MXPA01000236A - Apparatus and method for controllable application of a flowable material to a workpiece - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus and method for applying a flowable material (4) such as anti-seize composition to a workpiece is provided which utilizes a plurality of elongated nozzles (17) insertably accommodated through a fixture plate (15) to deposit such material onto the workpiece in a predetermined pattern. The fixture plate (15) is provided with a corresponding number of apertures which accommodate different sizes and numbers of nozzles (17) so that material may be applied to a large variety of workpieces without significant maintenance and modification to the device. The fixture plate (15) is essential to define a predetermined clearance between an outlet through which the flowable material escapes from a nozzle (17) and a surface onto which such material is applied and further cleans the nozzles in between application cycles to prevent overrun onto a workpiece surface.

Description

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLED APPLICATION OF A N U MATERAL M ANUAL Q UU PU E D E FLU A U N A L This Patsnte claims priority for the Provisional Application of E. U. No. (30/1 01, 491, filed on September 23, 1998, entitled "Apparatus and Method for Controllable Application of a Material that Can Flow to a Workpiece".

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for the uniform and controllable application of a material capable of flowing to workpieces in assembly lines, such as automotive wheel hubs. More particularly, the present invention relates to an assortment head assembly employing an accessory plate for precise and uniform application of a material capable of flowing to a workpiece adjacent thereto.

BACKGROUND OF THE I NVENTION It is known in several industries, such as the automotive industry, the use of sealants, adhesives, anticorrosives and other materials capable of flowing to perform various mechanical functions. Adhesives, for example, are often used on ropes to prevent uncoupling between adjacent threaded components such as wheel bolts and wing nuts. Corrosion resistant materials are applied in a similar manner between wheel hubs and disc rotors to prevent misalignment of the hub / rotor and subsequent degradation of braking. The use of such materials is desirable due to the low cost of the material in relation to the high cost of damage to vehicle components in the form of repair costs and liity. As these industries demand and use more materials capable of flowing during the manufacture and assembly of parts, several methods have been developed to include the application of the desired material to the target part as part of the assembly process, while simultaneously retaining the speed of production of the final product and minimizing the cost of it. Consequently, custom equipment is constantly being designed not only to address the general problem of how to consistently apply the material capable of flowing, but also to the specific problem of how to adapt the application method to specifications of a particular manufacturer. In the past, such equipment has been designed to apply products capable of flowing in an independent process rather than in a line-of-assembly type function. Until now, such application processes required modification in accordance with product specifications, which may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and even within the manufacturer's own inventory. In order to change the process, the corresponding machinery that executed the process would be modified in a similar way from application cycle to application cycle. Subsequently, "downtime" is frequent due to maintenance and modification of such machinery, resulting in minimum production efficiency and maximum manufacturing costs. Since the assembly line is dominant in a multitude of industries and consequently inherent in the proper and efficient production of a final product, it is desirable to provide a system that integrates the application method to an existing manufacturing infrastructure. It is also desirable to design and construct appropriate corresponding equipment to perform this task, where the machinery is easily adapted to meet specific product specifications with minimal associated costs and complications. The present invention provides an apparatus and method for applying a material capable of flowing to a workpiece that can be integrated into an assembly line superstructure and that requires minimal maintenance and modification between application cycles. The apparatus is provided with easily machinable, replaceable and interchangeable parts that provide application capity for a multitude of workpieces without requiring modification of the workpiece-to-workpiece parts, so that most workpieces can be processed using this technology.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An advantage of the present invention is the provision of a device that can be controlled to apply a material capable of flowing to a workpiece in a desired pattern. Such a device is desirable because it allows application to a variety of products in a precise, well-defined and repeatable manner. Another advantage of the present invention is the use of a plurality of removably attached machined tubes or nozzles which deliver material capable of flowing to a workpiece. Such tubes are desirable so that they can be easily replaced by tubes or nozzles of similar or different parameters or easily exchanged between them to reduce the holding time between application cycles. It is yet another advantage of the present invention to provide an accessory means, such as a plate, which incorporates a plurality of holes that telescopically intercept the tubes or nozzles therethrough. Such an accessory means is essential to define a predetermined clearance between an outlet between which material capable of flowing to a tube or nozzle and a surface on which such material is to be applied escapes. Failure to define this clear will result in uneven application of the material and subsequent mechanical malfunction. Such an accessory means is further desirable for cleaning such tubes or nozzles between each application cycle to avoid excess on a workpiece surface. The removal of excessive material is carried out with each linear action of the tubes through the openings, providing a clean tube outlet before each material supply. It is yet another advantage of the present invention to provide an associated method for controllably applying material capable of flow using the described apparatus. During such a method, a flowable material that is stored in a storage tank is pumped by a first pump to a second pump in fluid communication therewith. The second pump pressurizes and transfers the material to a plenum where the material is temporarily retained. The plenum moves linearly towards a surface of the accessory means so that the tubes or nozzles fixed thereon are intercepted telescopically by corresponding openings in the accessory means at a height where a predetermined clearance between the exits of the tube and the surface of the tube is defined. the piece of work. During the linear action, the material that has left in excess of the tubes is eliminated due to the narrow separation of the openings, which allow to remove the excess material to a separate container. The material flows from the tubes and is applied to the workpiece in a predetermined pattern corresponding to the arrangement of the tubes. The work piece is removed for further assembly later on the assembly line, and the plenum is linearly operated away from the attachment means to complete the application cycle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of an assortment system using the application apparatus of the present invention. Figure 2 shows a side view of a support structure supporting an application apparatus of the present invention. Figures 3A and 3B show a top view and a cross section, respectively, of a plenum dispersion plate used in an application apparatus of the present invention. Figures 4A and 4B show a top view and a cross section, respectively, of a plenum manifold plate used in an application apparatus of the present invention. Figures 5A and 5B show a top view and a cross section, respectively, of an accessory plate used in an application apparatus of the present invention. Figure 5C shows a schematic of a top view of an accessory plate used in the present invention. Figure 6 shows a schematic view of an accessory plate and wheel hub assembly subject to an application process using the application apparatus of the present invention.

Figure 7 shows the accessory plate and the wheel hub of Figure 6 in combination with a plenum having a plurality of conduits of flowable material passing through said accessory plate. Figure 8 shows the accessory plate of Figures 6 and 7 removed from said plenum where the flowable material that flows in excess of said plenum is trapped in an eidyacent recovery bowl. Figure 9 shows a wheel hub having a plurality of perforations with a plurality of beads of flowable material applied on one face thereof. Figure 9A shows the wheel hub of Figure 9 wherein said material beads become a thin film of fluid after applying torque.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERED MODALI DADES RI DAS In the present invention, an assortment head assembly has a controlled plurality of "points" or "beads" of flowable material, such as anti-gripping material, on one piece. of work, such co or a mace face. Within this assembly, a positive displacement pump injects a controlled and repeatable amount of the material into a series of accurately located and machined tubes, nozzles or the like (collectively referred to as "tubes") that vary in flow area. The tubes are fed with material capable of flowing from a common plenum to distribute "points" of material, whose position and location are controlled by the tubes. A linear movement moves the tubes through an accessory plate that is adjacent to the plenum during the assortment process. The tubes are projected through the accessory plate to accurately position the tubes in relation to the face of the hub, ensuring a predetermined space, repeatable between the tubes and the hub. By creating sufficient resistance to flow and against fluid pressure, this space establishes a uniform full pressure to ensure the precise and controllable supply of fluid to all tubes. The fixture also acts as a containment barrier to keep the clean work area of material flowing in excess from the pipes to a recovery bowl positioned near the assortment head assembly. Referring now to the drawings, in which similar elements are numbered identically, and referring in particular to Figure 1, a dispensing system 1 is shown for applying a material capable of flowing to a workpiece having an assembly. 2 of bucket pump and 10 assortment head assembly. The hub pump assembly 2 includes a hub pump 3 which is a conventional pump known and used in the art. The pump 3 pressurizes and transfers material capable of flowing 4 from a bucket 5 containing material capable of flowing 4 therein to the line 7 interconnecting the assembly 2 of the bucket pump and the assortment head assembly 10. Such a flowable material can be any material applied to a work piece to realize its inherent purpose including anticorrosive agents, lubricating agents and the like. Other flowable materials having other purposes and consistent with the operation of the present invention may also be used. The material 4 is transported under pressure through the route 7, shown here as a line for fluid, to supply the head assembly 10 of which is subsequently applied to a work piece shown here as a wheel hub. Although a wheel hub is shown here, it is understood that any work piece leading to the operation of the present invention can be used. The assortment head assembly 10 includes a positive displacement pump 1 1, a plenum 13 for storing material capable of flow before application to a wheel hub and an accessory plate 15 which facilitates delivery of material 4 to a wheel hub adjacent. The plenum 13 is provided with an array of elongated conduits 17 sized to fit for material capable of flowing assembled therein. The conduits 1 7 convey material capable of flowing in a predefined manner from the common plenum to a hub placed adjacent to the accessory plate 15. Each pipe 17, which can be a tube, nozzle or similar, is configured and machined to correspond to the parameters of a work piece which will receive the material capable of flowing therein. The conduits have been given a predetermined arrangement which is sought to be applied to a work piece. The conduits 17 are removably attached to an upper surface of the common plenum 13 to facilitate easy modification of the assortment head assembly. The ducts can be interchangeable with each other or replaceable by ducts of equal dimension or ducts of variable dimensions, depending on the size of the point to be applied and the pattern necessary to achieve adequate coverage over an area of a work piece that is going to process. In this way, the number of ducts 1 7 and the dimensions thereof can be easily altered to conform to the specifications of a particular hub, for example, by which the use of the application apparatus with most types is enabled. of wheel hub, regardless of the source. The plenum 13 and the accessory plate 15 of the dispenser head assembly 10 can be configured to support a hub 1 9 as shown in Figure 2. The plenum 13 is assembled on a support structure 21 that includes a frame 23 and a ramp 25 which allows the linear movement of the plenum in relation to the accessory plate 15. The frame 23 can be mounted on a fixed base such as a table or a floor plate to minimize the vibrations experienced in a frame attached thereto. Although a support structure 21 is shown as a generally conventional structural assembly, it is understood that other support configurations leading to the proper operation of the present invention can be implemented. Referring now to Figures 3A, 3B, 4A and 4B, the plenum 1 3 can be considered to include a scattering plate 13a which serves as a top surface of the plenum 13 and a manifold plate 13b which serves as a surface bottom of the plenum 13. Referring particularly to Figure 3a, the dispersion plate 13a is a substantially circular plate having a plurality of perforations 14 that can accept a corresponding number of wheel pins 30 (shown in Figures 6 and 7). ) of a mace 19 through it. The dispersion plate 13a is additionally provided with a plurality of closely spaced holes 18 through which a plurality of conduits 17 can be supported to extract a layer material z from flowing from the interior of the plenum through the conduits for application to one side 19a of the mace. Referring further to Figure 3B, a cross section of the dispersion plate 13a is shown. The dispersion plate 1 3a is provided with a circumferential protrusion 20 having an inclined surface 22 defined therein and through which a narrow passage 24 is formed. The passage 24 is dimensioned and shaped to insertable a conduit 17 therethrough. The inclined surface 22 allows any flowing material that escapes from an outlet of the conduit 17 to spread on the dispersion plate 13a due to gravity. The inclusion of an inclined surface eliminates the likelihood that excess flowing material will be applied to a work piece during an assortment cycle, thereby resulting in the probability of lack of application and subsequent poor mechanical performances. In the dispersion plate 13a, the holes 18 are dimensioned, separated and numbered to allow alteration of the number and arrangement of conduits 17 according to the specifications of the particular workpiece being worked on therein. It is desirable to provide such holes in a manner that will allow ducts 1 7 to be subsequently configured and modified to accommodate any changes in workpiece specifications that may occur between application cycles. In this way, it is not necessary to disassemble the application apparatus each time a new type of wheel hub is selected to receive the application of a flowable material. It is only necessary to change the location, size and number of the ducts to correspond to the appropriate application design. Referring particularly to Figures 4A and 4B, manifold plate 13b is a substantially circular plate in a similar manner having a plurality of side-to-side perforations. The side-by-side perforations 12 provide adequate spacing and accommodation for securing the plenum 1 3 to a support structure 21, such as that made by a threaded fastener, rivet or the like (not shown). However, fastening the plenum 1 3 to a joint support structure can be effected by any means leading to the operation of the present invention. The manifold plate 13b is also provided with at least one inlet orifice 26 through which material capable of flowing before application to a wheel hub enters. The orifice 26 is dimensioned and configured to accommodate pressurized fluid material 4 as it is pumped from the pump 1 1 to the plenum 13. the plenum 13 acts as a temporary reservoir only between assortment cycles where material capable of flow enters, is stored for a short duration and almost immediately it is supplied through ducts 17 to a wheel hub. Thus, the inlet hole 26 must allow the conduits 1 7 to remove material 4 from plenum 13 under a suitable pressure for a predefined application design to be duplicated from workpiece to workpiece. The assortment head assembly 10 further includes an accessory plate 15, shown in Figures 5A, 5B and 5C. The accessory plate 1 5 is a substantially circular plate that is generally shaped to the geometry of a club 1 9 placed adjacent thereto. The accessory plate 15 includes an upper surface 32, a bottom surface 34 and a circumferential wall 36 extending between them. A plunging portion 38 is deviated from a plane in which the top surface 32 is defined by a distance that accommodates the positioning of the wheel hub 1 9 formed in a similar manner.

Referring particularly to Figures 5C and 6, a plurality of side-to-side holes 40 are defined through the accessory plate 5 which accommodates the wheel pins 30 of the hub 19 during an assortment cycle. The accessory plate fixes the dispersion plate 13a of the plenum exactly in relation to the hub to provide acceptance of the wing nuts. The accessory plate 15 is further defined as having a plurality of closely spaced openings 42 corresponding to an array of conduits 17 of material having full common. As the number of ducts 17 can be altered to correspond to the geometry and specifications of a particular wheel hub, the number and size of the openings 42 can be altered accordingly. It is desirable to allow such changes in the accessory plate so that only the accessory plate 5 needs to be changed in accordance with a change in the geometry of the hub. The entire apparatus does not need to be disassembled or maintained separately, so that most types of wheel hubs used in the industry are accommodated and the time and cost associated with an application procedure is simultaneously reduced. It is understood that the openings 42 are recordable with the conduits 17 to ensure proper alignment thereof. Having described the components of the assortment head assembly 10 of the present invention, details of the preferred embodiment of the invention as well as its operation can be described with respect to Figures 6-8. To begin an assortment cycle, a bucket pump 3 (shown in Figure 1) pumps a flowable material 4 stored in a bucket 5 through line 7 to a positive displacement pump 1 1 of the head assembly 10. assortment The positive displacement pump 1 1 pumps the material 4 to the plenum 13, connected to it. The material 4 enters the plenum 13 through an inlet 26 defined in the manifold plate 13b. The material 4 enters the conduits 17, which act as needles that apply e !? material to an adjacent wheel hub in points or beads according to the application design defined by a predetermined conduit arrangement determined by the specification of the workpiece being processed. Referring now to Figure 6, a wheel hub 19 having bolts 30 is positioned adjacent an accessory plate 1 5 so that the face 19a of the hub is adjacent to the top surface 32. The hub 1 9 is positioned exactly above the accessory plate to define a predetermined clear c. The predetermined clearance c is the distance between a bottom surface of a workpiece (i.e. the face 1 9a of the hub) and the top surface 32 of the accessory plate 15. The proper definition of this clearance distance is essential for the uniform and predictable application of the material capable of flowing to the face 19a of the hub in the desired application design. Without this clear, the material will be applied improperly to the club, resulting in an imbalance of the club with respect to the accessory plate, inappropriate placement of material capable of flowing in it and subsequent functional defects in the assembly of the club of wheel. After the positioning is completed, the wheel hub 1 9 is fixed to the accessory plate 15 to maintain such a predetermined clearance and to prevent misalignment of the wheel hub 19 relative to the accessory plate 15. After it has been properly positioned a wheel hub 19, the plenum 1 3 moves linearly so that the conduits 17 are inserted from side to side and the openings 42 retained in the accessory plate 15, as shown in Figure 7. The conduits 17 enter through of the bottom surface 34 and extend through the surface surface 32 of the accessory plate 15. The conduits 17 are manufactured and arranged to correspond to the configuration of the hub 19 and controllably apply the material 4 capable of flowing to face 19a of the mace. The conduits 17 are provided with an outlet 17a from which the material capable of flow is dispensed. The outlet 17a is positioned at a predetermined distance from the face 19a of the hub which is smaller than the predetermined clearance c, so that the material that flows from it is filled exactly on it. This predetermined distance is defined as the distance between the face 19a of the hub and the outlet 17a which results in the dispersion of material capable of flowing in a formation as counted in a design corresponding to the arrangement of conduits. The linear movement of the conduits relative to the accessory plate can be effected manually or automatically by any suitable means, such as a machine-operated ramp. The conduits 17 inject material 4 of the plenum 13 on the face 19a of the hub. By placing the ducts at the precise height to obtain a predetermined clearing distance, the uniform application of the material on the face of the hub in the desired design is obtained. The material is pumped and placed on the face of the hub in beads or points 50, as shown in Figure 9. After the application of the points, a disc brake rotor and a wheel can be assembled with the mallet. of wheel. Butterfly nuts are coupled with the bolts 30 of the hub 19 of the wheel and tightened with torque accordingly. Due to the torsion stop, the stitches 50 of material 4 are "compressed" into a thin film 52 of fluid that covers the surface area of the face 19a of the hub. The separation of the points 50 is determined accurately before the application so that this "separation" of the points will create the film 52 without excess. After an assortment cycle has been completed and the application apparatus is in an "assortment off" mode, the material 4 capable of flow remains under pressure in the plenum and contains air therein. Therefore, the material tends to "drain" out of the conduits 1 7, as shown in Figure 8. The narrow separation of the openings 42 in the accessory plate 1 5 allows the accessory plate to clean the material conduits between Assortment cycles to avoid excess material on a face 19a of the hub. As the plenum 13 is raised to the accessory plate 1 5 during an assortment cycle, the accessory plate 15 cleans the outlet 17a of each conduit 17 so that there is no excess material. The ducts, then, are cleaned during each assortment cycle. The material that flows in excess which escapes from plenum 13 runs along the inclined surface 22 and is recovered in a recovery tank 60 adjacent thereto. Thus, the described application apparatus and the associated technique allow a precise, repeatable and controlled method for placing measured material on the hub in discrete locations. The application machines can be custom designed to meet the requirements of each hub configuration so that most hubs can be processed using this technology. Thus, it would be necessary only to change the placement of the detachable components such as the accessory plate and the material conduits without effecting a major reconfiguration of the system as a whole, so that the assembly and maintenance costs are lowered and the interval between assortment cycles. Several changes to the structures described and shown above would be apparent to those skilled in the art now. Accordingly, the scope of the invention described in a particular manner is set forth in the following claims.

Claims (15)

1. R E IVI N D ICAC ION ES 1. An apparatus for controllably applying material capable of flowing to a workpiece, comprising: one or more elongate conduits in register with a plenum unit for transient retention of said material capable of flowing therein; wherein said plenary unit comprises an assortment member having a plurality of holes defined therethrough to accommodate said one or more elongated conduits in a predetermined arrangement and a manifold member having at least one injection orifice defined in the same to deliver said material capable of flowing through said unit of plenary session; and an accessory means having an upper surface, a bottom surface and a peripheral wall extending therebetween, said accessory means having a plurality of openings for recordably accommodating said one or more elongated conduits therethrough; wherein said one or more elongated conduits deliver said material capable of flowing from said plenum unit to said workpiece. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said one or more elongate conduits deliver said material capable of flowing to said workpiece in a predetermined design. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said one or more elongate conduits are removably attached to said plenum unit. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said one or more elongate conduits are interchangeable with at least one of said one or more elongate conduits. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein by at least one of said one or more elongate conduits is replaceable by a corresponding number of elongate conduits having different dimensional parameters from the dimensional parameters of said one or more elongate conduits. . The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said one or more elongate conduits are linearly incised through a corresponding number of said openings. 7. A system for controllably applying a material capable of flowing to a workpiece, comprising: means for delivering material capable of flowing to a dispenser head assembly; a dispenser head assembly comprising: one or more elongate conduits in register with a plenum unit for transient retention of said material capable of flowing therein: wherein said plenum unit comprises a dispensing member having a plurality of defined orifices through it to accommodate said one or more elongated conduits in a predetermined arrangement and a manifold member having at least one injection orifice defined therein for delivering said material capable of flowing through said plenum unit; and an accessory means having an upper surface, a bottom surface and a peripheral wall extending therebetween, said accessory means having a plurality of openings for recordably accommodating said one or more elongated conduits therethrough; wherein said one or more elongated conduits deliver said material capable of flowing from said plenum unit to said workpiece. The system according to claim 7, wherein said pump means includes a first pump for pressurizing and transferring said material capable of flowing from a storage tank and a second pump for pressurizing and transferring said flowable material to said full unit. 9. The system according to claim 7, wherein said one or more elongate conduits deliver said material capable of flowing to said work piece in a predetermined design. The system according to claim 7, wherein said one or more elongate conduits are removably attached to said plenum unit. eleven . The system according to claim 10, wherein said one or more elongate conduits are interchangeable with at least one of said one or more elongate conduits. 12. The system according to claim 10, wherein at least one of said one or more elongate conduits is replaceable by a corresponding number of elongated conduits having different dimensional parameters from the dimensional parameters of said one or more elongate conduits. . The system according to claim 7, wherein said one or more elongate conduits are linearly incised through a corresponding number of said openings. 14. A method for controllably applying material capable of flowing to a workpiece, the method comprising the steps of: (i) placing a dispensing head of material capable of flowing in register with a workpiece, wherein said assembled head assembly ra comprises: one or more elongated conduits in register with a plenum unit for transient retention of said material capable of flowing therein; wherein said plenum unit comprises a spout member having a plurality of holes defined therethrough to accommodate said one or more elongate conduits in a predetermined arrangement and a manifold member having at least one injection orifice defined therein. same to deliver said material capable of flowing through said unit of plenary; and an accessory means having an upper surface, a bottom surface and a peripheral wall extending therebetween, said accessory means having a plurality of openings to registerably accommodate said one or more elongated conduits therethrough; wherein said one or more elongated conduits deliver said material capable of flowing from said plenum unit to said workpiece; (ii) receiving in said one or more elongate conduits through said plurality of openings to define a predetermined clearance between said one or more elongate conduits and said accessory means; and (iii) delivering said material capable of flowing from said plenary unit to said work piece. 15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of dispensing said material in a predetermined design.