Patent Publication Number: US-2007095360-A1

Title: Apparatus to remove one individual hair/fiber at a time from a tuft using a gripping device

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The invention relates to an apparatus for removing one individual hair/fiber at a time from a tuft using a gripping device.  
     PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED  
      The object of the invention is to obtain an apparatus for removing one individual hair/fiber at a time from a tuft using a gripping device, which enables targeted removal of one individual hair/fiber at a time from a tuft with maximum accuracy meaning with an error rate approaching zero. If by chance the apparatus doesn&#39;t collect a single hair/fiber from a tuft, this should also be correspondingly considered by the apparatus according to a sub-object.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The object is achieved in that a first gripping element has a wedge-shaped groove oriented towards the second gripping element and a second gripping element has an essentially flat counterpressure zone, wherein the first gripping element is tapered on the side of the wedge-shaped groove (taper A), whereby an individually removed hair/fiber from a tuft is fixated between the wedge-shaped groove and the counterpressure zone. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The invention is described in more detail by means of an exemplary embodiment.  
      The following is shown:  
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective representation from above, which is a view of a part of the apparatus;  
       FIG. 2  shows a view from above of the apparatus according to  FIG. 1 , but with a tuft of hair or fibers between a first and a second gripping element;  
       FIG. 3  shows an enlarged detailed view of Detail III according to  FIG. 2 ;  
       FIG. 4  shows a top view of the first gripping element with a conical tip;  
       FIG. 5  shows a top view of the first gripping element with an oblong, rectangular pyramid tip;  
       FIG. 6  shows a top view of the first gripping element with a quadratic, pyramid tip;  
       FIG. 7  shows a top view of the second gripping element with a counterpressure zone that is arranged transversely with respect to groove length D 1 - 3 ;  
       FIG. 8  shows a view from above of the apparatus according to  FIG. 2 , but with a first and a second shank;  
       FIG. 9  shows a view from above of the apparatus according to  FIG. 8 , but in a first phase of the removal process for an individual hair/individual fiber;  
       FIG. 10  shows an enlarged representation of the view according to  FIG. 9 ;  
       FIG. 11  shows another enlarged representation of the view according to  FIG. 10 , but in a phase of removal of an individual hair/individual fiber from a tuft;  
       FIG. 12  shows the representation according to  FIG. 11 , but in an enlarged view and in a reduced perspective from above;  
       FIG. 13  shows the representation according to  FIG. 9 , but in an exceptional condition of non-collection of a hair/fiber;  
       FIG. 14  shows the representation according to  FIG. 1 , but with a rotation-symmetrical disk as a first gripping element and a cylindrical disk as a second gripping element;  
       FIG. 15  shows an enlarged representation of the view of a ring groove of the disk according to  FIG. 14 ; and  
       FIG. 16  shows a cutout similar to  FIG. 15  of two half-shells that are combined as mirror images as a disk ( FIG. 15 ).  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       FIGS. 1 through 16  show an apparatus  1  to remove one individual hair/fiber  2  at a time from a tuft  3  using a gripping device  4 , which has a first and a second opposing gripping element  5 ,  6 . The first gripping element  5  is connected to a first shank  21 , and the second gripping element  6  is connected to a second shank  22 . The first and the second gripping element  5 ,  6  and/or the first shank  21  and the second shank  22  are relatively movable with respect to each other and/or can be moved, for example, as if using a set of tweezers. Optionally, either the first or the second gripping element  5 ,  6  can be arranged at a fixed location so that only one gripping element  5 ,  6  and/or only one shank  21 ,  22  can be correspondingly precisely moved by, for example, an automatically controlled hydraulic/pneumatic drive (not shown). The first gripping element  5  has a wedge-shaped groove  7  oriented towards the second gripping element  6 , wherein the second gripping element  6  has an essentially flat counterpressure zone  8 , in order to hold an individual hair/fiber  2  that has been removed from a tuft  3  between the wedge-shaped groove  7  and the counterpressure zone  8  when the first and second gripping element  5 ,  6  are pressed together (e.g.,  FIG. 10 ), and in order to then pull said hair/fiber from the tuft  3  (automatically). The hair/fiber  2  is then automatically affixed at both ends with a sleeve for additional processing, for example, with a prescribed length, in order to treat and/or test and/or examine it with a corresponding apparatus (not shown).  
      The first gripping element  5  is tapered on the side of the wedge-shaped groove  7  (taper A). The gripping element  5  is thereby precisely routed up to a first position of multiple hairs/fibers  2  through a tuft  3  that is suspended in a fixed position and it then collects, normally with the wedge-shaped groove  7 , an individual hair  2  or an individual fiber  2  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ).  
      During the gripping process, there is a spring-loaded touch contact between the first gripping element  5  and the second gripping element  6  using a spring device  37 , which is arranged in a first and/or second shank  21 ,  22  of the first and/or second gripping element  5 ,  6  and consists of a bore hole  38  with a lateral slot  39  ( FIG. 1 ).  
      The wedge-shaped groove  7  has an edge width C of approximately 40 μm and an alpha angle of approximately 45 degrees ( FIG. 3 ).  
      Taper A of the first gripping element  5  is formed by a pointy cone  31  ( FIG. 4 ). The groove  7  has at least length D 1  of a hair/fiber diameter. The average hair diameter is approximately 60 to 80 μm.  
      Taper A of the first gripping element  5  is formed by a rectangular pyramid tip  32  ( FIGS. 5 and 6 ), wherein a pyramid surface, according to  FIG. 5 , has an oblong rectangle and groove length D 2  and, according to  FIG. 6 , a quadratic rectangle and groove length D 3 .  
       FIG. 7  shows the second gripping element  6  with a counterpressure zone  8  arranged transversely with respect to groove length D 1 - 3 .  
       FIG. 8  shows a view from above of the apparatus  1  according to  FIG. 2 , but with a first and a second shank  21 ,  22 . Both gripping elements  5 ,  6  consist of one current-conducting material (metal) and are each connected via a conductor  35 ,  36 , whereby the first and second gripping element  5 ,  6  communicates with an electric detection device  13  to control the collection of an individual hair/fiber  2  from a tuft  3 . The first and second gripping elements  5 ,  6  are formed as an electric current bridge  14  when they come into mechanical contact B ( FIG. 13 ) with each other, wherein a current flow  15  signals that there is no individual hair/fiber  2  from a tuft  3  between the first and second gripping element  5 ,  6 , and, correspondingly, automatic further processing is possible.  
       FIG. 9  shows a view from above of the apparatus  1  according to  FIG. 8 , but in a first phase of the removal process for an individual hair/individual fiber.  
       FIG. 10  shows an enlarged representation of the view according to  FIG. 9 .  
       FIG. 11  shows another enlarged representation of the view according to  FIG. 10 , but in a phase of removal of an individual hair/individual fiber  2  from a tuft  3 .  
       FIG. 12  shows the representation according to  FIG. 11 , but in an enlarged view and in a reduced perspective from above.  
       FIG. 13  shows the representation according to  FIG. 9 , but in an exceptional status of non-collection of a hair/fiber  2 , which is detected by the detection device  13  ( FIG. 8 ).  
      According to  FIGS. 14 through 16 , the first gripping element  5  is designed as a rotation-symmetrical disk  9 , wherein the wedge-shaped groove  7  is designed as a peripheral ring groove  10  with a chamfer  33  on each side ( FIGS. 15 and 16 ) as taper A. The second gripping element  6  is a cylindrical disk  11 , wherein the peripheral ring groove  10  and a surface  12  of the cylindrical disk  11  communicate with one another. The rotation-symmetrical disk  9  consists of two similar, rotation-symmetrical half-shells  34 , whereby a ring groove  10  with an edge width C of approximately 40 μm can be produced.  
     Reference List  
     
         
           1  Apparatus  
           2  Hair/fiber  
           3  Tuft  
           4  Gripping device  
           5  First gripping element  
           6  Second gripping element  
           7  Groove  
           8  Counterpressure zone  
           9  Rotation-symmetrical disk  
           10  Ring groove  
           11  Cylindrical disk  
           12  Surface  
           13  Detection device  
           14  Current bridge  
           15  Current flow  
           21  First shank  
           22  Second shank  
           31  Pointy cone  
           32  Pyramid tip  
           33  Chamfer  
           34  Half-disk  
           35 , 36  Conductor  
           37  Spring device  
           38  Borehole  
           39  Slot  
          A Taper  
          B Mechanical contact  
          C Edge width/groove  7   
          D 1 - 3  Groove length  
          alpha angle/groove  7   
       
    
      All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. To the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this written document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to the term in this written document shall govern.  
      While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.