Alignment and Application of a Door Seal of a Motor Vehicle

Abstract

A device for aligning a door seal when the door seal is applied to a door of a motor vehicle includes a receiving device for receiving the door in a defined manner, a holding device arranged on the receiving device for holding the door, a guiding device arranged on the receiving device and having a guiding strip for aligning the door seal in relation to the door when the door seal is applied to the door, and a rotation device for turning the receiving device about at least one axis of rotation.

Claims

1. A device for aligning a door seal when the door seal is applied to a door of a motor vehicle, comprising: a receiving device that receives the door in a defined manner; a holding device, arranged on the receiving device, that holds the door; a guide device, arranged on the receiving device, with a guide track that aligns the door seal relative to the door when the door seal is applied to the door; and a rotation device that rotates the receiving device about at least one axis of rotation.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiving device has an aligning device that receives the door in a defined manner on the receiving device.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holding device has at least one holding element, wherein the holding element is configured as a gripping element, a suction element, and/or a clamping element.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the holding device has a plurality of holding elements, further comprising: a first actuating device, wherein the holding elements are simultaneously actuable via the first actuating device.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide device has a plurality of guide segments which are arranged next to one another with guide track segments, and the guide segments are arranged on the receiving device so as to be alignable relative to one another and/or releasable.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiving device is formed rigidly.

7. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the rotation device has an electric motor which is actuable via a second actuating device, and the second actuating device is configured for foot actuation.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axis of rotation of the rotation device can be aligned horizontally or substantially horizontally.

9. A system for applying a door seal to a door of a motor vehicle, comprising: a device as claimed in claim 1; and an application device for applying the door seal to the door.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the application device is guided along the guide track of the guide device such that a predetermined relative position of the application device to a door arranged on the receiving device is set by the guide device during the application of the door seal.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the device has a detection device configured to detect a course of a door seal attached to a door.

12. A method for applying a door seal to a door of a motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: arranging a door on a receiving device; fastening the door to the receiving device via at least one holding element of a holding device; arranging a beginning of a sealing strand at a location on the door that is predetermined or at least partially predetermined by a guide device of the device; and applying the sealing strand to the door along a guide track predetermined by the guide device, wherein the receiving device is rotated in a direction of rotation about an axis of rotation during the application.

13. A method for applying a door seal to a door of a motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: arranging a door on a receiving device; fastening the door to the receiving device via at least one holding element of a holding device; arranging a beginning of a sealing strand at a location on the door that is predetermined or at least partially predetermined by a guide device; and applying the sealing strand to the door along a guide track predetermined by the guide device, via an application device, wherein the receiving device is rotated in a direction of rotation about an axis of rotation during the application.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] FIG. 1 is a side view of a motor vehicle with a door seal.

[0047] FIG. 2 is a perspective illustration of a front side of an embodiment of the device according to the invention.

[0048] FIG. 3 is a perspective illustration of a rear side of the device according to the invention from FIG. 2.

[0049] FIG. 4 is a side view of the device according to the invention when a door seal is applied to a door.

[0050] FIG. 5 is a side view of an embodiment of the system according to the invention when a door seal is applied to a door.

[0051] Elements having the same function and manner of operation are in each case provided with the same reference signs in FIGS. 1 to 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0052] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a side view of a motor vehicle 4. The motor vehicle 4 has four doors 3, each having an encircling door seal 2, which is concealed in this view by the doors 3. A position of a door seal 2 is identified by a dashed line.

[0053] FIG. 2 schematically shows a perspective view from the front of a preferred embodiment of a device 1 according to the invention for aligning a door seal 2. The device 1 has a receiving device 5 on which a door 3 is arranged. The receiving device 5 is rotatable together with the door 3 about a substantially horizontally running axis of rotation 10 by way of a rotation device 9 of the device 1. For rotating the receiving device 5, the rotation device 9 has an electric motor 16 which is actuable via a second actuating device 17 configured as a foot pedal.

[0054] An aligning device 11 which has two aligning studs, which are arranged next to each other, for aligning the door 3 during the arrangement on the receiving device 5 is arranged on one side of the receiving device 5. Furthermore, a holding device 6 with a plurality of holding elements 12 which are configured as clamping elements for securely clamping the door 3 is arranged on the receiving device 5. The door 3, which is aligned on the aligning device 11, is temporarily fixed on the receiving device 5 in a predefined relative position with respect to the receiving device 5 by way of the holding device 6. The holding elements 12 are actuable, preferably simultaneously, via a first actuating device 13 (cf. FIG. 3).

[0055] A plurality of guide segments 14 each having a guide track segment 15 are arranged and fixed on an encircling border of the receiving device 5 in such a manner that the guide segments 14 form a common guide device 7 with an encircling and continuous guide track 8. A course of a door seal 2 to be arranged on the door 3 is defined via the guide track 8.

[0056] In FIG. 3, the device 1 from FIG. 2 is shown schematically in a perspective view from the rear. In this illustration, a door 3 is likewise arranged on the receiving device 5 and is temporarily fixed on the receiving device 5 via the holding device 6 (not visible in this perspective) or via the holding elements 12 of the holding device 6 (cf. FIG. 2). Only a border region of the door 3 can be seen since the remaining part of the door 3 is concealed by the receiving device 5. In this view, the guide track 8 of the guide device 7 can readily be identified. In a region which is defined by the guide track 8 and the door 3, the door seal 2 is arranged in contact with the door 3 and is therefore already applied to the door 3.

[0057] FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the device 1 according to the invention when a door seal 2 is applied to a door 3, wherein some components are not shown for the sake of better clarity. The door 3 is held on the receiving device 5, and therefore a defined region for the arrangement of the door seal 2 is provided by the guide track 8 of the guide device 7 and the door 3. For the application of the door seal 2, a sealing strand 2a is provided which can be arranged along the guide track 8 on the door 3 and can be fixed onto the door 3 by being pressed thereon, for example via an adhesive strip of the sealing strand 2a. The pressing on can be undertaken, for example, manually by a worker. During the arranging of the door seal 2 on the door 3, the door 3 is rotatable about the axis of rotation 10 via the rotation device 9. The door 3 is rotatable here in such a manner that a contacting point 22 at which the guide track 8 enters into contact with the sealing strand 2a lies in the field of view of the worker or is easily reachable by the worker, for example with his hands. The door 3 is preferably rotatable in such a manner that the contacting point 22 is always arranged on one side of the device 1. It can clearly be seen in this view that the guide device 7 is composed of a plurality of guide segments 14.

[0058] FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a preferred embodiment of a system 20 according to the invention when a door seal 2 is applied to a door 3, wherein some components are not shown for the sake of better clarity. In addition to the device 1 shown in FIG. 4, the system 20 has an application device 18 for automatically applying the door seal 2 by means of the sealing strand 2a. The application device 18 is configured to be aligned along the guide track 8 in order therefore to be correctly aligned at every location on the door 3 for arranging the door seal 2 on the door 3. It is therefore unnecessary in the case of the system 20 according to the invention for the guide track 8 to be arranged directly on the course of the door seal 2 on the door 3 since only a relative position of the application device 18 with respect to the door 3 has to be predetermined by the guide track 8.

[0059] In the case of the system 20 according to the invention, during the application, at least a correct alignment of the application device 18 with respect to the door 3 is arrived at during the application. Accordingly, according to the invention, a guide track 8 for guiding the application device 18, said guide track being spaced apart from the door 3, would also be conceivable in the system 20. For pressing the sealing strip 2a against the door 3, the system 20, in particular the application device 18, can have, for example, a pressure roller (not depicted). A collecting spool 23 for coiling up a protective strip 2b, which has been peeled off from the sealing strand 2a by way of the application device 18, is arranged on the application device 18. A collecting spool 23 has the advantage that the removed protective strip 2b is therefore easily guidable away from the sealing strand 2b, and therefore unintentional adhesive bonding of the protective strip between the door and the door seal 2 is avoided. Alternatively, a conducting-away device (not illustrated) for conducting away the protective strip 2b, in particular into a waste container, can be arranged on the application device 18.

[0060] In particular for checking a position of the applied door seal 2 on the door 3 and/or for checking the door seal 2 for damage, the system 20 has a detection device 19 which is arranged on the guide track 8 in a manner spaced apart from the application device 18 and is directed at the door seal 2 which has already been applied. The detection device 19 can be arranged, for example, in a fixed position within the system 20. The detection device 19 is preferably mounted or guided in such a manner, e.g. along the guide track, that the detection device 19 always has a constant position relative to the detected door seal 2. The detection device 19 can have, for example, optical detection devices, such as, for example, a CCD sensor.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0061] 1 Device [0062] 2 Door seal [0063] 2a Sealing strand [0064] 2b Protective strip [0065] 3 Door [0066] 4 Motor vehicle [0067] 5 Receiving device [0068] 6 Holding device [0069] 7 Guide device [0070] 8 Guide track [0071] 9 Rotation device [0072] 10 Axis of rotation [0073] 11 Aligning device [0074] 12 Holding element [0075] 13 first actuating device [0076] 14 Guide segment [0077] 15 Guide track segment [0078] 16 Electric motor [0079] 17 second actuating device [0080] 18 Application device [0081] 19 Detection device [0082] 20 System [0083] 21 Body [0084] 22 Contacting point [0085] 23 Collecting spool

[0086] The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.