METHOD AND DEVICE FOR SUPPLYING ROLLABLE DISCOIDAL COMPONENTS

Abstract

A method and a device for individually supplying rollable discoidal components stocked in a reservoir in a supply position, wherein one component is respectively held in the supply position with the aid of a magnetic field of the device.

Claims

1. A method for supplying rollable, discoidal components with two plane and parallel end faces and a lateral area arranged between these end faces in a supply position, comprising the steps of: stocking a plurality of identical, magnetizable, rollable discoidal components in a reservoir; forming a single-layer row of the stocked components extending in row direction, whereby the end faces of the components arranged in the single-layer row are oriented parallel to the row direction; feeding the single-layer row of discoidal components individually through a feed outlet opening that faces a separating device, whereby the respective component located in the outlet opening has its end faces oriented parallel to a feed direction, in which the components exit the outlet opening; and in the separating device, generating a magnetic field to hold said respective component in the supply position after said respective component has completely exited from the outlet opening.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the component exits the outlet opening in one planar orientation and is rotated and held in its supply position by the magnetic field in another planar orientation that is angled relative to said one planar orientation.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the angle of rotation is substantially 90.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the effect of the magnetic field generated by the magnet causes the rotation of the component by the angle of rotation after the component exits from the outlet opening.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the rotation of the component is around an axis of rotation passing through a contact point between the rotated component and the next-in row component, and the generated magnetic field extends through said contact point.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein after exiting the outlet opening in one planar orientation, the respective component is reoriented by the magnetic field to a different planar orientation.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic field pulls and rotates the component through the outlet opening and across the supply position until the lateral area abuts against a limit stop, which lies opposite the outlet opening and defines the supply position in the feed direction, with said limit stop extending in a direction orthogonal to the feed direction, whereby the component is centered in the supply position.

8. A method for equipping intermediate products with rollable discoidal components, comprising a slide taking hold of a component is held in a supply position in accordance with the method of claim 1, wherein the slide moves through the supply position in a direction that deviates from the feed direction, and wherein said slide subsequently transfers the component to a delivery position and releases the component in this delivery position.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the slide closes the outlet opening of the feed device while the slide is located between the supply position and the delivery position.

10. A device for supplying rollable and discoidal components with two plane and parallel end faces and a lateral area arranged between these end faces in a supply position, comprising: a feed device with at least one guide for feeding a single-layer row of components to the supply position, wherein the guide ends in an outlet opening that faces the supply position and the components to be supplied respectively exit the feed device through the outlet opening in a first direction; a separating device for separating the components fed through the outlet opening of the feed device; and at least one magnet in the separating device, for generating a magnetic field that selectively acts upon one component fed to the supply position through the outlet opening of the feed device.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the magnet generates a magnetic flux density that acts upon the component exiting the outlet opening with spatial variation so as to be significantly stronger in a second direction than in a third direction, wherein these two directions are respectively oriented orthogonally to one another and to the first direction.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the second direction is oriented parallel to the end faces of the components when they exit the outlet opening.

13. The device according to claim 11, including a limit stop that lies opposite the outlet and is spaced apart from the outlet by a distance in order to define the supply position in the feed direction.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the distance between the outlet opening and the limit stop is greater than the diameter of the components and smaller than twice this diameter such that no more than one component is completely located between the outlet opening and the limit stop and the following component is prevented from rotating about the exiting direction by the guide of the feed device.

15. The device according to claim 13, wherein the limited stop is formed by a holder of the magnet.

16. The device according to claim 13, including an adjusting device for varying the distance between the outlet opening the limit stop.

17. The device according to claim 10, wherein the at least one magnet comprises at least one permanent magnet.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein the magnet is composed of a stack of layered permanent magnets with different dimensions.

19. The device according to claim 10, wherein the at least one magnet comprises at least one electromagnet.

20. A device for equipping intermediate products with rollable discoidal components that can be magnetized, comprising at least a reservoir for stocking the components, a device for feeding the components to a supply position according to claim 10, and a transfer device for transferring the components from the supply position to a delivery position.

21. The device according to claim 20, wherein the intermediate product defines a delivery position on or in the intermediate product.

22. The device according to claim 20, including a slide that holds the component during the transfer and is movable through the supply position of the components linearly in a direction extending orthogonally to the first direction.

23. The device according to claim 22, wherein the slide comprises a suction element for holding the component to be transferred.

24. The device according to claim 10, wherein said magnetic field acts simultaneously upon said component fed to the supply position through the outlet opening of the feed device and on a next component to be fed from the outlet opening; said magnetic field acts on the component fed to the supply position by rotating and holding said component in said supply position; and while said component is held in the supply position, said component held in the supply position prevents the next component from moving to the supply position and said guide prevents said next component from rotating.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0019] An exemplary embodiment of the inventive method, as well as of the inventive device, is described in greater detail below with reference to the drawing, in which:

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a perspective representation of a device for supplying rollable discoidal components, as well as for equipping intermediate products with such components; and

[0021] FIG. 2 shows a perspective representation of a detail of a device for supplying rollable discoidal components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The device illustrated in FIG. 1 is assembled on a pedestal in the form of a base plate 8 and thereby forms a compact unit can be used in different machines. The disordered reservoir is realized in the form of a drum conveyor 1 and filled with rollable discoidal components 5 through a filling orifice 11. This reservoir can be selectively filled with rollable discoidal components stored in a large container manually or automatically by means of a not-shown device. The drum 10 of the drum conveyor serves as reservoir and is set in rotation by means of a drive 13. In the region of its outlet opening 12, the interior of the drum 10 features guide elements that arrange the disordered components 5 in a single-layer row 6 in conjunction with the rotation of the drum 10, wherein this single-layer row is then transported to a supply position 7 by means of a feed device 2.

[0023] The feed device 2 features a guide 21 for accommodating and guiding the single-layer row 6, wherein said guide preserves the order of this row 6 during the transport of the magnetizable components 5 from the drum conveyor 1 to the separating device 3. Viewed in the product flow direction, the guide 21 initially features a vertical section before it ends in a slot-shaped outlet opening 22 with horizontal feed direction 101 via an arcuate section. Due to its length, the feed device can accommodate a plurality of rollable discoidal components 5 and therefore serve as a buffer 20 for compensating brief transport interruptions of the drum conveyor 1. The guide 21 is designed for utilizing the weight and the rollability of the components 5 in that these components roll on their lateral areas 105 in the arcuate section and the outlet opening 22, through which they exit the feed device 2 in an upright position, in which the normal of their end faces 104 is oriented orthogonally to the feed direction 101 and horizontally.

[0024] According to FIG. 2, a limit stop 36 of the separating device 3 is arranged at a certain distance from the outlet opening 22 of the feed device 2 referred to the feed direction 101. This distance 33 is chosen slightly larger than the diameter of the components 5 such that only one individual component 5 is respectively located in the supply position 7 formed between the outlet opening 22 of the feed device 2 and the limit stop 36 of the separating device 3.

[0025] The limit stop 36 is realized in the form of a metal sheet, wherein the magnet 30 is arranged on the side of this metal sheet that faces away from the supply position 7. This magnet is composed of a stack of layered permanent magnets 31, 38, the poles of which are arranged alternately referred to the feed direction 101. The stack consists of differently dimensioned individual magnets, wherein a first rectangular shape has an aspect ratio that significantly deviates from 1. These individual elongate magnets 31 are aligned horizontally with their long sides and form the part of the magnet 30 facing the supply position. In this way, the magnetic field being generated aligns the component 5 horizontally. The component 5 rolling out of the outlet opening 22 in an upright position is rotated by the angle 201 by means of the active magnetic field only, wherein the rotation takes place about the feed direction 101. According to the arrangement of the outlet opening 22 and the individual elongate magnets 31 illustrated in FIG. 2, the angle of rotation 201 amounts to 90. In this case, the rotating direction may vary and is irrelevant.

[0026] The part of the magnet 30 facing away from the supply position 7 is composed of a stack of individual square magnets 38. The square magnets are centrally arranged on the individual elongate magnets 31 and their edge length corresponds to the narrow side of the individual elongate magnets 31. The individual square magnets 38 intensify the centering effect of the magnetic field, to which the component 5 is subjected in the supply position 7.

[0027] The component 5, which is held in the supply position 7 in this fashion, blocks the outlet opening 22 for the following components 5 of the single-layer row 6 in the feed device 2. The orthogonal relative alignment between the two components 5, 5 is illustrated in FIG. 2, the first of which is located in the supply position 7, and reliably prevents the following components 5 from laterally sliding off and therefore the uncontrollable stacking of components 5 in the supply position 7.

[0028] The component 5 located in the supply position 7 has a first common contact surface 301 with its following component 5 and a second common contact surface 302 with the limit stop 36 of the separating device 3. The magnetic flux through these two contact surfaces 301, 302 stabilizes the rotational axis the component 5 and thereby contributes to an exactly reproducible and precise positioning of the component 5 in the supply position 7.

[0029] The effect of the magnetic field is further explained, in that the magnetic field extends to buffer 20 and therefore also acts on component 5. However, component 5 cannot move forward because supply position 7 is still occupied by component 5 and component 5 cannot rotate because of guide 21.

[0030] As soon as supply position 7 is free (component 5 is removed and slide 40 is retracted) component 5 will immediately pass the outlet opening 22 as it is attracted by the magnet 30 and becomes the next positioned component 5. The magnetic force is strong enough for holding component 5 and for preventing this component from dropping. The remaining components 5 do not need to push.

[0031] The invention would alternatively operate with a horizontal buffer, as long as all the components 5 have contact with their neighbors. A vertical buffer 20 as shown in FIG. 1 supports the magnet array 30 by pushing component 5 with components 5. In addition the buffer 20 as shown ensures all components 5 and 5 have contact to their neighbors.

[0032] As soon as component 5 exits guide 21 at 22, component 5 is no longer prevented from rotating and therefore immediately rotates to a horizontal orientation by force of the magnet array 30.The magnetic field acts on component 5 and tries to bring it into the position and orientation of component 5 shown in the figures. This is supply position 7. But component 5 still is blocked by component 5 as it occupies supply position 7 and by guide 21.

[0033] In order to change the supply position 7 and to adapt the distance 33 of the limit stop 36 from the outlet opening 22 to the diameter of the components 5, the limit stop 36 and the magnet 30 are jointly connected to an adjusting device 37 by means of a holder 32. The adjusting device shown comprises a linear guide 34 and a clamping mechanism 35 in order to fix the position of the limit stop 36. Alternatively, a not-shown spindle drive may be supplemented for particularly precise adjustments.

[0034] A transfer device 4 is arranged above the supply position 7 and on the common base plate 8, wherein said transfer device takes hold of the component 5 located in the supply position 7 and transfers this component to a delivery position 45. This delivery position 45 is located underneath the supply position 7 on or in an intermediate product 46 (shown schematically) incorporating the component such as, e.g., a box cover prepared for a magnetic lock.

[0035] The transfer device 4 comprises a slide 40 that can be linearly moved by means of a linear guide 42. A suction element 41 is arranged in the side of the slide 40 that faces the supply position 7 in FIG. 2, wherein said suction element is connected to a not-shown vacuum generator by means of a suction pipe 43. The suction element 41 serves for securely fixing the component 5 on the slide 40 during the transfer from the supply position 7 to the delivery position 45.

[0036] Starting from its upper end position, the slide 40 linearly moves through the supply position 7 and takes hold of the supplied component 5 with the aid of the suction element 41 during this process, wherein the slide subsequently pushes the component 5 from the supply position 7 to the delivery position 45 against the active magnetic force. After releasing the component 5 in the delivery position, the slide 40 once again returns into its starting position via the supply position 7. The slide 40 is realized in a column-shaped fashion, wherein its length is dimensioned such that it still blocks the supply position 7 in its lower end position and thereby prevents the row 6 from being fed through the outlet opening 22 until it has reached a position above the supply position 7.

[0037] The slide 40 is actuated by means of a drive 44 consisting of two serially connected pneumatic cylinders. In this case, a first cylinder displaces the slide from its upper end position up to the supply position 7 such that the suction element 41 is securely attached to the component 5. As soon as the component 5 is fixed on the suction element 41 due to the vacuum, a second cylinder of the drive 44 displaces the slide 40 into its lower end position and thereby transfers the component 5 to the delivery position 45. It is alternatively also possible to use other not-shown drives that likewise operate in accordance with the two-stage principle or also the single-stage principle.