Abstract
A seam production machine for joining at least two planar flexible components is provided, wherein at least one of the components includes thermoplastic synthetic material. Included is a machine housing, which is designed with a work surface and a work arm, wherein a retaining bar mounted movably in the longitudinal axis including a seam production tool and a likewise mounted support bar including a component presser element are provided on the work arm, and a support plate for the components, including at least one oscillatingly drivable component feeder is disposed in the work surface, wherein the component presser element is lowerable and acted upon by a force and, when lowered, cooperates with the at least one component feeder. At least one seam pressing ram, serving as the seam production tool, is disposed at the bottom of the retaining bar, wherein a laser beam is directed at the support plate and forms a laser light spot there for plasticizing the synthetic material of at least one of the components.
Claims
1. A seam production machine for joining at least two planar flexible components by way of at least one joining seam, at least one of the components comprising thermoplastic synthetic material, which is present in the form of a homogeneous film, or in the form of a textile fabric structure made of mutually intertwined synthetic fibers or synthetic threads, comprising a machine housing, which is designed with a work surface for the components to be joined and a projecting work arm disposed thereabove, at least one retaining bar for receiving a seam production tool and at least one support bar for receiving at least one component presser element that is acted upon by a force and can be lowered onto the work surface, which are received in the work arm so as to protrude downwardly and are movably mounted in the direction of the longitudinal axes thereof, and further comprising a support plate for the components, which is received in the work surface and with respect to which the retaining bar and the support bar are perpendicularly disposed and in which at least one oscillatingly drivable component feeder is inserted, at least the support bar being lowerable onto the support plate under the action of a spring force, and the component presser element when lowered cooperating with the at least one component feeder, at least one seam pressing ram being disposed at the bottom of the retaining bar, serving as a seam production tool, and a laser beam being directed at the support plate and forming a laser light spot there, wherein the support plate comprises a translucent work window, which is disposed beneath the seam pressing ram, and the laser beam is directed from beneath at the work window of the support plate, or the seam pressing ram is designed to be at least partially translucent, and the laser beam is directed from above at the support plate.
2. The seam production machine according to claim 1, wherein the retaining bar is designed as a lifting bar oscillatingly drivable with respect to the longitudinal axis thereof.
3. The seam production machine according to claim 2, wherein the component presser element is designed as a component presser foot.
4. The seam production machine according to claim 1, wherein the retaining bar and the support bar are designed integrally with one another, and form a receiving bar for the seam production tool and the component presser element.
5. The seam production machine according to claim 4, wherein the component presser element and the seam production tool are designed integrally with one another and form the seam pressing ram.
6. The seam production machine according to claim 5, wherein the seam pressing ram is designed as a seam pressing roll.
7. The seam production machine according to claim 1, wherein the seam pressing ram is designed to be at least partially translucent, and the laser beam is directed at the support plate, from above, through the seam pressing ram in the longitudinal direction.
8. The seam production machine according to claim 1, wherein the seam pressing ram, at the end face, has a shaping pressure profile for the joining seam and is exchangeable.
9. The seam production machine according to claim 1, wherein the seam pressing ram completely covers the laser light spot.
10. The seam production machine according to claim 3, wherein the component presser foot has a foot cut-out for the seam pressing ram to pass through, and the foot cut-out and the cross-sectional shape of the seam pressing ram are adapted to one another.
11. The seam production machine according to claim 2, wherein the laser beam is directed at the support plate in a pulsed manner, wherein the pulse duration and the output of the laser beam are dependent on an oscillating frequency of the lifting bar or of the component feeder.
12. The seam production machine according to claim 11, wherein the pulsed laser beam is triggered by the movement of the lifting bar or of the component feeder, wherein the oscillating frequency of the lifting bar or of the component feeder can be set separately from one another.
13. The seam production machine according to claim 1, wherein the lifting bar and the component feeder can be driven synchronously and/or the advancement of the component feeder for each cycle can be set.
14. The seam production machine according to claim 4, wherein in that the laser beam is directed at the support plate in a non-pulsed manner.
15. The seam production machine according to claim 1, wherein the work window and the component feeder are disposed next to one another and move synchronously with one another.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0029] The invention will be described hereafter in greater detail based on three exemplary embodiments that are illustrated in the drawings. Additional features of the invention will be apparent from the description of the exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the claims. The individual features of the invention can be implemented either alone or as several together in a seam production machine according to the invention. In the drawings:
[0030] FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of the seam production machine according to the invention, in which the laser beam is directed from beneath at the support plate, wherein the retaining bar for receiving the seam production tool and the support bar for receiving the component presser element are designed separately from one another;
[0031] FIG. 2 shows a second exemplary embodiment of the seam production machine according to the invention, in which the laser beam is directed from above at the support plate, wherein the retaining bar for receiving the seam production tool and the support bar for receiving the component presser element are designed separately from one another, and the seam pressing ram is designed to be translucent, and the laser beam is directed through the seam pressing ram at the support plate;
[0032] FIG. 3 shows a third exemplary embodiment of the seam production machine according to the invention, in which the laser beam is directed at the support plate, from above, wherein the retaining bar for receiving the seam production tool and the support bar for receiving the component presser element are designed separately from one another, the support bar is connected to the retaining bar, and the component presser foot is designed to be partially translucent and forms the seam pressing ram, wherein the laser beam is directed through the component presser foot at the support plate;
[0033] FIG. 4 shows a fourth exemplary embodiment of the seam production machine according to the invention, in which the laser beam is directed at the support plate, from beneath, wherein the retaining bar for receiving the seam production tool is designed integrally with the support bar for receiving the component presser element, and the seam production tool is designed integrally with the component presser element; and
[0034] FIG. 5 shows a detailed illustration including a top view onto the support plate according to FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0035] FIGS. 1 to 3 show differently designed seam production machines 1 according to the invention in a schematic illustration, in which the retaining bar 6 for receiving the seam production tool 7 and the support bar 17 for receiving the component presser element 10 are designed separately from one another, and the seam production tool 7 and the component presser element 10 are respectively attached to the corresponding rods 6, 17. A seam pressing ram 12 is provided as the seam production tool 7, and a component presser foot 10 is provided as the component presser element 10. The seam production machine 1 in question is provided for joining at least two planar flexible components 2, 2 by way of a joining seam 21, and in particular a weld seam, wherein at least one of the components 2, 2 comprises thermoplastic synthetic material, which is present in the form of a homogeneous film, or in the form of a textile fabric structure made of mutually intertwined synthetic fibers or synthetic threads. The seam production machine 1 comprises a machine housing 3, which is designed with a work surface 4 for the components 2, 2 to be joined to rest thereon and with a projecting work arm 5 disposed thereabove. A lifting bar 6 that is oscillatingly drivable with respect to the longitudinal axis thereof is disposed in the work arm 5 as a retaining bar 6 for receiving the seam production tool 7 for generating the joining seam 21. The lifting bar 6 is connected to a lifting bar drive device, which is not shown in the figures and which preferably comprises an electric drive motor.
[0036] The seam production machines 1 moreover comprise a support plate 8 for the components 2, 2, which is received in the work surface 4 and, with respect to which the lifting bar 6, is perpendicularly disposed, and in which at least one oscillatingly drivable component feeder 9 is inserted. The component feeder 9 is connected to a component feeder drive device, which is not shown and which preferably comprises an electric drive mechanism. According to FIGS. 1 to 3, the seam production machines 1 additionally comprise a lowerable component presser foot 10 that is acted upon by a force and, when lowered, rests resiliently on the support plate 8 and cooperates with the component feeder 9 so as to advance the two components 2, 2.
[0037] The lifting bar 6 protrudes beyond the work arm 5 with a lower bar end 11, at the bottom of which the seam pressing ram 12, serving as the seam production tool 7, is disposed. A laser optics head 13 is provided on all seam production machines 1, which is connected to a laser source, which is not shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, via a light guide 22. A laser beam 14 is supplied from the laser source to the laser optics head 13, which is directed via the laser optics head 13 at the support plate 8 and forms a laser light spot 15 there.
[0038] In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, the laser optics head 13 is disposed in the machine housing 3 beneath the work surface 4 and irradiates the support plate 8 of the work surface 4 from beneath. In the exemplary embodiments according to FIGS. 2 and 3, the laser optics head 13 is disposed at the respective bottom end 11 of the lifting bar 6 and directly or indirectly irradiates the support plate 8 of the work surface 4 from above. The component presser foot 10 is acted upon by a force by way of at least one mechanical or pneumatic spring system disposed in the machine housing 3.
[0039] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the support plate 8 of the work surface 4 comprises a translucent work window 16, which is disposed beneath the seam pressing ram 12, wherein the laser beam 14 is directed from beneath at the work window 16 of the support plate 8. The laser beam penetrates the work window 16 and applies laser light from beneath to the components to be joined. In the working direction of the seam production machine 1, the work window 16 is disposed downstream of the component feeder 9. The component presser foot 10 is attached to a support bar 17 of an actuating device (not shown in FIG. 1) by way of which the component presser foot 10 can be displaced in the vertical direction. The component presser foot 10 and the seam pressing ram 12 are made of metal and thus are impervious to the light of the laser beam 14. The component presser foot 10 has a foot cut-out 18 for the seam pressing ram 12 to pass through, wherein the foot cut-out 18 is adapted to the cross-sectional shape of the seam pressing ram 12.
[0040] FIG. 2 illustrates another embodiment of the seam production machine 1 according to the invention, in which the laser optics head 13 is disposed at the bottom bar end 11 of the lifting bar 6. In this case, the seam pressing ram 12 is made of a material transparent to laser light. It is attached at the bottom of the laser optics head 13 in direction of extension of the lifting bar 6. The laser beam 14 is coupled into the laser light-conducting seam pressing ram 12 and guides the laser beam 14 to the support plate 8 of the work surface 4. The component presser foot 10 is made of metal and comprises a foot cut-out 18 for the seam pressing ram 12. The laser optics head 13 is moved up and down oscillatingly together with the lifting bar 6. This is therefore preferably connected via a flexible light guide 22 to the laser source, which is not shown in FIG. 2.
[0041] The exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3 differs from the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2 only in that the component presser foot 10 forms the seam pressing ram 12. The component presser foot 10 is attached at the bottom end 11 of the lifting bar 6 above the laser optics head 13 by way of a horizontally extending retaining arm 19. The vertical support bar 17 for the component presser foot 10 has a shortened design and is connected to the horizontal retaining arm 19 via an angular intermediate piece 20. As a result, it is not only the laser optics head 13 that is moved up and down oscillatingly together with the lifting bar 6, but also the component presser foot 10. In one variant, the angular intermediate piece 20 rigidly connects the vertical support bar 17 to the horizontal retaining arm 19, and in another variant the angular intermediate piece 20 horizontally displaceably connects the vertical support bar 17 to the horizontal retaining arm 19. In the second case, the angular intermediate piece 20 comprises an energy accumulator on the inside, which is not visible in FIG. 3, which acts upon the vertical support bar 17 of the component presser foot 10 with a downward force, so that the component presser foot 10 is always pressed against the support plate 8, independently of the present lifting position of the lifting bar 6, and is thus held thereon, or the components 2, 2 placed onto the work surface 4 are always pressed against the support plate 8.
[0042] The exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a seam production machine 1 according to the invention in which the laser beam 14 is directed from beneath at the translucent work window 16 of the support plate 8. The laser beam originates from a laser optics head 13 that is received in the machine housing 3 and disposed in the machine housing 3 beneath the work surface 4 comprising the support plate 8 and the work window 16 and irradiates the support plate 8 of the work surface 4 from beneath. The retaining bar 6 for receiving the seam production tool 7 and the support bar 17 for receiving the component presser element 10 as in FIGS. 1 to 2 are designed integrally with one another, which is to say are formed by a single receiving rod 23, wherein the seam production tool 7 and the component presser element 10 as in FIGS. 1 to 3 are likewise further designed as an integral seam pressing ram 12, and in particular as an integral seam pressing roll 24, and attached to the bottom of the receiving bar 23. The work arm 5 comprises an energy accumulator on the inside, which is not visible in FIG. 4, which acts upon the vertical receiving bar 23 of the seam pressing roll 24 with a downward force, so that the seam pressing roll 24, at least when lowered, is always pressed against the support plate 8 or the translucent work window 16 thereof, and is thus held permanently thereon during the welding process, and thereby always presses the components 2, 2, placed onto the work surface 4, against the support plate 8.
[0043] FIG. 5 shows the support plate 8 comprising the work window 16 and the component feeder 9 in detail and illustrates the arrangement thereof. The work window 16 and the component feeder 9 are disposed transversely to the direction of movement of the component feeder 9 and next to, as well as connected, to one another (not shown), and move synchronously with one another.
