EP2205468B1 - Method and device for processing limp material - Google Patents

Abstract

In a method for processing limp material (2, 2a) in strip form, in particular textile belt material, it is proposed that during a first partial process (A), the limp material (2, 2a) is supplied and/or cut to length and is bent over at a first end area using a bending/folding tool (13), and is sewn on the first end area in a sewing unit (8) during a second partial process (C), wherein a substantially arrow-like structure or arrangement (20) made of limp material (2, 2a) having at least one free detent arm (29, 30) is generated on said end area (12), wherein a transfer apparatus (17), which can be moved over a path (V), is used in order to execute the first partial process (A) and the second partial process (C) at least partially temporally overlapping.

Description

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for processing flexible material in strip form, in particular of textile belt material.

In the context of the present invention, the term "belt" more or less pliable materials referred to and thus materials in strip form, which essentially only claimed on train and can be promoted, since in them almost no bending moment can act. The term "strip shape" is understood to mean material with a geometry in which a longitudinal extent is significantly greater than a width and height extent, as is the case in particular with textile belt material. Thus, textile belt materials, such as or fabric tapes, essential representatives of a material group having the above properties. In addition to safety and / or harnesses made of plastic textiles and belt materials made of leather, rubber or plastic, such as metal and / or plastic films or PVC materials with and without embedded reinforcing fibers, strip-shaped materials have a pliable characteristic.

Without restricting the invention, an example will be given below only as an example of a manufacture of a belt arrangement for producing a connection of an airbag with a body part of a motor vehicle. Such devices are as In particular, head or side airbags have been known for a long time. For this purpose, in an installed position, at least one belt is connected to the airbag at one end region and to the body part at another region. Here they meet as so-called catch or retaining bands, inter alia, the task that unfold a triggering airbag in a predetermined manner and does not penetrate uncontrollably into the vehicle interior. From the DE 10 2005 050 935 A1 It is even known to use a tether in addition to a position assurance relative to a body by coupling with a valve closure within a multi-chamber airbag assembly for targeted influencing the deployment process by gas pressure control.

In most cases, the catching or retaining straps, which are usually designed as fabric straps, are sewn to the airbag at one end region. At the opposite second end region, for example, by stitching a plurality of layers of the band, a very load-bearing loop is formed which serves to pass through a connecting element. By this connecting element, the tape is then fastened to the body part during a final assembly. To save sewing, for example, in the DE 20 2006 015 462 U1 taught a special Webaufbau for the webbing material, through which a manufacturing technology particularly easy way to cut separately produced eyelets is created to replace the weakened loops without weakening the belt material. With this solution, however, a rigid grid for dimensions of fishing or tethers by a manufacturer of belt material is given, whereas in practice variably adjustable belt lengths between about 5 cm to about 80 cm in length are desired.

Other known solutions see at the second end of a fishing or tether additional stop members made of sheet metal or plastics in which the opening for performing the connecting element is located. These stop parts are usually also connected by means of a loop or the like with the fabric tape in a sewing step.

GB 2 367 536 A discloses a tab connection for fixing an airbag to a vehicle frame part. For a person skilled in the art, only one basic principle of a manufacturing process and a corresponding apparatus for producing a thickening on the upper side of a pliable belt material by folding the belt material and fixing by sewing can be seen here.

In the DE 10 2006 010 533 B3 The objective of optimizing operations with increased production reliability is pursued by the applicant of the present invention. In this special case, the task is solved by quasi-simultaneous processing of end regions of flexible belt materials.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method and a corresponding device of the aforementioned type for producing an improved belt arrangement while optimizing operations with increased production reliability.

This object is solved by the features of the independent claims. Accordingly, a method according to the invention for processing flexible material in strip form, in particular of textile belt material, in which the material is fed or cut to length and fed, is bent at a first end region and sewn to the first end region, wherein at the end region a substantially Arrow-like structure or arrangement of material is generated with at least one free latching arm, characterized in that during a first part process, the pliable material is cut to length and bent using a bending / folding tool at least once at a first end portion and sewn at the first end portion in a sewing unit during a second part process, wherein at the end portion of a substantially arrow-like structure or Arrangement of pliable material with at least one free latching arm is generated, wherein a movable over a path transfer device is used to at least partially overlap the first sub-process and the second sub-process. It is set in a method according to the invention thus a locking connection in the place of a screw, which passes through an eyelet or loop, etc. at a free end of a fishing or tether, in which case a particularly efficient production by splitting the production process with connection by a movable Transfer device is created to compensate for different partial working time of at least partially temporally overlapping running sub-processes.

The part of this latching connection located on a catching or holding strap produced by a method according to the invention is designed as a substantially arrow-like structure which has at least one free latching arm and nevertheless consists only of limp belted material. However, it has been found that even a slippery belt material has sufficient inherent rigidity to find use in the form of a substantially arrow-like structure as a reliable latching connection use. Accordingly, such an arrow-like structure formed can be inserted through a correspondingly dimensioned recess, for example, on a body of a motor vehicle, where it is automatically and by the at least one free latching arm or by engaging behind the recess by the free latching arm Permanently reliably fixed. Such an arrangement, with appropriate dimensioning of an associated recess in the body of a motor vehicle, in addition to a reliable detent also has a sufficiently high strength against tensile forces, as they occur in particular when an airbag. Here, however, a total tact time of such a manufacturing process is no longer determined by the folding and feeding, but essentially by a finite fixing or sewing speed. An inventive division into two decoupled from each other sub-processes, which are connected to each other only by a transfer process again, leads to a significant reduction in the total cycle time and thereby at high production reliability to a significant increase in efficiency.

Further advantageous features are the subject of the respective subclaims. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the bending of the first end region in a tool to form a substantially symmetrical to its longitudinal axis structure under at least partial temporal overlaps with a transfer to the sewing unit and / or a defined lengthening of the pliable material is performed. Thus, a substantially arrow-like structure at the end region of this catch or tether no preferred insertion direction when installing on a body more because latching arms support each other in a substantially symmetrical arrow structure, as below with reference to figures of an embodiment of the invention is exemplified and described in an application. In addition, a substantially symmetrical arrow structure has the advantage for latching that in the sense of a so-called poka-yoke approach, any possibility of installation errors in an assembly is largely avoided, since in principle for an arrangement according to the invention only equivalent installation options are available. In addition, the lengths of the embodiments described below also individual sections are freely adjustable. By using the movable transfer device, however, cycle time is saved when measuring and also reduces the overall length of an entire device. However, the transfer device also opens up the possibility of establishing an intermediate buffer, in particular in the form of a loop or loop storage, if very large Gurtmateriallängen be measured and processed.

Preferably, in the course of the method, a multiple bending of the first end region in the tool is performed in only one plane or about mutually parallel oriented axes. This belt material with a known rectangular cross section can be used very advantageous for the construction of compact structures. In a few steps, more complex structures with very good locking properties can be realized in a comparatively simple tool with short process times.

In a particularly preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method is characterized in that at least a first section of a first pliable material is prefolded, at least a second section of a second pliable material is introduced or inserted into the prefolded section, and this arrangement consists of two sections subsequently passed to a sewing device. This method opens up further freedom of design, since in addition to the use of only one belt section, it is now possible to use two or even more belt sections. Furthermore, the first and the second pliable material may also differ identically, even identically, or differ from each other in terms of their materials and geometries. Thus, a later used as a tension belt in a mounting position slippery material substantially softer and thus more flexible than a material for the first section, which regularly forms at least one latching arm. In particular, materials of different widths can now also be brought together here to form a latching arrangement and reliably fixed by sewing, which will be explained below on the basis of exemplary embodiments together with illustrations of the drawing. Here also examples of embodiments are given, as well as the second section is bent in an end region at least once, to then be sewn to the first section. However, the illustrated variety of shapes of the belt assemblies is by no means exhaustive.

A corresponding device is particularly adapted for implementing a method described above with embodiments in that the bending / folding tool is designed to produce a substantially arrow-like structure or arrangement of the pliable material with at least one free latching arm arranged on the end region. wherein in the device between the bending / folding tool and the sewing unit a movable transfer device is arranged.

Preferably, the bending / folding tool for this purpose has at least one holder and a guide rail, wherein in particular only the guide rail is formed to a starting position on the bending / folding tool parallel and longitudinally displaceable. In this case, a free end of the guide rail on the front side has a recess which acts as a deflection device for the belt material for bending, and also on the front side anschlieβend a stepped ramp-like recess is provided which acts as a transverse guide and hold-down a Gurtabschnitts in the bending / folding tool ,

In one embodiment of the invention, the bending / folding tool is designed to be interchangeable in a modular manner so that it can be suitably used as a special tool in each case to form a belt arrangement. A remaining part of a device according to the invention has, as a basic tool, certain mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, software-technical and / or sensory or metrological hardware interfaces in a receptacle for the quick and, if possible, tool-free change of a bending / folding tool. In this case, a plug coding is preferably provided for the software-technical and / or sensory or measuring-technological part of an interface, by means of which a correct use of the tool for a particular production requirement in the sense of the poka-yoke approach is ensured.

In one embodiment, the bending / folding tool comprises four pneumatic actuators for fixing, clamping and bending a first section of flexible material and / or a second section of flexible material.

Furthermore, a gripper of a transfer device is provided, which is positionable at a transfer / takeover position relative to a gap between holders of the bending / folding tool so that the gripper to a free end of the guide rail over the fixed arrangement of first and second belt portion perpendicular to a transport axis or longitudinal axis of the device can be seen.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a cutting unit with feeding devices is coupled to at least two mass storage devices with controllable selection of a respective non-rigid material. Thus, several, for example, different widths flimsy materials in one Device are processed while reducing the expenditure on equipment.

Figur 1:

eine Vorrichtung zur Herstellung einer ersten Ausfüh- rungsform von einer pfeilförmigen Gurtanordnung;

Figuren 2a -2d:

einzelne Schritte eines Biege- bzw. Faltvorganges in- nerhalb des Biege-/ Faltwerkzeuges;

Figur 3:

drei Ansichten der Einzelheit x von Figur 2b;

Figur 4:

ein Zeitdiagramm der Vorrichtung gemäß Figur 1 mit zeitlich überlappenden Teilprozessen zu deren Produk- tivitätssteigerung;

Figuren 5a - 5c:

die pfeilförmige Gurtanordnung von Figur 1 als End- produkt und zwei alternative Ausführungsformen in ei- ner Draufsicht;

Figuren 6a - 6c :

zwei Einsatzfällen der pfeilförmigen Gurtanordnung gemäß den Figuren 1, 2a und 5a - 5c unter einer Zug- belastung in einer Einbaulage;

Figuren 7a - 7c:

weitere Abwandlungen der pfeilförmigen Gurtanordnung von Figur 5a mit mehr als zwei Gurtabschnitten;

Figuren 8a - 8c:

Abwandlungen der pfeilförmigen Gurtanordnung von Fi- gur 5a mit zwei Gurtabschnitten und

Figur 9:

eine Abwandlung der pfeilförmigen Gurtanordnung von Figur 5a bzw. 8c mit nur einem Gurtabschnitt.

The invention with reference to embodiments with reference to figures of the drawing to illustrate further features and advantages will be explained in more detail. In the drawing show in a schematic representation:

FIG. 1:

an apparatus for producing a first embodiment of an arrow-shaped belt arrangement;

FIGS. 2a-2d:

individual steps of a bending or folding process within the bending / folding tool;

FIG. 3:

three views of the detail x of FIG. 2b ;

FIG. 4:

a timing diagram of the device according to FIG. 1 with temporally overlapping sub-processes to increase their productivity;

FIGS. 5a-5c:

the arrow-shaped belt arrangement of FIG. 1 as a final product and two alternative embodiments in a plan view;

FIGS. 6a-6c:

two applications of the arrow-shaped belt assembly according to the FIGS. 1, 2a and 5a-5c under a tensile load in an installed position;

FIGS. 7a-7c:

Further modifications of the arrow-shaped belt arrangement from FIG. 5a with more than two strap sections;

FIGS. 8a-8c:

Modifications of the arrow-shaped belt arrangement of FIG. 5a with two belt sections and

FIG. 9:

a modification of the arrow-shaped belt assembly of FIG. 5a or 8c with only one belt section.

Throughout the various figures of the drawing, the same designations and reference numbers are always used for the same elements and method steps. Without restricting the invention, only one embodiment of arrow-shaped belt assemblies for use as automotive airbag tethers will now be described, which is an essential area of application of the present invention due to safety requirements and annual high volume cost-of-production.

As shown in the picture of FIG. 1 In a first embodiment of a device 1 for producing a first embodiment of an endless webbing 2 as a pliable material in strip form from a mass storage 3 via a quality control 4 a feeding device 5 is supplied. The webbing 2 passes through in the feeder 5 with not further drawn guide and guide means a puller 6 with a driven roller 6a and a controlled lowerable counter-pressure roller 6b. Out of the feed device 5, the webbing 2 is performed in a cutting unit 7 under a hot cutter 7a, which comprises a blade 9 thermally coupled to a heating cartridge 8. The blade 9 is designed for maintenance or replacement purposes of the heating cartridge 8 releasably, so that in a maintenance case only the blade 9 and not even the heating cartridge 8 is to be expanded. As a result of the structure described above, in a cutting operation, in addition to a mechanical separation, the fiber ends of the web belt 2, which has previously been endless, are firmly fused together by the blade 9 with the formation of defined first and second cut edges 10, 11 in the respective end regions. For sharpening as a result of wear, the blade 9 can be removed without dismantling the heating cartridge 8. This shortens a required down time of the apparatus 1 and also prolongs the life of the heating cartridge 8.

With the opening of the hot cutter 7a, a first end region 12 with a first cut edge 10 of the webbing 2 is retracted into a bending / folding tool 13 until a first defined length 1 is reached. Then, the hot cutter 7a is operated again to form a first portion 14. The exact operation of the subsequent bending or folding process is described below with reference to the figure sequence of FIGS. 2a to 2d still explained in detail.

With the re-insertion of webbing 2, 2a in the prefolded first portion 14 of webbing and formation of a second portion 15 of a pliable material by the hot cutter 7a, the completion of the desired here belt assembly begins. This arrangement of two sections 14, 15 will now be transferred by clamps or clamps in a gripper 16 of a transfer device 17 to a transfer device and a sewing unit 18. For this purpose, the gripper 16 moves with the stapled arrangement out of the plane of the drawing and then a distance V, in order then again to move perpendicular to the plane of the drawing for positioning the stapled arrangement under a sewing clamp of the sewing unit 18. This movement going into the room will be in FIG. 1 indicated by the winding arrow. In the illustrated by the arrow v

Distance, the transfer device 17 also opens up the possibility not described here of setting up an intermediate buffer, e.g. in the form of a loop or loop storage, if very large Gurtmateriallängen be measured especially for a second belt portion 15 and further processed.

After sewing and separating upper and lower thread an already finished and mechanically highly resilient arrow-shaped belt assembly 20 is removed from the sewing unit 18 by a compressed air suction device not shown and distinguished on the basis of a respective production protocol for perfectly manufactured and possibly faulty production results in containers G for good products and accordingly S for defective products.

With reference to the episode of FIGS. 2a to 2d The bending or folding process will now be described in detail, as in the bending tool 13 for forming a belt arrangement for the arrow-shaped belt arrangement 20 according to FIG FIG. 1 in four steps. In a first step, the bending tool 13 has been moved away from the hot cutter 7a by a distance s in order to subsequently be able to bend a corresponding length of a later first section 14 in a central region. Now, webbing 2 is retracted into the bending tool 13 until the distance of the first cutting edge 10 to a center of the bending tool 13 corresponds to the distance of this center of the bending tool 13 to the reference plane of the hot cutter 7a, tolerance additions being added in such a way that to the end product 20 the first and the second cutting edge are approximately at the same height and so results in a to a central axis M substantially symmetrical structure of an arrow-shaped belt arrangement. After fixing the webbing 2 in the bending tool 13 by a clamp Clamping takes place the cutting and the process in a folding position at a safe distance from the hot cutter 7a, in order to exclude any damage to the belt material and / or the hot cutter 7a. To the spotted in FIG. 2a indicated pre-folds on the bending tool 13, a guide rail 22 is raised so that a portion of the belt portion 14 about the first cutting edge 10 around a second and between holders 23 fixed area is approximately perpendicular. In the transition to the illustration of Figure 2b, the raised guide rail 22 is moved towards the holder 23, so that the portion 14 takes the form of a "U" or "V". Vorgebogen such and fixed in its position, the bending tool 13 is now moved back to its original position in front of the hot cutter, where now again belt 2 promoted and a new cutting edge 10 a is retracted into the throat of the bend of the first belt section 14. The cutting edge 10a is positioned as it were to stop in the first belt portion 14. Now in the transition to Figure 2c the raised guide rail 22 is moved over the holders 23, so that the portion 14 takes the form of a "U" which encloses an area around the new cutting edge 10a. This completes the pre-folding.

In the in Figure 2c In the position shown, the section 14 is finished closed around the cutting edge 10a, this arrangement being clamped between the holders 23 and the guide rail 22. Now the bending tool 13 is moved by a predetermined distance .DELTA.L in order to set a respectively fixed length of a second section 15. The distance .DELTA.L thus corresponds to a predetermined length of a fishing or holding straps with arrow-shaped belt arrangement at its Rastierungsende. This length measurement via a displacement path of the transfer device 17 as a linear conveyor part is very precise and can be controlled safely with marketable measuring means. With the Achieving the predetermined amount ΔL, the webbing 2 is separated to form the second portion 15 by the hot cutter 7a. Subsequently, the bending / folding tool 13 is moved over a distance L to a transfer / transfer position. As in Figure 2c Indicated in dotted line, the gripper 16 of the transfer device 17 is now positioned at this transfer / transfer position relative to a gap between the holders 23 of the bending / folding tool 13. At a free end 24 of the guide rail 22 past the gripper 16 clamps the clamping fixed arrangement of first and second belt section 14, 15 and removes it perpendicular to the illustrated transport axis or longitudinal axis of the device 1. In the in Figure 2d Finally, the transfer device 17 is moved by a distance V. Finally, by transferring the transfer device 17 perpendicular to the transport axis, transfer of the belt arrangement fixed under clamping to a sewing head of the sewing unit 18 takes place while the bending tool 13 returns to its starting position in front of the hot cutters 7a and 7b the guide rail 22 are moved back to the bending tool 13 in the initial position.

In the area of the sewing unit 18, the sections 14, 15 are aligned parallel to each other by a pressing device. It follows a final fixation of the still unconnected belt parts in an alignment and centering step and finally the sewing process with appropriate number of stitches and seam patterns.

FIG. 3 adds a detail x of FIG. 2b in three views. In the side view of the free end 24 of the guide rail 22 can be seen that the end face a recess 25 is provided, which acts as a deflection device for the belt material 2 in the sequence of steps of Figure 2a. But also on the front side is then a stepped ramp-like extending recess 26 is provided which in the positions of FIGS. 2b and 2c as a transverse guide and hold-down of the belt portion 14 in the bending / folding tool 13 acts.

FIG. 4 provides a timing diagram of the device according to FIG. 1 with three temporally overlapping partial processes A, B and C. From the start of a conveyance of belt material 2 through the hot cutter 7a into the bending / folding tool 13 until the return and reset of the movable bending / folding tool 13, partial process A comprises a total of 14 partial steps , Compared to the sewing process in the sewing unit 18, however, all sub-steps of the subprocess A are comparatively very short. Together with sub-process B, the takeover adjustment of the belt assembly immediately before sewing, the sub-process C with all sewing work in sum T _{2 is} about as long as sub-process A with its 14 sub-steps over a period T ₁ . In order to increase the productivity of a device 2 according to the invention, subprocess A with a prefabrication and a unit from subprocesses B and C are thus superimposed over time with a final production. This is in FIG. 4 indicated by the dashed line with respect to the two dotted sub-processes over the illustrated 30 time units.

In FIG. 5a an arrow-shaped belt arrangement according to FIG. 1 is shown by way of example as an automatically latching end product. At a tip 27 then there is a seam 28, which passes through an arrangement of belt material here, the three layers is strong. Thus, such a seam can be reliably produced only with so-called heavy-duty industrial sewing machines under conditions with parameter settings with regard to needle cooling and stitch speed, as are well known to the person skilled in the art. From the top 27 ago However, the seam 28 extend two free latching arms 29, 30, the ends of which are formed by the cut edges 10, 11.

The pictures of the FIGS. 5b and 5c show the arrow-shaped belt assembly of FIG. 1 as an end product with two alternative embodiments, which can only be seen in a plan view. A further design freedom has already been indicated above, which is now used in these embodiments: The belt sections 14 and 15 can be formed from different belt materials, wherein this difference may also include a respective Gurtweite. Thus, in the embodiment according to FIG. 5b the strap material of the first portion 14 less far than that of the second portion 15. In the embodiment according to FIG. 5c the choice has just been made the other way around. On a representation of the same and equal belt sections is omitted at this point.

For processing, for example, two different belt materials is in FIG. 1 already a second reservoir or mass storage 2a indicated. The webbing 2 a removed from the second mass storage 3 a is also fed to the feeder 5 after a quality control, which has now been expanded by adding a lowerable counterpressure roller 6 c to the basic form described above: Both counterpressure rollers 6 b and 6 c cooperate with a correspondingly widened driven roller 6 a , A selection of a belt material to be conveyed in each case takes place via a control for lifting the respectively relevant counter-pressure roller 6b or 6c. The following hot cutter 7a regularly has a cutting width which lies beyond a combined width of second belt straps 2, 2a. Thus, without a fundamental doubling of the apparatus complexity in a device 1 according to the invention in the area of quality control 4, the feed device 5 and the hot cutter 7a as well Work with more than one webbing. All subsequent areas also require at most a slight adjustment.

The foregoing variations can in principle be applied to any of the following embodiments according to FIGS Figures 6a to 8c expand. Again, however, a detailed description of individual combinations is omitted here.

The pictures of the FIGS. 5b and 5c represent two applications of the arrow-shaped belt assembly according to the FIGS. 1, 2a and 5a-5c Under a tensile load in an installed position in a side view. The installation position, for example, a holding or tether for an airbag in a motor vehicle is formed on a body 31 by a recess or punching 32. Through the recess or punch 32, the tip 27 of the belt assembly 20 is inserted, which fulfills the function of an insertion aid. In FIG. 6a a tensile force F is exerted by the recess 32 on the tension belt or the second belt portion 15 after complete insertion of the belt assembly 20. Since in the present example, a width d of the recess 32 is only slightly more than three times the thickness of the belt materials used, the two free locking arms 29, 30 are still spreading the insertion through the recess 32 both and lock the belt assembly 20 securely in the Recess 32. Even in the illustrated and at an angle to the surface normal or the central axis of the recess 32 significantly different load by the tensile force F, the locking arm 29 is supported on a body-inside 33 reliable. Even with incomplete insertion after FIG. 5c is a reliable storage and latching given.

The pictures of the FIGS. 7a-7c represent modifications of the arrow-shaped belt assembly of FIG. 5a with more than two strap sections: In the FIGS. 7a and 7b the first section 14 is executed doubled. As a result, the number of free latching arms 29, 29a, 30, 30a is doubled. In the FIGS. 7b and 7c the second belt section 15 is executed doubled.

The FIGS. 8a to 8c show modifications of the arrow-shaped belt assembly of FIG. 5a with two belt sections 14, 15, these embodiments close to the Figure 7a come close. The embodiments of the FIGS. 8a to 8c but have the peculiarity of at least one rounding 34 on a free latching arm 29, 30. This rounding 34 is in an insert analogous to the representations of FIGS. 5b and 5c under a tensile load by compression expandable and thus after insertion through a recess 32 through under load weitbar. As a result, the locking is additionally secured.

FIG. 9 Finally, a modification of the arrow-shaped belt assembly of FIG. 5a which has only one belt section 14. By multiple bending of the belt material 2, a structure is achieved, which is the Figur8c very close. Here, too, rounding 34 are arranged on both free locking arms 29, 30. In contrast, in the region of the seam 27, however, an additional, very narrow bend of the belt material is provided.

The above-described embodiments of Figures 7a to 9 show the basic form FIG. 5a the difference is that they are more than three layers in the area of the seam 27. So occur in the embodiment FIG. 7b Six layers of belt material to be sutured through. Correspondingly far also has a corresponding recess 32 in a body 31 be. However, these embodiments are characterized either by latching arms 29, 30 with special properties in the form of the expansion under compression by compression rounding 34 and / or by more than two locking arms 29, 30.

With a device 1 described above, a single operator can manufacture up to about 2000 harness assemblies per day with 8 man-hours. Since this device 1 is fully automated, a single operator can simultaneously monitor up to six such devices 1 in parallel. In this expansion stage, a daily production of about 12,000 belt assemblies per day would be achievable. The tasks of the operator relate in particular to the elimination of minor disturbances, changing bobbins in the sewing units 18 or the change of belt materials and swapping the change of collection containers G for good production parts.

Claims (13)

1. Method for processing flexurally limp material (2, 2a) in strip form, in particular textile belt material, wherein the flexurally limp material is fed and/or cut to length, bent at a first end portion and sewn together at the first end portion, a substantially arrow-like structure or arrangement (20) of flexurally limp material with at least one free locking arm (29, 30) being produced at the end portion (12),
   characterised in that
   during a first partial process (A), the flexurally limp material (2, 2a) is fed and/or fed cut to length and is bent at a first end portion at least once using a bending/folding tool (13), and, during a second partial process (C), is sewn together in a sewing unit (8) at the first end portion, wherein a substantially arrow-like structure or arrangement (20) of flexurally limp material (2, 2a) with at least one free locking arm (29, 30) is produced at the end portion (12),
   wherein a transferring device (17) moveable over a distance (V) is used in order to carry out the first partial process (A) and the second partial process so as to at least partially overlap in time.
2. Method according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the bending of the first partial end portion (12) in a bending/folding tool (13) for forming a structure substantially symmetrical to its longitudinal axis is carried out so as to at least partially overlap in time with a transfer to the sewing unit (8) and/or a defined cutting to length of the flexurally limp material.
3. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that multiple bending of the first end portion in the bending/folding tool (13) is carried out in a single plane or about axes oriented parallel relative to each other.
4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one first portion (14) of a first flexurally limp material (2, 2a) is pre-folded, into which at least one second portion (15) of a flexurally limp material (2, 2a) is introduced, and this arrangement comprised of two portions is supplied to a sewing unit (18).
5. Method according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the second portion (15) is also bent at least once in an end portion in order to then be sewn to the first portion (14).
6. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the arrangement comprised of at least one pre-folded first portion (14) and at least one second portion (15) introduced into the area of the prefold is aligned and the individual parts are fixed with regard to their position, in particular by means of at least one guide and/or clamping in the bending/folding tool (13) and/or in the area of a sewing foot of a sewing unit (18).
7. Device for processing flexurally limp material (2, 2a) in strip form, in particular textile belt material, comprising a feeding device (5), a bending/folding tool (13), a transferring device (17) and a sewing unit (18), characterised in that the device (1) is especially formed for carrying out a method according to one or more of the preceding claims by the bending/folding tool (13) being configured to produce a substantially arrow-like structure or arrangement of flexurally limp material (2), which has at least one free locking arm (29, 30) disposed at the end portion (12), wherein a moveable transferring device (17) is disposed in the device (1) between the bending/folding tool (13) and the sewing unit (18).
8. Device according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the bending/folding tool (13) comprises at least one holder (23) and a guide rail (22) which, in the bending/folding tool (13), is definedly parallel and longitudinally moveable relative to an initial position.
9. Device according to the preceding claim, characterised in that, at a free end (24) of the guide rail (22), a recess (25) is provided at the end face which acts as a deflection device for the belt material (2), and that, in particular also adjacent to the end face of the free end (24), a recess (26) extending in a stepped ramp-like manner is provided, which is configured as a transversal guide and/or hold-down device of the belt section in the bending/folding tool (13).
10. Device according to any one of the three preceding claims, characterised in that the bending/folding tool (13) is configured to be replaceable in a modular manner and comprises certain mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, software and/or sensor or measuring hardware interfaces, wherein a connector coding is preferably provided for the software and/or sensor or measuring part of an interface.
11. Device according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the bending/folding tool (13) comprises four pneumatic actuators for fixing, clamping and bending the first portion (14) and/or a second portion (15).
12. Device according to any one of the two preceding claims, characterised in that a gripper (16) of a transferring device (17) is provided which, at a transfer/pickup position can be positioned such, relative to a gap between holders (23) of the bending/folding tool (13), that the gripper (16), past a free end (24) of the guide rail (22), can take out the fixed arrangement comprised of the first and the second belt section (14, 15) perpendicularly to a transport axis or longitudinal axis of the device (1).
13. Device according to any one of the preceding claims 7 to 12, characterised in that a cutting unit (7) is coupled to feeding devices (5) of at least two mass storage units (3, 3a) with a controllable selection of a respective flexurally limp material (2, 2a).

Images