Patent Publication Number: US-2017347732-A1

Title: Fabric folding machine

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a fabric folding machine which folds a fabric strip in half repeatedly. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventional fabric folding machine are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,554,095 and 6,641,516 so as to fold a fabric strip in half solely. 
     However, two peripheral sides of the fabric strip are folded inwardly in half by the fabric folding machine and then are manually folded in half once more. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a fabric folding machine which folds a fabric strip in half repeatedly. 
     To obtain above-mentioned objective, a fabric folding machine provided by the present invention contains: a body and a limiter. 
     The body is integrally formed and includes an external housing, an internal housing, and a connection portion. The external housing has a first peripheral fence, a second peripheral fence opposite to the first peripheral fence, and two third peripheral fences connected with the first peripheral fence and the second peripheral fence, wherein the internal housing is disposed in the external housing, and between the external housing and the internal housing is defined a through hole. The through hole has a first segment and a second segment, and a height of the first segment is more than that of the second segment. The connection portion is in connection with the first peripheral fence of the external housing and the internal housing and its width gradually decreases from the first segment to the second segment, wherein the first peripheral fence has a first orifice defined thereon, the second peripheral fence has a second orifice communicating with the through hole, and the second peripheral fence also has two guiding apertures communicating with the through hole. 
     The limiter includes a sheet and a protrusion extending outwardly from the sheet so as to alternatively accommodate in the first orifice or the second orifice of the body, wherein the sheet has two openings defined thereon. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing the assembly of a fabric folding machine according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the exploded components of the fabric folding machine according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is another perspective view showing the exploded components of the fabric folding machine according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view showing the assembly of the fabric folding machine according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view taken along the line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view taken along the line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing the operation of the fabric folding machine according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view showing the operation of the fabric folding machine according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is another perspective view showing the operation of the fabric folding machine according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is another cross sectional view showing the operation of the fabric folding machine according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view showing the assembly of a fabric folding machine according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 to 10 , a fabric folding machine  100  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises: a body  10  and a limiter  20 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 6 , the body  10  is integrally formed and includes an external housing  11 , an internal housing  12 , and a connection portion  13 . The external housing  11  has a first peripheral fence  111 , a second peripheral fence  112  opposite to the first peripheral fence  111 , and two third peripheral fences  113  connected with the first peripheral fence  111  and the second peripheral fence  112 , wherein the internal housing  12  is disposed in the external housing  11  and is spaced from the external housing  11  by a gap defined by a through hole  14 , i.e., the through hole  14  is located between the external housing  11  and the internal housing  12 . The through hole  14  has a first segment  141  and a second segment  142 , and a height of the first segment  141  is more than that of the second segment  142 . The connection portion  13  is in connection with the first peripheral fence  111  of the external housing  11  and the internal housing  12  and its width gradually decreases from the first segment  141  to the second segment  142 , wherein the first peripheral fence  111  has a first orifice  115  defined thereon, the second peripheral fence  112  has a second orifice  116  communicating with the through hole  14 , and the second peripheral fence  112  also has two guiding apertures  117  communicating with the through hole  14 . The third peripheral fence  113  has an anti-slip portion  118  arranged on an outer surface thereof, and the anti-slip portion  118  is a rough face. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the limiter  20  includes a sheet  21  and a protrusion  22  extending outwardly from the sheet  21  so as to alternatively accommodate in the first orifice  115  or the second orifice  116  of the body  10 , wherein the sheet  21  has two openings  211  defined thereon. 
     In operation, a fabric strip  90  is folded in half and is inserted toward the second segment  142  of the through hole  14  from the first segment  141  of the through hole  14 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , hence after the fabric strip  90  extends out of the second segment  142 , its two peripheral sides are folded inwardly, as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     Thereafter, the protrusion  22  of the limiter  20  is inserted into the second orifice  116  of the body  10 , and the fabric strip  90  is inserted toward the second segment  142  of the through hole  14  from the first segment  141  of the through hole  14  again, as shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , and the protrusion  22  stops the fabric strip  90  between the second peripheral fence  115  and the through hole  14 , such that after the fabric strip  90  extends out of the second segment  142 , its two peripheral sides are folded in half again by using the through hole  14 , as illustrated in  FIG. 9 , thus folding the fabric strip  90  repeatedly. 
     When the protrusion  22  of the limiter  20  is arranged in the second orifice  116  of the body  10 , the two openings  211  of the limiter  20  are in communication with the two guiding apertures  117  of the body  10 , as shown in  FIG. 9 . After inserting an elongated object (not shown) through the two openings  211  and the two guiding apertures  117  and aligning the elongated object with the through orifice  14 , the fabric strip  90  is moved smoothly in the fabric folding machine  100  by the elongated object. 
     Furthermore, the limiter  20  is operated by user&#39;s left hand or right hand alternatively. Preferably, the sheet  21  has two arrow symbols  212  marked thereon so as to indicate operating direction. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , when the sheet  21  is located on a first face of the protrusion  22 , it has a first indication symbol  1 ″ denoted by a reference number  213  so as to fold the fabric strip  90  in one inch, and when the sheet  21  is located on a second face of the protrusion  22  opposite to the first face of the protrusion  22 , it has a second indication symbol  2 ″ represented by a reference number  214  so as to fold the fabric strip  90  in two inches. 
     While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiments of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.