A device that automates adhesive interlining operations

Abstract

To provide a device which can be placed on an existing crimping machine, and automate with precision the step of stacking up fabrics in an adhesive interlining process for a wide variety of fabrics.SOLUTION: An adhesive interlining process automation device which is placed on a crimping machine includes: an entrance side sensor which detects a fabric moving along a belt conveyor; a camera with which the image of the fabric is obtained; image processing means which calculates, based on the image of the fabric, the amount of displacement of the fabric and the angle of inclination of the fabric; an exit side sensor which detects the fabric moving along the belt conveyor; a holding / transferring unit which holds and transfers the fabric; and a stacking table with which the fabric is rotated. The holding / transferring unit corrects the displacement of the fabric, and the stacking table corrects the inclination angle of the fabric.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for automating adhesive interlining operations. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to maintain the scale of domestic industry and resolve the labor shortage, domestic sewing factories are improving product quality and automating various work processes. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an automatic transfer device capable of spreading, cutting to size, and shrinking woven fabric. Patent Document 2 discloses a positioning method and device, and a fabric sewing device. Furthermore, Patent Document 3 discloses a fabric bonding device. However, at present, in addition to improving the performance of sewing machines, the automation is limited to some devices such as CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing), cutting machines, devices that enable spreading, cutting to size, and shrinking of fabric, and bonding devices.

[0003] Generally, the work processes in a sewing factory include the process of creating a pattern for the sewn fabric using CAD (Computer Aided Design) based on specifications, the process of spreading the fabric and cutting it using the pattern (rough cutting), the adhesive interlining process, the cutting process (correct cutting) to align the contours of the sewn fabric, and finishing processes such as sewing and attaching buttons. Among these, the adhesive interlining process is a process in which the back side of the fabric of the product is bonded to a thin reinforcing fabric called interlining, which gives strength to the fabric in the collar, buttons, etc. As a result, the shape of the garment is aligned and it looks good when worn.

[0004] In conventional adhesive interfacing work, because the fabric is flexible, there is a wide variety of fabric types and sizes, and the contour shapes vary from simple to uneven, the work requires people to manually grasp and transport the adhesive fabric, align it into shapes and stack it to make it easier for the next process.

[0005] Specifically, a person overlaps the back side of the fabric with the interlining at the entrance of the crimping machine, and the overlapped fabric and interlining are placed on a belt conveyor and inserted into the crimping machine. Inside the crimping machine, the overlapped fabric and interlining are bonded by steam heat or the like, and are transported to the exit side by the belt conveyor. At the exit side, cutting (straight cutting) is performed to align the outline of the sewn fabric in the next process, so a person manually stacks multiple pieces of fabric after the adhesive interlining process, aligning their outline shape so that they can be cut at the same time. However, this work, just like the overlapping of the fabric and interlining at the entrance of the crimping machine, is currently done manually, and there is a need to automate it to resolve the labor shortage. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-219617 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-118375 [Patent Document 3] JP 2001-164457 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In view of the above, the primary object of the present disclosure is to provide an apparatus that can be installed on an existing crimping machine and that accurately automates the stacking of fabrics in adhesive interlining operations for a wide variety of fabrics. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One embodiment of the present invention is an adhesive interlining work automation device to be installed on a crimping machine, comprising an entrance sensor which detects the fabric moving on the conveyor belt, a camera which captures images of the fabric, image processing means which calculates the fabric positional deviation and the inclination angle of the fabric from the fabric image, an exit sensor which detects the fabric moving on the conveyor belt, a gripping and transporting unit which grips and transports the fabric, and a stacking table which rotates the fabric, wherein the gripping and transporting unit corrects the fabric positional deviation and the stacking table corrects the inclination angle of the fabric.

[0009] The gripping and transporting unit may be a two-axis mechanism consisting of a vertical movement mechanism and a belt pulley mechanism. The gripping and conveying unit has two or more gripping pads for gripping the dough, Applicable The center distance of the gripping pads may be adjustable. Additionally, the gripping pads may be non-contact pads. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to install it on an existing crimping machine, and it is possible to automate the stacking of fabrics in adhesive interlining work with high precision for a wide variety of fabrics. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an outline of an adhesive interlining work automation device 100. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an outline of the adhesive interlining work automation device 100. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3(a) is a diagram showing an example of the state of dough moving on a belt conveyor, and FIG. 3(b) is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of multiple stacked pieces of dough. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of the gripping and transporting unit as viewed from above. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the gripping and transporting unit taken along line II in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the non-contact pad. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged schematic diagram illustrating the stacking table. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the acquired texture image and image processing. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an example of a flow chart for explaining an automated adhesive interlining process. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 shows the shapes of two types of fabrics used in the evaluation of the adhesive interlining work automation device, with FIG. 10(a) being fabric 1 and FIG. 10(b) being fabric 2. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 shows the stacking error in the X and Y directions after the adhesive interlining process is completed, where FIG. 11(a) shows the result for fabric 1 and FIG. 11(b) shows the result for fabric 2. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the deviation when the belt conveyor is driven for 30 minutes. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a device for automating adhesive interlining work (hereinafter also referred to as adhesive interlining work automation device 100) installed in a continuous pressure bonding machine according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in order of overall configuration of the adhesive interlining work automation device, image processing, and the adhesive interlining work process to be automated. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment.

[0013] [Configuration of the adhesive interlining work automation device] 1 and 2 are a perspective view and a plan view showing an outline of an adhesive interlining work automation device 100. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the adhesive interlining work automation device 100 is equipped with a camera 10, an entrance side sensor 20, an exit side sensor 30, a gripping / transporting unit 50, and a stacking table 60, and is a device that automates the work processes of gripping, transporting, and stacking fabrics that move on a belt conveyor 40 and are to be bonded by a continuous crimping machine (hereinafter also referred to as a crimping machine 70). The adhesive interlining work automation device 100 of the present invention can be installed alongside an existing crimping machine without modifying it, and realizes the work of gripping fabrics moving on the belt conveyor 40, transporting them to the stacking table 60, and stacking them according to the shape of the fabrics. In the following figures including Figures 1 and 2, arrow A indicates the direction in which the dough moves on belt conveyor 40, the direction in which belt conveyor 40 moves is the X direction, the width direction of belt conveyor 40 is the Y direction, and the height direction in which the dough is stacked is the Z direction.

[0014] <Inlet side sensor> The entrance sensor 20 is installed at the entrance side of the pressing machine 70 and detects the timing when the fabric enters the pressing machine. The entrance sensor 20 can be a known sensor that can detect the presence or absence of fabric moving on the belt conveyor, such as a photoelectric sensor, laser sensor, proximity sensor, ultrasonic sensor, image discrimination sensor, etc., but a photoelectric sensor is used in this embodiment. The timing can also be detected from a video captured by the following camera.

[0015] <Camera> The camera 10 is installed on the entrance side of the pressing machine 70 and captures the fabric moving on the belt conveyor 40. Based on the image captured by the camera 10, image processing is performed by an image processing means, which will be described later. Therefore, the camera 10 only needs to have the performance to capture an image of the fabric that can be processed, and any known camera, video camera, etc. can be used without restrictions, and the image may be a still image or a video. By capturing an image with the camera 10, it becomes possible to stack fabrics having various different contour shapes and sizes with high accuracy. The timing at which the image is captured may be determined by the entrance side sensor 20.

[0016] <Image processing means> The image processing means is a means for performing image processing based on the image captured by the camera 10, and is composed of, for example, a computer equipped with a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. The CPU executes desired calculations according to an image processing program to perform various processes and controls. The ROM stores the image processing program and image processing data to be processed by the CPU. The RAM is mainly used as various work areas for image processing. Details of the image processing will be described later, but the image processing means calculates the center of gravity of the fabric, its XY coordinates, and the inclination angle θ of the fabric relative to the direction of travel of the belt conveyor 40, and using these results, the positional deviation of the fabric moving on the belt conveyor 40 is corrected by the gripping and transporting unit 50 and stacking table 60, making it possible to stack multiple pieces of fabric while aligning their contour shapes.

[0017] <Outlet side sensor> The exit sensor 30 is installed on the exit side of the crimping machine 70 and detects the timing when the fabric comes out of the crimping machine. As with the entrance sensor, the exit sensor 30 can be any known sensor without limitation as long as it can detect the presence or absence of fabric moving on the belt conveyor, and examples of such sensors include a photoelectric sensor, a laser sensor, a proximity sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and an image discrimination sensor. In this embodiment, a photoelectric sensor is used.

[0018] The entrance sensor 20 and the exit sensor 30 detect the fabric and determine the timing when the fabric leaves the presser and is gripped. The exit sensor 30 detects the deviation in the conveying speed of the fabric moving on the belt conveyor 40, and the fabric is gripped when it comes directly under the arm 54 described later.

[0019] FIG. 3(a) is a diagram showing an example of the state of the fabric moving on the belt conveyor, and FIG. 3(b) is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a plurality of stacked fabrics, with the left side being a plan view and the right side being a cross-sectional view. FIG. 3 shows an example of three pieces of fabric, but the fabric F, which is made by manually overlapping the fabric F1 and the interlining F2 at the entrance side of the pressure bonding machine 70, is placed flat on the belt conveyor 40 by a person, and this explains that the position of each fabric varies. As shown in FIG. 3(a), for example, the XY coordinates of the centers of gravity C1, C2, and C3 of the three pieces of fabric are (X1, Y1), (X2, Y2), and (X3, Y3). At this time, the positions Y1, Y2, and Y3 in the Y direction on the belt conveyor 40 are information necessary for gripping the fabric at the exit side. On the other hand, due to the influence of the rotational vibration of the motor for operating the belt conveyor 40 and the friction of the belt, deviations may occur in the conveying speed of the fabric moving on the belt conveyor 40. Therefore, by detecting the fabric with the exit side sensor 30 in addition to the entrance side sensor 20, it is possible to grasp the deviation in the transport speed of the moving fabric and determine the timing to grip the fabric. As a result, by gripping the fabric when it comes directly under the arm 54, there is no need for a mechanism to correct the position of the fabric relative to the traveling direction of the belt conveyor 40, and the configuration of the gripping and transporting unit 50 can be simplified. Note that if there is a need to improve the accuracy in the X direction, an additional mechanism may be added.

[0020] <Holding and transporting section> The gripping and transporting unit 50 is installed on the exit side of the pressing machine 70, and grips the dough moving on the belt conveyor 40 and transports it to the stacking table 60. Fig. 4 is a schematic plan view of the gripping and transporting unit as viewed from above, and Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the gripping and transporting unit taken along line II in Fig. 4. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the gripping and transporting unit 50 is composed of a two-shaft mechanism including a gripping mechanism 51 that grips the dough moving on the belt conveyor 40, and a transporting mechanism 52 that transports the dough gripped by the gripping mechanism 51 to the stacking table 60. The size of the gripping / transporting unit 50 is adapted to the exit of the crimping machine 70. More specifically, the X-direction length of the gripping / transporting unit 50 may be equal to or smaller than the length of the belt conveyor 40 at the exit of the crimping machine 70 in the direction of travel, and this length determines the X-direction length of the fabric that can be gripped. On the other hand, the Y-direction length may be smaller than the overall width of the crimping machine 70, and the Z-direction length is not particularly limited, but is preferably smaller than the overall height of the crimping machine 70 so that the gripping mechanism 51 can be performed quickly. Note that the movement of the gripping / transporting unit 50 in the Y direction requires the width of the rotating table 61 in addition to the Y-direction length of the belt conveyor 40, so the rail 57 is longer than the Y-direction length of the belt conveyor 40.

[0021] (gripping mechanism) The gripping mechanism 51 is a mechanism for gripping and raising and lowering the dough moving on the belt conveyor 40, and grips the dough moving on the belt conveyor 40 at the above-mentioned gripping timing. Note that, at the timing to grip the dough, the gripping and transporting unit 50 is moved so as to correct positional deviation in the width direction (Y direction) of the belt conveyor 40. The gripping mechanism 51 can be any known mechanism that can grip the dough and move it up and down, but for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the dough is gripped by a gripping pad 53, and an arm 54 equipped with the gripping pad 53 is driven up and down by a motor 55, so that the gripped dough can be raised and lowered.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 5, when two gripping pads 53 are used, the gripping point is adjusted according to the position of the center of gravity of the dough. Specifically, the gripping point is determined according to the length of the dough in the traveling direction of the dough moving on the belt conveyor 40, and the distance between the two gripping pads 53 is adjusted. For example, as shown in Fig. 5, when there are two gripping pads 53, it is sufficient to adjust the center distance between the gripping pads 53, and this distance may be longer than 0 and equal to or less than the length of the dough in the traveling direction on the belt conveyor 40. For this reason, it is necessary to be able to adjust the positions of the two gripping pads 53 in the X direction, and this may be done automatically or manually. Regarding the number of pads to be held, since the fabric is flexible, when the fabric is held by the pads, sagging occurs in the center of the fabric and in the contours outside the holding pads. Since this sagging may become a crease when the fabric is stacked, the number of pads may be three or more as necessary, and the spacing between them must be such that the fabric does not crease when stacked.

[0023] As the gripping pad 53, any known gripping pad can be used without restriction as long as it can grip the fabric, but a non-contact pad is preferable from the viewpoint of not wrinkling the fabric and not soiling the fabric. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an example of a non-contact pad. As shown in FIG. 6, in the non-contact pad, compressed air introduced from the supply port 53A is discharged radially along the surface of the non-contact pad body 53B from the gap between the non-contact pad body 53B and the nozzle 53C, generating negative pressure in the lower part 53D of the non-contact pad body, and sucking the fabric 53E, which is the suction work. The discharged air passes between the non-contact pad body 53B and the fabric 53E, which is the suction work, and flows out to the outer periphery of the non-contact pad body 53B. When the fabric 53E, which is the suction work, approaches the non-contact pad body 53B, the layer of discharged air acts as a repulsive force, preventing contact with the fabric 53E, which is the suction work, and thus enabling non-contact holding. It should be noted that the non-contact pad can grasp an object by discharging compressed air, but a pad that sucks in compressed air can also be used as long as it does not cause wrinkles in the fabric.

[0024] The arm 54 is a member that holds the gripping pad 53, and from the viewpoint of vertically moving the pad that grips the fabric, any known shaft that supports linear drive, such as one shaft on each side and linear bushings that support the shafts, can be used without restriction. The cross section of the shaft may be circular or polygonal, and there is no restriction as long as it does not interfere with vertical movement.

[0025] The motor 55 is a member that drives the arm 54 up and down, and any known motor and a lifting mechanism that matches the motor can be used without restriction, such as a stepping motor, but it is preferable for it to have the operating speed required to perform the gripping, transporting, and stacking tasks, and the torque required to lift and lower the arm equipped with the gripping pad 53.

[0026] (Transportation mechanism) The transport mechanism 52 is a mechanism for transporting the dough. More specifically, at the timing to grip the dough, the arm 54 is moved so as to correct the positional deviation in the width direction (Y direction) of the belt conveyor 40, and after the dough is gripped by the gripping mechanism 51, the dough gripped by the gripping pad 53 is transported to the stacking table 60.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3(a), the fabric F is manually placed flat on the belt conveyor 40 at the entrance side of the pressing machine 70 by a person, so that the positions Y1, Y2, and Y3 are different. In other words, a positional deviation of the fabric occurs in the width direction (Y direction) of the belt conveyor 40. Before the fabric is gripped by the gripping mechanism 51, the arm 54 is moved so as to correct the positional deviation in the width direction (Y direction) of the belt conveyor 40, so that the fabric can be gripped when it comes directly under the arm 54. Furthermore, the fabric gripped by the gripping pad 53 by the gripping mechanism 51 is transported to the stacking table 60 along a rail 57 arranged in the width direction (Y direction) of the belt conveyor 40.

[0028] The conveying mechanism 52 can be any known mechanism that can convey the fabric, and examples of such mechanisms include a rack-and-pinion mechanism, a linear motor mechanism, and a mechanism using a drive pulley 56. The drive pulley 56 is a mechanism that attaches a cylindrical or disk-shaped member called a pulley to an axis, hangs a timing belt around the outer periphery of the pulley, and connects and drives the timing belt and a motor. It is an inexpensive mechanism that can convey fabric stably, and does not require lubricating oil, so there is little risk of soiling the fabric. Examples of materials for the pulley include PVC pipes, and examples of materials for the timing belt include known materials that have both flexibility and tensile strength, high surface friction, and low wear, and examples of such materials include leather, cloth belts, elastomers such as rubber, composite materials made of elastomers and fibers, and metal V-belts. Examples of motors that can be used include known motors without any restrictions, and examples of such motors include stepping motors.

[0029] The rails 57 are arranged in the width direction (Y direction) of the belt conveyor 40, and are members that transport the dough held by the holding pad 53 to the stacking table 60 by moving the arm 54 along the rails 57. From the viewpoints of lightness, strength, etc., the rails 57 are preferably made of an aluminum frame having grooves on four sides. There is no limit to the number of rails 57.

[0030] The transport speed of the fabric by the transport mechanism 52 is adjusted according to the speed of the fabric moving on the belt conveyor 40. For example, if the time required for manually overlapping the fabrics at the entrance side of the pressing machine 70 is T1 seconds, and the time required for the overlapped fabrics to be placed on the belt conveyor 40 and arrive at the exit side of the pressing machine 70 is T2 seconds, the fabrics move on the belt conveyor 40 at intervals of T1+T2 seconds. The adhesive interlining work automation device 100 grasps and transports the fabrics one by one, and repeats this process to stack them up, so the speed is adjusted so that the transport work is completed in a time shorter than the work time for one piece of fabric, T1+T2 seconds. Note that T1 varies depending on the size of the fabric, the skill level of the worker, etc., but is about 5 seconds for small fabrics and about 25 seconds for large fabrics.

[0031] <Stacking stand> The dough is transported to the stacking table 60 by the gripping and transporting unit 50. FIG. 7 is an enlarged schematic diagram for explaining the stacking table. The stacking table 60 is equipped with a rotating table 61. As shown in FIG. 7(a), when the dough transported by the gripping and transporting unit 50 is placed on the stacking table 60, the rotating table 61 rotates by the inclination angle θ of the dough with respect to the traveling direction of the belt conveyor 40, and the dough is placed so that the center of gravity of the dough overlaps with the center of the rotating table 61. Then, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the rotating table 61 rotates by the inclination angle θ of the dough, and the dough is corrected so that it does not have the inclination angle θ with respect to the traveling direction of the belt conveyor 40. The inclination angle θ of the dough with respect to the traveling direction of the belt conveyor 40, which occurs when a person manually places the dough on the belt conveyor 40 at the entrance side of the pressing machine 70, is approximately ±20 degrees from the traveling direction of the belt conveyor 40. This inclination angle may exceed this range. 1 and 2, the shape of the turntable 61 is a rectangle with rounded corners, but it may be any shape such as a circle, an ellipse, a nearly circle, a square, a polygon, etc., but a long and narrow shape is preferable from the viewpoint of installation next to the crimping machine. Also, from the viewpoint of placing a long dough on the turntable 61, the size of the turntable 61 is preferably about the length in the X direction of the outlet of the crimping machine, but it can be made small enough to allow the dough to rotate when placed on it.

[0032] Although a mechanism (stacking table 60) for correcting the angle of the fabric with respect to the traveling direction of the belt conveyor may be incorporated in the mechanism for gripping and transporting the fabric (gripping and transporting unit 50), the mechanism of the adhesive interlining work automation device 100 is simplified by having both mechanisms separate. Also, the mechanism for gripping and transporting the fabric (gripping and transporting unit 50) is a two-axis mechanism with a gripping mechanism 51 that moves only in the up-down direction (Z direction) and a transporting mechanism 52 that moves only in the left-right direction (Y direction), so that the mechanism of the adhesive interlining work automation device 100 is simplified. The simplification of the mechanism also leads to a reduction in costs. Furthermore, separating the gripping and transporting unit 50 and the stacking table 60 leads to a reduction in the weight of the gripping and transporting unit 50, which results in a reduction in the torque required for the motor, and therefore leads to a reduction in the power required to drive the adhesive interlining work automation device 100.

[0033] [Image processing] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining an example of an image of the acquired fabric and image processing. At the entrance side of the pressure bonding machine 70 in the adhesive interlining work process, a person places the overlapped fabric on the belt conveyor by hand, so that the fabric is misaligned. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, the image processing means calculates the center of gravity C of the fabric, its XY coordinates, and the inclination angle θ of the fabric by approximating the contour of the fabric with a rectangle. The inclination angle θ of the fabric is the angle between the traveling direction (X direction) of the belt conveyor 40 and the X' direction approximated by a rectangle. For example, the image processing may include a method of converting the acquired image to 8-bit grayscale and then performing binarization processing using a fixed threshold T. In this embodiment, the fixed threshold T is set to 80. There are other methods for image processing. For example, when the color of the belt of the belt conveyor and the color of the fabric are similar, it is considered that it is difficult to process with the above method, but since this can be improved by introducing a near-infrared camera and its processing device, there is no limit to the image processing method to be introduced. Using the image processing results, any misalignment of the dough moving on the belt conveyor 40 is corrected by the gripping and transporting unit 50 and stacking table 60, making it possible to stack multiple dough pieces while aligning their contour shapes.

[0034] [Interfacing process] The adhesive interlining work process is a work process carried out after the work process of spreading the fabric and cutting using a pattern (rough cutting) and before the work process of cutting (correct cutting) to align the contours of the sewn fabric, and the adhesive interlining work automation device 100 is a device that automates the adhesive interlining work process. Figure 9 is an example of a flowchart for explaining the automated adhesive interlining work process S1. As shown in Figure 9, the adhesive interlining work process S1 includes the following steps S10 to S70, and each step will be described in detail.

[0035] Step S10 is a step of detecting the fabric on the entrance side. In step S10, the fabric that has been manually placed on the belt conveyor 40 by a person on the entrance side of the pressure bonding machine 70 is detected by the entrance side sensor 20.

[0036] Step S20 is a step of acquiring an image of the fabric. In step S20, a camera or the like installed on the entrance side of the pressure bonding machine 70 captures an image of the fabric to be used in image processing in step S30.

[0037] Step S30 is a calculation step by the image processing means. In step S30, image processing is performed on the image obtained in step S20 to calculate the positional deviation of the fabric and the inclination angle θ with respect to the traveling direction on the belt conveyor 40.

[0038] Step S40 is a step for correcting the positional deviation (Y direction) of the fabric. In step S40, based on the data calculated in step S30, arm 54 holding gripping pad 53 is moved so as to grip the fabric moving on belt conveyor 40. More specifically, arm 54 is moved so as to correct the positional deviation in the width direction (Y direction) of belt conveyor 40 calculated in step S30.

[0039] Step S50 is a step of detecting and gripping the fabric on the exit side. In step S50, the exit side sensor 30 detects the deviation in the conveying speed of the fabric moving on the belt conveyor 40, i.e., the position deviation in the traveling direction (X direction) of the belt conveyor 40, and corrects the timing when the fabric comes directly under the arm 54 to grip it.

[0040] Step S60 is a dough transport step. In step S60, the dough held in step S50 is transported to a stacking table 60.

[0041] Step S70 is a step of correcting the inclination angle θ of the dough. In step S70, the turntable 61 of the stacking table 60 is rotated based on the data calculated in step S30. More specifically, the turntable 61 is rotated so as to correct the inclination angle θ of the dough with respect to the traveling direction (X direction) of the belt conveyor 40 calculated in step S30.

[0042] The adhesive interlining work automation device 100, which automates the adhesive interlining work process S1, makes it possible to stack multiple pieces of fabric while accurately aligning their contour shapes, even when using a wide variety of fabrics. EXAMPLES

[0043] The inventors have carried out a study on errors that may occur when piling up fabrics using an automated adhesive interlining machine that they have actually designed. The conditions, tests and evaluation methods are shown below.

[0044] [conditions] The overall length LP of the crimping machine 70 installed in an actual sewing factory is 4700 mm, and its width (length in the Y direction) is 1400 mm. A simulated device was manufactured to test the designed adhesive interlining work automation device, and the belt width of the belt conveyor 40 was 490 mm, and the speed of the belt conveyor 40 was 0.25 m / s, the same as the speed of the device in the actual factory. The gripping and transporting unit 50 has a length of 1180 mm in the X direction, a length of 1850 mm in the Y direction, and a length of 1160 mm in the Z direction, and the length of the rail 57 in the Y direction is 1850 mm. Since the time T2 from when the overlapped fabric is placed on the belt conveyor 40 until it arrives at the exit side of the pressing machine 70 is approximately 15 seconds, the fabric transport speed by the transport mechanism 52 is set to 0.25 m / s, the same as the speed of the belt conveyor 40, and the movement speed of the arm 54, etc. are adjusted so that the time it takes for the adhesive interlining work automation device 100 to repeatedly stack the fabric is approximately 17 seconds. Furthermore, two non-contact pads were used for the gripping pad 53, the center distance between the gripping pads 53 was fixed at 280 mm, and the pressure value of the air supplied to the non-contact pads was set to 0.7 MPa. Furthermore, the rotating table 61 of the stacking table 60 was a circular table having a diameter of 350 mm.

[0045] Figure 10 shows the shapes of two types of fabric used in the evaluation of the adhesive interlining work automation device, with Fig. 10(a) being fabric 1 and Fig. 10(b) being fabric 2. As shown in Fig. 10, fabric 1 is 450 x 200 mm in size and has a complex curved outline, while fabric 2 is 510 x 130 mm in size and has a linear outline, making it a simpler outline than fabric 1. A stacking experiment was conducted on 50 sheets each of fabric 1 and fabric 2.

[0046] [Evaluation method] The adhesive interlining process is a process that is carried out after the fabric spreading and cutting using a mold (rough cutting) process, and before the cutting (correct cutting) process to align the contours of the sewn fabric. In the fabric spreading and cutting using a mold (rough cutting) process, a margin is secured during cutting so that the necessary dimensions remain on the fabric for the cutting (correct cutting) process to align the contours of the sewn fabric even if the fabric is thermally shrunk when the fabric and interlining are overlapped and inserted into the crimping machine in the adhesive interlining process. The size of this margin varies depending on the sewing factory and the product being sewn, but is generally about 15 mm, and if the fabric is large, an even larger margin may be secured. On the other hand, if the fabric is small, the margin in the cutting (rough cutting) process must be smaller. Therefore, if the stacking error after the adhesive interlining process is within ±15mm, it is considered that goal A has been achieved, and if the stacking error after the adhesive interlining process is within ±1% of the overall fabric size, it is considered that goal B has been achieved. Note that since the margins differ between large and small fabrics, goal B was set in % as a unit to uniformly evaluate them.

[0047] [result] FIG. 11 shows the stacking error after the adhesive interlining process in the X and Y directions, where FIG. 11(a) shows the results for Fabric 1 and FIG. 11(b) shows the results for Fabric 2. As shown in Figure 11(a), the error in the X direction for Fabric 1 was 0-5 mm with an average error of 1.88 mm, and the error in the Y direction was 0-3 mm with an average error of 0.92 mm, so that all 50 pieces of fabric were within ±15 mm, achieving goal A. In addition, the standard for goal B within ±1% is an error within ±4.5 mm in the X direction and within ±2 mm in the Y direction, and goal B was achieved with 47 pieces, or 94% of the fabrics. As shown in Figure 11(b), the error in the X direction for fabric 2 was 0-8 mm with an average error of 3.54 mm, and the error in the Y direction was 0-2 mm with an average error of 0.72 mm, so that all 50 pieces of fabric were within ±15 mm, achieving goal A. In addition, the standard for goal B within ±1% is an error within ±5.1 mm in the X direction and within ±1.3 mm in the Y direction, and goal B was achieved with 41 pieces, or 82% of the fabrics.

[0048] [Source of error] For Fabric 1 and Fabric 2, when the stacking error after the adhesive interlining process of Objective B was evaluated within ±1% of the overall fabric size, the error in the X direction tended to be large and the error in the Y direction tended to be small. Possible causes of errors in the Y direction include errors between the travel distance calculated based on image processing data and the actual movement of the arm, as well as slight deviations in the gripping point that occur when the fabric is tilted, etc. Like the errors in the Y direction, errors in the X direction are likely caused by errors between the travel distance calculated based on image processing data and the actual movement of the arm, as well as uneven rotation of the conveyor belt. Below, we will explain the verification of stacking errors after the completion of the adhesive interlining work process due to slippage of the fabric, which causes a slight shift in the gripping point, and the verification of stacking errors after the completion of the adhesive interlining work process due to changes in the belt conveyor speed, which causes uneven rotation of the belt conveyor.

[0049] (Error due to changes in conveyor belt speed) Regarding the speed change of the conveyor belt used in the above study, a piece of colored tape was attached to the conveyor belt (one circumference of 3.75 m), and the time interval at which the photoelectric sensors used in the entrance and exit sensors detected this tape was measured using a data logger (Keyence NR-500, sampling period 2 ms). Figure 12 shows the rotational unevenness when the belt conveyor is driven for 30 minutes. In order to clarify the difference in rotational speed, the time required for the first revolution is used as the reference, and the difference from this time is displayed for the second revolution and onwards. Figure 12 shows that the maximum rotational time difference was approximately 58 ms, and the main cause is thought to be slippage between the drive pulley and the belt. In other words, in the above study where the belt conveyor rotational speed was 0.25 m / s, a deviation of 1 mm occurred in 4 ms. In other words, if the rotational unevenness of the belt conveyor is reduced, the stacking error after the adhesive interlining process will also be reduced.

[0050] (Errors caused by fabric slippage) When both ends of a fabric are gripped, the fabric bends in the center, so gripping a long piece of fabric increases the amount of bending in the center. Therefore, we investigated whether fabric 2 slips due to the influence of the bending when gripping it. The center distance between the two gripping pads used in the above study was 380 mm, and two red tapes were attached to the inside of the gripping position (distance between the tapes was 320 mm) to indicate slippage. When the fabric was gripped, it was confirmed that the fabric slipped and the red tape line moved to the slack side in the center. The amount of deflection differs depending on the gripping point of the fabric, and it is possible that the effect of this slippage increased the stacking error after the adhesive interlining process. However, with non-contact pads, the gripping force of the fabric can be increased by increasing the air pressure supplied, so if the air pressure is adjusted so that the fabric does not slip when gripped, the stacking error after the adhesive interlining process can be reduced.

[0051] The adhesive interlining work automation device disclosed herein can be retrofitted to an existing crimping machine, and can automate adhesive interlining work while suppressing misalignment between stacked fabrics after the adhesive interlining work process is completed, even for a wide variety of fabrics. [Industrial Applicability]

[0052] The device for automating adhesive interlining work disclosed herein makes it possible to automate the adhesive work carried out in the manufacture of clothing used in a variety of fields and situations, such as men's and women's clothing, white coats worn in hospitals, jeans, and work clothes. By developing this technology, the processes of gripping, moving, and stacking the fabric can be expanded not only to adhesive interlining work, but also to gripping and transporting fabric in sewing work using a sewing machine, and it is believed that this will greatly contribute to the automation of sewing factories. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 100 Automated adhesive interlining operation device 10. Camera 20 Inlet sensor 30 Outlet sensor 40 Conveyor Belt 50 Grasping and transporting section 51 Gripping mechanism 52 Transport mechanism 53 Grip Pad 54 Arm 55 Motor 56 Drive pulley 57 Rail 60 Stacking Table 61 Rotating Table 70 Crimping machine

Claims

1. An adhesive interlining work automation device to be installed on a crimping machine, The system includes an entrance sensor for detecting the fabric moving on the belt conveyor, a camera for capturing an image of the fabric, an image processing means for calculating a positional deviation and an inclination angle of the fabric from the image of the fabric, an exit sensor for detecting the fabric moving on the belt conveyor, a gripping and transporting unit for gripping and transporting the fabric, and a stacking table for rotating the fabric, The adhesive interlining work automation device is characterized in that the gripping and transporting unit corrects the positional deviation of the fabric, and the stacking table corrects the inclination angle of the fabric.

2. 2. The adhesive interlining operation automation device according to claim 1, wherein the gripping and conveying unit is a two-shaft mechanism consisting of a vertical movement mechanism and a belt pulley mechanism.

3. 3. The adhesive interlining operation automation device according to claim 1, wherein the gripping and transporting section has two or more gripping pads for gripping the fabric, and the center distance between the gripping pads is adjustable.

4. 4. The adhesive interlining work automation device according to claim 3, wherein the gripping pad is a non-contact pad.

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