JP7471627B2 - Automatic sewing and stitching equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic sewing device and a sewing device , and more particularly to an automatic sewing device capable of automatically performing a plurality of operations for joining pieces of fabric together, and a sewing device that can be used for such an automatic sewing device.

Waterproof fabrics are used to ensure waterproofing in work clothes, raincoats, and leisure clothing for golf, etc. For example, a sheet-like material made of fabric made of resin threads such as polyester with a waterproof layer made of polyurethane on one side is used as a material for making raincoats.

When manufacturing work clothes, raincoats, leisure clothes, etc. from such raincoat-forming materials, the fabric is cut into pieces formed into a predetermined shape, and the pieces are joined together by sewing or heat fusion (Patent Documents 1 to 3). For example, the pieces of fabric are joined together by sandwiching hot melt between them and heating them to a temperature at which the hot melt melts to heat-seal the pieces, or by overlapping the pieces of fabric and sewing them together with a sewing machine or the like.

Patent Application No. 2002-194663 Patent Application No. 2013-194349 Patent Application No. 2018-119255

In the above-mentioned heat sealing and sewing operations, the tasks of overlapping the pieces of fabric and running them through the sewing machine, and placing the hot melt between the pieces of fabric, are usually performed manually by workers, and these tasks require a lot of workers and effort. If these tasks could be automated, the number of workers could be reduced, and the burden on the workers could also be lightened.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVETION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic sewing device capable of automating the operations of heat sealing and sewing.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a sewing device that can be used for sewing and cover installation operations in an automatic sewing device.

The automatic sewing device of the first invention is a device for joining two sheets of joining material, and is characterized by comprising: a placement section for holding the two sheets of joining material on a conveying member; a sewing section to which the conveying member holding the two sheets of joining material is supplied and which sews together the two sheets of joining material placed on the conveying member; a heating section to which the conveying member holding the two sheets of joining material sewn together at the sewing section is supplied and which heats and pressurizes the stitched portion of the two sheets of joining material; and a conveying mechanism for moving the conveying member in the order of the placement section, the sewing section, and the heating section.

According to the first invention, the process of overlapping two sheets of joining material and sewing or heat fusing them can be automated.

1 is a schematic front view of an automatic sewing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a schematic plan view of an automatic sewing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1A is a schematic explanatory diagram of a conveying member 60, in which (A) is a view taken along line AA in (B), (B) is a plan view, and (C) is a schematic side view of a state in which a sheet member S1 is folded back. 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams illustrating a sutured portion 20, in which (A) is a front view and (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of (A). FIG. 3A and 3B are schematic explanatory diagrams of a cover member placement section 30, in which (A) is a front view and (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of (A). 4 is a partial enlarged view of the cover member placement portion 30. FIG. 3A and 3B are schematic diagrams illustrating a heating unit 40, in which (A) is a front view and (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of (A). 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of an operation for forming a joint W between two sheet materials S1 and S2. FIG.

The automatic sewing device of this embodiment is a device for joining sheet-like materials, and is characterized by its ability to automate the tasks of overlapping materials and sewing or heat fusing them.

In this embodiment, the term "automatic" refers to the automatic sewing device, and includes both a state in which a series of operations is entirely automated and a state in which some operations are performed by an operator.

The material to be joined in the automatic sewing device of this embodiment is not particularly limited. For example, the material to be joined may be a sheet-like material made of a resin material (such as polypropylene, nylon, or urethane) that melts when heated.

The heat fusion in the automatic sewing device of this embodiment can be used both when the materials to be joined themselves melt, and when the materials are joined with an adhesive material. For example, it can be used when an adhesive material is placed between the materials to be joined, and the materials are joined by melting this adhesive material together with the materials, or by melting only the adhesive material. The adhesive material used in this case is not particularly limited, and commercially available hot melt adhesives in sheet or film form (for example, Elfan (registered trademark: manufactured by Nihon Matai Co., Ltd.)), gel adhesives, etc. can be used as adhesive materials.

In the following description, the heat fusion bonding will be described taking as a representative example a case where a film-like hot melt is sandwiched between sheet-like materials to bond them, that is, a case where either or both of the adhesive material and the sheet-like materials are melted.
Further, in the following, a case where two sheets of bonding material are bonded will be described, but the number of sheets of bonding material to be bonded is not limited to two, and may be three or more.

<Configuration of joint W of sheet material S>
First, before describing the automatic sewing device 1 of this embodiment, a brief description will be given of an example of the structure of a joint part W in which two sheet materials S1, S2 are joined by the automatic sewing device 1 of this embodiment. The two sheet materials S1, S2 correspond to the two joined materials referred to in the claims.

As shown in FIG. 9(C), the joint W of the two sheet materials S1, S2 is formed by sewing the ends of the two sheet materials S1, S2 together while they are overlapping, and a cover member SC made of hot melt is provided to cover the ends. In other words, the joint W is formed so that the edges of the two sheet materials S1, S2 are not exposed. Moreover, the sheet material S1 is joined to the cover member SC in a folded state at the position of the cover member SC (FIG. 9(D)). By constructing the joint W in this way, it is possible to improve the waterproofness of the joint W.

When forming this joint W, the following steps are performed.
First, with hot melt H sandwiched between the ends of two sheet materials S1, S2, the two sheet materials S1, S2 are sewn together with a sewing thread s by the stitching device 21 of the stitching section 20 (FIG. 9(A)). Then, a sewn portion T is formed in which the ends of the two sheet materials S1, S2 are sewn together with the hot melt H sandwiched therebetween (FIG. 9(B)).

Next, in the cover member placement section 30, a cover member SC is placed so as to cover the edge of the sewn portion T of the two sheet materials S1, S2. Once the cover member SC is placed so as to cover the edge of the sewn portion T, the end of the sewn portion T covered by the cover member SC is clamped and heated. This results in a temporary joining of the cover member SC and the sewn portion T of the two sheet materials S1, S2 (FIG. 9(B)). Note that in the temporary joining, it is sufficient that the cover member SC is joined to the two sheet materials S1, S2 to such an extent that it does not separate, so the force clamping the end of the sewn portion T covered by the cover member SC is smaller and the heating temperature is lower than when forming the joint W in the next process.

Once the cover member SC and the stitched portion T of the two sheet materials S1, S2 are temporarily joined, the temporarily joined portion is sandwiched and heated by the heating unit 40. This melts the two sheet materials S1, S2, the hot melt H, and the cover member SC, joining the two sheet materials S1, S2, and the cover member SC. This forms a joint W where the ends of the two sheet materials S1, S2 and the cover member SC are joined (Figure 9 (C)).

Then, the sheet material S1 is folded back at the position of the cover member SC, and the overlapping portion of the folded back sheet material S1 and the cover member SC is sandwiched and heated again in the heating unit 40. Then, the folded back portion of the sheet material S1 and the cover member SC are joined, and a joint W having a fold is formed (Figure 9 (D)).

<Automatic sewing device 1 of this embodiment>
As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the automatic sewing device 1 of this embodiment includes a placement unit 10, a stitching unit 20, a cover member placement unit 30, a heating unit 40, and a conveying mechanism 50. In the automatic sewing device 1 of this embodiment, the placement unit 10, the stitching unit 20, the cover member placement unit 30, and the heating unit 40 are arranged in this order on the same side of the conveying mechanism 50. For example, in Fig. 2, all the devices are arranged above the conveying mechanism 50. Then, the conveying member 60 holding the two sheet materials S1 and S2 is conveyed by the conveying mechanism 50 in the order of the placement unit 10, stitching unit 20, cover member placement unit 30, and heating unit 40. In other words, the two sheet materials S1 and S2 held by the conveying member 60 are conveyed by the conveying mechanism 50, so that each unit performs its own work.

Specifically, in the placement section 10, an operator causes the conveying member 60 to hold two sheets of material S1 and S2. At this time, the two sheets of material S1 and S2 are placed on the conveying member 60 so that the portions to be joined together, i.e., the portions that will become the stitching portion T and the joint portion W described above, protrude from the first end portion 61a of the base member 61 of the conveying member 60 (see FIG. 3).

When the conveying member 60 is supplied from the placement section 10 to the sewing section 20, the portion that will become the joint W is sewn together to form a sewn portion T. At this time, before sewing the two sheet materials S1, S2 together, a sheet-like hot melt H is inserted between the two sheet materials S1, S2. In other words, the hot melt H is sandwiched between the two sheet materials S1, S2, and in this state, the two sheet materials S1, S2 and the hot melt H are sewn together to form a sewn portion T (see FIG. 9(A)).

When the conveying member 60 is supplied from the sewing section 20 to the cover member placement section 30, the cover member SC is placed so as to cover the end of the sewn portion T where the two sheet materials S1, S2 and the hot melt H are sewn together. When the cover member SC is placed, the position where the cover member SC is provided is pressurized and heated by the temporary joining section 31, and the cover member SC is temporarily joined to the sewn portion T (see FIG. 9 (B)).

When the conveying member 60 is supplied from the cover member placement section 30 to the heating section 40, the position where the cover member SC is provided is pressurized and heated again. Then, the two sheet materials S1, S2, the hot melt H, and the cover member SC (or the hot melt H and the cover member SC) melt, and the two sheet materials S1, S2 and the cover member SC are joined to form a joint W (see FIG. 9(C)). After that, the arm member 46 of the folding mechanism 45 of the heating section 40 folds the upper sheet material S1 at the joint W, and in that state, the joint W is pressurized and heated again at the joint W. Then, the folded sheet material S1 is fixed. In other words, the sheet material S1 and the cover member SC (i.e., the joint W) are joined (see FIG. 9(D)). Then, when the arm member 46 again overlaps the sheet material S1 on the sheet material S2, the conveying mechanism 50 conveys out the conveying member 60, that is, the member having the joint part W where the two sheets of sheet material S1 and S2 are joined and the fold is fixed.

As described above, the automatic sewing device 1 of this embodiment can automatically manufacture a component in which two sheet materials S1 and S2 are joined together and a fold is fixed to the joined portion.

<Description of Each Part of the Automatic Sewing Device 1 of the Present Embodiment>
Next, each part of the automatic sewing device 1 of this embodiment will be described in detail.

<Conveying member 60>
First, before describing each part of the automatic sewing device 1 of this embodiment, a conveying member 60 for conveying two sheet materials S1 and S2 to each part will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, the conveying member 60 is a member that holds two sheet materials S1 and S2, and is composed of a base member 61, an intermediate member 62, and a fixed member 63.

The base member 61 is a member having a flat upper surface on which the sheet material S2 is placed. The base member 61 is made of a metal member that is attracted to a magnet, such as iron. The base member 61 is connected to the moving platform of the transport mechanism 50 so that the first end 61a is located on the side where all the devices are lined up in the transport mechanism 50 (the upper side in FIG. 2). In other words, the base member 61 is moved by the transport mechanism 50 with the first end 61a located on the side where all the devices are lined up (line A in FIG. 2). The first end 61a of the base member 61 is formed so that its end face is parallel to the direction in which the transport member 60 is transported by the transport mechanism 50.

In addition, the shape of the base member 61 is not particularly limited as long as the upper surface is formed into a flat surface. The base member 61 may be formed, for example, from a plate material or the like, or may simply be formed from a block material or the like having a flat upper surface.
The upper surface of the base member 61 does not necessarily have to be flat, as long as it can hold the sheet material S1 in a stretched state to some extent.

The intermediate member 62 is placed on the sheet material S2 when the sheet material S2 is placed on the upper surface of the base member 61. The intermediate member 62 includes a fixing intermediate member 62a arranged on the first end 61a side of the base member 61, and a folding intermediate member 62b arranged at a position farther away from the first end 61a of the base member 61 than the fixing intermediate member 62a (FIG. 3(A)). The fixing intermediate member 62a is a plate-shaped permanent magnet, and fixes the sheet material S2 to the base member 61 by sandwiching the sheet material S2 between the fixing intermediate member 62a and the base member 61. On the other hand, the folding intermediate member 62b is a plate-shaped member formed of a metal member that sticks to a magnet such as iron. The folding intermediate member 62b is attracted to the electromagnet 47 of the arm member 46 of the folding mechanism 45 of the heating unit 40 described later, and is provided to fold the sheet material S1. The fixing intermediate member 62a and the folding intermediate member 62b may be formed to approximately the same thickness (for example, about 1 to 1.5 mm). However, the folding intermediate member 62b may be slightly thicker than the fixing intermediate member 62a.

The fixed member 63 is a permanent magnet formed in a plate shape. This fixed member 63 is arranged so as to sandwich the sheet material S1 between the intermediate member 62 and the fixed member 63 when the sheet material S1 is placed on the intermediate member 62. This fixed member 63 is provided to prevent the sheet material S1 from moving when the folding intermediate member 62b moves together with the arm member 46. There are no particular limitations on the position at which this fixed member 63 is arranged, but it may be arranged in a position that does not get in the way when folding the sheet material S1.

As shown in FIG. 3, the intermediate folding member 62b may be provided with a pressing member 62d for pressing the sheet S1 between the rear end (left end in FIG. 3) of the intermediate folding member 62b and the fixing member 63. The sheet material S1 and the sheet material S2 may not be simply sheet-shaped, and other pieces of cloth may be provided on the sheet material S1 and the sheet material S2. For example, when joining the back of a raincoat, the sheet material S1 and the sheet material S2 may also have pieces of cloth that will become the collar or arm parts. Such pieces of cloth are placed on the upper surface of the sheet material S1, but if the pressing member 62d is provided, such pieces of cloth can be sandwiched and held between the intermediate folding member 62b and the sheet material S1 by the pressing member 62d. Then, the pieces of cloth do not get in the way when folding the sheet material S1. The pressing member 62d may have a structure that can hold the pieces of cloth or the sheet material S1 between the intermediate folding member 62b and the intermediate folding member 62b, and is not particularly limited. The holding member 62d may be, for example, a rod-shaped member with a binder structure that has one end connected to the intermediate folding member 62b and that can be swung around the one end as a fulcrum to press against the intermediate folding member 62b, or a rod-shaped member that can be inserted into and fixed to the intermediate folding member 62b (see Figures 3A and 3B).

<Transport mechanism 50>
The conveying mechanism 50 moves the conveying member 60. For example, a mechanism including a moving platform to which the base member 61 of the conveying member 60 is fixed, rails 51 for guiding the movement of the moving platform, and a driving means such as a conveyor or chain for moving the moving platform along the rails 51 can be adopted. Along the rails 51 of the conveying mechanism 50, the placement section 10, the stitching section 20, the cover member placement section 30, and the heating section 40 are arranged in this order. In other words, by operating the driving means to move the moving platform, the conveying member 60 can be moved between each section, or the conveying member 60 can be stopped at a predetermined position in each section.

The structure of the transport mechanism 50 is not particularly limited, but it is desirable that the transport member 60 be able to move while the top surface of the base member 61 is kept horizontal. With the above-mentioned structure, if the top surface of the rail 51 is a horizontal plane and the base member 61 of the transport member 60 can move along this horizontal plane, the transport member 60 can be moved while the top surface of the base member 61 is kept horizontal. Also, a conveyor with a horizontal top surface can be used as the transport mechanism 50.

<Suture portion 20>
The stitching unit 20 is a device for stitching two sheet materials S1, S2 together. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the stitching unit 20 includes a stitching device 21 for stitching the two sheet materials S1, S2 together, and an adhesive inserting unit for inserting a sheet-like hot melt H between the two sheet materials S1, S2.

<Suture instrument 21>
As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the suture device 21 has a structure similar to that of a general sewing machine. Specifically, the suture device 21 includes a base member 21a and a presser member 21b that sandwich and hold two sheet materials S1 and S2. The suture device 21 includes a needle 21c that stitches the two sheet materials S1 and S2 sandwiched between the base member 21a and the presser member 21b. The suture device 21 is disposed so that the two sheet materials S1 and S2 pass the position of the suture device 21 when the conveying member 60 passes through the stitching section 20. Specifically, the suture device 21 is disposed so that the portions of the two sheet materials S1 and S2 to be joined to each other, that is, the portions protruding from the first end 61a of the base member 61 of the conveying member 60 (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as the protruding portions of the two sheet materials S1 and S2) pass between the base member 21a and the presser member 21b. Therefore, when the conveying member 60 passes through the stitching section 20, the two sheet materials S1, S2 can be stitched together by the stitching device 21.

<Adhesive Insertion Part>
The adhesive inserting section inserts a sheet-like hot melt H between the two sheet materials S1, S2 before the two sheet materials S1, S2 are sewn together by the stitching device 21. The adhesive inserting section includes an inserting member 23 having an inserting portion 23a and an introducing portion 23b, and an adhesive supplying portion 25.

<Insertion member 23>
As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the insertion portion 23a of the insertion member 23 is disposed on the upstream side (the placement portion 10 side) of the suture device 21. The insertion portion 23a is a tubular member with a substantially horizontal cross section, and has an insertion hole 23h penetrating between the upstream side and the downstream side in the direction in which the conveying member 60 is conveyed to the stitching portion 20. That is, the insertion portion 23a has an insertion hole 23h that communicates between the opening at the upstream end (the opening into which the hot melt H is inserted) and the opening at the downstream end (the opening from which the hot melt H is discharged). The insertion portion 23a is disposed so as to be slightly raised from the base member 21a. Specifically, the insertion portion 23a is disposed so that the distance (height) from the base member 21a to the insertion member 23 is longer than the thickness of the sheet material S2. The insertion portion 23a may be provided so as to be inclined downward from the upstream end toward the downstream end, or the upstream end and the downstream end may be horizontal.

The introduction section 23b is provided so as to be upstream of the insertion section 23a and opposite to the conveying member 60. The introduction section 23b is a cylindrical member with a cross section that is approximately horizontal, and has an insertion hole 23g that connects between the opening at the rear end (the opening into which the hot melt H is inserted) and the opening at the tip (the opening from which the hot melt H is discharged). The introduction section 23b is provided so that its axial direction is approximately horizontal and intersects with the moving direction of the conveying member 60. The introduction section 23b is disposed so that its tip is located near the introduction section 23b and below the upstream end of the insertion section 23a.

In the insert member 23 having such a structure, the hot melt H is supplied as follows and discharged from the opening at the downstream end of the insert portion 23a.
5B, when hot melt H is introduced from the opening at the rear end of introduction section 23b of insertion section 23a so that its surface is approximately horizontal, the hot melt H passes through insertion hole 23g and protrudes from the opening at the tip of introduction section 23b. Since the moving direction of hot melt H moves in a direction intersecting the moving direction of conveying member 60, hot melt H is turned back at the position protruding from the opening at the tip of introduction section 23b and its moving direction is changed so that it becomes parallel to the moving direction of conveying member 60. When the moving direction is changed, the moving direction of hot melt H becomes parallel to the axial direction of insertion section 23a, so hot melt H is inserted from the opening at the upstream end of insertion section 23a, passes through insertion hole 23h, and is discharged from the opening at the downstream end.
By using such an insertion member 23, hot melt H supplied from a direction intersecting the movement direction of the conveying member 60 can be supplied between two sheet materials S1, S2 with its movement direction parallel to the movement direction of the conveying member 60 and its surface approximately horizontal.

<Adhesive Material Supply Unit 25>
As shown in Fig. 4, the adhesive inserting section includes an adhesive member supplying section 25 that continuously supplies the sheet-like hot melt H to the inserting member 22. The adhesive member supplying section 25 includes a delivery section 26 and a slack forming section 27. The delivery section 26 holds a reel R around which the sheet-like hot melt H is wound, and supplies the hot melt H from which the release sheet has been peeled off to the slack forming section 27. The slack forming section 27 is provided between the delivery section 26 and the inserting member 23. The slack forming section 27 forms a slack portion of the hot melt H between the delivery section 26 and the inserting member 23. For example, a pinch roll 27p that holds the hot melt H by pinching it and can control its movement is provided, and the speed of the hot melt H that is unwound from the reel R and from which the release sheet has been peeled off can be adjusted by the pinch roll 27p. In other words, the pinch roll 27p operates so that when the speed of the hot melt H supplied to the insertion member 23 increases, the speed of the hot melt H unwound from the reel R increases, and when the speed of the hot melt H supplied to the insertion member 23 decreases, the speed of the hot melt H unwound from the reel R decreases.

Because the stitching unit 20 has such a configuration, when the two sheet materials S1, S2 held by the conveying member 60 are conveyed to the stitching unit 20, the upstream end of the insertion portion 23a of the insertion member 23 is inserted between the two sheet materials S1, S2 at the protruding portions of the two sheet materials S1, S2 (see FIG. 4). Therefore, if a sheet-like hot melt H is protruding from the downstream end of the insertion portion 23a of the insertion member 23, the sheet-like hot melt H is disposed between the two sheet materials S1, S2. In other words, if the two sheet materials S1, S2 are conveyed to the position of the stitching device 21 by the conveying member 60, the stitching device 21 sews the protruding portions of the two sheet materials S1, S2 with the hot melt H sandwiched between them, forming the stitching portion T.

Moreover, the hot melt H is changed by the insertion member 23 so that its running direction is parallel to the running direction of the conveying member 60. Therefore, the hot melt H can be inserted between the two sheets of material S1, S2 with its surface parallel to the two sheets of material S1, S2 without bending.

The sheet-like hot melt H and the thread s of the suture device 21 are cut when the ends of the two sheet materials S1 and S2 pass the position of the suture device 21. The sheet-like hot melt H and the thread of the suture device 21 may be cut by an operator, or a cutting section for cutting the sheet-like hot melt H and the thread of the suture device 21 may be provided downstream of the suture device 21. Providing such a cutting section can promote automation of the work. The configuration of the cutting section is not particularly limited. For example, cutting scissors are placed at a position where the blade of the cutting scissors runs through the sheet-like hot melt H and the thread of the suture device 21 (in other words, the position where the stitched part T of the two sheet materials S1 and S2 moves). Then, if the cutting scissors are driven after the ends of the two sheet materials S1 and S2 pass the position of the cutting scissors, the sheet-like hot melt H and the thread of the suture device 21 can be cut by the cutting scissors. The cutting scissors may also be moved forward and backward in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveying member 60. In this case, the cutting scissors can be retracted from the position where the stitching portion T of the two sheet materials S1 and S2 passes, except when cutting the sheet-like hot melt H or the thread of the stitching device 21. This makes it less likely that the cutting scissors will interfere with the movement of the two sheet materials S1 and S2.

The structure of the insertion member 23 of the adhesive inserting section and the adhesive supply section 25 is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration. It is sufficient that the structure can continuously supply the sheet-shaped hot melt H between the two sheet materials S1 and S2.

In addition, in FIG. 5, a plate 23c is provided below the insertion portion 23a of the insertion member 23 (not shown in FIG. 4). By providing this plate 23c, the lower sheet S2 may pass between this plate 23c and the base member 21a (see FIG. 5(B)). In other words, the plate 23c is provided so that it is lower than the distance (height) from the base member 21a to the insertion member 23, but higher than the thickness of the sheet material S2. This makes it easier to form a gap between the two sheet materials S1 and S2, making it easier to insert the hot melt H between the two sheet materials S1 and S2.

Furthermore, a gap forming member may be provided on the upstream side of the insertion member 23 to form a gap between the two sheet materials S1, S2 into which the insertion portion 23a of the insertion member 23 can be inserted. For example, a wedge-shaped or V-shaped member is provided so that its thickness increases from the upstream side to the downstream side, and its downstream end is disposed near the insertion portion 23a of the insertion member 23. Then, at the upstream end of the insertion portion 23a of the insertion member 23, the insertion portion 23a can be reliably disposed in the gap between the two sheet materials S1, S2.
Of course, an operator may spread the space between the two sheet materials S1, S2 upstream of the insertion member 23 so that the insertion portion 23a of the insertion member 23 is positioned between the two sheet materials S1, S2.

Alternatively, the adhesive insertion section may not be provided and the hot melt H may be placed by the worker at the placement section 10.

<Cover member arrangement portion 30>
The cover member placement section 30 provides a sheet-like cover member SC formed of hot melt at the end of the sewn portion T where the two sheet materials S1, S2 are sewn together in the sewing section 20 so as to cover this end.

This cover member placement section 30 includes a cover placement section that places the cover member SC on the end of the sewn portion T, and a temporary joining section 31 that clamps and pressurizes and heats the sewn portion T on which the cover member SC has been placed by the cover placement section.

6 and 7, the cover arrangement section folds the sheet-like cover member SC and arranges it so that the cover member SC covers the end of the sewn portion T of the two sheet materials S1 and S2. This cover arrangement section has a folding member 33 arranged on the upstream side (the sewing portion 20 side) of the temporary joint section 31. This folding member 33 has a folding section 33a with a groove 33g having an opening on the end face side of the end of the sewn portion T. The groove 33g of this folding section 33a is arranged so that its height in the vertical direction (the distance between the inner surfaces) is longer than the thickness of the sewn portion T of the two sheet materials S1 and S2, but shorter than the width of the sheet-like cover member SC. In other words, when the sheet-like cover member SC is arranged in the groove 33g of the folding section 33a, the sheet-like cover member SC is arranged so that its cross section is approximately U-shaped (see FIG. 7(A)). A hollow cylindrical introduction section 33b is connected to this folding section 33a. The introduction section 33b has a communication groove that connects the tip and base ends, and the tip opening of this communication groove is connected to the groove 33g of the folding section 33a, and an opening is formed at the rear end into which the sheet-like cover member SC is inserted. The folding member 33 is arranged so that when the conveying member 60 passes through the sewing section 20, the stitched portion T of the two sheet materials S1 and S2 passes through the groove 33g of the folding section 33a (see Figures 6(B) and 7(B)).

The cover placement section also includes a cover member supply section 35 that continuously supplies the sheet-like cover member SC to the folding member 33. This cover member supply section 35 has substantially the same structure and function as the adhesive material supply section 25 of the adhesive material insertion section of the sewing section 20. This cover member supply section 35 has a feed section 36 and a slack forming section 37. The feed section 36 holds a reel R around which the sheet-like cover member SC is wound, and supplies the hot melt H from which the release sheet has been peeled off from the sheet-like cover member SC to the slack forming section 37. The slack forming section 37 is provided between the feed section 36 and the folding member 33. This slack forming section 37 forms a slack portion of the cover member SC between the feed section 36 and the folding member 33. For example, a pinch roll 37p is provided that can hold the cover member SC by pinching it and control its movement, and the speed at which the cover member SC is unwound from the reel R and from which the release sheet has been peeled off can be adjusted by the pinch roll 37p. In other words, the pinch roll 37p operates to increase the speed at which the cover member SC is unwound from the reel R when the speed of the hot melt H supplied to the folding member 33 increases, and to decrease the speed at which the cover member SC is unwound from the reel R when the speed of the cover member SC supplied to the folding member 33 decreases.

The temporary joining section 31 is provided downstream of the folding member 33. This temporary joining section 31 pressurizes and heats the position where the cover member SC is provided in the stitching portion T of the two sheet materials S1 and S2, and temporarily joins the cover member SC to the stitching portion T. This temporary joining section 31 has a pair of upper and lower pressure members 31a and 31b. This pair of upper and lower pressure members 31a and 31b has a belt-shaped contact portion V, and is provided so as to sandwich the stitching portion T of the two sheet materials S1 and S2, in which the cover member SC is provided in the stitching portion T, between the belt-shaped contact portion V. The belt-shaped contact portion V of this pair of upper and lower pressure members 31a and 31b is provided so as to move in accordance with the speed at which the conveying member 60 moves through the cover member placement section 30. Either one or both of the belt-shaped contact portions V of this pair of upper and lower pressure members 31a and 31b are heated, so that the cover member SC sandwiched between the belt-shaped contact portions V can be temporarily joined to the stitching portion T. For example, the belt-shaped contact portions V of the pressure members 31a and 31b are provided so that the cover member SC is heated and pressurized to such an extent that the cover member SC melts slightly and is bonded to the stitching portion T of the two sheet materials S1 and S2.

Since the cover member placement unit 30 has such a configuration, when the two sheet materials S1, S2 sewn by the sewing unit 20 are carried into the cover member placement unit 30 held by the conveying member 60, the sewn portion T of the two sheet materials S1, S2 passes through the groove 33g of the folding unit 33a of the cover member SC of the cover placement unit. At this time, the cover member SC folded into a U-shape passes through the groove 33g of the folding unit 33a, so that the end of the sewn portion T is covered by the cover member SC (see Figures 6 (B) and 7 (B)). Then, when the two sheet materials S1, S2 with the ends of the sewn portion T of the two sheet materials S1, S2 covered by the cover member SC are supplied to the temporary joining unit 31, the portion where the cover member SC is placed is sandwiched between the belt-shaped contact portions V of the pair of upper and lower pressure members 31a, 31b and heated. Then, the cover member SC can be temporarily joined to the end of the sewn portion T.

The sheet-like cover member SC is cut when the ends of the two sheet materials S1 and S2 pass the position of the temporary joint 31. The sheet-like cover member SC may be cut by an operator, but a cutting section for cutting the sheet-like cover member SC may be provided downstream of the temporary joint 31, similar to the sewing section 20. Providing such a cutting section can promote automation of the work. The configuration of the cutting section is not particularly limited. For example, cutting scissors are placed at a position where the blades of the cover member SC run. Then, after the ends of the two sheet materials S1 and S2 pass the position of the cutting scissors, the cutting scissors can be driven to cut the cover member SC with the cutting scissors. The cutting scissors may also be advanced and retreated in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveying member 60. In this case, the cutting scissors can be retreated from the passing position of the stitching portion T of the two sheet materials S1 and S2 except when cutting the cover member SC. This means that the cutting scissors are less likely to interfere with the movement of the two sheets of material S1 and S2.

The structure of the folding member 33 of the cover placement unit and the cover material supply unit 35 is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration. It is sufficient that the structure can continuously supply the sheet-like cover material SC so that the ends of the stitching portion T of the two sheet materials S1 and S2 are covered by the cover material SC.

In addition, without providing a cover placement section, the sheet-like cover member SC may be placed on the end of the sewn portion T of the two sheet materials S1 and S2 after the worker has completed sewing at the sewing section 20.

Furthermore, the cover member placement section 30 does not necessarily have to be provided. For example, if a cover member SC is not provided at the end of the sewn portion T of the two sheet materials S1, S2, the cover member placement section 30 does not necessarily have to be provided. Also, if an operator places a sheet-shaped cover member SC at the end of the sewn portion T of the two sheet materials S1, S2 after sewing at the sewing section 20 is completed, the cover member placement section 30 does not necessarily have to be provided. In this case, the operator can simply fix the cover member SC to the end of the sewn portion T with an adhesive or the like.

<Heating section 40>
The heating section 40 applies heat and pressure to the two sheet materials S1, S2 to which the cover members SC have been temporarily joined at the ends of the seam portions T in the cover member placement section 30, thereby joining them together.

As shown in FIG. 8, the heating section 40 includes a base mold 42 held by a frame 41, a movable mold 43 that is movable toward and away from the base mold 42, a driving means 44 that moves the movable mold 43, and a folding mechanism 45 that folds the upper sheet material S1 of the two sheet materials S1 and S2 held by the conveying member 60 at the stitching portion T.

<Base mold material 42>
As shown in Fig. 8, the base mold member 42 is a member held by the frame 41, and has a flat upper surface. The base mold member 42 is provided so as to be located below the seam T (the position where the cover member SC is provided) of the two sheet materials S1, S2 when the two sheet materials S1, S2 held by the conveying member 60 are supplied by the conveying mechanism 50. The upper surface of the base mold member 42 is disposed so as to come into contact with the position where the cover member SC is provided at the seam T of the two sheet materials S1, S2 when the conveying member 60 supplied by the conveying mechanism 50 stops at a predetermined position. For example, the base mold member 42 is formed so as to overlap the position of the cover member SC when viewed from above with the conveying member 60 stopped at a predetermined position.

It is also desirable that the height of the upper surface of the base mold member 42 is set to be approximately the same height as the upper surface of the base member 61 of the transport member 60 transported by the transport mechanism 50. With this configuration, the stitching portion T of the two sheet materials S1, S2 can be stably sandwiched between the upper surface of the base member 61 and the movable mold member 43 and pressurized and heated.

<Driving means 44>

The frame 41 has a support part 41a that straddles the base mold member 42 above the base mold member 42. Specifically, it is composed of a beam member 41b located above the base mold member 42 and a pair of column members 41c, 41c that support the beam member 41b. A driving means 44 is installed on the beam member 41b. This driving means 44 holds the mobile mold member 43 and can move the mobile mold member 43 toward and away from the base mold member 42. Moreover, the driving means 44 is designed to move the contact part 43a of the mobile mold member 43, which will be described later, while maintaining a state parallel to the upper surface of the base mold member 42. For example, the driving means 44 can be a cylinder mechanism or a rack-and-pinion mechanism driven by hydraulic pressure, pneumatic pressure, a motor, or the like.

The driving means 44 does not need to always maintain the contact portion 43a of the movable mold member 43 parallel to the upper surface of the base mold member 42, so long as the contact portion 43a of the movable mold member 43 is parallel to the upper surface of the base mold member 42 when or immediately before the contact portion 43a comes into contact with the cover member SC.

The driving means 44 may also be provided with a guide mechanism for guiding the movement of the movable mold member 43. Providing a guide mechanism allows the driving means 44 to stably move the movable mold member 43. For example, a vertical guide shaft or a rack-and-pinion mechanism can be used as the guide mechanism. Using a rack-and-pinion mechanism as the guide mechanism has the advantage that the movable mold member 43 can also be moved by the guide mechanism.

<Moveable mold material 43>
1, the movable mold member 43 is attached to the driving means 44. The movable mold member 43 is an elongated member, and its lower end portion serves as a contact portion 43a that comes into contact with the cover member SC. The contact portion 43a is formed so that the entire lower end surface is positioned on the same plane.

This movable mold member 43 is formed to have approximately the same shape and size as the above-mentioned base mold member 42 in a plan view. In other words, the contact portion 43a of this movable mold member 43 is formed to be large enough to sandwich and press the cover member SC between it and the base mold member 42 when the transport member 60 supplied by the transport mechanism 50 stops at a predetermined position. For example, when viewed from above with the transport member 60 stopped at a predetermined position, the movable mold member 43 is disposed so as to overlap with the cover member SC and the base mold member 42.

The movable mold member 43 can be heated to a predetermined temperature by a heater or the like. In other words, when the movable mold member 43 comes into contact with the cover member SC, the temperature of the movable mold member 43 can be raised to a temperature at which the cover member SC, the hot melt H, and the sheet materials S1 and S2 themselves can be melted (or the cover member SC and the hot melt H can be melted). The movable mold member 43 is provided with a temperature sensor or the like, and the control unit controls the heater or the like based on the temperature detected by this temperature sensor to control the operation of the heater so that the movable mold member 43 reaches the predetermined temperature.

Note that "the entire lower end surface of the contact portion 43a of the movable mold member 43 is located on the same plane" means that at least the portion that contacts and pressurizes the cover member SC is located on the same plane. In other words, the portions of the two sheet materials S1, S2 that do not contact the position where the cover member SC is provided, or the portions that do not pressurize or heat the position where the cover member SC is provided, do not necessarily have to be located on the same plane. Also, even the portions that contact the cover member SC or the portions that pressurize and heat the joint W may have portions that are not located on the same plane on the lower end surface of the contact portion 43a of the movable mold member 43, as long as they do not cause problems in forming the joint W.

The movable mold member 43 is made of a material with excellent heat conductivity. For example, iron, copper, stainless steel, etc. can be used as the material for the movable mold member 43. It is more preferable that the material for the movable mold member 43 has excellent heat storage properties.

<Folding mechanism 45>
A pair of arm members 46, 46 of the folding mechanism 45 is provided on the frame 41. The pair of arm members 46, 46 has an electromagnet 47 attached to its tip. The pair of arm members 46, 46 has its base end pivotally supported by the frame 41, and is provided so that its tip can swing around the base end as a fulcrum. Specifically, the pair of arm members 46, 46 are provided so as to be swingable between a position (attraction position) where they are swung toward the conveying mechanism 50 side and a position (foldback position) where they are swung toward the opposite side of the conveying mechanism 50 side. To explain in detail, the suction position is a position where the electromagnet 47 can attract the folding intermediate member 62b of the conveying member 60 in that state when the conveying member 60, which holds the two sheet materials S1, S2 to which the cover member SC is temporarily joined in the cover member arrangement section 30 by the conveying mechanism 50, moves to the heating section 40 and stops. The folding position is a position where the pair of arm members 46, 46 are swung by approximately 180 degrees from the suction position. The pair of arm members 46, 46 are usually disposed in a folded-back position.

Since the heating unit 40 has the above-mentioned structure, the following operation can be performed to melt the hot melt H, the cover member SC, and the sheet members S1 and S2 (or melt the cover member SC or the hot melt H) and heat-seal the joint W. Also, the sheet material S1 can be folded back at the joint W, and the folded back portion can be joined to the cover member SC.

First, the conveying mechanism 50 moves the conveying member 60, which holds the two sheet materials S1 and S2 to which the cover members SC have been temporarily joined in the cover member placement section 30, to the heating section 40, and the conveying member 60 stops at a predetermined position. In this state, the pair of arm members 46, 46 of the folding mechanism 45 are positioned at the folding position.

When the conveying member 60 stops at a predetermined position, the driving means 44 moves the movable mold member 43 toward the upper surface of the base mold member 42. Then, the contact portion 43a of the movable mold member 43 comes into contact with the cover member SC provided at the seam portion T of the two sheet materials S1 and S2.

The movable mold member 43 is moved further toward the upper surface of the base mold member 42 from the state where the contact portion 43a of the movable mold member 43 is in contact with the cover members SC of the two sheet materials S1 and S2. Then, the stitching portion T and the cover members SC are sandwiched between the contact portion 43a of the movable mold member 43 and the upper surface of the base mold member 42, and the stitching portion T and the cover members SC are heated while being pressurized, melting the hot melt and the sheet members S1 and S2. Then, the cover member SC and the sheet members S1 and S2, and the sheet members S1 and S2 themselves, are joined together.

When the stitched portion T and the cover member SC are sufficiently pressurized and heated to bond the cover member SC to the sheet members S1 and S2 and to bond the sheet members S1 and S2 to each other, the driving means 44 moves the movable mold member 43 away from the upper surface of the base mold member 42. Then, the pair of arm members 46, 46 of the folding mechanism 45 swing from the folding position toward the suction position (see arrow A in FIG. 8(B)). Then, when they swing to the suction position, the pair of arm members 46, 46 stop swinging, and the electromagnet 47 is energized, and the folding intermediate member 62b of the conveying member 60 is attracted to the electromagnet 47. At this time, the electromagnet 47 attracts the position of the folding intermediate member 62b of the conveying member 60 where the sheet material S2 is not placed (the area SS in FIG. 3(B)).

When the electromagnet 47 attracts the intermediate folding member 62b of the transport member 60, the pair of arm members 46, 46 of the folding mechanism 45 swing from the attraction position toward the folding position (see arrow B in FIG. 8B). Then, when they swing to the folding position, the pair of arm members 46, 46 stop swinging. In this state, the sheet material S1 is folded at the position of the cover member SC (in other words, the stitching portion T), and the sheet material S1 is arranged in a state where it overlaps the upper surface of the cover member SC (see FIG. 9D). Note that the portion where the sheet material S1 and the upper surface of the cover member SC overlap may be referred to as the overlapping portion below.

When the sheet material S1 is overlapped on the top surface of the cover member SC, the contact portion 43a of the movable mold member 43 approaches the top surface of the base mold member 42, and the overlapping portion is sandwiched between the contact portion 43a of the movable mold member 43 and the top surface of the base mold member 42 and heated while being pressurized. Then, the sheet member S1 and the cover member SC melt in the overlapping portion, and the sheet member S1 and the cover member SC are joined together.

When the overlapping portions are sufficiently pressurized and heated, the driving means 44 moves the movable mold member 43 away from the top surface of the base mold member 42. Then, the pair of arm members 46, 46 of the folding mechanism 45 swing from the folding position toward the suction position. When they swing to the suction position, the swinging of the pair of arm members 46, 46 stops, the electromagnet 47 is de-energized, and the electromagnet 47 is released from suction of the folding intermediate member 62b of the conveying member 60. Then, two sheet materials S1, S2 joined by the joint W are formed.

The folding mechanism 45 of the heating unit 40 is not limited to a pair of arm members 46, 46 having electromagnets 47 as described above, so long as it can fold back the upper sheet material S1 of the two sheet materials S1, S2 at the joint W. For example, a robot arm may be provided to grasp and fold back the sheet material S1.

<Regarding the base mold material 42>
It is desirable to provide the base mold member 42 with a temperature adjustment unit that maintains the base mold member 42 at a predetermined temperature. By maintaining the base mold member 42 at a predetermined temperature, the hot melt H, the cover member SC, and the sheet materials S1 and S2 can be preheated. Then, when the two sheet materials S1 and S2 are sandwiched between the movable mold member 43 and the base mold member 42 and pressurized and heated, the hot melt H and the like can be melted quickly and uniformly, improving the joining condition of the joint W.

<Regarding the shape of the joint W>
The automatic sewing device 1 of this embodiment is adapted to move the conveying member 60 in a straight line by the conveying mechanism 50, and is therefore suitable for cases in which the joint W of the two sheet members S1, S2 is straight. However, even if the joint W of the two sheet members S1, S2 is curved, if the portions of the two sheet members S1, S2 that will become the joint W can be stretched and straightened so as to be held by the conveying member 60, it is possible for the automatic sewing device 1 of this embodiment to join the two sheet members S1, S2 together even if the joint W is curved.

<Regarding the movable mold member 43>
In the above example, the case where one movable mold member 43 is used has been described, but a plurality of movable mold members 43 may be provided, each of which may be driven by a separate driving means 44. In this case, when joining short sheet-like members, it is sufficient to join them using only the movable mold member 43 having a length corresponding to the length of the sheet-like member, and therefore it is not necessary to heat the movable mold member 43 other than the portion to be joined, thereby saving energy.

The automatic sewing device of the present invention is suitable as a device that automatically sews and joins sheet-like members while transporting them together.

LIST OF SYMBOLS 1 Automatic sewing device 10 Placement section 20 Stitching section 21 Stitching tool 23 Insertion member 23a Insertion section 23b Introduction section 23h Insertion hole 23h Insertion hole 25 Adhesive member supply section 26 Feed-out section 27 Slack forming section 30 Cover member placement section 31 Temporary joining section 33 Folding member 33a Folding section 33b Introduction section 35 Cover member supply section 36 Feed-out section 37 Slack forming section 40 Heating section 45 Fold-back mechanism 46 Arm member 47 Electromagnet 50 Conveying mechanism 51 Rail 60 Conveying member 61 Base member 61a First end 62 Intermediate member 62a Fixing intermediate member 62b Fold-back intermediate member S1 Sheet material S2 Sheet material SC Cover member W Joint section T Seam H Hot melt

Claims (6)

An apparatus for joining two sheets of joining material, comprising:
a placement section for causing a conveying member to hold the two sheets of bonding material;
a sewing section that supplies the conveying member holding the two sheets of joining material and sews the two sheets of joining material that are placed on the conveying member;
a heating section to which the conveying member holding the two sheets of joining material sewn together at the sewing section is supplied and which heats and pressurizes the stitched portion of the two sheets of joining material;
a conveying mechanism that moves the conveying member through the placement unit, the stitching unit, and the heating unit in this order,
The conveying member is
a base member on which one of the two bonding materials is disposed on an upper surface;
an intermediate member disposed on the one bonding material disposed on the base member, the intermediate member sandwiching the one bonding material between the base member and the intermediate member;
a fixing member disposed between the intermediate member and another bonding material in a state where the other bonding material is disposed on the intermediate member,
The intermediate member is
a fixing intermediate member formed of a magnet that is located on a first end side of the base member from which the portions to be joined of the two sheets of joining material are protruded, and that fixes one joining material by sandwiching it between the base member and the magnet;
a folding intermediate member disposed at a position farther away from the first end of the base member than the fixing intermediate member,
The heating unit includes:
a folding mechanism that folds one of the two sheets of joining material at the stitched portion,
The folding mechanism is operated to pressurize the two sheets of joining material together in a state where one sheet of joining material is folded back,
The folding mechanism includes:
The arm member has an electromagnet at a tip thereof and is provided so as to be swingable about a base end thereof,
The arm member is
the automatic sewing device being arranged to be swingable between an attraction position where the intermediate member to be folded back is attracted by the electromagnet and a folding position where a joining material is folded back from the attraction position. The suture portion is
The adhesive material inserting portion is provided for inserting a sheet-shaped adhesive material between the two sheets of bonding material,
The adhesive insert comprises:
An insert member is provided between the two sheets of joining material,
The insert member comprises:
The adhesive member has an insertion hole through which the adhesive member is inserted,
The insertion hole is
2. The automatic sewing device according to claim 1, wherein the axial direction of the sewing machine is parallel to the conveying direction of the conveying member. an adhesive supply unit that supplies the adhesive to the insertion member of the suture unit;
The adhesive material supply unit includes:
3. The automatic sewing device according to claim 2, further comprising a slack forming section for holding the adhesive member in a slack state, the slack forming section being disposed between the inserting member of the stitching section and a feed section for feeding out the adhesive member. a cover member disposing section is provided between the sewing section and the heating section, the cover member disposing section providing a sheet-like cover member covering an end of the sewing section at the sewing section of the two sheets of joining material;
The cover member arrangement portion includes:
4. The automatic sewing device according to claim 1, further comprising a folding member for folding the cover member so as to cover the end portions of the sewn portions of the two sheets of joining material. a cover member supply unit that supplies the cover member to the insertion member of the suture unit;
The cover member supply unit includes:
5. The automatic sewing device according to claim 4, further comprising a slack forming portion for holding the cover member in a slack state, the slack forming portion being disposed between the folding member of the cover member placement portion and a feed portion for feeding out the cover member. A suturing device for suturing a plurality of overlapping joining members,
The suturing device comprises:
The adhesive member is provided with an adhesive inserting portion for inserting a sheet-shaped adhesive member between adjacent joining members,
The adhesive insert comprises:
The joint member includes an insert member that is inserted between adjacent joint members,
The insert member comprises:
The adhesive member has an insertion hole through which the adhesive member is inserted,
The insert member is
An insertion portion that is inserted between adjacent joining members;
an introduction portion that supplies a sheet-shaped adhesive material to the insertion portion,
The insertion portion is
an insertion hole is formed through which a sheet-like adhesive material is inserted, the insertion hole communicating between the base end and the tip end and having an axial direction parallel to a conveying direction of the joining material;
The introduction section is
An insertion hole is formed through which a sheet-like adhesive member is inserted, the insertion hole communicating between the base end and the tip end and provided so that the axial direction is horizontal,
The introduction portion is
a suturing device characterized in that, when viewed in the axial direction of the through hole of the insertion portion, its tip is offset from the axis of the through hole of the insertion portion, and the axial direction of the insertion hole of the introduction portion intersects with the axial direction of the insertion hole of the insertion portion.

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