Folding unit and folding system for long, narrow fabrics

Abstract

To provide a folding unit and a folding system for folding an elongated fabric.SOLUTION: A folding unit (4) for folding an elongated fabric (D1) according to the present invention includes folding members (41R, 41L) made of a flexible sheet material, and central holders (42R, 42L) and tip end holders (43R, 43L) for holding the folding members. The folding members are configured to be substantially entirely curved by contact with the elongated fabric when the tip abutment surfaces (46R, 46L) of the tip end holders are moved relative to the central abutment surfaces (45R, 45L) of the central holders to deform the elongated fabric into a circular shape.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 15

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a bending unit and a bending system for bending an elongated (rod-shaped) dough such as a rolled croissant dough.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an apparatus for bending an elongated dough such as a rolled croissant dough into a circular shape has been known (Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The apparatuses described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are difficult to bend an elongated dough into a shape close to a circular shape.

[0005] [[ID=—43]]Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a bending unit that enables an elongated dough to be bent into a shape close to a circular shape. Another object of the present invention is to provide a bending system including such a bending unit.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the bending unit according to the present invention for bending an elongated piece of fabric includes a bending member made of a flexible sheet material, a central holder and an end holder for holding the bending member, wherein the central holder or bending member includes a central contact surface that contacts the central part of the elongated piece of fabric, and the end holder or bending member includes an end contact surface that contacts the end of the elongated piece of fabric, and the bending member is configured to bend substantially overall by contact with the elongated piece of fabric when the end contact surface is moved relative to the central contact surface to deform the elongated piece of fabric into an annular shape.

[0007] In a bending unit configured in this way, the bending member is configured to bend substantially as a whole when it makes contact with the elongated fabric when it moves its tip contact surface relative to the central contact surface to deform the elongated fabric into an annular shape. As a result, when the elongated fabric is deformed into an annular shape, the overall curved bending member allows the elongated fabric to be folded into a shape close to a circle.

[0008] In the bending unit according to the present invention, preferably, when the tip contact surface is moved relative to the central contact surface in order to deform an elongated piece of fabric into an annular shape, the orientation of the tip contact surface is configured to rotate relative to the orientation of the central contact surface.

[0009] In the bending unit according to the present invention, preferably, a central gear and a pivoting part that can pivot about the central gear are further included, the pivoting part includes a planetary gear that meshes with the central gear, the central holder is fixed to the pivoting part and the tip holder is fixed to the planetary gear.

[0010] In the bending unit according to the present invention, preferably, the tip holder is configured to rise relative to the central holder in order to lift the elongated fabric when the tip contact surface is moved relative to the central contact surface in order to deform the elongated fabric into an annular shape, the tip contact surface is an inclined surface that is inserted under the tip of the elongated fabric, and the bending member is twistable so as to be inserted under the elongated fabric.

[0011] The bending unit according to the present invention preferably further includes a pressing device for pressing the leading edges of overlapping elongated pieces of fabric.

[0012] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objective, the bending system according to the present invention includes a conveyor for transporting a long, narrow piece of dough; a detection device for detecting the position of the long, narrow piece of dough relative to the conveyor; a bending unit according to the present invention; and a moving device for moving the bending unit relative to the conveyor based on the position detected by the detection device.

[0013] In this type of bending system, it is possible to bend a long, narrow piece of dough being transported on a conveyor while tracking its position based on a detection device. The bending unit has a simple structure and can be made lightweight, which reduces the burden on the moving device. For example, this allows the moving device to operate at high speed, increasing processing capacity.

[0014] In the bending system according to the present invention, the moving device is preferably a robot. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a left side view of the bending system according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a top-down perspective view of the bending unit shown in Figure 1, with the drive unit and bending member omitted. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view from below of the bending unit shown in Figure 1, with the drive unit omitted. [Figure 4] This is a front view of the folding unit in Figure 1 in the open position. [Figure 5] This is a left side view of the folding unit in Figure 1 in the open position. [Figure 6] This is a right side view of the folding unit in Figure 1 in the open position. [Figure 7] This is a plan view of the folding unit in Figure 1 in the open position. [Figure 8]It is a front view of the bending unit of FIG. 1 at the bending position. [Figure 9] It is a left side view of the bending unit of FIG. 1 at the bending position. [Figure 10] It is a plan view of the bending unit of FIG. 1 at the bending position. [Figure 11A] It is a plan view for explaining the bending operation. [Figure 11B] It is a plan view for explaining the bending operation. [Figure 12A] It is a plan view for explaining the bending operation. [Figure 12B] It is a plan view for explaining the bending operation. [Figure 13A] It is a plan view for explaining the bending operation. [Figure 13B] It is a plan view for explaining the bending operation. [Figure 14A] It is a plan view for explaining the bending operation. [Figure 14B] It is a plan view for explaining the bending operation. [Figure 15] It is a plan view for explaining the bending operation. [[ID=�5]] [[ID=�6]]

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the bending system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention has a function of bending a long fabric D1, and includes a conveyor 2 that conveys the fabric D1 in the conveying direction A, a detection device 3 that detects the fabric D1 being conveyed, a bending unit 4 that bends the fabric D1, a moving device 5 that moves the bending unit 4, and a control device 6.

[0017] The elongated dough D1 is, for example, rolled croissant dough. The elongated dough D1 has a central part DC and two ends DE, extending from the central part DC to the ends DE, for example, in the left direction L and the right direction R (see Figure 11B). The conveyor 2 is, for example, a conveyor belt that constitutes a support surface for transporting the dough D1. The detection device 3 is, for example, a camera that can detect the position of the dough D1 relative to the conveyor 2. Preferably, the detection device 3 can also detect the orientation of the dough D1 (inclination relative to the transport direction A). The moving device 5 is, for example, a robot (arm-type robot or parallel-link type robot). In this embodiment, the moving device 5 is a parallel-link type robot 5. The bending unit 4 is configured as a robot hand. The control device 6 is configured to operate the conveyor 2, the detection device 3, the bending unit 4, and the moving device 5.

[0018] The bending unit 4 is movable between an open position for receiving the elongated dough D1 (Figures 11A, 11B, 2-7) and a bending position for forming the folded dough D2 (Figures 14A, 14B, 8-10). In this embodiment, the bending unit 4 is configured to bend the leading edge DE of the elongated dough D1 to the upstream side in the conveying direction A relative to the central part DC.

[0019] As shown in Figure 2, the bending unit 4 includes a base 10 connected to the robot 5, and a central axis 11 and central gear 12 fixed to the base 10. In this embodiment, the teeth of the central gear 12 may be provided within a range of 200 degrees. Hereinafter, the directions extending perpendicular to the transport direction A and the vertical direction B will be referred to as the left direction L and the right direction R. Also, to indicate the angular direction of the components with respect to the central axis 11 when viewed from above, the direction to the right of the central axis 11 is defined as 0 degrees, counterclockwise as the positive direction, and clockwise as the negative direction (see Figure 7). For example, the angular directions downstream and upstream of the transport direction A are +90 degrees and -90 degrees, respectively, and the left direction is 180 degrees. The rotational directions (clockwise and counterclockwise), which will be explained later, are the rotational directions when viewed from above. The central axis 11 is preferably located above the central part DC of the elongated fabric D1 when in the open position. Furthermore, the downstream direction of the transport direction A is also called "forward," and the upstream direction is called "backward."

[0020] The bending unit 4 further includes a right-oscillating section 20R, a left-oscillating section 20L, a drive section 30, a right-bending section 40R, a left-bending section 40L, and a pressing device 60.

[0021] The right-oscillating section 20R is rotatably mounted on the central axis 11 and includes an upper right plate 21R and a lower right plate 22R. The upper right plate 21R and the lower right plate 22R each include right-oscillating arms 21Ra and 22Ra, respectively, which extend in the 0-degree direction (to the right) from the central axis 11 when in the open position. The upper right plate 21R further includes a right-drive arm 21Rb, which extends in the 112.5-degree direction (downstream and to the left) from the central axis 11 when in the open position. The right-drive arm 21Rb has an elongated hole 21Rc. The oscillation range of the right-oscillating section 20R is 45 degrees. The right-oscillating section 20R further includes a right-planetary gear 23R and a right-shaft 24R, which are positioned in the 0-degree direction (to the right) from the central axis 11 when in the open position. The right planetary gear 23R is rotatably positioned between the right oscillating arms 21Ra and 22Ra and is configured to mesh with the central gear 12. In this embodiment, the gear ratio between the central gear 12 and the right planetary gear 23R is 3:1. Thus, when the right oscillating part 20R rotates 45 degrees, the right planetary gear 23R rotates 135 degrees relative to the right oscillating part 20R, and 180 degrees when viewed from above. The right shaft 24R is fixed to the right planetary gear 23R and extends downward from the right planetary gear 23R. The upper right plate 21R and the lower right plate 22R are pivotable as a single unit. In this embodiment, the right oscillating part 20R is configured to oscillate clockwise when moving from the open position to the folded position, and at the same time, the right planetary gear 23R and the right shaft 24R are configured to rotate clockwise.

[0022] The left oscillating section 20L is rotatably mounted on the central axis 11 and includes a left upper plate 21L and a left lower plate 22L. The left upper plate 21L and the left lower plate 22L each include left oscillating arms 21La and 22La, respectively, which extend 180 degrees (to the left) from the central axis 11 in the open position. The left upper plate 21L further includes a left drive arm 21Lb, which extends -112.5 degrees (downstream and to the left) from the central axis 11 in the open position. The left drive arm 21Lb has an elongated hole 21Lc. The oscillating range of the left oscillating section 20L is 45 degrees. The left oscillating section 20L further includes a left planetary gear 23L and a left shaft 24L, which are positioned 180 degrees (to the left) from the central axis 11 in the open position. The left planetary gear 23L is rotatably positioned between the left oscillating arms 21La and 22La and is configured to mesh with the central gear 12. In this embodiment, the gear ratio between the central gear 12 and the left planetary gear 23L is 3:1. Thus, when the left oscillating part 20L rotates 45 degrees, the left planetary gear 23L rotates 135 degrees relative to the left oscillating part 20L, and rotates 180 degrees when viewed from above. The left shaft 24L is configured to rotate together with the left planetary gear 23L. The left shaft 24L is also configured to move up and down relative to the left planetary gear 23L and extends downward from the left planetary gear 23L. The upper left plate 21L and the lower left plate 22L are pivotable as a single unit. In this embodiment, the left oscillating part 20L is configured to oscillate counterclockwise when moving from the open position to the folded position, and at the same time, the left planetary gear 23L and the left shaft 24L are configured to rotate counterclockwise.

[0023] To prevent interference between the left oscillating part 20L and the right oscillating part 20R, the upper right plate 21R, the upper left plate 21L, the central gear 12, the lower right plate 22R, and the lower left plate 22L are offset from each other in the vertical direction B (see Figure 4).

[0024] The drive unit 30 includes a bracket 31 attached to the base 10, a drive cylinder 32 that extends and retracts in the leftward direction L and the rightward direction R, a drive plate 33, and two pins 34. The pins 34 are configured to slidably fit into the elongated holes 21Lc and 21Rc of the left drive arm 21Lb and the right drive arm 21Rb.

[0025] The right-bending portion 40R includes a right-bending member 41R and a right central holder 42R and a right tip holder 43R that hold the right-bending member 41R.

[0026] The right-bending member 41R is made of a flexible sheet material. Such a sheet material is, for example, a urethane material for conveyor belts. As shown in Figures 11B and 14B, the right-bending member 41R preferably has an arc length that matches the circularly folded fabric D2 at the bending position, and is in a relaxed state at the open position.

[0027] The right central holder 42R is fixed to the right swing arm 22Ra and is thus configured to swing 45 degrees together with the right swing arm 22Ra about the central axis 11. In this embodiment, the right central holder 42R includes two members that sandwich the right bending member 41R and has a central contact surface 45R that abuts the central part of the elongated fabric D1. The central contact surface 45R is oriented upstream in the open position. The right bending member 41R extends to the right R from the right central holder 42R in the open position.

[0028] The right end holder 43R is fixed to the right shaft 24R and is thus configured to rotate clockwise with the right shaft 24R when moving from the open position to the bent position. In this embodiment, the right end holder 43R includes two members that sandwich the right bent member 41R and has an end contact surface 46R that abuts the end portion DE of the elongated fabric D1. The end contact surface 46R is oriented upstream in the open position and downstream in the bent position. The right bent member 41R extends to the left L from the right end holder 43R in the open position.

[0029] The left-bending section 40L includes a left-bending member 41L, a left central holder 42L, and a left tip holder 43L that hold the left-bending member 41L.

[0030] The left-bending member 41L is made of a flexible sheet material. Such a sheet material is, for example, a urethane material for conveyor belts. As shown in Figures 11B and 14B, the left-bending member 41L preferably has an arc length that matches the circularly folded fabric D2 and is in a twisted state (see Figure 9) at the bending position, and is in a loose state at the open position. The height of the left-bending member 41L is preferably lower than the height of the right-bending member 41R in order to allow twisting.

[0031] The left central holder 42L is fixed to the left swing arm 22La and is thus configured to swing 45 degrees together with the left swing arm 22La about the central axis 11. In this embodiment, the left central holder 42L includes two members that sandwich the left bending member 41L and has a central contact surface 45L that abuts the central part DC of the elongated fabric D1. The central contact surface 45L is oriented upstream in the open position. The left bending member 41L extends to the left L from the left central holder 42L in the open position.

[0032] The left end holder 43L is fixed to the left shaft 24L and is thus configured to rotate counterclockwise with the left shaft 24L when moving from the open position to the bent position. In this embodiment, the left end holder 43L includes two members that sandwich the left bent member 41L and has an end contact surface 46L (scoop inclined surface) that contacts the end portion DE of the elongated fabric D1. The end contact surface 46L is oriented upstream in the open position and downstream in the bent position. The left bent member 41L extends upstream from the left end holder 43L and is immediately bent in the open position.

[0033] The left bent section 40L includes a cylindrical cam 50 fixed to the left lower plate 22L. The cylindrical cam 50 includes two cam grooves 50a. The left shaft 24L is movable up and down within the cylindrical cam 50 and includes two cam followers 51 that fit into the two cam grooves 50a. The cam grooves 50a are configured to raise the left shaft 24L, the left end holder 43L, and the end contact surface 46L when moving from the open position to the bent position.

[0034] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the pressing device 60 is positioned upstream of the base 10 and includes a bracket 61 attached to the base 10, a pressing portion 63 for pressing the tip of the elongated fabric D1, and an actuator 62 for moving the pressing portion 63 vertically. The actuator 62 is, for example, an air cylinder.

[0035] Next, the operation of the bending system according to the present invention will be described.

[0036] As shown in Figure 1, the rolled croissant dough D1 is supported by the conveyor 2 and transported in the transport direction A. The detection device 3 detects the position and orientation (inclination with respect to the transport direction A) of the dough D1 during transport. The control device 6 determines the position and orientation (inclination with respect to the transport direction A) of the dough D1 relative to the conveyor 2 based on the information detected by the detection device 3. This information is, for example, image data obtained by the camera 3. The control device 6 also determines the speed of the conveyor 2, i.e., the speed of the dough D1. The speed of the conveyor 2 is preferably constant.

[0037] The bending unit 4 is moved by the robot 5. Specifically, the bending unit 4 is in the open position, and based on the detected information, the bending unit 4 is moved to the downstream side of the dough D1 and put into standby position. It is also preferable that the robot 5 aligns the position of the central gear 12 of the bending unit 4 with the position of the central part DC of the dough D1. After the bending members 41R and 41L are brought close to or in contact with the dough D1, the bending unit 4 is moved at the same speed as the conveyor 2 (tracking).

[0038] As shown in Figures 7 and 10, by operating the drive cylinder 32 and moving the drive plate 33 to the right R, the right swinging part 20R is rotated 45 degrees clockwise and the left swinging part 20L is rotated 45 degrees counterclockwise, moving the bending unit 4 from the open position to the bent position. This moves the tip contact surfaces 46R and 46L relative to the central contact surfaces 45R and 45L, deforming the elongated fabric D1 into an annular shape.

[0039] In detail, as shown in Figures 11A to 14B, the right central holder 42R, which is fixed to the right pivoting part 20R, is pivoted 45 degrees clockwise, and the left central holder 42L, which is fixed to the left pivoting part 20L, is rotated 45 degrees counterclockwise. As a result, the central contact surfaces 45L and 45R are separated from each other at a 90-degree angle, bending and spreading the central part DC of the elongated fabric D1.

[0040] Furthermore, the elongated fabric D1 is folded so as to be surrounded by the folding members 41R and 41L. The length and material of the folding members 41R and 41L are determined so that when the tip contact surfaces 46R and 46L are moved relative to the central contact surfaces 45L and 45R, they substantially curve overall upon contact with the elongated fabric D1. As a result, the folding members 41R and 41L, which were loose in the open position, are pushed forward by the elongated fabric D1 after contacting it. At this time, the deformation of the elongated fabric D1 is distributed, causing the folding members 41R and 41L and the elongated fabric D1 to curve overall. Thus, when the elongated fabric D1 is deformed into an annular shape, the elongated fabric D1 can be folded into a shape close to a circle.

[0041] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, when the left shaft 24L rotates together with the left planetary gear 23L in the left bend portion 40L, the cam follower 51 rises along the cam groove 50a, thus raising the left tip holder 43L relative to the left center holder 42L. At this time, the inclined tip contact surface 46L is inserted under the tip DE of the elongated fabric D1 and lifts it up. Also, the left bend member 41L twists, and its lower part is inserted under the elongated fabric D1 (see Figure 13B), lifting the part of the elongated fabric D1 that is closer to the center DC than the tip DE. Thus, the tip DE of the elongated fabric D1 can be lifted stably.

[0042] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 14A and 14B, when the tip contact surfaces 46L and 46R are moved relative to the central contact surfaces 45L and 45R, the rotation of the right planetary gear 23R and the left planetary gear 23L causes the right tip holder 43R to rotate 135 degrees clockwise relative to the right central holder 42R, and the left tip holder 43L to rotate 135 degrees counterclockwise relative to the left central holder 42L. In addition, the orientation of the tip contact surfaces 46R and 46L rotates relative to the orientation of the central contact surfaces 45R and 45L, so that they are directed downstream (forward) just before reaching the bending position (see Figure 15). As a result, the tip DE of the elongated fabric D1 is directed to the left L or right R, and the orientation of the overlap of the tip DE can be stabilized. Also, the elongated fabric D1, which is curved overall along the bending members 41R and 41L, continues smoothly to the tip DE.

[0043] Subsequently, the overlapping tip portions DE are pressed by the pressing portion 63 of the pressing device 60. Through the above operation, the annularly folded dough D2 can be stably formed. Therefore, during high-speed production, the annularly folded dough D2 can be stably formed without variations in appearance.

[0044] Although embodiments of the bending unit and bending system according to the present invention have been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. That is, various modifications are possible within the claims and are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0045] In the above embodiment, the moving device 5 was composed of a robot, but it may also be composed of a linear motion system capable of three-dimensional movement (e.g., an electric actuator). Also, in the above embodiment, the detection device 3 was composed of a camera, but it may also be composed of a photoelectric sensor. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the fabric D1 was bent while being transported by the conveyor 2, but the fabric D1 may be bent while stationary.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the bending unit 4 is configured to bend the leading edge DE of the elongated fabric D1 toward the upstream direction A relative to the central part DC, but it may also be configured to bend toward the downstream direction A.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the central holders 42R, 42L and the tip holders 43R, 43L each included two members that sandwiched the right-bending member 41R or the left-bending member 41L. However, the right-bending member 41R or the left-bending member 41L may be composed of a single member by being attached with an adhesive or the like. In this case, the right-bending member 41R includes a central contact surface 45R and / or a tip contact surface 46R, and the left-bending member 41L includes a central contact surface 45L and / or a tip contact surface 46L.

[0048] In the above embodiment, a cylindrical cam 50 is used to move the left end holder 43L in the vertical direction, but a separate actuator (for example, an air cylinder) may also be used. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0049] 1. Bending System 2 Conveyors 3. Detection device 4. Bending Unit 5. Mobile devices (robots) 12 Center gear 20R Right oscillating part 20L Left-side oscillating section 23R Right planetary gear 23L Left planetary gear 41R Right turn section 41L Left-bending member 42R Right Center Holder 42L Left Center Holder 43R Right-hand tip holder 43L Left-hand tip holder 45R, 45L center contact surface 46R, 46L Tip contact surface 60 Retaining device D1 Long and narrow fabric DC center DE tip

Claims

1. A folding unit (4) for folding a long, narrow piece of fabric (D1), A bending member (41R, 41L) made of a flexible sheet material, The system includes a central holder (42R, 42L) and an end holder (43R, 43L) that hold the aforementioned bending members (41R, 41L), The central holder (42R, 42L) or the bending member (41R, 41L) includes a central contact surface (45R, 45L) that contacts the central part (DC) of the elongated fabric (D1), The tip holder (43R, 43L) or the bending member (41R, 41L) includes a tip contact surface (46R, 46L) that contacts the tip portion (DE) of the elongated fabric (D1), The bending member (41R, 41L) is configured to bend substantially as a whole by contact with the elongated fabric (D1) when the tip contact surface (46R, 46L) is moved relative to the central contact surface (45R, 45L) in order to deform the elongated fabric (D1) into an annular shape, and is a bending unit (4).

2. The bending unit (4) according to claim 1, wherein when the tip contact surface (46R, 46L) is moved relative to the central contact surface (45R, 45R) in order to deform the elongated fabric (D1) into an annular shape, the orientation of the tip contact surface (46R, 46L) is configured to rotate relative to the orientation of the central contact surface (45R, 45L).

3. Furthermore, it includes a central gear (12) and a pivoting part (20R, 20L) that can pivot around the central gear (12), wherein the pivoting part (20R, 20L) includes planetary gears (23R, 23L) that mesh with the central gear (12). The central holder (42R, 42L) is fixed to the swinging part (20R, 20L), The bending unit (4) according to claim 2, wherein the tip holders (43R, 43L) are fixed to the planetary gears (23R, 23L).

4. The tip holder (43L) is configured to rise relative to the central holder (42L) in order to lift the elongated dough (D1) when the tip contact surface (46L) is moved relative to the central contact surface (45L) in order to deform the elongated dough (D1) into an annular shape. The bending unit (4) according to claim 3, wherein the tip contact surface (46L) is an inclined surface that is inserted under the tip portion (DE) of the elongated fabric (D1), and the bending member (41L) is twistable so as to be inserted under the elongated fabric (D1).

5. Furthermore, the bending unit (4) according to claim 4 includes a pressing device (60) for pressing the leading edge (DE) of the overlapping elongated fabric (D1).

6. A conveyor (2) for transporting the aforementioned elongated dough (D1), A detection device (3) for detecting the position of the elongated dough (D1) relative to the conveyor (2), The bending unit (4) described in claim 1, A bending system (1) including a moving device (5) that moves the bending unit (4) relative to the conveyor (2) based on the position detected by the detection device (3).

7. The bending system (1) according to claim 6, wherein the moving device (5) is a robot.

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