Application Device Designed to Apply a Seal to a Body Element of a Vehicle and Method

Abstract

An application device for applying a seal to a body element of a vehicle, comprising a guiding apparatus to feed continuous material to an outlet apparatus. The application device has a first sensor apparatus to check a predefined end portion of the continuous material for the presence of at least one predefined defect mark. The outlet apparatus has a second sensor apparatus wherein, in the event that the at least one predefined defect mark is present in the predefined end portion, the second sensor apparatus senses an end position of the predefined at least one defect mark along a longitudinal direction of the continuous material. In the event that the at least one predefined defect mark is present in the predefined end portion, the outlet apparatus cuts off a rejection portion of the fed continuous material and feeds said rejection portion to a rejection apparatus.

Claims

1.-8. (canceled)

9. An application device for applying a seal to a body element of a vehicle, the application device comprising: a guide to supply continuous material to an outlet of the application device; a first sensor to check a predetermined end portion of the continuous material for the presence of at least one predetermined defect marking; and, a second sensor which, in the presence of the at least one predetermined defect marking in the predetermined end portion, detects an end position of the predetermined at least one defect marking along a longitudinal direction of the continuous material; wherein in the absence of the predetermined defect marking in the predetermined end portion, a cutting blade associated with the outlet severs the predetermined end portion of the supplied continuous material for application to the body element; wherein in the presence of the at least one predetermined defect marking in the predetermined end portion, the cutting blade severs an elimination portion of the supplied continuous material for supply to an elimination installation, the elimination portion comprising a defective portion which is delimited by a material start of the supplied continuous material and the end position of the predetermined defect marking along the longitudinal direction of the continuous material.

10. The application device according to claim 9, wherein in the presence of at least two predetermined defect markings, the defective portion is delimited by a material start of the supplied continuous material and the end position of a last one of the predetermined defect markings along the longitudinal direction of the continuous material.

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein the elimination portion comprises a safety margin portion extending from the end position of the predetermined defect marking to a cutting location having a predetermined safety margin spacing from the end position of the predetermined defect marking.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined safety margin spacing has a length of 120 mm to 200 mm.

13. The device according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined safety margin spacing has a length of 130 mm to 190 mm.

14. The device according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined safety margin spacing has a length of 140 mm to 180 mm.

15. The device according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined safety margin spacing has a length of 150 mm to 170 mm.

16. A method for operating an application device for applying a seal to a body element of a vehicle, the method comprising: supplying continuous material to an outlet of the application device by way of a guide; checking a predetermined end portion of the continuous material for the presence of at least one predetermined defect marking by a first sensor; severing the predetermined end portion from the supplied continuous material and applying it to the body element, in the absence of the predetermined defect marking; detecting an end position of the defect marking along a longitudinal direction of the continuous material, in the presence of the at least one predetermined defect marking in the predetermined end portion, by a second sensor; and, severing an elimination portion of the supplied continuous material, in the presence of the at least one predetermined defect marking, and supplying the elimination portion to an elimination location; wherein the elimination portion comprises a defective portion delimited by a material start of the supplied continuous material and the end position of the predetermined defect marking along the longitudinal direction of the continuous material.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein severing is performed by a cutting blade.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein in the presence of at least two predetermined defect markings, the defective portion is delimited by a material start of the supplied continuous material and the end position of a last one of the predetermined defect markings along the longitudinal direction of the continuous material.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the elimination portion comprises a safety margin portion extending from the end position of the predetermined defect marking to a cutting location having a predetermined safety margin spacing from the end position of the predetermined defect marking.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the predetermined safety margin spacing has a length of 120 mm to 200 mm.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the predetermined safety margin spacing has a length of 130 mm to 190 mm.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the predetermined safety margin spacing has a length of 140 mm to 180 mm.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein the predetermined safety margin spacing has a length of 150 mm to 170 mm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The disclosure will now be explained in more detail via preferred exemplary embodiment and with reference to the drawings in which:

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an application device;

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of elimination portions as per the prior art;

[0027] FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of elimination portions;

[0028] FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of a comparison of elimination portions; and

[0029] FIG. 5 shows a schematic illustration of a method for operating an application device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an application device for applying a seal to a body element of a vehicle. The application device 1 can be provided to apply the seal 4 to the body element 2 of the vehicle 3. The body element 2 can be, for example, a door or a door frame. The seal 4 may be intended for application along at least one edge of the body element 2. The seal 4 can comprise a rubber and be provided as a continuous material 5 which can be wound on a roll 6. The application device 1 can have a guide installation 7 which can be designed to obtain the continuous material 5 from the roll 6 and to supply to an outlet installation 8 of the application device 1, which can be designed to sever a predetermined end portion 9, for example, via a cutting blade, which may have a predetermined end length 10, from the continuous material 5 and to apply the predetermined end portion 9 as the seal 4 to the body element 2. It can be provided that defect markings 11, which can have a start position 12 and an end position 13, are disposed on the continuous material 5. The defect markings 11 can be, for example, paint markings, adhesive tapes, or cuts in the continuous material 5, which can identify defects of the continuous material 5. In order to ensure that no end portion 9 which has a defect identified by the defect marking 11 is applied as the seal 4 to the body element 2, the application device 1 can have a first sensor installation 14 which can be provided to inspect the end portion 9 of the end length 10 for the presence of the defect marking 11, for example, via one or more sensors and/or imaging devices (e.g., cameras). The application device 1 can be provided to supply the inspected end portion 9 to the outlet installation 8 by way of the application device 1. The outlet installation 8 can be designed to sever the predetermined end portion 9 with a cutting tool 15, and to apply the end portion 9 to the body element 2. Should at least one of the defect markings 11 in the end portion 9 be identified by the first sensor installation 14, it can be provided that the outlet installation 8 via a second sensor installation 16, is designed to detect an end position 13 of the defect marking 11, for example, via one or more sensors and/or imaging devices (e.g., cameras), and to sever an elimination portion 17 of the supplied continuous material and 5, and to supply the elimination portion 17 to an elimination installation 18. The elimination portion 17 can include a defective portion 19 and a safety margin portion 20. The defective portion 19 can extend from a material start 21 of the continuous material 5, at which a previous end portion 5 may have been severed, to the end position 13 of the at least one defect marking 11. The safety margin portion 20 can extend from the end position 13 of the defect marking 11 to a cutting 22, which can be situated at a predetermined safety margin spacing 24 from the end position 13. Should a plurality of the defect markings 11 in the end portion 19 have been detected by the first sensor installation 14, it can be provided that the defective portion 19 extends from the material start 21 of the continuous material 5 to the end position 13 of the last one of the defect markings 11, which is disposed at the greatest distance from the material start 21 of the continuous material 5. It can be provided that the predetermined safety margin spacing 24 has a length, for example, of 120 to 200 millimeters, of 130 millimeters to 190 millimeters, of 140 to 180 millimeters, of 150 millimeters to 170 millimeters, or 160 centimeters.

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of elimination portions as per the prior art. It is provided as per the prior art that the presence of at least one defect marking 11 within an end portion 9 of an end length 10 is detected by a first sensor installation 14. As per the prior art, should a defect marking 11 have been detected it can be provided that the end portion 9 is inspected via the second sensor installation 16, so as to detect a start position 12 of the defect marking 11. The outlet installation 8 here can be designed in such a manner that, proceeding from the start position 12 of the defect marking 11, a cutting point 22 is determined at a predetermined safety margin spacing 23 from the start position 12. The elimination portion 17 to be severed here can comprise a start portion 25, which can extend from the start 21 of the continuous material 5 to the start position 12 of the defect marking 11, and the region which is defined by the safety margin spacing 23 and can extend from the start position 12 of the defect marking 11 to the cutting point 22. It can be particularly disadvantageous here that a relatively large proportion of defect-free continuous material 5, which may be situated between the end position 13 and the cutting point 22, is eliminated in the case of relatively short defect markings 11.

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of elimination portions. As opposed to the elimination portions 17 illustrated in FIG. 2, which can be eliminated by application devices 1 as per the prior art, FIG. 3 shows elimination portion 17 which can be eliminated by the application device 1. The elimination portions 17 which can be eliminated by the application device 1 can include the defective portion 19 which can extend from the material start 21 of the continuous material 5 to the end position 13 of the defect marking 11.

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of elimination portions. As opposed to the elimination portions 17 illustrated in FIG. 2, which can be eliminated by application devices 1 as per the prior art, FIG. 3 shows elimination portions 17 which can be eliminated by the application device 1. The elimination portions 17 which can be eliminated by the application device 1 can include the defective portion 19 which can extend from the material start 21 of the continuous material 5 to the end position 13 of the defect marking 11. In order to enable a reliable diversion of defects, it is moreover provided that the safety margin portion 20 is cut out in addition to the defective portion 19, which safety margin portion 20 can extend from the end position 13 of the defect marking 11 to the cutting location 22, which may have the predetermined safety margin spacing 24 from the end position 13. The predetermined safety margin spacing 24, as opposed to the predetermined safety margin spacing 23 as per the prior art, thus relates to the end position 13 and not to the start position 12. This results in the advantage that shorter defect-free portions of the continuous material 5 are diverted, in particular in the case of comparatively short defect markings 11.

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of a comparison between elimination portions as per the prior art and elimination portions according to the present disclosure. Shown are potential elimination portions 17 as per the prior art, and potential elimination portions 17 according to the disclosure, which can result for defect markings 11 of different lengths. Length differences between the elimination portion lengths of the elimination portions 17 according to the disclosure and the elimination portion lengths of the elimination portions 17 as per the prior art are illustrated by a length difference 26. The length difference 26 thus characterizes a portion of the continuous material 5 which is not eliminated by the disclosure, as opposed to the prior art; and thus also represents a spacing between a cutting location 22 and a cutting location 22 as per the prior art.

[0035] FIG. 5 shows a schematic illustration of a method for operating an application device. The method can be provided for operating an application device 1 for applying a seal 4 to a body element 2 of a vehicle 3. The method may be implemented via a control unit (not shown) comprising a microcontroller including a ROM/RAM, a microprocessor, a memory, and/or the like, and that executes a program stored in the ROM or the memory, thereby controlling the individual components described above and herein.

[0036] In a method step S1, continuous material 5 can be supplied by way of a guide installation 7 to an outlet installation 8. In a step S2, a predetermined end portion 9 of the continuous material 5 can be checked for the presence of at least one predetermined defect marking 11 by a first sensor installation 14. A further course of the method can depend on whether a defect marking in the predetermined end portion 9 of the continuous material 5 is detected by the first sensor installation 14 in the method step S2. In a method step S3, in the absence of the predetermined defect marking 11, the predetermined end portion 9 can be severed from the supplied continuous material 5 by the outlet installation 8 and applied to the body element.

[0037] In a method step S4, in the presence of the at least one predetermined defect marking 11 in the predetermined end portion 9, an end position 13 of the defect marking 11 along a longitudinal direction of the continuous material 5 can be detected by a second sensor installation 16 of the outlet installation. Subsequently, in a method step S5, in the presence of the at least one predetermined defect marking 11, an elimination portion 17 of the supplied continuous material 5 can be severed by the outlet installation 8 in a method step S5 and supplied to an elimination installation 18 in a method step S6, wherein the elimination portion comprises a defective portion which is delimited by one end of the supplied continuous material 5 and the end position 13 of the predetermined defect marking 11 along the longitudinal direction of the continuous material 5.

[0038] So-called continuous door main seals 4 (eTHD) as continuous material 5 can be wound on rolls 6 as load carriers. The wound continuous material 5 here can have lengths of approx. 1000 m to 1500 m. The continuous material 5 can have faults, joints and defects. Portions of the continuous material 5 that include defects must not be applied as seals 4 to body elements 2 such as, for example, doors of a vehicle 3. It is customary for these defects to be provided with a colored mark by defect markings 11 before being wound onto rolls 6, so that the defects marked by the defect markings 11 can be detected and cut out prior to the application by the application device 1. A maximum length of a defect marking 11 is to be adapted to the application devices 1, because comparatively long defect markings 11 can lead to defects on the body element 2 of the vehicle 3. A loss in terms of material and time, which is to be reduced, is caused by the elimination of the elimination portion 17. The loss in time can be traced back to the required process time when diverting the elimination portion 17.

[0039] A method for operating an application device 1 as per the prior art for diverting defects in the application head is performed as follows. A first sensor installation 14, which is typically situated at the distance of a complete door length away from the application head, permanently inspects a black rubber surface of the continuous material 5 running past. The first sensor installation 14 checks whether a defect marking 11 is located in the end portion 9, which defect marking 11 may be, for example, yellow or white and thus differ from the black color of the continuous material 5. It is thus checked whether there is a defect marking 11 within the end portion 9.

[0040] A second sensor installation 16 which is disposed just before the outlet/mouthpiece, or a cutting blade, of the application head permanently inspects the black rubber surface of the continuous material 5 running past, so as to identify when the previously detected defect marking 11 reaches the region of the mouthpiece. When the second sensor installation 16 detects a start position 12, i.e. a beginning of the defect marking 11, a defined quantity of offcut/safety margin portion 20 of always the same length is diverted so as to reliably convey the defect completely out of the application head before the cutting blade of the application head cuts off this piece as the elimination portion 17 and the next end portion 9 can be applied as the seal 4 to a subsequent door. This defined offcut/elimination portion 17 of always the same length must be longer than the longest possible and/or permissible defect marking 11. An unnecessary loss in terms of material and also time is thus created in particular in the case of comparatively short defect markings 11. The problem can be traced back to the fact that the control unit/second sensor installation 16 can only detect the start position 12 and not an end position 13 of the defect marking 11. As a result, unnecessarily long elimination portions 17 are at times eliminated, this resulting in defect-free continuous material 5 being lost. This also leads to a loss in time, because no application to the body element 2 is possible during the time in which the application head diverts the elimination portion 17. The control unit cannot differentiate whether a short or a long defect marking 11 has to be diverted; therefore, the longest possible defect marking 11 must always be assumed.

[0041] It is proposed for solving the set of issues that the second sensor installation 16 at the mouthpiece detects not only the start position 12 of the defect marking 11 but also the end position 13. A signal descending flank is transmitted by the second sensor installation 16 to the control unit only when a detected value drops, which indicates the presence of a defect marking 11 detected by the second sensor installation 16. In this way, the offcut/elimination portion 17 can be significantly shortened, the loss of material and time being reduced as a result. The maximum length of the defect marking 11 is no longer relevant for setting the application device 1; comparatively long defect markings 11 and comparatively short defect markings 11 always lead to a reliable complete discharge of the complete defect marking 11, always having a respective offcut/safety margin portion 20 of identical short length. The disclosure is suitable for mobile as well as stationary application heads.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0042] 1 Application device [0043] 2 Body element [0044] 3 Vehicle [0045] 4 Seal [0046] 5 Continuous material [0047] 6 Roll [0048] 7 Guide installation [0049] 8 Outlet installation [0050] 9 End portion [0051] 10 End length of the end portion [0052] 11 Defect marking [0053] 12 Start position of the defect marking [0054] 13 End position of the defect marking [0055] 14 First sensor installation [0056] 15 Cutting tool [0057] 16 Second sensor installation [0058] 17 Elimination portion [0059] 18 Elimination installation [0060] 19 Defective portion [0061] 20 Safety margin portion [0062] 21 Material start [0063] 22 Cutting location of the elimination portion [0064] 23 Safety margin spacing from the start position [0065] 24 Safety margin spacing from the end position [0066] 25 Start portion [0067] 26 Length difference [0068] S1-S6 Method steps