Fabric folding device

Abstract

Abstract Problem: To provide a compact cloth folding device. Solution: This cloth folding device comprises an inverting part for inverting cloth carried from the front to the back, a carrying part for carrying the cloth inverted by the inverting part from the back to the front, and a transverse folding part for transversely folding, in the transverse direction, the cloth carried by the carrying part, wherein the transverse folding part has a transverse folding member for transversely folding the cloth, and the transverse folding member is disposed immediately below the carrying part and appears above the carrying part when the cloth is transversely folded. Selected drawing: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fabric folding device for folding fabric. [Background technology]

[0002] Fabric items such as work clothes, nightgowns, white coats, uniforms, and towels are washed, dried, folded, and then delivered to customers. Fabric folding devices are used in this fabric folding process.

[0003] For example, Japanese Patent No. 3073729 discloses a fabric folding device as follows: "A folding device for folding the torso portion of a garment such as a bathrobe in thirds in the width direction, which moves with its longitudinal direction aligned with the conveying direction; the center of the torso portion of the garment is supported by a conveying means; left and right sliders are positioned below the left and right sides of the torso portion during conveyance and serve as platforms for the left and right sides to slide along, which lift the left and right sides of the torso portion when folding in thirds and lift the left and right sides when folding; folding members are located on the left and right outside of the conveying means and below the left and right sliders; the center of the garment is pressed down on the conveying means by gauge plates whose left and right sides in the conveying direction determine the position for folding the torso portion of the garment in thirds; the folding members are moved in a linear, roundabout motion consisting of a two-stage operation of moving alternately upward and inward from the left and right sides of the torso portion that are lifted by the left and right sliders, thereby moving the folding members toward the center of the garment, thereby folding the garment in thirds in the width direction of the torso portion."

[0004] The above-mentioned device has been well received in the linen industry, which is a machine for folding clothes into a predetermined shape, but there is also a demand from industries other than the linen industry for a machine that can fold fabrics mechanically.

[0005] However, the above-mentioned devices used in the linen industry are large and are manufactured with the intention of being installed and used in linen factories, and therefore have the problem that they are too large to be installed in places other than linen factories, such as coin laundries. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3073729 DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a compact cloth folding device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, the fabric folding device of the first aspect has an inversion section that inverts fabric transported from front to rear, a transport section that transports the fabric inverted by the inversion section from rear to front, and a horizontal folding section that horizontally folds the fabric transported by the transport section, the horizontal folding section having a horizontal folding member that folds the fabric horizontally, the horizontal folding member being positioned directly below the transport section and appearing above the transport section when the fabric is folded horizontally.

[0009] In addition, the fabric folding device of the second aspect is the same as that of the first aspect, but has a vertical folding section that folds the fabric transported by the transport section vertically, and the vertical folding section has a pair of first right body three-fold gauges and a first left body three-fold gauge that determine the vertical fold lines of the fabric, and the pair of first right body three-fold gauges and the first left body three-fold gauge appear above the fabric transported by the transport section when the fabric is folded vertically.

[0010] In addition, a third aspect of the fabric folding device is the same as the second aspect, in which the vertical folding section has a pair of second right body three-fold gauges and a second left body three-fold gauge that determine the fold lines of the fabric, and a vertical folding unit section, and the vertical folding unit section has a first right folding knife and a first left folding knife that fold the fabric vertically, and the first right folding knife folds the fabric vertically along the first right body three-fold gauge and the second right body three-fold gauge, and the first left folding knife folds the fabric vertically along the first left body three-fold gauge and the second left body three-fold gauge.

[0011] In addition, the fabric folding device of the fourth aspect is the same as that of the third aspect, in that the first right body three-fold gauge and the second right body three-fold gauge are aligned in the vertical direction of the fabric, and the first left body three-fold gauge and the second left body three-fold gauge are aligned in the vertical direction of the fabric.

[0012] In addition, the cloth folding device of the fifth aspect is the same as that of the fourth aspect, and further includes an input conveying section that conveys the cloth to the inversion section, and the vertical folding unit section is arranged below the input conveying section and above the conveying section.

[0013] In addition, the fabric folding device of the sixth aspect is the same as in the first to fifth aspects, and has an inclined conveying section arranged at a distance in front of the conveying section, and a final horizontal folding section that folds the fabric horizontally in two, and the final horizontal folding section has a knife section that folds the fabric in two, and when the fabric is placed so as to span the gap, the knife section folds the fabric horizontally.

[0014] In addition, a seventh aspect of the present invention is a cloth folding device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the reversing section and the conveying section are integrally configured. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] The present invention is constructed and operates as described above, and therefore can provide a compact cloth folding device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a view taken along the arrow V in FIG. [Figure 6] 1A is a plan view showing a state in which a jacket among the cloth items is attached to the cloth folding device, while FIG. 1B is a front view thereof, and FIG. 1C is a side view thereof. [Figure 7] 1A is a plan view showing a state in which a jacket is pulled into the fabric folding device by the jacket clamps and both sleeves are folded by the sleeve guides, while FIG. 1B is a front view thereof, and FIG. 1C is a side view thereof. [Figure 8] 1A is a plan view showing a state in which a jacket is being conveyed rearward by the first conveying section, while FIG. 1B is a front view thereof, and FIG. 1C is a side view thereof. [Figure 9] 1A is a plan view showing the state in which the jacket is being turned over in the turning section and conveyed from the rear to the front, and FIG. [Figure 10] 1, showing a state in which a jacket that has been turned over by the turning unit is being transported from rear to front. FIG. 1A is a view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1, showing a state in which a jacket that has been turned over by the turning unit is being transported from rear to front. FIG. 1B is a view seen from the direction of arrow S in the view seen from arrow V in A. FIG. 1C is a left side view of A. FIG. 1D is a right side view of A. [Figure 11] 1, showing a state in which a jacket conveyed from rear to front has stopped at a predetermined position. FIG. 1A is a view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1, showing a state in which a jacket conveyed from rear to front has stopped at a predetermined position. FIG. 1B is a view seen from the direction of arrow S in the view seen from arrow V in FIG. 1. FIG. 1C is a left side view of A. FIG. 1D is a right side view of A. [Figure 12] 1, showing the state in which the bottom of the jacket is about to be folded horizontally. FIG. 1A is a view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1, showing the state in which the bottom of the jacket is about to be folded horizontally. FIG. 1B is a view seen from the direction of arrow S in the view seen from arrow V in FIG. 1. FIG. 1C is a left side view of A. FIG. 1D is a right side view of A. [Figure 13]1, showing the state in which the bottom of the jacket is folded horizontally. FIG. 1A is a view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1, showing the state in which the bottom of the jacket is folded horizontally. FIG. 1B is a view seen from the direction of arrow S in the view seen from arrow V in FIG. 1. FIG. 1C is a left side view of FIG. 1. FIG. 1D is a right side view of FIG. 1. [Figure 14] 1 , showing a state in which the jacket with the hem folded horizontally is conveyed further forward by the conveying unit to a position where it is folded in three. FIG. 1 A is a view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1 , showing a state in which the jacket with the hem folded horizontally is conveyed further forward by the conveying unit to a position where it is folded in three. FIG. 1 B is a view seen from the direction of arrow S in the view seen from arrow V in FIG. 1 . FIG. 1 C is a left side view of A. FIG. 1 D is a right side view of A. [Figure 15] 1 , showing a state in which a jacket with a hem folded horizontally is being held down by a pair of first right and left torso three-fold gauges and a pair of second right and left torso three-fold gauges. FIG. 1 A is a view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1 , showing a state in which a jacket with a hem folded horizontally is being held down by a pair of first right and left torso three-fold gauges and a pair of second right and left torso three-fold gauges. FIG. 1 B is a view seen from the direction of arrow S in the view seen from arrow V in A. FIG. 1 C is a left side view of A. FIG. 1 D is a right side view of A. [Figure 16] 1 , showing a jacket with a hem folded horizontally being held down by a pair of first right and left three-fold gauges and a pair of second right and left three-fold gauges. FIG. 1 A is a view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1 , showing a jacket with a hem folded horizontally being held down by a pair of first right and left three-fold gauges and a pair of second right and left three-fold gauges. FIG. 1 B is a view seen from the direction of arrow S in the view seen from arrow V in A. FIG. 1 C is a left side view of A. FIG. 1 D is a right side view of A. [Figure 17] 1 , showing a state in which a jacket with a folded hem portion is lifted by a first right-turning knife and a first left-turning knife. FIG. 1 A is a view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1 , showing a state in which a jacket with a folded hem portion is lifted by a first right-turning knife and a first left-turning knife. FIG. 1 B is a view seen from the direction of arrow S in the view seen from arrow V in FIG. 1 . FIG. 1 C is a left side view of A. FIG. 1 D is a right side view of A. [Figure 18] 1 , showing a state in which a jacket held up by the first right-turning knife and the first left-turning knife is folded vertically by the first left-turning knife. FIG. 1 A is a view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1 , showing a state in which a jacket held up by the first right-turning knife and the first left-turning knife is folded vertically by the first left-turning knife. FIG. 1 B is a view seen from the direction of arrow S in the view seen from arrow V in FIG. 1 . FIG. 1 C is a left side view of A. FIG. 1 D is a right side view of A. [Figure 19]1 , showing a state in which a jacket held up by the first right-turning knife and the first left-turning knife is folded vertically by the first right-turning knife. FIG. 1 A is a view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1 , showing a state in which a jacket held up by the first right-turning knife and the first left-turning knife is folded vertically by the first right-turning knife. FIG. 1 B is a view seen from the direction of arrow S in the view seen from arrow V in FIG. 1 . FIG. 1 C is a left side view of A. FIG. 1 D is a right side view of A. [Figure 20] 1, showing the jacket folded lengthwise in thirds. FIG. 1A is a view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1, showing the jacket folded lengthwise in thirds. FIG. 1B is a view seen from the direction of arrow S in the view seen from arrow V in FIG. 1. FIG. 1C is a left side view of FIG. 1A. FIG. 1D is a right side view of FIG. 1A. [Figure 21] 1, showing a state in which a jacket folded vertically in thirds is folded horizontally in two. FIG. 1A is a view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1, showing a state in which a jacket folded vertically in thirds is folded horizontally in two. FIG. 1B is a view seen from the direction of arrow S in the view seen from arrow V in A. FIG. 1C is a right side view of A. [Figure 22] 1, showing a state in which a jacket folded vertically in thirds is folded horizontally in two. FIG. 1A is a view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1, showing a state in which a jacket folded vertically in thirds is folded horizontally in two. FIG. 1B is a view seen from the direction of arrow S in the view seen from arrow V in FIG. 1. FIG. 1C is a right side view of FIG. 1. [Figure 23] This is a right side view showing a jacket that has been folded vertically in thirds and then horizontally in twice, and placed on the final conveyor. [Figure 24] 1A is a plan view showing a state in which trousers among the cloth items are attached to the cloth folding device, while FIG. 1B is a front view thereof, and FIG. 1C is a side view thereof. [Figure 25] 1A is a plan view showing a state in which trousers are conveyed from the front to the rear by the inserting and conveying section, B is a front view thereof, and C is a side view thereof. [Figure 26] 1A is a plan view showing the state in which the trousers are being inverted into the inverting section and transported from rear to front, and FIG. [Figure 27] 1, showing a state in which trousers that have been inverted by the inverting unit are being transported from rear to front. FIG. 1A is a view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1, showing a state in which trousers that have been inverted by the inverting unit are being transported from rear to front. FIG. 1B is a view seen from the direction of arrow S in the view seen from arrow V in A. FIG. 1C is a left side view of A. FIG. 1D is a right side view of A. [Figure 28]1, showing a state in which trousers conveyed from rear to front are about to stop at a predetermined position. FIG. 1A is a view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1, showing a state in which trousers conveyed from rear to front are about to stop at a predetermined position. FIG. 1B is a view seen from the direction of arrow S in the view seen from arrow V in FIG. 1. FIG. 1C is a left side view of FIG. 1. FIG. 1D is a right side view of FIG. 1. [Figure 29] 1, showing the state in which the bottom of the trousers is about to be folded horizontally. FIG. 1A is a view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1, showing the state in which the bottom of the trousers is about to be folded horizontally, and FIG. 1B is a view seen from the direction of arrow S in the view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1. FIG. 1C is a left side view of FIG. 1A. FIG. 1D is a right side view of FIG. 1A. [Figure 30] 1, showing a state in which the bottoms of the trousers are folded horizontally. FIG. 1A is a view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1, showing a state in which the bottoms of the trousers are folded horizontally. FIG. 1B is a view seen from the direction of arrow S in the view seen from arrow V in FIG. 1. FIG. 1C is a left side view of FIG. 1. FIG. 1D is a right side view of FIG. 1. [Figure 31] 1, showing a state in which trousers with horizontally folded hems are conveyed further forward by a conveying unit to a position where the trousers are folded in three. FIG. 1A is a view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1, showing a state in which trousers with horizontally folded hems are conveyed further forward by a conveying unit to a position where the trousers are folded in three. FIG. 1B is a view seen from the direction of arrow S in the view seen from arrow V in FIG. 1. FIG. 1C is a left side view of A. FIG. 1D is a right side view of A. [Figure 32] 1 , showing a pair of first right and left waist three-fold gauges and a pair of second right and left waist three-fold gauges being pressed against a pair of trousers with horizontally folded hems. FIG. 1 A is a view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1 , showing a pair of first right and left waist three-fold gauges and a pair of second right and left waist three-fold gauges being pressed against a pair of trousers with horizontally folded hems. FIG. 1 B is a view seen from the direction of arrow S in the view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1 . FIG. 1 C is a left side view of A. FIG. 1 D is a right side view of A. [Figure 33] 1 , showing a pair of trousers with horizontally folded cuffs held down by a pair of first right and left waist three-fold gauges and a pair of second right and left waist three-fold gauges. FIG. 1 A is a view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1 , showing a pair of trousers with horizontally folded cuffs held down by a pair of first right and left waist three-fold gauges and a pair of second right and left waist three-fold gauges. FIG. 1 B is a view seen from the direction of arrow S in the view seen from arrow V in A. FIG. 1 C is a left side view of A. FIG. 1 D is a right side view of A. [Figure 34]1 , showing a pair of trousers with their bottoms folded horizontally, a first right-turn knife, and a first left-turn knife in a raised position; FIG. 1 A is a view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1 , showing a pair of trousers with their bottoms folded horizontally, a first right-turn knife, and a first left-turn knife in a raised position; FIG. 1 B is a view seen from the direction of arrow S in the view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1 ; FIG. 1 C is a left side view of A; and FIG. 1 D is a right side view of A. [Figure 35] 1, showing a state in which trousers with folded cuffs are folded twice horizontally. FIG. 1A is a view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1, showing a state in which trousers with folded cuffs horizontally are folded twice horizontally. FIG. 1B is a view seen from the direction of arrow S in the view seen from arrow V in FIG. 1. FIG. 1C is a right side view of FIG. 1. [Figure 36] 1, showing a pair of pants with folded cuffs folded horizontally in two. FIG. 1A is a view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 1, showing a pair of pants with folded cuffs folded horizontally in two. FIG. 1B is a view seen from the direction of arrow S in the view seen from arrow V in A. FIG. 1C is a right side view of A. [Figure 37] This is a right side view showing a state in which the bottoms of the trousers have been folded horizontally, then folded twice horizontally, and the trousers are placed on the final conveyor. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, with reference to the illustrated embodiment, a description will be given of the fabric folding device 10. The fabric folding device 10 has a function of folding fabric W horizontally to shorten its length, and a function of folding fabric W vertically to shorten its width, and as will be described later, these functions are configured compactly.

[0018] The fabric folding device 10 has an inverting unit 20 that inverts the fabric W transported from front to rear, a conveying unit 30 that conveys the fabric W inverted by the inverting unit 20 from rear to front, and a horizontal folding unit 200 that horizontally folds the fabric W transported by the conveying unit 30. The fabric folding device 10 also has a vertical folding unit 300 that folds the fabric W vertically. It also has a final horizontal folding unit 500 that folds the fabric W horizontally.

[0019] Here, folding the fabric W horizontally means folding the fabric W so as to shorten the length of the fabric W. Also, folding the fabric W vertically means folding the fabric W so as to shorten the width of the fabric W.

[0020] The fabric folding device 10 also has an input conveying section 100 that conveys fabric W to the reversing section 20. The input conveying section 100 conveys the fabric W to the reversing section 20. The fabric W is input by a fabric attachment section 150, which will be described later, and is conveyed to the input conveying section 100. The input conveying section 100 conveys the fabric W from the front F to the rear R. The input conveying section 100 also has a first roll section 101 that is a cylindrical roller, a second roll section 102 that is a cylindrical roller, a third roll section 103 that is a cylindrical roller, and a first belt section 105 that is made up of multiple band-shaped belts that are wrapped around these sections. The first belt section 105 is looped around these sections and is driven by a drive section (not shown) to convey the fabric W from the front F to the rear R.

[0021] The cloth attachment section 150 for feeding cloth W into the above-mentioned feeding and conveying section 100 has a pair of outerwear clamps 160, 160 for attaching outerwear W1 of the cloth W, and a trouser clamp 170 for attaching trousers W2. The outerwear clamps 160, 160 are not only for attaching outerwear but are suitable for attaching relatively wide cloth (e.g., bath towels). The trouser clamp 170 is not only for attaching trousers but is suitable for attaching relatively narrow cloth (e.g., towels) (see FIG. 3 in particular).

[0022] The fabric folding device 10 also has a plate-like insertion guide 180 that is L-shaped in a side view so as to slide the bottom of the fabric W when the fabric W is attached to the fabric attachment section 150. The fabric folding device 10 also has a pair of sleeve guides 190, 190 directly below the fabric attachment section 150. When the fabric W is a jacket, these guides are used to fold the sleeves WS, WS.

[0023] The inverting unit 20 reverses the conveying direction of the fabric W and turns the fabric W upside down, so that the side of the fabric W that contacts the input / conveying unit 100 faces up by passing through the inverting unit 20. In other words, inversion not only reverses the conveying direction but also turns the chest portion of the fabric W, which faces up, so that the back portion of the fabric W faces up.

[0024] The inversion section 20 has a first inversion roll section 21 which is a cylindrical roller, a second inversion roll section 22 which is also a cylindrical roller, and a third inversion roll section 23 which is also a cylindrical roller, and has a conveying belt section 25 which consists of multiple belt-shaped belts.

[0025] The conveying unit 30 conveys the fabric W, which has been turned upside down in the above-mentioned reversing unit 20, from the rear R to the front F, diagonally downward from above. The conveying unit 30 has a rear first roll unit 31 which is a cylindrical roller, a rear second roll unit 32 which is a cylindrical roller, a rear third roll unit 33 which is a cylindrical roller, and a rear fourth roll unit 34 which is a cylindrical roller, and the above-mentioned conveying belt unit 25 is stretched around these, the reversing first roll unit 21, the reversing second roll unit 22 which is a cylindrical roller, and the reversing third roll unit 23 which is a cylindrical roller, and is driven by a drive unit not shown.

[0026] In this embodiment, the conveyor belt unit 25 is shared by the reversing unit 20 and the conveying unit 30, and the reversing unit 20 and the conveying unit 30 are integrally configured. This also contributes to making the fabric folding device 10 more compact.

[0027] The rotation shaft 21a of the first reversing roll unit 21, which is a cylindrical roller in the reversing unit 20, is disposed in the direction F forward in side view from the rotation shaft 103a of the third roll unit 103, which is a cylindrical roller in the input / conveying unit 100. In addition, the rotation shaft 31a of the first rear roll unit 31 in the conveying unit 30 is also disposed in the direction F forward in side view from the rotation shaft 103a of the third roll unit 103, which is a cylindrical roller in the input / conveying unit 100. Therefore, the conveyor belt 25 looped around it contacts the third roll 103 via the first belt 105, so that the fabric W conveyed by the input / output unit 100 is sandwiched and inverted between the first belt 105 looped around the third roll 103, which is a cylindrical roller in the input / output unit 100, and the conveyor belt 25 looped around the rear first roll 31 in the conveyor unit 30. This inverts the fabric W so that the contacting surface of the fabric W is upside down, and the fabric W can be conveyed from the rear R to the front F. The inverting unit 20 also has a hem sensor 250. The hem sensor 250 is disposed below the conveyor belt 25. The hem sensor 250 measures the timing at which the fabric W passes, thereby measuring the total length of the fabric W and transmitting a signal to a control unit (not shown) to stop the conveyor unit 30 in order to cross-fold the fabric W. The control unit (not shown) stops the drive of the conveyor unit 30 in response to the signal.

[0028] In addition, the conveyor 30 has a diagonal conveying section 40 located diagonally downward and in front of the conveying section 30. The diagonal conveying section 40 further conveys the fabrics W. The diagonal conveying section 40 has a first diagonal roll section 41 which is a cylindrical roller, a second diagonal roll section 42 which is a cylindrical roller, a third diagonal roll section 43 which is a cylindrical roller, a fourth diagonal roll section 44 which is a cylindrical roller, a fifth diagonal roll section 45 which is a cylindrical roller, and a diagonal belt section 48. The diagonal belt section 48 is wound around these rollers. The conveyor 30 also has rotatable auxiliary conveying rollers 290, 290 on it that press down the fabrics W.

[0029] The diagonal first roll unit 41 in the diagonal conveying section 40 and the rear first roll unit 31 in the conveying section 30 are disposed so as to leave a gap G. As will be described later, the fabric W can be folded laterally by pushing a thin plate-shaped knife unit 510 in the final horizontal folding section 500, which folds the fabric W twice horizontally, into the gap G. The fabric W is then further conveyed so that it is sandwiched between the conveying belt unit 25 and the diagonal belt unit 48, and is then conveyed to the openable / closable unit 70. The conveyed fabric W is dropped onto the final conveyor 80 by the openable / closable unit 70 opening and closing.

[0030] As described above, the horizontal folding unit 200 is for folding the fabric W horizontally, and folds the fabric W so as to shorten the length of the fabric W in the conveying direction. The horizontal folding unit 200 has a plurality of horizontal folding members 201, a rotation shaft 202 that rotates the plurality of horizontal folding members 201, and a drive unit 205 that drives the rotation shaft 202 to rotate. In this embodiment, there are seven horizontal folding members 201, but the number is not limited to this.

[0031] The horizontal folding members 201 are shaped like long, thin plates when viewed in a plane, and are located directly below the conveying belt portion 25 in the conveying section 30, in the gaps X between the multiple belts in the conveying belt portion 25.

[0032] The drive unit 205 includes a cylinder unit 210 that can be extended and retracted, a rack unit 211 that is attached to the cylinder unit 210 and moves in the front-rear direction, and a pinion unit 212 that rotates in mesh with the rack unit 211. The rack unit 211 and the pinion unit 212 literally form a rack and pinion. The rotation shaft 202 is attached to the center of rotation of the pinion unit 212, and when the rotation shaft 202 rotates, the multiple horizontal folding members 201 attached thereto rotate. Specifically, the multiple horizontal folding members 201 arranged directly below the conveyor unit 30 in the gaps X between the belts of the conveyor belt unit 25 rotate, and the multiple horizontal folding members 201 emerge above the conveyor belt unit 25. This causes the fabric W placed on the conveyor belt unit 25 to be horizontally folded (see FIG. 1). The cylinder unit 210 and the rack unit 211 are disposed below the conveying unit 30 and the diagonal conveying unit 40, on the sides thereof (see FIGS. 1 and 5). Therefore, by arranging the main components of the drive unit 205 as described above, the horizontal folding unit 200 can be configured compactly.

[0033] In this way, at least the multiple horizontal folding members 201 in the horizontal folding section 200 are located directly below the conveying belt section 25, in the belt gaps X between the multiple belts in the conveying belt section 25, and directly below the conveying section 30, thereby contributing to the compactness of the fabric folding device 10.

[0034] As described above, the vertical folding unit 300 folds the fabric W to shorten its width. The vertical folding unit 300 has a pair of first right-hand three-fold gauges 310R and first left-hand three-fold gauges 310L, and a first drive unit 320 that drives them. The first drive unit 320 has a first cylinder unit 321 that is driven to extend and retract, a first rack unit 322 that is attached to the cylinder unit 321 and moves in the front-to-rear direction, and a first pinion unit 323 that rotates in mesh with the first rack unit 322. The first rack unit 322 and the first pinion unit 323 literally form a so-called rack and pinion. A first rotating shaft 324 is attached to the rotation center of the first pinion unit 323, and a pair of first right-hand tri-fold gauges 310R and first left-hand tri-fold gauges 310L are attached to the first rotating shaft 324 (see FIG. 5). The pair of first right-hand tri-fold gauges 310R and first left-hand tri-fold gauges 310L each have an L-shape in side view. The first cylinder unit 321 and the first rack unit 322 are located below the conveying unit 30 and the diagonal conveying unit 40, on their sides (see FIGS. 2 and 5). Therefore, by arranging the main components of the first driving unit 320 as described above, the folding unit 300 can be configured compactly.

[0035] When the first drive unit 320 is not driven, the pair of first right and left tri-fold gauges 310R and 310L are located in the gap X between the belts of the conveyor belt unit 25, directly below the conveyor unit 30. The pair of first right and left tri-fold gauges 310R and 310L are shaped like thin plates, and are longer and thinner than the width of the gap X.

[0036] In this state, when the first cylinder portion 321 is driven, the first rack portion 322 attached to the cylinder portion 321 moves in the front-to-back direction, meshing with the first rack portion 322 and rotating the first pinion portion 323, which in turn rotates the first rotating shaft 324 attached to it, causing the pair of first right torso tri-fold gauge 310R and first left torso tri-fold gauge 310L attached to it to appear above the conveying belt portion 25 in the conveying portion 30 from directly below the conveying portion 30 in the gap X between the multiple belts in the conveying belt portion 25.

[0037] The vertical folding unit 300 has a pair of second right trunk three-fold gauges 350R and second left trunk three-fold gauges 350L, which are disposed in advance above the diagonal conveying unit 40. Here, the pair of first right trunk three-fold gauges 310R and first left trunk three-fold gauges 310L, and the pair of second right trunk three-fold gauges 350R and second left trunk three-fold gauges 350L each determine the fold lines of the fabric W.

[0038] The vertical folding section 300 also has a vertical folding unit 400, which has a first right-turning knife 410R, a first left-turning knife 410L, a right drive section 420R that drives the first right-turning knife 410R in the left-right direction, and a left-right drive section 420L that drives the first left-turning knife 410L in the left-right direction. The vertical folding section 300 also has a pair of left and right up-down movement drive sections 450, 450 that move the vertical folding unit 400 up and down (see FIGS. 5, 16, and 17).

[0039] Furthermore, the vertical folding unit section 400 is disposed below the input / conveying section 100 and above the conveying section 30 and the diagonal conveying section 40. This contributes to making the fabric folding device 10 more compact. In Fig. 5, the rotation shaft 202 in the horizontal folding section 200 and the first rotation shaft 324 in the vertical folding section 300 overlap, but in Fig. 1 or 2, the rotation shaft 202 is disposed above the first rotation shaft 324, and in the fabric folding device 10, the horizontal folding section 200 and the vertical folding section 300 are disposed close to the conveying section 30, so that the fabric folding device 10 is configured compactly.

[0040] The fabric folding device 10 also has a final cross-folding unit 500 that folds the fabric W in two crosswise. The final cross-folding unit 500 has a thin knife unit 510 for folding the fabric W, and a knife vertical drive unit 520 that moves the knife unit 510 up and down (see FIG. 21). The knife vertical drive unit 520 uses a pneumatic cylinder to move the knife unit 510 up and down along a guide (not shown). Note that a straight-line actuator may also be used for the knife vertical drive unit 520. The thin knife unit 510 in the final cross-folding unit 500 is disposed above the gap G between the diagonal first roll unit 41 in the diagonal conveying unit 40 and the rear first roll unit 31 in the conveying unit 30, and the knife unit 510 is pushed into the gap G to fold the fabric W in two. The final cross-folding unit 500 also has a final fold sensor 560. The final fold sensor 560 is also disposed below the conveying belt unit 25. The final fold sensor 560 measures the total length of the fabric W and sends a signal to the control unit (not shown) to stop the conveying unit 30 so that the fabric W can be folded twice more horizontally. The control unit (not shown) stops the driving of the conveying unit 30 in response to the signal. This allows the fabric W to be placed in an appropriate position relative to the conveying unit 30 and the diagonal conveying unit 40.

[0041] The process of folding a jacket W1, one of the types of fabric W, using the fabric folding device 10 configured as described above will now be described. Although not shown, bath towels, which are relatively wide fabric W like the jacket W1, can also be folded in a similar manner. The jacket W1 is attached to a pair of jacket clamps 160, 160. The hem portion WB of the jacket W1 is dragged along an L-shaped insertion guide 180 in a slidable manner in a side view. At the same time, the sleeves WS, WS of the jacket W1 are folded inward by the sleeve guides 190, 190 so that they contact the insertion and conveyance section 100. Although not shown, bath towels, which are relatively wide like the jacket W1, can also be folded in the same way as when the sleeves WS, WS are not present. Therefore, folding can be performed in a similar manner except that the sleeve guides 190, 190 are not used (see FIG. 6).

[0042] The jacket W1 is placed on the loading and conveying section 100 by a pair of jacket clamps 160, 160, and is moved from the front F to the rear R by the loading and conveying section 100 (see FIGS. 7 and 8).

[0043] Next, the jacket W1 is inverted by the inverting section 20. That is, when the jacket W1 on the first belt section 105 approaches the third roll section 103, which is a cylindrical roller in the input / conveying section 100, it is caught between the first belt section 105 and the conveying belt section 25 in the inverting section 20.

[0044] In this way, the jacket W1 is turned over by the turning unit 20. That is, the turning unit 20 changes the position of the jacket W1 so that the upward-facing side now faces downward, and the direction of movement of the jacket W1 changes from backward R to forward F (see FIG. 9). Therefore, the sleeves WS, WS of the jacket W1, which have been folded inward by the sleeve guides 190, 190, are positioned in contact with the first belt unit 105 on the input / conveyor unit 100, and are positioned upward on the conveyor belt unit 25 (see FIG. 10). In other words, the jacket W1, which was positioned facing up, is now positioned facing down by passing through the turning unit 20.

[0045] The hem sensor 250 positions the jacket W1 at a predetermined position between the reversing section 20 and the conveying section 30. At this time, the jacket W1 is positioned between the pair of second right-hand tri-fold gauge 350R and second left-hand tri-fold gauge 350L in a side view and the diagonal conveying section 40 (see FIG. 11).

[0046] Next, the lower portion of the jacket W1 is folded horizontally by the horizontal folding unit 200. Specifically, as the cylinder unit 210 of the drive unit 205 extends, the rack unit 211 moves, and by engaging with the rack unit 211, the pinion unit 212 rotates. As the rotation shaft 202 attached to the rotation center of the pinion unit 212 rotates, the multiple horizontal folding members 201 attached to the rotation shaft 202 rotates, and the multiple horizontal folding members 201 emerge above the conveyor belt unit 25 through the gaps X in the band-shaped belts of the conveyor belt unit 25. At this time, the bottom portion of the jacket W1 is folded horizontally as the multiple horizontal folding members 201 of the horizontal folding unit 200 emerge above the conveyor belt unit 25, and the jacket W1 is folded so as to shorten its length (see Figures 12 and 13).

[0047] Next, by performing the reverse operation of the above, the multiple horizontal folding members 201 are again positioned so as to return from the gaps X between the multiple belts of the conveyor belt unit 25 to directly below the conveyor belt unit 25 (see Figure 14). The jacket W1 is then conveyed diagonally downward, slightly from rear R to front F, by the diagonal conveyor unit 40 to the position where it will be folded vertically. As a result, part of the jacket W1 is sandwiched between the conveyor unit 30 and the auxiliary conveyor rollers 290, 290, and another part of the jacket W1 is placed on the diagonal conveyor unit 40. In other words, the jacket W1 is placed so as to straddle the conveyor unit 30 and the diagonal conveyor unit 40.

[0048] The jacket W1 is positioned by the diagonal conveying section 40 between the pair of second right and left tri-fold gauges 350R, 350L in a side view and the diagonal conveying section 40. Therefore, the pair of second right and left tri-fold gauges 350R, 350L are positioned above the jacket W1, and another portion of the jacket W1 is placed on the diagonal conveying section 40. At this time, the first right-turn knife 410R and the first left-turn knife 410L are already positioned flush with the diagonal conveying section 40, but the jacket W1 can be stably conveyed because it is sandwiched between the conveying section 30 and the auxiliary conveying rollers 290 (see FIG. 15 ).

[0049] Next, the vertical folding unit 300 is driven to fold the jacket W1 vertically. That is, when the first cylinder unit 321 is driven, the first rack unit 322 attached to the cylinder unit 321 moves back and forth, rotating the first pinion unit 323 with which the first rack unit 322 engages, and rotating the first rotating shaft 324 attached to the first pinion unit 323, causing a pair of first right and left tri-fold gauges 310R and 310L attached to the first pinion unit 323 to emerge above the conveyor belt unit 25 from directly below the gap X between the multiple belts of the conveyor belt unit 25. As a result, the jacket W1 is positioned between the pair of first right and left tri-fold gauges 310R and 310L and the conveyor unit 30.

[0050] At this time, the first right trunk tri-fold gauge 310R and the second right trunk tri-fold gauge 350R are arranged in a straight line, and the first left trunk tri-fold gauge 310L and the second left trunk tri-fold gauge 350L are also arranged in a straight line. That is, the first right trunk tri-fold gauge 310R and the second right trunk tri-fold gauge 350R are aligned in the feed direction, which is the vertical direction of the fabric. The first left trunk tri-fold gauge 310L and the second left trunk tri-fold gauge 350L are also aligned in the feed direction, which is the vertical direction of the fabric. Specifically, the right sides of the first right trunk tri-fold gauge 310R and the second right trunk tri-fold gauge 350R are aligned in a straight line to determine the fold line of the fabric W, and the left sides of the first left trunk tri-fold gauge 310L and the second left trunk tri-fold gauge 350L are aligned in a straight line to determine the fold line. Therefore, by folding the jacket W1 vertically along the first right torso tri-fold gauge 310R and the second right torso tri-fold gauge 350R, and the first left torso tri-fold gauge 310L and the second left torso tri-fold gauge 350L, which are arranged in a straight line, the jacket W1 can be folded vertically in thirds (see Figure 16).

[0051] Specifically, when the jacket W1 is positioned across the diagonal conveying section 40 and the conveying section 30, the first right-folding knife 410R and the first left-folding knife 410L of the vertical folding unit 400, which is previously positioned below the jacket W1, are lifted upward. That is, the pair of left and right up-and-down movement drive units 450, 450 that move the vertical folding unit 400 up and down are driven, causing the vertical folding unit 400 to rise, thereby lifting the first right-folding knife 410R and the first left-folding knife 410L (see FIG. 17 ). As a result, the left and right sides of the jacket W1 are lifted so as to align with the first right waist tri-fold gauge 310R and the second right waist tri-fold gauge 350R, and the first left waist tri-fold gauge 310L and the second left waist tri-fold gauge 350L, which are arranged in a straight line.

[0052] With the left and right side portions of the jacket W1 lifted by the first right-turning knife 410R and the first left-turning knife 410L, respectively, the first left-turning knife 410L is moved to the right by the left drive unit 420L like the first left-turning knife 410L'. As a result, the left side portion of the jacket W1 is folded along the first left torso tri-folding gauge 310L and the second left torso tri-folding gauge 350L, which are arranged in a straight line (see FIG. 18).

[0053] In this state, the first right-turning knife 410R is moved leftward by the right drive unit 420R like the first right-turning knife 410R'. As a result, the right side of the jacket W1 is folded along the first right-hand third-folding gauge 310R and the second right-hand third-folding gauge 350R, which are arranged in a straight line. In this way, the jacket W1 is folded vertically in thirds (see FIG. 19).

[0054] Next, the jacket W1 folded vertically in thirds is positioned so as to straddle the gap G between the conveying section 30 and the diagonal conveying section 40 (see FIG. 20). At this time, the knife section 510 in the final horizontal folding section 500 is moved downward by the knife vertical driving section 520. This causes the knife section 510 to push the jacket W1 folded vertically in thirds into the gap G (see FIG. 21). This allows the jacket W1 folded vertically in thirds to be further folded horizontally in two (see FIG. 22).

[0055] The jacket W1, which has been further folded twice horizontally, is carried to an openable / closable section 70, and when the openable / closable section 70 opens, the jacket W1 falls onto the final conveyor 80 and is piled up (see FIG. 23).

[0056] Next, a process for folding trousers W2, which are folded in half lengthwise in advance, among the fabrics W, using the fabric folding device 10 configured as described above will be described. Although not shown, towels, which are relatively narrow like the trousers W2 folded in half lengthwise in advance, can also be folded in the same way. The trousers W2 are attached to the trouser clamp 170 (see FIG. 24). The trousers W2 are dragged along the insertion guide 180, which is L-shaped in a side view. In the case of trousers W2, the sleeve guides 190, 190 are not used.

[0057] The trousers W2 are placed on the inserting and conveying section 100 by the trouser clamp 170, and are moved from the front F to the rear R by the inserting and conveying section 100 (see FIG. 25).

[0058] Next, the trousers W2 are inverted by the inverting unit 20. That is, when the trousers W2 on the first belt unit 105 approach the third roll unit 103, which is a cylindrical roller in the input / conveying unit 100, the trousers W2 are caught between the first belt unit 105 and the conveyor belt unit 25 in the inverting unit 20.

[0059] The trousers W2 are inverted by the inversion unit 20 (see FIG. 26). That is, the trousers W2 change their position so that the surface facing upward faces downward by the inversion unit 20, and also change their moving direction from backward R to forward F.

[0060] The trousers W2 are conveyed from the inverting section 20 to the conveying section 30 by the hem sensor 250 (see FIG. 27). As a result, the trousers W2 are positioned at a predetermined position. At this time, the trousers W2 are positioned between the pair of second right waist tri-fold gauges 350R and 350L in a side view and the diagonal conveying section 40.

[0061] Next, the bottom portion of the pants W2 is folded horizontally by the horizontal folding unit 200. Specifically, as the cylinder unit 210 of the drive unit 205 extends, the rack unit 211 moves, and by engaging with the rack unit 211, the pinion unit 212 rotates. As the rotation shaft 202 attached to the rotation center of the pinion unit 212 rotates, the multiple horizontal folding members 201 attached thereto rotate (see FIG. 29). The multiple horizontal folding members 201 emerge above the conveyor belt unit 25 through gaps X in the band-like belts of the conveyor belt unit 25. At this time, the bottom portion of the pants W2 is folded horizontally as the multiple horizontal folding members 201 of the horizontal folding unit 200 emerge above the conveyor belt unit 25, and the pants W2 are folded so as to shorten the length (see FIG. 30).

[0062] Next, by performing the reverse operation to the above, the plurality of horizontal folding members 201 are again positioned so as to return from the gaps X between the plurality of band-shaped belts of the conveyor belt unit 25 to a position directly below the conveyor belt unit 25 (see FIG. 31). The trousers W2 are then conveyed by the conveyor unit 40 diagonally downward, from a slight rear R to a slight front F. As a result, a portion of the trousers W2 is placed on the conveyor unit 30, and another portion of the trousers W2 is placed on the conveyor unit 40. However, the trousers W2, which have been folded in half lengthwise and attached in advance, are not folded lengthwise by the vertical folding unit 300 because their width is narrow.

[0063] However, the pair of first right and left waist tri-fold gauges 310R and 310L are driven to hold down the trousers W2. That is, when the first cylinder 321 is driven, the first rack 322 attached to the cylinder 321 moves in the front-to-rear direction and engages with the first rack 322 to rotate the first pinion 323, which in turn rotates the first rotating shaft 324 attached to the first rack 322. As a result, the pair of first right and left waist tri-fold gauges 310R and 310L attached to the first pinion 323 rotate from directly below the gap X between the belts of the conveyor belt unit 25 and emerge above the conveyor belt unit 25. As a result, the trousers W2 are positioned between the pair of first right and left waist tri-fold gauges 310R and 310L and the conveyor unit 30 (see FIG. 34).

[0064] At this time, the trousers W2 are placed on the diagonal conveying section 40 and are arranged in the conveying section 30. In this state, the first right-turning knife 410R and the first left-turning knife 410L move upward, but there is no change in the trousers W2.

[0065] Next, the trousers W2, with their bottoms still folded in two, are positioned across the gap G between the conveying section 30 and the diagonal conveying section 40. At this time, the knife section 510 in the final horizontal folding section 500 is moved downward by the knife vertical driving section 520 (see FIG. 35). This causes the knife section 510 to push the trousers W2 into the gap G. This allows the trousers W2 to be further folded in two horizontally (see FIG. 36).

[0066] The pants W2 folded twice horizontally are then transported to an openable / closable opening / closing section 70, which opens, causing the pants W2 to fall onto a final conveyor 80 and be piled up (see FIG. 37).

[0067] As described above, the inverting unit 20 that inverts the fabric W, the horizontal folding unit 200, the vertical folding unit 300, and the final horizontal folding unit 500 that horizontally folds the fabric W are all concentrated near the conveying unit 30, so the fabric folding device 10 configured as described above has these functions configured compactly. Therefore, it can be installed in places other than linen factories where large devices can be installed. For example, it can be installed in coin laundries and dry cleaners for general consumers in cities. However, it goes without saying that it is not limited to these. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 10 Fabric folding device 20 Reversal section 30 Conveying section 40 Diagonal conveying section 100 Input transport section 150 Cloth attachment part 200 Horizontal fold 300 Vertical fold 310R 1st Right Body Tri-Fold Gauge 310L 1st Left Tri-fold Gauge 350R Second Right Tri-fold Gauge 350L Second left body tri-fold gauge 500 Final horizontal fold 510 Knife section 520 Knife up / down drive unit

Claims

1. a reversing unit that reverses the fabric conveyed from the front to the rear; a conveying section that conveys the fabric that has been inverted by the inverting section from rear to front; a conveyance auxiliary roller for pressing down the cloth; a horizontal folding unit that horizontally folds the fabric material transported by the transport unit, the horizontal folding unit has a horizontal folding member that folds the fabric horizontally, the inverting unit has a conveyor belt unit, the conveying belt unit is shared by the conveying unit, the reversing unit and the conveying unit are configured as an integrated unit, and the conveying auxiliary roller is disposed on the conveying unit; The cloth folding device is configured such that the horizontal folding member is disposed directly below the conveying section and appears above the conveying section when the cloth is folded horizontally.

2. a longitudinal folding unit that longitudinally folds the fabric conveyed by the conveying unit, The vertical folding unit has a pair of a first right body three-fold gauge and a first left body three-fold gauge that determine a vertical fold line of the fabric, 2. The fabric folding device according to claim 1, wherein the pair of first right and left three-fold gauges appear above the fabric conveyed by the conveying section when the fabric is folded lengthwise.

3. The vertical folding section includes a pair of second right and left three-fold gauges that determine the fold lines of the fabric, and a vertical folding unit section. The vertical folding unit includes a first right folding knife and a first left folding knife that fold the fabric vertically, The first right folding knife folds the cloth lengthwise along the first right trunk three-fold gauge and the second right trunk three-fold gauge, 3. The cloth folding device according to claim 2, wherein the first left folding knife folds the cloth lengthwise along the first left trunk three-fold gauge and the second left trunk three-fold gauge.

4. The first right waist three-fold gauge and the second right waist three-fold gauge are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the cloth, 4. The cloth folding device according to claim 3, wherein the first left waist three-fold gauge and the second left waist three-fold gauge are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the cloth.

5. an input conveying section that conveys the cloth to the inverting section; an oblique conveying section for further conveying the cloth; and 5. The cloth folding device according to claim 4, wherein the vertical folding unit is disposed below the input conveying section and above the oblique conveying section.

6. an oblique conveying unit disposed in front of the conveying unit with a gap therebetween; a final horizontal folding section for folding the fabric twice horizontally, the final horizontal folding unit has a knife unit that folds the fabric in two, 2. The cloth folding device according to claim 1, wherein the knife section folds the cloth laterally when the cloth is placed across the gap.

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