DE202023100955U1 - Improved bundling tool for waste-free bundling of binding material - Google Patents

Abstract

Bundling tool (1) for waste-free bundling of a binding material (4) by means of an endless band (3), with
- an exchangeable pliers unit (2) for guiding an end section (3a) of the endless band (3) around the binding material (4);
- a closure supply unit (5) for providing a closure element (15) for the endless belt (3);
- a push and pull unit (6) for pushing the end section (3a) of the endless belt (3) by means of a motor along a path (7) through the provided closure element (15) and along the pliers unit (2), thus around the binding material (4) when the pliers unit (2) is gripping the binding material (4), and back into the provided closure element (15), and for subsequently pulling back the end section (3a) of the endless belt (3);
- a sensor unit (8) for detecting the end portion (3a) pushed back into the closure element (15);
- a cutting unit (9) for separating the end section (3a) arranged around the binding material (4) from a remaining section (3c) of the endless band (3) remaining in the bundling tool (1); characterized by
- a control unit (10) which is designed, in a normal operating mode, to specify a greater feed speed of the end section (3a) for a first path section (7a) of the path (7) for the push and pull unit (6) during pushing than for a second path section (7b) following the first path section (7a), wherein the second path section (7b) comprises the part of the path (7) running back into the closure element (15).

Description

Field of invention

The disclosure relates to a bundling tool for waste-free bundling of a binding material by means of an endless band, with an exchangeable pliers unit for guiding an end section of the endless band around the binding material, with a closure feed unit for providing a closure element for the endless band, a push and pull unit for pushing the end section of the endless band by means of a motor along a path through the closure element provided and along the pliers unit, thus around the binding material when the pliers unit is gripping the binding material (i.e. when used as intended), and back into the closure element provided, and for subsequently pulling back the end section of the endless band and thus lashing the endless band around the binding material, with a sensor unit for detecting the end section pushed back into the closure element and with a cutting unit for separating the end section arranged around the binding material from a remaining section of the endless band remaining in the bundling tool.

background

In known approaches to waste-free bundling of binding material, a band rolled up on a roll, for example, is pushed by a motor on a path through a closure element along a pliers unit around the binding material and back through the closure element again in order to form a loop around the binding material. Since the length of the band used does not specify a maximum diameter for the binding material, such a band is also referred to as an endless band. A sensor unit detects when the band, i.e. an end or end section of the band, is guided back into the closure element. A control unit then reverses the direction of travel of the motor in response to a signal from the sensor unit and thus tightens the band around the binding material. Finally, the section of the band guided through the closure element and around the binding material, the end section, is separated from the rest of the band, the remaining section. The rest of the band remains in the respective bundling tool and can be used in its entirety for the next bundling or tying. Since, in contrast to the use of cable ties with a predetermined band length, for example, no loose band ends are cut off, this type of bundling or binding of binding material is referred to as waste-free bundling or binding.

Bundling is adapted to different diameters of the material being bound by using pliers units with different sized pliers claws. For example, a bundling tool can be equipped with pliers units whose pliers are each designed for a maximum diameter of 30mm, 50mm, 80mm or 100mm.

Since the binding or bundling should be carried out at the highest possible speed, the end or end section of the tape hits the sensor unit at full speed. Since the control unit needs a certain amount of time to reverse the direction of the motor, the tape is pushed further through the closure element than is actually necessary. The clamp claws closed around the material to be bound and the entire system must guide the tape reliably along the path to prevent it from breaking off to the side. Breaking off to the side regularly, but rarely, leads to an error message and the bundling or binding process being aborted.

Summary

The task arises to provide an improved bundling tool for waste-free bundling of a binding material, in particular a more reliable, faster and easier to use bundling tool.

This object is achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments emerge from the dependent claims, the description and the figures.

One aspect relates to a bundling tool for waste-free bundling of binding material using an endless band. The endless band can be understood as a band that is individually cut to length in each binding process and is provided, for example, on a roll from a reservoir unit to the bundling tool. The endless band can be toothed on an outer side that faces away from the binding material when used as intended.

The bundling tool has an exchangeable pliers unit for guiding an end section of the endless band around the binding material. The pliers unit can be a pliers unit that can be exchanged as a module, in particular without tools or with just a single tool, for example with a screwdriver or an (internal) hexagon key. The term exchangeable can be understood in particular to mean that the pliers unit is designed to be exchanged by the end user. The pliers unit can have at least one pliers claw, preferably have two pliers claws which are arranged to be movable relative to the rest of the pliers unit and/or the rest of the bundling tool and which close around the bundling material when used as intended for guiding it around the bundling material. The pliers unit can also consist of one or two pliers claws which are in particular individually replaceable. The bundling tool also has a closure supply unit for providing a closure element for the endless band which is separate from the band. The closure element can have two through-openings which are in particular each designed to lock with the endless band on its toothed outside. Such a closure element can also be referred to as a closure head.

The bundling tool also has a push and pull unit, on the one hand for pushing the end section of the endless band by means of a motor along a path through the closure element provided by the closure feed unit along the pliers unit (with the binding material gripped by the pliers unit and thus around the binding material when used as intended) back into the closure element provided, and on the other hand for subsequently pulling back the end section of the endless band (and thus lashing the binding material with the endless band). The bundling tool has a sensor unit to detect the end section pushed back into the closure element. The sensor unit can have a mechanical stop element (such as a switch lever) against which the end of the endless band pushed along the path strikes after the second passage through the closure element, for example after passing through the second opening of the closure element, and thus triggers a sensor signal. Furthermore, the bundling tool has a cutting unit for separating the end section of the endless band arranged around the binding material from a remaining section of the endless band remaining in the bundling tool. A control unit of the bundling tool can be designed to control the different units of the bundling tool in such a way that first the pliers unit is closed (around the binding material when used as intended), then the endless band is advanced using the push and pull unit until the sensor unit provides the sensor signal, then the direction of rotation of the motor is reversed and the endless band is tightened until, for example, a predetermined tightening force is reached. Finally, the control unit can trigger a cutting of the endless band and thus the separation of the end section arranged around the binding material from the remaining section of the endless band remaining in the bundling tool by the cutting unit.

The control unit is designed to specify or set a higher feed speed of the end section for a first section of the path for the push and pull unit during pushing in a normal operating mode than for a second section of the path following the first section. The first section of the path has a first length, the second section of the path has a second length. The second section of the path includes the part of the path that runs back into the closure element. On the part of the path where the end section has to be threaded back into the closure element and is detected by the sensor unit, the endless belt is therefore slower than on a previous part of the path where the end section is only initially guided through the closure element and/or along the pliers unit. The first and/or second length can be stored in the control unit and determined in particular in the calibration operating mode described below. The length of the path sections can be stored or specified as spatial and/or temporal length, whereby spatial and temporal length can be converted into one another in a mathematically unambiguous manner by the respective feed rate.

This has the advantage that the higher speed of the endless belt in the first section of the path keeps the duration of the bundling/tying to a minimum, while at the same time the lower speed of the endless belt in the second section of the path significantly increases the reliability of the bundling/tying. Accordingly, the first section of the path should be as large as possible and the second section as small as possible. For example, the first section of the path can make up a large part, i.e. more than 50% of the entire path, in particular more than 65%, preferably more than 80%. In addition, the lower speed in the second section of the path gives the control unit more time to brake and switch the motor of the push and pull unit, so that the probability of the endless belt overshooting a target position is reduced. As a result, time is saved when retracting the endless belt and the bundling duration, which was extended by the slower pushing in the second section of the path, is shortened again. In addition, overall wear is reduced, especially on the sensor unit.

In a further embodiment, it is provided that the control unit is designed to be in a calibration operating mode for automatically calibrating the bundling tool for the first path section for the push and pull unit a to specify a lower feed rate of the end section than in normal operating mode, in particular in the calibration operating mode for the first path section for the push and pull unit, to specify the feed rate of the second path section in normal operating mode, and to determine a path equivalent for the first path section and thus the length of the first path section in the calibration operating mode. Alternatively or additionally, a path equivalent and thus the length of the second path section can also be determined. Any value from which the length of the first path section can be determined from given design-related boundary conditions can be regarded as a path equivalent here. An example is the encoder or motor steps of the (step) motor of the push and pull unit described below, from which a distance covered by the end section in the respective path section can be calculated using the respective geometric dimensions in the push and pull unit. For example, an encoder or motor step can correspond to a path of 3mm. At a lower feed rate, the respective correspondence is maintained with greater accuracy, which is why the lower feed rate is advantageous in the calibration operating mode. However, the distance equivalent can also include or be the distance itself, which is recorded by a separate sensor element, for example based on the teeth of the endless belt.

This has the advantage that the length of the first and/or second path section is automatically adjusted to the size of the pliers unit, so that, for example, the size of the pliers unit and the corresponding lengths for the first and/or second path section can be determined using a stored table. The automatic adjustment enables dynamic optimization of the binding speed and reliability in the respective application with particularly little effort.

The first path section can be preceded by an initial path section in which the or generally an increased feed rate is always specified for the end section, i.e. in the normal operating mode and in the calibration operating mode. This is advantageous, for example, if it is known at the factory for the bundling tool and stored accordingly on the control unit side that a specified minimum size, for example a pliers diameter of 30 mm, is not undercut by the pliers units available for the bundling tool. The length of the initial path section then preferably corresponds to the length of the first path section as stored for the pliers unit with the specified minimum size. This increases the speed of the bundling tool in the calibration operating mode.

In a further embodiment, it is provided that the control unit is designed to determine the distance equivalent in the calibration operating mode by counting motor steps in the motor (in particular designed as a stepper motor) of the push and pull unit while pushing the end section. The motor can also be designed in particular as a direct current motor, for example as a brushless direct current motor. The motor can be provided with a gear. The motor, whether designed as a stepper motor or just as a (brushless) direct current motor, can be controlled step by step via corresponding encoder steps. These steps can then be determined in both cases.

This has the advantage that the length of the respective path section and/or the path can be recorded without additional sensors. It is sufficient for the control unit to count the number of motor/encoder steps until it receives the sensor signal from the sensor unit to detect the end section pushed back into the closure element, and then in normal operating mode for a first set of motor steps, which corresponds to the first path section and will therefore typically be a large part (see above for definition of "large part") of the total motor steps, the or a higher feed speed is specified, and for a second set of motor steps, which corresponds to the second path section, the or a reduced feed speed. Since neither new sensors nor higher computing capacity than before are required, the aforementioned advantages of faster and more reliable bundling can be achieved in a particularly simple manner.

In a further embodiment, it is provided that the control unit is designed to automatically deactivate the calibration operating mode after the distance equivalent has been determined once or several times, in particular after the distance equivalent has been determined twice. This has the advantage that handling is simplified, and it has also been shown that the distance equivalent and thus the length of the respective path sections are determined with sufficient reliability and accuracy, especially when calibrating twice.

In a further embodiment, it is provided that the control unit is designed to activate the calibration operating mode automatically after switching on the bundling tool, in especially after the control unit is supplied with power. Since it has been found that a change of the pliers unit is generally carried out when the bundling tool is switched off, this ensures that a change in the size of the pliers unit is detected by the bundling tool and the advantages described above are achieved with high everyday reliability.

In a further embodiment, it is provided that the control unit is designed to record a (particularly relative) time equivalent in the normal operating mode at which the end section pushed back into the closure element is detected by the sensor unit and to check whether the recorded time equivalent matches a (particularly relative) time equivalent stored for the pushing by the push and pull unit, and to continue in the predetermined and thus unchanged normal operating mode only if the two time equivalents match (sufficiently precisely). As a relative time equivalent, the time equivalent can be specified, for example, relative to a value recorded at the time the pushing begins. The time equivalent can comprise one or more internal time stamps and/or a time period and/or one or more absolute points in time, for example an (absolute or relative) triggering time for the bundling by the bundling tool and a detection time for the end section pushed back into the closure element. The stored time equivalent, for example a time period from the start of pushing to the time of detection (the triggering of the sensor signal) can also be determined independently of the described calibration operating mode: for example, a standard or default value can be stored initially, which is adjusted during the normal operating mode, in particular adjusted step by step. Calibration then takes place during the normal operating mode, which can accordingly be referred to as a self-calibrating normal operating mode.

The control unit therefore checks whether or not the sensor unit detects the end section pushed back into the closure element at the time expected according to the stored path sections, i.e. the stored size of the pliers unit and/or the resulting length of the first and/or second path section. It is therefore automatically checked whether the settings used for the first and/or second path section are (still) correct. Accordingly, increased reliability of the bundling is achieved here too.

The time equivalent can also be or include the distance equivalent. For example, in normal operating mode, the motor steps for pushing the end section along the path can be counted and compared with a number of motor steps stored for the mounted pliers unit (for example, recorded in calibration operating mode) and thus checked to see whether the path sections or path section lengths currently specified for normal operating mode are still correct and can continue to be used accordingly. Accordingly, it can be provided that the control unit is designed to determine the time equivalent by counting motor steps in the motor (in particular designed as a stepper motor) of the push and pull unit while pushing the end section. This further increases reliability and binding security.

In a further embodiment, it is provided that the control unit is designed to activate the calibration mode and/or to check whether the recorded time equivalent is greater or smaller than the stored time equivalent if the two time equivalents deviate from one another (in particular if they deviate sufficiently, i.e. exceed a predetermined tolerance limit, and/or occur sufficiently often, for example at least twice), and then to increase the first path section with the greater feed rate of the end section if the recorded time equivalent is greater, and to reduce the first path section with the greater feed rate of the end section if the recorded time equivalent is smaller. The reduction or increase of the first path section can be carried out in proportion to the size of the deviation of the two time equivalents. The feed rate can thus be adapted to the changed size of the pliers unit in a particularly short time.

This is based on the knowledge that when the clamp unit is reduced in size, the sensor unit detects the end section earlier than expected, and when the clamp unit is enlarged, it detects it later than expected. In particular, a step-by-step enlargement or reduction of the first section of the path, for example from bundling process to bundling process, leads to an adjustment of the feed speed along the path, which leads to the optimization described in terms of the fastest possible bundling with the highest possible feed speed in the longest possible first section of the path and the safest possible bundling with a reduced feed speed in the second section of the path as close as possible to the end of the path traversed by the end section. Accordingly, the advantages already described are achieved particularly effectively and reliably here.

In a further embodiment, it is provided that the exchangeable pliers unit is fully mechanical pliers unit is or includes. The exchangeable pliers unit therefore has no electrically operated elements and no electrical and/or optical interface to the rest of the bundling tool. This reduces the overall complexity, whereby the described teaching also reliably achieves the advantages described here.

A further aspect relates to a bundling tool system, with a bundling tool according to one of the described embodiments and at least two, preferably three or four, different pliers units, preferably pliers units of different sizes. The size of the pliers units here refers to the respective maximum bundle diameters for the material to be tied/bundled. For example, the sizes of the pliers units can cover a range between 25 mm and 120 mm, for example be or include the sizes 30 mm and/or 50 mm and/or 80 mm and/or 100 mm. This has the advantage that the different pliers units can be exchanged quickly and easily in practice and yet optimum speed and reliability are always achieved when bundling. In particular, it is not necessary, as is usually the case, to have a specially qualified and authorized operator carry out the change on the bundling tool.

Another aspect relates to a method for automatically calibrating a bundling tool designed for waste-free bundling of a binding material using an endless band. One method step is pushing an end section of the endless band using a feed motor along a path through a closure element and along a pliers unit of the bundling tool back into the closure element, in particular also back through the closure element. The end section can be pushed around the binding material, i.e. during intended use. The binding material can therefore already be bundled during calibration. However, it can also be carried out without binding material, as a test or calibration run, which saves time later. A subsequent method step is detecting when a cutting or end position of the end section pushed into the closure element has been reached.

A further method step is determining, for example reading out, the number of encoder or motor steps for the feed motor required to push the end section into the end position. The number of encoder or motor steps can, for example, be read out subsequently or counted during pushing. Based on the number of encoder steps, a first feed speed is then specified for future pushing for encoder steps that correspond to a first section of the path. For future pushing that follows the current pushing for which the number of encoder steps was determined, pushing is therefore carried out on the first section of the path at the first feed speed. Furthermore, a second feed speed that is lower than the first feed speed is specified for encoder steps that follow the encoder steps of the first section of the path when pushing the end section along the path and that correspond to a second section of the path. In a future shift which follows the current shift for which the number of encoder steps was determined, the shift is carried out on the second path section with the lower second feed rate.

Another aspect relates to a method for waste-free bundling of a binding material using an endless band. One method step is pushing an end section of the endless band along a path through a closure element and along a pliers unit of the bundling tool around the binding material back into the closure element, wherein a feed speed of the end section in a first path section of the path is greater than in a second path section of the path following the first path section. A further method step is separating the end section from a remainder of the endless band remaining in the bundling tool.

Advantages and advantageous or alternative embodiments of calibration methods and/or bundling methods correspond to advantages and advantageous or alternative embodiments of the bundling tool.

The features and feature combinations described above, also in the general introduction, as well as the features and feature combinations disclosed in the figure description or the figures alone can be used not only alone or in the combination described, but also with other features or without some of the disclosed features, without departing from the scope of the invention. Consequently, embodiments that are not explicitly shown and described in the figures, but that can be produced by separately combining the individual features disclosed in the figures, are also part of the invention. Therefore, embodiments and feature combinations that do not include all features of an originally formulated independent claim are also to be considered as disclosed. Furthermore, embodiments and combinations of features are to be considered as disclosed which deviate from the combinations of features or go beyond those described in the dependencies of the claims.

Detailed description

• 1 eine schematische Darstellung eines beispielhaften Bündelwerkzeugs;
• 2 eine schematische Schnittansicht einer beispielhaften Ausführungsform eines Bündelwerkzeugs; und
• 3 ein Detail aus 2; und
• 4 eine schematische Darstellung eines exemplarischen Bündelwerkzeugs mit Beispielen für Zangeneinheiten unterschiedlicher Größe.

Exemplary embodiments are described in more detail below using schematic drawings.

• 1 a schematic representation of an exemplary bundling tool;
• 2 a schematic sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a bundling tool; and
• 3 a detail from 2 ; and
• 4 a schematic representation of an exemplary bundling tool with examples of clamp units of different sizes.

In the figures, identical or functionally equivalent features are provided with the same reference symbols.

In 1 an exemplary bundling tool is shown schematically. The bundling tool 1 in this case has a central housing 1a with a handle unit 1b. Instead of the handle unit 1b, the central housing 1a can have a mechanical and/or electrical interface for coupling to a robot. The bundling tool 1 has an exchangeable pliers unit 2 for guiding an end section 3a of an endless band 3 around a binding material 4. The endless band 3 has a toothing 3b, which in this case is arranged on an outer side of the endless band 3 facing away from the binding material 4 when used as intended. In the example shown, the endless band 3 is fed from a reservoir unit 1c, in which it is held in the form of a roll, for example. The reservoir unit 1c can be designed as a separate unit from the bundling tool 1.

The pliers unit 2 has an upper pliers claw 2a and a lower pliers claw 2b which can be opened and closed. A closure supply unit 5 provides a closure element 15 intended for the current bundling process from an external or internal reservoir of closure elements 15 (not shown here).

The bundling tool 1 also has a push and pull unit 6, which in the present case is provided with a drive 6a engaging in the toothing 3b for pushing the end section 3a of the endless band 3 by means of a motor along a path 7 through the provided closure element 15 and along the pliers unit 2, around the binding material 4 when the pliers unit 2 grips the binding material 4, back into the provided closure element 15, and for subsequently pulling back the end section 3a of the endless band 3.

The bundling tool 1 also has a sensor unit 8 for detecting the end section 3a pushed back into the closure element 15, in the present case with a mechanical stop element 8a, against which an end 3a' of the end section 3a strikes when pushed along the path 7 and thus triggers a sensor signal. A cutting unit 9 for separating the end section 3a arranged around the binding material 4 from a remaining section 3c of the endless band 3 remaining in the bundling tool 1 after the end section 3a has been pulled back and thus after the binding material 4 has been secured is also part of the bundling tool 1. In the present case, the separation is carried out by means of a blade element 9a, which is moved here in the positive y-direction in order to cut off and thus separate the remaining section 3c protruding in the positive x-direction beyond the closure element 15 after the withdrawal (which then at least in part forms the new end section to be guided around the binding material 4 in a subsequent bundling process).

Finally, the bundling tool 1 has a control unit 10 which is designed to operate in a normal operating mode for a first path section 7a ( 2 ) of the path 7 for the push and pull unit 6 to specify a greater feed speed of the end section 3a during pushing than for a second path section 7b following the first path section 7a ( 2 ), wherein the second path section 7b comprises the part of the path 7 running back into the closure element 15.

In 2 the path 7 is shown in more detail. In the example there, the second path section 7b runs from a point 7y of the path 7 to an end point 7z of the path 7, to which the end section 3a is pushed back through the closure element 15. The first path section 7a runs in the present case from a starting point 7x of the path 7 at the mouth of the closure element 15, through which the end section 3a is pushed at the beginning of the respective bundling process.

The respective path sections 7a, 7b, more precisely their lengths, which are expressed in a path equivalent such as a number of teeth of the gearing 3b and/or a number of encoder or Motor steps of the drive 6a or the associated motor can be measured and/or specified, can be determined in a calibration operating mode of the control unit 10 for the respective pliers unit 2 used. This allows the behavior of the push and pull unit 6 during use to be determined partially or fully automatically for the respective size of the pliers unit 2, ie the design-related length of the path 7.

Preferably, the control unit 10 is then designed to specify a lower feed rate of the end section 3a in the calibration operating mode for the first path section 7a for the push and pull unit 6 than in the normal operating mode and to determine the distance equivalent, for example one of the above-mentioned distance equivalents, for the first path section 7a in the calibration operating mode. This can be done, for example, by determining the distance equivalent for the entire path 7, i.e., for example, by counting a total number of encoder steps or number of teeth of the gearing 3b starting from the start of pushing the end section 3a until the sensor signal is triggered when the end point 7z is reached, and then a stored number of encoder steps or teeth, which correspond to the second path section 7b, is subtracted from the total.

In the calibration operating mode, the feed speed of the second path section 7b in the normal operating mode can be specified for the first path section 7a and also for the second path section 7b for the push and pull unit 6. However, a different feed speed can also be specified for the first path section 7a and/or for the second path section 7b, for example an even lower feed speed than that of the second path section in the normal operating mode. In principle, the distance equivalent can be determined with greater accuracy at a lower feed speed than at a higher feed speed. In practice, a balance must be struck between a desired higher speed of the bundling process and a desired higher accuracy when determining the distance equivalent.

The length of the second path section 7b is to be specified by and/or for the control unit 10 as short as possible, whereby respective switching speeds between pushing the endless belt 3 in a forward direction F ( 3 ) and the subsequent retraction of the endless belt 3 in a reverse direction R ( 3 ) of the control unit 10 and/or the push and pull unit 6 are a limiting factor.

The first path section 7a does not have to start at the starting point 7x, it can also start at another point 7x'. In the calibration operating mode, a higher feed rate can also be specified for an initial path section between the points 7x and 7x', for example the higher feed rate of the normal operating mode'. The length of the initial path section can, for example, be the length of the first path section 7a from the starting point 7x to point 7y for a smallest pliers unit 2 used or available for the bundling tool 1 and/or a shorter length.

Alternatively or in addition to the described calibration operating mode, the normal operating mode can also include a calibrating normal operating mode or be such a calibrating normal operating mode. This is illustrated by way of example using 3 explained.

At the start of the bundling process, the end 3a' of the endless belt 3 is at the start position 7x. After a bundling process trigger signal, the end 3a' and the end section 3a adjoining the end 3a' are initially pushed in the forward direction F through the closure element 15 and along the path 7 by the push and pull unit 6. As soon as the corresponding distance equivalent is reached, for example a predetermined number of encoder or motor steps, the feed speed is reduced when position 7y is reached in order to reduce the probability of incorrect tying. When the end position 7z is reached, the sensor signal is triggered and the push and pull unit now pulls the endless belt 3 back in the reverse direction R in order to bundle the binding material 4 as intended.

In the calibrating normal operating mode, a (particularly a relative) time equivalent between the bundling process trigger signal and the sensor signal can be recorded and compared with a stored (particularly relative) time equivalent. Only if the two time equivalents match will the previous normal operating mode, i.e. the previous lengths for the first and/or second distance equivalent 7a, 7b, be continued.

If the sensor signal is triggered later than expected according to the stored time equivalent, this indicates that a clamp unit 2 is being used whose size is larger than the clamp unit for which the relative time equivalent is stored. If the sensor signal is triggered earlier than expected according to the stored time equivalent, this indicates that a clamp unit 2 is being used whose size is smaller than the clamp unit for which the relative time equivalent is stored, is reduced. Accordingly, the control unit 10 can automatically adapt the length of the first path section 7a to the later or earlier triggering of the sensor signal, ie lengthen or shorten it accordingly, and then in turn adapt the stored time equivalent to the new length of the first path section 7a. The bundling tool 1 thus calibrates itself during intended use and adjusts itself optimally to pliers units 2 of different sizes.

4 shows, by way of example, pliers units 2, 2', 2'', 2''' of different sizes on an example bundling tool 1. The pliers units 2, 2', 2'', 2''' can be repeatedly exchanged without causing any damage, preferably without tools or with a limited number of tools and/or tool complexity. According to the different sizes of the pliers units 2, 2', 2'', 2''', the respective paths 7, 7''' and thus in particular also the first path sections 7a are each of different lengths. The second path sections 7b, on the other hand, can be of the same length, since the suitable length is determined by further properties of the respective bundling tool 1, such as a reaction speed of the control unit 10.

Claims (10)

Bundling tool (1) for waste-free bundling of a binding material (4) by means of an endless band (3), with - an exchangeable pliers unit (2) for guiding an end section (3a) of the endless band (3) around the binding material (4); - a closure feed unit (5) for providing a closure element (15) for the endless band (3); - a push and pull unit (6) for pushing the end section (3a) of the endless band (3) by means of a motor along a path (7) through the closure element (15) provided and along the pliers unit (2), thus around the binding material (4) when the pliers unit (2) is gripping the binding material (4), and back into the closure element (15) provided, and for subsequently pulling back the end section (3a) of the endless band (3); - a sensor unit (8) for detecting the end section (3a) pushed back into the closure element (15); - a cutting unit (9) for separating the end section (3a) arranged around the binding material (4) from a remaining section (3c) of the endless belt (3) remaining in the bundling tool (1); characterized by - a control unit (10) which is designed, in a normal operating mode, to specify a greater feed speed of the end section (3a) for a first section (7a) of the path (7) for the push and pull unit (6) during pushing than for a second section (7b) following the first section (7a), wherein the second section (7b) comprises the part of the path (7) running back into the closure element (15). Bundling tool (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the control unit (10) is designed - in a calibration operating mode for the first path section (7a) for the push and pull unit (6) to specify a lower feed speed of the end section (3a) than in the normal operating mode, in particular in the calibration operating mode for the first path section (7a) for the push and pull unit (6) to specify the feed speed of the second path section (7b) in the normal operating mode as the feed speed in the first path section (7a); and - in the calibration operating mode to determine a distance equivalent for at least the first path section (7a). Bundling tool (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the control unit (10) is designed to determine the distance equivalent in the calibration operating mode by counting motor steps in the motor of the push and pull unit (6) during pushing of the end section (3a). Bundling tool (1) according to one of the Claims 2 until 3 , characterized in that the control unit (10) is designed to deactivate the calibration operating mode automatically after the distance equivalent has been determined once or several times, in particular after the distance equivalent has been determined twice. Bundling tool (1) according to one of the Claims 2 until 4 , characterized in that the control unit (10) is designed to activate the calibration operating mode automatically after switching on the bundling tool (1). Bundling tool (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control unit (10) is designed - to record a time equivalent in the normal operating mode at which the end section pushed back into the closure element (15) is detected by the sensor unit (8); - to check whether the recorded time equivalent corresponds to a time equivalent stored for the pushing by the push and pull unit (6). and - to continue in the specified normal operating mode only if the two time equivalents match. Bundling tool (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the control unit (10) is designed to determine the time equivalent by counting motor steps in the motor of the push and pull unit (6) during pushing of the end section (3a). Bundling tool (1) according to one of the two preceding claims, characterized in that the control unit (10) is designed, if the two time equivalents deviate from one another: - to activate the calibration mode; and/or - to check whether the detected time equivalent is greater or smaller than the stored time equivalent, and if the detected time equivalent is greater, to increase the first path section (7a) with the greater feed rate of the end section (3a), and if the detected time equivalent is smaller, to reduce the first path section (7a) with the greater feed rate of the end section (3a). Bundling tool (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the exchangeable pliers unit (2) is or comprises a fully mechanical pliers unit (2). Bundling tool system, with a bundling tool (1) according to one of the Claims 1 until 9 and at least two, preferably three or four, different pliers units (2, 2', 2'', 2'''), in particular pliers units (2, 2', 2'', 2''') of different sizes.

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