Pointing Device, Method for Pointing Brickwork, and Use of Pointing Device

Abstract

The invention relates to a pointing device (10) for pointing brickwork a method for pointing brickwork and use of the pointing device (10) for pointing brickwork. The pointing device comprises: ⋅—a support (12) that is configured for supporting a product (14) comprising brickwork; ⋅—a filling nozzle (20); ⋅—a pointing substance container (22) that is operatively coupled with the filling nozzle (20), wherein the pointing substance container (22) is configured for holding a pointing substance; ⋅—movement means (24) that are configured to position the filling nozzle (20) relative to the support (12); ⋅—a control unit (26) configured for ⋅—controlling the movement means (24); and ⋅—determining the amount of pointing substance in relation to a point; ⋅—a sensor (28) that is operatively connected to the controller (26), and is configured for sensing the location and size of the point; and ⋅—orientation means (30) that are configured to establish a relative position between the filling nozzle (20) and the support (12).

Claims

1. Pointing device for pointing brickwork, the device comprising: a support that is configured for supporting a product comprising brickwork; a filling nozzle; a pointing substance container that is operatively coupled with the filling nozzle, wherein the pointing substance container is configured for holding a pointing substance; movement means that are configured to position the filling nozzle relative to the support; a control unit configured for: controlling the movement means; and determining the amount of pointing substance in relation to a point; a sensor that is operatively connected to the control unit, and is configured for sensing the location and size of the point; and orientation means that are configured to establish a relative position between the filling nozzle and the support.

2. Pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the pointing substance container is configured for holding a cement-based pointing substance, and wherein the pointing substance is a cement-based pointing substance.

3. Pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to interpret a three dimensional profile of the point of a product.

4. Pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the movement means comprise one or more of a robotic arm, a motor, an endless conveyor, a guide, a wheel.

5. Pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the pointing substance container is removably connected to the pointing device such that the pointing substance container is exchangeable.

6. Pointing device according to claim 5, wherein the pointing substance container is a cartridge, wherein the device further comprises a pointing substance container sampler that is configured to exchange the cartridge for a different cartridge.

7. Pointing device according to claim 1, further comprising a mixing unit that is operatively connected to the pointing substance container and that is configured for mixing the pointing substance.

8. Pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is one or more of a laser, an infra-red beam, a camera.

9. Pointing device according to claim 8, wherein the camera is preferably a digital camera.

10. Pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a plurality of filling nozzles.

11. Pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a plurality of pointing substance containers, wherein each of the pointing substance containers is operatively coupled with one or more of the plurality of filling nozzles.

12. Pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the movement means are connected to the support, and wherein the movement means are configured to displace a product to be treated in a first direction and/or a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction.

13. Pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the filling nozzle is moveable in a first direction and/or a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction.

14. Pointing device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to: receive dimension data including the length and/or the height and/or the width of the product; calculate an amount of pointing substance in relation to a filling nozzle position; and control the filling nozzle to dispense the calculated amount of pointing substance.

15. Method for pointing brickwork, the method comprising the steps of: providing a pointing device according to claim 1; providing a product comprising a number of point spaces; providing a pointing substance to a pointing substance container; moving filling nozzle; determining the amount of the pointing substrate to fill the point spaces; and filling the point spaces.

16. Method to point brickwork according to claim 15, further comprising the step of providing a three dimensional profile of the point spaces.

17. Method to point brickwork according to claim 15, further comprising the step of adjusting the filling of the point spaces.

18. Use of the pointing device for pointing brickwork according to claim 1 to perform a method for pointing brickwork, wherein the method for pointing brickwork comprises: providing a pointing device according to claim 1; providing a product comprising a number of point spaces; providing a pointing substance to a pointing substance container; moving filling nozzle; determining the amount of the pointing substrate to fill the point spaces; and filling the point spaces.

Description

[0143] Further advantages, features and details of the invention are elucidated on the basis of preferred embodiments thereof, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0144] FIG. 1 shows an example of the pointing device for pointing brickwork according to the invention;

[0145] FIG. 2 shows an example of the brickwork comprising brickwork and unfilled point spaces;

[0146] FIG. 3 shows an example of the brickwork comprising brickwork and filled point spaces; and

[0147] FIG. 4 shows a schematic overview of an example of the method for pointing brickwork according to the present invention.

[0148] Pointing device 10 (FIG. 1) for pointing brickwork according to the present invention comprises support 12 that is configured for supporting product 14 comprising brickwork. Product 14 comprises brick 16 and point 18.

[0149] Pointing device 10 further comprises filling nozzle 20 and pointing substance container 22 that is operatively coupled with filling nozzle 20. Furthermore, pointing device 10 further comprises movement means 24 that are configured to position filling nozzle 20 relative to support 12, and control unit 26. Control unit 26 is configured for controlling movement means 24 and determining the amount of pointing substance in relation to a point space.

[0150] Pointing device 10 further comprises sensor 28 that is operatively connected to control unit 26, and orientation means 30. Orientation means 30 are configured to establish a relative position between filling nozzle 20 and support 12.

[0151] Pointing device 10 may further comprise conical part 35, connection module 36, connector 37, and sensor/filling nozzle adjuster 38. It will be understood that conical part 35 may have different shapes, such as cylindrical shape, tringle shape, tapered shape, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, connection module 36 may be configured to analyse the pointing substance and/or close/lock filling nozzle 20.

[0152] Connector 37 may connect connection module 36 and filling nozzle 20. In another preferred embodiment connection module 36 and filling nozzle 20 may be connected to each other.

[0153] Sensor/filling nozzle adjuster 38 may adjust sensor 28 to place sensor 28 in the desired position and/or may adjust filling nozzle 20 in the desired position.

[0154] In a preferred embodiment, pointing device 10 may comprise mixing unit 32 that is operatively connected to pointing substance container 22, wherein pointing substance container 22 may be provided to pointing substance container stock 34. Pointing substance container stock 34 may comprise a plurality of pointing substance containers 22.

[0155] Product 50 also referred to brickwork (FIG. 2) comprise base layer 52, brick 54, and point space 56. Point space 56 is unfilled. Furthermore, brick 54 is glued to base layer 52 by glue 58. Product 50 is provided to pointing device 10.

[0156] Product 60 also referred to brickwork (FIG. 3) comprise base layer 52, brick 54, and point space 56. Point space 56 is filled with pointing substance 62. Furthermore, brick 54 is glued to base layer 52 by glue 58. Product 60 comprises pointed brickwork provided by pointing device 10.

[0157] Method 200 (FIG. 4) for pointing brickwork according to the present invention follows a sequence of different steps.

[0158] In the illustrated example, method 200 may start with step 202 of providing a pointing device according to the invention. Method 200 may further include step 204 of providing a product comprising a number of point spaces, step 206 of providing a pointing substance to a pointing substance container, and step 208 of providing a three dimensional profile of the point.

[0159] It will be understood that steps 202, 204, 206, and 208 may be in a different order.

[0160] Step 208 of providing a three dimensional profile of the point spaces is followed by step 210 of moving filling nozzle. Before filling the point spaces, step 212 of determining the amount of the pointing substrate to fill the point spaces and step 214 of adjusting the filling of the point spaces are performed.

[0161] The points are filled in step 216 of filling the point spaces.

[0162] The present invention is by no means limited to the above described preferred embodiments and/or experiments thereof. The rights sought are defined by the following claims within the scope of which many modifications can be envisaged.