WO2023104981A1

WO2023104981A1 - Carrier plate

Info

Publication number: WO2023104981A1
Application number: PCT/EP2022/085021
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ingo Zell
Original assignee: Zell Systemtechnik Gmbh
Priority date: 2021-12-08
Filing date: 2022-12-08
Publication date: 2023-06-15
Also published as: EP4291499A1; DE102021132312A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a carrier plate (1) of a workpiece carrier system with a carrier plate body (7) made of plastic and at least one metal insert (11) which runs in opposite edge regions inside the carrier plate body (7) and is enclosed by the carrier plate body (7).

Description

CARRIER PLATE

The invention relates to a carrier plate of a workpiece carrier system.

A workpiece carrier system is used to provide and hold one or more workpieces so that the workpieces can be fed to one or more manufacturing stations and processed as part of their manufacturing process and/or they can be transported between the manufacturing stations and/or they can be stored between the manufacturing steps. Manufacturing steps such as washing, mechanical processing or thermal hardening can be carried out in the manufacturing stations.

The workpiece carrier system can include one or more carrier plates on which workpiece holders are arranged or can be releasably fixed. The workpiece holders allow the workpieces to be held in a desired position and grouped. Workpiece holders that can be releasably fixed can be changed with regard to their position on the carrier plate, so that the workpiece holders can be adapted to the workpieces to be machined and/or the production station in which the carrier plate with the workpiece holders is used. DE 20 2012 103 711 U1 describes such a workpiece carrier system with workpiece holders that can be fixed in a detachable manner.

The carrier plate can be used in a variety of ways within a workpiece carrier system. It can be the base plate of a carrier basket. Alternatively or additionally, the carrier plate can be stacked with other carrier plates and/or can be combined with other carrier plates to form a larger plate. The carrier plate can be made of metal, for example, or be designed as a plastic injection-molded part, which is associated with a lower weight but also lower stability.

Plate-shaped carriers are also used in other areas, for example as transport pallets.

DE 27 22 315 A1 shows a plastic transport pallet with a loop-shaped cable running therein as a fitting.

DE 20 2007 000 985 U1 shows a pallet made of reinforced plastic, which can be made in one piece from injection molding with rod-shaped reinforcement.

DE 1 956292 U shows a loading pallet made of rigid foam with a metal skeleton.

CH 400 904 A shows a one-piece plastic transport pallet with reinforcing rods running in the ribs.

GB 1 168 418 A shows a transport pallet made from rigid foam plastic with reinforcement elements.

US Pat. No. 4,103,857 A shows a transport pallet with depressions forming ribs, in the lower points of which run steel rods.

WO 2008/142 647 A1 shows a transport pallet with supporting tie rods for prestressing the pallets. CN 201647243 U shows a tray with a supporting base plate and a rim, which are connected on their inward-facing sides by a glass fiber fabric.

CN 211076783 U shows a transport pallet with a plastic top and bottom. Inside there is a grid and a frame for reinforcement.

CN 213949113 U shows a foamed transport pallet with reinforcement elements in the ribs.

CN 110733725 A shows a plastic transport pallet with a base plate and a bearing plate, with a reinforcement tube running in a groove between the plates.

CN 2827908Y shows a pallet consisting of a welded upper and lower part, between which steel tubes run in grooves.

The object is to provide an improved carrier plate.

The object is achieved by a carrier plate of a workpiece carrier system with the features of claim 1.

The carrier plate of a workpiece carrier system comprises a carrier plate body made of plastic and at least one metal insert that runs in opposite edge regions of the carrier plate body inside the carrier plate body and is surrounded by the carrier plate body. The carrier plate body advantageously completely encloses the insert part except for the attachment points resulting from the manufacturing process. The carrier plate is part of the workpiece carrier system with the components of which one or more workpiece carrier baskets can be formed by the components being assembled, in particular in a detachable manner. The carrier plate is a workpiece carrier plate and is designed to hold workpieces for processing and/or transport. The workpieces can be placed on the carrier plate and/or held by workpiece holders arranged on the carrier plate. A workpiece carrier basket advantageously comprises the carrier plate and a carrier frame which laterally surrounds the interior of the workpiece carrier basket. Alternatively or additionally, handles can be mounted on the support plate, which facilitate handling. The carrier plate can be designed as a base plate and/or intermediate base plate of a workpiece carrier basket, in whose carrier frame it can be inserted. The carrier plate can be combined with other carrier plates to form a larger plate. The carrier plate is advantageously designed such that workpiece holders are arranged on it or can be releasably fixed. The workpiece holders allow the workpieces to be held and grouped in a desired position for processing and/or transport in the workpiece carrier basket. In an advantageous embodiment, the carrier plate body has a plurality of openings through the support surface, which are designed so that workpiece holders can be inserted into the openings. The insert is advantageously arranged in the outer edge regions beyond the openings.

The carrier plate body has a main side which forms a support surface for workpiece holders and is advantageously at least approximately rectangular. The rectangular shape has long and short sides. In particular in the corner areas, the carrier plate body can deviate from the rectangular shape due to bulges on the broad sides. For example, handles or spacers for stacked further support plates can be positioned in these bulges. The edge areas are adjacent to the surrounding boundary of the bearing surface by the side surfaces running away from the support surface and enclose a central area in the form of a frame.

The insert is a reinforcement of the edge area, that is to say the longitudinal and/or broad sides of the support surface, by means of at least one metal insert in the interior of the carrier plate body. When stabilizing only two opposing edge regions, which run either on the long sides or on the broad sides, two rod-shaped insert parts are advantageously provided.

Reinforcement of the entire edge area on the long and wide sides is achieved by an insert which is designed in a frame-like manner around the central area of the carrier plate body. Advantageously, the insert is made in one piece and only one is provided. The ends of the insert can be connected to one another by a welded joint. Such a frame as an insert can be formed, for example, by a metal wire bent into a rectangular shape. The wire can have a round or rectangular cross-section. The rectangular shape of the frame advantageously corresponds to the basic rectangular shape of the support plate body, but is slightly smaller, so that the support plate body can completely enclose the frame.

Advantageously, the insert is cast in the support plate body, so that the support plate body is designed as a plastic injection-molded body that encloses the insert. Except for the attachment points at which the inserts are held and positioned during casting in the mold, the insert is completely surrounded by the casting material. At the attachment points, however, there are attachment points in the injection molded body that reach down to the insert and are designed as recesses, into which the tool gripped the insert when casting. It is possible to close these recesses and to cover the insert with plastic in these areas as well, but this is laborious and not necessary.

The insert is advantageously made of stainless steel. The carrier plate can not only be manufactured easily, but the carrier plate body and the insert also form a solid bond. This connection can be supported by a suitable surface finish and/or coating of the metal insert.

An underside of the support plate body facing away from the bearing surface has a web-like structure which protrudes from the underside and is nevertheless an integral part of the support plate body. The insert runs in the web. Further structures can be provided which serve for additional stabilization, for example a circumferential side wall web which forms the side edges of the carrier plate body and whose side wall surface extends away from the support surface transversely to the latter. Advantageously, the insert runs in a corner area between the side wall web and the underside facing away from the bearing surface, wherein the corner area can be designed as a stepped or rounded transition between the side wall web and the underside. Alternatively, the web in which the insert runs can be a side wall of the carrier plate body, the thickness of which offers sufficient space for the insert.

In one embodiment of the carrier plate, workpiece holders can be detachably fastened to it. Such a backing plate has a backing plate body with a plurality of openings through the bearing surface. The workpiece holders can be inserted into the openings so that they form a non-positive and/or positive connection. The insert is arranged in the edge areas on the long and / or broad sides beyond the breakthroughs, so without Influencing the attachment of the workpiece holder, the support surface is stabilized.

Some exemplary embodiments are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. Show it:

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a carrier plate of a workpiece carrier system in plan view and

FIG. 2 shows a detail of a sectional view through the carrier plate transversely to the support surface.

In the figures, identical or functionally equivalent components are provided with the same reference symbols.

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a carrier plate 1 of a workpiece carrier system in a plan view. A right-angled xyz coordinate system is also drawn in, the x and y directions of which span a plane that is horizontal in the typical operating position and parallel to the upper side of the carrier plate 1 and the z direction of which runs vertically.

The carrier plate 1 has a main side which forms a support surface 3 for workpiece holders and is advantageously at least approximately rectangular. The rectangular shape has long and broad sides, with the broad sides deviating from the rectangular shape in the corner areas due to bulges.

In use, the main surface of the carrier plate 1 is typically aligned essentially horizontally with the support surface 3 pointing upwards, onto which workpiece holders can be placed. The workpiece holders, which can have a variety of different shapes for different workpieces, the- NEN for holding workpieces on the carrier plate 1 to carry out a surface treatment of the workpieces. Such workpiece holders can be fixed on the carrier plate 1 in that their fastening structure on the underside engages in openings 5 in the carrier plate 1 .

The carrier plate 1 comprises a carrier plate body 7 which is designed as a one-piece plastic injection molded body and whose external dimensions match the dimensions of the carrier plate 1 . In the bearing surface 3, openings 5 through the carrier plate body 7 are formed in a regular grid in rows and columns parallel to the x and y directions. These openings 5 arranged in a matrix form have an approximately circular basic structure. From the circular course of this basic structure, radial extensions are provided in the form of a plug-in opening and in the form of a segmental recess. On an underside of the support plate body 7 , wall webs 9 are formed between adjacent openings 5 , the wall surfaces of which extend away from the support surface 3 transversely and which are an integral part of the support plate body 7 .

Due to the shape of the openings 5, the workpiece holders can be inserted and then locked by turning them. Such workpiece holders have a circular mounting base with radially projecting locking cams. When fastening, the base is placed in the opening 5 in such a way that the locking cams are pushed through the plug-in opening. The workpiece holder can then be locked by turning it.

In the bulged corner areas of the carrier plate body 7 are holes 19, by means of which the carrier plate 1 can be connected to other components of the workpiece carrier system. Such components can be, for example, spacers, support frames or handles. The carrier plate body 7 is reinforced by an internal metal insert 11 . The carrier plate body 7 and the insert 11 form the carrier plate 1 . The insert 11 is designed as a rectangular frame and runs in the edge regions inside the support plate body 7. The insert 11 is completely enclosed by the support plate body 7 except for attachment points 21 that result from the manufacturing process. The edge areas in which the insert 11 runs are beyond a central area in which the openings 5 are arranged.

The insert 11 is an elongate, one-piece metal body with a round or angular cross-section, which is shaped in such a way that its course follows the longitudinal and transverse sides of the basic rectangular shape of the carrier plate body 7 . The corners of the insert 11 forming a rectangular frame are rounded. In order to form a closed frame shape, the ends of the insert 11 are welded together. The welded connection 17 can be arranged in one of the corners, for example. The insert 11 can be formed, for example, by a bent wire with a round or rectangular cross section. The insert 11 can be formed, for example, from a wire with a diameter of 5 mm, which is bent and welded. Alternatively, the rectangular frame can be formed by four straight bars.

The carrier plate 1 is formed by a plastic injection-molded body as a carrier plate body 7, in which the insert 11 is cast. The insert part of an injection molded body is also referred to as an insert. It is metal, particularly stainless steel, but may have a coating that is not necessarily metal.

During manufacture, the inserts are positioned and held in a mold by placing them in a few places, four in this exemplary embodiment rests on a tool, for example the casting mold, or is jammed in the tool. When casting, the insert is completely surrounded by the casting material; only at the points where the tool is applied, no casting material can penetrate to the insert 11, so that in the carrier plate 1 has attachment points 21 in the injection molded body, which reach down to the insert 11 and are designed as recesses, at which the insert 11 is exposed. Otherwise it is completely enclosed by the potting material. The attachment points 21 can be provided on the top and bottom of the support plate 1 . It is possible to close these recesses and to cover the insert part 21 with the casting material or another plastic in these areas as well. However, this is complex and not necessary.

FIG. 2 shows a detail on the edge of a sectional view through the support plate 1 transversely to the bearing surface 3 . The section runs through the openings 5 in a column.

On an underside of the carrier plate 1, which is opposite to the bearing surface 3, wall webs 9 are formed between adjacent openings 5, the wall surfaces of which extend away from the bearing surface 3 transversely thereto. The wall webs 9 stabilize the support plate body 7. They counteract any deflection of the support plate 1 due to the weight of the workpieces on the support surface 3. A side wall web 13 runs on the side edges of the carrier plate body 7, the side wall surface of which extends transversely to the supporting surface 3 away from the latter. The insert part 11 runs in a corner area 15 between the side wall web 13 and the side facing away from the bearing surface 3 . The corner area 15 is designed as a web that forms a stepped transition between the side wall web 13 and the underside. The insert 11 is in the web, which is an integral part of the carrier plate body 7, completely surrounded by this, so that the carrier plate body per 7 is both stiffened and protected by this from external influences.

The features specified above and in the claims, as well as the features that can be seen in the illustrations, can be advantageously implemented both individually and in various combinations. The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described, but can be modified in many ways within the scope of specialist knowledge.

Reference sign

I support plate

3 support surface 5 breakthrough

7 carrier plate body

9 wall bridge

I I insert

13 side wall web 15 corner area

17 welded joint

19 holes

21 attachment point

Claims

Expectations:

1. Carrier plate (1) of a workpiece carrier system with a carrier plate body (7) made of plastic and at least one metal insert (11), which runs in opposite edge areas inside the carrier plate body (7) and is enclosed by the carrier plate body (7).

2. Support plate (1) according to claim 1, wherein the insert part (11) is formed around a central region of the support plate body.

3. Support plate (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the insert part (11) is formed in one piece.

4. Support plate (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein ends of the insert (11) are connected to one another by a welded joint (17).

5. Support plate (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the insert part (11) has a round cross-section.

6. Support plate (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the insert part (11) is made of stainless steel.

7. support plate (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support plate body (7) is designed as a plastic injection molded body and the insert (11) is cast in the support plate body (7).

8. support plate (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the carrier plate body (7) has a bearing surface (3) and on a side facing away from the bearing surface (3) has at least one web, in which the insert (11) runs.

9. Support plate (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a side wall web (13), the wall surface of which extends transversely to the bearing surface (3) away from this, the insert part (11) being located in a corner region (15) between the side wall web ( 13) and the side facing away from the bearing surface (3).

10. Support plate (1) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the support plate body (7) has a plurality of openings (5) through the bearing surface (3) and the insert part (11) is arranged in the edge regions beyond the openings (5), the openings (5) being formed so that workpiece holders can be inserted into the openings (5).