Cartridge unit for use in application system for applying adhesive elements

Abstract

The invention relates to a cartridge unit (10) for use in an application system for applying adhesive elements, comprising i) a supply roller (12), ii) a receiving roller (14), iii) a dispensing edge (16), and iv) a strip-shaped dispenser material strip (18) comprising a plurality of adhesive elements arranged on a strip-shaped separation material, a strip (18) of dispenser material is partially wound on a supply roller (12) and fastened at one end to a receiving roller (14), said strip-type separating material being guided about a dispensing edge (16) between the supply roller (12) and the receiving roller (14) with respect to the strip direction, the strip-shaped separating material is guided in front of the dispensing edge (16) with respect to the strip direction around the receiving roller (14), or around a portion of the strip-shaped separating material wound on the receiving roller (14), such that the receiving roller (14), or the portion of the strip-shaped separating material wound on the receiving roller (14), acts as a deflecting element for deflecting the dispenser material strip (18).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cassette unit for use in an application system for applying adhesive elements, to a corresponding application system for applying adhesive elements, and to a method for operating such an application system. Background Technology

[0002] The use of adhesive elements is now an essential component of many modern manufacturing processes. These adhesive elements are used not only to fasten parts to a substrate, but also, in particular, to seal openings in the substrate. Such openings are typically created during production and constitute potential weaknesses in the final product, such as those through which moisture or dirt can pass. Using suitable adhesive elements (usually glued on one side) to seal such openings in the substrate is a simple, time-efficient, and cost-effective solution for sealing such openings and preventing undesirable intrusion of dirt. Such adhesive elements, also known as die-cuts due to their manufacturing process, are now routinely used for this purpose in the prior art.

[0003] In principle, it is conceivable to manually place such adhesive elements onto the substrate. However, with increasing automation and a continued focus on the most trouble-free and efficient workflows possible, automated application devices have been developed for applying adhesive elements to the substrate to be bonded. Therefore, such application devices must meet a wide range of requirements. In particular, such application devices must enable the reliable and reproducible application of adhesive elements to the substrate, while ideally achieving high throughput.

[0004] A known set of application devices in the prior art relies on adhesive elements provided in a separate dispenser arrangement, picked up by the application device and placed onto the substrate. However, this design is generally considered disadvantageous because it typically requires a significant amount of installation space, and the relative space occupied by the application element is often shifted as it moves back and forth between the dispenser unit and the substrate to be bonded, which is considered inefficient in many cases. Correspondingly, the long guide path increases the risk of misplacement, for example due to slippage on the application element, and the risk of contamination on the adhesive element, which can lead to undesirable degradation of the achievable bond strength.

[0005] In this context, application devices with integrated dispenser arrangements for adhesive elements have been designed, wherein the distance between the supply of the adhesive elements and the application device is very short, allowing both to be designed as part of, for example, an end effector of a robot head. Among these application devices with integrated dispensers for adhesive elements, designs in particular where the supply of the corresponding application device is achieved by means of a refill cassette (enabling rapid filling of the application device with new adhesive elements) have proven advantageous.

[0006] A particularly efficient and advantageous application device with a refill box is disclosed in DE 102022125422 A1.

[0007] Using this application device known from the prior art, the accumulator for die-cut parts can be replaced in a time-efficient and cost-effective manner, maximizing the operating time (runtime) of the application device. Simultaneously, the installation space required for the application device can be minimized, and previously emptied refill boxes can be advantageously refilled, making the resulting process particularly sustainable, and especially minimizing the amount of separation liner produced (which will have to be disposed of).

[0008] Although the application device of DE 102022125422 A1 offers considerable advantages, the inventors of this invention have identified specific areas of development where further improvements are expected. A decisive aspect here is the design of the refill cassette. This is because the greatest challenge here is reliably guiding the strip-type dispenser material strip (which is provided on the supply roller and on which adhesive elements are arranged) through the dispensing area of ​​the cassette unit, where the adhesive elements can be separated, and then the strip-shaped separating material is wound onto the receiving roller, thereby releasing the adhesive elements. In this case, it is necessary to ensure particularly robust guidance of the dispenser material strip within the cassette unit, thereby allowing the dispenser material strip to be reliably and trouble-free guided through the refill cassette, even under mechanical loads that occur during use.

[0009] In the case of the cassette unit known from DE 102022125422 A1, this is achieved by means of a stationary deflecting element, except for the specific arrangement of the two rollers. The strip of dispenser material is guided around this stationary deflecting element in front of the dispensing edge before it is wound onto the receiving roller behind the dispensing edge. Using such a stationary deflecting element (also referred to as a deflecting track) is, in principle, superior to using rotating elements, such as deflecting rollers. On the one hand, such a deflecting track is less susceptible to mechanical loads and, in most cases, has a longer service life. Furthermore, it is important that the guide of the dispenser material strip in the cassette unit is achieved with a sufficiently large radius of curvature so that the adhesive elements arranged on the separating material do not detach before the dispensing edge. A correspondingly gentle deflection angle can be achieved with a suitable deflecting track in a much more space-efficient and component-saving manner than with a rotatable guide roller.

[0010] While there are advantages associated with the use of such guides, their implementation is also associated with disadvantages. The need to provide such guides increases the manufacturing work and material costs associated with the production of such cassette units. Furthermore, the frictional resistance generated by guiding the dispenser material strips along the fixed deflection track counteracts the desired guidance of the strips within the cassette unit, and there is an additional risk of material defects on the surface of the deflection track, which may be retained as injection molding defects, for example, in the form of protrusions (projections) or edges, potentially damaging the separated material guided on the deflection track. Summary of the Invention

[0011] The main objective of this invention is to eliminate or at least reduce the disadvantages of the prior art.

[0012] In particular, the object of the present invention is to provide an advantageous cartridge unit for use in an application system for applying adhesive elements, which can be produced in a more time-efficient and cost-efficient manner compared to the prior art, and in particular saves materials.

[0013] In this context, one object of the present invention is that the robustness of the designated cassette unit should not deteriorate during subsequent operation, and ideally, should even be improved.

[0014] Another object of the present invention is that the cassette unit to be described should be implemented in such a way that the durability of the cassette unit should be improved, thereby further reducing the possibility of damage to the strip-shaped separation material guided in the cassette unit, thereby enabling a greater number of recycling cycles of the emptied cassette unit, and thus further improving the advantageous economic and ecological effects of using the cassette unit.

[0015] Furthermore, the desired objective is that the cassette unit to be described should enable the following: reducing the force required to guide the material distribution belt within the cassette unit, thereby reducing the required energy input.

[0016] Furthermore, the object of the present invention is to provide an advantageous application system utilizing the cartridge unit to be described, and a corresponding method for applying adhesive elements.

[0017] The inventors of the present invention have now discovered that, based on the cassette unit known from DE 102022125422 A1, the above-mentioned objective can be achieved if the use of deflection elements, particularly deflection tracks, is largely eliminated, and instead, the dispenser material strip is guided directly on the receiving roller, which thus acts as a deflection element as described in the claims.

[0018] Due to this advantageous design, the structure of such a cassette unit can be significantly simplified, and the variety of parts required for production and the complexity of the production process can be significantly reduced. As a result, the cassette unit according to the invention can be produced in a significantly more time- and cost-efficient manner. For deflection purposes, the advantageous guidance of the dispenser material strip, still equipped with adhesive elements, on the strip-shaped separating material already wound on the receiving roller also makes it advantageously and reliably possible to reduce the risk of damage to the strip-shaped separating material, which could be caused by manufacturing defects in any deflection element. In a particularly preferred design, the rotation direction of the receiving roller can also be selected in such a way that the vector of the tangential velocity coincides with the strip-guided direction of the dispenser material strip. Instead of a braking effect caused by friction of the strip-shaped separating material on any deflection track, this synergistically results in additional transport efficiency and reduced friction, because the dispenser material strip is deflected on a component already rotating at the appropriate speed and in the desired direction, without the need for additional complex rotational guiding elements, thus requiring less installation space and reducing the energy required for operation.

[0019] Therefore, the foregoing objective is achieved by the subject matter of the invention as defined in the claims. Preferred embodiments of the invention become clear from the dependent claims and the following description.

[0020] In particularly preferred embodiments, features of such embodiments, hereinafter referred to as preferred, are combined with features of other embodiments, hereinafter referred to as preferred. Therefore, combinations of two or more of the embodiments hereinafter referred to as particularly preferred are highly preferred. Also preferred are embodiments in which features of embodiments hereinafter referred to as preferred are combined with one or more additional features of other embodiments hereinafter referred to as preferred. The features of preferred application systems and methods are evident from the features of preferred cartridge units.

[0021] In particular, preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the exemplary embodiments. Therefore, particularly preferred embodiments of the invention have two or more, preferably three or more, and most particularly preferably four or more of the preferred features of the invention disclosed below, which are also implemented in the exemplary embodiments.

[0022] This invention relates to a cartridge unit for use in an application system for applying adhesive elements, comprising:

[0023] i) Supply rollers,

[0024] ii) Receiving roller,

[0025] iii) Assign edges, and

[0026] iv) A strip-shaped dispenser material strip, the dispenser material strip comprising a plurality of adhesive elements arranged on a strip-shaped separating material.

[0027] The dispenser material strip is partially wound around the supply roller and secured at one end to the receiving roller.

[0028] The strip-shaped separating material is guided relative to the strip direction between the supply roller and the receiving roller around the dispensing edge.

[0029] The strip-shaped separating material is guided relative to the strip direction in front of the dispensing edge around the receiving roller or around a portion of the strip-shaped separating material wound on the receiving roller, such that the receiving roller or the portion of the strip-shaped separating material wound on the receiving roller acts as a deflecting element for deflecting the dispenser material strip.

[0030] Application systems for applying adhesive elements and cartridge units suitable for such application systems are substantially known from the prior art, particularly from DE 102022125422 A1, making reference to the prior art in many basic principles.

[0031] According to the prior art, the basic principle of the cassette unit according to the invention is based on the fact that the filled cassette unit includes a dispenser material strip comprising adhesive elements to be applied in a subsequent application process and disposed on a strip-shaped separating material. In its initial state, the strip-shaped dispenser material strip is primarily wound around a supply roller and secured at one end to the receiving roller, allowing it to be transferred from one roller to another. The dispenser material strip passes through a so-called dispensing edge, where it or its strip-shaped separating material is deflected so sharply that, as the adhesive elements are guided at the dispensing edge, they can separate from the strip-shaped separating material and be discharged from the cassette unit due to their inherent rigidity. Thus, this is the cassette unit according to the invention, wherein the cassette unit is configured such that a dispenser material strip disposed on a receiving roller and comprising a plurality of adhesive elements disposed on a second strip-shaped separating material can be guided to the supply roller at the dispensing edge, in such a way that the adhesive elements can separate from the separating material at the dispensing edge and be discharged from the cassette unit.

[0032] In this case, a cassette unit according to the invention is preferred, wherein the cassette unit is a refillable cassette unit. Alternatively or additionally, a cassette unit according to the invention is preferred, wherein the supply roller and the receiving roller in the cassette unit are in the form of non-driven rollers, such that these rollers can be driven via a drive unit of the application device.

[0033] Essentially preferred are the cassette unit according to the invention, wherein the cassette unit comprises a housing, preferably a plastic housing, the housing including a discharge port in the region of the dispensing edge.

[0034] The advantage of the cartridge unit according to the invention is that, in principle, the adhesive elements and dispenser material strips used can be operated with the same components known from the prior art, so that no adjustments to existing manufacturing processes are required to this extent. Therefore, the cartridge unit according to the invention is preferred, wherein the adhesive elements are die-cut. Additionally or alternatively, it is also preferred that the cartridge unit according to the invention comprises a carrier layer and an adhesive layer attached thereto, the adhesive elements being arranged together with the adhesive layer on a first separating material. Again, additionally or alternatively, the cartridge unit according to the invention is preferred, wherein the adhesive elements are pressure-sensitive adhesive elements and / or wherein the adhesive layer comprises a pressure-sensitive adhesive composition, the adhesive layer preferably being composed of a pressure-sensitive adhesive composition. In this context, a cartridge unit according to the invention is particularly preferred, wherein the carrier layer comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: polyethylene, polypropylene, cyclic olefin copolymers, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, ethylene vinyl alcohol, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyacrylonitrile, polycarbonate, polyamide, polyethersulfone, and polyimide, preferably selected from the group consisting of: polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate, wherein the carrier layer is preferably composed of these materials. Additionally or alternatively, in this context, a cartridge unit according to the invention is particularly preferred, wherein the side of the adhesive element opposite to the adhesive layer is formed by the carrier layer.

[0035] Alternatively or alternatively, a cartridge unit according to the invention is also preferred, wherein the strip-shaped release material is a gasket. Particularly preferred in this respect is a cartridge unit according to the invention, wherein the strip-shaped release material is coated with a release layer on the side facing the adhesive element, preferably a silicone release layer, which is preferably produced by crosslinking a crosslinkable silicone system comprising one or more polysiloxanes.

[0036] Unlike DE 102022125422 A1, what is necessary for this invention is that it is not necessary to use fixed deflection guides or other separate guiding elements to deflect the dispenser material strips. Instead, the strip-shaped separating material is guided around the receiving roller, or around a portion of the strip-shaped separating material already placed on the receiving roller. In other words, therefore, it is a cartridge unit according to the invention, in which the strip-shaped separating material is guided around the receiving roller, or around a portion of the strip-shaped separating material wound on the receiving roller, in front of the dispensing edge relative to the strip direction, such that it contacts the receiving roller or said portion of the strip-shaped separating material wound on the receiving roller in such a way that it contacts the receiving roller or said portion of the strip-shaped separating material wound on the receiving roller.

[0037] The above definition, that the strip separating material is guided around the receiving roller, or around the portion of the strip separating material wound on the receiving roller, takes into account the fact that when the cartridge unit according to the invention is in a fully filled initial state, it is possible that the receiving roller has not yet fully wound the strip separating material, such that the strip separating material guided around the receiving roller is actually in contact with the roller core. However, as the adhesive element is dispensed, the receiving roller is filled with the strip separating material, and thus comes into contact with the dispenser material strip.

[0038] Based on this consideration, it is at least theoretically conceivable that different sections of the receiving roller could be used to deflect the distributor material strips and to wind the strip-shaped separating material. For example, at least theoretically, the strip could be guided via the front or rear sub-portion of the receiving roller, while the winding of the strip-shaped separating material could be achieved on a second, different sub-portion, so that the distributor material strips are guided on the roller core throughout the entire emptying process of the cassette unit. However, the inventors believe that this theoretical design is not preferred because the structural height of the receiving roller would have to be significantly greater, increasing space requirements. Furthermore, between the deflection and winding of the strip-shaped separating material, the distributor material strip would need to be laterally deflected at least once from the initial guide plane, allowing interaction with the receiving roller in two distinct sub-portions, which would further increase the complexity of the cassette unit. Therefore, the inventors believe that such a design is more suitable for specific applications.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment, the advantageous structure according to the invention allows for the near-complete elimination of additional deflection or guiding elements, thereby enabling optimization of the time and cost efficiency of producing such a cassette unit to reduce the amount of material required and, in particular, to achieve advantageous weight reduction, which is especially advantageous for use in such application systems in the form of end effectors for industrial robots. In view of the foregoing, those skilled in the art will understand that it is particularly preferred to utilize the possibilities disclosed in the invention to reduce such deflection or guiding elements by means of the cassette unit, and consequently, to use as few of these elements as possible. For example, even though additional guiding rollers could theoretically be provided, which would even be meaningful for some high-performance applications, for substantially all embodiments it is preferred that no additional deflection elements are provided other than those for deflection on the receiving roller or dispensing edge, and the number of other guiding elements contacting the dispenser material strip is also minimized, in order to reduce the extent of parts and friction in the system. Therefore, a cassette unit according to the invention is preferred, wherein the cassette unit does not include any additional deflection elements for deflecting the dispenser material strip, particularly any deflection tracks that deflect the dispenser material strip more than 30° relative to the strip direction between the supply roller and the dispensing edge. Alternatively or concurrently, the cassette unit according to the invention is preferred, wherein the cassette unit does not include any additional guiding elements for guiding the dispenser material strip, in particular any deflection track that contacts the dispenser material strip between the supply roller and the dispensing edge relative to the strip direction.

[0040] The main advantage of the cassette unit design according to the invention is that, by using a supply roller as a deflection element, the dispenser material strip can be guided to the dispensing edge in a particularly space-saving manner without causing excessively abrupt deflection, which can lead to premature detachment of the adhesive element from the strip-shaped separating material and should therefore be avoided. In this regard, the inventors have successfully determined particularly advantageous dimensions of the corresponding roller cores for the most common adhesive elements used in the supply and receiving rollers, using which the particularly advantageous cassette unit according to the invention can be obtained. Specifically, the cassette unit according to the invention is preferably wherein the roller diameter D of the supply roller in the absence of the dispenser material strip is... Z The distance is in the range of 10 to 30 cm, preferably in the range of 12 to 25 cm, and particularly preferably in the range of 14 to 20 cm. Additionally or alternatively, the cassette unit according to the invention is preferred, wherein the receiving roller has a roller diameter D in the absence of strip-shaped separating material. A The range is 5 to 30 cm, preferably 7 to 25 cm, and particularly preferably 14 to 20 cm.

[0041] In developing this invention, the inventors have discovered that, for optimal performance, it is recommended that the diameters of the cores of the supply roller and the receiving roller be designed to be as similar as possible, and particularly preferably, cores of substantially the same size. This advantageously results in excellent deflection angles at the supply roller and dispensing edge while maintaining a space-saving arrangement, which enables particularly reliable operation. Therefore, a cassette unit according to the invention is preferred, wherein the diameter D of the receiving roller in the absence of strip-shaped separating material is... A exist to Within the range, preferably in to Within the range, particularly preferably in to Within the range, where D Z It is the diameter of the supply roller when there is no material strip in the distributor.

[0042] If the rotational direction of the receiving roller generated during the winding of the strip separating material is selected such that the vector of the rotational speed on the outside of the supply roller coincides with the strip direction vector of the dispenser material strip guided around the supply roller, a particularly advantageous design of the cassette unit according to the invention can be obtained. Advantageously, the rotation for winding the strip separating material thus simultaneously conveys the dispenser material strip, and moreover, it is advantageously achieved at substantially the same speed, so that frictional movement can be almost completely avoided, thereby allowing the cassette unit according to the invention to operate in a particularly material-saving and low-friction manner.

[0043] Therefore, a cassette unit according to the invention is preferred, wherein the cassette unit is designed such that rotation of the receiving roller for winding the strip separating material detached from the adhesive element at the dispensing edge is achieved, such that the direction of rotation in the area in contact with the guided-around strip separating material is consistent with the direction of conveyance of the strip separating material.

[0044] The cartridge unit according to the invention can be used in application systems as known from DE102022125422A1, and what can be considered a major advantage of the invention is that the advantageous cartridge unit according to the invention can be used without requiring any design changes to existing application devices.

[0045] Therefore, the present invention also relates to an application system for applying adhesive elements, comprising:

[0046] I) Applying the device,

[0047] II) A box-type receiver having at least one driving unit.

[0048] III) The cassette unit according to the invention arranged in the cassette receiver,

[0049] The application system is configured by using the drive unit to cause the dispenser material strip to be guided through the cassette unit arranged in the cassette receiver, such that the dispenser material strip is guided in front of the dispensing edge around the receiving roller, or around a portion of the strip-shaped separating material wound on the receiving roller, such that the receiving roller, or the portion of the strip-shaped separating material wound on the receiving roller, acts as a deflecting element for deflecting the dispenser material strip, and such that the dispenser material strip is then guided around the dispensing edge in such a way that the adhesive element separates from the separating material and is discharged from the cassette unit.

[0050] In this case, the preferred application system is based on such a design that has proven to be particularly efficient in the prior art.

[0051] For example, the application system according to the invention is preferred, wherein the driving unit is an electric motor.

[0052] Alternatively or concurrently, the application system according to the invention is preferred, wherein the application system further comprises:

[0053] IV) A transmission unit comprising a rotating conveyor belt having a surface with reduced adhesion, wherein the transmission unit preferably includes a transmission distribution edge.

[0054] Again, alternatively, the application system according to the invention is preferred, wherein the transfer unit is preferably arranged in such a way that the adhesive elements discharged from the cartridge unit can be directly transferred to the transfer unit.

[0055] Alternatively or alternatively, an application system according to the invention is also preferred, wherein the application device includes a moving unit and a receiving unit disposed on the moving unit, the receiving unit being configured to achieve a reversible and non-destructive detachable connection with a carrier layer of the adhesive element. Particularly preferred is an application system according to the invention wherein the receiving unit includes one or more controllable suction clamps, and the application device preferably includes one or more vacuum pumps connected to the suction clamps. Alternatively or alternatively, a particularly preferred application system according to the invention includes a piston arrangement having a cylinder and a piston movable within the cylinder, the moving unit preferably including a rotating device for rotating the piston arrangement.

[0056] In addition to the design of the application devices known from the prior art, the use of the cassette unit according to the invention leads to a particularly advantageous design if the application system can determine the radii of the supply roller and / or the receiving roller. In principle, it is conceivable to calculate the radius of one roller using the known radius of the other, given the total amount of strip separating material or dispenser material strips. Such determination of the radius can be achieved, in particular, by means of non-contact rangefinders spaced apart in the radial direction, such as ultrasonic rangefinders, which can infer the radius of the roller from the distance measured from the circumferential surface of the roller in each case, and thus infer the fill level. This knowledge allows the rotational speed acting at the outer edge to be derived from the rotational speed of the respective rollers, thereby enabling the rotations of the rollers to be matched to each other so as to achieve optimal strip guidance of the strip separating material with uniform winding and unwinding. This, in particular, ensures a particularly advantageous interaction between the rotating receiving roller and the dispenser material strips guided around it. Therefore, the application system according to the invention is preferred, wherein the application system includes means for determining the radius of the supply roller and / or the radius of the receiving roller, preferably the radius of the supply roller and the radius of the receiving roller, preferably as part of the application device. Particularly preferred is the application system according to the invention, wherein the application system is configured to, based on the radius of the supply roller and / or the radius of the receiving roller, preferably the radius of the supply roller and the radius of the receiving roller, cause the dispenser material strip to be guided through a cassette unit arranged in a cassette holder, preferably maintaining a predetermined strip speed. Additionally or alternatively, particularly preferred is the application system according to the invention, wherein the means for determining the radius is selected from the group consisting of: optical image acquisition devices and non-contact distance measuring devices, preferably non-contact distance measuring devices, particularly preferably ultrasonic-based distance measuring devices.

[0057] The present invention also relates to a method for operating an application system according to the invention, comprising the following method steps:

[0058] a) The dispenser material strip is guided through a cassette unit arranged in the cassette receiver, the dispenser material strip being guided in front of the dispensing edge by surrounding a receiving roller, or around a portion of the strip-shaped separating material wound on the receiving roller, such that the receiving roller, or the portion of the strip-shaped separating material wound on the receiving roller, acts as a deflecting element for deflecting the dispenser material strip, and

[0059] The dispenser material strip is guided around the dispensing edge in such a way that the adhesive element separates from the separating material and is discharged from the cartridge unit.

[0060] b) Apply the adhesive element discharged from the cartridge unit by means of the application device.

[0061] In this case, it is preferable that, according to the method of the invention, the receiving roller for winding the separating material that has detached from the adhesive element at the dispensing edge is rotated such that the rotation direction in the area in contact with the separated material being guided and surrounded is consistent with the transport direction of the separated material.

[0062] In this regard, alternatively or additionally, it is preferred to use the method according to the invention, wherein the guide distributor material strip is passed through a cassette unit arranged in a cassette holder according to the radius of the supply roller and / or the radius of the receiving roller, preferably the radius of the supply roller and the radius of the receiving roller, preferably maintaining a predetermined strip speed. Attached Figure Description

[0063] The invention and its preferred embodiments are described and illustrated in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0064] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the cassette unit according to the invention in a filled state according to a preferred embodiment is shown; and

[0065] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the box-type unit according to the invention in a filled state in a preferred embodiment is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0066] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the main components of the cassette unit 10 according to the invention in a preferred embodiment is shown, which may be in a filled state. These represent basic components that can be installed in a housing during subsequent use, as also known, for example, from DE 102022125422 A1.

[0067] The cassette unit 10 includes a supply roller 12 and a receiving roller 14, which in the illustrated example has a roller core having a diameter of approximately 17.9 cm. Figure 1 As can be seen, the supply roller 12 is filled with a distributor material strip 18, which includes a classic (conventional) separating liner as a strip separating material. Multiple die-cut elements as adhesive elements are arranged on the strip separating material and are attached to the strip separating material via their adhesive layers.

[0068] The ends of the strip-shaped release material 18 are secured to the receiving roller 14 in such a way that they are guided between the supply roller 12 and the receiving roller 14 at the dispensing edge 16. At the dispensing edge 16, the strip-shaped release material deflects so sharply that the inherent rigidity of the die-cut pieces causes them to separate from the strip-shaped release material, allowing them to exit at the dispensing edge 16. For clear reasons, the adhesive elements are not... Figure 1The image depicts the strip of dispenser material 18, which still includes adhesive elements, depicted with a darker shading (hatching) than that following the dispensing edge 16 up to the dispensing edge 16. Due to the different shading of the dispenser material strip 18 before and after the dispensing edge 16, the image shows... Figure 1 It is clear that at the receiving roller 14, which acts as a deflection element, the strip-shaped separating material is guided around the receiving roller 14. The box unit 10 is implemented in such a way that the rotation direction of the receiving roller 14 in the area in contact with the distributor material strip 18 has the same direction as the direction of the belt guidance.

[0069] Figure 2 It was also shown Figure 1 The same box unit 10 is represented in the previous section, but at a later point in the method according to the invention, i.e., when the die-cut pieces contained in the box unit 10 have been largely distributed. In this state, only a small portion of the dispenser material strips 18 are still arranged on the supply roller 12, such that, correspondingly, most of the strip-shaped separating material is wound on the receiving roller 14, whose radius is thus increased.

[0070] from Figure 2 It is clear that, advantageously, even as the diameter of the strip separating material wound on the receiving roller 14 gradually increases, the material strip 18 of the strip distributor is deflected smoothly, and the receiving roller 14 can be advantageously positioned such that, even in a heavily filled state, a sharp deflection of the strip separating material can still be achieved at the dispensing edge, so as to ensure efficient discharge of the adhesive element from the cartridge unit 10.

[0071] List of reference numerals

[0072] 10 box-type units

[0073] 12 feed rollers

[0074] 14 receiving rollers

[0075] 16 allocation edge

[0076] 18 Distributor Material Strip

Claims

1. A cartridge unit (10) for use in an application system for applying adhesive elements, said cartridge unit comprising: i) Supply roller (12), ii) Receiving roller (14), iii) Assign edges (16), and iv) A strip-shaped dispenser material strip (18), comprising a plurality of adhesive elements arranged on the strip-shaped separating material. The distributor material strip (18) is partially wound around the supply roller (12) and fastened at one end to the receiving roller (14). The strip-shaped separating material is guided relative to the strip direction around the dispensing edge (16) between the supply roller (12) and the receiving roller (14). The strip-shaped separating material is guided relative to the strip direction in front of the dispensing edge (16) around the receiving roller (14), or around a portion of the strip-shaped separating material wound on the receiving roller (14), such that the receiving roller (14), or the portion of the strip-shaped separating material wound on the receiving roller (14), acts as a deflecting element for deflecting the distributor material strip (18).

2. The cassette unit (10) according to claim 1, wherein the cassette unit (10) does not include any additional deflection element for deflecting the dispenser material strip (18), the any additional deflection element causing the dispenser material strip (18) to deflect more than 30° relative to the strip direction between the supply roller (12) and the dispensing edge (16).

3. The cassette unit (10) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the cassette unit (10) does not include any additional guiding element for guiding the dispenser material strip (18), the any additional guiding element contacting the dispenser material strip (18) relative to the strip direction between the supply roller (12) and the dispensing edge (16).

4. The cassette unit (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the roller diameter D of the supply roller (12) without the distributor material strip (18) is... Z Within the range of 10 to 30 cm.

5. The cassette unit (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the roller diameter D of the receiving roller (14) in the absence of strip-shaped separating material. A Within the range of 5 to 30 cm.

6. The cassette unit (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the roller diameter D of the receiving roller (14) in the absence of strip-shaped separating material. A exist to Within the range, where D Z The diameter of the supply roller (12) in the absence of a distributor material strip.

7. The cassette unit (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the cassette unit (10) is designed such that rotation of the receiving roller (14) for winding the strip separating material detached from the adhesive element at the dispensing edge (16) is realized such that the rotation direction in the area in contact with the guided strip separating material is consistent with the transport direction of the strip separating material.

8. An application system for applying adhesive elements, comprising: I) Applying the device, II) A box-type receiver having at least one driving unit. III) The box unit (10) as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, arranged in the box receiver. The application system is configured by using the drive unit to cause the dispenser material strip (18) to be guided through the cassette unit (10) arranged in the cassette receiver, such that the dispenser material strip (18) is guided around the receiving roller (14) or around a portion of the strip-shaped separating material wound on the receiving roller (14) in front of the dispensing edge (16), such that the receiving roller (14) or the portion of the strip-shaped separating material wound on the receiving roller (14) acts as a deflecting element for deflecting the dispenser material strip (18), and such that the dispenser material strip (18) is then guided around the dispensing edge (16) in such a way that the adhesive element separates from the separating material and is discharged from the cassette unit (10).

9. The application system according to claim 8, the application system comprising means for determining the radius of the supply roller (12) and / or the radius of the receiving roller (14).

10. A method for operating the application system according to any one of claims 8 or 9, comprising the following method steps: a) The distributor material strip (18) is guided by a cassette unit (10) arranged in the cassette receiver. The distributor material strip (18) is guided in front of the dispensing edge (16) around the receiving roller (14) or around a portion of the strip-shaped separating material wound on the receiving roller (14), such that the receiving roller (14) or the portion of the strip-shaped separating material wound on the receiving roller (14) acts as a deflecting element for deflecting the distributor material strip (18). The dispenser material strip (18) is guided around the dispensing edge (16) in such a way that the adhesive element separates from the separating material and is discharged from the cartridge unit (10), and b) Apply the adhesive element discharged from the cartridge unit (10) by means of the application device.

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