EP3130434B1

EP3130434B1 - Automatic station to staple a membrane element to a support and method thereof

Info

Publication number: EP3130434B1
Application number: EP16181569.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Enrico JAGODNIK
Original assignee: Gestind SpA
Current assignee: Gestind SpA
Priority date: 2015-07-27
Filing date: 2016-07-27
Publication date: 2018-03-14
Anticipated expiration: 2036-07-27
Also published as: ITUB20152514A1; PL3130434T3; ES2666469T3; MA40925A; EP3130434A1; PT3130434T

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic station according to the preamble of claim 1 for staple-fixing a membrane element, for example a cloth, fabric or natural or synthetic leather cover, to a support.
Such an automatic station is known by US 2013/149491 A1 .
The present invention also relates to a method for stapling a membrane element on a support by means of said automatic station.
Staple-fixing a cover, for example a natural or synthetic leather membrane, to a support, for example, in order to produce a cover for an armrest located inside the passenger compartment of a car, is known. The cover, after the stapling, is fixed, for example by snap fixing, to a pivoting arm hinged on the seat.
The stapling is normally carried out by hand by a technician who holds a stapler. However, this implies relatively long implementation times and substantial costs for the quality control of the finished piece.
The object of the present invention is to provide an automatic station capable of performing the above operation.
The object of the present invention is achieved by an automatic station according to claim 1 and by a method according to claim 8. The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate non-limiting embodiments thereof and referring to:

Figure 1: is an exploded perspective view, with parts removed for clarity, of an automatic station according to the present invention;
Figures 2 and 3: are respective exploded perspective views, with parts removed for clarity, of the automatic station according to the present invention in respective working configurations different from that of Figure 1 and from each other;
Figure 4: is a plan view of a part of the automatic station of Figure 1;
Figure 5: is a bottom view of a cover for an armrest obtained after the stapling operation performed by the automatic station of Figure 1; and
Figure 6: is an enlarged section showing the stapling operation.

In Figure 1, 1 illustrates, as a whole, an automatic station comprising a fixing sub-station 2, a jig 3 movable between a closed position and an open position, an articulated arm 4, and a stapler 5 held by the articulated arm 4. In particular, the jig 3 is carried by a structure (not shown) which enables movement of the jig 3 between the open position, in which it is possible to load an article to be stapled or to unload the article after the stapling, and a closed position during which the stapling is performed.
In the example of Figure 1 the article to be stapled is a cover 6 which can be fixed, for example by snap fixing, to an armrest (not shown) and comprising a shell or frame 7, which is preferably made of plastic material, and a membrane element 8 which can be fixed to the shell 7. According to some embodiments, the cover 6 is padded. In this case, the padding can either be fixed to or embedded into the membrane element 8 or fixed to the shell 7. According to the present embodiment, a padding I (Figure 6) is made of a foamed material, for example polyurethane foam, and glued to the shell 7 prior to the use of the automatic station 1.
According to the example of Figure 1, the size of the membrane element 8 is greater than the surface that is visible or used by the user when the cover 6 is fitted in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, and it comprises an edge portion 9 which, according to the present example, is in excess with respect to this surface. In addition, the shell 7 has a concavity facing upwards in Figure 1 and the edge portion 9 is folded in the concavity in order to be subsequently stapled. Instead, an unfolded portion of the membrane element 8 defines the surface that is visible or used by the user.
In particular, the fixing sub-station 2 defines a seat 10 for housing the shell 7 and the membrane element 8, and comprises movable inserts 11 actuated in an open position such that a user can place the shell 7 and the membrane element 8 in the seat 10 or remove the armrest 8 from the fixing sub-station 2, and in a closed position such that the edge portion 9 is folded in and/or that the membrane element 8 is retained on the shell 7 in a predefined position, for example in a perfectly flat position on a convex face of the shell 7 pointing downwards in Figure 1.
The fixing sub-station 2 further comprises pads 12, preferably fixed pads spaced in such a way as to interfere with the padding I when the shell 7 with the membrane element 8 are housed in the seat 10 so as to apply a pressure on the membrane element and to retain the latter in the aforesaid predefined position, for example the perfectly flat position. Therefore, the membrane element 8 rubs against the pads 12 both when it is inserted and when it is removed from the seat 10, and to prevent damage to the surface of the membrane element 8, the pads 12 are made of an anti-friction material or are covered with a layer of anti-friction material. For instance, the anti-friction material comprises polytetrafluoroethylene. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the pads 12 are maintained in an extracted position by preloadable springs (not shown). By adjusting the preload of the springs, the action applied by the pads 12 on the membrane element 8 can be modified during the insertion of the latter into the seat 10. The extracted position is defined by a side jig 12' on which the pads 12 abut on the opposite face of the seat 10 with respect to the side jig itself and relative to which the pads 12 project (Figure 1) in the extracted position. Preferably, the position of the side jig 12' can be adjusted before use so that it can be adapted to the different geometries of the shell 7. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the pads 12 are oblong.
According to a preferred embodiment, the movable inserts 11 comprise a first and a second slide 11a, 11b arranged on opposite lateral sides of the seat 10 and a third slide 11c arranged at a longitudinal end 13 of the seat 10. In the extracted position, the movable inserts 11 contact and fold the edge portion 9 onto a rim 14 of the shell 7. The edge portion 9 is folded by the movable inserts 11 to between 90° and 180° depending on the shape of the slides 11a, 11b and 11c, and of the shell 7. For instance, the slides 11a and 11b fold the edge portion 9 onto respective portions of the rim 14. The folding is approximately 90° to the substantially vertical plane of the flanks F (Figure 6) of the cover 6. For this purpose, the slides 11a and 11b are external to the shell 7 even in the extracted position. Instead, the slide 11c, in the extracted position, is located inside the shell 7 so as to fold by approximately 180°, i.e. to fold in, the edge portion 9 (Figure 2). When the edge portion 9 is folded in, it faces the shell 7 on the opposite side of the padding I and in a position suitable for the stapling. In addition, the slide 11c has a 'U' shape such that, in the extracted position, the edge portion 9 can be accessed by the stapler 5 to perform the stapling. In this way, the slide 11c defines a jig for the stapling.
Figure 1 also illustrates the jig 3 which comprises ribs 15 shaped to enter the shell 7 when the jig 3 is in the closed position on the seat 10, and a pad 16 to press the shell 7 into the seat 10 when the jig 3 is in the closed position. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pressure of the pad 16 is initially applied by means of a linear actuator (not shown) and subsequently maintained during the stapling through grips G to hook the pad 16 when the linear actuator has reached an end-of-travel position towards the seat 10. When the grips G engage the pad 16, the linear actuator can detach from the pad 16 and move back. When the linear actuator is detached from the pad 16, the latter, together with the sub-station 2, is moved elsewhere with respect to the linear actuator to allow for the fixing by means of the stapler 5. In this way, kinematic interferences between the linear actuator and the stapler 5 during the stapling may be prevented in a simple and inexpensive way. In fact, the stapler 5 requires a relatively large working space, and to limit costs, a linear actuator having a relatively limited travel is preferred. Therefore, in some cases, it is deemed convenient that the stapling operation be carried out at a distance from the linear actuator, for example while the latter is processing a further sub-station 2 by applying the relevant jig 3.
Advantageously, as shown in Figure 3, the force resulting from the pressure of the pad 16 is applied in a direction different from that of the pressure of the pads 12. In the example, the force resulting from the action of the pad 16 is substantially vertical, and the force resulting from the action of the pads 12 is substantially horizontal.
In particular, when the jig 3 is in the closed position, the ribs 15 contact the edge portion 9 and maintain the latter in a folded in position and ready for stapling. In addition, the ribs 15 and the pad 16 define, with the slides 11a, 11b in the extracted position, respective windows or access passages 17 through which the stapler 5 gains access for the stapling of the edge portion 9 of the shell 7. According to the embodiment of the figures, the slides 11a, 11b fold the edge portion 9 by approximately 90°, and the ribs 15 apply a further action and bring the edge portion to a folded in position from 90° to 180° with respect to the substantially vertical plane of the flanks F.
The stapler 5 is elongated to make the reaching of the edge portion 9 through the slide 11c and the windows 17 easier. Moreover, the stapler 5 comprises a spur or a tip or a hook 18 or another gripping element (Figure 6) to penetrate or hook or locally engage the edge portion 9 when the stapler 5 is pressed against the shell 7; the jig 3 is in the closed position; and the movable inserts 11 are in the extracted position. In addition, the spur 18 is shaped so as to disengage from the edge portion 9 when the stapler 5 is moved away. Preferably, the engagement and disengagement between the spur 18 and the edge portion 9 are performed through a linear movement along a single direction. Advantageously, the spur 18 is an end spur (Figure 6) and it protrudes with respect to an outlet 19 of the stapler 5. In particular, the spur 18 is configured so as to locally hook the edge portion 9, and at the same time, to allow the outlet 19 to keep a distance from the shell 7 suitable for performing the stapling. Moreover, the tension obtained with the spur 18 allows for preventing the occurrence of creases in the membrane element 8 outside the operating area and/or in a direction different from that along which the pads 12 operate. In the embodiment of Figure 1, the pads 12 allow the membrane element 8 to reach the suitable tension in a transverse direction of the seat 10 and substantially in the area of the membrane element 8 delimited by the longitudinal extent of the flanks F. Therefore, the interference with the pads 12 allows for applying an initial tension in a direction transverse to the membrane element 8 while the latter and the shell 7 are pushed inside the seat 10. The local tension applied through the spur 18 and the movement of the articulated arm 4 is applied to the edge portion 9, i.e. to the free portion of the membrane element 8 and not to the portion compressed between the shell 7 on one side and the seat 10 or the pads 12 on the other. In the longitudinal direction, instead, the tension is applied via the movement of the spur 18 and no pads are provided. Therefore, the tension applied via the movement of the spur 18 is, in chronological order, the last of the tensions applied to the membrane element 8. Thus, according to the embodiment of the figures, a pre-tensioning in at least one direction can be applied via the pads 12. The stapler 5 is also preferably pneumatic and comprises aboard a loader for the points P, i.e. nails, staples, or the like, which are inserted into the shell 7 after they have exited the outlet 19. With reference to a stapler available on the market, it is possible to provide only the addition of the spurs 18 to obtain the stapler 5.
The automatic station 1 also comprises a control unit 20 for controlling independently the jig 3, the articulated arm 4, the stapler 5 and the movable inserts 11. In particular, the control unit 20 implements the following succession of steps, after the shell 7 and the membrane element 8 have been inserted into the seat 10, and the pads 12 retain the membrane element 8 in the predefined position with respect to the shell 7:

Removing the movable inserts 11: in this way the slides 11a, 11b contact the edge portion 9 and bend the latter by approximately 90°. In addition, the slide 11c folds in the edge portion 9 by approximately 180° in the longitudinal end 13. With reference to the slide 11c, the folding in is 180° to the vertical plane of the flanks F for two opposite areas of the edge portion 9 adjacent to the flanks F, and to a plane which is substantially horizontal and parallel to the bottom of the seat 10 for a zone Z1 interposed between the opposite areas;
Closing the jig 3 on the seat 10: in this way the ribs 15 intercept and fold in the edge portion 9 so that the latter substantially faces the shell 7;
Through the articulated arm 4 and the windows 17 or the slide 11c, putting the spur 18 under pressure on a region of the edge portion 9, and consequently, locally engage the spur 18 in the edge portion 9;
Moving the spur 18 so as to locally stretch the edge portion 9. The spur 18 and the stapler 5 are rigid bodies and the tension is obtained by means of an appropriate movement of the articulated arm 4. It is preferred that the movement of the articulated arm 4 be such that, at the end of the movement that defines the tension of the edge portion 9, the outlet 19 faces a taut area of the edge portion 9. In particular, this taut area is stretched by the action of the articulated arm 4 via the spur 18;
Performing the stapling while the spur 18 locally stretches the edge portion 9;
Pulling back the spur 18 and, consequently, disengaging it from the edge portion 9.

The control unit 20 is programmed on the basis of the three-dimensional position of the shell 7 in the seat 10 and of the edge portion 9, the slide 11c and the windows 17, and of the space occupied by the articulated arm 4, the stapler 5 and the members, not shown, respectively, for the movement of the jig 3. In this way, potential interference is prevented when the articulated arm 4 and the stapler 5 are in motion before, during and after the stapling.
The advantages achieved by the automatic station 1 are the following.
The fixing sub-station 2, by means of the pads 12, retains the membrane element 8 in a predefined position on the shell 9 to allow for the action of the spur 18, i.e. the application of a tension before the stapling. Permanent fixing of the membrane element 8 to the support 7 is therefore possible through automated operations.
The jig 3 and the movable inserts 11 allow the edge portion 9 to be folded, in particular to be folded in, so as to enable the stapling inside a concave support, such as the support 7.
Lastly, it is clear that modifications or variations may be made to the automatic station 1 according to the present invention without however departing from the scope of protection as defined by the appended claims.
The pads 12 can be arranged so as to retain the membrane element 8 in a predefined position, which is not necessarily pre-tensioned, before the stapling. In this way, a tension is applied to the membrane element 8 solely by the movement of the spur 18, while the latter is engaged in the edge portion 9.
The pads 12 may be movable, and the jig 3 or the movable inserts 11 can be arranged so as to obtain, respectively, the fixing of the membrane element 8 to the shell 7 before the stapling; and the folding in of the edge portion 9, when the latter is necessary on the basis of the shape of the finished piece and on the basis of the position, defined by a construction design, of each stapling point P.
An automated station similar to that illustrated in the figures may be suitable for stapling several products such as accessories for seats of both terrestrial vehicles, for example wheeled vehicles, and non-terrestrial vehicles; upholstered furniture and coffins for burials. In particular, it is especially advantageous to be able to produce lots of covered components for the interior of a car's passenger compartment, such as the cover of a headrest or armrest for a front or rear seat.
Moreover, the gripping element 18 engages under pressure the edge portion 9 also by means of an appropriate portion of Velcro, suitable to cooperate with particular membrane elements 8, for example made of fabrics capable of engaging the Velcro.
According to the illustrated embodiment, the stapler 5 is 'long-nosed' or oblong to allow for the stapling in the concave region of the shell 7. Depending on the shape of the shell or frame on which to apply the membrane element 8, the stapler 5 may be designed to be more compact than that shown in the figures.

Claims

An automatic station (1) to cover a support (7) with a membrane element (8), comprising an articulated arm (4), a stapler (5) moved by the articulated arm (4) and a fixing sub-station (2) to retain the membrane element (8) in a predefined position on the support (7), characterized in that the automatic station (1) is further comprising a gripping element (18) moved by the articulated arm (4) and adapted to hook an edge portion (9) of the membrane element (8) while the support (7) is retained by the fixing sub-station (2) to tension the edge portion (9) before the stapler (5) fixes the edge portion (9) to the support (7).
An automatic station according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises inserts (11) and/or jigs (3) movable to a working position such as to cooperate with the membrane element (8) to fold in the edge portion (9) before the stapling.
An automatic station according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the fixing sub-station (2) comprises pads (12) arranged so as to apply a first pressure on the shell (7) and to fix the membrane element (8) in said predefined position.
An automatic station according to claim 3, characterised in that the first pressure is such as to maintain a pre-tensioning condition of the membrane element (8) with respect to the support (7) so as to eliminate creases in the membrane element (8) in at least one direction.
An automatic station according to claims 2 and 3 or 2 and 4, characterised in that the jig (3) and/or the inserts (11) are movable to a position in which they apply a second pressure to fix the shell (7) and the membrane element (8) to the fixing sub-station (2) during the stapling, the second pressure having a resultant applied in a different direction from that of the resultant of the first pressure.
An automatic station according to any one of the preceding claims when depending on claim 2, characterised in that the jig (3) and/or the movable inserts (11) define, when they are arranged in the working position, passages (17) entered by the gripping element (18) to access the edge portion (9) and perform the stapling.
An automatic station according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the gripping element (18) is configured to engage on the edge portion (9) under pressure following a movement in a rectilinear direction.
A method for stapling a membrane element (8) on a support (7) by means of an automatic station according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of:
- engaging under pressure the gripping element (18) on the edge portion (9);

- moving the gripping element (18) to tension the edge portion (9);

- performing the stapling while the gripping element (18) and the edge portion (9) are engaged.
A stapling method according to claim 8, characterised in that the moving step comprises the step of moving in a direction such that an outlet (19) of the stapler (5) faces a taut area of the edge portion (9).
A stapling method according to one of the claims 8 or 9, characterised in that the support is adapted to be fixed in the passenger compartment of a wheeled vehicle and the membrane element is a cover for the passenger compartment of a wheeled vehicle.