Winding device and method for wrapping a bale of articles by means of an adhesive tape

Abstract

The present invention relates to a winding device for wrapping elongated banded goods with adhesive tape, the winding device having a winding head with a rotatable body mounted for rotation, the rotatable body having a roll for a supply of the adhesive tape and having a cutting device for cutting the adhesive tape into predetermined lengths, characterized in that the cutting device is arranged outside the winding head and that the predetermined lengths of the adhesive tape are held in the winding head; and a rewinding unit is provided with a supply roll containing a multiple of the predetermined lengths and with at least one roll body for receiving the predetermined lengths of the adhesive tape and further having a tape pull-out device for transferring the adhesive tape from the supply roll to the roll body. The present invention also relates to a method for wrapping banded goods with adhesive tape using the winding device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a winding device for wrapping elongated bundled articles with adhesive tape. The winding device has a winding head with a rotatable body mounted for rotation, a roller for preparing the adhesive tape, and a cutting device for cutting the adhesive tape to a predetermined length. Furthermore, this invention relates to a method for wrapping bundled articles with adhesive tape using the winding device. Background Technology

[0002] Such winding devices are known, for example, from DE102017109819A1. In this winding device, the rollers are prepared with a large amount of adhesive tape. However, each part of the bundled item requires a predetermined length of adhesive tape, which will be consumed to wrap that part. For this purpose, the winding device has a cutting device that cuts the adhesive tape after wrapping the corresponding part. Therefore, the cutting device must be close to the bundled item to make the cut, which may pose a danger of cutting into the bundled item if the bundled item has different thicknesses. Furthermore, the arrangement of the rollers containing the adhesive tape and the cutting device results in a very large winding head. Therefore, the configuration of the winding head is very cumbersome, and its movement requires a very large amount of energy.

[0003] A winding device is known from DE2015001990U1, in which a feed roller for adhesive tape is efficiently removed from the winding head. Furthermore, in this winding device, a cutting device is located near the bundled items.

[0004] The problem this invention aims to solve is to further develop a winding device of the type mentioned in the introduction to avoid cutting the adhesive tape near the bundled items. Furthermore, it aims to create a method to ensure particularly reliable wrapping of bundled items. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention solves the first problem mentioned above, wherein the cutting device is disposed outside the winding head and holds the adhesive tape of a predetermined length in the winding head.

[0006] This design eliminates the need for a cutting device within the winding head. Since the winding head only carries the required amount of adhesive tape for the portion of the bundled item to be wrapped, there is no need to cut the tape after wrapping the bundled item. Therefore, potential damage to the bundled item from a cutting tool is reliably avoided. Because the cutting device is omitted, the winding head can be manufactured to be particularly small and compact. After a predetermined length of adhesive tape has been used to wrap a predetermined portion of the bundled item, new adhesive tape can be inserted into the winding head for the next portion. Thus, a single bundled item can be wrapped section by section in a simple manner using different adhesive tapes.

[0007] When the roller is positioned within the rotatable body and the adhesive tape on the roller is limited to a predetermined length, it facilitates a further reduction in the size of the winding head. Therefore, the roller requires no adhesive tape reserve and can thus remain exceptionally small.

[0008] According to another advantageous improvement of the invention, preparing a sufficient amount of adhesive tape is particularly simple when a feed roller comprising a multiple of the predetermined length is positioned outside the winding head.

[0009] According to another advantageous improvement of the invention, when the rewinding unit is provided with a preparation roller comprising a multiple of a predetermined length, at least one roller body for receiving adhesive tape of a predetermined length, and a tape pull-out device for transferring the adhesive tape from the preparation roller to the roller body, it is particularly simple to transfer the adhesive tape of a predetermined length into the winding head.

[0010] According to another advantageous improvement of the invention, when the rewinding unit has multiple receptacles for holding the rollers, loading the winding head with adhesive tape of a predetermined length is particularly simple. With this configuration, a roller with adhesive tape of a predetermined length can be prepared while another already prepared roller is supplied to the winding head. In this way, while the winding head is wrapping the current portion, the next roller can be prepared in the rewinding unit containing adhesive tape of a predetermined length for bundling the next portion of the article. Thus, interruptions during roller switching can be kept particularly short.

[0011] According to another advantageous improvement of the invention, when the receiving portion can be moved from the winding position to the conveying position, it is advantageous to further increase the conveying speed of the roller, in which the rewinding unit is ready to convey the adhesive tape, and in which the receiving portion equipped with the roller is ready to be conveyed to the winding head.

[0012] According to another advantageous improvement of the invention, when the cutting device is arranged on the rewinding unit, the cutting device is located away from the bundled items. Due to this configuration, damage to the bundled items by the cutting device is reliably avoided.

[0013] Different parts of the bundled article may require different adhesive tapes. According to another advantageous improvement of the invention, when the rewinding unit has multiple feed rollers containing different adhesive tapes, different adhesive tapes can be easily used for different parts of the same bundled article. Therefore, for example, in the case where the bundled article is formed as a cable harness for a motor vehicle, if there are different requirements for multiple parts, one part can be wrapped with a particularly waterproof adhesive tape, while another part can be wrapped with a particularly abrasion-resistant adhesive tape. Similarly, different colored adhesive tapes can be used sequentially to, for example, simplify the laying of cable harnesses in motor vehicles.

[0014] According to the present invention, the second problem mentioned above is solved by the following steps, namely, creating a particularly reliable method for wrapping and binding articles with adhesive tape:

[0015] - Cut the adhesive tape to a predetermined length for use in binding items;

[0016] -Prepare adhesive tape cut to the predetermined length in the winding head;

[0017] - Wrap the part of the item with adhesive tape cut to the predetermined length.

[0018] This configuration allows for cutting the adhesive tape away from the bundled items. Damage to the bundled items is avoided thanks to this invention. Furthermore, different adhesive tapes can be easily used individually to bundle items.

[0019] According to another advantageous improvement of the invention, the preparation of the adhesive tape of the predetermined length is particularly simple when the adhesive tape of the predetermined length is pulled out from the preparation roller, when the adhesive tape of the predetermined length is wound onto the roller body and cut off from the adhesive tape of the preparation roller, and when the roller body containing the adhesive tape of the predetermined length is fed to the winding head. Attached Figure Description

[0020] This invention allows for many embodiments. One of them is shown in the accompanying drawings to further illustrate its basic principles, and will be described below. This is shown in...

[0021] Figure 1 It is a winding device that includes items for bundling.

[0022] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 An enlarged view of the winding head of the winding device.

[0023] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 An enlarged view of the rewinding unit of the winding device.

[0024] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A top view of a simple configuration of bundled items. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Figure 1 A winding device 1 for wrapping and bundling items 2 (e.g., cable harnesses consisting of multiple branches) in a motor vehicle is shown. These lines can be electrical wires and / or flexible conduits. Electrical power and data are supplied to the various components of the winding device 1 via a programmable control unit 3.

[0026] The winding device 1 has a winding head 5 mounted on a robotic arm 4. The robotic arm 4 has a plurality of schematically shown hinge joints 6-9, thereby allowing the winding head 5 to move, rotate, and swivel about its longitudinal axis 10 on all three spatial axes. Each of the hinge joints 6-9 has a drive mechanism (not shown) actuated by a control unit 3.

[0027] Furthermore, the winding device 1 has a rewinding unit 11. The rewinding unit 11 carries one or more stock rolls 12 of adhesive tape and has two receiving portions 13, 14 for the roll body 15 on which adhesive tape of a predetermined length can be unwound. The dimensions of the adhesive tape of the predetermined length are determined for a finite portion 16 of the bundled item 2, such as... Figure 4 As shown.

[0028] The bundled item 2 is clamped onto the mounting plate 17 by the retaining element 18. The second mounting plate 19 faces away from the winding head 5 and can be loaded with new bundled items while the bundled item 2 is wrapped around another mounting plate 17. The mounting plates 17 and 19 can be rotated by the plate driver 20, so that optionally one mounting plate 17 or the other mounting plate 19 faces the winding head 5. Of course, the plate driver 20 can also be designed for height adjustment or displacement of the mounting plates 17 and 19 perpendicular to the plane of the drawing.

[0029] Figure 2 A magnified view shows the items before they were bundled together in the package. Figure 1 The winding head 5 in the middle. Relative to Figure 1 The figure shows the winding head 5 from a rear view. The winding head 5 has an opening 21 for introducing the bundled item 2 and a rotatable body 22 that can be rotatably driven. The rotatable body 22 carries a movable mating claw 23 for supporting the bundled item 2 and a roller 24 carrying a predetermined length of adhesive tape for a predetermined portion 16 of the bundled item 2. The roller 24 is composed of the aforementioned roller body 15 and the predetermined length of adhesive tape wound thereon. In addition, a guide device 25 is provided on the rotatable body 22 for guiding the adhesive tape and pulling it off the roller 24.

[0030] The winding head 5 is positioned in place, in which guide elements 26, located on both sides of the rotatable body 22 for radial guidance and support of the bundled item 2, rotate outward. For wrapping, the initial portion of the adhesive tape is first pulled from the roller 24 and held in front of the opening 21. Then, the winding head 5, with its opening 21, moves over the portion 16 of the bundled item 2, bringing the bundled item 2 to the initial portion of the adhesive tape. Furthermore, the guide elements 26 rotate toward and around the bundled item 2. During the subsequent rotation of the rotatable body 22 and the simultaneous guidance of the winding head 5 along the bundled item 2, the adhesive tape wraps around the predetermined portion 16 of the bundled item 2. Because the roll 24 has only a predetermined length of adhesive tape for the portion 16 of the bundled item 2, the portion 16 is wrapped once the adhesive tape is consumed. The basic principle of this winding head 5 is known from the prior art and is therefore cited for further disclosure.

[0031] Figure 3 It shows Figure 1 The rewinding unit 11 of the winding apparatus 1 holds together at least one feed roller 12 with adhesive tape prepared on it and two receiving portions 13, 14 for the roller body 15. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), multiple feed rollers 12 containing different adhesive tapes can be disposed one on top of another. The receiving portions 13, 14 are disposed at the ends of two rotating arms 27. The rotating arms 27 have an intermediate bearing 28, thereby allowing the positions of the receiving portions 13, 14 to be switched. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), it is obvious, for example, that multiple receiving portions can be provided on a turntable.

[0032] One of the receiving sections is located at a conveying position, where a roller 15 containing a predetermined amount of adhesive tape wound thereon is received by the winding head 5, and where an empty roller 15 can be returned from the winding head 5 to the rewinding unit 11. This conveying is performed by the winding head 5 moving at a corresponding position above the conveying position via a robotic arm 4. The other receiving section 13 is located at a winding position, where a roller 15 containing a predetermined amount of adhesive tape can be rewound from the preparation roller 12.

[0033] The rewinding unit 11 also includes a tape pull-out device 29, through which the adhesive tape is pulled out from the preparation roll 12 and conveyed to the roll body 15 located at the winding position. Therefore, adhesive tape of a predetermined length can be wound onto the roll body 15. Furthermore, the rewinding unit 11 includes a cutting device 30 for cutting adhesive tape of a predetermined length from the preparation roll 12.

[0034] Figure 4 It is shown in a particularly simple construction Figure 1The bundling item 2 has plug contacts 31-33 at its ends, which is a standard configuration for motor vehicle cable harnesses. The bundling item 2 has three sections 16, 16', and 16" wrapped with adhesive tape as described above. Sections 16, 16', and 16" have different lengths and different bends or angles. Each of sections 16, 16', and 16" requires a predetermined length of adhesive tape for its wrapping. This predetermined length of adhesive tape is calculated based on the length of the respective section 16, 16', and 16" and its diameter, as well as the expected number of wraps per unit length of adhesive tape. Therefore, in the exemplary embodiment of the bundling item 2 shown, three rollers 15, each having a predetermined length of adhesive tape, are prepared.

Claims

1. A winding device (1) for wrapping a slender bundled item (2) with adhesive tape, the winding device (1) having a winding head (5), the winding head (5) having a rotatable body (22) mounted to rotate, the rotatable body (22) having a roller (24) for preparing the adhesive tape and a cutting device (30) for cutting the adhesive tape to a predetermined length, characterized in that, The cutting device (30) is disposed outside the winding head (5) and holds the adhesive tape of the predetermined length in the winding head (5); and the rewinding unit (11) is provided with a preparation roller (12) comprising a multiple of the predetermined length and at least one roller body (15) for receiving the adhesive tape of the predetermined length, and also has a tape pull-out device (29) for transferring the adhesive tape from the preparation roller (12) to the roller body (15).

2. The winding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The roller (24) is disposed on the rotatable body (22), and the adhesive tape on the roller (24) is constrained to the predetermined length.

3. The winding device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The preparation roller (12) is provided on the outside of the winding head (5) and includes a multiple of the predetermined length.

4. The winding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rewinding unit (11) has a plurality of receiving portions (13, 14) for holding the roller (15).

5. The winding device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The receiving portion (13, 14) is movable from the winding position to the conveying position, in which the rewinding unit is ready to transfer the adhesive tape, and in the conveying position, the receiving portion (13, 14) carries the roller (24) and is ready to be conveyed to the winding head (5).

6. The winding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 and 4 to 5, characterized in that, The cutting device (30) is mounted on the rewinding unit (11).

7. The winding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 and 4 to 5, characterized in that, The rewinding unit (11) has multiple preparation rollers (12) carrying different adhesive tapes.

8. The winding device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The rewinding unit (11) has multiple preparation rollers (12) carrying different adhesive tapes.

9. A method of wrapping and binding articles (2) with adhesive tape using the winding device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The method includes the following steps: - Cut the adhesive tape to a predetermined length for a predetermined portion (16) of the bundled article (2); -Prepare the adhesive tape to be cut to the predetermined length in the winding head (5); and - Wrap the portion (16) of the bundled item (2) with the adhesive tape cut to the predetermined length.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, Pull out the predetermined length of adhesive tape from the preparation roller (12), wrap the predetermined length around the roller body (15) and cut it off from the adhesive tape on the preparation roller (12), and feed the roller body (15) carrying the predetermined length of adhesive tape into the winding head (5).

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