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KR-102963743-B1 - FEEDING DEVICE FOR GUIDING AND PROVIDING ONE-PIECE TIES

KR102963743B1KR 102963743 B1KR102963743 B1KR 102963743B1KR-102963743-B1

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a feed device (0) for guiding and providing an integral tie (1), wherein the feed device comprises: a hose unit (2) designed to guide each integral tie (1) by means of air flow along the hose unit (2) from inside the hose (2) toward the outlet end (2b) of the hose unit (2) and subsequently from the outlet end (2b) of the hose unit (2) toward the outlet direction (A) toward a funnel unit (3); and a funnel unit (3) arranged on the hose unit (2) at the outlet end (2b) of the hose unit (2) and designed to receive each integral tie (1) guided through the hose unit (2); The hose unit (2) has a structurally predetermined bend (2d) in an end region (2c) including an outlet end (2b), and the funnel unit (3) has a funnel element (3a) which is rotatably arranged by a driving element of the funnel unit (3) with respect to the outlet end (2b) of the hose unit (2) about a rotation axis (R) extending along the outlet direction (A) and has a slit (3c) in an end region (3b) far from the outlet end (2b) of the hose unit (2) in the outlet direction (A), and the slit is formed to accommodate the band (1a) of each integral tie (1) so that an automatic binding tool and/or a robot device provided with a binding tool can be used in a flexibly changeable position and orientation that is not limited to the use of conventional cable ties.

Inventors

  • 도어만 올리버
  • 쉘 카스텐

Assignees

  • 헬러만타이톤 게엠베하 운트 콤파니 카게

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20231205
Priority Date
20221208

Claims (12)

  1. It is a feed device (0) that guides and supplies an integrated tie (1), - A hose unit (2) designed to guide each integral tie (1) by air flow from inside the hose (2a) along the hose unit (2) toward the outlet end (2b) of the hose unit (2) and then from the outlet end (2b) of the hose unit (2) toward the funnel unit (3) in the outlet direction (A); - A feed device comprising a funnel unit (3) designed to accommodate each integral tie (1) arranged at the outlet end (2b) of the hose unit (2) and guided through the hose unit (2), - The hose unit (2) has a structurally predetermined bend (2d) surrounding the outlet end (2b) in the end region (2c); - The funnel unit (3) is rotatably arranged around a rotation axis (R) that extends along the exit direction (A) by means of a driving element (3g) of the funnel unit (3) for the exit end (2b) of the hose unit (2), and has a funnel element (3a) having a slit (3c) in an end region (3b) far from the exit end (2b) of the hose unit (2) in the exit direction (A), wherein the slit is formed to accommodate the band (1a) of each integral tie (1).
  2. In paragraph 1, A feed device (0) characterized in that the slit (3c) is oriented laterally with respect to the bending plane (E) to which the predetermined bending portion (2d) extends.
  3. In paragraph 1 or 2, - A feed device (0) characterized by including a gripper unit (4) configured to grip and provide each integrated tie (1), wherein the band (1a) of the integrated tie is received by a slit (3c).
  4. In paragraph 1 or 2, - A sensor unit (5) designed to detect the orientation of each integrated tie (1) when the band (1a) of each integrated tie (1) is received in the slit (3c); - A feed device (0) comprising a control unit coupled to a sensor unit (5) and a funnel unit (3), wherein the control unit is configured to position the funnel element (3a) at a predetermined rotational position as a function of the orientation of each integral tie (1) detected by the sensor unit.
  5. In paragraph 1 or 2, A feed device (0) characterized in that the slit (3c) is merged at one or both ends into an opening (3e) oriented laterally with respect to the exit direction (A) of the side of the funnel element (3a).
  6. In paragraph 1 or 2, A feed device (0) characterized in that the end portion (2c) having a structurally predetermined bend (2d) extends over a maximum of three times the length of the integral tie (1) guided through the feed device (0) during intended use along the tube unit (2).
  7. In paragraph 1 or 2, A feed device (0) characterized in that the radius (r) of a structurally predetermined bend (2d) is at least 20 mm.
  8. In paragraph 1 or 2, A feed device (0) characterized in that the angle (α) of the structurally predetermined bending portion (2d) is 45 degrees to 135 degrees.
  9. In paragraph 1 or 2, A feed device (0) characterized in that the hose unit (2) at the bending portion (2d) is made of at least partially metal.
  10. In paragraph 1 or 2, A feed device (0) characterized in that the inside of the hose (2a) has a round cross-section.
  11. It is an automatic binding tool (10), The automatic bundling tool (10) is coupled to a feed device (0) according to claim 1 or 2, or includes a mechanical or electrical interface for coupling to a feed device (0) according to claim 1 or 2.
  12. This is a method of guiding and providing an integrated tie (1), - A first step of guiding each integral tie (1) along the hose unit (2) by air flow from inside the hose (2a) of the hose unit (2) toward the outlet end (2b) of the hose unit (2); - A step of guiding each integral tie (1) a second time through the end portion (2c) of the hose unit (2) having a structurally predetermined bend portion (2d); and - A third step of guiding each integrated tie (1) from the outlet end (2b) of the hose unit (2) toward the funnel unit (3) in the outlet direction (A); - A step of receiving each integral tie (1) by a funnel unit (3), wherein the band (1a) of each integral tie (1) is received by the slit (3c) of the funnel element (3a) of the funnel unit (3); - A step of confirming the orientation of each integral tie (1) received by the slit (3c); and - Based on the result of verification: if the result of verification indicates that at least one integral tie has a second orientation different from the first orientation, the step of rotating each integral tie (1) received by the slit (3c) into the first orientation around a rotation axis (R) extending along the exit direction (A); and - A method comprising the step of providing each integral tie (1) in a first orientation.

Description

Feeding device for guiding and providing one-piece ties The present disclosure relates to a feeding device for guiding and providing, that is, for feeding, an integral tie, wherein the feeding device comprises a hose unit configured to guide each integral tie by an air flow along the hose unit from inside the hose toward the outlet end of the hose unit and subsequently from the outlet end of the hose unit toward the outlet to a funnel unit, and comprises a funnel unit configured to receive the integral tie arranged on the hose unit at the outlet end of the hose unit and guided through each hose unit to the funnel unit. As a special variation of the more generally defined integral tie, the process of feeding cable ties through a hose from a cable tie reservoir to a cable tie installation tool is a known process. In this way, each (loose) cable tie is launched through the hose along with the cable tie band ahead by air pressure, i.e., air flow, and then received by a funnel and delivered, for example, to an automatic tying tool. To achieve efficient transport through the hose, the cross-sectional shape inside the hose is typically matched to the cross-sectional shape of the thickest point of the cable tie. In the known system, a corresponding automatic tool, such as an automatic cable tie installation tool or a robot, can be connected to the cable tie reservoir with spatially flexible variable positioning and orientation. However, existing approaches are limited to conventional cable ties with a cable tie band and a simple cable tie head having an essentially rectangular shape. Exemplary embodiments are described in more detail below with reference to schematic drawings. In the drawings: FIG. 1 is an exemplary embodiment of an integral tie; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view through a structurally predetermined bend of an exemplary hose unit having an integral tie of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an integrated tie-feeding device illustrated in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view through the feed device of FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a feed device. In drawings, identical or functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference number. FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of an integral tie. The integral tie (1) has a band (1a), a band tip (1b) is arranged at one end thereof, and a functional head (1c) is arranged at the other end thereof. The cable image band (1a) defines the length direction (L) of the cable tie as the main extension direction, and defines the thickness direction (D) extending perpendicular to the length direction (L) and the width direction (B) extending perpendicular to both the length direction (L) and the thickness direction (D) as the thickness and width, respectively. Because the thickness is smaller than the width, the band (1a) has substantially more flexibility in the thickness direction (D) than in the width direction (B). This behavior is known from general cable ties, and cable ties and integral ties (1), particularly loose cable or integral ties (1) such as the embodiment shown herein, are known to cause problems in automatic guidance and provision because they often have a bent tie (1a) in practice. The location of the maximum diameter of the integral tie (1) is formed by the plate section (1c*) of the functional head (1c) in the illustrated example. There, the integral tie (1) has a rounded cross section, thereby orienting the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (L). The plate section (1c*) separates the first head section (1c') facing the band (1a) from the second head section (1c") on the opposite side of the band. The first head section (1c') has a window (1d) that guides the band (1a) when the integral tie (1) is used as intended to bind bundles. The second head section (1c") is designed to secure the functional head (1c) and, therefore, the integral tie (1) or, in the case of intended use, the corresponding bundle to another object different from the bundle and the integral tie (1), and may be designed differently depending on the application area. FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view through a section of an exemplary hose unit having a bend. The hose unit (2) is designed to guide an integral tie (1) from inside the hose (2a) toward the exit end (2b) of the hose unit (2) by air flow along the hose unit (2), and then guide it out of the exit end (2b) of the hose unit (2) in an exit direction (A) corresponding to the positive x direction in this case. In this case, the hose unit (2) has a structurally predetermined bend (2d) in an end region (2c) containing the exit end (2b). The end region (2c) extends along the hose unit (2) for up to three times the length of the integral tie (1), in this case approximately for a single length of the integral tie (1) and thus for up to two times the length of the integral tie (1) as illustrated. The radius (r