Original sheet connection device and cup molding machine

Abstract

To provide an original sheet connection device which has a simple configuration and can surely connect a terminal end of a precedent original sheet to a starting end of a subsequent original sheet without positional deviation, thereby causing no clog in a processing device downstream.SOLUTION: An original sheet connection device 100 includes a holding unit 120, a connection unit 130, and a base body part 110. The holding unit 120 includes a terminal end holding part 121 for holding a terminal end of a first original sheet Ga, and a starting end holding part 122 for holding a starting end of a second original sheet Gb. The connection unit 130 includes a pressing member 131, and a member 132 to be pressed provided at a position opposing to the pressing member 131. At least either the pressing member 131 or the member 132 to be pressed has connection means for connecting and fixing the terminal end of the first original sheet Ga to the starting end of the second original sheet Gb. The base body part 110 includes a cutting unit for cutting and processing at least either the terminal end of the first original sheet Ga or the starting end of the second original sheet Gb.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a web joining device that joins end surfaces of two sheet-like webs together.

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a known device for joining thin sheet-like raw rolls made of resin or metal before forming is a raw roll joining device used in a film supply device described in Patent Document 1, for example.

[0003] The raw web joining device known from Patent Document 1 prevents breaks in the raw web (protective film) and avoids increased costs when switching a raw web roll (reel 1) wound with polyethylene raw web (protective film) to be attached to unvulcanized rubber from a preceding raw web roll (reel 1) to a succeeding raw web roll (reel 1), by connecting and integrating the end of the preceding raw web (protective film) and the front end of the succeeding raw web (protective film) using a thermo-compression plate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-145106 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, there is still room for improvement in the known web joining device disclosed in Patent Document 1 and the like.

[0006] In other words, the raw roll connecting device known from Patent Document 1 overlaps the end of the preceding raw roll with the beginning of the succeeding raw roll and connects them by thermocompression, so the thickness of the overlapping part of the raw rolls is thicker than the other parts, and there is a risk that the raw rolls will get clogged when transported and processed in the downstream processing device. Furthermore, depending on the material and thickness of the raw roll, the ends of the raw roll may be curled due to their tendency to curl, and the curl state at the end and beginning of the raw roll may differ significantly, so simply overlapping the end of the preceding raw roll with the beginning of the following raw roll may result in misalignment.

[0007] The present invention aims to solve these problems by providing a raw material connecting device that has a simple configuration and can reliably connect the end of a preceding raw material roll that has been deformed into a curled shape due to a winding tendency to the start of a succeeding raw material roll without misalignment, and can connect the end of the preceding raw material roll to the start of a succeeding raw material roll so as not to cause clogging in downstream processing equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The web joining device of the present invention is a web joining device having a holding unit that holds the end of a first web and the start of a second web at a joining position by overlapping a portion of their surfaces, a joining unit that fixes a portion or all of the surfaces that are overlapped and held by the holding unit at the joining position, and a base portion that supports the holding unit and the joining unit, wherein the holding unit has an end holding portion that holds the end of the first web at the joining position and a start holding portion that holds the start of the second web at the joining position, and the joining unit fixes the end of the first web and the start of the second web at the joining position. The above-mentioned problem is solved by the device having a pressing member provided on one side of the surface held by the holding unit and a pressed member provided in a position opposite the pressing member and the surface held by the holding unit, at least one of the pressing member and the pressed member having a connecting means for connecting and fixing the end of the first raw roll and the start of the second raw roll, and the base portion having a cutting unit for cutting and processing at least one of the end of the first raw roll and the start of the second raw roll. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The raw material joining device of the invention of claim 1 has a holding unit that overlaps the end of the first raw material roll and the beginning of the second raw material roll on part of their surfaces and holds them at the connection position.The holding unit has an end holding section that holds the end of the first raw material roll at the connection position and a beginning end holding section that holds the beginning end of the second raw material roll at the connection position.Therefore, the end of the first raw material roll and the beginning end of the second raw material roll, which have been deformed into different curled shapes due to their curling tendencies, can be properly held by the end holding section and the beginning end holding section, respectively, and the end of the first raw material roll and the beginning end of the second raw material roll can be reliably overlapped and held on part of their surfaces without causing misalignment. In addition, the connection unit has a pressing member provided on one side of the surface held by the holding unit at the connection position, and a pressed member provided in a position opposite the pressing member and the surface held by the holding unit, and at least one of the pressing member and the pressed member has a connection means for connecting and fixing the end of the first raw roll and the start of the second raw roll, so that the pressing member and the pressed member can more reliably connect and fix the end of the first raw roll and the start of the second raw roll while holding them down without any misalignment. This reduces the loss of raw rolls and the downtime of the production line compared to when the raw rolls are sent to downstream equipment by replacing the end of the first raw roll with the beginning of the second raw roll without connecting them. In addition, the base portion has a cutting unit that cuts and processes at least one of the end of the first raw roll and the beginning of the second raw roll.By cutting and processing in advance the end of the first raw roll and the beginning of the second raw roll at locations where changes in the thickness of the raw roll will have a negative impact, such as the conveying mechanism downstream of the raw roll connecting device and the location where the raw roll is held within the processing device, even raw rolls that have been connected and fixed by a connecting means can be handled without causing problems such as clogging.

[0010] According to the configuration of claim 2, the connecting means is an ultrasonic welding unit, which makes it less likely to come off than when, for example, the end of the first web and the beginning of the second web are connected and fixed using tape or adhesive. Furthermore, since the connection between the end of the first roll and the beginning of the second roll does not contain any foreign matter such as adhesive, there is no foreign matter in the connection between the end of the first roll and the beginning of the second roll or around the connection, which would be unsuitable for product processing, and the roll can be used efficiently as a recycled material without the need for work to remove the foreign matter. Furthermore, only the welding position between the end of the first web and the beginning of the second web can be reliably welded, and deterioration of the webs other than the welded portion can be prevented. According to the configuration described in claim 3, the holding unit has a guide member that aligns the widthwise positions of the end of the first roll and the start of the second roll, so that the end of the first roll and the start of the second roll can be easily aligned by aligning them along the guide member, thereby reducing the work time required to hold the end of the first roll and the start of the second roll at the connection position.

[0011] According to the configuration described in claim 4, the base portion is configured to be able to move forward and backward in a direction different from the feed direction of the first and second rolls of raw material, so that after connecting the end of the first roll of raw material and the start of the second roll of raw material, the base portion can be moved from between the first and second rolls of raw material, making it possible to easily move the second roll of raw material to the position where the first roll of raw material was held. Furthermore, since the second roll can be moved to the position where the first roll was held along the feed direction of the roll, it is possible to prevent the roll from being pulled in a direction other than the feed direction, causing it to bend or warp. According to the configuration described in claim 5, the cutting unit cuts and processes the widthwise end of at least one of the terminal end of the first raw roll and the starting end of the second raw roll, so even if the widthwise end is grasped during transportation or when the raw roll is sent out within the processing device, the widthwise end near the point where the terminal end of the first raw roll and the starting end of the second raw roll are connected does not become thick, and problems such as clogging do not occur.

[0012] According to the configuration described in claim 6, the end of the first raw roll being fed out from the raw roll feed section and the beginning of the second raw roll being fed out from the connected raw roll holding section can be held and connected at a connection position located between the raw roll feed section and the connected raw roll holding section, thereby preventing the raw rolls from bending or warping due to being pulled in a direction other than the feed direction of the first and second raw rolls, and allowing the raw rolls to be quickly transported to the cup forming process of the cup forming machine. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the web feed side of a cup forming machine M equipped with a web connecting device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of a web joining device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the upper part of a web joining device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic side view showing a web joining step 1 performed by a web joining device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a perspective view showing the state near a pressed member 132 in a web joining step 1 by a web joining device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic side view showing a web joining step 2 performed by a web joining device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 10 is a perspective view showing the state near a pressed member 132 in a web joining step 2 by the web joining device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic side view showing a web joining step 3 performed by a web joining device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic side view showing a method for transporting a roll-shaped raw material using a transport rail R in a raw material connecting device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, a web joining device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. For the sake of explanation, the cutting unit is not shown.

[0015] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a raw fabric connecting device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention is disposed upstream of an accumulator A of a cup forming machine M, and has a base portion 110, a holding unit 120 connected to the base portion 110, and a connecting unit 130. The cup forming machine M is a production machine that forms plastic cups, and the raw material is a plastic sheet wound into a roll. Between the web connecting device 100 and the accumulator A, a first web Ga mounted on a web transporting cart Ta is arranged in a web sending-out section Ha, and the first web Ga is sent out to the accumulator A. A second web Gb mounted on a web transport vehicle Ta is placed in a connected web holding section Hb on the opposite side of the web connecting device 100 from the first web Ga.

[0016] The base portion 110 has a conveying table 111, a conveying roller 112 provided at the bottom of the conveying table 111, and a support shaft 113 extending upward from the conveying table 111, and the raw material connecting device 100 is configured to be able to move forward and backward between two raw materials described later in a direction different from the feed direction of the raw material by the conveying roller 112.

[0017] The holding unit 120 is connected to the support shaft 113 and has a pair of end holding portions 121 and a pair of start holding portions 122, each composed of an air cylinder that is arranged on the upper surface of the pressed member 132 (described later) so as to be movable back and forth in the vertical direction.

[0018] The connection unit 130 is connected to the support shaft 113 and has an ultrasonic welding unit 131 which is a pressing member of the connection means configured to be movable back and forth in the vertical direction, and a flat plate-shaped pressed member 132 . The pressed member 132 is provided with a pair of guide members 133 that align the widthwise position of the raw roll and a guide pin 134 that guides the raw roll cut by a cutting unit (not shown), forming a connection position P.

[0019] The cutting unit (not shown) is provided on the opposite side of the accumulator A across the pressed member 132. Also, accumulator A is assumed to sandwich both ends of the raw web in the width direction and feed the raw web.

[0020] Next, a process of connecting the end of the first web Ga and the beginning of the second web Gb using the web connecting device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. First, when the first raw roll Ga being sent to the accumulator A is running low, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the second raw roll Gb is sent to the connection position P of the raw roll connecting device 100 and held between a pair of guide members 133 by sandwiching it between the starting end holding portion 122 and the pressed member 132. At this time, a cutting unit (not shown) is used to cut the starting end of the second web Gb, leaving the end center Gbe of the second web so as to fit between the pair of guide pins 134.

[0021] Next, the feeding of the first raw roll Ga to the accumulator A is stopped, and the remaining first raw roll Ga is cut off just before the accumulator A and pulled to the connection position P of the raw roll connecting device 100.As shown in Figure 6, a mechanism within the accumulator A operates to return the first raw roll Ga that has been pulled into the accumulator A. The end portion of the first web Ga that has reached the connection position P is sandwiched and held between the end portion holder 121 and the pressed member 132 between a pair of guide members 133, as shown in FIG.

[0022] As a result, the end portion of the first web Ga and the beginning portion of the second web Gb can be overlapped by the same pair of guide members 133 with their widthwise positions aligned. In addition, by moving the end portion of the first raw roll Ga to just before the guide pin 134 and holding it there, the end center Gbe of the second raw roll and the first raw roll Ga can be held in an overlapping state at the connection position P.

[0023] Since the first raw roll Ga and the second raw roll Gb are wound into a roll, the terminal end of the first raw roll Ga and the starting end of the second raw roll Gb are deformed into different curls due to their curling tendencies. However, since the terminal end holding portion 121 that holds the terminal end of the first raw roll Ga and the starting end holding portion 122 that holds the starting end of the second raw roll Gb are arranged separately, the terminal end holding portion 121 and the starting end holding portion 122 can be pressed with appropriate pressure against the curling tendencies of the terminal end of the first raw roll Ga and the starting end of the second raw roll Gb, respectively, to hold them properly. After holding the first raw roll Ga and the second raw roll Gb on the pressing member 132, the ultrasonic welding unit 131 is moved downward to press the end centers Gbe of the first raw roll Ga and the second raw roll, and when the ultrasonic welding unit 131 is operated, the end centers Gbe of the first raw roll Ga and the second raw roll are welded together.

[0024] After welding the first raw roll Ga and the second raw roll Gb, the ultrasonic welding unit 131, the end holding part 121, and the start holding part 122 are moved upward to release the pressure on the first raw roll Ga and the second raw roll Gb, and then the raw roll connecting device 100 is retracted in a direction different from the feed direction of the raw rolls by the conveying roller 112. This allows the raw roll transport cart Ta carrying the second raw roll Gb to be moved from the connecting raw roll holding section Hb to the raw roll delivery section Ha side along the raw roll delivery direction without being subjected to forces that would cause the raw roll Gb to twist or bend.

[0025] After the raw roll transport cart Ta carrying the remainder of the first raw roll is withdrawn from the raw roll delivery section Ha, the first raw roll Ga welded to the second raw roll Gb is delivered by the accumulator A, while the raw roll transport cart Ta carrying the second raw roll Gb is moved to the raw roll delivery section Ha. At this time, the first raw roll Ga and the second raw roll Gb overlap only at the center Gbe of the end of the second raw roll, and the thickness of both ends of the raw rolls in the width direction does not change.Therefore, even if the second raw roll Gb welded to the first raw roll Ga is sent to the accumulator A, it can pass through the accumulator A normally without being affected by changes in the thickness of the raw rolls and be sent to the downstream cup forming process.

[0026] If the cup forming machine M continues to operate after the second raw roll Gb, as shown in Figure 8, the raw roll connecting device 100 is moved to a position where the raw rolls are welded, and the raw roll transport cart Ta carrying the third raw roll Gc is placed at the connecting raw roll holding section Hb, so that when there is only a little second raw roll Gb left, preparations can be quickly made to weld the end of the second raw roll Gb to the beginning of the third raw roll Gc. The method of transporting rolled raw material is not limited to the method using the raw material transport cart Ta. For example, as shown in Figure 9, a pair of transport rails R can be provided that can support both ends of the core of the rolled raw material from the raw material delivery section Ha to the connected raw material holding section Hb, and the rolled raw material can be rotatably held by stoppers Sa and Sb at the raw material delivery section Ha and the connected raw material holding section Hb, respectively.When moving the rolled raw material from the connected raw material holding section Hb to the raw material delivery section Ha, the raw material connecting device 100 can be retracted, and then the stoppers Sa and Sb can be released and the rolled raw material can be moved so that it rolls on the transport rails R. At this time, the raw fabric connecting device 100 connects the holding unit 120 and the connection unit 130 in a cantilevered state with the support shaft 113, so if the pair of conveying rails R are positioned without sandwiching the support shaft 113, the raw fabric connecting device 100 can move forward and backward without interfering with the conveying rails R.

[0027] As described above, by connecting the end of the first raw roll Ga with the beginning of the second raw roll Gb and sending them out to the accumulator A, it is possible to eliminate the time required for alignment when sending the second raw roll Gb out to the accumulator A, compared to when all of the first raw roll Ga is sent out and then replaced with a second raw roll Gb that is not connected to the first raw roll Ga and then manually sent out to the accumulator A. This reduces the amount of parts that are not suitable for cup molding (loss) that occur before and after replacing the raw rolls, reduces the downtime of the production line, and reduces the burden on workers. The method of connecting the terminal end of the first raw roll Ga and the starting end of the second raw roll Gb is not limited to welding using an ultrasonic welding unit, but can also be connection using heat sealing or adhesive, etc. However, by using ultrasonic welding, the terminal end of the first raw roll Ga and the starting end of the second raw roll Gb can be firmly connected in a short time, and there is no impact such as deterioration of parts other than the connection points of the raw rolls.

[0028] Furthermore, even for sheets having a thickness of 1.2 mm or more, the end portion of the first raw roll Ga and the beginning portion of the second raw roll Gb can be reliably joined by ultrasonic welding. Furthermore, since foreign matter such as adhesive does not adhere to the original roll, the connection between the end of the first original roll Ga and the beginning of the second original roll Gb can be efficiently used as recycled material without the need to remove foreign matter. Furthermore, the base portion 110 has a cutting unit that cuts and processes at least one of the end of the first raw roll Ga and the beginning of the second raw roll Gb. Therefore, by cutting and processing in advance the end of the first raw roll Ga and the beginning of the second raw roll Gb at locations where changes in the thickness of the raw roll will have a negative impact, such as the conveying mechanism connected downstream of the raw roll connecting device 100 or the location where the raw roll is held within the processing device, even raw rolls that have been connected and fixed by a connecting means can be handled without causing problems such as clogging.

[0029] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the present invention as set forth in the claims.

[0030] In the above-described embodiment, the cutting unit is described as cutting the starting end of the raw roll placed in the connecting raw roll holding section, leaving the center, but the cutting point of the raw roll by the cutting unit is not limited to this. For example, the cutting unit may cut the ending end of the raw roll placed in the raw roll feed section, leaving the center, or the cutting unit may cut the starting end of the raw roll placed in the connecting raw roll holding section, leaving both ends in the width direction, or the cutting unit may cut both the starting end of the raw roll placed in the connecting raw roll holding section and the ending end of the raw roll placed in the raw roll feed section. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the raw material joining device is arranged upstream of the accumulator of the cup forming machine, and the raw material is described as being a plastic sheet wound into a roll, but the arrangement of the raw material joining device and the material of the raw material are not limited to this, and for example, a raw material joining device that joins raw material made of a sheet including a metal layer wound into a roll may be arranged upstream of the pouch welding machine.

[0031] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the terminal end of the first raw roll and the starting end of the second raw roll are described as being positioned between the guide members, and the center of the end of the second raw roll is described as being positioned between the guide pins, but the configuration of the pressed member is not limited to this, and for example, instead of providing guide members or guide pins, it is also possible to print marks on the top surface of the pressed member to indicate the position of the terminal end of the first raw roll and the starting end of the second raw roll, and to adjust the positions of the terminal end of the first raw roll and the starting end of the second raw roll to match the marks. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the holding unit has been described as having a pair of end holding portions and a pair of start holding portions, each composed of an air cylinder arranged on the upper surface of the pressed member so as to be movable back and forth in the vertical direction. However, the configuration of the holding unit is not limited to this, and for example, the end holding portions and the start holding portions may be composed of an electric cylinder. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 100 Raw material joining device 110 Base portion 111 ··· Transport table 112 Conveyor roller 113... Support shaft 120 ··· Holding unit 121... End holding part 122 Starting end holding part 130 Connection unit 131 Ultrasonic welding unit (pressure member) 132 Pressurized member 133 Guide member 134 Guide pin A Accumulator M··· Cup forming machine P Connection position R ··· Transport rail Ha ··· Fabric delivery section Hb: Connection base material holding part Ga... First roll Gb...Second roll Gbe: Center of the edge of the second roll Gc...Third roll Ta ··· Raw material transport cart Sa, Sb... Stopper

Claims

1. A web joining device including a holding unit that holds the end of a first web and the start of a second web at a joining position by overlapping a portion of their surfaces, a joining unit that fixes a portion or all of the surfaces that are overlapped and held by the holding unit at the joining position, and a base unit that supports the holding unit and the joining unit, the holding unit has an end holding section that holds the end of the first web at the connection position and a start holding section that holds the start of the second web at the connection position, the connection unit has a pressing member provided on one side of a surface that is overlapped and held by the holding unit at the connection position, and a pressed member provided at a position opposite the pressing member across the surface that is overlapped and held by the holding unit, At least one of the pressing member and the pressed member has a connecting means for connecting and fixing the end of the first web and the start of the second web, The base portion has a cutting unit that cuts at least one of the end of the first web and the beginning of the second web.

2. 2. The web joining device according to claim 1, wherein the joining means is an ultrasonic welding unit.

3. 2. The web joining device according to claim 1, wherein the holding unit has a guide member for aligning the end of the first web and the start of the second web in the width direction.

4. 2. The web connecting device according to claim 1, wherein the base portion is configured to be movable forward and backward in a direction different from the feeding direction of the first web and the second web.

5. 2. The web joining device according to claim 1, wherein the cutting unit cuts off a widthwise end of at least one of the trailing end of the first web and the leading end of the second web.

6. A cup forming machine having the web joining device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, a web sending section that sends out a first web, and a connecting web holding section that holds a second web to be joined to the first web, the connection position is between the web delivery unit and the connected web holding unit, The cup forming machine is characterized in that the connected web holding section is configured to be able to move a second web connected to a first web to the web delivery section.

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