Hair transplant device

Abstract

This system can handle situations where hair for transplantation remains held in the gripping mechanism. [Solution] The system comprises a base support mechanism 30 that supports a base material J, a hair holding mechanism 68 that holds hair for implantation M on one side of the base material, and a hair implantation section 20 that ties the held hair for implantation to the base material with hooks 211 to 231. The hair holding mechanism has a first gripping mechanism 69 and a second gripping mechanism 70 that individually grip the hair for implantation. The first gripping mechanism 69 includes two sliding plates 692 and 693 that slidably grip the hair for implantation, an elastic body 694 that applies gripping pressure to the two sliding plates, and a release mechanism 72 that opens the two sliding plates to release the hair for implantation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a hair implanting device.

Background Art

[0002] In order to manufacture wigs and hairpieces, a conventional hair implanting device for implanting hair for hair implantation onto a base material includes a base holding mechanism for holding a mesh-shaped base material, a supply device for supplying hair for hair implantation in a straightly extended state above the base material, and a plurality of capturing mechanisms for capturing the hair for hair implantation with crochet needles and binding it to the base material (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The supply device holds one end and the other end of the hair for hair implantation with two holding mechanisms in order to supply the hair for hair implantation to the hair implantation position of the base material in a straightly extended state. One holding mechanism can hold and release one end of the hair for hair implantation by an air cylinder, and the other holding mechanism holds the other end of the hair for hair implantation with a pair of sliding plates receiving spring pressure. The hair for hair implantation held by the two holding mechanisms is locked to the crochet needle and drawn into the mesh holes of the base material to form a loop, or passed through the loop by the crochet needle and bound. For this reason, when one holding mechanism receives a certain tension, it is convenient that the hair for hair implantation can slide and be pulled out.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the conventional hair transplantation device described above, the gripping mechanism that slidably holds one end of the hair to be transplanted is intended to be ultimately pulled out by a hook. Therefore, if a locking error occurs with the hook or the hair to be transplanted is accidentally cut, the hair to be transplanted remains gripped by the gripping mechanism, making it impossible to grip the next hair to be transplanted, and thus preventing the work from continuing.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a hair transplantation device that can handle situations where hair for transplantation remains held in the gripping mechanism. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In a hair implantation device, A base support mechanism that supports the base material, A hair-holding mechanism that holds hair for implantation on one side of the supported base material, The device comprises a hair implantation section that uses hooks to tie the hair implantation hair, which is held by the hair holding mechanism, to the base material, The hair holding mechanism has a first gripping mechanism and a second gripping mechanism for individually gripping the hair for implantation, The first gripping mechanism is characterized by comprising two sliding plates that slidably grip the hair for implantation, an elastic body that applies gripping pressure to the two sliding plates, and a release mechanism that opens the two sliding plates to release the hair for implantation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The above configuration allows for proper handling of situations where the hair for transplantation remains held in the gripping mechanism. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a hair implantation device, which is an embodiment of the invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the control system of a hair transplant device. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of a hair transplant device. [Figure 4] Another perspective view of the hair implanting device. [Figure 5] Yet another perspective view of the hair implanting device. [Figure 6] A plan view of the base stage. [Figure 7] A perspective view of the base stage. [Figure 8] A front view of the clamping device with the clamping plate in the raised position. [Figure 9] A front view of the clamping device with the clamping plate in the weak clamping position. [Figure 10] A front view of the clamping device with the clamping plate in the strong clamping position. [Figure 11] A perspective view of the hair supply device and the hair holding mechanism. [Figure 12] A right side view of the hair supply device and the hair holding mechanism. [Figure 13] A perspective view of the hair holding mechanism. [Figure 14] A plan view of the hair holding mechanism. [Figure 15] An explanatory diagram of the operation of the hair holding mechanism in plan view. [Figure 16] An explanatory diagram of the operation of the hair holding mechanism in plan view following Fig. 15. [Figure 17] Fig. 17(A) is an explanatory diagram of the bonding operation of the hair for implantation in right side view, and Fig. 17(B) is an explanatory diagram of the bonding operation of the hair for implantation in rear view. [Figure 18] Fig. 18(A) is an explanatory diagram of the bonding operation of the hair for implantation in right side view, and Fig. 18(B) is an explanatory diagram of the bonding operation of the hair for implantation in rear view. [Figure 19] Fig. 19(A) is an explanatory diagram of the bonding operation of the hair for implantation in right side view, and Fig. 19(B) is an explanatory diagram of the bonding operation of the hair for implantation in rear view. [Figure 20] A flowchart showing the overall flow of the operation control of the hair implanting work. [Figure 21] A flowchart showing the control of the supply operation of the hair for implantation included in the process of the hair implanting operation.

Embodiment for Carrying out the Invention

[0009] [Overall Configuration of Embodiment of Invention] Hereinafter, referring to the drawings, the hair implanting device 10 which is an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. FIG. 1 is a front view showing the schematic configuration of the hair implanting device 10, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing its control system, and FIGS. 3 to 5 are perspective views of the hair implanting device 10 seen from different directions. This hair implanting device 10 is for manufacturing wigs and hairpieces, and is for reducing the work burden and smoothly implanting the hair M for hair implanting onto the base material J. The hair M for hair implanting is not limited to human hair, and targets all other fibers imitating human hair including natural fibers and artificial fibers. The base material J is not limited to fibrous materials, and includes all sheet-like materials having a planar or curved surface. In this embodiment, a curved surface (substantially spherical shell shape) sheet imitating the shape of the human head top having hexagonal lattice-shaped mesh holes is exemplified. Note that the shape of the mesh holes does not have to be hexagonal.

[0010] As shown in the figure, the hair implantation device 10 includes a base stage 30 as a base support mechanism on which the base material J is placed, a feed device 40 that moves the placed base material J in one direction (the X-axis direction) and in a direction perpendicular to it (the Y-axis direction) on its mounting surface, a clamp device 50 that holds the base material J placed on the base stage 30 from above, a hair holding mechanism 68 that holds the hair for implantation M on one side (for example, the top surface) of the base material J supported on the base stage 30, a hair supply device 74 that supplies the hair for implantation M to the hair holding mechanism 68, and a mesh hole H that holds the hair for implantation M held by the hair holding mechanism 68. The device includes a first capture mechanism 21 that pulls the hair M for implantation through 1 to the back side (bottom side) of the base material J to form a loop, a looper mechanism 24 that expands the loop (see Figures 17(A) to 19(B)), a second capture mechanism 22 that pulls the loop of the hair M for implantation on the back side of the base material J through the adjacent mesh hole H2 to the front side (top side) of the base material J, a third capture mechanism 23 that pulls one end of the hair M for implantation into a small loop on the front side of the hair M for implantation and ties it between the mesh holes H1 and H2, and a moving mechanism 25 that performs relative movement between the base material J and the hooks 211 to 231 of the first to third capture mechanisms 21 to 23.

[0011] Furthermore, the hair implantation device 10 includes a camera 11 as an imaging unit for imaging the placed base material J, a position switching mechanism 28 for holding the camera 11 and the first capture mechanism 21 and switching their positions, a wiper mechanism 61 for discharging the implanted hair M, which has been inserted into the upper opening 511 of the clamp plate 51 (described later), to the outside of the upper opening 511, an auxiliary clamp mechanism 62 for auxiliaryly holding the base material J placed on the base stage 30, a correction mechanism 63 for correcting the orientation of the base material J on the base stage 30, a first blower mechanism 64 for blowing air to move the implanted hair M on the base material J in a predetermined direction, a second blower mechanism 65 for blowing air to press the base material J towards the base stage 30, a control device 100 for controlling the operation of each of the above components, a base 12 for directly or indirectly supporting each of the above components, and a cover (not shown) for housing the entire hair implantation device 10.

[0012] In the following explanation, the mounting surface on which the base material J is placed is horizontal. One side in the Y-axis direction parallel to the mounting surface is referred to as the "left" side, and the other as the "right" side. One side in the X-axis direction parallel to the mounting surface is referred to as the "front" side (the front side in the vertical direction of Figure 1), and the other as the "back" side (the back side in the vertical direction of Figure 1). The vertical up and down direction perpendicular to the X-axis and Y-axis directions is referred to as the Z-axis direction, with one side referred to as the "up" side and the other as the "down" side.

[0013] [Base and moving mechanism] As shown in Figure 1, the base 12 is a flat plate that directly or indirectly supports the entire structure of the hair implantation device 10. When the hair implantation device 10 is installed on a horizontal surface, the upper surface of the base 12 is horizontal. The base 12 directly supports the aforementioned first capture mechanism 21, second capture mechanism 22, third capture mechanism 23, position switching mechanism 28 that supports the camera 11, looper mechanism 24, wiper mechanism 61, auxiliary clamp mechanism 62, correction mechanism 63, and first blower mechanism 64. Furthermore, "directly supported" means that it is installed without the use of a mechanism for movement and that its position in a plan view does not change.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the moving mechanism 25 includes an X-axis stage 26 installed on the upper surface of the base 12 and a Y-axis stage 27 installed on the X-axis stage 26. The X-axis stage 26 includes a stage plate 261 whose upper surface is parallel to the XY plane, a slide guide 262 that supports the stage plate 261 so that it can slide along the X-axis direction relative to the base 12, and a linear motion mechanism (not shown) that allows the stage plate 261 to be moved and positioned arbitrarily in the X-axis direction. The linear motion mechanism includes an X-axis motor 263 consisting of a ball screw mechanism and a servo motor that serves as its drive source.

[0015] The Y-axis stage 27 includes a stage plate 271 whose upper surface is parallel to the XY plane, a slide guide 272 that supports the stage plate 271 so that it can slide along the Y-axis direction relative to the stage plate 261 of the X-axis stage 26, and a linear motion mechanism (not shown) that allows the stage plate 271 to be moved and positioned arbitrarily in the Y-axis direction. The linear motion mechanism includes a ball screw mechanism and a Y-axis motor 273 which consists of a servo motor that serves as its drive source.

[0016] The base stage 30, the feed device 40, the clamping device 50, and the second blower mechanism 65 are directly supported on the stage plate 271 of the Y-axis stage 27. The moving mechanism 25, in cooperation with the X-axis stage 26 and the Y-axis stage 27, can position the base material J on the base stage 30 at any position in the XY plane.

[0017] Furthermore, the linear motion mechanisms of the X-axis stage 26 and the Y-axis stage 27 are not limited to ball screw mechanisms; any mechanism capable of arbitrarily positioning the stage plate 261 or 271 along the X-axis or Y-axis direction is acceptable. For example, the linear motion of the stage plate 261 or 271 may be achieved using a pinion-rack mechanism and a servo motor, or the stage plate 261 or 271 may be moved linearly by a linear motor.

[0018] [Bass Stage] Figure 6 is a plan view of the base stage 30, and Figure 7 is a perspective view. As shown in the figure, the base stage 30 has a base plate 32 supported by four support columns 31 (one is not shown) erected on the Y-axis stage 27 of the moving mechanism 25, a tower-shaped erected section 33 provided on the upper surface of the base plate 32, and a mounting plate 34 as a mounting section provided at the upper end of the erected section 33.

[0019] The erected portion 33 is erected in the center of the base plate 32 in a plan view. The mounting plate 34, provided at the upper end of the upright section 33, is a roughly rectangular frame-like body, with a roughly rectangular working opening 341 formed roughly in the center. The upper surface of the mounting plate 34 is a mounting surface parallel to the XY plane. During the hair implantation process, the base material J is placed and supported on the mounting surface, which is the upper surface of the mounting plate 34. The mounting plate 34 is smaller than the base material J, and the lower surface of the base material J is placed on the mounting plate 34 in partial contact with it. When attaching the hair M for implantation to the base material J, it is necessary to insert the hook of the first capture mechanism 21 into the mesh hole from the underside of the base material J, and this insertion of the hook is done through the working opening 341 of the mounting plate 34. The attachment operation of the hair M for implantation by the second and third capture mechanisms 22 and 23 is also performed within the range of the working opening 341 of the mounting plate 34.

[0020] [Feeding device] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the feed device 40 has a pair of X-axis roller mechanisms 41, 41 arranged on both sides in the X-axis direction with the mounting plate 34 in a plan view on the base plate 32 of the base stage 30, and a pair of Y-axis roller mechanisms 42, 42 arranged on both sides in the Y-axis direction with the mounting plate 34 in a plan view.

[0021] Each X-axis roller mechanism 41 includes a roller 411 that contacts a base material J placed on the mounting surface of the mounting plate 34 from below, an X-axis feed motor 412 that serves as the rotational drive source for the roller 411, a support bracket 413 that supports the roller 411 and the X-axis feed motor 412, two slide guides 414 that support the support bracket 413 on the base plate 32 so that it can move up and down along the Z-axis direction, two coil springs 415 that act as elastic members that press the support bracket 413 upward, and a retraction air cylinder 416 that pulls the support bracket 413 downward against the coil springs 415.

[0022] The X-axis feed motor 412, supported by the support bracket 413, imparts feed rotation to the rotation axis of the roller 411 via a transmission mechanism consisting of a pulley and a timing belt, from its output shaft. Both the output shaft of the X-axis feed motor 412 and the rotation axis of the roller 411 are arranged to align with the Y-axis direction. Therefore, when the roller 411 is rotated while in contact from below with the base material J placed on the mounting surface of the mounting plate 34, the base material J can be fed in the X-axis direction.

[0023] Each Y-axis roller mechanism 42 includes a roller 421 that contacts the base material J placed on the mounting surface of the mounting plate 34 from below, a Y-axis feed motor 422 that serves as the rotational drive source for the roller 421, a support bracket 423 that supports the roller 421 and the Y-axis feed motor 422, a slide guide 424 that supports the support bracket 423 on the base plate 32 so that it can move up and down along the Z-axis direction, a coil spring 425 as an elastic member that presses the support bracket 423 upward, and a retractable air cylinder 426 that pulls the support bracket 423 downward against the coil spring 425.

[0024] The Y-axis feed motor 422, supported by the support bracket 423, imparts feed rotation to the rotation axis of the roller 421 via a transmission mechanism consisting of a pulley and a timing belt, from its output shaft. Both the output shaft of the Y-axis feed motor 422 and the rotation axis of the roller 421 are arranged to align with the X-axis direction. Therefore, when the roller 421 is rotated while in contact from below with the base material J placed on the mounting surface of the mounting plate 34, the base material J can be fed in the Y-axis direction.

[0025] When the retractable air cylinders 416 and 426 are not pulling the support brackets 413 and 423 downward, and the coil springs 415 and 425 are pushing the support brackets 413 and 423 up to their highest position, the height of the upper end of each roller 411 and 421 is set to coincide with the height of the mounting surface (top surface) of the mounting plate 34, or to be slightly lower than the mounting surface of the mounting plate 34. Each roller 411 and 421 at this height is defined as the "feed position". In contrast, when the retraction air cylinders 416 and 426 pull the support brackets 413 and 423 downwards, the height of the upper ends of each roller 411 and 421 is lowered to a height where it does not reach the lower surface of the base material J placed on the mounting plate 34, and the feeding operation cannot be performed. Each roller 411 and 421 at this height is called the "retracted position".

[0026] Then, when the pair of X-axis roller mechanisms 41 are in the feeding position and the pair of Y-axis roller mechanisms 42 are in the retracted position, and the rollers 411 of the pair of X-axis roller mechanisms 41 are rotated in the same direction, a transport force in the X-axis direction can be applied to the base material J from both sides of the mounting plate 34. Furthermore, when the pair of Y-axis roller mechanisms 42 are in the feeding position and the pair of X-axis roller mechanisms 41 are in the retracted position, and the rollers 421 of the pair of Y-axis roller mechanisms 42 are rotated in the same direction, a conveying force in the Y-axis direction can be applied to the base material J from both sides of the mounting plate 34. Thus, the X-axis roller mechanism 41 and the Y-axis roller mechanism 42 do not operate simultaneously, but instead perform transport in the X-axis direction and transport in the Y-axis direction separately.

[0027] Furthermore, when the rollers 411 of the pair of X-axis roller mechanisms 41 located at the feed position are driven to rotate in the opposite direction, separating the base material J from each other, tension in the X-axis direction can be applied to the base material J on the mounting plate 34, thereby suppressing sagging. Furthermore, when the rollers 421 of the pair of Y-axis roller mechanisms 42 located at the feed position are driven to rotate in the opposite direction, separating the base material J from each other, tension in the Y-axis direction can be applied to the base material J on the mounting plate 34, thereby suppressing sagging. Hereinafter, the motion control that applies tension to the base material J in each direction using a pair of X-axis roller mechanisms 41 or a pair of Y-axis roller mechanisms 42 will be referred to as "tension application control".

[0028] The aforementioned moving mechanism 25 is used to move the base material J together with the mounting plate 34 during the hair implantation work in which hair implantation hair M is attached to the base material J, and to position each mesh hole of the base material J within the range of the working opening 341 relative to the hooks of the first to third capture mechanisms 21 to 23. In contrast, the feeding device 40 is used to move the base material J relative to the mounting plate 34, and to move the portion of the base material J that faces the working opening 341 of the mounting plate 34 to a different position within the base material J. Therefore, the movement of the base material J by the moving mechanism 25 is precisely controlled with a much smaller amount of movement compared to the movement of the base material J by the feeding device 40.

[0029] In the example shown, the intersecting roller mechanisms 41 and 42 are configured to feed in the mutually orthogonal X-axis and Y-axis directions, respectively. However, they are not limited to orthogonal configurations; they may also be configured to feed in two diagonally intersecting directions.

[0030] The base stage 30 is equipped with a cover member 35 that covers the base stage 30 and the feed device 40. The cover member 35 has a roughly convex polyhedral shape at its upper end, and the center of the upper end is widely cut out so that the upper parts of each roller 411, 421 and the mounting plate 34 are exposed upwards. The upper end of the base stage 30 may be a polyhedral shape closer to a spherical shell, or it may be roughly spherical. The cover member 35 prevents the base material J placed on the mounting plate 34 from directly contacting components other than the rollers 411 and 421 of the feeding device 40 or the corners of the base plate 32, thereby enabling the feeding operation of the base material J by the feeding device 40 to proceed smoothly. Note that the cover member 35 is not shown in Figure 1, except in Figure 1.

[0031] [Clamping device] As shown in Figures 1, 3 to 5, the clamping device 50 includes a clamp plate (clamping member) 51 made of a long, flat plate in the Y-axis direction located above the base stage 30, a pair of support bases 52 erected on the upper surface of the stage plate 271 of the Y-axis stage 27 and individually supporting both ends of the clamp plate 51, a slide guide 53 that allows the clamp plate 51 to be raised and lowered relative to each support base 52, a clamping air cylinder 54 as a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the clamp plate 51, and a coil spring 55 as an elastic member provided between each support base 52 and the clamp plate 51 to press the clamp plate 51 upward. Since the clamping device 50 is supported on the stage plate 271 of the Y-axis stage 27, it moves in the XY direction together with the base stage 30 by the moving mechanism 25.

[0032] The clamp plate 51 has an upper opening 511 formed vertically through it, which is approximately the same shape and size as the working opening 341 of the mounting plate 34, directly above the working opening 341. At the lower limit of its vertical movement, the clamp plate 51 can bring its lower surface into contact with the mounting surface of the mounting plate 34. By lowering the clamp plate 51 to its lower limit, it can clamp the base material J placed on the mounting plate 34 from above and hold it in place.

[0033] Furthermore, at the lower limit of the lifting and lowering movement, the working opening 341 and the upper opening 511 of the mounting plate 34 can be aligned at approximately the same position in a plan view. The aforementioned second and third capture mechanisms 22 and 23 are positioned above the clamp plate 51 and extend their hooks downward to perform the action of attaching the hair implantation hair M within the working opening 341 of the base material J via the upper opening 511.

[0034] Furthermore, four contact plates 512 are provided on all four sides of the upper opening 511 on the lower surface of the clamp plate 51, each contacting the outer circumference of each roller 411, 421 individually. The lower surface of each contact plate 512 is lower than the lower surface of the clamp plate 51, and contacts the upper part of each roller 411, 421 just before it descends to the lower limit position of the clamp plate 51's vertical movement. In this way, by lowering the clamp plate 51 to a position just before the lower limit position, the base material J on the mounting plate 34 can be brought into appropriate contact with each roller 411, 421, and the feeding operation by the pair of X-axis roller mechanisms 41 or the pair of Y-axis roller mechanisms 42 can be performed smoothly.

[0035] Figures 8 to 10 are front views of the clamping device 50 with different heights of the clamping plate 51. Figure 8 shows the state in which the clamp plate 51 is in the upper position, which is the upper limit of its lifting and lowering movement, due to the rising pressure of each clamp air cylinder 54. In this state, the lower surface of the clamp plate 51 is far away from the mounting surface of the mounting plate 34. In the raised position, the base material J on the mounting plate 34 is released from the clamped state. Since the clamp plate 51 in the raised position is far enough away from the mounting plate 34, it can sweep away the hair M for implantation through the wiper member 611 of the wiper mechanism 61, which will be described later.

[0036] Each clamp air cylinder 54 is equipped with a regulator 56 in the supply path from the air pressure source, and the control device 100 can control each clamp air cylinder 54 to apply air pressure in two stages, high and low, to lower the clamp plate 51. Figure 9 shows the state of the clamp plate 51 when the downward pressure of each clamp air cylinder 54 is low, and Figure 10 shows the state of the clamp plate 51 when the downward pressure of each clamp air cylinder 54 is high.

[0037] As shown in Figure 9, when the downward pressure of each clamping air cylinder 54 is low, the lowered clamp plate 51 cannot withstand the upward pressing force received from the coil spring 55, creating a gap d between the lower surface of the clamp plate 51 and the mounting surface of the mounting plate 34. As a result, the base material J is either not restrained by the clamp or the clamping force is small. The height of the clamp plate 51 at this time is defined as the weak clamping position. On the other hand, in this weak clamping position, each contact plate 512 of the clamping plate 51 either contacts each roller 411, 421 or forms a very narrow gap with each roller 411, 421. Therefore, when the base material J is placed on the mounting plate 34, the base material J is pressed by each contact plate 512 and contacts each roller 411, 421 with an appropriate contact force, allowing the feeding operation by the pair of X-axis roller mechanisms 41 or the pair of Y-axis roller mechanisms 42 to be performed smoothly.

[0038] In contrast, as shown in Figure 10, when the downward pressure of each clamping air cylinder 54 is high, the lowered clamp plate 51 can press against the mounting surface of the mounting plate 34 against the coil spring 55. Therefore, when the base material J is placed on the mounting plate 34, the base material J is firmly gripped by the clamp plate 51 and the mounting plate 34 and fixed in place with a large restraining force. The height of the clamp plate 51 at this time is defined as the strong clamping position.

[0039] Furthermore, a lighting device 57 is mounted on the upper surface of the clamp plate 51. This lighting device 57 illuminates the upper opening 511 from above when the camera 11, described later, images the base material J from below the mounting plate 34 through the work opening 341. When not imaging, this lighting device 57 is retracted to one end of the clamp plate 51, and when imaging is performed, it moves directly above the upper opening 511 by an actuator (not shown) and projects light downwards.

[0040] [Hair supply device] Figure 11 is a perspective view of the hair supply device 74 and the hair retention mechanism 68, and Figure 12 is a right side view. The hair supply device 74 is installed on the base 12 in a position to the left front of the base stage 30. The hair supply device 74 inserts a spatula member near the upper end of a bundle Mb of countless hairs for implantation M held along the vertical direction, separating several strands of hair M for implantation. Furthermore, by rotating the spatula member, the device can tilt the separated strands of hair M for implantation so that their upper ends face backward. Furthermore, the hair supply device 74 is equipped with a head 741 that sucks up the tip of one of the multiple tilted hairs M for implantation and grips it internally, and the head 741 is transported in the rearward direction in the X-axis direction, allowing one hair M for implantation to be pulled straight backward. The symbol Mp in Figure 11 indicates the target position for pulling out the hair M for implantation that the head 741 of the hair supply device 74 is aiming for. The hair supply device 74 is equipped with a gripping mechanism (not shown) that grips the front end of the hair for implantation M that the head 741 has pulled out to the pulling position Mp.

[0041] [Hair retention mechanism] Figure 13 is a perspective view of the hair retention mechanism 68, Figure 14 is a plan view, and Figures 15 and 16 are diagrams illustrating the operation in plan view. As shown in Figures 11 to 16, the hair retention mechanism 68 is installed on the base 12 in a position behind the hair supply device 74 and to the left of the base stage 30. The hair holding mechanism 68 includes a first gripping mechanism 69 and a second gripping mechanism 70 that grip both ends of the hair for implantation M, a transport mechanism 71 that supports these and transports them along the Y-axis, and a recovery device 75 for hair for implantation M that remains in the first gripping mechanism 69 due to an error or the like.

[0042] The transport mechanism 71 includes a flat, movable body 711 aligned with the XY plane, a long, flat support 712 erected at the right end of the movable body 711, a pair of slide rails 713 provided at the front and rear ends of the movable body 711 aligned with the Y axis, a slide base 714 that supports each slide rail 713 so as to be slidable along the Y axis, an endless annular feed belt 715 stretched between two sprockets along the Y axis, and a feed motor 716 as an actuator for transporting the feed belt 715.

[0043] The support 712 supports the first gripping mechanism 69 and the second gripping mechanism 70 in a front-to-back arrangement in the right-hand plane. The movable body 711 that holds the support 712 is provided with two slide bases 714 for each slide rail 713, and each slide base 714 is fixedly supported by a support plate (not shown) provided on the upper side of the movable body 711. The movable body 711 is also connected to a feed belt 715 and is transported by a feed motor 716 with an arbitrary amount of movement. This allows the transport mechanism 71 to arbitrarily move and position the first gripping mechanism 69 and the second gripping mechanism 70 along the Y-axis.

[0044] The first gripping mechanism 69 has a structure similar to that of a thread tension device mounted on a sewing machine. Specifically, the first gripping mechanism 69 comprises a bracket 691 supported on a support 712, two disc-shaped sliding plates 692 and 693 that slidably grip the hair M for hair implantation, a coil spring 694 as an elastic body that applies gripping pressure to the two sliding plates 692 and 693, a support shaft 695 that supports the sliding plates 692 and 693 and the coil spring 694, an adjusting body 696 that adjusts the gripping pressure, and a release mechanism 72 that switches the gripping state of the first gripping mechanism 69 to a released state.

[0045] The bracket 691 is a member that, when viewed from the front, is roughly L-shaped, having a vertical plate portion fixedly connected to the front right side of the support 712 by bolts or the like, and an extension portion extending to the right from the lower end of the vertical plate portion. The extension of the bracket 691 is flat along the XY plane, and a support shaft 695 is erected at its right end along the Z-axis direction.

[0046] The two sliding plates 692 and 693 have through holes formed in their centers, into which a support shaft 695 is inserted. The two sliding plates 692 and 693 are supported so as to be movable along the support shaft 695 while overlapping each other vertically. Furthermore, the outer edges of both the sliding plates 692 and 693 are slightly curved outwards around their entire circumference, creating gaps between them.

[0047] The support shaft 695 is erected along the Z-axis direction and supports the coil spring 694, sliding plate 692, and sliding plate 693 in that order from top to bottom. The two sliding plates 692 and 693 are held in place by the spring pressure of the coil spring 694, with their centers pressed against each other.

[0048] A male thread is formed on the outer circumference of the upper end of the support shaft 695. The adjuster 696 is nut-shaped and screws onto the male thread at the upper end of the support shaft 695. By screwing this adjuster 696 onto the support shaft 695 and rotating it, the amount of expansion and contraction of the coil spring 694 changes, and the gripping pressure of the two sliding plates 692 and 693 can be adjusted.

[0049] The two sliding plates 692 and 693 are designed to hold the hair for implantation M between them, and it is desirable to adjust the gripping pressure of the two sliding plates 692 and 693 to such an extent that the hair for implantation M can be pulled out by sliding when pulled with tension within a range that does not stretch or break the hair. Furthermore, it is desirable that the two sliding plates 692 and 693 be made of metal or resin plates that have sliding properties so as to create sliding contact with the hair M used for hair implantation. Furthermore, since the outer circumferences of both sliding plates 692 and 693 are curved upwards, hair M for implantation can be easily pushed between them from their outer circumferences.

[0050] The head 741 of the aforementioned hair supply device 74 can pull out one strand of hair for implantation M to a pull-out position Mp that is behind the first gripping mechanism 69 and the second gripping mechanism 70. This pull-out position Mp is to the right of the retracted position where the first gripping mechanism 69 and the second gripping mechanism 70 are at their leftmost position due to the transport mechanism 71. Furthermore, the height of the hair for implantation M pulled out by the head 741 of the hair supply device 74 coincides with the height between the two sliding plates 692 and 693. Therefore, when the first gripping mechanism 69 is transported to the right from the retracted position by the transport mechanism 71, it can receive and grip the hair M for hair implantation between the two sliding plates 692 and 693.

[0051] The release mechanism 72 includes an insertion plate 73 that can be inserted between the two sliding plates 692 and 693 of the first gripping mechanism 69, a support member 721 that supports the insertion plate 73, a slide shaft 722 extending to the left from the support member 721, a sleeve 723 provided on the movable body 711 that supports the slide shaft 722 so as to be slidable along the Y-axis, and a release air cylinder 724 that imparts a reciprocating motion to the insertion plate 73 along the Y-axis through the support member 721.

[0052] The insertion plate 73 is positioned to the left of the first gripping mechanism 69, with the plate resting on the upper surface of the extension portion of the bracket 691 mentioned above. The insertion plate 73 is a rectangular flat plate aligned with the XY plane, and a notch 731 is formed by a large, roughly U-shaped cutout extending from its right end to the left. An insertion portion 732 is formed along the inner edge of the U-shaped notch 731. This insertion portion 732 is formed as a plate with a thinner thickness in the Z-axis direction compared to other parts of the insertion plate 73. Furthermore, the insertion portion 732 has an inclined surface 732a formed on its right end, which becomes even thinner towards the right. The height of the tip of the inclined surface 732a of the insertion portion 732 is set to match the height between the two sliding plates 692 and 693, by the portion of the insertion plate 73 other than the insertion portion 732. Therefore, as shown in Figures 15 and 16, when the insertion plate 73 moves to the right on the upper surface of the extension of the bracket 691, the tip of the inclined surface 732a of the insertion portion 732 easily enters between the two sliding plates 692 and 693, the entire insertion portion 732 is inserted, and the two sliding plates 692 and 693 can be separated against the spring pressure of the coil spring 694 to form a gap. This allows the hair M for hair implantation, which is gripped by the two sliding plates 692 and 693, to be released from the gripped state.

[0053] Furthermore, the insertion portion 732 of the insertion plate 73 is formed over a range approximately equal to the diameter of each sliding plate 692, 693, extending from the right end of the insertion plate 73 to the left. Therefore, as shown in Figure 16, when the insertion plate 73 moves to its maximum extent to the right, the tip of the insertion plate 73 can feed out the hair for implantation M from the entire range between the two sliding plates 692, 693 to the right and discharge it. In this case, the roughly U-shaped notch 731 is cut out to a extent that does not interfere with the support shaft 695 of the first gripping mechanism 69.

[0054] The release air cylinder 724 is fixedly mounted on the upper surface of the movable body 711 with its plunger facing to the right, and the tip of the plunger is fixedly connected to the left side of the support member 721 by passing through the support member 721 and the bracket 691 of the first gripping mechanism 69. Since the support member 721 is also connected to the upper end of its left side to the slide shaft 722, it is supported by two axes, and the support member 721 and the insertion plate 73 can move along the Y-axis while maintaining a stable posture.

[0055] As shown in Figure 13, the second gripping mechanism 70 includes a frame 701 fixedly supported on a support 712, two gripping members 702 and 703 for gripping hair M for hair implantation, and gripping air cylinders 704 and 705 which serve as lifting actuators for individually raising and lowering each gripping member 702 and 703.

[0056] The frame 701 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the side, and gripping air cylinders 704 and 705 are mounted on its upper surface. Both gripping members 702 and 703 have a flat extension that extends to the right. The gripping members 702 and 703 are supported by the frame 701 such that the lower surface of the extension of gripping member 702 and the upper surface of the extension of gripping member 703 are aligned vertically and facing each other.

[0057] The upper gripping member 702 is supported by a gripping air cylinder 704, which allows it to be switched between an upper and lower position. Similarly, the lower gripping member 703 is supported by a gripping air cylinder 705 so that it can be switched between an upper and lower position. Furthermore, when the upper gripping member 702 is in the lower position and the lower gripping member 703 is in the upper position, the lower surface of the extension of the upper gripping member 702 and the upper surface of the extension of the lower gripping member 703 are pressed together by the gripping air cylinders 704 and 705, allowing the hair for implantation M to be gripped more strongly from above and below than the first gripping mechanism 69. Furthermore, both the lower surface of the extension of the upper gripping member 702 and the upper surface of the extension of the lower gripping member 703 are treated with an anti-slip coating. Unlike the case of the first gripping mechanism 69, the hair M for hair implantation held by the second gripping mechanism 70 is less likely to fall out.

[0058] As shown in Figure 14, the first gripping mechanism 69 and the second gripping mechanism 70 can be arbitrarily positioned along the Y-axis direction by the transport mechanism 71. The first gripping mechanism 69 and the second gripping mechanism 70 are set to the "retracted position P0," which is the limit of their leftward movement, at the position indicated by the solid line in Figure 14. The first gripping mechanism 69 and the second gripping mechanism 70 wait at the "retracted position P0" when the work of attaching the hair M for hair implantation to the base material J (joining work) begins, and return to the "retracted position P0" after the work is completed.

[0059] Furthermore, the first gripping mechanism 69 and the second gripping mechanism 70 are positioned at a location indicated by a dashed line, slightly to the right of the "retracted position P0," which is designated as the "receiving position P1" where they receive the hair for implantation M that the aforementioned hair supply device 74 has pulled out to the pulling position Mp. At this "receiving position P1," the first gripping mechanism 69 automatically inserts the hair for implantation M between the two sliding plates 692 and 693 as it moves to the right, and enters a gripping state. The second gripping mechanism 70, using gripping air cylinders 704 and 705, moves the upper gripping member 702 from the upper position to the lower position and the lower gripping member 703 from the lower position to the upper position, and enters a gripping state of the hair for implantation M. The hair for hair transplantation M is held between the first gripping mechanism 69 and the second gripping mechanism 70 in a position aligned with the Y-axis direction.

[0060] Furthermore, the first gripping mechanism 69 and the second gripping mechanism 70 are positioned to the right of the "receiving position P1" and the position indicated by the dashed line is designated as the "supply position P2". "Supply position P2" is the position where the hair for implantation M, gripped by the first gripping mechanism 69 and the second gripping mechanism 70, aligns with the center of the upper opening 511 of the clamp plate 51 in a plan view. At this "supply position P2," the hair for implantation M is tied (bonded) to the base material J.

[0061] Furthermore, the first gripping mechanism 69 and the second gripping mechanism 70 have a "recovery position P3" which is a position between the "receiving position P1" and the "supply position P2" in the Y-axis direction. "Recovery position P3" is the position where the hair for transplantation M is recovered from the first gripping mechanism 69 if it is accidentally cut or mis-captured during the hair transplantation attachment process. A hair grafting hair M retrieval device 75 is positioned near the front of the first gripping mechanism 69 at "retrieval position P3". At the "recovery position P3", the first gripping mechanism 69 activates the release mechanism 72 to open the two sliding plates 692 and 693, and if any hair for implantation M remains, it is discharged to the outside by the insertion plate 73.

[0062] The recovery device 75 includes a suction nozzle 751 that expands toward the rear, an intake blower 752 (see Figure 2) connected to the suction nozzle 751, and a trap (not shown) consisting of a mesh or the like for repairing the hair M used for hair implantation, which is provided between the suction nozzle 751 and the intake blower 752. The recovery device 75 drives the intake blower 752 when the release mechanism 72 is activated, and if there is any hair M for hair implantation discharged from the first gripping mechanism 69, it sucks it up and recovers it.

[0063] Furthermore, since the second gripping mechanism 70 releases the gripped hair at the "supply position P2," if the hair for implantation M is accidentally cut, the cut end of the hair for implantation M on the second gripping mechanism 70 side will be released at the "supply position P2." Therefore, taking such cases into consideration, a recovery device 75 may also be placed near the second gripping mechanism 70 at the "supply position P2."

[0064] [Hair transplant area] The first to third capture mechanisms 21 to 23 and the looper mechanism 24 constitute the hair implantation section 20, which ties and connects the hair M for implantation to the base material J. The first to third capture mechanisms 21 to 23 each include hooks 211 to 231 with barbs near their tips, a ball screw mechanism (not shown) for moving the hooks forward and backward, and a capture motor (not shown) that serves as the driving source for the vertical movement of the hooks 211 to 231.

[0065] The first capture mechanism 21 is positioned below the working opening 341 of the mounting plate 34 with the hook 211 facing vertically upward. The mounting plate 34 is movable in the XY direction by the aforementioned moving mechanism 25. The first capture mechanism 21 is positioned on the base 12 such that, in a plan view, the center position of the working opening 341 and the hook 211 overlap when the mounting plate 34 is positioned at a preset reference position by the moving mechanism 25.

[0066] The second capture mechanism 22 is positioned above the upper opening 511 of the clamp plate 51, with the hook 221 facing vertically downward. The hook 221 of the second capture mechanism 22 is positioned on the base 12 so that, in a plan view, it is slightly to the left of the hook 211 of the first capture mechanism 21. More precisely, the second capture mechanism 22 is supported by a support plate (not shown) erected on the base 12. The second capture mechanism 22 is also equipped with an actuator for rotating the hook 221. The first and third capture mechanisms 21 and 23 may similarly be equipped with actuators for rotating the hooks 211 and 231.

[0067] The third capture mechanism 23 is positioned above the upper opening 511 of the clamp plate 51 and behind the second capture mechanism 22, with the hook 231 facing diagonally downward and forward. The hook 231 of the third capture mechanism 23 is positioned on the base 12 such that its centerline intersects with the centerline of the hook 221 of the second capture mechanism 22 slightly above the mounting surface of the mounting plate 34. More precisely, the third capture mechanism 23 is also supported by a support plate (not shown) erected on the base 12.

[0068] The looper mechanism 24 is located above the first capture mechanism 21 and below the lower surface of the mounting plate 34. The looper mechanism 24 includes a pair of arms 241 extending to the right for spreading the loop of hair M for implantation that has been pulled under the base material J by the first capture mechanism 21. Furthermore, the looper mechanism 24 includes an actuator for separating the tips of the pair of arms 241 in the X-axis direction and an actuator for moving the pair of arms 241 along the Y-axis direction.

[0069] The structure of these hair implantation sections 20 and the operation of attaching the hair implantation hairs M to the base material J are substantially the same as those disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-040084. Therefore, for details regarding the structure of the hair implantation sections 20 and the operation of attaching the hair implantation hairs M to the base material J, please refer to the above-mentioned publication, and only a brief explanation will be given here.

[0070] Figures 17(A) to 19(B) are explanatory diagrams of the operation of attaching the hair M for hair implantation. Figures 17(A), 18(A), and 19(A) show the area around the looper mechanism 24 in a right side view, while Figures 17(B), 18(B), and 19(B) show it in a rear view. Furthermore, in each figure, the first gripping mechanism 69 and the second gripping mechanism 70 described above are shown in a simplified manner, but for explanatory purposes, they are shown smaller than they actually are and closer to the looper mechanism 24 than they actually are.

[0071] In the operation of attaching the hair for implantation M, as shown in Figures 17(A) and 17(B), the hair for implantation M is supported along the front-rear direction by the first gripping mechanism 69 and the second gripping mechanism 70 above the base material J held on the upper surface of the mounting plate 34. In this state, the hook 211 of the first capture mechanism 21 moves back and forth from below through the mesh holes H1 of the base material J, capturing the hair M for implantation and pulling it into the mesh holes H1 to form a loop. Furthermore, the pair of arms 241 of the looper mechanism 24 are moved to the right to enter the loop around the hair M for implantation, and at the same time, the pair of arms 241 are moved to the left while being opened, pulling the loop towards the lower side of the mesh hole H2 to the left.

[0072] Then, the hook 221 of the second capture mechanism 22 moves back and forth from above through the mesh holes H2 of the base material J, capturing loops of hair M for implantation and pulling them into the mesh holes H2 to form small loops on the upper side of the base material J. Then, as shown in Figures 18(A) and 18(B), the hook 221 of the second capture mechanism 22 rotates to twist the small loop, and the hook 231 of the third capture mechanism 23 moves forward from diagonally above and behind, entering the small loop and capturing the end of the hair M for implantation on the side of the first gripping mechanism 69.

[0073] Then, as shown in Figures 19(A) and 19(B), the hook 231 of the third capture mechanism 23 retracts, inserting the entire end on the first gripping mechanism 69 side into the small loop of the hair implantation hair M, while the hook 221 of the second capture mechanism 22 detaches from the small loop, and the looper mechanism 24 moves its pair of arms 241 to the left to release the hair implantation hair M. The end of the hair implantation hair M is withdrawn from the first gripping mechanism 69 while sliding and passes through a small loop. Furthermore, the hair implantation hair M is pulled by the hook 231 until it is tied to the boundary between mesh holes H1 and H2, at which point the second gripping mechanism 70 releases the hair implantation hair M, completing the coupling operation of the hair implantation hair M. Furthermore, the hook 231 of the third capture mechanism 23 may also be equipped with a gripping mechanism to maintain the captured state of the hair M for hair implantation.

[0074] [Auxiliary clamping mechanism] As shown in Figure 3, the auxiliary clamping mechanisms 62 are provided on both sides of the base stage 30 in the X-axis direction. The two auxiliary clamping mechanisms 62 are positioned facing the two X-axis roller mechanisms 41 individually. Each auxiliary clamping mechanism 62 includes an auxiliary clamping plate 621 that is tiltable and an auxiliary clamping air cylinder 622 that provides tilting motion to the auxiliary clamping plate 621.

[0075] The auxiliary clamp plate 621 is supported at its base end so as to be tiltable around the Y-axis, and its tip is formed in a flat plate shape that contacts the outer circumferential surface of the roller 411 of the X-axis roller mechanism 41. The auxiliary clamp air cylinder 622 applies a tilting force in a direction that causes the tip of the auxiliary clamp plate 621 to contact the outer surface of the roller 411. As a result, the base material J placed on the mounting plate 34 is held between the X-axis roller mechanism 41 and the tip of the auxiliary clamp plate 621.

[0076] The two auxiliary clamping mechanisms 62 are, for example, used to hold the base material J in place so that it does not shift position relative to the mounting plate 34 when the clamping plate 51 of the clamping device 50 is raised to release the base material J on the mounting plate 34. When clamping the base material J with the two auxiliary clamping mechanisms 62, the base material J is prone to slackening due to the pressure applied by the tip of the auxiliary clamping plate 621. Therefore, it is preferable to simultaneously perform the tension application control described above using the pair of X-axis roller mechanisms 41.

[0077] [Wiper mechanism] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the wiper mechanism 61 is a mechanism for sweeping away the hair M for hair implantation that is bonded to the base material J. As mentioned above, the hair implantation work on the base material J is performed through the work opening 341 and the upper opening 511 while the base material J is held in place by the clamp plate 51. In that case, each hair strand M attached to the base material J will protrude through the upper opening 511 to the upper side of the clamp plate 51. Meanwhile, once the implantation of hair M for hair implantation is completed in one section of the work opening 341 of the mounting plate 34 in the base material J, the clamp plate 51 rises to the weak clamping position, and the feed device 40 performs a feeding operation of the base material J so that the adjacent section is inside the work opening 341. If, after this, each implanted hair M remains inserted through the upper opening 511, it may adversely affect the feeding operation of the base material J, the joining operation of the hair M for the next section, and imaging of the new section through the working opening 341. Therefore, the clamp plate 51 is raised to the raised position, and the wiper mechanism 61 is used to sweep away the hair M for implantation that is bonded to the base material J on the underside of the clamp plate 51, and the hair M for implantation is discharged from the upper opening 511. Note that the order in which the base material J is fed and the hair M for implantation is dispensed may be reversed.

[0078] As shown in Figure 3, the wiper mechanism 61 is positioned to the right rear of the mounting plate 34 in a plan view. Furthermore, the wiper mechanism 61 is positioned lower than the clamp plate 51 in the raised position and higher than the mounting plate 34. The wiper mechanism 61 includes a rod-shaped wiper member 611 that sweeps away each hair M for implantation, an extendable air cylinder 612 that extends and retracts the wiper member 611, and a discharge air cylinder 613 that provides the wiper member 611 with forward and backward movement for discharge.

[0079] The wiper member 611 is a round rod oriented along the Y-axis and extends to the left from the telescopic air cylinder 612. The telescopic air cylinder 612 is supported by the discharge air cylinder 613 such that the plunger that performs the forward and backward movement is parallel to the Y-axis direction. A wiper member 611 is directly connected to the plunger of the telescopic air cylinder 612 in the direction of its extension, and the wiper member 611 can be switched between a state where it is retracted to the right and a state where it is extended to the left. In its retracted state, the wiper member 611 is located to the right of the mounting plate 34, and in its extended state, it overlaps with the mounting plate 34 in the Y-axis direction.

[0080] The dispensing air cylinder 613 is supported on the base 12 such that the plunger is parallel to the X-axis direction. The tip of the plunger supports the retractable air cylinder 612, which allows the wiper member 611 to move in front of the mounting plate 34 when the plunger is extended, and to move behind the mounting plate 34 when the plunger is retracted.

[0081] With the above configuration, once the hair implantation hair M is attached to one section of the work opening 341 of the mounting plate 34 and the clamp plate 51 is raised to the raised position, the wiper mechanism 61 moves the wiper member 611 forward with the dispensing air cylinder 613, then extends the wiper member 611 with the extension air cylinder 612, and finally moves the wiper member 611 backward with the dispensing air cylinder 613. As a result, the wiper member 611 passes between the working opening 341 of the mounting plate 34 and the upper opening 511 of the clamp plate 51, sweeping each hair M for implantation backward and discharging it out from the upper opening 511.

[0082] The wiper member 611 can take any shape as long as it is capable of sweeping away the hair M used for implantation. For example, it is not limited to a round rod shape; it may also be plate-shaped or made up of a brush.

[0083] [First blower mechanism] The first blower mechanism 64 has a nozzle connected to a pneumatic supply source. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the first blower mechanism 64 is positioned in front of the mounting plate 34, somewhat above and lower than the clamp plate 51 which is in an elevated position, and blows air toward the mounting plate 34 in a diagonal downward and rearward direction. As mentioned above, the hair M for implantation, which is swept back by the wiper mechanism 61, tends to rise above the base material J due to its elasticity. In that case, when the base material J is clamped to a new section by the clamping device 50, there is a risk that the hair M for implantation will get caught between the mounting plate 34 and the clamping plate 51. Therefore, to prevent the hair implantation hair M, which has been swept backward by the wiper mechanism 61, from rising up, the first blower mechanism 64 blows air onto it.

[0084] [Second blower mechanism] The second blower mechanism 65 has a nozzle connected to a pneumatic supply source. As shown in Figure 1, one second blower mechanism 65 is provided at each end of the clamp plate 51 in the Y-axis direction, and each second blower mechanism 65 blows air toward the mounting plate 34 on the underside of the clamp plate 51. These second blower mechanisms 65 have the function of blowing air when the clamp plate 51 rises and releases the base material J on the mounting plate 34, thereby pressing the base material J against the cover member 35 and each roller 411, 421. Furthermore, the second blower mechanism 65 also has the function of blowing air downstream in the feeding direction of the base material J when the feeding operation of the base material J is performed by the feeding device 40 so that the adjacent section on the Y-axis side is inside the working opening 341 and the wiper mechanism 61 is performed to sweep, thereby moving the hair M for implantation towards the downstream side in the feeding direction of the base material J.

[0085] [camera] As shown in Figure 1, the camera 11 images the base material J from below the mounting plate 34 through the working opening 341. The camera 11 has an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) and an optical system. The camera 11 is supported by the position switching mechanism 28 (see Figure 2) together with the first capture mechanism 21. The camera 11 and the first capture mechanism 21 can be switched by the position switching air cylinder 283 of the position switching mechanism 28 between a state in which the optical axis of the camera 11 is aligned with the center line along the Z-axis passing through the center of the work opening 341, and a state in which the center line of the hook held by the first capture mechanism 21 is aligned with the center line along the Z-axis passing through the center of the work opening 341.

[0086] The position switching mechanism 28 is directly installed on the base 12 and does not move on the base 12. In contrast, the mounting plate 34 is installed on the base 12 via the movement mechanism 25. Therefore, in a plan view, the mounting plate 34 is relatively movable in the X-axis and Y-axis directions relative to the position switching mechanism 28. For this reason, "center of the working opening 341" refers to the center of the working opening 341 when the mounting plate 34 is located at the center of the movable range of the movement mechanism 25 (which is the reference position of the mounting plate 34).

[0087] [Correction mechanism] The base material J is a mesh material in which mesh holes are arranged and unfolded on a surface. For example, the base material J in this embodiment has hexagonal mesh holes arranged in a row. When hair M for hair implantation is sequentially attached to each mesh hole of such a base material J, the arrangement of the mesh holes is held on the mounting plate 34 so that it is parallel to the X-axis or Y-axis direction, which is the feeding direction of the feeding device 40. However, due to various factors such as slippage of the base material J during feeding, the base material J being three-dimensional rather than planar, or being a soft material prone to deformation, the direction of the mesh holes may become tilted. The inclination of the mesh holes in the base material J can be detected from the image captured by the camera 11. Furthermore, if the inclination of the mesh holes in the base material J exceeds the tolerance value, the base material J on the base stage 30 can be rotated around the Z-axis relative to the camera 11 by the correction mechanism 63 to correct its orientation.

[0088] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the correction mechanism 63 is positioned in front of the mounting plate 34. The correction mechanism 63 includes a support shaft 632 that is rotatable around the Z axis by a bracket 631 installed on the base 12, an arm 633 fixed to the upper end of the support shaft 632, a disc-shaped retaining plate 634 provided at the tip of the arm 633, a correction motor 635 (see Figure 2) that rotates the retaining plate 634 via a belt mechanism, and an air cylinder 636 (see Figure 2) for rotating the arm that imparts rotational motion to the support shaft 632.

[0089] The support shaft 632 is supported by the bracket 631 in a position aligned with the Z-axis direction. The arm 633 is connected to the pivot shaft 632 via a spline nut 637. That is, the arm 633 is movable along the pivot shaft 632 and can rotate together with the pivot shaft 632 around the Z-axis via the spline nut 637. Furthermore, the arm 633 is pressed upward by a coil spring 638, which is an elastic member, via a spline nut 637.

[0090] A retaining plate 634, provided on the underside of the tip of the arm 633, is supported at the tip of the arm 633 so as to be rotatable around the Z-axis. This retaining plate 634 is given rotational motion by a correction motor 635 via a belt mechanism provided on the upper side of the arm 633. Furthermore, the retaining plate 634 can be rotated by its underside contacting the base material J placed on the base stage 30 from above, thereby imparting rotation of the retaining plate 634 to the base material J.

[0091] Furthermore, the arm 633 is constantly pressed upward by the coil spring 638, thereby maintaining a height where the retaining plate 634 does not reach the base material J on the base stage 30. Furthermore, a retaining air cylinder 639 is mounted alongside the arm 633 to lower the arm 633 against the coil spring 638, and when correction is made by the rotation of the base material J, the retaining plate 634 can be lowered and brought into contact with the base material J on the mounting plate 34.

[0092] Furthermore, the air cylinder 636 for rotating the arm inputs rotational motion to the support shaft 632 via a link member (not shown) provided at the lower end of the support shaft 632. The rotational motion input from the air cylinder 636 for rotating the arm allows the arm 633 to move the retaining plate 634 between a retracted position in front of the mounting plate 34 and a retaining position directly above the mounting plate 34.

[0093] [Control system for hair transplant devices: control device] As shown in Figure 2, the control device 100 of the hair transplant device 10 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102 in which a program for controlling the operation of hair transplantation is stored, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 103 which serves as a working area for calculation processing, a rewritable non-volatile data memory 104 which serves as a storage means for storing various setting data, and a CPU 101 (Central Processing Unit) which executes the program in the ROM 102.

[0094] Furthermore, the CPU 101 is connected to the first to third capture mechanisms 21 to 23, the looper mechanism 24, and the moving mechanism 25 that constitute the hair flocking section 20. The first to third capture mechanisms 21 to 23 are each equipped with a capture motor that serves as the driving source for the forward and backward movement of the hooks 211 to 231, and the CPU 101 controls their operation through a drive circuit (not shown) that operates them. The looper mechanism 24 is equipped with multiple actuators, and the CPU 101 controls the operation of the looper mechanism 24 through a drive circuit (not shown) that operates the actuators. The moving mechanism 25 includes an X-axis stage 26 and a Y-axis stage 27, and the CPU 101 controls the operation of the X-axis stage 26 and the Y-axis stage 27 through a drive circuit (not shown) that operates the X-axis motor 263 of the X-axis stage 26 and the Y-axis motor 273 of the Y-axis stage 27.

[0095] Furthermore, the CPU 101 is connected to a position switching mechanism 28 that switches the position of the camera 11 and the first capture mechanism 21, and controls a position switching air cylinder 283 through a solenoid valve (not shown). Furthermore, the CPU 101 is connected to the X-axis roller mechanism 41 and controls the X-axis feed motor 412 through a drive circuit (not shown) and the retractable air cylinder 416 through a solenoid valve (not shown). Similarly, the CPU 101 is connected to the Y-axis roller mechanism 42 and controls the Y-axis feed motor 422 through a drive circuit (not shown) and the retractable air cylinder 426 through a solenoid valve (not shown). Although the X-axis roller mechanism 41 and Y-axis roller mechanism 42 are each provided in pairs, only one of each is shown in Figure 2.

[0096] Furthermore, the CPU 101 is connected to the clamping device 50 and controls the clamping air cylinder 54 through a solenoid valve (not shown), and controls the strength of the air pressure supplied to the clamping air cylinder 54 using a regulator 56. Furthermore, the CPU 101 is connected to the lighting device 57 and switches the illumination light on and off, as well as controls the actuator to move the lighting device 57 to a predetermined position.

[0097] Furthermore, the CPU 101 is connected to the wiper mechanism 61 and controls the retractable air cylinder 612 and the discharge air cylinder 613 through solenoid valves (not shown) connected to each of them. Furthermore, the CPU 101 is connected to the auxiliary clamping mechanism 62 and controls the auxiliary clamping air cylinder 622 through a solenoid valve (not shown). Although there are two auxiliary clamping mechanisms 62, only one is shown in Figure 2.

[0098] Furthermore, the CPU 101 is connected to the correction mechanism 63 and controls the correction motor 635 through a drive circuit (not shown), and controls the arm rotation air cylinder 636 and the holding air cylinder 639 through solenoid valves (not shown) connected to each of them. Furthermore, both the first blower mechanism 64 and the second blower mechanism 65 have solenoid valves that supply high-pressure air to the nozzle, and the CPU 101 controls the discharge of this air by controlling each solenoid valve.

[0099] Furthermore, the CPU 101 is connected to the hair holding mechanism 68 and controls the feed motor 716 through a drive circuit (not shown), controls the gripping air cylinders 704 and 705 and the release air cylinder 724 through solenoid valves (not shown) connected to each of them, and controls the intake blower 752 through a drive circuit (not shown).

[0100] Furthermore, the CPU 101 is connected to the camera 11 and controls the execution of imaging of the base material J. Furthermore, the CPU 101 is connected to a pedal 14 that inputs the start of the hair transplant operation. Furthermore, the CPU 101 is connected to an operation panel 15, which has the function of a display unit for displaying various information and the function of an input unit for performing various inputs.

[0101] The CPU 101 controls various air cylinders, motors, actuators, etc., through solenoid valves, drive circuits, interfaces, etc. However, in the following explanation, descriptions of solenoid valves, drive circuits, and interfaces will be omitted, and it will simply be stated that it controls various air cylinders, motors, or actuators, etc.

[0102] Furthermore, the "hair camera 76" shown in Figure 2 is a necessary component in other embodiments described later, and is not an essential component in the hair implantation device 10 of this embodiment.

[0103] [Hair transplant motion control] The overall flow of motion control for the hair transplant operation performed by CPU101 is shown in the flowchart in Figure 20. First, as a preliminary step, the CPU 101 controls the clamping air cylinder 54 of the clamping device 50 to raise the clamping plate 51, and controls the auxiliary clamping air cylinder 622 of each auxiliary clamping mechanism 62 to release the auxiliary clamping plate 621 away from the X-axis roller mechanism 41.

[0104] Then, CPU 101 executes the base set process (step S1). Specifically, when the base material J is placed on the mounting plate 34 of the base stage 30 and the start of the hair flocking work is input from the pedal 14, the CPU 101 supplies low-pressure pneumatic air to the clamping air cylinder 54 via the regulator 56, causing the clamping plate 51 to descend to the weak clamping position.

[0105] Next, the CPU 101 performs the tilt detection process (step S3). Specifically, the CPU 101 controls the position switching air cylinder 283 of the position switching mechanism 28 to position the camera 11 so that its optical axis coincides with the center of the work opening 341, which is in the reference position. Furthermore, the CPU 101 controls the lighting device 57 to move it above the upper opening 511 and to direct the illumination light downwards. Furthermore, the camera 11 captures an image of the base material J within the range of the work opening 341, and the CPU 101 extracts multiple mesh holes laid out on the surface of the base material J from the captured image and detects the centroid point of each mesh hole. Then, the tilt of the base material J is detected from the alignment of multiple center of gravity points, and it is determined whether or not the tilt exceeds an acceptable value.

[0106] Next, the CPU 101 performs a correction control process (step S5). This correction control is performed if, in step S3, it is determined that the base material J has a slope. It is skipped if it is determined that there is no slope.

[0107] As a correction control, the CPU 101 controls the correction mechanism 63 and rotates the base material J in a direction that corrects the detected tilt angle using a correction motor 635 that holds the base material J from above with a retaining plate 634. Before and after tilt correction, the slack in the base material J may be eliminated by tension application control by the feed device 40. Then, the CPU 101 lowers the clamp plate 51 of the clamping device 50 to the weak clamping position and raises the rollers 411 and 421 of the feeding device 40 to the feeding position.

[0108] Next, the CPU 101 performs the hair implantation operation (step S7). During the hair transplantation process, the CPU 101 uses the camera 11 to image the base material J and identify the attachment points of the hair M for transplantation. Then, the position-switching air cylinder 283 is controlled to position the first capture mechanism 21 at the reference position, and the hair implantation hair supply operation M is performed.

[0109] Here, the control of the hair supply operation for hair transplantation, which is included in the hair transplantation process, will be explained based on the flowchart in Figure 21. First, the CPU 101 controls the hair supply device 74 so that the head 741 grasps a single hair for implantation M and pulls it out to the extraction position Mp (step S21).

[0110] Next, the CPU 101 controls the feed motor 716 of the transport mechanism 71 of the hair holding mechanism 68 to move the first and second gripping mechanisms 69 and 70 from the retracted position P0 to the receiving position P1 (step S23). Since the hair for implantation M is held taut by the hair supply device 74, the first gripping mechanism 69, in the process of reaching the receiving position P1, grips the hair for implantation M between the sliding plates 692 and 693. Meanwhile, in the second gripping mechanism 70, gripping air cylinders 704 and 705 are controlled to switch gripping member 702 to the lower position and gripping member 703 to the upper position, and the hair M for hair implantation is gripped between gripping members 702 and 703.

[0111] Next, the CPU 101 controls the feed motor 716 to move the first and second gripping mechanisms 69 and 70 from the receiving position P1 to the supply position P2 (step S25). As a result, the hair for hair implantation M is positioned along the X-axis so as to pass over the center of the working opening 341 near the upper surface of the base material J on the mounting plate 34 at the reference position.

[0112] Next, the CPU 101 controls the hair implantation unit 20 to perform the operation of bonding the hair implantation hair M to the base material J (step S27). The bonding operation is as described based on Figures 17(A) to 19(B), so the details are omitted here.

[0113] Next, the CPU 101 controls the feed motor 716 to move the first and second gripping mechanisms 69 and 70 from the supply position P2 to the retrieval position P3 (step S29). At the recovery position P3, the CPU 101 activates the release air cylinder 724 of the release mechanism 72, so that the insertion plate 73 is inserted between the sliding plates 692 and 693 of the first gripping mechanism 69. As a result, for example, if an error occurs in the coupling operation and hair implantation hair M remains in the first gripping mechanism 69, the insertion plate 73 releases the hair from the gripping state and discharges it from between the sliding plates 692 and 693. Furthermore, along with the operation of the release mechanism 72, the CPU 101 activates the intake blower 752 of the recovery device 75 to suck up and recover any discharged hair M for hair implantation from the suction nozzle 751.

[0114] Next, the CPU 101 controls the feed motor 716 to move the first and second gripping mechanisms 69 and 70 from the retrieval position P3 to the retracted position P0 (step S31).

[0115] In the hair implantation operation of step S7, the CPU 101 sequentially positions each connection point within a section of the working opening 341, which is imaged by the camera 11, above the hook 211 of the first capture mechanism 21, and each time controls the supply operation of the hair for implantation to perform the connection operation.

[0116] Then, once the hair M for implantation has been attached to all connection points within the section, the CPU 101 determines whether the hair implantation has been completed for all sections planned for the base material J (step S9). If the hair implantation has been completed for all sections, the CPU 101 raises the clamp plate 51 of the clamping device 50 to the raised position, releases the base material J on the mounting plate 34, and ends the hair implantation operation.

[0117] On the other hand, if hair implantation is not completed in all sections, the CPU 101 performs the wiper operation process (step S11). Specifically, the CPU 101 lowers and retracts each roller 411, 421 of the feed device 40, clamps the base material J with each auxiliary clamp plate 621, and retracts the clamp plate 51 to the raised position. The CPU 101 then moves the wiper member 611 forward using the discharge air cylinder 613 of the wiper mechanism 61, and extends the wiper member 611 using the extension air cylinder 612. Furthermore, by moving the wiper member 611 backward using the discharge air cylinder 613, the hair M for hair implantation that is inserted into the upper opening 511 is swept backward and discharged from the upper opening 511. At this time, the first blower mechanism 64 blows air backward to suppress the upward movement of the hair M for implantation that has been pushed backward.

[0118] Then, the CPU 101 lowers the clamp plate 51 to a weak clamp position and releases the auxiliary clamps on the base material J provided by each auxiliary clamp plate 621.

[0119] Next, the CPU 101 executes the feed control process (step S13). Specifically, the CPU 101 first feeds the base material J in predetermined sections by raising each roller 411 of the feed device 40 and driving the X-axis feed motor 412 to move the base material J in the X-axis direction, or by raising each roller 421 and driving the Y-axis feed motor 422 to move the base material J in the Y-axis direction. Then, once the feeding operation to the next section is complete, the clamp plate 51 is lowered to the strong clamping position.

[0120] Subsequently, the CPU 101 repeats steps S3 to S13 for all sections before ending the hair implantation operation.

[0121] [Technical Effects of Embodiments of the Invention] As described above, the hair implantation device 10 includes a release mechanism 72 in the first gripping mechanism 69 of the hair holding mechanism 68 that opens two sliding plates 692 and 693 that slidably grip the hair implantation hair M by the gripping pressure of a coil spring 694 to release the hair implantation hair M. Therefore, if hair implantation hair M remains in the first gripping mechanism 69 due to an error in the bonding operation of the hair implantation hair M, it becomes possible to easily discharge the hair implantation hair M, and the first gripping mechanism 69 can grip the next hair implantation hair M properly, enabling stable hair implantation work.

[0122] Furthermore, since the release mechanism 72 has an insertion plate 73 that is inserted between the two sliding plates 692 and 693 of the first gripping mechanism 69, the hair for implantation M can be released by a simple operation of pushing the insertion plate 73 onto the two sliding plates 692 and 693. This makes it possible to simplify the structure of the release mechanism 72 and improve the stability of its operation.

[0123] Furthermore, the insertion plate 73 of the release mechanism 72 has the function of discharging the hair M for implantation that is between the two sliding plates 692 and 693, making it possible to more accurately remove the hair M for implantation from the first gripping mechanism 69.

[0124] Furthermore, the hair implantation device 10 is equipped with a recovery device 75 for recovering hair M for implantation from two sliding plates 692 and 693. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the residue of hair implantation hair M released from the two sliding plates 692 and 693 within the device, thereby enabling cleaning of the device and suppressing malfunctions or failures of the device caused by residual hair implantation hair M.

[0125] [others] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, a component integrally formed from a single member in an embodiment may be replaced with a component divided into multiple members that are connected or fixed to each other. Also, a component formed by connecting multiple members may be replaced with a component integrally formed from a single member. Furthermore, details shown in the embodiments can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0126] For example, in the above embodiment, the correction mechanism 63 is shown as holding the base material J on the mounting plate 34 from above and applying rotation, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, instead of the correction mechanism 63, the mounting plate 34 may be rotated together with the base material J to correct the orientation of the base material J. In that case, the correction mechanism that performs the rotation preferably rotates the wiper mechanism 61, the auxiliary clamp mechanism 62, the first blower mechanism 64, the second blower mechanism 65, the feed device 40, and the clamp device 50 together with the base stage 30 including the mounting plate 34, around the Z axis relative to the base 12.

[0127] Furthermore, the hair implantation device 10 may be configured to include a detection device that detects the hair M for implantation that has been gripped by the two sliding plates 692 and 693 of the first gripping mechanism 69 after the hair implantation operation. For example, in a configuration that includes a hair camera 76 as a detection device, it is preferable to position the hair camera 76 at the supply position P2 or the retrieval position P3 so that it can image the first gripping mechanism 69. In that case, it is preferable to image from the left at the height of the contact surfaces of the two sliding plates 692 and 693. Furthermore, CPU101 performs imaging after the completion of the hair transplantation process M. For example, the CPU 101 can detect the presence of hair for transplantation M by taking the difference between the captured images of the two sliding plates 692 and 693 at this time and the captured images (sample images) of the two sliding plates 692 and 693 at the same position when they are not gripping the hair for transplantation M.

[0128] Furthermore, the CPU 101 may control the first gripping mechanism 69 and the second gripping mechanism 70 to release the grip and retrieve the hair M at the retrieval position P3 only when the hair camera 76 detects the presence of hair M for transplantation. If no presence of hair M for transplantation is detected, the CPU 101 may control the first gripping mechanism 69 and the second gripping mechanism 70 to return to the retracted position P0, omitting the grip release and retrieval operations at the retrieval position P3.

[0129] Furthermore, if the CPU 101 detects the presence of hair implantation hair M using the hair camera 76, it may recover the remaining hair implantation hair M and then, without moving the bonding position of the base material J to the next bonding position, control the system to repeat the hair implantation hair M supply and bonding operation to the same bonding position.

[0130] Furthermore, if the hair camera 76 is positioned at the supply position P2, and it is determined that no hair M for implantation remains on the two sliding plates 692 and 693 at the supply position P2, the first gripping mechanism 69 and the second gripping mechanism 70 can be returned to the retracted position P0 without stopping at the retrieval position P3, thereby speeding up a single coupling operation. On the other hand, if the hair camera 76 is positioned at the retrieval position P3, the hair camera 76 can be used to re-detect the hair after the gripping release operation and the retrieval operation of the hair for implantation M, thereby confirming whether the gripping release operation and the retrieval operation were performed correctly.

[0131] In this way, by providing a hair camera 76 as a detection device for hair transplantation hair M remaining on the two sliding plates 692 and 693 of the first gripping mechanism 69, it is possible to confirm the presence of hair transplantation hair M, thereby enabling the proper removal and recovery of hair transplantation hair M from the first gripping mechanism 69.

[0132] Furthermore, if the hair camera 76 detects hair to be transplanted M after the hair transplantation operation, the CPU 101 controls the release mechanism 72 to perform a gripping and releasing operation of the two sliding plates 692 and 693. If no hair to be transplanted M is detected, the gripping and releasing operation can be omitted, thereby speeding up the work. Furthermore, if the hair camera 76 detects hair for transplantation M after the hair transplantation operation, the CPU 101 controls the recovery device 75 to perform a recovery operation for the remaining hair for transplantation M. If no hair for transplantation M is detected, the recovery operation can be omitted, thereby speeding up the work.

[0133] Furthermore, by controlling the CPU 101 to repeat the hair transplant operation when the hair camera 76 detects hair M for transplantation after the hair transplantation operation, it is possible to suppress defects in the bonding of hair M to the base material J and achieve high-quality hair transplantation.

[0134] Furthermore, the hair implantation hair M detection device is not limited to a camera. For example, a sensor that detects the presence of hair implantation hair M between the two sliding plates 692 and 693 using other optical elements may be used. Alternatively, if hair implantation hair M is present between the two sliding plates 692 and 693, a sensor that detects the tilt of the sliding plate 692 or 693 caused by the hair implantation hair M, or a sensor that detects the deflection or pressure fluctuation of the sliding plate 692 or 693 caused by the hair implantation hair M may be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0135] 10 Hair transplant device 11 Cameras 20 Hair transplant area 21-23 First to Third Capture Mechanisms 211~231 hook needle 24 Looper mechanism 241 Arm 25 Moving mechanism 30 Base Stage (Base Support Mechanism) 34 Mounting plate 341 Working opening 40 Feed device 41 X-axis roller mechanism 42 Y-axis roller mechanism 50 Clamping device 51 Clamp Plate 511 Upper opening 68 Hair retention mechanism 69 First gripping mechanism 692,693 Sliding plate 694 Coil spring (elastic body) 70 Second gripping mechanism 702,703 Gripping members 704, 705 Gripping air cylinder 71 Conveying mechanism 72 Release mechanism 724 Release air cylinder 73 Insertion plate 731 Notch 732 Insertion section 732a Slope 74 Hair supply device 75 Recovery device 76. Hair detection camera (detection device) 100 Control device 101 CPU J Base Material d gap H1, H2 Mesh Holes MP drawer position P0 Evacuation position P1 Pickup location P2 supply position P3 Recovery location

Claims

1. A base support mechanism that supports the base material, A hair-holding mechanism that holds hair for implantation on one side of the supported base material, The device comprises a hair implantation section that uses hooks to tie the hair implantation hair, which is held by the hair holding mechanism, to the base material, The hair holding mechanism has a first gripping mechanism and a second gripping mechanism for individually gripping the hair for implantation, The hair implantation device is characterized in that the first gripping mechanism comprises two sliding plates that slidably grip the hair for implantation, an elastic body that applies gripping pressure to the two sliding plates, and a release mechanism that opens the two sliding plates to release the hair for implantation.

2. The hair implantation device according to claim 1, characterized in that the release mechanism has an insertion plate inserted between the two sliding plates.

3. The hair implantation device according to claim 2, characterized in that the insertion plate has the function of discharging the hair for implantation that is located between the two sliding plates.

4. The hair implantation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a detection device for hair implantation held by the two sliding plates of the first gripping mechanism.

5. The hair transplant apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a control device that, when the detection device detects the hair for transplantation after the hair transplantation operation, opens the two sliding plates with the release mechanism to release the hair for transplantation.

6. The hair transplant apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the control device performs a repeat of the hair transplant operation when the detection device detects the hair for transplantation after the hair transplant operation by the hair transplant unit.

7. The hair implantation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a recovery device for recovering the hair for implantation from the two sliding plates.

Images