Device and method for stretching and/or shaping and/or applying a lamination of a film element, and laminating station and apparatus for laminating a component

Abstract

The aim of the invention is to further develop conventional devices for stretching and/or shaping and/or applying a lamination of a film element. This aim is achieved, according to the invention, by a device for stretching and/or shaping and/or applying a lamination of a film element, which device comprises a support frame for gripping the film element relative to a shaping tool or to a component to be laminated, and having grippers for gripping the film element, which are mounted so as to be movable relative to the support frame, said device being characterized in that grippers are arranged in a multi-axially adjustable manner relative to the support frame in order to adapt the film element more precisely to a contour of the shaping tool or of the component to be laminated.

Claims

1. A method of applying a film element to at least one of a shaping tool or a component, the method comprising the steps of: providing a frame in frame device comprising: an outer bearing frame; a support frame displaceably arranged on and/or within said outer bearing frame; a plurality of gripper units arranged within the support frame, the plurality of gripper units configured to be selectively displaced relative to the support frame to stretch and/or shape the film element; and an active gripper on each of the gripper units, the active grippers each configured to move relative to its gripper unit and to grip the film element; and moving the active grippers relative to the gripper units to apply the film element to at least one of the shaping tool or the component.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: moving a plane of the film element relative to the shaping tool or the component.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: replacing the support frame with another support frame.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising independently controlling at least one of the gripper unit or the active grippers.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of shifting at least one of the gripper unit and active gripper in space as a function of a spatial position or a spatial displacement of the support frame.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising controlling at least one of the gripper units or active grippers as a function of a film material of the film element.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of actively controlling the gripper units and active gripper to pre-stretch the film element.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising shifting support frame in space as a function of a spatial displacement of at least one of the gripper unit or active gripper.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein moving the plane of the film element occurs while displacing at least one of the gripper unit or the active gripper.

10. The method according to claim 2 further comprising, displacing at least one of the gripper unit or the active gripper after moving the plane of the film element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Components in the individual figures with at least substantially the same functions can be designated by the same reference numbers, where the components do not need to be indicated and explained in all figures.

(2) In the drawings:

(3) FIG. 1 schematically shows a perspective view of a support frame equipped with grippers which are multiaxially movable in space and individually controllable; which support frame is additionally arranged so as to be rotatable at a bearing frame part of a device for stretching and/or shaping and/or applying a lamination of a film element;

(4) FIG. 2 schematically shows another perspective view of the support frame shown in FIG. 1, but without the bearing frame part;

(5) FIG. 3 schematically shows a lateral view of a gripping unit shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with a gripper;

(6) FIG. 4 schematically shows a perspective view of the gripping unit shown in FIG. 3 with the gripper;

(7) FIG. 5 schematically shows a top view of the support frame shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 with a component to be laminated with the film element, which has been inserted in the device by way of example;

(8) FIG. 6 schematically shows a top view of the support frame shown in FIGS. 1 through 5 however, alternatively, with a total of 12 grippers which are individually controllable and arranged symmetrically in a position with maximum opening;

(9) FIG. 7 schematically shows a different top view of the support frame shown in FIG. 6 with the grippers shifted to the left;

(10) FIG. 8 schematically shown an additional top view of the support frame shown in particular in FIG. 7, with the grippers on both long sides of the support frame deployed in addition;

(11) FIG. 9 schematically shows an alternative top view of the support frame shown in FIGS. 6 through 8 with the grippers shifted to the right; and

(12) FIG. 10 schematically shows a lateral view of the support frame shown in FIGS. 6 through 9 during a heating process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(13) As used throughout the present disclosure, the expression “A and/or B” shall mean A alone, B alone, or A and B together. Expressions such as “at least one of” do not necessarily modify an entirety of a following list and do not necessarily modify each member of the list, such that “at least one of A, B, and C” should be understood as including only one of A, only one of B, only one of C, or any combination of A, B, and C. Furthermore, the conjunctive term “or” shall be construed in its broadest sense, for example, meaning that only one of the listed elements need be present, and that additional elements may also be present.

(14) The in FIG. 1 only partly shown device 1 for stretching and/or shaping and/or applying a lamination of a film element 2 (see only FIG. 5 by way of example), which in this case is a film blank 3, forms a film element plane 4 and is part of a laminating station 5 which is not shown here in detail (see only FIG. 5) and of a plant 6 which is also not shown here in detail (see only FIG. 5) for laminating a component 7 (see only FIG. 5), wherein in this embodiment the component 7 to be laminated is an automotive inner lining component 8.

(15) The device 1 is characterized in particular by a support frame 10 for clamping the film element 2 with respect to the component 7 to be laminated or with respect to a different shaping tool (not shown here) which can be arranged in the device 1.

(16) On the support frame 10, a plurality of grippers 11 (only shown here by way of example) for gripping the film element 2 are arranged, each of the grippers 11 being part of a compact gripping unit 12 (see in particular FIGS. 3 and 4).

(17) The particularity of the device 1 is that the grippers 11 are arranged so as to be multiaxially adjustable with respect to the support frame 10 so that the film element 2 can be adapted with more precision to a contour 7A of the component 7 to be laminated or of a shaping tool.

(18) In particular, a well-defined sliding movement of the film element 2 during a shaping process can be performed with high precision by means of these multiaxially adjustable grippers 11 or gripping units 12.

(19) The importance of multiaxial adjustability will in the following be explained in more detail by means of the gripping unit 12 which is shown in detail in FIGS. 3 and 4.

(20) The support frame 10 has two interconnected longitudinal members 16 and 17 (numbered only by way of example) on both of its long sides 15. This first and second longitudinal cross-heads 16 and 17 are interconnected on the short sides 18 of the support frame 10 by means of transverse members 19 to this same support frame 10.

(21) In this example of embodiment, the device 1 is not only characterized by the grippers 11 which are arranged so as to be multiaxially adjustable but also by an outer bearing frame part 20 (shown only partially and only in FIG. 1) in which the support frame 10 is arranged so as to be adjustable at least monoaxially around a spatial axis 16 or bearing axis, i. e., pivotal, so that the film element 2 can be adapted with more precision to the contour 7A of the component 7 to be laminated or of a shaping tool.

(22) The outer bearing frame part 20 has two bearing units 22 (numbered here only by way of example) with bearing lugs 23 where one bearing journal 24 (numbered only by way of example) each of the support frame 10 is rotatably supported in each lug. The bearing journals 24 are each located on one transverse member 19 of the support frame 10, such that the support frame 10 is pivoted so that it can be swivelled or rotated, respectively, about its longitudinal axis, which coincides with the spatial axis 21, in the outer bearing frame part 20.

(23) Due to this bearing mechanism, which is substantially formed by the bearing units 22, the support frame 10 at least in this embodiment has a degree of freedom 26, namely for rotation around the spatial axis 21, such that all gripping units 12 with their grippers 11, which are mounted on the support frame 10, can alter their position in space 27 and particularly with respect to the contour 7A of the component 7 to be laminated simultaneously, which helps to reduce the necessary efforts of open-loop or closed-loop control at the device 1.

(24) It is again pointed out here that in an alternative device or for a different purpose of use, the outer bearing frame could also be used without the bearing mechanism described above.

(25) As schematically shown in FIG. 2, the device 1 comprises a controller unit 30 by means of which in particular the multiaxial adjustability of the grippers 11 and of the support frame 10 can be controlled.

(26) In FIG. 2, the support frame 10 is shown without the outer bearing frame part 20 and without the bearing mechanism.

(27) In FIGS. 3 and 4, a gripping unit 12 mounted on the support frame 10 is schematically shown, again with a view to its multiaxial adjustability and the degrees of freedom resulting therefrom, for the better illustration thereof the coordinate system 32 has been introduced which is only shown in FIG. 3.

(28) Especially the gripper 11 can be translated or displaced along a first spatial gripper axis 37 (x-axis), a second spatial gripper axis 38 (y-axis) and along a third spatial gripper axis 39 (z-axis), resulting in three degrees of freedom in terms of translation, namely a first degree 41 of freedom, a second degree 42 of freedom and a third degree 43 of freedom of the gripper 11.

(29) In addition, the gripper can be rotated about the respective spatial gripper axis 37, 38 or 39, respectively, resulting in three rotational degrees of freedom of the gripper 11, namely a fourth degree 44 of freedom, a fifth degree 45 of freedom and a sixth degree 46 of freedom.

(30) This multiaxial adjustability of the gripper 11 results in an individual range 50 of action of the gripper for each gripper 11 on the device 1, which range is schematically indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

(31) In this embodiment, a range 50 of action for the gripper results which amounts to 80 mm×80 mm×700 mm for each gripper, where the dimensions of the range 50 of action can be selected individually for each support frame 10 and can therefore be tailor-made for each component 7 to be laminated or each shaping tool (not shown).

(32) In this example of embodiment, the gripper 11 is characterized by an upper gripper element 51 and a lower gripper element 52, wherein the upper and the lower element 51 and 52 can be moved towards and away from each other, respectively, by a gripping mechanism which is not shown here in detail, such that the gripper 11 as a whole can perform a gripping movement with respect to the film element 2.

(33) Gripping area components 53 and 54 are releasably mounted on the gripping elements 51 and 52, which are in direct operative contact with the film element 2 and thus exert gripping forces 55 on the film element 2.

(34) By means of these exchangeable gripping area components, the gripper 11 can be individually adapted, if necessary, to the film material of the respective film element 2 which is to be processed.

(35) For allowing high movability, that is adjustability or displaceability of the respective gripper 11, the device 1 comprises gripper units 12 with the following structure, whose main functions are described in the following by way of example.

(36) The gripping unit 12 has a mechanism 60 for deploying and rotating, by means of which the gripper 11 can be translated, on the one hand, along the first spatial gripper axis 37, implementing the first degree 41 of freedom.

(37) On the other hand, the gripper 11 can also be rotated around this first spatial gripper axis 37 by means of this same mechanism 60 for deploying and rotating, implementing the fourth degree 44 of freedom.

(38) The fourth degree 44 of freedom guarantees that the gripper 11 is rotatable with respect to the film element plane 4.

(39) This mechanism 60 for deploying and rotating can have many different embodiments and is located in a head portion 61 of the gripping unit 12.

(40) Furthermore, the gripping unit 12 has a horizontal swivelling mechanism 62 with a horizontal swivel axis 63 extending in the direction of the second spatial gripper axis 38.

(41) In this embodiment, the entire head portion 61 and thus also the mechanism 60 for deploying and rotating of the gripper 11 can be swivelled around the horizontal swivel axis 63 by means of the horizontal swivelling mechanism 62, thus allowing the fifth degree 45 of freedom.

(42) The ability of the gripper 11 to be translated, that is, adjusted or displaced, is provided by a lifting and lowering mechanism 64 such that the gripper 11 can translated, i. e. displaced or adjusted, along the second spatial gripper axis 38. The second degree 42 of freedom described before is achieved in this manner. This degree 42 of freedom ensures that the gripper 11 can be individually adjusted in height with respect to the film element plane 4.

(43) In addition, by means of a carriage component 65 (see FIG. 4) comprising two carriage elements 66 and 67 (see FIG. 4), the gripping unit 12 is fastened so as to be able to translate in complementary rails (not shown) of the support frame 10.

(44) With the carriage component 13, the gripping unit 12 can be translated, that is, adjusted or displaced, along the third spatial gripper axis 39, which helps to provide the third degree 43 of freedom explained above.

(45) In this example of embodiment, the sixth degree 46 of freedom is guaranteed by the ability of the gripping unit 12 to be swivelled around a swivel axis 68 (see FIG. 1), for which purpose the gripping unit 12 further comprises a vertical swivel mechanism (not shown here).

(46) Cumulatively or alternatively, the sixth degree 46 of freedom can also be achieved by the rotational movement of the support frame 10 around the spatial axis 21.

(47) Especially the sixth degree 46 of freedom guarantees that the gripper 11 can be inclined in particular with respect to the component 7 to be laminated.

(48) In this embodiment, the spatial axis 21 and the spatial axis 21, respectively, of the support frame 10 and the third spatial gripper axis 39 extend in alignment, or in parallel, respectively, with respect to one another.

(49) According to the previously described mechanism of the gripping unit 12 and according to its functioning, a plurality of adjusting units 70 for spatial adjustment of the grippers 11 is provided at the device 1.

(50) It is understood that the adjusting units 70 can be controlled by motors in many different ways.

(51) Thus, especially the respective gripping unit 12 can comprise at least one or more electric drive motors for driving the grippers 11 such that these grippers 11 can, on the one hand, be multiaxially adjusted, as explained above, and can, on the other hand, grip the respective film element 2 in an individual manner.

(52) The gripping mechanism described above in particular can be adapted such that by means of the grippers 11, gripping forces 55 can individually be exerted on the film element 2 in order to allow, on the one hand, secure retention of the film element 2, but also a sliding of the element 2 between the gripping area components 53 and 54, if necessary.

(53) The adjusting units 70 or the drive motors not shown here, respectively, are in direct operative contact with the controller unit 30 which is able to individually control the necessary movements of all grippers 11 and of the support frame 10 via a bus system 71 (only referenced by way of example in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4) such that the film element 2 can be processed, that is, stretched and formed, in the desired manner.

(54) In particular, by means of the controller unit 30, the gripper 11 can also be controlled with individual timing, that is, individually accelerated etc.

(55) In the presentations in FIGS. 6 through 10, the device 1 is shown in another state of equipment wherein one double-gripper unit 12A each is arranged on the short sides 18 of the support frame 10 instead of one individual gripper unit 12 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5.

(56) In the presentation in FIG. 6, the device 1 is in a maximally opened symmetrical position 74 in which a maximum film element receiving space 75 has been created.

(57) In FIG. 7, the gripping units 12 and 12A have been translated into the lower left corner 76 of the film element receiving space 75, and in FIG. 8, the gripping units 12 have been deployed on the long sides 15 of the support frame 10 in relation to their respective first spatial gripper axis 37 (see for example FIG. 3), which shows that nearly every region of the film element receiving space 75 can be accessed individually by one of the gripper units 12 or 12A.

(58) In the presentation in FIG. 9, the gripping units 12 and 12A have been retracted, by way of example, in the lower right corner 77, with the grippers 11 on the lower long side 15 having again been retracted into the gripping units 12.

(59) In FIG. 10, the device 1, by way of example, is in a heating phase in which the film element 2 to be stretched, formed or laminated is thermally prepared for subsequent treatment or for the subsequent laminating process by means of a heating unit 80.

(60) At this point, it is again pointed out explicitly that the features of the solutions described in the above specification, in the Claims and/or in the Figures can also be combined, if desired, in order to implement or achieve the features, effects and advantages cumulatively.

(61) It is understood that the embodiment described above, and in particular its deviating variations, are merely first embodiments of the device according to the invention. Therefore, the invention is not limited to this example of embodiment.

(62) All features disclosed in the application documents are claimed as essential for the invention, provided that they are novel over the state of the art either individually or in combination.

(63) It will be appreciated that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments illustrated.

(64) In general, by “a,” “an,” “the,” etc., a singular or plural may be understood, particularly in the sense of “at least one” or “one or more,” etc., as long as this is not explicitly ruled out, for instance by the expression “exactly one” etc.

(65) Also, a number can indicate precisely the given number, or it can also include a customary tolerance range, as long as this is not expressly ruled out.

(66) Having described aspects of the present disclosure in detail, it will be apparent that further modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of aspects of the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims. As various changes could be made in the above constructions, products, and methods without departing from the scope of aspects of the present disclosure, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.