EP3150285B1 - Assembly for applying wax on body parts of a vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an arrangement for applying wax to body parts of a vehicle comprising a wax applicator lance, a wax conveyor adapted to convey wax through the wax applicator lance, and interrupting means between wax conveyor and wax applicator lance for interrupting the wax discharge within an application process for predetermined time intervals according to the preamble of claim 1.

Moreover, the invention relates to a method of applying wax to body parts of a vehicle by means of a wax applicator lance, wherein wax is conveyed by a wax conveyor through a wax applicator lance and interception between wax conveyor and wax applicator lance is provided by a release mode in which wax through the wax applicator lance is conveyed in a blocking mode in which the promotion of wax is interrupted by the wax applicator lance, is switchable according to the features of the preamble of claim 4.

Such an arrangement or such a method is already used in automobile production. In this case, wax is applied, for example, on the insides of vehicle doors, in particular in rabbet areas, around there to provide additional corrosion protection. However, there is now an increasing need to apply wax not only linearly along folds, edges, etc., but also selectively to a plurality of disjoint wax application sites.

The EP 2 740 543 A2 describes a control device and a system for the preservation of metallic components and motor vehicle bodies by applying a corrosion protection agent or wax.

The EP 0 132 958 A2 describes a three-way plug valve for controlling fluid flow for coating systems.

Since the automotive production is known to be almost exclusively in assembly line production and this fixed cycle times for individual steps, including the operation of the application of wax, must be complied with conventional arrangements or a conventional method, the required short cycle times are no longer met, if necessary In addition to a line-shaped application, several disjoint wax application points still have to be supplied with wax within a given cycle time.

Already conventionally it was known to provide interruption devices between the wax conveyor and the wax application lance in order to be able to interrupt the discharge of wax between the application to a first wax application point and the application to a second wax application point disjoint with respect to the first wax application point. However, both the interruption times and the application times have traditionally been too long to be able to apply wax to a plurality of disjoint wax application sites within a given cycle time.

The object of the present invention, in contrast, is to provide an arrangement for applying wax to the bodywork components of a vehicle or a corresponding method in which substantially more disjoint wax application sites can be supplied with wax within a predetermined cycle time.

This object is achieved in device-technical terms with an arrangement for applying wax on body components of a vehicle with the features of claim 1. In procedural terms, this is Problem solved by a method according to the features of claim 4. Advantageous developments are specified in the subclaims.

A key idea of the present invention is to accelerate the change between wax discharge and interruption of the wax discharge or interruption of the wax discharge and resumption of the wax discharge, that a startup or shutdown of the delivery pressure with which the wax conveyor promotes wax, largely or completely avoided , For this purpose, the device according to the invention can provide that the interruption device comprises a switching piston mounted in a bore and the switching piston in a release position creates a fluid connection between wax conveyor and Wachsausbringungslanze and in a blocking position a bypass line is opened, which leads the auszubringende wax in a cycle on the wax conveyor ,

In procedural terms, the wax is conveyed in a bypass line during the interruption of the wax discharge such that a minimum conveying speed or a minimum pressure of wax, which is conveyed to the interruption device, is maintained even in the blocking mode.

A key consideration in this respect is the provision of a bypass line that allows substantially or entirely to maintain the wax delivery pressure during the interruption of the promotion of wax by the wax application lance. Thereby, raising or lowering of the discharge pressure, which has conventionally been necessary in the case of interruption of recovery of wax by the wax application lance, is avoided. The promotion of wax through the wax applicator lance can thus be interrupted at full delivery pressure within a very short time or resumed at full delivery pressure within a very short time.

The switching piston is mounted in the bore such that when switching from release to blocking position by the movement of the switching piston generates a negative pressure and located in the Wachsausbringungungslanze wax is slightly withdrawn against the conveying direction. The abrupt Interruption of the wax discharge can thus still be favored, since a "run-on" is counteracted.

Advantageous developments are specified in the subclaims.

In an advantageous embodiment, the switching piston can be mounted in the bore so that when switching from blocking to release position generates an overpressure and thereby the discharge of wax in the wax applicator lance by the conveying action of the wax conveyor and additionally by the movement of the switching piston generated overpressure is accelerated. Upon resumption of the wax discharge thus the desired flow rate is abruptly provided again. Any inertia of the system counteracts the excess pressure generated by the movement of the switching piston, so that a desired abrupt increase in the delivery volume is achieved.

In a preferred development, the arrangement is integrated with an industrial robot such that the wax application lance is guided along a predetermined trajectory within the application process and returned to a rest position after completion of the application process. The use of an industrial robot enables targeted and accurate start-up of the wax application points within a given cycle time. The control of the trajectory, thus in particular the control of directions of movement, speeds and accelerations of the industrial robot can be very well tuned to the control of the interruption device and / or the wax conveyor.

In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the working pressure which is provided for the delivery of wax in the release mode by the wax delivery device is maintained even during the interruption of the wax discharge. Although it would be theoretically conceivable to reduce the delivery rate of the wax delivery device during an interruption of the wax discharge, for example to 80% or 50%; In many applications, however, it will be preferable if the working pressure of the wax conveyor is completely maintained even during the interruption of the wax discharge. This enables particularly short switching times with defined and uniform delivery volumes at all times the wax discharge, so especially at the beginning and at the end of the wax discharge (shot).

In a preferred development, the method according to the invention provides that the wax is conveyed back to an inlet side of the wax conveyor via the bypass line. Although it would be conceivable to lead the wax via the bypass line into a collecting container or buffer tank; However, it is preferred for structural and procedural reasons, to promote the guided over the bypass line wax to the input side of the wax conveyor without the interposition of such buffer or storage containers.

In a further preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the application is carried out within a specified within the cycle time production in a fixed application routine to be provided within the cycle time with wax vehicle, within the fixed predetermined application routine one or more defined interruptions of the wax discharge are provided ,

In a further preferred embodiment, wax is applied to at least 10 and up to 40 disjoint wax application sites within a cycle time of 60 seconds to 80 seconds, so that the wax discharge process corresponding to the number of wax application sites is to be interrupted accordingly.

In a concrete possible embodiment of the present method, the application times for applying wax to the disjoint wax application sites are in each case 0.2 s to 0.8 s, preferably about 0.5 s.

In one possible embodiment of the method according to the invention, the change from the release mode to the lock mode and / or the change from the lock mode to the release mode is realized within a switchover time ≦ 0.05 s, preferably ≦ 0.01 s.

Concretely, it can be provided that the change from the release mode to the lock mode and from the lock mode to the release mode within the interruption device is effected by a linearly guided switchover piston.

In a preferred embodiment, the switching piston is driven pneumatically or hydraulically. Both a pneumatic and a hydraulic drive can be implemented relatively easily, works reliably and allows short switching times.

In the method according to the invention, the change from release mode to lock mode not only stops the delivery of wax through the wax application lance, but also removes wax located in the wax application lance slightly against the direction of conveyance. This "retraction effect" promotes an abrupt tearing off of the wax discharge and accordingly prevents after-run or dripping.

Further, it may be provided in a preferred embodiment of the method that not only the promotion of wax by the wax applicator lance is resumed with the change from lock mode to the release mode, but the wax in the wax applicator lance an additional impulse - especially by one through the movement a Überschaltkolbens generated overpressure - experiences in the conveying direction. With this "impulse effect" wax is immediately ejected again after a break with a high delivery volume. An inertia of the system counteracts this "impulse effect".

The invention will be explained below with regard to further features and advantages with reference to the description of exemplary embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figur 1

ein Ausführungsbeispiel der erfindungsgemäßen Anordnung zur Aufbringung von Wachs auf Karosseriebauteile eines Fahrzeugs in perspektivischer Ansicht;

Figur 2

eine Schnittansicht durch ein Ausführungsbeispiel einer erfindungsgemäßen Unterbrechungseinrichtung;

Figur 3

die Unterbrechungseinrichtung nach Figur 2 in einer perspekti-vischen Ansicht;

Figur 4

eine Prinzipskizze einer Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemäßen Anordnung unter Verwendung der Unterbrechungseinrichtung nach Figur 2.

Hereby show:

FIG. 1

an embodiment of the inventive arrangement for applying wax on body components of a vehicle in a perspective view;

FIG. 2

a sectional view through an embodiment of an interrupting device according to the invention;

FIG. 3

the interruption device after FIG. 2 in a perspectival view;

FIG. 4

a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the inventive arrangement using the interruption device according to FIG. 2 ,

In FIG. 1 an embodiment of an arrangement for applying wax to body components of a vehicle is illustrated. A wax conveyor 12, which is supplied with wax from a reservoir (not shown) via a feed port 17, conveys wax through a wax applicator lance 11. The wax applicator lance 11 has a nozzle 18 at the distal end to produce a fine wax jet having a linear or punctiform application of wax on body parts of a vehicle, for example, on a vehicle door allows. In this case, the entire assembly can be integrated via a flange 19 with an industrial robot (not shown), so that a predetermined trajectory can be traversed within a fixed predetermined application routine in a predetermined cycle time.

Between the wax conveyor 12 and the wax applicator lance 11, an interruption device 13 is arranged, which interrupt the wax discharge or allow a resumption of the wax discharge.

In FIG. 2 is a sectional view through the embodiment of an interrupting device according to FIG. 1 shown in a sectional view. The interrupting device 13 has an upper portion defining a hydraulic unit 37 and a lower portion defining a valve unit 38. The central element within the valve unit 38 is a linearly guided in a bore 14 switching piston 15. The switching piston 15 is connected to a control rod 20 which is pneumatically or hydraulically in the axial extent of the switching piston 15 back and forth. In this way, the switching piston 15 can be reciprocated between a locking position and a release position.

For the hydraulic drive of the switching piston 15 and the control rod 20, the control rod 20 is connected to a hydraulic piston 22 mounted in a cylindrical hydraulic chamber 21. The hydraulic piston 22 divides the hydraulic chamber 21 into a first hydraulic volume 23 facing the switching piston 15 and a second hydraulic volume facing away from the switching piston 15 24. If the first hydraulic volume 23 is filled with hydraulic fluid and at the same time the second hydraulic volume 24 is emptied, then the switching piston 15 is retracted in the direction of the hydraulic chamber 21. If, however, the second hydraulic volume 24 is filled with hydraulic fluid and the first hydraulic volume 23 is emptied, then the switching piston 15 is moved away from the hydraulic chamber 21. A pneumatic drive could be structurally realized in the same way. In this case, the cylindrical hydraulic chamber 21 could be formed as a pneumatic chamber and the hydraulic piston 22 mounted therein would be designed as a pneumatic piston. The pneumatic piston would then subdivide the pneumatic chamber in an analogous manner into a second pneumatic volume facing away from the switching piston and a switching piston facing away from it. The function would also be analogous: If the first pneumatic volume is filled with air and at the same time the second pneumatic volume is discharged, the switching piston 15 is retracted in the direction of the pneumatic chamber. If, in contrast, the second pneumatic volume is filled with air and the first pneumatic volume is emptied, the switching piston 15 is moved away from the pneumatic chamber.

The structure and function of the interruption device 13 formed by the movably mounted switchover piston 15 will now be explained in more detail with regard to the interruption or resumption of the wax discharge. The switching piston 15 is arranged to be movable back and forth in a three-part valve chamber 25. A distal portion of the three-part valve chamber 25 forms a discharge chamber 26, which via a discharge port 27 (see. FIG. 3 ) is in fluid communication with the wake application lance 11. A chamber proximate the hydraulic chamber 21 of the three-piece valve chamber 25 defines a return chamber 28 in fluid communication with a return port 29. A central portion of the three-part valve chamber 25 defines an inlet chamber 30, which is in fluid communication with an inlet port 31. Discharge chamber 26 and inlet chamber 30 communicate via the aforementioned bore 14, which is closable via a distal head portion 32 of the Umschaltkolbens 15, wherein between the head portion 32 of the switching piston 15 and bore 14, a first sealing seat 33 is formed.

Inlet chamber 30 and return chamber 28 communicate via a return bore 34 which, in the release position, is closed by a conical section 35 on the end of the switching piston 15 facing the control rod 20 is. By the conical portion 35 and the return bore 34, a second sealing seat 36 is defined.

Subsequently, the function of the interruption device 13 after FIG. 2 explains:
In the in FIG. 2 shown blocking position, wax flows via the inlet port 31 into the inlet chamber 30 and flows through the return hole 34 in the return chamber 28, so that with respect to the wax discharge by the Wachsausbringungslanze 11, a bypass line 16 is opened and the wax flows out of the return port 29 and back to the Wachsausströmrichtung 12 is returned.

If now the wax discharge be resumed, the switching piston 15 is moved away by the hydraulic piston 22 of the hydraulic chamber 21, wherein the second hydraulic volume 24 filled with hydraulic fluid and the first hydraulic volume 23 is explained. As a result, the switching piston 15 moves with its conical portion in the return bore 34, that this return bore 34 and thus also the bypass line 16 is closed. At the same time, the first sealing seat 33 between the bore 14 and the head portion 32 is opened, since the head portion 32 moves out of the bore 14. As a result, wax can now flow from the inlet chamber 30 into the discharge chamber 26 and from there via the discharge connection 27 into the wax application lance 11. As a result, a wax discharge is resumed. If the wax discharge is to be stopped, the switching piston 15 is retracted again in the direction of the hydraulic chamber 21. This is effected by hydraulic fluid flowing into the first hydraulic volume 23 and flowing out of the second hydraulic volume 24. The switching piston moves with its head portion 32 in the first sealing seat. At the same time, the second sealing seat 36 is opened in that the conical section 35 moves away from the return bore 34 so that now wax from the inlet chamber 30 via the thus opened bypass line 16 in the return chamber 31 and from there via the return port 29 to the wax conveyor 12th can flow back.

Characterized that the head portion 32 is immersed with the switching piston 15 when opening from the locking position in the release position in the discharge chamber 26, the chamber volume is reduced and liquid is in the direction of the Wax applicator lance 11 displaced back and thus receives an additional impulse, which favors a rapid increase in the wax discharge. When moving from the release position to the locked position, moving the head portion in the opposite direction causes the reverse effect. The switching piston 15 is moved back with the head portion 32 and thus increases the free volume in the discharge chamber 26. Due to the resulting negative pressure liquid must flow. The liquid volume required for this purpose is removed (at least in part) from the wax application lance 11 so that the "retraction effect" is achieved and wax present in the wax application lance 11 is slightly withdrawn against the conveying direction and thus a comparatively abrupt interruption of the wax discharge is made possible.

In FIG. 3 is the interruption device 13 after FIG. 2 shown in a perspective view from the outside. On the hydraulic unit 37, a first hydraulic connection 39 and a second hydraulic connection 40 are provided. In the area of the valve unit, the inlet connection 31 as well as the return connection 29 and the discharge connection 27 can be seen.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the inventive arrangement for applying wax to body components of a vehicle using a breaker after FIG. 2 illustrated. The individual components of the interruption device 13 have already been described with reference to FIG FIG. 2 explained. In FIG. 4 It is shown that the discharge chamber 26 communicates with the discharge port 27 and wax in the release position of the switching piston 15 (in FIG. 4 the blocking position is shown) can be discharged via the wax applicator lance 11 and the nozzle 18 disposed distally therein.

Furthermore shown in FIG. 4 is that wax is conveyed from a wax reservoir 41 via the wax conveyor 12 to the inlet port 17. In the in FIG. 4 shown blocking position, the bypass line 16 is opened, so that wax is fed back via the inlet chamber 30, the return bore 34 and the return chamber 28 to the return port 29 and from there to the input side of the wax conveyor 12. In the bypass line 16 thus defined, a throttle 42 may be provided in order to minimize the pressure gradient to the pressure gradient prevailing in the release mode vote. In one possible embodiment, the throttle 42 may also be designed to be adjustable.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

11

Wax application lance

12

Wax conveyor

13

interrupting device

14

drilling

15

change-over

16

bypass line

17

inflow connection

18

jet

19

flange

20

control rod

21

hydraulic chamber

22

hydraulic pistons

23

first hydraulic volume

24

second hydraulic volume

25

valve chamber

26

discharge chamber

27

carry-out

28

Return chamber

29

Return connection

30

inlet chamber

32

header

33

first sealing seat

34

Return bore

35

conical section

36

second sealing seat

37

hydraulic unit

38

valve unit

39

first hydraulic connection

40

second hydraulic connection

41

wax reservoir

42

throttle

Claims (13)

1. Assembly for applying wax to body components of a vehicle, comprising

   - a wax application lance (11),

   - a wax conveying device (12) which is configured to convey wax through the wax application lance (11), and

   - an interrupting device (13) between the wax conveying device (12) and the wax application lance (11) so as to be able to interrupt the dispensing of wax for predetermined time intervals within an application process,

   wherein the interrupting device (13) comprises a switching piston (15) mounted in a bore (14), and the switching piston (15) in a release position establishes a fluid connection between the wax conveying device (12) and the wax application lance (11), and in a blocking position a bypass line (16) is opened, which conducts the wax to be applied into a circuit via the wax conveying device (12),
   characterized in that
   the switching piston (15) is mounted in the bore (14) in such a way that, when switching from the release position to the blocking position, a vacuum is generated and wax that is located in the wax application lance (11) is slightly pulled back counter to the conveying direction.
2. Assembly according to claim 1,
   characterized in that
   the switching piston (15) is mounted in the bore (14) in such a way that, when switching from the blocking position to the release position, an overpressure is generated and the dispensing of the wax located in the wax application lance (11) is accelerated by the conveying action of the wax conveying device (12) and additionally by the overpressure generated by the switching piston (15).
3. Assembly according to one of claims 1 or 2,
   characterized in that
   it is integrated on an industrial robot in such a way that the wax application lance (11) is guided along a predefined trajectory within the application process and is returned to a rest position after completion of the application process.
4. Method for applying wax to body components of a vehicle by means of a wax application lance (11), wherein wax is conveyed through a wax application lance (11) by a wax conveying device (12) and an interrupting device (13) is provided between the wax conveying device (12) and the wax application lance (11), which interrupting device can be switched from a release mode, in which wax is conducted through the wax application lance (11), to a blocking mode so as to be able to interrupt the dispensing of wax for predetermined time intervals within an application process, in particular using an assembly according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, while the dispensing of wax is interrupted, the wax is conveyed into a bypass line (16) such that a minimum conveying speed or a minimum pressure of wax that is being conveyed to the interrupting device (13) is maintained even in the blocking mode,
   characterized in that,
   with the changeover from the release mode to the blocking mode, not only is the conveying of wax through the wax application lance interrupted, but also wax that is located in the wax application lance is slightly pulled back counter to the conveying direction.
5. Method according to claim 4,
   characterized in that
   the working pressure which is provided for a conveying of wax by the wax conveying device (12) in the blocking mode is maintained even while the dispensing of wax is interrupted.
6. Method according to claim 4 or 5,
   characterized in that,
   via the bypass line (16), the wax is conveyed back to an input side of the wax conveying device (12).
7. Method according to one of claims 4 to 6,
   characterized in that
   the application takes place within a cycle time that is predefined in the context of assembly-line manufacture, in a fixedly predefined application routine, to a vehicle that is to be provided with wax within the cycle time, wherein one or more defined interruptions to the dispensing of wax are provided within the fixedly predefined application routine.
8. Method according to claim 7,
   characterized in that
   wax is applied within a cycle time of 60 s to 80 s to at least 10 and up to 40 separate wax application sites so that the wax application process has to be interrupted at a frequency corresponding to the number of wax application sites.
9. Method according to one of claims 4 to 8,
   characterized in that
   the application times for the application of wax to each of the separate wax application sites are 0.2 s to 0.8 s, preferably around 0.5 s.
10. Method according to one of claims 4 to 9,
    characterized in that
    the changeover from the release mode to the blocking mode and/or the changeover from the blocking mode to the release mode is effected within a switching time ≤ 0.05 s, preferably ≤ 0.01 s.
11. Method according to one of claims 4 to 10,
    characterized in that
    the changeover from the release mode to the blocking mode and from the blocking mode to the release mode is brought about within the interrupting device by a linearly guided switching piston (15).
12. Method according to claim 11,
    characterized in that
    the switching piston is driven pneumatically or hydraulically.
13. Method according to one of claims 4 to 12,
    characterized in that,
    with the changeover from the blocking mode to the release mode, not only is the conveying of wax through the wax application lance re-established, but the wax that is located in the wax application lance experiences an additional boost in the conveying direction.

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