JP2003339569A - Method and apparatus for folding cloth - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To fold a towel without making a fine adjustment according to the thickness of the towel and moreover without rubbing the surface of the towel used as cloth. <P>SOLUTION: When conveying a towel 17 used as the cloth placed in a spread state on a conveyor 19, by the conveyor 19, air is blasted toward the towel 17 from a large number of air blowoff ports 33 of an air blowoff apparatus 31L from one side of a towel presser 27 arranged on the upper side of the conveyor 19 so as to hold the towel between the conveyor 190 and the towel presser 27, to fold one edge side of the towel 17 onto the towel presser 27. Air is blasted toward the towel 17 from a large number of air blowoff ports 33 of an air blowoff apparatus 31R from the other edge side of the towel presser 27 to fold the other edge side of the towel 17 so as to be placed over the one- edge side of the folded towel 17. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for folding a cloth member such as a towel to make a squeezing cloth, and more particularly to a method for automatically folding a cloth member such as a towel automatically. The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for folding a fabric member that can be folded.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, when making a diaphragm, a towel or the like is manually folded in two, and a winding device for winding the folded towel or the like in a circular shape thereafter. Is supplied to the packaging device, is wound into the packaging device, and is dropped into the packaging device, and the packaging device performs packaging such as narrowing.

However, the work of folding a towel or the like is performed manually, which is inefficient. In order to improve this, the inventor of the present invention has disclosed JP-A-2001-29962.
As shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 6, a method and apparatus for folding towels and the like have been developed.

This folding method and apparatus includes a conveyor for conveying towels placed in an unfolded state, and a towel holder arranged above the conveyor so as to sandwich the towel between the conveyors. A first folding means composed of a triangular plate or a rotating large-diameter disc that guides one side of the towel conveyed by the conveyor to fold to the upper side of the towel retainer, and other towels conveyed by the conveyor. Second folding means, which is a triangular plate or a rotating large-diameter disc that guides the side to be folded so that the side overlaps the one side, is provided. Therefore, the towel or the like is automatically folded, which is efficient.

[0005]

By the way, the conventional folding method and apparatus for towels and the like are very good because the diaphragms and the like are automatically and efficiently produced, but the first and second folding means are the same. When the towel is gradually guided and folded by the triangular plate as or the rotating large diameter disc,
Since the surface of the towel is slightly rubbed against the edges of the triangular plate or large-diameter disc and folded back, the problem of quicker damage to the fabric in the case of a towel that has been washed and frequently used repeatedly over the long term There was a point.

When other types of towels are folded, the thickness of the towel may change. Therefore, when the towel is folded back, it should not be caught on the edge of the triangular plate or large-diameter disc. Therefore, there is a problem in that it is necessary to finely adjust the distance between the towel retainer and the triangular plate or the large diameter disc.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object thereof is to fold a fabric member without rubbing the surface of the fabric member and without fine adjustment according to the thickness of the fabric member. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and a device for folding a fabric member that enables the above.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the method of folding a fabric member according to the present invention according to claim 1 is a method of folding a fabric member placed on a conveyer conveyor in an expanded state by the conveyer conveyor. At the time of conveyance, by blowing air from one side of the material member retainer arranged on the upper side of the conveyor so as to sandwich the material member between the conveyor member and the material member, the material member upper portion is pressed. While folding one side of the cloth member, the other side of the cloth member on the one side of the folded cloth member by blowing air from the other side of the cloth member presser toward the cloth member. It is characterized by folding so as to overlap.

Therefore, the one side and the other side of the cloth member are folded by blowing air from one side and the other side of the cloth member pressing member toward the cloth member. The surface is not rubbed, and the trouble of finely adjusting the height of the guide member according to the thickness of the cloth member does not occur.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a folding device for a fabric member, wherein the fabric member is placed in an unfolded state, and the conveyer conveys the fabric member between the conveyer and the conveyer. A fabric member retainer arranged on the upper side of the conveyor, and air from one side of the fabric member retainer to the fabric member to fold one side of the fabric member conveyed by the conveyor to the upper side of the fabric member retainer. And a first folding means for blowing the air, and air is blown from the other side of the material member retainer to the material member so as to fold the other side of the material member conveyed by the conveyor to overlap the one side. Second
And a folding means of.

Therefore, the operation is similar to that of the first aspect, and the air is blown from one side and the other side of the material member presser toward the material member on one side and the other side of the material member. Since it is folded, the surface of the cloth member is not rubbed as in the conventional case, and the trouble of finely adjusting the height of the guide member according to the thickness of the cloth member does not occur.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, a folding device 1 for a cloth member according to the present embodiment is a double-fold fold, in which, for example, a towel as a cloth member is conveyed while being conveyed, and in this embodiment, it is a triple fold. The action part 3 is provided. In addition, the folding device 1 further includes a known winding device 5 and a packaging device (not shown),
The winding device 5 is a device for winding the folded towel in a circular shape, and the packaging device is a device for packaging the towel wound by the winding device 5. In addition, the above-mentioned towel means a cloth that can be used, for example, as a towel in this embodiment, and is not limited to the towel.

More specifically, the folding device 1 is provided with a base 7 having an appropriate structure, and the base 7 is provided with the packaging device. Further, the folding action section 3 is provided on the front side of the upper portion of the base 7, and the winding device 5 is provided on the rear side of the folding action section 3.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a pedestal 9 which is long in the front-rear direction is attached to the bracket 11 on the folding action portion 3.
It is supported on the front side of the upper part of the base 7 via the front and downward.
This mount 9 has left and right side plates 13 which are long in the front-rear direction.
L and 13R are provided, and on the front and rear ends of the left and right side plates 13L and 13R, as shown in FIG. 1, long rollers 15 are rotatably supported in the left and right directions. . Further, for example, a conveyor belt 19 as a conveyor for conveying the towel 17 in the rearward direction is provided at the center of the front and rear rollers 15 in the left-right direction.
Is hung around. The transport conveyor may be a roller conveyor having a large number of rollers rotatably.

In order to fold the left and right sides of the towel 17 placed on the left and right sides of the conveyor belt 19 so as to overlap the center side, the towel 17 is conveyed in the backward direction. For example, a transport belt 21 as a left and right lifting transport conveyor for gradually lifting both the left and right sides of the is disposed.

More specifically, the gantry 9 has an inclined surface 2 which is inclined so that its rear side is gradually higher than the conveyor belt 19.
Left and right guide plates 2 with 3F and 25F on the front side
3, 25 are provided, and the upper sides of the left and right lifting conveyance belts 21 wound around the front and rear rollers 15 are guided and supported by the left and right guide plates 23, 25. In addition, the left and right guide plates 23, 25 are provided with a step portion 23
D and 25D are formed, and as shown in FIG. 2, a gap G is formed between the conveyor belt 21 and the step portions 23D and 25D.

Further, above the conveyor belt 19, for example, a towel retainer 27 as a left and right cloth member retainer having a function of sandwiching the towel 17 conveyed backward by the conveyor belt 19 with the conveyor belt 19 is provided. Has been. More specifically, the left and right ends are supported by the side plates 13L and 13R so that the support bar 29 that is long in the left-right direction is located above the transport belt 19, and the left and right towel pressers 27 are supported by the support bar 29. It is supported in the left and right direction with adjustable position. As shown in FIG. 1, the left and right towel pressers 27 are substantially ski-shaped and are long in the rear direction.

Further, for example, left and right air blowing devices 31L and 31R are provided on the left and right sides of the conveyor belt 19 as the left and right first and second folding means constituting a main part of the embodiment of the present invention. There is. The first and second folding means are means for folding the towel 17 so that the right and left sides of the towel 17 are overlapped with the central portion of the towel retainer 27.

More specifically, the left and right air blowing devices 3
In this embodiment, 1L and 31R have a pipe shape and a large number of air outlets 33 are provided at appropriate intervals in the longitudinal direction, and air (compressed air) is supplied from, for example, a compressor as an air supply source. Is configured. The left and right air blowing devices 31L and 31R are arranged at the step portions 23D and 25D of the respective guide plates 23 and 25 so as to be positioned at the height between the left and right guide plates 23 and 25 and the conveyor belt 21, and many The air blown from the air outlet 33 is configured to be blown toward the towel 17 from the right and left sides of the towel retainer 27 so as to fold the right and left sides of the towel 17.

The left and right air blowing devices 31L, 3
1R is the front-back direction (towel 17 as shown in FIG.
(The transfer direction of) is displaced. In this embodiment, the air blowing device 31L on the left side is arranged on the rear side of the air blowing device 31R on the right side.

With the above configuration, the operation panel 35 mounted on the gantry 9 is operated to operate the left and right air blowing devices 31L, 31.
Air is blown out from a large number of R air outlets 33. This air passes between the left and right guide plates 23 and 25 and the conveyor belt 21, and is constantly blown out toward the left and right sides of the towel retainer.

As described above, when the conveyor belt 19 and the lifting conveyor belt 21 are driven to move backward, the towel 17 in the unfolded state is conveyed as shown by an imaginary line in FIG. When the towel 17 is placed on the front upper part of the belt 19 and the left and right lifting / conveying belts 21, the towel 17 is gradually conveyed backward.

When the towel 17 is conveyed backward by the conveyor belts 19 and 21, the central portion of the towel 17 is pressed by the towel retainer 27, and the left and right side portions of the towel 17 are supported by the left and right guide plates 23 and 25. Slope 23
It is gradually lifted by the left and right lifting conveyor belts 21 along F and 25F.

In this embodiment, the inclined surface 25F of the right guide plate 25 is steeper than the inclined surface 23F of the left guide plate 23, and the right air blowing device 31R is left air blowing. Device 31
Since the towel 17 is arranged on the front side of L, as the towel 17 is conveyed backward, the right side of the towel 17 first has a large number of air blowing ports 3R of the right side air blowing device 31R.
The right side of the towel presser 27 on the right side is set with the right side of the towel presser 27 on the right side as the folding line position by the air blown out from 3.
Is folded to the upper side of.

Next, the left side of the towel 17 is already folded on the right side with the left side of the towel holder 27 on the left side being the folding line position by the air blown out from the multiple air blowing ports 33 of the air blowing device 31L on the left side. Will be folded so that the above left side overlaps.

As described above, in the folding device 1 of this embodiment, the towel 17 has the left and right air blowing devices 31.
Since it is folded by the air blown out from the large number of L and 31R air outlets 33, the towel 1
The surface of 7 is not rubbed by a guide member such as a triangular plate or a rotating large-diameter disk, and it is not necessary to finely adjust the guide member according to the thickness of the towel 17.

Next, the towel 17 folded in three as described above is conveyed to the winding device 5 and wound into a circular shape.

Towel 1 folded in three as described above
Since the structure of the winding action part of the winding device 5 for winding 7 is known, the structure of the winding device 5 will be briefly described.

As shown in FIG. 3, the winding device 5 is provided with a casing 37 on the base 7 at the rear side of the gantry 9, and a horizontal shaft in the left-right direction is provided in the casing 37. A winding drum 41 is rotatably supported via 39, and a winding mat 43 is provided in an arc shape so as to cover the upper peripheral surface and the rear peripheral surface of the winding drum 41. The winding mat 43 is the winding drum 4 described above.
The winding drum 4 with a proper distance from the peripheral surface of
1. Flexible casing 3 that can move toward and away from
It is supported by 7.

Further, the above casing 37 is a base 7
Is supported so that it can be tilted in an appropriate direction (inclined state is shown in FIG. 3), and in order to appropriately tilt the casing 37 on the base 7, an appropriate pressure such as a fluid pressure cylinder is used. The tilting actuator 45 is mounted. In the winding device 5, the piston rod of the actuator 45 is normally drawn and held horizontally without being tilted. In this horizontal state, the towel 17 folded and unloaded from the folding action portion 3 is It is received between the winding drum 41 and the winding mat 43.

With the above structure, when the winding drum 41 is rotated in the arrow A direction shown in FIG. 3 by driving the motor M1 mounted in the casing 37, the towel 17 carried out from the folding action portion 3 is moved in the arrow A direction. Is transferred to the winding drum 41 and the winding mat 43 and is wound into a circular shape by receiving the winding action, and dropped from the rear side of the winding drum 41 to the downward packaging device.

From the above, according to this embodiment, when the towel 17 is spread and placed on the upper front side of the conveyor belt 19 and the left and right lifting belts 21 in the folding action section 3, the conveyor belt 19 causes the conveyor belt 19 to move to the rear side. The towel 17 is automatically folded while being conveyed, and then the towel 17 is unloaded into the winding device 5 and folded in three.
Is automatically wound, and then the wrapped towel 17 is automatically wrapped by the packaging device.

Referring to FIG. 4, an auxiliary bar 47 for assisting in folding the towel 17 into a rhombus has a partially curved shape and protrudes forward from the position of the rollers 15 of the conveyor belts 19 and 21. Thus, the left and right side plates 13L and 13R are provided. The shape of the auxiliary bar 47 is not limited to this. When the above towel 17 is folded into a diamond shape, the towel 17 in the diamond shape is placed on the front upper part of the conveyor belt 19 and the left and right lifting conveyor belts 21 as shown by an imaginary line in FIG. When this is done, the front side of the towel 17 is also hung on the auxiliary bar 47.

The operation of folding the towel 17 into a diamond shape is the same as in the case of FIG. 1 described above. When the towel 17 is conveyed backward by the conveyor belts 19 and 21, the towel 1
The area around the center of the towel 7 is pressed by the towel presser 27, and the left and right sides of the towel 17 are held by the left and right lifting conveyor belts 2.
Gradually lifted by 1L, 21R, the right side of the towel 17 is folded by the air of the right air blowing device 31R, and then the left side of the towel 17 is already folded by the air of the left air blowing device 31L. Folded to overlap.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be implemented in other modes by making appropriate changes. Although a towel is taken as an example of the cloth member, it may be a handkerchief, a napkin, a towel, or the like.

[0037]

As can be understood from the above description of the embodiment of the invention, according to the invention of claim 1, air is blown from one side and the other side of the material member presser toward the material member. By blowing, it is possible to fold one side and the other side of the fabric member, so that the surface of the fabric member is not rubbed as in the conventional case, and the height of the guide member can be adjusted according to the thickness of the fabric member. It is possible to avoid the trouble of adjusting.

According to the invention of claim 2, which is similar to the effect of claim 1, one side of the cloth member is pressed by blowing air from one side and the other side of the cloth member pressing member toward the cloth member. Since the side and the other side can be folded,
It is possible to avoid the troublesomeness of finely adjusting the height of the guide member according to the thickness of the cloth member without friction of the surface of the cloth member as in the conventional case.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan perspective view showing a folding action portion according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective explanatory view of a folding device for a fabric member according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the winding device in an inclined state.

FIG. 4 is a plan perspective explanatory view of the folding action portion according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the towel is folded in a diamond shape.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Folding device 3 Folding part 7 base 13L, 13R Left and right side plates 15 Laura 17 Towel (fabric material) 19 Conveyor belt (conveyor conveyor) 21 conveyor belt (left and right lifting conveyors) 23 Left guide plate 25 Right guide plate 23F, 25F inclined surface 23D, 25D step 27 Towel presser 29 Support bar 31L Air blowing device on the left side (first folding means) 31R Right air blowing device (second folding means) 33 Air outlet 47 Auxiliary bar G interval

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. When the dough member placed on the carrying conveyor in an expanded state is carried by the carrying conveyor, the dough member is arranged above the carrying conveyor so as to sandwich the dough member between the dough member and the carrying conveyor. By blowing air from one side of the material member presser toward the material member, one side of the material member is folded on the material member presser, and from the other side of the material member presser toward the material member. A method for folding a fabric member, characterized in that the fabric member is folded so that the other side of the fabric member is overlapped with the one side of the folded fabric member by blowing air. 2. A conveyor for conveying the material member placed in an unfolded state, and a material member retainer arranged on the upper side of the conveyor so as to sandwich the material member between the conveyors. First folding means for blowing air from one side of the material member presser toward the material member in order to fold one side of the material member conveyed by the conveyor to the upper side of the material member presser; Second folding means for blowing air toward the cloth member from the other side of the cloth member pressing member in order to fold the cloth material conveyed by the other side so as to overlap the one side. Folding device for fabric members.