US20150096671A1

US20150096671A1 - Method for producing medical oversleeves and production system

Info

Publication number: US20150096671A1
Application number: US14/357,736
Authority: US
Inventors: Dianmin Zhou
Original assignee: TECHADHESION SYSTEMS Ltd
Current assignee: TECHADHESION SYSTEMS Ltd
Priority date: 2012-06-28
Filing date: 2012-06-28
Publication date: 2015-04-09
Also published as: GB2509677B; GB2509677A; CN103459152A; CN103459152B; WO2014000207A1; GB201408351D0

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for producing medical oversleeves and a production system. The method comprises steps of unreeling, gluing, agglutinating, cutting and finished product collecting, etc. The system comprises an unreeling device, a gluing device, an agglutinating device, a cutting device and a finished product collecting device, etc. With the method for automatically producing medical oversleeves and the production system provided by the present invention, the deficiency of the present manual semi-mechanized production is overcome.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of industrial automated production of medical oversleeves, particularly to a method for producing medical oversleeves and a production system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Oversleeves, also called covers for the oversleeves, are covers worn outside the sleeves for protecting the sleeves of clothes. Usually, the oversleeves are sagged outside the sleeves of clothes. Medical oversleeves are those used during medical activities. At present, there is one kind of common medical oversleeves as disposable products, made of non-woven fabric as raw material. As such medical oversleeves, when used in medical activities, may prevent the clothes or skin of a user from pollution in the medical activities, they are widely applied in various activities. Referring to FIG. 1, a pair of disposable and protective medical oversleeves is shown, comprising left and right oversleeves. From an overall perspective, the two oversleeves are formed in such a way that: two square pieces to be cut are agglutinated at two ends via hot melt glue and then agglutinated in the middle via the hot melt glue; the hot melt glue in the middle is coated in an inclined line; and then the pieces are cut from the hot melt glue in the middle to form two equal right trapezoids having beveled edges forming an angel of 15°-30° with two bottoms, so that a pair of oversleeves is formed. At present, the demand for such disposable oversleeves is very large. However, the oversleeves are produced manually using some simple machines, so the production efficiency is low.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of deficiencies of manually producing medical oversleeves using some simple machines in a manner of semi-atomization and low production efficiency at present, the present invention provides a method for automatically producing medical oversleeves and a production system.
Firstly, the present invention provides a method for producing medical oversleeves, medical oversleeves being formed by agglutinating and cutting two rolls of non-woven fabrics with a width consistent to the length of the oversleeves, comprising the following steps:
A) a step of unreeling: synchronously unreeling two rolls of non-woven fabrics with a width consistent to the length of the oversleeves at a set speed, and making them move face to face;
B) a step of gluing: continuously and cyclically coating, on one of the two rolls of non-woven fabrics in a specified distance and a specified width, a straight holt melt glue zone vertical to the non-woven fabric strip and an inclined holt melt glue zone;
C) a step of agglutinating: extruding and agglutinating the coating surface of the non-woven fabrics, coated with the holt melt glue, with the other roll of non-woven fabrics, and pulling the non-woven fabrics to move;
D) a step of cutting: cutting along the straight and inclined hot melt glue lines in a piece to be cut, in order to form left and right oversleeves; and
E) a step of collecting the finished products.
Further, before Step B), the method for producing medical oversleeves further comprises the following steps:
A01) a step of placing rubber bands: placing, on two sides of the two rolls of non-woven fabrics, rubber bands having a same constant tension along the non-woven fabrics; and
A02) a step of folding: folding two edges of the two rolls of non-woven fabrics inward, and folding the rubber bands into the folded edges.
Further, in the method for producing medical oversleeves: in Step B), the hot melt glue is coated by a transfer roller on the non-woven fabrics one time.
Further, in the method for producing medical oversleeves: after Step C), the piece to be cut is placed on a conveyor belt to move forwards continuously.
Further, in the method for producing medical oversleeves: in Step E), the finished products are collected by left and right oversleeves, respectively.
Secondly, the present invention further provides a production system for implementing the above method for producing medical oversleeves, comprising an unreeling device, a gluing device, an agglutinating device, a cutting device and a finished product collecting device,
the unreeling device comprises a first unreeling shaft and a second unreeling shaft hung with a roll of non-woven fabrics, respectively, a group of running direction control rollers for directing the running direction of the non-woven fabrics and a power unit for pulling the non-woven fabrics to move;
the gluing device comprises a pattern gluing roller, a transfer roller and a composite roller, the perimeter of the pattern gluing roller being an integral multiple of the average of perimeters of upper and lower cuffs of the medical oversleeves, straight lines parallel to the shaft of the pattern gluing roller and straight glue absorption zones forming a certain angle with the shaft thereof being disposed at intervals on the pattern gluing roller according to the specification of the medical oversleeves, the perimeter of the transfer roller being an integral multiple of the average of perimeters of upper and lower cuffs of the medical oversleeves, one side of the transfer roller compressing the pattern gluing roller while the other side thereof compressing the composite roller, the first roll of non-woven fabrics passing between the transfer roller and the composite roller;
the agglutinating device comprises an agglutinating roller and the composite roller, the composite roller being extruded by the agglutinating roller after rolling through the transfer roller, the second roll of non-woven fabrics being wound on the agglutinating roller under the control of the running direction control rollers, the first roll of non-woven fabrics facing the second roll of non-woven fabrics wound on the agglutinating roller after being wound on the composite roller half a circle and then going out between the agglutinating roller and the composite roller to form a piece to be cut; and
the cutting device comprises a knife roller and a power roller, the knife roller and the power roller being disposed in a manner of extrusion, the piece to be cut passing between the knife roller and the power roller, the perimeter of the knife roller being an integral multiple of the average of perimeters of upper and lower cuffs of the medical oversleeves, straight knives having blades parallel to the shaft of the knife roller and inclined knives having blades forming an included angle with the shaft of the knife roller being disposed on the surface of the knife roller at intervals.
Further, the production system further comprises a constant-tension rubber band feeding device and a folding device, rubber band feeding points of the constant-tension rubber band feeding device being provided prior to the agglutinating device to feed the rubber bands to two edges of each roll of non-woven fabrics, the folding device being provided behind the rubber band feeding points of the constant-tension rubber band feeding device to fold the two edges of each roll of non-woven fabrics.
Further, in the production system: the perimeter of the pattern gluing roller is the average of the perimeters of upper and lower cuffs of the medical oversleeves.
Further, in the production system: the power unit for pulling the non-woven fabrics to move is disposed behind the agglutinating device, and a conveyor belt is disposed behind the power unit, the conveyor belt being a suction belt.
Further, in the production system: the finished product collecting device comprises a sorting device for sorting the finished products, already cut by the cutting device, into left oversleeves and right oversleeves, and a left oversleeve collecting device and a right oversleeve collecting device for receiving the left oversleeves and the right oversleeves, respectively.
With the method for automatically producing medical oversleeves and the production system provided by the present invention, the deficiency of the present manual semi-mechanized production is overcome.
The present invention will be described as below in details with reference to accompanying drawings by embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system for producing medical oversleeves according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of non-woven fabric;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of non-woven fabric added with rubber bands and folded;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a piece to be cut;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a left oversleeve; and

FIG. 6 is schematic diagram of a right oversleeve;

In the figures: 1—First unreeling shaft; 2—Second unreeling shaft; 3—Running direction control rollers; 4—Power unit; 5—Pattern gluing roller; 6—Transfer roller; 7—Composite roller; 8—Agglutinating roller; 9—First roll of non-woven fabrics; 10—Second roll of non-woven fabrics; 11—Piece to be cut; 12—Knife roller; 13—Power roller; 14—Constant-tension rubber band feeding device; 15—Folding device; 16—Rubber band feeding point; 17—Conveyor belt; 18—Vertical hot melt glue zone; 19—Inclined hot melt glue zones; 20—Folded edges; 21—Left oversleeve; and, 22—Right oversleeve.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Embodiment 1

Referring to FIG. 1, a system for producing medical oversleeves from non-woven fabric is shown in this embodiment, comprising an unreeling device, a constant-tension rubber band feeding device 14, a folding device 15, a gluing device, an agglutinating device, a cutting device and a finished product collecting device.
Wherein, the unreeling device comprises two unreeling shafts, i.e., a first unreeling shaft 1 and a second unreeling shaft 2, which are hung with a roll of non-woven fabrics, respectively, i.e., a first roll of non-woven fabrics 9 and a second roll of non-woven fabrics 10. To make the two rolls of non-woven fabrics move face to face ultimately, the unreeling device is further provided with non-woven fabric running direction control rollers 3. As shown, there are four running direction control rollers 3, respectively, for making the first roll of non-woven fabrics 9 move downwards, then move forwards and finally move upwards, and for making the second roll of non-woven fabrics 10 move upwards to a corresponding position to which the first roll of non-woven fabrics 9 moves forwards and then move downwards. The unreeling device is further provided with a power unit 4 for pulling the non-woven fabrics to move. The first roll of non-woven fabrics 9 and the second roll of non-woven fabrics 10 are as shown in FIG. 2.
Rubber band feeding points 16 of the constant-tension rubber band feeding device 14 are provided prior to the agglutinating device to feed the rubber bands to two edges of each roll of non-woven fabrics. The folding device 15 is provided behind the rubber band feeding points of the constant-tension rubber band feeding device to fold the two edges of each roll of non-woven fabrics. At this time, the folded non-woven fabrics added with the rubber bands are as shown in FIG. 3. Folded edges 21 are formed on the two edges of the second roll of non-woven fabrics 10, and folded edges (not shown) are also formed on the two edges of the first roll of non-woven fabrics 9.
The use of the constant-tension rubber band feeding device 14 in this embodiment is a KTF (tension control device) is characterized in that: a tension sensor detects the change of conveyor tension of an elastic rubber band, and a conveyor motor is synchronously rotated to adjust the conveyor tension of the rubber band to a specified stable tension; the constant-tension rubber band feeding device is applied to elastic rubber bands above 200dtex in elasticity, with particularly good effects for thick rubber bands; during the production process, the constant-tension rubber band feeding device may be kept at any specified tension, the quality of products may be thus further improved; and, the constant-tension rubber band feeding device may control to the minimal extent the change of velocity, temperature and humidity and the change of extension resulted from the outer layer, the inner layer and the innermost layer.
Standards of KTF:
4 ingots;
supply voltage: AC 100/200V 1 Phase 50/60 Hz;
power: 300 W at maximum;
velocity: 250 m/min at maximum;
tension: 0.5 g-99.5 g;
the tension controller (KTF) may be installed separately, or equipped with a tensiometer for production management; and
rubber bands may be conveyed continuously when the rubber bands with tails are used.
Advantages:
rubber bands may be conveyed continuously when rolls of rubber bands with tails are used;
rolls of rubber bands may be replaced without the need of stopping the production lines, so that the production efficiency is improved;
the utilization rate of rubber bands is 100%, free of material waste;
the tension of each rubber band may be controlled separately;
the possibility of broken rubber bands due to coiling may be reduced by means of longitudinal conveying;
to be easier to replace rolls of rubber bands, a standard conveying mechanism device is configured;
to avoid kinking resulted from up-and-down movement during conveying, a separator is configured; and
an adjustment device with moving feet is configured to move the whole device, so that the installation is easy.
The gluing device comprises a pattern gluing roller 5, a transfer roller 6 and a composite roller 7. The perimeter of the pattern gluing roller 5 is an integral multiple of the average of perimeters of upper and lower cuffs of the medical oversleeves. In this embodiment, the perimeter of the pattern gluing roller 5 is equal to the average of perimeters of upper and lower cuffs of the medical oversleeves. Straight lines parallel to the shaft of the pattern gluing roller 5 and straight glue absorption zones forming a certain angle with the shaft thereof are disposed at intervals on the pattern gluing roller 5 according to the specification of the medical oversleeves. The perimeter of the transfer roller 6 is the same as that of the pattern gluing roller 5. One side of the transfer roller 6 compresses the pattern gluing roller 5, while the other side thereof compressing the composite roller 7. A roll of non-woven fabrics, being the first roll of glued non-woven fabrics 9, passes between the transfer roller 6 and the composite roller 7, so that the glue transferred to the transfer roller 6 from the pattern gluing roller 5 is coated onto the non-woven fabrics. The agglutinating device comprises an agglutinating roller 8 and the composite roller 7. The composite roller 7 is extruded by the agglutinating roller 8 after rolling through the transfer roller 6. The second roll of non-woven fabrics 10 is wound on the agglutinating roller 8 under the control of the running direction control rollers 3. The first roll of non-woven fabrics 9 faces the second roll of non-woven fabrics 10 wound on the agglutinating roller 8 after being wound on the composite roller 7 half a circle and then going out between the agglutinating roller 8 and the composite roller) to form a piece 11 to be cut, as shown in FIG. 4. On the piece 11 to be cut, a straight glue zone 18 and an inclined glue zone 19 are formed, so that the first and second rolls of non-woven fabrics are agglutinated together through these glue zones.
In this embodiment, the scheme of composite gluing is as follows:
The agglutinating device comprises an agglutinating roller 8 and a composite roller 7. The composite roller 7 is extruded by the agglutinating roller 8 after rolling through the transfer roller 6. Two rolls of non-woven fabrics are superimposed and then pass between the agglutinating roller 8 and the composite roller 7 to form a piece 11 to be cut. One surface of the non-woven fabrics, coated with the hot melt glue, is agglutinated with the opposite surface of the other roll of non-woven fabrics. Here, the composite roller 7 plays two roles: one is that the composite roller is used as a fixed roller for fully coating the hot melt glue on the transfer roller onto the non-woven fabrics, while the other one is that the composite roller is used as an extrusion roller for agglutinating two rolls of non-woven fabrics via the hot melt glue in coordination with the agglutinating roller 8.
The power device 4 for driving the non-woven fabrics to move is provided behind the agglutinating device. The power device is a group of rollers, formed by extruding two pairs of rollers together. After agglutinated to form the piece 11 to be cut, the non-woven fabrics move under the pull of the two pairs of the extruded rollers. After passing through the power device 4, the piece to be cut is placed on a conveyor belt 17 and moves forwards along the conveyor belt 17. Due to light weight, the piece to be cut cannot be carried away by the friction between the piece to be cut and the conveyor belt, so a blow belt is used as the conveyor belt 7.
The cutting device comprises a knife roller 12 and a power roller 13. The knife roller 12 and the power roller 13 are disposed in a manner of extrusion. The piece 11 to be cut passes between the knife roller 12 and the power roller 13. The perimeter of the knife roller 12 is an integral multiple of the average of perimeters of upper and lower cuffs of the medical oversleeves. Straight knives having blades parallel to the shaft of the knife roller 12 and inclined knives having blades forming an included angle with the shaft of the knife roller 12 are disposed on the surface of the knife roller at intervals. Thus, by cutting via the straight blades and the inclined blades, a left oversleeve 21 and a right oversleeve 22 are formed, as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6.
The finished product collecting device comprises a sorting device for sorting the finished products, already cut by the cutting device, into the left oversleeves 21 and the right oversleeves 22, and a left oversleeve collecting device and a right oversleeve collecting device for receiving the left oversleeves and the right oversleeves, respectively.
The system provided by this embodiment is simple in operation and convenient in control.
The technological process of this embodiment is as follows: non-woven fabrics and PE film component material are fed, and rubber bands unreeled by a constant-tension system are glued and combined together via a special rubber band spray gun and then folded and covered. PUR glue is distributed on the pattern gluing roller, and then the non-woven fabrics with folded two edges are combined via the transfer roller. The non-woven fabrics move forwards continuously to be rolled by three groups of rollers. Subsequently, the non-woven fabrics move forwards through the suction belt and are then cut into left and right formed oversleeves by an air knife. The formed oversleeves move forwards continuously under the action of the conveyor belt. Then, the two different formed oversleeves are sorted into a finished product box via a blow device and then sorted and packaged. The specific working steps are as follows:
1. a step of unreeling: synchronously unreeling two rolls of non-woven fabrics with a width consistent to the length of the oversleeves at a set speed, and making them move face to face;
2. a step of gluing: continuously and cyclically coating, on one of the two rolls of non-woven fabrics in a specified distance and a specified width, a straight holt melt glue zone vertical to the non-woven fabric strip and an inclined holt melt glue zone;
3. a step of placing rubber bands: placing, on two sides of the two rolls of non-woven fabrics, rubber bands having a same constant tension along the non-woven fabrics;
4. a step of folding: folding two edges of the two rolls of non-woven fabrics inward, and folding the rubber bands into the folded edges.
5. a step of agglutinating: extruding and agglutinating the coating surface of the non-woven fabrics, coated with the holt melt glue, with the other roll of non-woven fabrics, and pulling the non-woven fabrics to move;
6. disposing the piece to be cut on a conveyor belt to move forwards continuously;
7. a step of cutting: cutting along the straight and inclined hot melt glue lines in a piece to be cut, in order to form left and right oversleeves; and
8. a step of collecting the finished products by left and right oversleeves, respectively.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing medical oversleeves, medical oversleeves being formed by agglutinating and cutting two rolls of non-woven fabrics with a width consistent to the length of the oversleeves, comprising the following steps:

A) a step of unreeling: synchronously unreeling two rolls of non-woven fabrics with a width consistent to the length of the oversleeves at a set speed, and making them move face to face;

B) a step of gluing: continuously and cyclically coating, on one of the two rolls of non-woven fabrics in a specified distance and a specified width, a straight holt melt glue zone vertical to the non-woven fabric strip and an inclined holt melt glue zone;

C) a step of agglutinating: extruding and agglutinating the coating surface of the non-woven fabrics, coated with the holt melt glue, with the other roll of non-woven fabrics, and pulling the non-woven fabrics to move;

D) a step of cutting: cutting along the straight and inclined hot melt glue lines in a piece to be cut, in order to form left and right oversleeves; and

E) a step of collecting the finished products.

2. The method for producing medical oversleeves according to claim 1, before Step B), further comprising the following steps:

A01) a step of placing rubber bands: placing, on two sides of the two rolls of non-woven fabrics, rubber bands having a same constant tension along the non-woven fabrics; and

A02) a step of folding: folding two edges of the two rolls of non-woven fabrics inward, and folding the rubber bands into the folded edges.

3. The method for producing medical oversleeves according to claim 1, wherein, in Step B), the hot melt glue is coated by a transfer roller on the non-woven fabrics one time.

4. The method for producing medical oversleeves according to claim 1, wherein, after Step C), the piece to be cut is placed on a conveyor belt to move forwards continuously.

5. The method for producing medical oversleeves according to claim 1, wherein, in Step E), the finished products are collected by left and right oversleeves, respectively.

6. A production system for implementing the method for producing medical oversleeves according to claim 1, comprising an unreeling device, a gluing device, an agglutinating device, a cutting device and a finished product collecting device, wherein:

the unreeling device comprises a first unreeling shaft (1) and a second unreeling shaft (2) hung with a roll of non-woven fabrics, respectively, a group of running direction control rollers (3) for directing the running direction of the non-woven fabrics and a power unit (4) for pulling the non-woven fabrics to move;

the gluing device comprises a pattern gluing roller (5), a transfer roller (6) and a composite roller (7), the perimeter of the pattern gluing roller (5) being an integral multiple of the average of perimeters of upper and lower cuffs of the medical oversleeves, straight lines parallel to the shaft of the pattern gluing roller (5) and straight glue absorption zones forming a certain angle with the shaft thereof being disposed at intervals on the pattern gluing roller (5) according to the specification of the medical oversleeves, the perimeter of the transfer roller (6) being an integral multiple of the average of perimeters of upper and lower cuffs of the medical oversleeves, one side of the transfer roller (6) compressing the pattern gluing roller (5) while the other side thereof compressing the composite roller (7), the first roll of non-woven fabrics (9) passing between the transfer roller (6) and the composite roller (7);

the agglutinating device comprises an agglutinating roller (8) and the composite roller (7), the composite roller (7) being extruded by the agglutinating roller (8) after rolling through the transfer roller (6), the second roll of non-woven fabrics (10) being wound on the agglutinating roller (8) under the control of the running direction control rollers (3), the first roll of non-woven fabrics (9) facing the second roll of non-woven fabrics (10) wound on the agglutinating roller (8) after being wound on the composite roller (7) half a circle and then going out between the agglutinating roller (8) and the composite roller (7) to form a piece (11) to be cut; and

the cutting device comprises a knife roller (12) and a power roller (13), the knife roller (12) and the power roller (13) being disposed in a manner of extrusion, the piece (11) to be cut passing between the knife roller (12) and the power roller (13), the perimeter of the knife roller (12) being an integral multiple of the average of perimeters of upper and lower cuffs of the medical oversleeves, straight knives having blades parallel to the shaft of the knife roller (12) and inclined knives having blades forming an included angle with the shaft of the knife roller (12) being disposed on the surface of the knife roller at intervals.

7. The production system according to claim 6, further comprising a constant-tension rubber band feeding device (14) and a folding device (15), rubber band feeding points (16) of the constant-tension rubber band feeding device (14) being provided prior to the agglutinating device to feed the rubber bands to two edges of each roll of non-woven fabrics, the folding device (15) being provided behind the rubber band feeding points (16) of the constant-tension rubber band feeding device to fold the two edges of each roll of non-woven fabrics.

8. The production system according to claim 6, wherein the perimeter of the pattern gluing roller (5) is the average of the perimeters of upper and lower cuffs of the medical oversleeves.

9. The production system according to claim 6, wherein the power unit (4) for pulling the non-woven fabrics to move is disposed behind the agglutinating device, and a conveyor belt (17) is disposed behind the power unit, the conveyor belt (17) being a suction belt.

10. The production system according to claim 6, wherein the finished product collecting device comprises a sorting device for sorting the finished products, already cut by the cutting device, into left oversleeves and right oversleeves, and a left oversleeve collecting device and a right oversleeve collecting device for receiving the left oversleeves and the right oversleeves, respectively.