Film sheet feeding device

Abstract

To provide a film sheet feeder that can smoothly attach a film roll to a shaft from the released end of the shaft as the conventional ones do, yet does not cause the released end of the shaft to bend downward after attachment, and thus can feed a film sheet from the film roll to a downstream process in a stable flow without distortion while applying uniform tension in the width direction.SOLUTION: One end of a cylindrical shaft 2 is fixed to a base V1, and two cylindrical shafts 1 connected bendably inside the other end are embedded in a freely retractable manner. The cylindrical shafts 1 are bent at an approximately right angle at the connection part when pulled out from the cylindrical shaft 2, and the tips of the bent cylindrical shafts 1 are fixed to a support stand 30 to feed the film sheet from a film roll FR attached to the cylindrical shaft 2 to a downstream process.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a feeding device that sequentially feeds a film sheet from a film roll attached upstream of various processing machines using the film sheet to a downstream process.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a means for sequentially feeding a film sheet from a film roll, for example, like the film roll support device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-175725, the paper tube or the like of a film roll in which the film sheet is wound around a paper tube or the like is passed through a shaft, and a means for feeding it to a downstream process while rotating simultaneously with the shaft has been common. Prior art documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Summarizing the film sheet feeding process of the film roll support device of Patent Document 1, as shown in FIG. 1, one end of the shaft S is rotatably fixed to a shaft motor (not shown) in a metal base portion V, and the film roll FR is mounted by inserting a central hole of a paper tube or the like from the other released end of the shaft S. Then, the film sheet is fed to a downstream process while rotating the film roll FR.

[0005] As previously described, the shaft S of the film roll support device is cantilevered. That is, because the shaft S is held at one end, when a heavy film roll FR is attached, the open end of the unsupported shaft S bends downward. Consequently, the film sheet, which is fed out from a tilted position due to the bending, has uneven tension in the width direction and is fed out in a distorted state, which causes various problems in downstream processes such as flapping, wrinkling, meandering, and damage.

[0006] In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a film sheet feeding device that, when attaching a film roll to a shaft, allows for smooth attachment from the open end of the shaft as in the conventional method, but prevents the open end of the shaft from bending downward after attachment. Therefore, it is possible to feed the film sheet in a stable flow without distortion to downstream processes while applying uniform tension in the width direction from the film roll. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a film sheet feeding device that feeds a film sheet from a film roll inserted into a shaft to a downstream process, wherein one end of a cylindrical shaft is fixed to a base, and two cylindrical shafts are flexibly connected inside the other end and can be retracted, and when the cylindrical shafts are pulled out from the cylindrical shaft they are bent at approximately a right angle at the connection point, and the tip of the bent cylindrical shaft is fixed to a support base, thereby feeding a film sheet from a film roll mounted on the cylindrical shaft to a downstream process.

[0008] The cylindrical shaft into which the paper tube of the film roll, etc., which constitutes the film sheet feeding device of the present invention is inserted, is divided into an end that is unsupported and left open when the film roll is mounted and an end that is permanently fixed to a base or the like. The permanently fixed end may be fixed so as not to rotate, or it may be connected to a shaft motor or the like so as to rotate together with the unwinding of the film roll.

[0009] If one end of the cylindrical shaft is fixed, the film roll will rotate independently, so it is acceptable for the operation to be carried out in a way that allows it to rotate and unwind without stress. For example, various known means can be employed, such as designing the outer diameter of the cylindrical shaft to be smaller than the inner diameter of the paper tube around which the film roll is wound, and applying lubrication to the surface of the cylindrical shaft by fluorine coating or the like to reduce the frictional resistance between the two during rotation; providing a bearing at the contact point between the cylindrical shaft and the paper tube to allow the paper tube to rotate independently of the cylindrical shaft; or reducing friction by forming multiple grooves in a direction that cuts the cylindrical shaft into sections to reduce the contact area between the paper tube and the shaft.

[0010] The cylindrical shaft constituting the film sheet feeding device of the present invention consists of two cylindrical shafts, which are housed within a cylindrical shaft so as to be able to be retracted from their open ends. The two cylindrical shafts are bendable at their ends, and can be bent by a hinge, for example, connected by a support pin. The cylindrical shaft can be inserted into the cylindrical shaft when straightened to form a single cylinder, but it is designed so that the entire shaft is not hidden inside, and the tip can be inserted to the extent that it can be grasped and pulled out with the fingers. This protruding portion that can be grasped and pulled out with the fingers can be used as a temporary place to put the film roll when inserting it, which is very convenient.

[0011] The cylindrical shaft can be extended to any length from the cylindrical shaft, and after extension, the cylindrical shaft on the side extended outward from the connecting portion of the support pin can be bent downward at a right angle. By fixing the tip of the bent cylindrical shaft onto a support base such as a block located below, both ends of the cylindrical shaft are supported, and even if a heavy film roll is attached, it will not bend due to the weight and will remain in a horizontal position. It is safer and more convenient if the shaft that is extended and bent downward cannot be bent upward.

[0012] The end of the cylindrical shaft, which is bent downwards at a right angle, that fits into the support base is preferably shaped like a curve, such as a hemisphere, to facilitate fitting onto the support base. This reduces friction with the top surface of the support base, allowing the entire shaft, bearing the weight of the film roll, to be smoothly secured while being supported.

[0013] Furthermore, by providing, for example, an index plunger on the support base, and further providing a recess at the apex of the bendable cylindrical shaft that contacts the support base, the tip of the index plunger can be fitted into and fixed in the recess at the apex of the cylindrical shaft once it has been bent to a predetermined position, which is safe and convenient for operation. Other known means can also be used as such a locking mechanism. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] In the film sheet feeding device of the present invention, the cylindrical shaft is built into the cylindrical shaft when attaching the film roll to the shaft, so there are no obstructing members such as support members at the open end of the shaft, and it can be easily attached using conventional procedures.

[0015] Furthermore, when attaching the film roll to the shaft, the tip of the cylindrical shaft protrudes from the open end of the cylindrical shaft, making it convenient to use that part as a temporary resting place. Since the tip of the cylindrical shaft is curved, it is safe even if accidentally touched by hands or fingers during attachment. Additionally, by employing a mechanism that locks the tip of the cylindrical shaft into the support base by bending it downwards, safety is ensured as the tip of the cylindrical shaft will not inadvertently detach from the support base.

[0016] Furthermore, because the structure ultimately supports a cylindrical shaft at both ends, even heavy film rolls remain stable and horizontal. Consequently, the tension in the width direction is kept uniform during film sheet feeding, eliminating distortion and preventing flapping, wrinkling, meandering, and damage in downstream processes. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view of the main components of a conventional means for sequentially feeding film sheets from a film roll. [Figure 2] This is a schematic perspective view of the main part of the film sheet feeding device of the present invention. [Figure 3] (A) is a top view of the cylindrical shaft 1, (B) is a side view, and (C) is a side view showing the first cylindrical shaft 11 bent downwards from the support pin 13. [Figure 4] (A) is a top view of shaft S1 with a cylindrical shaft 1 built inside a cylindrical shaft 2, and (B) is a side view of (A) including a cross-sectional view of the cylindrical shaft 2 along line XX (the halftone dots represent the cross-section). [Figure 5] This is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the state in which the cylindrical shaft 1 is extended from the cylindrical shaft 2. [Figure 6] (A) is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the first cylindrical shaft 11, which has been pulled out from the cylindrical shaft 2, bent downwards and fixed on the support base 30, and (B) is a left side view of (A). [Figure 7](A) is a partial front view showing the shape of the tip of a cylindrical shaft 11 different from the embodiment, and (B) is a partial side view. [Figure 8] (A) is a partial front view showing the shape of the tip of a cylindrical shaft 11 different from the embodiment, and (B) is a partial side view.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, the details of the present invention will be described in an easy-to-understand manner along with the drawings. As shown in FIG. 2, the configuration of the film sheet feeding device of the present invention is such that, for example, one end face of a cylindrical shaft 2 is fixed to a metal base portion V1, and a cylindrical shaft 1 is inserted and built in the cylinder of the cylindrical shaft 2 with a hemispherical end portion protruding. As will be described later, this cylindrical shaft 1 is extremely convenient because the protruding portion can be used as a temporary placement location when inserting the film roll FR (indicated by a one-dot chain line in the figure) into the cylindrical shaft 2.

[0019] The member described at the lower left of FIG. 2 is the base portion V2, and a support base 30 that supports a first cylinder 11 bent downward of the cylindrical shaft 1 is fixed. The base portion V2 may be formed by using a side plate or the like of a unit constituting the film sheet feeding device. The above is the basic configuration of the film sheet feeding device of the present invention, and the details will be described below.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3(A), the cylindrical shaft 1 constituting the film sheet feeding device of the present invention is formed by inserting a support pin 13 into connecting portions 14, 14, and 15 where a first cylindrical shaft 11 and a second cylindrical shaft 12 protrude from their respective end faces, and is in a state where it can be bent as shown in FIGS. (B) and (C).

[0021] The end face of the first cylindrical shaft 11 opposite the connecting portion 14 is formed with a smooth, hemispherical curve. When the shaft is bent at a right angle from the connecting portion 14 and fed onto the upper surface of the support base 30, the friction between the hemispherical tip of the cylindrical shaft 11 and the upper surface of the support base 30 is reduced, resulting in smooth operation.

[0022] Furthermore, the second cylindrical shaft 12 has a normal cylindrical shape, and a stopper (such as a screw head or pin) 16 is provided at a predetermined position on its upper surface to restrict the length to which it can extend in and out of the cylindrical shaft 2.

[0023] The cylindrical shaft 2 constituting the film sheet feeding device of the present invention is configured to be cylindrical so that the cylindrical shaft 1 described above can be inserted and removed, as shown in Figures 4(A) and (B). On the upper surface of the cylindrical shaft 2 opposite the base portion V1, for example, an elongated elliptical window portion 21 is formed, and the stopper 16 provided on the upper surface of the second cylindrical shaft 12 is positioned to fit into this window portion 21.

[0024] The second cylindrical shaft 12 is restricted to the interior of the window portion 21 by the protrusion of the stopper 16 on its upper surface. As a result, it can move toward the base portion V1 to the position shown in Figure 4(B), and toward the opposite side of the base portion V1 to the position shown in Figure 5.

[0025] Furthermore, since the window portion 21 is a slit shape with a width slightly wider than the diameter of the stopper 16, the cylindrical shaft 1 does not rotate unintentionally inside the cylindrical shaft 2, and when the first cylindrical shaft 11 is pulled out and tilted after inserting the film roll FR as shown in Figure 5, it is reliably folded downwards into a vertical position.

[0026] Then, as shown in Figures 6(A) and (B), the bent first cylindrical shaft 11 is pressed into the upper surface of the support base 30 attached to the base portion V2, and the tip of a fixing device such as an index plunger 31 provided on the support base 30 is inserted into the recess opened at the apex of the hemisphere and fixed in place.

[0027] In this state, the shaft S1 with the film roll FR inserted is supported at both ends by the base sections V1 and V2, so it can reliably maintain a horizontal position even when a heavy film roll FR is inserted.

[0028] To finish the work and remove the film roll FR, the tip of the index plunger 31 is pulled down to release the lock on the tip of the first cylindrical shaft 11. Then, by storing it inside the cylindrical shaft 2 in the reverse order of the previous operations, the film roll FR can be easily removed from the shaft S1.

[0029] However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, in the above embodiment, the cylindrical shaft 2 is fixed to the base portion V1, but it may also be configured to rotate in conjunction with a motor provided inside the base portion 1. In that case, the internal second cylindrical shaft 12 may rotate in sync, or it may be a structure in which only the cylindrical shaft rotates without rotating in sync.

[0030] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6(A), a contact-type sensor 32 or the like may be provided in the base portion V2 adjacent to the first cylindrical shaft 11 (contacting the side surface of the cylindrical shaft 11 through a small window provided in the base portion V2 in the figure), so that the first cylindrical shaft 11 does not move when it is in a predetermined position, but if it accidentally comes off or shifts, the sensor will detect it and sound a warning or shut down the entire system.

[0031] Furthermore, although the tip of the cylindrical shaft 11 is processed into a hemispherical shape in the above embodiment, this shape is not necessarily required. For example, as shown in Figures 7(A) and (B), the tip of the cylindrical shaft 11 may be chamfered along the direction of rotation with the support pin 13 as the pivot point, in order to make it easier for the tip of the cylinder to slide onto the upper surface of the support base 30. In other words, it is not a three-dimensional hemispherical shape, but a rounded shape only in the direction that allows it to slide onto the upper surface of the support base 30.

[0032] Furthermore, as another form of the cylindrical shaft 11, for example, as shown in Figures 8(A) and (B), a small roller 40 may be attached to the tip of the cylindrical shaft 11, and the roller may be used to introduce it to a predetermined position on the upper surface of the support base 30 by utilizing the rotation of the roller, and then the roller may be locked to prevent it from moving. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] FR film roll V1, V2 base section S1, S2 shafts 1. Cylindrical shaft 2. Cylindrical shaft 11 First cylindrical shaft 12. Second cylindrical shaft 13 support pins 14, 15 Connection part 16 Stopper 21 Window section 30 Support stand 31 Index Plunger 32 sensors 40 Laura

Claims

[Claim 1] A film sheet feeding device that feeds a film sheet from a film roll inserted into a shaft to a downstream process, One end of the cylindrical shaft is fixed to the base, Two cylindrical shafts, which are foldable and connected to the inside of the other end, are built in and can be easily extended and retracted. When the cylindrical shaft is pulled out from the cylindrical shaft, it is bent at approximately a right angle at the connection point. The tip of the bent cylindrical shaft is fixed to the support base, A film sheet feeding device characterized by feeding a film sheet from a film roll mounted on the aforementioned cylindrical shaft to a downstream process.

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