Patent Grant
8245635
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic alignment apparatus for rubber bands which automatically aligns a rubber band so as to automate a rubber banding process.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, rubber bands are widely used to bind several materials or articles (hereinafter, referred to as ‘products’) due to low cost, excellent elasticity (flexibility), and toughness thereof.
Since there no unit or method to automatically band various products with such a rubber band, the rubber band is banded to a product by worker's hand operation, thereby causing problems, such as lowering of overall productivity and increased production costs. These problems are substantially caused by absence of a tool, a unit, or a method to align an elastic rubber band to a designated position.
Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic alignment apparatus for rubber bands which automatically aligns a rubber band so as to automate a rubber banding process.
In accordance with the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of an automatic alignment apparatus for rubber bands including a pair of alignment rods installed in parallel on a plate, screw grooves respectively formed on outer circumferential surfaces of the alignment rods, alignment grooves formed on upper parts of the alignment rods, limit parts formed above the alignment grooves to prevent an aligned rubber band from being separated from the alignment rods, a driving unit and a power transmission unit to rotate the alignment rods, a first sensing unit to sense the rubber band aligned by rotation of the alignment rods, a second sensing unit to sense a consumption state of rubber bands temporarily banded onto the alignment rods, and a controller.
The driving unit and power transmission unit may include a motor installed at one side of the plate, a shaft of the motor, protruded downwardly from the lower part of the plate, a first timing pulley fixed to the shaft, a shaft of one alignment rod, protruded from the lower part of the plate, a second timing pulley fixed to the shaft of the alignment rod, a first timing belt to connect the first timing pulley and the second timing pulley, a third timing pulley and a fourth timing pulley having the same size and respectively fixed to the lower parts of the alignment rods, and a second timing belt to connect the third timing pulley and the fourth timing pulley.
The alignment rods may have one cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of a circle, an oval, and a polygon, and an outer distance between the alignment rods may be slightly larger than an outer distance of a rubber band to be aligned such that the rubber band may be elastically hung on the alignment rods.
Further, the screw grooves formed on the outer circumferential surfaces of the alignment rods may be formed at the same pitch and the same depth in the same direction.
Left heights of the screw grooves formed on the pair of the alignment rods may be the same and right heights of the screw grooves may be the same.
Inclined planes may be formed on the lower surfaces of the edges of the limit parts formed on the uppermost parts of the alignment rods so as to allow the rubber band to be separated from the alignment rods without damage to the rubber band.
Further, plural pairs of alignment rods may be installed in parallel at the edge of the plate so as to achieve rubber band alignment, thereby further improving the productivity of the automatic alignment apparatus for rubber bands.
The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Now, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the annexed drawings. In the following description of the present invention, the same or similar elements are denoted by the same reference numerals even though they are depicted in different drawings, and a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear.
Rubber bands automatically aligned in the present invention are formed in an endless type having a designated elasticity, a designated cross-sectional area, and a designated inner diameter (or a designated outer diameter) so as to bind various materials or articles, as shown in
Shaft supports 7 and 8 are respectively installed at lower parts of the alignment rods 4 and 5. The shaft supports 7 and 8 are installed on a fixing member, for example, a plate 9 so as to be freely rotatable.
The alignment rods 4 and 5 are vertically installed on the plate 9 such that they are parallel with each other, and have a comparatively long length so as to sequentially align rubber bands R one by one the condition that a large number of the rubber bands R is banded on the alignment rods 4 and 5 at a time. That is, the alignment rods 4 and 5 are vertically installed in a twin structure.
Although the alignment rods 4 and 5 are vertically installed basically, the alignment rods 4 and 5 may be installed such that they are inclined at a designated angle according to conditions. It is preferable that, even if the alignment rods 4 and 5 are inclined, a parallel state of the alignment rods 4 and 5 be maintained.
Now, the driving unit and the power transmitting unit to rotate the alignment rods 4 and 5 will be described. A motor 10 serving as the driving unit and a plurality of timing pulleys and timing belts serving as the power transmission unit to transmit rotary force of the motor 10 to the alignment rods 4 and 5 are installed at one side of the plate 9.
That is, the driving unit and the power transmission unit include a shaft 11 of the motor 10 protruded downwardly from the lower part of the plate 9, a first timing pulley 12 fixed to the shaft 11, a shaft 13 of the alignment rod 5 protruded from the lower part of the plate 9, a second timing pulley 14 fixed to the shaft 13, a first timing belt 15 to connect the first timing pulley 12 and the second timing pulley 14, a third timing pulley 16 and a fourth timing pulley 17 having the same size and respectively fixed to the lower parts of the alignment rods 4 and 5, and a second timing belt 18 to connect the third timing pulley 16 and the fourth timing pulley 17.
Therefore, when the motor 10 is operated to rotate the shaft 11, the first, second, third, and fourth timing pulleys 12, 14, 16, and 17, and the first and second timing belts 15 and 18 are respectively rotated, and the alignment rods 4 and 5 connected by the second timing belt 18 are rotated in the same direction at the same speed.
The rotational speed of the alignment rods 4 and 5 is set to 1˜50 RPM in consideration of a banding speed of a product C with the rubber band R or an operating speed of a rubber band supply unit 27.
Although the alignment rods 4 and 5 have a cross-sectional shape of a circle, an oval, or a polygon, it is preferable that the alignment rods 4 and 5 have a circular cross-sectional shape so as to satisfy a rotating structure and achieve effective rubber band alignment. Further, it is preferable that the alignment rods 4 and 5 have a diameter which is not excessively large or small, for example, 20 times ˜40 times the diameter of the rubber bands R to be aligned so as to allow the rubber bands R to be aligned while smoothly rotating.
The motor 10 may be a stepper motor, a servomotor, or an inverter motor, which is precisely controllable.
An outer distance L2 between the alignment rods 4 and 5, as shown in
A degree of elasticity of the rubber band R elastically supported by the alignment rods 4 and 5 denotes a state of the rubber band R which is not greatly pulled while not deviating from its original position. That is, this denotes a degree of the rubber band R supported by the alignment rods 4 and 5 at a proper level of elasticity, and it is preferable that a separation distance 13 between the alignment rod 4 and the alignment rod 5 be equal to or slightly larger or smaller than the diameter of the alignment rods 4 and 5. If the size (the outer distance) of the rubber band R is increased, the separation distance 13 between the alignment rods 4 and 5 may be properly adjusted.
Although, in the present invention, the separation distance L3 between the alignment rods 4 and 5 may be fixed in consideration of the size of the rubber band R, a distance between the shaft supports 7 and 8 may be adjusted by forming a long hole through the plate 9, thus allowing the automatic alignment apparatus 1 for rubber bands of the present invention to rapidly cope with variation in the size of the rubber band R. Of course, the second timing belt 13 may be replaced with a new one corresponding to a modified separation distance L3.
Further, the separation distance L3 between the alignment rods 4 and 5 may be adjusted such that temporarily banded rubber bands R are elastically installed on the alignment rods 4 and 5 in consideration of the inner diameter of the rubber band R to be aligned. Of course, such a separation distance L3 may be adjusted manually, or be adjusted automatically such that proper optimum elasticity is applied to the rubber band R in a method of sensing the elasticity of the rubber band R.
As shown in
Therefore, when the alignment rods 4 and 5 are rotated in the counterclockwise direction, i.e., a direction of ascending the rubber band, as shown in
As shown in
Since the rubber band R rotated along the alignment rods 4 and 5 is connected to the screw grooves 2 and 3 and thus are elastically supported by the screw grooves 2 and 3, it is possible to prevent the rubber band R from being slipped over the screw grooves 2 and 3 or being idle rotated along the screw grooves 2 and 3.
In the present invention, the rubber band R which is not introduced into the screw grooves 2 and 3 maintains the horizontal state, as shown in
The alignment grooves 21 and 22 are formed horizontally, differing from the screw grooves 2 and 3, and thus allow the rubber band R4 to be rotated along the alignment rods 4 and 5 in the horizontal state, and the limit parts 19 and 20 above the alignment grooves 21 and 22 prevent the rubber band R4 from being ascended any further or being unintentionally separated from the alignment rods 4 and 5.
The first sensing unit 6 is installed at one side of the alignment rods 4 and 5, and senses the rubber band R4 introduced into the alignment grooves 21 and 22 and aligned therein.
The first sensing unit 6 may be a sensor or a switch which can sense the rubber band R4 located in the alignment grooves 21 and 22. For example, a sensor or a switch using ultrasonic waves, infrared beams, or laser beams, or a proximity sensor or a proximity switch may be used as the first sensing unit 6.
When the first sensing unit 6 senses alignment of the rubber band R4, the operation of the motor 10 is stopped, and the rotation of the alignment rods 4 and 5 is stopped. Under this state, as shown in
When the rubber band R4 is removed from the alignment grooves 21 and 22 by the rubber band moving unit 33, the first sensing unit 6 senses the removal of the rubber band R4, the motor 10 is operated to rotate the alignment rods 4 and 5. Thereby, when the uppermost rubber band R3 is ascended into the alignment grooves 21 and 22 and aligned therein, the first sensing unit 6 senses the alignment of the rubber band R3, the operation of the motor 10 is stopped, and the rotation of the alignment rods 4 and 5 is stopped so that the alignment of the rubber band R3 is stopped. Through repetition of this process, automatic alignment of the rubber band R is achieved.
In the present invention, the second sensing unit 61 to sense a consumption state of the rubber bands R is installed at one side of the alignment rods 4 and 5. The second sensing unit 61 is configured so as to sense the consumption state of the rubber bands R temporarily banded to the alignment rods 4 and 5 before the rubber bands R are completely consumed, and to supply new rubber bands R to the alignment rods 4 and 5 by means of the rubber band supply unit 27. The second sensing unit 61 may be a sensor or a switch which can sense the rubber band R4 temporarily banded to the alignment rods 4 and 5. For example, a sensor or a switch using ultrasonic waves, infrared beams, or laser beams, or a proximity sensor or a proximity switch of a non-contact type may be used as the second sensing unit 61. Of course, a sensing unit of a contact type or a mechanical type may be used as the second sensing unit 61.
Here, it is important that the second sensing unit 61 of an any type or in an any method may be used as long as the second sensing unit 61 senses the consumption state of the rubber bands R and allows new rubber bands R to be supplied by means of the rubber band supply unit 27 before the rubber bands R are completely consumed.
As shown in
A through hole to pass the alignment rods 4 and 5 is formed through the center of a plate 30 of the rubber band supply unit 27, and link mechanisms 31 operated by actuators, which are not shown, are installed at both sides of the through hole. A pair of upward bending parts 32 is formed at the link mechanisms 31 such that the bending parts 32 are stretched or closed by the link mechanisms 31.
When a large number of rubber bands R5 is supplied to the bending parts 32 in a closed state, as shown in
Further, in
Moreover, in
Although several rubber bands R are banded onto the outer circumferential surfaces of alignment rods 4 and 5, the automatic alignment apparatus 1 for rubber bands of the present invention ascends the rubber bands R along the screw grooves 2 and 3 one by one according to rotation of the alignment rods 4 and 5 and aligns the ascending rubber band R into the alignment grooves 21 and 22, thereby effectively achieving automatic rubber band alignment.
A display unit 39 to display an operation state, various setting data, and current data, the motor 10 to drive the alignment rods 4 and 5, a driving unit to drive the rubber band supply unit 27, and a driving unit to drive the rubber band moving unit 33 are connected to an output side of the control unit 37.
If temporary reverse rotation of the alignment rods 4 and 5 is required due to, for example, twisting, misalignment, or maintenance and repair of the aligned rubber band R, the reverse rotation button of the setting unit 38 of the controller 36 is used.
As apparent from the above description, the present invention provides an automatic alignment apparatus for rubber bands which automatically aligns a rubber band at a designated position, thereby being capable of automating a banding process of various products.
Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2009-0090803 | Sep 2009 | KR | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2236936 | Camp | Apr 1941 | A |
| 3964380 | Meyer et al. | Jun 1976 | A |
| 3974762 | Kita et al. | Aug 1976 | A |
| 5588278 | Wynn et al. | Dec 1996 | A |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20110072986 A1 | Mar 2011 | US |
