Fabric handling system

Abstract

The cloth conveying system (10) comprises a first holding device (12) and a second holding device (13) for holding an upper limb cloth piece of a stuffed toy. Any holding device (12, 13) can switch between a state in which the cloth is held by protruding a needle and piercing the upper limb cloth piece, and a state in which the needle is sunken and does not pierce the upper limb cloth piece. A moving device (15) moves the first holding device (12) and the second holding device (13) relatively in such a way that the upper limb cloth piece held by the first holding device (12) is sandwiched between the first holding device (12) and the second holding device (13).

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application is based on Japanese application No. 2019-208118 filed on November 18, 2019, and the contents thereof are cited herein. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a cloth transporting system. Background Art

[0004] When manufacturing products using fabric, a conveying device for conveying fabric is sometimes used. The conveying device has a mechanism for protruding and retracting a plurality of needles. The needles are protruded and inserted into the fabric, thereby holding the fabric in the conveying device. The fabric is held at a first position, and after the fabric is conveyed to a second position, the needles are retracted, thereby releasing the fabric from the held state (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 3391433 Summary of the invention

[0008] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0009] However, in the above-mentioned conveying device, the cloth is only moved from the first position to the second position. Therefore, when the distance from the first position to the second position is long, the conveying device becomes bulky. In addition, when the first position and the second position are positions corresponding to manufacturing processes of different manufacturing devices, the conveying device must be arranged across the different manufacturing devices, and sometimes it is difficult to separate the machine in each manufacturing process. In addition, in order to turn the cloth, it is not enough to just hold the cloth, and the cloth turning operation is performed manually, which hinders the automation of the production line using the cloth.

[0010] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a main object of the present disclosure is to provide a cloth conveying system capable of realizing a cloth conveying method suitable for automation and labor saving.

[0011] Solutions to Solve Problems

[0012] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the cloth handling system disclosed in the present invention has:

[0013] a first holding device capable of switching between a state in which the plurality of first needles protrude and penetrate the cloth to hold the cloth and a state in which the first needles are sunken so that the needles do not penetrate the cloth;

[0014] a second holding device capable of switching between a state in which the plurality of second needles protrude and penetrate the cloth to hold the cloth and a state in which the second needles are sunken so that the needles do not penetrate the cloth; and

[0015] A moving device moves the first holding device and the second holding device relatively so that the cloth held by the first holding device is sandwiched between the first holding device and the second holding device.

[0016] The effects of the invention are as follows.

[0017] According to the cloth conveying system disclosed in the present invention, the cloth held by the first holding device is sandwiched between the first holding device and the second holding device, the needle is sunk into the first holding device, and the needle is pierced into the cloth in the second holding device, thereby transferring the cloth from the first holding device to the second holding device. If such a transfer can be performed, when conveying the cloth from the first position to the second position, the structure of the entire conveying system can be simplified by conveying the cloth by a plurality of holding devices. Furthermore, by separating the devices used for conveying according to each manufacturing process, the degree of freedom of device configuration on the production line can be increased. In addition, when the cloth has a front and back side, the cloth is held in the second holding device in a state where the front and back sides are reversed from the state held by the first holding device, so that the cloth can also be automatically reversed by the transfer. In these aspects, the conveying system disclosed in the present invention is suitable for automating the conveying of the cloth or making the conveying of the cloth labor-saving. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The above-mentioned object and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the detailed description given below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a cloth conveying system.

[0020] Figure 2 1 and 2 are front views showing the first holding device (second holding device), wherein (a) shows a state where the needle is protruding, and (b) shows a state where the needle is retracted.

[0021] Figure 3 It is a bottom view showing the first holding device (second holding device).

[0022] Figure 4 It is a top view showing the upper limb cloth piece to be carried.

[0023] Figure 5 This is an action explanatory diagram showing an action of transferring the upper limb cloth piece from the first holding device to the second holding device and turning the upper limb cloth piece over. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] A cloth conveying system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, "vertical and horizontal", "left and right", and "up and down" are based on the states shown in the respective drawings.

[0025] The cloth conveying system 10 of this embodiment (see Figure 1 ) is applicable to the upper limb cloth piece P (refer to Figure 4 ) for transport. The upper limb cloth piece P to be transported is equivalent to cloth or sewn cloth. The upper limb cloth piece P is formed by sewing one side of the arm cloth piece Pa and the hand cloth piece Pb. Each cloth piece can be made of woven fabric, knitted fabric, non-woven fabric, etc., and in this embodiment, felt is used as the raw material.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown in the block diagram of , the cloth conveying system 10 includes a controller 11, a first holding device 12, a second holding device 13, an air supply and exhaust device 14, and a moving device 15.

[0027] The controller 11 controls the operation of the cloth conveying system 10, and is mainly composed of a known microcomputer having a CPU, etc. The first holding device 12 and the second holding device 13 are used to hold the upper limb cloth piece P, respectively. The specific structure thereof is described below. The air supply and exhaust device 14 supplies or exhausts air for driving the first holding device 12 and the second holding device 13.

[0028] The moving device 15 moves the first holding device 12 and the second holding device 13 respectively. For example, it is a vertical multi-joint multi-axis robot such as a six-axis robot having six joints. In addition, the moving device 15 may be composed of not only two devices, a multi-axis robot having the first holding device 12 and a multi-axis robot having the second holding device 13, but also a single device such as a dual-arm robot.

[0029] The controller 11 is connected to a first holding device 12, a second holding device 13, an air supply and exhaust device 14, and a moving device 15. The controller 11 controls the above-mentioned devices based on a pre-set action program, thereby controlling the following series of conveying actions. First, the upper limb cloth piece P is held by the first holding device 12. Then, the first holding device 12 holding the upper limb cloth piece P is moved to a handover position with the second holding device 13. Next, the upper limb cloth piece P held by the first holding device 12 is handed over to the second holding device 13. Then, the second holding device 13 is moved to convey the upper limb cloth piece P to the next process.

[0030] In this embodiment, the first holding device 12 and the second holding device 13 are both the same device. The devices 12 and 13 are described in detail below. Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 2 ( a ), the first holding device 12 and the second holding device 13 include an air chuck 20 .

[0031] The chuck body 21 of the pneumatic chuck 20 extends longitudinally, and a pair of chuck jaws 22, 23 are provided at one end thereof. The pair of chuck jaws 22, 23 can move laterally between a first position close to each other and a second position separated from each other. The first position is a reference position.

[0032] An air supply and exhaust portion 24 is provided at the other end of the chuck body 21. The air supply and exhaust portion 24 is connected to the air supply and exhaust device 14 via a pipe T, and air is supplied or exhausted with respect to the air supply and exhaust portion 24 by driving the air supply and exhaust device 14. The chuck jaws 22 and 23 are moved to the first position or the second position by the air supply and exhaust.

[0033] Needle fixing members 25 and 26 are provided on the sides of the pair of chuck claws 22 and 23. The two are fixed by bolts B or the like. Each needle fixing member 25 and 26 extends in the longitudinal direction and protrudes further than the front end of the chuck claws 22 and 23. A pair of needles 27 and 28 for piercing the cloth (upper limb cloth piece P) to be held are provided at the protruding end of each needle fixing member 25 and 26.

[0034] Also Figure 3 As shown, in each needle fixing member 25, 26, when viewed from the side where the chuck claws 22, 23 are provided, a pair of needles 27, 28 are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction. They are both arranged at positions closer to the end than the center in the longitudinal direction. Figure 3 As shown, Figure 2 In (a), a pair of needles 27 of the first needle fixing member 25 provided on the left side of the chuck jaw 22 and a pair of needles 28 of the second needle fixing member 26 provided on the right side of the chuck jaw 23 are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction when viewed from the side where the chuck jaws 22 and 23 are provided. When the four needles 27 and 28 are viewed as a corner, the four needles 27 and 28 are arranged so that the four needles 27 and 28 form a rectangle that is long in the horizontal direction.

[0035] Furthermore, in the first needle fixing member 25 provided in the chuck jaw 22 on the left side, the pair of needles 27 are provided so that their tip portions face downward and obliquely to the left and outward, and protrude from the lower end surface of the first needle fixing member 25. In the second needle fixing member 26 provided in the chuck jaw 23 on the right side, the pair of needles 28 are provided so that their tip portions face downward and obliquely to the right and outward, and protrude from the lower end surface of the second needle fixing member 26. Therefore, the pair of needles 27 provided in the first needle fixing member 25 and the pair of needles 28 provided in the second needle fixing member 26 are provided so that both form an inverted V shape.

[0036] return Figure 2A movement limiting component 29 is fixed to the chuck body 21. The movement limiting component 29 protrudes from the chuck body 21 to the left and right sides thereof along the moving direction (lateral direction) of the pair of chuck claws 22 and 23. A relative moving body 30 is provided on the movement limiting component 29 to move relative to the movement limiting component 29 in the longitudinal direction. The relative moving body 30 has guide shafts 31 and 32, first stoppers 33 and 34, locking components 35 and 36, second stoppers 37 and 38, and abutment plates 41 and 42. Each of them is provided in pair.

[0037] The pair of guide shafts 31, 32 extend in the longitudinal direction and are inserted into the left and right ends of the movement restricting member 29. The pair of first stoppers 33, 34 are provided at the upper ends of the guide shafts 31, 32. The locking members 35, 36 are provided at the lower ends of the guide shafts 31, 32.

[0038] The first locking member 35 on the left side of each locking member 35 and 36 is provided on the left side of the first needle fixing member 25. A first locking portion 35a is provided on the right side of the first locking member 35, which protrudes toward the first needle fixing member 25 and locks the relative movement of the relative movable body 30. On the other hand, the second locking member 36 on the right side is provided on the right side of the second needle fixing member 26. A second locking portion 36a is provided on the left side of the second locking member 36, which protrudes toward the second needle fixing member 26 and locks the relative movement of the relative movable body 30 together with the first locking portion 35a. Each second stopper 37 and 38 is provided on the upper end surface of each locking member 35 and 36. Each second stopper 37 and 38 is respectively inserted through the guide shaft 31 and 32, and is arranged at a distance from the movement limiting member 29.

[0039] The first contact plate 41 of the pair of contact plates 41 and 42 is provided below the first needle fixing member 25. The second contact plate 42 is provided below the second needle fixing member 26. The lower surfaces of the two contact plates 41 and 42 are the same surface, and the lower surface serves as a cloth contact surface 43. Figure 3 Bottom view of Figure 2 As shown in the figure viewed from below, the lateral width of the first contact plate portion 41 is formed to be smaller than the lateral width of the second contact plate portion 42. This is because, as described below, the sizes of the contact objects of the contact plate portions 41 and 42 are different.

[0040] A through hole 44 is formed between the pair of contact plates 41 and 42. The through hole 44 deviates from the left and right center to the left. Figure 2As shown in (a), a space portion 45 is ensured deep in the through hole portion 44. The first contact plate portion 41 is connected to the lower end surface of the first locking member 35, and the second contact plate portion 42 is connected to the lower end surface of the second locking member 36. The two contact plate portions 41 and 42 are connected by a pair of opposing connecting plate portions 46 and 47 (see also Figure 3 ).

[0041] like Figure 3 As shown, a first needle insertion hole 48 is provided on the first contact plate portion 41 and below each of the pair of needles 27 provided on the first needle fixing member 25. A second needle insertion hole 49 is provided on the second contact plate portion 42 and below each of the pair of needles 28 provided on the second needle fixing member 26. Each of the needle insertion holes 48 and 49 is a long hole that penetrates each of the contact plate portions 41 and 42 and extends in the lateral direction.

[0042] A coil spring S is provided between the movement limiting member 29 and each of the locking members 35 and 36, and each of the guide shafts 31 and 32. The second stoppers 37 and 38 are provided inside the coil spring S. The movement limiting member 29 and the relatively movable body 30 are subjected to force in a direction of separation from each other by the coil spring S, and each of the first stoppers 33 and 34 abuts against the movement limiting member 29. If the action of the coil spring S is overcome and the chuck body 21 having the movement limiting member 29 and the relatively movable body 30 are relatively moved, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown in (b) , the movement restricting member 29 abuts against the second stoppers 37 and 38 , and further relative movement is restricted.

[0043] When the movement limiting member 29 is in contact with the second stoppers 37, 38, the contact plates 41, 42 move upward and approach the needle fixing members 25, 26, respectively, so that the needles 27, 28 protrude outward and obliquely downward from the four needle holes 48, 49, respectively. The four protruding needles 27, 28 penetrate the upper limb cloth piece P that is in contact with the cloth contact surface 43 of the contact plates 41, 42, so that the first holding device 12 (second holding device 13) can hold the upper limb cloth piece P. In addition, the protrusion amount of each needle 27, 28 can be changed by adjusting the protrusion amount of the needle 27, 28 from each needle fixing member 25, 26. The optimal protrusion amount is set according to the raw material of the cloth to be held.

[0044] When the air is supplied and exhausted relative to the chuck body 21 and the pair of chuck claws 22 and 23 are moved to the second position while the movement limiting component 29 is in contact with the second stopper 37 and 38, each needle fixing component 25 and 26 also moves to the side. Each needle fixing component 25 and 26 is arranged below the locking portion 35a and 36a respectively provided by each locking component 35 and 36, and each locking portion 35a and 36a is in contact with the upper end surface of each needle fixing component 25 and 26. Thus, each needle fixing component 25 and 26 is locked by the locking portion 35a and 36a, and the relative movement of the relative moving body 30 in the direction away from the movement limiting component 29 is restricted. Therefore, the needles 27 and 28 protrude from the four needle insertion holes 48 and 49 respectively, and remain in the state of being inserted into the upper limb cloth piece P in contact with the cloth contact surface 43 of each contact plate portion 41 and 42. Even when the force for relatively moving the chuck body 21 and the relatively movable body 30 is released, the holding state of the upper limb panel P can be maintained.

[0045] On the other hand, if air is supplied or exhausted relative to the chuck body 21, so that the pair of chuck claws 22 and 23 return to the first position, the locking state of each needle fixing member 25 and 26 and each locking portion 35a and 36a is released, and the relative movable body 30 becomes relatively movable. Therefore, if the force that is intended to bring the chuck body 21 and the relative movable body 30 closer is released, the movement limiting member 29 and the relative movable body 30 move relative to each other in the direction of separation due to the force of the coil spring S. As a result, the needles 27 and 28 protruding from the needle holes 48 and 49 of the abutting plate portions 41 and 42 are immersed in the depth of the needle holes 48 and 49 again.

[0046] The structures of the first holding device 12 and the second holding device 13 are as described above. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The operation of transferring the upper limb cloth piece P held by the first holding device 12 to the second holding device 13 using the cloth transport system 10 will be described. The above operation is performed under the control of the controller 11 without a special subject. Figure 5 The structure of a part of the holding devices 12 and 13 is simplified. Figure 5 (b)~ Figure 5 (d) is not limited to the case where the state shown in the figure is up and down. For example, the left side or the right side shown in the figure may be set to be down, or each holding device 12, 13 may be inclined.

[0047] First, the moving device 15 is driven, such as Figure 5 As shown in (a) of FIG. 1 , the first holding device 12 is arranged so that the cloth contact surface 43 faces the upper limb panel P above the upper limb panel P placed at a predetermined position (first placement position) on the placement surface 51 .

[0048] Here, too Figure 4 As shown, the upper limb cloth piece P is in the following state: one side of the arm cloth piece Pa and the hand cloth piece Pb are sewn together to form a whole, and one cloth piece is unfolded relative to the other cloth piece with the sewn side portion as the center. This state is formed in the pre-process of the conveying process performed by the cloth conveying system 10, that is, the sewing process. The upper limb cloth piece P placed in the first loading position has a seam on its surface. On the other hand, on the back side, at the part where the two cloth pieces Pa and Pb are sewn, the seam allowances Pa1 and Pb1 of each cloth piece Pa and Pb exist in the direction along the seam. The loading surface 51 is provided with a hole portion 52 for at least a part of the above-mentioned seam allowances Pa1 and Pb1 to enter. Since the upper limb cloth piece P is placed on the loading surface 51 in a state where the seam allowances Pa1 and Pb1 enter the hole portion 52, the upper limb cloth piece P is in a substantially flat state.

[0049] The first holding device 12 is moved so as to Figure 4 As shown, above the upper limb cloth piece P, a pair of abutment plate portions 41, 42 are arranged in the same direction as the arm cloth piece Pa and the hand cloth piece Pb of the upper limb cloth piece P, and a first abutment plate portion 41 is arranged above the hand cloth piece Pb, and a second abutment plate portion 42 is arranged above the arm cloth piece Pa.

[0050] Next, the moving device 15 is driven to make the first holding device 12 descend toward the upper limb cloth piece P, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown in (a), a pair of abutment plates 41, 42 are abutted against the upper limb cloth piece P from above. After the abutment, if the first retaining device 12 is further lowered, the chuck body 21 and the movement limiting component 29 are further lowered relative to the relatively movable body 30. If the movement limiting component 29 abuts against the second stopper 37, 38, its descent stops. Through the relative movement of the chuck body 21 and the movement limiting component 29 relative to the relatively movable body 30, a pair of needle fixing components 25, 26 are lowered and abut against the pair of abutment plates 41, 42. In this way, the needles 27, 28 protrude outward and obliquely downward from the four needle holes 48, 49, respectively. This state is as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown in (b). Figure 4 As shown, among the four protruding needles 27 and 28, a pair of needles 27 provided in the first needle fixing member 25 pierce the surface of the hand cloth piece Pb in the expanded state, and a pair of needles 28 provided in the second needle fixing member 26 pierce the surface of the arm cloth piece Pa in the expanded state.

[0051] In addition, if Figure 4 As shown, in the upper limb cloth piece P, the arm cloth piece Pa is longer than the hand cloth piece Pb in the direction in which the arm cloth piece Pa and the hand cloth piece Pb are arranged. Therefore, in this direction, the length of the second contact plate portion 42 that contacts the arm cloth piece Pa is formed to be longer than the length of the first contact plate portion 41 that contacts the hand cloth piece Pb.

[0052] Next, the air supply and exhaust device 14 is driven to supply or exhaust air relative to the chuck body 21, so that the pair of chuck claws 22 and 23 move to the second position, that is, in the direction of separation from each other. In this way, each needle fixing member 25 and 26 also moves to the side and is locked by the locking portions 35a and 36a of the locking members 35 and 36, respectively. As a result, the upward movement of the chuck body 21 and the movement limiting member 29 relative to the relatively movable body 30 is restricted. Therefore, the state in which the needles 27 and 28 are inserted into the upper limb cloth piece P is maintained (refer to Figure 5 (b)).

[0053] Next, the moving device 15 is driven to move the first holding device 12 to a position where the upper limb cloth piece P is handed over to the second holding device 13. At this time, as described above, the relative movement of the chuck body 21 and the movement limiting member 29 and the relative moving body 30 is limited. Therefore, even if the first holding device 12 is lifted upward from the loading surface 51 of the upper limb cloth piece P, the holding state of the upper limb cloth piece P by the first holding device 12 can be maintained. In addition, simultaneously with or after the movement of the first holding device 12, the second holding device 13 also moves to a position where the upper limb cloth piece P is received from the first holding device 12.

[0054] Then, if Figure 5 As shown in (b), the first abutment plate portion 41 of the first holding device 12 holding the upper limb cloth piece P is opposed to the first abutment plate portion 41 of the second holding device 13, and the second abutment plate portion 42 of the first holding device 12 is opposed to the second abutment plate portion 42 of the second holding device 13. That is, in the upper limb cloth piece P held by the first holding device 12, the second holding device 13 is arranged in such a manner that the first abutment plate portion 41 of the second holding device 13 is opposed to the hand cloth piece Pb, and the second abutment plate portion 42 is opposed to the arm cloth piece Pa. At the same time, when viewed from the front of the figure, the two holding devices 12 and 13 are arranged in such a manner that the center line C1 of the first holding device 12 and the center line C2 of the second holding device 13 are slightly offset to the left. In addition, the offset can be not only offset to the left, but also offset to the right. The step of the action program in which the positions of the two holding devices 12 and 13 are arranged so as to be relatively offset is equivalent to the interference prevention unit.

[0055] Then, the moving device 15 is driven, such as Figure 5As shown in (c), the upper limb cloth piece P held by the first holding device 12 is sandwiched between the first holding device 12 and the second holding device 13. At this time, the first contact plate portion 41 of the second holding device 13 is brought into contact with the back surface of the hand cloth piece Pb, and the second contact plate portion 42 of the second holding device 13 is brought into contact with the back surface of the arm cloth piece Pa. After the contact, if the two holding devices 12 and 13 are brought closer together, in the second holding device 13, the chuck body 21 and the movement limiting component 29 are relatively moved in a direction approaching the relative movable body 30. In this way, the movement limiting component 29 is brought into contact with the second stoppers 37 and 38. By the relative movement of the chuck body 21 and the movement limiting component 29 with respect to the relative movable body 30, the pair of needle fixing components 25 and 26 are lowered and brought into contact with the pair of contact plate portions 41 and 42. As a result, the needles 27 and 28 protrude from the four needle holes 48 and 49, respectively.

[0056] At this time, the seam allowances Pa1 and Pb1 of each cloth piece Pa and Pb existing in the part after the two cloth pieces Pa and Pb are sewn enter the through hole portion 44 provided between the pair of contact plate portions 41 and 42 and the space portion 45 deep therein. Therefore, it is possible to avoid interference between the cloth contact surface 43 of the first holding device 12 and the seam allowances Pa1 and Pb1 of the upper limb cloth piece P. Thus, while keeping the upper limb cloth piece P parallel to the cloth contact surface 43, the entire contact surface of the first contact plate portion 41 can be made to contact the hand cloth piece Pb, and the entire contact surface of the second contact plate portion 42 can be made to contact the arm cloth piece Pa.

[0057] Of the four protruding needles 27 and 28, a pair of needles 27 provided in the first needle fixing member 25 pierce the back of the hand cloth piece Pb in the unfolded state, and a pair of needles 28 provided in the second needle fixing member 26 pierce the back of the arm cloth piece Pa in the unfolded state. At this time, as described above, since the relative positions of the first holding device 12 and the second holding device 13 are offset, even if the two holding devices 12 and 13 are the same device, the positions of the four needles 27 and 28 provided in each are offset. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the four needles 27 and 28 provided in the second holding device 13 from interfering with the four needles 27 and 28 of the first holding device 12 that have already pierced the upper limb cloth piece P when the four needles 27 and 28 are protruding.

[0058] Next, the air supply and exhaust device 14 is driven to supply or exhaust air relative to the chuck body 21 in the second holding device 13, so that the pair of chuck claws 22 and 23 move to the second position, that is, in the direction of separating from each other. In this way, the needle fixing components 25 and 26 of the second holding device 13 also move to the side and are locked by the locking portions 35a and 36a of the locking components 35 and 36, respectively. As a result, the movement of the chuck body 21 and the movement limiting component 29 relative to the relatively movable body 30 is restricted. As a result, the state in which the needles 27 and 28 of the second holding device 13 are inserted into the upper limb cloth piece P is maintained.

[0059] Next, the air supply and exhaust device 14 is driven to supply or exhaust air relative to the chuck body 21 in the first holding device 12, so that the pair of chuck claws 22 and 23 move toward the first position, that is, in the direction of approaching each other, and return to the reference position. In this way, each needle fixing component 25 and 26 also moves toward the direction of approaching each other, and the locking state of the locking parts 35a and 36a of the locking components 35 and 36 is released. As a result, the chuck body 21 and the movement limiting component 29 and the relative moving body 30 become in a state where they can move relative to each other.

[0060] On this basis, if Figure 5 As shown in (d), the first holding device 12 is separated from the second holding device 13. In this way, the chuck body 21 and the movement limiting member 29 move relative to the relative movable body 30 in the direction of separation from each other, and the pair of needle fixing members 25 and 26 also separate from the contact plate portions 41 and 42. As a result, the needles 27 and 28 that have pierced the upper limb cloth piece P are sunken. As a result, the first holding device 12 is separated from the upper limb cloth piece P. Thereafter, the moving device 15 is driven to arrange the first holding device 12 above the other upper limb cloth piece P formed in the sewing process in order to hold it again.

[0061] Through the above series of actions, the upper limb cloth piece P is handed over from the first holding device 12 to the second holding device 13. And, through this handover action, in the second holding device 13, the back side of the upper limb cloth piece P, that is, the surface on the side where the seam allowances Pa1 and Pb1 are located, abuts against the pair of abutment plates 41 and 42, and the upper limb cloth piece P is held in this state. Therefore, through the handover of the upper limb cloth piece P, the upper limb cloth piece P is turned over from the front to the back side of the state held by the first holding device 12, and is held by the second holding device 13 in this state.

[0062] After that, the moving device 15 is driven, and the second holding device 13 carries the upper limb cloth piece P to a predetermined loading position (second loading position) in the next process. If the upper limb cloth piece P is placed at the loading position, the air supply and exhaust device 14 is driven to supply or exhaust air relative to the chuck body 21, so that the pair of chuck claws 22 and 23 return to the first position as a reference. In this way, each needle fixing component 25 and 26 also moves in a direction close to each other, and the locking state of the locking parts 35a and 36a of the locking components 35 and 36 is released. The chuck body 21 and the movement limiting component 29 and the relative moving body 30 become in a state where relative movement can be performed. On this basis, if the second holding device 13 is moved away from the loading position, the needles 27 and 28 inserted into the upper limb cloth piece P are immersed. As a result, the second holding device 13 is separated from the upper limb cloth piece P placed at the loading position of the next process.

[0063] The structure and operation of the cloth conveying system 10 of this embodiment are as described above. According to the cloth conveying system 10, the following effects can be obtained.

[0064] (1) In the cloth conveying system 10, the holding devices 12 and 13 are used. The holding devices 12 and 13 switch between a holding state in which the protruding needles 27 and 28 are inserted into the cloth and held, and a non-holding state in which the needles 27 and 28 are inserted and not held, by the protrusion and retraction of the needles 27 and 28. The holding devices 12 and 13 are moved by the moving device 15, and the upper limb cloth piece P is first held by the first holding device 12. Then, the upper limb cloth piece P is sandwiched between the first holding device 12 and the second holding device 13. Thereafter, the needles 27 and 28 are inserted into the upper limb cloth piece P by the first holding device 12, and the needles 27 and 28 are inserted into the upper limb cloth piece P by the second holding device 13. In this way, the upper limb cloth piece P is transferred from the first holding device 12 to the second holding device 13. The upper limb cloth piece P is sandwiched between the two holding devices 12 and 13 and handed over from the first holding device 12 to the second holding device 13, so that the upper limb cloth piece P is held by the first holding device 12 and held by the second holding device 13 in a state where the front and back sides are turned over. As a result, a series of operations from the handover to the turning over of the front and back sides of the upper limb cloth piece P can be automated, and the transportation operation of the upper limb cloth piece P can be labor-saving.

[0065] (2) The upper limb fabric piece P is transported from the first loading position of the upper limb fabric piece P held by the first holding device 12 to the second loading position where the upper limb fabric piece P is placed by the second holding device 13 after being handed over to the second holding device 13 by the fabric transport system 10. In this case, the upper limb fabric piece P is transported from the first loading position to the second loading position by a plurality of holding devices 12 and 13 instead of by one transport device, so that the overall structure of the system can be simplified.

[0066] (3) According to the cloth conveying system 10, the first holding device 12 is provided in a manufacturing process using a manufacturing device including a first loading position, and the second holding device 13 is provided in a next manufacturing process using a manufacturing device including a second loading position, so that the conveying device is separated for each manufacturing process. Thus, compared with the case where the upper limb cloth piece P is conveyed from the first loading position to the second loading position using one conveying device, the degree of freedom of device configuration on the production line can be increased.

[0067] (4) In the cloth conveying system 10, when the upper limb cloth piece P is sandwiched by the first holding device 12 and the second holding device 13, the positions of the first holding device 12 and the second holding device 13 are staggered for sandwiching. As a result, the positions of the needles 27 and 28 of the first holding device 12 and the needles 27 and 28 of the second holding device 13 are also staggered. The mechanical structure of any holding device 12 and 13 is the same, and a structure is adopted in which the needles 27 and 28 are inserted into the upper limb cloth piece P for holding. Therefore, the needles 27 and 28 are prevented from interfering with each other by staggering the positions. As a result, when the upper limb cloth piece P is handed over from the first holding device 12 to the second holding device 13, it is possible to prevent the needles 27 and 28 from interfering with each other, resulting in insufficient insertion of the needles 27 and 28 of the second holding device 13, thereby preventing the upper limb cloth piece P from falling off the second holding device 13.

[0068] (5) In the upper limb cloth piece P as the conveying object conveyed by the cloth conveying system 10, one side of the arm cloth piece Pa and the hand cloth piece Pb are sewn to each other, and the cloth piece P is unfolded with the side portion as the center. When the upper limb cloth piece P is held by the first holding device 12 and the second holding device 13, a pair of needles 27 provided in the first needle fixing member 25 of the four needles 27 and 28 of each holding device 12 and 13 is inserted into the hand cloth piece Pb, and a pair of needles 28 provided in the second needle fixing member 26 is inserted into the arm cloth piece Pa, thereby holding the upper limb cloth piece P. In the state where the arm cloth piece Pa and the hand cloth piece Pb are unfolded, the needles 27 and 28 are inserted into each cloth piece Pa and Pb, so that the upper limb cloth piece P can be held in the state where the two cloth pieces Pa and Pb are unfolded.

[0069] (6) In each of the holding devices 12 and 13 included in the cloth transport system 10, a through hole 44 is provided between the first contact plate 41 and the second contact plate 42, and a space 45 is provided deep inside the through hole 44. Therefore, when the upper limb cloth piece P is held, when the seam allowances Pa1 and Pb1 of each cloth piece Pa and Pb are located on the contact side with the cloth contact surface 43, the seam allowances Pa1 and Pb1 enter the through hole 44 and the space 45 deep inside the through hole 44. Thus, the cloth contact surface 43 can be prevented from interfering with the seam allowances Pa1 and Pb1 of the upper limb cloth piece P. As a result, while the surface of the upper limb cloth piece P is kept parallel to the cloth contact surface 43, the entire contact surface of the first contact plate 41 can be brought into contact with the hand cloth piece Pb, and the entire contact surface of the second contact plate 42 can be brought into contact with the arm cloth piece Pa, thereby stably holding the upper limb cloth piece P.

[0070] In addition, the cloth conveying system 10 of the present embodiment may adopt other structures as follows, for example.

[0071] (a) In the above embodiment, when the upper limb cloth piece P is sandwiched by the first holding device 12 and the second holding device 13, the positions of the two devices 12 and 13 are relatively staggered to prevent the interference of the needles 27 and 28 of the two devices 12 and 13. Alternatively, the upper limb cloth piece P may be sandwiched without staggering the positions of the two devices 12 and 13, but the needles 27 and 28 of the first holding device 12 may be sunk in coordination with the timing of the protrusion of the needles 27 and 28 of the second holding device 13. In this way, the timing of the protrusion and sunken of the needles 27 and 28 of the first holding device 12 and the needles 27 and 28 of the second holding device 13 may be adjusted so as to avoid the state in which the needles 27 and 28 of the first holding device 12 and the needles 27 and 28 of the second holding device 13 protrude at the same time. In this case, the step of the operation procedure for adjusting the timing of the protrusion and sunken of the needles 27 and 28 corresponds to the interference prevention means.

[0072] (b) In the above embodiment, it is assumed that there is a side with seam allowances Pa1 and Pb1 and a side without seam allowances Pa1 and Pb1 as the upper limb fabric piece P, and at the first loading position, the side without seam allowances Pa1 and Pb1 is the front side and the side with seam allowances Pa1 and Pb1 is the back side, so that the upper limb fabric piece P is placed on the loading surface 51. The upper limb fabric piece P may be placed at the first loading position in a manner reversed from the front side to the back side, and the upper limb fabric piece P may be placed on the loading surface 51 in a state where seam allowances Pa1 and Pb1 exist on the front side opposite to the fabric contact surface 43, and the first holding device 12 holds the upper limb fabric piece P and delivers it to the second holding device 13.

[0073] (c) In the above embodiment, it is assumed that the upper limb cloth piece P has one side with the seam allowances Pa1 and Pb1 and one side without the seam allowances Pa1 and Pb1 as the cloth to be transported. As the cloth to be transported, a cloth having no seam allowances Pa1 and Pb1 but distinguishing the front and back sides by different patterns or the like, or a cloth having no distinction between the front and back sides may be used instead of the upper limb cloth piece P. When a cloth having no distinction between the front and back sides is used as the cloth to be transported, the effects of the above embodiment performed by transferring the cloth from the first holding device 12 to the second holding device 13 and reversing the front and back sides will not be produced, but other effects can be obtained.

[0074] (d) In the above embodiment, the cloth conveying system 10 is described as having two holding devices, namely the first holding device 12 and the second holding device 13. The number of holding devices included in the cloth conveying system 10 may be three or more.

[0075] (e) In the above embodiment, the action of handing over the upper limb piece of cloth P from the first holding device 12 to the second holding device 13 and flipping the upper limb piece of cloth P from the front to the back is described. The flipping of the upper limb piece of cloth P may be performed not only in the case of the single handover, but also in the case of handing over again after being handed over to the second holding device 13, and then further handing over, thereby flipping the upper limb piece of cloth P. In other words, the case of flipping the upper limb piece of cloth P by handing over an odd number of times is not excluded. Furthermore, the handover is not limited to one or an odd number of times, and the handover may be performed even number of times, and the upper limb piece of cloth P that has not been flipped over may be used in the next manufacturing process. By handing over an even number of times, the upper limb piece of cloth P that has been flipped from the initial state to the back by handing over once or odd number of times can be further flipped to the back and returned to the original state of the back and front.

[0076] (f) In the above embodiment, the first holding device 12 and the second holding device 13 each have four needles 27 and 28. The number of needles 27 and 28 in each holding device 12 and 13 is arbitrary, and may be less than four or more than four. In addition, the first holding device 12 and the second holding device 13 adopt a structure in which the needles 27 and 28 are made to appear and disappear by supplying or discharging air relative to the pneumatic chuck 20. Alternatively, the following structure may be adopted: the needles 27 and 28 are made to appear and disappear by using a driving source such as a rod-protruding standard cylinder or a motor, or the needles 27 and 28 are made to appear and disappear by using a driving method other than air supply or discharge based on oil pressure, water pressure, etc.

[0077] (g) In the above embodiment, the cloth conveying system 10 is used to convey the upper limb cloth pieces P constituting the arm portion of a human-shaped doll toy. The cloth to be conveyed may be a piece of cloth that is not sewn together, rather than a piece of cloth that is sewn together. Even when a piece of cloth that is sewn together with a plurality of partial cloth pieces is to be conveyed, the type of cloth piece is not limited as long as the sewn partial cloth pieces are unfolded. For example, the lower limb cloth piece may be a piece of cloth that is sewn together with a leg cloth piece and a foot cloth piece. In addition, it can be used in situations other than the case of making a human-shaped doll toy.

[0078] Although the present disclosure is described based on the implementation mode, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the implementation mode and structure. The present disclosure also includes various modifications and modifications within the equivalent range. In addition, various combinations, methods, and other combinations and methods including only one element, more or less elements are also within the scope and thought range of the present disclosure.

[0079] Explanation of symbols

[0080] 11—cloth transport system, 12—first holding device, 13—second holding device, 15—moving device, 27, 28—needles, P—upper limb cloth piece (cloth, sewing cloth).

Claims

1. A cloth conveying system for conveying cloth having a seam edge on one of its front and back sides, the cloth conveying system comprising: A first holding device having a first cloth contacting surface that contacts the cloth, and capable of switching between a state in which the cloth is held on the first cloth contacting surface by causing a plurality of first needles to protrude from the first cloth contacting surface and penetrate into the cloth, and a state in which the first needles are sunken and do not penetrate into the cloth; a second holding device having a second cloth contacting surface that contacts the cloth, and capable of switching between a state in which the cloth is held on the second cloth contacting surface by causing a plurality of second needles to protrude from the second cloth contacting surface and penetrate into the cloth, and a state in which the second needles are sunken and do not penetrate into the cloth; and a moving device for relatively moving the first holding device and the second holding device in such a manner that the first cloth abutting surface and the second cloth abutting surface sandwich the cloth held by the first cloth abutting surface, In the first holding device and the second holding device, each cloth contact surface is formed by a pair of contact plate portions, a through hole portion is provided between the pair of contact plate portions, and a space portion is provided deep in the through hole portion. One of the first and second cloth contacting surfaces, the surface on the side where the seam allowance is located, contacts the cloth with the seam allowance entering the through-hole and the space.

2. The cloth handling system according to claim 1, characterized in that: An interference prevention unit is provided to prevent the first needle from interfering with the second needle.

3. The cloth handling system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The interference prevention unit is configured as follows: When the cloth is in a position where the cloth is sandwiched between the first holding device and the second holding device, the positions of the first needle and the second needle are offset.

4. The cloth handling system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The interference prevention unit is configured as follows: When the cloth is sandwiched between the first holding device and the second holding device and the cloth is held by the sandwiching, the timing of the protrusion and the sinking of the first needle and the second needle is adjusted to avoid a state in which the first needle and the second needle protrude at the same time.

5. The cloth transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The fabric is a sewn fabric obtained by sewing a portion of the first fabric and the second fabric together and then spreading the first fabric and the second fabric around the sewn portion. The moving device moves the first holding device to different positions where the first needles penetrate the first fabric and the second fabric respectively. When the moving device moves the first holding device and the second holding device together to a position where the sewing cloth is sandwiched, the moving device moves the first holding device to a position where the different second needles penetrate the first cloth and the second cloth, respectively.

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