CA2000944A1 - Method and apparatus for filling duvets and the like - Google Patents

Abstract

TITLE A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FILLING DUVETS
AND THE LIKE
ABSTRACT
A method of filling a compartment or compartments in a duvet and the like, the method including the steps of:
(1) holding in a generally horizontal plane a compartmented case for a duvet and the like;
(2) placing a supply of particulate fill material in a drum;
(3) placing in at least one of the compartments an elongate hollow member with its open and near to a closed end of the compartment;
(4) connecting to each elongate hollow member a separate outlet from the drum;
(5) fluidising the supply of fill material in the drum;
(6) withdrawing from the drum in a pulsed manner discreet amounts of the fill material;
(7) forcing, under air pressure, the discreet amounts of fill material through the elongate member(s) to the closed end(s) of the compartment(s) so that the compartment(s) is (are) filled incrementally as the elongate member(s) or the compartmented case are moved relative to each other. The method can utilize an apparatus designed to effect the steps of the method and the apparatus can include any number of elongate members, typically up to ten, which extend horizontally at equal spacings from a support frame. The number of elongate members is chosen so that in one or two operations of the apparatus duvets which have up to 20 compartments are filled.

Description

Z0~)094 FIELp O~ ~HE INV~NTION
Th- lnvention relate~ to a method and app~xAeus for filllng ~uVe~s and tha like and m~re par~i~ularly to the ~illing of duvot ~ompartments and the like w~th particulat~ pAdding and fill material~. The term "duvets , _ . . .. . .. .. .
and the like" a~ used herein means bedd ng o~...the type _ . _, .. ..... . .......... .. .. .. ... .. .... . . .
normally having elon~ate compartment~ formed by-~sowing .... .. .... .... .... . .. . .. . .. . .. .. .. .... . .
togethor two sheet8 of material either dlrectly or ,_. _ .. ....... .
through ~all sections. The term include8 both duvets, , .. ... . .. . .. . . . . . . ............. .. . .
sleQping hag~ an~ the li~ce. The method i al~o ~u~table . .
~or flll~ng pillow~ and other article~.
.. , .. . ,.. . .. . . ., . .. ~, .. ., ., . , ., ~ . , BACRG~ROUND q~O T~IE SNV~CNTIO~
At pxe~ent du~et~ opin~ bags an~ th~ llko it~m~
whlch ar- aon6truct-d wlth elongate compart~ nts aro ~lloa with a normally partlculAte m~t-ri~l lik~, down, f~ther~, wool and more r-cently tho oft kno~ inv~nted by the applla~nts and th~ ~ub~eat of U.S. Paton~
8p~c~flcat~on No. 47~1857~ Tho particulato ~ater~al in the co~artmon~ ~orm- a m~8 which aat# a~ a p~dlng m~t~ri~l.
A probl~m with the~e p~ddin~ materlal~ is that it 1~ dif~lcult to fill the compartments evonly. At pre8ent the compar~ments ar- often f~ d unevenly, then ~mooth~d o~t by hand. Thl~ i~ partlcularly di~fi¢ult for soft k~o~ whloh are not ~lwayo ~ree ~low~ng a~ they have a tondenoy to form clumps when t~ey are for~ed ~long olongate compartmant~.

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2 ~ ~ ~9~ 4 An ob~ect of tho preRent ~nvention i~ therefore to pro~ride A method and Apparatus for fllling compartment~
in duvet~ and ~h~ like with parti~ulAte paddl~g material~.
Purther ob~ects of the in~en~lon will becom~
apparent ~rom ~he follow~ng de~aription which i8 g~ven by way of exa~ple.
SUMMARY OF THE INVBNTI~ ~
Accord~ng to A flrst a~pect of the invention there i~ pro~id~d a method of fillin~ a compartm~nt or oompart~ont~ duvet and tho l~ke, the method ~ncludlng the ~tep~ of:
~1~ hol~ing in ~ ~narally horizontal plan~ a comp~rtmentod cAse ~or ~ du~et and ~h- liko~
(2) placlng ~ upply o~ ~xtlculate flll mater~al ln ~ drum~
~3) placing ln ~t l~A~t on- of the aompart~ents an olong~te hollow memb~r wlth lts open end n-ar to a clo~e~ end o~ ~h~ aompartment ~4) connect~ng to e~ch elongate hollow mem~er a separato outl~t from the drum~
(S) fluldi~ing the upply of flll matorial ln the drum) (6) withdrawl~g from the dr~m in a ~ul~ed m~nner discre-t ~mount~ of the fill mater~al~
(7~ foralng, und~r A~ r pr---uro, the dl~areet amount~ of fill mater~al through tho longate m~mber~) to the ~los~d ~nd~ 8 ) of the . .

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2~ 44 compartment~ o that the compartment~s) 1~ ~ar~) filled incremental~y as ~he elongat~ member~) or the com~ar~ented case are moved r~lative to each othe~.
According to a second aspe~t of the invention th~re i8 provided an app~ratus for filling a ~ompart~ent or compaxtmonts o~ a duvet ~nd ~he llke, ~he apparatus includi~g a me~ns for holdin~ a compArtmen~ed ca~e of a duvet a~d the like in a gener~lly horizen~al pl~ne, a dr~m for a ~upply of partioulate fill material, mea~s conn~at~d to ~n outle~ or outl~ts o th~ drum, Qach mo~ns ~e~ng connectfld to an 1ndividual elongate hollow mem~er, the ~longate moember~ 8 ~ and ~he means ~or hol~ng th~ case belng movabl~ relative to each other so th~ wh~n a ~
material ln the drum 1~ fluidi~e~ and Ful~ed from the outl~t or outl~t~ to the hollow i~divi~ual m~mbex(-) ~t fill- the alo~ad end~s) o ~he aompartmen~ he hollow lndividual m~mber~) which are inltial1y withln th~
com~Ar~ment~ ar~ gr~dually withdrawn as the compartment~ a~e~ filled by th~ ~111 mat~rial from tho ~longate hollow memb~r(~).
Tho app~tu~ aan include any numbRr o~ elongate membor~, typically u~ ~o ten, wh~ch extend horizontAlly at ~ual ~aa~ng~ from a suppork fram~. Ths numb~r o~
elong~e membex~ t~ cho~en ~o that in one or two o~orAti~n~ o~ the ~paratu~ du~et~ whlch ha~e up to 20 oompartmen~s ar~ filled.

~ he dxum c~n ~l~idi~e the ~ill material thereln by rotating paddl~ which ~pr~ad ~ho flll materi~l v~nly arouna ~he drum ~o that they c~n be drawn thorofrom pn~umatl¢~lly by pul~d ~et~ of air whi~h u~e a ~enturi effec~ to w~h~r~w tho fill m~ter~al and dlr~ct Jame along the elongata hollow member8.
~ h~ drum oan bo fillad autom~t~aally from a hopper in which a ~upply of the fill materlal i~ ~ep~. The ~upply o flll in ~he hopp~r aan also ~e luiaised to a4~i~t it~ tran~portation to the drum.
Further a~p~ct- o~ th~ lnv~ntion wh$ch ~ho~ld b~
con~idored in ~ novel a~pect- wlll b-come ~paront from the following de-crl~tlon.
Exumplo~ o~ th~ inv~ntion wlll now be de~arlb-d w~th r~eronae to tho accompany~ng drawing~.
DE8C~IP~ION OP ~E~ pRAWINGS
Figur~ a sohematio plan ~l~w of a flr~t ~ppAratu~ aaaordlng to th~ pro-ont ~nven~lon with :
th- elongato hollow member~ in th~r retrActed po~tlon.

2~)09 Figure 2 i~ an end view o~ the ~ppA~atu~ ~hown in Pigur~ 1 wh~rein the ~longa~e member~ Are ~n their ~to~ po~ition.
Figuxe 3 i~ A ~ide view ~f pa~t of ono of the ~longat~ hollow me~Pbers in their retraat~d po~lon.
Figure 4 i~ a cro~s-~ection through a dru~ in which a ~upply of ~111 material îs ma~nt~ined..
Figur~ S i8 1~ plan view of the drum: hown in Pigure 4 .
Pigure 6 i~ ~ ~d~tailed ~ction on an enlarged scAle through the drum ~hown in ~` Flgur~ 4 and 5 .
Figur- 7 i~ a ~d- vlew of A~ pr~f~rred xam~l~ o~
ppar~u~ ~ccording to th~ pre~ent ~nv~nt~on.
Figu~e 8 i- a ~hc~natic plan vi~w of th~ app~r~tus ~hown in F~ gur- 7 ~

Flgure 9 ~ ~ ver~ cA1 ~ction thro~tgh ~ u~ply dru.~n of the appar~UB hown ls~ F~gure~ 7 ~nd 8.

Plgur~ 10 i~ a ection through tho ~upply ~ru~ ln tho ~lr~ctlon of arrow~ x-x ln Flgur~ 9.

Flgure 11 1J ~ ~Ot1On at B ~Flgure 9) through an outlet from the ~uppl~ dru~.

Tn the fir~t embodlm~nt a~ hown ln Flgure~ 1 to 6 th- inventlo~ utlll~e~ t~ ~hown ln ~etail ~n ~igur~- 4 to C~ ~ drum 1 ln which ~ ~upply of ~ill materiAl 18 retained ln a fluld~sed ~t~te. During operation tho ~111 m~ter~al ~not ~hown~ 1~ fe~ to the drum 1 wh~n~er a ~ , , , :

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sensc,r 2 indicstes that the ~ill le~el i~ below a predetermined le~rel. ~he fill is supp1ied from a hopper not shown in Figures 1 ~o 6 ) .
In thi~ embodlment the fill material is fluidised by the incorporation o~ 3 pair of paddl~ blade~ 3~ 4 which are~ shaped ~o rotate in the ~;~me di~e~tlon and prodtlc~ an alrf low a~ shown ~ axrow~ in Figur~ 6 . q!he drum 1 in~ de~ baf f le~ 5 whi~h ensure that an ~ven dlstributi~n of the fill materi~ in ee~ out zones 7 of ~I~e dx~
The drum 1 has in th~ periphery of the feed out zone 7 at l~a~t on~ and pref erably a~ ~hown up to 6ight outlet~ 8 . Each outlet has a ventu~l in~e~tion zone 9 tonly two o~ which ar~ lndic~te~ ~n Pigur~ 5) in~o whi~h Alr i~ pula~.
~ !he ~addl~ blad~s 3, 4 are drlven by an e}ectric motor 10 ~ria a drive bQlt 11. The d~iv~ ~ha~t 12 on whlch the blad~ 3, 4 ar~ mounted is it~lf mou~t~d by bearinga 13 in the b~se 14 of the drum 1.
'rhe v~nturl in~ection zone 9 ha~ an air inl~t via lin- 14. ~rh~ ~on~url 18 create~ by air under ~e~ure pa6~ng through ~ets intl~ a conn~c~in~ hose 15.
The f~lling app~r~tw aaditionally ~nclud~s me~n~
for ~upport~ng A duv~t ca-~ lC a~ ~hown in Figuro~ 1 and 2. ~e moan~ i~ pr-~orably in a hor~zontal ~lAno. Th~
appAr~tu~ lnalude8 a ~e~le~ o~ elonga~-e mo~r~ 17 ~uppor~ed ~y a ~rame 18 . The member~ 17 a~e initially 2~ 9~4 extended to wlthln the compartment~ in th~ du~e~ aa~e 16. The ~longate members 17 are extended by including ~ubular memb~s 1~ thereon~ The ~ub~lar membsrs 19 as~i~t in linin~ up an~ pla¢ement o~ ~he elongate members 17 into the a10SRd end 20 of the compartment~ 21 of the du~et ca~e. The tubular mem~ex~ 19 are ~ovaSle rela~ive to the elonga~ members 17 a~ ei~hex ~hey are withdrawn or the support carrying the du~et oase 16 iB withdrawn~
In this example ~he tubular member~ 19 are withdrawn by a movab~e ~rd~e 22 which is mo~ed by hand or auto~atiaally to the pos~tion A shown in Figure 1. The m~vement i8 assisted by the stop~ 23 at one end of the t~ular member6 lg. The frame~ i9 then m~vod by h~nd or Automatically to the position shown ln Pigur~ 1 as the ¢om~ar~ents 21 ~re filled.
The outle~ 9 from the drum 1 ara conn~cted by flexl~le ho~s 1~ or th~ like t~ the end o$ the elonga~o member~ 17 80 that in oparatlon material fro~ the drum 1 ~ forced by air p~es~ure through the elongate members to th~ ~nd~ of the compar~ments ln the duvet cass 1 Th- appll~ant8 experlmonts ha~e ~hown that pulse~
of air of from 0.04 to 0.3 seconds and 3 bar guago ~res~ure at 3 8ea in~e~val~ will ~ill th~ d~vet cas~ in le-~ th~n 6 m~nutOB ~ ~n practice a cont~ol y~em tnot ~hown) 1~ utlllæed which ~ul~e8 A~r to th~ r-gion~ 9 at the ~am~ t~me 80 that ~he compartmen~s are fillad ev~nly~ ~he pAddle~ Are rotated at 300 rpm in this prototype In a ~r~ctica~ appar~tu~ the mach$ne will eith~r auto~atically or manually allow or ad~u~tm~n~ in ~he air pre~ure~ At the end o~ flll~ng th~ t elght comp~rtment- tho ~longate memb~r~ 17 or the fra~e 24 ~upporting th duvet ca~o 16 can bo moved to the ~lde to al~ow the elon~ate ~embors ~o be inBerted lnto the next serio~ of compartmonts ~o that th-y~can be f~llea ~ n tho preferrod embo~ment ~hown ~n Figur~ 7 to 11 the apparatu- will be aescribed with~imll;r part~
~rom tho fir~t exa~plo roferenced by the Jame numeral~.
In th~- exampl~ the drum 1 ~8 mount~d w~th it~ a~ls vortlc~ ho dru~ uppoxte~ b~n ath ~ f~-d or lnterm~ato hopper 25 which i~ ~up~lied wi~h o~ Xnop~
from a ~aln hopp-r 26 rotating at approx ~ r-v ~or mln, eount-reloekwi~ shown in th~ n ~-Y ~lgur~ ~
Sho maln ho~er 26 ean hold ~ ~n~mum of 75 kg of ~oft knop~. On eo~a~d from ~ le~el ~on-or 27 of th- fo~d ho~por 2S a fan 28~ue~ up ~hrough trail~ng ho~o 29 ~oft Xnop- at a rato of 2-3 kg/min, and blow- it into the lnt~rmediat- ho~per 25.
Intermedlate ho~er 2S hold~ 1-2kg o~ ~oft knop~
and on eo~m~nd from 1CYO1 ~en~or 2 ~ fan 30 drib~lo~ ~oft kno~ down into t~e dl~trlbutor dr~m 1 Tho fan 30 iB
driven ~y a motor 10 throuqh a clutch 31. Dl-tr~butor dru~ 1 hold~ a~proxlm4t~1y 1/2 ~g o~ ~o~t knop-~ Th~ -~rum 1 h~ two rotcr~ 3, 4 ~ri~en dlr~ctly by ~otor lQ in ~n ~ntlclockwi-c direction a~ ~hown ~n plan vl~w in .
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Figure 10 at approx 275rpm. Th~ rotors 3, 4 keep the ~oft knop~ ~n a 1uidised 1008ely packed ma~ wlth the aia of the con6train~s of the dl~tributor drum 1 lt~elf and baffle plate~ ~.
80ft knop~ aro remov~d f~om thR drum 1 by air v~nturi~ 9 of which thore are 10 axound th~ drum 1. Each ~ir ~enturi iB the ~a~ne ~n~ an exa~nple is ~hotim`ln ~ore detail ln Flgur~ 11. Each simultaneou#ly u~ approx 0.2 lltr~4 fr~ a~r at approx 4 bar gauq~ pre~sure for approxi~ately 1/20 ~a from nigh~preB¢Ure ~nl~ 14 throu~h a venturi elQmen~ 33. Thi~ cau~os a pul~ of air and~soft-knop~ ~o b~ Jucked through drum outlet 32 ~nd blown down a flexible tub~ lS ~no~ ~hown ln r~gur-- 7 and 8), and from th~r- vla an elong~te hollow m~mb~r 17, 4upportod by fram 18, tub~ 38 tPig~r~ 7`~ 8) lnto a duv~t c~o ~not ~hownl locat~d on a movable table 34.
~ y~lc~lly four pul--- oacur v ry ~-cond, ach pul~- oarrylng 1 gxam of ~oft Xnop~ ~once th- combln-d 10 mn~bor- 17 are cap~ble o~ dollvering approxlmately 2400g of soft Xnop- per mlnute.
The ~ec~f~¢ ~ction o~ the rotor8 3, 4 ~nd thelr fluldizin~ efeat on the soft knop~ within the ~14tributor dr~m 1 combined with the effoct of ~he v-ntu~l ln~eatlon zone 9 to 4u¢k the ooft Xnop~ o~t ln dl~cxete pulses i~ the key to thl~ lnvontlon.
The mov~ble table 34 18 drlvon by a mo~or 3S
(Figure 8) via a chain 36 which is autom~tic~lly . .

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controlled ~o tha~ ~n Qmpty ~uvet hell on the table 34 i~ ~hreaded or~r the longate hollow momber~ 11 untll the op~n end~ 37 o ~he member~ 17 ar~ clo~ to the closed ond of the ~pty duvot #h~ll.
The mov~ble table 34 i8 th~n drlven in ~uch a way that tho duv~t compartment~ are filled ~venly ~rom one end ~o the other n-et~ng only a sew~ng up procedùre to co~plete the produ~t.
Al-o shown in tho ~rawings 1~ a control panel 38, ~nd ~ flx~d tabl~ 39, which is u~od ~or prep~rlng ~he du~et sh~ pr~or to att~chlng tbem to the movAble tabl~
34.
~ hu~ by th~ lnventlon th~r~ i- pro~id-d an a~paratu- ~or ~llllng a duvet and tho l~ke wlth jartlculat~ ~111 or paddlng mAterlal.
Partlcular ex~mpl~- o~ th~ inv ntion ha~ b~-n d~crib-d ~nd ~t 1~ envi~ged that ~mprore~nt~ ~nd modlflcatlon- ca~ tak~ ~lac- without d-partlng from th- :
cope ~na ~plrlt o~ the appende~ al~im~.

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Claims (7)

1. A method of filling a compartment or compartments in a duvet and the like, the method including the steps of:
(1) holding in a generally horizontal plane a compartmented case for a duvet and the like;
(2) placing a supply of particulate fill material in a drum;
(3) placing in at least one of the compartments an elongate hollow member with its open end near to a closed end of the compartment;
(4) connecting to each elongate hollow member a separate outlet from the drum;
(5) fluidising the supply of fill material in the drum;
(6) withdrawing from the drum in a pulsed manner discreet amounts of the fill material;
(7) forcing, under air pressure, the discreet amounts of fill material through the elongate member(s) to the closed end(s) of the compartment(s) so that the compartment(s) is (are) filled incrementally as the elongate member(s) or the compartmented case are moved relative to each other.

2. An apparatus for filling a compartment or compartments of a duvet and the like, the apparatus including a means for holding in a generally horizontal plane, a compartmented case of a duvet and the like in a generally horizontal plane, a drum for a supply of particulate fill material, means connected to an outlet or outlets of the drum, each means being connected to an individual elongate hollow member, the elongate member(s) and the means for holding the case being movable relative to each other so that when a fill material in the drum is fluidised and pulsed from the outlet or outlets to the hollow individual member(s) it fills the closed end(s) of the compartment(s), the hollow individual member(s) which are initially within the compartments are gradually withdrawn as the compartment(s) is (are) filled by the fill material from the elongate hollow member(s).

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 which includes a plurality of elongate members which extend horizontally at equal spacings from a support frame.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein up to ten elongate members are mounted on the support frame.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the drum fluidises the fill material therein by rotating paddles which spread the fill material evenly around the drum so that it can be drawn therefrom pneumatically by pulsed jets of air which use a venturi effect to withdraw the fill material and direct same along the elongate hollow members.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the drum is filled automatically from a hopper in which a supply of the fill material is kept.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the supply of fill in the hopper is also fluidised to assist its transportation to the drum.