JPH07118998B2 - Foam foam widening device - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a foamed foam widening device, and more particularly to a foamed foam widening device for widening a foamed foam produced by heating / foaming in a foaming furnace in the width direction. Regarding

[Conventional technology]

Foamed foam has been conventionally used as a heat insulating material, a cushioning material, and the like. This foamed foam is usually produced by heating and foaming a sheet containing a thermal decomposition type foaming agent (hereinafter referred to as a foamable sheet) in a foaming furnace. At the time of foaming, the foamable sheet expands three-dimensionally and abruptly expands in volume, so that the surface area increases and, as a result, wavy or fold-like wrinkles occur in the width direction of the foamed foam. In order to remove the wrinkles, a widening device for performing a widening process is provided below the foaming furnace.

An example of a conventional widening device is shown in FIG. In this conventional device, a pair of vacuum chambers 81 are provided facing each other in the width direction of the foamed foam 80 produced in the foaming furnace 70.
And a mesh belt 82 circulated around this
It consists of and. Also, the vacuum chamber 81
Has an opening (not shown) on the end face side of the foamed foam. Then, the suction force from the opening of the vacuum chamber 81 is used to attract and convey the end surface of the foamed foam 80 to the mesh belt 82, thereby applying a width-widening force to the foamed foam 80 to perform a width-enlarging process. After the widening process, the foamed foam 80 is wound around the cooling drum 85 and conveyed.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

In the above-mentioned conventional apparatus, each vacuum chamber 81 is composed of one chamber, so that the fluctuation of the suction pressure on one of the inlet 83 side and the outlet 84 side of the foamed foam 80 easily affects the other. For example, when the foamed foam end face is separated on the inlet 83 side of the vacuum chamber due to a change in the foaming ratio or foaming form, the suction pressure on the outlet 84 side of the vacuum chamber also fluctuates rapidly. As a result, there arises a problem that the foamed foam cannot be stably adsorbed / conveyed, and the widening process cannot be performed uniformly.

Further, in the conventional device, in order to facilitate the adsorption of the foamed foam 80 on the inlet 83 side of the vacuum chamber 81, as shown in FIG.
Only tilted. On the other hand, the foamed foam 80 near the cooling drum 85 is likely to contract due to the cooling of the cooling drum 85.
Therefore, on the outlet 84 side of the vacuum chamber, the foamed foam end surface is likely to separate from the opening forming surface of the vacuum chamber 81. This also causes a problem that the foamed foam cannot be stably adsorbed / conveyed, and the widening process cannot be performed uniformly.

Further, in the conventional apparatus, when the foamed foam end face is adsorbed to the mesh belt 82 arranged on the front surface of the vacuum chamber 81 and conveyed, there is a gap between the foamed foam 80 and the opening of the vacuum chamber 81. Air flows in this gap. This air flow cools the front and back surfaces of the foam, which can result in distortion of the foam.

An object of the present invention is to provide a foamed foam widening device capable of stably adsorbing / conveying foamed foam and uniformly performing widening processing.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a foamed foam widening device capable of suppressing cooling distortion during expansion processing of the foamed foam.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

A foamed foam widening device according to a first aspect of the invention is a foamed foam widening device for widening a foamed foam produced by heating and foaming in a foaming furnace in the width direction. This device includes a pair of widening device main bodies and a conveying means.

The widening device body is provided with at least two vacuum chambers which are provided so as to face each other in the width direction of the foamed foam and each have an opening on the end face side of the foamed foam. The transfer means is circulatory provided between the opening of the vacuum chamber and the foamed foam, and sucks the foamed foam end surface by suction force from the opening,
It is a means for conveying foamed foam while applying a widening force.

A foamed foam widening device according to a second aspect of the present invention is a foamed foam widening device for widening a foamed foam produced by heating and foaming in a foaming furnace in a width direction, and is opposed to each other in the widthwise direction of the foamed foam. And a pair of widening device main bodies each having a vacuum chamber capable of depressurizing and an opening portion arranged on the end surface side of the foam foam and communicating with the vacuum chamber; and between the opening portion and the foam foam. It is provided so that it can be circulated, and the foamed foam end surface is adsorbed by the suction force from the opening,
And a conveying means for conveying the foamed foam while applying a widening force to the foamed foam, and the opening has a width adjusting slit capable of adjusting the width to a predetermined width according to the thickness of the foamed foam.

The transfer means may have an air passage having a predetermined width according to the thickness of the foam.

[Action]

In the foamed foam widening device according to the first aspect of the invention, the foamed foam is conveyed by the conveying means while its end surface is adsorbed. At this time, the end faces are adsorbed to widen the expanded foam, and wrinkles in the expanded foam are removed.

In this device, the device body is composed of at least two vacuum chambers. Therefore, even if the foamed foam separates on one chamber side of the vacuum chamber and the suction pressure fluctuates, the influence of this fluctuation on the other chamber side can be reduced. Thereby, the foamed foam can be stably adsorbed and conveyed, and the widening process can be performed uniformly.

In the second invention, the opening is provided with a width adjusting slit that can be adjusted to a predetermined width according to the thickness of the foam. Therefore, the width of the opening can be set to be equal to or less than the thickness of the foam, and as a result, the flow of air around the foam can be reduced. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of cooling distortion in the foamed foam.

In addition, if the conveying means has an air passage having a predetermined width corresponding to the thickness of the foamed foam, the above-described action can be more effectively exhibited.

〔Example〕

An example of a foamed foam manufacturing apparatus to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied is shown in FIG. Here, an explanation will be given by taking an example of a foamed foam manufacturing apparatus using the vertical hot air foaming method.

In the figure, the manufacturing apparatus mainly includes a foaming furnace 2 for heating and foaming a sheet (foaming sheet) 1 containing a foaming agent, and a widening process provided below the foaming furnace 2. It is composed of a widening device 3.

A carry-in port 23 for carrying the foamable sheet 1 into the furnace is formed in the upper part of the foaming furnace 2, and a carry-out port for carrying out the foamed foam 11 after the heating / foaming process is formed in the lower part. 24 are formed. A large number of heaters 25 facing each other are provided in the foaming furnace 2. Further, an intake duct 26 for introducing heated air into the foaming furnace is provided.
An exhaust duct 27 is provided above the outer wall. Also,
Above the exhaust duct 27, a carry-in roller 4 for carrying in the foamable sheet 1 is arranged.

A pair of the widening devices 3 are provided so as to face each other in the width direction of the foamed foam 11. Although not shown, a slide rail (or a ball screw) is arranged below the foaming furnace 2 in the width direction of the foamed foam, and the widening device 3 can move above it. Details of the widening device 3
Shown in Figure 1A (front view) and Figure 1B (side view). The widening device 3 is composed of two chambers, an upper chamber 31 and a lower chamber 32. Both chambers 31 and 32 are provided with connecting portions 45 and 29 which communicate with a vacuum pump (not shown), respectively. Side plates 36 and 37 are respectively fixed to end portions of the upper chamber 31 and the lower chamber 32 on the side of the foamed foam 11. This side plate
The pin 34 is inserted through 36 and 37. The upper chamber 31 is rotatable around the pin 34 and can be set at an arbitrary rotating position. A pair of rollers 35 is supported on the side plate 37. As shown in FIG. 1B, a space is formed between the opposing rollers 35 so that the foamed foam 11 can pass therethrough.

A predetermined width is provided on the side of the upper chamber 31 and the lower chamber 32 that faces the foamed foam 11.
Openings 50 and 51 of d _O are formed respectively. Aperture
Slit plates 46, 47 and 48, 49 are mounted on 50 and 51, respectively. These slit plates 46, 47 and 48, 49 allow slits 50 and 51 to have slits of a predetermined width d.
52, 53 are formed. Also, slit plates 46, 47 and 4
The mounting holes 50 for the chambers 8 and 49 are elongated holes as shown in FIG. 1B (only a part is shown). Therefore, the width of the slits 52, 53 can be adjusted by sliding the slit plates 46, 47 and 48, 49 in the left-right direction in FIG. 1B. As a result, the slits 52, 5 have a predetermined width according to the thickness of the foamed foam.
You can set a width of 3. The set width is preferably equal to or less than the thickness of the foam.

A mesh belt 40 is provided around the upper chamber 31 and the lower chamber 32. The mesh belt 40 can circulate around the upper chamber 31 and the lower chamber 32 via the driving roller 41 and the rotating rollers 42, 43, 44. The mesh belt 40 is subjected to sealing treatment with, for example, silicon (the sealing treatment portion is shown by hatching in FIG. 1B). By this sealing treatment, a mesh portion (air passage) 60 having a predetermined width corresponding to the thickness of the foamed foam is formed. The width of the mesh portion is preferably about the same as or less than the thickness of the foam.

As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of cooling rollers 5 are provided below the widening device 3, and the foaming foam 11 is cooled by these cooling rollers.

Next, the function and effect will be described.

The foamable sheet 1 carried into the foaming furnace 2 from the carry-in roller 4 is heated by the heated air of the air introduced from the suction duct 26 and the radiant heat of the heater 25 while hanging in the foaming furnace 2. By this heating, the foamable sheet 1 foams,
The foamed foam 11 is formed on the downstream side of the furnace.

On the other hand, the widening device 3 is preset at a predetermined position on a slide rail (not shown) according to the width of the foamed foam 11 generated. The upper chamber 31 of the widening device 3 is set around the pin 34 by being rotated by a predetermined angle α (FIG. 3) in advance. The upper chamber 31 and the lower chamber 32 are each in a decompressed state by driving a vacuum pump. Further, the slit plates 46, 47 and 48, 49 are set in advance at predetermined positions so that the width of the slits 52, 53 formed by them is approximately the same as the thickness of the foamed foam 11. The mesh belt 40 is driven by a driving roller 41 to drive the upper chamber 31 and the lower chamber.
It circulates around a chamber consisting of 32 in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 1A. The mesh belt 40 is pre-sealed with silicon, leaving a mesh portion having a width similar to the thickness of the foamed foam 11 in the central portion.

When the foamed foam 11 is carried into the widening device 3, the suction force from the slits 52, 53 acts on both ends of the foamed foam 11 via the mesh belt 40. Then, the foamed foam 11 has its both end surfaces adsorbed to the mesh belt 40 of each widening device. In this state, the foamed foam 11 is conveyed by the movement of the mesh belt 40. Therefore, the foamed foam 11 is widened by adsorbing the both end surfaces, and is heated / heated.
Wrinkles at the time of foaming are removed. Foamed foam 11 after widening
Is wound around the cooling roller 5.

In addition, when the foamed foam 11 separates from the upper chamber 31 side due to, for example, a change in the foaming ratio or the foaming form during conveyance to the cooling roller 5, the suction pressure of the upper chamber 31 changes. However, at this time, since the lower chamber 32 is provided separately from the upper chamber 31,
Fluctuations in suction pressure in the upper chamber 31 are less likely to affect the lower chamber 32. Therefore, even if the suction pressure of the upper chamber 31 changes, the suction pressure of the lower chamber 32 does not change rapidly. Especially upper chamber 31 and lower chamber 32
If and are sucked by separate vacuum pumps, the influence of the fluctuation of the suction pressure in one chamber hardly appears in the other chamber. As a result, the foamed foam 11 can be stably adsorbed and conveyed, and the widening process can be performed uniformly.

Further, the upper chamber 31 is rotatable around the pin 34,
It can be set in place. Therefore, even if the shape of the foamed foam 11 on the inlet side of the widening device changes due to a change in foaming ratio or the like, it is possible to easily follow the changed shape. This allows foam foam 11
Can be stably adsorbed and transported. Also, adsorption
At the time of conveyance, the expansion device exit side of the foamed foam 11 is
It is cooled and contracted by the cooling drum 5. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, if the slit forming surface of the lower chamber 32 is arranged along the end face of the foamed foam at the time of this contraction, and the upper chamber 31 is rotated by a predetermined angle α in this state,
Even when the foamed foam 11 contracts, the foamed foam 11 can be stably adsorbed and conveyed.

In this embodiment, since the widening device 3 is composed of the two vacuum chambers 31 and 32, even if a pressure fluctuation occurs in one chamber, it is possible to reduce the influence of this fluctuation on the other chamber. You can This allows
The foamed foam can be stably adsorbed and conveyed, and the widening process can be uniformly performed. Further, since the chamber 31 can be set to an arbitrary rotating position, the widening pattern can be changed by changing the set angle of the upper and lower chambers according to the foaming form and widening of the foamed foam having various foaming ratios and the transfer pattern. It is possible. Therefore, it is possible to follow the foaming form of foams having various foaming ratios, the widening pattern, the foam shrinkage, and the like, and the foamed foam can be stably adsorbed and conveyed.

Further, the widths of the slits 52 and 54 can be adjusted according to the thickness of the foamed foam 11, and the mesh belt 40 is further subjected to a sealing treatment to provide an air passage 60 having a width similar to the thickness of the foamed foam 11. Are formed. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the flow of air generated around the foamed foam 11 during adsorption / transportation. This makes it possible to prevent the foaming foam 11 from being distorted by cooling.

[Other Examples]

(A) The widening device 3 may be composed of three or more vacuum chambers.

(B) The lower chamber 32 may be configured to be inclined.

(C) The slit plate may be omitted and the air passage may be defined only by the sealing treatment of the mesh belt 40. Further, the air passage may be defined only by the slit plate without subjecting the mesh belt 40 to the sealing treatment.

〔The invention's effect〕

In the expanded foam widening device according to the first aspect of the present invention, since the main body of the widening device is composed of at least two vacuum chambers, even when pressure fluctuation occurs in any of the chambers,
It is possible to suppress the influence of this fluctuation on other rooms. Thereby, the foamed foam can be stably adsorbed and conveyed, and the widening process can be performed uniformly.

In the second aspect of the invention, since the opening on the apparatus main body side is provided with the width adjusting slit that can be adjusted to a predetermined width according to the thickness of the foam, it is possible to reduce the air flow around the foam. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of cooling distortion in the foamed foam.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1A is a front view of a foaming foam widening device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1B is a side view thereof, and FIG. 2 is a vertical side view of a foaming foam manufacturing device to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.
FIG. 3 is a front partial view for explaining the operation of one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 of a conventional example. 1 ... Foaming sheet, 2 ... Foaming furnace, 3 ... Widening device, 11 ... Foaming foam, 31 ... Upper chamber, 32 ... Lower chamber, 40 ... Mesh belt, 50, 51 ... Opening part.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A foam foam widening device for expanding a foam foam produced by heating and foaming in a foaming furnace in a width direction, the foam foam widening device being provided so as to face each other in the width direction of the foam foam.
And at least two vacuum chambers each having an opening on the end surface side of the foamed foam.
The pair of widening device main bodies are provided so as to be able to circulate between the opening and the foam, and the end face of the foam is adsorbed by the suction force from the opening, and the foam is conveyed while imparting a widening force. A foamed foam widening device including a conveying means. 2. A foam foam widening device for widening a foam foam produced by heating and foaming in a foaming furnace in a width direction, the foam foam widening devices being provided to face each other in the width direction of the foam foam, and decompressing the foam foam. A pair of widening device bodies that have a possible vacuum chamber and an opening that is arranged on the side of the foamed foam end and that communicates with the vacuum chamber; and a circulatory provided between the opening and the foamed foam, The foamed foam end surface is attracted by a suction force from the opening, and a conveying unit that conveys the foamed foam while giving a widening force to the foamed foam is provided, and the opening has a predetermined width according to the thickness of the foamed foam. Foam widening device with adjustable width adjustment slits. 3. The expanded foam widening device according to claim 2, wherein the conveying means has an air passage having a predetermined width according to the thickness of the expanded foam.