Slider separation mechanism and slider separation method

Abstract

To provide a slider separation mechanism capable of separating a slider not requiring high pressure without bonding and mixing a slider body and a metal material of a lock pin.SOLUTION: The slider separation mechanism is for separating a slider body, a lock pin, and a pull in a metal slider (1) provided with a slider body (10) including upper and lower wing plates (11 and 12) and a guide column for connecting the upper and lower wing plates, a lock pin (30) which is a plate-like member having spring property, placed on the upper wing plate, and locked at an engaging part provided at one end locked to a lock part in the front part of the slider body, and a pull (40) provided between the upper wing plate and the lock pin. The slider separation mechanism comprises a disengagement part (120) for displacing the engagement part of the lock pin engaged with the lock part of the slider body in front of the guide column to disengage the engagement part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a slider separation mechanism and a slider separation method, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for separating a slider body and a lock pin of a metallic slider. [Background technology]

[0002] JP 2022-175567 A (Patent Document 1) discloses a method for recycling metal sliders and the like. In the method of Patent Document 1, a crusher is used to separate the slider into its component parts, the slider body, the lock pin, and the pull tab. However, in the method of Patent Document 1, when the slider is crushed, for example, a part of the stainless steel lock pin may adhere to the copper alloy slider body, and stainless steel may be mixed into the copper alloy. In this case, there is a problem that the parts after separation may be dissolved or reused or recycled.

[0003] China Patent No. 105962553 (Patent Document 2) discloses a technique in which the slider is fixed and a punching pin is used to push the front part of the lock pin from the bottom (lower wing side) to the top (upper wing side) of the slider to separate the lock pin from the slider body. In this technique, the slider body, the lock pin, and the pull tab are separated at once. However, since the tip of the lock pin has a retaining engagement part for the body, the technique of Patent Document 2 requires high pressure to be applied to the punching pin. In addition, the body may be deformed, preventing the lock pin from being removed, and stainless steel may be mixed into the copper alloy. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-175567 [Patent Document 2] Chinese Patent No. 105962553 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a slider separation mechanism and a slider separation method capable of separating the slider without the metal materials of the slider body and the lock pin adhering to each other and without requiring high pressure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a slider body (10) including an upper blade (11), a lower blade (12), and a guide post (13) connecting the upper blade (11) and the lower blade (12); a lock pin (30) which is a plate-like member having spring properties and is placed on the upper blade (11) and has an engagement portion (34) at one end which engages with a locking portion (13a) at a front portion of the slider body (10); and a locking member (34) between the upper blade (11) and the lock pin (30). The slider separation mechanism (100) is for separating the slider body (10), the lock pin (30), and the pull tab (40) in a slider (1) having a slider body (10), the lock pin (30), and the pull tab (40), and the slider separation mechanism (100) is provided with disengagement portions (120, 120B) for displacing the engagement portion (34) of the lock pin (30), which engages with the engagement portion (13a) of the slider body (10), forward of the guide post (13), to release the engagement.

[0007] In the present invention, first, in the disengagement portion of the slider separation mechanism, the engagement portion of the lock pin is displaced forward (see Figs. 2, 3, etc.) away from the lock portion of the slider body, thereby releasing the engagement between the engagement portion and the lock portion. Even when the engagement between the engagement portion and the lock portion is released, the lock pin remains engaged with the slider body via a portion other than the engagement portion.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the disengagement portion (120, 120B) includes a separation portion (130) for contacting the engagement portion (34) to separate the lock pin (30) from the slider body (10). In this embodiment, after the engagement portion of the lock pin and the locking portion of the slider body are disengaged, the lock pin and the slider body are completely separated at the separation portion of the disengagement portion. In this manner, by first disengaging the engagement portion of the lock pin and the locking portion of the slider body and then separating the lock pin and the slider body, the slider body and the lock pin can be separated without their metal materials adhering to each other and the slider can be separated without requiring high pressure.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the lock pin (30) includes a curved portion (33c) that curves from the upper wing (11) side of the slider body (10) to the guide post (13), and the disengagement portion (120) further includes an abutment portion (125) that includes a protruding member (121) that abuts against the curved portion (33c). In this embodiment, the protruding member of the abutment portion of the disengagement portion abuts against the curved portion of the lock pin, displacing the engagement portion of the lock pin forward of the guide post of the slider body, and disengaging the engagement portion of the lock pin from the engagement portion of the slider body. When the protruding member abuts against the curved portion, the shape of the curved portion is plastically deformed and the springiness (snap property) of the lock pin is lost, and as a result, the engagement portion is lifted off the engagement portion, and the engagement is released.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the slider (1) has a gap (G) penetrating in the left-right direction between the slider body (10) and the lock pin (30), and the disengagement part (120) further includes an abutment part (125B) including an insertion member (123) that is inserted into the gap (G) to widen the gap (G). In this embodiment, in the disengagement part, the insertion member is inserted into the gap to widen the gap, thereby displacing the engagement part of the lock pin forward of the guide column of the slider body, and disengaging the engagement part from the engagement part of the slider body. When the insertion member widens the gap, the shape of the curved part is plastically deformed and the springiness (snap property) of the lock pin is lost, and as a result, the engagement part is lifted off the engagement part, and the engagement is released.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the separation portion (130) includes a pusher (131) that abuts against the engagement portion (34) of the lock pin (30). In this embodiment, the pusher of the separation portion abuts against the engagement portion of the lock pin, causing the slider to separate into a slider body and the lock pin, and the pull tab to separate accordingly.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the disengagement section (120, 120B) further includes a positioning section (126) that holds the slider (1), and the positioning section (126) includes a body positioning stopper (127) that is switchable between a holding state and a release state. The slider is positioned by the positioning section. The body positioning stopper of the positioning section stops and holds the slider supplied from the slider supply section at a predetermined position. The body positioning stopper is switchable between a holding state (holdable position) in which the slider can be held, and a release state (non-holdable position) in which the slider cannot be held. The disengagement section disengages or separates the slider held by the body positioning stopper in the holding state.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the slider separation mechanism (100) further comprises a collection section (140), which comprises a vibrating screen (143) having a plurality of through holes (143a) having a diameter that allows the lock pin (30) to pass through but does not allow the pull tab (40) and the slider body (10) to pass through. In this embodiment, the slider body, lock pin, and pull tab, which are further separated after disengagement by the disengagement section, are collected in the collection section and subjected to a vibrating screen. In the vibrating screen, only the lock pin passes through the through holes, and the pull tab and slider body remain without passing through the through holes.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a slider (1) including a slider body (10) having an upper blade (11), a lower blade (12), and a guide post (13) connecting the upper blade (11) and the lower blade (12), a lock pin (30) which is a plate-like member having spring properties and is placed on the upper blade (11) and has an engagement portion (34) provided at one end which engages with a locking portion (13a) at a front portion of the slider body (10), and a pull tab (40) provided between the upper blade (11) and the lock pin (30), and a device for separating the slider body (10), the lock pin (30), and the pull tab (40) is provided. The slider separation method includes a disengagement step in which the lock pin (30) includes a curved portion (33c) that curves from the upper wing (11) side of the slider body (10) toward the guide pillar (13), and a protruding member (121) at an abutment portion (125) is abutted against the curved portion (33c) to displace an engagement portion (34) of the lock pin (30), which engages with the engaging portion (13a) of the slider body (10), forward of the guide pillar (13) to release the engagement, and a separation step in which a pusher (131) is abutted against the engagement portion (34) of the lock pin (30) following the disengagement step.

[0015] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a slider (1) including a slider body (10) having an upper blade (11), a lower blade (12), and a guide post (13) connecting the upper blade (11) and the lower blade (12), a lock pin (30) which is a plate-like member having spring properties and is placed on the upper blade (11) and has an engagement portion (34) provided at one end which engages with a locking portion (13a) at a front portion of the slider body (10), and a pull tab (40) provided between the upper blade (11) and the lock pin (30), the slider body (10), the lock pin (30), and the pull tab (40) are separated. The slider (1) has a gap (G) penetrating in the left-right direction between the slider body (10) and the lock pin (30), the slider separation method including: a disengagement step of inserting an insertion member (123) at an abutment portion (125B) into the gap (G) to displace the engagement portion (34) of the lock pin (30), which engages with the engaging portion (13a) of the slider body (10), forward of the guide post (13) to release the engagement; and a separation step of abutting a pusher (131) against the engagement portion (34) of the lock pin (30) following the disengagement step.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, following the separation step, a first dropping step is included in which the abutment portions (125, 125B) are returned to their initial positions and the pusher (131) is moved further forward, thereby dropping the lock pin (30) and the pull tab (40).

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the method includes, following the first dropping step, a second dropping step of dropping the body (10) by releasing a body positioning stopper (127). Effect of the Invention

[0018] In the present invention, first the engagement portion of the lock pin is disengaged from the engaging portion of the slider body, and then the lock pin, slider body, and pull tab are separated, thereby preventing the metal materials of the slider body and lock pin from adhering and becoming mixed together, and enabling the slider to be separated without requiring high pressure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a slider (SL) 1. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a top view of SL1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view of SL1 as seen from the arrow B in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of SL1. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a slider (SL) separation mechanism 100 according to the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a view of the SL separation mechanism 100 as viewed from the left. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a view of the SL separation mechanism 100 as seen from the front. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a view of the disengaging portion 120 of the first embodiment as viewed from the left. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a view of the disengaging portion 120 as viewed from the front. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of a main portion of FIG. [Figure 12(a)] FIG. 12( a ) shows the operation flow of the separator 130 . [Figure 12(b)] FIG. 12(b) shows the operation flow of the separator 130. [Figure 12(c)] FIG. 12C shows the operation flow of the separator 130. [Figure 12(d)] FIG. 12(d) shows the operation flow of the separator 130. [Figure 12(e)] FIG. 12( e ) shows the operation flow of the separator 130 . [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a view of the collection section 140 as viewed from above. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a modified example of the abutment portion 125 in the first embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a side view that shows a state in which the protruding member 121 abuts against the curved portion 33c of the lock pin 30. As shown in FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a side view that shows a schematic state in which the insertion member 123 is inserted into the gap g of SL1. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a side view that diagrammatically illustrates the insert member 123 and its drive portion 124. As shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] (First embodiment) First, an example of a slider (hereinafter, also referred to as "SL") to be separated and recycled in the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of SL1. FIG. 2 is a top view of SL1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of line AA in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a front view of SL1 as seen from the arrow B in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of SL1. Hereinafter, in this specification, the left-right direction, front-back direction, and up-down direction of SL1 are the directions described in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4. The left-right direction, front-back direction, and up-down direction are mutually perpendicular. SL1 is collected, for example, from used clothing, and separated and recycled through a slider separation mechanism 100 according to the present invention (see FIG. 6, FIG. 7, etc.).

[0021] The slider (SL) 1 is made of, for example, metal, and is composed of three parts, namely, a slider body (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "body") 10, a lock pin 30, and a pull tab 40. As an example, the body 10 and the pull tab 40 are made of a copper alloy, and the lock pin 30 is made of stainless steel, but this is not limiting. If the body and the lock pin are made of different metals, the pull tab may contain a non-metallic part or may be made of resin. A similar SL is disclosed in JP 2002-10808 A and the like.

[0022] The fuselage 10 includes an upper wing 11, a lower wing 12, and a guide post 13 connecting the upper wing 11 and the lower wing 12. The upper wing 11 has an upper flange 11a protruding downward, and the lower wing 12 has a lower flange 12a protruding upward. A Y-shaped element guide passage 14 is defined between the upper wing 11, the lower wing 12, the upper flange 11a, and the lower flange 12a. The element guide passage 14 opens to left and right shoulder openings 15 of the guide post 13 at the front of the fuselage 10, and opens to a rear opening 16 at the rear. A groove 13b extending in the vertical direction is provided at the front part of the fuselage 10, i.e., the left and right central parts of the front surface of the guide post 13. Left and right locking portions 13a protruding forward are provided on the front surface of the guide post 13 (front surface of the groove 13b) at positions shifted in the left and right direction from the left and right midpoint. A front protrusion 17 and a rear protrusion 18 are provided on the upper surface of the upper wing 11. Furthermore, the upper wing 11 has a through hole 19 penetrating in the vertical direction adjacent to the rear of the front protrusion 17, and a lock hole 20 penetrating in the vertical direction adjacent to the rear of the rear protrusion 18. In this embodiment, as the configuration of the front part of the fuselage 10, a groove is provided on the front surface of the guide pillar 13, and a locking part 13a is provided in the groove, but this is not limited to this. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which a through hole penetrating in the vertical direction is provided in the guide pillar 13, and a locking part is provided inside the through hole.

[0023] The lock pin 30 is a plate-like member having spring properties, and has an elongated shape having a longitudinal direction and a width direction. The lock pin 30 includes a base 31, a hanging piece 33 that extends in a curved manner forward and downward from one end (front end) of the longitudinal direction of the base 31, and a lock claw 32 that extends downward from the other end (rear end) of the longitudinal direction of the base 31. An engagement portion 34 is provided at one end (front end) of the hanging piece 33. The base 31 includes a tongue piece 35 that is cut into a U-shape and bent downward, and the tongue piece 35 has an opening 35a that penetrates in the vertical direction (thickness direction). The lock claw 32 has an opening 32a that penetrates in the vertical direction (thickness direction). In SL1, the lock pin 30 is placed on the upper wing 11 of the fuselage 10, and an engagement portion 34 provided on one end of the lock pin 30 is received in a groove portion 13b of the guide pillar 13 of the fuselage 10 and engages with the fuselage 10. Referring to FIG. 3 and other figures, the hanging piece 33 of the lock pin 30 includes an upper portion 33a placed on the upper wing 11, a front portion 33b (including the engagement portion 34) received in the groove portion 13b of the guide pillar 13, and a curved portion 33c between the upper portion 33a and the front portion 33b. That is, the hanging piece 33 is connected in the order of the upper portion 33a, the curved portion 33c, and the front portion 33b. It can also be said that the curved portion 33c is a portion that does not contact the upper wing 11 or the guide pillar 13 and is separated from the fuselage 10. The portion between the upper portion 33a, which is the first fulcrum, and the front portion 33b, which is the second fulcrum, is the curved portion 33c. The pull tab 40 is a plate-like member and includes a pivot 41. The pull tab 40 is provided between the upper wing 11 and the lock pin 30. More specifically, the pivot 41 is placed on the upper wing 11 of the fuselage 10 and is covered by and engaged with the lock pin 30.

[0024] When engaging the fuselage 10, the lock pin 30, and the pull tab 40, the pivot 41 of the pull tab 40 is placed between the front projection 17 and the rear projection 18 of the upper wing 11 of the fuselage 10. Next, the base 31 of the lock pin 30 is placed on the pivot 41, the lock claw 32 is inserted into the lock hole 20 of the upper wing 11, and the tongue 35 is inserted into the through hole 19 of the upper wing 11. At this time, the front projection 17 is inserted into the opening 35a of the lock pin 30, and the rear projection 18 is inserted into the opening 32a of the lock pin 30. Furthermore, the engagement portion 34 of the hanging piece 33 is received in the groove portion 13b of the guide post 13 and engaged with the engagement portion 13a. 4 and 5, the hanging piece 33 is gradually narrowed from the upper portion 33a toward the front portion 33b, and has a generally T-shape with left and right protrusions protruding in the left and right directions so that the engagement portion 34 has a width generally equal to that of the end of the upper portion 33a. At this time, the front portion 33b of the hanging piece 33 other than the engagement portion 34 is disposed between the left and right locking portions 13a, and the left and right protrusions of the engagement portion 34 of the hanging piece 33 contact the left and right locking portions 13a, respectively. In this state, the front projection 17 is tightened to engage the body 10, the lock pin 30, and the pull tab 40, and the engagement portion 34 is engaged with the lower surface of each locking portion 13a. The SL1 to be recycled is in a state in which the body 10, the lock pin 30, and the pull tab 40 are engaged with each other.

[0025] In the first embodiment of the slider separation mechanism 100 according to the present invention described below, when the protruding member 121 (see Figure 11, etc.) of the disengaging portion 120 strikes the curved portion 33c of the hanging piece 33, the engaging portion 34 of the lock pin 30 which engages with the engaging portion 13a of the slider body 10 is displaced forward of the guide pillar 13, and the engagement between the engaging portion 34 and the engaging portion 13a of the guide pillar 13 is released.

[0026] 3, there is a gap G penetrating in the left-right direction between the body 10 and the hanging piece 33 of the lock pin 30. More specifically, the gap G is mainly between the body 10 and the curved portion 33c of the hanging piece 33. In a second embodiment of the slider separation mechanism 100 according to the present invention described later, the insertion member 123 (see FIG. 16, etc.) of the disengaging portion 120B is inserted into the gap g between the body 10 and the front portion 33b of the hanging piece 33 to widen the gap g, whereby the engaging portion 34 is displaced forward of the guide pillar 13, and the engagement between the engaging portion 34 and the locking portion 13a of the guide pillar 13 is released. The gap g is a part of the gap G.

[0027] Next, some embodiments of the present invention will be described. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a slider (SL) separation mechanism 100 and a SL separation method according to the present invention. The SL separation mechanism 100 includes a slider (SL) supply unit 110, disengagement units 120 and 120B, a separation unit 130, and a recovery unit 140 (see FIG. 17 for the disengagement unit 120B). In the first and second embodiments of the present invention, the separation unit 130 is a part of the disengagement units 120 and 120B, but is not limited to this, and the separation unit 130 may be independent of the disengagement units 120 and 120B. FIG. 7 is a view of the slider (SL) separation mechanism 100 as seen from the left. FIG. 8 is a view of the slider (SL) separation mechanism 100 as seen from the front. FIG. 9 is a view of the disengagement unit 120 of the first embodiment as seen from the left. FIG. 10 is a view of the disengagement unit 120 as seen from the front. FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 9. 12(a), (b), (c), (d), and (e) respectively show the operation flow of the separation unit 130. FIG. 13 is a view of the recovery unit 140 as viewed from above. The SL supply unit 110 includes a part feeder (or hopper) 111 and a chute 112. The part feeder 111 stores a large number of SLs 1 separated from clothes and the like. The SLs 1 stored in the part feeder 111 are in a state in which the body 10, the lock pin 30, and the pull tab 40 are engaged with each other as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0028] The SL supplying unit 110 supplies the SL1 one by one from the parts feeder 111 through the chute 112 to the disengaging unit 120. The disengaging unit 120, which will be described in detail later, displaces the engaging portion 34 of the lock pin 30, which engages with the locking portion 13a of the slider body 10, toward the front of the guide column 13 to disengage (disengagement process). At this point, the base 31 of the lock pin 30 remains engaged with the body 10, and the pull tab 40 is also engaged with the body 10. Next, the separating unit 130 operates. The separating unit 130 separates the lock pin 30, whose engagement portion 34 has been released, from the body 10 and the pull tab 40 (separation process). The separating unit 130 completely separates the lock pin 30 and the pull tab 40 from the body 10. As a result, the SL1 is separated into the components of the body 10, the lock pin 30, and the pull tab 40. The body 10, the lock pin 30, and the pull tab 40 are discharged from the separation section 130 to the collection section 140, where they are sorted and stored and collected separately.

[0029] The disengagement portion (disengagement step) 120 will be described in further detail below. In the first embodiment of the SL separation mechanism 100, the disengagement portion 120 includes a protruding member 121. In the pages of Figures 9, 11 and 15, the upper blade 11 is shown on the right, the lower blade 12 is shown on the left, and the guide post 13 is shown on the top. Also, in the pages of Figures 9, 11 and 15, the top corresponds to the front of SL1, and the bottom corresponds to the rear of SL1. The disengagement unit 120 includes a positioning unit 126, a butting unit 125, and a separation unit 130. The positioning unit 126 includes a body positioning stopper 127, and holds the SL1 supplied from the SL supply unit 110. Specifically, the SL1 is placed on the body positioning stopper 127, and the body positioning stopper 127 can hold the SL1 when it is in a state in which it is on the inside in the left-right direction (holding state), and cannot hold the SL1 when it is in a state in which it is on the outside in the left-right direction (released state), and the SL1 falls. The body positioning stopper 127 can be switched between a holding state and a released state. The body positioning stopper 127 is driven by an actuator such as an air cylinder, and moves between a holding state and a released state.

[0030] The abutting section 125 includes a rotating section 129 including a protruding member 121, and a driving section 122 that drives the rotating section 129. The protruding member 121 is a bar-shaped member that protrudes from the rotating section 129. The rotating section 129 is rotated about an axis 129a by the driving section 122. This rotation allows the protruding member 121 to move back and forth approximately along its axial direction (front-rear direction). The driving section 122 can be composed of an actuator such as an air cylinder that moves the rod 122a in and out, but is not limited to this. The separating section 130 has a pusher 131 that can move in the left-right direction. The pusher 131 is driven by an actuator such as an air cylinder.

[0031] Next, the operation flow of the disengaging unit 120 will be described in detail. With reference to Fig. 12(a), the SL1 supplied from the SL supply unit 110 to the disengaging unit 120 is stopped at a predetermined position, and the body 10 is held and fixed by the body positioning stopper 127 in the holding state. At this point, the protruding member 121 in the abutting unit 125 is in the initial position and is separated from the curved portion 33c of the lock pin 30. The pusher 131 of the separating unit 130 is also in the initial position and is separated from the front portion 33b of the lock pin 30. Also, at this point, the engaging portion 34 of the lock pin 30 is in a state of engaging with the locking portion 13a of the body 10 (see the dashed line in Fig. 15).

[0032] Next, referring to FIG. 12(b) and FIG. 11, the driving unit 122 is operated to rotate the rotating unit 129 counterclockwise by a predetermined angle and then stopped. This causes the protruding member 121 to move backward in the front-rear direction from the initial position and abut against the curved portion 33c of the lock pin 30. The protruding member 121 is stopped in a state where it abuts against the curved portion 33c. FIG. 15 is a side view that shows a schematic state in which the protruding member 121 abuts against the curved portion 33c of the lock pin 30. In FIG. 15, the configuration of the abutting unit 125 other than the protruding member 121 is omitted. It can be said that the protruding member 121 hits or strikes the curved portion 33c. As a result, the curved portion 33c is deformed toward the gap G, and the engaging portion 34 of the lock pin 30, which engages with the engaging portion 13a of the body 10, is displaced forward (upward in FIG. 15) from the engaging portion 13a of the guide pillar 13, and the engagement between the engaging portion 34 and the engaging portion 13a is released. More specifically, when the protruding member 121 strikes the curved portion 33c, the shape of the curved portion 33c is plastically deformed, causing the springiness (snap ability) of the lock pin 30 to be lost, and the engaging portion 34 is lifted up from the engaging portion 13a. The front portion 33b of the lock pin 30 is displaced forward of SL1, for example, by about 30 degrees, centered on the contact point between the protruding member 121 and the curved portion 33c. (Disengagement Process)

[0033] 12(c), the pusher 131 is operated with the protruding member 121 abutting against the curved portion 33c. The pusher 131 is moved forward in the front-rear direction from the initial position and stopped when it abuts against the plastically deformed engagement portion 34 of the lock pin 30. This separates the lock pin 30 and the body 10, and the pull tab 40 is also substantially separated. (Separation process) At this point, the body 10 remains held by the body positioning stopper 127.

[0034] Next, referring to Fig. 12(d), the rotating portion 129 of the abutting portion 125 is rotated clockwise to return the protruding member 121 to its initial position. Accordingly, the pusher 131 is moved further forward. As a result, the lock pin 30 separated from the body 10 is pushed forward, and the lock pin 30 and the pull tab 40 are dropped through the drop path 149 into the collection portion 140 below. (First drop step) In Fig. 12(d), the lock pin 30 and the pull tab 40 being dropped are indicated by dashed lines.

[0035] Next, referring to Fig. 12(e), the body positioning stopper 127 is released. This causes the body 10 to fall into the collection section 140 below. (Second Falling Step)

[0036] The collection section 140 includes a vibrating screen 143 having a plurality of through holes 143a (see FIG. 13). The vibrating screen 143 is vibrated in the up-down, left-right, and front-rear directions simultaneously by a driving section 144. The diameter of the through hole 143a is large enough to allow the lock pin 30 to pass through but not the pull tab 40 and the body 10. In the collection section 140, the lock pin 30 is collected in a lock pin collection box 141 provided immediately below the vibrating screen 143, and the pull tab 40 and the body 10 are sorted through a chute 145 to a body / pull tab collection box 142 provided behind the lock pin collection box 141. The vibrating screen 143 of the collection section 140 is constantly vibrating. The body 10 is made of the same material as the pull tab 40, and is sorted into the same collection box. However, if the body 10 and the pull tab 40 are made of different materials, separate collection boxes can be prepared. In this way, the metallic materials of the slider body and the lock pin do not mix together, and the sliders can be separated without requiring high pressure.

[0037] (Modification of the first embodiment) 14 is a diagram showing a modified example of the abutment portion 125 in the first embodiment. This modified example differs from the above-described disengaging portion 120 in that the shape of the rotation portion 129B of the abutment portion 125 is a simple L-shape, and other configurations are the same as those of the disengaging portion 120, so the same reference numbers are used. The shape of the disengaging portion can be changed as desired as long as it does not affect the device configuration.

[0038] Second embodiment FIG. 16 is a side view that shows a state in which the insertion member 123 is inserted into the gap g of SL1. The gap g is a part of the gap G. FIG. 17 is a side view that shows the insertion member 123 and its driving unit 124. In the second embodiment of the SL separation mechanism 100, the disengagement unit 120B includes a positioning unit 126, a butting unit 125B, and a separation unit 130. The configurations of the positioning unit 126 and the separation unit 130 are the same as those in the first embodiment. The butting unit 125B includes the insertion member 123 and a driving unit 124 that drives the insertion member 123. The insertion member 123 is a bar-shaped member and has a tip portion 123b whose outer diameter gradually decreases toward the tip 123a. The outer diameter of the tip 123a is slightly smaller than the gap g in the initial state, and the outer diameter of the rear end of the tip portion 123b is larger than the gap g. The insertion member 123 can be moved in its axial direction by the driving unit 124, and is thereby inserted from the initial position into the gap g of SL10 along the left-right direction. Therefore, it can be seen that the approach direction in which the insertion member 123 of the second embodiment hits SL10 is different from that of the protruding member 121 of the first embodiment. The driving unit 124 can be composed of an actuator such as an air cylinder, for example, but is not limited to this.

[0039] The SL1 supplied from the SL supply unit 110 to the disengagement unit 120B is stopped at a predetermined position, and the body 10 is held and fixed by the body positioning stopper 127 in the holding state. At this point, the insertion member 123 is in the initial position and is separated from the curved portion 33c of the lock pin 30. The pusher 131 is also in the initial position and is separated from the front portion 33b of the lock pin 30. Also, at this point, the engagement portion 34 of the lock pin 30 is in a state of being engaged with the engagement portion 13a of the body 10 (see the dashed line in FIG. 16).

[0040] Next, the drive unit 124 is operated to insert the insertion member 123 at the abutment portion 125B into the gap g. The insertion member 123 moves left and right from the initial position and enters the gap g from the tip 123a. Since the outer diameter of the rear end at the tip 123b of the insertion member 123 is larger than the outer diameter of the gap g, the gap g is widened by the stress of the insertion member 123, and a force is applied to the curved portion 33c of the lock pin 30 to move in the opposite direction to the gap g. As a result, the engagement portion 34 of the lock pin 30 is displaced forward (upward in FIG. 16) from the locking portion 13a, and the engagement between the engagement portion 34 and the locking portion 13a is released. As the insertion member 123 widens the gap g, the shape of the curved portion 33c is plastically deformed, the springiness (snap property) of the lock pin 30 is lost, and the engagement portion 34 floats up from the locking portion 13a. (Disengagement process)

[0041] Next, with the insertion member 123 inserted into the gap g, the pusher 131 is operated to move the pusher 131 forward in the front-rear direction from the initial position until it hits the engagement portion 34 of the lock pin 30, and the lock pin 30, the body 10, and the pull tab 40 are separated. (Separation Process)

[0042] Next, the insertion member 123 at the abutting portion 125B is returned to the initial position. Accordingly, the pusher 131 is moved further forward. This pushes the lock pin 30 forward, causing the lock pin 30 and the pull tab 40 to drop into the collection portion 140 below. (First Dropping Step)

[0043] Next, the body positioning stopper 127 is released. This causes the body 10 to fall into the collection section 140 below. (Second Falling Step)

[0044] As described above, in the present invention, first, the engagement portion 34 of the lock pin 30 and the engaging portion 13a of the guide post 13 are disengaged at the disengagement portions 120, 120B, and then the body 10, the lock pin 30, and the pull tab 40 are separated by the separation portion 130. Therefore, the metal materials of the body 10, the lock pin 30, etc. are not mixed, and SL1 can be separated without requiring high pressure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1. Slider (SL) 10 Slider body (body) 11 Upper wing plate 12 Lower wing plate 13 Guidepost 13a Locking part 13b Groove 30 Lock pin 31 Base 32 Locking Claw 33 Hanging piece 33a Upper part 33b Front part 33c Curved section 34 Engagement part 40 Pull Handle 41 Axis G, g gap 100 Slider separation mechanism 110 Slider supply section 120, 120B Disengagement part 121 Protruding member 123 Insert 125, 125B butt section 126 Positioning part 127 Body positioning stopper 130 Separation section 131 Pusher 140 Collection Department 141 Lock pin collection box 142 Body and handle collection box 143 Vibrating Sieve 143a Through hole

Claims

1. A slider body (10) including an upper blade (11), a lower blade (12), and a guide post (13) connecting the upper blade (11) and the lower blade (12); a lock pin (30) which is a plate-like member having spring properties and is placed on the upper blade (11) and has an engagement portion (34) at one end which engages with a locking portion (13a) at a front portion of the slider body (10); A pull tab (40) provided between the upper blade (11) and the lock pin (30); A slider separation mechanism (100) for separating the slider body (10), the lock pin (30), and the pull tab (40) in a slider (1) comprising: A slider separation mechanism comprising: a disengagement portion (120, 120B) for displacing the engagement portion (34) of the lock pin (30) that engages with the locking portion (13a) of the slider body (10) forward of the guide post (13) to release the engagement.

2. The slider separation mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the disengagement portion (120, 120B) includes a separation portion (130) for contacting the engagement portion (34) to separate the lock pin (30) and the slider body (10).

3. The lock pin (30) includes a curved portion (33c) that curves from the upper blade (11) side of the slider body (10) to the guide post (13) side, The slider separation mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the disengagement portion (120) further comprises an abutment portion (125) including a protruding member (121) that abuts against the curved portion (33c).

4. The slider (1) has a gap (G) penetrating in the left-right direction between the slider body (10) and the lock pin (30), The slider separation mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the disengagement portion (120B) further comprises an abutment portion (125B) including an insertion member (123) that is inserted into the gap (G) to widen the gap (G).

5. The slider separation mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein the separation portion (130) includes a pusher (131) that abuts against the engagement portion (34) of the lock pin (30).

6. The slider separation mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the disengagement portion (120, 120B) further comprises a positioning portion (126) that holds the slider (1), and the positioning portion (126) includes a body positioning stopper (127) that is switchable between a holding state and a release state.

7. The slider separation mechanism (100) further comprises a collection section (140), the collection section (140) comprises a vibrating screen (143) having a plurality of through holes (143a), the diameter of the through holes (143a) being large enough for the lock pin (30) to pass through, but not for the pull tab (40) and the slider body (10), as described in claim 1.

8. A slider body (10) including an upper blade (11), a lower blade (12), and a guide post (13) connecting the upper blade (11) and the lower blade (12); a lock pin (30) which is a plate-like member having spring properties and is placed on the upper blade (11) and has an engagement portion (34) at one end which engages with a locking portion (13a) at a front portion of the slider body (10); A pull tab (40) provided between the upper blade (11) and the lock pin (30); A slider separation method for separating the slider body (10), the lock pin (30), and the pull tab (40) of a slider (1) comprising: a disengagement step in which the lock pin (30) includes a curved portion (33c) that curves from the upper wing (11) side of the slider body (10) to the guide post (13) side, and abuts a protruding member (121) at an abutment portion (125) against the curved portion (33c) to displace the engagement portion (34) of the lock pin (30) that engages with the engagement portion (13a) of the slider body (10) forward of the guide post (13) to release the engagement; a separation step of abutting a pusher (131) against the engagement portion (34) of the lock pin (30) subsequent to the disengagement step.

9. A slider body (10) including an upper blade (11), a lower blade (12), and a guide post (13) connecting the upper blade (11) and the lower blade (12); a lock pin (30) which is a plate-like member having spring properties and is placed on the upper blade (11) and has an engagement portion (34) at one end which engages with a locking portion (13a) at a front portion of the slider body (10); A pull tab (40) provided between the upper blade (11) and the lock pin (30); A slider separation method for separating the slider body (10), the lock pin (30), and the pull tab (40) of a slider (1) comprising: The slider (1) has a gap (G) penetrating in the left-right direction between the slider body (10) and the lock pin (30), a disengagement step of inserting an insertion member (123) in the abutment portion (125B) into the gap (G) to displace the engagement portion (34) of the lock pin (30) engaging with the locking portion (13a) of the slider body (10) forward of the guide post (13) to disengage the engagement; a separation step of abutting a pusher (131) against the engagement portion (34) of the lock pin (30) subsequent to the disengagement step.

10. 10. The slider separating method according to claim 8 or 9, further comprising a first dropping step of dropping the lock pin (30) and the pull tab (40) by returning the abutment portion (125, 125B) to an initial position and moving the pusher (131) further forward, following the separating step.

11. 11. The slider separation method according to claim 10, further comprising a second dropping step of dropping the body (10) by releasing a body positioning stopper (127) subsequent to the first dropping step.

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