Wet wipes supply device

Abstract

The present invention provides a wet wipes supply device, which is provided with a paper towel supply part and a water supply part inside a shell, and an operating part is provided below the paper towel supply part and the water supply part, and the operating part is configured to draw out the paper towel and convey it to the discharge side through the water supply part for discharge, wherein the operating part includes: a clamp operating arm, which is configured to draw out the paper towel from the paper towel supply part downward; a conveying part, which is used to convey the paper towel drawn out by the clamp to the discharge side through the lower end of the water supply part; and a paper towel guide, which is used to guide the discharged paper towel to the outside of the operating part, and the clamp operating arm is driven by at least a first motor and a second motor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wet wipes supply device, and more particularly, to a device for supplying moisture to the surface of a dry tissue to be discharged as a wet wipes. Background Art

[0002] As we all know, wet wipes commonly sold on the market contain a large amount of chemicals, which are harmful to the human body, especially to infants or children, as they may cause allergies, so the harm is particularly great.

[0003] As an alternative, a variety of automatic wet wipe supply devices have been proposed recently, but most of these devices supply water to a roll of paper towels to discharge the wet wipes. Therefore, the discharged wet wipes are used by cutting along a cutting line like a roll of paper, or by cutting with a cutting blade provided on the discharge side.

[0004] The conventional wet wipes supply device described above is not suitable for use in high-end environments such as hotels or offices because it looks like a roll of paper. In addition, wet wipes containing moisture are not easy to cut, and the cutting blades are damaged or worn due to long-term use, resulting in disadvantages such as an increase in the number of replacement parts.

[0005] To address this issue, the applicant, through Korean Patent Gazette No. 1346292, has proposed a more advanced, cleaner, and easier-to-use and manage wet wipes dispensing device. This device essentially comprises a tissue box containing multiple dry tissues; a clamp for gripping and extracting tissues from the box; a conveyor belt that transports the tissues extracted by the clamp toward a discharge direction; and a water spray unit that sprays water onto the surface of the tissues being transported. The water spray unit includes a water tank and a nozzle. The tissue box is located at the top or bottom of the device, while the clamp is located at the bottom or top. The clamp has a reciprocating cylinder structure that moves up and down toward the conveyor belt to deposit the tissues. The tissue box comprises a box body having a predetermined height and a lid on its upper portion and an open frame on its lower portion; a door disposed on the front surface of the box body, which can be opened and closed to allow for the replenishment of tissues; and a weight plate, which applies weight to the tissues as they are removed from the box, causing them to move downward. The door is inserted into a track at the front end of the box body in a manner that allows it to slide up and down. The lid has a through-hole corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the door, allowing it to be raised and lowered when opened.

[0006] However, the wet wipes supply device having the above-described structure has a problem of reduced operational accuracy, such as when the paper towels are clamped by the clamps and pulled out from the paper towel box, multiple paper towels are pulled out together. In addition, in the case of a reciprocating cylinder structure, when a large number of paper towels need to be pulled out in a short period of time, there is a problem of reduced operational efficiency relative to time. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0008] The present invention has been developed to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a wet wipes supplying device that can accurately supply a large number of wet wipes one at a time in a shorter time.

[0009] Solutions for solving problems

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned purpose, a wet wipes supply device is provided, wherein the wet wipes supply device is provided with a paper towel supply part and a water supply part inside a shell, and an operating part is provided below the paper towel supply part and the water supply part, and the operating part is configured to extract the paper towel and convey it to the discharge side through the water supply part for discharge, and the operating part includes: a clamp operating arm, which is configured to extract the paper towel from the paper towel supply part downward; a conveying part, which is used to convey the paper towel extracted by the clamp to the discharge side through the lower end of the water supply part; and a paper towel guide, which is used to guide the discharged paper towel to the outside of the operating part, and the clamp operating arm is driven by at least a first motor and a second motor. The above-mentioned clamp operating arm includes: an arm frame, which is configured to rotate up and down by a first motor with a horizontal axis as the center; a clamp member, which is arranged at the end of the above-mentioned arm frame; a driving unit for operating the above-mentioned clamp member and has a predetermined structure; and an arm cover, which is combined with the upper surface of the above-mentioned arm frame to cover the upper part of the driving unit. The above-mentioned first motor is arranged on one side of the above-mentioned horizontal axis and is driven by applying a signal by a power button, thereby rotating the above-mentioned arm frame in the up and down directions with the above-mentioned horizontal axis as the center, and a first arm switch is provided at the lower part of the front side of the above-mentioned arm frame with the above-mentioned horizontal axis as the center, which is used to identify that the above-mentioned clamp member has reached the lower stop point by contact when the above-mentioned arm frame descends, and a second arm switch is provided at the lower part of the rear side of the above-mentioned arm frame with the above-mentioned horizontal axis as the center, which is used to identify that the above-mentioned clamp member has reached the upper stop point by contact when the above-mentioned arm frame rises.

[0011] Effects of the Invention

[0012] With the above features, the wet wipes supplying device of the present invention can accurately supply a large number of wet wipes one at a time in a shorter time. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 11 is an exploded perspective view showing the overall structure of the wet wipes supply device according to the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 An assembly cross-sectional view of the internal coupling structure of a wet wipes supply device.

[0015] FIG3 shows a configuration Figure 1 and Figure 2 The diagram shows the appearance, structure and operation of the clamp operating arm of the operating part.

[0016] FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an operation process for operating the caliper operating arm of FIG. 3 .

[0017] Figure 5 shows the structure of the paper towel supply unit. Figure 5a It is an exploded stereogram. Figure 5b is an assembly cutaway view, and Figure 5c It is a stereoscopic image viewed from above.

[0018] FIG6 is a diagram showing the structure of a water supply unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples.

[0020] When the present invention is described in the following embodiments, illustration and description thereof are omitted except for essential parts, and similar structural elements are described by assigning the same reference numerals throughout the specification.

[0021] [Example]

[0022] Figure 1 This is an exploded perspective view showing the overall structure of the front and back sides of the wet wipes supply device according to the present invention. Figure 2 Shown Figure 1 The internal assembly cross-sectional structure of the wet wipes supply device is as follows: a paper towel supply part 200 and a water supply part 300 are arranged inside a shell, and an operating part 400 is provided below the paper towel supply part 200 and the water supply part 300. The above-mentioned operating part 400 is configured to draw out the paper towel T and transport it to the discharge side through the water supply part for discharge.

[0023] The housing 100 may include a main body 110, an upper cover 120, and a bottom cover 130. The upper end of the main body 110 is formed with inlets 111 and 112 for inserting and removing the tissue supply unit 200 and the water supply unit 300, respectively. The tissue supply unit 200 and the water supply unit 300 may be arranged in a horizontal row within the housing 100. A discharge port 113 may be formed at the lower front end of the housing 100 after passing through the water supply unit 300. This discharge port 113 is used to discharge the tissues T delivered via the operating unit 400. A power switch 500 for operating the wet wipes dispensing device of the present invention may be located on the front portion of the housing 100, and a power button 510 may be arranged to extend outward through a hole 101 in the surface of the housing 100.

[0024] The operating unit 400 may include a clamp operating arm 410 that forms a clamp for pulling the paper towels T downward from the paper towel supply unit 200; a conveying member 420 for conveying the paper towels T pulled by the clamp through the lower end of the water supply unit to the discharge side; and a paper towel guide 430 for guiding the discharged paper towels to the outside of the operating unit 400. The operating unit 400 may include a first motor 411 and a second motor 412 for driving at least the clamp operating arm 410; and a third motor 431 for driving the conveying member 420.

[0025] FIG3 shows a configuration Figure 1 and Figure 2 FIG4 is a flowchart showing the operation process for operating the pliers operating arm of FIG3 .

[0026] The clamp operating arm 410 may include: an arm frame 440 configured to rotate vertically about a horizontal axis 413 via a first motor 411; a jaw member 450 disposed at the end of the arm frame 440; a drive unit having a predetermined structure for operating the jaw member 450; and an arm cover 460 coupled to the upper surface of the arm frame 440 to cover the upper portion of the drive unit. The first motor 411 is disposed on one side of the horizontal axis 413 and is driven by a signal applied by a power button 510, thereby rotating the arm frame 440 vertically about the horizontal axis 413. A push cam 471 is provided on the outer surface of the operating portion 400. This push cam has a fan-shaped shape of a predetermined length and is coupled to the horizontal shaft 413 along with the arm 440, allowing it to rise and fall alongside the arm 440. A push linear portion 472 is provided on one side of the push cam 471. This portion rotates upward along the arc of the push cam 471 as the push cam 471 rises. The push linear portion 472, a spring-supported structure centered on a pivot, has one or more push rollers 473 integrally coupled to one side. These push rollers 473 provide the paper towels T to be placed on the conveyor 420. As the push linear portion 472 rotates upward along the arc of the push cam 471, a predetermined downward restoring force generated by the spring acts on the push linear portion 472, causing the push rollers 473 to rotate upward along with the push linear portion 472. On the one hand, when the jaws 450 is gripping the tissue T within the tissue supply unit 200, the linear push portion 472 can be positioned at the lower end of the arcuate surface of the push cam 471. When the jaws 450 is placing the tissue T on the conveyor unit 420, the linear push portion 472 can be positioned at the upper end of the arcuate surface of the push cam 471. Furthermore, after the jaws 450 has placed the tissue T on the conveyor unit 420, the arm 440 can continue to descend. In this case, the linear push portion 472 disengages from the arcuate surface of the push cam 471 and returns to its original position, releasing the spring force. Simultaneously, the push roller 473 presses the tissue T and places it on the conveyor unit 420.

[0027] A first arm switch 474 and a second arm switch 475 may be provided at the front and rear lower portions of the arm frame 440, centered about the transverse axis 413 of the clamp operating arm 410. In this embodiment, the arm switches 474 and 475 are used to identify the precise position of the jaws 450 in response to the raising and lowering of the arm frame 440. This allows the control unit (not shown) to detect when the jaws 450 is gripping tissues T within the tissue supply unit 200, ensuring that the jaws 450 always operates in the correct position. Preferably, the first arm switch 474 is located at the front lower portion of the arm frame 440, centered about the transverse axis 413, so that contact with the jaws 450 as the arm frame 440 descends signals the jaws 450 reaching its bottom dead center. The second arm switch 475 is located at the rear lower portion of the arm frame 440, centered about the transverse axis 413, so that contact with the jaws 450 as the arm frame 440 ascends signals the jaws 450 reaching its top dead center.

[0028] According to this embodiment, when the jaw 450 reaches its bottom dead center, the push straight portion 472 disengages from the arcuate surface of the push cam 471, and the jaw 450 is positioned below the conveyor member 420. Furthermore, when the jaw 450 reaches its top dead center, the push straight portion 472 is positioned below the arcuate surface of the push cam 471, and the jaw 450 is operated by the control unit to clamp the tissues T within the tissue supply unit 200. Although not shown in this embodiment, the first arm switch 474 and the second arm switch 475 may be replaced with proximity sensors, thereby detecting the jaw 450's arrival at its bottom dead center and its top dead center, respectively, based on the rotational state of the arm frame 440.

[0029] The jaw component 450 includes: a first jaw portion 451, which is formed at the end of the arm 440; and a second jaw portion 452, which is hinged to the end of the above-mentioned arm 440 constituting the above-mentioned first jaw portion, and is arranged in an expandable manner relative to the above-mentioned first jaw portion 451, wherein the upper ends of the first jaw portion 451 and the second jaw portion 452 are constituted as a plurality of teeth 451a, 452a, and the above-mentioned plurality of teeth 451a, 452a can clamp the paper towel T through the interaction between them.

[0030] Furthermore, the drive unit for operating the jaw member 450 may include: a second motor 412 housed within the arm frame 440; an arm cam 442 mounted on the upper portion of the motor shaft 412a of the second motor; a cam link shaft 443 positioned to contact the cam surface of the arm cam 442 from the distal end of the arm frame 440; a coil spring 444 wound around the surface of the cam link shaft 443 and elastically supported by the second jaw member 452; and a tissue detection sensor 445 coupled to the upper end of the cam shaft 442a of the arm cam 442. The tissue detection sensor 445 may be exposed upward through a hole 461 in the surface of the arm cover 460 and may detect the presence of tissues T in the tissue supply unit 200 when the jaw member 450 is raised, thereby generating an alarm signal via a control unit (not shown).

[0031] The clamp operating arm 410 with this structure is driven by a first motor 411 located on one side of the horizontal axis 413, and is raised in parallel with the push cam 471. At this time, the push linear portion 472, which rubs against the arcuate surface of the push cam 471, detects the rising angle of the clamp operating arm 410, which rises along with the push cam 471, thereby applying a position signal to the teeth 451a and 452a of the clamp member 450 located at the end of the clamp operating arm 410. Then, the second motor 412 is driven to rotate the arm cam 442. When the wider surface of the arm cam 442 pushes one side of the cam link shaft 443, the second jaw portion 452 overcomes the spring force of the coil spring 444 and opens away from the first jaw portion 451 with the hinge point as the center. At this time, if the tissue detection sensor 445 confirms that there are tissues in the tissue supply unit 200, the second motor 412 continues to drive, rotating the arm cam 442. When the narrow surface of the arm cam 442 contacts one side of the cam link shaft 443, the cam link shaft 443 retreats, and the second jaw 452 returns to its original position. When the teeth 451a of the first jaw 451 and the teeth 452a of the second jaw 452 contact each other again, they clamp the tissue T. If the tissue detection sensor 445 detects that there are no tissues T in the tissue supply unit 200, the second motor stops driving, stopping the rotation of the arm cam 442, and the tissue detection sensor 445 generates an alarm signal through the control unit.

[0032] When the first and second jaws 451, 452 of the jaw member 450 grip a tissue, the first motor 411 is driven in reverse, and the jaw operating arm 410 descends alongside the push cam 471. At this time, the push linear portion 472, rubbing against the arcuate surface of the push cam 471, detects the descending angle of the jaw operating arm 410, which descends along with the push cam 471, thereby applying a position signal to the teeth 451a, 452a of the jaw member 450 at the distal end of the jaw operating arm 410. The second motor 412 is then driven again, rotating the arm cam 442. As the wider surface of the arm cam 442 pushes one side of the cam link shaft 443, the second jaw 452 overcomes the spring force of the coil spring 444 and opens from the first jaw 451 about the hinge point, placing the tissue T on the conveyor member 420 driven by the third motor 431. The clamp operating arm 410 can repeat the above-mentioned actions to extract the paper towels in the paper towel supply part 200. The paper towels T placed on the conveying part 420 receive moisture when passing through the lower end of the water supply part 300, so that they can be led to the outside in the state of wet wipes along the paper towel guide 430 located on the discharge side.

[0033] Figure 5 shows the structure of the paper towel supply unit. Figure 5a An exploded perspective view of the paper towel supply unit is shown. Figure 5b Shows an assembled cross-sectional view of the paper towel supply unit, Figure 5cA bottom perspective view of a tissue supply unit is shown. In the present invention, the tissue supply unit 200 is configured to fill tissues from the bottom of a tissue cartridge 210 that holds tissues T. A sealing cap 220 is attached to the top of the tissue cartridge 210, and a lower door 230 is provided at the bottom of the tissue cartridge 210, which is centrally open for inserting and removing tissues. A support frame 240 is mounted around the opening of the lower door 230. The support frame 240 supports the ends of the tissues in each direction to prevent them from falling. The support frame 240 is typically made of a rubber material and has a predetermined shape. A tissue pressurizing unit 250, which is configured to be raised and lowered within the tissue cartridge 210, is located above the lower door 230. A reel spring 251, wound into a circular shape and capable of being expanded, is mounted on both sides of the tissue pressurizing portion 250. The other end of each reel spring 251 is connected to both sides of the lower door 230. When a tissue T is inserted through the lower door 230, the reel spring 251 gradually expands, causing the tissue pressurizing portion 250 to move toward the upper portion of the tissue box 210, thereby maintaining downward pressure on the tissue T. A support roller 231 can be provided on one side of the lower door 230 to prevent the tissue from getting stuck when being drawn out. The support roller 231 supports one end of the tissue stacked in the tissue box 210 and prevents the tissue from getting stuck when being drawn out, thereby allowing the tissue to be drawn out more smoothly. Preferably, the support roller 231 can be made of an antistatic material, such as rubber.

[0034] Figure 6 shows the structure of the water supply unit. The water supply unit 300 comprises two tanks, 310 and 320, one inside and one outside. The inner tank 310 is the actual container for water, allowing water to be added by opening a lid 311. The outer tank 320 houses the inner tank 310, with a predetermined space 321 provided between the bottoms of the inner and outer tanks 310 and 320. Water drawn from the inner tank 310 via a pusher valve 312 enters this space 321. A heater 322 may be built into the bottom of the outer tank 320 to heat the water to an appropriate temperature before supplying it to the paper towels T. Furthermore, a drain pipe 323 is connected to the other side of the bottom of the outer tank 320 via a drain port. One or more nozzles 324 may be provided along the end of the drain pipe 323. Furthermore, a solenoid valve 325 may be provided on the drain pipe 323 to set the water spraying time.

[0035] On the one hand, paper towels T drawn from the paper towel supply unit 200 by the clamp operating arm 410 are placed on the conveyor member 420 and passed through the lower end of the water supply unit 300. At this point, water is supplied to the surface of the paper towels T through the nozzle 324, which is regulated by the solenoid valve 325, thereby forming wet wipes. The wet wipes can be formed by directly spraying water from the nozzle 324. However, to prevent water splashing, a predetermined inclined surface member 326 can be provided below the nozzle 324 to allow the water sprayed from the nozzle 324 to flow downward and be supplied to the surface of the paper towels. Furthermore, a paper towel guide 430 for guiding the discharge of the wet wipes can be detachably provided below the paper towel discharge port. A portion of the guide extends below the conveyor member 420 below the water supply unit 300, thereby forming a water basin 432 for receiving the water sprayed from the nozzle 324 and flowing down from the surface of the paper towels.

[0036] While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above descriptions are merely examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the above descriptions, except as may appear in the appended claims. Therefore, those skilled in the art should understand that, within the scope of the claims, many changes, modifications, and substitutions of equivalents may be made without departing from the technical concept and spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A wet wipes supply device, characterized in that: The wet wipes supply device is provided with a paper towel supply part and a water supply part inside a housing. An operating part is provided below the paper towel supply part and the water supply part. The operating part is configured to extract the paper towel and transport it to the discharge side through the water supply part for discharge. The operating portion includes: a clamp operating arm, which forms a clamp for pulling out paper towels from the paper towel supply portion downward; a conveying component for conveying the paper towels pulled out by the clamp to the discharge side through the lower end of the water supply portion; and a paper towel guide for guiding the discharged paper towels to the outside of the operating portion. The clamp operating arm is driven by at least a first motor and a second motor. The clamp operating arm includes: an arm frame, which is configured to rotate up and down with a transverse axis as the center by a first motor; a clamp component, which is provided at the end of the arm frame; a driving unit for operating the clamp component and having a predetermined structure; and an arm cover, which is combined with the upper surface of the arm frame to cover the upper part of the driving unit. The first motor is arranged on one side of the horizontal axis and is driven by applying a signal through a power button, thereby rotating the arm in the up-and-down direction around the horizontal axis, and a first arm switch is provided at the lower part of the front side of the arm around the horizontal axis, which is used to identify that the clamp has reached the lower dead point by contact caused by the lowering of the arm, and a second arm switch is provided at the lower part of the rear side of the arm around the horizontal axis, which is used to identify that the clamp has reached the upper dead point by contact caused by the rising of the arm.

2. The wet wipes supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer surface of the operating portion is provided with a push cam having a fan shape of a predetermined length and is combined with the arm to the horizontal axis so as to perform lifting and lowering movements in parallel with the arm. A pushing straight line portion is provided on one side of the pushing cam, which can rotate upward along the arc surface of the pushing cam, and the pushing straight line portion is supported by a spring with the rotating axis as the center. One side of the pushing straight line portion is integrated with one or more pushing rollers, and the pushing rollers provide the paper towels to be placed on the conveying component.

3. The wet wipes supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The jaw member includes: a first jaw portion formed at the end of the arm frame; and a second jaw portion hinged to the end of the arm frame constituting the first jaw portion and arranged in an expandable manner relative to the first jaw portion. The upper ends of the first jaw part and the second jaw part are formed into a plurality of teeth, and the plurality of teeth can clamp the tissue through interaction therebetween.

4. The wet wipes supply device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The driving unit includes: a second motor housed inside the arm frame; an arm cam mounted on the upper portion of the motor shaft of the second motor; a cam connecting rod shaft arranged to be in close contact with the cam surface of the arm cam from the end of the arm frame; a coil spring wound around the surface of the cam connecting rod shaft and elastically supported by the second clamp; and a tissue detection sensor coupled to the upper end of the cam shaft of the arm cam. The paper towel detection sensor is exposed upward through a hole on the surface of the arm cover. When the clamp member rises, it detects whether there is a paper towel in the paper towel supply unit and generates an alarm signal through the control unit.

5. The wet wipes supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tissue supply unit includes: a tissue box for accommodating tissues; a sealing cover coupled to the upper end of the tissue box; and a lower end door coupled to the lower end of the tissue box. The center of the lower end door is open to allow paper towels to be put in and pulled out, and a support frame is installed around the open part of the lower end door, and the support frame is used to support the end portions of the paper towels in various directions to prevent the paper towels contained in the interior of the paper towel box from falling. The upper part of the lower end door is provided with a paper towel pressurizing part that can be raised and lowered inside the paper towel box, and the two side ends of the paper towel pressurizing part are installed with reel springs that are wound into a circle and can be unfolded, and the other end of each reel spring is connected to the two side ends of the lower end door, thereby pressurizing the paper towels downward.

6. The wet wipes supply device according to claim 5, characterized in that: A support roller is provided on one side of the lower end door to prevent the paper towel from getting stuck when being pulled out, and to support one end of the paper towel stacked in the paper towel box while preventing the paper towel from getting stuck when being pulled out, so that the paper towel can be pulled out more smoothly, wherein the support roller is made of anti-static material.

7. The wet wipes supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The above-mentioned water supply part includes an internal tank and an external tank. The above-mentioned external tank is used to accommodate the internal tank. A predetermined space is provided between the bottom surface of the above-mentioned internal tank and the bottom surface of the external tank, so that the water drawn out from the internal tank through the push rod valve is filled into the above-mentioned space. A heater is built into the bottom surface of the above-mentioned external tank. The other side of the bottom surface of the above-mentioned external tank is connected to a drain pipe through a drain outlet, and more than one nozzle is provided along the end extending along the above-mentioned drain pipe. The above-mentioned drain pipe is provided with a solenoid valve for setting the water spraying time.

8. The wet wipes supply device according to claim 7, characterized in that: In order to prevent water from splashing, a predetermined inclined surface member is provided below the nozzle so that the water sprayed from the nozzle flows downward and is supplied to the surface of the paper towel.

9. The wet wipes supply device according to claim 7, characterized in that: A portion of the paper towel guide extends below the conveying member to form a water basin for receiving water sprayed by the nozzle and flowing down from the surface of the paper towel.

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