POSITIONING DEVICE AND POSITIONING ASSEMBLY FOR HOLDING A FLAT FLEXIBLE PART, AND SHEET MATERIAL PROCESSING MACHINE

Abstract

A positioning device (38) for holding a flat flexible part, especially a sheet, on a positioning surface (46) is presented. It comprises a body (44) having a suction opening (50) for aspiring the part and a fluid port (52) being in fluid communication with the suction opening (50). Furthermore, an abutment protrusion (60) is provided on a connection surface (48) for abutting the positioning device (38) against a base part (28) to which it may be mounted. Also a sealing protrusion (64) is arranged on the connection surface (48) for compressing a gasket (42) being interposed between the positioning device (38) and the base part (28). A height (H.sub.a) of the abutment protrusion (60) is bigger than a height (H.sub.s) of the sealing protrusion (64). Additionally, a positioning assembly (24) is presented which comprises at least one such positioning device (38). Furthermore, a sheet material processing machine comprising at least one such positioning assembly (24) is introduced.

Claims

1. A positioning device for holding a flat flexible part, especially a sheet, on a positioning surface, the positioning device comprising: a body having a suction opening for aspiring the flat flexible part, wherein the suction opening is arranged within the positioning surface being an outer surface of the body, and a fluid port being in fluid communication with the suction opening, wherein the fluid port is arranged within a connection surface being an outer surface of the body, and an abutment protrusion being arranged on the connection surface for abutting the positioning device against a base part to which the positioning device may be mounted and a sealing protrusion being arranged on the connection surface for compressing a gasket being interposed between the positioning device and the base part, wherein a height of the abutment protrusion by which the abutment protrusion protrudes from the connection surface is bigger than a height of the sealing protrusion by which the sealing protrusion protrudes from the connection surface.

2. The positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the abutment protrusion and/or the sealing protrusion are/is elongate when being regarded in a direction substantially perpendicular to the connection surface.

3. The positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the abutment protrusion and/or the sealing protrusion are closed geometries when being regarded in a direction substantially perpendicular to the connection surface.

4. The positioning device according to claim 1 wherein the abutment protrusion substantially surrounds a mounting area of the connection surface.

5. The positioning device according to claim 1, wherein two or more abutment protrusions are provided on the connection surface.

6. The positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing protrusion encloses the fluid port.

7. The positioning device according to claim 6, wherein two or more fluid ports are provided and each of the fluid ports is enclosed by a respective sealing protrusion.

8. The positioning device according to claim 1, further comprising: a snap contour for attaching a gasket on the connection surface.

9. The positioning device according to claim 8, wherein a positioning protrusion for positioning a gasket is provided on the connection surface.

10. The positioning device according to claim 9, wherein the snap contour is arranged on the positioning protrusion.

11. The positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the height of the sealing protrusion is at least 5%, in particular at least 10%, of the height of the abutment protrusion.

12. The positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the height of the sealing protrusion is at least 0.05 mm, in particular at least 0.1 mm.

13. The positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the height of the abutment protrusion is at least 0.5 mm, in particular at least 1 mm.

14. A positioning assembly for holding a flat flexible part, especially a sheet, on a holding surface, comprising a base part with a fluid port, the positioning device according to claim 1, and a gasket being interposed between the base part and the positioning device, wherein the positioning device is mounted on the base part such that the respective fluid ports are in fluid communication, and wherein the abutment protrusion of the positioning device abuts against the base part and the sealing protrusion at least locally compresses the gasket-against the base part.

15. A sheet material processing machine comprising the positioning assembly according to claim 14.

Description

[0030] The invention will now be explained with reference to an embodiment which is shown in the attached drawings. In the drawings,

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a sheet material processing machine according to the invention comprising several positioning assemblies according to the invention which each have at least one positioning device according to the invention,

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a portion of a positioning assembly of FIG. 1 having two positioning devices, in a partly assembled condition,

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a positioning device of FIGS. 1 and 2 in a perspective view,

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a sectional view in plane IV of the positioning device of FIG. 3,

[0035] FIG. 5 shows a detail V of the positioning device of FIG. 4, and

[0036] FIG. 6 shows a sectional view in plane VI of the positioning assembly of FIG. 2.

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a sheet material processing machine 10 (in the following: machine 10).

[0038] In the example shown, the machine 10 is configured for cutting a sheet material and is composed of five units each performing a certain treatment on the sheet material.

[0039] A first unit is a feeder unit 10a for providing or feeding sheets 12 to be processed. For illustrative purposes, only one sheet 12 is represented in the feeder unit 10a.

[0040] The second unit comprises a platen press 14 which is configured for cutting the sheet 12. Consequently, the second unit is a platen press unit 10b.

[0041] The third unit is a stripping unit 10c which is configured for eliminating certain waste elements from the cut sheet 12.

[0042] The fourth unit is a blanking unit 10d. In this unit the actually desired portion of the cut sheet 12 is withdrawn therefrom and put on a pile 16.

[0043] The fifth unit is a waste evacuation unit 10e and serves for the elimination of further waste elements of the cut sheet 12.

[0044] The sheet 12 is transported through the machine 10 by a conveyor system 18 essentially comprising a conveyor belt 20 to which a plurality of gripper units 22 are attached, which are configured for selectively gripping the sheet 12.

[0045] The platen press unit 10b, the stripping unit 10c and the blanking unit 10d additionally comprise a positioning assembly 24 for holding the sheet 12, on a holding surface 26.

[0046] In the example shown in FIG. 1, the holding surface 26 is a top surface of the positioning assembly 24.

[0047] During the processing of the sheet 12 in any one of the platen press unit 10b, the stripping unit 10c and the blanking unit 10d, a leading edge of the sheet 12 will be gripped by a corresponding gripping unit 22 and a trailing edge of the sheet 12 will be held by the corresponding positioning assembly 24 (cf. travelling direction T).

[0048] FIG. 2 shows the positioning assembly 24 in more detail.

[0049] It comprises a base part 28 with a fluid port 30.

[0050] The fluid port 30 is designed as a fluid inlet.

[0051] Thus, pressurized air can be supplied to the base part 28 via the fluid port 30.

[0052] The base part 28 also comprises a plurality of fluid ports 32 which are in fluid communication with the fluid port 30.

[0053] These fluid ports 32 are designed as fluid outlets.

[0054] Moreover, the base part 28 comprises a cleaning fluid port 34 being designed as a fluid inlet. Thus, a cleaning fluid may be supplied to the positioning assembly 24 via the cleaning fluid port 34.

[0055] The base part 28 additionally comprises cleaning fluid ports 36 which are designed as fluid outlets being in fluid communication with cleaning fluid port 34.

[0056] In the example shown in FIG. 2, two positioning devices 38 are mounted on the base part 28 via fastening means 40, e.g. bolts or rivets.

[0057] A gasket 42 is interposed between the base part 28 and each of the positioning devices 38.

[0058] The positioning device 38 will be explained in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6. Since the two positioning devices 38 shown in FIG. 2 are substantially identical, the following explanations apply to both of them.

[0059] The positioning device 38 comprises a body 44.

[0060] One outer surface of the body 44 is a positioning surface 46.

[0061] In the representation of FIG. 2 the positioning surface 46 is the top surface of the body 44.

[0062] The body 44 also comprises a connection surface 48 also being an outer surface thereof.

[0063] The connection surface 48 is arranged opposite the positioning surface 46 and thus is a lower surface of the body 44 in the representation of FIG. 2.

[0064] On the positioning surface 46 suction openings 50 are provided. These suction openings 50 are configured for aspiring the sheet 12 such that it is held on the positioning surface 46.

[0065] On the connection surface 48 fluid ports 52 are provided. These fluid ports 52 are designed as fluid inlets and are in fluid communication with the suction openings 50.

[0066] Additionally, cleaning fluid ports 54 are arranged on the connection surface 48. These cleaning fluid ports 54 are designed as fluid inlets.

[0067] The body 44 also has a lateral surface 56 which connects the positioning surface 46 and the connection surface 48.

[0068] On the lateral surface 56 fluid ports 58 are provided. These fluid ports are in fluid communication with the fluid ports 54 and the suction openings 50. They are designed as fluid outlets.

[0069] On the connection surface 48 the body 44 has an abutment protrusion 60 for abutting the positioning device 38 against the base part 28 as will be explained below.

[0070] The abutment protrusion 60 is elongate when being regarded in a direction perpendicular to the connection surface 48.

[0071] Furthermore, the abutment protrusion 60 is a closed geometry when being regarded in this direction.

[0072] Additionally, the abutment protrusion 60 substantially surrounds a mounting area 62 of the connection surface 48, i.e. the abutment protrusion 60 substantially extends along a border of the area of the connection surface 48 which is arranged opposite the base part 28 in its mounted state (cf. FIG. 2).

[0073] The abutment protrusion 60 protrudes from the connection surface 48 by a height H.sub.a of at least 1 mm.

[0074] Additionally, a total of six sealing protrusions 64 are arranged on the connection surface 48.

[0075] The sealing protrusions 64 are configured for compressing the gasket 42 as will be explained below.

[0076] Also the sealing protrusions 64 are elongate when being regarded in a direction perpendicular to the connection surface 48.

[0077] Moreover, the sealing protrusions 64 are closed geometries when being regarded along this direction.

[0078] In the present example the sealing protrusions 64 are circle-shaped.

[0079] Moreover, each of the sealing protrusions 64 encloses one of the fluid ports 52 or one of the cleaning fluid ports 54.

[0080] The sealing protrusions 64 protrude from the connection surface 48 by a height H.sub.s of at least 0.1 mm.

[0081] The height H.sub.s of the sealing protrusions 64 is always smaller than the height H.sub.a of the abutment protrusion 60. In other words, the height H.sub.a of the abutment protrusion 60 is always bigger than the height H.sub.s of the sealing protrusion 64.

[0082] In the example shown, the height H.sub.s of the sealing protrusions 64 amounts to 10% of the height H.sub.a of the abutment protrusion 60.

[0083] Furthermore, on the connection surface 48, two positioning protrusions 66 are provided for positioning the gasket 42 on the body 44 within a plane substantially parallel to the connection surface 48.

[0084] In the example shown the positioning protrusions 66 are pin-shaped. They can also be called positioning pins.

[0085] Optionally, a snap contour 68, indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 5, can be provided on the positioning protrusion 66.

[0086] In the example of FIG. 5 the snap contour 68 is a snap collar circumferentially surrounding the positioning protrusion 66.

[0087] Using the snap contour 68 the gasket 42 can be attached to the connection surface 48.

[0088] When the positioning assembly 24 is assembled, the gasket 42 is arranged on the connection surface 48 of the body 44 of the corresponding positioning device 38.

[0089] In doing so, the gasket 42 is positioned on the body 44 using the positioning protrusions 66.

[0090] Furthermore, the gasket 42 is attached to the body 44 using the snap contour 68.

[0091] Then, the assembly of the positioning device 38 and the gasket 42 is mounted on the base part 28.

[0092] This is done such that each of the fluid ports 32 of the base part 28 is in fluid communication with a corresponding one of the fluid ports 52 of the body 44 and the each of the cleaning fluid ports 36 of the base part 28 is in fluid communication with a corresponding one of the cleaning fluid ports 54 of the body 44.

[0093] For the ease of explanation, it will now be assumed that the gasket 42 has a substantially uniform thickness which is substantially equal to the height H.sub.a of the abutment protrusion 60.

[0094] The positioning device 38 is mounted on the base part 28 such that the abutment protrusion 60 abuts against the base part 28 (cf. FIG. 6).

[0095] Consequently, those portions of the gasket 42 being in contact with a sealing protrusion 64 are compressed against the base part 28.

[0096] The amount of compression equals to the difference between the heights H.sub.a, H.sub.s of the abutment protrusion 60 and the sealing protrusions 64.

[0097] Consequently, the gasket 42 is locally compressed by a predefined amount.

[0098] As a consequence thereof, the ports 30, 32, 52 and 34, 36, 54 are fluidically connected as mentioned above, respectively. These connections are fluid-tight with respect to an environment.

[0099] Thus, a driver fluid may be supplied via fluid port 30 and leave the positioning assembly 24 via fluid ports 58.

[0100] A jet pump being incorporated in the body 44 and acting on the suction openings 50 as an aspirator is driven by the driver fluid.

[0101] It is understood that in the embodiments described in connection with the Figures, the sheet 12 is used as a representative example of a flat flexible part. This means that the machine 10, the positioning assembly 24 and the positioning device 38 can also be used in connection with any other flat flexible part.

[0102] Moreover, it is understood that the single abutment protrusion 60 can be supplemented by a further abutment protrusion or can be replaced by two or more abutment protrusions, e.g. corresponding to sections of the abutment protrusion 60.