EP2038093A1

EP2038093A1 - Wet towel manufacturing apparatus

Info

Publication number: EP2038093A1
Application number: EP07793204A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jae Hoon Kim
Original assignee: Shin Hwa Sung Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shin Hwa Sung Co Ltd
Priority date: 2006-07-10
Filing date: 2007-07-10
Publication date: 2009-03-25
Also published as: JP4390853B2; JP2009540917A; CN101484284A; KR100848134B1; KR20080005883A; WO2008007894A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wet towel manufacturing apparatus, which cansupply a disposable wet towel offhand, which can be formed by cutting a dry non- woven fabric of a dry non- woven fabric roll into a given length, impregnating the cut dry non- woven fabric with water, and rolling or folding into several layers while feeding the dry non- woven fabric. The fabric- cutting part 14 of the wet towel manufacturing apparatus 1 of the invention has a first cuttingedge 62 and a second cutting edge 72 that are gradually adapted to come into contact with each other from one side thereto to the other side thereof along the width direction of the fabric in such a manner as to be engaged with each other, which can further extend the lifespan of the edges and can carry out the fabric-cutting operation more effectively.

Description

WET TOWEL MANUFACTURING APPARATUS

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a wet towel manufacturing apparatus, and more particularly to a wet towel manufacturing apparatus that conveys a dry fabric rolled in a fabric-containing unit, cuts the dry fabric into a predetermined length, dampensthe cut dry fabric with water, and rolls or folds the wet fabric into several layers, thereby producing the wet fabric in the form of a disposable wet towel. Background Art

[2] Generally, demands for wet towels available conveniently in a restaurant, a fast- food restaurant, an office and the likeare increasing, as living conditions are improved and individual sanitation is emphasized, and recently, a wet towel manufacturing apparatus capable of producing wet towels instantly has been developed and supplied in various forms.

[3] Thus, thepresent inventor has suggested Korean Patent application No.

100-2005-0013478 entitled "Wet towel feeder and belt for the same", Korean Patent application No. 100-2005-0020532 entitled "Water injection nozzle for water towel feeder and manufacturing method thereof", and Korean Patent application No. 100-2005-0013799 entitled "Wet towel feeder" and the like, all of which conveys a dry fabric roll to cut the dry fabric roll into a predetermined length, makes the conveyed cut dry fabric sprayed with water, and takes the wet fabric in the form of a disposable wet towel, for the purpose of improving the functions and performances of conventional wet towel manufacturing apparatuses.

[4] As shown in FIG.l, a wet towel manufacturing apparatus 200 includes, in a housing

210, a fabric-containing unit 220 for containing a dry fabric in a roll shape, a fabric- guiding unit 230 for pulling and conveying the dry fabric of the fabric-containing unit 220, a fabric-cutting unit 240 for cutting the dry fabric conveyed by the fabric-guiding unit 230 into a predetermined length, a water injection unit 250 for dampening the dry fabric with water, a fabric- sterilizing unit 260 (which is selectively mounted) for sterilizing the wet fabric, and a wet towel shape-forming unit 270 for conveying the wet fabric cut by the fabric-cutting unit 240 and forming the wet fabric into a predetermined towel shape.

[5] On the other hand, the fabric-cutting unit 240 in a conventional wet towel manufacturing apparatus, as disclosed in Korean Utility Model Application No. 2000-0020997 entitled "Apparatus for manufacturing wet towel instantly", as shown in FIG.2, includes an upper cutter 244 disposed on a holder 242 rotatably mounted on the housing 210 and a lower cutter 246 disposed under the upper cutter 244 in such a manner as to be contacted with the upper cutter 244 during the rotation of the upper cutter 244, thereby carrying out the cutting operation. As a result,the fabric being conveyed between the upper cutter 244 and the lower cutter 246 is cut off into a predetermined length.

[6] However, the fabric-cutting unit 240 of the conventional wet towel manufacturing apparatus has the upper cutter 244 and the lower cutter 246 having a gap a formed in parallel thereto, such that as the edge of the upper cutter 244 and the line of the top end of the lower cutter 246 are linearly contacted with each other during the fabric-cutting operation, a relatively strong shearing force should be applied so as to smoothly cut off the fabric. In this case, however, the wet towel manufacturing apparatus is made in a relatively small size, and therefore, it is difficult to provide a driving means generating strong power and an internal frame having a sufficient strength capable of supporting the driving means. Further, the manufacturing costs are undesirably increased.

[7] In addition, the fabric used for manufacturing the wet towel is made of dry cotton or a non- woven fabric having minute tissues, and during the cutting operation, in case where the assembling errors of the upper cutter 244 or the lower cutter 246 occur or in case where the part of the edge of the upper cutter 244 or the lower cutter 246 is damaged, it is impossible to cut off the fabric,or the fabric is conveyed to next unit at a state where the fabric portion corresponding to the damaged edge is not cut off, such that the fabric portion that has not been cut off yet pulls the fabric being in a stand-by state for cutting, which makes the fabric twisted or moved eccentrically. Thus, there occurs a problem that the fabrics are not cut off in the same size and shape.

[8] Also, upon the fabric-cutting operation a relatively strong shearing force is applied to the upper cutter 244 and the lower cutter 246, thereby making the front ends of the cutters easily damaged, and further, as the large load is applied repeatedly thereto, the structural stability of the partsrelated to the cutters is destructed, so that there occurs a problem that the durability of the wet towel manufacturing apparatus becomes low.

[9] Moreover, according to the conventional practice, the wastes (chips) generated from the fabric during the repeated fabric-cutting operations are continuously attached around the edges of the cutters, thereby making the edges dull, so that there occurs a problem that defective fabric-cutting is caused. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[10] Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the conventional art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a wet towel manufacturing apparatus that is capable of performing a fabric- cutting operation with a relatively smaller shearing force when compared with conventional wet towel manufacturing apparatuses, thereby making the capacity of a driving means (a motor) and the strength of a frame relatively reduced, such that the manufacturing process is made with ease and the manufacturing costs are also lowered.

[11] Especially, another object of the present invention is to provide a wet towel manufacturing apparatusthat is capable of performing a fabric-cutting operation as an upper cutter and a lower cutter gradually come into contact with each other, such that the cutting operation can be stably carried out with a relatively small shearing force.

[12] Also, still another object of the present invention is to provide a wet towel manufacturing apparatusthat is capable of preventing an upper cutter and a lower cutter from being damaged and effectively reducingthe defective fabric-conveying upon cutting or the defective fabric-cutting caused by the fabric wastes generated during the fabric- cutting operation. Technical Solution

[13] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a wet towel manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 4 is a view explaining the mechanism for cutting a fabric in the wet towel manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, and FIGS.5 to 7 are views explaining an operating mechanism of a unit fabric-forming unit in the wet towel manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention.

[14] Referring first to FIG.3, according to the wet towel manufacturing apparatus 1 of the invention a dry fabric contained in a roll form in a fabric-containing unit 3 in a housing 2 is conveyed and cut off into a predetermined length, and after that, the cut fabric is dampened through a water injection unit 6. Next, a wet fabric is folded or rolled into several layers in the form of a disposable wet towel and is produced through a wet towel shape-forming unit 8. The wet towel manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the present inventionincludes a unit fabric-forming unit 4 adapted to be driven by driving means 5, the unit fabric-forming unit 4 having a fabric-guiding part 12 for conveying a fabric from the fabric-containing unit 3 and a fabric-cutting part 14 for cutting off the fabric conveyed by the fabric-guiding part 12, wherein the fabric- guiding part 12 and the fabric-cutting part 14 are spaced in parallel to each other in such a manner to be disposed on a pair of brackets 10 in the housing 2.

[15] At this time, in the wet towel manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the present invention, explanations on the housing 2, the fabric-containing unit 3, the water in- jectionunit 6, the optional sterilizing unit 7, the wet towel shape-forming unit 8, the external power input structure, and the structure for drawing the finished wet towel are suggested in the disclosure as filed in the same inventor as this invention or introduced in the conventional practices, and therefore, a detailed explanation on them is avoided for the brevity of the description.

[16] According to the present invention, the wet towel manufacturing apparatus has various technical characteristics which are individually or totally exhibited. That is, as mentioned above, one of the characteristics the wet towel manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the present invention has is the unit fabric-forming unit 4 that has the fabric-guiding part 12 and the fabric-cutting part 14 formed integrally to the pair of brackets 10 coupled at the inside of the housing 2. At this time, the driving means 5 may have typically engaged gears. Further, according to the technical structure of the fabric-cutting part 14 of the wet towel manufacturing apparatus 1 of the invention, as shown in FIG.4, a first cutting edge 62 and a second cutting edge 72 gradually come into contact with each other from one side thereto to the other side thereof along the width direction of the fabric in such a manner as to be engaged witheach other, which can further extend the lifespan of the edges when compared with the conventional structure where the entire edges come into contact with each other at one time, and which can carry out the fabric-cutting operation more effectively. In addition, as shown in FIG.6, the unit fabric-forming unit 4 further includes a brush 80 disposed within a rotation radius of the first cutting edge 62 of an upper cutter 60, such that when the up- percutter 60 is rotated, the brush 80 abuts with the first cutting edge 62 and removes the foreign materials on the first cutting edge 62, thereby preventing the defective cutting caused by the foreign materials. Also, the brush 80 that is made ofleather polishes the first cutting edge 62, thereby effectively preventing the defective cutting caused by the abrasion of the first cutting edge 62. Moreover, as shown in FIG.7, the fabric-guiding part 12 holds the top side of the fabric at the time of cutting the fabric, such that the cutting operation can be stably achieved at the state where the top portion of the fabric is fixed.

[17] Preferably, the technical features according to the present invention are applied totally to the wet towel manufacturing apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, but they may be individually or totally applied thereto.

Advantageous Effects

[18] According to the wet towel manufacturing apparatus, the unit fabric-forming unit 4 has the fabric-guiding part 12 and the fabric-cutting part 14 formed integrally to the pair of brackets 10 coupled at the inside of the housing 2, and thus, when the brackets 10 are disassembled from the housing 2, the unit fabric-forming unit 4 is separated, which makes the parts easily maintained and repaired for conveying and cutting the fabric and also makes the unit parts assembled well. Further, according to the wet towel manufacturing apparatus 1 of the invention, the first cutting edge 62 and thesecond cutting edge 72 gradually come into contact with each other from one side thereof to the other side thereof alongthe width direction of the fabric such a manner as to be engaged with each other, which can further extend the lifespanof the edges when compared with the conventional structure where the entire edges come into contact with each other at one time and can carry out the fabric-cutting operation more effectively. In addition, the unit fabric-forming unit 4 further includes the brush 80 disposed within a rotation radius of the first cutting edge 62 of the upper cutter 60, such that when the uppercutter 60 is rotated, the brush 80 abuts with the first cutting edge 62 and removes the foreign materials on the first cutting edge 62, thereby preventing the defective cutting caused by the foreign materials. Also, the brush 80 polishes the first cutting edge 62, thereby effectively preventing the defective cutting caused by the abrasion of the first cutting edge 62. Moreover, the fabric-guiding part 12 holds the top side of the fabric at the time of cutting the fabric, such that the cutting operation can be stably achieved at the state where the top portion of the fabric is fixed. Brief Description of the Drawings

[19] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional wet towel manufacturing apparatus;

[20] FIG. 2 is a view explaining the mechanism for cutting a fabric in the conventional wet towel manufacturing apparatus;

[21] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a wet towel manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention

[22] FIG. 4 is a view explaining the mechanism for cutting a fabric in the wet towel manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention

[23] FIGS.5 to 7 are views explaining an operating mechanism of a unit fabric-forming unit in the wet towel manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention;

[24] FIG.8 is a perspective view showing the unit fabric-forming unit in the wet towel manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention

[25] FIGS.9 and 10 are perspective views showing the disassembled and assembled states of the main parts of the unit fabric-forming unit in FIG.8; and

[26] FIGS.11 and 12 are views showing other examples of the upper cutter and the lower cutter in the wet towel manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[27] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, there is provided the wet towel manufacturing apparatus

1 which conveys a dry fabric contained in a roll form in thefabric-containing unit 3 in the housing 2, cuts off the dry fabric into a predetermined length, dampens the cut dry fabric with water through the water injection unit 6, and folds or rolls the wet fabricinto several layers through the wet towel shape-forming unit 8 for forming a disposal wet towel, the wet towel manufacturingapparatus including the unit fabric- forming unit 4 having the fabric-guiding part 12 for conveying the fabric from the fabric-containing unit 3 and the fabric-cutting part 14 for cutting off the fabric conveyed by the fabric-guiding part 12 in such a manner that the fabric-guiding part 12 and the fabric-cutting part 14 are disposed spaced in parallel to each other onthe pair of brackets 10 in the housing 2, the fabric-cutting part 14 being disposed on the top side of the fabric in such a manner as to be rotatably coupled on the brackets 10 by means of a driving force applied from the driving means 5 and having a holder 50 having a mounting groove 52 formed along the width direction of the fabric, the upper cutter 60 adapted to be coupled to the mounting groove 52 of the holder 50 and having the first cutting edge 62 formed along the front end thereof in the width direction of the fabric, and the lower cutter 70 disposed on the underside of the fabric in such a manner as to be coupled on the brackets 10 and having the second cutting edge 72 for cutting the fabric off in such a manner as to be engaged with the first cutting edge 62, wherein at least one of the first cuttingedge 62 of the upper cutter 60 and the second cutting edge 72 of the lower cutter 70 is disposed inclinedly with respect to the rotary center shaft of the holder 50 from one side thereof to the other side thereof in the width direction of the fabric, such that, upon cutting the fabric, the first cutting edge 62 and the second cutting edge 72 gradually engage with each other at the state of being inclined with respect to the width direction of the fabric from one side thereof to the other side thereof, which enables the fabric to be cut off gradually from one side thereof to the other side thereof. [28] In the structure of the fabric-cutting part 14 of the wet towel manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the present invention, the first cutting edge 62 and the second cutting edge 72 gradually engage with each other at the state of being inclined with respect to the width direction (to which the fabric is cut off) of the fabric from one side thereof to the other side thereof, such that no load is applied to the first cutting edge 62, the second cutting edge 72, and the driving means 5, thereby carrying out stable cutting operations. There may be provided various technical structures where the first cuttingedge 62 and the second cutting edge 72 gradually engage with each other at the state of being inclined with respect to the widthdirection of the fabric from one side thereof to the other side thereof, thereby enabling the fabric to be cut off gradually from one side thereof to the other side thereof. For example, as shown in FIG.4a, the first cutting edge 62 is formed inclinedly with respect to the rotary center shaft C of the holder 50 to have an angle θ from one side thereof to the other side thereof, and the second cutting edge 72 of the lower cutter 70 and the mounting groove 52 are formed in parallel tothe width direction of the fabric, such that upon the fabric-cutting, as shown in FIG.4b, the first cuttingedge 62 of the upper cutter 60 and the second cutting edge 72 of the lower cutter 70 abut with each other at the state of being inclined with respect to the width direction of the fabric from one side thereof to the other side thereof, thereby forming the angle θ with respect to the width direction of the fabric. Under the same principles, also, the first cutting edge 62 of the upper cutter 60 and the second cutting edge 72 of the lower cutter 70 are disposed in parallel to thewidth direction of the fabric and the mounting groove 52 is formed inclinedly with respect to the rotary center shaft C of the holder 50 to have an angle θ from one side thereof to the other side thereof, as shown in FIG.9, such that the first cutting edge 62 and the second cutting edge 72 gradually engage with each other at the state of being inclined with respect to the width direction of the fabric from one side thereof to the other side thereof, thereby enabling the fabric to be cut off gradually from one side thereof to the other sidethereof. Moreover, as shown in FIGS.11 and 12, the second cutting edge 72 of the lower cutter 70 is formed inclinedly with respect to the rotary center shaft C of the holder 50 from one side thereof to the other side thereof, and the first cutting edge 62 of the upper cutter 60 and the mounting groove 52 are formed in parallel to the width direction of the fabric. Namely, such the technical structures of the fabric-cutting part 14 of the wet towel manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the present invention may be obtained in various forms.

[29] Further, as shown in FIGS.3 and 6,there is provided the wet towel manufacturing apparatus supplying a disposable wet towel made instantly by conveying a dry fabric contained in a roll form in the fabric-containing unit 3 in thehousing 2, cutting off the dry fabric into a predetermined length, dampening the cut dry fabric with water through thewater injection unit 6, and folding or rolling the wet fabric into several layers through the wet towel shape-forming unit 8 for forming the disposable wet towel, the wet towel manufacturing apparatus including the unit fabric-forming unit 4 having the fabric-guiding part 12 for conveying the fabric from the fabric-containing unit 3 and the fabric-cutting part 14 for cutting off the fabric conveyed by the fabric- guiding part 12 in such a manner as to be spaced in parallel to each other in such a manner to be disposed onthe pair of brackets 10 in the housing 2, the fabric-cutting part 14 being disposed over the fabric in such a manner as to be rotatably coupled on the brackets 10 by means of a driving force applied from the driving means 5 and having the holder 50 having the mounting groove 52 formed along the width direction of the fabric, the upper cutter 60 adapted to be coupledto the mounting groove 52 of the holder 50 and having the first cutting edge 62 formed along the front end thereof in the width direction of the fabric, and the lower cutter 70 disposed on the underside of the fabric in such a manner as to be coupled on the brackets 10 and having the second cutting edge 72 for cutting the fabric off in such a manner as to be engaged with the first cutting edge 62, and wherein the unit fabric-forming unit 4 further has the brush 80 disposed within a rotation radius of the first cutting edge 62 of the upper cutter 60 in such a manner as to be fixed on the brackets 10, such that when the uppercutter 60 is rotated, the brush 80 abuts with the first cutting edge 62 and removes the foreign materials on the first cutting edge 62.

[30] According to the wet towel manufacturing apparatus 1 of this invention, when the uppercutter 60 is rotated, the brush 80 abuts with the first cutting edge 62 and removes the foreign materials on the first cutting edge 62, thereby preventing the defec- tivecutting caused by the foreign materials, and also, the brush 80 polishes the first cutting edge 62, thereby effectively preventing the defective cutting caused by the abrasion of the first cutting edge 62. At this time, the brush 80 is made of a steel material and preferably leather, which prevents the damage of the first cutting edge 62 and effectively polishes the first cutting edge 62.

[31] Further, as shown in FIGS.3 and 7, there is provided the wet towel manufacturing apparatus supplying a disposable wet towel made instantly by conveying a dry fabric contained in a roll form in the fabric-containing unit 3 in the housing 2, cutting off the dry fabric into a predetermined length, dampening the cut dry fabric with water through the water injection unit 6, and folding or rolling the wet fabric into several layers through the wet towel shape-forming unit 8 for forming the disposable wet towel, the wet towel manufacturing apparatus including the unit fabric-forming unit 4 having the fabric-guiding part 12 for conveying the fabric from the fabric-containing unit 3 and the fabric-cutting part 14 for cutting off the fabric conveyed by the fabric- guiding part 12 in such a manner as to be spaced in parallel to each other in such a manner to be disposed on the pair of brackets 10 in the housing 2, the fabric-cutting part 14 being disposed over the fabric in such a manner as to be rotatably coupled on the brackets 10 by means of a driving force applied from the driving means 5 and having the holder 50 having the mounting groove 52 formed along the width direction of the fabric, the upper cutter 60 adapted to be coupled to the mounting groove 52 of the holder 50 and having the first cutting edge 62 formed along the front end thereof in the width direction of the fabric, and the lower cutter 70 disposed on the undersideof the fabric in such a manner as to be coupled on the brackets 10 and having the second cutting edge 72 for cutting the fabric off in such a manner as to be engaged with the first cutting edge 62, wherein the fabric-guiding part 12 comprises: a driving roller 20 rotatably coupled on the brackets 10 by the driving force of the driving means 5 for conveying the fabric in such a manner as to be closely contacted with the underside of the fabric a guiding-stop plate 30 hingedly coupled on the brackets 10 and having a case 32 formed to rotatably couple a driven roller 34 thereto and disposed over the driving roller 20for making the driven roller 34 closely contacted with the upper side of the fabric, and a stop lever 36 extended downwardly from the case 32 in such a manner as to be near the upper side of the fabric passed through the driving roller 20 and the driven roller 34 and a supporting plate 40 disposed on the top side of the lower cutter 70 and fixed by the brackets 10, for supporting the underside of the fabric passed through the driving roller 20, and wherein the holder 50 of the fabric-cutting part 14 further has a stop plunger 58 adapted to rotate the guiding-stop plate 30 before the first cutting edge 62 of the upper cutter 60 abuts with the second cutting edge 72 of the lower cutter 70, for making the stop lever 36 closely contacted with the supporting plate 40, such that the fabric is fixed on the upper sides of the first cutting edge 62 and the second cutting edge 72.

[32] According to the wet towel manufacturing apparatus 1 of this invention, the fabric- guiding part 12 holds the top side of the fabric at the time of cutting the fabric, such that the cutting operation can be stably achieved at the state where the top portion of the fabric is fixed. Mode for the Invention

[33] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the invention will be explained in detail with reference to the appended drawings of FIGS. 8 through 12. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components through FIGS. 3 through 12. Meanwhile, in the drawings, the technologies suggested as filed by the same applicant as in this invention, the structures of the typical wet towel manufacturing apparatus that are easily understood by those skilled in the art, and the operations or detailed description thereof will be omitted or simplified, and therefore, the parts related to the present invention are illustrated in detail.

[34] FIG.8 is a perspective view showing the unit fabric-forming unit in the wet towel manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, FIGS.9 and 10 are perspective views showing the disassembled and assembled states of the main parts of the unit fabric-forming unit in FIG.8, and FIGS.11 and 12 are views showing other examples of the upper cutter and the lower cutter in the wet towel manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention.

[35] Referring to FIGS. 8 through 10, the unit fabric-forming unit 4 of the wet towel manufacturing apparatus 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention hasthe pair of brackets 10 made of a metal plate and mounted at the inside of the housing 1 in parallel to each other and one set of the fabric-guiding part 12 and the fabric-cutting part disposed between the pair of brackets 10. Of course, as shown in FIG.3, the wet towel manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention has the fabric-containing unit 3 connected to the unit fabric-forming unit 4 for housing the fabric in a general roll form by means of a bobbin, the water injectionunit 6, the sterilizing unit 7, and the wet towel shape- forming unit 8, in a sequential order. Further, the fabric-containing unit 3, the water injection unit 6, the sterilizing unit 7, and the wet towel shape-forming unit 8 of the wet towel manufacturing apparatus 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present inventionmay be formed properly through various technologies suggested in Korean Patent Registration No.609099 entitled "Wet towel feeder and belt for the same", Korean Patent Registration No. 609100 entitled "Wet towel feeder", Korean Patent Registration No. 609101 entitled "Water injection nozzle for water towel feeder and manufacturing method thereof", Korean Patent Registration No. 609102 entitled "Folded type wet towel forming device for wet towel feeder", Korean Patent Registration No.700146 entitled "Wet towel manufacturing apparatus", and Korean Patent Registration No. 637736 entitled "Dry fabric roll state-indicator for wet towel manufacturing apparatus".

[36] Referring again to FIGS.8 to 10, the brackets 10 of a unit fabric-forming unit 40 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention serve to fix or support the parts of the fabric-guiding part 12 and the fabric-cutting part 14, while being fixed at the housing 1. Thus, each of the brackets 10 has a plurality of holes 24', 38', 42', 46a', and 51' and a locking protrusion 100 formed thereon. In more detail, each of the brackets 10 has the hole 24' into which a rotary shaft 24 of the driving roller 20 of the fabric-guiding part 12 is inserted, the hole 38 into which a rotary shaft 38 of the guiding-stop plate 30, the hole 42 into which a fixing shaft 42 of the supporting plate 40 is fixed, the hole 46a into which a fixing shaft 46a of a connection plate 46 is fixed, the hole 51 'into which the rotary shaft 51 of the holder is inserted, and the locking protrusion 100 to which one end of a torsion spring 79 applying an elastic force to the lower cutter 70 is supported. Of course, each bracket 10 further includes holes formed for various kinds of sensors, power lines, and the like.

[37] The fabric-guiding part 12 and the fabric-cutting part 14 of the unit fabric-forming unit 4 of this invention are driven by the driving means 5. The driving means 5 includes a motor 5a, a control unit (for example, a button for starting wet towel- manufacturing) for controlling driving of the motor 5 a, which is not shown in the drawing, and gears 5b, 5c, and 5d serving to transmit the driving force of the motor 5a to the fabric-guiding part 12 and the fabric-cutting part 14. Of course, the driving means 5 may be configured in various forms in accordance with a designer's demand. The transmission of the driving force in the preferred embodiment of the present invention is carried out wherein the driven gear 5c connected to the holder 50 of the fabric-cutting part 14 and the driven gear 5d connected to the driving roller 20 of the fabric-guiding part 12 are sequentially engaged with the driving gear 5b rotatably connected directly to the motor 5, thereby automatically conveying the fabric, stopping conveying the fabric upon cutting, and carrying out the operations required for the cutting process. Further, the driving means 5 includes driven gears 5e formed for transmitting the driving force of the driving gear 5b, such that the wet towel shape- forming unit 8 is engaged withthe unit fabric-forming unit 4. The operating principles of the drivingmeans 5 are based upon the driving mechanism (a series of processes where the fabric is conveyed, stops, and cuts off into a predetermined length) that is suggested in Korean Patent Registration No. 609102 entitled "Folded type wet towel forming device for wet towel feeder", as filed by the same inventor as in this invention. Of course, the driving mechanism may be configured in various forms through a variety of driving and controlling technologies applied in the art.

[38] The fabric-guiding part 12 of the unit fabric-forming unit 4 of the wet towel manufacturing apparatus 1 of this invention includes the driving roller 20, the guiding-stop plate 30, the supporting plate 40, and the connection plate 46. In this case, the driving roller 20 is rotatably coupled onthe brackets 10 by the drivingforce of the driving means 5, for conveying the fabric in such a manner as to be closely contacted with the underside of the fabric. The driving roller 20 has a plurality of rollers 22 fitted at given intervals along the rotary shaft 24, and the supporting plate 40 is disposed between the rollers 22, for stably supporting the fabric being conveyed. And, the guiding-stop plate 30 is hingedly coupled on the brackets 10 and has the case 32 formed to rotatably couple the driven roller 34 thereto and disposed over the driving roller 20 for making the driven roller 34 closely contacted with the front side of the fabric, and the stop lever 36 extended downwardly from the case 32 in such a manner as to be near the front side of the fabric passed through the driving roller 20 and the driven roller 34. The driven roller 34 of the guiding-stop plate 30 is disposed in the casing 32. That is, the case 32 is generally formed by coupling the upper and lower portions thereof, and the driven roller 34 has a pluralityof rollers fitted at given intervals along the rotary shaft 35 in such a manner as to face the rollers 22 of the driving roller 20. At this time, the driven roller 34 is protruded to the outside through a through-hole 33 formed at the lower side of the case 32. Moreover, the stop lever 36 of the guiding-stop plate 30 is extended downwardly from the case 32 as an integral body with the case 32 in thepreferred embodiment of the present invention, but it may be assembled, if necessary. The stop lever 36 has bosses 37 protrudedly formed in a direction of conveying the fabric, such that when an angle movement (hinge movement) is carried out by means of the holder 50 at a next process, the fabric is pressed against the supporting plate 40. The guiding-stop plate 30 is hingedly coupled onthe brackets 10 by means of the rotary shaft 38. And, the supporting plate 40 is disposed on the top side of the lower cutter 70 and is fixed by the brackets 10, for supporting the underside of the fabric passed through the driving roller 20. The supporting plate 40 has a pluralityof recesses 44 into which the plurality of rollers 22 of the driving roller 20 are disposed, at the lower side of the driving roller 20, as shown in FIG.5. Further, the sup- portingplate 40 is fixed to the brackets 10 by means of fixing shafts 46. Also, the connection plate 46 serves to support the fabric conveyed through the fabric-cutting part 14 to enable the fabric to be moved to the wet towel shape-forming unit 8. At this time, the water injectionunit 6 and the sterilizing unit 7 are disposed generally on the connection plate 46 or in front of the connection plate 46.

[39] On the other hand, the fabric-cutting part 14of the unit fabric-forming unit 4 of the wet towel manufacturing apparatus 1 of this invention includes the holder 50, the upper cutter 60 and the lower cutter 70. At this time, the holder 50 is disposed onthe front side of the fabric and is rotatably coupled on the brackets 10 by means of the driving force of the driving means 5 (see FIG.3). The holder 50 has the mounting groove 52 formed in the width direction of the fabric. The upper cutter 60 has the first cutting edge 62 formed at the front end thereof along the width direction of the fabric in such a manner as to be inserted into the mounting groove 52 of the holder 50. The lower cutter 70 is disposed on the underside of the fabric in such a manner as to be coupled onthe brackets 10 and has the second cutting edge 72 adapted to abut with the first cutting edge 62 for cutting the fabric.

[40] At this time, accordingto the technical structure of the present invention, at least one of the first cutting edge 62 of the upper cutter 60 and the second cutting edge 72 of the lower cutter 70 is disposed inclinedly with respect to the rotary center shaft C of the holder 50 from one side thereof to the other side thereof along the width direction of the fabric, such that, upon cutting the fabric, the first cutting edge 62 and the second cutting edge 72 gradually engage with each other at the state of being inclined with respect to the width direction of the fabric from one side thereof to the other side thereof, which enables the fabric to be cut off gradually from one side thereof to the other side thereof. Especially, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG.9, the first cuttingedge 62 of the upper cutter 60 and the second cutting edge 72 of the lower cutter 70 are disposed in parallel to the width direction of the fabric and the mounting groove 52 is formed inclinedly with respect to the rotary center shaft C of the holder 50 from one side thereof to the other side thereof, such that when the upper cutter 60 is coupled to the holder 50, the first cutting edge 62 and the second cutting edge 72 gradually engage with each other at the state of being inclined with respect to the width direction of the fabric from one side thereof to the other side thereof, thereby enabling the fabric to be cut off gradually from one side thereof to the other side thereof. Of course, as shown in FIGS.11 and 12, in addition to as shown in FIG.4, the second cutting edge 72 of the lower cutter 70 is formed inclinedly with respect to the rotary center shaft C of the holder 50 from one side thereof to the other side thereof, and the first cutting edge 62 of the upper cutter 60 and the mounting groove 52 are formed in parallel to the width direction of the fabric. Even though not shown in the drawings, the holder 50 to which the upper cutter 60 is coupled is inclined, or thecoupled angle of the lower cutter 70 to the brackets 10 is inclined, such that, upon cutting the fabric, the first cutting edge 62 and the second cutting edge 72 gradually engage with each other at the state of being inclined with respect to the width direction of the fabric from one side thereof to the other side thereof, which enables the fabric to be cut off gradually from one side thereof to the other side thereof.

[41] On the other hand, the wet towel manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the present invention further includes the brush 80 disposed for preventing the first cutting edge 62 from being dull and for preventing the defective cutting from occurringby the foreign materials generated upon the fabric-cutting. The brush 80 is desirably made of leather capable of polishing the first cutting edge 62. The brush 80 is disposed on the bracket 10 in such a manner as to be within a rotation radius of the first cutting edge 62 of the upper cutter 60, such that when the upper cutter 60 is rotated,the brush 80 abuts with the first cutting edge 62 and removes the foreign materials on the first cutting edge 62. According to the present invention, the brush 80 is fixed insertedly by means of both side fixing shafts 82 thereof to the guiding-stop plate 30 of the fabric-guiding part 12. Of course, the brush 80 may be variously disposed within its allowable space.

[42] On the other hand, the unit fabric-forming unit 4 of the wet towel manufacturing apparatus 1 of this invention can fix the fabric on the position of the top side of the fabric to be cut off upon the fabric-cutting, such that stable cutting can be made. To do so, the holder 50 of the fabric-cutting part 14 includes the stop plunger 58 disposed for rotating the guiding-stop plate 30 before the first cutting edge 62 of the upper cutter 60 and the second cutting edge 72 of the lower cutter 70 abut with each other, thereby allowing the stop lever 36 to come into close contact with the supporting plate 40, such that the fabric is fixed on the top sides of the first cutting edge 62 and the second cutting edge 72. The stop plunger 58 is protrudedly formed from the edge 56 disposed on one side of the holder 50 so as to be free from the interference of the first cutting edge 62 and the second cutting edge 72.

[43] On the other hand, the unit fabric-forming unit 4 of the wet towel manufacturing apparatus 1 of this invention has a structure capable of preventing the first cutting edge 62 and the second cutting edge 72 from being damaged. More specifically, the structure is made wherein the first cutting edge 62 and the second cutting edge 72 always have a predetermined gap therebetween, and when overload is applied to the first cutting edge 62 and the second cutting edge 72, the lower cutter 70 having the second cutting edge 72 is pushed backwardly. To do so, the holder 50 further has a guide ring 54 disposed at one side of the upper cutter 60 and having the same height as the first cutting edge 62 of the upper cutter 60 when the upper cutter 60 is coupled to the holder 50. Further, the lower cutter 70 has a shaft 71 adapted to be coupled on the brackets 10 for hinged-coupling to the brackets 10 and a guide bar 76 formed protrudedly at the corresponding position to the guide ring 54 in such a manner as to be contacted with the outer periphery of the guide ring 54. And, the torsion spring 79 is coupled along the shaft 71 in such a manner as to be supported at one end thereof by the lower cutter 70 and at the other end thereof by the brackets 10 (the stop protrusion 100 formed on the brackets 10), for applying an elastic force to the lower cutter 70 to permit the guide bar 76 to be closely contacted with the guide ring 54 and for allowing the lower cutter 70 to be pulled in an opposite direction when overload is applied to the lower cutter 70 from the upper cutter 70.

[44] Referring to FIG.3 and FIGS.5 to 7, an explanation of the operations of the wet towel manufacturing apparatus 1 having the unit fabric-forming unit 4 according to the present invention will be given. First, the dry fabric contained in the roll form in the fabric-containing unit 3 in the housing 1 is held to the fabric-guiding part 12 at the end thereof by a user at an initial step. In this process, the guiding-stop plate 30 of the fabric-guiding part 12 is pulled forwardly, and the end of the fabric is pushed and engaged by means of the driving roller 20 and the driven roller 34. At this state, if power is on or if a setting button is pressed (this process is made by the program of the control unit), initial cutting is made by the operation of the driving means 5 and the stand-by state while in use is made. After that, if the operating button is pressed for manufacturing the wet towel, as shown in FIG.5, the driving roller 20 is operated to convey the fabric by a predeterminedlength. At this time, the holder 50 is also rotated by means of the driving means 5. When the holder 50 is rotated, the upper cutter 60 is, as shown in FIG.6, passed through the brush 80, and at this time, the first brush edge 62 is brushed. Also, the stop lever 36 is angle-moved with respect to the rotary shaft 38 toward the supporting plate 40 by means of the stop plunger 58 disposed at one side of the holder 50, thereby pressing the fabric on the top side of the portion (where the first cutting edge 62 and the second cutting edge 72 abut with each other) of fabric to be cut off. At the same time, the fabric is cut off by means of the first cutting edge 62 and the second cutting edge 72.

[45] While the present invention has been described with reference to the particular illustrative embodiments, it is not to be restricted by the embodiments but only by the appended claims. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can change or modify the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Industrial Applicability

[46] As described above, there is provided the wet towel manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention that is conveniently used for reasons of sanitation in restaurants, offices, game rooms, households, and the like. Especially, the wet towel manufacturing apparatus 1 of this invention has the fabric-guiding part 12 for conveying the fabric and the fabric-cutting part 14 for cutting the fabric fixed as one set onthe brackets 10 mounted at the inside of the housing 1, thereby enabling the manufacturing to be easier before and also providing more convenient maintenance. Further, the wet towel manufacturing apparatus 1 of this invention provides the mounted structure of the cutting edges, the installation of the brush, and the structure where the top side of the fabric at the cut line thereof is fixed by the guiding- stop plate of the fabric-guiding part upon the fabric-cutting, thereby reducing the occurrence of the defective fabric-cutting and also providing very convenient maintenance.

Claims

[1] A wet towel manufacturing apparatus for making a disposable wet towel instantly by conveying a dry fabric contained in a roll form in a fabric-containing unit 3 in a housing 2, cutting off the dry fabric into a predetermined length, dampening the cut dry fabric with water through a water injection unit 6, and folding or rolling the wet fabric into several layers through awet towel shape- forming unit 8, the wet towel manufacturing apparatus comprising a unit fabric- forming unit 4 having afabric-guiding part 12 for conveying the fabric from the fabric-containing unit 3 and a fabric-cutting part 14 for cutting off the fabric conveyed by the fabric-guiding part 12 in such a manner that the fabric-guiding part 12 and the fabric-cutting part 14 are disposed spaced in parallel to each other ona pair of brackets 10 in the housing 2, wherein the fabric-cutting part 14 comprises: a holder 50 disposed on the top side of the fabric in such a manner as to be rotatably coupled on the brackets 10 by means of a driving force applied from a drivingmeans 5 and having a mounting groove 52 formed along the width direction of the fabric; an upper cutter 60 adapted to be coupled to the mounting groove 52 of the holder 50 and having the first cutting edge 62 formed along the front end thereof in the width direction of the fabric; and a lower cutter 70 disposed on the undersideof the fabric in such a manner as to be coupled on the brackets 10 and having the second cutting edge 72 for cutting the fabric off in such a manner as to be engaged with the first cutting edge 62, and wherein at least one of the first cuttingedge 62 of the upper cutter 60 and the second cutting edge 72 of the lower cutter 70 is disposed inclinedly with respect to the rotary center shaftof the holder 50 from one side thereof to the other side thereof in the width direction of the fabric, such that, upon cutting the fabric, the first cutting edge 62 and the second cutting edge 72 gradually engage with each other at the state of being inclined with respect to the width direction of the fabric from one side thereof to the other side thereof, so as to enable the fabric to be cut off gradually from one side thereof to the other side thereof.

[2] The wet towel manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fabric- guiding part 12 comprises: a driving roller 20 rotatably coupled on the brackets 10 by the driving force of the driving means 5 for conveying the fabric in such a manner as to be closely contacted with the underside of the fabric; a guiding-stop plate 30 hingedly coupled on the brackets 10 and having a case 32 formed to rotatably couple a driven roller 34 thereto and disposed over the driving roller 20 for making the driven roller 34 closely contacted with the upper side of the fabric, and a stop lever 36 extended downwardly from the case 32 in such a manner as to be near the upper side of the fabric passed through the driving roller 20 and the driven roller 34; and a supporting plate 40 disposed on the top side of the lower cutter 70 and fixed by the brackets 10, for supporting the underside of the fabric passed through the driving roller 20, and wherein the holder 50 of the fabric-cutting part 14 further comprises a stop plunger 58 adapted to rotatethe guiding-stop plate 30 before the first cutting edge 62 of the upper cutter 60 abuts with the second cutting edge 72 of the lower cutter 70, for makingthe stop lever 36 closely contacted with the supporting plate 40, such that the fabric is fixed on the upper sidesof the first cutting edge 62 and the second cutting edge 72.

[3] The wet towel manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the holder 50 further comprises a guide ring 54 disposed at one side of the upper cutter 60 and having the same height as the first cutting edge 62 of the upper cutter 60 when the upper cutter 60 is coupled to the holder 50, wherein the lower cutter 70 comprises a shaft 71 adapted to be coupled on the brackets 10 for hinged-coupling to the brackets 10 and a guide bar 76 formed protrudedly at the corresponding position to the guide ring 54 in such a manner as to be contacted with the outer periphery of the guide ring 54, and wherein the torsion spring 79 is coupled along the shaft 71 in such a manner as to be supported at one end thereof by the lower cutter 70 and at the other end thereof by the brackets 10, for applying an elastic force to the lower cutter 70 to enable the guide bar 76 to be closely contacted with the guide ring 54 and for allowing the lower cutter 70 to be pulled in an opposite direction when overload is applied to the lower cutter 70 from the upper cutter 70.

[4] The wet towel manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a brush 80 disposed within a rotation radius of the first cutting edge 62 of the upper cutter 60, such that when the upper cutter 60 is rotated, the brush 80 abuts with the first cutting edge 62 and removes the foreign materials on the first cutting edge 62.

[5] A wet towel manufacturing apparatus for making a disposable wet towel instantly by conveying a dry fabric contained in a roll form in a fabric-containing unit 3 in a housing 2, cutting off the dry fabric into a predetermined length, dampening the cut dry fabric with water through a water injectionunit 6, and folding or rolling the wet fabric into several layers through a wet towel shape- forming unit 8, the wet towel manufacturingapparatus comprising a unit fabric- forming unit 4 having a fabric-guiding part 12 for conveying the fabric from the fabric-containing unit 3 and a fabric-cutting part 14 for cutting off the fabric conveyed by the fabric-guiding part 12 in such a manner that the fabric-guiding part 12 and the fabric-cutting part 14 are disposed spaced in parallel relation to each other at a pair of brackets 10 in the housing 2, wherein the fabric-cutting part 14 comprises: a holder 50 disposed on the top side of the fabric in such a manner as to be rotatably coupled on the brackets 10 by means of a driving force applied from a driving means 5 and having a mounting groove 52 formed along the width direction of the fabric; an upper cutter 60 adapted to be coupled to the mounting groove 52 of the holder 50 and having the first cutting edge 62 formed along the front end thereof in the width direction of the fabric; and a lower cutter 70 disposed on the underside of the fabric in such a manner as to be coupled on the brackets 10 and having the second cutting edge 72 for cutting the fabric off in such a manner as to be engaged with the first cutting edge 62, and wherein the unit fabric-forming unit 4 further comprises a brush 80 disposed within a rotation radius of the first cutting edge 62 of the upper cutter 60, such that when the uppercutter 60 is rotated, the brush 80 abuts with the first cutting edge 62 and removes the foreign materials on the first cutting edge 62.

[6] The wet towel manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the first cuttingedge 62 of the upper cutter 60 and the second cutting edge 72 of the lower cutter 70 is disposed inclinedly with respect to the rotary center shaft of the holder 50 from one side thereof to the other side thereof in the width direction of the fabric, such that, upon cutting the fabric, the first cutting edge 62 and the second cutting edge 72 gradually engage with each other at the state of being inclined with respect to the width direction of the fabric from one side thereof to the other side thereof, which enables the fabric to be cut off gradually from one side thereof to the other side thereof.

[7] The wet towel manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the fabric-guiding part 12 comprises: a driving roller 20 rotatably coupled on the brackets 10 by the driving force of the driving means 5, for conveying the fabric in such a manner as to be closely contacted with the underside of the fabric a guiding-stop plate 30 hingedly coupled onthe brackets 10 and having a case 32 formed to rotatably couple a driven roller 34 thereto and disposed over the driving roller 20 for making the driven roller 34 closely contacted with the upper side of the fabric and a stop lever 36 extended downwardly from the case 32 in such a manner as to be near the upper side of the fabric passed through the driving roller 20 and the driven roller 34; and a supporting plate 40 disposed on the top side of the lower cutter 70 and fixed by the brackets 10, for supporting the underside of the fabric passed through the driving roller 20, and wherein the holder 50 of the fabric-cutting part 14 further comprises a stop plunger 58 adapted to rotatethe guiding-stop plate 30 before the first cutting edge 62 of the upper cutter 60 abuts with the second cutting edge 72 of the lower cutter 70, for makingthe stop lever 36 closely contacted with the supporting plate 40, such that the fabric is fixed on the upper sides of the first cuttingedge 62 and the second cutting edge 72. [8] A wet towel manufacturing apparatus for making a disposable wet towel instantly by conveying a dry fabric contained in a roll form in afabric-containing unit 3 in a housing 2, cutting off the dry fabric into a predetermined length, dampening the cut dry fabric with water through a water injectionunit 6, and folding or rolling the wet fabric into several layers through a wet towel shape- forming unit 8, the wet towel manufacturing apparatus comprising a unit fabric- forming unit 4 having a fabric-guiding part 12 for conveying the fabric from the fabric-containing unit 3 and a fabric-cutting part 14 for cutting off the fabric conveyed by the fabric-guiding part 12 in such a manner that the fabric-guiding part 12 and the fabric-cutting part 14 are disposed spaced in parallel relation to each other at a pair of brackets 10 in the housing 2, wherein the fabric-cutting part 14 comprises: a holder 50 disposed on the top side of the fabric in such a manner as to be rotatably coupled on the brackets 10 by means of a driving force applied from a driving means 5 and having a mounting groove 52 formed along the width direction of the fabric; an upper cutter 60 adapted to be coupled to the mounting groove 52 of the holder 50 and having the first cutting edge 62 formed along the front end thereof in the width direction of the fabric; and a lower cutter 70 disposed on the underside of the fabricin such a manner as to be coupled on the brackets 10 and having the second cutting edge 72 for cutting the fabric off in such a manner as to be engaged with the first cutting edge 62; and The wet towel manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fabric-guiding part 12 comprises: a driving roller 20 rotatably coupled on the brackets 10 by the driving force of the driving means 5 for conveying the fabric in such a manner as to be closely contacted with the underside of the fabric a guiding-stop plate 30 hingedly coupled on the brackets 10 and having a case 32 formed to rotatably couple a driven roller 34 thereto and disposed over the driving roller 20 for making the driven roller 34 closely contacted with the upper side of the fabric, and a stop lever 36 extended downwardly from the case 32 in such a manner as to be near the upper side of the fabric passed through the driving roller 20 and the driven roller 34; and a supporting plate 40 disposed on the top side of the lower cutter 70 and fixed by the brackets 10, for supporting the underside of the fabric passed through the driving roller 20, and wherein the holder 50 of the fabric-cutting part 14 further comprises a stop plunger 58 adapted to rotate the guiding-stop plate 30 before the first cutting edge 62 of the upper cutter 60 abuts with the second cutting edge 72 of the lower cutter 70, for making the stop lever 36 closely contacted with the supporting plate 40, such that the fabric is fixed on the upper sidesof the first cutting edge 62 and the second cutting edge 72. [9] The wet towel manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the first cuttingedge 62 of the upper cutter 60 and the second cutting edge 72 of the lower cutter 70 is disposed inclinedly with respect to the rotary center shaft of the holder 50 from one side thereof to the other side thereof in the width direction of the fabric, such that, upon cutting the fabric, the first cutting edge 62 and the second cutting edge 72 gradually engage with each other at the state of being inclined with respect to the width direction of the fabric from one side thereof to the other side thereof, which enables the fabric to be cut off gradually from one side thereof to the other side thereof.