LAYING-PIPE SEGMENT, LAYING-PIPE HOLDER AND ARRANGEMENT OF A LAYING-PIPE HOLDER AND A LAYING PIPE

Abstract

A laying-pipe segment is produced using an additive manufacturing method, as part of a laying pipe for depositing a workpiece guided through the laying-pipe segment, with a laying-pipe segment length, with a laying-pipe segment axis deviating along the laying-pipe segment length from a straight line, with an outside diameter and an inside diameter, by the difference of which a wall thickness is determined, as well as with a laying-pipe segment cross section formed along the laying-pipe segment axis, wherein the wall thickness is determined at a particular height of the laying-pipe segment axis of the laying-pipe segment.

Claims

1. A laying-pipe segment configured to be part of a laying pipe for depositing a workpiece guided through the laying-pipe segment, the laying-pipe segment comprising: (a) a laying-pipe segment length; (b) a laying-pipe segment axis deviating) from a straight line along the laying-pipe segment length; (c) an outside diameter; (d) an inside diameter; (e) a wall thickness determined by a difference between the inside diameter and the outside diameter; and (f) a laying-pipe segment cross section formed along the laying-pipe segment axis; wherein the wall thickness is determined at a selected height of the laying-pipe segment axis of the laying-pipe segment; and wherein the laying-pipe segment is produced using an additive manufacturing method and forms a gradient of laying-pipe segment properties with flowing material progressions along at least one of the laying-pipe segment axis, the laying-pipe cross section, and an angle of rotation.

2. The laying-pipe segment according to claim 1, wherein the wall thickness of the laying-pipe segment varies along at least one of the laying-pipe segment axis, the laying-pipe segment cross section, and the angle of rotation.

3. The laying-pipe segment according to claim 1, wherein material properties of the laying-pipe segment vary along at least one of the laying-pipe segment axis, the laying-pipe segment cross section, and the angle of rotation.

4. The laying-pipe segment according to claim 1, wherein the laying-pipe segment is formed in one piece with at least one part of a cooling channel wall of a cooling channel or of a cooling line wall of a cooling line.

5. The laying-pipe segment according to claim 4, wherein the cooling channel or the cooling line is disposed within a wall of the laying-pipe segment.

6. The laying-pipe segment according to claim 1, wherein the laying-pipe segment has at least one contact point formed in one piece with the laying-pipe segment and projecting beyond the laying-pipe segment cross section for holding on a holder; or wherein the laying-pipe segment is formed in one piece with at least one air-guiding surface; or wherein the laying-pipe segment has at least one contact point formed in one piece with the laying-pipe segment and projecting beyond the laying-pipe segment cross section for holding on a holder and is formed in one piece with at least one air-guiding surface.

7. The laying-pipe segment according to claim 6, wherein the at least one contact point represents a first component of a multi-component fastening system.

8. The laying-pipe segment according to claim 6, wherein the at least one contact point, the at least one air-guiding surface, or the at least one contact point and the at least one air-guiding surface are manufactured additively.

9. The laying-pipe segment according to claim 6, wherein the at least one contact point is a holding arm or a plate.

10. The laying pipe segment according to claim 1, wherein the laying-pipe segment is configured to form the laying pipe together with at least one further laying-pipe segment; wherein the laying-pipe segment alone is configured to form the laying pipe.

11. The laying-pipe segment according to claim 1, wherein the laying-pipe segment is manufactured from hard metal.

12. The laying-pipe segment according to claim 1, wherein the additive manufacturing method is a selective laser-sintering method.

13. A laying-pipe holder for holding a laying pipe, the laying pipe comprising holder elements and Integrally-formed functional elements joined undetachably to one another and produced using an additive manufacturing method, wherein the functional elements comprise at least one of rotatably held bearing bodies, solids of revolution, and stationary racks.

14. The laying-pipe holder according to claim 13, wherein the holder elements are manufactured additively.

15. The laying-pipe holder according to claim 13, wherein each holder element of the holder element represents a second component of a multi-component fastening system.

16. The laying-pipe holder according to claim 13, wherein each holder element of the holder elements has a cross-sectional face deviating from a plane.

17. The laying-pipe holder according to claim 13, wherein each holder element of the holder elements is connected in one piece with a central body of the laying-pipe holder.

18. The laying-pipe holder according to claim 13, wherein the additive manufacturing method is a selective laser-sintering method.

19. A laying-pipe holder for holding a laying pipe, the laying-pipe holder comprising rack parts joined undetachably to one another and comprising holder elements and at least one of rotatably held bearing bodies, solids of revolution, and stationary racks, wherein at least one rack part of the rack parts comprises a coolant channel or a coolant line and forms a functional element formed in one piece.

20. The laying-pipe holder according to claim 13, wherein the functional elements form a rack part containing a coolant channel or containing a coolant line or containing the holder elements.

21. An arrangement comprising the laying-pipe holder according to claim 13 and a laying pipe of at least one laying-pipe segment, wherein the laying-pipe holder is connected with the laying pipe via holder elements as first components of a two-component fastening system and via contact elements or contact faces as second components of the two-component fastening system.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0081] Further advantages, objectives and properties of the present invention will be explained on the basis of the following description of exemplary embodiments, which are also illustrated in particular in the accompanying drawing. In the drawings:

[0082] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a first laying pipe in a representation from below;

[0083] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the first laying pipe according to FIG. 1 in a perspective representation;

[0084] FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the first laying pipe according to FIGS. 1 and 2 in a side view;

[0085] FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a second laying pipe in a perspective representation;

[0086] FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of the third laying pipe in a side view;

[0087] FIG. 6 shows a cross section through a laying-pipe segment perpendicular to the laying-pipe segment axis in schematic representation;

[0088] FIG. 7 shows a cross section through a laying-pipe segment perpendicular to the laying-pipe segment axis in schematic representation with varying wall thickness;

[0089] FIG. 8 shows a cross section through a laying-pipe segment perpendicular to the laying-pipe segment axis in schematic representation with varying material properties;

[0090] FIG. 9 shows a cross section through an arrangement of a laying-pipe holder and a laying pipe in schematic cross section;

[0091] FIG. 10 shows a depositing device with the arrangement according to FIG. 9;

[0092] FIG. 11 shows the arrangement according to FIG. 9 in perspective view from obliquely underneath; and

[0093] FIG. 12 shows a cross section through a holder and a laying pipe or a laying-pipe segment perpendicular to the laying-pipe segment axis in schematic representation;

[0094] FIG. 13 shows a cross section through a laying pipe or a laying-pipe segment formed in one piece with a holder perpendicular to the laying-pipe segment axis in schematic representation;

[0095] FIG. 14 shows a cross section through a laying pipe or a laying-pipe segment formed in one piece with a holder perpendicular to the laying-pipe segment axis with an air-guiding surface in schematic representation; and

[0096] FIG. 15 shows an arrangement according to FIG. 14 in a side view in schematic representation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0097] In a first exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 3, a laying pipe 10 is formed entirely from one laying-pipe segment 20, wherein FIGS. 1 to 3 respectively show different views of the laying pipe 10.

[0098] The laying-pipe segment 20 has a laying-pipe segment length 21, which is defined along a laying-pipe segment axis 22 deviating from a straight line, wherein both the laying-pipe segment length 21 and the laying-pipe segment axis 22 extend from a laying-pipe inlet 11 to a laying-pipe outlet 12.

[0099] In the present exemplary embodiment, the laying pipe 10 is configured in a roughly spiral-shaped form. By this form, the laying pipe 10 is able to lay a workpiece 80 guided lengthwise through the laying pipe 10 in particularly simple manner, in that the workpiece is introduced along the laying-pipe segment axis 22 into the laying pipe 10 and, due to the spiral-shaped configuration of the laying pipe 10, can be deposited horizontally. By a rotation of the laying pipe 10, a workpiece is then deposited horizontally in circular manner.

[0100] The laying pipe 10 is similarly configured in the second and third exemplary embodiments according to FIGS. 4 and 5. In these exemplary embodiments, however, the laying pipe 10 is formed not from a single laying-pipe segment 20, but instead four or two laying-pipe segments 20 together form the laying pipe 10.

[0101] Beyond this, the laying-pipe segments 20 of the exemplary embodiments according to FIGS. 1 to 6 respectively have, as is then schematically illustrated in FIG. 6, an outside diameter 24 and an inside diameter 25, by the difference of which a wall thickness 26 is determined. In addition, the laying pipe segments 10 respectively have, along the laying-pipe segment axis 22, a laying-pipe segment cross section 23, wherein the wall thickness 26 is determined at a particular height of the laying-pipe segment axis 22 of the laying-pipe segment 20. The wall thickness 26 here indicates the thickness of the wall 32 of the laying-pipe segment 20.

[0102] In addition, in the exemplary embodiments according to FIGS. 1 to 6, a cooling channel 30 or a cooling line 31 is disposed within the wall 32. It will be understood that, in deviating embodiments, several of such cooling channels 30 or cooling lines 31 may be provided or such features may be omitted.

[0103] In addition, the laying-pipe segments 20 of the exemplary embodiments according to FIGS. 1 to 6 are produced by means of an additive manufacturing method. The additive manufacturing methods make it possible here for the laying-pipe segments 20 to have a gradient of the laying-pipe segment properties along the laying-pipe segment axis 22, which is not visible from the figures of the present exemplary embodiments. Thus regions of a laying-pipe segment 20, for example, have a higher hardness than other regions of the laying-pipe segment 20. This can happen in an additive manufacturing method, for example by the respective choice of the powder mixtures used to build up the respective laying-pipe segments 20 at the corresponding positions. It is also conceivable for the laying-pipe segment 20 to have this gradient of the laying-pipe segment properties along the laying-pipe segment cross section 23. The laying-pipe segments 20 may also have a gradient of further laying-pipe segment properties, such as, for example, of the wall thickness, so that a laying-pipe segment 20 has different wall thicknesses 26 along the laying-pipe segment axis 22 and/or along the laying-pipe segment cross section 23 or along an angle of rotation 27. In addition, the different laying-pipe segment properties within a laying-pipe segment 20 may be formed as flowing material progressions, so that no abrupt difference but instead a flowing transition exists between the individual laying-pipe segment properties. One such can be achieved particularly simply by the production by means of an additive manufacturing method.

[0104] As the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 6 shows, the laying-pipe segment 20 is formed in one piece with at least one part of a wall 32 of a cooling channel 30 or of a cooling line 31, whereby a particularly effective cooling can take place within the wall 32 of the laying-pipe segment 20.

[0105] In a further exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 7, a cooling line 31 formed as cooling channel 30 is disposed within the wall 32 of a laying-pipe segment 20. The cooling line 31 may be integrated particularly simply within the wall 32 by means of an additive manufacturing method.

[0106] As an example, a cooling fluid may then be passed through the cooling line 31 or along a cooling channel 30, so that the cooling fluid flows through the cooling line 31 and thus also through the wall 32 of the laying-pipe segment. In this way, the laying-pipe segment 20 may be cooled by the cooling fluid in the cooling line. A workpiece, which is guided in the laying-pipe segment 20, on the one hand generates heat of friction and, however, as a consequence of the manufacturing process, is also able to carry heat in itself, which it releases to the laying pipe 10. This is undesirable, however, because it could have the consequence, for example, of deformations and changes of the material properties of the laying-pipe segment 20.

[0107] The arrangement of the cooling line within the wall 32 of the laying-pipe segment 20 represents a particularly effective cooling method here, since the cooling fluid is then directly in contact with the object to be cooled. Moreover, no external apparatuses are needed here any longer for cooling.

[0108] It will be understood that the cooling channel 30 does not absolutely have to be formed in closed manner.

[0109] In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 7, the wall thickness 26 of the laying pipe segment 20 varies along an angle of rotation 27, wherein the inside diameter 25 of the laying-pipe segment 20 also varies along the angle of rotation 27. At the same time, an outside diameter 24 of the laying-pipe segment 20 remains constant over the angle of rotation 27 or over an entire laying-pipe segment cross section 23. It will be understood that the inside diameter 25 could also be constant along the angle of rotation 27 and only the outside diameter 24 varies along the angle of rotation 27, whereby likewise the wall thickness 26 of the laying-pipe segment 20 would also vary along the angle of rotation. A configuration is also conceivable in which both the inside diameter 25 and the outside diameter 24 vary along the angle of rotation 27, and thus also the wall thickness 26 of the laying-pipe segment 20 varies along the angle of rotation.

[0110] Such a variation of the wall thickness 26 makes it possible in particular to counteract a wear at particular places.

[0111] Cumulatively or alternatively to the configurations mentioned in the foregoing, the variations or the constancy of the outside diameter 24, of the inside diameter 25 or of the wall thickness 26 may also take place along a laying-pipe segment axis 22 or along a laying-pipe segment cross section 23 and not just only along the angle of rotation 27.

[0112] Thus the possibility exists of configuring the laying-pipe segment 20 extremely individually, wherein the transitions, as a consequence of the manufacturing method, may be formed extremely flowingly.

[0113] In a further exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, a laying-pipe segment is shown that substantially is as in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 6, wherein the material properties of the laying-pipe segment 20 in the present exemplary embodiment vary along an angle of rotation 27. Material properties may be, for example, modulus of elasticity, density, hardness, compressive strength or flexural strength or even the material composition, especially the hardness and density of the hard substances. These are partly adapted in one region of the laying-pipe segment 20, in order to reinforce the affected region in this way against the high load or against the serious wear due to a workpiece 80 in the said region.

[0114] In addition, in the embodiment presented according to FIG. 8, the laying-pipe segment 20 is formed with a relatively abrupt material progression. It is also conceivable, however, for the laying-pipe segment 20 to be formed with a flowing material progression, wherein this is to be understood as a gradient of the material progression within the laying-pipe segment 20, which likewise may proceed both in the laying-pipe segment cross section 23 and along the laying-pipe segment length 21.

[0115] The production of the laying-pipe segment 20 by means of an additive manufacturing method proves particularly advantageous for configuring a region or particular regions of the laying-pipe segment 20 individually in such a way that the material properties of the laying-pipe segment 20 vary along the angle of rotation 27. These are capable of configuring regions of a workpiece containing various materials and thus also having various material properties, wherein the workpiece in itself is nevertheless manufactured in one piece. Thus, for example, it is not necessary for several laying-pipe segments 20 having different material properties to be assembled as one laying pipe 10, in order then to generate, in the region of the laying-pipe segment 20 having particular properties, such varying material properties within one laying pipe 10.

[0116] Cumulatively or alternatively to the embodiments described in the foregoing, it is also conceivable for the material properties of the laying-pipe segment 20 to vary along the laying-pipe segment axis 22 or along the laying-pipe segment cross section 23. Thus the material properties of the laying-pipe segment 20 are able to vary in all three dimensions and the laying-pipe segment 20 may be configured in any desired manner with respect to the material properties. This is possible particularly simply by the production by means of an additive manufacturing method.

[0117] In a further exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 9 to 12, a laying pipe 10, which is formed entirely from one laying-pipe segment 20, is disposed in a laying-pipe holder 60. The laying pipe 10 formed in spiral shape, is held here by a holder 40 on the laying-pipe holder 60, wherein the holder 40 comprises a holder element 42, which holds the laying pipe 10 at contact points 41.

[0118] It will be understood that the laying pipes according to FIGS. 1 to 8 may be correspondingly disposed and provided with contact points 41.

[0119] In this respect, the contact points 41 form first components and the holder elements 42 second components of a multi-component fastening system. By holding screws 43 as further components, the first two components are connected with one another and the laying pipe 10 is fastened on the holder 40.

[0120] Functional elements, which are connected undetachably with one another and in the present exemplary embodiment are formed as rotatably held bearing bodies 62, as the central body 63 and also as the rack part 70, and specifically as the solid of revolution 71, which represents the corresponding rack part 70, form the center of the laying-pipe holder 60, wherein a stationary rack part 72, on which the solid of revolution 71 is mounted, is also to be counted among the rack parts 70.

[0121] In addition, air-guiding surfaces 50, which guide the air appropriately and may likewise represent functional parts, are formed on the laying-pipe holder 60, whereby, for example, a possibly additional air cooling of the laying pipe 10 may take place.

[0122] In addition, the functional elements of the present exemplary embodiment of the laying-pipe holder 60 are produced by means of an additive manufacturing method, whereby an individual configuration and a faster replacement of wearing regions of a laying pipe 10 and of a laying-pipe holder 60 are ensured. The holder elements 42 are also manufactured additively.

[0123] In this way, the laying pipe 10 may be held operationally safely in particularly simple manner by the laying-pipe holder 60. In addition, the holder elements 42 have a cross-sectional face deviating from a plane, wherein the form of these holder elements 42 may be produced simply, however, by means of an additive manufacturing method.

[0124] Moreover, it is conceivable for the holder element 42 to be connected in one piece with a central body 63 of the laying-pipe holder 60.

[0125] As is also illustrated in FIG. 10 of the present exemplary embodiment, the entire system comprises a driver 73, which is connected downstream from a winding laying head 74. The driver 73 displaces a workpiece to be deposited and drives it into the winding laying head 74. The winding laying head 74 comprises the stationary rack part 72.

[0126] The laying-pipe holder 60 with the central body 63 and the solid of revolution 71 is disposed within the stationary rack part 72. Thus the laying pipe 10 or the laying-pipe segment also extends within the winding laying head 74 and within the stationary rack part 72 (indicated by a dot-dash curve in FIG. 10). It will be understood that, in the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 10, it is possible to provide each laying pipe 10 or each laying-pipe segment 20 as well as each laying-pipe holder 60 or each solid of revolution 71 that are described in the present case.

[0127] After exiting the winding laying head 74, the workpiece is deposited horizontally on a moving deposition surface 75, wherein the moving deposition surface 75 is formed in the present exemplary embodiment as a rolling deposition surface. In this way, the deposited workpiece can be transported away. It will be understood that the moving deposition surface may be formed in any other manner, provided it is capable of displacing the deposited workpiece in appropriate manner. For example, a running conveyor belt or the like may be provided.

[0128] In a further exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 13, the laying-pipe segment 20 or the laying pipe 10 is formed in one piece with the contact point 41 as the first component of the holder 40. In this way, the laying pipe may be provided directly with the holder 40. During replacement of the laying pipe 10 or a laying-pipe segment 20, the contact points 41 are therefore also sometimes replaced. However, this may simplify the entire replacement process considerably because, for example, the laying pipe 10 would not have to be separated first from separate clamps and the new laying pipe 10 connected again with the separate clamps. This represents a greater effort than replacing the laying pipe 10 with the contact points 41 connected in one piece, wherein only the contact points 41 have to be fastened again to a rack, to the holder elements 42 or the like. Such a one-piece configuration can be implemented in particularly simple manner by additive manufacturing methods.

[0129] In a further exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 14 and 15, basically a one-piece construction of the laying-pipe segment 20 with the holder element 42 according to the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 13 is provided. In addition, the laying-pipe segment 20 or the laying pipe 10 is formed in one piece with a scoop-like air-guiding surface 50.

[0130] For example, air from the surroundings is guided over the air-guiding surface 50 by a rotary movement of the laying pipe 10, in order to deposit a corresponding workpiece. Thus the air can be guided in specific manner in one direction or into one region. In the present embodiment, the air-guiding surface 50 is formed in such a way that air is guided along the laying pipe 10 or along the laying-pipe segment 20 by the movement that the laying pipe 10 experiences. In this way, an air cooling for cooling the laying pipe 10 is generated. However, this air cooling is provided in particularly simple manner by the one-piece construction of the air-guiding surface 50 with the laying pipe 10, so that no external apparatus is needed any longer in order to generate an air cooling. In particular, the space savings may be of great importance, depending on surrounding conditions. In addition, except for the actual manufacturing, no further costs arise during the cooling.

[0131] The additive manufacturing makes it possible to manufacture the air-guiding surface in particularly simple manner in almost any desired configuration, so that entirely individual forms of the air-guiding surface are possible, depending on how ac-curately the air is to be guided for the correspondingly desired cooling.

[0132] Although only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0133] 10 Laying pipe [0134] 11 Laying-pipe inlet [0135] 12 Laying-pipe outlet [0136] 20 Laying-pipe segment [0137] 21 Laying-pipe segment length [0138] 22 Laying-pipe segment axis [0139] 23 Laying-pipe segment cross section [0140] 24 Outside diameter [0141] 25 Inside diameter [0142] 26 Wall thickness [0143] 27 Angle of rotation [0144] 30 Cooling channel [0145] 31 Cooling line [0146] 32 Wall [0147] 40 Holder [0148] 41 Contact point [0149] 42 Holder element [0150] 43 Holding screws [0151] 50 air-guiding surface [0152] 60 Laying-pipe holder [0153] 62 Bearing body [0154] 63 Central body [0155] 70 Rack part [0156] 71 Solid of revolution [0157] 72 Stationary rack part [0158] 73 Driver [0159] 74 Winding laying head [0160] 75 Moving deposition surface