Conveying system, dip-coating system and method for dip-coating a workpiece

Abstract

A conveying system for a dip-coating system has at least one conveying unit that can be moved parallel to a conveying direction, in which workpieces to be treated can be conveyed through the dip-coating system, along a dip-coating tank of the dip-coating system, with which unit at least one workpiece to be treated can be moved in the conveying direction and at the same time can be dipped in a dipping bath contained in the dip-coating tank. The conveying system has at least one runway that can be disposed laterally beside the dip-coating tank, wherein the conveying unit has a powered vehicle of at least double-tracked and steerable construction, which is disposed with the ability to travel on the runway for conveying of the workpiece.

Claims

1. A conveying system (3) for a dip-coating system (1, 32), having at least one conveying unit (7, 33), which can be moved parallel to a conveying direction, in which workpieces (4) to be treated can be conveyed through the dip-coating system (1, 32), along a dip-coating tank (2) of the dip-coating system (1, 32), with which unit at least one workpiece (4) to be treated can be moved in the conveying direction and at the same time can be dipped in a dipping bath (6) contained in the dip-coating tank (2), comprising at least one runway (8) that can be disposed laterally beside the dip-coating tank (2), wherein the conveying unit (7, 33) has a powered vehicle (18) of at least double-tracked and steerable construction, which is disposed with the ability to travel on the runway (8) for conveying of the workpiece (8).

2. The conveying system (3) according to claim 1, wherein the powered vehicle (18) is an electric vehicle.

3. The conveying system (3) according to claim 1 , wherein the powered vehicle (18) is set up for autonomous driving.

4. The conveying system (3) according to claim 1, wherein the runway (8) has a conveying portion (13) that can be disposed laterally beside the dip-coating tank (2), a return portion (14) disposed on a side of the conveying portion (13) opposite from the dip-coating tank (2), and two transition portions (15) respectively joining the conveying portion (13) and the return portion (14) end-to-end with one another, wherein these portions (13, 14, 15) of the runway (8) are formed by a surface equipped with runway limiters or by a surface (16) free of runway limiters.

5. The conveying system (3) according to claim 1, wherein the conveying unit (7, 33) has, for holding the workpiece (4) and carried by the powered vehicle (18), at least one holding unit (22), which has at least one holding cantilever arm (23) and at least one counterweight (25), wherein the counterweight (25) is disposed in such a way relative to the holding cantilever arm (23) that moments acting on the powered vehicle (18) via the holding cantilever arm (25) loaded with the workpiece (4) can be at least balanced out with the counterweight (25).

6. The conveying system (3) according to claim 5, wherein the holding cantilever arm (23) is disposed around a horizontal turning axis (27) with the ability to turn on the rest of the holding unit (22a).

7. The conveying system (3) according to claim 6, wherein the holding cantilever arm (23) has a holding portion (28), which is connected to the workpiece (4) and can be detached from it nondestructively, and, relative to the rest of the holding cantilever arm (23a), is disposed laterally offset from the horizontal turning axis (27).

8. The conveying system (3) according to claim 5, wherein at least one mushroom pin (29) that can be connected with the workpiece (4) is disposed laterally on the holding cantilever arm (23).

9. The conveying system (3) according to claim 5, wherein the holding cantilever arm (23) is disposed in vertically displaceable manner on the rest of the holding unit (22a).

10. The conveying system (3) according to claim 5, wherein the holding cantilever arm (23) is disposed around a vertical swivel axis (30) with the ability to swivel on the rest of the holding unit (22a), or the holding unit (22) is disposed around the vertical swivel axis (30) with the ability to turn on the powered vehicle (18).

11. A dip-coating system (1, 32) having at least one dip-coating tank (2) and at least one conveying system (3) for conveying of workpieces (4) to be treated in a conveying direction through the dip-coating system (1, 32), wherein the conveying system (3) is formed according to claim 1 .

12. The dip-coating system (1, 32) according to claim 11, wherein the runway (8) is formed by a shop floor (5) or is braced against the shop floor (5) by means of a load-bearing substructure (11).

13. A method for dip-coating of a workpiece (4), wherein the workpiece (4) to be treated is moved in a conveying direction through the dip-coating system (1, 32) and at the same time is dipped in a dipping bath (6) contained in a dip-coating tank (2), wherein the workpiece (4) to be treated is moved by means of at least one conveying unit (7, 33), which travels on a runway (8) disposed laterally beside the dip-coating tank (2) and has a powered vehicle (18) of at least double-tracked and steerable construction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0029] Therein:

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a dip-coating system according to the invention;

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a further exemplary embodiment of a dip-coating system according to the invention;

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a schematic and perspective diagram of a conveying unit with lowered holding cantilever arm of a further exemplary embodiment of a dip-coating system according to the invention;

[0033] FIG. 4 shows a schematic and perspective diagram of the conveying unit shown in FIG. 3 with raised holding cantilever arm; and

[0034] FIG. 5 shows a schematic and perspective diagram of the conveying unit shown in FIG. 3 with horizontally swiveled holding cantilever arm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0035] Like and functionally similar component parts are denoted with the same reference symbols in the figures. A repeated description of such component parts in detail can be omitted for avoidance of unnecessary repetitions.

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a dip-coating system 1 according to the invention with a dip-coating tank 2 and a conveying system 3 for conveying of workpieces 4 to be treated in a conveying direction, oriented perpendicular to the plane of the drawing, through the dip-coating system 1. The dip-coating tank 2 is mounted on a shop floor 5 and contains a dipping bath 6.

[0037] The conveying system 3 has several conveying units 7 that can be moved parallel to the conveying direction along the dip-coating tank 2, with which units respectively a workpiece 4 to be treated can be moved in the conveying direction and at the same time can be dipped in the dipping bath 6 contained in the dip-coating tank 2. Only two of the conveying units 7 are shown in FIG. 1, wherein the conveying unit 7 shown on the left is situated in a conveying mode and the conveying unit 7 shown on the right is situated in a return mode, as will become more apparent from the following description.

[0038] In addition, the conveying system 3 has a runway 8 disposed laterally beside the dip-coating tank 2. The runway 8 is formed by a platform 9, which is braced by means of props 10 against the shop floor 5. The platform 9 and the props 10 form a load-bearing substructure 11, via which the runway 8 is braced against the shop floor 5. The runway 8 is disposed geodetically lower than the upper rim of the dip-coating tank 2 and geodetically higher than a surface level 12 of the dipping bath 6.

[0039] The runway 8 has, disposed laterally beside the dip-coating tank 2, a conveying portion 13, on which the conveying unit 7 shown on the left of FIG. 1 is traveling away from the observer of FIG. 1. Furthermore, the runway 8 has, on a side of the conveying portion 13 applied to the dip-coating tank 2, a return portion 14, on which the conveying unit 7 shown on the right of FIG. 1 is traveling toward the observer of FIG. 1. In addition, the runway 8 has, respectively joining the conveying portion 13 and the return portion 14 end-to-end with one another, two transition portions 15, of which only one transition portion 15 is shown in FIG. 1. These portions 13, 14 and 15 of the runway 8 are formed by a surface 16 that is free of runway limiters. Alternatively, the portions 13, 14 and 15 can be formed by a surface, not shown, equipped with runway limiters, not shown.

[0040] The respective conveying unit 7 has a powered vehicle 18 of double-tracked and steerable construction, which is disposed with the ability to travel on the runway 8 for conveying of the respective workpiece 4. The powered vehicle 18 has four running-wheel units 19 with respectively two steerable running wheels 20, wherein the respective running-wheel unit 19 can be turned by means of its own steering drive, not shown, around its own vertical steering axis 21. The powered vehicle 18 is an electric vehicle with electric drives, not shown, with which respectively at least one running-wheel unit 19 can be driven. In addition, the powered vehicle 18 may be set up for autonomous driving.

[0041] Furthermore, the respective conveying unit 7 has a holding unit 22 carried by the powered vehicle 22 for holding the respective workpiece 4. The holding unit 22 has a holding cantilever arm 23 and a counterweight 24. The counterweight 24 is disposed in such a way relative to the holding cantilever arm 23 that moments acting on the powered vehicle 18 via the holding cantilever arm 23 loaded with the workpiece 4 can be at least balanced out with the counterweight 24. For this purpose, the holding cantilever arm 23 and the counterweight 24 are disposed on sides, situated opposite from one another, of a tower 25 of the holding unit 22. The counterweight 24 is of modular construction and in the shown exemplary embodiment has two weight units 26 stacked one above the other.

[0042] The holding cantilever arm 23 is disposed around a horizontal turning axis 27 with the ability to turn on the rest of the holding unit 22a. In addition, the holding cantilever arm 23 has a holding portion 28, which is connected to the workpiece 4 and can be detached from it nondestructively, and, relative to the rest of the holding cantilever arm 23a, is disposed offset laterally from the horizontal turning axis 27. The holding portion 28 has, extending in parallel and spaced apart from one another as well as aligned transversely relative to the horizontal turning axis 27, two crossbeams 31, on which respectively two mushroom pins 29 connected to the workpiece 4 are disposed laterally.

[0043] Beyond that, the holding cantilever arm 23 is disposed in a height direction of the tower 25 such that it is vertically displaceable on the rest of the holding unit 22a. In the conveying unit 7 shown on the left in FIG. 1, the holding cantilever arm 23 is situated in its completely lowered position. In the conveying unit 7 shown on the right in FIG. 1, the holding cantilever arm 23 is situated in a raised position.

[0044] Furthermore, the holding cantilever arm 23 is disposed around a vertical swivel axis 30 with the ability to swivel on the rest of the holding unit 22a. In comparison to the position of the holding cantilever arm 23 relative to the powered vehicle 18 of the conveying unit 7 shown on the left in FIG. 1, the holding cantilever arm 23 in the conveying unit 7 shown on the right in FIG. 1 is disposed swiveled by 90° around the vertical swivel axis 30. In addition, the holding cantilever arm 23 has been swiveled by 90° around the horizontal turning axis 27. The holding cantilever arm 23 and the counterweight 24 are disposed such that, during a swiveling of the holding cantilever arm 23 around the vertical swivel axis 30, the counterweight 24 is also swiveled simultaneously in the same direction.

[0045] In FIG. 1, the holding cantilever arm 23 of the conveying unit 7 shown on the left in FIG. 1 is shown in two turning positions offset from one another by 180°, wherein one turning position, in which the workpiece 4 is disposed outside the dipping bath 6, is shown with solid lines, whereas the other turning position, in which the workpiece 4 is dipped completely into the dipping bath 6, is illustrated by broken lines.

[0046] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a further exemplary embodiment of a dip-coating system 32 according to the invention. The dip-coating system 32 is distinguished from the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 by the fact that the runway 8 is formed by a shop floor 5 braced by props 10, the dip-coating tank 2 is disposed in partly embedded manner in the shop floor 5 and the tower 25 of the holding unit 22 is disposed in off-centered or peripheral position on the powered vehicle 18. Otherwise, the dip-coating system 32 can be constructed in a manner corresponding to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, for which reason reference is made to the above description for FIG. 1 for avoidance of repetitions.

[0047] FIG. 3 shows a schematic and perspective diagram of a conveying unit 33 with lowered holding cantilever arm 23 of a further exemplary embodiment of a dip-coating system, not shown, according to the invention. For example, the conveying unit 33 may be used in a dip-coating system 1 corresponding to FIG. 1.

[0048] It is obvious that the conveying unit 33 is formed in the manner of a vehicle crane, such as are also the conveying units of FIGS. 1 and 2. For this purpose, the holding unit 22 is connected via a turning unit 34 with the powered vehicle 18 in such a way that it can turn around the vertical swivel axis 30. In addition, the holding unit 22 has a linear guide 35, via which the holding cantilever arm 23 is disposed in vertically displaceable manner on the rest of the holding unit 22a. Beyond that, the holding cantilever arm 23 is connected via a turning unit 17 with the rest of the holding unit 22a in such a way that it can turn around the horizontal turning axis 27. The counterweight 24 is formed from five weight units 26 of identical structure, stacked one above the other, and is disposed on the rest of the holding unit 22a. The holding cantilever arm 23 is shown in its completely lowered position, which corresponds to the lowered position of the holding cantilever arm 23 of the conveying unit shown on the left in FIG. 1. Otherwise, the conveying unit 33 can be constructed in a manner corresponding to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, for which reason reference is made to the above description for FIG. 1 for avoidance of repetitions.

[0049] FIG. 4 shows a schematic and perspective diagram of the conveying unit 33 shown in FIG. 3 with raised holding cantilever arm 23. For this purpose, by means of the linear guide 35, the holding cantilever arm 23 has been displaced upward relative to the rest of the holding unit 22a.

[0050] FIG. 5 shows a schematic and perspective diagram of the conveying unit shown in FIG. 3 with horizontally swiveled holding cantilever arm 23. The position of the holding cantilever arm 23 results from the position shown in FIG. 3, wherein the holding cantilever arm 23 has been swiveled by means of the turning unit 17 by 90° around the horizontal turning axis 27 and the holding unit 22 has been turned by means of the turning unit 34 by 90° around the vertical swivel axis 30 relative to the powered vehicle 18. The position of the holding cantilever arm 23 shown in FIG. 5 corresponds to the position of the holding cantilever arm 23 of the conveying unit shown on the right in FIG. 1.

TABLE-US-00001 List of reference symbols 1 Dip-coating system 2 Dip-coating tank 3 Conveying system 4 Workpiece 5 Shop floor 6 Dipping bath 7 Conveying unit 8 Runway 9 Platform 10 Props 11 Substructure 12 Surface level of 6 13 Conveying portion of 8 14 Return portion of 8 15 Transition portion of 8 16 Surface 17 Turning unit 18 Powered vehicle 19 Running-wheel unit 20 Running wheel 21 Vertical steering axis of 19 22 Holding unit 22a Rest of holding unit 23 Holding cantilever arm 24 Counterweight 25 Tower 26 Weight unit 27 Horizontal turning axis of 23 28 Holding portion of 23 29 Mushroom pins 30 Vertical swivel axis of 22 31 Crossbeams of 23 32 Dip-coating system 33 Conveying unit 34 Turning unit 35 Linear guide