JPH08323100A - Sorting device of folded products - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To sort folded goods such as YUKATA (Japanese bathrobe), a gown, etc., into multiple ways automatically. CONSTITUTION: A tag 11 for durability against washing, drying, ironing, etc., is attached at a point on goods 10 visible from the outside and the tag 11 is detected by a first sensor 21 at a conveying process 20 of the folded goods. At the conveying process 20 or in vicinity thereof, a plurality of sorting point 31, 32,... are provided to detect, to stop, and to sort folded goods conveyed there.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention determines the type of product,
The present invention relates to a device that folds products in the process of being conveyed and sorts the products according to types after folding.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Cloth products such as yukata and gowns have large, medium, small or L, M, S sizes. For this reason, it is necessary to wash the used cloth products, dry or iron them, fold them, and then sort them by size. Conventionally, such yukatas, gowns, etc. are sorted by visually confirming the sizes (large, medium, small, L, M, S, etc.) displayed on their collars. For this reason, a worker is required, which may lead to misidentification, and when the worker touches the shaped product, the worker may lose its shape.

[0003]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and the problem is to be able to automatically sort yukatas, gowns and other folded products by type. Is.

[0004]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a mark 11 having durability against selection, drying, ironing, etc. at a position visible from the outside of the product 10, and the mark 11 provided on the product. The first sensor 21 for detecting the number of the folded products 10 installed in the transporting step 20 is detected in the plurality of sorting positions 31, 32 ... This means that the two sensors 41, 42, ... Are provided.

[0005]

In the sorting apparatus of the present invention, the mark 11 provided at a position visible from the outside of the product 10 is detected by the first sensor 21 before folding. Therefore, it is possible to change the folding method of the product 10 according to the detection result (FIG. 2). It is also possible to perform selection that does not change the folding method depending on the detection result (FIG. 3).

The marks 11 of the products 10 conveyed to the plurality of sorting positions 31, 32, ...
Identify the product 10 and identify the product 10 at each sorting position 3
Stop at 1, 32 ... Therefore, each product 10 is sorted by a specific type such as size.

In the sorting apparatus of the present invention, the work for detecting the type can be performed before the product 10 is folded, and the folding work can be performed in the conveying process of the product 10. Therefore, the detection result is folded as described above. It can be reflected in people.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 schematically shows an embodiment of a folding product sorting apparatus according to the present invention. The product 10 such as a yukata and a gown is washed, dehydrated, dried and pressed by an ironer, i.e., an ironing device I, and put into a conveying step 20 of a sorting device according to the present invention.

The mark 11 indicating the type of the product 10 is the product 10.
It is provided in a position that can be seen from outside. This mark 11 is
It has durability against chemical and physical influences such as washing, drying and ironing added to the product,
Further, it is possible to make a determination by remotely scanning the sensors while the product 10 is moving. As such a mark 11, a color identification mark showing the type of the product 10 by a color shown in FIG. 4C or a bar code shown in FIG. 4D is suitable.

In the case of the example, since the type of product is the size of a yukata, a gown, etc., for example, large is red,
The inside is blue, the small is yellow, etc., and the barcode is encoded according to the same information. In addition, when the bar code is used, it is possible to manage data such as the time from the start of use to the present and the customer. The mark 11 can be attached to a cloth piece or a sheet piece provided with the printing means by, for example, sewing or adhering to the collar of the product 10 (FIG. 4A). However, in some cases, the mark 11 may be directly provided (for example, printed) on the product 10.

The first sensor 21 for detecting the mark 11 of the product 10 is provided on the feeding conveyor 22. The sensor 21 optically reads the mark 11, and therefore is a color sensor when the mark 11 is a color identification mark and a bar code sensor when the mark 11 is a bar code.

The carrying step 20 is performed by the loading conveyor 22.
And a forward / reverse conveyer 23 that is provided with a folding interval and a low step at its tip, and is provided so as to be capable of forward and reverse rotations, and the folding interval is formed at the ends of both conveyors 22 and 23. A first folding conveyor 24 is provided. At the ends of the conveyors 22 and 23, a folding means 25-1 composed of a knife or an air outlet for folding the product into the conveyor 22 at the same time as the forward and reverse rotations is provided. In addition, the transfer process 20
Has an intermediate conveyor 25 that receives products below the first folding conveyor 24, and a second folding conveyor 27 that is arranged vertically below the tip of the intermediate folding conveyor 24 with a folding interval, and is rotatable toward the folding interval. The folding means 26-2 including a folding knife is provided. The means 26-2
Can be air. The carrying step 20 further includes a pair of left and right sliding plates 28 arranged on an extension of the second folding conveyor 27.
The product 10 is slid on the slide plate 28 by contact with the sorting conveyor 29 using the backward portion of the other conveyor.

The forward / reverse conveyor 23 is adapted to rotate in the reverse direction when a half of the entire product length (length in the carrying direction) comes to the entrance of the first folding conveyor 24. At this time, if the information of the first sensor 21 is used to determine the operation timing of the second folding conveyor 27 by the operation of the folding means 26-1, a folded product having a different size depending on the size of the original shape can be obtained. You can

The illustrated transfer process 20 includes an intermediate conveyor 25.
On the right and left sides of the product, there are three-folding conveyors 25 ', 25' for folding the body of the product 10 from both the left and right sides and folding it in three. Further, in the second folding section, since the folding line of the product 10 needs to pass until it reaches the entrance of the second folding conveyor 27, the second folding section has the receiving plate 26 'that supports the tip of the product 10 during that time.

When the product 10 has sleeves as shown, a sleeve folding mechanism is provided on the loading conveyor 22. The sleeve folding mechanism includes a sleeve folding gauge 19 provided on the belt of the feeding conveyor 22 for defining the folds of the sleeve in the direction parallel to the moving direction of the product 10, and the left and right sleeves on the basis of the gauge 19. 6 (a), which can be formed by the sleeve folding arm 18 provided below the belt of the feeding conveyor 22 for folding on top. The sleeve folding arms 18 fold the sleeves by moving from below and outside the sleeves to bypass the gauge 19 and move to the center of the trunk.

Thus, the product 10 is folded in the process of transporting it, and the present invention is the product 1.
Before the 0 is folded (or during the folding), the type of the product is determined, and after the folding, the products are sorted according to the type.

The sorting section is set at the slide plate 28 and the sorting conveyor 29 located at the final stage of the carrying process 20. The illustrated sorting section includes three sorting positions 31, 32, and 33 provided along the sliding direction of the product 10. Therefore, the sliding plate 28 and the upper sorting conveyor 2
9 has a length in which three large, medium, and small products 10, 10, 10 are arranged at intervals (FIG. 6C).

The second sensors 41, 42, 43 are provided at appropriate positions such as the upper portions of the sorting positions 31, 32, 33, respectively.
To place. These second sensors 41, 42, 43 detect the arrival of the product 10 at the sorting positions 31, 32, 33 and compare it with a signal indicating the type of the product 10 to determine each product 10 at each sorting position 31, 32, 33. It is to stop at 33. The movement and stop of each part of these conveyors are managed according to a program of a control part (not shown).

The exemplary slide plate 28 is openable downwards,
As a result, the products 10 are dropped directly below and stacked on the stacking plate 45 by size. 46 is a stacking board 45
An unloading conveyor 47 arranged in parallel with and a transfer member 47 are movable in the left-right direction to transfer the product stacks of different sizes stacked on the stacking plate 45 onto the unloading conveyor 46. Reference numeral 48 indicates the drive unit (FIGS. 7 and 8). Reference numeral 49 indicates a conveyor outside the machine.

Therefore, in the sorting apparatus according to the present invention, when the product 10 is loaded into the carrying step 20, the product type is detected by the first sensor 21 on the loading conveyor 22 at the entrance, and the first sensor information is controlled. It is sent to the department and the necessary calculation is performed. On the other hand, the product 10 proceeds through the conveying step 20, the sleeves are folded into the body by the sleeve folding mechanism, and the forward and reverse conveyors 23 that are normally rotated to about half of the total length of the product are reversed by the folding means 26-1. The central portion of the product falls into the stepped portion between the conveyors 22 and 23, and the product is folded in two on the first folding conveyor 24 (FIG. 6A).

The product 10 folded in half is the intermediate conveyor 2
5 for the center part and for the left and right sides of the body part three-fold conveyor 2
The folding means 26- which is folded three times in the width direction by moving to 5 ', 25' (FIG. 6 (b)) and then rotated when the leading portion is transferred to the receiving plate 26 'by about half.
It is folded into the second folding conveyor 27 by 2 and the total length becomes 1/4. For this folding, the size after folding can be changed to large, medium, and small by adjusting the operation timing of the folding machine using the first sensor information, and the result is as shown in FIG. The flow chart in that case is shown on the right side of FIG. 5 (the left side of FIG. 5 shows selection without changing the size after folding).

The product that has been folded (that is, the folded product) is carried on the slide plate 28 by the sorting conveyor 29 to the sorting positions 31, 32, 33, and the second sensor 4
When the mark 11 is detected by 1, 42, and 43, the mark stops at each sorting position, and the sorting is completed here. The sorted products 10 are stacked as described above and discharged to the outside of the folding machine.

[0023]

Since the present invention is constructed and operates as described above, the type of the product is automatically determined only by providing the mark 11 on the product, and after the product is folded, it is conveyed to and stopped at each sorting position. As a result, yukata and gowns can be sorted unattended, there is no possibility of misidentification as compared to manual sorting, and folding products can be sorted with high efficiency.
In the present invention, since the second sensors 41, 42 ... Can detect the arrival of the folded product and at the same time determine the type thereof, it is not necessary to exchange the detection information with the first sensor 21, which is mechanically simple. is there.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing one embodiment of a folded product sorting device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a folded product.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing another example of the same.

FIG. 4A is a front view showing product types. (B) Back view of the folded product. (C) The front view which shows an example of a mark. (D) A front view showing another example of the mark.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a series of work steps.

FIG. 6A is a perspective view showing the upper part of the carrying step. (B) The perspective view which shows the intermediate part of a conveyance process. (C) A perspective view showing the lower part of the carrying process.

FIG. 7 is a side explanatory view showing the whole of the present apparatus.

FIG. 8 is a transverse sectional view of the same.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A device for discriminating a type of a product, folding the product in the process of transporting the product, and sorting the products according to the type after the folding, the product having a mark 11 having durability against selection, drying, ironing and the like. 1 for detecting the mark 11 provided on the product, provided at a position visible from the outside of 10
Of the second sensor 41, 42 for detecting and stopping the folded product 10 transported to the plurality of sorting positions 31, 32, ... Prepared in the transportation process or in the vicinity thereof in the transportation process 20. An apparatus for sorting folded products, which is equipped with ... 2. The apparatus for sorting folded products according to claim 1, wherein the product 10 is a yukata, a gown, and the type of sorting is size, and the mark 11 is provided on the collar of the product 10. . 3. The apparatus for sorting folded products according to claim 1, wherein the mark 11 is a color identification mark indicating the type of the product 10 by color, and the second sensors 41, 42 ... Are color sensors. 4. The apparatus for sorting folded products according to claim 1, wherein the mark 11 represents the type of the product 10 by a bar code, and the second sensors 41, 42 ... Are bar code sensors. 5. The carrying step 20 comprises a feeding conveyor 22 and a forward / reverse conveyor 23 arranged immediately after the feeding conveyor 22 which can rotate in the forward and reverse directions, a first folding conveyor 24 between the conveyors 22 and 23, and a lower layer of the conveyor 24. Intermediate conveyor 25, second folding conveyor 27 provided at the exit end of the conveyor 25
And a slide plate 28 which is disposed at a lower position of the intermediate conveyor 25 and which holds and conveys the product 10 between the sorting conveyor 29 and the sorting conveyor 29 using the backward portion of the conveyor 25,
The folded product according to claim 1, wherein the size of the folded product is changed by adjusting the operation timing of the first folding conveyor 24, the second folding conveyor 27, etc. according to the detection result of the first sensor 21. Sorting device.