Apparatus to remove one individual hair/fiber at a time from a tuft using a gripping device
An apparatus (1) to remove one individual hair/fiber (2) at a time from a tuft (3) using a gripping device (4), which has a first and a second opposing gripping element (5, 6). The first and the second gripping elements (5, 6) are relatively moveable with respect to one another, wherein the first gripping element (5) has a wedge-shaped groove (7) oriented towards the second gripping element (6) and the second gripping element (6) has an essentially flat counterpressure zone (8), and wherein the first gripping element (5) is tapered on the side of the wedge-shaped groove (7) (taper A) (FIG. 2).
The invention relates to an apparatus for removing one individual hair/fiber at a time from a tuft using a gripping device.
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVEDThe object of the invention is to obtain an apparatus for removing one individual hair/fiber at a time from a tuft using a gripping device, which enables targeted removal of one individual hair/fiber at a time from a tuft with maximum accuracy meaning with an error rate approaching zero. If by chance the apparatus doesn't collect a single hair/fiber from a tuft, this should also be correspondingly considered by the apparatus according to a sub-object.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe object is achieved in that a first gripping element has a wedge-shaped groove oriented towards the second gripping element and a second gripping element has an essentially flat counterpressure zone, wherein the first gripping element is tapered on the side of the wedge-shaped groove (taper A), whereby an individually removed hair/fiber from a tuft is fixated between the wedge-shaped groove and the counterpressure zone.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe invention is described in more detail by means of an exemplary embodiment.
The following is shown:
The first gripping element 5 is tapered on the side of the wedge-shaped groove 7 (taper A). The gripping element 5 is thereby precisely routed up to a first position of multiple hairs/fibers 2 through a tuft 3 that is suspended in a fixed position and it then collects, normally with the wedge-shaped groove 7, an individual hair 2 or an individual fiber 2 (
During the gripping process, there is a spring-loaded touch contact between the first gripping element 5 and the second gripping element 6 using a spring device 37, which is arranged in a first and/or second shank 21, 22 of the first and/or second gripping element 5, 6 and consists of a bore hole 38 with a lateral slot 39 (
The wedge-shaped groove 7 has an edge width C of approximately 40 μm and an alpha angle of approximately 45 degrees (
Taper A of the first gripping element 5 is formed by a pointy cone 31 (
Taper A of the first gripping element 5 is formed by a rectangular pyramid tip 32 (
According to
- 1 Apparatus
- 2 Hair/fiber
- 3 Tuft
- 4 Gripping device
- 5 First gripping element
- 6 Second gripping element
- 7 Groove
- 8 Counterpressure zone
- 9 Rotation-symmetrical disk
- 10 Ring groove
- 11 Cylindrical disk
- 12 Surface
- 13 Detection device
- 14 Current bridge
- 15 Current flow
- 21 First shank
- 22 Second shank
- 31 Pointy cone
- 32 Pyramid tip
- 33 Chamfer
- 34 Half-disk
- 35,36 Conductor
- 37 Spring device
- 38 Borehole
- 39 Slot
- A Taper
- B Mechanical contact
- C Edge width/groove 7
- D1-3 Groove length
- alpha angle/groove 7
All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. To the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this written document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to the term in this written document shall govern.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.
Claims
1. An apparatus to remove one individual hair/fiber at a time from a tuft using a gripping device, which comprises a first opposing gripping element and a second opposing gripping element, and wherein the first and the second gripping element are relatively movable with respect to each other, and wherein the first gripping element comprises a wedge-shaped groove oriented towards the second gripping element and the second gripping element comprises an essentially flat counterpressure zone, wherein the first gripping element is tapered on the side of the wedge-shaped groove (taper A).
2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wedge-shaped groove has an edge width (C) of approximately 40 μm.
3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wedge-shaped groove has an angle (alpha) of approximately 45 degrees.
4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the taper (A) is formed by a pointy cone.
5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the taper (A) is formed by a rectangular pyramid tip.
6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first gripping element is designed as a rotation-symmetrical disk, wherein the wedge-shaped groove is designed as a peripheral ring groove with a chamfer on each side.
7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first gripping element is designed as a rotation-symmetrical disk, wherein the wedge-shaped groove is designed as a peripheral ring groove with a chamfer on each side, and the second gripping element is a cylindrical disk, wherein the peripheral ring groove and a surface of the cylindrical disk communicate with one another.
8. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the rotation-symmetrical disk consists of two similar half-disks.
9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second gripping elements communicate with an electrical detection device to collect an individual hair/fiber from a tuft.
10. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first and second gripping elements are formed as an electric current bridge when the elements come into mechanical contact (B) with each other, wherein a current flow signals that there is no individual hair/fiber from a tuft between the first and the second gripping element.
11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, during the gripping process, there is a spring-loaded touch contact between the first gripping element and the second gripping element using a spring device.
12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the spring device is arranged in a first and/or second shank of the first and/or second gripping element and consists of a bore hole with a lateral slot.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 27, 2006
Publication Date: May 3, 2007
Inventors: Knut Meinert (Lampertheim), Gerhard Schanz (Darmstadt)
Application Number: 11/476,226
International Classification: A45D 24/22 (20060101);