The present invention relates to a belt-like material-feeding apparatus and a method of operating the same.
A splicing unit which splices a second belt-like material to a first belt-like material being fed to thereby switch the belt-like material being fed from the first belt-like material into the second belt-like material (see PLT 1) has been known. The belt-like material is fed from the splicing unit to, for example, an intermittently-treating unit where it is intermittently treated.
The splicing operation in the splicing unit can be conducted using, for example, a pressure-sensitive adhesion member. In this case, a pressure-sensitive adhesion agent is contained in a splicing region that is formed between the first belt-like material and the second belt-like material. The treatment in the intermittently-treating unit, on the other hand, can be constituted by, for example, a treatment for cutting the belt-like material into a predetermined length or a treatment for compressing the belt-like material.
PLT 1: Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 59-40248
However, if the splicing region that has arrived at the intermittently-treating unit is cut or compressed, the pressure-sensitive adhesion agent contained in the splicing region may adhere to the cutting blade or to the compression roller. As a result, the belt-like materials or fiber scraps adhere to the cutting blade or to the compression roller, making it difficult to maintain good treatment, or the feed of the belt-like material must be interrupted to clean the cutting blade or the compression roller. In either case, the productivity of the products may decrease. This problem may also occur in the case where the splicing operation is conducted using an adhesive agent or heat-welding. In this case, therefore, it is necessary to control the timing for forming the splicing region, i.e., the splicing timing of the splicing unit so that the belt-like material is treated by the intermittently-treating unit, except for the splicing region.
On the other hand, the treatment conducted by the intermittently-treating unit includes a treatment which should be conducted in the splicing region. In this case, the splicing timing must be controlled so that the splicing region is treated by the intermittently-treating unit.
That is, the splicing timing must be controlled based upon the treating timing of the intermittently-treating unit. The above publication is silent on this point.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a belt-like material-feeding apparatus for continuously feeding a belt-like material to an intermittently-treating unit, comprising a splicing unit which splices a second belt-like material to a first belt-like material being fed to the intermittently-treating unit to thereby switch the belt-like material being fed to the intermittently-treating unit from the first belt-like material into the second belt-like material; and a control unit for controlling the splicing timing of the splicing unit based upon the treating timing of the intermittently-treating unit.
According to another aspect of the invention, further, there is provided a method of operating a belt-like material-feeding apparatus for continuously feeding a belt-like material to an intermittently-treating unit, the apparatus comprising a splicing unit which splices a second belt-like material to a first belt-like material being fed to the intermittently-treating unit to thereby switch the belt-like material being fed to the intermittently-treating unit from the first belt-like material into the second belt-like material, wherein the splicing timing of the splicing unit is controlled based upon the treating timing of the intermittently-treating unit.
The belt-like material can be suitably subjected to a treatment by the intermittently treating unit.
Referring to
The hangers 3a, 3b and the rolls 4a, 4b are positioned at a feed position 7sp or at a standby position 7st. In an embodiment shown in
The delivery unit 2, further, comprises an intermediate roll 8 for unwinding and delivering the belt-like material from the roll 4a, 4b at the feed position 7sp, and a delivery belt 9 for unwinding and delivering the belt-like material from the roll 4b, 4a at the standby position 7st. The delivery belt 9 is wrapped round a drive roll and an idle roll and is driven to rotate, and is contacted with the outer circumferential surface of the roll 4b, 4a at the standby position 7st.
The belt-like material sources may assume a form other than the rolls. The belt-like material from the roll 4a and the belt-like material from the roll 4b may be the same or different. Further, the belt-like materials may be unwound and delivered from the rolls 4a and 4b by rotating the hangers 3a and 3b. This makes it possible to omit the intermediate roll 8 and the delivery belt 9.
The belt-like material-feeding apparatus 1 further comprises a splicing unit 10 which splices a second belt-like material to a first belt-like material being fed from the delivery unit 2 to the intermittently-treating unit T to thereby switch the belt-like material S being fed to the intermittently-treating unit T from the first belt-like material into the second belt-like material. Namely, the belt-like material Sst from the roll 4b, 4a at the standby position 7st is spliced to the belt-like material Ssp from the roll 4a, 4b at the feed position 7sp, and the belt-like material Sst is fed to the intermittently-treating unit T.
The splicing operation of the splicing unit 10 is conducted by, for example, the adhesion and, concretely, a pressure-sensitive adhesion member. Namely, the splicing unit 10 comprises a holding unit 11 of a suction type which holds, in advance, the belt-like material Sst from the roll 4b, 4a at the standby position 7st together with the pressure-sensitive adhesion member A, a splicing roll 12 which pushes the belt-like material Ssp from the roll 4a, 4b at the feed position 7sp onto the pressure-sensitive adhesion member A, a delivery roll 13 arranged facing the splicing roll 12, and a cutting unit 14 which cuts the belt-like material Ssp from the roll 4a, 4b at the feed position 7sp.
The belt-like material S, next, arrives at the intermittently-treating unit T passing through the above intermediate roll 8, a meandering correction device 16 and an HMA (hot-melt adhesive)-applying unit 17, successively. In
A controller 23 is comprised of a computer including, for example, a CPU (microprocessor), memory, input ports and output ports. A marker sensor 24, such as a camera, is provided neighboring the belt-like material Ssp between the roll 4a, 4b at the feed position 7sp and the splicing unit 10 to detect a marker provided in advance at a tail end part of the belt-like material of the roll 4a, 4b. Further, the intermittently-treating unit T is provided with a treating timing sensor 25 for detecting the treating timing of the intermittently-treating unit T. The treating timing sensor 25 can be comprised of an angular position sensor such as an absolute encoder that indicates the angular position of a cutting blade 20, or a position sensor that indicates the position of a belt-like material segment Sp or a product in the apparatus for producing absorptive articles. The sensors 24 and 25 are connected to the input ports of the controller 23, and the output signals from the sensors are input to the controller 23. The actuator 6, intermediate roll 8, delivery belt 9, suction unit 11, splicing roll 12, delivery roll 13, cutting unit 14 and delivery roll 19 are connected to the output ports of the controller 23, and are controlled based on the output signals from the controller 23.
In the embodiment shown in
In the intermittently-treating unit T, the belt-like material may be subjected to compression treatment. Therefore, the treatment in the intermittently-treating unit T includes at least one of cutting of the belt-like material and compression of the belt-like material. Alternatively, the belt-like material may be subjected to any further intermittent treatment, such as embossing, shaping including folding, application of an adhesive or assembling with another member.
Next, as shown in
When it is judged that the timing is not suited for the splicing operation, the splicing operation is retarded, i.e., the splicing operation is not conducted at this moment. Next, when the timing now becomes suited for the splicing operation, then the splicing operation is conducted.
The splicing operation is conducted as described below. Specifically, as shown in
The leading end part of the belt-like material Sst has been arranged on the holding unit 13, in advance, by, for example, an operator. In this case, the pressure-sensitive adhesion member A has been partly attached to the leading end part of the belt-like material Sst and the remaining pressure-sensitive adhesion member A is held on the holding unit 13 with the adhesive surface facing upward. The belt-like material Ssp is pushed onto the adhesive surface.
The delivery belt 9 and the delivery roll 13 are actuated simultaneously with the start of the splicing operation and, as shown in
Next, when the belt-like material Sst is delivered in a predetermined amount from the roll 4b, the carrier 5 is rotated clockwise as shown in
If the timing is suited for the splicing operation is judged as described below. That is, when the splicing operation is conducted, the splicing region SPL is formed as described with reference to
Therefore, a timing at which the splicing region SPL that has arrived at the intermittently-treating unit T is not treated thereby is considered to be a timing suited for the splicing operation. In other words, if the splicing operation is conducted at a timing suited for the splicing operation, the thus formed splicing region SPL is not then treated at the intermittently-treating unit T. If the splicing operation is conducted at timings other than the timing suited for the splicing operation, the thus formed splicing region SPL is then treated at the intermittently-treating unit T.
In this case, if the timing is suited for the splicing operation can be judged based upon the treating timing of the intermittently-treating unit T and the time required for the splicing region SPL to arrive at the intermittently-treating unit T from the splicing unit 10. The required time can be obtained from the length of the conveying passage from the splicing unit 10 to the intermittently-treating unit T and the conveying speed.
Accordingly, generally speaking, the splicing timing of the splicing unit 10 is controlled based on the treating timing of the intermittently-treating unit T. It is, further, judged if the splicing region SPL is going to be treated in the intermittently-treating unit T. If it is judged that the splicing region SPL is going to be treated in the intermittently-treating unit T, the splicing operation is retarded, and the splicing operation is executed if it is judged that the splicing region SPL is not going to be treated. In this case, if the splicing region SPL is going to be treated in the intermittently-treating unit T is judged when the remaining amount of the belt-like material from the roll 4a, 4b at the feed position 7sp has become smaller than the lower-limit amount.
Considering the fact that the cutting operation is conducted by the intermittently-treating unit T whenever the belt-like material S is conveyed by the length of the belt-like material segment Sp, there may a case where the splicing operation is retarded by a period required for the belt-like material S to be conveyed by the length of the belt-like material segment Sp. It is, therefore, desired that the conveying distance from the marker sensor 24 to the splicing unit 10 is set to be longer than the length of the belt-like material segment Sp.
Referring to
The hangers 3a and 3b may be provided with revolution sensors to calculate the remaining amount of the belt-like material of the roll 4a, 4b based on the number of revolutions of the rolls 4a, 4b detected by the revolution sensors. Alternatively, if the remaining amount of the belt-like material of the roll 4a, 4b is smaller than the lower-limit amount, may be judged based upon the outer diameter of the roll 4a, 4b detected using a photoelectric tube sensor, proximity sensor, limit switch or camera. On the other hand, the lower-limit amount may be a constant value or may be set based on the rate of production of the apparatus for producing absorptive articles. This makes it possible to lower the effect of variation in the thickness of the belt-like material of the roll 4a, 4b.
Further, an accumulation unit may be arranged between the splicing unit 10 and the intermittently-treating unit T to temporarily accumulate the belt-like material.
As shown in
In the embodiment shown in
According to the embodiments of the present invention described above, the splicing timing of the splicing unit 10 is controlled so that the splicing region SPL is not subjected to the treatment of the intermittently-treating unit T. Depending upon the kind of treatment of the intermittently-treating unit, however, the splicing timing of the splicing unit 10 may be controlled so that the splicing region SPL is subjected to the treatment of the intermittently-treating unit T.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2009-276453 | Dec 2009 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCT/JP2010/071757 | 11/29/2010 | WO | 00 | 6/1/2012 |