GB2237769A

GB2237769A - Bonding device

Info

Publication number: GB2237769A
Application number: GB8925475A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ka-Leung Yu
Original assignee: Ngai Shing Dev Ltd
Current assignee: Ngai Shing Dev Ltd
Priority date: 1989-11-10
Filing date: 1989-11-10
Publication date: 1991-05-15
Anticipated expiration: 2009-11-10
Also published as: GB8925475D0; HK30395A; DE4035530A1; DE4035530C2; GB2237769B

Abstract

A bonding device (10) for bonding together pieces of textile articles, which device (10) comprises a housing having a transporting region in which pieces of textile articles are transported along a transport path (16), heating means (21, 22) provided in region for applying heat to said articles, and pressing means (17b, 17c, 18b & 18c) provided in region for applying pressure to said articles to which heat has been applied. The heating means (21, 22) comprises at least one heating unit (23, 24) provided adjacent the transport path (16), and the or each heating unit (23, 24) comprises a substantially solid body (25) providing on one side thereof a heating surface (27') and a panel heater (31) located in the body (25) and directly behind the heating surface (27'). The heater 31 comprises a heating element 31a embedded in a sheet of electrically insulating material (silicone) and is vulcanized or glued to plate 27 providing the surface 27'. The heater includes cooling fins 26c. <IMAGE>

Description

BONDING DEVICE The present Invention relates to a bonding device for

bonding together pieces of textile articles to which thermoplastic glue has been applied, such as shirt collars, outer layers of coats and Jackets, and waist bands of trousers, etc.

According to a first aspect of the Invention, there Is provided a bonding device for bonding together pieces of textile articles, which device comprises a housing having a transporting region In which transporting means Is provided for transporting said pieces of textile articles along a transport path, heating means provided In the transporting region for a p p 1 y 1 n 9 heat to said pieces of textile articles, and pressing means provided In the transporting region for applying pressure to said pieces of textile articles t o w h 1 c h heat has been applied, wherein said heating means comprises at least one heating unit provided adjacent the transport path, the or each heating unit comprising a substantially solid body providing on one side thereof a heating surface and a panel heater located In the body and directly behind the heating surface.

Preferably, the body of the or each beating unit comprises an elongate base supported In position at opposite ends thereof and a plate for providing the IL - 2 heating surface, the base and the plate being secured together and the or the corresponding panel heater being located therebetween.

It Is preferred that the or each beating unit extends 5 transversely across the transport path.

In a preferred embodiment. at least one cooling fin Is provided on the opposite side of the base part with respect to the plate.

Preferably. the transport path Is curved, and the heating surface of the or each beating unit Is curved corresponding to the curvature of the transport path.

It Is preferred that the body of the or each heating unit Is formed of extruded aluminium.

In a preferred embodiment, said transporting means is comprises two endless conveyor belts which In use are driven at the same translational speed along respective sides of the transport path.

Preferably, said pressing means comprises a pair of rollers located In a side-by-side manner.

It Is preferred that the or each panel heater comprises at least one heating filament embedded In a sheet of - 3 electrically Insulating material.

In a preferred embodiment, the electrically Insulating material Is silicone.

Preferably, the or each panel heater Is vulcanized or 5 glued onto an Inner side of the body of the or the corresponding heating unit.

It is preferred that at least one sheet of thermally Insulating material Is located between the panel heater and the base of the body of the or each heating unit.

A preferred embodiment of the bonding device comprises a plurality of said heating units on each side of the transport path, and the heating units are arranged In an adjacent manner In the direction of the transport path.

is Preferably, a thermostat Is provided for controlling the operation of the or all heating units.

It Is preferred that the bonding device further comprises cooling means whic Is provided adjacent the transport path.

According to a second aspect of the Invention, there is 20 provided a bonding device for bonding together pieces of textile articles. which device comprises a housing having - 4 A transporting region In which transporting means is provided for transporting said pieces of textile articles along a transport path. heating means provided In the transporting region for applying beat to said pieces of textile articles, and pressing means provided In the transporting region for applying pressure to said pieces of textile articles to which beat has been applied. wherein said beating means comprises at least one heating unit provided adjacent the transport path. the or each heating unit being supported for limited slidable movement In a direction transverse to the transport path to allow for thermal expansion of the or each heating unit.

Preferably, the slidable movement of the or each heating unit is 11 m I ted by two abutment members which are provided In or adjacent both ends of the or each heating unit, respectively.

It Is preferred that the abutment members are twoscrews extending in the direction of the slidable movement of the or each heating unit.

In a preferred embodlment. both ends of the or each heating unit are slidably received In corresponding apertures provided In a support or supports.

i 1 1 - 5 The Invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, In which:

Figure 1 Is a schematic side view of a first embodiment 5 of a bonding device according to the Invention; Figure 2 Is a fragmentary perspective view of a heating unit of the bonding device of Figure 1; Figure 3 Is a cross-sectional end view of the heating unit of Figure 2; Figure 4 Is an exploded cross-sectional end view of the heating unit of Figure 2; Figure 5 shows the construction of a panel beater of the beating unit of Figure 2; Figures 6 and 7 show In, different directions, the manner in which the heating unit of Figure 2 is supported In a housing of the bonding device of Figure 1; Figure SA, 8B and BC show different steps of supporting the heating unit of Figure 2 In the manner as shown In Figures 6 and 7; 1 Figure 9A and 9B show an alternative manner of supporting the heating unit of Figure 2, slightly modified, in a housing of the bonding device of Figure 1; Figure IOA and 108 show the connection of the panel 5 heater(s) of Figure 5 to a single-phase and a three-phase mains power supplies, respectively; and Figure 11 Is a schematic side view of a second embodiment of a bonding device according to the Invention.

is Figure 1 of the drawings shows a first embodiment of a 10 bonding device 10 according to the Invention. The bonding device 10 comprises a housing 11 having at one end an Intake 12 and at the other end an exit 13 for pieces of textile articles to be bonded together. A transporting region 14 Is formed Inside the housing 11. In which region 14 a transporting mechanism 15 Is provided for tr ansporting the pieces of textile articles along a transport path 16 from the Intake 12 to the exit 13.

The transporting mechanism 15 comprises upper and lower 20 endless conveyor belts 17 and 18 which are driven by an electric motor (not shown) about rollers 17a-d and 18a-fs respectively. The belts 17 and 18 are to be driven at the a &roe translational speedg and In a contiguous manner over a portion to form the transport path 16 so that, In use, said pieces of textile articles are urged together by the belts 17 and 18 along the transport path 16. The rollers 17a and 18a are spring- loaded so as to maintain the tension of the corresponding belts 17 and 18. Three transversely-extending fixed bars 19 and 20a-b are provided bearing against the corresponding belts 17 and 18 from Inside In order to maintain the position transversely perpendicular to an vertical plane cutting through the belts 17 and 18 The bonding device 10 further comprises two heating stations 21 and 22 which are provided Immediately above and below the transport path 16, respectively, for applying heat to the pieces of textile articles. In the station 21 22 231, the 18 latter In a imaginary embodiment as shown. each heating 9 comprises three transversely extending heating units 24 which are located In a side-by-slde manner In direction of the transport path 16. The belts 17 and are bent slightly by the heating stations 21 and 22 both sides, respectively, so as to ensure contact between the heating stations pieces of textile articles. The heating 22 are located Immediately one after direction of the transport path 16.

f rom a good thermal 21 and 22 and the stations 21 and the other In the AS shown In Figures 2 to 5, each heating unit 23, 24 comprises a solid body 25 which is formed by an elongate base part 26 and an elongate plate 27 secured together by d m 8 screw$ 28. The base part 26 and the plate 27 are extruded from aluminium. the former being larger In size than the latter. The base part 25 has a front portion 26a to which the plate 27 Is connected to form a gap 29 therebetween. and a channel-shaped rear portion 26b having two opposite ends 30 at which the heating unit 23, 24 Is supported Inside the housing 11, as described below. The rear portion 26b has two longitudinally extending cooling fins 26c and serves also as a-heat sink to dissipate heat from the heating unit 23, 24 when the temperature of the heating unit 23. 24 Is too high.

The gap 29 in the body 25 of each panel beater 23. 24 Is provided to accommodate a corresponding panel heater 31 which Is formed by a heating filament 31a embedded In a sheet 31h of electrically Insulating material. silicone In this embodiment. The heating filament 31a Is arranged In an appropriate pattern according to the required temperature distribution over the panel heater 311 an example of such a pattern Is shown In Figure 5. The panel beater 31 Is flexible and Is vulcanized or glued to the Inner side of the corresponding plate 27, thereby providing a heating surface 271 on the outer side of the plate 27. Two thermally Insulating sheets 32 are located Inside the gap 29 and between the panel heater 31 and the base part 26 to as to ensure that heat from the panel beater 31 Is substantially conducted to the beat surface 271. In the presence of the sheets 31, the base part26 - 9 and the plate 27 are secured together In a thermally conducting manner so that heat from the heating surface 271 of the plate 27 and hence from the panel heater 31 can be dissipated rapidly through the correspondIng base 5 part 26.

Figures 6 and 7 show a first manner of Installing the heating units 23 and 24 Inside the housing 11 of the bonding device 10. Each heating unit 23, 24 Is supported at each end 30 by a corresponding supporting plate 33 which is In turn secured by screws 33b to the inner side of a side wall 111 of the housing 11. Each supporting plate 33 has an aperture 33a In which a corresponding end 30 of a beating unit 23, 24 is slidably received. Two bolts and nuts 34 are provided in the corresponding side walls 111 adjacent both ends 30 of each heating unit 23, 24 for retaining the heating unit 23, 24 In position yet permitting a limited longitudinal movement of the heating unit 23, 24 to allow for thermal expansion of the heating unit 23, 24 when It Is energised.

As shown In Figures 8A, 83 and 8C, to Install each heating unit 23, 24 the two bolts and nuts 34 are firstly loosened (Figure 8A). Both ends 30 of the heating unit 23, 24 are then Inserted through the correspond I n g supporting plates 33 one after the other (Figure 8B).

Finally, the bol ts and nuts 34 are tightened 1 n a position sufficiently short of the corresponding ends 30 i k - of the heating unit 23. 24 so as to allow for thermal expansion of the beating unit.

Figures 9A and 98 show a second manner Of Installing the heating units 23 and 24. Each beating unit 23. 24 Is supported at both ends 30 by a pair of supporting brackets 331 which are In turn welded to the Inner sides of the side walls ill of the housing 11. Each end 30 of the heating unit 23, 24 has a slotted hole 30' through which the heating unit 23. 24 Is loosely fastened at that end 30 onto the corresponding bracket 331 by a screw 341 engaged with said bracket 331. The two slotted holes 301 extend longitudinally of the beating unit 23, 24 and therefore permit limited slidable movement of the heating unit 23. 24 to allow for the thermal expansion of the beating unit.

The panel beaters 31 of the heating units 23 and 24 are connected In parallel to a single-phase mains power supplys as shown in Figure 10A. In a modified embodiment, the panel heaters 31 are divided Into three groups and are connected in parallel to the respective phases of a three- phase mains power supply, as shown in Figure 108 for energy saving. The operation of the panel heaters 31 is monitored by means of thermostats 35 so as to control the operating temperature of the heating stations 21 and 22.

1 d k - 11 Referring back to Figure 1, the rollers 17b, 17c, 18b and 18c serve also to apply pressure to the pieces of textile articles which have just been transported through and out of the heating stations 21 and 22. The upward pressure exerted by the lower rollers 18b and 18c against the upper rollers 17b and 17c Is provided by two corresponding gas/air cylinders 36.

The bonding device 10 further comprises a cooling station 37 In the form of a metal block which Is provided Immediately underneath the belt 18 at the exit 13 for cooling down the pieces of textile articles which have just been pressed together by the rollers 17b, 17c, 18b and 18c.

In use, two pieces of textile articles to be bonded 15 together are laid one upon the other with the thermoplastic glue layer at the Interface, and are then fed Into the bonding device 10 through the Intake 12. The pieces of textile articles are transported by the belts 17 and 18 to the heating stations 21 and 22 where 20 they are heated on both sides, respectively, and the thermoplastic glue layer Is softened. When the pieces of textile articles pass through the rollers 17b, 17c, 18b and 18c, pressure Is applied thereby to ensure that the softened glue Is pressed from one to the other of the articles. When the textile articles out of the housing 11 through the exit pieces of textile are transported m 12 - 13, the cooling station 37 allows the glue to harden to hold the textile articles together.

Temperature control of the beating station 21 and 22 Is vital so as to ensure a good bonding result, and apart from the performance of the thermostats 35 It depends very much on the constructional design of the heating units 23 and 24. The bodies 25 of the heating units 23 and 24 are made solid so as to provide sufficient rigidity. More Importantly, the plates 27 of the bodies 25 are made as thin as possible so that the temperature of the corresponding heating surfaces 271 can be raised rapidly by heat generated by the panel heaters 31 and conducted across the plates 27. Also. the cooling fins 26c of the rear portions 26b of the bodies 25 provide enhanced surface area to ensure that heat can rapidly be dissipated. With this construction,, the operating temperature of the heating units 23 and 24 can be can be maintained at a desired value within an accuracy of +/- Soc.

Figure 11 shows a second embodiment of a bonding device 37 according to the Invention and having an intake 38 and an exit 39. The Intake 38 and exit 39 are provided on the same end of the device 37, thereby leaving a relatively short section 40 of conveyor belt between the Intake 38 and exit 39. A cooling station 41 Is provided at the exit 39.. To overcome the cooling effect of 0 cool i ng station 41 on the bel t section 40. a heating U n 1 t 42 is provided Immediately downstream of the exit 39 to pre-heat the belt section 40 before It re-enters Into the transporting region.

various modifications may be made to the described embodiments of the bonding device, and it Is intened to Included all such modifications as fall within the scope of the Invention.

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Claims

CLAIMS is 1. A bonding device for bonding together pieces of textile

articles, which device comprises a housing having a transporting region In which transporting means Is provided for transporting said pieces of textile articles along a transport path. heating ineans provided In the transporting region for applying beat to said pieces of textile articles, and pressing means provided In the transporting region for applying pressure to said pieces of textile articles to which heat has been applied. wherein said beating means comprises at least one heating unit provided adjacent the transport path, the or each beating unit comprising a substantially solid body providing on one side thereof a heating surface and a panel heater located in the body and directly behind the heating surface.
2. A bonding device as claimed In claim 1. wherein the body of the or each heating unit comprises an elongate base supported In position at opposite ends thereof and a plate for providing the heating surface, the base and the plate being secured together and the or the corresponding panel heater being located therebetween.
3. A bonding device as claimed In claim 2. wherein the or each beating unit extends transversely across the transport path.
4. A bonding device as claimed In claim 2 or claim 3, wherein at least one cooling fin Is provided on the opposite side of the base part with respect to the plate.
is A bonding device as claimed In any one of the preceding claims, wherein the transport path Is curved. and the heating surface of the or each heating unit Is curved corresponding to the curvature of the transport path.
6. A bonding device as claimed In any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body of the or each heating unit Is formed of extruded aluminium.
7. A bonding device as claimed In any one of the preceding claims, wherein said transporting means comprises two endless conveyor belts which In use are driven at the same translational speed along respective sides of the transport path.
8. A bonding device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said pressing means comprises a pair of rollers loc-ated In a side-by-side manner.
9. A bonding device as claimed In any one of the preceding claims, wherein the or each panel heater comprises at least one heating filament embedded In a sheet of electrically Insulating material.

m 16 -
10. A bonding device as claimed In claim 9, wherein the electrically Insulating material Is silicone.
11. A bonding device as claimed In any one of the preceding claims. wherein the or each panel heater Is vulcanized or glued onto an Inner side of the body of the or the corresponding heating unit.
12. A bonding device as claimed in claim 2 or any claim dependent thereupon, wherein at least one sheet of thermally Insulating material Is located between the panel heater and the base of the body of the or each heating unit.
13. A bonding device as claimed In any one of the preceding claims. comprising a plurality of said beating units on each side of the transport path, and the heating units are arranged In an adjacent manner In the direction of the transport path.
14. A bonding device as claimed In any one of the preceding claims. wherein a thermostat Is provided for controlling the operation of the or all heating units.
15. A bonding device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising cooling means which Is provided adjacent the transport path.
16. A bonding device for bonding together pieces of textile articles, which device comprises a housing having a transporting region In which transporting means Is provided for transporting said pieces of textile articles along a transport path, heating means provided In the transporting region for applying heat to said pieces of textile articles, and pressing means provided In the transporting region for applying pressure to said pieces of textile articles to which heat has been applied, wherein said heating means comprises at least one heating unit provided adjacent the transport path. the or each heating unit being supported for limited slidable movement In a direction transverse to the transport path to allow for thermal expansion of the or each heating unit.
17. A bonding device as claimed In claim 16, wherein the slidable movement of the or each heating unit Is limited by two abutment members which are provided In or adjacent both ends of the or each heating unit. 20 respectively.
18. A bonding device as claimed In claim 17, wherein the abutment members are two screws extending In the direction of the slidable movement of the or each heating u n 1 t.

i 18 -
19. A bonding device as claimed in any one of claims 16-18, wherein both ends of the or each heating unit are slidably received In corresponding apertures provided In a support or supports.
20. A bonding device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 10 or Figure 11 of the accompanying drawings.

1%AMbW 1991 atThe Patent Office. Sitate House-66/71 High Holborn. London WCIR4T?. Further copies may be obtained from Sales Branch. Unit 6. Nkie Mde Point. Cwmfcbrdach. Cro" Keys. Newport NPI 7HZ. Printed by Multiplex techniques lid. St Mary Cray, Kent.