Zipper tooth removal device

Abstract

The present invention is a zipper element removal device capable of removing zipper elements continuously installed on a zipper chain within the range of each fixed length of the zipper chain, thereby forming a spacer portion within the fixed length of the zipper chain. The device comprises a brushing device that brushes off the zipper elements remaining on the zipper tape after the heads of the zipper elements are cut and removed. The brushing device comprises: a movable brush, the bristle end of which abuts against the zipper elements and is arranged opposite to the front and back sides of the zipper tape; a guide member that causes the movable brush to abut against the front and back sides of the zipper tape and causes the movable brush to reciprocate parallel to the front and back sides of the zipper tape; a brush holding device on which the movable brush is mounted and reciprocates along the guide member; and a brush driving device that causes the brush holding device to reciprocate along the guide member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a zipper element removing device, which can remove zipper elements continuously installed on a zipper chain within each fixed length range of the zipper chain, thereby forming a spacer within the fixed length of the zipper chain. Background Art

[0002] As disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, there are conventional devices that use a punch to cut the heads of zipper elements continuously attached to a long zipper chain, and then use a brush to remove the remaining zipper element legs on the zipper tape, thereby forming a spaced portion of the zipper chain without zipper elements. The brushes in the devices disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are cylindrical and attached to a rotating shaft, and the rotating brush removes the remaining zipper element legs on the zipper tape.

[0003] [Prior art literature]

[0004] [Patent Document]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-33370

[0006] [Patent Document 2] CN101524206 Summary of the Invention

[0007] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0008] In the aforementioned background technology, since a rotating brush is used to remove the remaining zipper element legs on the zipper tape, the tip of the circular brush contacts the zipper element in an arc shape, resulting in the brush not contacting the zipper element over a wide area. Furthermore, the brush does not contact the zipper element with sufficient force on both sides of the arc-shaped contact point, preventing reliable cleaning. Therefore, if the tip of the brush is set to contact the zipper element with force over a wide area, the center of the arc will strike the zipper tape too strongly, potentially damaging the zipper tape, and there is also the problem of not being able to firmly contact the zipper element with the brush.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the background art described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a fastener element removing device capable of efficiently and reliably removing fastener elements from a fastener tape without damaging the fastener tape.

[0010] [Methods for solving the problem]

[0011] The present invention is a zipper element removal device capable of removing zipper elements continuously installed on a zipper chain within each fixed length of the zipper chain, thereby forming a spacer within the fixed length of the zipper chain. The zipper element removal device includes a brushing device for brushing off the zipper elements remaining on the zipper tape after the heads of the zipper elements have been cut and removed. The brushing device includes: a movable brush having a bristle end abutting the zipper elements and disposed opposite the front and back sides of the zipper tape; a guide member that causes the movable brush to abut the front and back sides of the zipper tape and reciprocate parallel to the front and back sides of the zipper tape; a brush holding device on which the movable brush is mounted for reciprocating motion along the guide member; and a brush driving device that causes the brush holding device to reciprocate along the guide member.

[0012] The brush driving device includes: a driving motor; a cam component eccentrically mounted on the rotating shaft of the driving motor; and a cam support portion for the cam component to be engaged in a freely sliding manner, wherein the cam support portion is mounted on the brush holding device, and the brush holding device is caused to reciprocate along the guide member by the rotation of the driving motor.

[0013] The movable brush is mounted on a brush mounting member, disposed opposite the front and back sides of the zipper chain, and includes an advance / retract drive device that moves the brush mounting member toward and away from the zipper chain. Furthermore, the brush mounting member and the advance / retract drive device can be mounted on the brush holding device.

[0014] The bristle end of the movable brush is located on a plane parallel to the zipper elements and is moved parallel to the zipper elements by the advance and retreat drive device. The brush abuts against the zipper elements in a planar manner and reciprocates parallel to the zipper tape.

[0015] Relative to the brushing device, a spacing forming portion for cutting and removing the heads of the zipper elements of the zipper chain is provided on the upstream side of the moving direction of the zipper chain, and a brushing portion for brushing the feet of the zipper elements whose heads have been cut and removed is provided between the spacing forming portion and the brushing device.

[0016] A tension adjustment roller device is provided between the brushing device and the spacer forming portion so as to absorb a difference in the travel state of the zipper chain caused by the respective operations of the brushing device and the spacer forming portion. The tension adjustment roller device includes a tension adjustment roller that is wound around the zipper chain and moves up and down.

[0017] The zipper chain may move at a lower speed during the period when the movable brush of the brushing device abuts against the spaced portion of the zipper chain and reciprocates, while the zipper chain moves at a lower speed during the other periods. Alternatively, the zipper chain may be stopped and intermittently driven during the period when the movable brush of the brushing device abuts against the spaced portion of the zipper chain and reciprocates.

[0018] [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] The zipper element removal device of the present invention features brushes positioned facing the front and back surfaces of the zipper tape. The bristle tips of the brushes widely contact the zipper elements while reciprocating, effectively and reliably removing the legs and other parts of the zipper elements from the tape without damaging the tape. Furthermore, the brush drive mechanism is linearly reciprocated by a drive motor and a cam member, enabling efficient and reliable operation with a simple structure and low cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic perspective view of a brush removal device of a fastener element removal device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic perspective view of the brush removal device of the fastener element removal device according to one embodiment of the present invention as viewed from another direction.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a vertical cross-sectional view of a brush holding member including a brush removal device of a fastener element removal device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a longitudinal sectional view of a stopper portion of a sliding member provided in a brush holding device included in a brush removal device of a fastener element removal device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a vertical cross-sectional view of a guide member of a brush removal device including a brush holding member of a fastener element removal device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a front view of the main part of the fastener element removal device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 7 This is a front view showing a slide fastener chain in which a spacer portion is formed by removing some of the fastener elements using the fastener element removal device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] [Explanation of Symbols]

[0028] 2: Zipper chain

[0029] 4: Zipper teeth

[0030] 6: Zipper tape

[0031] 8: Spacer

[0032] 10: Zipper tooth removal device

[0033] 11: Spacing forming part

[0034] 12: Fixed brush

[0035] 13: Brush removal

[0036] 14: Brush holding device

[0037] 14a: Body part

[0038] 15: Brush removal device

[0039] 16: Guide component

[0040] 17: Movable brush

[0041] 18: Brush mounting assembly

[0042] 20: Connecting components

[0043] 22: Sliding shaft

[0044] 24: Sliding component

[0045] 25: Stopper

[0046] 26: Forward and backward drive device

[0047] 30: Substrate components

[0048] 32: Support components

[0049] 34: Cam groove component

[0050] 34a: Cam groove

[0051] 36: Transition guide component

[0052] 38: Opening

[0053] 40: Drive motor

[0054] 42: Cam roller

[0055] 44: Rotating body

[0056] 46: Supply side conveyor roller

[0057] 46a, 52a, 54a: driven rollers

[0058] 47: Steering roller

[0059] 48: Insert guide

[0060] 50: Tension adjustment roller device

[0061] 51: tension adjustment roller

[0062] 51a: Weights

[0063] 52: Spacer forming conveyor roller

[0064] 54: Discharge side conveyor roller

[0065] 56: First sensor

[0066] 57: Second sensor

[0067] 58: Third sensor

[0068] 60: Upper and lower guides

[0069] 61: Spring DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0070] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings. Figure 7 As shown, the zipper chain 2 forming a zipper is manufactured through the following steps: the zipper elements 4 are continuously arranged, and the zipper elements 4 of the zipper chain 2 are removed at regular intervals for each individual zipper length to form the zipper, thereby forming a spacer 8 without the zipper elements 4. The zipper element removal device 10 of the embodiment cuts and removes the zipper elements 4 of the zipper chain 2 in the first step of the steps for forming the spacer 8. In the next step, the legs of the zipper elements 4 remaining on the zipper tape 6 are removed by brushing, thereby forming the spacer 8.

[0071] like Figure 6 As shown, the zipper element removal device 10 of the embodiment includes a spacer forming part 11 and a brushing part 13. The spacer forming part 11 uses a punch or the like to cut and remove the head of the zipper element 4 in the process of forming the spacer 8 in the zipper chain 2. The brushing part 13 is adjacent to the spacer forming part 11 on the downstream side of the spacer forming part 11. The brushing part 13 includes a fixed brush 12 for brushing off the feet of the zipper element 4 remaining on the zipper tape 6.

[0072] As described below, a supply-side conveyor roller 46 is provided upstream of the spacer 11 to continuously supply the fastener chain 2 to the spacer 11. A deflection roller 47 is provided downstream of the supply-side conveyor roller 46 to change the direction of travel of the fastener chain 2. Between the deflection roller 47 and the spacer 11, an insertion guide 48 is provided diagonally downward from above, facing the spacer 11, to stably guide the fastener chain 2 toward the spacer 11.

[0073] As described below, a spacer-forming conveyor roller 52 and a discharge-side conveyor roller 54 are provided downstream of the brushing section 13 to move the fastener chain 2 in the longitudinal direction. Between the spacer-forming conveyor roller 52 and the discharge-side conveyor roller 54 are a tensioning roller device 50 that absorbs the difference in the amount of fastener chain 2 transported between the spacer-forming conveyor roller 52 and the discharge-side conveyor roller 54, and a brushing device 15 that reliably brushes away the legs of the fastener elements 4 and the like remaining on the fastener tape 6.

[0074] First, the brushing device 15, which is a characteristic structure of the fastener element removal device 10 of the embodiment, will be described below. The brushing device 15 includes a movable brush 17, such as Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the movable brushes 17 are positioned facing the front and back surfaces of the zipper tape 6, which is conveyed in the vertical direction, and are attached to brush holders 14. The brush holders 14 are arranged parallel to the conveyance direction of the zipper chain 2, with the bristle tips of the movable brushes 17 in contact with the front and back surfaces of the zipper tape 6. The brush holders 14 are slidably attached to a pair of guide members 16 for parallel reciprocating motion. The pair of movable brushes 17 are attached to brush mounting members 18 provided on the brush holders 14. The pair of brush mounting members 18 are fixed to a pair of connecting members 20 so that the movable brushes 17 face each other. The bristle tips of each movable brush 17 are located on a plane parallel to the surface of the zipper tape 6 on which the zipper elements 4 are mounted. The bristle tips of the movable brushes 17 are in planar contact with the zipper elements 4, and the movable brushes 17 are positioned so that they can reciprocate parallel to the zipper tape 6.

[0075] The pair of connecting members 20 that secure each brush mounting member 18 are each secured to a pair of sliding members 24. Each sliding member 24 is slidably mounted on two sliding shafts 22 that protrude horizontally in opposite directions from the side surfaces of the main body 14a of the brush holder 14. The pair of sliding members 24 provided on the brush holder 14 are positioned opposite the front and back surfaces of the zipper chain 2 and are arranged so as to be able to approach and retract relative to the zipper elements 4 along the two horizontally protruding sliding shafts 22.

[0076] A pair of sliding members 24 are connected to an advance / retract drive device 26 that slides along the slide shaft 22. The advance / retract drive device 26 comprises a pair of air cylinders mounted on the brush holder 14 and fixed to the main body 14a of the brush holder 14, which slide each sliding member 24. Furthermore, a stopper 25, such as a bolt, is fixed to the sliding member 24. The head of the bolt in the stopper 25 abuts against a member on the main body 14a side, setting the position of the tip of the movable brush 17. The abutment position of the stopper 25 can be adjusted by rotating the bolt about its axis to advance or retract the bolt, thereby adjusting the position of the head.

[0077] The guide member 16 is fixed with its longitudinal direction perpendicular to a pair of support members 32. The support members 32 are fixed to a base member 30 that is fixed to a device (not shown). The guide member 16 comprises two cylindrical members that extend through the main body 14a of the brush holder 14 and are arranged so that the brush holder 14 can reciprocate vertically between the support members 32. Furthermore, a travel guide member 36 for vertical movement of the zipper chain 2 is attached vertically to the support members 32 fixed to the base member 30, with the movable brush 17 interposed therebetween.

[0078] A cam groove member 34, serving as a cam support, is fixed to a side surface of the main body 14a of the brush holder 14, perpendicular to the side surface on which the slide shaft 22 is provided. A cam groove 34a is formed horizontally on the side surface of the cam groove member 34 opposite the main body 14a. A cam roller 42, serving as a cam member and provided in a drive motor 40 serving as a brush drive device, slidably engages with the cam groove 34a of the cam groove member 34.

[0079] The drive motor 40 is fixed to the substrate member 30 and is located on the opposite side of the brush holding device 14 across the substrate member 30. An opening portion 38 is formed at a specific position of the substrate member 30 to which the drive motor 40 is fixed. A rotating body 44, which is provided on the rotating shaft 40a of the drive motor 40, passes through the opening portion 38 and maintains a certain gap with the opening portion 38 so that it can freely rotate around the rotating shaft 40a as the axis. A cam roller 42 is installed on the rotating body 44 at a position eccentric to the rotating shaft 40a of the drive motor 40. As a result, the rotation of the rotating shaft 40a of the drive motor 40 causes the rotating body 44 to rotate, and the cam roller 42 at a position eccentric to the rotating shaft 40a rotates in a circular manner. As described below, the cam roller 42 reciprocates in the horizontal direction within the cam groove 34a, while the cam groove member 34 moves up and down in the vertical direction.

[0080] The brushing device 15 is provided between a spacer forming conveyor roller 52 provided downstream of the spacer forming section 11 and a discharge-side conveyor roller 54 that discharges the zipper chain 2 from which the fastener elements 4 have been removed to the next step. Furthermore, a tensioning roller device 50 is provided upstream of the brushing device 15 between the spacer forming conveyor roller 52 and the brushing device 15 to absorb differences in the amount of conveyance of the zipper chain 2.

[0081] The dancer roller device 50 is configured, in order from the top, with: a dancer roller 51, which supports the zipper chain 2 and reciprocates vertically, i.e., vertically; and a first sensor 56, a second sensor 57, and a third sensor 58, which are arranged at regular intervals vertically within the approximate reciprocating range of the dancer roller 51. The first sensor 56, the second sensor 57, and the third sensor 58 are optical sensors or proximity sensors that sense the dancer roller 51. A vertical guide 60 composed of a pair of struts is provided within the reciprocating range of the dancer roller 51 to ensure stable vertical reciprocating motion of the dancer roller 51.

[0082] The upper and lower guides 60 guide the vertical movement of the guide portion (not shown) of the dancer roller 51. A spring 61 is attached to the lower end of the upper and lower guides 60 to cushion the impact of the dancer roller 51 colliding with the lower end. Weights 51a are provided on both sides of the dancer roller 51 to apply a specific tension to the zipper chain 2.

[0083] The spacer-forming conveyor roller 52 is connected to a motor (not shown) and is arranged so as to be in pressure contact with a driven roller 52a. It clamps the fastener tape 6 of the zipper chain 2 and feeds it. The discharge-side conveyor roller 54 is also connected to a motor (not shown) and is arranged so as to be in pressure contact with a driven roller 54a. It clamps the fastener tape 6 of the zipper chain 2 and feeds it. Furthermore, the upstream supply-side conveyor roller 46 is also connected to a motor (not shown) and is arranged so as to be in pressure contact with a driven roller 46a. It clamps the fastener tape 6 of the zipper chain 2 and feeds it downstream.

[0084] Next, the operation and function of the zipper element removal device 10 according to the embodiment will be described below. Figure 6 As shown, the fastener element removal device 10 controls the longitudinal conveyance of the zipper chain 2 by, in order from the upstream side, the supply-side conveyor roller 46, the spacer-forming conveyor roller 52, and the discharge-side conveyor roller 54. The motors (not shown) of the supply-side conveyor roller 46, the spacer-forming conveyor roller 52, and the discharge-side conveyor roller 54 are controlled by a control device (not shown) to perform the following operations.

[0085] First, if Figure 6 As shown by the middle arrow, the zipper chain 2 is continuously fed along the longitudinal direction by the feed side conveyor roller 46. Figure 6 As shown, the fastener chain 2 supplied by the supply side conveyor roller 46 is temporarily retained in a U-shape below. The retention length is controlled by the supply operation of the supply side conveyor roller 46 by a sensor (not shown) so as to fall within a certain retention length range.

[0086] The spacer forming conveying roller 52 intermittently drives the zipper chain 2 based on the signal obtained by the sensing component not shown. Specifically, in order to make the spacer forming portion of each predetermined length in the zipper chain 2 reach the spacer forming portion 11, the spacer forming conveying roller 52 rotates and performs the conveying action, and when the spacer 8 of the zipper chain 2 reaches the spacer forming portion 11, the zipper chain 2 temporarily stops. During the temporary stop, the head of the zipper element 4 of the zipper chain 2 is cut and removed by the spacer forming portion 11. Then, the spacer forming conveying roller 52 rotates to convey the spacer 8 of the zipper chain 2 to the downstream side. In addition, the action of the spacer forming portion 11 is performed independently of the action of the brushing device 15 described below.

[0087] When forming the spacer 8, the tensioning roller 51 downstream of the spacer-forming conveyor roller 52 is positioned between the first sensor 56 and the third sensor 58, and both the spacer-forming conveyor roller 52 and the discharge-side conveyor roller 54 rotate. In this state, as described above, when the spacer-forming unit 11 is activated, the spacer-forming conveyor roller 52 temporarily stops. The discharge-side conveyor roller 54 then rotates, causing the zipper chain 2 to move the tensioning roller 51 upward. Then, after the first sensor 56 senses the tensioning roller 51, the discharge-side conveyor roller 54 temporarily stops. Furthermore, during the sequence of operations of the brushing device 15 described below, the discharge-side conveyor roller 54 temporarily stops after the brushing device 15 completes its operation. The reason for stopping the brushing device 15 after the sequence of operations is that if the brushing operation is interrupted midway, there is a risk that the brushing device 15 will not be able to perform adequately.

[0088] After that, after the operation of the spacer forming portion 11 is completed, the spacer forming conveying roller 52 starts to rotate. In the above state, since the discharge side conveying roller 54 stops, the tension adjustment roller 51 starts to descend. Then, after the second sensor 57 senses the tension adjustment roller 51, it starts the discharge side conveying roller 54. As a result, the zipper chain 2 moves and passes through the brushing device 15, and the spacer 8 formed by the spacer forming portion 11 reaches a position facing the movable brush 17 of the brushing device 15. At the above position, after the sensor (not shown) detects the spacer 8, the control unit is used to reduce the moving speed of the discharge side conveying roller 54 from the normal speed to a low speed. At the same time, the brushing device 15 works to remove the legs of the zipper elements 4 from the spacer 8 on the zipper tape 6.

[0089] In addition, when the brushing device 15 is not started and the zipper chain 2 is moving, the advance and retreat drive device 26 causes the pair of movable brushes 17 of the brushing device 15 to separate and retreat from each other in the horizontal direction along the sliding shaft 22. As described below, after the sensor (not shown) detects the spacer 8, the advance and retreat drive device 26 causes the movable brush 17 to enter a position abutting the zipper chain element 4 of the zipper chain 2.

[0090] After the legs of the zipper elements 4 are removed, the discharge-side conveyor roller 54 returns to its normal rotational speed, allowing the zipper chain 2 to move at its normal speed. Furthermore, the forward / backward drive 26 retracts the pair of movable brushes 17 of the brushing device 15 to a position horizontally separated from each other along the slide shaft 22. Furthermore, the control to return the discharge-side conveyor roller 54 from a low rotational speed to its normal speed can be performed using a pre-set timer, or a sensor can be installed downstream of the brushing device 15 to detect the movement of the spacer 8 by the movable brushes 17.

[0091] During the travel of the fastener chain 2, if the rotation of the discharge-side conveyor roller 54 becomes slower than that of the spacer-forming conveyor roller 52 due to factors such as the activation of the movable brush 17 of the brushing device 15, resulting in a situation where the supply of the fastener chain 2 exceeds the discharge amount, the dancer roller 51 descends. Then, upon sensing the presence of the dancer roller 51, the third sensor 58 temporarily halts the movement of the spacer-forming conveyor roller 52 after a series of movements in the spacer-forming section 11. This halt occurs after the completion of the series of movements because interrupting the spacer-forming movement midway could result in incomplete spacer formation in the spacer-forming section 11.

[0092] As a result, only the discharge-side transport roller 54 is in operation, and the fastener chain 2 is fed out from the brushing device 15, causing the dancer roller 51 to rise. Then, the second sensor 57 senses the dancer roller 51 and activates the gap forming transport roller 52.

[0093] The above operation sets the rotation speeds of the spacer forming conveyor roller 52 and the discharge side conveyor roller 54 to be approximately equal, so that the supply and discharge of the zipper chain 2 are generally balanced, and the zipper chain 2 moves while the tension adjustment roller 51 stays near the second sensor 57 .

[0094] Thereafter, the dancer roller 51 moves up and down with the second sensor 57 as the center, repeating the above-described operation. Then, as described above, the zipper chain 2 moves, and when the spacer 8 reaches a position facing the movable brush 17 of the brushing device 15, the discharge-side conveyor roller 54 and the dancer roller device 50 control the movement of the zipper chain 2 to a low speed, and the brushing device 15 reliably removes the legs of the zipper elements 4 from the spacer 8.

[0095] Next, the brushing and removal operation of the legs and other parts of the zipper elements 4 using the brushing device 15 will be described. As described above, the spacer 8 of the zipper chain 2 faces the movable brush 17. When the sensor (not shown) detects the spacer 8, the zipper chain 2 moves at a low speed. First, the forward / backward drive device 26 causes the sliding members 24 to move parallel to each other along the sliding axis 22, horizontally approaching each other. Then, the movable brushes 17, mounted on the pair of brush mounting members 18, abut the zipper elements 4 remaining in the spacer 8 of the zipper chain 2. The contact position of the movable brush 17 is precisely controlled by the stopper 25. The bolt head of the stopper 25 is set to abut the main body 14a side, ensuring that the tip of the movable brush 17 accurately abuts the zipper element 4. The abutment position of the stopper 25 is adjusted by rotating the bolt about its axis to advance and retreat the bolt, thereby adjusting the position of the head.

[0096] After that, the drive motor 40 is activated, and the rotation shaft 40a rotates, causing the cam roller 42 to perform a circular motion via the rotating body 44. The cam roller 42 then engages with the cam groove 34a of the cam groove member 34. As a result, the cam roller 42 slides horizontally along the cam groove 34a of the cam groove member 34, while simultaneously causing the cam roller 42 to move the cam groove member 34 vertically up and down. As a result, the main body 14a of the brush holder 14 reciprocates vertically along the guide member 16.

[0097] A brush mounting member 18 is provided on the main body 14a of the brush holder 14, sandwiching the sliding shaft 22, the sliding member 24, and the connecting member 20. This allows the pair of movable brushes 17 to move forward and backward horizontally relative to the zipper chain 2. The reciprocating motion of the main body 14a of the brush holder 14 causes the movable brushes 17 to reciprocate vertically. Furthermore, the movable brushes 17 reciprocate with their bristle tips flatly contacting the legs of the fastener elements 4 remaining in the zipper chain 2. This ensures that the legs of the fastener elements 4 are reliably removed from the spacers 8 on the fastener tape 6.

[0098] While the zipper chain 2 is moving at a low speed, the movable brush 17 of the brushing device 15 performs the above-described operation to reliably remove the legs and other parts of the zipper elements 4 remaining in the spacers 8 of the zipper tape 6. As described above, after the zipper chain 2 has passed the spacers 8, the rotation of the discharge-side conveyor roller 54 is restored to a normal rotational speed, allowing the zipper chain 2 to move at a normal speed. The above-described operation is repeated to remove the zipper elements 4 from the spacers 8 formed in the long zipper chain 2.

[0099] According to the fastener element removal device 10 of the embodiment described above, the rotational motion of the drive motor 40 of the brush removal device 15 is converted into linear reciprocating motion of the movable brush 17 of the brush mounting member 18, thereby driving the movable brush 17. As a result, the bristle tip of the movable brush 17 abuts the fastener elements 4 of the zipper chain 2 as a whole, reciprocating along the surface of the fastener tape 6. This ensures that the legs and other parts of the fastener elements 4 are reliably removed from the fastener tape 6 without applying excessive force. Furthermore, a simple structure enables the movable brush 17 to abut and separate from the fastener tape 6, reliably synchronizing with the intermittent motion of the fastener tape 6 and thus activating the movable brush 17. Furthermore, the drive unit for removing the fastener elements 4 includes the drive motor 40 and an advance / retract drive device 26, such as an air cylinder, enabling accurate operation with a simple device.

[0100] Furthermore, the zipper chain 2 does not necessarily have to be continuously moved in a pattern of alternating low-speed movement and normal-speed movement. For example, when encountering a gap portion that is larger than the movable length of the row of movable brushes 17, intermittent driving may be performed. For example, based on a predetermined length of the gap portion 8, the movement of the zipper chain 2 is first temporarily stopped, and the movable brush 17 of the brushing device 15 is activated. After a certain period of activation, the zipper chain 2 is slightly moved, and the movable brush 17 of the brushing device 15 is activated again. This operation is repeated to remove the zipper elements 4 from the gap portion 8. After the zipper elements 4 in the gap portion 8 are removed, the zipper chain 2 is allowed to move at a normal speed.

[0101] In addition, the zipper element removal device of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and the shape of the cam member or the cam support portion can be appropriately set. In addition to using an air cylinder, the forward and backward drive device can also be replaced by a motor or an electromagnetic drive device. The brush only needs to reciprocate in parallel, and the shape or number of the brushes can be appropriately set. Furthermore, the moving direction of the zipper tape at the position facing the brush is preferably vertical, but it can also be in the form of moving in the horizontal direction. In the above case, as long as the surface of the zipper tape is parallel to the vertical direction, the zipper elements removed by the brush will easily fall downward, so it is preferred.

Claims

1. A zipper element removal device (10) capable of removing zipper elements (4) continuously mounted on a zipper chain (2) within a fixed length of each zipper chain (2), thereby forming a spacer (8) within the fixed length of the zipper chain (2), characterized in that: include: A brushing device (15) brushes off the zipper element (4) remaining on the zipper tape (6) after the head of the zipper element (4) is cut and removed. The brushing device (15) includes: a movable brush (17), the bristle end of which abuts against the zipper chain element (4) and is arranged opposite to the front and back sides of the zipper tape (6); a brush holding device (14) on which the movable brush (17) is installed and which performs reciprocating motion; a guide member (16) which guides the movable brush (17) in such a manner that the movable brush (17) abuts against the front and back sides of the zipper tape (6) and the brush holding device (14) reciprocates in parallel with the front and back sides of the zipper tape (6); and a brush driving device which causes the brush holding device (14) to reciprocate along the guide member (16). The movable brush (17) is mounted on a brush mounting member (18) and is disposed opposite to the front and back sides of the zipper chain (2). The zipper tooth removing device includes an advance and retreat drive device (26) for moving the brush mounting member (18) toward and away from the zipper chain (2). The brush mounting member (18) and the advance and retreat drive device (26) are mounted on the brush holding device (14). The bristle end of the movable brush (17) is located on a plane parallel to the zipper teeth (4), and is moved parallel to the zipper teeth (4) by the advance and retreat drive device (26). The movable brush (17) is planarly in contact with the zipper teeth (4) and reciprocates parallel to the zipper tape (6).

2. The zipper element removal device according to claim 1, wherein The brush driving device comprises: A drive motor (40); a cam member (42) eccentrically mounted on a rotating shaft (40a) of the drive motor (40); and a cam support portion (34) for the cam member (42) to be engaged in a freely sliding manner, wherein the cam support portion (34) is mounted on the brush holding device (14), and the brush holding device (14) reciprocates along the guide member (16) through the rotation of the drive motor (40).

3. The zipper element removal device according to claim 1, wherein A spacing forming portion (11) is provided on the upstream side of the moving direction of the zipper chain (2) relative to the brushing device (15), and the spacing forming portion (11) cuts off and removes the head of the zipper chain element (4) of the zipper chain (2). A brushing portion (13) is provided between the spacing forming portion (11) and the brushing device (15), and the brushing portion (13) brushes off the foot of the zipper chain element (4) whose head has been cut off and removed.

4. The zipper element removal device according to claim 3, wherein A tension adjustment roller device (50) is provided between the brushing device (15) and the interval forming portion (11), and is provided in a manner capable of absorbing the difference in the travel state of the zipper chain (2) caused by the respective actions of the brushing device (15) and the interval forming portion (11). The tension adjustment roller device (50) includes a tension adjustment roller (51) around which the zipper chain (2) is wound and moves up and down.

5. The zipper element removal device according to claim 1, wherein The zipper chain (2) moves at a speed lower than that in other periods while the movable brush (17) of the brushing device (15) abuts against the spacer (8) of the zipper chain (2) and reciprocates.

6. The zipper element removal device according to claim 1, wherein While the movable brush (17) of the brushing device (15) abuts against the spacer (8) of the zipper chain (2) and reciprocates, the zipper chain (2) stops moving and is intermittently driven.

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