Processing device for artificial hair and method for producing hair bundle for artificial hair

Abstract

The present invention provides: a processing device for a bundle of artificial hair, which can be used to produce a fiber bundle for artificial hair having uneven hair tips that are cohesive with fewer hackling passes compared to conventional devices; and a method for producing a hair bundle for artificial hair, with which a hair bundle for artificial hair can be produced more efficiently compared to conventional methods.　The processsng device for artificial hair has a hair bundle supply unit, a flattening processing unit that spreads a hair bundle into a strip to form a flat hair bundle, a conveying unit that conveys the flat hair bundle, and a cutting unit that cuts the flat hair bundle. The cutting unit has a first blade member having a plurality of first blade parts, and a second blade member. The first blade member has a first blade group in which, when the flattened hair bundle is viewed in plan, the first blade parts are arranged side-by-side at intervals with at least a component in the width direction of the flattened hair bundle, and which has first gaps between adjacent first blade parts. The second blade member has a second blade part extending with at least a component in the width direction of the flattened hair bundle at a position overlapping with the first gaps in the conveyance direction of the flattened hair bundle.

Description

Processing device for artificial hair and method for manufacturing a hair bundle for artificial hair

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing device for artificial hair and a method for manufacturing a hair bundle for artificial hair.

[0002] Conventionally, in head ornaments such as wigs, a hair bundle for artificial hair in which hair materials are bundled is used instead of hair. The hair bundle for artificial hair is subjected to hackling on a hair bundle in which a plurality of hair materials of the same length are bundled, and the position of the hair tips of the hair bundle is shifted to make the hair tip side lighter, and processed into a shape imitating natural hair with a cohesive appearance (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 4756689

[0004] By the way, in the wig manufacturing method of Patent Document 1, since the lengths of the hair materials of the hair bundle to be used are uniform, in order to shift the hair tips of the hair bundle to make a cohesive natural hair tip, it is necessary to shift the hair tips greatly. Therefore, there is a problem that the number of hackling times increases and it takes time to manufacture the hair bundle for artificial hair.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a processing device for artificial hair that can process a hair bundle into a work-in-progress hair bundle that can form a fiber bundle for artificial hair having a cohesive hair tip with uneven hair tips and fewer hackling times than conventional ones, and a method for manufacturing a hair bundle for artificial hair that can manufacture a hair bundle for artificial hair more efficiently than conventional ones. [[ID=十六]] [[ID=十七]]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a processing device for artificial hair comprising: a hair bundle supply unit for supplying hair bundles; a flattening processing unit for spreading the hair bundles supplied from the hair bundle supply unit into a strip shape to form flat hair bundles; a transport unit for transporting the flat hair bundles; and a cutting unit for cutting the flat hair bundles transported by the transport unit, wherein the cutting unit comprises a first blade member and a second blade member, the first blade member comprises a group of first blades having a plurality of first blades, the first blades of the group of first blades being arranged in parallel with a spacing of at least the width of the flat hair bundle when the flat hair bundle is viewed from above, and having a first gap between adjacent first blades, and the second blade member having a second blade extending at least the width of the flat hair bundle at a position overlapping with the first gap in the transport direction of the flat hair bundle.

[0007] According to this configuration, in the portion where the first gap of the first blade member is formed, the flattened hair bundle is not cut by the first blade member but is cut by the second blade member, so that the hair bundle can be processed into a work-in-progress with uneven ends, as if cut with thinning scissors. Therefore, by hackling the processed work-in-progress hair bundle, it is possible to form a hair bundle that can be manufactured into a lightweight artificial hair fiber bundle with fewer hackling steps compared to conventional methods.

[0008] A preferred configuration is one in which the first group of blades are arranged in a direction that is inclined with respect to the width direction when the flat hair bundle is viewed from above.

[0009] A preferred configuration is that the first blade member has a second group of blades, and when the flat hair bundle is viewed from above, the first blades of the second group are arranged at intervals in a direction intersecting the direction in which the first group of blades are arranged, and there is a second gap between adjacent first blades, and the second blade member has a part of the second blade or a blade different from the second blade positioned at a location that overlaps the second gap of the second group of blades in the direction in which the flat hair bundle is transported.

[0010] A preferred configuration is that the second blade member has a first parallel portion extending in substantially the same direction as the direction in which the first blades of the first blade group are arranged side by side, and a second parallel portion extending in substantially the same direction as the direction in which the first blades of the second blade group are arranged side by side.

[0011] In this context, "substantially the same direction" includes not only directions that are identical, i.e., parallel, but also directions that are slightly inclined relative to the parallel direction. For example, "substantially the same direction" includes directions that are inclined by 3 degrees or less relative to the parallel direction.

[0012] A preferred configuration is that the first parallel portion includes the second cutting portion, and the second parallel portion includes the different cutting portion.

[0013] A preferred configuration is that the second cutting edge is a continuous blade including the first parallel portion and the second parallel portion.

[0014] A preferred configuration is in which the first blade group has a plurality of first gaps, and the second blade is a continuous blade that extends with at least a component in the width direction of the flat hair bundle so as to overlap with the plurality of first gaps in the transport direction of the flat hair bundle.

[0015] A preferred configuration is that the cutting section further comprises a third blade member, the third blade member having a plurality of third blade portions, and when the flat hair bundle is viewed from above, the third blade portions are spaced apart and arranged side by side, with a component in the width direction of the flat hair bundle being at least, and the second blade member is located between the first blade member and the third blade member in the transport direction of the flat hair bundle.

[0016] One aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a hair bundle for artificial hair, using a first blade member, a second blade member, and a hackling member having a plurality of protrusions, wherein the first blade member has a plurality of first blades, the first blades are arranged in parallel at intervals in a predetermined direction, and a first gap is formed between adjacent first blades, and the second blade member has a second blade that extends at least in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction at a position overlapping with the first gap in the predetermined direction, and the method includes a flattening step of spreading the hair bundle into a strip shape to form a flat hair bundle, a cutting step of cutting the flat hair bundle with the first blade of the first blade member and the second blade of the second blade member to form a prepared hair bundle, and a hackling step of holding and bundling the intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of the prepared hair bundle, and hackling the end side of the prepared hair bundle by bringing it into contact with the plurality of protrusions.

[0017] According to this design, the first and second blade members can cut the flattened hair bundle so that the ends of the hair bundle are combed, allowing for more efficient hackling compared to conventional methods, and enabling the efficient production of hair bundles for artificial hair with neatly formed ends.

[0018] A preferred configuration involves using a conveying unit that transports the flattened hair bundle in the predetermined direction, and in the cutting process, while the flattened hair bundle is transported by the conveying unit, the flattened hair bundle is cut by the first blade portion of the first blade member and the second blade portion of the second blade member to form the prepared hair bundle.

[0019] The aspects described above can be dependent on each other, refer to some of their components, or substitute for some of their components, as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0020] According to the artificial hair processing apparatus of the present invention, hair bundles can be processed into ready-to-use hair bundles that have uneven ends and cohesive ends with fewer hackling steps compared to conventional methods. According to the method for manufacturing artificial hair bundles of the present invention, artificial hair bundles with cohesive ends can be manufactured more efficiently than conventional methods.

[0021] This is a schematic side view of the artificial hair processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This is a perspective view of the artificial hair processing apparatus of Figure 1. This is a perspective view of the flattening section of the artificial hair processing apparatus of Figure 2, viewed from a different direction than in Figure 2. This is a perspective view of the area around the blade member of the cutting section of the artificial hair processing apparatus of Figure 1, viewed from below. This is an explanatory diagram of the cutting section of the artificial hair processing apparatus of Figure 1, a plan view showing the relationship between the blade member and the blade receiving member. This is an explanatory diagram of the cutting section of the artificial hair processing apparatus of Figure 5, where (a) is an enlarged view of area A in Figure 5, and (b) is an enlarged view of area B in Figure 5. This is a plan view of a work-in-progress hair bundle processed by the artificial hair processing apparatus of Figure 1. This is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the cutting section and the flattened hair bundle in the artificial hair processing apparatus of Figure 1, where (a) is a plan view when cutting the downstream end, and (b) is a plan view when cutting the upstream end. This is a perspective view of the hackling member according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This is an explanatory diagram of the cutting section of an artificial hair processing device according to another embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a plan view showing the relationship between the blade member and the blade receiving member, and (b) is an enlarged view of area C in (a). This is a plan view of the artificial hair processing device according to another embodiment of the present invention when three flat hair bundles are cut simultaneously.

[0022] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0023] The first embodiment of the present invention provides a method for manufacturing hair bundles for artificial hair, which includes a processing step of cutting a pre-processing hair bundle 100, which is a bundle of multiple artificial hair materials, using the artificial hair processing apparatus 1 shown in Figure 1 to form a work-in-progress hair bundle 102, and a hackling step of hackling the work-in-progress hair bundle 102 to form a hair bundle for artificial hair. The method for manufacturing hair bundles for artificial hair according to the first embodiment has one of its main features in the artificial hair processing apparatus 1 used in the processing step. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the artificial hair processing apparatus 1 cuts the pre-processing hair bundle 100 and processes it into a work-in-progress hair bundle 102. As shown in Figure 1, the artificial hair processing apparatus 1 has a hair bundle supply unit 2, a work frame unit 3, a transport unit 5, a flattening unit 6, a cutting unit 7, and a hair bundle recovery unit 8.

[0024] <Hair Bundle Supply Unit 2> The hair bundle supply unit 2 is the part that supplies the hair bundles 100 before processing, and is capable of supplying the hair bundles 100 before processing toward the flattening processing unit 6.

[0025] <Work Frame Section 3> As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the work frame section 3 comprises upright support frame sections 11, 11 relative to the ground and a top-side frame section 12 connecting the tops of the support frame sections 11, 11, forming a work space 15 surrounded by the support frame sections 11 and the top-side frame section 12. The work space 15 is a space into which workers can enter and exit, allowing workers to perform maintenance and adjustment work such as untangling hair bundles.

[0026] <Conveying Section 5> The conveying section 5 is the part that conveys the hair bundles 100 before processing to the hair bundle recovery section 8 via the flattening section 6 and the cutting section 7, and as shown in Figure 1, it is broadly composed of a roller conveying section 20 and a sheet conveying section 21.

[0027] (Roller conveying section 20) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the roller conveying section 20 has guide rollers 30 to 32 and is the part that conveys the unprocessed hair bundles 100 supplied from the hair bundle supply section 2 by each of the guide rollers 30 to 32 so that they pass through the flattening section 6.

[0028] (Sheet conveying section 21) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the sheet conveying section 21 includes an unwinding roller 40 (feeding roller), a winding roller 41, guide rollers 42 to 45, and a conveying sheet 46. The sheet conveying section 21 places the flattened hair bundles 101, which have been flattened by the flattening section 6, onto the conveying sheet 46, and the conveying sheet 46, which has been fed out from the unwinding roller 40, is wound up by the winding roller 41. In this way, the sheet conveying section 21 moves the conveying sheet 46 from the unwinding roller 40 to the winding roller 41, enabling the flattened hair bundles 101 to be conveyed so that they pass through the cutting section 7.

[0029] The unwinding roller 40 is a delivery roller that, in its initial state, winds the conveying sheet 46 and feeds the conveying sheet 46 toward the winding roller 41. The winding roller 41 is the part that winds up the conveying sheet 46 that has been fed out from the unwinding roller 40. At least one of the unwinding roller 40 and the winding roller 41 is a drive roller with a power source, and is capable of rotating by the power source.

[0030] Guide rollers 42-45 are support rollers that support the conveying sheet 46 so that it passes through the cutting section 7 in a horizontal position. Guide rollers 42-44 are located upstream of the cutting section 7 in the conveying direction T (a predetermined direction) and are provided corresponding to the position where the flat hair bundles 101 fall from the roller conveying section 20, so that they can support the flat hair bundles 101 that have fallen from the roller conveying section 20 from below. Guide roller 45 is located downstream of the cutting section 7 in the conveying direction T and is positioned higher than the winding roller 41.

[0031] The transport sheet 46 is a support sheet on which the flat hair bundle 101 is placed and supported from below. The material and thickness of the transport sheet 46 are not particularly limited as long as they are not cut by the cutting section 7, and can be designed as appropriate.

[0032] <Flattening Section 6> As shown in Figure 3, the flattening section 6 is equipped with a pressing roller 50 and support rollers 51 and 52. The pressing roller 50 presses the hair bundle 100 passing through towards the support rollers 51 and 52, flattening the hair bundle 100 and turning it into a flattened hair bundle 101.

[0033] (Pressing roller 50) The pressing roller 50 is a roller that has a drive source and is capable of moving up and down and rotating, and is capable of moving closer to and away from the support rollers 51 and 52 in the vertical direction. The pressing roller 50 is located between the support rollers 51 and 52 in the conveying direction T and is biased toward the gap between the support rollers 51 and 52 by a biasing means (not shown), and is capable of pressing the unprocessed hair bundle 100 into the gap between the support rollers 51 and 52 to flatten it.

[0034] (Support rollers 51, 52) The support rollers 51 and 52 are rollers that support the hair bundle 100 before processing from below. That is, the flattening processing unit 6 presses the hair bundle 100 before processing, which is supported by the support rollers 51 and 52, from above with the pressing roller 50 and rotates the pressing roller 50. In this way, the flattening processing unit 6 can deform the hair bundle 100 before processing into a flattened hair bundle 101 and transport the flattened hair bundle 101 downstream.

[0035] <Cutting Section 7> As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cutting section 7 is the part that cuts the flat hair bundle 101 by press processing. As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4, the cutting section 7 is equipped with an upstream blade member 60 (first blade member), a central blade member 61 (second blade member), a downstream blade member 62 (third blade member), a blade receiving member 63, and a position adjustment mechanism 65. By operating the position adjustment mechanism 65, the relative positions of the blade members 60 to 62 with respect to the blade receiving member 63 can be adjusted.

[0036] As shown in Figure 4, the cutting section 7 has blade members 60-62 that protrude downward relative to the position adjustment mechanism 65, and the cutting edge is always exposed. In other words, the cutting section 7 has no protective members around the blade members 60-62, and the sides of the blade members 60-62 are exposed to the outside.

[0037] (Upstream Blade Member 60) As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the upstream blade member 60 is a Thomson blade that extends in a zigzag shape and comprises n upstream blade groups 70 (first blade group, second blade group) and (n-1) first connecting parts 71 that connect adjacent upstream blade groups 70, 70. Note that n is a natural number of 2 or more, and preferably an integer of 3 or more. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, n is 8, and when viewed in plan as shown in Figures 5 and 6, it has three upstream peaks on the upstream side with the first upstream connecting part 71a as the apex, and four downstream peaks on the downstream side with the first downstream connecting part 71b as the apex. As shown in Figure 6, the upstream blade group 70 is a sewing machine blade and comprises a plurality of upstream blades 75 (first blades) and a plurality of upstream gaps 76 (first gap, second gap), with the upstream blades 75 and upstream gaps 76 arranged alternately.

[0038] The length (pitch) of the upstream blade portion 75 is appropriately set depending on the amount and thickness of the artificial hair fibers in the hair bundle 100 before processing, the shape of the finished artificial hair bundle, etc., but it is preferably 1 mm to 10 mm. The length (pitch) of the upstream gap portion 76 is appropriately set depending on the amount and thickness of the artificial hair fibers in the hair bundle 100 before processing, the shape of the finished artificial hair bundle, etc., but it is preferably 1 mm to 5 mm. It is preferable that the length (pitch) of the upstream blade portion 75 is longer than the length (pitch) of the upstream gap portion 76.

[0039] As shown in Figure 6, the upstream cutting edge group 70 includes an upstream forward cutting edge group 70a (first cutting edge group) and an upstream return cutting edge group 70b (second cutting edge group), and the first connecting portion 71 includes a first upstream connecting portion 71a and a first downstream connecting portion 71b.

[0040] The upstream cutting edge group 70a, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, extends inclined as a whole with respect to the transport direction T when viewed from above, and is a cutting edge that extends from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction T. Here, "inclined as a whole" means inclined when viewed macroscopically, and includes cases where there are parts that are not inclined when viewed microscopically. The same applies hereafter.

[0041] The inclination angle θ1 of the upstream blade group 70a with respect to the transport direction T is preferably greater than 0 degrees, and more preferably 2 degrees or more. The inclination angle θ1 is preferably 90 degrees or less, more preferably 30 degrees or less, and even more preferably 15 degrees or less.

[0042] The upstream return blade group 70b extends as a whole inclined with respect to the extending direction of the upstream forward blade group 70a when viewed in plan view as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and is a blade portion extending from the downstream side toward the upstream side in the conveying direction T. It is preferable that the angle θ2 formed by the upstream return blade group 70b and the adjacent upstream forward blade group 70a on the side of the first downstream connection portion 71b exceeds 0 degrees, and more preferably 5 degrees or more. The angle θ2 of the upstream return blade group 70b is less than 180 degrees, preferably 60 degrees or less, and more preferably 30 degrees or less. It is preferable that the angle θ3 formed by the upstream return blade group 70b and the adjacent upstream forward blade group 70a on the side of the first upstream connection portion 71a exceeds 0 degrees, and more preferably 5 degrees or more. The angle θ3 of the upstream return blade group 70b is less than 180 degrees, preferably 60 degrees or less, and more preferably 30 degrees or less.

[0043] The first upstream connection portion 71a is located on the upstream side in the conveying direction T as shown in FIG. 6, and is a portion that connects the upstream end of the upstream forward blade group 70a and the upstream end of the upstream return blade group 70b in an arc shape. The first downstream connection portion 71b is located on the downstream side in the conveying direction T with respect to the first upstream connection portion 71a, and is a portion that connects the downstream end of the upstream forward blade group 70a and the downstream end of the upstream return blade group 70b in an arc shape. It is preferable that the radius of curvature of the first downstream connection portion 71b is smaller than the radius of curvature of the first upstream connection portion 71a.

[0044] (Central side blade member 61) The central side blade member 61 includes n central side blades 80 (second blade portions) and (n - 1) second connection portions 81 that connect adjacent central side blades 80, 80, and is a Thomson blade extending in a zigzag shape as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The central side blade member 61 includes the same number of central side blades 80 as the upstream side blade group 70, and includes the same number of second connection portions 81 as the first connection portion 71. That is, when viewed in plan view, the central side blade member 61 has three upstream side peaks with the second upstream connection portion 81a as the apex on the upstream side and four downstream side peaks with the second downstream connection portion 81b as the apex on the downstream side.

[0045] On the central side cutting edge portion 80, as shown in FIG. 6, there are a central side forward cutting edge portion 80a (first parallel portion) and a central side backward cutting edge portion 80b (second parallel portion), and on the second connecting portion 81, there are a second upstream side connecting portion 81a and a second downstream side connecting portion 81b.

[0046] The central side forward cutting edge portion 80a is an edge portion that extends as a whole inclined with respect to the conveying direction T in a plan view and extends from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction T. It is preferable that the central side forward cutting edge portion 80a has the same inclination angle with respect to the conveying direction T as that of the upstream side forward cutting edge portion group 70a.

[0047] The central side backward cutting edge portion 80b is an edge portion that extends as a whole inclined with respect to the extending direction of the central side forward cutting edge portion 80a in a plan view and extends from the downstream side to the upstream side in the conveying direction T. It is preferable that the central side backward cutting edge portion 80b has the same inclination angle with respect to the conveying direction T as that of the upstream side backward cutting edge portion group 70b.

[0048] The second upstream side connecting portion 81a is located on the upstream side of the conveying direction T and is a portion that connects the upstream side end portions of the central side forward cutting edge portion 80a and the central side backward cutting edge portion 80b in an arc shape. The second downstream side connecting portion 81b is located on the downstream side of the conveying direction T with respect to the second upstream side connecting portion 81a and is a portion that connects the downstream side end portions of the central side forward cutting edge portion 80a and the central side backward cutting edge portion 80b in an arc shape. It is preferable that the radius of curvature of the second upstream side connecting portion 81a is equal to the radius of curvature of the second downstream side connecting portion 81b.

[0049] (Downstream side blade member 62) The downstream side blade member 62, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, includes n downstream side blade portion groups 90 and (n - 1) third connecting portions 91 that connect adjacent downstream side blade portion groups 90, 90, and is a Thomson blade that extends in a zigzag shape. The downstream side blade member 62 includes the same number of downstream side blade portion groups 90 as the upstream side blade portion group 70 and the central side blade portion 80, and includes the same number of third connecting portions 91 as the first connecting portion 71 and the second connecting portion 81. That is, when viewed in a plan view, the downstream side blade member 62 has three upstream side peak portions with the third upstream side connecting portion 91a as the apex on the upstream side and four downstream side peak portions with the third downstream side connecting portion 91b as the apex on the downstream side.

[0050] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the downstream blade group 90 is a sewing machine blade and comprises a plurality of downstream blades 95 (third blades) and a plurality of downstream gaps 96, with the downstream blades 95 and downstream gaps 96 arranged alternately.

[0051] The length (pitch) of the downstream blade portion 95 is appropriately set depending on the amount and thickness of the artificial hair fibers in the hair bundle 100 before processing, the shape of the artificial hair bundle that becomes the product, etc., but it is preferably 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less. The length (pitch) of the downstream gap portion 96 is appropriately set depending on the amount and thickness of the artificial hair fibers in the hair bundle 100 before processing, the shape of the artificial hair bundle that becomes the product, etc., but it is preferably 1 mm or more and 5 mm or less. It is preferable that the length (pitch) of the downstream blade portion 95 is longer than the length (pitch) of the downstream gap portion 96. In this embodiment, the length (pitch) of the downstream blade portion 95 is equal to the length (pitch) of the upstream blade portion 75, and the length (pitch) of the downstream gap portion 96 is equal to the length (pitch) of the upstream gap portion 76.

[0052] The downstream blade group 90 includes a downstream forward blade group 90a and a downstream return blade group 90b, as shown in Figure 6, and the third connecting part 91 includes a third upstream connecting part 91a and a third downstream connecting part 91b.

[0053] The downstream forward cutting blade group 90a, when viewed from above, extends at an overall inclination with respect to the conveying direction T, and the blades extend from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction T. It is preferable that the inclination angle of the downstream forward cutting blade group 90a with respect to the conveying direction T is the same as that of the upstream forward cutting blade group 70a.

[0054] The downstream return blade group 90b, when viewed from above, extends at an overall inclination with respect to the extension direction of the downstream forward blade group 90a, and is a blade that extends from the downstream side to the upstream side in the conveying direction T. It is preferable that the inclination angle of the downstream return blade group 90b with respect to the conveying direction T is the same as that of the upstream return blade group 70b.

[0055] The third upstream connection portion 91a, as shown in Figure 6, is located upstream in the conveying direction T and is the portion that connects the upstream end of the downstream forward cutting portion group 90a and the upstream end of the downstream return cutting portion group 90b in an arc shape. The third downstream connection portion 91b is located downstream in the conveying direction T relative to the third upstream connection portion 91a and is the portion that connects the downstream end of the downstream forward cutting portion group 90a and the downstream end of the downstream return cutting portion group 90b in an arc shape. Preferably, the radius of curvature of the third downstream connection portion 91b is larger than the radius of curvature of the third upstream connection portion 91a.

[0056] Now, focusing on the positional relationship of each part of the blade members 60 to 62, the blade members 60 to 62 are arranged with spacing between them in the order of upstream blade member 60, central blade member 61, and downstream blade member 62, from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction T. The upstream forward blade group 70a is substantially parallel to the central forward blade group 80a, and is also substantially parallel to the downstream forward blade group 90a. The upstream return blade group 70b is substantially parallel to the central return blade group 80b, and is also substantially parallel to the downstream return blade group 90b.

[0057] In this context, "substantially parallel" includes not only perfectly parallel states, but also states where one or the other is slightly tilted relative to the parallel state. For example, it includes a state where one is tilted by 3 degrees or less relative to the parallel state.

[0058] The central blade member 61 is located between the upstream blade member 60 and the downstream blade member 62, and is provided to close the upstream gap 76 of the upstream blade member 60 and the downstream gap 96 of the downstream blade member 62 in the transport direction T. That is, in the transport direction T, the central blade member 61 is located on the projection plane of the transport direction T for both the upstream gap 76 of the upstream blade member 60 and the downstream gap 96 of the downstream blade member 62.

[0059] (Blade receiving member 63) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the blade receiving member 63 is paired with the blade members 60-62 and is positioned opposite the blade members 60-62 in the vertical direction, with the transport sheet 46 in between. Together with the blade members 60-62, it is the part that holds and cuts the flat hair bundle 101. The blade receiving member 63 is made of an elastic cushioning material and is capable of absorbing the pressing force from the blade members 60-62 that is generated when the position adjustment mechanism 65 lowers it. The blade receiving member 63 only needs to move relative to the blade members 60-62, and may or may not move.

[0060] (Position adjustment mechanism 65) The position adjustment mechanism 65 includes a lifting mechanism that allows the blade members 60 to 62 to be raised and lowered relative to the blade receiving member 63, and a horizontal movement mechanism that allows the blade members 60 to 62 to be moved in the width direction W relative to the blade receiving member 63. That is, the cutting unit 7 lowers the blade members 60 to 62 using the lifting mechanism of the position adjustment mechanism 65, and cuts the flat hair bundle 101 passing over the blade receiving member 63 by sandwiching it between the blade members 60 to 62 and the blade receiving member 63. This is repeated at intervals in the transport direction T, making it possible to cut both ends of the flat hair bundle 101 and create a ready hair bundle 102. In addition, as shown in Figure 8, the cutting unit 7 is able to shift the blade members 60 to 62 in the width direction W relative to the blade receiving member 63 using the horizontal movement mechanism of the position adjustment mechanism 65.

[0061] <Hair Bundle Recovery Section 8> The hair bundle recovery section 8 is the part that recovers the hair bundles 102 that have been cut in the cutting section 7, and has an inlet that opens upward.

[0062] <Hair bundle 100 before processing> Hair bundle 100 before processing is a bundle of hair materials such as artificial hair made of resin fibers, human hair, or animal hair.

[0063] <Prepared Hair Bundle 102> The prepared hair bundle 102 is a prepared hair bundle for artificial hair, and is a cut hair bundle after the flat hair bundle 101 has been cut by the cutting section 7. As shown in Figure 7, the prepared hair bundle 102 has a first cut mark 105 formed by the blade members 60 and 61 at one end in the longitudinal direction, and a second cut mark 106 formed by the blade members 61 and 62 at the other end in the longitudinal direction. When viewed from above, the prepared hair bundle 102 is symmetrical with respect to a line perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, with respect to the cut marks 105 and 106.

[0064] (First cut mark 105) As shown in Figure 7, the first cut mark 105 forms a macroscopic triangular wave-like unevenness and comprises a first end-side mark portion 110 that reflects the shape of the central blade portion 80 of the central blade member 61, and a first central-side mark portion 111 that reflects the shape of the upstream blade portion group 70 of the upstream blade member 60.

[0065] The first end side mark portion 110 includes a first end side forward inclination group 120 corresponding to the central side forward cutting portion 80a of the central side blade member 61, and a first end side return inclination group 121 corresponding to the central side return cutting portion 80b of the central side blade member 61. The inclination groups 120 and 121 are composed of a plurality of inclined portions 122, and each inclined portion 122 is spaced apart in the longitudinal direction and the short direction (width direction). The inclined portions 122 constituting the first end side forward inclination group 120 are arranged in a straight line in the first inclination direction (a direction that intersects with the longitudinal direction and also intersects with the width direction) when viewed from above, and the inclined portions 122 constituting the first end side return inclination group 121 are arranged in a straight line in the second inclination direction (a direction that intersects with the longitudinal direction and also intersects with the width direction and also intersects with the first inclination direction) when viewed from above.

[0066] The first central side mark portion 111 is a mark portion located more longitudinally towards the center than the first end side mark portion 110, and comprises a first central side forward inclined group 125 corresponding to the upstream forward cutting portion group 70a of the upstream cutting member 60, and a first central side return inclined group 126 corresponding to the upstream return cutting portion group 70b of the upstream cutting member 60. The inclined groups 125 and 126 are composed of a plurality of inclined portions 127, and each inclined portion 127 is spaced apart in both the longitudinal and widthwise directions. The inclined portions 127 constituting the first central side forward inclined group 125 are aligned in a straight line in the same direction as the first end side forward inclined group 120 (first inclination direction), and the inclined portions 127 constituting the first central side return inclined group 126 are aligned in a straight line in the same direction as the first end side return inclined group 121 (second inclination direction).

[0067] (Second cut mark 106) The second cut mark 106 forms a macroscopic triangular wave-like unevenness and includes a second end-side mark portion 130 that reflects the shape of the central blade portion 80 of the central blade member 61, and a second central-side mark portion 131 that reflects the shape of the downstream blade portion group 90 of the downstream blade member 62.

[0068] The second end side marking portion 130 includes a second end side forward inclination group 140 corresponding to the central side forward cutting portion 80a of the central side blade member 61, and a second end side return inclination group 141 corresponding to the central side return cutting portion 80b of the central side blade member 61. The inclination groups 140 and 141 are composed of a plurality of inclined portions 142, and each inclined portion 142 is spaced apart in both the longitudinal and widthwise directions. The inclined portions 142 constituting the second end side forward inclination group 140 are aligned in a straight line in the same direction as the first end side forward inclination group 120 (first inclination direction), and the inclined portions 142 constituting the second end side return inclination group 141 are aligned in a straight line in the same direction as the first end side return inclination group 121 (second inclination direction).

[0069] The second central side mark portion 131 is a mark portion located more longitudinally towards the center than the second end side mark portion 130, and comprises a second central side forward inclined group 145 corresponding to the downstream forward cutting portion group 90a of the downstream cutting member 62, and a second central side return inclined group 146 corresponding to the downstream return cutting portion group 90b of the downstream cutting member 62. The inclined groups 145 and 146 are composed of a plurality of inclined portions 147, and each inclined portion 147 is spaced apart in both the longitudinal and widthwise directions. When viewed from above, the inclined portions 147 constituting the second central side forward inclined group 145 are aligned in a straight line in the same direction as the first end side forward inclined group 120 (first inclination direction), and the inclined portions 147 constituting the second central side return inclined group 146 are aligned in a straight line in the same direction as the first end side return inclined group 121 (second inclination direction).

[0070] Next, a method for manufacturing hair bundles for artificial hair using the artificial hair processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described.

[0071] As described above, the method for manufacturing artificial hair in this embodiment involves a processing step of processing a hair bundle 100 before processing into a hair bundle 102 using an artificial hair processing device 1, and a hackling step of hackling the hair bundle 102 processed by the artificial hair processing device 1, in that order.

[0072] In the cutting process, first, the unprocessed hair bundles 100 are set in the hair bundle supply unit 2, and the artificial hair processing device 1 is put into operation.

[0073] Then, the unprocessed hair bundles 100 set in the hair bundle supply unit 2 are transported toward the flattening processing unit 6 by the roller transport unit 20 (roller transport process). Specifically, the unprocessed hair bundles 100 pass from the hair bundle supply unit 2 through the first guide roller 30, the second guide roller 31, and the third guide roller 32 in that order, and arrive at the flattening processing unit 6.

[0074] Then, the unprocessed hair bundle 100 that reaches the flattening section 6 is sandwiched between the pressing roller 50 and the support rollers 51 and 52, as shown in Figure 3, and spread out into a strip shape as it passes between the pressing roller 50 and the support rollers 51 and 52, becoming a flattened hair bundle 101 (flattening process).

[0075] At this time, the width W2 of the flattened hair bundle 101 after passing through the flattening processing section 6 shown in Figure 3 is preferably 1.5 times or more, and more preferably 2.5 times or more, the width W1 of the hair bundle 100 before processing before passing through the flattening processing section 6. The width W2 of the flattened hair bundle 101 is narrower than the length of the blade members 60 to 62 in the width direction W, and is preferably 10 times or less, and more preferably 5 times or less, the width W1 of the hair bundle 100 before processing. Furthermore, the width W2 of the flattened hair bundle 101 is preferably longer than the distance between the adjacent second upstream connecting section 81a and the second downstream connecting section 81b of the central blade member 61 of the cutting section 7 in the width direction W, and is more preferably longer than the distance between the adjacent second upstream connecting sections 81a, 81a or the distance between the second downstream connecting sections 81b, 81b in the width direction W.

[0076] In the flattening process, the flattened hair bundle 101 falls onto the conveying sheet 46 of the sheet conveying section 21, and is conveyed to the cutting section 7 by the movement of the conveying sheet 46. In the cutting section 7, the blade members 60-62 move relative to the blade receiving member 63, and the hair is cut by being sandwiched between the blade members 60-62 and the blade receiving member 63, becoming a ready hair bundle 102 (cutting process).

[0077] At this time, as shown in Figure 8, the flat hair bundle 101 is transported in the transport direction T by the sheet transport unit 21 and cut at regular intervals by the blade members 60-62 and the blade receiving member 63, and the hair bundle 102 has a zigzag uneven shape formed on both ends in the transport direction T, corresponding to the shape of the blade members 60-62. In addition, each time the flat hair bundle 101 is cut, the blade members 60-62 alternately shift the cutting position in the width direction W by a distance D1 in the width direction W between the first upstream connecting part 71a and the first downstream connecting part 71b adjacent in the width direction W. That is, when the blade members 60-62 cut the upstream side of the hair bundle 102a whose downstream side has been cut as shown in Figure 8(a), they cut it by shifting the cutting position in the width direction W from the cutting position where the downstream side was cut, as shown in Figure 8(b).

[0078] In the cutting process, the cut hair bundles 102 are transported further downstream by the movement of the transport sheet 46, and when they reach the winding roller 41, they fall from the transport sheet 46 and are collected in the hair bundle collection unit 8.

[0079] When the hair bundle 102 is recovered in the hair bundle recovery unit 8, the processing step is completed and the process moves on to the hackling step. Specifically, the worker takes the hair bundle 102 from the hair bundle recovery unit 8, holds the middle of the hair bundle 102 in the longitudinal direction, and drops the end of the hair bundle 102 from above onto the multiple protrusions 182 of the hackling member 180 shown in Figure 9, placing the end of the hair bundle 102 in the gap between the protrusions 182, and hackling is performed by pulling it out from the side of the protrusions 182 (hackling step). As a result, the end positions of each hair material in the hair bundle 102 are shifted, forming a hair bundle for artificial hair with light, natural, and cohesive ends.

[0080] The hackling member 180 used in this case is shaped like a pincushion, as shown in Figure 9, and has a base material 181 and a plurality of protrusions 182 that project upward from the base material 181. The protrusions 182 have pointed tips and are arranged together with other protrusions 182 in a planar manner with spaces between them.

[0081] According to the first embodiment of the artificial hair processing apparatus 1, it includes a hair bundle supply unit 2 for supplying hair bundles 100 before processing, a flattening processing unit 6 for spreading the hair bundles 100 supplied from the hair bundle supply unit 2 into a strip shape to form flattened hair bundles 101, a transport unit 5 for transporting the flattened hair bundles 101, and a cutting unit 7 for cutting the flattened hair bundles 101 transported by the transport unit 5. The cutting unit 7 has an upstream blade member 60 having a plurality of upstream blade portions 75 and a central blade member 61, and the upstream blade When the flat hair bundle 101 is viewed from above, the member 60 has an upstream blade group 70 in which the upstream blade portions 75 are arranged in parallel with a spacing of at least the width W component of the flat hair bundle 101, and there is an upstream gap 76 between adjacent upstream blade portions 75, 75. The central blade member 61 has a central blade portion 80 that extends at least the width W component of the flat hair bundle 101 at a position that overlaps with the upstream gap 76 in the transport direction T of the flat hair bundle 101. Therefore, in the portion of the upstream blade member 60 where the upstream gap 76 is formed, the flat hair bundle 101 is not cut by the upstream blade member 60 but is cut by the central blade member 61, so that the hair bundle 102 can be processed into a work-in-progress with uneven ends, as if cut with thinning scissors. Then, by hackling the processed hair bundle 102, it is possible to form lightweight artificial hair at the ends while reducing the number of hackling steps compared to conventional methods.

[0082] In the first embodiment of the artificial hair processing apparatus 1, it is preferable that the upstream blade group 70 is arranged in a direction in which the upstream blade 75 is inclined with respect to the width direction W when the flat hair bundle 101 is viewed from above. By doing so, the flat hair bundle 101 is cut diagonally with respect to the width direction W by the upstream blade group 70, so that the volume of the hair bundle 102 when bundled can be reduced towards the ends of the hair, and the number of hackling operations can be reduced.

[0083] In the first embodiment of the artificial hair processing apparatus 1, the upstream blade member 60 has an upstream return blade group 70b in which, when the flat hair bundle 101 is viewed from above, the upstream blades 75 are arranged at intervals in a direction intersecting the direction in which the upstream forward blade group 70a are arranged, and there is an upstream gap 76 between adjacent upstream blades 75, 75. The central blade member 61 preferably has a part of the central blade 80 positioned so as to overlap with the upstream gap 76 of the upstream return blade group 70b in the transport direction T of the flat hair bundle 101. In this way, the central blade member 61 can cut both the portion corresponding to the upstream gap 76 of the upstream forward cutting portion group 70a of the upstream blade member 60 that was not cut by the upstream blade member 60, and the portion corresponding to the upstream gap 76 of the upstream return cutting portion group 70b of the upstream blade member 60 that was not cut by the upstream blade member 60.

[0084] In the first embodiment of the artificial hair processing apparatus 1, it is preferable that the central blade member 61 has a central forward blade portion 80a that extends in substantially the same direction as the parallel arrangement direction of the upstream blade portions 75 of the upstream forward blade group 70a, and a central return blade portion 80b that extends in substantially the same direction as the parallel arrangement direction of the upstream blade portions 75 of the upstream return blade group 70b. In this way, the upstream forward blade group 70a and the central forward blade portion 80a, and the upstream return blade group 70b and the central return blade portion 80b are parallel to each other, so that the portion of the upstream gap portion 76 of the upstream forward blade group 70a and the portion of the upstream gap portion 76 of the upstream return blade group 70b can be cut by the central forward blade portion 80a and the central return blade portion 80b, respectively. In addition, the end side of the flat hair bundle 101 can be combed evenly, making it easier to form a more cohesive hair end.

[0085] In the first embodiment of the artificial hair processing apparatus 1, it is preferable that the central blade member 61 has a continuous blade in which the central forward blade portion 80a and the central return blade portion 80b are continuous. This makes it possible to more reliably cut the portion of the upstream forward blade group 70a that corresponds to the upstream gap 76 and the portion of the upstream return blade group 70b that corresponds to the upstream gap 76.

[0086] In the first embodiment of the artificial hair processing apparatus 1, the upstream blade group 70 has a plurality of upstream gaps 76, and the central blade 80 is preferably a continuous blade that extends with a component in the width direction W of the flat hair bundle 101 so as to overlap with the plurality of upstream gaps 76 in the transport direction T of the flat hair bundle 101. This ensures that the portion of the upstream blade member 60 corresponding to each upstream gap 76 of the upstream blade group 70 is reliably cut by the central blade 80.

[0087] In the first embodiment of the artificial hair processing apparatus 1, the cutting section 7 further has a downstream blade member 62, the downstream blade member 62 has a plurality of downstream blade portions 95, and when the flat hair bundle 101 is viewed from above, the downstream blade portions 95 are arranged side by side with spacing between them, covering at least the width W component of the flat hair bundle 101, and the central blade member 61 is preferably located between the upstream blade member 60 and the downstream blade member 62 in the transport direction T of the flat hair bundle 101. This makes it possible to process the hair bundle 102 into a work-in-progress with cutting processing performed on both ends by blade members 60, 61 or blade members 61, 62.

[0088] According to the first embodiment of the method for manufacturing hair bundles for artificial hair, a transport unit 5, an upstream blade member 60, a central blade member 61, and a hackling member 180 having a plurality of protrusions 182 are used. The upstream blade member 60 has a plurality of upstream blade portions 75, and the upstream blade portions 75 are arranged side by side with spacing between them in a direction intersecting the transport direction T of the transport unit 5, and an upstream gap portion 76 is formed between adjacent upstream blade portions 75, 75. The central blade member 61 is positioned in the transport direction T to overlap with the upstream gap portion 76, and is at least perpendicular to the transport direction T. The device includes a central blade portion 80 that extends with a component in the width direction (W), and includes a flattening step of spreading the hair bundle 100 before processing into a strip shape to form a flattened hair bundle 101, a cutting step of cutting the flattened hair bundle 101 with the upstream blade portion 75 of the upstream blade member 60 and the central blade portion 80 of the central blade member 61 while the flattened hair bundle 101 is conveyed by the conveying unit 5 to form a work-in-progress hair bundle 102, and a hackling step of holding and bundling the longitudinal middle portion of the work-in-progress hair bundle 102, and hackling the end side of the work-in-progress hair bundle 102 by bringing it into contact with a plurality of protrusions 182. Therefore, the flat hair bundle 101 can be cut by the upstream blade portion 75 of the upstream blade member 60 and the central blade portion 80 of the central blade member 61 so that the ends of the hair bundle 102 comb through it. This allows for more efficient hackling compared to conventional methods, and enables the efficient production of hair bundles for artificial hair with cohesive ends.

[0089] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention, the artificial hair processing apparatus 201, will be described. Note that components similar to those in the artificial hair processing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted. The same applies hereafter.

[0090] The artificial hair processing apparatus 201 of the second embodiment of the present invention differs from the artificial hair processing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment in the structure of its cutting section. The cutting section of the artificial hair processing apparatus 201 of the second embodiment includes an upstream blade member 60, a downstream blade member 262, a blade receiving member 63, and a position adjustment mechanism 65, but does not include a central blade member 61.

[0091] (Downstream blade member 262) As shown in Figure 10, the downstream blade member 262 comprises a downstream blade group 290 and a third connecting portion 91. The downstream blade group 290 comprises a plurality of downstream blade portions 95 and a plurality of downstream gap portions 96, and the positional relationship between the downstream blade portions 95 and the downstream gap portions 96 is different from that of the downstream blade group 90 in the first embodiment. The downstream blade member 262 is positioned downstream of the upstream blade member 60 in the transport direction T. The downstream blade member 262 has a downstream forward blade group 290a which is substantially parallel to the upstream forward blade group 70a, and a downstream return blade group 290b which is substantially parallel to the upstream return blade group 70b. As shown in the hatching in Figure 10(b), the downstream blade member 262 has a downstream blade portion 95 positioned in the transport direction T corresponding to the upstream gap portion 76 of the upstream blade member 60, and the downstream gap portion 96 is positioned corresponding to the upstream blade portion 75 of the upstream blade member 60.

[0092] According to the artificial hair processing apparatus 201 of the second embodiment, the upstream blade member 60 has an upstream return blade group 70b in which, when the flat hair bundle 101 is viewed from above, the upstream blades 75 are arranged at intervals in a direction intersecting the direction in which the upstream forward blade group 70a are arranged, and there is an upstream gap 76 between adjacent upstream blades 75, 75. The downstream blade member 262 has a downstream blade 95 of the downstream return blade group 290b, which is different from the downstream blade 95 of the downstream forward blade group 290a, positioned to overlap with the upstream gap 76 of the upstream return blade group 70b in the transport direction T of the flat hair bundle 101. Therefore, even parts that were not cut by the upstream blade member 60, corresponding to the upstream gap 76 of the upstream return blade group 70b of the upstream blade member 60, can be cut by the downstream blade member 262.

[0093] In the second embodiment of the artificial hair processing apparatus 201, it is preferable that the downstream forward blade group 290a includes a downstream blade portion 95, and the downstream return blade group 290b includes a downstream blade portion 95 that is different from the downstream blade portion 95 of the downstream forward blade group 290a. By doing so, it is possible to suppress the excessive cutting of the flattened hair bundle 101 between the upstream blade portion 75 and the downstream blade portion 95, compared to the case where the downstream blade portion 95 of the downstream forward blade group 290a and the downstream blade portion 95 of the downstream return blade group 290b are continuous blades.

[0094] In the embodiment described above, the artificial hair processing device 1,201 processed one unprocessed hair bundle 100 into a work-in-progress hair bundle 102, but the present invention is not limited thereto. As shown in Figure 11, multiple unprocessed hair bundles 100 may be made into flat hair bundles 101, and each flat hair bundle 101 may be processed into a work-in-progress hair bundle 102 simultaneously. That is, multiple flat hair bundles 101 may be cut in parallel at the cutting section 7. In this case, as shown in Figure 11, multiple flat hair bundles 101 may be cut simultaneously by each blade member 60 to 62, or multiple blade members 60 to 62 may be provided according to the number of flat hair bundles 101. In addition, a separate transport section 5 may be provided for each flat hair bundle 101, or multiple flat hair bundles 101 may be transported in the same transport section 5.

[0095] In the above-described embodiment, the portions of the blade members 60 to 62 that cut the flat hair bundle 101 each extended in a zigzag pattern, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may extend in a straight line. For example, the portions of the blade members 60 to 62 that cut the flat hair bundle 101 each may extend in a straight line perpendicular to the conveying direction T.

[0096] In the embodiments described above, the blade members 60 to 62 each had three upstream connection portions 71a, 81a, and 91a, and four downstream connection portions 71b, 81b, and 91b, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The number of upstream connection portions 71a, 81a, and 91a and the number of downstream connection portions 71b, 81b, and 91b of the blade members 60 to 62 is not particularly limited. The number of upstream connection portions 71a, 81a, and 91a and the number of downstream connection portions 71b, 81b, and 91b of the blade members 60 to 62 may be 0 to 3 or 5 or more, but it is preferable that at least one of the connection portions among the upstream connection portions 71a, 81a, and 91a and the downstream connection portions 71b, 81b, and 91b is 1 or more. Furthermore, the number of upstream connecting portions 71a, 81a, and 91a of the blade members 60 to 62 may be the same or different. Similarly, the number of downstream connecting portions 71b, 81b, and 91b may be the same or different.

[0097] In the embodiment described above, each time the flat hair bundle 101 was cut, the cutting position was alternately shifted in the width direction W by the distance D1 in the width direction W between the first upstream connecting portion 71a and the first downstream connecting portion 71b adjacent in the width direction W. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Each time the flat hair bundle 101 was cut, the cutting position may be shifted in only one direction in the width direction W by the distance D1 in the width direction W between the first upstream connecting portion 71a and the first downstream connecting portion 71b adjacent in the width direction W.

[0098] In the embodiment described above, the pressing roller 50 was positioned above the support rollers 51 and 52, and the unprocessed hair bundle 100 supported by the support rollers 51 and 52 was pressed from above to be processed into a flattened hair bundle 101. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The unprocessed hair bundle 100 supported by the support rollers 51 and 52 may also be pressed by the pressing roller 50 by raising the support rollers 51 and 52 to process it into a flattened hair bundle 101.

[0099] In the embodiments described above, the components can be freely substituted or added between each embodiment, as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0100] 1,201 Processing device for artificial hair 2 Hair bundle supply unit 5 Conveying unit 6 Flattening unit 7 Cutting unit 60 Upstream blade member (first blade member) 61 Central blade member (second blade member) 62 Downstream blade member (third blade member) 70 Upstream blade group (first blade group, second blade group) 70a First forward blade group (first blade group) 70b First return blade group (second blade group) 75 Upstream blade (first blade) 76 Gap (first gap, second gap) 80 Central blade (second blade) 80a Second forward blade (first parallel section) 80b Second return blade (second parallel section) 90 Downstream blade group 90a Third forward blade group 90b Third return blade group 95 Downstream cutting section (third cutting section) 100 Hair bundle before processing (hair bundle) 101 Flat hair bundle 102 Hair bundle in progress 180 Huckling member 182 Convex portion 262 Downstream cutting member (second cutting member) 290 Downstream cutting section group 290a Third forward cutting section group (first parallel section) 290b Third return cutting section group (second parallel section)

Claims

1. An artificial hair processing apparatus comprising: a hair bundle supply unit for supplying hair bundles; a flattening processing unit for spreading the hair bundles supplied from the hair bundle supply unit into a strip shape to form flat hair bundles; a transport unit for transporting the flat hair bundles; and a cutting unit for cutting the flat hair bundles transported by the transport unit, wherein the cutting unit comprises a first blade member having a plurality of first blade portions and a second blade member, the first blade member having a group of first blade portions such that, when the flat hair bundle is viewed from above, the first blade portions are arranged in parallel with a spacing of at least the width of the flat hair bundle and have a first gap between adjacent first blade portions, and the second blade member has a second blade portion that extends at least the width of the flat hair bundle at a position overlapping with the first gap in the transport direction of the flat hair bundle.

2. The artificial hair processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first group of blades is arranged in a direction in which the first blades are inclined with respect to the width direction when the flat hair bundle is viewed from above.

3. The artificial hair processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first blade member further comprises a second group of blades, in which, when the flat hair bundle is viewed from above, the first blades are arranged at intervals in a direction intersecting the direction in which the first group of blades are arranged, and there are second gaps between adjacent first blades, and the second blade member has a part of the second blade or a blade different from the second blade positioned at a location that overlaps with the second gap of the second group of blades in the transport direction of the flat hair bundle.

4. The artificial hair processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second blade member has a first parallel portion extending in substantially the same direction as the direction in which the first blades of the first blade group are arranged side by side, and a second parallel portion extending in substantially the same direction as the direction in which the first blades of the second blade group are arranged side by side.

5. The artificial hair processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first parallel portion includes the second blade portion, and the second parallel portion includes the different blade portion.

6. The artificial hair processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the second blade member has a continuous blade in which the first parallel portion and the second parallel portion are continuous.

7. The artificial hair processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first blade group has a plurality of first gaps, and the second blade is a continuous blade that extends with at least a component in the width direction of the flat hair bundle so as to overlap with the plurality of first gaps in the conveying direction of the flat hair bundle.

8. The cutting section further comprises a third blade member, the third blade member having a plurality of third blade portions, the third blade portions being spaced apart and arranged side by side with respect to at least the width of the flat hair bundle when viewed from above, and the second blade member being positioned between the first blade member and the third blade member in the transport direction of the flat hair bundle, according to claim 6 or 7.

9. A method for manufacturing a hair bundle for artificial hair, using a first blade member, a second blade member, and a hackling member having a plurality of protrusions, wherein the first blade member has a plurality of first blades, the first blades are arranged in parallel at intervals in a predetermined direction, and a first gap is formed between adjacent first blades, and the second blade member has a second blade that extends at least in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction at a position overlapping with the first gap in the predetermined direction, and the method includes: a flattening step of spreading the hair bundle into a strip shape to form a flat hair bundle; a cutting step of cutting the flat hair bundle with the first blade of the first blade member and the second blade of the second blade member to form a prepared hair bundle; and a hackling step of holding and bundling the intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of the prepared hair bundle, and hackling the end side of the prepared hair bundle by bringing it into contact with the plurality of protrusions.

10. A method for manufacturing a hair bundle for artificial hair according to claim 9, wherein a conveying unit is used to convey the flat hair bundle in the predetermined direction, and in the cutting step, the flat hair bundle is cut by the first blade portion of the first blade member and the second blade portion of the second blade member while the flat hair bundle is conveyed by the conveying unit, thereby forming the prepared hair bundle.

Images