JP7769071B1 - Spring hair implantation method and spring hair implantation system - Google Patents

Abstract

A spring hair implantation method and a spring hair implantation system are provided that can shorten the transport path for drying.
[Solution] The method for implanting hair into springs according to the present invention comprises the following steps: a first step of attaching a spring to a conveyor moving along a transport path; a second step of moving the spring to an adhesive application section on the transport path and applying adhesive to the spring by electrostatic coating; a third step of moving the spring to an electrostatic hair implantation section on the transport path and implanting hair into the area of the spring where the adhesive has been applied by electrostatic hair implantation; a fourth step of moving the spring to a primary drying section on the transport path and performing primary drying on the implanted spring; and a fifth step of removing the spring from the conveyor, placing it in a secondary drying section, and performing secondary drying in the secondary drying section for a longer period of time than the primary drying.
[Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a spring hair implantation method and a spring hair implantation system.

Patent Document 1 discloses a method for implanting hair onto springs. In this method, adhesive is applied to the springs while they are being transported by a conveyor chain, and the hair is implanted, dried, and removed. After the hair is removed, the springs are removed from the conveyor and packaged.

Special Publication No. 2021-510359

In the hair implantation method described in the above document, the springs are dried while still attached to the conveyor. However, since it takes time for the adhesive to dry sufficiently, the conveyance path must be long for drying. As a result, the hair implantation method described in the above document has the problem of requiring space to ensure a conveyance path for drying.

The present invention was made to solve this problem, and aims to provide a spring hair implantation method and spring hair implantation system that can shorten the drying transport path.

Item 1. A first step of attaching a spring to a conveyor that moves along a conveyance path;
a second step of moving the spring to an adhesive application section on the transport path and applying adhesive to the spring by electrostatic coating;
a third step of moving the spring to an electrostatic flocking unit on the transport path and flocking the spring in the area where the adhesive is applied by electrostatic flocking;
a fourth step of moving the spring to a primary drying section on the transport path and performing primary drying on the flocked spring;
a fifth step of removing the spring from the conveyor, placing the spring in a secondary drying section, and performing secondary drying in the secondary drying section for a time longer than the primary drying;
A spring hair implantation method comprising:

Item 2. In the fifth step,
The plurality of springs removed from the conveyor are placed on a moving device;
and after the moving device is disposed in the secondary drying section, the secondary drying is performed while the plurality of springs remain disposed in the moving device.
Item 1. A spring hair implantation method according to item 1.

Item 3. The method further includes a sixth step of removing the spring after the secondary drying has been completed from the secondary drying unit and removing hair from the spring.
Item 3. A spring hair implantation method according to item 1 or 2.

Item 4. In the sixth step,
The excess hair attached to the spring is removed by at least one of a brush and air, and the removed hair is collected by suction.
Item 4. The spring hair implantation method according to item 3.

Item 5. In the sixth step, hair removal is performed using a hair removal device,
The hair removal device comprises:
A cylindrical brush;
a drive unit that rotates the brush around an axis;
a holding portion that holds the spring so as to contact the brush;
an air supply unit that blows air onto the spring held by the brush by the holding unit;
Equipped with
Item 5. The spring hair implantation method according to item 3 or 4.

Item 6. Prior to the first step, a mounting tool is attached to the spring;
In the first step, the attachment tool is attached to the conveyor.
Item 6. A spring hair implantation method according to any one of items 1 to 5.

Item 7. In the first step, the attachment tool is attached to the conveyor by a first moving mechanism;
In the fifth step, the second moving mechanism removes the attachment from the conveyor and places it on a moving device, and then the moving device is placed in the secondary drying section, and the secondary drying is performed with the spring still placed in the moving device.
Item 7. A spring hair implantation method according to any one of items 1 to 6.

Item 8. After the fifth step, the moving device is removed from the secondary drying section;
a third moving mechanism detaching the attachment from the moving device and moving it to a hair removal device;
Hair removal is performed using the hair removal device.
Item 8. The spring hair implantation method according to Item 7.

Item 9. The adhesive application unit is provided with at least one discharge device that discharges adhesive,
The dispensing device is configured to dispense the adhesive onto the spring while moving in an axial direction of the spring, and to dispense the adhesive from a plurality of positions around the axis.
Item 9. A spring hair implantation method according to any one of items 1 to 8.

Item 10. After the fourth step, a seventh step of applying an identification paint to the spring by bringing the spring into contact with the paint is further provided.
Item 10. A spring hair implantation method according to any one of items 1 to 9.

Item 11. A conveyor that moves along a conveying path and conveys springs;
an adhesive application unit that is disposed on the transport path and applies adhesive to the springs by electrostatic coating;
an electrostatic flocking unit disposed on the transport path and configured to electrostatically flock the spring in the area where the adhesive is applied;
a primary drying section disposed on the transport path for primarily drying the flocked springs;
a secondary drying section that performs secondary drying on the springs removed from the transport conveyor for a longer period of time than the primary drying;
Equipped with a spring hair transplant system.

This invention allows the drying transport path to be shortened.

1 is a plan view showing the schematic configuration of a spring hair implantation system according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a front view showing a state in which the hook is attached to the spring. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an operation of placing springs on a conveyor by a spring supply unit. 10A and 10B are a front view and a plan view showing an operation for applying adhesive in the adhesive applying section; 10A and 10B are a front view and a plan view showing an operation for applying adhesive in the adhesive applying section; FIG. 10 is a view of the electrostatic flocking portion as seen from the direction of movement of the spring. FIG. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating movement of the hook and the spring from the conveyor to the transfer section. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating movement of the hook and the spring from the transfer unit to the cart. FIG. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the operation of the spring after hair removal. FIG. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating movement of the spring from the carriage to the transfer section. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the holder of the transfer unit that has transitioned to a second mode.

<1. Overview of the hair transplant system>
An embodiment of a spring hair implantation system and a spring hair implantation method according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the schematic configuration of the spring hair implantation system. As shown in Fig. 1, the hair implantation system is a system for implanting hairs on metal springs 10, and includes a spring supply unit 1, a static electricity removal and dust removal unit 2, an adhesive application unit 3, an electrostatic hair implantation unit 4, a primary drying unit 5, and a marking unit 6, as well as a conveyor 7 that circulates between these units. The conveyor 7 is configured to suspend the springs 10 at predetermined intervals along its entire length, and unprocessed springs 10 are placed on the conveyor 7 by the spring supply unit 1 just before the static electricity removal and dust removal unit 2.

Then, the springs 10 that have been processed in each section are taken off the conveyor 7 at the transfer section 8 just before the static electricity removal and dust removal section 2. The springs 10 taken off the conveyor 7 are transferred to a cart 9 at the transfer section 8, and then transported by an operator to the secondary drying section 110 for secondary drying. After secondary drying, the springs 10 are transported by the cart 9 to the hair removal section 120, where excess hair is removed. After hair removal, the springs 10 are inspected in the inspection section 130 and then packaged in the packaging section 140. Each section is described in detail below.

<1-1. Conveyor>
The conveyor 7 includes a conveyor line 71 extending through the static elimination and dust removal section 2, adhesive application section 3, electrostatic flocking section 4, primary drying section 5, and marking section 6, and a plurality of conveyor hooks 72 that move along the conveyor line 71. The conveyor hooks 72 are transported by a chain or the like that is provided on the conveyor line 71. As will be described later, a hook 100 attached to a spring 10 is hooked onto the conveyor hook 72. As a result, the conveyor hook 72 is configured to circulate through the static elimination and dust removal section 2, adhesive application section 3, electrostatic flocking section 4, primary drying section 5, and marking section 6 while suspending the spring 10.

<1-2. Spring supply section>
The spring supply unit (first moving mechanism) 1 is provided near the static electricity removal/dust removal unit 2. Prior to supplying a spring 10 to the spring supply unit 1, an operator attaches a hook (attachment) 100 to the axial end of the spring 10, as shown in FIG. 2. U-shaped engaging portions 101 and 102 are provided at the upper and lower ends of the hook 100, respectively, and the engaging portion 101 on the lower end engages with the upper end of the spring 10. The engaging portion 102 on the upper end is then hooked onto a supply tool 11 provided on the spring supply unit 1, as shown in FIG. 3. The supply tool 11 is formed in the shape of a rod extending horizontally, and has a spiral groove formed on its surface.

As shown in Figure 3, when the supply tool 11 is rotated around its axis by a motor (not shown), the hook 100 hooked onto the supply tool 11 moves axially along the groove. The end of the supply tool 11 is positioned close to the conveyor line 71. This allows the engaging portion 102 of the hook 100 of the spring 10 to hook onto the conveyor hook 72 when the spring 10 moves to the end of the supply tool 11 and then releases from the end of the supply tool 11. In this way, the spring 10 is transferred from the spring supply unit 1 to the conveyor 7 and transported by the conveyor 7. At this time, the spring 10 is transported suspended from the conveyor 7 with its axial direction oriented vertically.

<1-3. Static neutralization dust removal section>
As shown in FIG. 1 , springs 10 suspended from a conveyor 7 pass through a static elimination/dust removal unit 2. The static elimination/dust removal unit 2 has a processing chamber 21 and a static elimination/dust removal device 22 provided within the processing chamber 21. As the static elimination/dust removal device 22, for example, a known ionizer can be used. The ionizer sprays positive ions and negative ions onto the springs 10, thereby neutralizing the potential on the surface of the springs 10. Furthermore, dust adhering to the springs 10 is removed by spraying the ions. Note that multiple ionizers can be used to spray ions onto the springs 10 from different directions.

<1-4. Adhesive application section>
As shown in Fig. 1, the adhesive application unit 3 is a processing unit for electrostatically applying adhesive to the springs 10, and includes a processing chamber 31 and a coating gun 32 provided within the processing chamber 31. Each coating gun 32 is a device that sprays adhesive onto the springs 10, and as shown in Fig. 4(b), is disposed to the side (e.g., the right side) of the direction of travel of the springs 10. The coating gun 32 is configured to be able to change its orientation relative to the springs 10 and to reciprocate parallel to the direction of travel of the springs 10. The coating gun 32 is also configured to reciprocate up and down.

To electrostatically coat the adhesive, the spring 10 is grounded and the coating gun 32 is connected to the negative pole. That is, the spring 10 is grounded by being connected to the conveyor body 71 via the hook 100 and the conveyor hook 72. When a high voltage is applied between the two, an electrostatic field is generated. In addition, the adhesive ejected from the coating gun 32 is negatively charged, so it adheres to the entire surface of the spring 10. There are no particular limitations on the type of adhesive, but examples include thermosetting acrylic adhesives and urethane adhesives.

Next, the adhesive application method will be described. When the spring 10 enters the processing chamber 31, the coating gun 32 is moved in the direction of spring travel at the same speed as the spring 10 while discharging adhesive. In the initial state, as shown in Figure 4(a), the coating gun 32 is positioned near the bottom end of the spring 10 and dispenses adhesive upward. Next, the coating gun 32 is moved near the top end of the spring 10 and dispenses adhesive downward. The coating gun 32 then returns to near the bottom end of the spring. This applies adhesive from the top to the bottom of the spring 10. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4(b), by changing the orientation of the coating gun 32 relative to the spring 10 after the coating gun 32 has reciprocated up and down, adhesive can be applied to the spring 10 from multiple directions.

Next, as shown in Figure 5(b), a tool installed on the conveyor line 71 rotates the conveyor hook 72 180 degrees vertically, so that the left side, which has not been coated with adhesive, faces the right side. Once the rotation of the spring 10 is complete, as shown in Figure 5(a), the coating gun 32 is moved back and forth vertically, and adhesive is applied to the uncoated portions using the procedure described above. Once the coating gun 32 moves downward, it is moved to the opposite side of the direction of travel and placed in a standby state at its initial position. Thereafter, when the next spring 10 enters the processing chamber 31, adhesive is applied using the process described above. Through the above process, for example, a thickness of adhesive of 10 to 150 μm can be applied to the surface of the spring.

<1-5. Electrostatic flocking section>
As shown in FIG. 1 , the electrostatic hair implantation unit 4 is a processing unit for implanting hairs onto springs 10 coated with adhesive. It includes a processing chamber 41 and a pair of electrode units 42 disposed within the processing chamber 41. As shown in FIG. 6 , each electrode unit 42 is disposed on either side of the spring 10 in the direction of travel, with multiple linear electrodes extending vertically within a rectangular frame. A negative electrode is connected to the electrode of each electrode unit 42. Meanwhile, the spring 10 is connected to the conveyor body 71 as described above and is thus grounded. When a high voltage is applied between the two electrodes, an electrostatic field is generated. Hairs (short fibers) for implantation are housed in a storage unit (not shown) on the bottom side of the processing chamber 41. The storage unit has an opening on the spring side. The hairs for implantation in the storage unit are scattered within the processing chamber 41 using known techniques, such as air or a scattering electrode. As a result, the hairs housed in the storage unit 42 fly toward the spring 10 and adhere to the surface of the spring 10 coated with adhesive. It should be noted that the spring 10 can be rotated around its axis while the electrostatic flocking is being performed, thereby making the flocking more uniform.

The bristle length can be, for example, 0.3 to 1.2 mm, and the bristle fineness can be, for example, 1 to 10 dtex. There are no particular restrictions on the material of the bristles, but examples include nylon and polyester.

<1-6. Primary drying section>
The spring 10, which has undergone electrostatic flocking, enters the primary drying unit 5. As shown in FIG. 1, the primary drying unit 5 includes a processing chamber 51 and multiple heaters (not shown) disposed within the processing chamber 51. As the spring 10 passes through the processing chamber 51, the adhesive dries and the bristles are fixed to the spring 10. However, because this process is the primary drying, the adhesive does not completely dry; instead, the solvent contained in the adhesive is primarily evaporated. This ensures that the adhesive is dried to a degree that minimizes peeling and detachment of the bristles from the adhesive, at least until the spring 10 moves to the secondary drying unit 120. Therefore, to that extent, the heater temperature and the time the spring 10 passes through the primary drying unit 5 are not particularly limited and can be, for example, 60 to 200°C and 3 to 10 minutes. However, these are merely examples and may vary depending on the type of spring 10 and adhesive.

<1-7. Marking section>
The springs 10 exiting the primary drying section 5 are cooled before reaching the marking section 6. For example, if the marking process described below were performed on the warm springs 10, the adhesive or flocking may peel off or become deformed. However, cooling the springs in this manner prevents such problems. In the marking section 6, various colors of paint are applied to identify the springs 10 to indicate their type. As shown in FIG. 7 , the marking section 6 includes a roller 61 that carries the paint and a container 62 that contains the paint. The roller 61 is rotatable by a horizontally extending rotation shaft, and a circumferentially extending recess 611, such as a flat groove, is formed on the surface of the roller 61. The recess 611 has an arc-shaped cross section and contains the paint. The container 62 is box-shaped with an opening at the top and contains the paint. The lower part of the roller 61 is immersed in the paint in the container 62. This allows the paint to accumulate in the recess 611 of the roller 61.

In the marking section 6, the spring 10 passes so that its lower end contacts the upper end of the roller 61. This allows paint to be applied to the lower end of the spring 10. As the spring 10 passes while contacting the upper end of the roller 61, the roller 61 rotates, and the recess 611 where the paint has accumulated moves upward. This allows paint to be applied to the next spring 10 being transported.

<1-8. Delivery section>
Next, the transfer unit (second moving mechanism) 8 will be described. As shown in FIG. 8 , the spring 10 that has passed the marking unit 6 is lowered from the conveyor hook 72 of the conveyor 7 by the transfer unit 8 just before the static electricity removal and dust removal unit 2. The transfer unit 8 has a pressing unit 81 that presses the conveyor hook 72, and a transport tool 82 onto which the hook 100 of the spring 10 is hooked and which transports the spring 10 to the cart 9. The pressing unit 81 presses the conveyor hook 72 during transport, tilting the conveyor hook 72. This causes the hook 100 of the spring 10 to detach from the conveyor hook 72. The detached hook 100 is then transferred onto the transport tool 82. After the hook 100 is removed, the conveyor hook 72 is transported along the conveyor line 71 toward the static electricity removal and dust removal unit 2.

The transport tool 82 is shaped like a rod that extends diagonally downward toward the cart 9, and has a spiral groove formed on its surface. The transport tool 82 is rotated around its axis by a motor (not shown). This causes the hook 100 to move along the groove to the end on the cart 9 side. Alternatively, the transport tool 82 may not have a groove, and the hook 100 may slide along the diagonally positioned transport tool 82 to the end on the cart 9 side.

<1-9. Dolly>
As shown in FIG. 9 , the cart (moving device) 9 has a base 91 and a plurality of supports 92 extending horizontally above the base 91. The supports 92 are supported by a frame (not shown). A plurality of casters 911 are provided on the underside of the base 91, allowing an operator to move the cart 9. Each support 92 is formed in a rod shape so that a hook 100 can be hung thereon, and has a spiral groove formed on its surface. The plurality of supports 92 are also arranged at predetermined intervals in the horizontal direction (in the direction of the paper in FIG. 9 ). A motor 93 is provided at the end of each support 92, which allows the support 92 to rotate around its axis.

After the hook 100 reaches the end of the conveying device 82 of the transfer section 8, it is detached from the conveying device 82 and then transferred to the support device 92. The hook 100 transferred to the support device 92 then moves axially along the groove as the support device 92 rotates. By sequentially transferring the hooks 100 to the support device 92, multiple springs 10 are suspended from the support device 92 at predetermined intervals.

Once a predetermined number of springs 10 have been placed on one support 92, the cart 9 is moved, and the adjacent support 92 is brought close to the transport device 82 in the transfer section 8. In this manner, the springs 10 are placed on the support 92 in the manner described above. Once springs 10 have been placed on all of the support devices 92, the worker moves the cart 9 to the secondary drying section 110.

<1-10. Secondary drying section>
As shown in FIG. 1 , the secondary drying unit 110 includes a storage section 111 that stores the carriage 9 and a heater (not shown) installed within the storage section 111. A pair of doors 112 are installed on the front of the storage section 111, and the carriage 9 is moved into the storage section 111 by opening these doors 112. Once the carriage 9 is stored within the storage section 111, the doors 112 are closed to seal the storage section 111, and the heater is activated. This allows the adhesive on the springs 10 placed on the carriage 9 to dry. The heating temperature and heating time are not particularly limited, but the heating time is at least longer than that of the primary drying. Specifically, for example, heating can be performed at 60 to 200°C for 15 to 60 minutes. However, these are merely examples and may vary depending on the type of spring 10 and adhesive. In this way, the adhesive attached to the springs 10 dries.

<1-11. Hair removal department>
The springs 10 dried in the secondary drying section 110 are moved to the hair removal section 120, where hair removal is performed. At this time, the springs 10 are moved to the hair removal section (hair removal device) 120 while being placed on a cart 9, and are supplied to the hair removal section 120 via a transfer section 150 adjacent to the hair removal section 120. Below, the hair removal section 120 will be described first, and then the transfer section 150 will be described.

Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the hair removal unit, and Figure 11 is a front view of the hair removal unit. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the hair removal unit 120 is a device for removing excess hair that has adhered to the spring 10 and is not sufficiently fixed to the spring 10 with adhesive. The hair removal unit 120 has a rectangular parallelepiped housing 121 that is open at the top and front, and a dust collector 122 connected to the housing 121. A table 129 is provided at the front of the housing 121 on which the spring 10 is placed after hair removal. A plurality of suction ports 123 are formed at a predetermined interval along the left-right direction at the bottom of the housing 121. These suction ports 123 are connected to the dust collector 122. Therefore, hair removed from the spring 10 inside the housing 121 is collected in the dust collector 122 via the suction ports 123.

A brush roll 124 is provided at the bottom of the housing 121, above the suction port 123. The brush roll 124 is cylindrical with brushes on its surface, and is provided with a rotation shaft 125 extending in the left-right direction. A motor (not shown) is connected to the rotation shaft 125. Therefore, when the motor is driven, the brush roll 124 rotates around the rotation shaft 125. The brush roll 124 is also arranged with a gap between it and the rear wall 126 of the housing 121.

A fall prevention device 127 for the springs 10 is provided above the brush roll 124. The fall prevention device 127 is formed in the shape of a rod extending horizontally, and the springs 10 are arranged in the space between this fall prevention device 127 and the rear wall 126 of the housing 121 (hereinafter referred to as the arrangement space). That is, the springs 10 are arranged on the brush roll 124 between the fall prevention device (holding portion) 127 and the rear wall (holding portion) 126 of the housing 121 so that the axis of the springs 10 extends horizontally. As a result, when the brush roll 124 rotates, the springs 10 also rotate, and the surface of the springs 10 is rubbed by the brush roll 124. As a result, excess hair adhering to the surface of the springs 10 is removed.

At this time, the distance between the fall prevention device 127 and the rear wall 126 of the housing 121, as well as the vertical position of the fall prevention device 127, are adjusted so that the spring 10 is held in the placement space and rotates.

In addition, multiple nozzles (air supply units) 128 are provided horizontally above the placement space, and each nozzle 128 is configured to spray air downward. The sprayed air is directed at the spring 10, causing excess hair to flow toward the bottom of the housing 121 and be collected by the dust collector 122.

As shown in Figure 12, once hair removal is complete, the fall prevention device 127 is moved upward. In this state, when the brush roll 124 is rotated, the spring 10 moves forward due to the rotation of the brush roll 124 and is placed on the table 129.

Next, the transfer unit (third movement mechanism) 150 will be described. Figure 13 is a front view of the transfer unit. As described above, the carriage 9 is provided with a support 92 that suspends the spring 10, and as this rotates, the spring 10 moves in the axial direction of the support 92. Once the spring 10 reaches the end of the support 92, it is transferred to the transfer unit 150. As shown in Figure 13, the transfer unit 150 has a support hook 151, a movement mechanism 152 that moves it, and a holder 153 that holds the spring 10.

The support hook 151 is configured to reciprocate between the support 92 and the holding portion 153 by the movement mechanism 152. The holding portion 153 is formed from a plate material with an L-shaped cross section, and a magnet (not shown) is provided on its surface. The holding portion 153 is disposed above the housing 121 of the hair removal unit 120, and is configured to be able to adopt a first position extending in the vertical direction, and a second position inclined obliquely from the first position. The holding portion 153 is initially in the first position. Note that although the magnet in the holding portion 153 can secure the spring 10 to the holding portion 153, when the holding portion 153 is in the second position, it does not have enough magnetic force to prevent the spring 10 from sliding downward due to the inclination.

With the above configuration, when the hook 100 of the spring 10 moves to the end of the support tool 92 and hooks onto the support hook 151, the support hook 151 is moved together with the spring 10 to the holding part 153 by the moving mechanism 152. Then, when the spring 10 is fixed to the holding part 153 by the magnet, the holding part 153 transitions to the second state, as shown in Figure 14. As a result, the spring 10 held by the holding part 153 slides downward due to the inclination and is placed in the placement space of the hair removal part 120. Then, as described above, the spring 10 is rubbed by the brush roll 124, and excess hair is removed.

<1-12. Inspection and Packaging Department>
After the hair removal, the spring 10 is removed from the hair removal section 120 by an operator and carried to the inspection section 130. In the inspection section 130, the operator removes the hook 100 from the spring 10 and performs an external inspection of the spring 10. In the external inspection, it is inspected whether the hair is adhered over the entire spring 10, whether a mark (paint) is applied, etc., and if there are no problems, the spring is carried to the packaging section 140.

In the packaging section 140, workers pack the springs 10 into boxes.

<2. Operation of the hair transplant system>
Next, the operation of the hair implantation system configured as described above will be explained. First, in the spring supplying section 1, an operator attaches a hook 100 to each spring 10, and then, as shown in Figure 3, hooks the hooks 100 onto the supplying tools 11 of the spring supplying section 1 in order. As a result, the hooks 100, together with the springs 10, are moved by the supplying tools 11 to the conveyor 7 side, and are transferred onto the conveyor hooks 72 of the conveyor 7 (first step).

The springs 10 are transported by the conveyor 7 to the static elimination and dust removal section 2, where static electricity is removed and foreign matter is removed as described above. Next, the springs 10 are transported to the adhesive application section 3, where adhesive is electrostatically applied to the surface of the springs 10 as described above (second step). After that, the springs 10 are transported to the electrostatic hair planting section 4, where hairs are attached to the adhesive as described above. In other words, electrostatic hair planting is performed (third step).

After electrostatic flocking, the springs 10 enter the primary drying section 5, where they undergo primary drying (step 4). After primary drying, paint is applied to the springs 10 in the marking section 6. That is, a mark corresponding to the type of spring 10 is applied to identify it (step 7). The springs 10 are then removed from the conveyor 7 in the transfer section 8 and placed on a cart 9. Once the required number of springs 10 have been placed on the cart 9, the worker moves the cart 9 to the secondary drying section 110, where secondary drying takes place (step 5). This allows the adhesive to dry.

Once the secondary drying is complete, the worker removes the cart 9 from the storage section 111 of the secondary drying section 110 and moves it to the transfer section 150 adjacent to the hair removal section 120. The spring 10 on the cart 9 is then placed in the hair removal section 120 via the transfer section 150, and hair removal is performed as described above (sixth step). Once hair removal is complete, the worker removes the spring 10 from the hair removal section 120 and moves it to the inspection section 130. After the above-described visual inspection of the spring 10 is performed in the inspection section 130, if there are no problems, the spring 10 is packed into a box in the packaging section 140.

By repeating the above process, hairs are successively implanted onto the spring 10.

<3. Features>
The spring hair implantation system and hair implantation method configured as above can provide the following effects.
(1) For example, if secondary drying is performed while the springs 10 are still attached to the conveyor, the drying takes time, and therefore the transport path needs to be lengthened for the secondary drying. Therefore, space is required to ensure the transport path. In contrast, according to this embodiment, the secondary drying is performed in the secondary drying section 110 after the implanted springs 10 are removed from the conveyor 7. Therefore, the secondary drying of the springs 10 can be performed without the need to lengthen the transport path. Furthermore, since multiple springs 10 can be dried simultaneously in the secondary drying section 110, production efficiency can be improved and power consumption can be reduced.

When drying is performed during transport, as in conventional technology, the drying time is determined by the length of the transport path, which limits the types of springs that can be manufactured. In contrast, in this embodiment, the primary drying and secondary drying are separated, so as long as the adhesive can be dried in the primary drying, the time and temperature of the secondary drying can be adjusted appropriately depending on the shape and size of the spring and the type of adhesive. Therefore, the hair implantation system of this embodiment can be used to implant hair on various springs, as well as on items other than springs.

(2) In the secondary drying section 110, the carts 9 are housed in the storage section 111 and are sealed to perform secondary drying. In contrast, the primary drying section 5 has an open entrance/exit for the conveyor 7, allowing outside air to enter and exit. As such, secondary drying in this embodiment is performed in a sealed space, which has the advantage of providing a more stable temperature than primary drying or drying in conventional technology. Therefore, the secondary drying time can be shortened.

(3) The springs 10 are transported suspended with their axial direction oriented vertically, so only the upper ends of the springs 10 need to be fixed, making them easy to transport. Therefore, they can also be easily transferred to the cart 9.

4. Modified Examples
Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The following modifications can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, the following modifications can also be combined as appropriate with the above-described embodiment.

(1) The hair transplantation system according to the above embodiment includes a static elimination and dust removal unit 2, an adhesive application unit 3, an electrostatic hair transplantation unit 4, a primary drying unit 5, a marking unit 6, a secondary drying unit 110, a hair removal unit 120, an inspection unit 130, and a packaging unit 140. However, the hair transplantation system according to the present invention is only required to include at least the adhesive application unit 3, the electrostatic hair transplantation unit 4, the primary drying unit 5, and the secondary drying unit 110. Therefore, other units may be provided as needed.

(2) In the above embodiment, a spring supply unit 1 is provided for placing the hooks 100 on the conveyor 7, and a transfer unit 8 is provided for removing the hooks 100 from the conveyor 7. However, the means for placing the hooks 100 on the conveyor 7 and removing the hooks 100 from the conveyor 7 are not limited to those described above, and various modifications are possible, such as adopting other mechanisms. For example, an operator can manually attach and remove the springs 10 from the conveyor. The same applies to the transfer unit 150, which moves the springs 10 from the cart 9 to the hair removal unit 120, and various mechanisms or manual power can be adopted.

The transfer unit 150, which moves the springs 10 from the cart 9 to the hair removal unit 120, can also be configured as follows. For example, multiple parallel-arranged supports 92 are attached to a moving mechanism such as an endless chain or endless belt, and are configured to be moved parallel in a direction perpendicular to the supports 92 by a motor (not shown). Furthermore, the motor 93 is not attached to all supports 92, but is configured to be detachably attached only to the supports 92 located in positions corresponding to the conveying device 82.

Then, after the movement mechanism has moved the support 92 to a position corresponding to the conveying device 82, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, the motor 93 is driven to move the hooks 100 of the springs 10 received from the conveying device 82 on the conveying device 92. Once the predetermined number of hooks 10 have been hung on the support 92, the motor 93 is detached from the support 92, and an endless chain or the like is driven to move the next support 92 to a position corresponding to the conveying device 82. Next, the motor 93 is attached to that support 92, and the hooks 100 are received from the conveying device 82 as described above. By repeating the above process, the predetermined number of springs 10 can be hung on all of the support devices 92.

(3) In the above embodiment, the springs 10 are removed from the conveyor 7 by a cart 9 and moved to the secondary drying section 110. However, the configuration of the cart 9 is not particularly limited, and it is sufficient that it is configured to be able to move at least a plurality of springs 10 to the secondary drying section 110. It is also possible for a worker to move the springs 10 to the secondary drying section 110 without using a cart 9.

(4) In the above embodiment, adhesive is applied to the spring 10 using the paint gun 32, but the method of applying the adhesive is not particularly limited, as long as the adhesive is applied to the spring 10 by at least electrostatic painting. Therefore, the operation of the paint gun may be other than that described above, and adhesive may be applied using two or more paint guns.

(5) In the above embodiment, bristles are discharged from the two storage sections 41, 42 and electrostatically implanted. However, the method is not particularly limited as long as the bristles are implanted on the spring 10 using static electricity. Therefore, the number and positions of the bristles can be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, known techniques using static electricity can be applied, such as those described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 4-284870 and 11-57592.

(6) The configuration of the hair remover 120 shown in the above embodiment is an example, and the means for removing excess hair from the spring 10 is not particularly limited. For example, it may be either a brush or air blowing. Furthermore, the rotation direction of the brush roll 124 of the hair remover 120 and the spring 10 is not limited to the direction shown in Figure 12, and the rotation direction can be set appropriately depending on the shape of the hook 100 attached to the spring 10, etc.

(7) The springs 10 being transported on the conveyor can be rotated around their axes at a predetermined timing. For example, the springs 10 can be rotated around their axes by rotating the conveyor hooks 72 around their axes using a predetermined tool. This allows the orientation of the hooks 100 to be changed, for example, to easily transfer the hooks 100 to the transfer section 8, 150. Furthermore, by changing the orientation of the springs 10 during primary drying, the outer circumferential surface of the springs 10 can be heated uniformly.

(8) The path of the conveyor 7 and the layout of each part shown in Figure 1 are examples and can be changed as appropriate.

(9) In the above embodiment, the hook 100 is attached to the spring 10, and this is then attached to the conveyor hook 72. However, as long as the spring 10 is transported by the conveyor 7 in a suspended state, the means for attaching the spring 10 to the conveyor 7 is not particularly limited, and the spring 10 can be attached to the conveyor 7 in various ways. For example, the spring 10 can be attached to the conveyor 7 using either the hook 100 or the conveyor hook 72.

(10) The configuration of the marking unit 6 described in the above embodiment is one example, and the means are not particularly limited as long as the configuration allows marking to be applied to the spring. For example, the recess 611 of the roller 61 can be made flat without any depressions, and a small amount of paint can be applied by surface tension to the surface extending in the circumferential direction of the roller 61. Therefore, this configuration is suitable for marking small amounts of paint. The roller 61 may also be configured to rotate using a motor, which allows the amount of paint applied to be adjusted.

3: Adhesive application section 4: Electrostatic flocking section 5: Primary drying section 7: Conveyor 9: Cart (moving device)
10: Spring 100: Hook (attachment)
110: Secondary drying section 120: Hair removal section

Claims (11)

a first step of attaching a spring to a conveyor that moves along a transport path;
a second step of moving the spring to an adhesive application section on the transport path and applying adhesive to the spring by electrostatic coating;
a third step of moving the spring to an electrostatic flocking unit on the transport path and flocking the spring in the area where the adhesive is applied by electrostatic flocking;
a fourth step of moving the spring to a primary drying section on the transport path and performing primary drying on the flocked spring;
a fifth step of removing the spring from the conveyor, placing the spring in a secondary drying section, and performing secondary drying in the secondary drying section for a time longer than the primary drying;
A spring hair implantation method comprising: In the fifth step,
The plurality of springs removed from the conveyor are placed on a moving device;
and after the moving device is disposed in the secondary drying section, the secondary drying is performed while the plurality of springs remain disposed in the moving device.
The spring hair implantation method according to claim 1. The method further includes a sixth step of removing the spring after the secondary drying has been completed from the secondary drying unit and removing hair from the spring.
3. The spring hair implantation method according to claim 1 or 2. In the sixth step,
The excess hair attached to the spring is removed by at least one of a brush and air, and the removed hair is collected by suction.
The spring hair implantation method according to claim 3. In the sixth step, hair removal is performed by a hair removal device,
The hair removal device comprises:
A cylindrical brush;
a drive unit that rotates the brush around an axis;
a holding portion that holds the spring so as to contact the brush;
an air supply unit that blows air onto the spring held by the brush by the holding unit;
Equipped with
The spring hair implantation method according to claim 3. Prior to the first step, a mounting tool is attached to the spring;
In the first step, the attachment tool is attached to the conveyor.
The spring hair implantation method according to claim 1. In the first step, the attachment tool is attached to the conveyor by a first moving mechanism;
In the fifth step, the second moving mechanism removes the attachment from the conveyor and places it on a moving device, and then the moving device is placed in the secondary drying section, and the secondary drying is performed with the spring still placed in the moving device.
The spring hair implantation method according to claim 6. After the fifth step, the moving device is removed from the secondary drying section;
a third moving mechanism detaching the attachment from the moving device and moving it to a hair removal device;
Hair removal is performed using the hair removal device.
The spring hair implantation method according to claim 7. The adhesive application section is provided with at least one discharge device that discharges adhesive,
The dispensing device is configured to dispense the adhesive onto the spring while moving in an axial direction of the spring, and to dispense the adhesive from a plurality of positions around the axis.
3. The spring hair implantation method according to claim 1 or 2. After the fourth step, the method further includes a seventh step of applying an identification paint to the spring by bringing the spring into contact with the identification paint.
3. The spring hair implantation method according to claim 1 or 2. a conveyor that moves along a conveying path and conveys the springs;
an adhesive application unit that is disposed on the transport path and applies adhesive to the springs by electrostatic coating;
an electrostatic flocking unit disposed on the transport path and configured to electrostatically flock the spring in the area where the adhesive is applied;
a primary drying section disposed on the transport path for primarily drying the flocked springs;
a secondary drying section that performs secondary drying on the springs removed from the transport conveyor for a longer period of time than the primary drying;
Equipped with a spring hair transplant system.