrinking the fiber of the fiber product swollen during dyeing.

On the other hand, the vaporized carbon dioxide discharged through the discharge valve 131 is sent to the separation tank 132, and the dye is separated from the carbon dioxide in the separation tank 132. Thereafter, the carbon dioxide after the dye separation is compressed by the compressor, and then cooled and liquefied by the aftercooler 142. The liquid carbon dioxide is returned from the aftercooler 142 to the storage tank 121 and reused.

As described above, according to the dyeing and cleaning apparatus 100 of patent document 2, the cleaning process of the fiber product and the autoclave 111 can be continuously performed following the dyeing process, and thus the fiber product and the autoclave 111 can be efficiently cleaned.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2005-273098

Patent document 2: international publication No. 2012/105011

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

As described above, the dyeing method using the supercritical fluid has been studied for use in dyeing of a fastener chain for a slide fastener, because the dyeing process is efficient, the influence on the environment is low, and the like.

Here, the fastener chain has a pair of right and left fastener tapes and right and left element rows formed on opposing tape side edge portions of the fastener tapes, and in a normal fastener chain, the right and left element rows are engaged with each other. Further, a plurality of fastener elements are formed continuously by spirally forming a monofilament made of a synthetic resin, and the plurality of molded fastener elements are placed on one tape surface of a tape side edge portion of a fastener tape and sewn, thereby forming a fastener element row of the fastener chain.

Therefore, a fastener chain having an element row constituted by a plurality of spiral fastener elements has the following configuration: the left and right element rows in the engaged state bulge out from the tape surface or the tape back surface of the fastener tape at the opposite tape side edge portions of the left and right fastener tapes (the central portions in the tape width direction in the fastener chain).

When such a slide fastener chain is dyed by a supercritical fluid dyeing method using, for example, the dyeing/cleaning apparatus 100 shown in fig. 4 described in patent document 2, it is also necessary to wind several layers of a straight and long slide fastener chain around a drum and store the slide fastener chain together with the drum in the autoclave 111.

Here, since the fastener chain has a form in which the right and left element rows in the engaged state bulge out from one tape surface of the fastener tape as described above, when the fastener chain is wound around the drum so as to be overlapped by several layers in the drum for the dyeing treatment by the supercritical fluid, the fastener chain is wound in a spiral shape while being shifted in the axial direction of the drum, as in the case of the conventional dyeing treatment in which the fastener chain is immersed in the dyeing liquid in a state of being wound around the drum and dyed, for example. The winding method in which the fastener chain is spirally wound around the drum in this manner is also referred to as traverse winding.

By spirally winding the fastener chain around the drum in this manner, the element rows of the fastener chain are less likely to overlap with the element rows already wound around the drum on the inner side, and the fastener chain can be efficiently wound around the drum.

However, the following is made clear: when a dyeing process based on a dyeing method using a supercritical fluid is actually attempted in a state where a fastener chain is spirally wound around a drum, a fastener tape made of synthetic fibers and a fastener element row made of synthetic resin are subjected to heat setting similar to a form of winding around the drum due to heating at a high temperature by the supercritical fluid in the dyeing process of the fastener chain and cooling after the dyeing process, and the entire fastener chain is deformed.

That is, when an attempt is made to pull out the dyed and cooled fastener chain from the drum and observe the fastener chain, for example, as shown in fig. 3, the fastener chain is curled in a deflected shape as follows: according to the winding direction of the traverse winding relative to the drum, the zipper chain is in a curved shape in a plan view as follows: one of the pair of right and left element rows is convexly curved toward the other element, and the other is concavely curved toward the one element.

When the fastener chain has a curved shape due to such curling, the intervals between the fastener elements in the element rows (in other words, the attachment pitches of the fastener elements) are slightly different between the left-side element row and the right-side element row, and as a result, there is a problem as follows: when the slide fastener is formed, the slidability and operability of the slider are reduced. In addition, the following problems also arise: it is difficult to attach the zipper, which is left with the above-described curl, to a zipper-attached product such as clothes straightly and neatly.

Thus, the following is clarified: when the zipper chain is spirally wound around the drum and subjected to the dyeing process by the dyeing method using the supercritical fluid, it is necessary to restore the shape of the dyed and bent zipper chain caused by the curling to a straight state before the dyeing process.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and a specific object thereof is to provide a slide fastener chain straightening device and a slide fastener chain straightening method, in which: when the fastener chain is subjected to the dyeing treatment using the supercritical fluid in a state where the fastener chain is spirally wound around the drum, the dyed fastener chain shape in which the curl is generated due to the thermal shrinkage can be easily corrected.

Means for solving the problems

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a slide fastener chain straightening device, comprising: the zipper chain straightening device is characterized in that the zipper chain straightening device is mainly provided with a dyeing treatment using supercritical fluid after the zipper chain is wound on a roller, and in order to remove the curls of the dyed zipper chain which is curled due to heat and correct the shape of the zipper chain, and the zipper chain straightening device is provided with: a chain supply unit configured to supply the fastener chain in which the curl is generated; a chain conveying section disposed downstream of the chain supply section and configured to convey the fastener chain from the chain supply section along a conveying path at a predetermined conveying speed; a chain heating unit that is disposed between the chain supply unit and the chain conveying unit and heats the fastener chain on the conveying path; a chain cooling section that is disposed between the chain heating section and the chain conveying section and cools the heated fastener chain on the conveying path, and a chain tension applying section that applies tension to the fastener chain flowing through the chain heating section and the chain cooling section.

In the above-described slide fastener chain straightening device according to the present invention, it is preferable that a plurality of guide rollers for meandering the conveying path of the slide fastener chain in a zigzag manner are disposed between the chain supplying portion and the chain conveying portion, and a conveying distance of the slide fastener chain conveyed in the chain heating portion is set shorter than a conveying distance of the slide fastener chain conveyed in the chain cooling portion.

In this case, it is preferable that the chain heating section includes a heat source disposed so as to be sandwiched between the meandering conveyance path, and the heat source is configured to be capable of heating the fastener chain at a temperature rise rate of 30 ℃/min or more. Further, preferably, the heat source is a plate-like infrared heater.

In the correction device of the present invention, it is preferable that the chain heating section is formed so as to be capable of heating the fastener chain to a temperature of 120 ℃ or higher than a glass transition temperature of a synthetic resin forming the fastener elements of the fastener chain.

Preferably, the chain cooling portion is configured to cool the fastener chain to at least the glass transition temperature or lower by natural air cooling while conveying the fastener chain.

In the straightening device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the chain tension applying section includes a dancer roller for applying a load to the fastener chain, and the dancer roller is disposed in the chain cooling section at a position on the conveying path near the chain heating section.

Next, the method for correcting a fastener chain according to the present invention is a method for correcting a fastener chain as follows: the method for correcting a fastener chain, which corrects the form of the fastener chain after a dyeing process using a supercritical fluid is performed on the fastener chain in a state of being wound around a drum, in order to remove the curl of the dyed fastener chain that is curled by heat, is characterized by comprising: supplying the fastener chain having the curl generated therein and conveying the fastener chain at a predetermined conveying speed; heating the supplied fastener chain by a chain heating section while conveying the supplied fastener chain; cooling the heated fastener chain by a chain cooling section while conveying the heated fastener chain; and applying tension to the fastener chain flowing through the chain heating section and the chain cooling section.

Further, it is preferable that the correction method of the present invention includes: conveying the fastener chain while meandering the fastener chain in a zigzag manner; and making a conveying distance of the fastener chain in the chain heating section shorter than a conveying distance of the fastener chain in the chain cooling section.

Further, it is preferable that the correction method of the present invention includes: the chain heating unit heats the fastener chain at a temperature rise rate of 30 ℃/min or more to a temperature of 120 ℃ or less which is equal to or higher than the glass transition temperature of the synthetic resin forming the fastener elements of the fastener chain.

Further, it is preferable that the correction method of the present invention includes: the chain cooling unit cools the fastener chain at least to a glass transition temperature or lower by natural air cooling while conveying the fastener chain.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

The zipper chain straightening device of the invention comprises: a chain supply unit for supplying a fastener chain in which a curl is generated; a chain conveying section disposed downstream of the chain supply section; a chain heating section that is disposed between the chain supply section and the chain conveying section and that heats the fastener chain; a chain cooling section disposed between the chain heating section and the chain conveying section, and configured to cool the heated fastener chain; and a chain tension applying section that applies tension to the fastener chain flowing through the chain heating section and the chain cooling section.

In the above-described slide fastener straightening device according to the present invention, the fastener chain in which the curved curl is generated can be conveyed at a predetermined conveying speed along the conveying path from the chain supplying section by the chain conveying section, and the fastener chain flowing through the chain heating section can be tensioned by the chain tension applying section while the fastener chain is heated by the chain heating section. As a result, the fastener chain is heated and extended on the conveying path of the chain heating section, so that the fastener chain is straightened, and the intervals between the fastener elements (hereinafter, simply referred to as element intervals) can be made uniform between the right and left element rows.

In the correction device of the present invention, after the fastener chain is heated by the chain heating section, the heated fastener chain is cooled by the chain cooling section, and the fastener chain flowing through the chain cooling section is tensioned by the chain tension applying section. Thus, the fastener chain straightened by the chain heating section is cooled while maintaining its shape, and therefore, the straight fastener chain can be stably held in a fixed state. Further, the element pitch of the element row can be prevented from being deviated between the right and left element rows. Therefore, the dyed fastener chain having the straight shape without the curl can be obtained.

Further, in the present invention, since a constant tension is applied to the fastener chain flowing through the chain cooling portion, the thermal shrinkage of the fastener chain is restricted, and the element pitch in the right and left element rows can be adjusted to a constant magnitude over the entire belt longitudinal direction. This reduces variations in the dimension between the left and right element rows and variations in the dimension of the left and right element rows in the belt longitudinal direction, and stabilizes the dimension of the element rows over the entire fastener chain, thereby improving the dimensional accuracy of the fastener chain.

In the above-described correction device of the present invention, a plurality of guide rollers for meandering the conveying path of the fastener chain in a zigzag manner are disposed between the chain supply portion and the chain conveying portion. This makes it possible to stably secure the length of the conveying path of the fastener chain and to reduce the size of the correction device.

In this case, the conveying distance of the fastener chain in the chain heating portion is set shorter than the conveying distance of the fastener chain in the chain cooling portion. By setting the conveying distance of the chain heating section to be shorter than the conveying distance of the chain cooling section in this manner, the heating of the fastener chain by the chain heating section is efficiently performed, and the straightening device can be further downsized. Further, the fastener chain is straightly extended by the chain heating section having a short conveying path, and as a result, the distance for conveying the fastener chain in a state where the fastener chain is curled in a curved shape can be shortened, and therefore, the conveying of the fastener chain can be further stabilized.

Further, by making the conveying distance of the chain cooling section longer than the conveying distance of the chain heating section, the fastener chain can be gradually (slowly) cooled in the chain cooling section while applying tension to the heated fastener chain. Therefore, the fastener tape and the element row can be prevented from being rapidly contracted, and the amount of thermal contraction of the fastener tape and the element row is less likely to be deviated.

In this case, the chain heating section has a heat source disposed so as to be sandwiched by the meandering conveyance path.

This enables the zipper chain to be efficiently and stably heated by the heat source in the chain heating section having a short conveying distance. In addition, the installation space of the heat source can be compactly collected, and space saving can be achieved. The heat source of the chain heating section is formed so as to be able to heat the fastener chain at a temperature rise rate of 30 ℃/min or more. This enables the fastener chain to be stably and quickly heated to a predetermined temperature in the chain heating section having a short conveying distance.

In particular, since the heat source of the chain heating section is a plate-shaped infrared heater (far infrared heater), the chain heating section can be formed with a simple structure, and the fastener chain in the chain heating section can be stably heated. Further, as a heat source of the chain heating section, for example, resistance heating or the like may be used.

In the straightening device of the present invention, the chain heating section is formed so as to be capable of heating the fastener chain to a temperature of 120 ℃ or higher than the glass transition temperature of the synthetic resin forming the fastener elements of the fastener chain.

By heating the fastener chain to a temperature equal to or higher than the glass transition temperature of the fastener elements by the chain heating section, the left and right element rows can be corrected so that the element intervals can be made to coincide stably. In particular, in this case, the fastener chain can be more stably extended in a straight form in the chain heating section by heating the fastener chain to a temperature equal to or higher than the glass transition temperature of the synthetic fibers of the fastener tape by the chain heating section.

On the other hand, in the chain heating section, the zipper chain is heated to a temperature of 120 ℃ or lower, thereby preventing the zipper chain dyed by the supercritical fluid from being discolored, and also preventing the zipper chain from being deteriorated in color fastness due to the heating of the chain heating section.

In the straightening device of the present invention, the chain cooling portion is formed so as to cool the fastener chain at least to the glass transition temperature or lower by natural air cooling while conveying the fastener chain. This makes it possible to cool the fastener chain slowly and stably by the chain cooling section, and to prevent variation in the amount of heat shrinkage of the fastener tape and the element row. In addition, an increase in equipment cost can also be suppressed.

In the correction device of the present invention, the chain tension applying section includes a tension adjusting roller for applying a load to the fastener chain. Thus, the chain tension applying portion can be easily formed, and a predetermined amount of tension can be stably applied to the fastener chain flowing through the chain heating portion and the chain cooling portion.

In this case, the dancer roller is disposed on the conveying path in the chain cooling section at a position close to the chain heating section, and is less likely to be affected by the heating of the chain heating section. Further, since the dancer roller is disposed at the above-described position, the tension can be stably applied to the fastener chain flowing through the chain cooling section, and the tension can also be stably applied to the fastener chain flowing through the chain heating section.

Next, in the method for correcting a fastener chain for a slide fastener according to the present invention, a fastener chain in which a curl is generated is supplied and the fastener chain is conveyed at a predetermined conveying speed, and tension is applied to the fastener chain flowing through the chain heating section while the fastener chain is heated by the chain heating section. As a result, the fastener chain can be extended while being heated on the conveying path of the chain heating section, so that the fastener chain can be made straight, and the element pitch can be made uniform between the right and left element rows.

After the fastener chain is heated by the chain heating section as described above, the heated fastener chain is conveyed to the chain cooling section, and the fastener chain flowing through the chain cooling section is tensioned while the fastener chain is cooled in the chain cooling section. Thus, the fastener chain straightened by the chain heating section is cooled while maintaining its shape, and therefore, the straight shape of the fastener chain can be stably held in a fixed manner. Further, the element pitch of the element row can be prevented from being deviated between the right and left element rows. Therefore, the dyed fastener chain having the straight shape without the curl can be stably obtained.

In the present invention, the fastener element spacing in the left and right element rows can be adjusted to a constant level over the entire length of the tape by applying a constant level of tension to the fastener chain flowing through the chain cooling section. This makes it possible to reduce variations in the dimension between the left and right element rows and variations in the dimension of the left and right element rows in the belt longitudinal direction, and stabilize the dimension of the element rows over the entire fastener chain, thereby improving the dimensional accuracy of the fastener chain. In this case, too, the element pitch of the element row can be adjusted by changing the magnitude of the tension applied to the fastener chain.

In the above-described straightening method according to the present invention, the fastener chain is conveyed while meandering in a zigzag manner, whereby the straightening device can be downsized while stably securing the length of the conveying path of the fastener chain.

In this case, the conveying distance of the fastener chain conveyed by the chain heating unit is set shorter than the conveying distance of the fastener chain conveyed by the chain cooling unit, and the fastener chain is efficiently heated by the chain heating unit, so that the straightening device can be further downsized. Further, the shape of the fastener chain is extended straight by shortening the conveying path of the chain heating section, and as a result, the distance over which the fastener chain is conveyed in a state in which the fastener chain is curled in a curved shape can be shortened, and therefore, the conveyance of the fastener chain can be further stabilized.

Further, by making the conveying distance of the chain cooling section longer than the conveying distance of the chain heating section, the heated fastener chain can be gradually (slowly) cooled while applying tension to the chain cooling section. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the fastener tape and the element row from being rapidly contracted to make it more difficult for the heat shrinkage amount of the fastener tape and the element row to be deviated.

In the straightening method of the present invention, the fastener chain is heated at a temperature rise rate of 30 ℃/min or more in the chain heating section to a temperature of 120 ℃ or less and equal to or higher than the glass transition temperature of the synthetic resin forming the fastener elements of the fastener chain. By heating the fastener chain at a temperature rise rate of 30 ℃/min or more, the fastener chain can be stably and rapidly heated to a predetermined temperature by the chain heating section. Further, the fastener chain is heated by the chain heating portion to a temperature equal to or higher than the glass transition temperature of the fastener elements, and further, the fastener chain is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the glass transition temperature of the synthetic fibers forming the fastener tape, whereby the fastener chain having a curl can be more stably extended into a straight form. Further, by heating the fastener chain to a temperature of 120 ℃ or lower by the chain heating section, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of color fading of the fastener chain dyed by the supercritical fluid and also prevent the decrease in the color fastness of the fastener chain due to the heating by the chain heating section.

In the straightening method of the present invention, the fastener chain is cooled to at least the glass transition temperature or lower by natural air cooling while being conveyed in the chain cooling section, so that the fastener chain can be slowly and stably cooled by the chain cooling section, and the heat shrinkage of the fastener tape and the element row is less likely to vary.

Drawings

Figure 1 is a schematic representation schematically showing the orthotic device of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the fastener chain before the dyeing process and the fastener chain after the straightening process by the straightening device.

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the fastener chain in which curling is generated by the dyeing process.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view schematically showing the configuration of an apparatus for performing dyeing/cleaning treatment on a fastener chain.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings by referring to examples. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and various modifications can be made as long as the present invention has substantially the same structure and the same operational effects as those of the present invention.

For example, in the following embodiment, a case will be described in which a fastener chain in which right and left element rows are formed of a plurality of fastener elements that are spirally continuous is subjected to a correction process for removing a curl of a dyeing process. However, the present invention can be similarly applied to the following cases: the fastener chain in which the left and right element rows are formed of a plurality of continuous fastener elements formed by forming a monofilament made of a synthetic resin into a zigzag shape, and the fastener chain in which the left and right element rows are formed of a plurality of individual fastener elements formed by injection molding are subjected to a straightening process.

Examples

Fig. 1 is a schematic view schematically showing the orthotic device of the present embodiment.

In the present embodiment, the object to be corrected using the correction device of fig. 1 is a dyed fastener chain in which a curved curl is generated as shown in fig. 3 by dyeing and washing the fastener chain for a fastener shown in fig. 2 using the device shown in fig. 4, for example.

Here, the fastener chain 1 shown in fig. 2 has a pair of right and left fastener element tapes 2, and element rows 3 formed in the right and left fastener element tapes 2 are engaged with each other. Each fastener element tape 2 includes: a fastener tape 4 formed by knitting polyester fibers; and a plurality of spiral fastener elements 5 sewn to opposite side edges of the fastener tape 4, the element row 3 being formed by the plurality of fastener elements 5 attached to the fastener tape 4.

In this case, the fastener tape 4 has: a fastener element mounting portion to which the fastener element 5 is sewn; and a tape main body portion extending outward in the tape width direction from one side edge of the element attaching portion and sewn to a product to which a slide fastener such as clothing is attached.

Further, the plurality of fastener elements 5 are formed in a continuous shape by spirally forming a monofilament made of polyester, and each fastener element 5 has: an engagement head; upper and lower leg portions extending from the engaging head portion in the belt width direction; and a connecting portion that connects an end of the upper leg portion or an end of the lower leg portion to a lower leg portion or an upper leg portion of the fastener element adjacent in the front-rear direction. The spiral fastener element 5 is sewn to the element attaching portion by a double lock stitch of the sewing thread 6 by projecting the coupling head portion outward from the tape side edge on the element attaching portion side of the fastener tape 4 in a state where the core thread is inserted between the upper and lower leg portions.

When such a fastener chain 1 is subjected to a dyeing treatment with a supercritical fluid (supercritical carbon dioxide) using the dyeing/cleaning apparatus 100 shown in fig. 4, as described above, first, the lengthwise fastener chain 1 is wound around a drum (not shown), and the fastener chain 1 is accommodated in the autoclave 111 together with the drum and the dye. At this time, the left and right element rows 3 in the fastener chain 1 are bulged from the tape surface of the fastener tape 4, and therefore, the fastener chain 1 is wound around the drum by traverse winding while being shifted in position in the axial direction in a spiral shape.

After the fastener chain 1 and the dye are contained in the autoclave 111, the supercritical carbon dioxide is supplied from the supply unit 120 to the dyeing/cleaning unit 110 as described above. Further, the circulation pump 113 of the dyeing/cleaning unit 110 is driven to circulate the supercritical carbon dioxide in the circulation path 112 and the autoclave 111, and the temperature and pressure in the autoclave 111 are controlled by the temperature control unit 115 and the pressure control unit 116. Thereby, the fastener chain 1 housed in the autoclave 111 in a state of being wound around the drum is dyed.

After the dyeing process is finished for a predetermined time, the washing process is continuously performed. In this cleaning process, as described above, the fiber product and the autoclave 111 are cleaned with the supercritical carbon dioxide while the concentration of the dye in the supercritical carbon dioxide circulating through the autoclave 111 and the circulation path 112 is decreased with time and the temperature in the autoclave 111 is decreased to the glass transition temperature or lower at a predetermined temperature decrease rate.

Thereby, the fiber product and the autoclave 111 are cleaned while suppressing the color of the dyed fastener chain 1 from dropping. In this case, since the dyeing/cleaning process is performed by the dyeing/cleaning apparatus 100 shown in fig. 4 in a state where the fastener chain 1 is spirally wound around the drum, the fastener chain 1 obtained after the dyeing process and the cleaning process is dried, and the fastener chain 1 is curled in a deflected shape as shown in fig. 3 due to the thermal shrinkage after the dyeing process.

The fastener chain 1 has a left-curved curl as shown in fig. 3 or a right-curved curl opposite to the left-curved curl, depending on the direction in which the fastener chain 1 is spirally wound around the drum. In addition, the left-bent curl and the right-bent curl are alternately formed in the fastener chain 1 as follows: for example, when the fastener chain 1 is spirally wound around the drum, a winding method of spirally winding the fastener chain 1 while shifting the fastener chain 1 in one direction (for example, upward) in the axial direction of the drum and a winding method of spirally winding the fastener chain 1 while shifting the fastener chain in the other direction (for example, downward) in the axial direction of the drum are alternately performed.

The dyeing process and the cleaning process described above are merely simple examples for explaining the occurrence of curling in the fastener chain 1 due to the dyeing process using the supercritical fluid. The object of the present invention is to remove the curl of a fastener chain 1 by using a straightening device 10 described below: since the supercritical fluid dyeing process is performed in a state where the fastener chain 1 is spirally wound around the drum, the fastener chain 1 is curled due to the winding on the drum. Therefore, in the present invention, specific methods, conditions, and the like in the dyeing process using the supercritical fluid and the subsequent cleaning process performed on the fastener chain 1 are not particularly limited.

In the present embodiment, when the fastener chain 1 is curled in a curved form as shown in fig. 3, the fastener chain 1 is straightened by removing the curl of the fastener chain 1 by using the straightening device 10 shown in fig. 1, and the fastener chain 1 is straightened (deformed) in an original straight form as shown in fig. 2. In the following, a case will be described in which the fastener chain 1 is directly set on the correction device 10 from the above-described dyeing/cleaning process in a state of being wound around the drum 8 in a spiral shape.

The orthotic device 10 of the present embodiment shown in fig. 1 has: a chain supply unit 20 that feeds the fastener chain 1 wound around the drum 8 by pulling out the chain; a chain conveying section 30 which is disposed downstream of the chain supply section 20 and pulls the fastener chain 1 to convey the fastener chain 1 from the chain supply section 20 at a predetermined conveying speed; a plurality of guide rollers 11 that meander a conveying path of the fastener chain 1 formed between the chain supply unit 20 and the chain conveying unit 30 in a zigzag manner; a chain heating section 40 disposed between the chain supply section 20 and the chain conveying section 30; a chain cooling section 50 disposed between the chain heating section 40 and the chain conveying section 30; a chain tension applying unit 60 that applies tension to the fastener chain 1; and a chain collection unit 70 that collects the corrected fastener chain 1 fed out from the chain conveying unit 30.

In the present embodiment, the chain supply section 20 includes: a roller holding portion 21 that rotatably holds the roller 8 around which the fastener chain 1 is wound; a supply roller section 22 that continuously pulls out and supplies the fastener chain 1 from the drum 8; and a supply section guide roller 23 that directs the advancing direction of the fastener chain 1 toward the chain heating section 40.

The roller holding portion 21 includes: a base part 21 a; and a backup roller portion 21b rotatably supported by the base portion 21a and on which the drum 8 is placed and held. The backup roller portion 21b includes: front and rear rotating shaft portions pivotally supported by the base portion 21 a; and left and right rotating rollers fixed to the respective rotating shaft portions, and the roller 8 around which the fastener chain 1 is wound is rotatably supported by the 4 rotating rollers of the supporting roller portion 21 b.

The supply roller section 22 includes: a drive feed roller 22a that rotates at a set rotational speed; a supply pressure-contact roller, not shown, for pressing the fastener chain 1 toward the drive supply roller 22a to press the fastener chain 1 against the drive supply roller 22 a; and a supply roller control unit, not shown, for controlling the rotation of the drive supply roller 22a and the supply pressure roller.

In the supply roller section 22, the supply roller 22a and the supply pressure-contact roller are driven to rotate while sandwiching the fastener chain 1, so that the fastener chain 1 can be pulled out from the drum 8 held by the drum holding section 21 and sent to the chain heating section 40. In this case, the drive supply roller 22a, the supply pressure-contact roller, and the supply section guide roller 23 are formed to have a roller width larger than the chain width (the dimension in the tape width direction) of the fastener chain 1 in order to smoothly convey the fastener chain 1 with the curved curl.

In the present invention, the chain supplying section 20 is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may have another embodiment as long as the fastener chain 1 in which the curl is generated can be fed to the chain heating section 40 at a predetermined speed. For example, in the chain supply unit 20 of the present embodiment, the fastener chain 1 with the curl is continuously pulled out from the drum 8 mounted on the drum holding unit 21 and supplied to the chain heating unit 40, but for example, in the case where the fastener chain 1 with the curl is already pulled out from the drum 8 and stored in a box or the like, the drum holding unit 21 as described above may not be provided.

The chain conveying section 30 is disposed downstream of the chain heating section 40 and the chain cooling section 50. The chain conveying section 30 includes: a conveying section guide roller 31 that changes the traveling direction of the fastener chain 1 while rotating; a drive conveying roller 32 that rotates at a set rotational speed; a conveying pressure-contact roller, not shown, which presses the fastener chain 1 toward the driving conveying roller 32 to pressure-contact the fastener chain 1 to the driving conveying roller 32; and a not-shown conveying roller control section that controls rotation of the conveying supply roller and the conveying pressure-contact roller, and the chain conveying section 30 draws in the fastener chain 1 supplied from the chain supply section 20 and discharges the same to the chain collection section 70.

In this case, the rotational speed of the drive conveying roller 32 in the chain conveying section 30 is set to the same speed as the rotational speed of the drive supply roller 22a in the chain supply section 20, or is set to be faster than the rotational speed of the drive supply roller 22 a. This prevents the fastener chain 1 conveyed between the chain supplying portion 20 and the chain conveying portion 30 from being loosened during the correction process, and stabilizes the magnitude of the applied tension when the chain tension applying portion 60 applies tension to the fastener chain 1.

Between the chain feeding unit 20 and the chain conveying unit 30, 17 guide rollers 11, i.e., the 1 st guide roller 11a to the 17 th guide roller 11q, are vertically separated from each other in order from the chain feeding unit 20 and attached to the frame of the correction device 10, and the conveying path of the fastener chain 1 is zigzag-meandering by these guide rollers 11 and a tension adjusting roller 61, described later, of the chain tension applying unit 60.

In this case, in the 1 st to 17 th guide rollers 11a to 11q and the dancer roller 61, flange portions are provided at both left and right end portions of each guide roller 11 so that the position of the fastener chain 1 does not shift in the chain width direction while the fastener chain 1 is conveyed from the supply roller portion 22 of the chain supply portion 20 to the chain conveying portion 30.

Particularly, in the present embodiment, the 1 st guide roller 11a, the 3 rd guide roller 11c, the 4 th guide roller 11d, the 5 th guide roller 11e, the 7 th guide roller 11g, the 9 th guide roller 11i, the 11 th guide roller 11k, the 13 th guide roller 11m, the 15 th guide roller 11o, and the 17 th guide roller 11q are attached to the upper frame 12 of the correction device 10, and the 2 nd guide roller 11b, the 6 th guide roller 11f, the 8 th guide roller 11h, the 10 th guide roller 11j, the 12 th guide roller 11l, the 14 th guide roller 11n, and the 16 th guide roller 11p are attached to the lower frame 13 of the correction device 10. This can stably secure the length of the conveying path of the fastener chain 1, and can reduce the size of the slide fastener correcting device 10.

In the present embodiment, the 1 st to 3 rd guide rollers 11a to 11c form a conveying path of the fastener chain 1 for reciprocating the fastener chain 1 up and down once in the later-described outer shell 41 of the chain heating section 40. In this case, the 1 st guide roller 11a and the 3 rd guide roller 11c are disposed above the housing portion 41, and the 2 nd guide roller 11b is disposed at the lower end portion in the housing portion 41. In this way, the conveying path of the fastener chain 1 in the chain heating section 40 is formed to reciprocate once in the vertical direction in a short manner, and further downsizing of the chain heating section 40 and the rectifying device 10 is achieved.

In the chain cooling section 50, a conveying path of the fastener chain 1 is formed so that the fastener chain 1 reciprocates seven times up and down by the 4 th to 17 th guide rollers 11d to 11q and the dancer roller 61. By extending the conveying path of the fastener chain 1 in the chain cooling section 50 in this manner, the heated fastener chain 1 can be cooled slowly and stably to a temperature equal to or lower than the glass transition temperature, preferably to room temperature, while applying tension thereto.

The chain heating section 40 is disposed downstream of the chain supplying section 20 so as to be adjacent to the chain supplying section 20. The chain heating section 40 includes: a shell portion 41 as a contour; a plate-like infrared heater 42 disposed inside the housing 41 as a heat source; and a temperature control unit, not shown, for controlling the temperature of the infrared heater 42. The housing portion 41 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape long in the height direction, and an opening (not shown) serving as an entrance/exit of the conveyed fastener chain 1 is formed in a top portion (upper wall portion) of the housing portion 41.

The plate-like infrared heater 42 is disposed so as to be sandwiched by the conveyance path of the fastener chain 1 formed to reciprocate once up and down by the 1 st guide roller 11a to the 3 rd guide roller 11 c. The fastener chain 1 flowing downward from the 1 st guide roller 11a toward the 2 nd guide roller 11b and the fastener chain 1 flowing upward from the 2 nd guide roller 11b toward the 3 rd guide roller 11c are heated by the plate-like infrared heater 42.

By using such a plate-like infrared heater 42, the fastener element 5 can be efficiently heated. Further, since the infrared heater 42 can be provided in a long and narrow shape in a state sandwiched by the vertically reciprocating conveyance path, the fastener chain 1 flowing from the 1 st guide roller 11a to the 3 rd guide roller 11c via the 2 nd guide roller 11b can be stably heated to a predetermined temperature.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the chain heating section 40 can be provided in a narrow space, and the space saving of the chain heating section 40 and the space saving of the entire leveling device 10 can be achieved. In the present invention, a medium-wavelength carbon heater may be used as a heat source of the chain heating section 40 instead of the infrared heater 42.

In this case, the chain heating unit 40 is formed to be able to heat the fastener chain 1 by the infrared heater 42 as follows: at least when the fastener chain 1 is fed out from the housing portion 41, the temperature of the fastener chain 1 (particularly, the temperature of the fastener element 5) is not lower than the glass transition temperature (70 ℃) of polyester which is a material of the fastener element 5, and is not higher than 120 ℃ at which discoloration due to heating of the dyed fastener chain 1 hardly occurs. The chain heating unit 40 is configured to be able to heat the fastener chain 1 by the infrared heater 42 at a temperature rise rate of 30 ℃/min or more. This enables the fastener chain 1 to be stably and quickly heated to a predetermined temperature.

The chain cooling section 50 is provided between the chain heating section 40 and the chain conveying section 30. In the chain cooling section 50, the fastener chain 1 flowing in a zigzag shape from the 4 th guide roller 11d to the 17 th guide roller 11q is cooled by natural air cooling (natural cooling). Here, natural air cooling means: when the fastener chain 1 is cooled by conveying the fastener chain 1 while exposing the fastener chain 1 to air at normal temperature without generating a forced wind by a fan or the like, the fastener chain 1 is not passed through cold air cooler than normal temperature, or the cold air is not blown to the fastener chain 1.

If the chain cooling section 50 is a cooling section for natural air cooling of the fastener chain 1 in this way, the chain cooling section 50 can be formed with a simple structure, and an increase in facility cost can be suppressed. In this case, the chain cooling section 50 is formed in a chain conveying path having a length that allows the fastener chain 1 to be cooled by natural air cooling to a glass transition temperature or lower, preferably to a normal temperature (for example, 30 ℃ or lower) in accordance with the conveying speed of the fastener chain 1.

The chain tension applying unit 60 includes 1 dancer roller 61 that rotates in contact with the fastener chain 1. The dancer roller 61 is disposed at a position of a lower folded end portion in the meandering conveyance path of the fastener chain 1 of the chain cooling unit 50 in order to apply a load as a weight to the fastener chain 1.

By disposing the dancer roller 61 as described above, tension in the direction in which the fastener chain 1 is stretched can be stably applied to the entire fastener chain 1 from the portion sandwiched by the drive supply roller 22a of the supply roller portion 22 and the supply pressure-contact roller to the portion sandwiched by the drive conveying roller 32 of the chain conveying portion 30 and the conveying pressure-contact roller.

In the chain tension applying section 60, the magnitude of the tension applied to the fastener chain 1 can be changed by changing the weight of the dancer roller 61, and for example, in the present embodiment, a load of 2kg or more, preferably a load of 4kg or more is applied to the fastener chain 1 by the dancer roller 61.

In the present embodiment, the dancer roller 61 is disposed at a position close to the chain heating section 40 on the conveying path of the fastener chain 1 flowing through the chain cooling section 50. More specifically, the dancer roller 61 of the present embodiment is disposed in the chain cooling section 50 at the lower folded end portion of the reciprocating path closest to the chain heating section 40 (i.e., the reciprocating path formed between the 4 th guide roller 11d that first passes after the chain heating section 40 and the 5 th guide roller 11e that follows) of the 7 reciprocating paths that reciprocate up and down.

Since the dancer roller 61 is disposed in the region of the chain cooling section 50, it is less likely to be affected by heating by the infrared heater 42 of the chain heating section 40, and therefore, the durability of the dancer roller 61 can be improved.

Further, by disposing the dancer roller 61 on the reciprocating path of the fastener chain 1 closest to the chain heating section 40 in the region of the chain cooling section 50, not only can the fastener chain 1 flowing through the chain cooling section 50 and the fastener chain 1 flowing through the chain heating section 40 be stably tensioned by the dancer roller 61, but also a large amount of tension can be more effectively applied to the fastener chain 1 flowing through the chain heating section 40. By thus applying a large tension to the fastener chain 1 flowing through the chain heating section 40, the heated fastener chain 1 can be efficiently extended, and the curved fastener chain 1 can be returned to a straight form at an earlier stage.

In the present invention, the chain tension applying unit 60 may not include the tension adjusting roller 61 as described above, but may include, for example: a contact roller that rotates in contact with the fastener chain and is displaceable in the vertical direction; and a height position control unit that can apply a predetermined load to the fastener chain 1 by controlling the height position of the contact roller.

The chain recovery unit 70 is formed of a prismatic or cylindrical case having an open upper end. The chain recovery unit 70 is disposed below the chain conveying unit 30, and allows the fastener chain 1 discharged from the chain conveying unit 30 to fall by its own weight, thereby allowing the fastener chain 1 having passed through the chain heating unit 40 and the chain cooling unit 50 to be easily recovered.

Next, a method of performing a correction process for correcting the form of the fastener chain 1 on the fastener chain 1 having the curved curl as shown in fig. 3 by using the correction device 10 of the present embodiment as described above will be described.

In the present embodiment, as described above, the fastener chain 1 in which the curl is generated is wound around the drum 8, and the drum 8 is held by the drum holding portion 21 of the correction device 10.

Therefore, when the correction processing of the fastener chain 1 is performed, first, the drive supply roller 22a of the supply roller section 22 is rotationally driven at a predetermined rotational speed, so that the fastener chain 1 is continuously pulled out from the drum 8, and the fastener chain 1 is conveyed to the chain heating section 40 and the chain cooling section 50 by the supply section guide roller 23.

At the same time, the drive conveyor rollers 32 of the chain conveyor 30 are rotationally driven at a predetermined rotational speed, whereby the fastener chain 1 fed from the chain feeder 20 is pulled in by the chain conveyor 30. Thereby, the fastener chain 1 is conveyed from the supply roller portion 22 to the chain conveying portion 30 at a predetermined conveying speed along the zigzag conveying path formed by the 1 st to 17 th guide rollers 11a to 11q and the dancer roller 61. At this time, a predetermined amount of tension is applied to the fastener chain 1 conveyed from the chain supplying portion 20 to the chain conveying portion 30 by the tension adjusting roller 61 of the chain tension applying portion 60.

When the correction process by the correction device 10 is started, the artificial tape or the fastener chain is previously stretched from the chain supplying section 20 to the chain conveying section 30 along the zigzag conveying path, and the front end of the fastener chain 1 with the curl is connected to the rear end of the artificial tape. As a result, by rotationally driving the drive supply roller 22a of the supply roller portion 22 and the drive conveying roller 32 of the chain conveying portion 30, the fastener chain 1 can be stably conveyed along the zigzag conveying path following the simulated tape body, and the entire fastener chain 1 in the longitudinal direction can be corrected.

Next, the fastener chain 1 supplied from the supply roller section 22 is guided into the outer shell section 41 of the chain heating section 40 by the supply section guide roller 23 and the 1 st guide roller 11 a. At this time, in order to efficiently heat the fastener element 5, the fastener chain 1 is fed into the case portion 41 such that the element row 3 reciprocates in a direction facing the infrared heater 42.

In the housing portion 41 of the chain heating section 40, the fastener chain 1 flows along the conveying path formed by the 1 st to 3 rd guide rollers 11a to 11c while being tensioned by the tension adjusting roller 61 so as to reciprocate once in the vertical direction, and is heated by the plate-like infrared heater 42 disposed so as to be sandwiched between the reciprocating conveying paths.

At this time, the fastener chain 1 is heated by the infrared heater 42: the temperature of the fastener element 5 at least when the fastener chain 1 is fed out from the housing portion 41 is equal to or higher than the glass transition temperature (70 ℃) of polyester, which is a material of the fastener element 5, and 120 ℃ or lower, preferably 80 ℃ or higher and 110 ℃ or lower.

In this case, the temperature of the infrared heater 42 is set higher than the temperature of the heated fastener element 5. The temperature of the heated fastener element 5 can be measured using, for example, a noncontact thermometer using a laser beam.

As described above, the fastener chain 1 is heated by the infrared heater 42 to a predetermined temperature of 70 ℃ or higher in the housing section 41 of the chain heating section 40 in a state where tension is applied, and the fastener chain 1 in a curved shape is stretched to eliminate (or reduce) the strain (bending) of the fastener tape 4, thereby straightening the fastener chain 1 into a straight form. Further, this enables the element intervals of different sizes to be matched between the left and right element rows 3.

Further, by setting the heating temperature of the fastener chain 1 to 120 ℃ or lower, it is possible to effectively prevent the dyed fastener chain 1 from fading due to heating and the dye fastness of the fastener chain 1 from lowering, and also to prevent the shape of the fastener element 5 from being deformed due to heating.

In particular, in the present embodiment, the fastener chain 1 can be rapidly heated to a predetermined temperature by efficiently heating the fastener chain 1 by the infrared heater 42 at a temperature increase rate of, for example, 30 ℃/min or more during the period of conveying the fastener chain 1 over a short conveying distance such as one or more next passes, and the fastener chain 1 can be stretched straight at a relatively early stage. As a result, the distance for conveying the fastener chain 1 from the supply roller section 22 in the curved state can be shortened, and therefore, the conveyance of the fastener chain 1 can be stabilized.

Next, the fastener chain 1 that has been straightly extended in the chain heating section 40 passes through the 3 rd guide roller 11c and the 4 th guide roller 11d, and is then conveyed to the chain cooling section 50 and cooled.

In the chain cooling section 50, the fastener chain 1 is cooled by natural air cooling to at least the glass transition temperature or lower while being tensioned by the dancer roller 61 while being conveyed along a conveying path formed by the 4 th to 17 th guide rollers 11d to 11q and the dancer roller 61 and reciprocated seven times in a zigzag manner in the vertical direction. In this case, the fastener chain 1 is preferably cooled by the chain cooling section 50 at a cooling rate greater than 0 ℃/min and 60 ℃/min or less.

In the chain cooling section 50 of the present embodiment, since the fastener chain 1 is gradually (slowly) cooled by natural air cooling in a state where tension is applied while being conveyed over a long conveying distance such that it reciprocates seven times up and down, it is possible to suppress occurrence of shrinkage unevenness in the fastener chain 1 due to rapid shrinkage of the fastener tape 4 and the element row 3, and to suppress occurrence of variation in the amount of thermal shrinkage of the fastener tape 4 and the element row 3 in the longitudinal direction and the width direction of the fastener chain 1.

This maintains the form of the fastener chain 1 in which the chain heating section 40 in the previous stage is extended straight, and can stably fix the straight form. In addition, the element pitch of the element rows 3 can be prevented from being deviated between the right and left element rows 3.

Thereafter, the fastener chain 1 cooled to the glass transition temperature or lower (particularly, normal temperature) by the chain cooling unit 50 is discharged from the chain conveying unit 30 and collected by the chain collecting unit 70.

As described above, by performing the straightening processing on the fastener chain 1 in which the curved curl is generated by the dyeing processing using the supercritical fluid using the straightening device 10 of the present embodiment, the curl of the fastener chain 1 is removed, and the dyed fastener chain 1 having the straight form as shown in fig. 2 can be stably obtained.

In particular, in the present embodiment, in the chain cooling section 50, the fastener chain 1 is cooled gradually while applying tension over a long conveying distance, and therefore the amount of heat shrinkage of the fastener chain 1 is limited, and the element pitch in the right and left element rows 3 can be adjusted to a constant magnitude over the entire belt longitudinal direction. This stabilizes the dimension of the element row 3 as a whole of the fastener chain 1, and therefore, the dimensional accuracy of the fastener chain 1 can be improved.

In the present embodiment, the element pitch of the element row 3 can be changed (or adjusted) by the magnitude of the tension applied to the fastener chain 1. For example, the correction processing of the fastener chain 1 is performed under various conditions in advance, data is collected and accumulated in advance for each processing condition such as the conveying speed of the fastener chain 1, the magnitude of the tension applied by the tension adjusting roller 61, the heating temperature of the chain heating section 40, and the like, and the correction processing can be performed by appropriately setting the processing condition based on the accumulated data, whereby the element interval of the element row 3 in the fastener chain 1 can be easily and stably adjusted to a predetermined size.

Description of the reference numerals

1. A zipper chain; 2. a fastener stringer; 3. a chain element row; 4. a zipper tape; 5. a zipper tooth; 6. sewing; 8. a drum; 10. a corrective device; 11. a guide roller; 11a to 11q, and 1 st to 17 th guide rollers; 12. an upper frame; 13. a lower frame; 20. a chain supply section; 21. a roller holding section; 21a, a base part; 21b, a backup roller portion; 22. a supply roller section; 22a, driving the supply roller; 23. a supply section guide roller; 30. a chain conveying section; 31. a conveying section guide roller; 32. driving the conveying roller; 40. a chain heating section; 41. a housing portion; 42. an infrared heater; 50. a chain cooling section; 60. a chain tension applying section; 61. a dancer roll; 70. a chain recovery part.

Claims (11)

1. A zipper chain straightening device (10) for straightening the shape of a zipper chain (1) in order to remove the curl of a dyed zipper chain (1) that curls due to heat when the zipper chain (1) is subjected to a dyeing treatment using a supercritical fluid in a state of being wound around a drum (8),

the zipper chain straightening device (10) comprises:

a chain supply unit (20) that supplies the fastener chain (1) in which the curl is generated;

a chain conveying section (30) which is disposed downstream of the chain supply section (20) and conveys the fastener chain (1) from the chain supply section (20) along a conveying path at a predetermined conveying speed;

a chain heating unit (40) that is disposed between the chain supply unit (20) and the chain conveying unit (30) and that heats the fastener chain (1) on the conveying path;

a chain cooling unit (50) which is disposed between the chain heating unit (40) and the chain conveying unit (30) and cools the heated fastener chain (1) on the conveying path; and

and a chain tension applying unit (60) that applies tension to the fastener chain (1) that flows through the chain heating unit (40) and the chain cooling unit (50).

2. The fastener chain corrective device of claim 1,

a plurality of guide rollers (11) for meandering the conveying path of the fastener chain (1) in a zigzag manner are arranged between the chain supply unit (20) and the chain conveying unit (30),

the conveying distance of the slide fastener chain (1) conveyed by the chain heating section (40) is set shorter than the conveying distance of the slide fastener chain (1) conveyed by the chain cooling section (50).

3. The fastener chain corrective device of claim 2,

the chain heating section (40) has a heat source disposed so as to be sandwiched by the meandering conveyance path,

the heat source is formed so as to be able to heat the fastener chain (1) at a temperature rise rate of 30 ℃/min or more.

4. The fastener chain corrective device of claim 3,

the heat source is a plate-like infrared heater (42).

5. The fastener chain straightening device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the chain heating unit (40) is formed so as to be capable of heating the fastener chain (1) to a temperature of 120 ℃ or higher than the glass transition temperature of the synthetic resin forming the fastener elements (5) of the fastener chain (1).

6. The fastener chain straightening device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the chain cooling section (50) is formed so as to cool the fastener chain (1) by natural air cooling at least to a temperature not higher than the glass transition temperature of the synthetic resin forming the fastener elements (5) of the fastener chain (1) while conveying the fastener chain (1).

7. The fastener chain straightening device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the chain tension applying section (60) has a tension adjusting roller (61) for applying a load to the fastener chain (1),

the dancer roller (61) is disposed in the chain cooling section (50) at a position on the conveying path close to the chain heating section (40).

8. A method for correcting a fastener chain (1) in order to remove curling of a dyed fastener chain (1) that curls due to heat when the fastener chain (1) is subjected to a dyeing process using a supercritical fluid in a state of being wound around a drum (8), the method being characterized in that the method for correcting a fastener chain corrects the form of the fastener chain (1),

the zipper chain straightening method comprises the following steps:

supplying the fastener chain (1) in which the curl is generated and conveying the fastener chain (1) at a predetermined conveying speed;

heating the supplied fastener chain (1) by a chain heating unit (40) while conveying the supplied fastener chain (1);

cooling the heated fastener chain (1) by a chain cooling section (50) while conveying the heated fastener chain (1); and

applying tension to the fastener chain (1) flowing through the chain heating section (40) and the chain cooling section (50).

9. The method of correcting a fastener chain according to claim 8,

the zipper chain straightening method comprises the following steps:

conveying the fastener chain (1) while meandering the fastener chain (1) in a zigzag manner; and

the conveying distance of the zipper chain (1) in the chain heating part (40) is shorter than the conveying distance of the zipper chain (1) in the chain cooling part (50).

10. The method of correcting a fastener chain according to claim 8 or 9,

the zipper chain straightening method comprises the following steps:

in the chain heating section (40), the fastener chain (1) is heated at a temperature rise rate of 30 ℃/min or more to a temperature of 120 ℃ or less which is equal to or higher than the glass transition temperature of the synthetic resin forming the fastener elements (5) of the fastener chain (1).

11. The method of correcting a fastener chain according to claim 8 or 9,

the zipper chain straightening method comprises the following steps:

in the chain cooling section (50), the fastener chain (1) is cooled by natural air cooling at least to a temperature not higher than the glass transition temperature of the synthetic resin forming the fastener elements (5) of the fastener chain (1) while the fastener chain (1) is conveyed.

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