Chain positioning device and method, and chain product manufacturing system and method

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus for positioning a continuous chain so as to manufacture a slide fastener product having two sliders by cutting the continuous chain, comprising: an image inspection unit for photographing and inspecting the continuous chain conveyed on a conveyance path; a conveyance stopping unit disposed on a downstream side of the conveyance path with respect to the image inspection unit, the position of the conveyance stopping unit being movable in a flow direction of the conveyance path, and the conveyance stopping unit being capable of stopping conveyance of the continuous chain; and a control unit for controlling the behavior of the transport stop unit on the basis of an input signal from the image inspection unit. The image inspection unit outputs a signal to the control unit by detecting whether or not there is a stopper on the continuous chain, and the control unit that receives the signal adjusts the position of the conveyance stop unit on the basis of the signal, so that the conveyance of the continuous chain is stopped by the conveyance stop unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to an apparatus and method for positioning a continuous chain. In addition, the present invention also relates to a system and method for manufacturing a zipper chain product. Background Art

[0002] Generally, a zipper chain product has a structure in which the chain elements provided on a pair of belts are meshed after passing through a slider. Moreover, as one of them, a product of the type having two sliders passing through is also known. As products of this type, there are, for example, zippers called reverse opening zippers (a product that can separate the belts and can be opened and closed in any direction in the length direction, see: https: / / lyncs.ykkfastening.com / shop / pages / about_products_10.aspx), head-to-head double-head zippers (a product that can open the zipper in any direction in the length direction through two sliders, see: https: / / lyncs.ykkfastening.com / shop / pages / about_products_04.aspx), and tail-to-tail double-head zippers (a product that can close the zipper in any direction in the length direction through two sliders, see the above web page).

[0003] When manufacturing a zipper product of the type with two sliders passing through (hereinafter also referred to as a "zipper product with two sliders"), a product in which a long strip of tape is provided with chain teeth (engaging components) and a number of sliders are passed through is usually first made as an intermediate product, and the product is cut into a specified length. In this intermediate product, the following structure is often adopted: the zipper has an open state (i.e., a state in which a pair of tapes are separated from each other because the chain teeth are not engaged or no chain teeth are provided) and a closed state (i.e., a state in which the chain teeth are engaged so that a pair of tapes are brought closer to each other) along the length direction for each slider. In this technical field, such an intermediate product before cutting is also called a "continuous chain".

[0004] For example, a prior art example of a method for manufacturing such a continuous chain is described in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 discloses a continuous processing device for a zipper, which has a slider insertion portion that allows a zipper chain to intermittently move and allows sliders to be inserted thereon in sequence. In the device involved in this prior art, it is characterized in that: while a slider held by a slider holding component is allowed to enter and be set in a spacer, a slider insertion component is inserted into the spacer and moves toward the downstream side of the chain in the spacer, and an engaging component arranged at the downstream side end of the spacer is held and further continuously moved toward the downstream side of the chain, and the zipper chain is transported, and the slider is inserted into the chain during the transport.

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-223482 Summary of the invention

[0008] Usually, in a continuous chain, a stopper is provided at the end of the belt to prevent the slider from falling off. However, in reality, there may be a case where the stopper is not installed on the belt due to various reasons (requirements for batch changes, reasons for product specifications, or component assembly errors, etc.). In the conventional method such as the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, since it is assumed that the stopper is provided on the belt, the continuous chain cannot be cut at the correct position when the stopper is not installed, resulting in a problem of laborious adjustment.

[0009] Therefore, a new method is required that can manufacture zipper products with two sliders based on a continuous chain in a fully automated manner.

[0010] In view of the above problems, the present invention can provide the following aspects.

[0011] Method 1

[0012] A device for positioning a continuous chain so as to manufacture a zipper product with two sliders by cutting the continuous chain, the device being characterized in that it comprises: an image inspection unit for photographing and inspecting the continuous chain being transported on a transport path; a transport stop unit, which is arranged on the downstream side of the transport path relative to the image inspection unit, the position of the transport stop unit being able to move along the flow direction of the transport path and being able to stop the transport of the continuous chain; and a control unit for controlling the behavior of the transport stop unit based on an input signal from the image inspection unit, the image inspection unit outputting a signal to the control unit based on detecting whether a stop portion exists on the continuous chain, and the control unit receiving the signal adjusts the position of the transport stop unit based on the signal, so that the transport of the continuous chain stops at the transport stop unit.

[0013] Method 2

[0014] In the device described in method 1, it is characterized in that: the conveying stop unit includes: a base, which can be moved along the conveying direction of the continuous chain and has a mechanism to stop the conveying of the continuous chain; and a positioning part, which can be moved along the conveying direction of the continuous chain, and the control part drives the positioning part to adjust the position of the base based on the input signal from the image inspection unit.

[0015] Method 3

[0016] In the device described in method 1, it is characterized in that: the conveying stop unit includes: a base, which can be moved along the conveying direction of the continuous chain and has a mechanism to stop the conveying of the continuous chain; a first positioning part, which can be moved along the conveying direction of the continuous chain; and a second positioning part, which is opposite to the first positioning part relative to the base, and the control part drives the first positioning part based on the input signal from the image inspection unit, and adjusts the position of the base by clamping the base with the first positioning part and the second positioning part to fix it.

[0017] Method 4

[0018] In the device described in aspect 3, the second positioning portion is movable along the conveying direction of the continuous chain.

[0019] Method 5

[0020] In the device described in any one of aspects 2 to 4, the transport stop unit further includes another positioning portion whose position is fixed.

[0021] Method 6

[0022] In the device described in any one of aspects 1 to 5, the image inspection unit detects whether or not there is a fastener element on the continuous chain.

[0023] Method 7

[0024] The device described in any one of aspects 1 to 6 further includes: another unit different from the image inspection unit, which has a contact or non-contact mechanism for detecting whether there are fastener elements on the continuous chain.

[0025] Method 8

[0026] A system for manufacturing a zipper product with two sliders, the system comprising: a device as described in any one of methods 1 to 7; a supply unit for supplying a continuous chain to the device; and a cutting unit for cutting the continuous chain supplied by the supply unit and positioned by the device.

[0027] Method 9

[0028] A method for positioning a continuous chain so as to manufacture a zipper product with two sliders by cutting the continuous chain, the method comprising: using an image inspection unit to photograph and inspect the continuous chain being transported on a transport path to determine whether there is a stopper on the continuous chain; using a control unit to adjust the position of a transport stop unit along the transport path based on whether there is a stopper on the continuous chain; and using the transport stop unit to stop the transport of the continuous chain.

[0029] Method 10

[0030] A method for automatically manufacturing a zipper product with two sliders, the method comprising: a step of supplying a continuous chain by a supply unit; a step of photographing and inspecting the continuous chain being transported on a transport path by an image inspection unit to determine whether there is a stopper on the continuous chain; a step of adjusting the position of a transport stop unit along the transport path by a control unit based on whether there is a stopper on the continuous chain; a step of stopping the transport of the continuous chain by the transport stop unit; and a step of cutting the continuous chain at an appropriate position after stopping by a cutting unit to obtain a zipper product with two sliders.

[0031] Method 11

[0032] In the method described in method 9 or 10, it is characterized in that: the conveying stop unit includes: a base, which can move along the conveying direction of the continuous chain and has a mechanism to stop the conveying of the continuous chain; and a positioning part, which can move along the conveying direction of the continuous chain. The method also includes: using the control part to drive the positioning part based on the input signal from the image inspection unit to adjust the position of the base.

[0033] Method 12

[0034] In the method described in Mode 9 or 10, it is characterized in that: the conveying stop unit includes: a base, which can be moved along the conveying direction of the continuous chain and has a mechanism to stop the conveying of the continuous chain; a first positioning part, which can be moved along the conveying direction of the continuous chain; and a second positioning part, which is opposite to the first positioning part relative to the base, and the method also includes: using the control part to drive the first positioning part based on the input signal from the image inspection unit, and adjusting the position of the base by clamping the base with the first positioning part and the second positioning part.

[0035] Method 13

[0036] In the method described in any one of Methods 9 to 12, it is characterized in that: the method further includes: using the image inspection unit to detect whether there are chain teeth on the continuous chain.

[0037] Method 14

[0038] In the method described in any one of Methods 9 to 12, it is characterized in that: the method also includes a step of detecting whether there are chain teeth on the continuous chain by another unit having a contact or non-contact mechanism and different from the image inspection unit.

[0039] Effects of the Invention

[0040] According to the present invention, since the continuous chain can be positioned automatically and optimally, the productivity of the fastener chain product can be increased and the effect of eliminating the need for manpower can be achieved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the continuous chain as a processing object of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 2 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an end-to-end double-ended slide fastener as an example of a product produced by the manufacturing process according to the present invention.

[0043] Figure 3 These are flowcharts and schematic diagrams for explaining an embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 4A It is a block diagram showing a positioning device and its peripheral structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 4B It is a block diagram showing a positioning device and its peripheral structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 5A is a top view of a blocking member that can be used in embodiments of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 5B is a side view of a blocking member that can be used with embodiments of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 6 It is an enlarged view showing the details of the behavior of the positioning component.

[0049] Fig. 7A Yes Figure 6 A schematic diagram that globally explains the behavior of the positioning components.

[0050] Figure 7B Yes Figure 4B A diagram illustrating the behavior of a device.

[0051] Figure 8 It is a block diagram showing a positioning device and its peripheral structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] Fig. 9 Yes Figure 8A schematic diagram illustrating the behavior of the positioning component.

[0053] Description of Reference Numerals

[0054] 19 Continuous Chain

[0055] 29 Guide

[0056] 39 Cutting mechanism

[0057] 400 Devices

[0058] 410 Image Inspection Agency

[0059] 412 Interval detection mechanism

[0060] 420 Positioning mechanism

[0061] 422 base

[0062] 423 Second drive unit

[0063] 424 Positioning components

[0064] 425 First drive unit

[0065] 428 Blocking parts

[0066] 430 Control Department

[0067] 490 Fixed positioning components

[0068] 510 slots

[0069] 512 slots

[0070] 520 Support

[0071] 522 Support

[0072] 530 Guidance Department

[0073] 532 Guidance Department

[0074] 800 Devices

[0075] 820 Positioning mechanism

[0076] 822 base

[0077] 823 Second drive unit

[0078] 824 Positioning components

[0079] 825 First drive unit

[0080] 828 Blocking piece

[0081] 840 Second positioning component

[0082] 842 Third drive unit

[0083] 890 Fixed positioning components DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0084] The present invention is characterized in that a continuous chain as an intermediate product for manufacturing a slide fastener product with two sliders is used as a processing object. Figure 1 An example of a general continuous chain is shown (the wavy lines in the figure refer to the omission in the length direction). Figure 1 As can be seen, the continuous chain generally has a plurality of sliders inserted through the chain elements provided on a pair of belts. It has a structure in which an open state and a closed state appear alternately and repeatedly. In this example, the open portion of the pair of belts includes both a portion where the chain elements are not engaged and a portion where no chain elements are configured.

[0085] In the example of the figure, the chain elements are arranged along the core wire of the belt, and stoppers are provided at the top and bottom to appropriately suppress the movement of the slider (the upper and lower stoppers are also referred to as "upper stoppers" and "lower stoppers" respectively). The cutting position of the continuous chain is set to the area where the chain elements are not arranged (the range that the slider cannot reach due to the stoppers, hereinafter also referred to as "interval section"). This is because if the chain elements are to be cut, not only a greater force is required, but also it is difficult to cut neatly.

[0086] Usually, in a continuous chain, a plurality of sliders are passed through, so that even in the open position, a pair of belts are separated from each other by only a short distance. Therefore, it is necessary to make the length of the spacer on the belt larger. In addition, typically, in a continuous chain, such as Figure 1 As shown in the figure, a portion where the chain elements are not engaged with each other and are open is provided between the slider and the stopper. However, when such a portion is provided in a conventional manufacturing device for an intermediate product (a product that does not pass through the slider) used when manufacturing a zipper product with a slider, there is a problem that it is erroneously detected as a spacer.

[0087] Therefore, such prior art has the problem that it cannot be directly applied to continuous chains. That is, the present invention is specifically used for the manufacture of zipper products with two sliders, and has a significant effect.

[0088] Figure 2 An example of the structure of a zipper product obtained by cutting a continuous chain at a cutting position is shown in FIG. Figure 2 In the example of , as a preferred example, the application of tail-to-tail double-head zipper products is shown, but the object of the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied to other types of zipper products with two sliders (reverse opening zipper or head-to-head double-head zipper, etc.).

[0089] The positioning device according to the present invention mainly comprises an image inspection unit, a conveying stop unit and a control unit. The positioning device is suitable for a continuous chain conveyed by some driving unit.

[0090] The image inspection unit is a mechanism for inspection, which photographs the continuous chain conveyed in this way. The image inspection unit has, for example, a function of photographing the continuous chain by a known photographing device (CCD camera or optical sensor, etc.) to obtain image data thereof, and analyzing the image data for inspection. The image inspection unit can detect (using a known method such as machine learning) whether there is a stopper on the continuous chain, and can send a signal corresponding to the detection result to a control unit described later.

[0091] If the continuous chain is only Figure 1 If the same structure is repeated, the area with the fastener element and the spacing portion should be repeated for each stopper. However, in reality, as mentioned above, there may be a case where the stopper is not provided for various reasons. That is, in this device, the image inspection unit is used to solve this new problem, which is a method that has never been envisioned in the prior art.

[0092] The conveying stop unit is arranged on the downstream side relative to the image inspection unit along the conveying path of the continuous chain, and can move the position of the conveying stop unit along the flow direction of the conveying path (through some driving unit), and the conveying stop unit has the function of stopping the conveying of the continuous chain at a desired position. In addition, the control unit has the function of receiving an input signal from the image inspection unit and controlling the behavior of the conveying stop unit based on the input signal. The conveying of the continuous chain can be stopped by a known method, for example, the continuous chain can be clamped by some holding (clamping) unit to stop it, or friction can be applied to stop the conveying of the continuous chain.

[0093] In this device, since it has the feature of being able to appropriately adjust the stop position of the continuous chain by the coordinated action of the image inspection unit and the control unit, the conveying stop unit can solve the problem of negatively affecting the quality of the manufactured product when the stop position of the continuous chain deviates due to the presence or absence of a stopper. Figure 3 A flowchart and a conceptual diagram roughly explaining the operation of this device are shown.

[0094] exist Figure 3In the example of , the spacer sandwiched by the lower stop and the upper stop is assumed as the area to be inspected. Moreover, when the presence of the spacer is sensed, the image inspection unit determines whether there is a stopper. In the example shown in the figure, when the stopper is not provided, a length L is left on the continuous chain for which the stopper is originally provided. Then, the configuration of the conveying stop unit is switched based on the determination result. Then, the conveying stop unit stops the conveying of the continuous chain at an appropriate position, thereby enabling appropriate positioning of the continuous chain.

[0095] In one embodiment, the image inspection unit may have a function of distinguishing an upper stopper and a lower stopper in the stopper, and transmit a signal corresponding to detection of one of them to the control unit.

[0096] In addition, in a certain embodiment, the image inspection unit can also detect whether there are chain teeth on the continuous chain, thereby determining the range of the spacer. In another embodiment, the device may also include another non-contact chain tooth detection unit different from the above-mentioned image inspection unit. Such another non-contact chain tooth detection unit is preferably not a visual sensor, for example, it can be a photoelectric sensor, a laser sensor, an optical fiber sensor, etc., or it can also be a metal sensing sensor for metal chain teeth.

[0097] In another embodiment, the device may further include a contact-type chain element detection unit that can determine the range of the spacer by making it contact with the chain elements on the continuous chain. As such a contact-type detection unit, a detection unit having a feeler roll as described in U.S. Patent No. 4,368,570 can be exemplified.

[0098] In one embodiment, the conveying stop unit may include: a base that can move along the conveying direction of the continuous chain and has a mechanism for stopping the conveying of the continuous chain; and a positioning unit that can move along the conveying direction of the continuous chain. Furthermore, the control unit drives the positioning unit based on an input signal from the image inspection unit, thereby adjusting the position of the base.

[0099] In a certain embodiment, the conveying stop unit may also have another positioning part that is different from the movable positioning part described above and is fixed in position. By having such a fixed positioning part, when the image inspection unit determines that a stopper is provided, the fixed positioning part can be used to replace the movable positioning part for positioning. In the case of such a structure, when the image inspection unit determines that a stopper is not provided, the movable positioning part can be used for positioning as described above.

[0100] In another embodiment, the conveying stop unit may include: a base that can move along the conveying direction of the continuous chain and has a mechanism for stopping the conveying of the continuous chain; a first positioning portion that can move along the conveying direction of the continuous chain; and a second positioning portion that is opposite to the first positioning portion relative to the base. Moreover, the control unit can drive the first positioning portion based on an input signal from the image inspection unit, and can adjust the position of the base by fixing the base by sandwiching the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion.

[0101] The continuous chain is often subjected to a tensile force (tension) when being transported. Therefore, when the continuous chain is cut, the tension is released, and the base moves in the opposite direction from the first positioning part under the reaction, which may affect the adjustment of the positioning. This further problem can be solved by using the structure of the second positioning part described above, thereby suppressing the undesired movement of the base.

[0102] The second positioning part may also be a fixed device (it may also serve as the above-mentioned fixed positioning part, or it may be another device different from the above-mentioned fixed positioning part), for example, it may be a mechanism such as a locking mechanism for preventing the base from moving in the opposite direction from the first positioning part. Alternatively, as another method, the second positioning part may also be able to move along the conveying direction of the continuous chain in the same manner as the first positioning part, and the control part may appropriately restrict its movement, thereby being able to clamp the base for fixing.

[0103] In a certain embodiment, a method for positioning a continuous chain using the above-mentioned positioning device can also be provided.

[0104] In a certain embodiment, a system can also be provided, which includes: the above-mentioned positioning device; a supply unit (feeder, etc.) for supplying a continuous chain to the positioning device; and a cutting unit (metal cutter, etc.) for cutting the continuous chain. In addition, in a certain embodiment, a method for manufacturing a zipper product with two sliders using the above-mentioned system can also be provided.

[0105] Example

[0106] Hereinafter, the present invention will be further described with reference to specific examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0107] (Example 1)

[0108] Figure 4A This is a block diagram for explaining the outline of the device 400 involved in the first embodiment of the present invention. The device 400 has a structure for positioning the continuous chain 19 conveyed from the top to the bottom of the figure. The continuous chain 19 is conveyed along the guide part 29 by a driving unit not shown in the figure and is cut by the downstream cutting mechanism 39.

[0109] The device 400 mainly includes an image inspection mechanism 410, a positioning mechanism 420 and a control unit 430. In this example, the image inspection mechanism 410 includes a gap sensing mechanism 412, which can sense the presence of gaps on the continuous chain.

[0110] In addition, the positioning mechanism 420 includes a base 422 and a positioning member 424. In this example, the base 422 and the positioning member 424 can be moved along the conveying direction of the continuous chain by a first driving unit 425 (a driving cylinder in this example) (that is, the positioning member 424 pushes the base 422 in the upward direction in the figure to move it). In another example, the base 422 and the positioning member 424 can be moved separately by different driving units.

[0111] In addition, the positioning mechanism 420 has a function of being able to stop the conveyance by moving the stopper 428 through the second driving unit 423 and contacting the continuous chain.

[0112] The control unit 430 can communicate with the image inspection mechanism 410 and the positioning mechanism 420 using a communication unit (not shown) (either wired or wireless). When the control unit 430 receives a signal corresponding to the presence or absence of a stopper from the image inspection mechanism 410, the position of the positioning member 424 (and / or the position of the base 422 if necessary) is adjusted based on the signal, and the conveyance of the continuous chain can be stopped at a desired position by the stopper 428.

[0113] Figure 5A and Figure 5B yes Figure 4A An enlarged view of a portion A surrounded by a dotted line shows the details of the above-mentioned blocking member 428. Figure 5A is from Figure 4A A top view from the upward direction (the direction in which the continuous chain is conveyed) looking down. Figure 5A The diagram shows grooves 510 and 512 for passing a pair of core wires in the continuous chain, support parts 520 and 522 for supporting a pair of stoppers, and guide parts 530 and 532 for guiding the stoppers. The stopper can stop the continuous chain from being transported by restraining it.

[0114] Figure 5B It is viewed from the side opposite to the continuous chain. Figure 5A It can be seen that the conveying can be stopped by the contact between the stopper and the support parts 520 and 522.

[0115] Figure 6 yes Figure 4AThe enlarged view of the portion B surrounded by the dotted line shows the details of the behavior of the positioning member 424. When it is determined by the inspection of the image inspection mechanism 410 that the stopper is not provided, the positioning member 424 is moved upward by an amount corresponding to the dimension L of the stopper, thereby adjusting the stop position of the base 422.

[0116] Fig. 7A From the overall picture Figure 6 The behavior of the device will be described below. First, (1) when the image inspection mechanism 410 determines that no stopper is provided, the first drive unit 425 moves the positioning member 424 upward. (2) Then, the second drive unit 423 moves the stopper 428 to the left in the figure and contacts the continuous chain 19 conveyed along the guide 29. (3) When the stopper 428 is pulled slightly downward by the continuous chain 19 that is to be moved downward in the figure, the base 422 connected to the stopper 428 moves downward and contacts the positioning member 424. In this way, the positioning process is completed.

[0117] (Example 2)

[0118] Figure 4B 4 is a block diagram for explaining the outline of the apparatus 400b according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus 400b has substantially the same structure as the apparatus 400 according to the first embodiment described above (the reference numerals of the structural elements are also the same as those of the first embodiment). Figure 4A The same as above, but the difference is that it also has a fixed positioning component 490.

[0119] Figure 7B Yes Figure 4B The figure is used to illustrate the behavior of the device. The image inspection mechanism 410 determines whether there is a stopper. When it is determined that a stopper is provided, the base 422 is positioned by contacting the fixed positioning component 490. When the image inspection mechanism 410 determines that no stopper is provided, the following process can be switched to function. (1) The movable positioning component 424 is moved upward by the first drive unit 425. At this time, the upper end of the movable positioning component 424 is configured to protrude upward in the figure compared to the upper end of the fixed positioning component 490 by an amount corresponding to the size of the stopper. In addition, Figure 4B , Figure 7BIn the figure, it should be noted that the offset width of the configuration is greatly exaggerated for ease of understanding. (2) Next, the second drive unit 423 moves the stopper 428 to the left in the figure and contacts the continuous chain 19 being transported along the guide 29. (3) When the stopper 428 is pulled slightly downward by the continuous chain 19 that is to be moved downward in the figure, the base 422 connected to the stopper 428 moves downward and contacts the movable positioning member 424. In this way, the positioning process is completed.

[0120] (Example 3)

[0121] Figure 8 This is a block diagram for describing the outline of the apparatus 800 involved in the third embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus 800 has a structure substantially the same as the apparatus 400b involved in the second embodiment, and includes an image inspection mechanism (not shown), a positioning mechanism 820, and a control unit (not shown). Here, the details of the positioning mechanism 820 are described.

[0122] The positioning mechanism 820, like the positioning mechanism 420 described above, has a base 822, a second drive unit 823, a positioning component 824, a first drive unit 825, and a stopper 828. The positioning mechanism 820 also has a second positioning component 840 and a third drive unit 842. In this example, the second positioning component 840 is driven by the third drive unit 842 (drive cylinder, etc.), and cooperates with the positioning component 824 to clamp the base 822 for fixing. In addition, in this example, the positioning mechanism 820 also has a fixed positioning component 890. In another example, the positioning mechanism 820 may include the fixed positioning component 890.

[0123] Fig. 9 This is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the positioning mechanism 820. The image inspection mechanism 810 determines whether there is a stopper. When it is determined that a stopper is provided, the base 822 is positioned by contacting the fixed positioning component 890. When the image inspection mechanism 810 determines that no stopper is provided, the following process can be switched to function. (1) The movable positioning component 824 is moved upward by the first drive unit 825. At this time, the upper end of the movable positioning component 824 is configured to protrude upward in the figure compared to the upper end of the fixed positioning component 890 by an amount corresponding to the size of the stopper. In addition, Figure 8 , Fig. 9In the figure, it should be noted that the offset range of the configuration is greatly exaggerated for ease of understanding. (2) Then, the blocking member 828 is moved to the left in the figure by the second drive unit 823, and contacts the continuous chain 19 being transported along the guide portion 29. (3) When the blocking member 828 is pulled slightly downward by the continuous chain 19 to be moved downward in the figure, the base 822 connected to the blocking member 828 moves downward and contacts the movable positioning component 824 to be positioned. Then, (4) The third drive unit 842 is driven by the control unit to lower the second positioning component 840, and cooperates with the positioning component 824 to clamp the base 822 for fixing. In this way, even if the tension is released when the continuous chain 19 is cut, the blocking member 828 can be prevented from moving unexpectedly. In this way, the positioning process is completed.

[0124] In a certain embodiment, the action (4) may be started after the positioning of the above-mentioned action (3) is started and before it is completed. That is, the second positioning member 840 may be lowered to perform forced positioning before the base 822 contacts the positioning member 824. If such a structure is adopted, after the stopper 828 is moved (inserted) to the left in the figure, the effect of easily suppressing the bad situation of conveying (feeding) of the continuous chain 19 can be obtained.

Claims

1. A device for positioning a continuous chain so as to manufacture a zipper product with two sliders by cutting the continuous chain, characterized in that: include: An image inspection unit, which is used to photograph and inspect the continuous chain conveyed on the conveying path; a conveying stop unit, which is arranged on the downstream side of the conveying path relative to the image inspection unit, the position of the conveying stop unit can be moved along the flow direction of the conveying path, and can stop the conveyance of the continuous chain; as well as a control unit for controlling the behavior of the transport stopping unit based on an input signal from the image inspection unit, The image inspection unit outputs a signal to the control unit according to the detection of whether there is a stopper on the continuous chain. The control unit that has received the signal adjusts the position of the transport stop unit based on the signal so that the transport of the continuous chain is stopped at the transport stop unit.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conveying stop unit comprises: a base portion that is movable along a conveying direction of the continuous chain and has a mechanism for stopping the conveying of the continuous chain; and a positioning portion, which is movable along the conveying direction of the continuous chain, The control unit drives the positioning unit to adjust the position of the base based on an input signal from the image inspection unit.

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conveying stop unit comprises: a base portion, which is movable along the conveying direction of the continuous chain and has a mechanism for stopping the conveying of the continuous chain; A first positioning portion, which is movable along a conveying direction of the continuous chain; and a second positioning portion, which is opposite to the first positioning portion relative to the base, The control unit drives the first positioning unit based on an input signal from the image inspection unit, and adjusts the position of the base by fixing the base by sandwiching the base with the first positioning unit and the second positioning unit.

4. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second positioning portion is movable along a conveying direction of the continuous chain.

5. The device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The transport stop unit further includes another positioning portion whose position is fixed.

6. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The image inspection unit detects whether a coupling element exists on the continuous chain.

7. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: Also includes: Another unit different from the image inspection unit has a contact or non-contact mechanism for detecting whether there are fastener elements on the continuous chain.

8. A system for manufacturing a zipper product with two sliders, characterized in that: include: The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4; a feeding unit for feeding a continuous chain to the device; as well as A cutting unit is used to cut the continuous chain supplied by the supply unit and positioned by the device.

9. A method for positioning a continuous chain so as to manufacture a zipper product with two sliders by cutting the continuous chain, characterized in that: include: The step of photographing and inspecting the continuous chain conveyed on the conveying path by using an image inspection unit to determine whether there is a stopper on the continuous chain; The step of adjusting, by a control unit, the position of a conveying stop unit along the conveying path based on whether a stopper is present on the continuous chain; as well as A step of stopping the conveyance of the continuous chain by using the conveyance stopping unit.

10. A method for automatically manufacturing a zipper product with two sliders, characterized in that: include: The step of supplying the continuous chain using a supply unit; The step of photographing and inspecting the continuous chain conveyed on the conveying path by using an image inspection unit to determine whether there is a stopper on the continuous chain; The step of adjusting, by a control unit, the position of a conveying stop unit along the conveying path based on whether a stopper is present on the continuous chain; The step of stopping the conveying of the continuous chain by using the conveying stopping unit; as well as The step of cutting the continuous chain at an appropriate position after stopping by using a cutting unit to obtain a zipper product with two sliders.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that: The conveying stop unit comprises: a base portion that is movable along a conveying direction of the continuous chain and has a mechanism for stopping the conveying of the continuous chain; and a positioning portion, which is movable along the conveying direction of the continuous chain, The method further includes the step of driving the positioning unit to adjust the position of the base by the control unit based on an input signal from the image inspection unit.

12. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that: The conveying stop unit comprises: a base portion, which is movable along the conveying direction of the continuous chain and has a mechanism for stopping the conveying of the continuous chain; A first positioning portion, which is movable along a conveying direction of the continuous chain; and a second positioning portion, which is opposite to the first positioning portion relative to the base, The method further includes the step of driving the first positioning portion based on an input signal from the image inspection unit by the control portion, and adjusting the position of the base by fixing the base by sandwiching the base with the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion.

13. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that: The method further comprises: using the image inspection unit to detect whether there are chain elements on the continuous chain.

14. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that: The method further includes the step of detecting whether there are coupling elements on the continuous chain by another unit having a contact or non-contact mechanism and different from the image inspection unit.

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