A towel folding device with automatic counting function.

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of folding equipment technology, specifically to a fixed-length folding device for bath towels with automatic counting function. It includes a frame with two symmetrically arranged annular feed belts, a folding center seam positioned between the two annular feed belts, a folding frame fixedly mounted on the frame at positions corresponding to the folding center seam, a folding top plate mounted on the folding frame and fixedly mounted with a feed sensor and a through-beam counting sensor, a tensioning frame mounted on the frame, a transmission module mounted on the tensioning frame, and annular pressure belts driven and connected to the transmission module at positions above the two annular feed belts. A tensioning gap is provided between the annular pressure belts and the annular feed belts. A power mechanism is also included, with three first conveyor belts and three second conveyor belts driven and connected to it. The beneficial effect of this invention is that by setting the folding top plate and the tensioning frame in synergy, a continuous and controllable lateral tension force is provided for the bath towel during the folding process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of folding equipment technology, specifically to a towel folding device with automatic counting function. Background Technology

[0002] Towels, bath towels, and other woolen towel products typically require folding before leaving the factory for packaging, transportation, and sales. Existing technology includes a fully automatic towel folding machine (CN111422674B), comprising a longitudinal folding mechanism and a transverse folding mechanism. Through the coordination of multiple sets of roller conveyor belts, it can achieve initial longitudinal folding, secondary longitudinal folding, and transverse folding of the towel. This equipment, to some extent, solves the problem of low efficiency in traditional manual folding and realizes automated bidirectional folding of towels. However, this existing technology still has the following technical problems in practical applications:

[0003] In existing technical solutions, towels are folded longitudinally mainly through sequential conveying and reverse transmission of the feeding conveyor belt and multiple sets of roller conveyor belts. However, this solution lacks effective tensioning and flattening treatment of the towels before and during folding. When the towels are conveyed on the conveyor belt, their surfaces are prone to natural wrinkles or shifting. When the towels enter the passage between the roller conveyor belts for folding, if the towels themselves are loose or wrinkled, the creases after folding will not be regular, directly affecting the appearance quality of the finished product. Furthermore, existing technical solutions do not set up any counting device in the entire folding process. The folded towels are directly conveyed to the subsequent workstation or collected manually. The production quantity needs to be counted manually or by additional independent counting equipment. This not only increases labor costs but also makes it difficult to form an effective automated connection with the subsequent packaging process, affecting the automation level of the entire production line.

[0004] Based on this, the present invention provides a towel folding device with automatic counting function to solve the problems mentioned in the background art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention addresses the technical problems existing in the prior art by providing a towel folding device with automatic counting function to solve the problems of easy wrinkling and insufficient flatness of the fabric during the folding process in the existing solutions.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is as follows: A towel folding device with automatic counting function, comprising a frame on which two symmetrically arranged annular feed belts are provided, and further comprising:

[0007] The folding seam is located between two circular feed belts. A folding frame is fixed on the frame at the position corresponding to the folding seam. A folding top plate is lifted and installed on the folding frame, and a feed sensor and a through-beam counting sensor are fixedly installed thereon.

[0008] The tensioning frame is lifted and mounted on the machine frame. A transmission module is installed on the tensioning frame. The transmission module is connected to the annular pressure belts above the corresponding two annular feed belts. A tensioning gap is provided between the annular pressure belts and the annular feed belts.

[0009] The power mechanism is connected to three first conveyor belts and three second conveyor belts respectively. The first and second conveyor belts are connected to a feeding slot and a discharge slot in sequence. The feeding port of the feeding slot is located directly above the folded top plate. The discharge port of the discharge slot is parallel to the horizontal plane. The feeding slot and the discharge slot are connected and the connection between the two is provided with an arc-shaped flow joint. On the frame, below the feeding port of the corresponding feeding slot, two symmetrically arranged air blowing pipes, two leveling sweeping rollers and two tensioning rollers are installed from top to bottom. The outer circumferential surface of the leveling sweeping rollers is arrayed with nylon bristles.

[0010] The linkage unit is configured to synchronously drive two leveling sweeping rollers and tensioning rollers;

[0011] The air pumping unit is configured to be connected to two air-blowing nozzles;

[0012] The stacking unit is configured to continuously stack the formed towels.

[0013] Based on the above technical solution, the present invention can be further improved as follows.

[0014] Optionally, it also includes a conveyor motor fixed on the frame and two conveyor rollers rotatably mounted on the frame. The output shaft end of the conveyor motor is fixedly connected to one of the conveyor rollers, and both of the conveyor rollers are connected to an annular feed belt.

[0015] Optionally, the transmission module includes a dual-head motor fixedly mounted on a tensioning frame. Both output shafts of the dual-head motor are fixedly mounted with transmission shafts. A driven shaft is rotatably connected to the tensioning frame. Pulleys are fixedly mounted on both the transmission shaft and the driven shaft. The pulleys on the transmission shaft and the driven shaft are connected to the corresponding annular pressure belt drive.

[0016] Optionally, the frame is equipped with a screw lifting module and four pressure regulating cylinders. The movable ends of the four pressure regulating cylinders are all fixedly connected to the tensioning frame. A lifting arm is fixedly installed at the bottom of the folding top plate. The lifting arm is slidably connected to the frame. The screw lifting module is drivenly connected to the lifting arm. The top of the folding top plate has an inverted V-shaped structure and its top end is rounded. The folding top plate is made of 304 stainless steel.

[0017] Optionally, the power mechanism includes a rounded guide shaft rotatably connected to the frame, a plurality of first guide rollers, and a plurality of second guide rollers. The rounded guide shaft and the plurality of first guide rollers are all connected to a first conveyor belt. A plurality of follower rollers are rotatably sleeved on the rounded guide shaft. The plurality of follower rollers and the plurality of second guide rollers are all connected to a second conveyor belt. A servo motor is fixedly installed on the side of the frame. The output shaft end of the servo motor is fixedly connected to a first guide roller. A first gear is fixedly installed on a first guide roller and a second guide roller. The two first gears mesh with each other. The rounded guide shaft and the follower rollers correspond to the positions of the arc-shaped flow seam.

[0018] Optionally, the linkage unit includes a first transmission belt mounted on a first guide roller, a leveling sweeping roller that is drivenly connected to the first transmission belt and a second transmission belt that is drivenly connected to the leveling sweeping roller, the second transmission belt that is drivenly connected to a tensioning roller, a second gear that is fixedly mounted at the ends of both leveling sweeping rollers and the two second gears meshing with each other, and a third gear that is fixedly mounted at the ends of both tensioning rollers and the two third gears meshing with each other.

[0019] Optionally, the air pumping unit includes a high-pressure air pump fixed to the side of the frame. The air inlet port of the high-pressure air pump is connected to an air pumping pipe. The air inlet ports of the two air blowing nozzles are both connected to the air pumping pipe. The surface of the air pumping pipe is arrayed with air jet holes facing the feed gap. The angle between the axis of the air jet holes and the horizontal plane is 45°.

[0020] Optionally, the material stacking unit includes a material stacking frame fixedly mounted on the frame. A material stacking plate and a leveling pressure plate are slidably connected to the inner wall of the material stacking frame. Linear drive modules are fixedly mounted on both sides of the material stacking frame. The two linear drive modules are respectively connected to the material stacking plate and the leveling pressure plate for transmission. A support plate is fixedly mounted on the top of the material stacking frame. A vertically arranged industrial camera is fixedly mounted on the support plate. The industrial camera faces the discharge end of the material discharge crimping seam. A central control unit is fixedly mounted on the side of the frame. The data terminals of the industrial camera, the feed sensor, and the through-beam counting sensor are all communicatively connected to the central control unit.

[0021] Optionally, the width of the feed gap is 1.1 to 1.2 times the width of the folded top plate, the width of the arc-shaped transition gap is the same as the width of the feed gap, and the width of the discharge pressure gap is 0.7 to 0.8 times the width of the feed gap.

[0022] Optionally, the tension roller includes a metal roller core and a rubber pad layer covering the outside of the metal roller core. The outer circumferential surface of the rubber pad layer has a plurality of rubber protrusions that extend along the axial direction of the tension roller. The cross-section of the rubber protrusions is an arc-shaped protrusion, and a groove gap is left between adjacent rubber protrusions.

[0023] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0024] 1) This invention provides a continuous and controllable lateral tension force to the towel during the folding process by setting up a folding top plate and a tensioning frame in synergy. After the annular feed belt transports the towel to the folding center seam, the screw lifting module drives the folding top plate to rise upwards. At the same time, the annular pressure belt on the tensioning frame adjusts the clamping pressure through the pressure regulating cylinder, applying appropriate clamping force to both sides of the towel to keep it taut during the lifting process. The narrow design of the annular pressure belt only acts on the side area, which can avoid large-area compression of the loops and deformation. As the folding top plate continues to rise, the lifting force of the towel gradually exceeds the clamping friction, and it smoothly comes out of the tensioning seam. At this time, the inverted V-shaped top plate and the rounded corner at the top reduce the risk of snagging on the loops. Through the synchronous action of the above-mentioned lifting and lateral tensioning, the towel maintains a wrinkle-free state throughout the folding process, and the regularity of the creases is guaranteed, solving the problem of insufficient fold flatness caused by the lack of tensioning treatment in the prior art.

[0025] 2) In this invention, after the bath towel is released from the tensioned gap, the three-stage leveling structure, consisting of a tension roller, a leveling sweeping roller, and an air-blowing nozzle, operates synchronously with the main conveying mechanism through a linkage unit. It continuously flattens the fabric in a relay manner. The rubber convex strips on the surface of the tension roller apply a downward reverse pull and adapt to the upward conveying rhythm. The groove gaps between the convex strips accommodate the loops to reduce collapse. The opposing rotating leveling sweeping rollers use nylon bristles to sweep away surface wrinkles. The air-blowing nozzle sprays air at a 45° angle to blow out the curled edges. The linkage unit uses a single power source drive to match the roller speed with the conveying speed, avoiding pulling or accumulation. After the bath towel is leveled in three stages, it enters the feeding gap, turns through the arc-shaped flow gap, and is flattened and shaped by the discharge pressure gap to reduce folding and rebound. The counting sensor and industrial camera feed the data back to the central control unit to realize the linkage control of counting and the descent of the stacking plate. This makes the counting result correspond to the stacking action in real time, solving the problems of separation of counting and stacking and insufficient flatness in the prior art. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a towel folding device with automatic counting function according to the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the annular pressure belt and the conveyor motor of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the annular pressure belt and the tensioning frame of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first conveyor belt and the air-blowing nozzle of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 5 For the present invention Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the servo motor and the second guide roller of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the follower wheel of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the material stacking frame of the present invention.

[0034] The attached diagram lists the components represented by each number as follows:

[0035] 1. Frame; 2. Folding frame; 3. Tensioning frame; 4. First conveyor belt; 5. High-pressure air pump; 6. Stacking frame; 101. Circular feed belt; 102. Conveyor motor; 103. Conveyor roller; 104. Central control unit; 105. Screw lifting module; 201. Folding top plate; 202. Feed sensor; 203. Through-beam counting sensor; 204. Lifting arm; 301. Transmission module; 302. Circular pressure belt; 303. Pressure regulating cylinder; 401. Second conveyor belt; 402. Feed gap; 4 03. Material discharge seam; 404. Arc-shaped flow seam; 405. Air blowing nozzle; 406. Leveling sweeping roller; 407. Tensioning roller; 408. Nylon bristles; 409. Rounded corner guide shaft; 410. First guide roller; 411. Second guide roller; 412. Follow-up wheel; 413. Servo motor; 414. First gear; 415. Second gear; 416. Third gear; 501. Air pump pipe; 601. Material stacking plate; 602. Leveling pressure plate; 603. Linear drive module; 604. Support plate; 605. Industrial camera. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The principles and features of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The examples given are only for explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0037] The present invention provides the following preferred embodiments.

[0038] like Figure 1-8 As shown, a towel folding device with automatic counting function includes a frame 1 with two symmetrically arranged annular feeding belts 101 on it, and a conveying motor 102 fixedly mounted on the frame 1 and two conveying rollers 103 rotatably mounted on the frame 1. The output shaft end of the conveying motor 102 is fixedly connected to one of the conveying rollers 103, and both conveying rollers 103 are connected to the annular feeding belts 101 for transmission.

[0039] Also includes:

[0040] The folded center seam is set between the two annular feed belts 101, and the folded center seam is the longitudinal gap formed between the two annular feed belts 101;

[0041] A folding frame 2 is fixedly installed on the frame 1 at the position corresponding to the folding seam. A folding top plate 201 is lifted and installed on the folding frame 2, and a feed sensor 202 and a through-beam counting sensor 203 are fixedly installed on it. The top of the folding top plate 201 has an inverted V-shaped structure and its top is rounded. The folding top plate 201 is made of 304 stainless steel.

[0042] During operation, the folded bath towel is conveyed to the center seam position by the circular feed belt 101. After the feed sensor 202 detects the material passing through, the screw lifting module 105 drives the folding top plate 201 to lift upward through the lifting arm 204, lifting the bath towel along the center seam position to complete the initial folding.

[0043] The through-beam counting sensor 203 can simultaneously count the number of towels as they pass through;

[0044] This structure integrates material detection, folding and lifting, and automatic counting functions into the same workstation, eliminating the need for separate detection and counting workstations and reducing the overall layout space of the equipment.

[0045] The inverted V-shaped top plate structure, combined with the rounded corner design at the top, reduces the risk of snagging on the fabric loops during the lifting process. The 304 stainless steel material is wear-resistant and easy to clean, and can meet the hygiene and usage requirements of textile production.

[0046] The tensioning frame 3 is lifted and installed on the frame 1. The tensioning frame 3 is equipped with a transmission module 301. The transmission module 301 is connected to an annular pressure belt 302 at positions above the corresponding two annular feed belts 101. A tensioning gap is provided between the annular pressure belt 302 and the annular feed belt 101.

[0047] Specifically, the transmission module 301 includes a dual-head motor fixedly mounted on the tensioning frame 3. Both output shafts of the dual-head motor are fixedly mounted with transmission shafts. A driven shaft is rotatably connected to the tensioning frame 3. Pulleys are fixedly mounted on both the transmission shaft and the driven shaft. The pulleys on the transmission shaft and the driven shaft are connected to the annular pressure belt 302 at the corresponding positions.

[0048] The frame 1 is equipped with a screw lifting module 105 and four pressure regulating cylinders 303. The movable ends of the four pressure regulating cylinders 303 are all fixedly connected to the tensioning frame 3. The bottom of the folding top plate 201 is fixedly equipped with a lifting arm 204. The lifting arm 204 is slidably connected to the frame 1. The screw lifting module 105 is connected to the lifting arm 204 in a transmission connection.

[0049] During operation, the two annular pressure belts 302 are positioned to match the two sides of the towel to be folded and press the towel tightly against the two sides. By adjusting the pressure regulating cylinder 303, the pressure and friction of the annular pressure belts 302 on the towel to be folded can be adjusted. When the folding top plate 201 lifts the towel to be folded, the two annular pressure belts 302 provide clamping force to keep the towel taut and wrinkle-free in the initial rising state. As the folding top plate 201 continues to rise, the lifting force of the towel to be folded is greater than the clamping force of the annular pressure belts 302 on the towel to be folded, and the towel to be folded comes out from the taut clamp.

[0050] The width of the annular pressure belt 302 is 0.15 times the width of the annular feed belt 101, and the width of a single annular feed belt 101 is 0.6 times the width of the towel to be folded. The narrow annular pressure belt 302 only acts on the side area of ​​the towel, which can provide stable tension to prevent the fabric from wrinkling, and will not compress the loops over a large area to cause fabric deformation. After the towel in tension is lifted by the folding top plate 201, the fold line is more regular, which helps to improve the accuracy of subsequent fixed-length folding.

[0051] When adjusting the pressure or clamping force using the pressure regulating cylinder 303, the clamping force should be ensured to be less than 50% of the maximum tensile strength of the towel to be folded.

[0052] The power mechanism is connected to three first conveyor belts 4 and three second conveyor belts 401 respectively. The first conveyor belts 4 and the second conveyor belts 401 are provided with a feeding gap 402 and a discharge pressure gap 403 in sequence. The feeding port of the feeding gap 402 is located directly above the folded top plate 201. The discharge port of the discharge pressure gap 403 is parallel to the horizontal plane. The feeding gap 402 and the discharge pressure gap 403 are connected, and an arc-shaped flow joint 404 is provided at the connection between the two.

[0053] Specifically, the arc-shaped transfer seam 404 is formed by the arc-shaped gap between the first conveyor belt 4 and the second conveyor belt 401 at the rounded corner guide shaft 409, and the bending angle of the arc-shaped transfer seam 404 is 90°.

[0054] On the frame 1, two symmetrically arranged air-blowing nozzles 405, two leveling sweeping rollers 406 and two tensioning rollers 407 are installed from top to bottom below the feed port of the corresponding feed gap 402. Nylon bristles 408 are arrayed on the outer circumferential surface of the leveling sweeping rollers 406.

[0055] The power mechanism includes a rounded guide shaft 409 rotatably connected to the frame 1, a plurality of first guide rollers 410 and a plurality of second guide rollers 411. The rounded guide shaft 409 and the plurality of first guide rollers 410 are all connected to the first conveyor belt 4. A plurality of follower rollers 412 are rotatably sleeved on the rounded guide shaft 409. The plurality of follower rollers 412 and the plurality of second guide rollers 411 are all connected to the second conveyor belt 401. A servo motor 413 is fixedly installed on the side of the frame 1. The output shaft end of the servo motor 413 is fixedly connected to a first guide roller 410. A first gear 414 is fixedly installed on a first guide roller 410 and a second guide roller 411. The two first gears 414 mesh with each other. The rounded guide shaft 409 and the follower rollers 412 correspond to the positions of the arc-shaped flow seam 404.

[0056] The width of the feed gap 402 is 1.1 to 1.2 times the width of the folded top plate 201, preferably 1.15 times;

[0057] The arc-shaped flow joint 404 has the same width as the feed joint 402, and the width of the discharge joint 403 is 0.7 to 0.8 times the width of the feed joint 402, preferably 0.75 times.

[0058] During operation, the bath towel lifted by the folded top plate 201 enters the feeding slot 402. The first conveyor belt 4 and the second conveyor belt 401 work simultaneously, clamping the bath towel and conveying it upwards. When passing through the arc-shaped transition slot 404, the bath towel gradually transitions from a vertical conveying state to a horizontal conveying state, and finally is sent out horizontally through the discharge pressure slot 403, completing the shaping after folding and the change of conveying direction.

[0059] The three-section flow channel structure, consisting of infeed gap 402, arc-shaped flow gap 404, and discharge pressure gap 403, can complete the folding and shaping of the bath towel and the change of conveying direction during continuous conveying without the need for an additional independent steering mechanism.

[0060] The feeding gap 402 is adapted to the thickness of the folded bath towel to ensure smooth feeding, and the discharge pressing gap 403 reduces the gap width to flatten and shape the folded bath towel, reduce folding rebound, and improve the regularity of folding.

[0061] The width of the feed gap 402 is 1.1 to 1.2 times the width of the folded top plate 201, preferably 1.15 times. The arc-shaped flow gap 404 has the same width as the feed gap 402. The width of the discharge pressure gap 403 is 0.7 to 0.8 times the width of the feed gap 402, preferably 0.75 times.

[0062] The tension roller 407 includes a metal roller core and a rubber pad layer covering the outside of the metal roller core. Several rubber ridges extending along the axial direction of the tension roller 407 are evenly distributed on the outer circumferential surface of the rubber pad layer. The cross-section of the rubber ridges is an arc-shaped protrusion, and there is a groove gap between adjacent rubber ridges.

[0063] Before the folded bath towel comes out of the tensioned gap, the upper part of the folded bath towel is supported by two tension rollers 407.

[0064] A tension clamping opening is formed between the two tension rollers 407 for the towel to pass through. It is configured to apply downward tension to the towel that is lifted by the folded top plate 201, and at the same time, it can be adapted to the upward conveying action of the towel without causing significant obstruction to the upward movement of the towel.

[0065] Two leveling sweeping rollers 406 rotate in opposite directions and simultaneously apply downward sweeping force to the towel to be folded from both sides of the folding top plate 201 to further smooth out the wrinkles on the surface of the towel to be folded.

[0066] Specifically, during operation, the folded top plate 201 lifts the bath towel upwards. The bath towel first passes through the tension clamp between the two tension rollers 407. The tension rollers 407 contact the fabric through the rubber ridges on their surface, applying a downward reverse pull to keep the bath towel taut.

[0067] The towel then passes through two opposing rotating leveling rollers 406, and the outer nylon bristles 408 clean and smooth the surface of both sides of the towel, eliminating surface wrinkles.

[0068] As the bath towel continues to move upward to the air blower 405, the obliquely sprayed airflow blows the edge of the fabric to help the bath towel smoothly enter the feeding gap 402.

[0069] The three-stage flattening structure, consisting of air blowing, brush cleaning, and tensioning roller 407, flattens the bath towel from bottom to top, eliminating most wrinkles and curling edges on the fabric surface and improving the flatness of the folds.

[0070] The tension roller 407 with rubber ridges can provide stable tension force to keep the bath towel flat during the lifting process. It can also adapt to the upward conveying of the bath towel through the elastic deformation of the rubber and the line contact structure of the ridges, avoiding excessive clamping that could cause conveying jams or fabric pulling damage.

[0071] The grooves between the convex strips can accommodate the loop structure of the bath towel, reducing the possibility of the loops collapsing and deforming, and helping to ensure the appearance quality of the finished product;

[0072] The linkage unit is configured to synchronously drive two leveling sweeping rollers 406 and tensioning rollers 407.

[0073] The linkage unit includes a first transmission belt mounted on a first guide roller 410, a leveling sweeping roller 406 connected to the first transmission belt and a second transmission belt connected to the leveling sweeping roller 406, the second transmission belt being connected to a tensioning roller 407, a second gear 415 fixedly mounted at the ends of both leveling sweeping rollers 406 and meshing with each other, and a third gear 416 fixedly mounted at the ends of both tensioning rollers 407 and meshing with each other.

[0074] During operation, the servo motor 413 drives the first guide roller 410 to rotate, and transmits power to the leveling sweeping roller 406 through the first transmission belt, and then drives the tensioning roller 407 to rotate synchronously through the second transmission belt.

[0075] The leveling and sweeping rollers 406 on both sides achieve synchronous operation in opposite directions through the meshing of the second gear 415, and the tensioning rollers 407 on both sides achieve synchronous operation in opposite directions through the meshing of the third gear 416.

[0076] The single-power-source linkage transmission structure can keep the running speed of the leveling sweeping roller 406 and the tensioning roller 407 synchronized with the main conveying mechanism, avoiding the pulling or piling of bath towels caused by the difference in conveying speed.

[0077] The opposing transmission method of gear meshing can ensure that the rotation speed of the two rollers is consistent and the force is symmetrical, so that the towel is subjected to uniform force, which makes it less likely to deviate or shift, and improves the stability of the conveying process.

[0078] The air pumping unit is configured to be connected to two air blowing nozzles 405;

[0079] The air pumping unit includes a high-pressure air pump 5 fixed on the side of the frame 1. The air inlet port of the high-pressure air pump 5 is connected to the air pump pipe 501. The air inlet ports of the two air blowing nozzles 405 are both connected to the air pump pipe 501. The surface of the air pump pipe 501 is arrayed with air jet holes facing the feed gap 402. The angle between the axis of the air jet hole and the horizontal plane is 45°.

[0080] During operation, the high-pressure airflow generated by the high-pressure air pump 5 is delivered to the two air-blowing nozzles 405 through the air pump pipe 501. The airflow is then sprayed out at a 45° angle towards the feed gap 402 through the array of air jet holes, acting on the surface of the upward-moving bath towel.

[0081] The 45° inclined air jet layout allows airflow to blow diagonally downwards along the surface of the towel, smoothing out any curled edges and wrinkles. The array of air jets ensures that the airflow covers the entire width of the towel, resulting in a more even flattening effect.

[0082] The stacking unit is configured to continuously stack the formed towels.

[0083] The material stacking unit includes a material stacking frame 6 fixedly mounted on the frame 1. The inner wall of the material stacking frame 6 is slidably connected to a material stacking plate 601 and a leveling pressure plate 602. Linear drive modules 603 are fixedly mounted on both sides of the material stacking frame 6. The two linear drive modules 603 are respectively connected to the material stacking plate 601 and the leveling pressure plate 602. A support plate 604 is fixedly mounted on the top of the material stacking frame 6. A vertically arranged industrial camera 605 is fixedly mounted on the support plate 604. The industrial camera 605 faces the discharge end of the discharge pressure slit 403. A central control unit 104 is fixedly mounted on the side of the frame 1. The data terminals of the industrial camera 605, the feed sensor 202 and the through-beam counting sensor 203 are all communicatively connected to the central control unit 104.

[0084] The central control unit 104 controls the start-up timing of the lead screw lifting module 105 based on the detection signal from the feed sensor 202;

[0085] The descent stroke of the material bar 601 is controlled by the counting signal from the through-beam counting sensor 203;

[0086] The flattening action frequency of the leveling plate 602 is controlled based on the image recognition results of the industrial camera 605.

[0087] During operation, the folded bath towels are horizontally fed out through the material feeding and pressing 403 and fall onto the stacking plate 601 in the stacking frame 6. The linear drive module 603 drives the stacking plate 601 to gradually descend with the stacking height, realizing the layer-by-layer stacking of the bath towels.

[0088] The leveling plate 602 can periodically flatten and smooth the surface of stacked bath towels;

[0089] The industrial camera 605 collects the output status of the bath towels at the discharge end in real time. Combined with the counting data of the through-beam counting sensor 203, the finished product quantity and stacking status are fed back to the central control unit 104 to realize the linkage control of the discharge counting and stacking process.

[0090] Combining the industrial camera 605 for visual inspection with the through-beam counting sensor 203 allows for dual verification of the quantity and forming status of folded finished products, which helps reduce counting errors.

[0091] The liftable stacking plate 601, together with the leveling plate 602, can maintain the neatness of the stacking during continuous stacking, reducing the amount of manual sorting work afterwards.

[0092] The central control unit 104 enables the coordinated control of counting, conveying, and stacking, which can improve the automation level of the equipment and reduce manual intervention.

[0093] The specific steps for using this invention are as follows:

[0094] During the preparation phase, after the equipment is powered on, the central control unit 104 completes the initialization verification of each electrical module. Based on the thickness, overall length and material parameters of the bath towel to be processed, the lifting height of the tensioning frame 3 is adjusted by the pressure regulating cylinder 303, and the clamping force of the annular pressure belt 302 is set. At the same time, the screw lifting module 105 drives the folding top plate 201 to descend to the initial low position, and the stacking plate 601 rises to the waiting position on the top of the stacking frame 6. The conveying motor 102, servo motor 413 and high-pressure air pump 5 enter the standby state in sequence.

[0095] After entering the working stage, the folded bath towel is laid flat on two circular feeding belts 101. The conveyor motor 102 drives the circular feeding belts 101 to rotate through the conveyor rollers 103, and smoothly conveys the bath towel to the folding center seam position. After the feeding sensor 202 detects that the material has arrived, the screw lifting module 105 drives the folding top plate 201 to rise upward through the lifting arm 204. The top of the inverted V-shaped top plate lifts the bath towel upward along the center seam to complete the initial folding. During this process, the circular pressure belt 302 cooperates with the circular feeding belts 101 to clamp the two sides of the bath towel and provide appropriate tension to reduce fabric wrinkles. The through-beam counting sensor 203 counts and counts the passing material simultaneously.

[0096] As the folded top plate 201 continues to rise, the bath towel overcomes the clamping friction of the annular pressure belt 302 and comes out upward. It first enters the tension clamping opening formed by the two tension rollers 407. The linkage unit drives the two tension rollers 407 to rotate in opposite directions. The rubber convex strips on the surface of the rollers make flexible contact with the fabric and apply a downward reverse pull, so that the bath towel remains taut and flat during the lifting process. At the same time, the elastic deformation of the rubber convex strips can adapt to the upward conveying rhythm of the bath towel and avoid excessively hindering the movement of the fabric.

[0097] Subsequently, the bath towel continues to move upwards and passes through the opposing rotating leveling sweeping rollers 406. The nylon bristles 408 on the outer periphery of the rollers clean and smooth the surface of both sides of the fabric, eliminating surface wrinkles. When the bath towel continues to move upwards to the corresponding position of the air blowing nozzle 405, the high-pressure airflow output by the high-pressure air pump 5 is transported to the air blowing nozzle 405 through the air pump pipe 501. It blows the fabric surface at a 45° angle to blow away the curled edges to assist in feeding. After three-stage leveling, the bath towel smoothly enters the feeding gap 402 and is clamped and conveyed upwards by the first conveyor belt 4 and the second conveyor belt 401.

[0098] As the towel passes through the arc-shaped transition seam 404, it gradually transitions from a vertical conveying state to a horizontal conveying state. After entering the discharge seam 403, the narrowed seam flattens and shapes the folded towel, reducing folding rebound. Finally, the shaped towel is sent out from the discharge seam 403 in a horizontal direction.

[0099] During the unloading process, the industrial camera 605 collects the material status at the unloading end in real time and feeds it back to the central control unit 104. This data is then used for dual verification with the counting data from the through-beam counting sensor 203. The unloaded bath towels fall layer by layer onto the stacking plate 601. The linear drive module 603 drives the stacking plate 601 to gradually descend with the stacking height. The flattening plate 602 periodically flattens and arranges the stacked bath towels. This cycle completes the continuous fixed-length folding, automatic counting, and orderly stacking of the bath towels. The fixed-length folding referred to in this device is the folding processing of bath towels of a specified length.

[0100] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A towel folding device with automatic counting function, comprising a frame on which two symmetrically arranged annular feed belts are provided, characterized in that, Also includes: The folding seam is located between two circular feed belts. A folding frame is fixed on the frame at the position corresponding to the folding seam. A folding top plate is lifted and installed on the folding frame, and a feed sensor and a through-beam counting sensor are fixedly installed thereon. The tensioning frame is lifted and mounted on the machine frame. A transmission module is installed on the tensioning frame. The transmission module is connected to the annular pressure belts above the corresponding two annular feed belts. A tensioning gap is provided between the annular pressure belts and the annular feed belts. The power mechanism is connected to three first conveyor belts and three second conveyor belts respectively. The first and second conveyor belts are connected to a feeding slot and a discharge slot in sequence. The feeding port of the feeding slot is located directly above the folded top plate. The discharge port of the discharge slot is parallel to the horizontal plane. The feeding slot and the discharge slot are connected and the connection between the two is provided with an arc-shaped flow joint. On the frame, below the feeding port of the corresponding feeding slot, two symmetrically arranged air blowing pipes, two leveling sweeping rollers and two tensioning rollers are installed from top to bottom. The outer circumferential surface of the leveling sweeping rollers is arrayed with nylon bristles. The linkage unit is configured to synchronously drive two leveling sweeping rollers and tensioning rollers; The air pumping unit is configured to be connected to two air-blowing nozzles; The stacking unit is configured to continuously stack the formed towels.

2. The towel folding device with automatic counting function according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a conveyor motor fixed on the frame and two conveyor rollers rotatably mounted on the frame. The output shaft of the conveyor motor is fixedly connected to one of the conveyor rollers, and both of the conveyor rollers are connected to the annular feed belt drive.

3. The towel folding device with automatic counting function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission module includes a dual-head motor fixedly mounted on a tensioning frame. Both output shafts of the dual-head motor are fixedly mounted with transmission shafts. A driven shaft is rotatably connected to the tensioning frame. Pulleys are fixedly mounted on both the transmission shaft and the driven shaft. The pulleys on the transmission shaft and the driven shaft are connected to the corresponding annular pressure belt drive.

4. A towel folding device with automatic counting function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The frame is equipped with a screw lifting module and four pressure regulating cylinders. The movable ends of the four pressure regulating cylinders are fixedly connected to the tensioning frame. A lifting arm is fixedly installed at the bottom of the folding top plate. The lifting arm is slidably connected to the frame. The screw lifting module is drivenly connected to the lifting arm. The top of the folding top plate has an inverted V-shaped structure and its top end is rounded. The folding top plate is made of 304 stainless steel.

5. A towel folding device with automatic counting function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power mechanism includes a rounded guide shaft rotatably connected to the frame, a plurality of first guide rollers, and a plurality of second guide rollers. The rounded guide shaft and the plurality of first guide rollers are all connected to a first conveyor belt. A plurality of follower rollers are rotatably sleeved on the rounded guide shaft. The plurality of follower rollers and the plurality of second guide rollers are all connected to a second conveyor belt. A servo motor is fixedly installed on the side of the frame. The output shaft of the servo motor is fixedly connected to a first guide roller. A first gear is fixedly installed on a first guide roller and a second guide roller. The two first gears mesh with each other. The rounded guide shaft and the follower rollers correspond to the positions of the arc-shaped flow seam.

6. A towel folding device with automatic counting function according to claim 5, characterized in that, The linkage unit includes a first transmission belt mounted on a first guide roller, a leveling sweeping roller that is connected to the first transmission belt and a second transmission belt that is connected to the leveling sweeping roller, the second transmission belt that is connected to a tensioning roller, a second gear that is fixedly mounted at the ends of both leveling sweeping rollers and the two second gears meshing with each other, and a third gear that is fixedly mounted at the ends of both tensioning rollers and the two third gears meshing with each other.

7. A towel folding device with automatic counting function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air pumping unit includes a high-pressure air pump fixed to the side of the frame. The air inlet port of the high-pressure air pump is connected to an air pumping pipe. The air inlet ports of the two air blowing nozzles are also connected to the air pumping pipe. The surface of the air pumping pipe is arrayed with air jet holes facing the feed gap. The angle between the axis of the air jet holes and the horizontal plane is 45°.

8. A towel folding device with automatic counting function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material stacking unit includes a material stacking frame fixedly mounted on a frame. A material stacking plate and a leveling pressure plate are slidably connected to the inner wall of the material stacking frame. Linear drive modules are fixedly mounted on both sides of the material stacking frame. The two linear drive modules are respectively connected to the material stacking plate and the leveling pressure plate for transmission. A support plate is fixedly mounted on the top of the material stacking frame. A vertically arranged industrial camera is fixedly mounted on the support plate. The industrial camera faces the discharge end of the material discharge seam. A central control unit is fixedly mounted on the side of the frame. The data terminals of the industrial camera, the feed sensor, and the through-beam counting sensor are all communicatively connected to the central control unit.

9. A towel folding device with automatic counting function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The width of the feed gap is 1.1 to 1.2 times the width of the folded top plate, the width of the arc-shaped flow joint is the same as the width of the feed gap, and the width of the discharge pressure joint is 0.7 to 0.8 times the width of the feed gap.

10. A towel folding device with automatic counting function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tension roller includes a metal roller core and a rubber pad layer covering the outside of the metal roller core. Several rubber ridges extending along the axial direction of the tension roller are evenly distributed on the outer circumference of the rubber pad layer. The cross-section of the rubber ridges is an arc-shaped protrusion, and there is a groove gap between adjacent rubber ridges.

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