Next device

Abstract

The present invention provides an adhesive device that can reduce the amount of sheet material consumed when bonding the ends of a sheet. [Solution] In the bonding apparatus, the end detection unit detects whether or not a lower sheet is present at the end detection position upstream of the nozzle in the conveying direction. The bonding apparatus conveys the lower sheet and the upper sheet at a first speed using the lower conveying mechanism and the upper conveying mechanism. The bonding apparatus dispenses adhesive from the nozzle onto the lower sheet and bonds the lower sheet and the upper sheet together with the adhesive while conveying them. The bonding apparatus determines whether or not the end detection unit has detected the end of the lower sheet. If the end detection unit, which had detected the presence of a lower sheet, detects that there is no lower sheet at the end detection position (S55), the bonding apparatus changes the conveying speed of the lower conveying mechanism and the upper conveying mechanism from the first speed to the second speed (S57).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a bonding apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] The bonding apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a nozzle, a transport mechanism, a support member, a lower clamping roller, and an upper clamping roller. The nozzle discharges adhesive onto the lower sheet. The transport mechanism transports the upper sheet and the lower sheet while sandwiching them in the vertical direction. The support member supports the upper sheet from below on the upstream side in the transport direction relative to the nozzle. The lower clamping roller sandwiches the lower sheet between itself and the support member. The upper clamping roller sandwiches the lower sheet between itself and the support member. The lower clamping roller and the upper clamping roller are rotatable about the transport direction as the axial direction. The lower clamping roller moves the lower sheet in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the transport direction and the vertical direction. The upper clamping roller moves the upper sheet in the orthogonal direction.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above bonding apparatus, the lower sheet may move in the orthogonal direction due to its own weight on the downstream side in the transport direction relative to the lower clamping roller. The upper sheet may move in the orthogonal direction due to its own weight on the downstream side in the transport direction relative to the upper clamping roller. If the lower sheet and the upper sheet are bonded in a misaligned positional relationship at the terminal end in the progress direction of the bonding operation of the lower sheet and the upper sheet, the terminal ends of the lower sheet and the upper sheet must be removed, which increases the consumption of the lower sheet and the upper sheet.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a bonding apparatus that can reduce the consumption of sheets when bonding the terminal ends of the sheets.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The bonding apparatus according to the present invention comprises a nozzle for dispensing adhesive, a supply mechanism for supplying the adhesive to the nozzle, a lower conveying section for supporting a lower sheet, an upper conveying section that sandwiches the lower sheet and the upper sheet between itself and the lower conveying section, a conveying mechanism that sandwiches and conveys the lower sheet and the upper sheet downstream of the nozzle in the conveying direction, a detection section that detects whether or not either the lower sheet or the upper sheet is present at a predetermined position upstream of the nozzle in the conveying direction, and a control unit, wherein the control unit, when the detection section detects that one of the sheets is present, The device is characterized in that, while transporting at least one of the lower sheet or the upper sheet downstream in the transport direction at a first speed by at least one of the lower transport section or the upper transport section, the lower sheet and the upper sheet are bonded together by the adhesive discharged by the nozzle, and when the detection section, which had been detecting the presence of one of the sheets, detects that the one of the sheets is missing, the transport speed by at least one of the lower transport section or the upper transport section is set to a second speed, which is faster than the first speed, and at least one of the lower sheet or the upper sheet is transported downstream in the transport direction.

[0007] The bonding device bonds the sheet while transporting the upstream end in the conveying direction at a second speed. Therefore, the bonding device can bond the lower and upper sheets without misalignment of their relative positions. Consequently, when bonding the end of a sheet, the amount of sheet material consumed can be reduced.

[0008] In the present invention, the lower conveying section comprises a lower roller rotatable around a lower conveying shaft extending parallel to an orthogonal direction perpendicular to the conveying direction and the vertical direction, and a lower drive unit for rotating the lower roller. The upper conveying section comprises an upper roller rotatable around an upper conveying shaft extending parallel to the orthogonal direction, and an upper drive unit for rotating the upper roller. The control unit may control the rotation of the lower roller and the upper roller, respectively. The bonding device has a simple configuration and can bond the upstream end of the sheet in the conveying direction while conveying it at a second speed. Therefore, the bonding device can bond the lower sheet and the upper sheet without misalignment of their relative positions. Consequently, when bonding the end of a sheet, the amount of sheet consumed can be reduced.

[0009] The bonding apparatus according to the present invention is positioned upstream of the nozzle in the conveying direction and above the conveying path of the lower sheet, and includes a support part that supports the upper sheet, a lower clamping roller that sandwiches the lower sheet between itself and the support part and is rotatable about a lower clamping axis that extends parallel to the conveying direction, a lower detection part that detects whether or not the lower sheet is present at a lower detection position between the nozzle and the lower clamping roller in the conveying direction, an upper clamping roller that sandwiches the upper sheet between itself and the support part and is rotatable about an upper clamping axis that extends parallel to the conveying direction, and an upper detection position which is the position between the upper conveying part and the upper clamping roller in the conveying direction. The adhesive device further includes an upper detection unit that detects whether or not the upper sheet is present, wherein the predetermined position is located upstream of the lower detection position and the upper detection position in the transport direction, and the control unit may move the lower sheet in an orthogonal direction perpendicular to the transport direction and the vertical direction by rotating the lower clamping roller according to the detection result of the lower detection unit, and move the upper sheet in the orthogonal direction by rotating the upper clamping roller according to the detection result of the upper detection unit. The adhesive device can move the lower sheet in an orthogonal direction by the lower clamping roller and the upper sheet in an orthogonal direction by the upper clamping roller. Therefore, the adhesive device can bond the lower sheet and the upper sheet without misalignment of their relative positions.

[0010] In the present invention, the lower clamping roller clamps the lower sheet between itself and the support at the lower clamping position in the transport direction, the upper clamping roller clamps the upper sheet between itself and the support at the upper clamping position in the transport direction, the predetermined position is located upstream of the upper clamping position and the lower clamping position in the transport direction, and the control unit may set the transport speed of at least one of the lower transport unit or the upper transport unit to the second speed when the upstream end of the lower sheet in the transport direction is transported to the lower clamping position, or when the upstream end of the upper sheet in the transport direction is transported to the upper clamping position. The bonding device sets the transport speed to the second speed at the timing when the lower sheet can no longer be moved by the lower clamping roller or when the upper sheet can no longer be moved by the upper clamping roller. Therefore, the bonding device can bond the lower sheet and the upper sheet without misalignment of their relative positions. Consequently, the amount of sheet consumed can be reduced when bonding the ends of the sheets.

[0011] In the present invention, the control unit may change the amount of adhesive supplied to the nozzle by the supply mechanism when the detection unit detects that one of the sheets is missing. The adhesive device can apply the correct amount of adhesive to the sheet even when the transport speed is changed from the first speed to the second speed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Perspective view of bonding device 1. [Figure 2] Left side view of bonding device 1. [Figure 3] Perspective view of the lower transport mechanism 50. [Figure 4] A close-up view of the nozzle 11, lower conveyor roller 64, nozzle lower roller 65, and upper conveyor roller 12. [Figure 5] A perspective view of the lower transport mechanism 60, the lower clamping mechanism 80, and the gap adjustment mechanism 77. [Figure 6] Enlarged perspective view of the lower conveyor roller 64 and the nozzle lower roller 65. [Figure 7] Front view of bonding device 1. [Figure 8]Perspective view of the lower clamping mechanism 80 and the moving mechanism 81. [Figure 9] Enlarged perspective view of the upper conveying roller 12, the lower clamping roller 76, and the nozzle lower roller 65. [Figure 10] Schematic diagram of the supply mechanism 40. [Figure 11] Electrical block diagram of the bonding apparatus 1. [Figure 12] Flowchart showing the main processing. [Figure 13] Flowchart showing the main processing continuing from Fig.12. [Figure 14] Plan view of the upper sheet 6 provided with the extended tab 6B and the lower sheet 8 provided with the extended tab 8B. [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The referenced drawings are used to describe technical features that the present invention can employ. The configuration of the apparatus described in the drawings is not intended to be limiting thereto, and is merely an illustrative example. In the following, the upper left, lower right, lower left, upper right, lower, and upper directions in Fig.1 are respectively defined as the left, right, front, rear, lower, and upper directions of the bonding apparatus 1.

[0014] The configuration of the bonding apparatus 1 will be described with reference to Fig.1 to Fig.10. The bonding apparatus 1 bonds the upper sheet 6 and the lower sheet 8 with the adhesive Z shown in Fig.10. The adhesive Z has hot-melt properties, liquefies at its softening point, and solidifies at a temperature lower than the softening point.

[0015] The upper sheet 6 overlaps the lower sheet 8 from above. The upper sheet 6 and the lower sheet 8 are, for example, flexible cloth. In the present embodiment, the right end portion of the sheet 200 shown in Fig.3 is the upper sheet 6, and the left end portion of the sheet 200 is the lower sheet 8. The sheet 200 has a cylindrical shape rolled such that the upper sheet 6 overlaps the lower sheet 8 from above. The portion of the upper sheet 6 that overlaps the lower sheet 8 is referred to as the upper specific end portion 6A, and the portion of the lower sheet 8 that overlaps the upper sheet 6 is referred to as the lower specific end portion 8A.

[0016] As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2, the bonding apparatus 1 includes a base portion 2, a pillar portion 3, an arm portion 4, a head portion 5, and a conveyance mechanism 20. The base portion 2 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and is fixed to a workbench. A support plate 51 is disposed at the left end of the base portion 2.

[0017] The support plate 51 extends in the front-rear direction. The front end of the support plate 51 is located forward of the front end of the base portion 2. A support plate 512 is disposed at the lower end of the support plate 51. The support plate 512 extends leftward from the lower end of the support plate 51.

[0018] The pillar portion 3 extends upward from the upper end of the base portion 2. The arm portion 4 extends leftward from the left end of the upper end portion of the pillar portion 3. The left end portion of the arm portion 4 is the head portion 5. A mounting portion 41 is disposed at the upper end of the head portion 5. A nozzle swing mechanism 22, which will be described later, is disposed on the head portion 5.

[0019] An operation portion 19 is disposed at the front end of the arm portion 4. The operation portion 19 includes switches for receiving various operations from an operator. The operator operates the operation portion 19 when giving an operation instruction to the bonding apparatus 1. An upper clamping mechanism 30, which will be described later, and an upper detection portion 85, which will be described later, are disposed at the lower end of the arm portion 4.

[0020] The conveyance mechanism 20 includes a lower conveyance mechanism 50 and an upper conveyance mechanism 70. The lower conveyance mechanism 50 is disposed on the support plate 51. The upper conveyance mechanism 70 is disposed on the head portion 5.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3 and Figure 4, the lower conveyance mechanism 50 includes a frame body 55 and a lower conveyance operation portion 60. The frame body 55 has a box shape extending in the front-rear direction. The frame body 55 accommodates the lower conveyance operation portion 60, a gap adjustment portion 77, a lower clamping mechanism 80, and a thickness detection portion 950.

[0022] The frame body 55 has a rear opening portion 553 shown in Figure 6 and an unillustrated upper opening portion. The rear opening portion 553 opens the frame body 55 rearward. The rear end of the lower conveyance operation portion 60 projects rearward beyond the frame body 55 via the rear opening portion 553.

[0023] The upper opening opens upward through the frame 55. A support plate 57 is positioned at the upper end of the frame 55. The support plate 57 closes the opening at the upper end of the frame 55. The support plate 57 supports the lower sheet 8 from below.

[0024] A shaft portion 316 is positioned at the right rear end of the support plate 57. The shaft portion 316 extends upward from the upper end of the support plate 57. The shaft portion 316 rotatably supports the upper support portion 314.

[0025] The upper support portion 314 is plate-shaped with thickness in the vertical direction. The upper support portion 314 includes an upper surface 315 and a lower surface 317. The upper support portion 314 rotates around the shaft portion 316 and is movable between the operating position and the retracted position shown in Figure 3. The retracted position is rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise around the shaft portion 316 from the operating position.

[0026] Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the lower transport unit 60 housed in the frame 55 will be described. The lower transport unit 60 comprises a support frame 61, a lower transport roller 64, a nozzle lower roller 65, a lower transport motor 63, and a transport belt 67 as shown in Figure 9. The support frame 61 is box-shaped and extends in the front-rear direction. The support frame 61 houses the lower detection unit 78 and the end detection unit 79.

[0027] The support frame 61 has plates 611 and 612. Plate 611 extends in the front-rear direction. Plate 611 includes the right side of the support frame 61. Plate 611 has openings 615, 616, and 617.

[0028] Opening 615 opens the front end of the plate 611 in a left-right direction. Opening 616 is located at the front end of the plate 611 and below opening 615, and opens the plate 611 in a left-right direction. Opening 616 has a contact portion 619 that protrudes inward. The contact portion 619 is located at the lower end of opening 616. Opening 617 is located behind opening 615 and opens the plate 611 in a left-right direction.

[0029] Plate 612 is located to the left of plate 611 and extends in the front-rear direction. Plate 612 includes the left side of the support frame 61. The front end of plate 612 is located behind the front end of plate 611. Plate 612 has an opening 618. The opening 618 opens to the left-right direction at the front end of plate 612. The opening 618 is aligned with the opening 617 in the left-right direction.

[0030] The support frame 61 has an upper opening 613 and front and rear openings 614. The upper opening 613 and the front and rear openings 614 are defined by plates 611 and 612. The upper opening 613 opens the support frame 61 upwards. The front and rear openings 614 open the support frame 61 in the front and rear directions.

[0031] Plates 56 and 59 are positioned on the support frame 61. Plate 59 extends in the front-rear direction. Plate 59 is positioned at the upper end of the support frame 61 and closes the rear end of the upper opening 613. Plate 56 extends downward and rearward from the rear end of plate 59 and closes the rear ends of the front-rear openings 614.

[0032] The plate 59 has an opening 591. The opening 591 opens the plate 59 in the vertical direction. The opening 591 is located below the upper support portion 314, which is in the operating position.

[0033] Plates 56 and 59 have an opening 592. The opening 592 is located at the connection point between plate 56 and plate 59. The opening 592 opens in the thickness direction of both plate 59 and plate 56.

[0034] The lower conveyor roller 64 is fixed to the shaft portion 641. The shaft portion 641 extends in a left-right direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and is rotatably supported at its rear end inside the support frame 61. The upper end of the lower conveyor roller 64 protrudes above the plate 59 through the opening 592.

[0035] The nozzle lower roller 65 is fixed to the shaft portion 651. The shaft portion 651 extends in a left-right direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, is located inside the support frame 61 and in front of the shaft portion 641, and is rotatably supported by the support frame 61. The upper end of the nozzle lower roller 65 protrudes above the plate 59 through the opening 591. The lower conveyor roller 64 and the nozzle lower roller 65 support the lower sheet 8 from below.

[0036] The lower conveyor motor 63 is positioned at the front end of the plate 611. The tip of the drive shaft of the lower conveyor motor 63 is located to the left of the plate 611 through the opening 615. The conveyor belt 67 is stretched over the drive shaft, shaft portion 641, and shaft portion 651 of the lower conveyor motor 63. The conveyor belt 67 transmits the driving force of the lower conveyor motor 63 to the lower conveyor roller 64 and the nozzle lower roller 65. Therefore, when the lower conveyor motor 63 is driven, the lower conveyor roller 64 and the nozzle lower roller 65 rotate with the left-right direction as their axial direction. Consequently, when the lower conveyor roller 64 and the nozzle lower roller 65 rotate, the lower sheet 8 is conveyed in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the front-rear direction is the conveying direction, the front is the upstream direction of the conveying direction, and the rear is the downstream direction of the conveying direction.

[0037] Referring to Figure 5, the gap adjustment section 77 housed in the frame 55 will be described. The gap adjustment section 77 changes the vertical position of the lower transport operation section 60. The gap adjustment section 77 comprises a gap adjustment motor 68, a cam plate 69, a shaft 62, and a spring (not shown). The gap adjustment motor 68 is located above the support plate 512 shown in Figure 1 and below the lower transport motor 63. The drive shaft 681 of the gap adjustment motor 68 passes through the opening 616.

[0038] The drive shaft 681 fixes the cam plate 69. The cam plate 69 is a roughly circular disc shape with thickness in the left-right direction. The center of the cam plate 69 is eccentric from the center of the drive shaft 681. The cam plate 69 is located inside the opening 616.

[0039] The shaft portion 62 is located at the rear end inside the frame 55 and extends in the left-right direction. The shaft portion 62 passes through the openings 617 and 618. The support frame 61 is rotatable around the shaft portion 62. A spring (not shown) biases the support frame 61 so that its rear end rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the left side. As a result, the cam plate 69 maintains contact with the contact portion 619 of the opening 616.

[0040] When the gap adjustment motor 68 is driven, the cam plate 69 rotates around the drive shaft 681. As the cam plate 69 rotates inside the opening 616, the part of the cam plate 69 that contacts the contact portion 619 switches. Consequently, the distance between the drive shaft 681 and the contact portion 619 changes, and the front end of the plate 611 moves vertically. The support frame 61 rotates around the shaft portion 62, and the rear end of the support frame 61 swings vertically.

[0041] The lower conveyor roller 64 and the nozzle lower roller 65 swing vertically in accordance with the vertical swing of the rear end of the support frame 61. The upper end of the swing range of the lower conveyor roller 64 and the nozzle lower roller 65 is called the lower conveyor position. The lower end of the swing range of the lower conveyor roller 64 and the nozzle lower roller 65 is called the lower position. In Figure 4, the lower conveyor roller 64 and the nozzle lower roller 65 are shown with solid lines when they are in the lower conveyor position. The lower conveyor roller 64 and the nozzle lower roller 65 are shown with dashed lines when they are in the lower position.

[0042] Referring to Figures 5 and 8, the lower clamping mechanism 80 housed in the frame 55 will be described. The lower clamping mechanism 80 comprises a base 71, a lower clamping motor 72, a shaft 910, a frame 73, a belt 74, a shaft 75, a lower clamping roller 76, and a moving mechanism 81. The base 71 is housed inside the frame 55 and is box-shaped. The base 71 has a hole 711 that penetrates it in the front-to-back direction.

[0043] The rotating part 717 is inserted through the hole 711. The base 71 supports the rotating part 717 so that it can rotate. The axis of rotation of the rotating part 717 is axis J extending in the front-rear direction. The rotating part 717 has a hole that penetrates it in the front-rear direction.

[0044] The lower clamping motor 72 is positioned in front of the rotating part 717. The drive shaft of the lower clamping motor 72 is inserted through a hole that penetrates the rotating part 717 and connected to the shaft portion 910. The shaft portion 910 extends in the front-rear direction. The rear end of the shaft portion 910 is located behind the rear end of the rotating part 717.

[0045] The frame portion 73 is located behind the base portion 71 and is box-shaped, extending upward and to the right with respect to the axis J. The frame portion 73 is fixed to the rear end of the rotating portion 717. The frame portion 73 is rotatable together with the rotating portion 717. The lower left portion of the frame portion 73 accommodates the rear end of the shaft portion 910. The frame portion 73 rotatably supports the shaft portion 910.

[0046] The shaft portion 75 is housed in the support frame 61 and extends in a front-to-back direction parallel to the conveying direction. The front end of the shaft portion 75 is housed in the upper right part of the frame portion 73. The frame portion 73 rotatably supports the shaft portion 75. The belt 74 is stretched over the shaft portion 910 and the shaft portion 75.

[0047] The lower clamping roller 76 is fixed to the rear end of the shaft portion 75. The axis of the lower clamping roller 76 extends in the front-rear direction and is aligned with the shaft portion 75 in the front-rear direction. When the upper support portion 314 is in the operating position, the lower clamping roller 76 is located above the upper support portion 314. In the front-rear direction, the lower clamping roller 76 is located in front of the front end of the plate 59. When the lower clamping motor 72 is driven, the lower clamping roller 76 rotates with the front-rear direction as its axial direction.

[0048] A pin 940 is fixed to the rear of the upper surface of the lower clamping motor 72. Pin 940 extends upward from the upper surface of the lower clamping motor 72. A pin 941 is fixed to the rear of the left side of the lower clamping motor 72. Pin 941 extends to the left from the left side of the lower clamping motor 72.

[0049] A spring 946 is fixed to the left end of pin 941. Spring 946 extends downward from the left end of pin 941. The lower end of spring 946 is fixed to frame 55. Spring 946 biases the lower clamping motor 72 so that it rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the front.

[0050] The moving mechanism 81 includes a plate 930, an air cylinder 28, and a plate 933. The plate 933 is positioned at the upper end of the base portion 71 and extends in the left-right direction.

[0051] The air cylinder 28 is located on the left side of the upper surface of the plate 930. The output shaft 281 of the air cylinder 28 extends in the left-right direction. The plate 933 is fixed to the right end of the output shaft 281 and is L-shaped when viewed from the front. The right end of the plate 933 is in contact with the pin 940 from the left.

[0052] As the output shaft 281 moves to the right, the plate 933 presses the pin 940 to the right. The lower clamping motor 72 is pressed by the plate 933 and rotates clockwise around axis J in a front view. The frame 73 rotates together with the lower clamping motor 72, and the lower clamping roller 76 swings downward.

[0053] When the output shaft 281 retracts to the left, the pressure on the pin 940 of the plate 933 is released. The lower clamping motor 72 rotates counterclockwise around axis J in a front view due to the biasing force of the spring 946. The frame 73 rotates together with the lower clamping motor 72, and the lower clamping roller 76 swings upward.

[0054] The upper end of the swing range of the lower clamping roller 76 is called the lower clamping position. When the lower clamping roller 76 is in the lower clamping position, its upper end protrudes above the plate 59. When the lower clamping roller 76 is in the lower clamping position and the upper support part 314 is in the operating position, the lower clamping roller 76 can clamp the lower sheet 8 between itself and the lower surface 317 of the upper support part 314. As the lower clamping roller 76 rotates while clamping the lower sheet 8 between itself and the lower surface 317, the lower clamping mechanism 80 can move the lower sheet 8 in the left-right direction. The lower sheet 8, clamped by the lower clamping roller 76 and the upper support part 314, is conveyed backward by the lower transport roller 64 and the nozzle lower roller 65. Therefore, the upper support part 314 is located above the transport path of the lower sheet 8.

[0055] The lower end of the oscillation range of the lower clamping roller 76 is called the lower release position. When the lower clamping roller 76 is in the lower release position, the upper end of the lower clamping roller 76 is located below the upper surface of the plate 59. When the lower clamping roller 76 is in the lower release position, the lower clamping roller 76 does not clamp the lower sheet 8 between itself and the lower surface 317. In Figure 4, the lower clamping roller 76 and the shaft portion 75 are shown with solid lines when the lower clamping roller 76 is in the lower clamping position. The lower clamping roller 76 and the shaft portion 75 are shown with dashed lines when the lower clamping roller 76 is in the lower release position.

[0056] Referring to Figures 5 and 8, the thickness detection unit 950 housed in the frame 55 will be described. The thickness detection unit 950 comprises an extension 951, a magnetic material (not shown), a support plate 998, and a magnetic sensor 963. The extension 951 extends downward from the rear lower end of the lower clamping motor 72. The magnetic material is fixed to the lower end of the extension 951. The magnetic material is, for example, a permanent magnet.

[0057] The support plate 998 extends downward from the lower end of the front surface of the base portion 71. The support plate 998 is positioned in front of the magnetic material. The magnetic sensor 963 is fixed to the front surface of the support plate 998. The magnetic sensor 963 detects the strength of the magnetic field.

[0058] The vertical position of the lower clamping roller 76 changes according to the thickness of the lower sheet 8 that is clamped between it and the upper support portion 314. The lower clamping motor 72 rotates in accordance with the change in the position of the lower clamping roller 76, and the extension portion 951 rotates integrally with the lower clamping motor 72. Consequently, the distance between the magnetic material and the magnetic sensor 963 changes, and the strength of the magnetic field detected by the magnetic sensor 963 changes. Therefore, the bonding device 1 can detect the thickness of the lower sheet 8 based on the strength of the magnetic field detected by the magnetic sensor 963.

[0059] Referring to Figure 4, the lower detection unit 78 and the end detection unit 79 housed in the support frame 61 will be described. The lower detection unit 78 and the end detection unit 79 are reflective type optical sensors in which the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit are integrated.

[0060] The lower detection unit 78 is located inside the support frame 61 and below the opening 591. The lower detection unit 78 is aligned with the nozzle lower roller 65 in the left-right direction. In the front-rear direction, the lower detection unit 78 is located between the discharge port 13 of the nozzle 11 (described later) and the lower clamping roller 76.

[0061] The light-emitting part of the lower detection unit 78 emits light upwards. The light emitted from the light-emitting part passes through the opening 591 and is reflected by the rear end of the lower surface 317 of the upper support unit 314. The light-receiving part of the lower detection unit 78 receives the reflected light that has passed through the opening 591 and outputs a current corresponding to the intensity of the received light.

[0062] The end detection unit 79 is located inside the support frame 61 and is positioned in front of the lower detection unit 78. The end detection unit 79 is aligned with the lower clamping roller 76 in the left-right direction. More specifically, the end detection unit 79 is positioned in front of the position where the lower clamping roller 76 clamps the lower sheet 8 between itself and the upper support unit 314.

[0063] The light-emitting part of the termination detection unit 79 emits light upwards. The light emitted from the light-emitting part is reflected by the front end of the lower surface 317 of the upper support part 314. The light-receiving part of the termination detection unit 79 receives the reflected light and outputs a current corresponding to the intensity of the received light.

[0064] Referring to Figure 2, the upper conveying mechanism 70 of the conveying mechanism 20 will be described. The upper conveying mechanism 70 comprises an arm 16, an upper conveying roller 12, an upper conveying motor 112, and an air cylinder 27 as shown in Figure 11. The arm 16 is box-shaped and extends forward and downward from the lower end of the head 5.

[0065] The arm portion 16 has a tip portion 160 at its front lower end. The tip portion 160 rotatably supports the shaft portion 121 shown in Figure 4. The shaft portion 121 extends in the left-right direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. An upper conveyor roller 12 is fixed to the shaft portion 121.

[0066] The upper conveyor motor 112 is located to the left rear of the arm 16. The transmission mechanism is housed in the arm 16. The upper conveyor motor 112 is connected to the shaft 121 via the transmission mechanism. The transmission mechanism is, for example, a pulley or a belt. When the upper conveyor motor 112 is driven, the upper conveyor roller 12 rotates with the left-right direction as its axial direction.

[0067] The air cylinder 27 is located on the head 5. The output shaft of the air cylinder 27 is connected to the arm 16 via a link mechanism. When the air cylinder 27 is driven, the arm 16 swings up and down. The upper conveyor roller 12 swings up and down in accordance with the up and down swing of the arm 16.

[0068] The lower end of the swing range of the upper conveyor roller 12 is called the upper conveyor position. When the upper conveyor roller 12 is in the upper conveyor position, it contacts the upper sheet 6 from above and clamps the lower sheet 8 and the upper sheet 6 between itself and the lower conveyor roller 64. In Figure 4, point P indicates the position where the upper conveyor roller 12 and the lower conveyor roller 64 clamp the lower sheet 8 and the upper sheet 6.

[0069] The upper end of the swing range of the upper conveyor roller 12 is called the upper position. When the upper conveyor roller 12 is in the upper position, the upper conveyor roller 12 does not clamp the lower sheet 8 between itself and the lower conveyor roller 64.

[0070] Referring to Figure 7, the upper clamping mechanism 30 will be described. The upper clamping mechanism 30 comprises a support part 34, an arm part 31, a shaft part 33, an upper clamping roller 32, an upper clamping motor 38, a transmission mechanism, a spring 37, and an air cylinder 26. The support part 34 is located on the right side of the lower surface of the arm part 4 and is box-shaped.

[0071] The arm portion 31 is box-shaped and extends downward to the left. The upper right end of the arm portion 31 is rotatably supported by the support portion 34. The axis of rotation of the arm portion 31 is the axis W extending in the front-rear direction. The arm portion 31 has a tip portion 310 at its lower left end.

[0072] The tip portion 310 rotatably supports the shaft portion 33. The shaft portion 33 extends in a front-rear direction parallel to the conveying direction and fixes the upper clamping roller 32. As shown in Figure 4, the upper clamping roller 32 is located above the lower clamping roller 76 with the upper support portion 314 in between. The upper clamping roller 32 is located in front of the upper conveying roller 12.

[0073] The upper clamping motor 38 is located behind the support section 34. The transmission mechanism is housed in the support section 34 and the arm section 31. The upper clamping motor 38 is connected to the shaft section 33 via the transmission mechanism. The transmission mechanism is, for example, a pulley or a belt. When the upper clamping motor 38 is driven, the upper clamping roller 32 rotates with the front-rear direction as its axial direction.

[0074] The spring 37 biases the arm 31 so that it rotates clockwise around the axis W when viewed from the front. The air cylinder 26 is located on the support 34. The air cylinder 26 drives the arm 31 to rotate clockwise around the axis W when viewed from the front. In accordance with the rotation of the arm 31, the upper clamping roller 32 swings up and down.

[0075] The lower end of the swing range of the upper clamping roller 32 is called the upper clamping position. When the upper clamping roller 32 is in the upper clamping position and the upper support portion 314 is in the operating position, the upper clamping roller 32 can clamp the upper sheet 6 between itself and the upper surface 315 of the upper support portion 314. As the upper clamping roller 32 rotates while clamping the upper sheet 6 between itself and the upper surface 315, the upper clamping mechanism 30 can move the upper sheet 6 in the left-right direction.

[0076] The upper end of the swing range of the upper clamping roller 32 is called the upper separation position. When the upper clamping roller 32 is in the upper separation position, the upper clamping roller 32 does not clamp the upper sheet 6 between itself and the upper surface 315.

[0077] Referring to Figure 7, the upper detection unit 85 will be described. The upper detection unit 85 is a reflective type light sensor in which a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit are integrated. Although not shown in the figure, the upper detection unit 85 is located between the upper transport roller 12 and the upper clamping roller 32 in the front-rear direction. The upper detection unit 85 is aligned vertically with the lower detection unit 78 shown in Figure 4.

[0078] The light-emitting part of the upper detection unit 85 emits light downwards. The light emitted from the light-emitting part is reflected by the reflective surface 118 of the nozzle 11, which will be described later. The light-receiving part of the upper detection unit 85 receives the reflected light and outputs a current corresponding to the intensity of the received light.

[0079] Referring to Figure 10, the supply mechanism 40 will be described. The supply mechanism 40 comprises a mounting section 41, an upstream flow path 44, a gear pump 46, a pump motor 114, and a downstream flow path 47. As shown in Figure 1, the mounting section 41 is a box shape extending in the vertical direction. The mounting section 43 mounts the cartridge 42. The cartridge 42 contains the adhesive Z.

[0080] The mounting section 41 houses the heater 131. The heater 131 heats the cartridge 42, thereby heating the adhesive Z inside the cartridge 42. The adhesive Z inside the cartridge 42 is liquefied by the heater 131.

[0081] The upstream channel 44 is housed in the head unit 5. The upstream end of the upstream channel 44 is connected to the cartridge 42. The downstream end of the upstream channel 44 is connected to the upstream end of the gear pump 46. The internal pressure of the cartridge 42 becomes positive due to the operation of the compressor 89 shown in Figure 11. The adhesive Z flows from the cartridge 42 towards the gear pump 46 through the upstream channel 44.

[0082] The head 5 houses a heater 133. The heater 131 heats the upstream channel 44, thereby heating the adhesive Z inside the upstream channel 44.

[0083] The downstream end of the gear pump 46 is connected to the upstream end of the downstream flow path 47. The gear pump 46 is, for example, an external gear pump with two gears meshing together. The pump motor 114 rotates the two gears of the gear pump 46. When the pump motor 114 is driven, the gear pump 46 sucks the adhesive Z from the cartridge 42 and sends the sucked adhesive Z to the downstream flow path 47.

[0084] The downstream channel 47 is housed in the head 5, nozzle lever 18, and nozzle 11. The nozzle lever 18 is box-shaped and extends vertically. The upper end of the nozzle lever 18 is housed in the head 5. The lower end of the nozzle lever 18 protrudes below the lower end of the head 5. The nozzle 11 is positioned at the lower end of the nozzle lever 18.

[0085] As shown in Figure 9, the nozzle 11 comprises an extension portion 116 and a discharge portion 117. The extension portion 116 is box-shaped and extends downward and rearward from the lower end of the nozzle lever 18. The discharge portion 117 is box-shaped and extends to the right from the lower end of the extension portion 116. The upper surface of the discharge portion 117 has a reflective surface 118 for reflecting light irradiated from the upper detection portion 85.

[0086] The lower surface of the discharge section 117 is a nozzle surface 119 that extends horizontally. The nozzle surface 119 has a plurality of discharge ports 13. As shown in Figure 10, the plurality of discharge ports 13 are arranged in the left-right direction. The plurality of discharge ports 13 are connected to the downstream end of the downstream flow path 47. The adhesive Z sent out by the gear pump 46 flows through the downstream flow path 47 and is discharged downward from the plurality of discharge ports 13.

[0087] A pressure sensor 49 is located at the upstream end of the downstream channel 47. The pressure sensor 49 detects the pressure of the adhesive Z flowing through the downstream channel 47.

[0088] The nozzle lever 18 houses the heater 132, the nozzle valve 181, and the air cylinder 29 shown in Figure 11. The heater 132 heats the downstream passage 47, thereby heating the adhesive Z inside the downstream passage 47.

[0089] The nozzle valve 181 is located inside the nozzle lever 18, downstream of the heater 132 in the direction in which the adhesive Z flows. The nozzle valve 181 can open and close the downstream flow path 47.

[0090] The output shaft of the air cylinder 29 is connected to the nozzle valve 181. The nozzle valve 181 is opened and closed by the drive of the air cylinder 29. When the nozzle valve 181 is open, the nozzle 11 discharges the adhesive Z. When the nozzle valve 181 is closed, the nozzle 11 stops discharging the adhesive Z. The amount of adhesive Z discharged from the nozzle 11 per unit time changes according to the speed of the pump motor 114.

[0091] Referring to Figure 7, the nozzle oscillating mechanism 22 located in the head 5 will be described. The nozzle oscillating mechanism 22 comprises a nozzle motor 113, a support shaft 9, and a nozzle lever 18. The nozzle motor 113 is located inside the head 5. The drive shaft of the nozzle motor 113 is connected to the motor gear 15.

[0092] The support shaft 9 is positioned above the nozzle motor 113 and extends in the left-right direction. A worm wheel 25 is fixed to the left-right center of the support shaft 9. The worm wheel 25 meshes with the motor gear 15. The upper end of the nozzle lever 18 is fixed to the left end of the support shaft 9.

[0093] When the nozzle motor 113 is driven, the nozzle lever 18 rotates around the support shaft 9. The nozzle 11 moves between the close-proximity position and the retracted position shown in Figure 2. When the nozzle 11 is in the close-proximity position, the discharge port 13 is located above the nozzle lower roller 65 and the discharge section 117 opens downwards. When the nozzle 11 is in the retracted position, the nozzle 11 is located in front of the upper clamping roller 32.

[0094] Referring to Figures 4 and 10, the bonding operation by the bonding device 1 will be explained. The upper sheet 6 and the lower sheet 8 are bonded together by the bonding operation. To start the bonding operation, the operator operates the foot pedal 7 shown in Figure 11 with their foot. The foot pedal 7 is located below the workbench. The foot pedal 7 can be rotated by the operator's foot and moved to the stepping position or the return stepping position.

[0095] A potentiometer 95 is connected to the footplate 7. The potentiometer 95 detects the position of the footplate 7. When the footplate 7 is in the pressed position, the potentiometer 95 outputs a start command to the control device 90 (described later) to begin the bonding operation. When the footplate 7 is in the returned position, the potentiometer 95 outputs a stop command to the control device 90 to end the bonding operation.

[0096] When the control device 90 receives a start command, it drives the pump motor 114. The control device 90 drives the lower conveying motor 63 and the upper conveying motor 112. The lower conveying motor 63 drives the lower conveying roller 64 and the nozzle lower roller 65, and the lower sheet 8 is conveyed backward. The upper conveying motor 112 drives the upper conveying roller 12, and the upper sheet 6 is conveyed backward. In this embodiment, the front is the upstream direction of conveying, and the rear is the downstream direction of conveying. The conveying speed by the lower conveying mechanism 50 and the upper conveying mechanism 70 is the first speed.

[0097] The control device 90 drives the lower clamping motor 72. The rotation of the lower clamping roller 76 causes the lower sheet 8 to move left and right in the lower clamping position. The control device 90 controls the drive of the lower clamping motor 72 to align the lower specific end portion 8A in the left and right direction.

[0098] The control device 90 drives the upper clamping motor 38. The rotation of the upper clamping roller 32 causes the upper sheet 6 to move left and right in the upper clamping position. The control device 90 controls the drive of the upper clamping motor 38 to align the upper specific end portion 6A in the left and right directions.

[0099] The control device 90 emits light from the light-emitting section of the lower detection unit 78, the light-emitting section of the terminal detection unit 79, and the light-emitting section of the upper detection unit 85. While the lower sheet 8 is being transported, the light emitted from the lower detection unit 78 is reflected by the lower sheet 8. The intensity of the light reflected by the lower sheet 8 is weaker than the intensity of the light reflected by the lower surface 317.

[0100] The control device 90 can determine whether or not the lower sheet 8 is present based on the magnitude of the current output from the light receiving unit of the lower detection unit 78. Hereinafter, the position above the lower detection unit 78 where the lower detection unit 78 detects whether or not the lower sheet 8 is present will be referred to as the lower detection position. The lower detection position is located in the front-rear direction between the discharge port 13 of the nozzle 11 and the lower clamping position.

[0101] While the lower sheet 8 is being transported, the light emitted from the termination detection unit 79 and the light emitted from the termination detection unit 79 are reflected by the lower sheet 8. Therefore, the control device 90 can determine whether or not the lower sheet 8 is present based on the magnitude of the current output from the light receiving unit of the termination detection unit 79. Hereinafter, the position above the termination detection unit 79 where the termination detection unit 79 detects whether or not the lower sheet 8 is present will be referred to as the termination detection position. The termination detection position is located upstream in the transport direction from the lower clamping position and the upper clamping position.

[0102] While the upper sheet 6 is being transported, the light emitted from the upper detection unit 85 is reflected by the upper sheet 6. The intensity of the light reflected by the upper sheet 6 is weaker than the intensity of the light reflected by the reflective surface 118.

[0103] The control device 90 can determine whether or not the upper sheet 6 is present based on the magnitude of the current output from the light receiving unit of the upper detection unit 85. Hereinafter, the position below the upper detection unit 85, where the upper detection unit 85 detects whether or not it is present, will be referred to as the upper detection position. The upper detection position is located in the front-rear direction between the discharge port 13 of the nozzle 11 and the upper clamping position.

[0104] The control device 90 drives the air cylinder 29 to open the nozzle valve 181. Adhesive Z is discharged from the discharge port 13 of the nozzle 11 to the lower specific end 8A. Downstream from the nozzle 11 in the conveying direction, the lower sheet 8 is conveyed with the adhesive Z applied. The lower specific end 8A and the upper specific end 6A are sandwiched between the lower conveying roller 64 and the upper conveying roller 12. As a result, the lower sheet 8 and the upper sheet 6 are bonded together by the adhesive Z.

[0105] Before the bonding operation is complete, the upstream end of the lower sheet 8 in the transport direction reaches the end detection position. Light emitted from the end detection unit 79 is reflected by the lower surface 317. Therefore, the end detection unit 79, which had detected the presence of the lower sheet 8 at the end detection position, now detects that the lower sheet 8 is no longer at the end detection position. Hereinafter, the upstream end in the transport direction of the lower sheet 8 or upper sheet 6 will be referred to as the end.

[0106] When the end of the upper sheet 6 is located downstream in the transport direction from the upper clamping position, the upper specific end 6A cannot move left or right due to the upper clamping roller 32. When the end of the lower sheet 8 is located downstream in the transport direction from the lower clamping position, the lower specific end 8A cannot move left or right due to the lower clamping roller 76. When the end of the lower sheet 8 is transported to the lower clamping position, the control device 90 sets the transport speed of the lower transport mechanism 50 and the upper transport mechanism 70 to the second speed. The second speed is faster than the first speed. An appropriate second speed is set depending on the material and thickness of the lower sheet 8 and upper sheet 6 used, but it is preferable to set it to 1.1 to 2.0 times the first speed. The end of the lower sheet 8 and the end of the upper sheet 6 are clamped between the lower transport roller 64 and the upper transport roller 12, and the bonding operation is completed.

[0107] Referring to Figure 11, the electrical configuration of the bonding apparatus 1 will be described. The control device 90 includes a CPU 91, ROM 92, RAM 93, storage device 94, potentiometer 95, and drive circuits 96 and 97.

[0108] The CPU 91 provides overall control over the operation of the bonding device 1. The CPU 91 is connected to the ROM 92, RAM 93, storage device 94, drive circuits 96 and 97, operation unit 19, potentiometer 95, lower detection unit 78, upper detection unit 85, end detection unit 79, pressure sensor 49, magnetic sensor 963, heaters 131 to 133, compressor 89, and display unit 260.

[0109] ROM92 stores various programs, including the main program, for the CPU91 to execute the main processing shown in Figure 12. RAM93 temporarily stores various information and flags. Storage device94 stores the first speed, the second speed, and various parameters necessary for the CPU91 to execute various programs.

[0110] The control unit 19 receives various operations from the operator and outputs a signal corresponding to the received operation to the CPU 91. The potentiometer 95 detects the position of the footplate 7. When the footplate 7 is in the pressed position, the potentiometer 95 outputs a start command to the CPU 91. When the footplate 7 is in the returned position, the potentiometer 95 outputs an end command to the CPU 91.

[0111] The lower detection unit 78 detects whether the lower sheet 8 is present at the lower detection position and outputs a signal to the CPU 91 according to the detection result. The upper detection unit 85 detects whether the upper sheet 6 is present at the upper detection position and outputs a signal to the CPU 91 according to the detection result. The termination detection unit 79 detects whether the lower sheet 8 is present at the termination detection position and outputs a signal to the CPU 91 according to the detection result.

[0112] The pressure sensor 49 detects the pressure of the adhesive Z flowing through the downstream channel 47 and outputs a signal to the CPU 91 corresponding to the detected pressure. The magnetic sensor 963 detects the strength of the magnetic field and outputs a signal to the CPU 91 corresponding to the detected strength of the magnetic field.

[0113] The CPU 91 drives the lower transport motor 63, upper transport motor 112, nozzle motor 113, pump motor 114, gap adjustment motor 68, lower clamping motor 72, and upper clamping motor 38 by sending control signals to the drive circuit 96. In this embodiment, the lower transport motor 63, upper transport motor 112, nozzle motor 113, pump motor 114, gap adjustment motor 68, lower clamping motor 72, and upper clamping motor 38 are stepping motors. The CPU 91 drives the air cylinders 26, 27, 28, and 29 by sending control signals to the drive circuit 97.

[0114] CPU91 drives heaters 131, 132, and 133. Heater 131 heats the adhesive Z inside cartridge 42. Heater 132 heats the adhesive Z flowing through the downstream channel 47. Heater 133 heats the adhesive Z flowing through the upstream channel 44. The adhesive Z liquefies due to the heating by heaters 131, 132, and 133.

[0115] The compressor 89 increases the internal pressure of the cartridge 42 to a positive pressure in response to a control signal from the CPU 91. The display unit 260 is located on the workbench. The display unit 260 displays various information in response to a control signal from the CPU 91.

[0116] Referring to Figures 12 and 13, the main processing performed by the CPU 91 will be described. Before the main processing starts, the lower transport roller 64 and the nozzle lower roller 65 are in the lower transport position. The upper transport roller 12 is in the upper transport position. The lower clamping roller 76 is in the lower clamping position. The upper clamping roller 32 is in the upper clamping position. The nozzle 11 is in the proximity position. The upper support part 314 is in the operating position.

[0117] The operator instructs the CPU 91 to execute the main process via the control unit 19. The CPU 91 reads the main program from the ROM 92 in response to the instruction and starts the main process.

[0118] As shown in Figure 12, when the main processing starts, the CPU 91 determines whether or not it has received a separation instruction from the operation unit 19 (S11). The separation instruction is an instruction to move the lower transport roller 64, the nozzle lower roller 65, the upper transport roller 12, the lower clamping roller 76, the upper clamping roller 32, and the nozzle 11, respectively. The CPU 91 waits until it receives a separation instruction from the operation unit 19 (S11:NO).

[0119] The operator inputs a release instruction to the CPU 91 via the control unit 19. When the CPU 91 receives the release instruction from the control unit 19 (S11:YES), it drives the air cylinder 26 to move the upper clamping roller 32 from the upper clamping position to the upper release position (S13). The CPU 91 drives the air cylinder 28 to move the lower clamping roller 76 from the lower clamping position to the lower release position (S15).

[0120] The CPU 91 drives the air cylinder 27 to move the upper conveyor roller 12 from the upper conveyor position to an upward position (S17). The CPU 91 drives the gap adjustment motor 68 to move the lower conveyor roller 64 and the nozzle lower roller 65 from the lower conveyor position to a downward position (S19). The CPU 91 drives the nozzle motor 113 to move the nozzle 11 from the close position to the retracted position (S21).

[0121] The operator places the lower sheet 8 on the lower transport roller 64 and the nozzle lower roller 65. The CPU 91 determines whether or not it has received a downward movement instruction from the operation unit 19 (S23). The downward movement instruction is an instruction to move the lower transport roller 64, the nozzle lower roller 65, the lower clamping roller 76, and the nozzle 11, respectively. The CPU 91 waits until it receives a downward movement instruction from the operation unit 19 (S23: NO).

[0122] The operator inputs a downward movement instruction to the CPU 91 via the control unit 19. When the CPU 91 receives the downward movement instruction from the control unit 19 (S23:YES), it drives the nozzle motor 113 to move the nozzle 11 from the retracted position to the close position (S25).

[0123] The CPU 91 drives the gap adjustment motor 68 to move the lower transport roller 64 and the nozzle lower roller 65 from the lower position to the lower transport position (S27). The distance between the nozzle 11 and the nozzle lower roller 65 becomes a predetermined length. The predetermined length is stored in the storage device 94.

[0124] The CPU 91 drives the air cylinder 28 to move the lower clamping roller 76 from the lower release position to the lower clamping position (S29). The lower sheet 8 is clamped between the lower clamping roller 76 and the lower surface 317 of the upper support portion 314.

[0125] The operator places the upper sheet 6 on the lower sheet 8, the nozzle 11, and the upper surface 315 of the upper support section 314. The CPU 91 determines whether or not it has received an upward movement instruction from the operation unit 19 (S31). An upward movement instruction is an instruction to move the upper transport roller 12 and the upper clamping roller 32, respectively. The CPU 91 waits until it receives an upward movement instruction from the operation unit 19 (S31: NO).

[0126] The operator inputs an upward movement instruction to the CPU 91 via the control unit 19. When the CPU 91 receives the upward movement instruction from the control unit 19 (S31: YES), it drives the air cylinder 27 to move the upper conveyor roller 12 from the upper position to the upper conveyor position (S33). The lower sheet 8 and the upper sheet 6 are sandwiched between the lower conveyor roller 64 and the upper conveyor roller 12.

[0127] The CPU 91 drives the air cylinder 26 to move the upper clamping roller 32 from the upper separation position to the upper clamping position (S35). The upper sheet 6 is clamped between the upper clamping roller 32 and the upper surface 315. The CPU 91 proceeds to S41 shown in Figure 13.

[0128] As shown in Figure 13, the CPU 91 determines whether or not it has received a start command via the potentiometer 95 (S41). The CPU 91 waits until it receives a start command from the potentiometer 95 (S41: NO).

[0129] The operator moves the footplate 7 to the stepping position and inputs a start command to the CPU 91 via the potentiometer 95. When the CPU 91 receives the start command from the potentiometer 95 (S41: YES), it illuminates the light-emitting part of the lower detection unit 78, the light-emitting part of the upper detection unit 85, and the light-emitting part of the end detection unit 79 (S43). The lower detection unit 78 detects that the lower sheet 8 is at the lower detection position. The upper detection unit 85 detects that the upper sheet 6 is at the upper detection position. The end detection unit 79 detects that the lower sheet 8 is at the end detection position.

[0130] The pump motor 114 is started (S45). The adhesive Z is supplied from the cartridge 42 to the nozzle valve 181 in the downstream channel 47.

[0131] The CPU 91 drives the lower transport motor 63 and the upper transport motor 112 to start transporting the lower sheet 8 and the upper sheet 6 backward (S47). In S47, the transport speed by the lower transport mechanism 50 and the upper transport mechanism 70 is set to the first speed.

[0132] The CPU 91 drives the air cylinder 29, opening the downstream passage 47 via the nozzle valve 181 (S49). The adhesive Z is discharged from the nozzle 11's discharge port 13 onto the lower sheet 8. The lower sheet 8, coated with adhesive Z, is pressed against the upper sheet 6 between the lower conveyor roller 64 and the upper conveyor roller 12, and the lower sheet 8 and the upper sheet 6 are bonded together.

[0133] As adhesion between the lower sheet 8 and the upper sheet 6 continues, the end of the lower sheet 8 reaches the end detection position. The CPU 91 determines whether the end detection unit 79 has detected the end of the lower sheet 8 (S51). In S51, the CPU 91 determines that the end detection unit 79 has detected the end of the lower sheet 8 if the end detection unit 79, which had detected the presence of the lower sheet 8, detects that the lower sheet 8 is not present at the end detection position.

[0134] The CPU 91 waits until the termination detection unit 79 detects the end of the lower sheet 8 (S51: NO). Once the termination detection unit 79 detects the end of the lower sheet 8 (S51: YES), the CPU 91 starts counting the number of steps of the lower transport motor 63 (S53).

[0135] The CPU 91 determines whether the end of the lower sheet 8 has been transported to the lower clamping position (S55). In S55, the CPU 91 determines that the end of the lower sheet 8 has been transported to the lower clamping position when the number of steps that began counting in S53 reaches a predetermined first value. When the drive shaft of the lower transport motor 63 rotates by the first value, the end of the lower sheet 8 moves from the end detection position to the lower clamping position. The first value is stored in the storage device 94.

[0136] The CPU 91 waits until the end of the lower sheet 8 is transported to the lower clamping position (S55: NO). When the end of the lower sheet 8 is transported to the lower clamping position (S55: YES), the CPU 91 changes the transport speed by the lower transport mechanism 50 and the upper transport mechanism 70 from the first speed to the second speed (S57). The CPU 91 increases the amount of adhesive Z supplied to the nozzle 11 per unit time by accelerating the speed of the pump motor 114 (S59).

[0137] The CPU 91 determines whether the end of the lower sheet 8 has been transported to the lower transport position (S61). In S61, the CPU 91 determines that the end of the lower sheet 8 has been transported to the lower transport position when the number of steps counted in S53 reaches a predetermined second value. When the drive shaft of the lower transport motor 63 rotates by the second value, the end of the lower sheet 8 moves from the end detection position to the lower transport position. The second value is stored in the storage device 94.

[0138] The CPU 91 waits until the end of the lower sheet 8 is transported to the lower transport position (S61: NO). When the end of the lower sheet 8 is transported to the lower transport position (S61: YES), the CPU 91 stops the driving of each component (S63). In S63, the CPU 91 stops the driving of the lower transport motor 63 and the upper transport motor 112. The CPU 91 stops the driving of the pump motor 114 and closes the downstream flow path 47 with the nozzle valve 181. The CPU 91 stops the illumination of the lower detection unit 78, the upper detection unit 85, and the end detection unit 79. The CPU 91 finishes the main processing.

[0139] As described above, the bonding apparatus 1 comprises a nozzle 11, a supply mechanism 40, a transport mechanism 20, an end detection unit 79, and a CPU 91. The end detection unit 79 detects whether or not the lower sheet 8 is present at an end detection position upstream of the nozzle 11 in the transport direction. The CPU 91 transports the lower sheet 8 and the upper sheet 6 using the transport speed of the lower transport mechanism 50 and the upper transport mechanism 70 as the first speed. The CPU 91 discharges adhesive Z from the nozzle 11 onto the lower sheet 8 and bonds the lower sheet 8 and the upper sheet 6 with the adhesive Z while transporting them. The CPU 91 determines whether or not the end detection unit 79 has detected the end of the lower sheet 8. The CPU 91 determines that the end detection unit 79 has detected the end of the lower sheet 8 when the end detection unit 79, which had detected the presence of the lower sheet 8, detects that the lower sheet 8 is not present at the end detection position. When the termination detection unit 79 detects the end of the lower sheet 8, the CPU 91 changes the transport speed of the lower transport mechanism 50 and the upper transport mechanism 70 from the first speed to the second speed.

[0140] As shown in Figures 3 and 14, the end of the upper sheet 6 is located downstream in the transport direction from the upper clamping position, and may move to the right due to the weight of the upper sheet 6. The end of the lower sheet 8 is located downstream in the transport direction from the lower clamping position, and may move to the left due to the weight of the lower sheet 8. Therefore, there is a possibility that the ends of the upper sheet 6 and the lower sheet 8 will be bonded with a misalignment in the left-right direction. Conventionally, as shown in Figure 14, an extension tab 6B extending upstream in the transport direction from the end of the upper sheet 6 is placed on the upper sheet 6. An extension tab 8B extending upstream in the transport direction from the end of the lower sheet 8 is placed on the lower sheet 8. Then, the extension tabs 6B and 8B, which are bonded with a misalignment in the left-right direction, are removed after the bonding operation is completed. On the other hand, when the end detection unit 79 of the bonding device 1 detects the end of the lower sheet 8, it accelerates the transport speed by the lower transport mechanism 50 and the upper transport mechanism 70 to the second speed. Therefore, compared to when the conveying speed of the bonding device 1 remains at the first speed, the lateral positional relationship between the end of the lower sheet 8 and the end of the upper sheet 6 is less likely to shift. Consequently, the bonding device 1 does not remove the extension tab when bonding the end of the sheet 200, thus reducing the consumption of sheet 200.

[0141] In the bonding device 1, the lower conveying mechanism 50 comprises a lower conveying roller 64 and a lower conveying motor 63. The upper conveying mechanism 70 comprises an upper conveying roller 12 and an upper conveying motor 112. The CPU 91 controls the rotation of the lower conveying roller 64 and the upper conveying roller 12 by driving the lower conveying motor 63 and the upper conveying motor 112 respectively via the drive circuit 96. The bonding device 1 has a simple configuration and can bond the end of the sheet 200 while conveying it at a second speed. Therefore, the bonding device 1 can bond the lower sheet 8 and the upper sheet 6 without misalignment of the positional relationship between the end of the lower sheet 8 and the end of the upper sheet 6. Consequently, the bonding device 1 can reduce the amount of sheet 200 consumed when bonding the end of the sheet 200.

[0142] The bonding device 1 further comprises an upper support section 314, a lower clamping roller 76, a lower detection section 78, an upper clamping roller 32, and an upper detection section 85. The lower clamping roller 76 clamps the lower sheet 8 between itself and the lower surface 317 of the upper support section 314 and is rotatable in the front-rear direction as its axial direction. The lower detection section 78 detects whether or not the lower sheet 8 is present at the lower detection position. The lower detection position is located in the front-rear direction between the discharge port 13 of the nozzle 11 and the lower clamping position. The upper clamping roller 32 clamps the upper sheet 6 between itself and the upper surface 315 of the upper support section 314 and is rotatable in the front-rear direction as its axial direction. The upper detection section 85 detects whether or not the upper sheet 6 is present at the upper detection position. The upper detection position is located in the front-rear direction between the discharge port 13 of the nozzle 11 and the upper clamping position. The bonding device 1 can move the lower sheet 8 in the left-right direction using the lower clamping roller 76, and can move the upper sheet 6 in the left-right direction using the upper clamping roller 32. Therefore, the bonding device 1 can bond the lower sheet 8 and the upper sheet 6 without any misalignment of their relative positions.

[0143] In the bonding device 1, the end detection position is located upstream in the transport direction from the lower clamping position and the upper clamping position. When the end of the lower sheet 8 is transported to the lower clamping position, the CPU 91 changes the transport speed by the lower transport mechanism 50 and the upper transport mechanism 70 from the first speed to the second speed. The bonding device 1 changes the transport speed to the second speed at the moment when the lower sheet 8 can no longer be moved left or right by the lower clamping roller 76. Therefore, even after the lower sheet 8 can no longer be moved by the lower clamping roller 76, the bonding device 1 can bond the lower sheet 8 and the upper sheet 6 without the positional relationship between the lower sheet 8 and the upper sheet 6 shifting. Consequently, the bonding device 1 can reduce the amount of sheet 200 consumed when bonding the end of the sheet 200.

[0144] In the bonding apparatus 1, when the end detection unit 79 detects the end of the lower sheet 8, the CPU 91 increases the amount of adhesive Z supplied to the nozzle 11 per unit time. Therefore, even when the conveying speed is changed from the first speed to the second speed, the bonding apparatus 1 can apply the correct amount of adhesive Z to the lower sheet 8.

[0145] The present invention can be modified in various ways from the above embodiments. The various modifications described below can be combined in any way as long as they do not create contradictions. In the following description, components that have functions common to the above embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted, while different components are described.

[0146] The CPU 91 can set the transport speed to the second speed when the end detection unit 79, which detects the presence of the lower sheet 8, detects that the lower sheet 8 is not present at the end detection position. For example, the CPU 91 may set the transport speed to the second speed immediately after the end detection unit 79, which detects the presence of the lower sheet 8, detects that the lower sheet 8 is not present at the end detection position. The CPU 91 may also set the transport speed to the second speed when the end of the lower sheet 8 is transported to the lower detection position.

[0147] The conveying speed of the lower sheet 8 by the lower conveying mechanism 50 and the conveying speed of the upper sheet 6 by the upper conveying mechanism 70 may be the same or different. When the conveying speed of the lower sheet 8 by the lower conveying mechanism 50 is the first speed, the conveying speed of the upper sheet 6 by the upper conveying mechanism 70 does not have to be the first speed. When the conveying speed of the upper sheet 6 by the upper conveying mechanism 70 is the first speed, the conveying speed of the lower sheet 8 by the lower conveying mechanism 50 does not have to be the first speed.

[0148] When the lower sheet 8 is being transported by the lower transport mechanism 50 at the second speed, the upper sheet 6 is being transported by the upper transport mechanism 70 at a speed other than the second speed. When the upper sheet 6 is being transported by the upper transport mechanism 70 at the second speed, the lower sheet 8 is being transported by the lower transport mechanism 50 at a speed other than the second speed.

[0149] The CPU 91 does not need to control the rotation of the lower conveyor roller 64. The CPU 91 does not need to control the rotation of the upper conveyor roller 12.

[0150] The CPU 91 does not need to change the amount of adhesive Z supplied to the nozzle 11 when the terminal detection unit 79, which detects the presence of the lower sheet 8, detects that the lower sheet 8 is not present at the terminal detection position. The CPU 91 may reduce the amount of adhesive Z supplied to the nozzle 11 when the terminal detection unit 79, which detects the presence of the lower sheet 8, detects that the lower sheet 8 is not present at the terminal detection position.

[0151] The CPU 91 does not need to change the speed of the pump motor 114 when changing the amount of adhesive Z supplied to the nozzle 11. The CPU 91 may also change the amount of adhesive Z supplied to the nozzle 11 by changing the viscosity of the adhesive Z by changing the heating temperature of at least one of the heaters 131 to 133.

[0152] With the nozzle 11 in a close position, the discharge port 13 may open the discharge section 117 upwards. In this case, the nozzle 11 discharges the adhesive Z onto the upper sheet 6. With the nozzle 11 in a close position, the discharge port 13 may open the discharge section 117 vertically. In this case, the nozzle 11 discharges the adhesive Z onto the lower sheet 8 and the upper sheet 6.

[0153] The configuration of the conveying mechanism 20 may be changed as appropriate. The lower conveying mechanism 50 may be equipped with a belt instead of the lower conveying roller 64. The lower conveying mechanism 50 may be equipped with a belt instead of the nozzle lower roller 65. The belt supports the lower sheet 8 from below and conveys the lower sheet 8 downward. The lower conveying mechanism 50 does not need to be equipped with a lower conveying motor 63. In this case, the lower conveying roller 64 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the upper conveying roller 12.

[0154] The lower conveying mechanism 50 does not necessarily have to include a nozzle lower roller 65. The conveying belt 67 does not necessarily have to be placed over the shaft portion 651. In this case, the nozzle lower roller 65 does not rotate due to the drive of the lower conveying motor 63. The CPU 91 may control the rotation of the lower conveying roller 64 and the nozzle lower roller 65, respectively.

[0155] The upper conveying mechanism 70 may be equipped with a belt instead of the upper conveying roller 12. The belt sandwiches the lower sheet 8 and the upper sheet 6 between itself and the lower conveying roller 64, and conveys the upper sheet 6 downward. The upper conveying mechanism 70 does not need to be equipped with an upper conveying motor 112. In this case, the upper conveying roller 12 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the lower conveying roller 64.

[0156] The upper conveying mechanism 70 may use an electric cylinder instead of an air cylinder 27 to bias the lower conveying roller 64 from the upper conveying roller 12. The bonding device 1 may further include a biasing mechanism that biases the upper conveying roller 12 from the lower conveying roller 64.

[0157] The bonding device 1 does not necessarily have to include the lower clamping mechanism 80. The configuration of the lower clamping mechanism 80 may be changed as appropriate. The lower clamping mechanism 80 may include a belt instead of the lower clamping roller 76. The belt clamps the lower sheet 8 between itself and the lower surface 317 of the upper support portion 314, and moves the lower sheet 8 in the left-right direction.

[0158] The lower clamping roller 76 does not need to be able to swing in the vertical direction. The lower clamping roller 76 does not need to clamp the lower sheet 8 between itself and the lower surface 317.

[0159] The bonding device 1 does not necessarily have to include a lower detection unit 78. The configuration of the lower detection unit 78 may be changed as appropriate. The lower detection unit 78 may be, for example, a transmissive optical sensor, a CCD camera, etc. The lower detection position may be changed as appropriate in the front-rear direction between the discharge port 13 of the nozzle 11 and the lower clamping position. The bonding device 1 does not necessarily have to include an upper support unit 314.

[0160] The configuration of the terminal detection unit 79 may be changed as appropriate. The terminal detection unit 79 may be, for example, a through-type optical sensor, a CCD camera, etc. The position of the terminal detection position in the front-rear direction may be changed as appropriate at a position in front of the discharge port 13 of the nozzle 11. The terminal detection position may be located behind the lower gripping position, for example. The terminal detection position may be located behind the lower detection position.

[0161] The termination detection unit 79 may also detect whether or not there is an upper sheet 6 instead of a lower sheet 8. In this case, if the termination detection unit 79, which had detected the presence of an upper sheet 6, detects that there is no upper sheet 6, the CPU 91 sets the transport speed to the second speed.

[0162] The bonding device 1 does not necessarily have to include the upper clamping mechanism 30. The configuration of the upper clamping mechanism 30 may be changed as appropriate. The upper clamping mechanism 30 may be equipped with a belt instead of the upper clamping roller 32. The belt clamps the upper sheet 6 between itself and the upper surface 315 of the upper support portion 314, and conveys the upper sheet 6 in the left-right direction.

[0163] The upper clamping roller 32 does not need to be able to swing in the vertical direction. The upper clamping roller 32 does not need to clamp the upper sheet 6 between itself and the upper surface 315. The upper clamping roller 32 does not need to be aligned with the lower clamping roller 76 in the vertical direction.

[0164] The bonding device 1 does not necessarily have to include an upper detection unit 85. The configuration of the upper detection unit 85 may be changed as appropriate. The upper detection unit 85 may be, for example, a transmissive optical sensor, a CCD camera, etc. The upper detection position may be changed as appropriate in the front-rear direction between the discharge port 13 of the nozzle 11 and the upper clamping position.

[0165] The gap adjustment unit 77 may change the distance between the nozzle 11 and the nozzle lower roller 65 by moving the nozzle 11 in the vertical direction. The gap adjustment unit 77 may also change the distance between the nozzle 11 and the nozzle lower roller 65 by moving both the nozzle 11 and the nozzle lower roller 65 in the vertical direction. The gap adjustment unit 77 does not need to move the lower conveyor roller 64 in the vertical direction.

[0166] The configuration of the gap adjustment section 77 may be changed as appropriate. The gap adjustment section 77 may move the lower conveyor roller 64 and the nozzle lower roller 65 in the vertical direction by driving an air cylinder. The lower conveyor roller 64 and the nozzle lower roller 65 may be configured to be movable in the vertical direction by operation by an operator.

[0167] The thickness detection unit 950 may detect changes in the thickness of the upper sheet 6. The magnetic material may be an electromagnet instead of a permanent magnet. The magnetic sensor 963 may be a Hall element instead of an MR element, or another type of sensor. A proximity sensor is preferred among the other sensors. A proximity sensor is a general term for a sensor that can detect the position of an object without contact, and examples include inductive proximity sensors, capacitive proximity sensors, and laser displacement sensors.

[0168] The configuration of the supply mechanism 40 may be changed as appropriate. The supply mechanism 40 may supply adhesive Z to the nozzle 11 by driving a screw pump instead of a gear pump 46. The supply mechanism 40 may supply adhesive Z to the nozzle 11 by driving a piston pump instead of a gear pump 46.

[0169] The bonding device 1 does not need to include a heater 131 for heating the cartridge 42. The bonding device 1 does not need to include a heater 132 for heating the downstream flow path 47. The bonding device 1 does not need to include a heater 133 for heating the upstream flow path 44. The heating temperatures of heater 131, heater 132, and heater 133 may all be the same, or at least one of them may be a different heating temperature.

[0170] The bonding device 1 does not necessarily have to include a nozzle valve 181 for opening and closing the downstream flow path 47. The nozzle valve 181 may open and close the downstream flow path 47 by driving an electric cylinder instead of an air cylinder 29. The bonding device 1 may further include a nozzle valve for opening and closing the upstream flow path 44. The bonding device 1 does not necessarily have to have a swingable nozzle 11.

[0171] The main program for executing the main processing only needs to be stored in the storage device 94 until the CPU 91 executes the program. Therefore, the method of acquiring the program, the acquisition path, and the device that stores the program may be changed as appropriate. The main program may be received from another device via cable or wireless communication. Other storage devices, such as non-volatile memory, may store the main program. Other storage devices include, for example, a server connected via a network.

[0172] The steps of the main process are not limited to those performed by the CPU 91. Some or all of the steps of the main process may be performed by other electronic devices. Other electronic devices are, for example, ASICs. The steps of the main process may be distributed among multiple electronic devices. The steps of the main process can be reordered, omitted, or added as needed. The present invention also includes a mode in which an operating system (OS) or the like running on the control device 90 performs some or all of the processing in accordance with instructions from the CPU 91.

[0173] The lower transport mechanism 50 is an example of the "lower transport section" of the present invention. The upper transport mechanism 70 is an example of the "upper transport section" of the present invention. The front-rear direction is an example of the "transport direction" of the present invention. The end detection position is an example of the "determined position" of the present invention. The end detection section 79 is an example of the "detection section" of the present invention. The CPU 91 is an example of the "control section" of the present invention. The left-right direction is an example of the "orthogonal direction" of the present invention. The shaft section 641 is an example of the "lower transport shaft" of the present invention. The lower transport roller 64 is an example of the "lower roller" of the present invention. The lower transport motor 63 is an example of the "lower drive section" of the present invention. The shaft section 121 is an example of the "upper transport shaft" of the present invention. The upper transport roller 12 is an example of the "upper roller" of the present invention. The upper transport motor 112 is an example of the "upper drive section" of the present invention. The upper support section 314 is an example of the "support section" of the present invention. The shaft section 75 is an example of the "lower clamping shaft" of the present invention. The shaft section 33 is an example of the "upper clamping shaft" of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0174] 1 Gluing device 11 nozzles 20 Conveying mechanism 40 Supply mechanism 50 Lower transport mechanism 70 Upper transport mechanism 79 Termination detection unit 91 CPU

Claims

1. A nozzle for dispensing adhesive, A supply mechanism for supplying the adhesive to the nozzle, A conveying mechanism having a lower conveying section that supports the lower sheet, and an upper conveying section that sandwiches the lower sheet and the upper sheet between the lower conveying section and the nozzle, which sandwiches and conveys the lower sheet and the upper sheet downstream in the conveying direction of conveying the lower sheet and the upper sheet, A detection unit that detects whether or not either the lower sheet or the upper sheet is present at a predetermined position upstream of the nozzle in the conveying direction, Control unit and Equipped with, The control unit, When the detection unit detects the presence of one of the sheets, the lower conveying unit or the upper conveying unit sets the conveying speed of at least one of them to a first speed and conveys at least one of the lower sheet or the upper sheet downstream in the conveying direction, while bonding the lower sheet and the upper sheet with the adhesive discharged by the nozzle. When the detection unit, which had previously detected the presence of one of the sheets, detects the absence of the other sheet, the transport speed of at least one of the lower transport unit or the upper transport unit is increased to a second speed, which is faster than the first speed, and at least one of the lower sheet or the upper sheet is transported downstream in the transport direction. An adhesive device characterized by the following.

2. The lower conveying unit comprises a lower roller that is rotatable around a lower conveying shaft that extends parallel to a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction and the vertical direction, and a lower drive unit that rotates the lower roller. The upper conveying unit comprises an upper roller rotatable around an upper conveying shaft extending parallel to the orthogonal direction, and an upper drive unit that rotates the upper roller. The control unit controls the rotation of the lower roller and the upper roller, respectively. The bonding apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by the following:

3. A support portion is positioned upstream of the nozzle in the conveying direction and above the conveying path of the lower sheet, and supports the upper sheet. A lower clamping roller, which is rotatable around a lower clamping shaft extending parallel to the conveying direction, sandwiches the lower sheet between the support portion and the lower sheet, A lower detection unit detects whether or not the lower sheet is present at the lower detection position between the nozzle and the lower clamping roller in the aforementioned transport direction, An upper clamping roller that sandwiches the upper sheet between the support portion and is rotatable around an upper clamping shaft extending parallel to the conveying direction, An upper detection unit detects whether or not the upper sheet is present at the upper detection position, which is the position between the upper conveying unit and the upper clamping roller in the conveying direction. Furthermore, The predetermined position is located upstream in the transport direction from the lower detection position and the upper detection position. The control unit, By rotating the lower clamping roller according to the detection result of the lower detection unit, the lower sheet is moved in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction and the vertical direction. By rotating the upper clamping roller according to the detection result of the upper detection unit, the upper sheet is moved in the orthogonal direction. The bonding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the following:

4. The lower clamping roller, at the lower clamping position in the conveying direction, clamps the lower sheet between itself and the support portion. The upper clamping roller, at the upper clamping position in the conveying direction, clamps the upper sheet between itself and the support portion. The predetermined position is located upstream in the conveying direction from the upper clamping position and the lower clamping position. The control unit sets the transport speed of at least one of the lower transport unit or the upper transport unit to the second speed when the upstream end of the lower sheet in the transport direction is transported to the lower clamping position, or when the upstream end of the upper sheet in the transport direction is transported to the upper clamping position. The bonding apparatus according to claim 3, characterized by the following:

5. The control unit, upon detection by the detection unit that one of the sheets is missing, changes the amount of adhesive supplied to the nozzle by the supply mechanism. The bonding apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by the following:

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