WO2009016669A1

WO2009016669A1 - Welding device for textiles

Info

Publication number: WO2009016669A1
Application number: PCT/IT2007/000634
Authority: WO
Inventors: Luciano Salotto; Luca Prizzon
Original assignee: FRA-SER SpA
Current assignee: FRA-SER SpA
Priority date: 2007-07-31
Filing date: 2007-09-13
Publication date: 2009-02-05
Anticipated expiration: 2010-01-31
Also published as: ITMI20071569A1

Abstract

A welding device for textiles provided with a support frame (2) and a welding unit (3) carrying feeding means (8) to supply at least one ribbon to be welded onto a respective textile piece, heating means (9) adapted to operate on a region of the textile piece to be welded, and a coupling member (7) to support said feeding (8) and heating (9) means; said unit (3) being movable relative to the frame (2) between an operating welding position and a non-operating rest position.

Description

"WELDING DEVICE FOR TEXTILES"

D e s c r i p t i o n

The present invention relates to a welding device for textiles. In particular, the present invention relates to a thermal welding device, used for steadily coupling one or more ribbons onto at least one respective textile piece. Generally, these ribbons are associated with garments to form particular graphic patterns thereon or to make one or more regions of the garment waterproof. In case of welding of two textile layers, the ribbons are used as an auxiliary support to define a steady coupling between said superposed textiles.

As known, the welding devices for textiles consist of a support frame, resting on the ground and defining a rather bulky work bench. Standing on the work bench is a support post having a substantially L-shaped configuration.

The support post carries the different components of a heating member adapted to deliver a hot air flow onto a region of the textile piece to be welded, and is connected to suitable electronic control and adjustment members, electrically coupled to the heating member to switch the heating member itself on and off and adjust temperature and flow rate of the air flow thereof. The heating member is further coupled to an actuating system to be activated by means of a treadle disposed under the work bench and adapted to move the hot-air flow delivery mouth close to and away from the work bench.

The post further carries respective feeding elements for supply of one or more ribbons, said elements consisting of a ribbon unwinding roller placed close to the heating member, a series of intermediate and retaining rollers placed upstream of the unwinding roller and a ribbon feeding reel. The actuating system is further coupled to the unwinding roller to cause movement of said roller close to and away from the work bench, together with the heating member.

In this way, when the operator switches the actuating system on, the unwinding roller and heating member are moved close to a counter-roller that is tangential to the unwinding roller to retain the ribbon and the respective textile piece.

During feeding of the ribbon by the unwinding roller, the operator carries out positioning of the textile piece and ribbon close to the region to be welded to direct the hot air flow to that region thus enabling the ribbon to be welded onto the textile piece.

While these welding devices are able to carry out welding of ribbons onto textiles in a simple manner, they however have important drawbacks.

In fact, it is to be pointed out that the structure of the whole device has big sizes and is therefore bulky and rather heavy. This drawback is mainly connected with the support frame conformation suitable for resting on the ground and defining the work bench.

In addition, the above described industrial devices are provided with many adjustment and control circuits allowing a plurality of operating parameters (temperature, air flow, pressure, ribbon feeding speed, ribbon tension, etc.) to be programmed and stored.

The possibility of finely adjusting each of these parameters has however involved a further increase in the machine complexity and has introduced important complications as regards mounting.

In particular, it has been noticed that often ^" the capacity of these industrial machines is not at all exploited and generally such capacity is not even required.

Therefore, the above described devices have important application limits above all in connection with the programming and setting difficulties encountered, as well as in terms of storage, transport and use of same in a domestic environment or in small enterprises.

To obviate these drawbacks simple and lightweight devices of manual use for welding have been proposed which consist of a heating member integrated with the respective electronic control and adjustment circuitry.

These devices are further provided with a ribbon feeding system directly coupled to the heating member. The apparatus is equipped with suitable handles to be handled with ease by the operator during the whole welding operations of the device and transport of same. In this manner, the heating member rests on a work bench and is manually directed to the textile regions on which said ribbon is be welded.

This welding device is very lightweight, handy and of reduced sizes, although it has important drawbacks as well. - A -

In fact, these devices operating only on a top surface (work bench) , are not able to carry out welding operations on garment surfaces that are not planar, such as junctions at the shoulders or the sleeves.

In addition, these devices clearly have important limits of use, above all in the industrial field. In fact, the above described welding devices, while of easy use in the domestic environment, require manual movements to be carried out which involve a great increase in the time required for manufacturing each individual article of clothing.

Under this situation, the technical task underlying the present invention is to conceive a welding device for textiles capable of substantially obviating the mentioned drawbacks .

Within the scope of this technical task, it is an important aim of the invention to conceive a welding device for textiles which is versatile and can be used both in the industrial and domestic field.

A further aim of the invention is to conceive a welding device for textiles that is of simple structure, reduced bulkiness and costs and adapted to enable manual handing and transport.

In addition, the invention aims at making available a machine provided in any case with some essential adjustments to enable it to be adapted to different work conditions and to offer some degree of flexibility.

An auxiliary aim of the invention is to make available a support frame enabling a movable welding unit to be converted into a device for industrial use, by means of simple operations.

The technical tasks mentioned and the aims specified are substantially achieved by a welding device for textiles that is characterised in that it comprises the technical solution hereinafter claimed.

Description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a welding device for textiles in accordance with the invention is now taken hereinafter by way of non- limiting example and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: - Fig. 1 is an elevation front view of the welding device in accordance with the invention, in a respective operating condition;

- Fig. 2 is an elevation side view from the right of the device seen in Fig. 1 in accordance with the invention;

- Fig. 3 is an elevation side view from the left of the device seen in Fig. 1 in accordance with the invention; and

- Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

With reference to the drawings, the welding device for textiles in accordance with the invention is generally denoted with reference numeral 1.

In particular, device 1 being the subject matter of the invention is advantageously used for carrying out welding operations or particular working operations involving ribbon addition, mainly on garments of various kinds. Generally, the welding devices 1 are used to join one or more ribbons to respective textile pieces to create particular graphic patterns or to make predetermined regions of a garment waterproof.

In addition, these devices 1 can be employed to steadily join two textile layers, using said ribbon as the supporting material between the layers.

As better shown in Fig. 1, device 1 comprises a support frame 2 adapted to carry a welding unit 3 to be more fully described in the following.

In particular, frame 2 is provided with a supporting base 4 having a substantially flat conformation and a horizontal extension. Base 4 defines a lower surface 4a resting on a horizontal plane such as a table or work bench for example, and an upper surface 4b which is flat and opposite to the lower surface 4a.

Extending from the upper surface 4b of base 4 is a post 5 having substantially parallelepiped conformation and longitudinal extension transverse to the flat extension of base 4. Preferably, post 5 extends perpendicularly from base 4 and has an upper end 5a for engagement with a crosspiece 6.

Still with reference to Fig. 1, it is to be noted that crosspiece 6, of a substantially parallelepiped extension too, has a first end βa coupled to the upper end 5a of post 5 and a second end 6b opposite to the first one 6a. The crosspiece 6 has a substantially horizontal longitudinal extension, i.e. parallel to the horizontal extension of base 4 and perpendicular to the extension of post 5. — 1 —

It is also to be pointed out that post 5 is housed at an end region of the upper surface 4b of base 4. Under this situation crosspiece 6 extends over base 4 to define a substantially C-shaped conformation of the whole frame 2.

Advantageously, base 4, post 5 and crosspiece 6 are made up of aluminium section members connected to each other by means of removable hooking members, not shown and described as known by themselves.

In this manner, frame 2 can be easily transported due to its very reduced bulkiness and then mounted for use only where required; the same can also be dismantled at the end of each use so that its bulkiness is reduced and it can be advantageously stowed in a small space.

Turning back to the frame structure, an abutment element 10 located at the second end 6b of crosspiece 6 extends from base 4.

In particular, the abutment element 10 has a bar 11 a first end lla of which can be coupled to the upper surface 4b of base 4 and the second end lib of which, opposite to the first one, is adapted to support a counter-roller 12 idly mounted on bar 11, its rotation axis being horizontal or parallel to the support benches. Advantageously, bar 11 is suitable for supporting accessories (not shown and described as they are of known type) such as support surfaces and alignment guides designed to facilitate the operator's work.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, the bar has an oblique longitudinal extension that is adjustable by means of a suitable articulated joint relative to the planar extension of the upper surface 4b.

Fastening of bar 11 takes place by inserting a portion of the first end 11a thereof into a dovetail seat; said bar is caused to longitudinally slide until its final position, identified by means of graphic marks or abutment notches for example, being then steadily secured therein.

As can be seen, the support frame 2 essentially consists of base 4, post 5, crosspiece 6 and bar 11, exclusively. Once assembled, post 5 emerges from base 4 to the right relative to the user who is about to use the welding device. All these parts, removably and rigidly fastened during use, can be disassembled in a quite easy and quick manner in case of need.

In addition, each part is provided with respective longitudinal dovetail seats adapted to receive in engagement and support accessories and/or elementary components by quick coupling.

In addition, the crosspiece and post are formed with aluminium section members of same section, which brings about a reduction in costs and production time.

Furthermore, since this structure is substantially only used as a support for a welding unit (3), it is very lightweight and simple, as better clarified herebelow.

Said welding unit 3 comprises a stiff coupling member 7 on which feeding means 8 is engaged for supplying at least one ribbon (not shown in the drawings) , as well as heating means 9 for heating at least one region of the textile piece to be welded.

In more detail, the feeding means 8 has at least an unwinding roller 13 actuated by respective power means 14 preferably consisting of an electric motor connected to the coupling member 7 too (Figs. 1 and 3) . In this manner, the unwinding roller 13 is driven in rotation around a respective longitudinal axis X parallel to the longitudinal extension of crosspiece 6.

The feeding means 8 further has at least one reel 15 holding a respective ribbon as shown in Fig. 2. However, it will be understood that device 1 can be provided with any number of reels 15, each corresponding to a respective ribbon to be welded.

Reel 15 is rotatably associated with the coupling member 7 upstream of the unwinding roller 13 and has respective tensioning means 16 such as a clutch, adapted to keep the ribbon fed by the unwinding roller 13 taut.

Advantageously, the tensioning means 16 is manually adjustable by a suitable screw 16a, so as to define the ribbon tensioning degree, depending on the different working requirements and the ribbon type. In other words, although reel 15 is idly mounted on the coupling member 7, its movement can be restrained to a greater or lesser degree thereby determining the ribbon tension.

In addition, a series of intermediate rollers 17 is distributed between the unwinding roller 13 and reel

15, which rollers are rotatably coupled to the coupling member 7 and define a predetermined path for the ribbon unwound from roller 13 to allow correct feeding of same .

Preferably, the unwinding roller 13 is supported by a supporting portion 18 of a substantially fork-shaped conformation (Figs. 2 and 3) and advantageously associated with a switch for control of the power means 14. The supporting portion 18 has a first end 18a in engagement with roller 13 and a second end 18b pivotally mounted on the coupling member 7 to rotate about a respective axis Y parallel to the longitudinal axis X of the unwinding roller 13. In this manner, the supporting portion 18 rotates between a first position at which said power means 14 is started (through a pressure switch activated at the rotation end, for example) and the unwinding roller 13 is moved close to the coupling member 7 and the counter-roller 12, and a second position at which the power means 14 is shut off (the pressure switch being released) and roller 13 is moved away from the coupling member 7 and counter- roller 12.

It will be appreciated that, as shown in the figures, when the supporting portion 18 is in said first position the unwinding roller 13 is brought into contact with counter-roller 12. Under this situation, the unwinding roller 13 is tangential to counter-roller 12 to transmit rotation and drive along the counter- roller 12 itself. Advantageously, the outer cylindrical surfaces 12a, 13a of the respective rollers 12 and 13 abut against each other in order to retain and consequently cause advancing of said ribbon to be coupled to a fabric to be welded that is placed and moved between the two rollers by the operator. - li ^¬

lt is to be noted that in the general configuration of the device, the frame post and crosspiece emerge from the side opposite to reel 15 (and more generally to the feeding means) relative to the cylindrical body 21 so as not to- interfere with mounting and use thereof.

Also simplified are the operations for replacement of the ribbon, as well as tensioning control and regular unwinding of said ribbon.

The heating means 9 comprises a delivery member 19 supplying a heating air flow, which member is secured to the coupling member 7 and operatively connected to an electronic unit 20 for control and operation of the parameters representing said air flow. In more detail, the electronic unit 20 is adapted to adjust the temperature and the air flow rate, depending on the type of welding and of material to be welded.

The delivery member 19 comprises a substantially cylindrical body 21 having a first end 21a provided with a mouth 22 for exit of the air flow, which mouth is disposed at a position facing the unwinding roller 13 to direct the flow to the textile region to be welded.

The cylindrical body 21 is further provided with a covering panel 22a, preferably pierced with holes and adapted to protect the operator against heat from the delivery member 19, during the work steps. In addition, the cylindrical body 21 is equipped with a pair of handles 23, distributed at different points on body 21, to enable the whole unit to be easily handled and moved by the operator. Furthermore, the cylindrical body 21 can also be equipped with an optical pointer, not shown and described in detail as it is of known type, which is adapted to project onto the textile piece a visual reference signal of the region where the heating air flow coming out of mouth 22 operates.

The electronic control unit 20 is housed at a second end 21b of the cylindrical body 21 opposite to the first end 21a.

Advantageously, the electronic unit 20 is integrated into the cylindrical body 21 and is suitably connected to a series of control switches 24 to be manually turned on to determine the air flow temperature and rate. These switches 24 are preferably housed at the second end 21b of the cylindrical body 21 and close to one of said handles 23 (Figs. 2, 3 and 4) . In addition, the second end 21b of the cylindrical body 21 has a display 25 (Fig. 4) showing a series of data identifying the air flow temperature and rate, this display too being electrically connected to the electronic unit 20.

In this manner the operator is allowed to carry out a selection from a predetermined number of discrete settings of the welding parameters; although said selection is restricted to few variations, at all events the same gives the machine a good adaptability to different working operations and different textiles, which will enable all relative controls to be housed in the welding unit.

Unit 3 is preferably provided with a power supply assembly 26 secured to the coupling member 7 and operatively connected to the feeding means 8 and heating means 9 through respective electric cables

(Fig. 3) . The power supply assembly 26 is associable with the fixed supply mains to feed all electric components associated with the coupling member 7, i.e. feeding means 8 and heating means 9. unit '3 thus structured is removably associated with frame 2.

In other words, the welding unit 3 and support frame 12 are distinct units that can be separated from each other both from a functional and physical point of view .

The support frame is fixed and stiff and aims at supporting the welding unit 3 in place thus enabling carrying out of working operations that otherwise could not be possible (above all those that are not adapted to be accomplished on a flat surface) .

Vice versa, the welding unit constitutes an apparatus by itself provided with all elements and devices capable of enabling it to carry out welding operations on textiles; actually the welding unit can be used manually, independently of the frame although in this case its operating flexibility and accuracy are affected.

When mounted on the frame, the welding unit is movable relative thereto between an operating welding position corresponding to said first position of the supporting portion 18 at which the power means 14 of the unwinding roller 13 is started and the abutment roller 12 is driven along together with the welding ribbon, and a non operating rest position corresponding to the second position of the supporting portion 18 and not shown in the accompanying figures.

In particular, the coupling member 7 is rotatably in engagement with crosspiece 6 at the respective second end 6b, actually making the whole unit 3 rotatable around a respective axis Z between the operating and non operating positions.

In other words, the welding unit 3 rotates relative to the frame together with the feeding and heating means.

Advantageously, the coupling member 7 enables coupling/uncoupling of unit 3 to and from frame 2. In this way, under use conditions, unit 3 is mounted on frame 2 by the user, while in non-use conditions, unit 3 can be dismantled from frame 2 in order to reduce the overall bulkiness of device 1 to a greater extent.

Separation can take place without reguiring other parts of the device being dismantled; in fact, on the one hand there is the support frame, and on the other hand the welding unit with the feeding and heating means.

Therefore, in the event of particular working operations, unit 3 can be manually used without being coupled to frame 2. In fact it will be appreciated that all members for welding and feeding the ribbon are integrated into unit 3 and therefore can be used independently of mounting of the unit to frame 2. In addition, if a suitable carriage equipped with pivoting wheels is associated therewith, unit 3 can be used for applying ribbons to textiles resting on a sucking table.

The coupling member 7 preferably consists of a supporting plate 28 pivotally mounted on crosspiece 6 along said axis Z and associated with a projection 29 of the coupling member 7 having a substantially plate- like conformation as well. Projection 29 and plate 28 are engaged by reversible hooking means 30 not shown in detail as of known type and consisting of a series of screws for example.

In this manner, unit 3 is rotatably in engagement with frame 2 and can rotate relative thereto between the operating and non-operating positions.

Rotation of unit 3 is imposed by an actuating member 31 acting on unit 3 and preferably associated with frame 2. The actuating member 31 consists of a linear actuator 32 in engagement with post 5 of frame 2 and operatively associated with the coupling member 7 by means of a connecting element 33.

In more detail, the connecting element 33 comprises a lever system to convert the linear motion of actuator 32 into a rotatory motion and transmit it to the coupling member 7 and consequently the whole unit 3.

Actuator 32 is preferably made up of a pneumatic or electric cylinder activated by drive means 34 diagrammatically shown in the drawings.

Preferably, the drive means 34 consists of a treadle disposed below frame 2 and drivable by the operator to start/shut off actuator 32.

In this manner, when actuator 32 is started, unit 3 is rotated to be moved close to the supporting base 4. The invention achieves important advantages. First of all the welding device is versatile as it can be used both in the industrial and domestic field. This advantage results from the particular conformation of the unit incorporating all fundamental components for the welding operations.

It will be further appreciated that the device is of simple structure, reduced bulkiness and costs and manually transportable. In facr, the capability of removing the unit from the respective frame enables the whole device to be stowed in small spaces.

Claims

C L A I M S

1. A welding device for textiles, characterised in that it comprises: - a support frame (2); and

- a welding unit (3) carrying feeding means (8) to supply at least one ribbon to be welded onto a respective textile piece, and heating means (9) adapted to operate on a region of the textile piece to be welded; and

- a coupling member (7) to connect said welding unit (3) to said frame (2); said welding unit (3) being movable relative to the frame (2) between an operating welding position and a non-operating rest position.

2. A device as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, characterised in that said frame (2) comprises: a supporting base (4) of a substantially flat extension; a post (5) extending from said supporting base (4) in a transverse direction; and a crosspiece

(6), preferably of a substantially horizontal extension and emerging away from said post (5); said coupling member (7) being in engagement with said welding unit (3) and defining an articulated joint around a respective axis (Z).

3. A device as claimed in the preceding claim, characterised in that the coupling member (7) interposed between said welding unit (3) and support frame (2) enables a relative rotation between the welding unit (3) and support frame (2) about a respective axis, the coupling member (7) preferably allowing the unit (3) to be coupled to/uncoupled from the frame (2) in a removable manner.

4. A device as claimed in the preceding claim, characterised in that said coupling member (7) comprises a supporting plate (28) pivotally mounted to the crosspiece along said rotation axis (Z), and reversible hooking means (30) to join a bracket or projection (29) of the coupling member (7) to said supporting plate (28).

5. A device as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, characterised in that said feeding means (8) comprises :

- a reel (15) holding the ribbon;

- tensioning means such as a clutch (16) associated with the reel to keep the ribbon taut during unwinding; and at leasr one unwinding roller (13), preferably coupled to respective power means (14) for rotation about a respective longitudinal axis (X) to pull said ribbon along.

6. A device as claimed in the preceding claim, characterised in that said feeding means (8) further comprises a supporting element (18) for the unwinding roller (13) having a first end (18a) in engagement with the roller (13) and a second end (18b) pivotally mounted on a bracket of the welding unit, the supporting element rotating about a respective axis (Y) parallel to the longitudinal axis (X) of the unwinding roller (13) between a first position corresponding to the operating position of the unit (3) at which said power means (14) is started and a second position corresponding to the non-operating position of the unit (3), at which the power means 14 is shut off.

7. A device as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that it further comprises an abutment element (10) secured to the supporting base (4) of the support frame

(2) and extending transversely therefrom; said unwinding roller (13) in the respective first position, or in the operating welding position of the welding unit (3), being in contact with the abutment element

(10) .

8. A device as claimed in the preceding claim, characterised in that said abutment element (10) comprises: a bar (11) having a first end (lla) coupled to an upper surface (4b) of the base (4) and a second end (lib) disposed close to said unit (3) ; and a counter-roller (12) pivotally mounted on said second end (lib) of the bar (11) and tangent to said unwinding roller (13) in the respective first position to retain said ribbon between the outer cylindrical surfaces

(12a, 13a) of the respective counter-roller and unwinding roller (12, 13).

9. A device as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, characterised in that it further comprises an actuating member (31) for said unit (3), to rotate the latter around a respective axis (Z) between said operating and non-operating positions.

10. A device as claimed in the preceding claim, characterised in that said actuating member (31) comprises: a preferably linear actuator (32) secured to said support frame (2); a connecting element (33) in engagement with said actuator (32) and preferably with said coupling member (7) to transmit the motion imposed by the actuator (32) to the welding unit (3); and drive means (34) associated with said actuator (32) to start/shut off the actuator (32) itself and move the welding unit (3) between the operating and non- operating positions.

11. A device as claimed in the preceding claim, characterised in that said actuator is a pneumatic cylinder or an electric cylinder.

12. A device as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, characterised in that said heating means (9) comprises a delivery member (19) for supplying a heating air flow and rigidly connected to said coupling member (7) and an electronic unit (20) for control of the temperature and the air flow rate, which is rigidly connected to said member (7) too.

13. A device as claimed in the preceding claim when depending on anyone of claims 5 to 9, characterised in that said delivery member (19) comprises a substantially cylindrical body (21) having a first end (21a) provided with a mouth (22) for exit of the air flow, which mouth is disposed at a position facing said unwinding roller (13) to direct the flow to the textile region to be welded; said electronic control unit (20) being disposed close to a second end (21b) of the cylindrical body (21) opposite to said first end (21a).

14. A device as claimed in the preceding claim, characterised in that said second end (21b) of the cylindrical body (21) comprises a series of control switches (24) to be manually turned on to selectively determine the air flow temperature and rate, and a display (25) to show a series of data identifying the air flow temperature and/or rate; said electronic unit (20) being operatively connected to said switches (24) and display (25) and being fully mounted on and carried by said welding unit (3) .

15. A device as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, characterised in that said unit (3) further comprises a power supply assembly (26) engaged to a bracket of the welding unit (3) and operatively connected to said feeding means (8) and heating means

(9) to electrically power them.

16. A support frame for welding devices for textiles comprising:

- a supporting base (4);

- a post (5) emerging from said supporting base (4) and provided with an upper end (5a); - a crosspiece (6) emerging in cantilevered fashion from said upper end (5a) of the post (5); a second end (6b) of the crosspiece (6) being adapted to rotatably support a welding unit (3) provided with, and supporting ribbon feeding means (8) and heating means (9);

- an abutment element (10) emerging from the supporting base (4) towards the second end (6b) of the crosspiece

(6); said abutment element (10) supporting a counter- roller (12); characterised in that the frame (2) does not directly carry the feeding means (8) and/or heating means (9) of the welding unit (3) or parts thereof and enables removable engagement of said welding unit (3).