Automatic Bundling Tool Device

Abstract

Disclosed are apparatuses and methods that improve production processes in which automatic bundling tool devices (ABT) bundle a good by means of one-piece-ties (OPT). The improvements include an ABT for bundling a bundle good with a OPT, which includes a band part end and a head part. The ABT includes a guiding device and a tensioning device configured to tension the OPT. The tensioning device is further configured to push the OPT band part end against the tensioning direction in a pushing direction after the OPT has been tensioned. The ABT further includes a control device configured to determine a characteristic parameter for the pushing of the OPT band part end against the tensioning direction and output a quality check signal as a function of the characteristic parameter for the pushing against the tensioning direction and a reference value predetermined for the characteristic parameter.

Claims

1. An automatic bundling tool device (ABT) for bundling a bundle good with a one-piece-tie (OPT) including an OPT band part end and an OPT head part, the ABT comprising: a guiding device configured to guide the OPT band part end around the bundle good through a window in the OPT head part; a tensioning device configured to tension the OPT, with a pulling of the OPT band part end that is guided through the window in a tensioning direction, the tensioning device further configured to push the OPT band part end against the tensioning direction in a pushing direction after the OPT has been tensioned; and a control device configured to determine a characteristic parameter for the pushing of the OPT band part end against the tensioning direction and output a quality check signal as a function of the characteristic parameter and a reference value predetermined for the characteristic parameter.

2. The ABT according to claim 1, wherein the control device is further configured to determine the characteristic parameter for the pushing of an OPT band part end that is not completely pushed out of the tensioning device.

3. The ABT according to claim 1, wherein the tensioning device further comprises a motor, and the characteristic parameter comprises at least one of: a motor current of the motor of the tensioning device; or a variable derived from the motor current of the motor of the tensioning device.

4. The ABT according to claim 1, wherein the tensioning device further comprises a pulse-controlled direct current motor, the characteristic parameter comprises a motor current of the pulse-controlled direct current motor, and the tensioning device is configured to control the pulse-controlled direct current motor with a predetermined number of control pulses while pushing against the tensioning direction.

5. The ABT according to claim 1, wherein the tensioning device further comprises a motor, the characteristic parameter comprises a variable derived from the motor current of the motor of the tensioning device, and the variable derived from the motor current of the motor comprises a force that is required to push the OPT band part end against the tensioning direction after tensioning of the OPT has taken place.

6. The ABT according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to determine the characteristic parameter once during the pushing against the tensioning direction.

7. The ABT according to claim 6, wherein the tensioning device further comprises a pulse-controlled direct current motor, the characteristic parameter comprises a motor current of the pulse-controlled direct current motor, the tensioning device is configured to control the pulse-controlled direct current motor with a predetermined number of control pulses while pushing against the tensioning direction, and the characteristic parameter is determined for an i-th control pulse of the predetermined number of n control pulses, with 0<i<n+1.

8. The ABT according to claim 1, wherein the control device is further configured to determine the characteristic parameter for a series of times during the pushing against the tensioning direction, and compare a course of the characteristic parameter with a course of the reference value predetermined for the characteristic parameter for the outputting of the quality check signal.

9. The ABT according to claim 1, wherein the control device is further configured to determine the characteristic parameter for a predetermined period of time during the pushing against the tensioning direction.

10. The ABT according to claim 9, wherein the control device is further configured to determine the characteristic parameter for at least one of: the period of time of a predetermined number of motor steps during the pushing against the tensioning direction, with integrating of the characteristic parameter or a measured value on which the characteristic parameter is based on, over the predetermined period of time; or the period of time of a predetermined number of motor steps during the entire pushing against the tensioning direction, with integrating of the characteristic parameter or a measured value on which the characteristic parameter is based on, over the predetermined period of time.

11. The ABT according to claim 1, wherein the reference value predetermined for the characteristic parameter is predetermined by the control device based on a statistical evaluation of the determined characteristic parameter.

12. The ABT according to claim 1, wherein a course of the reference value predetermined for the characteristic parameter is predetermined by the control device based on a statistical evaluation of the determined characteristic parameter.

13. The ABT according to claim 1, wherein a course of the reference value predetermined for the characteristic parameter is predetermined by the control device based on an expected value for the characteristic parameter.

14. The ABT according to claim 13, wherein the expected value for the characteristic parameter two or three times a standard deviation for the characteristic parameter.

15. The ABT according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined reference value is a predetermined threshold value, and the control device is configured to compare the characteristic parameter with the predetermined threshold value to output at least one of: a positive quality check signal if the characteristic parameter is greater than the threshold value; or a negative quality check signal if the characteristic parameter is less than the threshold value.

16. The ABT according to claim 1, wherein the guiding device comprises a holding element configured to hold the OPT head part in a predetermined position when the OPT band part end is pushed against the tensioning direction.

17. The ABT according to claim 16, wherein the holding element is configured to hold the OPT head part in the predetermined position when the OPT band part end is pushed against the tensioning direction in the same position as when the OPT is tensioned.

18. A method of bundling a bundle good with a one-piece-tie (OPT) by an automatic bundling tool device (ABT) comprising: guiding an OPT band end around the bundle good and through a window in a head of the OPT, by a guiding device of the ABT; tensioning the OPT with pulling the OPT band end in a tensioning direction, by a tensioning device of the ABT; pushing the OPT band end against the tensioning direction after the OPT has been tensioned, by the tensioning device of the ABT; determining a force or other characteristic parameter required for pushing the end of the OPT against the tensioning direction, by a control device of the ABT; and outputting, by the control device, a quality check signal in dependence on the force or the other characteristic parameter required to push against the tensioning direction and a predetermined reference force.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising at least one of: ejecting the OPT end without cutting off the OPT band end, by the tensioning device; or cutting off the OPT band end, by a cutting device.

20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising cutting off the OPT band end, by a cutting device, wherein cutting off the OPT band end is performed after the OPT band end has been pulled back to a starting position before being pushed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] Exemplary embodiments are described in more detail below with reference to schematic drawings. Showing:

[0049] FIG. 1 is a view of an exemplary embodiment of an automatic bundling tool device;

[0050] FIG. 2 is a view of the tensioning device of the automatic bundling tool device of FIG. 1 when pushing an OPT band part end with defect-free OPT head part; and

[0051] FIG. 3 is a view of the tensioning device of the automatic bundling tool device from FIG. 1 when pushing an OPT band part end with defective OPT head part.

[0052] In the figures, the same or functionally identical features are provided with the same reference signs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] The disclosure relates to an automatic bundling tool (ABT), for bundling a bundle good with a one-piece-tie or one-piece-fixing-tie (OPT), comprising a guiding device configured to guide an OPT band part end around the bundle good through a window in an OPT head part, and a tensioning device configured to tension the OPT with pulling, in a tensioning direction, the OPT band part end which is guided through the window and to push the OPT band part end against the tensioning direction after the OPT has been tensioned. Here, one-piece-ties, as a generalised concept of cable ties, include ordinary cable ties.

[0054] FIG. 1 schematically shows an exemplary embodiment of an automatic bundling tool 1, automatic bundling tool, ABT, for bundling a bundle good 2 with a one-piece-tie 3, OPT. In this example, the OPT is a classic standard cable tie.

[0055] The ABT 1 has a guiding device 1a which is configured to guide an OPT band part end 3a around the bundle good 2 through a window 3c in an OPT head part 3b. The ABT 1 also has a tensioning device 1b which is designed both for tensioning the OPT 3 by pulling the OPT band part end 3b guided through the window 3c in a tensioning direction S+ and for pushing the OPT band part end 3a against the tensioning direction, e.g. in a pushing direction S− (FIGS. 2 and 3) after the OPT 3 has been tensioned. Furthermore, the ABT 1 also has a control device 1c which, on the one hand, is configured to determine a characteristic parameter for the pushing of the OPT band part end 3a against the tensioning direction S+ and, on the other hand, to output a quality check signal as a function of the characteristic parameter for the pushing against the tensioning direction S+ and a reference value predetermined for the characteristic parameter.

[0056] In the example shown, the tensioning device 1b comprises a motor 1b′, here a stepper or pulse motor, which drives a tensioning gear wheel 1b*. The tensioning gear wheel 1b* engages with its teeth 1b# in detent teeth 3a# of the OPT band part end 3a and thus enables tensioning of the OPT 3 in the tensioning direction S+ when the motor 1b′ rotates in the forward direction F and pushing of the OPT 3 in the pushing direction S− against the tensioning direction S+ when the motor 1b′ rotates in the reverse direction R (FIGS. 2 and 3).

[0057] The characteristic parameter for the pushing is accordingly a motor current of the motor 1b′ here, which is regulated by the control device 1c and determined during the pushing. As explained in FIGS. 2 and 3, the motor current is equivalent to the force required for the pushing.

[0058] In order to determine the force required for the pushing particularly reliably on the basis of the motor current, the guiding device 1a in this example also has a holding element 1a′, which is designed as a push-counter-hold in order to prevent movement of the OPT head part 3b during the pushing in the pushing direction S-. For this purpose, the holding element 1a′ holds the OPT head part 3b in a (unchangeably) predetermined position.

[0059] FIG. 2 shows an example of the case of a fault-free OPT head section 3b during pushing. Since the latching in the OPT head part 3b functions reliably here, the OPT band part end 3a moves laterally out of the original position 3a′ when the motor 1b′ and thus the tensioning gear wheel 1b* rotate in the reverse direction R and thus push the OPT band part end 3a in the push direction S−.

[0060] Since the lateral deflection is accompanied by a considerable deformation of the OPT 3, a force F must be applied to push the end of the OPT band part 3a in the direction of pushing S−. This force F is shown in FIG. 2 in an exemplary course for a defect-free OPT head part 3b over the angle of rotation φ of the tensioning gear wheel 1b*. The angle of rotation φ thus corresponds to a path length for the OPT band part end 3a pushed in the direction of pushing S. The force F to be applied by the motor 1b′ for the pushing is greater than a force threshold value F*. In the example shown, it has the non-linear course increasing monotonically with rotation angle φ illustrated by curve nl ().

[0061] The force F to be applied is therefore a possible characteristic parameter for the pushing. Since the force F to be applied and the motor current are directly related, the motor current is also a characteristic parameter for the pushing. The motor current can in turn be easily determined by the control device 1c and is therefore particularly suitable for checking the quality of the latching in the OPT head part 3b.

[0062] FIG. 3 shows an example of the case of a faulty OPT head part 3b during the pushing. Since the latching in the OPT head part 3b does not function here, the OPT band part end 3a does not deflect sideways, in contrast to the case of reliable latching. Rather, when motor 1b′ and thus tensioning gear 1b* rotate in reverse direction R and thus push the OPT band part end 3a in push direction S−, the OPT band part end 3a is pushed back through window 3c. This means that the OPT 3 is no longer tensioned in the original position 3′ on the bundle good 2, and the bundle good 3 is not properly bundled.

[0063] The pushing of the OPT band part end 3a in pushing direction S− back through the window 3c is not connected with any considerable deformation of the OPT 3, so that only a very small constant force F has to be applied for the pushing of the OPT band part end 3a in pushing direction S−. In the example shown, it has the constant course shown by curve k.

[0064] The force threshold value F* can thus easily be selected in such a way that during the pushing in pushing direction S− the control device can reliably distinguish between a faulty head part with non-functioning latching and a fault-free head part with functioning latching. Thus, the motor current determined during the pushing, which corresponds to the applied force F, can be compared as a characteristic parameter with a motor current threshold value, which in turn corresponds to the force threshold value F*. If the determined motor current is greater than the motor current threshold value, the latching is fault-free and a positive (“OK”) quality check signal can be output. If the determined motor current is less than the motor current threshold value, the latching is faulty and a negative (“not OK”, NOK) quality check signal can be output.

[0065] Unless context dictates otherwise, use herein of the word “or” may be considered use of an “inclusive or, ” or a term that permits inclusion or application of one or more items that are linked by the word “or” (e.g., a phrase “A or B” may be interpreted as permitting just “A,” as permitting just “B,” or as permitting both “A” and “B”). Also, as used herein, a phrase referring to “at least one of” a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. For instance, “at least one of a, b, or c” can cover a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, and a-b-c, as well as any combination with multiples of the same element (e.g., a-a, a-a-a, a-a-b, a-a-c, a-b-b, a-c-c, b-b, b-b-b, b-b-c, c-c, and c-c-c, or any other ordering of a, b, and c). Further, items represented in the accompanying figures and terms discussed herein may be indicative of one or more items or terms, and thus reference may be made interchangeably to single or plural forms of the items and terms in this written description.