Metal fusion bonding – With control means responsive to sensed condition – Work-responsive
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-24
2001-11-20
Dunn, Tom (Department: 1725)
Metal fusion bonding
With control means responsive to sensed condition
Work-responsive
C228S012000, C228S044300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06318623
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a strip connecting apparatus, which connects the tail edge of a leading strip and the front edge of a trailing strip.
2. Discussion of Background
In
FIG. 8
is shown a schematic view of a conventional strip connecting apparatus, which is disclosed in JP-A-5418440. In
FIG. 8
, the tail edge of a leading strip
1
, which is successively transferred along a processing line, is halted in a welder (not shown). Rough centering of the leading strip
1
is made by clamping the leading strip
1
by an alignment device on the outlet side of the welder. After having clamped the leading strip
1
, a position detector
3
detects a deviation between the center of the leading strip
1
in its width direction and the center of the welder (not shown) and outputs a deviation signal
3
a.
Next, rough centering of a transferred trailing strip
4
is made by an alignment device
5
on the inlet side of the welder. A position detector
6
detects a deviation between the width center of the trailing strip
4
and the center of the welder (not shown) and outputs a deviation signal
6
a
. The respective deviation signals
3
a
and
6
a
are processed by an operation unit
7
to drive a cylinder
9
through a valve
8
. The cylinder
9
is driven to move a table
10
with the trailing strip
4
fixed thereto in a direction transverse to the processing line. When the deviation signals
3
a
and
6
a
from the respective position detectors
3
and
6
are matched, the movement of the table
10
is halted. Then, the welder (not shown) connects the tail edge of the leading strip
1
and the front edge of the trailing strip
4
since the respective strips
1
and
4
have had the width centers thereof matched.
Since the conventional strip connecting apparatus is constructed as stated earlier, the connection between the tail edge of the leading strip
1
and the front edge of the trailing strip
4
is carried out in such a state that the leading strip
1
and the trailing strip
4
have the width centers matched. Under the circumstances, it is difficult to ensure the degree of parallel of the center lines of the respective strips
1
and
4
with respect to the center line of the processing line. This creates a problem in that the respective strips
1
and
4
thus connected snake in the processing line when the respective strips are being transferred.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to eliminate this problem, and provides a strip connecting apparatus capable of preventing connected strips from snaking.
The present invention provides a strip connecting apparatus wherein a leading strip and a trailing strip have centers thereof in a width direction aligned with each other, and the leading strip has a tail edge welded to a front edge of the trailing strip, comprising a position detector for the leading strip and a position detector for the trailing strip, each of the position detectors being provided along each of the strips to detect a deviation of a center line of each of the strips in the width direction with respect to a center line of a processing line; and at least two alignment devices for the leading strip and at least two alignment devices for the trailing strip, the alignment devices for the leading strip and the alignment devices for the trailing strip being provided so as to be separated each other by a certain distance along each of the strips in a transferring direction of the strips, and each of the alignment devices clamping each of the strips and adjusting a position of each of the strips in the width direction in response to each of the detected deviations to align the center line of each of the strips with the center line of the processing line.
Each of the position detector for the leading strip and the position detector for the trailing strip may comprise two position detectors, which are provided so as to be separated each other by a certain distance in the transferring direction.
Each of the position detector for the leading strip and the position detector for the trailing strip may comprise two pairs of position detectors, each pair being provided so as to interpose each of the strips therebetween.
The respective alignment devices may have a pair of pads provided thereon so as to be capable of contacting with both surfaces of each of the strips, the pads being rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the surfaces of each of the strips.
Each of the position detectors may have a contacting piece provided thereon so as to be capable of contacting with a lateral edge of a strip for detection of the deviation, and the contacting piece may have a buffer to absorb impact in the width direction, which is caused when the contacting piece contacts with the lateral edge.
Each of the position detector for the leading strip and the position detector for the trailing strip may comprise a CCD camera.
In accordance with the present invention, the position detectors can detect deviations of the center lines of the leading strip and the trailing strip with respect to the center line of the processing line, and the at least two alignment devices for the leading strip and the at least two alignment devices for the trailing strip can adjust the positions of both strips in response to the detected deviations. Thus, the center lines of both strips can be aligned with the center line of the processing line to prevent the strips from snaking during transfer after connection.
When the alignment devices have a pair of pads provided thereon so as to be rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the surfaces of the relevant strip, the rotational forces that are applied to the relevant strip when aligning the center lines of the strips with the center line of processing line can be absorbed by the rotational pads to prevent the strips from being deformed.
When each of the position detectors has the contacting piece provided thereon, the impact that is when the contacting piece contacts with a lateral edge of the relevant strip can be absorbed to prevent the lateral edge of the relevant strip from being deformed.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3707773 (1973-01-01), Wolfberg et al.
patent: 3816695 (1974-06-01), Deffenbaugh
patent: 4354089 (1982-10-01), Takahashi et al.
patent: 5053687 (1991-10-01), Merlet
patent: 5698118 (1997-12-01), Takeda et al.
patent: 5961025 (1999-10-01), Fukumoto et al.
patent: 5987726 (1999-11-01), Akeel
patent: 6152352 (2000-11-01), Isoyama et al.
patent: 54-18440 (1979-02-01), None
patent: 5-96398 (1993-04-01), None
patent: 10-277780 (1998-10-01), None
Kodama Seiji
Matuzaki Taketomo
Nakamura Masayuki
Sodeno Keiji
Dunn Tom
Johnson Jonathan
Mitsubishi Denki & Kabushiki Kaisha
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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