Abstract:
An automatic sponge bonding apparatus for a face mask is disclosed, including a conveyance carrier, a sponge cutting device, a sponge pickup mechanism, a first sponge pressing mechanism, and a second sponge pressing mechanism. The carrier conveys the mask along an operation platform to carry out attachment of a sponge member to the mask on the platform, while the sponge member is being prepared on the platform by being properly cut. Two pressing operations are employed to attach and secure the cut sponge to mask to eventually realize automatic operation of attaching the sponge member to the face mask.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    (a) Technical Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to an apparatus for bonding a sponge member to a face mask, and in particularly to an apparatus that automatically picks up a sponge member and attach the sponge member so picked up to a face mask. 
         [0003]    (b) Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    Due the air pollution caused by modernization and industrialization, face masks are more and more often used by urban people. However, conventionally, the face masks can only be manufactured in a semi-automation manner, especially for attaching a sponge member to a mask body. Thus, a great amount of human labor is needed in making the face mask. As a consequence, costs cannot be reduced and throughput cannot be enhanced. Since the sponge member attached to the mask helps making the mask wearer feel comfortable in wearing the mask, attaching the sponge to the mask is a necessary step that must be automatized to enhance the production of the face masks. 
         [0005]    Thus, the present invention is aimed to overcome the above discussed problems by providing an apparatus capable of automatically attaching a sponge member to a body of a face mask. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide an automatic sponge bonding apparatus for a face mask, comprising: a conveyance carrier, a sponge cutting device, a sponge pickup mechanism, a first sponge pressing mechanism, and a second sponge pressing mechanism, wherein the sponge cutting device serves to cut a length of sponge into cut pieces of sponge and comprises at least one cut roller and at least one forward roller. The cut roller is provided with at least one cut blade. The forward roller functions to drive the sponge and to separate a back adhesive release film from a back adhesive layer of the sponge. A conveyance belt is arranged behind the forward roller to convey a cut sponge piece. Further, at least one sponge retention bar is arranged above the conveyance belt for pressing and thus retaining the cut sponge piece. The sponge pickup mechanism comprises a pickup frame, a pickup arm, a pickup clip, a shaped, anvil slide, and a shaped anvil and functions to pick up and transfer the cut sponge piece. A sponge holding mechanism is provided by one side of the anvil and comprises a retention clamp, a resilient member, and a push board. The anvil is driven toward the pickup clip that grips a cut sponge piece to press against the sponge piece so that the sponge piece is retained on the anvil by the sponge holding mechanism. The anvil is then rotated to face the inside of the mask to thereby form the first, pressing mechanism with a press board for adhesively attaching the sponge piece to the mask, wherein the press board arranged outside the conveyance carrier is moved toward and pressing against the mask, and at the same time, the anvil is moved down to abut against the inside of the mask so as to allow the sponge piece to be fixed to the mask. Then the second sponge pressing mechanism is employed to perform a second pressing operation to more tightly attach the sponge piece to the inside of the mask. The second sponge pressing mechanism comprises a pair of rollers and a shaping board. The shaping board can be lowered down to the inside of the mask, and the rollers can roll and press the mask against an outer contour of the shaping board to carry out the second pressing of the sponge piece to the mask. Further, the automatic sponge bonding apparatus of the present invention comprises a mask holder and a mask spreading mechanism, wherein the mask holder serves to support a mask in a folded condition and the wherein the mask spreading mechanism comprises at least one spreading arm and a clamp for gripping the folded mask positioned on the mask holder and to picks up and spreads the mask to change the mask to a spread and then to put the mask onto the conveyance carrier. The conveyance carrier comprises a carrier chassis and at least one roller, which is coupled to the chassis. A retention plate is arranged on the chassis for pressing and retaining the mask on the carrier in the spread condition. 
         [0007]    The apparatus employs the conveyance carrier to convey the face mask and carries out the bonding of the sponge piece to the mask on the platform of the apparatus, and at the same time, the sponge piece is being prepared on the platform. Finally, two pressing operations are used to firmly attach the sponge to the mask with enhanced firmness. 
         [0008]    The foregoing object and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts. 
         [0009]    Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIGS. 1A-1E  illustrate the operation of a mask spreading mechanism of an automatic sponge bonding apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  illustrate the operation of a sponge cutting device of the automatic sponge bonding apparatus of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIGS. 3A-3K  illustrate the operation of a sponge pickup mechanism of the automatic sponge bonding apparatus of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate the operation of a first sponge pressing mechanism of the automatic sponge bonding apparatus of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate the operation of a second sponge pressing mechanism of the automatic sponge bonding apparatus of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0015]    The following descriptions are of exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 
         [0016]    With reference to the drawings, an automatic sponge bonding apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention generally comprises a mask spreading mechanism  120 , a mask holder  126 , a conveyance carrier  140 , a sponge cutting device  200 , a sponge pickup mechanism  300 , a first sponge pressing mechanism  400 , and a second sponge pressing mechanism  500 , all of winch cooperate to realize automatic bonding of a sponge member to a face mask. These devices/mechanisms will be described in details in the following description. 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 1A-1E , the mask spreading mechanism  120  and the mask holder  126  incorporated in the automatic sponge bonding apparatus in accordance with the present invention are illustrated. The mask holder  126  serves to support a mask  110  in a folded condition thereon. The mask spreading mechanism  120  comprises at least one spreading arm  122  and a clamp  124 . The clamp  124  holds the folded mask  110  positioned on the mask holder  126 , and the spreading arm  122  picks up the mask  110  and spreads the mask  110  to change the mask  110  to a spread condition, under which the mask  110  is then positioned on the conveyance carrier  140 . The conveyance carrier  140  comprises a carrier chassis  142  and at least one roller  1422 , which is coupled to the chassis  142  to allow movement of the carrier  140 . A retention plate  144  is arranged on the chassis  142  for pressing and retaining the mask  110  on the carrier  140  in fee spread condition. Further, the carrier  140  comprises a rotation structure coupling between the chassis  142  and the retention plate  144  to allow relative rotation of the retention plate  144  with respect to the chassis  142 . 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the sponge cutting device  200  of the automatic sponge bonding apparatus in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. The sponge cutting device  200  serves to cut a length of sponge into cut pieces of sponge, which will also be referred to as a sponge member to be attached the face mask. The sponge cutting device  200  comprises at least one cut roller  210  and at least one forward roller  220 . The cut roller  210  is provided with at least one cut blade  212 . The forward roller  220  functions to drive a sponge member  250  and to separate a back adhesive release film  252  from a back adhesive layer of the sponge member  250 . A conveyance belt  230  is arranged behind the forward roller  220  to convey a cut sponge piece  250 . Further, at least one sponge retention bar  240  is arranged above the conveyance belt  230  for pressing and thus retaining the cut sponge piece  250  and to move in unison therewith. The sponge cutting device  200  allows for simultaneous cutting and providing cut pieces of sponge, leading to saving of time and labor. 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIG. 3A-3K , the sponge pickup mechanism  300  is illustrated, which functions to pick up and transfer the cut piece of sponge  250 . The sponge pickup mechanism  300  comprises a pickup frame  310 , a pickup arm  312 , a pickup clip  314 , a shaped anvil slide  320 , and a shaped, anvil  322 . Further, a sponge holding mechanism  330  is provided by one side of the anvil  322 , comprising a retention clamp  332 , a resilient member  334 , and a push board  336 . The pickup clip  314  picks up the sponge  250  from the conveyance belt  230  first, and then the pickup frame  310  rotates to move the pickup clip  314  and the sponge retained on the pick up clip  314  upward. The pickup arm  312  is then rotated forward to a position facing the anvil  322 . The push board  336  moves forward to push the anvil  322  toward the pickup clip  314  that carries the sponge  250  for depressing the sponge whereby the sponge is fixed by the retention clamp  332  of the sponge holding mechanism  330  and thus retained on the anvil  322 . The resilient member  334  is coupled to the retention clamp  332  to make the retention clamp  332  resiliently hold the sponge. 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the first sponge pressing mechanism  400  of the automatic sponge bonding apparatus in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. The first sponge pressing mechanism  400  comprises a press board  402 . When the sponge holding mechanism  330  retains the sponge  250  on the anvil  322 , the anvil slide  320  is rotated and moved downward to have the anvil  322  located on the inside of the mask. At the same time, the press board  402  is moved forward against, the mask  110  whereby the sponge  250  on the anvil  322  is adhesively attached, to the mask  110 . The retention clamp  332  of the sponge holding mechanism  330  then releases the sponge  250  to leave the sponge  250  attached to the mask  110 . 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , the second sponge pressing mechanism  500  of the automatic sponge bonding apparatus in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. The second sponge pressing mechanism  500  comprises a pair of rollers  502  and a shaping board  504 . When the carrier  140  moves along a track  130  to a location below the shaping board  504 , the shaping board  504  is lowered down to the inside of the mask, while the rollers  502  are moved toward the mask to roll and press the mask against the shaping board  504  to more firmly attach the sponge  250  on the mask. 
         [0022]    The present invention realizes firm attachment of the sponge  250  to the mask  11  by using the conveyance carrier  140  to transport the mask  110  and at the same time processing and providing the sponge  250 , and completing the attachment of the sponge to the mask on the same operation platform, followed by twice pressing operation to ensure firm attachment of the sponge to the mask. 
         [0023]    Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention which is intended to be defined try the appended claims. 
         [0024]    It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above. 
         [0025]    While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.