Patent Application
20230202792
The invention relates to a method for applying stamped components to holes in surfaces. The invention also relates to an applicator for applying stamped components to holes in surfaces.
From DE 20 2007 011 400 U1 a manual adhesive tape dispenser of compact construction type is known. The manual adhesive tape dispenser disclosed therein has a foldable housing with two housing half shells which store an adhesive tape roll in the folded-together state. An axle for fitting the adhesive tape rolls is formed by two axle supports which can be inserted one inside the other and which are arranged at the inner side on one of the two housing half shells in each case. The adhesive tape roll may also be located so as to be loose, but laterally retained in a corresponding device. Furthermore, these applicators can also be used to apply stamped components. Stamped components are distinguished in that they are adhesively bonded on a stamped component strip spaced apart from each other and during the application process are released one after the other from the stamped component strip and adhesively bonded to a surface. It is problematic in this instance that the precise positioning of the stamped components on the surface is possible only with difficulty.
DE 10 2005 034 007 A1 discloses a manual device for unrolling an adhesive tape. The adhesive tape comprises a carrier which is provided at one side with an adhesive layer and whose adhesive mass is covered by a separation material strip. The manual adhesive tape dispenser enables the separation material strip to be automatically released from the adhesive layer of the carrier during the application operation. It is also disadvantageous with this manual adhesive tape dispenser that positionally precise adhesive bonding of stamped components is difficult.
From DE 20 2012 004 079 U1 a manual adhesive tape dispenser for applying an adhesive tape in an application direction to an unclean surface is known. In this instance, in the application direction in front of a pressing roller a cleaning device for surface contamination is provided.
An object of the invention is therefore to provide a method for applying stamped components which avoids the above-mentioned disadvantage, that is to say, optimizes the positioning of the stamped components on the surface.
An object of the invention is also to provide an applicator for applying stamped components which avoids the above-mentioned disadvantage.
With regard to the method, the object is achieved with a method mentioned in the introduction having the features of claim 1.
The method is particularly suitable for applying stamped components to holes in surfaces. In this instance, the method enables a continuous application of stamped components in a consistent position with respect to the hole, in particular to the hole edge.
According to the invention, a stamped component strip having stamped components is unrolled from a stamped component strip roll. A starting position of one of the stamped components is detected by means of a first sensor. In this instance, the stamped component strip is driven forward by means of a drive until the stamped component has reached a starting position. When the starting position is reached, the first sensor transmits a stop signal and the drive is stopped. The stop signal may be transmitted at the same time or only in a time-delayed manner after the starting position has been reached and detected. In this instance, the drive may be stopped at the same time or also after the stop signal has been transmitted by a specific predetermined time interval or a time interval which is intended to be calculated. The stamped component may remain for some time in the starting position, in particular also during the operation of the applicator.
By means of a second sensor, one of the holes in the surface is detected, and, when a hole is detected by the second sensor, a start signal is transmitted and the drive is started. In this instance, the start signal may be transmitted at the same time as the detection or with a time delay relative to the detection, and the drive may again be started at the same time or with a time delay after the start signal has been transmitted.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the application speed of the applicator is measured by means of a speed sensor. The application speed is intended to be understood to be the speed at which the applicator is pulled relative to the surface over the surface. The speed has positive speed values in the application direction. The applicator is preferably operated manually, it may be retained with one handle or two handles.
However, other application methods of a mechanical type are also conceivable, for example, the use of a robot, which accordingly automatically guides the application device.
The speed sensor is advantageously accommodated in an application wheel. In this instance, the application wheel is preferably arranged opposite a handle of the applicator on the applicator and it is preferably the only contact region of the applicator with the surface during the application operation. The applicator is consequently rolled by means of the application wheel over the surface. The speed sensor may advantageously be constructed as an angular speed sensor or the like.
The application wheel may be a roller, preferably a rubber roller, which enables the applicator to be guided over the surface to the greatest possible extent without sliding and with constant contact. It may also be constructed as a tandem wheel (two rollers which are arranged one behind the other in the running direction) in order as a result of the two-point contact with the surface to keep the spacing of the second sensor with respect to the surface as constant as possible.
The time delay between the detection of the hole and the start of the driving may be predetermined or calculated and it may be dependent on parameters. In particular, the length of the time delay may be dependent on the application speed of the applicator relative to the surface and also the geometry, in particular a receiving frame of the applicator.
From the time of the detection signal of the hole and the application speed, a time for producing a start signal of the drive is established by a control unit. During the calculation, the inner geometry of the applicator is also taken into consideration, and the start signal is transmitted at the time at which the stamped component will reach a predetermined position relative to the hole when the applicator is pulled at a preferably consistent speed over the surface. A consistent speed is not absolutely necessary, speed changes are also recognized according to the invention. The spacing between the stamped component edge and hole edge can be adjusted, preferably programmed.
Preferably, the stamped component strip is pulled around a redirection edge and in this instance the stamped component is released from the stamped component strip and applied to the hole.
Stamped components are preferably applied by means of a contact adhesive to the stamped component strip and can be readily released from it again. Stamped components preferably have a carrier film and an adhesive mass layer, preferably a contact adhesive mass layer, which preferably covers the carrier film over the entire surface at a lower side. Stamped components are constructed in a planar manner and can be produced with almost any conceivable outline.
The method according to the invention moves the stamped component initially by means of a first sensor into a starting position. The starting position is in this instance intended to be understood to be relative to the applicator, that is to say, for example, relative to the receiving frame, the redirection edge or a runoff face between the stamped component strip roll and redirection edge. In this instance, the redirection edge is in the running direction of the stamped component strip preferably the leading edge of the runoff face.
By means of a second sensor, the position of the applicator relative to a hole of a surface which is intended to be adhesively bonded is determined. Taking into account the period of time which is dependent on the application speed and which is still required in order to dispense the stamped component further out of the starting position until it touches the surface at least with the edge thereof, the start signal for activating the drive is calculated by the control unit. The speed measurement values of the application wheel and the detection measurement values of the first and second sensor are supplied to the control unit and synchronized with each other for the positionally precise hole coverage.
Preferably the second sensor is activated by means of positive speed measurement values of the speed sensor, in particular switched on, so that it can detect the hole in the surface. Advantageously, the second sensor is deactivated if the speed sensor detects zero speed measurement values or negative speed measurement values. In the event of a backward movement or when the applicator is stopped, the second sensor does not need to be switched into the active state.
Advantageously, as a result of the evaluation of the measurement values of the first sensor and the second sensor and the speed sensor by the control unit, the drive can be controlled in such a manner that a precise positioning of the stamped component on the hole is achieved in an application direction which corresponds to the movement direction of the applicator over the surface. The positioning can be carried out repeatedly for a series of holes in precisely the same manner. The user of the applicator is consequently freed from the precise positioning in the application direction. He only has to pay attention to the precise position of the applicator transversely, in particular perpendicularly to the application direction. The transverse positioning is readily possible by monitoring the movement of the applicator on the surface.
In principle, the application of stamped components to holes is intended to mean in this instance that the stamped component covers the hole and an edge of the stamped component is adhesively bonded to a strip which surrounds the hole edge so that preferably the entire hole is covered by the stamped component.
Advantageously, the stamped component strip is driven by means of a rubber roller drive between two rubber rollers.
The invention is achieved with regard to the device by an applicator having the features of claim 8.
The applicator is particularly suitable for carrying out one of the above-mentioned methods, and the above-mentioned methods are particularly suitable for implementation using one of the applicators mentioned below.
The applicator according to the invention for applying stamped components to holes in surfaces comprises a stamped component roll, from which a stamped component strip having stamped components can be unrolled. It comprises a first sensor which detects a starting position of one of the stamped components, a drive which drives the stamped component strip, in particular until the stamped component has reached its starting position. There is provided between the first sensor and the drive a first signal-conducting connection via which a stop signal which stops the drive can be transmitted. In this instance, however, the first signal-conducting connection does not have to be provided directly between the first sensor and the drive; the first signal-conducting connection is also intended to mean a connection which is initially guided to a control unit and only from there is connected to the drive.
There are provided a second sensor which detects one of the holes in the surface and a second signal-conducting connection between the second sensor and the drive, via which a start signal can be transmitted when the hole is detected. Also in this instance, the second signal-conducting connection is intended to be understood to be, for example, a direct connection between the second sensor and the drive. However, there may also be an indirect connection which is guided from the second sensor first to the control unit and from there is then guided further to the drive.
There is preferably provided a redirection edge around which the stamped component strip can be pulled and in this instance the stamped component can be released from the stamped component strip and applied to the hole. The basic arrangement of the stamped component roller, redirection edge and drive on a receiving frame is generally known. The precise positioning of the stamped component with respect to the hole is, however, only possible by means of the first and second sensors according to the invention, a speed sensor in an application wheel and the connection thereof to the drive by means of a control unit.
The control unit calculates from the start signal of the second sensor the precise time at which the drive is started. This can be carried out directly when the start signal is transmitted, but also only in a time-delayed manner, wherein the time delay is calculated from the time of the start signal, but preferably also taking into account an application speed of the applicator and the geometry of the application frame.
Advantageously, to this end in a preferred embodiment of the invention there is provided in an application direction after the redirection edge the application wheel on the applicator by means of which the stamped component can be pressed on the one hand over the hole; on the other hand, there is advantageously provided in the application wheel a speed sensor by means of which the application speed of the applicator can be measured in an application direction. With the speed sensor, the speed relative to the surface can be determined directly. The speed is positive in the application direction and negative counter to the application direction.
The speed measurement values of the speed sensor are preferably supplied to the control unit. The control unit also controls the second sensor. It switches it into the active and inactive states. It switches it into the active state only when it receives positive speed measurement values from the speed sensor; at zero speed measurement values or negative speed measurement values, the control unit switches the second sensor into the inactive state.
The control unit transmits a next start signal to the drive again only if it has previously received a new stop signal of the first sensor.
The applicator is described in an embodiment in five Figures. In the drawings:
The applicator 1 according to the invention serves to apply stamped components 8 to holes not illustrated in
The stamped component strip 10 is constructed as a long strip with a consistent width and thickness over the length. The stamped components 8 themselves comprise a carrier film which is arranged opposite the stamped component strip 10. Polymer films, composite films or films or composite films which are provided with organic and/or inorganic layers are preferably used as the material of the carrier film of the stamped components 8.
The stamped component strip may be a separation paper or film strip on which the stamped components 8 are preferably arranged spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction. Both the carrier film and the film strip may be constructed from or comprise the same materials.
Such films/composite films may comprise all conventional plastics materials which are used for film production, by way of non-limiting example these include:
polyethylene, polypropylene—in particular orientated polypropylene produced by means of mono or biaxial stretching (OPP), cyclic olefin copolymers (COC), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyester—in particular polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and poylethylene naphthalate (PEN), ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polycarbonate (PC), polyamide (PA), polyethersulfone (PES) or polyimide (PI).
The carrier film may additionally be combined with organic or inorganic coatings or layers. This can be carried out by means of conventional methods, such as, for example, painting, printing, vaporization, sputtering, co-extrusion or lamination. It is possible to mention by way of non-limiting example oxides or nitrides of silicon and aluminum, indium-tin-oxide (ITO) or sol gel coatings.
At the side facing the stamped component strip 10, there is applied along the carrier film an adhesive mass layer which is preferably constructed as a contact adhesive mass layer. The contact adhesive mass layer covers the lower side of the stamped components 8 completely and over the entire surface. It has a thickness which remains consistent over the entire lower side.
Adhesive masses which already under relatively weak pressure enable a permanent connection to the adhesive base, they have an adhesive force greater than 1 N/cm and can after use be released again from the adhesive base substantially without any residue are referred to as contact adhesive masses. Contact adhesive masses at ambient temperature have a permanent adhesive effect, thus have a sufficiently low viscosity and a high level of touch-adherability so that they already wet the surface of the respective adhesive base at a low level of pressure. The adhesion ability of corresponding adhesive masses is based on their adhesive properties and the removability on their cohesive properties.
A contact adhesive mass comprises a base and a cross-linkable component, which is also referred to as reactive resin.
As a basis for contact adhesive masses, different materials, in particular non-polar elastomer materials may be used.
Non-polar elastomer materials, such as, for example, vinyl aromatic block copolymers, are distinguished in that they can be dissolved in non-polar solvents, that is to say, in solvents and/or solvent mixtures whose polarity corresponds to ethylacetate or which are non-polar. These are in particular solvents and/or solvent mixtures having a dielectric constant of less than 6.1 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solvent] and/or having Hansen parameters δP Polar≤5.3; δH Hydrogen bonding≤7.2 [Abbott, Steven and Hansen, Charles M. (2008) Hansen solubility parameters in practice, ISBN 0-9551220-2-3 or Hansen, Charles M. (2007) Hansen solubility parameters: a user's handbook CRC Press, ISBN 0-8493-7248-8].
If block copolymers are used as elastomer materials then these contain at least one block type having a softening temperature greater than 40° C., such as, for example, vinyl aromatics (also partially or fully hydrated variants), methyl methacrylate, cyclohexyl methacrylate, isobornyl methacrylate and isobornyl acrylate.
In a further preferred manner, the block copolymer contains a block type having a softening temperature less than −20° C.
Examples of polymer blocks having low softening temperatures (“soft blocks”) are polyethers such as, for example, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol or polytetrahydrofuran, polydienes, such as, for example, polybutadiene or polyisoprene, (partially) hydrated polydienes such as, for example, polyethylene butylene, polyethylene propylene or polybutylene butadiene, polybutylene, polyisobutylene, poly (alkyl vinyl ether), polymer blocks of α,β-unsaturated esters, such as in particular acrylate copolymers.
The soft block is in this instance in one configuration constructed in a non-polar manner and then preferably contains butylene or isobutylene or hydrated polydienes as the homopolymer block or copolymer block, the latter preferably copolymerized with itself or with each other or with other, particularly preferably non-polar comonomers. For example, (partially) hydrated polybutadiene, (partially) hydrated polyisoprene and/or polyolefins are suitable as non-polar comonomers.
The cross-linkable component, also referred to as reactive resin, comprises a cyclical ether and is suitable for radiation chemical and where applicable thermal cross-linking with a softening temperature less than 40° C., preferably less than 20° C.
The reactive resins based on cyclical ether are in particular epoxides, that is to say, compounds which carry at least one oxirane group, or oxetanes. They may be of aromatic or in particular aliphatic or cycloaliphatic nature.
Reactive resins which can be used may be configured to be monofunctional, difunctional, trifunctional, tetrafunctional or higher functional up to polyfunctional, wherein the functionality is based on the cyclical ether group.
Examples, without wishing to be limited, include 3,4-epoxycyclohexylmethyl-3′,4′-epoxycyclohexanecarboxylate (EEC) and derivatives, dicyclopendadiene dioxide and derivatives, 3-ethyl-3-oxetanemethanol and derivatives, tetrahydrophthalide acid diglycidyl ester and derivatives, hexahydrophthalide acid diglycidyl ester and derivatives, 1,2-ethane diglycidyl ether and derivatives, 1,3-propane diglycidyl ether and derivatives, 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether and derivatives, higher 1,n-alkane diglycidyl ethers and derivatives, bis-[(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)methyl]-adipate and derivatives, vinylcyclohexyldioxide and derivatives, 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol-bis-(3,4-epoxycyclohexancarboxylate) and derivatives, 4,5-epoxy tetrahydrophthalide acid diglycidyl ester and derivatives, bis-[1-ethyl(3-oxetanyl)methyl) ether and derivatives, pentaerythritol tetraglycidyl ether and derivatives, bisphenol-A-diglylcidyl ether (DGEBA), hydrated bisphenol-A-diglycidyl ether, bisphenol-F-diglycidyl ether, hydrated bisphenol-F-diglycidyl ether, epoxy phenol-novolacs, hydrated epoxy phenol-novolacs, epoxy cresol-novolacs, hydrated epoxy cresol-novolacs, 2-(7-oxabicyclo)spiro[1,3-dioxane-5,3′-[7]oxabicyclo[4.1.0]-heptane], 1,4-bis((2,3-epoxypropoxy)methyl)cyclohexane.
Reactive resins can be used in their monomeric, or also dimeric, trimeric, etc. up to oligomeric form.
Mixtures of reactive resins with each other, but also with other coreactive compounds, such as alcohols (monofunctional or multifunctional) or vinylethers (monofunctional or multifunctional) are also possible.
The applicator 1 has a receiving frame 5 on which the stamped component strip roll 2 is rotatably arranged at an end facing away from a surface 12. A free end of the stamped component strip 10 with stamped components 8 is released from the stamped component strip roll 2 and guided along a runoff face 13 which extends during operation obliquely with respect to the surface 12. An end of the runoff face 13 which faces away from the stamped component strip roll 2 has a redirection edge 14. In this instance, this is a sharp edge about which the stamped component strip 10 is placed. The redirection edge 14 has the function of separating the stamped components 8 from the stamped component strip 10. The stamped component strip 10 which is freed from the stamped components 8 is guided to a drive which in this instance drives a rubber roller pair 11. In this instance, two rubber rollers 11 are rolled under a pressure in opposite directions against each other and the stamped component strip 10 is guided and pulled between the two rollers. As a result of the opposing rotational movement of the two rubber rollers 11, the stamped component strip 10 is advanced and thereby pulled around the redirection edge 14 and at the same time unrolled from the stamped component strip roll 2. It is also possible to drive the stamped component strip 10 over a stamped component strip winding and consequently to initiate the dispensing operation of the stamped component 8.
The applicator 1 comprises a handle 4 in which a battery or an accumulator or the like may be arranged so that the electronic control system, the sensors 6 and 7 and the drive 11 inter alia are supplied with power. The applicator 1 is guided by the handle 4 in an application direction A over the surface 12.
The applicator 1 according to the invention further comprises a first sensor 6 which is directed onto a region slightly, approximately 1-2 mm, in front of the redirection edge 14. The first sensor 6 is constructed as an object detector and arranged with a predetermined spacing from the redirection edge 14 and can detect whether an object is present in front of it with a specific spacing, for example, of up to 20 cm and can consequently detect that a front end of the stamped component 8 when the stamped component strip 10 is advanced has reached the redirection edge 14 and protrudes slightly beyond it and consequently extends into the detection region of the first sensor 6. The first sensor 6 may, however, also be constructed as a sensitive distance meter. Since the stamped component 8 is adhesively-bonded to the stamped component strip 10 and protrudes in a slightly raised position from 0.1 mm to 1 mm above the plane of the stamped component strip 10, this height difference between the upper side of the stamped component strip 10 and the upper side of the stamped component 8 can be detected.
When the first sensor 6 detects the front edge of the stamped component 8, it transmits a stop signal. The stop signal is supplied to a control unit which is not illustrated. The control unit controls the drive 11. The stop signal is supplied to the drive and stops the drive. The control unit can stop the drive immediately or only after a delay after receiving the stop signal. The stamped component 8 is thereby located in a starting position. The starting position of the stamped component 8 is illustrated in
The applicator 1 is then guided by means of an application wheel 3 over the surface 12. The application wheel 3 is also a roller, preferably a rubber roller, which enables the applicator 1 to be guided over the surface 12 to the greatest possible extent without sliding and in constant contact. It may also be constructed as a tandem wheel (two rollers which are arranged in the running direction one behind the other) in order as a result of the two-point contact with the surface to keep the spacing of the second sensor 7 with respect to the surface as constant as possible. After the stamped component 8 has been applied with the leading edge thereof to the surface 12, the leading edge of the stamped component 8 under pressure of the application wheel 3 is pressed onto the surface 12 and a contact adhesive connection between the adhesive mass layer of the stamped component 8 and the surface 12 is thereby produced. This step is illustrated in
In
The second sensor 7 may alternatively also be constructed as a distance sensor which measures the distance from the surface 12. If the second sensor 7 does not detect any object or measures continuously, the second sensor 7 transmits a start signal and the drive of the rubber roller pair 11 starts either immediately or with a time delay.
The length of the time delay is determined from the application speed at which the applicator 1 is pulled over the surface 12. The application speed is measured by means of a speed sensor which is not illustrated in the application wheel 3. The speed sensor is also connected to the control unit so as to conduct signals. The control unit switches the second sensor 7 into the free state only when it receives a speed signal from the speed sensor. When the applicator 1 is idle, the second sensor 7 is switched off.
From the time of the detection of the hole 15 and the transmission of the start signal by the second sensor 7 and the measurement values of the application speed, the control unit calculates in a simple manner the time at which the drive is started again so that the stamped component 8 is pressed with an overlap which is based on the size of the stamped component 8 and the hole 15 and which is preferably a few millimeters, preferably 5 mm, onto the edge of the surface 12 immediately adjacent to the hole 15. This state is illustrated in
The stamped component 8 can now be pressed with the application wheel 3 onto the surface 12 or onto the region of the surface 12 which is arranged around the hole 15 which is intended to be adhesively bonded. The drive runs until the stamped component 8 according to
The applicator according to the invention thus enables holes 15 to be repeatedly masked with a consistent overlap of a stamped component 8.
The applicator 1 has a handle 4 by means of which it can be guided by hand; however, applicators 1 with a plurality of handles 4 are also conceivable.
In the advance direction of the stamped component strip 10, after the rubber roller pair 11, a blade 9 is arranged. The blade 9 may be able to be covered. It may be a jagged steel edge via which the stamped component strip 10 is torn away transversely and is thus separated. It is also possible to wind the stamped component strip by means of a suitable drive and consequently where applicable also to initiate the dispensing operation of the stamped component - in this instance, the blade 9 is then dispensed with.
1 Applicator
2 Stamped component strip roll
3 Application wheel
4 Handle
5 Receiving frame
6 First sensor
7 Second sensor
8 Stamped component
9 Blade
10 Stamped component strip
11 Rubber roller pair
12 Surface
13 Runoff face
14 Redirection edge
15 Hole
A Application direction
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2017 204 782.8 | Mar 2017 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP18/57089 | 3/21/2018 | WO |
