Background
Mattress manufacturing processes typically involve a number of steps. In general, during mattress processing, a streamlined production process is preferred to ensure greater accuracy and to improve productivity. Various stages and mechanisms are involved in the mattress production line, such as a glue spray stage, transport of mattress subassemblies, assembly stages, and the like. The most critical step involves spraying glue onto the mattress core and then attaching and assembling foam-side panel-like elements.
Typically, such operations involve semi-automatic transport and sizing, and then bonding the foam side panels, which results in high labor intensity and low work efficiency. The long-term semiautomatic gluing assembly operation not only causes physical injury to operators, but also limits the production capacity of the production line. Accordingly, it is preferable to develop a foam element assembling machine suitable for a mattress to improve production efficiency and operator safety.
Known from U.S. patent application No. US2016214309 filed at DREAMWELL (which claims U.S. priority of application No. US 201615003940) is an apparatus for sizing and assembling foam elements to a nominal size, the apparatus comprising a sizing table (204) having a planar surface (250) for supporting the foam layer, and a set of adjustable rails (254) in moving communication with the sizing table (204) and configured to compress and stretch the foam layer to the nominal size, characterized in that the set of adjustable rails (254) comprises a pair of longitudinal rails (260, 264) and a pair of transverse rails (258, 262) to frame the perimeter of the foam layer, each rail having a contact surface perpendicular to the planar surface (250) to provide compression of the foam layer in use, and one or more adjustable clamps disposed on each rail having a fixed portion carried by the rails and configured to slide under the foam layer after compression, and the adjustable portion being configured to clamp the foam layer to allow the foam to be stretched to the nominal size in use.
Another prior art application numbered CN113334784, filed by the company (HANGZHOU LUCKYKEY TECH CO LTD) of lang technology, inc. In hangzhou, a chinese mattress manufacturer, proposes a mattress production line comprising a mattress core feeding station, a mattress core glue spraying station, a mattress core transporting station, a mattress core assembling station and a press. The stations are sequentially arranged, and the bed core feeding mechanism comprises a gantry, a mattress core claw machine and bed core placing rails arranged on two sides of the mattress core collecting platform. The invention also features a conveyor table having a rotating conveyor table and a conveyor divided into upper and lower layers.
The above prior art machines involve semi-automatic operation, are complex and have high manufacturing costs. The technical problem addressed by the present invention is to provide a mattress production system that can replace semi-automatic operation and provide a mounting that can provide an adjustable counter-engagement (counter-engagement) surface against which mattress elements are engaged, glued and pressed to minimize inconsistencies or inaccuracies in engaging the sides along the length, allowing various configurations to accommodate different mattress sizes.
Drawings
It should be understood that the accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a better understanding of the invention and form a part of this specification. Various aspects, features and advantages of the present invention are shown in connection with the following detailed description.
Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that in practice, the various features of the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that the dimensions of the various features and elements shown in the drawings or shown and/or discussed in the following detailed description may be adjusted. The following figures depict some illustrative embodiments of the invention, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements. These illustrated embodiments should be understood as illustrating the invention and not as limiting in any way.
Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a prior art robotic foam layer transport station between different units used in mattress manufacturing equipment.
Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a prior art apparatus for attaching one or more foam mattress layers to a core unit.
Figure 3 shows a partial perspective view of a prior art mattress element alignment unit and assembly.
Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the foam element assembly machine of the invention, comprising a gluing station, a mobile conveyor and a bellows press.
Figure 5 shows a left side view of the mattress assembly machine of the present invention.
Figure 6 shows a left side view of the mobile conveyor and the glue or sizing station.
Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of the gluing station of the assembly machine.
Fig. 8 shows a front view of the mobile glue gun and a detailed view of the lateral translation mechanism of the mobile glue gun (i.e. along the Y-direction, which is perpendicular to the translation direction of the mobile conveyor).
Fig. 9 shows a perspective view of the translation mechanism of the mobile glue gun, showing the guiding elements of the gun in the longitudinal direction (i.e. in the X-direction, which is the translation direction of the mobile conveyor).
Figure 10 shows a perspective view of the chassis of the mobile conveyor on the frame rails and the guiding and driving mechanism along the X-direction (translation direction of the mobile conveyor).
Fig. 11 shows a front view of a mobile conveyor showing the actuation mechanism of the foam element handling member.
Figure 12 shows a perspective view of the longitudinal handling surface of the longitudinal foam elements of the mattress on the mobile conveyor.
Figure 13 shows a perspective view of the lateral handling surface of the lateral foam element of the mattress on a mobile conveyor.
Figure 14 shows a perspective view of a bellows press station.
Figure 15 shows a perspective view of the support surface of the bellows press conveyor.
Figure 16 shows a perspective view of the structure of a bellows press conveyor.
Figure 17 shows a left side view of the press conveyor.
Figure 18 shows a left-hand view of the guiding frame and chassis of the mobile conveyor.
Figure 19 shows a bottom view of the guiding frame and chassis of the mobile conveyor.
Figure 20 is a perspective view of foam elements forming a mattress core.
Fig. 21 is a bottom view of the mobile conveyor.
Detailed Description
The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. Aspects of the description will be described using examples and with reference to the embodiments shown above.
Components and other elements of a machine that may be substantially the same in one or more embodiments are identified in a coordinated manner and described with minimal repetition. Therefore, numerous specific details are provided to give a thorough understanding of the invention. In some instances, however, such well-known or conventional details are not described in order to avoid obscuring the description. It should be noted, however, that elements identified in a coordinated manner may also differ to some extent. It should also be noted that the drawings included herein are schematic and are not generally drawn to scale. Rather, the various drawing scales, aspect ratios, and numbers of components shown in the figures may be intentionally distorted to make certain features or relationships easier to see.
Reference in the specification to "an embodiment" or "one embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Furthermore, various features are described which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others.
The terms used in the present specification generally have their ordinary meanings in the art, in the context of the present disclosure, and in the specific context in which each term is used. Some terms used to describe the information are discussed below or elsewhere in this specification to provide additional guidance to the practitioner regarding the description of the information.
Accordingly, alternative languages and synonyms may be used for one or more of the terms discussed herein, and no particular meaning should be specified based on whether the terms are described or discussed in detail herein. The enumeration of one or more synonyms does not exclude the use of other synonyms. The use of examples anywhere in this specification, including examples of all terms discussed herein, is purely illustrative and is not intended to further limit the scope and meaning of this disclosure or any exemplary terms. Also, the present disclosure is not limited to the various embodiments presented in this specification.
Without intending to further limit the scope of the disclosure, examples of mechanical elements, devices, and their associated results according to embodiments of the disclosure are given below.
The present invention relates to a mattress foam assembly machine that allows mattress manufacturers to position, secure and assemble foam side panel sections in a mobile conveyor by gluing at a glue station and sending it to a bellows press.
As shown in fig. 20, the mattress core (7) includes a base (73) and four foam side panels. The side panels are longitudinal (71) and transverse (72) foam panels which are bonded together and extend along the outer periphery of the mattress assembly (7). The base (73) is bonded to the interior of the longitudinal and transverse foam panels (71 and 72), and the panels (71-72) are bonded together and bonded to the base (73) with adhesive.
The cavity inside the base (73) is designed to accommodate a spring arrangement or other element.
Referring now to fig. 4, there is shown a perspective view of a mattress foam assembly machine (1) comprising:
-a gluing station (2) having a substantially parallelepiped structure and equipped with a mobile torch that moves both transversely and longitudinally (i.e. in the X and Y directions);
-a mobile conveyor (3) equipped with a transport mechanism consisting of wheel sets mounted on carriages and free to pivot on a horizontal rolling path, a driving mechanism driving at least one toothed belt to move forward or backward along a transport direction;
-a frame (6) serving as a guide rail containing a driving belt intended to cooperate with toothed pulleys mounted on carriages of the mobile conveyor to drive it along a rolling track;
-a press unit comprising a bellows press (5), a conveyor and a frame (4) serving as a counter-support surface for the bellows press.
Referring now to fig. 7, there is shown a perspective view of a gluing or glue station (2) comprising a frame (26) connected to a support of a longitudinal guide element (27) by means of a cylinder (21). In a preferred embodiment, the element is equipped with a guide rail (25), a toothed belt pulley (23) to guide the glue mechanism (22) along the Y-axis (i.e. the translation direction of the mobile conveyor (3)). These cylinders (21) allow guiding the vertical movement of the support gun assembly along the Z-axis (i.e. perpendicular to the translation plane of the mobile conveyor) and of the fixed gun (28).
Referring now to fig. 8, which shows the displacement and drive mechanism (22) of the gun along the X-axis, i.e. perpendicular to the direction of movement (3) of the mobile conveyor, the mechanism (22) comprises:
-a guide rail (223) designed to guide the translation of the gun (221);
-a sliding device (227) arranged to slide along the guide rail (223);
-a driving device arranged to translate the gun (221) along the guide rail (223), the driving device comprising a driving toothed pulley (224) mounted on the shaft of a servomotor (228) located at a first end of the guide rail (223);
-a return pulley (229) mounted at a second end of the guide rail (223);
-a drive belt (225) connected to the drive pulley (224) and the return pulley (229).
In one embodiment of the invention, the apparatus may be equipped with an automatic system to adjust the speed of movement of the glue gun, allowing the glue rate to be adapted to the placement (3) of the mobile conveyor, providing the glue volume according to the desired pattern.
The foam transfer process to the gumming station and bellows press will be briefly explained with reference to fig. 10 and 11, wherein the carriage (36) or similar container serving as a load support is positioned on a guide rail (65) of the frame (6) using casters (64), said guide rail being designed to guide the translation of the carriage (36) with respect to the frame (6). The translation is achieved by a drive means arranged to move the carriage (36) along the guide rail (65), the drive means comprising a drive pulley (67) mounted on a servo motor shaft at a first end of the guide rail (65), a return pulley (62) mounted at a second end of the guide rail (65), and a drive belt (61) connected to the drive pulley (64) and the return pulley (62).
In another embodiment of the invention, the mobile carriage drive system may be a chain sprocket system, pulleys and belts, arranged with a motor or gear motor, an automation, a microcontroller connected to a sensor such as a proximity sensor, limit switch or positioning sensor.
The holding, positioning and handling station for the foam side panel sections shown in fig. 10, 11, 12, 13 and 21 comprises:
-a frame mounted on a mobile chassis (68);
-at least one conveyor belt (39), a drive shaft (37) for driving the conveyor belt (39), and at least one first guide roller (31), which first guide roller (31) can also be driven and can act as a drive roller aligned with the first roller by means of a coupling (38). The drive means comprises a drive shaft (37), at least one set of guide rollers (39) and a drive motor (not shown);
-a station for aligning and positioning the foam deck at a reproducible accurate position. The station generally includes four reference handling elements (32) and (33) which, when in contact with the handling elements (32) and (33), collectively define a base reference corner of the mattress foam core unit and foam side panel.
The handling element (32) extends along the movement carriage (3), i.e. in the Y-direction, substantially parallel to the path of the movement carriage (3) in the frame (6). The handling element (33) extends transversely to the surface (3) of the mobile carriage and along the mobile carriage (3), i.e. perpendicularly to the handling element (32), i.e. perpendicularly to the X-direction of the path of the mobile carriage (3). The actuating elements (32) and (33) are in vertical contact with the outer surface of the foam.
The pairs of operating elements (32) are symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal median plane (3) (i.e. in the X direction) of the mobile carriage. Similarly, the pairs of maneuvering elements (33) are symmetrical with respect to the transverse median plane (3) of the mobile carriage (i.e. in the Y direction).
In one embodiment of the invention, the steering element (32) may be pivotally mounted at a first end of the frame (36) parallel to the path (3) of the moving carriage, and the steering element (33) may be pivotally mounted at a second end of the carriage (36) substantially perpendicular to the path (3) of the moving carriage.
In one embodiment of the invention, the handling element (32) can be actuated vertically with respect to the upper surface of the conveyor belt (39) via an actuator, such as a cylinder (35), mounted on a cross beam of the frame (36), with its actuation axis perpendicular to the contact surface of the handling element (32) with the foam.
In another embodiment of the invention and referring to fig. 12, a steering element (33) is mounted on the first upper end of the L-shaped membrane (30) and is pivotable about an axis at the second end of the membrane (30). The actuating element (33) is driven by a cylinder (34) arranged horizontally in the membrane (30).
During the transport process to the gumming station, the handling elements (33) and (32) remain in the retracted position, as shown in fig. 4. However, during transfer to the bellows press, the handling element remains in the open position to allow the assembled foam to move unimpeded towards the bellows press conveyor.
In one embodiment of the invention and with reference to fig. 15, the moving conveying surface (39) is not intended to be limited to a particular type and may include a plurality of roller conveyors and/or a rotating belt driven by a motor to automatically move the foam core unit toward the bellows press or sizing station.
The bellows pressing unit (5) shown in fig. 14 to 17 includes:
conveyor belt 544 and drive shaft to drive first drive roller 542, second guide roller 545, drive shaft and gear motor 51.
-A table (543) having a substantially flat support surface, the table being configured to compress foam against an upper surface (44) of the frame. The support surface (543) is retained by the longitudinal beam.
-A transfer station (53) for transferring foam mattress cores from the mobile conveyor (3) to the bellows press (5), not intended to be limited to a specific type, and may comprise a plurality of rollers. The transfer table (53) is located upstream of the bellows press and a first end of the transfer table is pivotable relative to a parallel axis of the second guide roller (545) by means of a cylinder (52) mounted on the frame (4), the lever of which is pivotally mounted with the transfer table (53).
-A pneumatic bellows press (42) comprising an upper mould and a lower mould for shaping the pneumatic bellows, the pneumatic bellows press further comprising a ram that is moved in a straight line by means of a horizontal pusher on the table (543), the first vertical pusher being embedded in the cross beam (41), the second pusher being embedded in the table (543).
The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to best utilize the various aspects of the exemplary embodiments described herein. This example description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to any precise form. Many modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present specification. The embodiments described herein are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the disclosure should be determined with reference to the appended claims and their equivalents.
The terms "unit" and "station" (and derivatives thereof) used in the specification and claims should be construed as allowing technical effects (i.e., through other elements or components) to occur unless otherwise indicated. In addition, the terms "a" or "an" as used in the specification and claims should be construed to mean "at least one". Finally, for convenience in use, the terms "comprising" and "having" (and their derivatives) are used in the specification and claims, are interchangeable and have the same meaning as the term "comprising".
Furthermore, the terms "transverse" or "longitudinal" as used in the specification and claims should be construed to mean the transverse or longitudinal direction of the mattress, respectively, an X direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the mobile carriage and a Y direction parallel to the direction of movement of the mobile carriage.