Heat belt for calender roll

Abstract

To provide a heat belt used for a calender roll for solving a problem caused by a rapid increase of a Duvecover occupied in a linen article caused by a change of times.SOLUTION: The ironing machine is provided with a heating cylinder consisting of one heating cylinder 100 and the other heating cylinder 200 provided on the side of charging the laundry of a calender roll, and a heat belt pressed to the peripheral surface of the heating cylinder, irons the whole one side surface of the laundry by pressing the laundry to the peripheral surface region of the heating cylinder in a state of pinching the laundry between the heating cylinder and the peripheral surface region, and irons the laundry. A PPS belt 510,520 is used for a heat belt of a calender roll 1 endlessly fed in a specific direction so as to iron by pressing the whole of one side surface and the opposite side surface of the laundry to this peripheral surface area in a state of sandwiching the laundry between itself and the peripheral surface area of the other heating cylinder.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat belt used for a calendar roll, which is a typical type of roll ironer used to bring a large amount of laundry, such as linen used in hotels, inns, large hospitals, etc., into a linen supply factory at once, clean (wash) the linen in bulk, and then iron it. [Background technology]

[0002] Chest rolls and calendar rolls have been known as roll ironers used in linen supply factories to continuously iron large quantities of laundry. The former chest roll has a base with a series of wave-shaped recesses formed in a side view, multiple heating cylinders arranged horizontally so that some of them fit into the arc-shaped recesses of the base, and an ironer tape (hereinafter simply referred to as "ironer tape") that moves between the base and the heating cylinders from the input section to the output section while individual laundry items are placed on the top surface in a spread-out state for ironing, and then returns to the input section by a belt return mechanism to guide the laundry in an endless loop so that it can be sent one after another along the correct path from the input section to the output section.

[0003] The heating cylinder, which rotates while synchronizing its peripheral speed with the feed speed of the heat belt, is pressed against the base section, and heat is applied from the heating cylinder to the ironer tape, which is sandwiched between the base section and the heating cylinder and sent from the input section to the output section, and to the laundry placed on top of it, and pressure is applied to heat and pressurize the laundry, removing wrinkles from the laundry and ironing it neatly.

[0004] Because the chest roll has the above-mentioned structure, when the ironer tape carrying the laundry is fed and moved from the loading section to the discharge section, there is always sliding contact between the contact surface of the ironer tape and the base section, so wax is applied to this contact surface of the ironer tape to allow it to be fed and moved.

[0005] However, due to the inherent sliding contact, the durability of the ironer tape itself is limited, making it difficult to continue using it for a long period of time, and it becomes necessary to replace it with a new ironer tape after a relatively short period of time, which creates the problem of requiring maintenance to replace the ironer tape and replacing it with new ironer tape relatively frequently.

[0006] In addition, the pressure applied to the laundry placed on the ironer tape is limited to the pressure from the heating cylinder, meaning that the pressure is always applied from one direction to the laundry passing through the chest roll from the input to the output.

[0007] This method does not apply pressure alternately from both the front and back sides of the laundry placed on the ironer tape, i.e., the pressure is applied evenly from alternate directions, but rather applies pressure from only one direction, i.e., uneven pressure, which results in insufficient wrinkle removal from the laundry and causes problems with the quality of the products discharged from the discharge section.

[0008] On the other hand, among roll ironers, the calender roll has a fundamental structure different from that of the chest roll, as will be explained later with reference to the drawings. Specifically, the position of the rotation axis of the heating cylinder is devised, and the feeding path of the heat belt is also devised so that part of the circumferential surface of the heating cylinder can be used to apply pressure to the laundry.

[0009] When the laundry spread on the feed belt at the loading section is ironed on the way to the discharge section, pressure is applied alternately from both the front and back sides to the heat belt and the laundry placed thereon.

[0010] More specifically, a pair of identical heating cylinders equipped with internal steam pipes and whose circumferential surfaces are heated by heat transfer are used, and laundry is placed in a spread state on the upper surface of a heat belt that moves endlessly via a guide mechanism for changing the feeding direction while maintaining a constant tension on a predetermined circumferential surface of one heating cylinder and a predetermined circumferential surface of the other heating cylinder. As the laundry is ironed by the calender rolls to the discharge section, heat and pressure are alternately applied to the front and back of the laundry to ensure ironing. This ensures that the laundry discharged from the discharge section is a high-quality product without any wrinkles.

[0011] Incidentally, two sheets, consisting of an upper sheet and a completely separate lower sheet, have traditionally been used as covers for feather duvets used in hotels, etc. Specifically, when making a bed, the edges of the lower sheet are tucked under the mattress, the duvet is placed on top of the lower sheet, and then the upper sheet is placed on top of that to completely cover the duvet, and then the edges of the upper sheet are tucked under the mattress in the same way as the lower sheet, and then a few adjustments are made to improve the appearance of the bed after making, completing the time-consuming bed-making process so that the duvet does not get dirty and can be used by guests.

[0012] However, due to a recent shortage of hotel staff, it has become difficult to complete the time-consuming bed-making task within the designated time frame.

[0013] In addition, with the rise in inbound tourism and the resulting sudden increase in the number of foreign tourists, a new style of duvet cover, commonly used in hotels overseas, has rapidly spread. This style is made by sewing together the edges of the top and bottom sheets, leaving an opening for inserting and removing the comforter, to form a bag-like shape.

[0014] The reason duvet covers are becoming increasingly popular is that they are used when making a bed, with the duvet placed through the opening after cleaning and then placed over the cleaned sheets covering the bed mattress, with the edges of the duvet cover tucked under the mattress.

[0015] This allows the bed to be made with a single clamping operation, resulting in a beautifully finished bed, without the need for subsequent cosmetic adjustments. As a result, the time required for bed-making, which was previously a difficult task for hotel staff, can be shortened and the physical and mental strain associated with the work can be reduced at the same time, making it possible to solve the various problems associated with the labor shortage mentioned above. In addition, when guests check in and enter their rooms, they are left with a strong visual impression that the bed has been made perfectly, which increases the hotel's reputation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0016] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2024-53840 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0017] As mentioned above, simply making the beds using duvet covers can quickly raise the hotel's reputation not only among foreign tourists who wake up and go to bed in their daily lives, but also among travelers who want to relax and unwind after a long day of travel wrapped in beautiful bedding. Especially in recent years, with the age of social media, the reputation of hotels that make their beds beautifully using duvet covers will spread rapidly around the world.

[0018] This applies not only to so-called hotels but also to Japanese-style inns, where even if a duvet cover is used on a mattress that is somewhere between the height (thickness) of a bed and a futon and the bed is made as described above, it is expected that the inn will quickly gain a favorable reputation for its beautifully made beds that are a mix of Japanese and Western styles.For this reason, in recent years, this type of Japanese-Western style bedding, somewhere between a bed and a futon, using duvet covers, has been rapidly spreading even in Japanese-style inns.

[0019] Due to the rapid changes in the tourism industry, the number of uncleaned duvet covers being brought into linen supply factories is also increasing rapidly, and this situation is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.

[0020] The problem here is that until now, the top and bottom sheets, which were separate, were cleaned separately, dehydrated, and dried, and then formed into a single thick, disk-shaped mass known as a cake.This mass had to be loosened and returned to its original four flat pieces before being sent into the chest roll insertion port, and a machine called a shaking tumbler was used for this loosening process.

[0021] When actually loosening the sheets (laundry), superheated steam was added to remove as much moisture and humidity as possible from the sheets, and the sheets were spread out on the feeding belt in the feeding section, and sent into the calendar roll as a single sheet.

[0022] However, because duvet covers have a bag-like shape made up of two conventional sheets stacked on top of each other, a significant amount of moisture and humidity remains in the dryer, meaning the residual moisture rate is high. This makes it difficult to fully remove moisture and humidity during the subsequent process of breaking the cake-like mass into a flat mass in a shaking tumbler.

[0023] In the case of duvet covers, after being inserted into the calendar roll, they are placed under the heat belt in a so-called double-sheet state and heated by the heating cylinder, and ironed using the circumferential surface of the heating cylinder as a substitute for pressure, applying a tension greater than that of the heat belt.

[0024] As a result, the moisture and water contained in the duvet cover, which has a particularly high residual water content, seeps into the heat belt more than necessary, causing the heat belt itself to shrink overall, in other words, causing so-called moist heat shrinkage.

[0025] In addition, in recent years, due to factors such as cost reduction through energy conservation, prevention of unnecessary temperature rise in the surrounding environment due to heat generation, and shortening of the takt time for cleaning work, which is extremely limited, loosening work is often done without adding superheated steam in shaking tumblers. As a result, the amount of moisture and water contained in the duvet cover increases, and the degree of overall shrinkage of the heat belt itself (humid heat shrinkage) is becoming greater.

[0026] The heat belt itself must have sufficient tensile strength and heat resistance because it transports laundry from the loading section to the discharge section while ironing it inside the calender roll, so heat belts made of aramid fiber are generally used.

[0027] However, due to the above-mentioned circumstances, the proportion of duvet covers among the laundry at linen supply factories has been rapidly increasing in recent years. For example, if all the sheets used at a large hotel that is delivered to a linen supply factory are duvet covers, a large number of duvet covers must be cleaned within a limited takt time.

[0028] Therefore, compared to ordinary linen items that are continuously removed from a dehydrator, duvet covers are considerably damper and more hydrated, so they are quickly and continuously loosened and spread out in a shaking tumbler, and then placed on a calendar roll in a fairly damp and hydrated state for ironing.

[0029] For this reason, the excess moisture and water in a duvet cover placed in a calendar roll, which is significantly greater than that of a conventional linen product such as a single sheet, soaks into the heat belt, causing the heat belt to shrink overall (humid heat shrinkage).

[0030] As mentioned above, the heat belt itself has excellent mechanical strength, so it can be said that it will not stretch even if a considerable pulling force is applied. As a result, the heat belt will soak up the large amount of moisture and humidity contained in the duvet cover and shrink accordingly, and this shrinkage will directly apply pulling force to the guide shaft that changes the direction of feeding these duvet covers and forms a closed loop to continue feeding them endlessly.

[0031] As a result, this tensile force is applied along the entire length of the guide shaft in a direction approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. In particular, the tensile force at the longitudinal center of the guide shaft is the furthest from the support parts at both ends of the guide shaft, so the bending moment caused by this tensile force is applied to the support parts of the guide shaft, causing deformation of the guide shaft and, in the worst case, leading to damage to the guide shaft.

[0032] To prevent this from happening, when the proportion of duvet covers in the laundry increases, it becomes necessary to frequently check the condition of the guide shafts that change the feed direction of the heat belt of the calendar roll. However, stopping the operation of the calendar roll for this maintenance inspection has a significant negative impact on the time schedule, which currently operates without a break to clean and deliver large amounts of linen products.

[0033] Furthermore, if maintenance and inspection work is neglected in order to maintain the current time schedule, the excessive bending moment acting on the support part of the guide shaft for changing the feed direction of the heat belt will damage the guide shaft itself, causing the calendar roll itself to become inoperable.

[0034] In this case, repair work such as replacing the damaged guide shaft and readjusting the surrounding parts takes an unexpectedly long time, making it impossible to deliver the cleaned laundry to the customer on schedule, which results in a major blow and damage to the linen supply factory, including to its reputation with customers.

[0035] As the proportion of duvet covers in laundry increases, product quality issues, which will be explained in detail below, are becoming apparent, even if they do not lead to serious problems such as deformation or breakage of the guide shaft for changing the feeding direction of the heat belt as described above.

[0036] The structure of the heat belt is generally about 10 cm (centimeters) wide, endless heat belts (referred to as "heat belt elements" to facilitate understanding of the following description) arranged horizontally in a number of rows, totaling about 3 m (meters), and placed on each heating cylinder of the calendar roll so that a portion of the heat belt is aligned with a specified peripheral surface of each of the pair of heating cylinders.

[0037] The peripheral speed of the heating cylinder of each unit from the first unit to the nth unit (n is a natural number of 2 or more) that make up the calender roll and the feed speed of the heat belt synchronized therewith are gradually increased in stages, and a tensile force is applied to the laundry placed on the heat belt in the feed direction over the entire area from the input section to the output section of the calender roll, resulting in neat, wrinkle-free ironing.

[0038] As described above, when a duvet cover containing a lot of moisture and water is fed onto a heat belt composed of many heat belt elements arranged in parallel from the feeding section of the calendar roll via the feed belt, the excess moisture and water contained in the duvet cover soaks into the heat belt elements that come into direct contact with the placed duvet cover, i.e., the heat belt elements in areas a certain distance away from both ends of the width of the heat belt.

[0039] This causes shrinkage only in the area of ​​the heat belt element that is in direct contact with the duvet cover, and does not cause shrinkage in other heat belt elements, i.e., the heat belt elements located at both ends of the width of the heat belt and the heat belt elements in adjacent areas that are not in direct contact with the duvet cover.

[0040] In addition, even among the multiple heat belt elements in direct contact with the duvet cover, the heat belt element that has absorbed the most moisture and humidity from the duvet cover will shrink the most, while the heat belt element that has absorbed less moisture and humidity from the duvet cover will shrink less. In other words, the phenomenon of uneven shrinkage occurs even among the multiple heat belt elements that are in direct contact with the duvet cover.

[0041] As a result, the duvet cover is pulled slightly in the width direction toward the heat belt element that has absorbed the most moisture and water and has the highest degree of moist heat shrinkage among the multiple heat belt elements that make up the heat belt. Accordingly, multiple vertical wrinkles appear on the duvet cover that is being ironed while sandwiched between the heat belt 2 and the circumferential surface of the heating cylinder, along the heat belt element that has absorbed the most moisture and water.

[0042] This phenomenon occurs in the initial stage of the ironing process when the amount of moisture and water that penetrates into the heat belt element is greatest, that is, in the initial ironing stage of the heat belt of the unit adjacent to the entrance side of the calender roll input.

[0043] Due to this phenomenon, vertical wrinkles that occur in the early stages of the ironing process of the duvet cover immediately after it is fed from the feed section of the calendar roll become more clearly visible during the subsequent ironing process as it heads towards the discharge section.

[0044] In other words, once vertical wrinkles have formed, they will not disappear during the subsequent ironing process, but will become more noticeable, significantly impairing the product quality of the cleaned duvet cover discharged from the discharge section.

[0045] The object of the present invention is to provide a heat belt for use in a calender roll as a roll ironer, which solves all of the various problems that arise as the use of duvet covers in linen products rapidly increases with the changing times. [Means for solving the problem]

[0046] In order to solve the above problems, the heat belt used in the calender roll according to claim 1 of the present invention is In a heat belt used in a calendar roll that continuously irons a large number of laundry items that have been dehydrated and dried and then loosened, a pair of heating cylinders each comprising one heating cylinder and the other heating cylinder, each provided on the laundry input side of the calender roll; and a heat belt pressed against a predetermined area on the circumferential surface of the pair of heating cylinders during ironing; The heat belt is used for a calender roll having a structure in which the heat belt is endlessly fed in a specific direction along a predetermined closed path so that the laundry is sandwiched between the heat belt and a predetermined area on the circumferential surface of one heating cylinder, one side of the laundry is pressed against a predetermined area on the circumferential surface of the one heating cylinder, and the laundry is sandwiched between the heat belt and a predetermined area on the circumferential surface of the other heating cylinder, and one side and the opposite side of the laundry are pressed against a predetermined area on the circumferential surface of the other heating cylinder, and the heat belt is used for a calender roll having a structure in which the heat belt is endlessly fed in a specific direction along a predetermined closed path so that the laundry is sandwiched between the heat belt and a predetermined area on the circumferential surface of the other heating cylinder, and ... ironed by pressing one side of the laundry and the entire opposite side of the laundry against a predetermined area on the circumferential surface of the other heating cylinder, and The heat belt is characterized by using a PPS belt.

[0047] The heat belt used in the calender roll according to claim 2 of the present invention is the heat belt used in the calender roll according to claim 1, The heat belt is configured by arranging a plurality of heat belt elements each having a narrower width, and is characterized in that a PPS belt is used for all of the heat belt elements constituting the heat belt, or a PPS belt is used for a plurality of heat belt elements arranged between the heat belt elements at least at both ends in the width direction constituting the heat belt.

[0048] The heat belt for use in the calender roll according to claim 3 of the present invention is the heat belt for use in the calender roll according to claim 1, In a calendar roll that continuously irons a large number of laundry that has gone through the loosening process after dehydration and drying, The calender roll has a configuration in which a plurality of units, consisting of a first unit to an nth unit (n is a natural number of 2 or more), are arranged in series in order, Each of the units has a pair of heating cylinders, including a first heating cylinder that has an ironing heating mechanism therein and rotates in one direction, and a second heating cylinder that has an ironing heating mechanism equivalent to the first heating cylinder therein, is arranged parallel to the axial direction of the first heating cylinder at a predetermined distance from the first heating cylinder, and rotates in the opposite direction to the first heating cylinder; a heat belt that is pressed against a certain peripheral area of ​​the first heating cylinder and that is arranged to form a closed path corresponding to each heating cylinder so as to maintain a state of being pressed against a predetermined peripheral area of ​​the second heating cylinder, and that has a width sufficient to iron the laundry; a heat belt tension adjusting / feeding mechanism that allows the heat belt to be fed endlessly so that one side of the heat belt is pressed against a certain circumferential area of ​​the first heating cylinder with a predetermined first pressing force, and the other side of the heat belt is pressed against a certain circumferential area of ​​the second heating cylinder with a constant second pressing force equivalent to the first pressing force; a heating cylinder rotation drive / laundry feeding tension applying mechanism for rotating the first heating cylinder and the second heating cylinder in opposite directions; a laundry input section provided adjacent to the first unit, which is one end side unit among the first unit to the n-th unit arranged in series, and into which laundry that has been dehydrated, dried, and loosened is input into the first unit; a laundry discharge section provided adjacent to the nth unit, which is the other end side unit among the first unit to the nth unit arranged in series, for discharging laundry that has been ironed in the nth unit; The first unit has a laundry feeding mechanism that feeds the laundry onto the circumferential surface of the first heating cylinder while sandwiching the laundry between laundry inserted from the laundry inserting section, and irons one side of the laundry while sandwiched between a predetermined circumferential surface area of ​​the first heating cylinder and the heat belt by heat transferred from the ironing heating mechanism of the first heating cylinder to the circumferential surface of the first heating cylinder and a first pressing force generated when the heat belt is pressed against the predetermined circumferential surface area of ​​the first heating cylinder, Each unit has an ironing heating mechanism that can iron the other side of the laundry by using heat from the circumferential surface of the second heating cylinder transferred from the ironing heating mechanism of the second heating cylinder while the laundry is sandwiched between the predetermined circumferential surface area of ​​the second heating cylinder and the heat belt, and a second pressing force generated when the heat belt is pressed against the predetermined circumferential surface area of ​​the second heating cylinder, and both sides of the laundry are ironed under uniform conditions in all the units, Each of the units is a heat belt used for a calender roll provided with guide tape mechanisms at various locations along a predetermined path of the laundry transport route, by sandwiching the laundry between the heat belt and the calender roll along the predetermined path without causing wrinkles in the laundry, and transporting the laundry from an input portion of the calender roll to an output portion of the calender roll along the predetermined path, The heat belt is characterized by using a PPS belt.

[0049] The heat belt for use in the calender roll according to claim 4 of the present invention is the heat belt for use in the calender roll according to claim 3, This is characterized in that it can be used not only for the heat belt of the first unit, but also for the heat belt of only the second unit or at least one unit adjacent to the second unit toward the nth unit among the units arranged next to the first unit.

[0050] The heat belt used in the calender roll according to claim 5 of the present invention is the heat belt used in the calender roll according to claim 3 or claim 4, The heat belt is configured such that a plurality of heat belt elements each having a narrower width are arranged side by side, and PPS belts are used for the plurality of heat belt elements arranged between the heat belt elements, except for at least the heat belt elements at both ends in the width direction.

[0051] The heat belt used in the calender roll according to claim 6 of the present invention is the heat belt used in the calender roll according to any one of claims 3 to 5, The shaking tumbler is provided on the input side of the calender roll as a device prior to inputting the laundry, and is used to flatten and loosen clumps of laundry removed from a dehydrator that dehydrates and dries the laundry so that the laundry can be input to the calender roll.The PPS belt and the heating cylinder work together to enable wrinkle-free ironing of laundry that still retains moisture and water when it is loosened without the application of steam for drying.

[0052] The heat belt used in the calender roll according to claim 7 of the present invention is the heat belt used in the calender roll according to any one of claims 1 to 5, In order to improve the gripping force of the PPS belt and the PPS heat belt element constituting the PPS belt against the heat cylinder, the entire surface of the PPS belt and the PPS heat belt element constituting the PPS belt are treated with a polycarbonate resin material, for example polyurethane.

[0053] The heat belt used in the calender roll according to claim 8 of the present invention is In a calender roll using a heat belt element constituting a conventional aramid fiber heat belt, when the aramid fiber heat belt element is damaged, in order to enable replacement of only this portion as a replacement for the damaged heat belt element, the calender roll has a feature that it has the same dimensions as the damaged heat belt element and is subjected to the resin material surface treatment described in claim 7. [Effects of the Invention]

[0054] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a heat belt for use in a calender roll as a roll ironer, which solves all of the various problems that arise in response to the rapid increase in the use of duvet covers among linen products as times change. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0055] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram of a calender roll according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from the side with the laundry input section on the left and the laundry discharge section on the right, showing the inside of the calender roll in a see-through manner. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing both end portions of a PPS belt used in a first unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, with both ends thereof developed. [Figure 3] This is a table showing the test results of a thermal shrinkage test repeated five times in the examples, showing specific values ​​for the examples and the comparative examples for each of the first to fifth test results so that the test results of both can be compared. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0056] A calender roll according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as "calender roll") will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description is merely one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this embodiment as long as the effects of the present invention are exhibited. Naturally, other embodiments are also included within the scope of the present invention. In other words, the present invention is not limited to the content of this embodiment, and various modifications are possible as appropriate within the scope of the effects of the present invention.

[0057] In addition to the general term "laundry" used to refer to items ironed with the calendar roll in this embodiment, terms such as "linen goods," which are the main types of laundry in the linen supply industry, and "duvet covers" and "pillowcases," which are particularly effective in demonstrating the effects of the present invention, will also be used as appropriate.

[0058] In addition, in the following embodiments, the number of units is a calender roll consisting of a total of two units, a first unit and a second unit, but this is not limited to this, and in the present invention, as long as the number of units is n (n is a natural number of 2 or more), a calender roll of this type is also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0059] Fig. 1 is an explanatory side view of a calender roll according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the inside of the calender roll with a laundry input section on the left and a laundry output section on the right, in a see-through manner. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing both ends of a PPS belt used in a first unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, with both ends developed.

[0060] The calender roll 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a calender roll that continuously irons a large number of laundry items that have undergone the loosening process after dehydration and drying, and has a configuration in which two (multiple) units consisting of a first unit 10 and a second unit 20 are arranged in series in the right direction in the figure.

[0061] Each unit 10, 20 has a pair of heating cylinders consisting of a first heating cylinder 100 and a second heating cylinder 200. The first heating cylinder 100 has an internal ironing heating mechanism and is designed to rotate in one direction. The second heating cylinder 200 has an ironing heating mechanism equivalent to that of the first heating cylinder 100, is spaced a predetermined distance from the first heating cylinder 100, and is arranged parallel to the axial direction of both cylinders, and rotates in the opposite direction to the first heating cylinder 100.

[0062] In addition, the first heating cylinder 100 and the second heating cylinder 200 of the first unit 10 have high-temperature steam pipes (not shown) arranged throughout the interior of each heating cylinder to transfer heat for ironing to the heating cylinder itself. This keeps the entire circumferential surface of each heating cylinder at a high temperature at all times, and this heat is efficiently transferred to the laundry being ironed in the first unit 10 of the calender roll 1.

[0063] The first unit 10 has a heating cylinder rotation drive / laundry feed tension applying mechanism that constantly rotates the first heating cylinder 100 in one direction at a predetermined peripheral speed, and constantly rotates the second heating cylinder 200 in the opposite direction to the first heating cylinder 100 so that the second heating cylinder 200 rotates at a peripheral speed slightly faster than the predetermined peripheral speed of the first heating cylinder 100.

[0064] The first unit 10 also has a first heat belt running mechanism 130 corresponding to the first heating cylinder 100. The first heat belt running mechanism 130 has a feed direction changing means and an ironing pressure adjusting means.

[0065] The first heat belt feed direction changing means of the first heat belt running mechanism 130 consists of a plurality of feed direction changing shafts (see, for example, shaft 131 in Figure 1) whose both ends are rotatably supported, and each feed direction changing shaft is capable of rotating in contact with the inside of the loop-shaped first heat belt 510 in accordance with the feed speed of the first heat belt 510, and is arranged at an appropriate position inside the first heat belt 510 so that the first heat belt 510 runs in a fixed direction along a closed path in cooperation with the first ironing pressure adjustment means described later.

[0066] The first ironing pressure adjusting means is made up of a tension adjusting shaft 135. The tension adjusting shaft 135 has the same configuration as the above-mentioned feed direction changing shaft, and further has a mechanism that can adjust the position of the axis to adjust the tension of the heat belt 510.

[0067] The first heat belt 510 is pressed against a predetermined peripheral area of ​​the first heating cylinder 100 by the heating cylinder rotation drive / laundry feeding tension applying mechanism and the first heat belt running mechanism 130, and by utilizing the frictional force between the two, the first heat belt 510 runs endlessly in the direction of peripheral rotation of the first heating cylinder 100.

[0068] Similarly, the first unit 10 has a second heat belt running mechanism 140 corresponding to the second heating cylinder 200. The second heat belt running mechanism 140 has a second belt feeding direction changing means and an ironing pressure adjusting means.

[0069] The second heat belt feed direction change means of the second heat belt running mechanism 140 consists of a plurality of feed direction change shafts (see, for example, shaft 141 in Figure 1) whose both ends are rotatably supported, and each feed direction change shaft is capable of rotating in contact with the inside of the loop-shaped heat belt 520 in accordance with the feed speed of the heat belt 520, and is arranged at an appropriate position inside the second heat belt 520 so that the second heat belt 520 runs in a fixed direction along a closed path in cooperation with the second ironing pressure force adjustment means described later.

[0070] The second ironing pressure adjusting means is made up of a tension adjusting shaft 145. The tension adjusting shaft 145 has a similar configuration to the above-mentioned feed direction changing shaft, and further has a mechanism that can adjust the position of the axis to adjust the tension of the heat belt 520.

[0071] The second heat belt 520 is pressed against a predetermined peripheral area of ​​the second heating cylinder 200 by the heating cylinder rotation drive / laundry feed tension applying mechanism and the second heat belt running mechanism 140, and by utilizing the frictional force between the two, the second heat belt 520 runs endlessly in line with the peripheral rotation direction of the second heating cylinder 200.

[0072] The second PPS heat belt running mechanism presses the other side of the laundry against the ironing peripheral area of ​​the second heating cylinder 200 with a constant second pressing force equal to the first pressing force, and also feeds the PPS belt endlessly.

[0073] The heat belts 510, 520 in the first unit 10 are characterized in that they use PPS heat belts, i.e., heat belts made of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), a type of engineering plastic that has excellent strength, durability, heat resistance, and chemical resistance (hereinafter referred to as "PPS heat belts" or "PPS belts"), instead of the existing heat belts made of aramid fiber that have been conventionally used.

[0074] When the PPS belts 510, 520 are actually used in the first unit 10, both ends of the PPS heat belt 510 (second PPS heat belt 520) in the unfolded state shown in Figure 2 are joined together to form a loop.

[0075] In this embodiment, the specific configuration of the first PPS heat belt 510 (second PPS heat belt 520) is as shown in FIG. 2, in which multiple heat belt elements 511 (521) are arranged side by side, and both ends are separated and shown in an expanded plan view.

[0076] Specifically, the PPS heat belt 510 (520) is configured by arranging multiple heat belt elements 511 (521) that are narrower in the width direction, and all of the narrow PPS heat belt elements 511 (521) that make up the PPS heat belt 510 (520) are arranged in the width direction with a predetermined dimensional relationship and integrated without separation to form the PPS heat belt 510 (520) of a predetermined width. Furthermore, hooks 515, 516 (525, 526) shown on both ends of the PPS heat belt 510 (520) in Fig. 2 are connecting portions that engage with each other to form the PPS heat belt 510 (520) into a loop shape.

[0077] The specifications of the PPS belt 510 (520) in this embodiment for enduring long-term use are preferably as follows: Specifically, for example, in a stage prior to the loading of laundry at the loading section 1a of the calender roll 1, the laundry is removed from the dehydration / drying device in the form of a thick, disk-shaped mass called a cake after dehydration / drying.

[0078] The laundry clumps are then loosened and flattened before being fed into the feed section 1a of the calender roll 1. A so-called shaking tumbler (not shown) is used as a device for loosening the laundry clumps. Shaking tumblers generally apply heated steam to loosen the clumps of laundry, but sometimes the laundry is simply loosened and flattened without applying heated steam before being fed into the feed section 1a of the calender roll 1. Furthermore, as explained in the problem to be solved above, the proportion of so-called linen products, and in particular double-layered bag-like linen products such as duvet covers and pillowcases, that make up a large proportion of laundry is rapidly increasing.

[0079] Therefore, in this embodiment, the PPS belts 510, 520 used in the first unit 10 of the calendar roll 1 have sufficient design specifications to be able to continue using the belts for a long period of time even when they are continuously fed with double-ply linen products, particularly duvet covers and pillowcases, that have simply been loosened without adding heated steam in a shaking tumbler.

[0080] However, the present invention is not limited to such design specifications. It goes without saying that the scope of the present invention includes the PPS belts 510, 520 having design specifications that allow the laundry that has been loosened by steam heating in the shaking tumbler to be ironed for a long period of time in a linen supply factory having a layout in which a shaking tumbler that constantly adds heated steam to loosen the laundry after spin-drying and drying is arranged in front of the calendar roll 1.

[0081] The second unit 20 also has a heating cylinder rotation drive / laundry feed tension applying mechanism that constantly rotates the third heating cylinder 300 in one direction at a predetermined peripheral speed, and constantly rotates the second heating cylinder 200 in the opposite direction to the third heating cylinder 300 so that the peripheral speed is slightly faster than the predetermined peripheral speed of the third heating cylinder 300.

[0082] The second unit 20 also has a third heat belt running mechanism 230 corresponding to the third heating cylinder 300. The third heat belt running mechanism 230 has a third heat belt feeding direction changing means and a third ironing pressure adjusting means.

[0083] The third heat belt feed direction changing means of the third heat belt running mechanism 230 consists of a plurality of feed direction changing shafts (see, for example, shaft 231 in Figure 1) whose both ends are rotatably supported, and each feed direction changing shaft is capable of rotating in contact with the inside of the loop-shaped conventional heat belt 630 in accordance with the feed speed of the conventional heat belt 630, and is arranged at an appropriate position inside the conventional heat belt 630 so that the conventional heat belt 630 runs in a fixed direction along a closed path in cooperation with a third ironing pressure adjustment means described later.

[0084] The third ironing pressure adjusting means is made up of a tension adjusting shaft 235. The tension adjusting shaft 235 has the same configuration as the above-mentioned feed direction changing shaft, and further has a mechanism that can adjust the position of the axis to adjust the tension of the heat belt 630.

[0085] The third heat belt 630 is pressed against a predetermined peripheral area of ​​the third heating cylinder 300 by the heating cylinder rotation drive / laundry feed tension applying mechanism and the conventional heat belt running mechanism 230, and by utilizing the frictional force between the two, the third heat belt 630 runs endlessly in the direction of peripheral rotation of the third heating cylinder 300.

[0086] In this way, the conventional heat belt running mechanism 230 presses one side of the laundry against the ironing peripheral area of ​​the third heating cylinder 300 with a predetermined third pressing force, and also uses the rotational force of the third heating cylinder 300 to feed the conventional heat belt 630 endlessly.

[0087] Similarly, the second unit 20 has a fourth heat belt running mechanism 240 corresponding to the fourth heating cylinder 400. The fourth heat belt running mechanism 240 has a fourth heat belt feeding direction changing means and a fourth ironing pressure adjusting means.

[0088] The fourth heat belt feed direction change means of the fourth heat belt running mechanism 240 consists of a plurality of feed direction change shafts (see, for example, shaft 241 in Figure 1) whose both ends are rotatably supported, and each feed direction change shaft is capable of rotating in contact with the inside of the loop-shaped fourth heat belt 640 in accordance with the feed speed of the fourth heat belt 640, and is arranged at an appropriate position inside the fourth heat belt 640 so that the fourth heat belt 640 runs in a fixed direction along a closed path in cooperation with a fourth ironing pressure adjustment means described later.

[0089] The fourth ironing pressure adjusting means is made up of a tension adjusting shaft 245. The tension adjusting shaft 135 has the same configuration as the above-mentioned feed direction changing shaft, and further has a mechanism that can adjust the position of the axis to adjust the tension of the heat belt 640.

[0090] The fourth heat belt 640 is pressed against a predetermined peripheral area of ​​the fourth heating cylinder 400 by the heating cylinder rotation drive / laundry feeding tension applying mechanism and the fourth conventional heat belt running mechanism 240, and by utilizing the frictional force between the two, the second conventional heat belt 640 runs endlessly in the direction of peripheral rotation of the fourth heating cylinder 400.

[0091] In this way, the fourth heat belt running mechanism presses the other side of the laundry against the ironing peripheral area of ​​the fourth heating cylinder 400 with a constant fourth pressing force equivalent to the first pressing force, and also feeds the fourth heat belt 640 endlessly.

[0092] The third and fourth heat belts are conventional heat belts made of aramid fiber. The shapes, structures, and dimensional relationships of the third and fourth heat belts are the same as those of the first and second PPS heat belts, and therefore the specific configurations of the third and fourth heat belts are the same as those of the first and second PPS heat belts shown in Fig. 2.

[0093] The slight difference in the peripheral speed of each heating cylinder is achieved by structurally changing the reduction ratio of the gears included in the drive mechanism, which is the power source. Because this mechanism has a known structure, the first unit 10 and the second unit 20 may each be provided with a power source, or a common power source may be provided for both units and this may be achieved by changing the reduction ratio of the reduction mechanism for each heating cylinder.

[0094] The calender roll 1 also has a guide tape feed mechanism for guiding and feeding the laundry along a predetermined path from the input section 1a to the discharge section 1b of the calender roll 1 in accordance with the heat belts from the first unit 10 to the second unit 20. In the first unit 10, the guide tape feed mechanism includes a first guide tape feed mechanism, a pressure roll / guide tape feed mechanism, and a second guide tape feed mechanism, as seen from the upstream side to the downstream side of the laundry feed direction.

[0095] In addition, the second unit 20 is provided with a third guide tape feeding mechanism and a fourth guide tape feeding mechanism following the second guide tape feeding mechanism of the first unit 10 described above.

[0096] Each of the above-mentioned guide tape feeding mechanisms changes the running direction via multiple rotatable shafts, and as each guide tape runs in a loop along a closed path, it guides the laundry to be sent along a predetermined path accordingly.

[0097] The calender roll 1 has a laundry input section 1a adjacent to the first unit 10, which is one of the end units of the first unit 10 and second unit 20 arranged in series. The laundry input section is used to input laundry that has been dehydrated, dried, and loosened into the first unit 10. The laundry input section 1a is also equipped with a lower feed belt for feeding the laundry.

[0098] Further, an upper laundry feed belt is provided above the lower laundry feed belt downstream in the laundry feeding direction. After the entire surface of, for example, a linen item is brought into contact with the lower laundry feed belt at the laundry input section 1a, the laundry is introduced between the two feed belts, i.e., the lower laundry feed belt and the upper laundry feed belt, and while both sides of the laundry are sandwiched between the two feed belts, the laundry is sent to the upper surface of the first heating cylinder 100.

[0099] The calender roll 1 also has a laundry discharge section 1b adjacent to the second unit 20, which is the other end unit of the first unit 10 and the second unit 20 arranged in series. The discharge section 1b is used to discharge laundry that has been ironed by the second unit 20.

[0100] In addition, gap pieces (not shown) are provided in the spaces between the guide tape feed mechanisms of each unit, so that laundry, such as linens, can be smoothly fed between these guide tapes from the previous guide tape to the next, preventing part of the laundry from getting stuck in the space during feeding, causing wrinkles or interfering with the laundry feeding operation.

[0101] Furthermore, the peripheral speed of the second heating cylinder 200 and the corresponding feed speed of the second PPS belt 520 are slightly faster than the peripheral speed of the first heating cylinder 100 in the first unit 10 and the corresponding feed speed of the first PPS belt 510.

[0102] Similarly, the peripheral speed of the third heating cylinder 300 in the second unit and the corresponding feed speed of the existing third heat belt 630 are slightly faster than the peripheral speed of the second heating cylinder 200 in the first unit 10 and the corresponding feed speed of the second PPS belt 520.

[0103] Furthermore, the peripheral speed of the fourth heating cylinder 400 in the second unit and the feed speed of the corresponding fourth existing heat belt 640 are slightly faster than the peripheral speed of the third heating cylinder 300 in the second unit 20 and the feed speed of the corresponding third existing heat belt 630.

[0104] In this way, the peripheral speed of the heating cylinder of each unit and the feed speed of the corresponding heat belt are controlled to increase gradually in stages so that the peripheral speed of the fourth heating cylinder 400 in the second unit 20 equipped with the discharge section 1b and the feed speed of the corresponding fourth existing heat belt 640 are the fastest.

[0105] As the peripheral speed of the heating cylinder of each unit and the corresponding feed speed of the heat belt are gradually increased, the linen items placed on the guide tape are always pulled to some extent as they are sent from the input section 1a to the output section 1b, so that they are sent from the input section 1a to the output section 1b without producing vertical wrinkles in the feed direction.

[0106] In this way, the linen items to be ironed in each unit are sandwiched between a pair of heating cylinders and the heat belts wound around the heating cylinders while being pressed against a predetermined area on the circumferential surface, and are sent from the above-mentioned input section 1a to the output section 1b while being pulled with a certain amount of pulling force. By sandwiching the linen items between the heating cylinders and the heat belts pressed against a certain area on the circumferential surface, a certain pressing force is applied to the predetermined circumferential surface of each heating cylinder via the heat belts, and the heat is applied from the heating cylinders, allowing each unit to iron the linen items efficiently.

[0107] Next, an example of ironing actual laundry such as linen items using the calender roll of the present invention will be described. The laundry, consisting of linen items such as duvet covers and pillowcases, which have seen a rapid increase in the amount and proportion of linen items requiring cleaning in recent years as described above, is loosened and spread using a shaking tumbler. Then, with the backside of the linen item in contact with the lower feed belt 150 provided in the input section 1a of the first unit 10, the linen item is sandwiched between the lower feed belt 150 and a loop-shaped upper feed belt 160 located slightly downstream in the laundry feeding direction, and is guided and fed to a predetermined position on the circumferential surface of the first heating cylinder 100 of the first unit 10.

[0108] With the back side of the linen item in contact with the lower feed belt 150, the laundry is sandwiched between the lower feed belt 150 and a first guide tape 170 that runs in a loop above the lower feed belt 150, and is guided to the starting end of the laundry contact area on the upper circumferential surface of the first heating cylinder 100 where the first guide tape is in contact with the circumferential surface of the first heating cylinder 100.

[0109] In this embodiment, five compression rolls 181 are provided inside, and each compression roll guides the laundry sandwiched between the upper peripheral feed area of ​​the first heating cylinder 100, the five compression rolls 181 pressed against this upper peripheral feed area, and the compression guide tape 180 located below it, while running it to the starting end of ironing by the first heating cylinder 100.

[0110] These five pressure rolls are used to firmly hold the laundry in the feeding direction as the guide tape is fed along the upper circumferential surface of the first heating cylinder, and the guide tape running under these pressure rolls prevents the laundry from getting caught between the pressure rolls, which could cause wrinkles.

[0111] Next, as shown in FIG. 1, the laundry is guided to a predetermined area on the circumferential surface of the first heating cylinder 100, which is formed by a pressure guide tape pressed against a predetermined area on the upper circumferential surface of the first heating cylinder 100 via a pressure roll in contact with the predetermined area on the upper circumferential surface of the first heating cylinder 100.

[0112] Next, the laundry is guided on the circumferential surface of the first heating cylinder 100 to the starting end of a predetermined ironing area provided on the circumferential surface of the first heating cylinder 100, and the laundry is sandwiched and inserted between the ironing circumferential surface area of ​​the first heating cylinder 100 and the PPS belt 510 having a closed loop path pressed against it. Then, the laundry with both sides sandwiched is ironed in accordance with the rotation speed of the circumferential surface of the first heating cylinder 100.

[0113] The inventors of the present invention have noticed that when ironing, the moisture and water contained in layered linen items such as duvet covers and pillowcases tends to seep into the first PPS heat belt. This is what led to the invention of the present invention, which was conceived as a solution to the above-mentioned problem.

[0114] Next, while being guided by the second guide tape feeding mechanism, the laundry sent into the second unit 20 is sent, with one entire side in contact with the third heat belt, to the third ironing starting end with which the third heat belt contacts a predetermined circumferential area of ​​the third heating cylinder 300. Subsequently, while the laundry is sandwiched between the predetermined circumferential area of ​​the third heating cylinder 300 and the third heat belt, the other side of the laundry is ironed by heat transferred from the ironing heating mechanism of the third heating cylinder 300 to the circumferential surface of the third heating cylinder 300 and a third pressing force generated when the heat belt is pressed against the predetermined circumferential area of ​​the third heating cylinder 300, thereby completing the third ironing process.

[0115] Next, a part of the fourth guide tape feed mechanism causes a predetermined peripheral surface of the fourth heating cylinder 400 and the fourth belt heat belt pressed against it to cooperate to complete the fourth ironing, and then the laundry is clamped between the fourth heat belt and another part of the fourth guide tape feed mechanism and is then discharged from the discharge section 10b of the second unit 20.

[0116] In this way, the laundry that has been ironed in the second unit 20 is guided by the fourth guide tape and discharged from the laundry discharge section of the second unit 20. Then, the laundry is sent to a folding device (not shown) and folded, and then bundled together as cleaned linen products and transported by truck or the like to the source accommodation facility such as a hotel or inn, a hospital with inpatient facilities, a care home for elderly people, a massage salon, or the like, and delivered back to the source as cleaned linen products.

[0117] As is clear from the above description, laundry ironed today using the calender roll of the present invention, taking the above-mentioned embodiment as an example, can be delivered in a clean condition as an excellent quality laundry after cleaning, just as it was before being brought in for cleaning.

[0118] The reason for this is that when the laundry is in the form of stacked bag-like laundry such as duvet covers or pillowcases among linen products, the first heating cylinder 100 and the first PPS heat belt 510 work together to perform the first ironing, which allows a considerable amount of moisture and water to soak into the first PPS heat belt 510. Furthermore, even if stacked bag-like laundry such as duvet covers or pillowcases containing remaining moisture and water is sent to the circumferential surface of the second heating cylinder 200, the second PPS heat belt 520 is also used as the heat belt that works together with the second heating cylinder 200 to perform the ironing work, so the remaining moisture and water can soak into the second PPS heat belt, and this embodiment reliably prevents the above-mentioned excess moisture and water from seeping in between the third heating cylinder 300 provided in the next second unit 20 and the existing heat belt.

[0119] It should be noted that the scope of the present invention also includes the case where the PPS belts 510 and 520 are not entirely made up of PPS heat belt elements as in this embodiment, but rather PPS belt elements are used for the multiple heat belt elements arranged between them, excluding the heat belt elements at least at both ends in the width direction.

[0120] Specifically, the heat belt elements at both ends of the PPS belt in the width direction may be made of heat belt elements 611, 621 made of aramid fiber, which is a conventional material, and all of the heat belt elements sandwiched between these two heat belt elements 611, 621 at both ends in the width direction may be made of PPS belt elements 511, 521. Alternatively, the heat belt elements at both ends in the width direction and their adjacent heat belt elements may be made of heat belt elements 611, 621 made of a conventional material, and the heat belt elements sandwiched between them may be made of PPS belt elements 511, 521.

[0121] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a PPS belt is used only for the heat belt of the first unit 10, but this is not limiting, and a PPS belt may be used for both the first unit 10 and the second unit 20. In other words, when there are up to the nth unit, a PPS belt may be used for the heat belt of only the second unit 20 or at least one unit adjacent to the second unit 20, among the units arranged next to the nth unit.

[0122] That is, for example, if the number of units is n (n is a natural number equal to or greater than 3), the laundry is guided along each guide tape from the first unit 10 through the second unit 20 and the third unit to the nth unit, and is sent along a path connecting the guide tapes of each unit from the input section 1a adjacent to the first unit 10 to the output section 1b of the nth unit. Then, in each unit, both sides of the laundry are ironed by the two heating cylinders provided in each unit. [Example]

[0123] The results of evaluation tests that support the remarkable advantages of the present invention described above are described below as examples. Specifically, a heat shrinkage test was conducted under the same conditions on a conventional heat belt (hereinafter referred to as "Comparative Example 1") and a PPS belt of the present invention, i.e., a belt made of a resin known as polyphenylene sulfide, a so-called engineering plastic (hereinafter referred to as "Example 1").

[0124] The specifications of the test specimens used in Comparative Example 1 and Example 1 were identical in size, with a total length of 1000 mm, a width of 98 ±2 mm, and a thickness of 1.1 to 1.3 mm before the thermal shrinkage test. Both ends of this test specimen were held without applying any special tensile force.

[0125] Then, while maintaining this state, a heat shrinkage test was carried out five times under the same conditions, i.e., five repeated heat shrinkage tests were carried out. Here, the test conditions for each of the five heat shrinkage tests were that the sample was submerged in water for two hours, left for two hours and 15 minutes, and then heated (180°C).

[0126] A so-called heat cycle test was carried out under the same conditions as above for each of Comparative Example 1 and Example 1. Fig. 3 is a table showing the test results of the heat shrinkage test repeated five times in the above-mentioned Example, showing specific values ​​for this Example and this Comparative Example for each of the first to fifth test results so that the test results of both can be compared.

[0127] As can be seen from the table of evaluation test results, in the first test, the shrinkage rate of Comparative Example 1 was 0.85%, while the shrinkage rate of Example 1 was 0.40%, which was about half of that rate. Then, when this test was continued four more times and the results of the fifth evaluation test were compared, the shrinkage rate of Comparative Example 1 reached 2.55%, while the shrinkage rate of Example 1 was only 0.45%.

[0128] In other words, the results obtained from this thermal cycle test showed that the initial length of Comparative Example 1 before the test was 1 m (meter), but the length at the end of the evaluation test had shrunk by 2.55 cm (centimeter) from its longest length.

[0129] On the other hand, the initial length of Example 1 before the test was 1 m (meter), but it was found that the length at the end of the evaluation test had shrunk by only 0.45 cm (centimeter) from the original length.

[0130] That is, when the heat belt is heated under high heat and humidity conditions, the heat belt of Comparative Example 1 shows a significant shrinkage rate with each heating, whereas the heat belt of Example 1 used in the present invention shows almost no shrinkage rate even when the number of heating cycles is increased.

[0131] Based on the results of the comparative evaluation tests described above, we will consider a standard example of the dimensional relationship of a heat belt attached to an actual calendar roll installed in a linen supply factory, in which a loop-shaped heat belt with a length of approximately 10 m (meters) and a width of approximately 3 m (meters) and connected at each end is used.

[0132] In such a case, if double-layered linen items such as duvet covers and pillowcases are continuously fed into the feed section, these linen items will be particularly moist and wet, as described above. Therefore, coupled with the fact that they are continuously fed in, the moisture and humidity will always soak into the heat belt of the first unit immediately after being fed in.

[0133] Then, in the process in which the first and second heating cylinders simultaneously heat the heat belt by heat transfer and press it using the tension acting on the heat belt, i.e., in the ironing process, the characteristics obtained in the above-mentioned embodiment in particular will directly act on the heat belt.

[0134] Specifically, if the conventional heat belt of Comparative Example 1 is 10 meters long, taking into account its overall shrinkage rate, the total length of the conventional heat belt will shrink by 25 centimeters. Because the heat belt itself is made of an engineering plastic with high mechanical strength in order to fulfill its role, this 25 cm of shrinkage acts as a direct tensile force on the feed direction changing shaft, which changes the feed direction of the heat belt as it is fed endlessly through a closed path.

[0135] As a result, a large moment will be applied to each of the support parts at both ends based on the tensile force acting on the central part of the feed direction changing shaft, which is the farthest from the support parts at both ends, and it is quite possible that the worst-case scenario will occur, such as extreme bending, damage, or breakage of the shaft at the support parts.

[0136] On the other hand, the PPS belt used in Example 1 of the present invention has an extremely small shrinkage rate, as can be seen from the evaluation test results described above. For example, even if a 10-meter-long PPS belt is actually used on a calender roll and two layers of linen, such as duvet covers or fatigue cases, are continuously fed, only a shrinkage of 4.5 cm occurs. Therefore, even if a large amount of moisture or water is absorbed from the linen, as with conventional heat belts, the feed direction changing belt does not experience extreme tensile force or bending moment.

[0137] As a result, by using the PPS belt according to the present invention as a heat belt in the first unit of the calender roll, which is particularly susceptible to penetration of moisture and humidity from the laundry, it is possible to drastically reduce the number of maintenance inspections compared to conventional methods, and by enabling the PPS belt to be used for a long period of time, it is possible to drastically reduce the number of replacements of the heat belt in this section, thereby reducing the costs required for maintenance and inspection, contributing to a reduction in the cost of the heat belt, which is itself expensive, and also providing evidence that the frequent shutdown of the calender roll for maintenance and the resulting extreme drop in work efficiency can be prevented when ironing a large amount of linen after washing and drying in a limited time.

[0138] As evidenced by the results of the above examples, the heat belt used in the calender roll according to the present invention can solve the above-mentioned various problems all at once. Furthermore, the present invention can also achieve the following excellent effects that were not mentioned in the above-mentioned problem section. These excellent effects are explained below.

[0139] In the present invention, a PPS belt is used as the heat belt of the first unit, which is on the input side of the calender rolls. That is, a belt made of PPS resin reinforced with additives such as glass fiber or carbon fiber. One of the excellent properties of PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) is its chemical resistance.

[0140] On the other hand, in the cleaning factories of linen supply, which is the technical field to which the present invention pertains, the washing process precedes the dehydration and drying process and the loosening process before the ironing process related to the present invention, and a detergent containing a surfactant is used to remove dirt from a large amount of laundry.

[0141] Since the dirt on laundry is generally acidic, a strong alkaline agent is added to the detergent as an auxiliary agent to enhance the cleaning power. Highly alkaline agents such as sodium carbonate and sodium metasilicate are commonly used as auxiliary agents, which promote the action of surfactants and ensure efficient removal of dirt during the laundry washing process.

[0142] However, by effectively utilizing the above-mentioned auxiliary agents to ensure reliable stain removal during the washing process, the water contained in the laundry that has finished the washing process remains alkaline while it is being dehydrated and dried.As mentioned above, if a large amount of laundry is fed directly into the calender roll feed section for the final ironing process without being heated with steam during the tumbler loosening process, the water contained in the laundry will remain alkaline while it is being ironed by the heat belt of the first unit.

[0143] Therefore, during the ironing process, especially in the first unit, alkaline water from the laundry soaks into the heat belt, and new laundry containing alkaline water continues to be fed into the feed section of the calender roll, causing the calender roll, especially the heat belt of the first unit, to become soaked in alkaline chemicals.

[0144] This raises the concern that the heat belt may exceed its own chemical resistance limit, leading to wear and tear and ultimately to breakage. This problem is not limited to double-ply laundry such as duvet covers and pillowcases, but can also occur when washing large amounts of ordinary single-ply laundry such as sheets.

[0145] To prevent such a situation, it has been necessary to stop the operation of the calender roll and increase the frequency of inspection and maintenance work. However, in the calender roll according to the present invention, a PPS belt is used for at least the heat belt of the first unit, and therefore, due to its own chemical resistance (alkali resistance), a sufficient service life can be ensured even if new laundry containing the above-mentioned alkaline water is continuously fed into the feeding section of the calender roll.

[0146] As a result, there is no need to increase the frequency of inspection and maintenance work as in the past. This makes it possible to improve the operating efficiency of the calender rolls without increasing the frequency of inspection and maintenance, and also to prevent the increase in costs and long-term downtime of the calender rolls that would otherwise be caused by frequent belt replacement due to the shortened service life of the heat belt as in the past. This is a unique advantage of the present invention.

[0147] As already mentioned, the above-described embodiment is merely an illustrative example of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. In other words, it should be emphasized that even if the calender roll has a different configuration from the above-described embodiment, it is still included in the scope of the present invention as long as it can exhibit the effects of the present invention.

[0148] Finally, the following can be said as an excellent feature of the present invention: Specifically, the calender roll according to the present invention can be realized simply by replacing the existing heat belt made of aramid fiber, which is pressed against a predetermined peripheral surface of a heating cylinder arranged at least on the laundry input side of a conventional calender roll to perform the initial ironing process, with the PPS heat belt introduced in the present invention.

[0149] This eliminates the need to replace the existing calender rolls with new ones, which means that there are no wasted days of downtime due to the replacement of the existing cleaning equipment at the linen supply factory, and it also virtually eliminates the impact on the extremely tight cleaning schedule for linens that has come with the recent increase in inbound demand.

[0150] As a result, it is possible to quickly clean a large amount of double-ply bag-shaped laundry items such as duvet covers and pillowcases, as described above, with high quality, without damaging the trust of users who request cleaning.

[0151] In this way, the present invention can solve all of the above-mentioned problems, which are feared to be rapidly spreading into various problems in the future, at the minimum cost and with the shortest maintenance time associated with the introduction of equipment, and can further increase the trust of users who request the cleaning of linens and other items, which is important to cleaning supply companies.

[0152] Finally, in the course of conducting demonstration experiments of the above invention, the inventors of the present invention have discovered a new additional structure that can further enhance the effects of the present invention, and have also discovered new findings that, even if some of the heat belt elements that make up the heat belt of a conventional calender roll are damaged, the present invention can be used to quickly repair and restore the device to its original state while reducing the costs associated with repairing and restoring the device to its original state.These findings will be described below.

[0153] First, we will explain a new additional structure that can further enhance the effects of the present invention. This involves applying a special surface treatment to the entire surface of the PPS heat belt introduced in this invention and the PPS heat belt elements that make up the PPS heat belt. Specifically, the PPS belt used in this invention and the PPS heat belt elements that make up the PPS heat belt are all surface-treated with a polycarbonate-based resin material, such as polyurethane.

[0154] The inventors of the present invention have noticed that this improves the gripping force of the PPS belt and the PPS heat belt element that constitutes it when they come into contact with the heat cylinder, and have been able to prove this through demonstration experiments.

[0155] As further evidence for this, the inventors have noted that, in their opinion, PPS heat belts have a smoother feel than aramid heat belts, and therefore when they are subjected to a driving force due to contact with the mirror-finished heat cylinder that constitutes the main part of the calender roll, there is a concern that the former and the latter will not run at the same speed due to the difference in slippage between the former and the heat cylinder and the latter and the latter.

[0156] Therefore, in order to ensure a running speed equivalent to that of an aramid-based heat belt, the inventors came up with the idea of ​​resin-coating the entire surface of the PPS heat belt to provide gripping power. Although melamine resin is usually used, the inventors of the present invention came to the conclusion that it would be preferable to resin-coat the entire surface of the PPS heat belt with a polycarbonate-based resin such as polyurethane.

[0157] In addition, we will explain new features of the present invention that allow for quick repair and replacement while reducing maintenance costs even when some of the heat belt elements constituting the heat belt of a conventional calendar roll are damaged.

[0158] Specifically, in a calender roll using a heat belt element constituting a conventional aramid fiber heat belt, when the aramid fiber heat belt element is damaged, in order to enable replacement of only this portion as a replacement for the damaged heat belt element, a PPS heat belt element is prepared which has the same dimensions as the damaged heat belt element and is resin-treated on the entire surface of the PPS heat belt with a polycarbonate resin such as polyurethane.

[0159] The reason for this is that when a heat belt element of an existing calender roll is partially damaged and replaced with another undamaged heat belt element as in the past, the heat belt element shrinks significantly due to moisture absorption after replacement immediately after repair of the calender roll. Therefore, this point was taken into consideration at the time of replacement, and a conventional aramid fiber heat belt element was replaced with one having an empirically optimal dimensional difference, taking into account to some extent the difference in dimensions between the belt element currently in use and the belt element to be replaced for repair, so as not to cause any discrepancy in characteristics with the heat belt element that is not damaged and is still in use based on past experience, etc.

[0160] However, this type of replacement method often results in variations in the tension between the damaged and undamaged heat belt elements due to differences in the expected shrinkage rates of the heat belt elements, which can result in bending of the guide shaft or the formation of unnecessary wrinkles in the linen products being fed into the roll ironer at an early stage.

[0161] If the guide shaft is bent, as in the former case, extensive repair or replacement of the guide shaft is required, and the machine itself cannot be operated for a considerable period of time. Furthermore, if unexpected wrinkles such as vertical or horizontal wrinkles appear on the linen products in the initial stage of cleaning, these wrinkles will become more pronounced in the subsequent processes, seriously affecting the quality of the linen products after cleaning.

[0162] Therefore, in order to avoid serious problems such as adversely affecting the roll ironer device itself or causing wrinkles in the linen items at the initial stage of loading, it has traditionally been proposed to replace all heat belt elements even if one heat belt element is damaged, in order to generate uniform tension across the entire heat belt.

[0163] However, replacing all of the heat belt elements in response to such a sudden problem in a roll ironer would require a considerable amount of maintenance time, which would be a major problem in the linen cleaning industry, where the takt time associated with cleaning work is limited.

[0164] Furthermore, there is also the problem that the cost of replacing parts is extremely high when a roll ironer that has undergone maintenance and has had all of its heat belt elements replaced is required to get it up and running again.Specifically, for example, a calender roll equipped with a conventional aramid fiber heat belt used as the heat belt for the calender roll generally has heat belts 1 through 4, with each of these four lanes having about 30 98mm wide belts.

[0165] In this general structure, if one of the belts is damaged by a foreign object in the duvet cover, replacing it with just one aramid heat bell element will cause the initial shrinkage mentioned above, making it difficult to match the length of the other belts and negatively affecting quality. Furthermore, if the entire belt needs to be replaced, the cost of replacement will be enormous, as is clear from the specific number of belts mentioned above.

[0166] In addition, with the recent increase in inbound tourism demand, foreign object contamination in duvet covers has become a serious problem. Specifically, there has been an increasing trend in recent years of defects in which only one of the many heat belt elements that make up a heat belt breaks due to a relatively small metallic object. One example of a measure to detect such foreign object contamination in advance and remove it before the linen is added is to install a metal detector when the calender roll is inserted. However, since the linen itself often contains a considerable amount of moisture, it is currently difficult to detect and remove relatively small metallic objects using such measures.

[0167] Specific examples of such foreign objects include nail clippers, small metal scissors used to cut eyebrows and eyelashes, cuticle nippers, remote controls for televisions and air conditioners installed in accommodation facilities, as well as other metal foreign objects such as ashtrays, lighters, children's toy cars, etc. For these reasons, when such problems occur on-site, the reality is that calender roll users are advised to replace not only the damaged heat belt element, but all the heat belt elements in one lane.

[0168] The inventors of the present invention have studied how to deal with this potential but very serious and critical problem quickly, while keeping costs low, and minimizing the impact on the equipment operation schedule. As a result, the inventors have reaffirmed that the PPS heat belt of the present invention is ideal for dealing with such sudden malfunctions because it has almost no initial shrinkage and rather stretches slightly. In other words, the inventors have reaffirmed that this is a groundbreaking invention that can eliminate the wasteful practice of discarding a still-usable aramid fiber heat belt and replacing one lane, which is a major burden in terms of both cost and maintenance work. [Explanation of symbols]

[0169] 1 calendar roll 1a Input part 1b Discharge section 10 First Unit 10b Discharge section 20 Second Unit 100 First heating cylinder 130 First heat belt running mechanism 131 Feed direction change shaft 135 Tension adjustment shaft 140 Second heat belt running mechanism 141 Feed direction change shaft 145 tension adjustment shaft 150 Lower Feed Belt 160 Upper Feed Belt 170 First Guide Tape 180 Compression Guide Tape 181 Compression Roll 200 Second heating cylinder 230 Third heat belt running mechanism 231 Feed direction change shaft 235 Tension adjustment shaft 240 Fourth Heat Belt Running Mechanism 241 Feed direction change shaft 245 tension adjustment shaft 300 Third heating cylinder 400 Fourth heating cylinder 510 First heat belt (First PPS heat belt, First PPS belt) 511 First heat belt element (PPS (heat) belt element) 515,516 hooks 520 Second Heat Belt (Second PPS (Heat) Belt) 521 Second heat belt element (PPS (heat) belt element) 525,526 Hook 611,621 Heat Belt Element 630 Third Heat Belt (Aramid Feed Belt) 640 4th Heat Belt (Aramid Feed Belt)

Claims

1. In a heat belt used in a calendar roll that continuously irons a large number of laundry items that have been dehydrated and dried and then loosened, a pair of heating cylinders each comprising one heating cylinder and the other heating cylinder, each provided on the laundry input side of the calender roll; and a heat belt pressed against a predetermined area on the circumferential surface of the pair of heating cylinders during ironing; The heat belt is used for a calender roll having a structure in which the heat belt is endlessly fed in a specific direction along a predetermined closed path so that the laundry is sandwiched between the heat belt and a predetermined area on the circumferential surface of one heating cylinder, one side of the laundry is pressed against a predetermined area on the circumferential surface of the one heating cylinder, and the laundry is sandwiched between the heat belt and a predetermined area on the circumferential surface of the other heating cylinder, and one side and the opposite side of the laundry are pressed against a predetermined area on the circumferential surface of the other heating cylinder, and the heat belt is used for a calender roll having a structure in which the heat belt is endlessly fed in a specific direction along a predetermined closed path so that the laundry is sandwiched between the heat belt and a predetermined area on the circumferential surface of the other heating cylinder, and ... ironed by pressing one side of the laundry and the entire opposite side of the laundry against a predetermined area on the circumferential surface of the other heating cylinder, and A heat belt for use in a calender roll, characterized in that the heat belt is a PPS belt.

2. 2. The heat belt for use in a calender roll according to claim 1, wherein the heat belt is configured such that a plurality of heat belt elements each having a narrower width are arranged side by side, and a PPS belt is used for all of the heat belt elements constituting the heat belt, or a PPS belt is used for a plurality of heat belt elements arranged between the heat belt elements except for at least the heat belt elements at both ends in the width direction constituting the heat belt.

3. In a heat belt used in a calendar roll that continuously irons a large number of laundry items that have been dehydrated and dried and then loosened, The calender roll has a configuration in which a plurality of units, consisting of a first unit to an nth unit (n is a natural number of 2 or more), are arranged in series in order, Each of the units has a pair of heating cylinders, including a first heating cylinder having an ironing heating mechanism therein and rotating in one direction, and a second heating cylinder having an ironing heating mechanism equivalent to the first heating cylinder therein, and being arranged parallel to the axial direction of the first heating cylinder at a predetermined distance from the first heating cylinder, and rotating in the opposite direction to the first heating cylinder; a heat belt that is pressed against a certain peripheral area of ​​the first heating cylinder and that is arranged to form a closed path corresponding to each of the heating cylinders so as to maintain a state of being pressed against a predetermined peripheral area of ​​the second heating cylinder, and that has a width sufficient to iron the laundry; a heat belt tension adjusting and feeding mechanism that allows the heat belt to be fed endlessly so that one side of the heat belt is pressed against a certain circumferential area of ​​the first heating cylinder with a predetermined first pressing force, and the other side of the heat belt is pressed against a certain circumferential area of ​​the second heating cylinder with a constant second pressing force equivalent to the first pressing force; a heating cylinder rotation drive / laundry feeding tension applying mechanism that rotates the first heating cylinder and the second heating cylinder in opposite directions; a laundry input section provided adjacent to the first unit, which is one end side unit among the first unit to the n-th unit arranged in series, and into which laundry that has been dehydrated, dried, and loosened is input into the first unit; a laundry discharge section provided adjacent to the n-th unit, which is the other end side unit among the first unit to the n-th unit arranged in series, for discharging laundry that has been ironed in the n-th unit; The first unit has a laundry feeding mechanism that feeds the laundry onto the circumferential surface of the first heating cylinder while sandwiching the laundry between laundry inserted from the laundry inserting section, and irons one side of the laundry while sandwiched between a predetermined circumferential surface area of ​​the first heating cylinder and the heat belt by heat transferred from the ironing heating mechanism of the first heating cylinder to the circumferential surface of the first heating cylinder and a first pressing force generated when the heat belt is pressed against the predetermined circumferential surface area of ​​the first heating cylinder; Each unit has an ironing heating mechanism that can iron the other side of the laundry while the laundry is sandwiched between a predetermined peripheral area of ​​the second heating cylinder and the heat belt by using heat from the peripheral surface of the second heating cylinder transferred from the ironing heating mechanism of the second heating cylinder and a second pressing force generated when the heat belt is pressed against the predetermined peripheral area of ​​the second heating cylinder, and both sides of the laundry are ironed under uniform conditions in all the units. Each of the units is a heat belt used for a calender roll provided with guide tape mechanisms at various locations along a predetermined path of the laundry transport route, by sandwiching the laundry between the heat belt and the calender roll along the predetermined path without causing wrinkles in the laundry, and transporting the laundry from an input portion of the calender roll to an output portion of the calender roll along the predetermined path, A heat belt for use in a calender roll, characterized in that the heat belt is a PPS belt.

4. 4. The heat belt for use in a calender roll according to claim 3, characterized in that, in addition to the heat belt of the first unit, the heat belt can also be used for the heat belt provided in only the second unit or at least one unit adjacent to the second unit toward the nth unit, among the units arranged side by side with the first unit.

5. 5. The heat belt for use in a calender roll according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the heat belt has a configuration in which a plurality of heat belt elements each having a narrower width are arranged side by side, and a PPS belt is used for a plurality of heat belt elements arranged between the heat belt elements except for at least the heat belt elements at both ends in the width direction that constitute the heat belt.

6. 6. A shaking tumbler for loosening lumps of laundry taken out from a dehydrating / drying machine disposed on the inlet side of the calender roll as a device prior to the loading of laundry, for flattening the laundry so that the laundry can be loaded onto the calender roll, the PPS belt having optimal dimensions and positional relationship so that the PPS belt and the heating cylinder can cooperate to iron the laundry without wrinkles, the laundry still containing moisture and water when the laundry is loosened without applying steam for drying.

7. 6. A heat belt for use in a calender roll according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the entire surface of the PPS belt or the PPS heat belt element constituting the PPS belt is subjected to a surface treatment with a polycarbonate-based resin material, for example polyurethane, in order to improve the grip force of the PPS belt or the PPS heat belt element constituting the PPS belt when they come into contact with the heat cylinder.

8. 10. A PPS heat belt element having the same dimensions as a damaged heat belt element and having been subjected to the resin surface treatment according to claim 7, in order to enable replacement of only the damaged part of the aramid fiber heat belt element when the aramid fiber heat belt element is damaged in a calender roll using the heat belt element constituting a conventional aramid fiber heat belt.

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