Feeding device for feeding batches of bristle filaments to a bristle filament cassette

Abstract

A feeding device for feeding batches of bristle filaments to a bristle filament cassette includes a vertical magazine and at least one batch of bristle filaments arranged therein. In order to prevent individual bristle filaments from being pressed out of the batch of bristle filaments and to provide an ecologically optimized device, the batch of bristle filaments is held in a reusable and circumferentially enclosed batch carrier. A tufting device with the feeding device of a bristle filament cassette and a transfer device between the bristle filament cassette and the feeding device are provided. A corresponding method for fitting a brush is also provided.

Claims

1. A feeding device for feeding batches of bristle filaments to a bristle filament cassette, said feeding device comprising a vertical magazine and at least one batch of bristle filaments arranged therein, wherein said batch of bristle filaments is held in a reusable and circumferentially enclosed batch carrier, wherein said batch carrier comprises a frame formed by a ring, the ring having a thickness that substantially corresponds to a length of said filaments contained in said at least one batch of bristle filaments, and wherein said frame comprises an orientation identification device by way of which said frame can be oriented in said vertical magazine in such a way that said filaments of said batch of bristle filaments arranged therein are always positioned in said vertical magazine having a predetermined orientation with respect to said bristle filament cassette.

2. A feeding device according to claim 1, wherein said frame is open on both sides in the horizontal direction and designed in such a way that substantially said entire batch of bristle filaments can be introduced into said frame from one side and can be removed from said frame on the opposite side.

3. A feeding device according to claim 1, wherein said frame has a substantially uniform wall thickness in its circumferential direction.

4. A feeding device according to claim 1, wherein said frame is an injection-molded member.

5. A feeding device according to claim 1, wherein said orientation identification device is formed by a flange surrounding at least one horizontal opening of said frame on an outside thereof.

6. A feeding device according to claim 1, wherein an inner wall of said frame holds said batch of bristle filaments under pre-tension.

7. A tufting device for brushes comprising: a feeding device for feeding batches of bristle filaments to a bristle filament cassette, said feeding device comprising a vertical magazine and at least one batch of bristle filaments arranged therein, the vertical magazine being configured to hold the at least one batch of bristle filaments in a horizontal filament axis orientation and to feed said at least one batch of bristle filaments in a vertical direction, wherein said batch of bristle filaments is held in a reusable and circumferentially enclosed batch carrier; a bristle filament cassette to which said batch of bristle filaments pre-assembled in said tufting device can be fed with a transfer device; a bristle bundle separating device, by use of which at least one bristle bundle can be separated from said bristle filaments contained in said bristle filament cassette; wherein said tufting device is configured to insert said bristle bundle, which is separated by said bristle bundle separating device, into a brush head, and wherein said transfer device is configured to feed said batch of bristle filaments to said bristle filament cassette while maintaining the horizontal bristle filament axis orientation of said batch.

8. A tufting device according to claim 7, wherein the device is a device for tufting tooth brushes.

9. A tufting device according to claim 8, wherein an ejector is associated with said transfer device and ejects said batch of bristle filaments out of said batch carrier by use of compressed air and feeds it to said bristle filament cassette.

10. A tufting device according to claim 9, wherein a batch carrier return device is associated with said transfer device and transfers said batch carrier having the batch of bristle filaments ejected therefrom to a collecting point.

11. A tufting device according to claim 8, wherein said tufting device is configured such that said separated bristle bundle is fed to said brush head while maintaining the bristle filament axis orientation.

12. A feeding device for feeding batches of bristle filaments to a bristle filament cassette, said feeding device comprising a vertical magazine and at least one batch of bristle filaments arranged therein, wherein said batch of bristle filaments is held in a reusable and circumferentially enclosed batch carrier, wherein the batch carrier comprises a frame, said frame comprising an orientation identification device by way of which said frame can be oriented in said vertical magazine in such a way that said filaments of said batch of bristle filaments arranged therein are always positioned in said vertical magazine having a predetermined orientation with respect to said bristle filament cassette, and wherein said orientation identification device is formed by a flange surrounding at least one horizontal opening of said frame on an outside thereof.

13. A feeding device according to claim 12, wherein an inner wall of said frame holds said batch of bristle filaments under pre-tension.

14. A feeding device according to claim 13, wherein said batch carrier is formed by said frame which is open on both sides in the horizontal direction and designed in such a way that substantially said entire batch of bristle filaments can be introduced into said frame from one side and can be removed from said frame on the opposite side.

15. A feeding device according to claim 14, wherein said frame is formed by a ring.

16. A feeding device according to claim 15, wherein said frame has a thickness that substantially corresponds to a length of said filaments contained in said batch of bristle filaments.

17. A feeding device according to claim 16, wherein said frame has a substantially uniform wall thickness in its circumferential direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantageous developments of the invention are described below with reference to an embodiment in conjunction with the drawing, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows examples of batches of bristle filaments which are held in a reusable and circumferentially enclosed batch carrier,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the batch carrier according to the invention with two different examples of bristle filament types held therein, and

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a tufting device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(5) FIG. 1 shows two batch carriers 1, each of which contains a batch of pre-assembled bristle filaments, i.e. a batch 2 of bristle filaments.

(6) As shown for batch carrier 1 in FIG. 1, its thickness d substantially corresponds to the length of a longitudinal extension of the bristle filaments combined in batch 2 of bristle filaments, or the thickness or height h of batch 2 of bristle filaments, respectively.

(7) The individual batches 2 of bristle filaments held in batch carrier 1 are sorted in the vertical direction one above the other in a vertical magazine 200 (cf. FIG. 3), as shall be described later with reference to FIG. 3, so that the orientation of the bristle filaments in batch 2 of bristle filaments is the horizontal direction.

(8) In FIG. 1, however, the right lower batch carrier 1 is located in such a manner that the bristle filaments, which can not be seen in detail, are oriented in the vertical direction in the batch of bristle filaments.

(9) In the embodiment, batch carrier 1 comprises a frame that is open on both sides, openings 3, 3 of which defining the latter on both sides.

(10) Openings 3, 3 of the frame are provided oppositely disposed in the batch carrier in a direction which is designated as being the thickness direction. This thickness direction is also referred to as the horizontal direction, since batch carrier 1 is held upright in vertical magazine 200.

(11) In the example shown in FIG. 1, batch carrier 1 comprises a circumferential flange 4 at opening 3 which projects from the outer wall, by way of which the batch carrier is guided in vertical magazine 200, for example, along vertical walls 201 to be described later.

(12) The batch carrier can have a diameter D of between 20 and 60 mm. Further preferred diameters are 30, 40, 50 mm. The aforementioned values can each form upper and lower limits of a diameter range.

(13) The thickness of the batch carrier can be between 10 and 30 mm. In particular, the following thicknesses are advantageously 15, 25 mm. These values as well can by themselves also form upper and lower limits of the thickness range.

(14) All filaments of a batch of bristle filaments preferably have the same length. Batch 1 of bristle filaments comprises two planar end faces in which the respective ends of the bristle filaments are located.

(15) As shown in FIG. 2, the individual bristle filaments 6, 6 can be sharpened on one side or rounded off on one side and, in particular, be provided within batch carrier 1 subject to compression pressure. Preferably, the diameter of the filaments is between 0.05 and 0.3 mm, preferably 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25 mm. These values as well can by themselves also form upper and lower limits.

(16) As can be seen from FIG. 1 in conjunction with FIG. 2, the batch carrier has, in particular, a wall thickness that is uniform in the circumferential direction. Preferably, as in the present example, the batch carrier can be designed in the manner of a frame, in particular a ring, and can be made of plastic material by way of injection molding.

(17) In contrast to the non-reusable paper sleeve, batch carrier 1 has a certain structural rigidity.

(18) Such a batch carrier 1 is shown, for example, in FIG. 3 introduced from above into a guide between two vertical walls 201 of vertical magazine 200.

(19) In the embodiment of FIG. 3, five vertical walls 201 extending parallel to one another and oriented in the vertical direction form four vertical magazines 200, or a plurality of vertical magazines. Batches 2 of bristle filaments pre-assembled in batch carriers 1 are each introduced into each vertical magazine 200 one behind the other in the vertical direction. Vertical magazines 200 each have a threading opening on the upper side so that batch carriers 1 can be inserted between respective vertical walls 201. The threading openings are located, for example, directly adjacent to trays, not shown in the figure. A plurality of batch carriers with the batches of bristle filaments contained therein is delivered on such trays. The batch carriers are then inserted individually, for example, into the vertical magazine.

(20) However, a single vertical magazine and a single batch carrier are already sufficient for such feeding.

(21) Instead of such vertical walls, any other configuration can also be provided, so that the respective batch carriers are each held in an upright position in the vertical magazine such that the bristle filaments in batch 2 of bristle filaments are oriented horizontally.

(22) In the present example, different types of pre-assembled batches of bristle filaments with bristles that are sharpened, non-sharpened, of different length, of different thickness, of different color can be provided in adjacently disposed vertical magazines 200 each with a separate feed opening 202.

(23) A transfer device 203, shown schematically in FIG. 3 as a box, can transfer individual batch carriers 1 with batches 2 of bristle filaments contained therein from vertical magazine 2 to the vicinity of an associated bristle filament cassette 204 or its filling opening 206, respectively.

(24) For this purpose, for example, batch carriers 1 are individually released one after the other at the respective outlet opening of each vertical magazine 200 and are removed from vertical magazine 200 at the bottom, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 3, and are taken to the vicinity of bristle filament cassette 204, while maintaining an orientation in which the bristle filaments are oriented in the horizontal position.

(25) Transfer device 203 can be formed by a movable gripper, which grips each batch carrier individually, and/or by way of a type of chute in which the walls are arranged in such a way that the individual batch carriers are transferred on a predetermined path due to the gravitational force, and/or by way of a line system, for example, in the manner of a pipe mail, in which the batch carriers are transferred, in particular, by use of vacuum/compressed air.

(26) At the position, which in FIG. 3 is designed by A and located in the immediate vicinity of filling opening 3 of the left one of the four bristle filament cassettes 204 in FIG. 3, the batch of bristle filaments received in batch carrier 1 is then ejected by way of an ejector 207, so that the batch of bristle filaments is ejected through the opening of the batch carrier, and the batch carrier thus emptied is returned to a collection container 209 by way of a batch carrier return device 208 which in FIG. 3 is likewise schematically illustrated as a box.

(27) The ejector 207 preferably operates according to the principle of compressed air so that one side of the batch carrier or the batch of bristle filaments is acted upon by compressed air, and the batch of bristle filaments is ejected on the other side of batch carrier 1 into a receiving space which is associated with filling opening 206 of bristle filament cassette 204.

(28) From there, for example, the bristles can be pressed with a pusher S between the respective defining walls of and into bristle filament cassette 204, being formed in the shape of an elongated box, while maintaining their horizontal orientation, as shown schematically in FIG. 3 for the right one of the four bristle filament cassettes 204.

(29) Preferably, an empty bristle filament cassette 204 is filled with the respective batches of bristle filaments substantially at the same time, from which no bristle bundle 217 is removed. When bristle filament cassette 204 is filled from the back, a bristle bundle removal opening 211 is preferably closed at the front side by a further pusher (not shown in FIG. 3).

(30) In the meantime, for example, bristle bundles 217 are removed from another of the four bristle filament cassettes 204, the cassette shown at the left in FIG. 3, by use of a bristle bundle separating device 212 which has an arc-shaped configuration.

(31) Batch return device 208 [sic] can also be any device with which empty batch carriers 1 are transferred to position A into collection container 209 after having been emptied. It can be formed by a movable gripper, which grips each batch carrier individually, and/or by a type of chute in which the walls are arranged in such a way that the individual batch carriers are transferred on a predetermined path due to gravitational force, and/or by way of a line system, for example, in the manner of a pipe mail in which the batch carriers are transferred, in particular, by use of vacuum/compressed air.

(32) Both batch return device 208 [sic], transfer device 203 as well as ejector 207 can be configured as one machine unit arranged between vertical magazines 200 and bristle filament cassettes 204. Alternatively, these devices can also be configured as separate units.

(33) Four bristle filament cassettes 204 in FIG. 3 are oriented substantially along an arc in an obliquely vertical direction so that two types of bristles can be respectively removed for the production of different bristle bundles and two different types of bristle filaments can then also be refilled.

(34) The bristle filament cassettes and the vertical magazines can be provided in any desired number.

(35) The bristle filaments are held in bristle filament cassettes 204 under tension by pusher S in such a way that they are pressed out of bristle bundle removal opening 211 in the direction toward and against an outer peripheral surface of bristle bundle separating device 212.

(36) Such kinematics for separating individual bristle bundles is known, for example, from DE 100 623 98 A1 or from EP 1 522 234 A2. The bristle bundle separating device described in DE 100 623 98 A1 or in EP 1 522 234 A2 is with this reference made to be part of the disclosure content of the present application and constitutes an example of a bristle bundle separating device.

(37) For example, the circular disk of bristle bundle separating device 212, formed on the latter's outer circumference with one or several recesses 218 for receiving bristles for forming a bristle bundle 217, rotates clockwise between a receiving position and a dispensing position.

(38) In the dispensing position, the bristle bundle can therefore be attached directly to a brush head 219 or transferred into an intermediate template in which a plurality of bristle bundles are arranged before they are attached to the brush head.

(39) The attachment of the bristle bundles in the brush head can be effected by way of the so-called anchor technique or the in-mold technique, as known, for example, from EP 1 181 144 B1 and EP 0 759 711 B1.

(40) In the anchor technique, the bristle bundles are placed around a metallic clip and there attached to the bristle carrier. In the in-mold technique, melt-molten plastic material, which forms the bristle bundle carrier, is injected into an incompletely closed cavity in order to fastening the bristle bundle and is cooled so that the bristle head, which is bristled in this manner, is produced.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(41) batch carrier 1

(42) batch of bristle filaments 2

(43) openings 3.3

(44) flange 4

(45) bristle filament 6, 6

(46) vertical magazine 200

(47) vertical wall of the vertical magazine 201

(48) feed opening 202

(49) transfer device 203

(50) bristle filament cassette 204

(51) filling opening 206

(52) ejector 207

(53) batch carrier return device 208

(54) collection container 209

(55) bristle bundle removal opening 211

(56) bristle bundle separating device 212

(57) bristle bundle 217

(58) recess 218

(59) brush head 219

(60) pusher S

(61) thickness of the batch carrier d

(62) height of the batch of bristle filaments h

(63) diameter of the batch carrier D