Mask manufacturing apparatus

Abstract

To efficiently manufacture a mask with a simple structure.SOLUTION: A folding unit that folds the belt-shaped sheet in a width direction substantially orthogonal to the conveying direction at a folding line along the conveying direction, wherein the folding unit includes a first guide unit extending in a substantially horizontal direction along the conveying direction, the second plate-shaped member is provided on a left side of the first plate-shaped member when viewed from an upstream side along the conveying direction, the third plate-shaped member is provided on a right side of the first plate-shaped member when viewed from the upstream side along the conveying direction, the second guide portion and the third guide portion are provided on the lower side in the vertical direction with respect to the first guide portion. In a plan view, a center line of the first guide portion along the longitudinal direction is parallel to the conveyance direction, and the second guide portion and the third guide portion are inclined with respect to the conveyance direction so as to approach the center line toward the downstream side in the conveyance direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a mask manufacturing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an automatic paper mask folding device that automatically folds Japanese paper to create the main body of a paper mask. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Jikko No. 47-719 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The invention described in Patent Document 1 requires multiple steps to manufacture the paper mask body, and the device configuration differs for each step, resulting in a problem of complex device configuration.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a mask manufacturing apparatus that can manufacture masks efficiently with a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-described problems, a mask manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention includes, for example, a conveying unit that conveys a strip-shaped sheet in a conveying direction, and a folding unit that folds the sheet conveyed by the conveying unit in a width direction substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction at a folding line along the conveying direction, the folding unit having a first plate-shaped member, a second plate-shaped member, and a third plate-shaped member that extend along the conveying direction, the first plate-shaped member having a first guide portion that extends in a substantially horizontal direction along the conveying direction, the second plate-shaped member being provided on the left side of the first plate-shaped member as seen from the upstream side along the conveying direction, The conveying device has a second guide portion extending in an approximately horizontal direction, the third plate-shaped member being provided to the right of the first plate-shaped member when viewed from the upstream side along the conveying direction, and has a third guide portion extending in an approximately horizontal direction along the conveying direction, the second guide portion and the third guide portion being each provided vertically below the first guide portion, and in a plan view, the center line of the first guide portion along its longitudinal direction is parallel to the conveying direction, and the second guide portion and the third guide portion are inclined with respect to the conveying direction so as to approach the center line as they move downstream in the conveying direction.

[0007] The mask manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention includes a first guide portion, a second guide portion, and a third guide portion extending in a substantially horizontal direction, the second guide portion, and the third guide portion being disposed vertically below the first guide portion. In a plan view, the center line of the first guide portion along its longitudinal direction is parallel to the conveying direction, and the second guide portion and the third guide portion are inclined relative to the conveying direction so as to approach the center line toward the downstream side of the conveying direction. This allows the sheet conveyed only by the first guide portion, the second guide portion, and the third guide portion to be folded. Therefore, masks can be manufactured efficiently with a simple configuration.

[0008] The first guide portion may have a trapezoidal shape in plan view, with a width on the upstream side in the conveying direction being greater than a width on the downstream side in the conveying direction, thereby stabilizing the position at which the folding line is formed.

[0009] The vertical distance between the first guide portion and the second guide portion and the vertical distance between the first guide portion and the third guide portion may be six times or less the thickness of the sheet, thereby enabling the sheet to be reliably folded at the folding line.

[0010] The mask manufacturing apparatus may further include a width adjustment unit that adjusts the widthwise positions of the second plate-shaped member and the third plate-shaped member. The mask manufacturing apparatus may also include a height adjustment unit that adjusts the heights of the second plate-shaped member and the third plate-shaped member. This facilitates adjustment of the positions of the folding lines, enabling masks of various sizes to be manufactured.

[0011] The second plate-shaped member may have a second holding portion extending vertically along the conveying direction, the third plate-shaped member may have a third holding portion extending vertically along the conveying direction, the width adjustment portion may have one or more rod-shaped members provided along the width direction, a first connecting member connecting the second holding portion and the rod-shaped members, and a second connecting member connecting the third holding portion and the rod-shaped members, wherein the second guide portion may be moved in the width direction by moving the first connecting member along the rod-shaped members, and the third guide portion may be moved in the width direction by moving the second connecting member along the rod-shaped members. This allows fine adjustment of the positions of the second guide portion and the third guide portion.

[0012] The width adjustment units may be provided near the upstream end and downstream end of the folding unit in the conveying direction, respectively. The height adjustment units may be provided near the upstream end and downstream end of the folding unit in the conveying direction, respectively. This allows for precise adjustment of the positions of the first to third plate-like members, i.e., the positions of the folding lines of the sheet.

[0013] The folding section may have a fourth plate-shaped member and a fifth plate-shaped member extending along the conveying direction, the fourth plate-shaped member having a fourth guide portion provided below the second guide portion and substantially parallel to the second guide portion, and the fifth plate-shaped member having a fifth guide portion provided below the third guide portion and substantially parallel to the third guide portion. This allows the sheet that has been valley-folded at the ends of the second guide portion and the third guide portion to be held by the fourth guide portion and the fifth guide portion.

[0014] The folding section may have a sixth plate-shaped member extending along the conveying direction, the sixth plate-shaped member having a sixth guide section provided below the fifth guide section and substantially parallel to the fifth guide section, the sixth guide section being shifted to the right with respect to the fifth guide section when viewed from the upstream side along the conveying direction. This allows for the formation of a portion that covers the wearer's nose when the mask is worn. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, a mask can be manufactured efficiently with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an outline of a mask manufacturing apparatus 1, in which (A) is a plan view, (B) is a perspective view seen from the upstream direction, and (C) is a partial perspective view. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a sheet S folded by a mask manufacturing apparatus 1, in which (A) is a diagram seen from a direction perpendicular to the surface of the sheet S, and (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of (A). [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram showing a mask 100 manufactured using a sheet S folded by a mask manufacturing apparatus 1. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of a folding portion 20. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an outline of a first plate-shaped member 21, in which (A) is a plan view and (B) is a side view. [Figure 6]1A and 1B are diagrams showing an outline of a second plate-shaped member 22, in which (A) is a plan view and (B) is a side view. [Figure 7] 1A and 1B are perspective views showing an outline of a width adjusting unit 31 and a height adjusting unit 33, where FIG. 1A is a view seen from the downstream side in the conveying direction F, and FIG. 1B is a view seen from the upstream side in the conveying direction F. FIG. [Figure 8] 1A and 1B are perspective views showing an outline of the width adjusting unit 32 and the height adjusting unit 34, where FIG. 1A is a view seen from diagonally above in the width direction W, and FIG. 1B is a view seen from the upstream side in the conveying direction F. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A mask manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus for manufacturing a mask body by folding a sheet S such as nonwoven fabric or paper.

[0018] 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a mask manufacturing apparatus 1, in which (A) is a plan view (viewed from above in the vertical direction), (B) is a perspective view viewed from the upstream direction, and (C) is a partial perspective view. Hereinafter, the conveying direction of the sheet S is referred to as the conveying direction F, and the direction approximately perpendicular to the conveying direction F is referred to as the width direction W.

[0019] The mask manufacturing apparatus 1 mainly includes a conveying unit 10, a folding unit 20, and an adjusting unit 30.

[0020] The conveying unit 10 conveys a strip-shaped sheet S (not shown in FIG. 1) that is the material to be processed in a conveying direction F. The conveying unit 10 is provided adjacent to the folding unit 20, on the upstream side (not shown in FIG. 1) and downstream side of the folding unit 20 in the conveying direction F. The conveying unit 10 includes, for example, two rollers 11 and 12 that are arranged side by side in the vertical direction, and conveys the sheet S in the conveying direction F (from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction F) by rotating the rollers 11 and 12 in opposite directions.

[0021] The folding unit 20 folds the sheet S conveyed by the conveying unit 10 in the width direction W at a folding line (described in detail later) along the conveying direction F. In this embodiment, the conveying direction F and the width direction W are aligned with the horizontal direction, but may be inclined relative to the horizontal direction.

[0022] The adjustment unit 30 has width adjustment units 31 and 32 that adjust the position of the folding unit 20 in the width direction W, and height adjustment units 33 and 34 that adjust the height of the folding unit 20.

[0023] Here, we will explain the masks manufactured by the mask manufacturing apparatus 1. Figure 2 is a diagram showing the sheet S folded by the mask manufacturing apparatus 1, where (A) is a view from a direction perpendicular to the surface of the sheet S, and (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in (A).

[0024] The sheet S is folded in the width direction W at folding lines 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105 along the longitudinal direction of the sheet S, i.e., the conveying direction F. The sheet S is mountain-folded at the folding lines 101, 102, and 105, and valley-folded at the folding lines 103 and 104.

[0025] The sheet S is mountain-folded at the folding line 101, so that the edge 108 of the sheet S is folded inward (toward the center line ax1). When viewed from the front side (the front side of the paper in FIG. 2(A)), the sheet S is mountain-folded at the folding lines 102 and 105 on either side of the center line ax1, so that the central portion C including the center line ax1 can protrude to the front side, and the sheet S is valley-folded at the folding lines 103 and 104, so that the sheet S is folded outward (away from the center line ax1), so that the central portion C is formed into a bag shape.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a mask 100 manufactured using a sheet S folded by the mask manufacturing apparatus 1. The sheet S shown in FIG. 2 is cut along cutting lines 111 and 112 along the width direction W and welded near the cutting lines 111 and 112 to prevent the sheet S folded along folding lines 101 to 105 from unfolding. Furthermore, an arc-shaped welding line 113 is welded between folding lines 101 and 102 to prevent the portion folded along folding line 101 (the portion between folding line 101 and edge 108) from lifting up. Furthermore, the sheet S is cut along arc-shaped cutting line 114 between edge 109 (see FIG. 2) and folding line 105 and welded near cutting line 114. This completes the mask body 110. Note that cutting along cutting line 114 is not essential.

[0027] The mask 100 is completed by welding the strings 120 to the mask body 110 near the cutting lines 111 and 112. Alternatively, a resin or metal plate-like member 121 may be provided near the end 108. This allows the mask body 110 to be tightly fitted to the wearer's nose by opening the mask body 110 at the welding line 113, pulling out the end 108 and placing it against the wearer's nose, and bending the plate-like member 121 along the nose.

[0028] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of the folding unit 20. Note that hatching indicating a cross section is omitted in Figure 4. In Figure 4, the horizontal direction on the paper surface is the width direction W, and the direction from the front to the back on the paper surface is the conveying direction F.

[0029] The folding section 20 mainly has a first plate-shaped member 21, a second plate-shaped member 22, a third plate-shaped member 23, a fourth plate-shaped member 24, a fifth plate-shaped member 25, and a sixth plate-shaped member 26. The first plate-shaped member 21, the second plate-shaped member 22, the third plate-shaped member 23, the fourth plate-shaped member 24, the fifth plate-shaped member 25, and the sixth plate-shaped member 26 are formed by folding a plate-shaped material, and extend along the conveyance direction.

[0030] The first plate-like member 21 has first guide portions 21a and 21b extending in a substantially horizontal direction along the conveying direction F, and first holding portions 21c and 21d extending in a substantially vertical direction along the conveying direction F. Note that the first holding portions 21c and 21d do not have to be aligned along the vertical direction, and may be inclined relative to the vertical direction.

[0031] The second plate-shaped member 22 is provided on the left side of the first plate-shaped member 21 when viewed from the upstream side along the conveying direction F. The fourth plate-shaped member 24 is provided below the second plate-shaped member 22 in the vertical direction.

[0032] The second plate-shaped member 22 and the fourth plate-shaped member 24 have the same shape. The second plate-shaped member 22 and the fourth plate-shaped member 24 respectively have a second guide portion 22a and a fourth guide portion 24a extending in a substantially horizontal direction along the conveying direction F, and a second holding portion 22b and a fourth holding portion 24b extending in a substantially vertical direction along the conveying direction F. The fourth guide portion 24a is provided below the second guide portion 22a and substantially parallel to the second guide portion 22a. Note that the second holding portion 22b and the fourth holding portion 24b do not have to be aligned vertically, and may be inclined relative to the vertical direction.

[0033] The third plate-shaped member 23 is provided on the right side of the first plate-shaped member 21 when viewed from the upstream side along the conveying direction F. The fifth plate-shaped member 25 and the sixth plate-shaped member 26 are provided below the third plate-shaped member 23 in the vertical direction.

[0034] The third plate-shaped member 23, the fifth plate-shaped member 25, and the sixth plate-shaped member 26 have the same shape. The third plate-shaped member 23, the fifth plate-shaped member 25, and the sixth plate-shaped member 26 each have a third guide portion 23a, a fifth guide portion 25a, and a sixth guide portion 26a extending in a substantially horizontal direction along the conveying direction F, and a third holding portion 23b, a fifth holding portion 25b, and a sixth holding portion 26b extending in a substantially vertical direction along the conveying direction F. The fifth guide portion 25a is provided below the third guide portion 23a and substantially parallel to the third guide portion 23a. The sixth guide portion 26a is provided below the fifth guide portion 25a and substantially parallel to the fifth guide portion 25a, and is shifted to the right with respect to the fifth guide portion 25a when viewed from the upstream side along the conveying direction F. The third holding portion 23b, the fifth holding portion 25b, and the sixth holding portion 26b do not have to be aligned along the vertical direction, and may be inclined relative to the vertical direction.

[0035] The first guide portions 21a and 21b, the second guide portion 22a, the third guide portion 23a, the fourth guide portion 24a, the fifth guide portion 25a, and the sixth guide portion 26a guide the conveyed sheet S to a desired position. The first holding portions 21c and 21d, the second holding portion 22b, the third holding portion 23b, the fourth holding portion 24b, the fifth holding portion 25b, and the sixth holding portion 26b respectively hold the first plate-shaped member 21, the second plate-shaped member 22, the third plate-shaped member 23, the fourth plate-shaped member 24, the fifth plate-shaped member 25, and the sixth plate-shaped member 26 on the frame 40 (see FIG. 1, etc.) via the adjustment portion 30.

[0036] 5 is a diagram showing an outline of the first plate-shaped member 21, with (A) being a plan view and (B) being a side view. The first plate-shaped member 21 is formed by bending one plate-shaped member to form the first guide portion 21a and the first holding portion 21c, bending another plate-shaped member to form the first guide portion 21b and the first holding portion 21d (see FIG. 4), and then joining the first holding portion 21c and the first holding portion 21d by welding or the like. The center line ax of the first plate-shaped member 21 (first guide portions 21a, 21b) is along the boundary line between the first guide portion 21a and the first guide portion 21b.

[0037] In a plan view, the first guide portions 21a and 21b are trapezoidal in shape with a width on the upstream side in the conveying direction F that is wider than the width on the downstream side in the conveying direction F, and outer sides 21e and 21f of the first guide portions 21a and 21b in the width direction are inclined with respect to the conveying direction F. In this embodiment, the length L is 560 mm, the width W1 of the upstream end in the conveying direction F is 13 mm, and the width W2 of the downstream end in the conveying direction F is 33 mm, and the inclination of sides 21e and 21f is approximately 2°.

[0038] By providing an inclination to sides 21e and 21f, the positions of folding lines 102 and 105 of sheet S are gradually moved from the inside to the outside while sheet S is conveyed along folding section 20, and folding lines 102 and 105 are finally positioned at the downstream end in conveyance direction F, thereby stabilizing the finished dimensions between folding lines 102 and 103. Note that the inside here refers to the center side in the width direction of sheet S, and the direction from the inside to the outside refers to the direction from the center in the width direction toward edges 108 and 109.

[0039] First holding portion 21c and first holding portion 21d are provided with a plurality of holes 21g, 21h and elongated holes 21i, 21j, and 21k. Width adjustment portions 31, 32 or height adjustment portions 33, 34 are provided in holes 21g, 21h and elongated holes 21i, 21j, and 21k.

[0040] 6A and 6B are diagrams showing an outline of the second plate-shaped member 22, with (A) being a plan view and (B) being a side view. The third plate-shaped member 23 has the same shape as the second plate-shaped member 22, and the third plate-shaped member 23, the fifth plate-shaped member 25, and the sixth plate-shaped member 26 differ from the second plate-shaped member 22 only in their width in the width direction W, and therefore explanations thereof will be omitted.

[0041] Second guide portion 22a and second holding portion 22b are formed by bending a single plate-like member. In this embodiment, the plate-like member is bent at approximately 90°, but the bending angle of the plate-like member is not limited to approximately 90°. The end of second guide portion 22a on the side where second holding portion 22b is not provided is defined as side 22c.

[0042] The second holding portion 22b is provided with a plurality of holes 22d, 22e and elongated holes 22f, 22g, 22h. The holes 22d, 22e and the elongated holes 22f, 22g, 22h are provided with width adjustment portions 31, 32 or height adjustment portions 33, .

[0043] Returning to the explanation of Figure 4, the end of second guide portion 22a facing first plate-shaped member 21 is side 22c, the end of third guide portion 23a facing first plate-shaped member 21 is side 23c, the end of fourth guide portion 24a facing first plate-shaped member 21 is side 24c, and the end of fifth guide portion 25a opposite to the first plate-shaped member 21 side is side 25c.

[0044] In Figure 4, the positions in the width direction W of the second guide portion 22a and the fourth guide portion 24a, i.e., the positions of the sides 22c and 24c, are approximately the same, but the positions in the width direction W of the second guide portion 22a and the fourth guide portion 24a may be different.

[0045] When the sheet S is conveyed along the folding section 20, the sheet S is mountain-folded at sides 21e and 21f, which are both ends of the first guide sections 21a and 21b, respectively, and folding lines 102 and 105 are formed in the sheet S. The sheet S folded at folding line 105 is sandwiched between the first guide section 21a and the second guide section 22a. The sheet S folded at folding line 102 is sandwiched between the first guide section 21b and the third guide section 23a.

[0046] Furthermore, when the sheet S is conveyed along the folding section 20, the sheet S is valley-folded at side 22c, which is the end of second guide section 22a on the first guide section 21a side (on the right side as viewed from the upstream side along the conveying direction F), and a folding line 104 is formed in the sheet S. The sheet S folded at folding line 104 is held between the second guide section 22a and the fourth guide section 24a.

[0047] Furthermore, when the sheet S is conveyed along the folding section 20, the sheet S is valley-folded at side 23c, which is the end of third guide section 23a on the first guide section 21b side (on the left side as viewed from the upstream side along the conveying direction F), and a folding line 103 is formed in the sheet S. The sheet S folded at folding line 103 is sandwiched between the third guide section 23a and fifth guide section 25a.

[0048] Furthermore, when the sheet S is conveyed along the folding section 20, the sheet S is valley-folded at side 25c, which is the end of fifth guide section 25a on the side farther from first guide section 21b (to the right as viewed from the upstream side along the conveying direction F), and a folding line 101 is formed in the sheet S. The sheet S folded at folding line 101 is held between the fifth guide section 25a and the sixth guide section 26a.

[0049] 4, the first plate-shaped member 21, the second plate-shaped member 22, the third plate-shaped member 23, the fourth plate-shaped member 24, and the fifth plate-shaped member 25 are shown separated from one another, but in reality, the first plate-shaped member 21, the second plate-shaped member 22, the third plate-shaped member 23, the fourth plate-shaped member 24, and the fifth plate-shaped member 25 are close to one another. For example, the distance d1 between the first guide portion 21a and the second guide portion 22a, between the first guide portion 21a and the third guide portion 23a, and between the third guide portion 23a and the fifth guide portion 25a is approximately 3.5 mm. Note that it is desirable that the distance d1 be six times the thickness of the sheet S or less.

[0050] The distance d2 between the second guide portion 22a and the fourth guide portion 24a and the distance d3 between the fifth guide portion 25a and the sixth guide portion 26a are not limited to the form shown in the figure, and may be wider or narrower than the distance d1, or may be the same as the distance d1.

[0051] Furthermore, the distances d1, d2, and d3 may be decreased from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction F. By providing a gradient to the distances d1, d2, and d3 in this manner, the heightwise position of the sheet S is gradually determined, which prevents the sheet S from meandering and stabilizes the finished dimensions of the mask body 110.

[0052] The second holding portion 22b, the third holding portion 23b, the fourth holding portion 24b, the fifth holding portion 25b and the sixth holding portion 26b are connected to width adjustment portions 31, 32 and height adjustment portions 33, 34, respectively, and their positions in the width direction W and heights (vertical positions) can be adjusted.

[0053] 7A and 7B are perspective views showing an outline of the width adjustment unit 31 and the height adjustment unit 33, where (A) is a view seen from the downstream side in the conveying direction F and (B) is a view seen from the upstream side in the conveying direction F. The width adjustment unit 31 and the height adjustment unit 33 are provided near the upstream end of the folding unit 20 in the conveying direction F.

[0054] The width adjustment portion 31 mainly has rod-shaped members 31a and 31b and connecting members 31c, 31d, 31e, 31f, 31g, and 31h. The connecting member 31c is provided on the first holding portions 21c and 21d and connects the first holding portions 21c and 21d to the rod-shaped member 31b. The connecting member 31d is provided on the second holding portion 22b and connects the second holding portion 22b to the rod-shaped member 31a. The connecting member 31e is provided on the third holding portion 23b and connects the third holding portion 23b to the rod-shaped member 31a. The connecting member 31f is provided on the fourth holding portion 24b and connects the fourth holding portion 24b to the rod-shaped member 31b. The connecting member 31g is provided on the fifth holding portion 25b and connects the fifth holding portion 25b and the rod-shaped member 31b. The connecting member 31h is provided on the sixth holding portion 26b and connects the sixth holding portion 26b and the rod-shaped member 31a.

[0055] Rod-shaped member 31a is inserted into holes provided in each of connecting members 31d, 31e, and 31h, and connecting members 31d, 31e, and 31h are each movable in the width direction W along rod-shaped member 31a. This allows the positions of connecting members 31d, 31e, and 31h, i.e., second plate-shaped member 22, third plate-shaped member 23, and sixth plate-shaped member 26, in the width direction W to be adjusted. The amount of adjustment is also continuously adjustable.

[0056] Rod-shaped member 31b is inserted into holes provided in each of connecting members 31c, 31f, and 31g, and connecting members 31c, 31f, and 31g are movable in the width direction W along rod-shaped member 31b. This allows the positions of connecting members 31c, 31f, and 31g, i.e., first plate-shaped member 21, fourth plate-shaped member 24, and fifth plate-shaped member 25, in the width direction W to be adjusted. The amount of adjustment is also continuously adjustable.

[0057] The height adjustment unit 33 mainly includes rod-shaped members 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d, 33e, and 33f. The rod-shaped members 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d, 33e, and 33f are provided on the connecting members 31d, 31e, 31h, 31f, 31c, and 31g, respectively. The vertical positions of the connecting members 31d, 31e, and 31h and the rod-shaped member 31a, i.e., the second plate-shaped member 22, the third plate-shaped member 23, and the sixth plate-shaped member 26, can be adjusted along the rod-shaped members 33a, 33b, and 33c. The vertical positions of the connecting members 31c, 31f, and 31g and the rod-shaped member 31b, i.e., the first plate-shaped member 21, the fourth plate-shaped member 24, and the fifth plate-shaped member 25, can be adjusted along the rod-shaped members 33d, 33e, and 33f.

[0058] 8A and 8B are perspective views showing an outline of the width adjustment unit 32 and the height adjustment unit 34, where (A) is a view seen from diagonally above in the width direction W, and (B) is a view seen from the upstream side in the conveying direction F. The width adjustment unit 32 and the height adjustment unit 34 are provided near the downstream end of the folding unit 20 in the conveying direction F.

[0059] The width adjustment portion 32 mainly has rod-shaped members 32a, 32b, and 32c, and connecting members 32d, 32e, 32f, 32g, and 32h. Connecting member 32g is provided on first holding portions 21c and 21d (not shown in FIG. 8) and connects first holding portions 21c and 21d to rod-shaped member 32c. Connecting member 32d is provided on second holding portion 22b and connects second holding portion 22b to rod-shaped member 32a. Connecting member 32e is provided on third holding portion 23b and connects third holding portion 23b to rod-shaped member 32a. Connecting member 32f is provided on fourth holding portion 24b and connects fourth holding portion 24b to rod-shaped member 32c. The connecting member 32h is provided on the sixth holding portion 26b and connects the sixth holding portion 26b and the rod-shaped member 32b. The connecting member (connecting member 32i) (not shown) is provided on the fifth holding portion 25b and connects the fifth holding portion 25b and the rod-shaped member 32c.

[0060] The rod-shaped member 31a is inserted into a hole provided in each of the connecting members 32d and 32e, and the connecting members 32d and 32e are each movable in the width direction W along the rod-shaped member 31a. This allows the positions of the connecting members 32d and 32e, i.e., the second plate-shaped member 22 and the third plate-shaped member 23, in the width direction W to be adjusted. Furthermore, the rod-shaped member 32b is inserted into a hole provided in the connecting member 32h, and the connecting member 32h is movable in the width direction W along the rod-shaped member 32b. This allows the position of the connecting member 32h, i.e., the sixth plate-shaped member 26, in the width direction W to be adjusted. Furthermore, the adjustment amount can be continuously adjusted.

[0061] The rod-shaped member 32c is inserted into holes provided in each of the connecting members 32f, 32g, and 32i, and the connecting members 32f, 32g, and 32i are movable in the width direction W along the rod-shaped member 32c. This allows the positions of the connecting members 32f, 32g, and 32i, i.e., the first plate-shaped member 21, the fourth plate-shaped member 24, and the fifth plate-shaped member 25, in the width direction W to be adjusted. The amount of adjustment is also stepless.

[0062] The height adjustment unit 34 mainly has rod-shaped members 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, and 34e. The rod-shaped member 34a is inserted into a hole provided in the connecting member 32d, and its tip is provided in the second holding portion 22b (long hole 22h). The vertical position of the second plate-shaped member 22 is adjusted by moving the rod-shaped member 34a in the vertical direction relative to the connecting member 32d (rod-shaped member 32a).

[0063] The rod-shaped member 34b is inserted into a hole provided in the connecting member 32e, and its tip is provided in the third holding portion 23b. The vertical position of the third plate-shaped member 23 is adjusted by moving the rod-shaped member 34b in the vertical direction relative to the connecting member 32e (rod-shaped member 32a).

[0064] The rod-shaped member 34c is inserted into a hole provided in the connecting member 32h, and its tip is provided in the sixth holding portion 26b. The vertical position of the sixth plate-shaped member 26 is adjusted by moving the rod-shaped member 34c in the vertical direction relative to the connecting member 32h (rod-shaped member 32b).

[0065] The rod-shaped member 34d is inserted into a hole provided in the connecting member 32f, and its tip is provided in the fourth holding portion 24b. The vertical position of the fourth plate-shaped member 24 is adjusted by moving the rod-shaped member 34d in the vertical direction relative to the connecting member 32f (rod-shaped member 32c).

[0066] The rod-shaped member 34e is inserted into a hole provided in the connecting member 32g, and its tip is provided in the first holding portions 21c, 21d (not shown in FIG. 8). The vertical position of the first plate-shaped member 21 is adjusted by moving the rod-shaped member 34e in the vertical direction relative to the connecting member 32g (rod-shaped member 32c).

[0067] A rod-shaped member (rod-shaped member 34f) not shown is inserted into a hole provided in a connecting member (connecting member 32i) not shown, and its tip is provided in fifth holding portion 25b (not shown in FIG. 8). By moving rod-shaped member 34f in the vertical direction relative to connecting member 32i (rod-shaped member 32c), the vertical position of fifth plate-shaped member 25 is adjusted.

[0068] For example, by forming male threads on the rod-shaped members 34a to 34f and forming screw holes (female threads) on the connecting members 32d, 32e, 32f, 32g, 32h, and 32i, the amount of movement in the height direction can be adjusted steplessly.

[0069] Further, the rod-shaped members 34a to 34f are provided with elastic members 35, respectively. The elastic members 35 are, for example, coil springs, and the rod-shaped members 34a to 34f are inserted into the hollow portions of the elastic members 35. The elastic members 35 apply a force in a direction that moves the first to sixth plate-shaped members 21 to 26 away from the connecting members 32d to 32i. This fixes the positions of the first to sixth plate-shaped members 21 to 26 in the height direction.

[0070] Returning to the explanation of Figure 1, Figure 1(A) shows the state after the positions in the width direction W and heights of the first plate-shaped member 21, the second plate-shaped member 22, the third plate-shaped member 23, the fourth plate-shaped member 24, the fifth plate-shaped member 25, and the sixth plate-shaped member 26 have been adjusted by the width adjustment units 31, 32 and the height adjustment units 33, 34.

[0071] In a plan view, the first plate-shaped member 21 (first guide portions 21a, 21b) has a center line ax (see FIG. 5) along the longitudinal direction that is parallel to the conveying direction F, and the second plate-shaped member 22, the third plate-shaped member 23, the fourth plate-shaped member 24, the fifth plate-shaped member 25, and the sixth plate-shaped member 26 are inclined with respect to the conveying direction F. In other words, in a plan view, the second guide portion 22a, the third guide portion 23a, the fourth guide portion 24a, the fifth guide portion 25a, and the sixth guide portion 26a are inclined with respect to the conveying direction F so as to approach the longitudinal center line of the first plate-shaped member 21 toward the downstream side of the conveying direction F.

[0072] Near the upstream end of folding section 20 in the conveying direction F, side 22c is arranged further outward in the width direction W than side 21e, but on the downstream side in the conveying direction F, side 22c is arranged further inward in the width direction W than side 21e. In other words, in a plan view, first guide portion 21a and second guide portion 22a do not overlap near the upstream end in the conveying direction F, but first guide portion 21a and second guide portion 22a overlap in the downstream area in the conveying direction F (at least near the downstream end in the conveying direction F).

[0073] Furthermore, near the upstream end of folding section 20 in the conveying direction F, side 23c is arranged further outward in the width direction W than side 21f, but on the downstream side in the conveying direction F, side 23c is arranged further inward in the width direction W than side 21f. In other words, in a plan view, first guide portion 21b and third guide portion 23a do not overlap near the upstream end in the conveying direction F, but first guide portion 21b and third guide portion 23a overlap in the downstream area in the conveying direction F (at least near the downstream end in the conveying direction F).

[0074] Similarly, in the width direction W, the first guide portions 21a, 21b and the fifth guide portion 25a approach each other toward the downstream side in the conveying direction F, and the first guide portions 21a, 21b and the sixth guide portion 26a approach each other toward the downstream side in the conveying direction F. As a result, by conveying the sheet S along the conveying direction F, the positions of the folding lines 101 to 105 can be gradually moved.

[0075] According to this embodiment, second guide portion 22a and third guide portion 23a are provided vertically below first guide portions 21a and 21b, first guide portions 21a and 21b are provided with center lines ax parallel to conveyance direction F, and second guide portion 22a and third guide portion 23a are inclined with respect to conveyance direction F so as to approach center line ax toward the downstream side of conveyance direction F. By conveying sheet S along conveyance direction F, the positions of folding lines 102 and 105 gradually move, and when sheet S is conveyed out of folding section 20, sheet S is mountain-folded at folding lines 102 and 105. This allows masks 100 to be manufactured efficiently with a simple configuration.

[0076] That is, in this embodiment, unlike conventional mask manufacturing apparatuses, different apparatus configurations are not required for each process, and the sheet S can be folded simply by conveying it.

[0077] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, in a plan view, the first guide portions 21a, 21b are trapezoidal in shape with a width on the upstream side in the conveying direction F that is wider than the width on the downstream side in the conveying direction F, i.e., by providing a slope to the sides 21e, 21f, the positions of the folding lines 102, 105 of the sheet S are gradually moved from the inside to the outside while the sheet S is being conveyed, and the folding lines 102, 105 are finally positioned at the downstream end in the conveying direction F, thereby stabilizing the finished dimensions between the folding lines 102 and 103.

[0078] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, by setting the distance d1 to six times the thickness of the sheet S or less, the sheet S can be reliably folded along the folding lines 101 to 105.

[0079] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since width adjustment units 31, 32 or height adjustment units 33, 34 are provided, it is easy to adjust the positions of folding lines 101 to 105. Furthermore, mask bodies 110 of various dimensions can be manufactured. Furthermore, width adjustment units 31, 32 have rod-shaped members 31a, 32a, and connecting members 31d, 31e, 32d, 32e are configured to move along rod-shaped members 31a, 32a, so that second guide portion 22a and third guide portion 23a can be finely adjusted separately.

[0080] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, by providing width adjustment units 31, 32 or height adjustment units 33, 34 near the upstream end of folding unit 20 in conveying direction F and near the downstream end of folding unit 20 in conveying direction F, respectively, the positions of first plate-shaped member 21 to sixth plate-shaped member 26, i.e., the positions of folding lines 101 to 105, can be finely adjusted.

[0081] In this embodiment, the folding portion 20 includes the first plate-shaped member 21, the second plate-shaped member 22, the third plate-shaped member 23, the fourth plate-shaped member 24, the fifth plate-shaped member 25, and the sixth plate-shaped member 26. However, the fourth plate-shaped member 24, the fifth plate-shaped member 25, and the sixth plate-shaped member 26 are not required to form the folding lines 102 and 105, which are essential components of the mask 100. However, since it is desirable to provide folding lines 103 and 104 simultaneously with the folding lines 102 and 105, it is desirable for the folding portion 20 to also include the fourth plate-shaped member 24 and the fifth plate-shaped member 25. Furthermore, in order to cover the wearer's nose when wearing the mask 100 and improve adhesion, it is desirable to provide the folding line 101, and for this purpose it is desirable for the folding portion 20 to also include the sixth plate-shaped member 26.

[0082] In addition, in this embodiment, the trapezoidal first guide portions 21a, 21b are used, in which the width on the upstream side in the transport direction F is wider than the width on the downstream side in the transport direction F, but the shape of the first guide portions 21a, 21b is not limited to this. However, in order to improve the dimensional accuracy of the mask body 110, it is desirable to use trapezoidal first guide portions 21a, 21b, in which the width on the upstream side in the transport direction F is wider than the width on the downstream side in the transport direction F.

[0083] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the folding section 20 is provided with the width adjustment sections 31, 32 and the height adjustment sections 33, 34, but the width adjustment sections 31, 32 and the height adjustment sections 33, 34 are not essential. For example, the folding section 20 may be provided with only the width adjustment sections 31, 32 or the height adjustment sections 33, 34, or only the width adjustment section 32 and the height adjustment section 34. However, in order to be able to manufacture masks 100 of various dimensions, it is desirable to provide the width adjustment sections 31, 32 and the height adjustment sections 33, 34 (at least the width adjustment sections 31, 32) in the folding section 20.

[0084] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design modifications within the scope of the gist of the present invention are also included. For example, the above examples have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add, delete, or replace other configurations to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, in the present invention, the term "approximately" does not only mean strictly identical, but also includes errors and modifications to the extent that identity is not lost. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 1: Mask manufacturing equipment 10: Transport unit 11, 12: Laura 20: Fold-in section 21: First plate-shaped member 21a, 21b: First guide section 21c, 21d: 1st holding part 21e, 21f: Sides 21g, 21h: hole 21i, 21j, 21k: long hole 22: Second plate-shaped member 22a: Second guide part 22b: Second holding part 22c: Side 22d, 22e: hole 22f, 22g, 22h: long hole 23: Third plate-shaped member 23a: Third guide section 23b: Third holding part 23c: Side 24: Fourth plate-shaped member 24a: 4th guide section 24b: 4th holding part 24c: Side 25: Fifth plate-shaped member 25a: 5th guide section 25b: 5th holding part 25c: Side 26: Sixth plate-shaped member 26a: 6th guide section 26b: 6th holding part 30: Adjustment section 31, 32: Width adjustment section 31a, 31b, 32a, 32b, 32c: rod-shaped members 31c, 31d, 31e, 31f, 31g, 31h, 32d, 32e, 32f, 32g, 32h, 32i: connecting members 33, 34: Height adjustment section 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d, 33e, 33f, 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, 34e, 34f: rod-shaped members 35: Elastic member 40:Frame body 100: Mask 101, 102, 103, 104, 105: Folding lines 108, 109: Edge 110: Mask body 111, 112, 114: Cutting line 113: Welded wire 120: String 121: Plate-shaped member

Claims

1. a conveying unit that conveys the strip-shaped sheet in a conveying direction; a folding unit that folds the sheet conveyed by the conveying unit along a folding line along the conveying direction in a width direction substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction; Equipped with the folding unit includes a first plate-shaped member, a second plate-shaped member, and a third plate-shaped member extending along the conveying direction, the first plate-shaped member has a first guide portion extending in a substantially horizontal direction along the conveying direction, the second plate-shaped member is provided on the left side of the first plate-shaped member as viewed from the upstream side along the conveying direction, and has a second guide portion extending in a substantially horizontal direction along the conveying direction, the third plate-shaped member is provided on the right side of the first plate-shaped member as viewed from the upstream side along the conveying direction, and has a third guide portion extending in a substantially horizontal direction along the conveying direction, the second guide portion and the third guide portion are each provided vertically below the first guide portion, In a plan view, a center line of the first guide portion along a longitudinal direction is parallel to the conveying direction, and the second guide portion and the third guide portion are inclined with respect to the conveying direction so as to approach the center line toward the downstream side in the conveying direction. A mask manufacturing apparatus characterized by:

2. The first guide portion has a trapezoidal shape in a plan view, the width of which is greater on the upstream side in the conveying direction than on the downstream side in the conveying direction.

2. The mask manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The vertical distance between the first guide portion and the second guide portion and the vertical distance between the first guide portion and the third guide portion are not more than six times the thickness of the sheet.

3. The mask manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mask manufacturing apparatus is a mask manufacturing apparatus.

4. a width adjusting portion for adjusting the positions of the second plate-shaped member and the third plate-shaped member in the width direction; 4. The mask manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mask manufacturing apparatus is a mask manufacturing apparatus.

5. a height adjusting section for adjusting the heights of the second plate-shaped member and the third plate-shaped member; 5. The mask manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mask manufacturing apparatus is a mask manufacturing apparatus.

6. the second plate-shaped member has a second holding portion extending vertically along the conveying direction, the third plate-shaped member has a third holding portion extending vertically along the conveying direction, the width adjustment portion includes one or more rod-shaped members provided along the width direction, a first connecting member connecting the second holding portion and the rod-shaped members, and a second connecting member connecting the third holding portion and the rod-shaped members, The first connecting member is moved along the rod-shaped member to move the second guide portion in the width direction; The second connecting member is moved along the rod-shaped member, thereby moving the third guide portion in the width direction.

5. The mask manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4.

7. The width adjusting units are provided near an upstream end of the folding unit in the conveying direction and near a downstream end of the folding unit in the conveying direction.

7. The mask manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4 or 6.

8. The height adjustment units are provided near an upstream end of the folding unit in the conveying direction and near a downstream end of the folding unit in the conveying direction.

6. The mask manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5.

9. the folding unit includes a fourth plate-shaped member and a fifth plate-shaped member extending along the conveying direction, the fourth plate-shaped member has a fourth guide portion provided below the second guide portion and substantially parallel to the second guide portion, The fifth plate-shaped member has a fifth guide portion provided below the third guide portion and substantially parallel to the third guide portion.

9. The mask manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mask manufacturing apparatus is a mask manufacturing apparatus.

10. the folding section has a sixth plate-shaped member extending along the conveying direction, the sixth plate-shaped member has a sixth guide portion provided below the fifth guide portion and substantially parallel to the fifth guide portion, The sixth guide portion is shifted to the right with respect to the fifth guide portion when viewed from the upstream side along the conveying direction.

10. The mask manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9.

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