Folding device for disposable sanitary products

Abstract

The present invention provides a folding device for disposable sanitary products, comprising: a first conveying part for conveying the disposable sanitary products along a first path; a second conveying part for conveying the disposable sanitary products along a second path extending in a direction intersecting the first path; a folding mechanism with a folding component for folding the disposable sanitary products between the first conveying part and the second conveying part; a driving mechanism connected to the folding component, for driving the folding component to move back and forth linearly along the second path direction between a folding position and a retreat position; and a guiding mechanism, in the extension direction of the first path, or based on the extension line of the first path, guiding the front end of the disposable sanitary products to the opposite side of the second conveying part. The driving mechanism is a structure in which at least one pulley is directly connected to a servo motor, and a synchronous belt is hung on the outer periphery of the pulley in a ring path. The folding device of the present invention can perform high-speed folding while avoiding wrinkles in the disposable sanitary products.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of disposable sanitary product manufacturing equipment, in particular to the field of manufacturing equipment for diapers, pull-on pants, women's sanitary pants, etc., and specifically is a folding device for disposable sanitary products. Background Art

[0002] In the existing folding method and apparatus for disposable sanitary products, the disposable sanitary products are conveyed by a conveying section formed by a pair of conveying surfaces moving in the same direction, and the disposable sanitary products are folded by pressing a folding member into the middle of the disposable sanitary products being conveyed.

[0003] The patent document of "A folding device for a sheet-like structure" with Chinese patent publication number CN203568565U discloses that the folding component is a plate component, which has a disc portion coaxially arranged with the rotation axis of the rotating shaft and a pair of blades protruding radially outward from the disc portion, and the two blades are arranged at intervals of 180° around the rotation axis of the rotating shaft. The folding component is driven by a driving mechanism to rotate in a manner of sequentially passing through a retreat position and a folding position. The retreat position is a position that avoids contact with sheet-like articles discharged from the outlet of the two sets of conveyor belt assemblies (first conveying section). The folding position is a position in which a part of the folding component (blades) is pressed into the introduction port from a position (upper position) on the opposite side of the two sets of conveyor belt assemblies (second conveying section) relative to the sheet-like articles discharged from the outlet to fold the sheet-like articles and guide the folded sheet-like articles into the introduction port.

[0004] The folding member is a blade, which rotates around a rotation axis perpendicular to the direction of the second conveying section and contacts the middle part of the sheet article during folding. As the sheet article is pressed into the conveying section, the blade rotates and the sheet article and the blade move relative to each other in a direction intersecting the conveying direction, generating friction, which causes wrinkles in the sheet article and affects the beauty of the folded sheet article. Summary of the invention

[0005] As described above, in the folding device for sheet-like structures disclosed in the above patent document, the folding member and the sheet-like article to be folded generate friction, so the sheet-like article will be wrinkled and the folded beauty of the sheet-like article will be affected. In addition, the blades are arranged at intervals of 180° around the rotation axis of the rotating shaft, that is, the two blades (folding members) fold the sheet-like article in turn, and the folding speed is limited, so that high-speed folding is not possible.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention provides a folding device for disposable sanitary products, which can prevent the disposable sanitary products from generating wrinkles when being folded, thereby preventing the folding beauty of the sheet-like articles from being affected.

[0007] Furthermore, the present invention provides a folding device for disposable sanitary products capable of achieving high-speed folding.

[0008] The present invention also provides a folding device for disposable sanitary products, which can correspond to disposable sanitary products of different sizes by simply adjusting the folding device.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention also provides a folding device for disposable sanitary products, which can prevent the folding device from shaking during high-speed folding.

[0010] The present invention provides a folding device for disposable sanitary products, comprising: a first conveying portion, which conveys the disposable sanitary product along a first path while clamping the disposable sanitary product from both sides, and has a guide outlet arranged at the terminal end of the first path; a second conveying portion, which conveys the disposable sanitary product from the terminal end of the first path along a second path extending in a direction intersecting the first path while clamping the disposable sanitary product from both sides, and has an introduction outlet arranged at the starting end of the second path; a folding mechanism having a folding component, which is used to fold the disposable sanitary product between the first conveying portion and the second conveying portion; a driving mechanism, which is connected to the folding component and is used to drive the folding component to move back and forth linearly in the direction of the second path between a folding position and a retreat position, wherein the folding The folding position is a position in which the disposable sanitary product delivered from the guide port is folded by pressing a portion of the folding component into the guide port along the direction of the second path, and the folded disposable sanitary product is guided into the guide port, and the retreat position is a position in which the folding component is separated from the guide port after the folding component moves linearly in a direction opposite to the second path; and a guiding mechanism, which guides the leading end of the disposable sanitary product guided out of the guide port to the opposite side of the second conveying portion in the extension direction of the first path or based on the extension line of the first path when the base end of the disposable sanitary product is clamped by the first conveying portion from both sides, and the driving mechanism is a structure in which at least one pulley is directly connected to a servo motor and a synchronous belt is hung on the outer periphery of the pulley in a ring path.

[0011] The “front and back sides” mentioned above refer to one side of the disposable sanitary product facing outward and the two sides opposite thereto.

[0012] The driving mechanism mentioned above can be a structure that can make the folding member move back and forth in a straight line, and can generally be a combination of a pressing member such as a spring and a motor that moves the folding member in accordance with the pressing force, or a combination of a motor and a connecting mechanism. In the present invention, a servo motor is used as a driving device, which can more easily cope with changes in the timing and range of movement of the folding member when the size of the disposable sanitary product is changed, and can achieve high speed. The high speed will be described later.

[0013] The folding components in the folding mechanism are connected to the driving mechanism. The driving mechanism preferably has a servo motor directly connected to the pulley, and a synchronous belt is hung on the outer peripheral structure of the pulley in a ring path, wherein at least one of the pulleys of the synchronous belt is driven by a servo motor, and the driving mechanism adopts a synchronous belt form, which can realize the folding components to move back and forth quickly in a straight line along a direction consistent with the second conveying part, so that the entire folding mechanism is not wear-resistant and has a simple structure and low cost.

[0014] Since the driving mechanism uses a servo motor directly connected to the pulley, as long as the servo motor rotates forward and backward, the folding component can be made to move back and forth in a straight line in the direction of the second conveying part through the synchronous belt provided on the outer periphery of the pulley. In addition, the cooperative position of the folding component toward the synchronous belt can be changed by controlling the rotation range of the servo motor, the range of the reciprocating linear motion of the folding component can be changed, and the change of the size of the sanitary product can be more easily responded to.

[0015] Preferably, the synchronous belt is a toothed belt, and the corresponding belt pulley is also a toothed belt pulley. It is further preferred that the core wire of the synchronous belt is made of carbon fiber material to meet the lightweight characteristics under high-speed conditions. And preferably, the driving mechanism also includes guide wheels respectively arranged on both sides of the synchronous belt on one side of the annular path in the width direction, which are used to correct and guide the synchronous belt during the linear reciprocating motion of the folding component.

[0016] Preferably, the folding mechanism further comprises a plurality of rollers arranged on a side of the folding component away from the toothed portion of the synchronous belt and used to cooperate with the linear reciprocating motion of the folding component, wherein the rollers roll tangentially to the folding component, thereby enabling the folding component to run more stably and smoothly when running at a high speed.

[0017] Preferably, the folding mechanism further comprises a linkage member connecting the synchronous belt with the folding component. The linkage member is also equipped with a sensed portion, and the folding mechanism further comprises a first sensor, a second sensor and a third sensor capable of detecting the position of the folding component through the sensed portion, wherein the first sensor is used to detect the lower limit position of the folding component, the second sensor is used to detect the upper limit position of the folding component, and the third sensor is used to detect the origin return position of the folding component. The position of the sensed portion can be detected by the first sensor, the second sensor and the third sensor, or the front end of the folding component can be directly detected. The sensed portion can also be arranged on the material that moves back and forth, or can be arranged outside the cooperative component, at a suitable position of the folding component or the synchronous belt. According to such a structure, the folding component is driven by the servo motor to move back and forth linearly along the direction of the second path with accurate positioning, so as to drive the folding component by moving back and forth linearly along the direction of the second path between the folding position and the retreat position.

[0018] Preferably, the folding component is a "Y"-shaped plate structure, including a mounting portion that fits the synchronous belt and a folding portion that is pressed into the introduction port to fold the disposable sanitary product, and the width of the mounting portion is smaller than the width of the folding portion. This special arrangement is to take into account the balance problem of the folding component during movement, so that it does not shake when it moves at high speed.

[0019] Preferably, the driving mechanism is switched between the folded position and the retracted position and is controlled by a synchronization signal of an encoder or a cam curve.

[0020] Preferably, the second path is perpendicular to the first path, and the disposable sanitary product is folded by the folding component in a straight state, so that wrinkles are not easily generated, which is conducive to the folding of the disposable sanitary product and can also avoid the problem of asymmetric folding and size deviation of the disposable sanitary product caused by wrinkles.

[0021] The folding device for disposable sanitary products according to the present invention can prevent wrinkles from being generated in the folding process of disposable sanitary products, and effectively ensure the folding effect. In addition, the folding device has a simple structure and is easy to control, and can realize the rapid conversion of the folding mechanism between the folding position and the retreat position. In addition, the servo motor can be adjusted to correspond to disposable sanitary products of different sizes, providing convenience for product code change. At the same time, the folding efficiency is effectively guaranteed, and it is suitable for high-speed folding. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall structure of the folding device of Example 1 of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2is a diagram showing the structure of a pull-up pants as a disposable sanitary product in the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 The pull-up pants are shown in a state after being folded by the folding device of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 is a front view of the folding mechanism of Example 1;

[0026] Figure 5 is a side view of the folding mechanism of Example 1 (mainly showing the roller part);

[0027] Figure 6 is a side view of the folding mechanism of Example 1 (mainly showing the folding component and the sensor part);

[0028] Figure 7 Yes means Figure 6 A diagram of the installation relationship and structure of the linkage parts and folding parts;

[0029] Figure 8 is a partial view of the folding mechanism portion of Example 1;

[0030] Fig. 9 is a state diagram of the folding member in the folding device of Example 1 being driven to one of the retreat positions (the folding member in this position is about to enter the folding position);

[0031] Fig.10 is a state diagram of the folding component in the folding device of Example 1 being driven to the folding position;

[0032] Fig.11 This is a three-dimensional diagram of the folding mechanism of Example 1:

[0033] Fig.12 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the folding device of Example 2 of the present invention;

[0034] Fig.13 is a partial view of the folding mechanism portion of Example 2;

[0035] Fig.14 is a state diagram of the folding component in the folding device of Example 2 being driven to one of the retreat positions (the folding component in this position is about to enter the folding position);

[0036] Fig.15 This is a state diagram of the folding member in the folding device of Example 2 being driven to the folded position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Figure 2 and Figure 3An example of a disposable sanitary product folded by the folding device of the present invention is shown, namely a pull-up pants S. The disposable sanitary product is of course not limited to the pull-up pants, and may also be a disposable sanitary product such as a diaper, a sanitary pants for women, etc.

[0038] The pull-up pants S include: an absorbent body S1 for absorbing urine and an elastic waist S2 connected to the absorbent body S1. The folding device 1 described below is used to fold the pull-up pants S along a folding line S3 set at the center of the long side of the pull-up pants S. In this specification, the folding line S3 is set at the center of the long side of the pull-up pants S as an example, but in actual implementation, the folding line S3 can be set at any position of the disposable sanitary product. Figure 3 1 shows the state of the pull-up pants S after being folded by the folding device 1. It should be noted that, when the pull-up pants S are folded Figure 2 Fold into Figure 3 During the process, the folding of both sides of the elastic waist S2 of the pull-up pants S is realized in the front stage process of the folding device 1, rather than being folded by the folding device 1 of the present invention. The folding device 1 of the present invention folds the pull-up pants S along the folding line S3.

[0039] Example 1

[0040] Figure 1 Schematic diagram showing the overall structure of the folding device of Example 1 of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the folding device 1 of the present invention includes: a conveying mechanism 2 for conveying pull-up pants S; a folding mechanism 3 for folding the pull-up pants S conveyed by the conveying mechanism 2; a guiding mechanism 4 for guiding the pull-up pants S to make it into a posture that is easy to be folded by the folding mechanism 3; and a supporting part 5 that supports the conveying mechanism 2, the folding mechanism 3 and the guiding mechanism 4.

[0041] The conveying mechanism 2 includes: a first belt assembly 6, a second belt assembly 7 for conveying the pull-up pants S between the first belt assembly 6, a third belt assembly 8 for conveying the pull-up pants S between the second belt assembly, a fourth belt assembly 9 for conveying the pull-up pants S between the third belt assembly 8, and a fifth belt assembly 10 for conveying the pull-up pants S between the fourth belt assembly 9.

[0042] The first belt assembly 6 includes: a first belt 6a and a plurality of first pulleys 6b to 6e for hanging the first belt 6a along an annular path. The first belt 6a has a portion arranged along a first path R1 parallel to the horizontal direction when hung on the first pulleys 6b to 6e. The parallel mentioned here also includes that the first path R1 is approximately parallel or substantially parallel to the horizontal direction.

[0043] The second belt assembly 7 includes: a second belt 7a and a plurality of second pulleys 7b to 7e for hanging the second belt 7a along an annular path. When the second belt 7a is hung on the second pulleys 7b to 7e, the second belt 7a has a portion arranged along the first path R1 and a portion arranged along the second path R2 inclined relative to the first path R1. Figure 8 As shown, the second path R2 is a path extending from the terminal of the first path R1 to a direction intersecting the first path R1. The angle formed between the second path R2 and a vertical line R12 perpendicular to the first path R1 is an inclined angle A.

[0044] Reference Figure 1 The third belt assembly 8 includes: a third belt 8a and a plurality of third pulleys 8b to 8f for hanging the third belt 8a along the annular path. The third belt 8a, when hung on 8b to 8f, has a portion arranged along the second path R2 and a portion arranged along the third path R3 inclined relative to the second path R2. Here, the third path R3 is parallel to the first path R1, and the term "parallel" here also includes that the two are approximately parallel or substantially parallel. That is, the third path R3 is inclined at an angle C (=angle A+90°) relative to the second path R2.

[0045] The fourth belt assembly 9 includes a fourth belt 9a and a plurality of fourth pulleys 9b to 9d for hanging the fourth belt 9a along an endless path. The fourth belt 9a has a portion arranged along the third path R3 when hung on the fourth pulleys 9b to 9d.

[0046] The fifth belt assembly 10 includes a fifth belt 10a and a plurality of fifth pulleys 10b to 10d for hanging the fifth belt 10a along an endless path. The fifth belt 10a has a portion arranged along the third path R3 when hung on the fifth pulleys 10b to 10d.

[0047] The first belt assembly 6 and the second belt assembly 7 constitute the first conveying section 2A, and the first conveying section 2A conveys the pull-up pants S along the first path R1 while sandwiching the pull-up pants S from both sides. Here, a guide port 11a is formed between the first belt assembly 6 and the second belt assembly 7 at a position corresponding to the terminal end of the first path R1.

[0048] The second belt assembly 7 and the third belt assembly 8 constitute the second conveying section 2B, and the second conveying section 2B conveys the pull-up pants S from the introduction port 11b along the second path R2 while clamping the pull-up pants S from both sides. Here, between the second belt assembly 7 and the third belt assembly 8, the introduction port 11b is formed at a position corresponding to the starting end of the second path R2, and the outlet port 11c is formed at a position corresponding to the terminal end of the second path R2.

[0049] The third belt assembly 8, the fourth belt assembly 9, and the fifth belt assembly 10 constitute the third conveying section 2C, which conveys the pull-up pants S received from the second conveying section 2B along the third path R3. Here, the fifth belt assembly 10 is arranged so that its extension line intersects with the second path R2, so that the third conveying section 2C can convey the pull-up pants S led out from the lead-out port 11c of the second conveying section 2B from the lead-in port 11d along the third path R3. Thus, the conveying mechanism 2 conveys the pull-up pants S along the first path R1, the second path R2, and the third path R3 in sequence.

[0050] Figure 4 and Figure 5 The front view and side view of the folding mechanism of this embodiment are shown respectively. Figure 4 and Figure 5 It can be seen that the folding mechanism 3 is used to fold the pull-up pants S between the outlet 11a of the first conveying part 2A and the inlet 11b of the second conveying part 2B. Specifically, the folding mechanism 3 includes a folding member 18 for folding the pull-up pants S and a driving mechanism 30 for driving the folding member 18 to move back and forth in a straight line in the direction of the second path R2.

[0051] The driving mechanism 30 includes: a servo motor 12 fixed to the support part 5 through a fixing part 11, a first pulley 13 connected to the output shaft of the servo motor 12 via a synchronous belt 15, and a second pulley 14 also fixed to the fixing part 11 on the side away from the servo motor 12. Of course, the second pulley 14 can also be directly driven by another servo motor that is not the servo motor 12, but in this embodiment, only one servo motor 12 is used to drive it. Specifically, the second pulley 14 is installed on the side of the fixing part 11 away from the servo motor 12 through a supporting part 16, and the second pulley 14 can also adjust its position up and down relative to the fixing part 11 through the supporting part 16 to tension the synchronous belt 15. The first pulley 13 and the second pulley 14 are connected by the synchronous belt 15 into a ring path and are linked together. The synchronous belt is preferably a toothed belt, and the corresponding belt pulley also adopts a toothed pulley. It is preferred that the core wire of the synchronous belt contains carbon fiber material to meet the lightweight characteristics under high-speed conditions. The driving mechanism 30 also includes a guide wheel 21, one of which is arranged on each side in the width direction of one side of the synchronous belt 15 of the annular path. The two guide wheels 21 are installed on the fixed part 11 through a fixing seat, and are used to correct and guide the synchronous belt 15 during the linear reciprocating motion of the folding part 18.

[0052] In the present invention, in order to achieve high-speed folding, the drive motor 12 used in the drive mechanism 30 is not an ordinary motor, but a high-speed, low-inertia motor suitable for high-frequency speed change and forward and reverse reciprocating motion.

[0053] In addition, the first pulley 13 and the second pulley 14 in the driving mechanism 30 are made of aluminum. The pulley used in the present invention is a smaller pulley with a number of teeth less than 80. The smaller pulley has a smaller number of teeth and is lighter in weight. It is generally made of iron, while a larger pulley with a number of teeth greater than 80 will be made of aluminum. The size of the pulley is generally selected based on, for example, 80 teeth. That is, the smaller pulley used in the present invention is not made of iron as usual, but of aluminum. Since the density of aluminum is only 1 / 3 of that of iron, the present invention greatly reduces the weight of the synchronous pulley, improves the transmission accuracy, achieves lightweight, and is more suitable for high-speed operation.

[0054] Furthermore, in the present invention, the synchronous belt 15 arranged in a ring path may be designed with a layered material, for example, the main body is made of high-strength polyurethane rubber (UR), the core wire is made of carbon fiber, and the teeth are made of high-strength nylon canvas. The use of carbon fiber material for the middle core wire is also to achieve lightweight and meet high-speed operation.

[0055] As described above, the selection and material of each component involved in the motion of the drive mechanism 30 are different from those of the conventional drive mechanism, and the arrangement is more lightweight, especially suitable for high-speed operation, thereby realizing fast reciprocating linear motion. At the same time, the lightweight design can prevent the entire folding mechanism from being worn during high-speed operation, and the device is relatively simple and low-cost compared with the conventional transmission structure.

[0056] The folding component 18 is connected to the driving mechanism 30. Specifically, the folding component 18 is fixed to one side of the synchronous belt 15 (the side opposite to the guide wheel 21). According to the above structure, when the servo motor 12 in the driving mechanism 30 rotates forward or reversely, the folding component 18 realizes downward and upward linear motion. When the servo motor 12 rotates clockwise, the first pulley 13 also rotates clockwise, and the folding component 18 moves linearly downward so that it can reach the folding position. The pull-up pants S sent out from the outlet 11a are folded by pressing a part of the folding component 18 into the inlet 11b along the direction of the second path R2, and the folded pull-up pants S are guided to the position inside the inlet 11b, becoming Fig.10 When the servo motor 12 rotates counterclockwise, the first pulley 13 also rotates counterclockwise, and the folding member 18 moves linearly upward to reach the retracted position. After the folding member 18 moves linearly in the opposite direction along the direction of the second path R2, the folding member 18 is separated from the position of the introduction port 11b and becomes Figure 8 Status shown.

[0057] The folding mechanism 3 also includes a linkage member 17 disposed inside the synchronous belt 15 and connected to the folding member 18. The linkage member 17 is connected to the synchronous belt 15. Therefore, a side of the linkage member 17 connected to the synchronous belt 15 is also provided with a tooth shape, which matches the tooth shape of the synchronous belt 15. Figure 4 and Figure 6 The folding member 18 is connected to the synchronous belt 15 through the linkage member 17. The linkage member 17 is also provided with a sensed portion 27 which can be sensed by a sensor described later.

[0058] In the present invention, the linkage member 17 has a tooth shape corresponding to the tooth shape of the synchronous belt 15 on the side facing the synchronous belt 15, and the linkage member 17 is combined with the synchronous belt 15 through the tooth shape, and is fixed to the folding member 18 through the synchronous belt 15. That is, the folding member 18 is fixed to the synchronous belt 15 through the tooth shape on the linkage member 17 and moves back and forth with the servo motor 12. The general screw connection will loosen during high-speed reciprocating operation, while the tooth-matching transmission method adopted in the present invention can ensure that the connection between the folding member 18 and the synchronous belt 15 is completely fixed during high-speed reciprocating motion, and will not loosen due to loose fixation at high speed, and will not cause the position of the folding member 18 itself to deviate, thereby ensuring the stability of the transmission at high speed, and further accurately controlling the position of the folding member 18.

[0059] In addition, the folding component 18 is completely fixed together with the synchronous belt 15 through the linkage 17, thereby forming the folding component 18 and the synchronous belt 15 into a whole. When the servo motor 12 rotates forward or reversely, the folding component 18 and the synchronous belt 15 as a whole rise or fall, so no wear will occur.

[0060] Figure 7 The installation relationship and structure of the linkage member 17 and the folding member 18 are shown, and the synchronous belt 15 between the two is not shown. Figure 7 As shown, the folding part 18 is a "Y"-shaped plate structure, including a mounting portion 18a and a folding portion 18b. The width of the mounting portion 18a that fits the synchronous belt is smaller than the width of the folding portion 18b that is used to press into the introduction port 11b to fold the pull-up pants S. The width of the folding portion 18b is at least greater than 1 / 2 of the width of the pull-up pants S, and preferably not less than the overall width of the pull-up pants S. Of course, in order to meet the demand for lightweight, the width of the folding portion 18b cannot be too large. Preferably, the width of the folding portion 18b is greater than the width of the pull-up pants S and less than 1.5 times the width of the pull-up pants S.

[0061] Since the folding member 18 is a "Y"-shaped plate structure, in order to prevent the folding member 18 from shaking due to high speed during the high-frequency reciprocating motion, the width of the folding portion 18b that contacts and folds the pull-up pants S is set wider to ensure the dynamic balance of the folding member 18. The mounting portion on the folding member 18 adopts a long waist hole structure, which facilitates the adjustment of the position of the folding member 18 relative to the synchronous belt 15 in the same direction or the opposite direction of the second path R2, and also facilitates the adjustment of pull-up pants S of different sizes when folding.

[0062] like Figure 5 As shown, the folding mechanism 3 further includes a plurality of rollers 20 disposed on the side of the folding component 18 away from the toothed shape of the synchronous belt 15, and used to cooperate with the linear reciprocating motion of the folding component 18. Two groups of rollers 20 are disposed above and below, and each group includes a plurality of rollers. The specific number of rollers 20 can be determined according to the length and width of the folding component 18, and the two groups of rollers 20 are fixed to the fixing part 11 through the plate component 19. The rollers 20 are in a tangential relationship with the folding component 18 and can roll, so that the folding component 18 can run more steadily and smoothly under high-speed operation.

[0063] Fig.11 3 is a perspective view of the folding mechanism 3. From this figure, the positional relationship and connection relationship of the servo motor 12, the first pulley 13 and the second pulley 14, the timing belt 15, the linkage 17, the folding component 18, and the roller 20 can be intuitively seen.

[0064] The folding mechanism 3 further includes a first sensor 24, a second sensor 25, and a third sensor 26 mounted on the plate member 19 via a bending member 28. The first sensor 24 is used to detect the lower limit position of the folding member 18. The second sensor 25 is used to detect the upper limit position of the folding member 18. The third sensor 26 is used to detect the origin return position of the folding member 18. Figure 1 and Fig.10 As shown, when the pull-up pants S are to be folded, under the clockwise drive of the servo motor 12, the sensed portion 27 on the linkage 17 moves along the direction of the second path R2 with the synchronous belt 15 until it reaches the folding position, at which time the servo motor 12 stops rotating. The first sensor 24 is set at the lower limit position slightly downstream of the second path R2 than the folding position. Under normal circumstances, the sensed portion 27 stops when it reaches the folding position and will not be detected by the first sensor 24. If the first sensor 24 detects the sensed portion 27, it means that the sensed portion 27 has crossed the lower limit position. At this time, the detection signal of the first sensor 24 is used as an alarm signal to trigger the servo motor 12 to stop. Figure 1 and Figure 8As shown, when the pull-up pants S are folded, the servo motor 12 rotates counterclockwise, and the sensing component 27 on the linkage 17 moves along with the synchronous belt 15 in the direction opposite to the direction of the second path R2 until it reaches the retreat position, at which time the servo motor 12 stops rotating. The second sensor 25 is set at a position slightly closer to the upper limit of the second path R2 than the retreat position. Under normal circumstances, the sensed part 27 stops when it reaches the retreat position and will not be detected by the second sensor 25. If the second sensor 25 detects the sensed part 27, it means that the sensed part 27 has passed the upper limit position. At this time, the detection signal of the second sensor 25 is used as an alarm signal to trigger the servo motor 12 to stop. Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, when the device is restarted or the folding mechanism 3 needs to be reset, the sensed component 27 on the linkage 17 moves along the direction of the second path R2 or the opposite direction with the synchronous belt 15 until it is detected by the third sensor 26, and the folding component 18 in the folding mechanism 3 returns to the initially set position. The direction in which the sensed component 27 moves depends on the position of the folding component 18 before the reset.

[0065] The driving mechanism 30 switches between the folding position and the retreat position, and its control method can adopt the synchronous signal method of the encoder or the cam curve method. When the synchronous signal control method of the encoder is adopted, the values ​​of the start synchronization signals of the folding position and the retreat position are set in the control system respectively, and the values ​​of the synchronization signals corresponding to the disposable sanitary products of different sizes are different. When the folding device 1 receives the value of the start synchronization signal of the folding position, the servo motor 12 is started to rotate clockwise, and the folding component 18 moves linearly downward, that is, to the folding position. Matching the running speed of the production equipment, when the folding line S3 of the pull-up pants S sent out from the outlet 11a reaches the introduction port 11b of the second path R2, a part of the folding component 18 is pressed into the introduction port 11b along the direction of the second path R2, thereby folding the pull-up pants S and guiding the folded pull-up pants S to the position in the introduction port 11b. Among them, the degree of pressing of a part of the folding component 18 into the introduction port 11b can be adjusted according to the size of the actual product. When the pull-up pants S are folded, when the folding device 1 receives the value of the start synchronization signal of the retreat position, the servo motor 12 is started to rotate counterclockwise, and the folding component 18 moves linearly upward, that is, to the retreat position. After the folding component 18 moves linearly in the direction opposite to the direction of the second path, the folding component is separated from the position of the introduction port 11b. In order to make the folding mechanism 3 and the folding device 1 completely synchronized in pace as a whole, a cam curve control method can be adopted, and the designed curve matching the product size is introduced into the control system, so that the servo motor 12 runs completely according to the motion trajectory of the curve. At this time, the servo motor 12 is variable speed during the folding process. In actual operation, the control method can be set according to demand. The control method using the cam curve is more accurate and simpler than the traditional encoder synchronization signal control method, but the design of the cam curve is more complicated, and the curve matching the product size will be designed differently due to the folding of disposable sanitary products of different sizes, that is, one size product corresponds to one cam curve.

[0066] In addition, the folding mechanism 3 further includes an adjusting portion 22 for adjusting the position of the entire mechanism in a direction perpendicular to the second path R2 and a protective cover 23 installed at the front end of the mechanism.

[0067] Figure 8 , Fig. 9 A partial view of the folding device 1 is shown. Figure 8 , Fig. 9As shown, the guide mechanism 4 includes: an L-shaped plate 41 fixed to the support portion 5 via a first mounting portion 42, a covering member 44 fixed to the support portion 5 via a second mounting portion 45, and a direction changing member 43 fixed to the L-shaped plate 41. The covering member 44 is located above the direction changing member 43. The L-shaped plate 41 is inclined upward at an angle B relative to an extension line R11 of the first path R1, and is arranged along an inclined line R13 extending from the terminal of the first path R1, that is, the angle formed by the extension line R11 and the inclined line R13 is an angle B.

[0068] The L-shaped plate 41 includes an inclined portion 41 a fixed to the first mounting portion 42 along an inclined line R13 , and a bent portion 41 b extending from an upper end portion of the inclined portion 41 a to intersect the inclined line R13 .

[0069] The direction changing member 43 is fixed on the inclined portion 41a, and includes: a first changing surface 43a that changes the moving direction of the front end of the pull-up pants S by contacting the front end of the pull-up pants S led out from the lead-out port 11a of the first conveying portion 2A; and a supporting surface 43b that extends from the upper end of the first changing surface 43a along the inclined line R13 and supports the pull-up pants S from below. Fig. 9 shown.

[0070] The pull-up pants S, which is guided out of the guide outlet 11a and has its base end clamped from both sides by the first conveying section 2A formed by the first belt assembly 6 and the second belt assembly 7, has its front end guided by the first conversion surface 43a in a direction away from the second conveying section 2B formed by the second belt assembly 7 and the third belt assembly 8 based on the extension line R11 of the first path R1. In order to achieve such a function, the distance between the first conversion surface 43a and the guide outlet 11a is set to be shorter than the full length of the pull-up pants S. Moreover, the first conversion surface 43a is the extension line R11 ( Figure 8 Therefore, the front end of the pull-up pants S guided out from the guide port 11a contacts the first conversion surface 43a, as shown in FIG. Fig. 9 As shown, the pull-up pants S are guided to the upper side of the extension line R11 of the first path R1, that is, the opposite side of the first belt assembly 6 and the second belt assembly 7. Moreover, the front end portion of the pull-up pants S guided to the upper side of the extension line R11 is supported on the support surface 43b, whereby the front end portion of the pull-up pants S is arranged in the direction where the inclined line R13 is located, thereby forming a curved portion W at the pull-up pants S located outside the introduction port 11b.

[0071] like Figure 8As shown, the covering member 44 covers the direction changing member 43 from above. Specifically, the covering member 44 is a plate member, which is fixed to the support portion 5 through the second mounting portion 45, and the support portion 5 can move in a direction perpendicular to the inclined line R13 to adjust the distance of the covering member 44 relative to the direction changing member 43. The covering member 44 also includes a second changing surface 44a that changes the moving direction of the front end of the pull-up pants S by contacting the front end of the pull-up pants S led out from the lead-out port 11a of the first conveying portion 2A, and is bent in a manner away from the direction changing member 43. Through this bending, the front end of the pull-up pants S can strictly enter between the covering member 44 and the direction changing member 43 along the inclined line R13, so as to facilitate folding by the folding mechanism 3. The second changing surface 44a is located at the position where the lead-out port 11a is located, and the folding mechanism 3 is located at the position where the lead-out port 11a of the first conveying portion 2A is located and above the second changing surface 44a.

[0072] In this embodiment, the position of the folding member 18 is detected using the sensed portion 27 and the first sensor 24, the second sensor 25, and the third sensor 26. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the position of the folding member 18 may be detected from the rotation angle of the rotating shaft of the servo motor 12, for example.

[0073] Example 2

[0074] Compared with the embodiment 1, the difference of this embodiment lies in the conveying mechanism 2' and the guiding and limiting mechanism 4'. Fig.12 Schematic diagram of the overall structure of the folding device of Example 2. Fig.12 As shown, the conveying mechanism 2' of this embodiment is the same as that of Embodiment 1, and also includes: a first belt assembly 6', a second belt assembly 7' for conveying the pull-up pants S between the first belt assembly 6', a third belt assembly 8 for conveying the pull-up pants S between the second belt assembly, a fourth belt assembly 9 for conveying the pull-up pants S between the third belt assembly 8, and a fifth belt assembly 10 for conveying the pull-up pants S between the fourth belt assembly 9.

[0075] The first belt assembly 6' which is different from the first embodiment includes: a first belt 6a' and a plurality of first pulleys 6b'-6f' for hanging the first belt 6a' along the loop path. Fig.12 As shown, the portion of the first belt 6a' between the first pulleys 6d' and 6e' is not along the first path R1', but is arranged at an angle E to the first path R1'. Such an inclined arrangement is equivalent to opening an introduction opening at the first path R1' on the upstream side of the pull-up pants S entering the folding device 1, thereby ensuring that the front end of the pull-up pants S can enter the folding device 1 more easily. In addition, the first belt 6a' has a portion arranged along the first path R1' perpendicular to the folding member 18 of the folding device 3 when it is hung on the first pulleys 6b' to 6f', that is, Fig.13 As shown, the angle D formed by the first path R1' and the folding member 18 is 90°. The vertical here also includes that the first path R1' is approximately vertical or substantially vertical to the folding member 18. The extension line R13' extending along the first path R1', from which the pull-up pants S is in a straight state when it reaches the folding position located at the introduction port 11b. Since the first path R1' is perpendicular to the folding member 18, it is more convenient to fold the pull-up pants S in a straight state from a vertical direction. Such a state is shown in Fig.14 .

[0076] The following explains why folding the pull-up pants S in a straight state from a vertical direction is conducive to folding. First, before entering the folding device 1 of the present invention, the disposable sanitary products (in this embodiment, the pull-up pants S) have been formed and arranged one by one, that is, the disposable sanitary products are discontinuous. Secondly, since the disposable sanitary products are made of a plurality of non-woven fabrics and other materials, and have a certain degree of softness, and are different from articles such as paper with a certain hardness, they will be affected by the angle of the device during the transmission process. For example, in Example 1, the front end of the disposable sanitary product enters and adheres to the direction change component 43 of the guide mechanism 4 after passing through the first path R1. Since the first path R1 and the direction change component 43 are not on the same horizontal line, they have a certain angle. Therefore, the disposable sanitary product is soft, and its front end is not easy to change its trajectory when entering the direction change component 43 of the guide mechanism 4, and it is easy to produce wrinkles or become an unstretched state. After being bent by the folding device, it will cause the folded disposable sanitary product to be asymmetrically folded, that is, the two edges of the disposable sanitary product are not aligned, and one side is long and the other side is short. If the above-mentioned method in Example 2 is adopted, since the first path R1' and the direction-changing component 43 in the guide and limiting mechanism 4' are on the same horizontal line, the product is "lying upright" on the first path R1' and the direction-changing component 43, so the above-mentioned asymmetric folding condition can be avoided or at least improved.

[0077] The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that the guide and limit mechanism 4' is as follows: Fig.13 As shown, the guide limit mechanism 4' comprises: an L-shaped plate 41 fixed to the support part 5 via a first mounting part 42, a direction changing component 43 and a bracket 44' and a limiter 45' fixed to the L-shaped plate 41. The L-shaped plate 41 is arranged parallel to the extension line R13' of the first path R1'.

[0078] The L-shaped plate 41 includes an inclined portion 41 a fixed to the first mounting portion 42 along an extension line R13 ′ of the first path R1 ′, and a bent portion 41 b extending from an upper end of the inclined portion 41 a to intersect the extension line R13 ′.

[0079] The direction changing member 43 is fixed on the inclined portion 41a. The direction changing member 43 includes: a first changing surface 43a that changes the moving direction of the front end of the pull-up pants S by contacting the front end of the pull-up pants S led out from the lead-out port 11a of the first conveying portion 2A; and a supporting surface 43b that extends from the upper end of the first changing surface 43a along the extension line R13' and supports the pull-up pants S from below.

[0080] The bracket 44' includes: a mounted portion 44a' connected to the bent portion 41b of the L-shaped plate 41 and a third mounting portion 44b' perpendicular to the mounted portion 44a', and the mounted portion 44a' is positioned toward the introduction port 11b, that is, the bracket 44' is also an L-shaped structure fixed to the bent portion 41b of the L-shaped plate 41.

[0081] The limiting member 45' includes an adjustment mounting portion 45a' and a contact portion 45b'. The limiting member 45' is mounted on the bracket 44' in an adjustable manner. Specifically, the adjustment mounting portion 45a' is connected to the third mounting portion 44b' of the bracket 44'. The adjustment mounting portion 45a' and the contact portion 45b' are in an L-shaped bending shape, and the contact portion 45b' is bent toward the position of the direction change component 43. The adjustment mounting portion 45a' can be provided with a long waist hole. Before the folding at the introduction port 11b, the pull-up pants S become a straight state, and the contact portion 45b' contacts the front end position of the pull-up pants S, which is used to limit the front end position of the pull-up pants S. The position of the waist hole of the adjustment mounting portion 45a' on the adjustment limiting member 45' corresponds to the front end position of the pull-up pants S of different sizes. Therefore, for example, if the pull-up pants S is changed from the production size M to the size L, the limiting member 45' is adjusted to a position away from the folding mechanism 3 so that it can correspond to the size L pull-up pants S.

[0082] Fig.14 A diagram showing a state in which the folding member in the folding device of this embodiment is driven to one of the retracted positions. Fig. 9 The state is the same as in the embodiment 1 shown, in which the folding member is about to enter the folded position but has not yet done so.

[0083] Fig.15 The folding device 1 of this embodiment is shown in the state where the folding member 18 is driven to the folded position. Fig.15 As shown, the pull-up pants S fed from the introduction port 11b are folded by pressing a portion of the folding member 18 into the introduction port 11b along the direction of the second path R2, and the folded pull-up pants S are guided to a position within the introduction port 11b, thereby reaching the folded position.

[0084] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for those skilled in the art, without departing from the principles and basis of the present invention, they can make several improvements, modifications, replacement of step combinations, etc., and these improvements, modifications, replacement of step combinations, etc. should also be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A folding device for disposable sanitary products, characterized in that: include: A first conveying unit, which conveys the disposable sanitary product along a first path while clamping the disposable sanitary product from both sides thereof, and has a lead-out port disposed at a terminal end of the first path; a second conveying unit, which conveys the disposable sanitary product from the terminal end of the first path along a second path extending in a direction intersecting the first path while sandwiching the disposable sanitary product from both sides thereof, and has an introduction port provided at the starting end of the second path; a folding mechanism having a folding member for folding the disposable sanitary product between the first conveying portion and the second conveying portion; a driving mechanism connected to the folding member, and used to drive the folding member by reciprocating linear motion along a second path between a folding position and a retreat position, wherein the folding position is a position where the disposable sanitary product delivered from the guide port is folded by pressing a portion of the folding member into the guide port along the second path, and the folded disposable sanitary product is guided into the guide port, and the retreat position is a position where the folding member is separated from the guide port after linear motion along a direction opposite to the second path; and a guiding mechanism for guiding the leading end of the disposable sanitary product led out of the lead-out port to the opposite side of the second conveying portion in the extension direction of the first path or based on the extension line of the first path when the base end of the disposable sanitary product is clamped by the first conveying portion from both sides. The driving mechanism is a structure in which at least one pulley is directly connected to a servo motor and a synchronous belt is hung on the outer periphery of the pulley in a ring path.

2. The folding device for disposable sanitary products according to claim 1, characterized in that: The synchronous belt is a toothed belt, and the pulley is a toothed pulley.

3. The folding device for disposable sanitary products according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The core wire of the synchronous belt is made of carbon fiber.

4. The folding device for disposable sanitary products according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The driving mechanism further comprises guide wheels respectively arranged on both sides of the synchronous belt of the annular path in the width direction, for guiding the synchronous belt to correct deviation during the linear reciprocating motion of the folding component.

5. The folding device for disposable sanitary products according to claim 3, characterized in that: The driving mechanism further comprises guide wheels respectively arranged on both sides of the synchronous belt of the annular path in the width direction, for guiding the synchronous belt to correct deviation during the linear reciprocating motion of the folding component.

6. The folding device for disposable sanitary products according to claim 2, characterized in that: The folding mechanism further includes a plurality of rollers disposed on a side of the folding component away from the toothed portion of the synchronous belt and used to cooperate with the linear reciprocating motion of the folding component. The roller rolls tangentially to the folding component.

7. The folding device for disposable sanitary products according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The folding mechanism further comprises a linkage member connecting the synchronous belt and the folding member.

8. The folding device for disposable sanitary products according to claim 3, characterized in that: The folding mechanism further comprises a linkage member connecting the synchronous belt and the folding member.

9. The folding device for disposable sanitary products according to claim 7, characterized in that: The linkage member is also provided with a sensed portion. The folding mechanism further comprises a first sensor, a second sensor and a third sensor capable of detecting the position of the folding member through the sensing portion. The first sensor is used to detect the lower limit position of the folding component. The second sensor is used to detect the upper limit position of the folding component. The third sensor is used to detect the origin return position of the folding member.

10. The folding device for disposable sanitary products according to claim 8, characterized in that: The linkage member is also provided with a sensed portion. The folding mechanism further comprises a first sensor, a second sensor and a third sensor capable of detecting the position of the folding member through the sensing portion. The first sensor is used to detect the lower limit position of the folding component. The second sensor is used to detect the upper limit position of the folding component. The third sensor is used to detect the origin return position of the folding member.

11. The folding device for disposable sanitary products according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The folding component is a "Y"-shaped plate structure, including a mounting portion that fits the synchronous belt and a folding portion that is pressed into the introduction port to fold the disposable sanitary product. The width of the mounting portion is smaller than the width of the folding portion.

12. The folding device for disposable sanitary products according to claim 3, characterized in that: The folding component is a "Y"-shaped plate structure, including a mounting portion that fits the synchronous belt and a folding portion that is pressed into the introduction port to fold the disposable sanitary product. The width of the mounting portion is smaller than the width of the folding portion.

13. The folding device for disposable sanitary products according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The driving mechanism switches between the folding position and the retracted position and is controlled by a synchronous signal of an encoder or a cam curve.

14. The folding device for disposable sanitary products according to claim 3, characterized in that: The driving mechanism switches between the folding position and the retracted position and is controlled by a synchronous signal of an encoder or a cam curve.

15. The folding device for disposable sanitary products according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The second path is perpendicular to the first path, The disposable sanitary product is folded by the folding member in a straight state.

16. The folding device for disposable sanitary products according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second path is perpendicular to the first path, The disposable sanitary product is folded by the folding member in a straight state.

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