Cloth discharging device and cloth feeding device having cloth discharging device

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a cloth discharging device for quickly discharging cloth staying in a suction chamber, and a cloth feeding device having the cloth discharging device. [Solution] The cloth discharging device comprises: a drop opening for, in order to discharge cloth that has dropped into a suction chamber box for sucking the cloth, further dropping the cloth that has dropped into the suction chamber box; and a conveyor part arranged below the drop opening and configured to convey the cloth. The drop opening is provided at the bottom of the suction chamber box, and the conveyor part conveys the cloth that has further dropped from the drop opening. [Selected drawing] FIG. 1

Description

Fabric discharge device and fabric input device having the fabric discharge device

[0001] The present invention relates to a fabric discharge device that discharges fabrics that have fallen from a conveyor of a fabric input device when fabrics are fed into the fabric input device, and to a fabric input device having the fabric discharge device.

[0002] The fabrics handled in the so-called linen supply industry include linen products such as sheets and towels. These linen products and other fabrics are collected from customers, washed, ironed, and folded before being delivered back to the customers. During this process, the washed fabrics are bundled together, and workers pick up each piece individually and feed them into a fabric feeding device that transports them to the next process where they will be spread out and folded.

[0003] However, when fabrics are fed into the fabric feeding device, there are times when the fabrics do not land on the conveyor belt within the device. In such cases, the device must be stopped and the workers must remove the fabrics that have fallen inside. This is a time-consuming process and places a significant burden on the workers.

[0004] As an aid for such operations, Patent No. 6904593 discloses "an apparatus (100) for receiving and opening / spreading a cloth (3) such as laundry, comprising: a) a pair of spreader clamps (20) for releasably receiving two corners of the cloth (3) to spread the cloth (3); b) a suction box system (S), comprising: a suction chute (170) having an inlet connected to the front of a suction chamber (200) for receiving the cloth (3); a suction fan (119) communicating with the rear of the suction chamber (200) via a plurality of air flow passages (185), wherein the suction fan (119) establishes suction in the suction chamber (200) and the suction chute (170), and the suction box system (S) further comprises: a discharge conveyor (C) in the suction chamber (200) for discharging the cloth (3) collected in the suction chamber (200); a discharge gate (320) selectively openable for the discharge; and an air passage gate (430) operable to temporarily reduce the suction force applied by the fan (119) via the air flow passages (185)".

[0005] However, in the above apparatus, since a discharge conveyor is provided in the suction chamber (200), the cloth that has fallen into the chamber stays in the suction chamber until it is discharged outside the apparatus by the discharge conveyor. Thus, when the cloth that has stayed and the newly inserted cloth get entangled and attempt to stretch out wrinkles, it may have an adverse effect. Therefore, until the cloth that has fallen into the chamber is discharged, new cloth cannot be inserted into the apparatus, and the spreading operation of the cloth may be interrupted.

[0006] Patent No. 6904593

[0007] The present invention has been made paying attention to the above points, and an object thereof is to provide a cloth discharging device that quickly discharges the cloth staying in the suction chamber and a cloth inserting device having the cloth discharging device.

[0008] To solve the aforementioned problems, the first fabric discharge device has, in order to discharge the fabric that has fallen into the suction chamber box that sucks up the fabric, a drop-off opening for further dropping the fabric that has fallen into the suction chamber box, and a conveyor section for transporting the fabric located below the drop-off opening. The drop-off opening is provided at the bottom of the suction chamber box, and the conveyor section transports the fabric that has fallen further from the drop-off opening.

[0009] Furthermore, the fabric discharge device from the second perspective includes a drop-off opening for further dropping of fabric that has fallen into a suction chamber box for sucking up fabric, a conveyor section for transporting fabric positioned below the drop-off opening for transporting fabric, and a sensor for detecting when fabric has fallen into the suction chamber box. The drop-off opening is located at the bottom of the suction chamber box, and when the sensor detects that fabric has fallen, the drop-off opening opens, allowing the fabric to fall out, and the conveyor section transports the fabric that has fallen out of the drop-off opening.

[0010] Furthermore, the third aspect of the fabric discharge device includes a drop-off opening for further dropping the fabric that has fallen into the suction chamber box, a spraying section for spraying the fabric, and a conveyor section for transporting the fabric located below the drop-off opening, with the drop-off opening located at the bottom of the suction chamber box, the spraying section spraying the fabric so that it falls from the drop-off opening, and the conveyor section transporting the fabric that has further fallen from the drop-off opening.

[0011] Furthermore, the fourth aspect of the fabric discharge device includes, in order to discharge the fabric that has fallen into the suction chamber box that sucks up the fabric, a drop-off opening for further dropping the fabric that has fallen into the suction chamber box, a spraying unit for spraying the fabric, a conveyor unit for transporting the fabric located below the drop-off opening, and a sensor for detecting when the fabric has fallen into the suction chamber box. The drop-off opening is located at the bottom of the suction chamber box, and when the sensor detects that the fabric has fallen into the suction chamber box, the drop-off opening opens and the spraying unit sprays the fabric to cause it to fall further from the drop-off opening, and the conveyor unit transports the fabric that has fallen further from the drop-off opening.

[0012] Furthermore, the fabric input device from the fifth perspective comprises a suction chamber box and a fabric discharge device from either the first or fourth perspective, and the conveyor section discharges the fabric to the outside.

[0013] Furthermore, the fabric input device according to the sixth perspective includes a suction device for sucking up fabrics, a suction chamber box that sucks up fabrics using the negative pressure generated by the suction device, and a fabric discharge device according to either the first or fourth perspective, with the conveyor section discharging the fabrics to the outside.

[0014] Furthermore, the fabric input device according to the seventh perspective includes a suction device for sucking up fabrics, a suction chamber box that sucks up the fabrics using the negative pressure generated by the suction device, a suction opening that connects the suction device and the suction chamber box, a damper that opens and closes the suction opening, and a fabric discharge device according to any of the first to fourth perspectives. When fabrics fall into the suction chamber box, the suction opening is closed by the damper, and the conveyor unit discharges the fabrics to the outside.

[0015] As the present invention is configured and operates as described above, its objective is to provide a fabric discharge device that quickly discharges fabrics that remain in a suction chamber, and a fabric input device having the fabric discharge device.

[0016] A is a side view of the fabric discharge device. B is a conceptual diagram showing a part of the fabric discharge device viewed from the rear R direction. A is a conceptual diagram of the fabric in the state where fabric is attached to a pair of clamps in the fabric discharge device. B is a conceptual diagram of the state where fabric is transferred from a pair of clamps to a pair of spreading clamps. A is a conceptual diagram of the state where fabric is suspended from the transfer device in the fabric discharge device. B is a conceptual diagram of the state where the fabric suspended from the transfer device is drawn into the suction chamber box. A is a conceptual diagram of the state where the fabric drawn into the suction chamber box is flapping. B is a conceptual diagram of the state where the fabric has fallen into the suction chamber box. A is a conceptual diagram of the state where the fabric that has fallen into the suction chamber box is about to be dropped onto the conveyor. B is a conceptual diagram of the state where the fabric that has fallen into the suction chamber box is about to be dropped onto the conveyor. This is a conceptual diagram of the state where the fabric that has fallen onto the conveyor is about to be discharged.

[0017] The cloth discharge device 10 will now be described with reference to the illustrated embodiment. The cloth discharge device 10 discharges cloth W that has fallen into the cloth input device 500 (described later) to the outside of the cloth input device 500, and can be attached to the cloth input device 500. Hereinafter, the direction from the front F direction to the rear R direction refers to the direction from the pair of clamps 610, 610 (described later) to the second conveyor 660.

[0018] The fabric discharge device 10 has a drop-off opening 20 for further dropping the fabrics W that have fallen into the suction chamber box 510 (described later) onto a conveyor 30 (described later), and a conveyor 30 for transporting the fabrics that have fallen from the drop-off opening 20. The drop-off opening 20 is configured to be openable and closable by a drop-off opening drive unit 25. The drop-off opening 20 is located at the bottom 510a in the rear R direction of the suction chamber box 510. It is preferable to position this location below the suction opening 560 (described later). This is because the fabrics W are sucked up to the position of the suction opening 560 by the suction device 520 (suction occurs in the direction of arrow V in the drawing). It is also preferable to position the spraying unit 50 below the suction opening 560.

[0019] Furthermore, the conveyor 30 is positioned below the suction chamber box 510 and can transport the cloths W that have fallen further from the drop-off opening 20, thereby discharging them to the outside of the cloth input device 500.

[0020] Furthermore, the cloth discharge device 10 has a sensor 40 that detects cloths W that have fallen into the suction chamber box 510. The sensor 40 is located near the drop-off opening 20. Above the drop-off opening 20, there is a spraying section 50 that sprays the cloths W. The spraying section 50 can be supplied with compressed air by connecting a compressed air generation unit (not shown) to a solenoid valve and an air hose.

[0021] Next, the fabric feeding device 500 will be described. The fabric feeding device 500 is used to feed washed, partially dried fabrics W into an ironer (not shown) in a subsequent process by spreading them out. The fabric feeding device 500 has a pair of clamps 610, 610 that are attached to both corners of the fabrics W and raised, a pair of spreading clamps 620, 620 that receive the fabrics W from the pair of clamps 610, 610 and spread them out, and a transfer device 640 and a clamping device 645, which will be described later, that place and temporarily fix the spread-out fabrics W.

[0022] Furthermore, the fabric feeding device 500 includes a transfer device 640 and a suction chamber box 510, which sucks downwards while the fabrics W, held between the transfer device 640 and the clamping device 645, are suspended, causing the fabrics W to flap and remove wrinkles and sticking. The suction chamber box 510 is a space enclosed by a portion that bends from the front wall 511 to the bottom 510a and from the rear wall 512 to the ceiling 512a. In this space, the transfer device 640 and the fabrics W, held between the clamping device 645 and suspended, are flapped to remove wrinkles and sticking.

[0023] Furthermore, the fabric feeding device 500 has a rotating input roll 515 at the upper end of the front wall 511. The input roll 515 is for introducing the fabrics W suspended from the transfer device 640 into the suction chamber box 510.

[0024] The fabric feeding device 500 also includes a suction device 520 for sucking up the fabrics W and a suction chamber 530 connected to the suction device 520. The suction chamber 530 is made negatively pressurized by the suction device 520, and the fabrics W are sucked up as described above by creating a negative pressure inside the suction chamber box 510 through a damper 540 that opens and closes a suction opening 560 that opens via the suction chamber 530. In other words, the suction opening 560 connects the suction device 520 and the suction chamber box 510, and this suction allows the fabrics W to flutter and have wrinkles and sticking removed as described above. The damper 540 is also mounted to be openable and closable by a drive unit 550.

[0025] Furthermore, as described above, the fabric input device 500 has a first conveyor 650 that temporarily fixes the fabric W by gripping it with its transfer device 640 and clamping device 645, and then the transfer device 640 moves in the rearward direction R while temporarily fixing the fabric W, and then releases the temporary fixation to transport it. The fabric input device 500 also has a second conveyor 660 that further transports the fabric W that has fallen onto the first conveyor 650 to the rear. The second conveyor 660 is connected to an ironer (not shown).

[0026] The fabric discharge device 10 can be placed in the fabric input device 500 as described above. The fabric W, held between the transfer device 640 and the clamping device 645, is sucked into the suction chamber box 510 while suspended, to remove wrinkles and sticking. However, the fabric W may fall into the suction chamber box 510. For example, foreign matter may be mixed inside a bag-shaped fabric. Also, the fabric W may fall if it is large and heavy, or if the fabric is slippery.

[0027] The fabric discharge device 10 is for discharging the fallen fabric W to the outside of the fabric input device 500, and its process will be described below. In the fabric input device 500, an operator (not shown) attaches the fabric W to a pair of clamps 610, 610. The pair of clamps 610, 610 to which the fabric W is attached rise up and transfer the fabric W to a pair of spreading clamps 620, 620. The pair of spreading clamps 620, 620 spread the fabric W by separating from each other. At that time, the transfer device 640 moves forward in the direction F, and the transfer device 640 and the clamping device 645 clamp the fabric W and suspend the fabric W. After that, the fabric W that was grasped by the pair of spreading clamps 620, 620 is released, and a part of the fabric W is transferred onto the transfer device 640 and temporarily fixed.

[0028] At this time, the damper 540 opens the suction opening 560 which is opened by the drive unit 550, and negative pressure is generated inside the suction chamber box 510 due to the intake of air by the suction device 520 (air is drawn in in the direction of arrow V in the drawing).

[0029] As the input roll 515 rotates, the suspended fabrics W attempt to pass over the rotating input roll 515 and be sucked into the suction chamber box 510. In this state, a portion of the fabrics W is transferred onto the transfer device 640, while the transfer device 640 moves in the rearward direction R.

[0030] As a portion of the fabric W is transferred onto the first conveyor 650, the lower part of the fabric W is drawn into the suction chamber box 510 and, while being suctioned to remove wrinkles, the fabric is then transported to the second conveyor 660. However, at this point, the fabric W may not be transported to the second conveyor 660 and may fall instead.

[0031] In this case, the input device 500 having the fabric discharge device 10 of this embodiment has the fabric W being sucked up by the suction device 520 (arrow V in the drawing) as it is being transferred from the transfer device 640 onto the first conveyor 650, and when the fabric W falls into the suction chamber box 510, the sensor 40 located at the bottom of the suction chamber box 510 detects the fallen fabric W.

[0032] When the cloth material W falls into the suction chamber box 510, it will be positioned above the drop-off opening 20 located below the suction opening 560. The suction opening 560 may be equipped with a grid-like fence (not shown), which prevents the cloth material W from entering the suction chamber 530 when it is sucked in.

[0033] Next, the fabric W fed into the fabric feeding device 500 may become entangled with the fabric W, causing the operation of the fabric feeding device 500 to be stopped. Also, when the sensor 40 detects the fallen fabric W, the drive unit 550 is activated and the damper 540 closes the suction opening 560, preventing negative pressure from the suction device 520, and the suction of the fabric W may stop. Alternatively, the suction can not be stopped at this time, but rather when the next piece of fabric W is transferred from the transfer device 640 to the first conveyor 650.

[0034] When the sensor 40 detects the fallen cloth W, the drop-out drive unit 25 is activated and the drop-out opening 20 opens. At the same time, the spray unit 50 located above the drop-out opening 20 blows air, causing the cloth W to fall further through the drop-out opening 20. Immediately thereafter, the drop-out drive unit 25 is activated and the drop-out opening 20 closes.

[0035] In this way, the cloths W that fall into and accumulate in the suction chamber 510 can be quickly discharged from the suction chamber 510. Because the cloths W that have fallen into the suction chamber box 510 can be quickly discharged from the suction chamber box 510, the cloth input device 500 attempts to temporarily fix the cloths W again by clamping them with its transfer device 640 and clamping device 645, and the drive unit 550 is driven, causing the damper 540 to open and the suction by the suction device 520 (arrow V in the diagram) to be restored. As a result, the next cloths W1 can be introduced into the suction chamber box 510 and fluttered around, allowing the processing of the cloths W1 to resume.

[0036] Thus, if the fabric input device 500 has a fabric discharge device 10, even if the fabric W falls into the suction chamber box 510 of the fabric input device 500, the processing of the fabric W can be quickly resumed, so productivity is not significantly reduced. The fabric input device 500 can stop operating when the sensor 40 detects that the fabric has fallen into the suction chamber box 510, and processing of the fabric W can be resumed when the sensor 40 no longer detects the fabric, but this is not the only option.

[0037] The cloths W that fall from the drop-off opening 20 are placed on the conveyor 30. The cloths W are then discharged to the outside of the cloth discharge device 10 by the driven conveyor 30. An operator (not shown) is positioned in the forward direction F of the cloth input device 500 and can collect the cloths W that have been discharged to the outside and input them back into the cloth input device 500.

[0038] 10 Fabric discharge device 20 Drop-off opening 30 Conveyor 40 Sensor 50 Spraying section 500 Fabric input device 510 Suction chamber box 510a Bottom 520 Suction device 540 Damper 550 Drive unit 560 Suction opening 610 Clamp 620 Spreading clamp 640 Transfer device 645 Clamping device

Claims

1. A fabric discharge device having, in order to discharge fabrics that have fallen into a suction chamber box for sucking up fabrics, a drop-off opening for further dropping the fabrics that have fallen into the suction chamber box, and a conveyor section for transporting the fabrics located below the drop-off opening, wherein the drop-off opening is provided at the bottom of the suction chamber box, and the conveyor section transports the fabrics that have further fallen from the drop-off opening.

2. A fabric discharge device comprising: a drop-off opening for further dropping the fabric into a suction chamber box for sucking up fabric; a conveyor section for transporting the fabric, positioned below the drop-off opening; and a sensor for detecting when fabric has fallen into the suction chamber box, wherein the drop-off opening is provided at the bottom of the suction chamber box, the drop-off opening opens when the sensor detects that the fabric has fallen, causing the fabric to fall from the drop-off opening, and the conveyor section transports the fabric that has further fallen from the drop-off opening.

3. A fabric discharge device for discharging fabrics that have fallen into a suction chamber box for sucking up fabrics, comprising: a drop-off opening for further dropping the fabrics that have fallen into the suction chamber box; a spraying section for spraying the fabrics; and a conveyor section for transporting the fabrics, which is located below the drop-off opening, wherein the drop-off opening is provided at the bottom of the suction chamber box; the spraying section sprays the fabrics so that they fall from the drop-off opening; and the conveyor section transports the fabrics that have further fallen from the drop-off opening.

4. A fabric discharge device for discharging fabrics that have fallen into a suction chamber box for sucking up fabrics, comprising: a drop-off opening for further dropping the fabrics that have fallen into the suction chamber box; a spraying unit for spraying the fabrics; a conveyor unit for transporting the fabrics, positioned below the drop-off opening; and a sensor for detecting when fabrics have fallen into the suction chamber box, wherein the drop-off opening is provided at the bottom of the suction chamber box; when the sensor detects that fabrics have fallen into the suction chamber box, the drop-off opening opens and the spraying unit sprays the fabrics to cause them to fall further from the drop-off opening; and the conveyor unit transports the fabrics that have fallen further from the drop-off opening.

5. A fabric input device comprising a suction chamber box and a fabric discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the conveyor section discharges the fabric to the outside.

6. A fabric input device comprising a suction device for sucking up fabrics, a suction chamber box for sucking up the fabrics by the negative pressure generated by the suction device, and a fabric discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the conveyor section discharges the fabrics to the outside.

7. A fabric input device comprising: a suction device for sucking up fabrics; a suction chamber box for sucking up the fabrics by the negative pressure generated by the suction device; a suction opening connecting the suction device and the suction chamber box; a damper for opening and closing the suction opening; and a fabric discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when the fabrics fall into the suction chamber box, the suction opening is closed by the damper, and the conveyor section discharges the fabrics to the outside.

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