EP3525939B1 - Applicator and application method - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an applicator for applying a coating agent (e.g. sealant) to a component (e.g. motor vehicle body component), in particular for sealing or gluing a flanged seam on a motor vehicle body component. The invention also includes a corresponding application method.

Motor vehicle body components (e.g. doors or hoods) often have so-called flanged seams, in which a sheet metal part is flanged around an edge of another sheet metal part, and the two sheet metal parts can then be glued together. There is a risk that moisture will penetrate the gap between the two sheet metal parts and cause corrosion there. It is therefore known to apply a sealing compound to the flanged seam between the two sheet metal parts in order to seal the flanged seam and thereby reliably prevent the penetration of moisture and the associated corrosion.

Out DE 10 2008 027 994 B3 an applicator is known which makes it possible to coat a flanged seam on the rear side of a motor vehicle door without the door having to be opened for this purpose. This known applicator has a nozzle carrier with several legs which are angled relative to one another. This makes it possible to guide the nozzle carrier through the gap between two adjacent, laterally overlapping motor vehicle body components (e.g. door and fender) so that the nozzle is then on the back and can coat the flanged seam. This known applicator usually works in a non-contact manner, ie a physical contact between the applicator on the one hand and the motor vehicle body component on the other hand should be avoided.

This contactless application method has various disadvantages, which are briefly described below.

One problem with the non-contact application method arises from the fact that the flanged seam to be coated is on the back of the motor vehicle body components and therefore it is not immediately visible, which makes programming ("teaching") the application paths more difficult.

In addition, the alignment of the coating nozzle relative to the component surface cannot be seen, but can only be guessed at, which makes programming difficult.

The programming of the desired application path is therefore only iterative in practice. The first thing that is done is programming that is as good as possible. The coating agent is then applied with the initial programming. The application image is then examined by, for example, opening the motor vehicle door and looking at the flanged seam on the inside of the motor vehicle door. This test of the quality of the sealed flanged seam then enables conclusions to be drawn in order to optimize the programming. For example, movement parameters of the robot and application parameters can be adjusted in order to optimize the coating result. This iterative optimization of the programming is carried out until the application result is satisfactory.

Offline programming that is possible as an alternative does not solve this problem, since the tolerance chains when transferring offline programming to a real coating situation are too large. In practice, the motor vehicle body components to be coated are conveyed by a conveyor along a painting sealing line, the conveyor only having a relatively large positioning tolerance when positioning the motor vehicle bodies, which leads to correspondingly large positioning inaccuracies. Added to this is the positioning tolerance of the multi-axis application robot that guides the applicator. Further influences on the tolerance chain result from the manufacturing tolerances of the respective body. Part of this tolerance chain can be eliminated through the use of (optical) measurement systems. These systems measure relevant body geometries, such as the edges of the doors to be coated. However, these measuring methods also have finite accuracies, so that only part of the tolerance chain described can be compensated for.

Programming is therefore very time-consuming and costly in practice.

Ultimately, a great deal of know-how and a high expenditure of time are required to achieve the application quality required by the customer.

As an alternative to the contactless application method described above, tactile application methods are also known from the prior art, in which the applicator is in physical contact with the component to be coated during application. In the case of manual application, the worker can, for example, place a correspondingly designed nozzle on the edge of the door to be coated and then pull the nozzle along the respective component edge while the material emerges from the nozzle opening. By placing the nozzle on the edge of the component, reproducible guidance is guaranteed. For example, the nozzle opening and thus the applied sheet always have the same distance from the door edge. For this purpose, however, the nozzle carrier must be designed to be correspondingly stable. This usually leads to a relatively large diameter of the nozzle needle, so that in practice it is not possible to guide the nozzle carrier through the door gap when the door is closed. In practice, the doors are therefore usually opened by the worker in order to be able to coat a flanged seam on the back. This also has the advantage for the worker that he can view the quality of the application result at the same time.

It is also known from the prior art to use this tactile method in connection with application robots that automatically guide the applicator. Here, the applicator is attached to the application robot by means of a flexible joint, the flexible joint allowing the applicator to move around in order to avoid mechanical overloads when the applicator and the component to be coated are in contact.

These tactile methods, which are also known, also have certain disadvantages, which are briefly described below.

First of all, it should be noted that edging folds on the back of motor vehicle doors when the doors are closed are generally not accessible if body parts overlap in these areas. The reason for this is that, for reasons of rigidity, the diameter of the nozzle carrier is usually larger than the gap width between the components that are adjacent to one another.

In order to coat a flanged seam on a rear side of a motor vehicle door, it is therefore necessary in practice to open the respective door. However, this requires cycle time that is lost for the actual application. It is therefore possible that a motor vehicle body cannot be completely coated in one cycle, which requires further cycles and thus further investments. In addition, an additional handling robot ("door opener") is generally required to open and close the motor vehicle doors, which is associated with additional investment costs and additional space requirements in the paint shop.

If, on the other hand, the opening and closing of the vehicle body doors is carried out by the application robot itself, no additional handling robot is required, but gripping tools (e.g. hooks) must be attached to the application robot in order to be able to grip the door. However, these additional tools impair the actual application process and are therefore also disadvantageous. Furthermore, an additional mechanical device must be installed in this case, which locks the respective open door in the desired position. In addition to the additional investment costs, this also requires additional space.

Further disadvantages arise from the fact that in the tactile application process the nozzle is placed directly on the flange fold. The consequence of this is that the nozzle opening cannot rest directly on the flanged seam, but rather has to be inclined at an angle of 45 °, for example, in order to be able to apply the sealant in a pulling manner. As a result, the energy of the spray jet when it hits the component surface is comparatively low, which can lead to defects (e.g. air pockets).

In addition, due to the physical contact between the nozzle and the component surface, there is a risk that the nozzle will get stuck on bumps, which can originate, for example, from spot welds or adhesive leaks. In the further course of the application path, this can lead to vibrations or rattling of the applicator, whereby the quality of the application is also impaired. In the worst case, plastic deformations or the nozzle needle breaking off can even occur.

Finally, with the tactile method, no material overlap and no exact joint can be applied either, which, however, is particularly necessary at component corners.

Reference should also be made to the general technical background of the invention DE 10 2015 209 347 A1 .

Finally revealed JP 2015 202427 A an applicator according to the preamble of claim 1. Although this known applicator has a spacer, this known applicator is not yet completely satisfactory.

The invention is therefore based on the object of creating a correspondingly improved applicator and a corresponding application method which as far as possible avoids the disadvantages of the contactless application method and the tactile application method and combines their advantages as far as possible.

This object is achieved by an applicator and a corresponding application method according to the independent claims.

The applicator according to the invention is used to apply a coating agent, such as a sealant (e.g. PVC material; PVC: polyvinyl chloride). The term coating agent used in the context of the invention is, however, to be understood generally and can in principle also include other types of coating agents, in particular thick materials, such as, for example, insulating materials for acoustic or thermal insulation or adhesives, to name just a few examples.

It should also be mentioned that the applicator is preferably used to apply the coating agent (e.g. sealant) to a motor vehicle body component (e.g. door), in particular to seal or glue a flanged seam to the motor vehicle body component. The term “component” used in the context of the invention is to be understood generally and is not restricted to motor vehicle body components.

The applicator according to the invention initially shows in accordance with the known applicator according to FIG DE 10 2008 027 994 B3 a nozzle in order to apply the coating agent in a specific jet direction to a component surface of the component to be coated.

In addition, the applicator according to the invention, in accordance with the known applicator, has a nozzle carrier in order to position the nozzle, the nozzle carrier having a plurality of legs which are arranged one behind the other and are angled relative to one another. The individual legs are preferably rectilinear when viewed alone, but the individual legs can also be curved when viewed alone. The nozzle mentioned above is located on the nozzle carrier and is preferably attached to the distal leg of the nozzle carrier. It should also be mentioned that the nozzle carrier is hollow over at least part of its length in order to pass the coating agent through. In the applicator according to the invention, the nozzle carrier thus serves, on the one hand, to convey the coating agent through and, on the other hand, to position the nozzle.

It was already mentioned at the beginning that the known applicator according to DE 10 2008 027 994 B3 is used for contactless application, which is associated with the problems described above. In contrast, the applicator according to the invention is characterized in that on the A spacer is arranged on the outside of the nozzle carrier, which protrudes in the jet direction from the distal leg and rests on the component surface of the component to be coated in the coating operation and thereby sets a predetermined application distance between the nozzle and the component surface, in particular an application distance of essentially 2mm, 3mm, 4mm or 5mm, or any intermediate values.

The spacer offers the advantage that the nozzle - unlike the known tactile application methods - does not lie directly on the component surface, so that the nozzle can be aligned with the jet direction at right angles to the component surface. This is advantageous because the spray jet applied then hits the component surface with maximum energy. In addition, the lack of physical contact between the nozzle on the one hand and the component surface on the other avoids so-called chatter marks during application.

A further advantage of the spacer is that the applicator with the nozzle does not get stuck on surface elevations which, for example, result from adhesive leaks at a flanged seam or from weld points. The application distance between the nozzle on the one hand and the component surface on the other hand is therefore preferably set by means of the spacer in such a way that the application distance is greater than the unevenness height of the surface elevations that can result from adhesive leaks or weld points. This makes sense because the nozzle then has no contact with the surface elevations when it moves over the component surface.

In the applicator according to the invention, the two distal legs of the nozzle carrier are angled relative to one another and enclose an angle, as is basically also the case with the applicator according to FIG DE 10 2008 027 994 B3 the case is. In the applicator according to the invention, the spacer can also be used to stabilize this angle between the two distal legs of the nozzle carrier. For this purpose, the spacer is arranged in the angle between the two distal legs of the nozzle carrier and connected to the two distal legs, for example by welding, gluing or by a one-piece shaping of the spacer and the distal legs of the nozzle carrier. The spacer stabilizes the two distal legs of the nozzle carrier and prevents the two distal legs of the nozzle carrier from bending relative to one another due to the formation of a so-called rigid corner.

In a variant of the invention, the spacer is shaped in the form of an anvil and, in the coating operation, rests with its anvil surface on the component surface. In this case, the two distal legs of the nozzle carrier merge into one another at the angle preferably via a pipe bend without kinks, the spacer being connected to the pipe bend, for example by welding.

In another variant of the invention, however, the spacer consists of an angle piece which is arranged in the angle between the two distal legs of the nozzle carrier and is connected to the two distal legs, for example by welding. In this variant of the invention, the two distal legs of the nozzle carrier at the angle preferably adjoin one another with a kink, in particular with a right-angled kink.

In the applicator according to the invention, the nozzle carrier is preferably angled so that it can protrude through a gap between two adjacent, laterally overlapping motor vehicle body components (e.g. door and fender) from a front to a rear of the motor vehicle body components. In the coating operation, the proximal leg of the nozzle carrier is then preferably located on the front of the motor vehicle body components and is guided there by an application robot which is also located on the front. The distal leg of the nozzle carrier with the nozzle, on the other hand, is preferably located on the rear side of the motor vehicle body component during the coating operation, so that the nozzle can coat, for example, a flanged seam located on the rear side. A middle leg of the nozzle carrier, on the other hand, protrudes through the gap between the laterally overlapping motor vehicle body components from the front to the rear of the motor vehicle body components. Such a design of the nozzle carrier is inherent DE 10 2008 027 994 B3 known, so that the content of this publication of the present description with regard to the shape of the nozzle carrier can be assigned in full.

It should be mentioned here that the proximal limb of the nozzle holder can be designed to be mechanically more stable than the distal limb and / or the middle limb of the nozzle holder. This is because the proximal leg is always positioned on the front side of the motor vehicle body components to be coated, even in the coating operation, and does not have to protrude through the relatively narrow gap between the adjacent motor vehicle body components, so that with regard to the outer cross-section of the proximal leg of the nozzle carrier there are no restrictions. The proximal leg of the nozzle carrier can therefore do one like this have a large external cross-section that it does not fit through the gap between the laterally overlapping motor vehicle body components. Furthermore, the larger outer cross-section of the proximal leg of the nozzle carrier also enables a larger inner cross-section for the coating agent to pass through, which is advantageous because the hollow channel in the proximal hollow leg of the nozzle carrier then offers less flow resistance to the coating agent. The proximal hollow limb of the nozzle carrier can therefore have a larger internal cross-section than the distal limb and / or the middle limb of the nozzle carrier.

It should also be mentioned that the nozzle carrier can at least partially consist of a material with a shape memory, for example a nickel-titanium alloy such as Nitinol or Titan-Flex. This choice of material is particularly advantageous for the middle limb and / or the distal limb of the nozzle carrier, since these limbs can be deformed when they come into contact with the components to be coated. It should be mentioned here that the term “shape memory” used in the context of the invention must be distinguished from materials that are merely elastic and that are elastically returned to their starting position after a mechanical deflection.

In the applicator according to the invention, the various legs of the nozzle carrier can differ in terms of flexural rigidity. Thus, within the scope of the invention, there is the possibility that the distal leg or the two distal legs of the nozzle carrier are designed to be more rigid than the middle leg of the nozzle carrier, which protrudes through the gap between the laterally overlapping motor vehicle body components during the coating operation.

This greater flexural rigidity can be achieved, for example, by a greater wall thickness. For example, the wall thickness can be at least 0.15 mm, 0.175 mm, 0.2 mm or even at least 0.22 mm in order to achieve sufficient flexural rigidity. In contrast, the outer diameter is preferably at most 1.75 mm, 1.7 mm or even at most 1.65 mm, so that the nozzle carrier fits through the gap between the laterally overlapping motor vehicle body components. The inner diameter of the hollow channel in the respective leg, on the other hand, is preferably at most 1.5 mm, 1.4 mm, 1.3 mm or even at most 1.2 mm.

It has already been mentioned briefly above that the nozzle carrier in the applicator according to the invention can be constructed similarly to the nozzle carrier in the conventional applicator according to FIG DE 10 2008 027 994 B3 . The nozzle carrier can therefore have four legs, for example, which are arranged one behind the other, lie in a common plane and are angled to one another.

In addition, it should be mentioned that the invention not only claims protection for the applicator according to the invention described above as a single component. Rather, the invention also claims protection for an application robot that guides such an applicator.

The applicator can be mounted on the application robot by means of an elastically flexible joint, the elastic joint allowing the applicator to move around in order to avoid damage to the applicator and the component to be coated in the event of excessive physical contact between the applicator on the one hand and the component to be coated on the other . This resilient joint preferably enables evasive movements of the applicator in two spatial directions, specifically preferably parallel to the component surface and transversely to the component surface. In the coating operation, the nozzle carrier can then be placed against the component edge of the component to be coated and guided along the component edge so that the component edge guides the applicator in one spatial direction. The physical contact between the spacer on the one hand and the component surface on the other hand then causes the applicator to be guided in a further spatial direction.

It should be mentioned here that the elastic joint between the applicator and the application robot preferably generates a counterforce that is essentially independent of the size of the evasive movement. For example, the counterforce can be in the range of 1N-15N, 2N-10N, 3N-8N or 4N-5N.

In addition, it should be mentioned that the invention also claims protection for an application method according to the invention in which the applicator is moved by a multi-axis application robot over the component surface of the component to be coated, in particular along a flanged seam in order to seal or glue the flanged seam.

When the applicator is moved over the component surface, the coating agent (e.g. sealant) is then released from the nozzle of the applicator onto the component surface in a specific jet direction, the nozzle maintaining a specific application distance from the component surface of the component to be coated.

The application distance is set by means of the spacer already described above.

Figur 1A

eine Seitenansicht eines erfindungsgemäßen Applikators mit einem Abstandshalter,

Figur 1B

eine Seitenansicht des Applikators aus Figur 1A an einer Bördelnaht,

Figur 2A

eine Seitenansicht eines anderen Ausführungsbeispiels eines erfindungsgemäßen Applikators,

Figur 2B

eine vergrößerte Seitenansicht des Applikators aus Figur 2A an einer Bördelnaht,

Figur 3

eine schematische Darstellung zur Führung des erfindungsgemäßen Applikators mittels eines mehrachsigen Applikationsroboters,

Figur 4

das erfindungsgemäße Applikationsverfahren in Form eines Flussdiagramms,

Figuren 5-15

verschiedene Abwandlungen des Abstandshalters,

Figur 16

eine schematische Darstellung zur Erläuterung eines elastischen Gelenks, das unabhängig von der Auslenkung eine konstante Gegenkraft erzeugt.

Other advantageous features and developments are characterized in the subclaims or are explained in more detail below together with the description of the preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention with reference to the figures. Show it:

Figure 1A

a side view of an applicator according to the invention with a spacer,

Figure 1B

a side view of the applicator Figure 1A at a flanged seam,

Figure 2A

a side view of another embodiment of an applicator according to the invention,

Figure 2B

an enlarged side view of the applicator Figure 2A at a flanged seam,

Figure 3

a schematic representation for guiding the applicator according to the invention by means of a multi-axis application robot,

Figure 4

the application method according to the invention in the form of a flow chart,

Figures 5-15

various modifications of the spacer,

Figure 16

a schematic illustration to explain an elastic joint that generates a constant counterforce regardless of the deflection.

The Figures 1A and 1B show different views of a first exemplary embodiment of an applicator according to the invention, which is used to apply a sealant to a flanged seam on a rear side of a motor vehicle body component, as is also shown, for example, in FIG DE 10 2008 027 994 B3 is known, so that reference is also made to this publication.

The applicator according to the invention initially has a mounting flange 1 which can be mounted on a multi-axis application robot.

In addition, the applicator has a nozzle carrier 2, which consists of several legs 3-6, which are arranged one behind the other in a common plane and are angled relative to one another. The angle between the two legs 3 and 4, as well as the angle between the two legs 4 and 5, is approximately 135 °. The angle between the two legs 5 and 6, on the other hand, is preferably right-angled. It should be mentioned here that the angles between the individual legs 3-6 are dimensioned in such a way that the nozzle carrier 2 can be guided through a gap between two adjacent, laterally overlapping motor vehicle body components (e.g. door and fender). The optimal angles between the individual legs 3-6 of the nozzle carrier 2 therefore also depend on the respective component geometry of the motor vehicle body components.

A nozzle 7 is located on the distal leg 6 of the nozzle carrier 2 in order to dispense the sealant in the direction of the arrow.

It should also be mentioned that the legs 3-6 of the nozzle carrier are hollow so that the sealant to be applied can be guided from the mounting flange 1 to the nozzle 7 in the distal leg 6.

The illustrated applicator according to the invention is particularly suitable for coating a flanged seam 8 of a motor vehicle body component, a body panel 9 being flanged around the side edge of another body panel 10 at the flanged seam 8. At this flanged seam 8 there is a risk of moisture penetrating, which can lead to corresponding corrosion. The flanged seam 8 is therefore coated with a sealant (e.g. PVC) at the joint between the two body panels 9, 10 in order to prevent moisture from penetrating.

For this purpose, the applicator is placed with the leg 5 on the side edge of the flanged seam 8 and then moved along the flanged seam 8, i.e. in the x-direction and thus at right angles to the plane of the drawing. The contact between the leg 5 of the nozzle carrier 2 on the one hand and the side edge of the flanged seam 8 causes the applicator to be guided in the y-direction.

In addition, the applicator has a spacer 11, which is arranged in the angle between the two distal legs 5, 6 of the nozzle carrier 2 and, in this specific embodiment, consists of a tubular angle piece that is welded to the two legs 5, 6.

On the one hand, the spacer 11 effects a mechanical stabilization of the two distal legs 5 and 6.

On the other hand, during the coating, the spacer 11 also rests directly on the component surface of the flanged seam 8 and thus establishes a specific application distance a between the nozzle 7 and the component surface. The spacer 11 thus causes the applicator to be guided in the z-direction.

This is advantageous because the nozzle 7 can apply the sealant to the component surface at right angles to the component surface so that the sealant strikes the component surface with maximum flow energy.

In addition, the application distance a is also advantageous because it prevents the nozzle 7 from sticking to surface unevenness, which can result, for example, from an adhesive escaping from the flanged seam 8 or from weld points.

The Figures 2A and 2B show a second embodiment of an applicator according to the invention, this embodiment being largely similar to that described above and in FIG Figures 1A and 1B The exemplary embodiment shown matches, so that reference is made to the above description in order to avoid repetition, the same reference numerals being used for corresponding details.

A special feature of this exemplary embodiment is that the two distal legs 5, 6 of the nozzle carrier 2 are not here - as in the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS Figures 1A and 1B - connect to each other with a right-angled bend. Rather, the two legs 5, 6 of the nozzle carrier 2 merge into one another without kinks via a pipe bend 12.

Another special feature of this exemplary embodiment is that the spacer 11 is not designed as a tubular angle piece, but in the form of an anvil, which rests with its anvil surface on the component surface.

Figure 3 shows a schematic representation to clarify the guidance of the applicator by means of an application robot. This representation also largely agrees with the representations described above, so that in order to avoid repetition of the above Description is referred to, wherein the same reference numerals are used for corresponding details.

In addition to the above illustrations, it can also be seen from this drawing that a hollow channel 13 leads from the mounting flange 1 through the entire nozzle carrier to the nozzle 7 in order to pass the sealant through.

It can also be seen from the drawing that the two body panels 9, 10 with the flanged seam 8 laterally overlap with a further body panel 14, which is only shown schematically here. The applicator protrudes from the front (bottom in the drawing) through the gap 15 to the back (top in the drawing) in order to be able to coat the flanged seam 8 on the back.

In addition, the drawing shows a robot arm 16 and a robot hand axis 17 of a multi-axis application robot with serial robot kinematics. The mounting flange 1 of the applicator according to the invention is connected to the robot hand axis 17 via an elastic joint 18, the joint 18 enabling evasive movements of the applicator in the y-direction and in the z-direction.

This is advantageous because the applicator rests in the y-direction with the leg 5 on the side edge of the flanged seam 8 and is thereby positively guided. Enabling an evasive movement in the y-direction by the joint 18 prevents a mechanical overload of the applicator.

On the other hand, enabling an evasive movement in the z-direction is advantageous because the applicator with the spacer 11 rests on the component surface and is therefore positively guided in the z-direction, which could lead to mechanical overloads without a compensating movement.

Figure 4 finally shows the application method according to the invention in the form of a flow chart.

In a first step S1, the applicator is inserted into the gap 15 between the door and the fender, so that the nozzle 7 is located on the back of the door.

In a second step S2, the applicator with the nozzle carrier 2 is then placed against the side edge of the door in order to effect mechanical guidance in this spatial direction.

In a step S3, the applicator is then placed with the spacer 11 on the back of the door in order to also ensure mechanical guidance at right angles to the component surface.

In this state, the applicator is then forcibly guided in two spatial directions.

In a step S4, the applicator is then aligned in such a way that the spray jet direction is aligned at right angles or almost at right angles to the component surface. This offers the advantage that the applied sealant then hits the component surface with maximum kinetic energy.

In a step S5, the applicator is then moved along the flanged seam 8 of the door, the sealant being applied to the flanged seam 8 in order to seal the flanged seam 8.

In a step S6, after the flanged seam 8 has been coated, the applicator is removed from the gap 15.

The Figures 5-15 show various modifications of the spacer 11, the modifications partially with the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS Figures 1A and 1B match, so that to avoid repetition, reference is made to the above description, the same reference numerals being used for corresponding details.

In the embodiment not according to the invention according to Figure 5 the spacer 11 consists of two hollow cylinders, which are both attached to the penultimate leg 5 of the nozzle carrier 2 and are aligned with their cylinder axes at right angles to the plane of the nozzle carrier 2.

The two hollow cylinders abut one another with their outer surfaces, the side edge of the flanged body panel 9 being able to be held between the two hollow cylinders of the spacer 11.

In the embodiment according to Figure 6 the two hollow cylinders of the spacer 11 are attached to different legs 5, 6 of the nozzle carrier 2. In addition, the two hollow cylinders here have a slightly larger diameter than in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG Figure 5 .

In the embodiment according to Figure 7 the spacer 11 consists of a rectangular plate which is fastened in the angle between the two distal legs 5, 6 and thereby stiffens the angle.

The embodiment according to Figure 8 differs from the embodiment according to Figure 7 by the shape of the plate, which here has the shape of a right-angled trapezoid.

In the embodiments according to Figures 9-11 the spacer 11 consists of plates which are aligned parallel to the plane of the nozzle carrier 2 and are fastened to the nozzle carrier 2 on the opposite sides of the nozzle carrier 2. In the embodiment according to Figure 9 the plates are essentially L-shaped, while the plates in the embodiment according to FIG Figure 10 are essentially T-shaped. In the embodiment according to Figure 11 on the other hand, the plates are essentially triangular.

Also show the Figures 12 and 13 Modifications not according to the invention, in which the spacer 11 consists of a cylindrical pin which is attached to the last leg 6 ( Figure 12 ) or from the penultimate leg 5 ( Figure 13 ) protrudes.

In the embodiment not according to the invention according to Figure 14 the spacer 11 consists of a kink in the nozzle carrier 2 between the two distal legs 5, 6.

Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiment not according to the invention, the spacer 11 according to FIG Figure 15 from a formation of the nozzle carrier 2.

Figure 16 FIG. 11 shows a schematic representation of the compliant joint 18 according to FIG Figure 3 , which makes it possible to generate a constant counterforce regardless of the deflection of the applicator.

For this purpose, two pneumatic cylinders 19, 20 are provided, in each of which a piston rod 21, 22 can be displaced, the two piston rods 21, 22 resiliently guiding the applicator. The piston rod 21 can be displaced in the Y direction, while the piston rod 22 is displaceable in the Z direction is movable. The two pneumatic cylinders 19, 20 are each acted upon by a proportional valve 23, 24 with a constant differential pressure, which leads to a corresponding counterforce that is constant regardless of the deflection (immersion depth).

List of reference symbols:

1

Applicator mounting flange

2

Nozzle carrier

3-6

Leg of the nozzle carrier

7th

jet

8th

Flanged seam

9.10

Body panels

11

Spacers

12th

Elbow

13th

Hollow channel

14th

Body panel

15th

gap

16

Robotic arm

17th

Robot hand axis

18th

joint

19th

Pneumatic cylinder

20th

Pneumatic cylinder

21

Piston rod

22nd

Piston rod

23

Proportional valve

24

Proportional valve

a

Application distance

Claims (15)

1. Applicator for applying a coating agent, in particular a sealing agent, to a component (9, 10), in particular to a motor vehicle body component (9, 10), in particular for sealing or bonding a flanged seam (8) on the motor vehicle body component (9, 10), having

   a) a nozzle (7) for dispensing the coating agent in a specific jet direction onto a component surface of the component (9, 10) to be coated, and

   b) a nozzle carrier (2) for positioning the nozzle (7), wherein

   b1) the nozzle carrier (2) is hollow over at least part of its length to convey the coating agent,

   b2) the nozzle carrier (2) has a plurality of limbs (3-6) which are arranged one behind the other and are angled relative to one another, and

   b3) the nozzle (7) is arranged on the nozzle carrier (2), in particular on the distal limb (6) of the nozzle carrier (2),

   b4) the two distal limbs (5, 6) of the nozzle carrier (2) are angled relative to each other and enclose an angle,

   c) wherein a spacer (11) is mounted on the outside of the nozzle carrier (2), which projects from the distal limb (6) in the jet direction and, in coating operation, rests on the component surface of the component (9, 10) to be coated, and thereby sets a predetermined application distance (a) between the nozzle (7) and the component surface, in particular an application distance (a) of substantially 2mm, 3mm, 4mm or 5mm or intermediate values between these values,
   characterized in that

   d) the spacer (11) is arranged in the angle between the two distal limbs (5, 6) of the nozzle carrier (2) and is connected to the two distal limbs (5, 6), in particular by welding, bonding or one-piece shaping, so that the spacer (11) mechanically stabilizes the angle between the two distal limbs (5, 6) of the nozzle carrier (2).
2. Applicator according to claim 1, characterized in that

   a) the component surface of the component (9, 10) to be coated has surface elevations which originate from adhesive exits at a flange seam (8) or from welding points and have a specific unevenness height, and

   b) the spacer (11) adjusts the application distance (a) such that the application distance (a) is greater than the unevenness height of the surface elevations to avoid collision between the nozzle (7) and the surface elevations.
3. Applicator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a) the two distal limbs (5, 6) of the nozzle carrier (2) merge into one another at the angle via a pipe bend (12) without kinking, the spacer (11) being connected to the pipe bend (12), or b) the two distal limbs (5, 6) of the nozzle carrier (2) adjoin one another at the angle with a kink, in particular with a right-angled kink, the spacer (11) being an angle piece, in particular made of a tube which is arranged at the angle between the two distal limbs (5, 6) and is connected to the two distal limbs (5, 6).
4. Applicator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that

   a) the nozzle carrier (2) is angled in such a way that it can project through a gap (15) between two adjacent, laterally overlapping motor vehicle body components (9, 10, 14) from a front side to a rear side of the motor vehicle body components (9, 10, 14), and

   b) the proximal limb (3) of the nozzle carrier (2) is located on the front side of the motor vehicle body components (9, 10, 14) during coating operation and is guided by an application robot located on the front side,

   c) the distal limb (6) of the nozzle carrier (2) with the nozzle (7) is located during coating operation on the rear side of the motor vehicle body components (9, 10, 14) in order to apply the coating agent to the rear side of the motor vehicle body component (9, 10), and

   d) a middle limb (4) of the nozzle carrier (2) projects through the gap (15) between the laterally overlapping motor vehicle body components (9, 10) from the front side to the rear side of the motor vehicle body components (9, 10),

   e) the proximal limb of the nozzle carrier (2) is preferably mechanically more stable than the distal limbs (5, 6) and/or the middle limb of the nozzle carrier (2), in particular due to a larger outer cross-section, and

   f) the proximal limb of the nozzle carrier (2) preferably has such a large external cross-section that it does not fit through the gap (15) between the laterally overlapping motor vehicle body components, and

   g) the proximal hollow limb of the nozzle carrier (2) preferably has a larger internal cross-section than the distal limbs (5, 6) and/or the middle limb of the nozzle carrier (2) in order to counteract the coating agent with a low flow resistance.
5. Applicator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that

   a) the nozzle carrier (2) consists at least partially of a material with a shape memory, in particular of a nickel-titanium alloy, in particular of nitinol or titanium flex, and/or

   b) the middle limb (4) of the nozzle carrier (2), which in coating operation projects through the gap (15) between the laterally overlapping motor vehicle body components (9, 10, 14) from the front side to the rear side of the motor vehicle body components (9, 10, 14), consists of the material with the shape memory, and/or

   c) the nozzle carrier (2) consists at least partially of an elastic material.
6. Applicator in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterized in that

   a) the distal limb (6) of the nozzle carrier (2) or the two distal limbs (5, 6) are flexurally rigid, in particular more rigid than the middle limb (4) of the nozzle carrier (2), which in coating operation projects through the gap (15) between the laterally overlapping motor vehicle body components (9, 10, 14) from the front side to the rear side of the motor vehicle body components (9, 10, 14), and/or

   b) the distal limb (6) of the nozzle carrier (2) or the two distal limbs (5, 6) of the nozzle carrier (2) has a greater wall thickness than the middle limb (4) of the nozzle carrier (2), which in coating operation projects through the gap (15) between the laterally overlapping motor vehicle body components (9, 10, 14) from the front side to the rear side of the motor vehicle body components (9, 10, 14).
7. Applicator according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that

   a) the nozzle carrier (2) has a distal first limb (6) which carries the nozzle (7), and

   b) the nozzle carrier (2) has a second limb (5) which adjoins the first limb (6) and is bent with respect to the first limb (6) at a specific kink angle, the kink angle between the first limb (6) and the second limb (5) being in the range 70°-110° or 80°-100° or 85°-95°, and

   c) the nozzle carrier (2) has a third limb (4) which adjoins the second limb (5) and is bent with respect to the second limb (5) at a specific kink angle, the kink angle between the second limb (5) and the third limb (4) being in the range 90°-135° or 100°-125°, and

   d) the nozzle carrier (2) has a proximal fourth limb (3) which adjoins the third limb (4) and is bent with respect to the third limb (4) at a specific kink angle, the kink angle between the third limb (4) and the fourth limb (3) lying in the range 90°-135° or 100°-125°, and

   e) all limbs (3-6) of the nozzle carrier (2) lie preferably in a common plane.
8. Applicator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spacer (11) comprises two cylinders, in particular two hollow cylinders, which abut against each other with their shell surfaces and are fixed to the two distal limbs (5, 6) of the nozzle carrier (2), in particular with their cylinder axis perpendicular to the plane of the nozzle carrier (2).
   wherein the one cylinder of the spacer (11) is fastened to the penultimate limb (5) of the nozzle carrier (2), while the other cylinder of the spacer (11) is fastened to the last limb (6) of the nozzle carrier (2).
9. Applicator according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that

   a) the spacer (11) consists of a rectangular plate fixed at the angle between the two distal limbs (5, 6) of the nozzle carrier (2), or

   b) the spacer (11) consists of a plate in the form of a rectangular trapezoid fixed at the angle between the two distal limbs (5, 6) of the nozzle carrier (2).
10. Applicator according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that

    a) the spacer (11) comprises one or two plates which are aligned parallel to the plane of the nozzle carrier (2) and are connected on one or both sides to the nozzle carrier (2), in particular at the angle between the two distal limbs (5, 6) of the nozzle carrier (2), and/or

    b) the plate is substantially triangular, L-shaped or T-shaped.
11. Application robot with an applicator according to one of the preceding claims.
12. Application robot according to Claim 11, characterized in that,

    a) the applicator is mounted on the application robot (16, 17) by means of an elastically flexible joint (18), the elastic joint (18) permitting evasive movements of the applicator in order to prevent damage to the applicator and the component (9, 10) to be coated, and/or

    b) the joint (18) permits evasive movements of the applicator parallel to the component surface, and/or

    c) the joint (18) allows evasive movements of the applicator transversely to the component surface, and/or

    d) the elastic joint (18) generates a counterforce during an evasive movement of the applicator, and/or

    e) the counterforce (18) is substantially independent of the size of the evasive motion, and/or

    f) the counterforce is in the range 1N-15N, 2N-10N, 3N-8N or 4N-5N, and/or

    g) the flexible joint (18) comprises at least one pneumatic cylinder (19, 20) to which a constant differential pressure is applied, in particular via a proportional valve (23, 24), in order to generate the constant counterforce.
13. Application method for applying a coating agent, in particular a sealing agent, to a component (9, 10), in particular to a motor vehicle body component, in particular for sealing or bonding a flanged seam (8), having the following steps:

    a) moving an applicator, in particular according to one of claims 1 to 10, by means of a multi-axis application robot (16, 17) over a component surface of the component (9, 10) to be coated, in particular along a flanged seam (8) for sealing or bonding the flanged seam (8), and

    b) dispensing the coating agent from a nozzle (7) of the applicator in a specific jet direction onto the component surface, the nozzle (7) maintaining a specific application distance (a) from the component surface of the component (9, 10) to be coated,

    c) the application distance (a) is set by means of a spacer (11) which is attached to the nozzle carrier (2) and, in coating operation, rests on a component surface of the component (9, 10) to be coated,
    characterized in that

    d) the applicator is an applicator according to one of claims 1 to 10.
14. Application method according to claim 13, characterized in that

    a) the applicator projects through a gap (15) between two laterally adjacent motor vehicle body components (9, 10, 14) which overlap in the lateral direction, from a front side to a rear side of the adjacent motor vehicle body components (9, 10, 14), and

    b) the applicator then coats one of the two adjacent motor vehicle body components (9, 10, 14) on the rear side with the coating agent, in particular on a flanged seam (8) for sealing or bonding the flanged seam (8).
15. Application method according to one of claims 13 to 14, characterized in that the nozzle carrier (2) touches the component (9, 10) to be coated during the coating and is therefore guided by the component (9, 10) to be coated in at least one spatial direction during movement of the applicator.

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