Fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine

Abstract

A fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine composed of a cutter, a rotary cutting wheel, one or more differential wheels, a first folding wheel and a second folding wheel is disclosed. The cutter and the rotary cutting wheel are adapted to cut off a fiber/plastic sheet product passing therebetween so that each cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product has a straight cut edge. The differential wheel enables each two successive cut pieces of fiber/plastic sheet product to be partially overlapped, forming a stack of interfold fiber/plastic sheet product. Subject to the application of the fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine, each stack of interfold fiber/plastic sheet product is kept neat.

Claims

1. A fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine operable to cut and fold a predetermined fiber/plastic sheet product, comprising: a cutter; a rotary cutting wheel disposed adjacent to said cutter, said rotary cutting wheel including at least one cutting tool for touching said cutter to cut off said fiber/plastic sheet product during rotation of said rotary cutting wheel relative to said cutter, wherein said cutter and said at least one cutting tool each have an unserrated cutting edge; said at least one cutting tool protruding over a periphery of said rotary cutting wheel; first and second differential wheels, wherein said first differential wheel is disposed adjacent to said rotary cutting wheel for receiving each cut piece of said fiber/plastic sheet product from said rotary cutting wheel and said second differential wheel having a circumference being less than a circumference of said first differential wheel and being disposed adjacent to said first differential wheel, wherein a rotational speed of said first differential wheel is greater than a rotational speed of said second differential wheel to thereby enable two successive cut pieces of said fiber/plastic sheet product to be partially overlapped relative to each other; wherein said first differential wheel includes at least one open recess adapted for receiving said at least one cutting tool of said rotary cutting wheel during relative rotation between said first differential wheel and said rotary cutting wheel; and wherein said second differential wheel includes at least one protruding portion coinciding with the at least one open recess of the first differential wheel during relative rotation of the second differential wheel and the first differential wheel, facilitating smooth transfer of the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product by the first differential wheel to the second differential wheel, and a suction unit provided at each protruding portion of the second differential wheel; a first folding wheel disposed adjacent to said second differential wheel for receiving each cut piece of said fiber/plastic sheet product from said second differential wheel, said second differential wheel being disposed between said first differential wheel and said first folding wheel; and a second folding wheel disposed adjacent to said first folding wheel and rotatable relative to said first folding wheel to fold each cut piece of said fiber/plastic sheet product between said first folding wheel and said second folding wheel.

2. The fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first differential wheel and said second differential wheel are so arranged that each two successive cut pieces of said fiber/plastic sheet product are partially overlapped at said second differential wheel.

3. The fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a pressure wheel disposed adjacent to said second differential wheel and adapted to impart a pressure to each cut piece of said fiber/plastic sheet product at said second differential wheel.

4. The fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein said second differential wheel and said pressure wheel each include at least one protruding portion and at least one open recess disposed at the periphery thereof, the at least one protruding portion and at least one open recess of said second differential wheel being moved to coincide with the at least one open recess and at least one protruding portion of said pressure wheel to make at least one folding line on each cut piece of said fiber/plastic sheet product at said second differential wheel during relative rotation between said second differential wheel and said pressure wheel.

5. The fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotary cutting wheel, said first differential wheel, said second differential wheel, said first folding wheel and said second folding wheel each include at least one suction unit controllable to suck or release each cut piece of said fiber/plastic sheet product.

6. The fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second differential wheel, said first folding wheel and said second folding wheel each include at least one protruding portion and at least one open recess adapted for transferring each cut piece of said fiber/plastic sheet product.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic structural view of a fiber sheet product cutting-folding machine according to the prior art.

(2) FIGS. 1A-1C are enlarged partial views of the fiber sheet product cutting-folding machine according to the prior art.

(3) FIGS. 2A-2D are schematic drawings illustrating different status of a fiber sheet product processed through the fiber sheet product cutting-folding machine according to the prior art.

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic structural view of a fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine in accordance with the present invention.

(5) FIGS. 3A-3E are enlarged partial views of the fiber sheet product cutting-folding machine in accordance with the present invention.

(6) FIGS. 4A-4D are schematic drawings illustrating different status of a fiber sheet product processed through the fiber sheet product cutting-folding machine in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(7) In the following description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is to be noted that the word of connection means direct or indirect connection between or among objects or components, for example, an intermediate connecting member or multiple intermediate connecting members can be set between two or multiple objects or components.

(8) Please refer to FIG. 3, a fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine in accordance with the present invention is shown. As illustrated, the fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine 20 is adapted for cutting and folding fiber/plastic sheet products 22, comprising a cutter 21, a rotary cutting wheel 23, at least one differential wheel 251, a first folding wheel 271 and a second folding wheel 273.

(9) Referring also to FIG. 3A, the cutter 21 and the rotary cutting wheel 23 are arranged adjacent to each other, and the rotary cutting wheel 23 is rotatable relative to the cutter 21. The cutter 21 can be a fixed cutter. The rotary cutting wheel 23 carries at least one cutting tool 231. During rotation of the rotary cutting wheel 23, each cutting tool 231 will touch the cutter 21 at a predetermined frequency to cut off a fiber/plastic sheet product 22 therebetween.

(10) In one embodiment of the present invention, the fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine 20 further comprises at least one sheet transfer wheel set 24 adapted for transferring a fiber/plastic sheet product 22 to the rotary cutting wheel 23. The rotary cutting wheel 23 comprises at least one suction unit 232 adapted for sucking the transferring fiber/plastic sheet product 22 on the rotary cutting wheel 23. In different embodiments, the at least one sheet transfer wheel set 24 and/or the at least one suction unit 232 may be eliminated.

(11) The cutter 21 and each cutting tool 231 of the rotary cutting wheel 23 can be plain cutters without a serrated cutting edge. Thus, the cut edge of the fiber/plastic sheet product 22 is kept straight, as shown in FIG. 4A. Using the cutter 21 and the rotary cutting wheel 23 to cut off the fiber/plastic sheet product 22 avoids stretching of the fiber/plastic sheet product 22 (see the prior art problem shown in FIG. 1A) during cutting, or formation of a serrated edge on the fiber/plastic sheet product 22 (see the prior art problem shown in FIG. 2A). After cutting, all the processed fiber/plastic sheet products 22 are substantially similar in length and size, facilitating follow-up folding or stacking procedure.

(12) Referring also to FIG. 3B, the rotary cutting wheel 23 is disposed adjacent to a first differential wheel 251. After cutting, the fiber/plastic sheet product 22 is transferred by the rotary cutting wheel 23 to the first differential wheel 251. In this embodiment, each cutting tool 231 protrudes over the periphery of the rotary cutting wheel 23 and the first differential wheel 251 comprises at least one open recess 2511. During rotation of the rotary cutting wheel 23 and the first differential wheel 251, the cutting tools 231 of the rotary cutting wheel 23 will coincide with the open recesses 2511 of the first differential wheel 25, facilitating relative rotation between the rotary cutting wheel 23 and the first differential wheel 251. Further, each cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 can be transferred by one cutting tool 231 of the rotary cutting wheel 23 to one open recess 2511 of the first differential wheel 251, avoiding the problem seen in the prior art design shown in FIG. 1B and preventing displacement of the fiber/plastic sheet product 22 during transfer.

(13) According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first differential wheel 251 comprises at least one suction unit 2512 adapted for sucking the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 to hold it at the periphery of the first differential wheel 251. The at least one suction unit 2512 can be respectively mounted in the at least one open recess 2511 and controlled to suck the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 at one cutting tool 231 of the rotary cutting wheel 23, enabling the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 to be smoothly transferred by the rotary cutting wheel 23 to the first differential wheel 251.

(14) Referring also to FIG. 3C, the second differential wheel 253 is disposed adjacent to the first differential wheel 251 for receiving the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 being transferred by the first differential wheel 251. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the second differential wheel 253 comprises at least one protruding portion 2531 corresponding to the at least one open recess 2511 of the first differential wheel 251. Thus, the at least one protruding portion 2531 can coincide with the at least one open recess 2511 during relative rotation between the second differential wheel 253 and the first differential wheel 251, facilitating smooth transfer of the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 by the first differential wheel 251 to the second differential wheel 253, avoiding displacement of the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 during transfer. In one embodiment of the present invention, a suction unit 2532 is provided at each protruding portion 2531 of the second differential wheel 252. During transfer of the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 by one open recess 2511 of the first differential wheel 251 to one protruding portion 2531 of the second differential wheel 253, the respective suction unit 2532 sucks the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22.

(15) In one embodiment of the present invention, the fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine 20 further comprises a pressure wheel 26, as indicated by the imaginary line in FIG. 3D. The pressure wheel 26 is disposed adjacent to the second differential wheel 253, and adapted for pressing the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 at the second differential wheel 253. The pressure wheel 26 can be configured to provide at least one protruding portion 261 and/or at least one open recess 263 corresponding to the at least one open recess 2533 and/or at least one protruding portion 2531 of the second differential wheel 253. Thus, the at least one protruding portion 261 and/or at least one open recess 263 of the pressure wheel 26 can coincide with the at least one open recess 2533 and/or at least one protruding portion 2531 of the second differential wheel 253 during relative rotation between the pressure wheel 26 and the second differential wheel 253. During relative rotation between the pressure wheel 26 and the second differential wheel 253, the at least one protruding portion 261 of the pressure wheel 26 and the at least one open recess 2533 of the second differential wheel 253 impart a pressure to the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22, making a folding line on the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 at the second differential wheel 253, facilitating a follow-up step of folding the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22. In another embodiment of the present invention, the at least one open recess 263 of the pressure wheel 26 and the at least one protruding portion 2531 of the second differential wheel 253 can impart a pressure to the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 to make a folding line on the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22.

(16) In one embodiment of the present invention, the first differential wheel 251 and the second differential wheel 253 have different rotational speeds and/or different circumferences. For example, the rotational speed of the first differential wheel 251 is greater than the rotational speed of the second differential wheel 253, and/or the circumference of the first differential wheel 251 is greater than the circumference of the second differential wheel 253. Because the first differential wheel 251 and the second differential wheel 253 have different rotational speeds and/or different circumferences, each two adjacent cut pieces of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 will be partially overlapped, as shown in FIG. 4B.

(17) During transfer of one cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22, the first differential wheel 251 transfers the lead end 221 of the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 to the second differential wheel 253 firstly, while the tail end 223 of the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 remains secured to the first differential wheel 251. In the case the rotational speed of the first differential wheel 251 is greater than the rotational speed of the second differential wheel 253, the tail end 223 of the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 will be pushed by the first differential wheel 251, causing the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 to curve outwards between the first differential wheel 251 and the second differential wheel 253. When the first differential wheel 251 transfers a next cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 to the second differential wheel 253, these two cut pieces of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 will be partially overlapped. For example, the first differential wheel 251 can release the tail end 223 of the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 only after the lead end 221 of the next cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 has been transferred by the first differential wheel 251 to the second differential wheel 253, thus, the tail end 223 of the cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 can be overlapped by the lead end 221 of the next cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22, as shown in FIG. 4B.

(18) In actual application, adjusting the relative circumference and/or rotational speed between the first differential wheel 251 to the second differential wheel 253 can change the overlapped area between each two adjacent cut pieces of fiber/plastic sheet product 22.

(19) To facilitate explanation, only two differential wheels, for example, the first differential wheel 251 and the second differential wheel 253 are shown in FIG. 3C. However, this arrangement is not a limitation. In actual application, the number of differential wheel can be 1. Simply using one single differential wheel still can let each two successive cut pieces of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 be partially overlapped. Further, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3D, a pressure wheel 26 is provided. However, in actual application, this pressure wheel 26 can be eliminated, and the fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine 20 can also cut and fold the fiber/plastic sheet product 22.

(20) Referring also to FIG. 3E, the first folding wheel 271 is disposed adjacent to the second differential wheel 253, and adapted for receiving partially overlapped cut pieces of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 from the second differential wheel 253. Further, the second differential wheel 253 comprises at least one protruding portion 2531 and at least one open recess 2533 alternatively arranged around the periphery. The first folding wheel 271 comprises at least one protruding portion 2711 and at least one open recess 2713 alternatively arranged around the periphery corresponding to the at least one open recess 2533 and at least one protruding portion 2531 of the second differential wheel 253. Thus, the at least one protruding portion 2711 and at least one open recess 2713 of the first folding wheel 271 can coincide with the at least one open recess 2533 and at least one protruding portion 2531 of the second differential wheel 253 during relative rotation between the first folding wheel 271 and the second differential wheel 253, enabling the partially overlapped cut pieces of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 to be transferred by the at least one protruding portion 2531 of the second differential wheel 253 to the least one open recess 2713 of the first folding wheel 271, or by the at least one open recess 2533 of the second differential wheel 253 to the at least one protruding portion 2711 of the first folding wheel 271, avoiding displacement of the overlapped cut pieces of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 during transfer.

(21) The second folding wheel 273 is disposed adjacent to the first folding wheel 271, and adapted for receiving partially overlapped cut pieces of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 from the first folding wheel 271 so that the received cut pieces of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 can be set into a stack of interfold fiber sheet product.

(22) The second folding wheel 273 comprises at least one at least one protruding portion 2731 and at least one open recess 2733 alternatively arranged around the periphery. Thus, the at least one protruding portion 2731 and at least one open recess 2733 of the second folding wheel 273 can coincide with the at least one open recess 2713 and at least one protruding portion 2711 of the first folding wheel 271 during relative rotation between the second folding wheel 273 and the first folding wheel 271, making a folding line on the fiber/plastic sheet product 22 being delivered between the first folding wheel 271 and the second folding wheel 273, and folding up the fiber/plastic sheet product 22.

(23) In one embodiment of the present invention, the first folding wheel 271 comprises at least one suction unit 2712, and the second folding wheel 273 also comprises at least one suction unit 2732. By means of controlling the at least one suction unit 2712/2732 to suck or release the fiber/plastic sheet product 22, the fiber/plastic sheet product 22 can be folded up.

(24) Subject to the arrangement of the at least one suction unit 232/2512/2532/2712/2732 at the rotary cutting wheel 23, first differential wheel 251, second differential wheel 253, first folding wheel 271 and second folding wheel 273 and the operation of the at least one suction unit 232/2512/2532/2712/2732 to suck or release the fiber/plastic sheet product 22, the fiber/plastic sheet product 22 can be held in place, transferred, cut, overlapped and/or folded up accurately, enhancing the operating efficiency of the fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine 20.

(25) The fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine 20 of the present invention is designed for cutting and folding fiber/plastic sheet products 22, more particularly for the production of interfold fiber/plastic sheet products. It can form multiple folding lines on one single piece of fiber/plastic sheet product, and fold up the single piece of fiber/plastic sheet product into multiple folds. In the example shown in FIG. 4C, one cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 is processed to provide two folding lines and folded twice.

(26) Subject to the application of the cutter 21 and the rotary cutting wheel 23, the invention avoids formation of a serrated edge on each cut piece of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 or stretching of the fiber/plastic sheet product 22 during cutting. Thus, all cut pieces of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 can have approximately the same size and length, avoiding the problem of unequal thickness of folded stack of fiber sheet product of the prior art design as shown in FIG. 2D.

(27) Subject to the arrangement of the at least one recessed portion 2511/2533/263/2713/2733 and/or at least one protruding portion 2531/261/2711/2731 at the first differential wheel 251, second differential wheel 253, pressure wheel 26, first folding wheel 271 and second folding wheel 273 of the fiber/plastic sheet product cutting-folding machine 20 of the present invention, displacement of the fiber/plastic sheet product 22 during transfer is prohibited, the folded stack of fiber/plastic sheet product 22 can have the same height, as shown in FIG. 4D.

(28) It is to be understood the invention is not limited to particular systems described which may, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting. As used in this specification, the singular forms a, an and the include plural referents unless the content clearly indicates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to a device includes a combination of two or more devices and reference to a material includes mixtures of materials.

(29) Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.