EP0631958A1 - Manual device for transferring a film from a carrying ribbon to a substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

In a manual device for transferring a film, such as a cover-up film or an adhesive film, from a backing strip (3) onto a substrate, a longitudinally divided housing (1) is provided, in which a supply spool (2) is mounted with a coil of film-coated backing strip (3) which is guided from said spool via an applicator foot (4), protruding out of the housing (1), is deflected at said foot and conducted by it back into the housing (1) onto a winding spool (5). When the housing is open, the supply spool (2) and the winding spool (5) can be removed from or placed in the housing (1). In this case, the applicator foot (4) can be displaced from its position protruding out of the housing (1) into a position retracted into the housing (1) and can be releasably locked in its extended position protruding out of the housing. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a hand-held device for transferring a film from a carrier tape to a substrate, with a longitudinally divided housing, in which a supply reel with a winding of film-coated carrier tape is attached, which leads from it via an application foot protruding from the housing this is deflected and returned by him into the housing on a take-up spool, with the supply and take-up spool being removable from or inserted into the housing when the housing is open.

Such handheld devices have been used to a considerable extent in the office area for some time. They serve to release a film, such as a cover film (cover-up film) or an adhesive film with which a carrier tape is coated, from the latter onto a base. The filling of the device is renewed when the film coating on the carrier tape has been used up in some of these handheld devices by replacing an exchangeable cassette which contains the supply reel, the take-up reel, the carrier tape and the application foot. This provides a very quick and uncomplicated possibility of changing the tape, which is, however, associated with a comparatively great outlay, since not only the entire housing structure of the cassette, but also the application foot also has to be replaced.

Another known possibility for changing the tape is that the longitudinally divided housing is opened, the two coils, the application foot and also the slip clutch connecting the coils are arranged in one half of the housing and the coils and that wound on the take-up reel and that the two Carrier tape connecting coils can be taken out together. Subsequently, a new supply spool with a roll of film-coated carrier tape is placed over a carrier tape section (loop) on a still empty take-up spool is connected (this unit consisting of two coils connected to each other via a carrier tape loop is usually referred to as a "double spool"), inserted into the open housing. However, it is necessary for the operator to place the carrier tape section between the two spools around the application foot protruding from the housing and at the same time to insert it into the tape guide provided in the housing. Since in the fully inserted state the film-coated carrier tape has to run over the application foot in a tensioned state, there are certain difficulties for the operator when changing the tape in these devices, since the carrier tape cannot be put around the application foot with play due to the desired final tension, but rather laterally must be pushed on under tension. However, if you put it around the application foot with play, there is a need to tighten it by turning the attached spools, which is cumbersome and requires a certain skill (observing the correct direction of rotation or the like). There is also the risk that the user will get his fingers dirty with the material of the film coating when inserting a new double spool.

The invention now relates to handheld devices in which the tape change is carried out by removing or inserting a double spool (i.e. not via an exchangeable cassette with a built-in application foot), and it is based on developing a device of the type mentioned at the outset in such a way that the tape change for the user is simplified.

According to the invention, this is achieved in a hand-held device of the type mentioned at the outset in that the application foot can be moved from its position protruding from the housing into a position retracted into the housing and can be releasably locked in its extended position.

In the case of the invention, the application foot can thus be moved into the housing, and from its extended end position, in which the device is ready for operation and which can therefore also be referred to as the “operating position”, for changing the band into a further one located inside the housing. retracted end position, which could also be called a "belt change position", can be spent. If a belt change is to take place, the locking of the application foot in its extended end position is released and then the application foot is pushed into its end position retracted into the housing. This immediately removes the tension from the carrier tape loop between the supply and take-up reels, the tape loop becomes slack and the coils can be taken out of the housing without difficulty. The new double reel can then be inserted into the open half of the housing, where its tape loop can easily be put around the application foot, perhaps even at a certain distance around it, due to the retracted application foot. The application foot is then brought back into its extended operating position and locked in it, whereby the required tape tension is applied to the tape loop between the supply and take-up reels. The user does not have to slip the carrier tape section between the supply spool and take-up spool laterally over the applicator foot when inserting a new double spool, as in previously known devices with a fixed applicator foot, but can put it comfortably and loosely around the applicator foot due to the retracted applicator foot , because the required belt tension is only achieved afterwards by moving the application foot into its extended position. This enables a problem-free, rapid change of the spools and of the carrier tape section running between them, without the user having to skillfully slip a tape under tension over a fixed application foot.

In order to improve the functional reliability of the device according to the invention, the displaceable arrangement of the application foot is preferably designed in such a way that it always automatically locks in position when it is brought into its extended operating position. Thus, after inserting the new spools, the user only has to push the application foot into its extended end position, in which it is automatically locked in position, so that the deliberate execution of a locking process can be omitted. It is advantageously provided that the application foot is also locked in its retracted end position (again preferably automatically).

A preferred embodiment of the hand-held device according to the invention consists in the fact that the application foot can only be unlocked in its extended position and / or can be moved into the other, retracted position when the housing is open. This ensures that when the housing is closed, an undesired, accidental unlocking of the application foot is not possible because the unlocking mechanism is then not accessible from the outside. Moving the order foot out its operating position in its retracted position can therefore only be done deliberately with the housing open.

The order foot can be designed and moved in any way. However, the application foot is preferably arranged in such a way that it is fastened to a displaceable slide which can be guided in the open housing half along a guide rail designed as a shaped rail and is in positive engagement with this guide rail, e.g. by engaging them positively (in the manner of a "dovetail guide"). Such a positive connection ensures that good guidance of the slide is ensured during the sliding movement along the shaped rail, and at the same time an undesired detachment of the slide from the shaped rail (with a suitable shape of the latter) can easily be prevented. The shaped rail is preferably designed as a T-shaped guide rail which runs on the side wall of the associated housing half and is fastened. Advantageously, the molded rail is formed in one piece with the side wall of the housing, which also leads to ease of injection molding if the housing and the spray rail are e.g. be made of plastic.

Any suitable locking option can be used to lock the movable carriage in the extended or retracted end position of the application foot. A particularly favorable locking is achieved, however, in that the slide has two spring bars attached on both sides of the guide rail which, when the respective end position of the application foot has been reached, spring into a form-locking engagement with locking elements attached to the housing, for example in the form of locking notches or the like . This can advantageously be achieved in that the spring webs slide along the displacement path along webs running parallel to the guide rail, with corresponding web notches or openings being formed in these webs at the points at which the application foot reaches the desired end positions, into which at the end engage the projections on the spring bars. The spring bars are installed in such a way that they are always under spring tension during the displacement of the slide, which presses them into the snap-in receptacles provided when the applicator foot reaches an end position. The two spring bars are preferably each with an actuating section projecting laterally towards the same side, for example in the form of an open housing in the direction of the user protruding bolt or the like, via which the user can spring out the spring bars from the latched position when the housing is open and can thus disengage the locking parts. In this way, the user can be unlocked quickly and easily, and the user can use the actuating sections not only for unlocking the spring bars, but also for the subsequent movement of the slide or application foot.

A further preferred embodiment of the hand-held device according to the invention is that the opened housing has a structure which is symmetrical with respect to the central plane running in the longitudinal direction of the housing and perpendicular to the side wall of the housing, the application foot being displaceable along the center line of symmetry.

In an advantageous development of the hand-held device according to the invention, the application foot, the slide and the spring bars are formed together as a one-piece component, while the opened housing half, in which the displaceable application foot is arranged, together with the coil axes, onto which the supply or take-up spool can be plugged are, as well as the other elements used for the tape guide, the guide rail and the lateral contact webs for the spring bars of the guide carriage are also integrally formed from plastic. In such a configuration, the entire device then consists of this open housing half, the second housing half, which in turn is preferably formed in one piece with corresponding counter brackets for the elements attached in the open housing half when the housing is open, and from the carriage carrying the application foot, thus only three structural elements, to which the coils and the carrier tape are added as further individual elements. This ensures a minimum of individual parts combined with a particularly quick assembly with a simple structure.

The design of the application foot can be done in different ways depending on the intended use. However, the application foot is preferably designed in the form of a spring bar, in such a way that the application foot protruding forwardly from the housing in its extended position can deflect perpendicularly to its web plane, that is to say can make certain rebounding movements against the pressure direction when an application pressure is applied.

It is also advantageous if, in the case of a hand-held device according to the invention, a stop is provided in the housing to limit the displacement of the application foot into the housing, such a stop being e.g. can consist of a transverse bar running transversely to the direction of displacement of the application foot and fastened to the housing side wall (preferably in one piece with this).

• Fig. 1 eine Perspektivdarstellung der Gehäusehälfte eines geöffneten erfindungsgemäßen Handgerätes, in der der Auftragfuß in verschiebbarer Anordnung sowie die Trägerbandspulen aufgenommen sind;
• Fig. 2 eine seitliche Draufsicht der Darstellung aus Fig. 1 in Richtung des Pfeiles II in Fig. 1;
• Fig. 3 eine teilweise geschnittene Seitenansicht der Darstellung aus Fig. 2;
• Fig. 4 eine Darstellung entsprechend Fig. 2, jedoch mit eingefahrenem Auftragfuß;
• Fig. 5 eine Darstellung wie in Fig. 3, jedoch wiederum mit eingefahrenem Auftragfuß, und
• Fig. 6 den Schnitt VI-VI aus Fig. 4.

The invention is explained in more detail below in principle by way of example with reference to the drawing. Show it:

• Figure 1 is a perspective view of the housing half of an open handheld device according to the invention, in which the applicator foot in a displaceable arrangement and the carrier tape reels are received.
• FIG. 2 shows a side plan view of the illustration from FIG. 1 in the direction of arrow II in FIG. 1;
• Fig. 3 is a partially sectioned side view of the illustration of Fig. 2;
• FIG. 4 shows a representation corresponding to FIG. 2, but with the application foot retracted;
• FIG. 5 shows an illustration as in FIG. 3, but again with the application foot retracted, and
• 6 shows the section VI-VI from FIG. 4.

The illustration in FIG. 1 shows a hand-held device according to the invention, one half of the housing of which is removed. The housing half 1 shown is that in which, with the other housing half removed, all movable or displaceable elements with their corresponding receptacles or guides, as well as a supply reel 2 with a winding supply of film-coated carrier tape 3 and a coaxial to the supply reel 2, are arranged directly next to this take-up reel 5.

The illustration in FIG. 1 shows the arrangement of the application foot 4 in its extended end position (operating position).

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the film-coated carrier tape is unwound from the supply reel 2 and fed directly to the applicator foot 4, which in its front area protruding from the housing 1 with guide projections 6 arranged on the side of the carrier tape 3 on its top and bottom (cf. 2 and 3) is provided, which prevent the carrier tape 3 from undesirably slipping laterally from the application foot 4. The film-coated carrier tape 3 (which is only shown in dashed lines in FIGS. 2 and 4) is deflected at the front edge of the applicator foot 4, reinserted into the housing 1 and wound there on a take-up spool 5 attached coaxially to and directly next to the supply reel 2. A slip clutch, not shown in the figures, between the supply reel 2 and the take-up reel 5 compensates for the different speeds of the two reels when the support tape 3 is pulled off and at the same time secures the take-up drive for the take-up reel 5 in such a way that the support tape 3 always remains tensioned.

In the housing half 1 is integrally attached to the side wall of a guide rail 11 which, as shown in FIG. 6, is in the form of a T-shaped web. On this guide rail 11, slidable along it and overlapping it in a dovetail shape, is a cut 7 (see FIG. 6) which, e.g. 2 and 3 show, to the rear (i.e. towards the retracted position of the application foot 4) has lateral spring bars 12. The spring bars 12 and the carriage 7 together form a one-piece component, which also includes attached to the free end of the spring bars 12, projecting vertically laterally to the spring bars 12, strip-shaped actuating sections 8 which protrude in the direction of the other (removed) housing half 1 ' (see FIGS. 3 and 5).

As can be seen particularly well from FIGS. 1 and 2, at a small distance from the inside of the end of the guide rail 11 on the side wall of the housing half 1 there is a cross bar 16 extending transversely to the guide rail 11, against which the ends of the spring bars 12 during insertion of the carriage 7 start when it has reached its inner end position.

On both sides of the guide rail 11 are, each at an equal distance from this, lateral slide strips 13 are formed on the side wall of the housing half 1, against which the spring bars 12 rest laterally under a certain elastic bias when the carriage 7 is moved. These slide strips 13 are each provided at their front and rear ends with a notch 9 and 10, in which at the ends of the Spring bars 12 laterally attached locking parts (not shown in the figures) can snap under pretension as soon as the slide 7 has reached its extended or retracted end position.

The two coils 2 and 5 sit coaxially next to one another on a common coil axis 15. On the side wall of the removed housing half 1 '(see. Fig. 3, 5 and 6) (not shown in the figures) support elements are provided which ensure when the housing is closed that the coils 2 and 5 do not slide down from their common coil holder 15 laterally can.

To change the tape, the application foot 4 is transferred from the extended position shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, in which it holds the carrier tape 3 tensioned, into the retracted end position shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. For this purpose, after opening the housing, the actuating sections 8 on the spring bars 12 of the carriage 7 are grasped by the user with two fingers and pressed somewhat toward one another, whereby the spring bars 12 are elastically bent and disengage with their locking sections from the notches 9. Then the now movable carriage 7 with the applicator foot 4 attached to it is moved into the housing until the ends of the spring bars 12 come to rest on the cross bar 16 and their locking parts simultaneously snap into the notches 10 formed there. As a result, the previously tensioned carrier tape 3 is transferred into a slack and relaxed position, as shown in broken lines in FIG. 4. The carrier tape 3 can now be removed together with the two spools 2 and 5 from the housing half 1 and a new double spool (ie a new, filled supply spool 2, a new, empty take-up spool 5 and a carrier tape section 3 running between the two) can be inserted into the housing , wherein the carrier tape section 3 ("loop") between the two spools 2 and 5 only loosely, as shown in dashed lines in FIG. 4, must be placed around the application foot 4. Thereafter, the lateral locking projections fastened to the spring bars 12 are disengaged again from the locking notches 10 with the aid of the actuating elements 8. Subsequently, the carriage 7 is pushed into its front end position moved out of the housing, in which the locking projections of the spring bars 12 snap into the locking notches 9 at the front end of the side bars 13. In this position, the carrier tape 3 is then stretched again by the application foot 4 and the arrangement is achieved as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

Finally, the second housing half 1 'is placed (see. Fig. 2, 4 and 5) and possibly locked with the other housing half 1 (which is not shown in the figures), after which the device is ready for use again.

The individual elements of the housing shown are preferably all made of thermoplastic and preferably made of injection molding.

As the figures, in particular FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, show, the housing has an overall symmetrical configuration with respect to its longitudinal center plane M-M (FIG. 2). Here, the guide rail 11 lies with its longitudinal center axis exactly in the symmetry center line MM, so that when the carrier tape 3 is tensioned, at least as long as the unwinding diameter of the carrier tape from the supply reel 2 and the winding diameter of the take-up reel 5 are approximately the same size results in approximately symmetrical tape guidance of the carrier tape 3 to the center line MM.

Claims (11)

Hand-held device for transferring a film from a carrier tape to a substrate, with a longitudinally divided housing, in which a supply spool with a winding of film-coated carrier tape is attached, which is guided from it over an application foot protruding from the housing, deflected thereon and by it again is fed back into the housing on a take-up spool, with the supply and take-up spool being removable from or insertable into the housing when the housing is open, characterized in that the application foot (4) protrudes from its position in the housing (1, 1 ') in a position retracted into the housing (1, 1 ') and releasably lockable in its protruding (extended) position. Hand tool according to claim 1, characterized in that the application foot is automatically locked when it is transferred to its extended position. Hand tool according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the applicator foot (4) can only be unlocked in its extended position and / or brought into the retracted position when the housing (1; 1 ′) is open. Hand tool according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the applicator foot (4) on a housing half formed along a shaped rail (1) attached guide rail (11) movable, with this in positive engagement slide (7) is attached. Hand tool according to claim 4, characterized in that the shaped rail is designed as a T-shaped guide rail (11) which is fastened to the side wall (14) of the associated housing half (1), preferably formed integrally therewith. Hand tool according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the slide (7) has two spring bars (12) attached on both sides of the guide rail (11), each of which engages in a form-locking manner with the housing when one of the two end positions of the application foot (4) is reached (1) compress the locking elements (9; 11). Hand tool according to claim 6, characterized in that the application foot (4), slide (7) and spring bars (12) together form a one-piece component. Hand tool according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the opened housing (1) has a structure which is symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal center line (M-M), the applicator foot (4) being displaceable along the line of symmetry (M-M). Hand tool according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the two spring bars (12) each have at their ends an actuating section (8) projecting laterally in the direction of the removable housing half (1 ′), by means of which they disengage from the locking parts ( 9; 10) can be brought. Hand tool according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the application foot (4) is designed to be spring-loaded. Hand tool according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that a stop (16) is provided to limit the displacement path of the application foot (4) into the housing (1).

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