WO2019162246A1

WO2019162246A1 - Application device for applying a sealing profile and method

Info

Publication number: WO2019162246A1
Application number: PCT/EP2019/054037
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alexander Mathieu; Michael GORLT; Marc Schneider
Original assignee: Thyssenkrupp System Engineering Gmbh; Thyssenkrupp Ag
Priority date: 2018-02-26
Filing date: 2019-02-19
Publication date: 2019-08-29
Also published as: DE102018202850A1

Abstract

The invention relates to an application device for applying a sealing profile to a body component serving for closing a body opening, with a roll-on head for applying the sealing profile and adhesively bonding the sealing profile by dispensing an adhesive onto a surface of the body component, wherein the roll-on head has an advancing section through which the sealing profile passes, for advancing the sealing profile from a storage point to the surface of the body component.

Description

Application device for applying a sealing profile and method

The invention relates to an application device for applying a sealing profile on a body part serving to close a body opening, with a curling head for applying the sealing profile and gluing the sealing profile with the intermediary of an adhesive on a surface of the body component, wherein the curling head has a feed path through the sealing profile for advancing the sealing profile from a storage location to the surface of the body component.

Such sealing profiles are for example intended to produce a sealing connection between a body opening and the cover inserted in it. Such a cover may be, for example, a door, a trunk lid or a sunroof element. In the following, an example will be given to a vehicle door which, at the stage in which the sealing profile is applied to it, can also be referred to as a door assembly.

In the prior art, a method called "direct roll-on" for attaching a weatherstrip to a door assembly is known. In this case, the sealing profile is conveyed by an endless roll by means of a conveyor and applied via a rolling head. In the rolling head there is a feed path, which regularly comprises a plurality of conveyor rollers and at least one pressure roller and which is responsible for the fact that the feed rate of the sealing profile is adapted to the speed at which the door assembly is moved along the application device. The advance of the sealing profile onto the door assembly is regulated accordingly. The door assembly itself is movably received in a movable mounting device, for example via an industrial robot, and is guided past the stationary rolling head, which in this case applies the sealing profile to the door assembly. Alternatively, the door assembly may be held stationary and the other head may be moved along the door assembly. Once the weather strip has been applied around the door assembly, a cutter of the roll head cuts through the weather strip to cut it off the endless roll. According to this, both sealing end surfaces in an abutting region must approach one another in such a way that, as far as possible, a quasi-seamless, continuous sealing profile is created. Both sealing end surfaces can then be glued together.

Within the rolling head, the pressure roller that was last placed in the direction of feed is of the several conveyor rollers. About the pressure roller takes place directly the transfer of the sealing profile to the door assembly in an application point, so that on the pressure roller a corresponding loading of the sealing profile on the surface of the door assembly takes place. As a matter of principle, the cutting device is placed in front of the pressure roller, so that after the cutting profile has been cut to length via the cutting device, the sealing profile section still located between the cutting device and the application point of the pressure roller must be applied to the door assembly and only thereafter the joint area results, in which the two end portions of the sealing profile opposite one another largely gap-free. For the sealing profile to be applied next, this means that it first has to be conveyed from the cutting device to the point of application along the feed path. In this case, it is generally the case that the control of the application device drives the conveyor rollers within the feed section for a certain period of time of a few to several seconds, so that the sealing profile is advanced to the point of application and then with the actual application on the Door assembly is started. In this case, the length of time of this driving is essentially determined by the material properties of the sealing profile and empirical parameters which permit a statement as to how much slippage can be expected between the conveyor rollers and the sealing profile at a certain driving speed. However, this merely allows a rather inaccurate statement as to how much the length of the sealing profile was actually conveyed in the direction of the Appli kationpunkts in the selected drive period. In practice, starting from the desired position of the application point, deviations of the position of the leading sealing end surface from several millimeters up to +/- 10 mm occur regularly. This so-called variance of the initial position of the sealing profile results in a number of consequential problems, of which the non-uniform position of the joint area of the completely applied sealing profile on the door assembly must first be mentioned. While this is less of a technical problem, it is more of an optical problem, but it is still to be avoided according to the specifications of some OEMs.

The variance of the initial position becomes a technical problem when more length of the sealing profile has been conveyed than required, ie the sealing end face has been placed beyond the point of application. At the beginning of the application, this case can lead to the handling robot moving the sealing profile laterally, that is to say in the Y direction, as the door assembly approaches the sealing profile or the application point. Since, however, at the end of the application of this sealing profile, the second end section is glued to the door assembly in the resulting abutting area with the correct Y coordinate, an offset between the two end sections in the Y direction results in this area. This, in turn, may cause the overlapping sealing end surfaces can not be sufficiently glued together and / or results in an insufficient seal in subsequent operation.

As a further procedural problem, the following should be mentioned: In order to synchronize the extensive application of the sealing profile on the door assembly on the one hand and the cutting of the sealing profile by means of the cutting device towards the end of the application on the other hand, the application device regularly comprises a so-called shock detection sensor, the first End portion, or its sealing end face, the already applied-applied sealing profile can detect. When detecting the first end portion of the already applied sealing profile by means of shock detection sensor is to be considered that such sensory detection is only useful if at the same time with the detection window of the sensor, the application speed is reduced so far that at the time of detection the end portion, the so-called response and follow-up times are in such a small range that a dimensionally accurate cutting of the sealing profile can be done in order to put the seal end faces in the joint area as far as possible without gap. If, however, due to the variance of the initial position, the expected position of the impact region also have a larger span, this means that the detection window of the shock detection sensor also has to be selected larger by default and depending on this a longer time span, within which the application speed must be reduced. This in turn means an undesirable increase in the cycle time.

Against the background of the problem described, the person skilled in the art could consider DE 39 41 376 C2, which proposes an adjustable mechanical stop in an application head up to which the sealing profile is made from the actual application head and which forms the sealing profile into a curved one Contour forces, up to a defi ned position of the held end face. A disadvantage here can be considered that the curved contour of the sealing profile after exiting the application head is more of an undefined contour whose curved course will be subjected to a large scatter. Proceeding from this, the object of the present invention is to provide an application device which is capable of ensuring, with very little scattering, advancement of the sealing profile within the application head up to the point of application.

The object is achieved by an application device for applying a sealing profile on a body component serving to close a body opening, having a rolling head for applying the sealing profile and adhesively bonding the sealing profile. an adhesive on a surface of the body component, the rolling head having a feed section passed through the sealing profile, for advancing the sealing profile from a storage location to the surface of the body component, and a contactless feed detection sensor system via which a predetermined feed position of the sealing element profile is detectable on the feed line.

The use according to the invention of a non-contact thrust detection sensor system offers the particular advantage that it can be placed largely free on, on or in the application head. The structural components of the advance detection sensor system can also be placed in places where they are not hindering, and with their non-contact sensors detect areas where a tactile sensor system would generally be a hindrance. A non-contact advance detection sensor system also offers the possibility of a so-called pre-detection, so that the positioning accuracy of the sealing end face on the application point can be further increased. With the application device according to the invention, it is possible to reduce the variance of the initial position of the sealing profile to +/- 1 mm. For example, a magazine-mounted continuous roll may be designated by means of a storage location, from which the sealing profile is unrolled or conveyed continuously. The predetermined feed position of the sealing profile may expediently be the point of application at which the sealing profile is transferred to the surface of the door assembly via the pressure roller. Thus, in practical terms, the application point represents the end of the feed path, viewed in the feed direction.

An advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the non-contact Vorschuberken- nungssensorik an opto-electrical sensor, in particular a light barrier or a light sensor comprises. The use of an opto-electrical sensor can be adapted to different requirements and is available in various designs. In particular, the use of an optoelectrical sensor as a light barrier or as a light sensor is favorable in view of the limited space available in and on the application head, since it only has to be ensured that the desired position of the application point lies in the region of the light path.

An advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the Vorschuberkennungssensorik between a detection position in which the sealing profile is detectable on the feed path, and an inactive position in which the sealing profile on the feed section is not detectable detectable, is designed to be movable. In this way, it is finally advantageously possible despite the limited space in and on the application head, the Vorschuberken- nungssensorik at the optimal location as close to the application point to place and at the same time to ensure that during the later application of the sealing profile it does not collide with the handling device which guides the door assembly.

An advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the Vorschuberkennungssensorik is movable by a pivoting movement between the detection position and the inactive position. A pivoting movement is mechanically easy to represent, for example via a single-stage gear ratio. In a concrete embodiment, it can be provided that the advance detection sensor system comprises a stepping motor or a pneumatic rotary drive for carrying out the pivoting movement. It is expedient here if the stepping motor or the pneumatic rotary drive represents the transmission input of the gear ratio.

An advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the rolling head has a pressure roller for applying the sealing profile to the surface of the body component, a cutting device upstream of the pressure roller in the direction of advance of the sealing profile, for cutting off the sealing profile, wherein the pressure applied by the advance detection sensor system downstream of the feed profile of the sealing profile of the pressure roller. This ensures that the thrust detection sensor system is capable of actually detecting the sealing profile at the application point on the door assembly, the sealing end face.

The object is further achieved by a method for detecting the position of a sealing profile within an application device as described, in which an advancement of the sealing profile along the feed path of the application head takes place until by means of the Vorschuberkennungssensorik a predetermined position of the leading Dichtungsendfläche on the feed track contactless is detected, and then the feed is stopped.

According to a preferred embodiment of the method, the advance detection sensor system is moved from an inactive position into a detection position at the beginning of the advance of the sealing profile.

According to a preferred embodiment of the method, starting from the detection of the leading sealing end face on the predetermined position of the feed path, the feed-forward detection sensor system is moved back into the inactive position.

The invention is explained below with further features, details and advantages with reference to the accompanying figures. The figures illustrate only exemplary embodiments of the invention. Show here

Figures la) and lb) applied sealing profile in a cross section and a side view; FIG. 2 shows an application device and a door assembly guided on a handling device; 3 shows an application device according to the invention with a Vorschuberkennungssen- sensorics and

FIG. 4 shows an application device according to the invention with a preferred embodiment

Feed detection sensor.

Figures la) and lb) show a schematic cross section and a side view of a sealing profile 10 and a surface 1 of a vehicle body part or a vehicle. The vehicle body part may be, for example, a door. The sealing profile is applied or adhesively bonded to the surface via an adhesive 12, for example an adhesive tape. As already described, the sealing profile 10 can be applied to the surface 1 via direct rolling on an endless roll via a rolling head 52 or application head. In this case, the sealing profile 10 has been cut to length from the endless roll, so that two sealing end surfaces 14 _c and 14 _{2 have} arisen, which are approximated to one another in an impact region 16 such that a sealing profile 10 that is as continuous as possible is formed. Furthermore, the reference numerals 30i and 30 _2, the respective end portions of the applied sealing profile 10 are designated.

FIG. 2 shows schematically and not to scale an application device 50 with an application head 52 for applying a sealing profile 10 to a surface 1 of a body part in the form of a door assembly 2. The sealing profile 10 is already partially applied to the door assembly 2 and is applied by means of the Device 50 in the further course fully applied to the door assembly 2. The sealing profile 10 is adhesively bonded to the door assembly 2 by means of an adhesive 12 pre-applied on a sealing longitudinal surface 24 - see FIG. 1 a), which is not shown in FIG. 2 for reasons of illustration. In the present case, the application head 52 comprises a pressure roller 54 and a conveying device 56, which unwinds the sealing profile 10, for example, from an endless roller and conveys it in the direction of the pressure roller 54 in order to be applied by it to the surface 1 of the door assembly 2 via a pressure. After the full application of the sealing profile 10, this is cut to length from the endless roll by means of a cutting device 62. The feed direction of the sealing profile 10 is symbolized by the arrow RF. Furthermore, the application head 52 is arranged largely stationary, while the door assembly 2 is guided along a Flandhabungsgerät 4 on the supplied from the application head 52 sealing profile 10, wherein the door assembly 2 is predominantly subjected to rotation, as symbolized by the curved arrow. The application head 52 is held stationary by corresponding bearing means 58. The surface 1 of the door assembly is guided by means of a Flandhabungsgerätes 4 on the pressure roller 54 of the application head 52. The reference numeral 20 designates the application point at which the sealing profile 10 is applied or glued to the surface 1 of the door assembly 2 via the pressure roller 54. With S _v , the length of a feed path 60 between the cutting device 62 and the application point 20 is designated, wherein there is no scale representation. In the circumferential application of the sealing profile 10 on the surface 1, it is therefore necessary that the cutting device 62 the sealing profile 10 is cut to the extent that the length Sv of the present in the feed section 60 sealing profile 10 exactly corresponds to the length that still is to be applied to the surface 1 until the two end portions 30i and 30 ₂ come to lie to form a joint portion 16 to each other.

FIG. 3 shows an application device 50 according to the invention with a feed-forward detection sensor 70. The application device 50 is shown in a state in which the door assembly 2 has not yet been moved by a handling device 4 to the pressure roller 54 and thus the sealing profile 10. Consequently, the sealing profile 10 extends along the feed path 60 as far as possible straight, in particular tangentially along the pressure roller 54. At the end of the feed path 60, i. in the area in which the application point 20 is located in the later application, the advance detection sensor 70 is arranged so that it expediently marks the end or an end area of the advance path 60. Furthermore, a control unit 64 is provided, via which the cutting device 62, the front device 56, the Vorschuberkennungssensorik 70 and a - not shown - control of the handling device 4 is signal-connected.

If an application of a sealing profile 10 to a door assembly 2 has just been completed, the incipient end section 30p of the sealing profile is viewed on the cutting device 62 in the direction of advance R _F. To initiate the application of a sealing profile 10 to a further door assembly 2 the sealing profile 10 is conveyed along the feed path 60 via the conveying device 56 until the feed-forward detection sensor system 70 recognizes the entry of the leading sealing end face 14 'into its detection region. In this case, the detection region can be formed, for example, by a light barrier 72. The position in which the Vorschuberkennungssensorik 70 detects the Dichtungsendfläche 14 \ and in which the advance of the sealing profile 10 is stopped via the control unit 64 may also be referred to as a predetermined feed position. This predefined feed position is located on the tangential which places the feed path 60 against the pressure roller 54. If now the length of the sealing profile 10, which has this between the point of tangency on the pressure roller 54 and the feed position, unrolled on the pressure roller 54, the sealing end face 14 ^ lies in the application point 20, to which the handling device. 4 Moving the door assembly 2 to begin at the application point 20, the application of the sealing profile 10.

FIG. 4 shows a preferred embodiment of the application device 50 according to the invention, namely according to which the advance identification sensor 70 is movably arranged such that it can be moved away or removed from the area of the advance path 60. In this case, it is considered expedient that the feed-forward detection sensor 70 can be given away by a pivoting movement about a pivot axis S between a detection position, as shown in FIG. 3, and an inactive position, as shown in FIG , Decisive here is that the Vorschuberkennungssensor 70 is not located in the inactive position in the range of the feed path 60 and not close to the application point 20, so that during the application of the sealing profile 10 to no collision of Vorschuberken- nungssensorik 70 with the door assembly 2 or the Flandhabungsgerät 4 can come.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 surface

2 door assembly

4 handling device

10 sealing profile

12 adhesives

14 sealing end face

16 push area

20 application point

24 sealing longitudinal surface 30 end portion

50 Application device 52 Application head

54 pressure roller

56 conveyor

58 storage equipment

60 feed distance

62 cutting device

64 control unit

70 Proximity detection sensor 72 Photocell

Claims

claims

1. application device (50) for applying a sealing profile (10) on a closure of a body opening serving body component (2), comprising a roll head (52) for applying the sealing profile (10) and bonding the log processing profile (10) with the intermediary of an adhesive (12) on a surface (1) of the body component (2), the rolling head (52) having a feed section (60) running through the sealing profile (10) for advancing the sealing profile (10) from a storage location to the surface (1 ) of the body component (2), and a contactless Vorschuberkennungssensorik (70) via which a predetermined feed position of the sealing profile (10) on the feed path (60) can be detected.

2. Application device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the Vorschubkennungsensorik (70) comprises an opto-electrical sensor, in particular a light barrier (72) or a light sensor.

3. Application device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the Vorschuberkennungssensorik (70) between a detection position in which the log's profile on the feed line is detectable, and an inactive position in which the sealing profile on the feed path (60). is not detectable, is designed to be movable.

4. Application device (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that the Vorschubkennungssensor sensor (70) by a pivoting movement between the detection position and the inactive position is movable.

5. Application device (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that the Vorschubkennungssensorik (70) comprises a stepper motor or a pneumatic rotary drive for performing the pivoting movement.

6. Application device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the rolling head (52) has a pressure roller (54) for applying the sealing profile (10) to the surface (1) of the body component (2 ), one of the pressure roller (54) in the feed direction R _{F of} the sealing profile (10) upstream cutting device (62) for cutting the sealing profile (10), wherein the advance position of the sealing profile (10 ) downstream of the pressure roller (54).

7. Method for detecting the position of a sealing profile (10) within an applicator onsvorrichtung (50) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein

an advancement of the sealing profile (10) along the feed path (60) of the application head (52) takes place until a predetermined position of the leading sealing end surface (140 on the feed path (60) is detected without contact by means of the advance identification sensor system (70), and then the feed is stopped.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein at the beginning of the advance of the sealing profile (10) the Vorschuberkennungssensorik (70) is moved from an inactive position to a detection position.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein starting with the detection of the leading Dichtungsendfläche (140 on the predetermined position of the feed path (60) the Vorschuberkennungssensorik (70) is moved back to the inactive position.