Method for manufacturing laminated sheets and apparatus for manufacturing laminated sheets

Abstract

To shorten the cycle time during the manufacturing of laminated sheets. [Solution] The configuration includes a spreading step in which the upper sheet group 13 and the lower sheet group 18 are individually grasped, and the upper sheet group 13 is simultaneously pulled out to the upper side of the table separator 42a and the lower sheet group 18 to the lower side of the table separator 42a, thereby spreading the multiple sheet materials 13 and 18 onto the table 21; and a separator replacement step in which the table separator 42a is retracted in conjunction with the movement of the conveying device 24 (50L), which transports the multiple sheet materials from the table 21 to the press molding machine 23, from the press molding machine 23 towards the table 21, and replaced with the conveying device separators 54b and 55b of the conveying device 24.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a laminated sheet, and also to a laminated sheet manufacturing apparatus used for the manufacturing.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 below discloses a method for manufacturing a laminated sheet (a panel formed from a laminated composite material). The panel (laminated blank 100) disclosed in Patent Document 1 below includes a core layer 106, inner layers 104a and 104b of continuous fiber unidirectionally reinforced polypropylene laminated on both sides thereof, and outermost fiber reinforced layers 102a and 102b laminated on them. And those layers 102a, 104a, 106, 104b, 102b are provided by rolls, pulled out, cut to the size of the blank 100, and sequentially laminated, and it is described that the blank 100 is formed from the laminated one by, for example, press molding or the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As described in Patent Document 1 above, when manufacturing laminated sheets, the sheet materials constituting each layer are sequentially pulled out and stacked, so multiple stretching operations are required for the production of one laminated sheet. If it is acceptable to stack all the sheet materials together, it is possible to grasp and pull them out all at once. However, for example, during press molding, there are cases where it is desired to grasp only some of the sheet materials (surface material) of multiple sheet materials while they are pulled. In such cases, at least two stretching operations are required to grasp some of the sheet materials and the remaining sheet materials separately. As described above, in the manufacturing of laminated sheets, the problem is that the cycle time increases as the number of stretching operations increases.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and aims to shorten the cycle time during the manufacturing of laminated sheets. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the method for manufacturing a laminated sheet disclosed in this application has the following configuration. (1) Arrangement step of arranging multiple sheet materials in supply positions aligned vertically, A spreading step in which one or more of the sheet materials located on the upper side of a plurality of sheet materials are individually grasped, and one or more of the sheet materials located below the upper sheet material group are individually grasped, and the upper sheet material group is simultaneously pulled out to the upper side of the table separator and the lower sheet material group is pulled out to the lower side of the table separator, thereby spreading the plurality of sheet materials onto the table, A separator replacement step is performed in which, as the conveying device that transports multiple sheet materials from the table to the press molding machine is moved from the press molding machine toward the table, the table separator is retracted and replaced with the conveying device separator of the conveying device, The conveying process involves the conveying device, which individually grips the ends of the upper sheet group and the lower sheet group, and then conveys them from the table to the press molding machine. A pressing step is performed by press molding using the press molding machine while the upper sheet group and the lower sheet group are gripped by the conveying device with different forces to form a laminated sheet. A method for manufacturing laminated sheets, comprising the components mentioned above.

[0007] The method for manufacturing a laminated sheet disclosed in this application is based on a configuration in which the upper sheet group and the lower sheet group are individually gripped during the pressing process while press forming is performed. "Gripping with different forces" means, for example, using different magnitudes of pulling force on each, applying pulling force to only one, or using different magnitudes of gripping force. According to the method for manufacturing a laminated sheet disclosed in this application, the unfolding operation is only required once, thus reducing the cycle time required to manufacture one laminated sheet. The sheet material is not limited to being supplied in a specific length, but may also be supplied in a roll. When supplied in a roll, a process of cutting the sheet material to a specific length is required; however, even when cutting multiple sheet materials, it is possible to pull out multiple sheet materials together and cut them in one go, thus further reducing the cycle time.

[0008] Furthermore, the manufacturing method of the laminated sheet having the above configuration can be adapted to various forms as shown below.

[0009] (2) The method for manufacturing a laminated sheet according to item (1), wherein a pair of table separators are arranged on both sides in the width direction of the table, and the edges in the width direction of the upper layer sheet group are placed on them.

[0010] (3) The method for manufacturing a laminated sheet according to item (2), wherein each of the pair of table separators comprises a conveyor chain arranged along the side of the table and a plurality of support members fixed to a portion of the conveyor chain at a predetermined pitch, and by rotating the conveyor chain, the plurality of support members can be moved from a position above the table to a position below the table.

[0011] (4) The method for manufacturing laminated sheets according to item (2) or (3), wherein the conveying device comprises a pair of multi-stage gripping devices on either side of the mold provided in the press molding machine, each multi-stage gripping device having an upper gripping portion for gripping the upper layer sheet group above the conveying device separator and a lower gripping portion for gripping the lower layer sheet group below the conveying device separator, and conveys a plurality of the sheet materials while gripping them at both ends in the width direction.

[0012] (5) At least a portion of the plurality of sheet materials are installed in a rolled state, with one end extended to the supply position, A method for manufacturing a laminated sheet according to any one of items (1) to (4), comprising a cutting step performed after or during the spreading step, for cutting the rolled sheet material.

[0013] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, the laminated sheet manufacturing apparatus disclosed in this application has the following configuration. (6) The laminated sheet manufacturing apparatus comprises: a spreading device that spreads multiple sheet materials from a supply unit onto a table; a press molding machine that press-forms the multiple sheet materials to form a laminated sheet; a conveying device that transports the multiple sheet materials from the spreading device to the press molding machine; and a control device that controls the laminated sheet manufacturing apparatus. The supply unit is configured to arrange multiple sheets of material in a supply position aligned vertically. The table comprises a table body, a table separator spaced apart above the table body, and a separator retraction device for retracting the table separator from above the table body. The spreading device comprises a first gripping unit for gripping an upper-layer sheet group consisting of one or more sheet materials located on the upper side of a plurality of sheet materials at the supply position, a second gripping unit for gripping a lower-layer sheet group consisting of one or more sheet materials located below the upper-layer sheet group, and a moving device for simultaneously moving the first gripping unit and the second gripping unit, thereby simultaneously pulling out the upper-layer sheet group to the upper side of the table separator and the lower-layer sheet group to the lower side of the table separator. The conveying device comprises a conveying device separator, an upper gripping portion that grips the upper layer sheet group above the conveying device separator, and a lower gripping portion that grips the lower layer sheet group below the conveying device separator. The control device is characterized in that, as the conveying device moves from the press molding machine toward the table, the table separator is moved away from the table by the separator retraction device, thereby swapping the table separator with the conveying device separator, causing the upper gripping portion to grip the upper layer sheet group and the lower gripping portion to grip the lower layer sheet group. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, the cycle time during the manufacturing of laminated sheets can be shortened. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] Overall schematic diagram of a ceiling material manufacturing line according to an embodiment of the present invention [Figure 2] Cross-section of ceiling material [Figure 3] A side cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the sheet material located in the supply section being gripped by the gripping device. [Figure 4] Side view showing multiple sheet materials spread out on a table. [Figure 5] A diagram showing the gripping device from a line-direction viewpoint. [Figure 6]Cross-sectional view showing a state where a plurality of sheet materials are extended on a table from a viewpoint in the line direction [Figure 7] Plan view showing around the cutting device [Figure 8] Side view showing a state where the table is lowered [Figure 9] View showing a multi-stage chuck device provided in the conveying device from a viewpoint in the line direction [Figure 10] Side cross-sectional view showing the separator replacement process [Figure 11] Plan view showing the separator replacement process [Figure 12] View showing a state where a plurality of sheet materials are gripped by the conveying device from a viewpoint in the line direction [Figure 13] View showing a state where a plurality of sheet materials are conveyed into a press molding machine by the conveying device from a viewpoint in the line direction [Figure 14] View showing a state where only the skin material is pulled before performing press molding

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0016] The manufacturing method of the laminated sheet of the present invention is realized, and the ceiling material manufacturing line 10 which is an embodiment of the laminated sheet manufacturing apparatus of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 14. The ceiling material manufacturing line 10 of the present embodiment manufactures a ceiling material 12 which is an interior material for a vehicle, and as shown in FIG. 1, it has a configuration in which a plurality of devices are arranged in a line. In a part of the drawing, the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are shown, and each represents the direction in which the material of the ceiling material manufacturing line 10 flows (hereinafter, may be referred to as the line direction), the width direction of the ceiling material manufacturing line 10, and the vertical direction of the ceiling material manufacturing line 10 respectively.

[0017] First, as shown in Figure 2, the ceiling material 12 manufactured by the ceiling material manufacturing line 10 of this embodiment consists of multiple sheet materials, namely a surface material 13, a first glass fiber mat 14, a urethane mat 15, a second glass fiber mat 16, and a scrim 17, which are laminated in order from the top layer side (design surface side). By press molding the laminated material, it is formed into a laminated sheet in which cutting and molding into a specific shape are performed simultaneously.

[0018] As shown in Figure 1, the ceiling material manufacturing line 10 of this embodiment includes a supply unit 20 that supplies a plurality of sheet materials 13, 14, 15, 16, 17; a spreading device 22 that spreads the plurality of sheet materials 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 from the supply unit 20 onto a table 21; a press molding machine 23 that press-forms the plurality of sheet materials 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 to form a ceiling material 12; a conveying device 24 that transports the plurality of sheet materials 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 from the spreading device 22 to the press molding machine 23; a discharge unit 25 that discharges the ceiling material 12 formed in the press molding machine 23; and a control device 26 that controls the ceiling material manufacturing line 10.

[0019] <Planning Process: Configuration of the Supply Unit> The supply unit 20 comprises, arranged in order from the upstream side (left side in Figure 1), a surface material setting unit 20A for setting the rolled surface material 12A, a first glass mat setting unit 20B for setting the rolled first glass fiber mat 14A, a urethane mat setting unit 20C for placing the urethane mat 15 prepared to a predetermined size, a second glass mat setting unit 20D for setting the rolled second glass fiber mat 16A, and a scrim setting unit 20E for setting the rolled scrim 17A. The supply unit 20 further includes a conveyor device 20F, which transports the urethane mat 15 to the supply position. As shown in Figure 3, the supply position is a position where one downstream end of the urethane mat 15 protrudes towards the spreading device 22.

[0020] Meanwhile, the supply unit 20 holds the rolled surface material 13A, glass fiber mats 14A, 16A, and scrim 17A in a state where one end of each is extended to a position where they are aligned vertically with the urethane mat 15. In other words, as shown in Figure 3, the supply unit 20 positions multiple sheet materials 13A, 14A, 15, 16A, and 17A with one end of each aligned vertically. More specifically, the supply unit 20 is equipped with a guide 28 that guides one end of multiple sheet materials to a predetermined height position. The guide 28 includes a first guide 28A that guides the first glass fiber mat 14A so that it overlaps the upper side of the urethane mat 15, and a second guide 28B that guides the second glass mat 16A and scrim 17A so that they overlap the lower side of the urethane mat 15 when they are overlapped. Furthermore, the guide 28 has a skin guide 28C that guides the skin material 13A, and the skin guide 28C guides the skin material 13A to a position spaced upward from the first glass fiber mat 14A.

[0021] <Fabric spreading and cutting processes: Configuration of the fabric spreading equipment> As shown in Figure 4, the multiple sheet materials 13A, 14A, 15, 16A, and 17A, positioned at the above supply locations, are pulled onto the table 21 by the spreading device 22. The spreading device 22 includes a gripping device 30 that grips one end of the multiple sheet materials at the above supply locations, and a gripping device moving device 32 that moves the gripping device 22 in the line direction. As shown in Figure 5, the gripping device 30 includes a plurality of chuck devices 34, 35, and 36 (a total of nine in this embodiment). These plurality of chuck devices 34, 35, and 36 are fixed to a frame 37. The gripping device moving device 32 moves all of the chuck devices 34, 35, and 36 together by moving the frame 37 in the line direction.

[0022] Of the multiple chuck devices 34, 35, and 36, each of the first chuck devices 34 located at both ends in the width direction has an upper chuck 34A located relatively above and a lower chuck 34B located below. The upper chuck 34A grips the surface material 13A located at the supply position, and the lower chuck 34B grips the first glass fiber mat 14A, urethane mat 15, second glass fiber mat 16A, and scrim 17A located at the supply position together. The upper chuck 34A consists of chuck jaws 34Aa and jaw receivers 34Ab, and gripping is achieved when the chuck jaws 34Aa are lowered toward the jaw receivers 34Ab. The lower chuck 34B consists of two gripping plates 34Ba and 34Bb, and gripping is achieved when the upper gripping plate 34Ba is lowered toward the lower gripping plate 34Bb. The lower chuck 34B has two gripping plates 34Ba and 34Bb that are held at the central ends in the width direction. The space between the two gripping plates 34Ba and 34Bb, and between the lower chuck 34B and the upper chuck 34A, is shaped to open outwards in the width direction and to open on both sides in the line direction. Incidentally, the first chuck device 34 is movable in the width direction along the guide 34C, and can be adjusted to the width of the sheet material.

[0023] Between the two first chuck devices 34, second chuck devices 35 and third chuck devices 36 are arranged alternately. The multiple second chuck devices 35 are positioned above the multiple third chuck devices 36. The second chuck devices 35 are positioned at the same height as the upper chuck 34A of the first chuck device 34 and are used to grip the surface material 13A, while the third chuck devices 36 are positioned at the same height as the lower chuck 34B of the first chuck device 34 and are used to grip the first glass fiber mat 14A, urethane mat 15, second glass fiber mat 16A, and scrim 17A together. As shown in Figure 3, each of the second chuck device 35 and the third chuck device 36 consists of chuck jaws 35a and 36a and jaw receivers 35b and 36b, and gripping is achieved when the chuck jaws 35a and 36a are lowered toward the jaw receivers 35b and 36b.

[0024] From the above configuration, the surface material 13A corresponds to the upper layer sheet group, which consists of one or more sheet materials located on the upper side among the multiple sheet materials at the supply position, and the first glass fiber mat 14A, urethane mat 15, second glass fiber mat 16A, and scrim 17A correspond to the lower layer sheet group 18, which consists of one or more sheet materials located on the lower side. The upper chuck 34A and second chuck device 35 of the first chuck device 34 function as first gripping parts that grip the surface material 13A as the upper layer sheet group, and the lower chuck 34B and third chuck device 36 of the first chuck device function as second gripping parts that grip the lower layer sheet group 18.

[0025] As previously mentioned, the spreading device 22 grips the surface material 13A with its first gripping section and the lower layer sheet group 18 with its second gripping section. The gripping device moving device 32 moves the device together downstream in the line direction, and the surface material 13A and the lower layer sheet group 18 are pulled out onto the table 21.

[0026] As shown in Figures 4 and 6, the table 21 comprises a table body 40, table separators 42 positioned at both ends in the width direction of the table body 40, and a separator moving device (separator retraction device) 44 for moving the table separators 42. As shown in Figure 4, the separator moving device 44 is a caterpillar that rotates the conveyor chain 44a and is positioned along the lower edge in the width direction of the table body 40. The table separator 42 consists of a plurality of support members 42a, which are fixed at a predetermined pitch to a part of the conveyor chain 44a, specifically to the part located above a pair of gears 44b. The support members 42a are generally U-shaped members, and as shown in Figure 6, they extend from the lower to the upper side of the table body 40, with the tip portion (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "support portion 42a1") positioned spaced apart above the table body 40.

[0027] Furthermore, the spreading device 22 has a first gripping portion located above the support portion 42a1, and a second gripping portion located between the table body 40 and the support portion 42a1. In other words, the spreading device 22 can pull both ends of the surface material 13A in the width direction above the support portion 42a1, and pull the lower layer sheet group 18 below the support portion 42a1. Incidentally, as mentioned above, because the lower chuck 34B is held on the central side in the width direction, as shown in Figure 5, the table separator 42 (support member 42a) can be inserted between the upper chuck 34A and the lower chuck 34B when the gripping device 30 moves in the line direction.

[0028] As shown in Figure 7, a cutting device 46 is positioned between the supply unit 20 and the table 21. The spreading device 22 grips the surface material 13A and the lower layer sheet material 18, pulls them out to a predetermined length, and the cutting device 46 cuts the surface material 13A and the lower layer sheet group 18, including the first glass fiber mat 14A, the second glass fiber mat 16A, and the scrim 17A, all together. Then, the cut surface material 13 and lower layer sheet material 18 are pulled out to a predetermined position, the gripping device 30 releases its grip, and the spreading process is completed.

[0029] <Separator replacement process> Once the spreading process is complete, the height of the table 21 is adjusted to match the height of the press molding machine 23. As shown in Figure 8, the table 21 is equipped with a lifting device 48, which lowers it from the height at the supply position of the supply unit 20 to the height of the press molding machine 23. More specifically, it is adjusted to match the height of the conveying device 24 that transports the surface material 13 and the lower layer sheet group 18 on the table 21 to the press molding machine 23.

[0030] Here, the configuration of the conveying device 24 will be described based on Figures 9 and 10. The conveying device 24 is composed of a pair of multi-stage chuck devices 50L and 50R, and each of the pair of multi-stage chuck devices (multi-stage gripping devices) 50L and 50R (see Figure 12) moves on a pair of rails 52L and 50R (see Figures 13 and 14) that extend in the line direction and are arranged on either side of the table 21 and the mold 23A of the press molding machine 23. Each of the multi-stage chuck devices 50L and 50R has an upper chuck (upper gripping part) 54 that is located relatively above and grips the surface material 13, and a lower chuck (lower gripping part) 55 that is located relatively below and grips the lower layer sheet group 18.

[0031] As shown in Figure 9, the upper chuck 54 comprises an upper chuck jaw 54a and an upper jaw receiver 54b, with the upper chuck jaw 54 positioned above the upper jaw receiver 54b. When the upper chuck jaw 54a is rotated around the rotation axis 54c, the upper chuck jaw 54a descends and can grip the surface material 13A above the upper jaw receiver 54b. On the other hand, the lower chuck 55 comprises a lower chuck jaw 55a and a lower jaw receiver 55b, with the lower chuck jaw 55a positioned below the lower jaw receiver 55b. When the lower chuck jaw 55a is rotated around the rotation axis 55c, the lower chuck jaw 55a rises and can grip the lower layer sheet group 18 below the lower jaw receiver 55b. The upper jaw receiver 54b and the lower jaw receiver 55b are positioned to protrude inward in the width direction and are positioned parallel to each other and close together. In the normal state, the upper jaw portion 54a extends upward and the lower jaw portion 55a extends downward, so that the upper jaw receiver 54b and the lower jaw receiver 55b protrude inward in the width direction more than the upper jaw portion 54a and the lower jaw portion 55a. In addition, although the detailed configuration of each of the multi-stage chuck devices 50L and 50R is omitted, the upper chuck 54 and the lower chuck 55 can be moved individually in the width direction.

[0032] Returning to the explanation of the height position of the table 21 and the conveying device 24, as shown in Figure 10, the table 21 is lowered to a height position where the upper claw receiver 54b and the lower claw receiver 55b are located between the table body 40 and the support portion 42a1 of the support member 42. Next, as the conveying device 24 moves toward the table 21, the table separator 42 is moved away from the table 21. Specifically, as the conveying device 24 approaches the table 21, or more precisely, as the upper claw receiver 54b and the lower claw receiver 55b, which are located furthest upstream in the line direction, approach the table separator 42 (the support member 42a, which is located furthest downstream), the conveyor chain 44a is rotated while maintaining a predetermined distance (for example, 5 cm to 10 cm), moving the support member 42a from the upstream side in the line direction to the underside of the gear 44b. Therefore, the table separator 42 is moved away from the table body 40. On the other hand, the upper claw receiver 54b and lower claw receiver 55b of the conveying device 24 will be inserted between the outer material 13 and the lower sheet group 18, and the separator interposed between the outer material 13 and the lower sheet group 18 will be replaced from the table separator 42 to the upper claw receiver 54b and lower claw receiver 55b which will function as conveying device separators.

[0033] <Conveying process and pressing process> Once the separator replacement process is complete, as shown in Figure 12, the outer material 13 and the lower sheet group 18 are each individually gripped by the upper chuck 54 and the lower chuck 55, respectively. The conveying device 24 then moves the outer material 13 and the lower sheet group 18 towards the press molding machine 23, as shown in Figure 13, while gripping them at both ends in the width direction. During press molding, the outer material 13 needs to be kept taut at its edges to prevent wrinkles from forming on its surface. As shown in Figure 14, the upper chuck 54 is moved outward in the width direction, so that the outer material 13 is pulled taut from both sides in the width direction during press molding, thereby forming the ceiling material 12.

[0034] As described above, the manufacturing method for the ceiling material 12 and the ceiling material manufacturing line 10 of this embodiment are based on a configuration in which the upper sheet group, the surface material 13, and the lower sheet group 18 are individually gripped and press-formed during the pressing process. However, by having a table separator 42 and a configuration in which the table separator 42 is replaced with the separators 54b and 55b of the conveying device 24, the spreading operation in the spreading process is reduced to only one time, making it possible to shorten the cycle time required to manufacture one ceiling material 12. Furthermore, since multiple roll-shaped sheet materials 13A, 14A, 16A, and 17A can be pulled out together and cut in one go, the cycle time can be shortened even further.

[0035] <Other Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. For example, the following embodiments are also included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0036] In the above embodiment, the upper layer sheet group consisted only of the surface material 13, but it may consist of two or more sheets.

[0037] In the above embodiment, the table separator 42 was fixed to the conveyor chain 44a and moved away from the table 21 as the conveyor chain 44a rotated, but the invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, each of the multiple support members can be configured to move up and down individually, and the conveying device separator can be inserted between the upper and lower sheet groups while the support members are sequentially lowered.

[0038] In the above embodiment, the upper jaw receiver 54b of the upper chuck 54, which is the upper gripping part, and the lower jaw receiver 55b of the lower chuck 55, which is the lower gripping part, were configured to correspond to a conveying device separator. However, the conveying device separator may be provided separately from the upper gripping part and the lower gripping part.

[0039] In the above embodiment, the conveying device 24 was configured to apply a tensile force only to the surface material 13 as the upper sheet group. However, it is acceptable to configure the device to perform press molding by the press molding machine 23 while the upper sheet group and the lower sheet group are gripped with different forces. For example, the magnitudes of the tensile forces may be different, or the magnitudes and directions of the gripping forces may be different.

[0040] In the above embodiment, a vehicle ceiling material was used as an example of a laminated sheet, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the laminated sheet of the present invention can be applied to interior materials for vehicles or passenger vehicles with a laminated configuration other than ceiling materials. Furthermore, it is not limited to interior materials for passenger vehicles, but can be broadly applied to the manufacture of laminated sheets formed by laminating multiple sheet materials. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0041] 10...Ceiling material manufacturing line [Laminated sheet manufacturing equipment], 12...Ceiling material [Laminated sheet], 13...Surface material [Sheet material, upper layer sheet group], 14...First glass fiber mat [Sheet material], 15...Urethane mat [Sheet material], 16...Second glass fiber mat [Sheet material], 17...Scrim [Sheet material], 18...Lower layer sheet group, 20...Supply unit, 21...Table, 22...Expansion device, 23...Press molding machine, 23A...Molding die, 24...Conveying device, 26...Control device, 30...Gripping device, 32...Gripping device moving device, 34...First chuck device, 34A...Upper chuck [First gripping part], 34B...Lower chuck [Second gripping part], 35...Second chuck device [First gripping part], 36...Third chuck device [Second gripping part], 40...Table body, 42...Table separator, 42a...Support member, 44...Separator moving device [Separator retraction device], 44a...Conveyor chain, 46...Cutting device, 50L, 50R...Multi-stage chuck device [Multi-stage gripping device], 54...Upper chuck [Upper gripping part], 54b...Upper jaw receiver [Conveying device separator], 55...Lower chuck [Lower gripping part], 55b...Lower jaw receiver [Conveying device separator]

Claims

1. A placement process in which multiple sheet materials are placed in supply positions aligned vertically, A spreading step in which one or more of the sheet materials located on the upper side of a plurality of sheet materials are individually grasped, and one or more of the sheet materials located below the upper sheet material group are individually grasped, and the upper sheet material group is simultaneously pulled out to the upper side of the table separator and the lower sheet material group is pulled out to the lower side of the table separator, thereby spreading the plurality of sheet materials onto the table, A separator replacement step is performed in which, as the conveying device that transports multiple sheet materials from the table to the press molding machine is moved from the press molding machine toward the table, the table separator is retracted and replaced with the conveying device separator of the conveying device, The conveying process involves the conveying device, which individually grips the ends of the upper sheet group and the lower sheet group, and then conveys them from the table to the press molding machine. A pressing step is performed by press molding using the press molding machine while the upper sheet group and the lower sheet group are gripped by the conveying device with different forces to form a laminated sheet. A method for manufacturing laminated sheets, comprising the components mentioned above.

2. The method for manufacturing a laminated sheet according to claim 1, wherein the table separators are arranged in pairs on both sides in the width direction of the table, and the edges of the upper layer sheet group in the width direction are placed on them.

3. The method for manufacturing a laminated sheet according to claim 2, wherein each of the pair of table separators comprises a conveyor chain arranged along the side surface of the table and a plurality of support members fixed to a portion of the conveyor chain at a predetermined pitch, and by rotating the conveyor chain, the plurality of support members can be moved from a position above the table to a position below the table.

4. The method for manufacturing laminated sheets according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the conveying device comprises a pair of multi-stage gripping devices, each having an upper gripping portion for gripping the upper layer sheet group above the conveying device separator and a lower gripping portion for gripping the lower layer sheet group below the conveying device separator, sandwiching the mold provided in the press molding machine, and conveying a plurality of the sheet materials while gripping them at both ends in the width direction.

5. At least a portion of the multiple sheet materials are installed in a rolled state, with one end extended to the supply position. A method for manufacturing a laminated sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a cutting step performed after or during the spreading step, for cutting the sheet material in a rolled state.

6. A laminated sheet manufacturing apparatus, The system comprises a spreading device that spreads multiple sheet materials from a supply unit onto a table, a press molding machine that press-forms the multiple sheet materials to form a laminated sheet, a conveying device that transports the multiple sheet materials from the spreading device to the press molding machine, and a control device that controls the laminated sheet manufacturing apparatus. The supply unit is configured to arrange multiple sheets of material in a supply position aligned vertically. The table comprises a table body, a table separator spaced apart above the table body, and a separator retraction device for retracting the table separator from above the table body. The spreading device comprises a first gripping unit for gripping an upper-layer sheet group consisting of one or more sheet materials located on the upper side of a plurality of sheet materials at the supply position, a second gripping unit for gripping a lower-layer sheet group consisting of one or more sheet materials located below the upper-layer sheet group, and a moving device for simultaneously moving the first gripping unit and the second gripping unit, thereby simultaneously pulling out the upper-layer sheet group to the upper side of the table separator and the lower-layer sheet group to the lower side of the table separator. The conveying device comprises a conveying device separator, an upper gripping portion that grips the upper layer sheet group above the conveying device separator, and a lower gripping portion that grips the lower layer sheet group below the conveying device separator. The control device is characterized in that, as the conveying device moves from the press molding machine toward the table, the table separator is moved away from the table by the separator retraction device, thereby swapping the table separator with the conveying device separator, causing the upper gripping portion to grip the upper layer sheet group and the lower gripping portion to grip the lower layer sheet group.

Images