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EP-4739605-A1 - APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING PREFERABLY FLAT ADHESIVE ELEMENTS

EP4739605A1EP 4739605 A1EP4739605 A1EP 4739605A1EP-4739605-A1

Abstract

The invention presents and describes an apparatus for providing adhesive elements (35), having a conveyor belt (13), the circulating web of which has a receiving portion (15), in which the conveyor belt (13) is guided such that it extends horizontally, wherein the receiving portion (15) extends away from a deflection element (17), wherein the outwardly facing surface of the conveyor belt (13) is configured such that the adhesive surface of adhesive elements (35) adheres thereto only to such an extent that the adhesive elements can be detached therefrom by means of a handling device (5) that engages with the top side, having a receiving device (25) comprising at least one receptacle (27, 29) for a carrier web element, wherein the carrier web element comprises a carrier web (33) on which a multiplicity of adhesive elements (35) are arranged such that the adhesive surface adheres to the carrier web (33), wherein the receptacle (27, 29) is configured to convey the carrier web (33) in such a way that a portion of the carrier web (33) is guided opposite the deflection element (17) in a carrier web plane and deflected immediately adjacently to the deflection element (17), in such a way that the adhesive elements (35) detach from the carrier web (33) and are transferred to a part of the conveyor belt (13) situated in the receiving portion (15), wherein an optical detection device (51) is provided, the latter being arranged relative to the receiving portion (15) so as to detect adhesive elements (35) arranged on the part of the conveyor belt (13) situated in the receiving portion (15), wherein the optical detection device (51) is configured to output an image signal, wherein an evaluation unit (53) is provided, the latter being connected to the optical detection device (51) and being configured to determine position information from the image signal, wherein the position information reproduces the positions of adhesive elements (35) in the receiving portion (15) at a predetermined time, and wherein the evaluation unit (53) is configured to output the position information.

Inventors

  • NAGL, MATTHIAS

Assignees

  • Nagl & Vetter GmbH

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240704

Claims (20)

  1. 1. Device for providing preferably flat adhesive elements (35) which have an adhesive surface coated with adhesive and an upper side opposite thereto, with a frame (11), with a rotating driven conveyor belt (13) which is mounted on the frame (11) in such a way that its rotating track has a receiving section (15) in which the conveyor belt (13) is guided so that it runs horizontally and its surface facing outwards with respect to the rotating track faces upwards, wherein the receiving section (15) extends away from a deflection element (17), wherein the outward-facing surface of the conveyor belt (13) is designed such that adhesive elements (35) adhere to it with their adhesive surface only to such an extent that they can be released therefrom by means of a handling device (5) which engages with the upper side, with a receiving device (25) which has at least one receptacle (27, 29) for a carrier web element, wherein the carrier web element has a carrier web (33) on which a plurality of adhesive elements (35) are arranged such that the adhesive surface adheres to the carrier web (33), wherein the receptacle (27, 29) has a drive and the receptacle (27, 29) is configured to convey the carrier web (33) such that a section of the carrier web (33) opposite the deflection element (17) is guided in a carrier web plane which runs in or parallel to the plane of the receiving section (15), and is deflected immediately adjacent to the deflection element (17) such that the adhesive elements (35) are released from the carrier web (33) and transferred to a part of the conveyor belt (13) located in the receiving section (15), characterized in that an optical detection device (51) is provided which is arranged in such a way relative to the receiving section (15), preferably above it, in order to to detect adhesive elements (35) arranged on the part of the conveyor belt (13) located in the receiving section (15), (51) that the optical detection device is configured to output an image signal, that an evaluation unit (53) is provided which is connected to the optical detection device (51) and which is configured to determine position information from the image signal, wherein the position information represents the positions of adhesive elements (35) in the receiving section (15) at a predetermined point in time, and that the evaluation unit (53) is configured to output the position information.
  2. 2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one receptacle (27, 29) is designed to receive a carrier web element, on the carrier web (33) of which the adhesive elements (35) are arranged next to one another in several rows along the carrier web (33), so that adhesive elements (35) which have been transferred from the carrier web element to the conveyor belt (13) are arranged on the conveyor belt (13) in several rows extending in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt (13).
  3. 3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the carrier web element is designed as an adhesive element roll (31) and the carrier web (33) is rolled up into the adhesive element roll (31), wherein the at least one receptacle (27, 29) is configured to receive the adhesive element roll (31) and a take-up roll (37), and wherein the receptacle (27, 29) has a peeling edge (45) which is opposite the deflection element (17) so that a section unwound from the adhesive element roll (31) can be guided over the peeling edge (45) to the take-up roll (37).
  4. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the pickup (27, 29) is configured to drive the pickup roller (37).
  5. 5. Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the carrier web element is designed as a cassette (57) which has a housing (59) in which an adhesive element roll (31") is received, wherein the carrier web (33) is rolled up to form the adhesive element roll (3i'), wherein a take-up roll (3/) is received in the housing (59), onto which a section of the carrier web (33) which has been unwound from the adhesive element roll (31") can be wound.
  6. 6. Device according to claim 5, wherein the cassette (57) has a peeling edge (45") which is opposite the deflecting element (17) when the cassette (57) is received in the receptacle (27, 29), wherein a section unwound from the adhesive element roll (31") is guided over the peeling edge (45') to the take-up roll (3/).
  7. 7. Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the carrier web element is designed as an adhesive element sheet (61) and wherein the carrier web is designed as a carrier web sheet (63), wherein the receptacle (27, 29) is preferably designed to receive a plurality of adhesive element sheets (61) as a stack.
  8. 8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the deflection element is designed as a knife edge for the conveyor belt (13), over which the conveyor belt (13) is guided.
  9. 9. Device according to claim 8, wherein the knife edge is designed as a fixed deflection guide with a curved guide section which extends transversely to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt (13) and over which the conveyor belt (13) is guided.
  10. 10. Device according to claim 8, wherein the knife edge has a deflection roller (23) extending transversely to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt and resting from below on the plane of the receiving section (15), over which the conveyor belt (13) is guided.
  11. 11. Device according to one or more of claims 1 to 10, wherein the receiving device (25) has a first receptacle (27) and a second receptacle (29), wherein the first receptacle (27) has a drive and the first receptacle (27) is configured to convey the carrier web (33) of a carrier web element received in the first receptacle (27) in such a way that a section of the carrier web (33) opposite the deflection element (17) is guided in a carrier web plane that runs in or parallel to the plane of the receiving section (15), and is deflected immediately adjacent to the deflection element (17) in such a way that the adhesive elements (35) detach from the carrier web (33) and are transferred to a part of the conveyor belt (13) located in the receiving section (15), and wherein the second receptacle has a drive and the second receptacle is configured to convey the carrier web of a carrier web element received in the second receptacle in such a way that a section of the carrier web opposite the deflection element is guided in a carrier web plane that runs in or parallel to the plane of the receiving section (15), and is deflected immediately adjacent to the deflection element (17) in such a way that is diverted so that the adhesive elements (35) are released from the carrier web (33) and transferred to a part of the conveyor belt (13) located in the receiving section (15).
  12. 12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the first and second receptacles are configured such that adhesive elements (35) transferred from a carrier web element received in the first receptacle (27) onto the conveyor belt (13) are arranged next to the adhesive elements (35) on the conveyor belt (13) which have been transferred from a carrier web element received in the second receptacle (29) onto the conveyor belt (13).
  13. 13. Device according to one or more of claims 1 to 12, wherein the optical detection device is designed as a camera (51) which outputs one-dimensional or two-dimensional image information.
  14. 14. Device according to claim 13, wherein the camera (51) is arranged vertically above the receiving section (15), preferably such that an optical axis of the camera (51) is perpendicular to a plane in which the receiving section (15) extends.
  15. 15- Device according to one or more of claims 1 to 14, wherein the device comprises a driven handling device (5) for handling adhesive elements (35), wherein the handling device (5) is configured to remove adhesive elements (35) from the conveyor belt (13) in the region of the receiving section (15) and to deposit them away from the receiving section (15), wherein a control unit (55) is provided which is connected to the handling device (5) in order to control the handling device (5), wherein the control unit (55) is connected to the evaluation unit (53).
  16. 16. System comprising a device according to one or more of claims 1 to 4 or claims 8 to 15, if dependent on one of claims 1 to 4, and an adhesive element roll (31), wherein the carrier web (33) is rolled up to form the adhesive element roll (31), wherein the adhesive element roll (31) and a take-up roll (37) are received in the receptacle (27, 29) and wherein the receptacle (27, 29) has a peel-off edge (45) which is opposite the deflection element (17), so that a section unwound from the adhesive element roll (31) is guided via the peel-off edge (45) to the take-up roll (37).
  17. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the pickup (27, 29) is configured to drive the pickup roller (37).
  18. 18. A system comprising a device according to one or more of claims 1, 2, 5 or 6 or claims 8 to 15 when dependent on one of claims 1, 2, 5 or 6, and a cassette which is received in the receptacle and which has a housing in which an adhesive element roll is received, wherein the carrier web is rolled up to form the adhesive element roll, wherein a take-up roll is received in the housing onto which a portion of the carrier web which has been unwound from the adhesive element roll can be wound.
  19. 19- System according to claim 18, wherein the cassette has a peel-off edge which is opposite the deflection element, wherein a portion unwound from the adhesive element roll is guided over the peel-off edge to the take-up roll.
  20. 20. System comprising a device according to one or more of claims 1, 2 or 7 or claims 8 to 15, if dependent on one of claims 1, 2 or 7, and an adhesive element sheet which comprises a carrier element sheet, wherein the carrier web is designed as the carrier web sheet. wherein an adhesive element sheet, preferably a plurality of adhesive element sheets as a stack, are received in the receptacle.

Description

Device and method for providing preferably flat adhesive elements The present invention relates to a device for providing preferably sheet-like adhesive elements which have an adhesive surface coated with adhesive and an upper side opposite thereto, as well as a method for providing such adhesive elements. In many areas such as the automotive and electronics industries, it is often necessary to attach so-called adhesive elements, i.e. elements that have a first surface coated with adhesive, the so-called adhesive surface, to a predetermined position on a workpiece, for example in order to protect it in this position. Furthermore, these adhesive elements have an upper side facing away from the adhesive surface, which can either be designed as an adhesive surface or be designed in any other desired way. It is necessary to provide the adhesive elements in such a way that a handling system or a handling device can pick up the adhesive elements and automatically attach them to the desired position on a workpiece. In turn, it is also necessary that the adhesive elements can be reliably provided and that the handling devices can safely pick them up at the point where they are provided. In this case, it is state of the art that the adhesive elements are arranged with their adhesive surface on a carrier web and the carrier web is in turn wound up to form an adhesive element roll. The adhesive element roll is then successively unwound in the provision device and the adhesive elements are provided in a receiving section so that they can be picked up there by a handling device. It has proven to be problematic to provide the adhesive elements in a precise position so that they can be safely picked up by the handling device. In addition, it is also necessary that the required number of adhesive elements are provided in the receiving section per unit of time, which are then placed on the workpieces by the handling device. It is therefore necessary that a device for providing adhesive elements is also designed to provide the adhesive elements at a sufficiently high rate. Therefore, based on the prior art, the object of the present invention is to provide a device for providing adhesive elements, which is designed to provide a sufficiently large number of adhesive elements per unit of time and to cooperate with a handling device in such a way that the latter can safely receive the adhesive elements provided. According to a first aspect of the present invention, this object is achieved by a device for providing preferably sheet-like adhesive elements, which have an adhesive surface coated with adhesive and an upper side opposite thereto, with a frame and with a rotating driven conveyor belt, which is mounted on the frame in such a way that its rotating track has a receiving section in which the conveyor belt is guided so that it runs horizontally and whose surface facing outwards with respect to the rotating track faces upwards, wherein the receiving section extends away from a deflection element. The outward-facing surface of the conveyor belt is designed in such a way that adhesive elements adhere to it with their adhesive surface only to such an extent that they can be released from it by means of a handling device that engages with the upper side. - The device according to the invention further comprises a receiving device which has at least one receiving means for a carrier web element, wherein the carrier web element has a carrier web on which a plurality of adhesive elements are arranged such that the adhesive surface adheres to the carrier web. The receiving means has a drive and the receiving means is configured to convey and guide the carrier web such that a section of the carrier web opposite the deflection element is guided in a carrier web plane which runs in or parallel to the plane of the receiving section and is deflected immediately adjacent to the deflection element such that the adhesive elements are released from the carrier web and transferred to a part of the conveyor belt located in the receiving section. Furthermore, according to the invention, an optical detection device is provided which is arranged in such a way relative to the receiving section, preferably above it, in order to detect adhesive elements arranged on the part of the conveyor belt located in the receiving section, wherein the optical detection device is configured to output an image signal, wherein an evaluation unit is provided which is connected to the optical detection device and which is configured to generate a to determine position information, wherein the position information represents the positions of adhesive elements in the receiving section at a predetermined point in time, and the evaluation unit is configured to output the position information. The device according to the invention is thus equipped with a frame and with a belt conveyor which has a conveyor belt which is held and driven on the frame of the device in suc