Patent Publication Number: US-2009230231-A1

Title: Foldable Type Wet Towel Formation Device for a Wet Towel Feeder

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a foldable type wet towel formation device for a wet towel feeder, and more in particular to a foldable type wet towel formation device for a wet towel feeder, which can supply the foldable type disposable wet towel offhand, which can be formed by cutting a fabric wound in a roll shape into a given length while it is transported, and allowing the cut fabric to absorb water to thereby be folded into many folds. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     In this regard, along with the spread of the exposable wet towel which emphasizes sanitation, the wet towel feeder has been developed and supplied in various forms to use the wet towel conveniently in a restaurant, a past-food restaurant, an office, and the like, so that the wet towel can be prepared offhand and can be used, if necessary. 
     The present inventor has filed a Korea patent application No. 10-2005-0013478 entitled ‘A wet towel supplying apparatus and a belt therefor’, and a Korea patent application No. 10-2005-0020532 entitled ‘A water injection nozzle for a wet towel feeder and manufacturing method thereof’ for improving the function of the wet towel feeder, which provides the wet towel after cutting the dry fabric into a desired length proper for use, makes it wet by spraying the water on the cut fabric while it is transported, and forms the wet fabric into a desired shape, thereby making it possible to use the wet towel conveniently. 
     Meanwhile, the present inventor has also suggested a wet towel feeder, which can supply a roll type wet towel and a foldable type wet towel at the same time, in Korea patent application No. 10-2005-0013799 entitled ‘A wet towel feeder’. The wet towel feeder is characterized in that it is possible to interchange a formation device of the roll type wet towel, which can make the roll type wet towel (which corresponds to ‘a unit for formation of wet towel shape’), into a formation device of the foldable type wet towel. 
     DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
     Thus, the technology related to the wet towel feeder suggested in the prior application by the present inventor improves the function and capacity of the conventional wet towel feeder. In this instance, the wet towel feeder is provided with a device for formation the wet fabric into a wet towel of a desired shape by spraying the water on the fabric with transporting the dry fabric. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the device  500  for formation the wet towel into the final foldable wet towel shape is constructed that the fabric can be transported by a belt  540  installed on a driving roller  520  and a driven roller  530 , and the wet fabric is folded by operating a lever  560  installed on a shaft  562  arranged across the belt  540  to perform angular motion via the belt  540 . As regard to the wet towel formation device  500  constructed as above, it is required to control the stop of the transporting of the belt  540  in contrast to the device for formation the roll type wet towel, and to control the forward and reverse movement of the lever  560  for folding the wet fabric in coupled to the fore-mentioned operation. Accordingly, the wet towel formation device  500  for the conventional wet towel feeder for supplying the foldable type wet towel requires controlling elements such as limit switches  554 ,  574  and switching levers  552 ,  572  and the like to control the operations of the driving roller  520  and the lever  560  alternately, and requires a motor for rotating the driving roller  520  and the lever  560  in the forward and reverse directions. 
     However, as to the controlling elements and the motor for perform the forward and reverse rotation, there occurs a problem that the stability of the product is low and the necessity of maintenance and repair has occurred from time to time. That is, in the conventional device  500  for formation the foldable wet towel, because the forward and reverse rotation of the motor should be carried out for 0.1 to 1 second (0.25 second in usual), overload is applied to the motor and the controlling elements to thereby cause prompt disorder and mal-operation of the motor and the controlling elements, resulting in the necessity of maintenance and repairs. 
     Technical Solution 
     Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the problems occurring in the conventional arts, and the primary object of the present invention is to provide a foldable type wet towel formation device for the new type wet towel feeder, which can solve problems of the reduction of the product stability and maintenance and repairs occurring from the motor and the controlling elements such as the limit switches and the switching lever. 
     Advantageous Effects 
     Accordingly, according to wet towel formation device of the present invention, it is possible to use the sensors such as the limit switches and the like as few as possible or to remove them, which are requisite in controlling the operation of folding the fabric or in controlling the transportation of the fabric in the conventional foldable type wet towel formation device through applying a gear having a no-tooth zone. Further, it is possible to fabricate the wet towel formation device having a simple structure in comparison with the convention wet towel formation device, to improve the stability of the product by removing the forward and reverse rotations of the motor used principally as an actuator, and to make it convenient to maintain and repair it. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view for explaining a conventional foldable type wet towel formation device; 
         FIG. 2  is view for explaining the technical spirit of the foldable type wet towel formation device according to the present invention; 
         FIGS. 3 through 6  are views for explaining preferred embodiments of a first driving unit constituting the foldable type wet towel formation device according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a view for explaining an example of a second driving unit constituting the foldable type wet towel formation device according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a view for explaining another example of the second driving unit constituting the foldable type wet towel formation device according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a view for explaining still another example of the second driving unit constituting the foldable type wet towel formation device according to the present invention; and 
         FIGS. 10 through 12  are views for explaining other examples of the second driving unit constituting the foldable type wet towel formation device according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     BEST MODE 
     Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the appended drawings of  FIGS. 2 through 12  below. In  FIGS. 2 through 12 , the same numerals are referred to the same constituting elements perform the same functions. Meanwhile, in the respective drawings, the technical contents of the general wet towel feeder (formation apparatus) and the foldable type wet towel formation device thereof have been simplified or omitted in the drawings and in the detailed description of the present invention, because they can be easily understood by the people pertinent to the technical field of this invention, and the description will be performed with regard to what is related to the present invention. Further, the size and shape of the assembly portion or the connection portion may be somewhat different from each other in each drawing, however, such differences of the size from other drawings are merely represented in view of the drawing, and they will not limit or change the spirit of the present invention. 
       FIGS. 3 through 6  are views for showing the examples of a first driving unit of the foldable type wet towel formation device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. In the drawings,  FIG. 3  is a view showing a case where a no tooth zone is applied to the driving gear,  FIG. 4  is a view showing a case where a no tooth zone is applied to the driven gear,  FIG. 5  is a view showing a case where the driving gear and the driven gear are applied as inscribed gears, and  FIG. 6  is a view showing a case where a plurality of mid gears are employed as the driving gear. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 through 6 , the wet towel formation device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention performs the transportation and stop of the belt  34  only by means of the continuous operation (rotation in the forward direction) of the actuator, i.e., a motor  20  without using a separate sensor. 
     The wet towel formation device  10  of the present invention can be obtained by applying the gear having a no-tooth zone  100 . Such no-tooth zone  100  is arranged between a first actuator  20  and a driving roller  30  to rotate the driving roller  30 , and is formed by a transporting unit for transferring the rotation of the first actuator  20  (a motor, a solenoid coil, and a cylinder may be applied) to the driving roller  30 . In this instance, the transporting unit is comprised of a first driving gear  40  and a first driven gear  50 , and the no-tooth zone  100  is, as shown in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , obtained by formation it on any one of the first driving gear  40  and the first driven gear  50 . Further, as shown in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , it can be obtained by applying a general plane gear (including a helical gear) and an inscription gear, and as shown in  FIG. 6 , it can be obtained by applying a mid gear ( 42 ,  44 ; in this instance, in the combination of the gears shown, the rotation force of the first actuator  20  is transferred to the first driving roller  40  via the mid gear  42 ). 
     Meanwhile, the no-tooth zone  100  can be adjusted of its length and number according to the length, the number of folding turns of the foldable type wet towel to be formed, and a ratio between the first driving gear  40  and the first driven gear  50 . 
       FIG. 7  is a view for showing an example of a second driving unit in the foldable type wet towel formation device according to the present invention. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 7 , the second driving unit according to the embodiment of the present invention comprises a second driving gear  80 , a second driven gear  90 , and an elastic member  74 . The second driving gear  80  rotates in coupling with a second actuator. Here, the second actuator is made of an electric motor in general, and the motor used as the second actuator rotates continuously in the forward direction in the present embodiment. The second driven gear  90  is connected to a shaft  70 , and is coupled to the second driving gear  80  to be rotated in the forward direction by the second driving gear  80 . In this instance, a zone  100  without a tooth is formed at any one of the second driving gear  80  and the second driven gear  90 . The zone  100  without a tooth defines a region where the second driving gear  80  and the second driven gear  90  are not connected to each other when a lever  72  folds the fabric. In this instance, the elastic member  74  is installed so that one end thereof is engaged with the lever  72  of the shaft  70  and the other end is engaged with a frame (not shown) of the foldable type wet towel formation device. As for the elastic member  74 , a spring can be used in general, and such spring comprises a torsion spring and a tensile spring. 
     Therefore, according to the foldable type wet towel formation device of the present embodiment, the lever  72  performs an angular movement in the forward direction by the operation of the second actuator  60  to thereby fold the fabric when the transportation of the belt  34  has been stopped, and it is rotated reversely instantly by the elastic member  74  when the second driving gear  80  and the second driven gear  90  has arrived at the no tooth zone, so that the shaft  70  and the second actuator  60  can return to their original positions. Of course, it is designed that the driving of the second driving unit (the second actuator  60 ) can be performed within the time when the transporting unit stopped the belt  34 . 
       FIG. 8  is a view for showing a different example of the second driving unit in the foldable type wet towel formation device according to the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 8 , the second driving unit according to the embodiment of the present invention comprises a second driving gear  80 , a second driven gear  90 , and an elastic member  74 . In this instance, the second driving gear  80  is formed to be rack shape so that it can be provided with at least one no-tooth zone  100 , to thereby reciprocate in parallel by the second actuator  60 . Such second driving gear  80  is constructed by formation the no-tooth zone  100  on the rack. While the second actuator  60  is shown to employ a cylinder  66 , a motor can be used as the second actuator and a cam method can be employed to increase the operation speed. The second driven gear  90  is connected to the shaft  70  and coupled to the second driving gear  80  to thereby rotate in the forward direction by the second driving gear  80 . The elastic member  74  is installed so that one end thereof is engaged with the lever  72  of the shaft  70  and the other end is engaged with a frame (not shown) of the foldable type wet towel formation device. 
     Therefore, according to the foldable type wet towel formation device of the present embodiment, the lever  72  performs an angular movement in the forward direction by the operation of the second actuator  60  to thereby fold the fabric when the transportation of the belt  34  has been stopped, and it is rotated reversely instantly by the elastic member  74  when the second driving gear  80  and the second driven gear  90  has arrived at the no tooth zone, so that the shaft  70  and the second actuator  60  can return to their original positions. Of course, it is designed that the driving of the second driving unit (the second actuator  60 ) can be performed within the time when the transporting unit stopped the belt  34 . 
       FIG. 9  is a view for showing the driving type of the second driving unit by applying a solenoid to the second actuator  60 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 9 , as described above, the wet towel formation device  10  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is constructed that the transporting and stopping operation of the belt  34  can be automatically performed by formation the no tooth zone  100  on the gear of the transporting unit for transporting the belt  34 , and can fold the fabric through the controlling of the main controller (control portion of the wet towel feeder) without installing a separate sensor. 
     Thus, in the foldable type wet towel formation device  10  according to the present embodiment, the second actuator  60  is constructed that the actuating bar  64  can be rec iprocated to a desired length by the operation of the solenoid coil  62 , and the actuating bar  64  is connected to the second driving unit, which transfers the operation of the second actuator  60  to the shaft  70 . In this instance, the second driving unit comprises the second driving gear  80  and the second driven gear  90 . The second driving gear  80  is constructed that the center thereof is fixed and the actuating bar  64  is engaged at the side thereof to be rotated in the forward direction by an angle predetermined by the actuating bar  64 . The second driven gear  90  is connected to the shaft  70  and coupled to the second driving gear  80  to be rotated in the forward direction. 
     As constructed above, in the foldable type wet towel formation device  10  according to the present embodiment, the solenoid coil  62  is operated to fold the fabric during the stop of the belt  34 . Of course, it can be designed that the driving of the second driving unit (the second actuator  60 ) is performed within the time of the stop of the belt  34  by the transporting unit. 
       FIGS. 10 through 12  are views for explaining still other examples of the second driving unit constituting the foldable type wet towel formation device according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIGS. 10 through 12 , the second driving unit of the foldable type wet towel formation device  10  according to the present embodiment is constructed to fold the fabric by combining gears having no-tooth zone  100 , as was identical to the transporting unit. 
     The second driving unit according to the present embodiment comprises a forward driving gear  82 , a reverse driving gear  84 , a forward driven gear  92 , and a reverse driven gear  94 . In this instance, the forward driving gear  82  rotates with connected to the second actuator  60 . The reverse driving gear  84  is connected to the forward driving gear  82  by the connection bar  85  to be rotated in the direction identical to that of the forward driving gear  82 . The forward driven gear  92  rotates with connected to the forward driving gear  82 , and is connected to the shaft  70 . The reverse driven gear  94  is connected to the shaft  70 , and is connected to the reverse driving gear  92  and the mid gear  86  to thereby rotate in the reverse direction of the forward driven gear  94 . 
     As described above, the second driving unit according to the present embodiment features that the forward driven gear  92  and the reverse driven gear  94  are formed with no-tooth zones  100  corresponding to each other in the reverse direction. Accordingly, the second driving unit of the present embodiment is constructed that the shaft  70  is rotated in the forward direction to thereby fold the fabric by means of the lever  72  when the forward driven gear  92  is rotated by being engaged with the forward driving gear  82 , and the shaft  70  is rotated in the reverse direction to thereby make the lever  72  return to its original position when the reverse driven gear  94  is rotated with being engaged with the reverse driving gear  84  via the mid gear  86 . Of course, it can be designed that the driving of the second driving unit (the second actuator  60 ) is performed within the time of the stop of the belt  34  by the transporting unit. 
     Meanwhile, the second driving unit according to the present embodiment is installed separately at both sides of the belt  34  to accomplish the structural stability to thereby perform the smooth operation. That is, in the second driving unit according to the present embodiment, the connection bar  85  is installed across the belt  34  so that the forward driving gear  82  and the reverse driving gear  84  are arranged in such a fashion that the belt  34  is interposed therebetween with interposing the belt  34 , and the forward driven gear  92  and the reverse driven gear  94  are arranged in such a fashion that the belt  34  is interposed therebetween so that they can be engaged with both ends of the shaft  70 . 
     While the foldable type wet towel formation device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in connection with the detailed description and the drawings, it is merely an illustrative example of the present invention. Further, it will be well understood by the people in the field of the relevant art that the present invention can be changed and modified variously without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. 
     MODE FOR INVENTION 
     According to the features of the present invention so as to accomplish the above objects, there is provided a foldable type wet towel formation device for a wet towel feeder, which supplies the foldable type disposable wet towel formed by cutting a fabric wound in a roll shape into a given length while it is transported, and allowing the cut fabric to absorb water to thereby be folded into many folds, the device including: first and second actuators; a transporting unit adapted to be operated by the first actuator for transporting the fabric, the transporting unit being provided with a driving roller, a driven roller and a belt engaged with the driving roller and the driven roller to be rotated between the driving roller and the driven roller; a first driving unit for transferring the movement of the first actuator to the driving roller; a shaft arranged between the driving roller and the driven roller for folding the fabric by performing the angular movement of a plurality of levers installed between the belt; and a second driving unit for transferring the movement of the second actuator to the shaft; wherein the first driving unit is provided with a first driving gear coupled to the first actuator and rotated, and a first driven gear coupled to the driving roller and engaged with the first driving gear to thereby be rotated, and any one of the first driving gear and the first driven gear is formed with no-tooth zones corresponding to the time during which the transportation of the fabric is stopped when the shaft performs the angular movement to fold the fabric. 
     In the foldable type wet towel formation device for a wet towel feeder according to the present invention, the second driving unit can comprise a second driving gear coupled to the second actuator to be rotated, and a second driven gear coupled to the s haft and engaged with the second driving gear to be rotated in the forward direction by the second driving gear, and any one of the second driving gear and the second driven gear can be formed with a no-tooth zone so that the second driving gear and the second driven gear cannot be coupled with each other when the lever folded the fabric, and the shaft and the second driven gear return to their original positions by means of the reverse rotation in the no-tooth zone due to the engagement of the lever of the shaft with an elastic member. 
     Also, in the foldable type wet towel formation device for a wet towel feeder according to the present invention, the second driving unit can comprise a second driving gear formed in a rack shape so that it is provided with at least one no-tooth zone to be reciprocated in parallel by the second actuator, and a second driven gear coupled to the shaft and engaged with the second driving gear to be rotated in the forward direction by the second driving gear, and the shaft and the second driven gear return to their original positions by means of the reverse rotation in the no-tooth zone formed at the second driving gear due to the engagement of the lever of the shaft with an elastic member. 
     Further, in the foldable type wet towel formation device for a wet towel feeder according to present invention, the second actuator can be reciprocated within a length determined by an actuating bar by the operation of a solenoid coil, and the second driving unit can comprise a second driving gear constructed to be fixed of the center thereof and provided with an actuating bar at the side thereof to be rotated in the forward and reverse directions within by an rotation angle determined by the actuating bar, and a second driven gear coupled to the shaft and engaged with the second driving gear to be rotated in the forward and reverse directions. 
     In addition, in the foldable type wet towel formation device for a wet towel feeder according to the present invention, the second driving unit can comprise a forward driving gear coupled to the second actuator to be rotated, a reverse driving gear coupled to the forward driving gear via an connection bar to be rotated in the direction identical to that of the forward driving gear, a forward driven gear coupled to the forward driving gear to be rotated, and coupled to the shaft, and a reverse driven gear coupled to the shaft, and coupled to the reverse driving gear via a mid gear to be rotated in the direction opposite to the forward driven gear, wherein the forward driven gear and the reverse driven gear can be formed with no-tooth zones opposite to each other, so that the shaft is rotated in the forward direction to make the fabric be folded by the lever when the forward driven gear is engaged with the forward driving gear to be rotated, and the shaft is rotated in the reverse direction to make the lever return to its original position when the reverse driven gear is engaged with the reverse driving gear via the mid gear to be rotated. 
     Also, in the foldable type wet towel formation device for a wet towel feeder according to the present invention, the connection bar can be installed acrossing the belt so that the forward driving gear and the reverse driving gear are arranged in such a fashion that the belt is interposed therebetween, and the forward driven gear and the reverse driven gear are arranged in such a fashion that the belt is interposed therebetween to be engaged with both ends of the shaft. 
     The wet towel formation device of the present invention features that it is possible to use the sensors such as the limit switches and the like as few as possible or to remove them, which are requisite in controlling the operation of folding the fabric or in controlling the transportation of the fabric through applying a gear having a no-tooth zone, and it removes the forward or reverse rotation of the motor used principally as the actuator completely {allow it to be rotated only in the forward direction (confer to  FIGS. 3 through 7 , and FIG.  10 )}, or it is possible to remove the forward and reverse rotation of the motor {make it to reciprocate(confer to  FIG. 8 ), or to perform angular movement (confer to  FIG. 9 ) }. Accordingly, according to the wet towel formation device of the present invention, it is possible to fabricate the wet towel formation device having a simple structure in comparison with the convention wet towel formation device, and it is possible to improve the stability of the product and to make it convenient to maintain and repair it. 
       FIG. 2  is a view for explaining the technical spirit of the foldable type wet towel formation device according to the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the foldable type wet towel formation device  10  of the present invention is provided to fabricate the foldable type wet towel by folding the fabric to many folds in the wet towel feeder, which was suggested by the present inventor. In particular, according to the foldable type wet towel formation device  10  of the present invention, the transportation of the belt and the angular movement of the lever can be performed through the mechanical control in contrast to the conventional control method, in which the transportation of the belt and the angular movement of the lever was controlled electronically by using the sensors such as the limit switches through forming the no-tooth zone to correspond to the operation condition of the gear for driving the roller transporting the belt and/or of the gear for performing the angular movement of the lever. 
     As described above, the foldable type wet towel formation device  10  of the present invention comprises the first and second actuators  20 ,  60 , the transporting unit, the first driving unit, the shaft  70 , and the second driving unit. The transporting unit comprises a driving roller  30 , a driven roller  32 , and the belt  34  engaged with the driving roller  30  and the driven roller  32  to be rotated between the driving roller  30  and the driven roller  32 , and it is operated by the first actuator  20  to transport the fabric. The first driving unit is constructed to transfer the movement of the first actuator  20  to the driving roller  30 . The shaft  70  is provided with a plurality of levers  72  positioned between the driving roller  30  and the driven roller  32  and arranged between the belts  34  to perform the angular movement to thereby fold the fabric. The second driving unit is constructed to transfer the movement of the second actuator  60  to the shaft  70 . 
     In this instance, the first driving unit of the foldable type wet towel formation device  10  according to the present invention is featured that it comprises a first driving gear  40  rotated by being coupled the first actuator  20 , and a first driven gear  50  connected to the driving roller  30  and rotated by being coupled to the first driving gear  40 , and any one of the first driving gear  40  and the first driven gear  50  is provided with the no-tooth zone  100  corresponding to the time during which the transportation of the fabric is stopped when the shaft  70  performs the angular movement to fold the fabric. In other words, while the first driving gear  40  and the first driven gear  50  are engaged with each other to thereby transport the belt  34  when the first actuator  20  is operated, when the no-tooth zone  100  is reached, the belt  34  stops because the first driving gear  40  and the first driven gear  50  cannot be engaged with each other. In this instance, it is possible to perform the folding operation of the fabric by rotating the shaft in the forward and reverse directions through the operation of the second actuator  60 . Of course, it is possible to perform the mechanical control of the folding operation of the fabric by applying the gear having the no-tooth zone, as will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     According to the foldable type wet towel formation device  10  as described above, it is possible to perform the transportation and stop operations of the belt  34  by the gear (a driving gear or a driven gear) having the no-tooth zone  100  without any separate sensors. The foldable type wet towel formation device  10  of the present invention can be varied diversely on the basis of the technical spirit described above. That is, as described in the following preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to perform the transportation and stop operations of the belt  34  and/or the forward and reverse operation of the shaft  70  without any separate sensors. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     As described above, according to wet towel formation device of the present invention, it is possible to use the sensors such as the limit switches and the like as few as possible or to remove them, which are requisite in controlling the operation of folding the fabric or in controlling the transportation of the fabric in the conventional foldable type wet towel formation device through applying a gear having a no-tooth zone. Further, it is possible to fabricate the wet towel formation device having a simple structure in comparison with the convention wet towel formation device, to improve the stability of the product by removing the forward and reverse rotations of the motor used principally as an actuator, and to make it convenient to maintain and repair it.