Method and system for applying a plastic for sealing and / or bonding to an application surface of a vehicle window

Abstract

Method for applying a plastic for sealing and / or bonding to an application surface (2) of a vehicle window (3), in which a cleaning cloth (4) for cleaning the application surface (2) is moved over the application surface (2) by means of a cleaning device (1) and the plastic is then applied to the cleaned application surface (2) by means of an application device, characterized in that when the application surface (2) is cleaned by means of the cleaning cloth (4), an adhesion promoter for the plastic is applied to the application surface (2).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for applying a plastic for sealing and / or bonding to an application surface of a vehicle window and to a system for applying a plastic for sealing and / or bonding to an application surface of a vehicle window according to the preambles of the independent patent claims.

[0002] DE 10 2012 101 482 A1 discloses a method for the mechanical surface treatment of building elements and a device therefor. Building elements such as building panels, doors, or glass panes may require intermediate surface treatment, sometimes also a pickling treatment to create a patina. The invention proposes to provide a novel method and a device for the mechanical surface treatment of building elements, with which both the cleaning of the surface and its structuring can be carried out in the sense of creating surface modifications, for example, pickling effects. Accordingly, a method is disclosed in which the surface of the building elements is treated on at least a partial section of the building elements using a cleaning cloth that is fed over the building element and extends between two shafts, unwinding and rewinding.Furthermore, a device for carrying out this method is also disclosed.

[0003] DE 10 2015 109 419 A1 discloses a method for cleaning a sealing surface of a component prior to applying a liquid sealant to the sealing surface. A cleaning cloth is moved over the sealing surface, wherein the cleaning cloth is moistened with a liquid cleaning agent prior to cleaning the sealing surface. The cleaning cloth is moved over the sealing surface while wet. Alternatively, the cloth can be used dry. In particular, a cleaning tape is used as the cleaning cloth. The cleaning agent can be a solvent-based universal cleaner. Alternative cleaning agents are also possible.

[0004] Currently, windshields in the automotive industry are bonded using polyurethane-based adhesives. The windshields are cleaned beforehand, either automatically or manually, and prepared for the adhesive application using a primer or adhesion promoter. The adhesive can then be applied using an industrial robot combined with a suitable application system. In this process, cleaning the windshield and applying the adhesion promoter are performed in two separate steps.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a method and a system for applying a plastic for sealing and / or bonding to an application surface of a vehicle window, which enables a particularly rapid application of the plastic to the application surface of the vehicle window.

[0006] This object is achieved according to the invention by a method and a system for applying a plastic for sealing and / or bonding to an application surface of a vehicle window, having the features of the independent patent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent patent claims and the description.

[0007] A first aspect of the invention relates to a method for applying a plastic for sealing and / or bonding to an application surface of a vehicle window. A cleaning device is used to move a cleaning cloth over the application surface to clean the application surface. The plastic is then applied to the cleaned application surface using an application device. This ensures particularly good adhesion between the plastic and the application surface, since the application surface is ideally free of contaminants after cleaning.In order to further develop the method for applying the plastic to the application surface of the vehicle window in such a way that the plastic can be applied particularly quickly to the application surface of the vehicle window, it is provided according to the invention that an adhesion promoter for the plastic is applied to the application surface when the application surface is cleaned by means of the cleaning cloth.

[0008] In the current state of the art, cleaning the application surface and applying the adhesion promoter to the application surface are performed in two separate process steps. This alone leads to particularly long process times, which can be shortened using the method according to the invention. A further disadvantage of the two separate process steps for cleaning the application surface and applying the adhesion promoter in the prior art is that, in addition to the long process times, the two process steps require respective flash-off times for the evaporation of operating materials, in particular the cleaning agent and the adhesion promoter.

[0009] In the method according to the invention, the adhesion promoter is applied to the application surface at the same time as the application surface is cleaned using the cleaning cloth, so that an additional cleaning agent for cleaning the application surface is unnecessary. This eliminates the process times for applying the cleaning agent and for the cleaning agent to dry. In the method, the cleaning cloth is moistened with the adhesion promoter prior to cleaning in order to combine a cleaning process step with an adhesion promoter application process step. The cleaning cloth is intended to clean the surface and simultaneously apply the adhesion promoter to the surface as a thin layer. Furthermore, the application surface is provided with the adhesion promoter over the entire surface using the cleaning cloth. The adhesion promoter can also be referred to as an activator. A primer can be used in particular as an adhesion promoter.The adhesion promoter can be used to create a close physical and / or chemical bond between the plastic and the application surface. The application surface can, in particular, be made of glass or glass ceramic. The adhesion promoter can, for example, be a silane adhesion promoter, which adheres particularly well to glass and can also form a particularly strong bond with the plastic. After the adhesion promoter has been applied to the application surface and, in particular, after the adhesion promoter has dried, the plastic can be applied to the adhesion promoter in viscous or solid form. The adhesion promoter is thus arranged between the application surface and the plastic and bonds the application surface to the plastic. To apply the adhesion promoter using the cleaning wipe, the cleaning wipe is moistened and / or soaked with the adhesion promoter and then moved over the application surface.Using the cleaning wipe, the application surface is cleaned and the adhesion promoter is applied to the application surface in a single process step. Advantageously, the application surface is prepared for the application of the plastic in a very few process steps, thus making it particularly quick.

[0010] In an advantageous development of the method, an adhesive and / or a sealant is applied to the application surface as the plastic. Applying the adhesive enables, for example, bonding the vehicle window to a vehicle bodyshell. Applying the sealant to the application surface enables, for example, sealing the vehicle window against the vehicle bodyshell component. It is furthermore possible for the plastic to achieve both an adhesive effect and a sealing effect between the application surface and another element, for example the vehicle bodyshell. The method thus enables the vehicle window to be provided with the adhesive and / or sealant particularly quickly in order, for example, to be bonded to the other element and / or sealed against the other element in a further process step.

[0011] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, a cleaning belt is used as the cleaning cloth, which is moved along the application surface with a continuous feed in the direction of movement of the cleaning belt. The term feed means, on the one hand, that the cleaning cloth as a whole is moved relative to the application surface and, on the other hand, that the cleaning cloth designed as a cleaning belt is moved relative to the application surface in such a way that, as a result of the feed, different areas of the cleaning belt come into contact with the application surface in order to clean the application surface. In this case, the cleaning belt can, for example, be moved with a feed of 1% relative to the application surface, so that the cleaning belt is advanced by one centimeter when cleaning a length of one meter of the application surface.This ensures that the respective area of ​​the cleaning belt in contact with the application surface can absorb dirt from the application surface. The feed mechanism prevents the cleaning belt from becoming oversaturated with contaminants when cleaning the application surface, allowing the application surface to be adequately cleaned by the respective area of ​​the cleaning belt in contact with the application surface.

[0012] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, a water-based adhesion promoter is applied to the application surface. This water-based adhesion promoter allows for particularly good cleaning performance using the cleaning wipe. Furthermore, in contrast to a solvent-based adhesion promoter, the water-based adhesion promoter is particularly flame-resistant, thus enabling particularly high levels of process reliability and occupational safety to be achieved. The type of adhesion promoter used depends in particular on the type of plastic, especially the adhesive.

[0013] The invention further relates to a system for applying a plastic for sealing and / or bonding to an application surface of a vehicle window, comprising a cleaning device by means of which a cleaning cloth can be moved over the application surface to clean it, and an application device by means of which the plastic can be applied to the cleaned application surface following cleaning of the application surface. In order to enable a particularly advantageous application of the plastic in particularly few process steps, the invention provides that an adhesion promoter for the plastic can be applied to the application surface when the application surface is cleaned using the cleaning cloth.By means of the adhesion promoter, for example, a bond can be formed both with the application surface of the window pane and with the plastic, in order to bond the plastic particularly firmly to the application surface of the vehicle window. Advantages and advantageous developments of the method according to the invention are to be regarded as advantages and advantageous developments of the system according to the invention, and vice versa. For this reason, the advantages and advantageous developments of the system according to the invention are not described again here.

[0014] Further features of the invention emerge from the claims, the figures, and the description of the figures. The features and combinations of features mentioned above in the description, as well as the features and combinations of features mentioned below in the description of the figures and / or shown alone in the figures, can be used not only in the respective specified combination, but also in other combinations or on their own.

[0015] The invention will now be explained in more detail using a preferred embodiment and with reference to the drawings. The single figure shows a schematic side view of a cleaning device by means of which an application surface of a vehicle window can be cleaned in preparation for the application of a plastic.

[0016] The only figure shows a side view of a cleaning device 1, by means of which an application surface 2 of a vehicle window 3 can be cleaned. This cleaning device 1 is part of a system for applying a plastic for sealing and / or bonding to the application surface 2 of the vehicle window 3. By means of the cleaning device 1, the application surface 2 can be prepared for the application of the plastic by freeing the application surface 2 of any dirt. The system for applying the plastic comprises, in addition to the cleaning device 1, an application device (not shown in the only figure), by means of which the plastic can be applied to the cleaned application surface 2 following the cleaning of the application surface 2. The cleaning device 1 and the application device can each comprise a robot device, by means of which the cleaning or application of the plastic is carried out.

[0017] To clean the application surface 2, the cleaning device 1 comprises a cleaning cloth 4, which in this case is designed as a cleaning belt. This cleaning cloth 4 is brought into contact with the application surface 2 by means of a roller 5 of the cleaning device 1 in order to remove impurities or soiling from the application surface 2. The cleaning cloth 4 is moved relative to the application surface 2 with a continuous feed 6 in the direction of movement 7 of the cleaning device 1.

[0018] When cleaning the application surface 2, an adhesion promoter for the plastic is applied to the application surface 2, in particular by means of the cleaning cloth 4. The adhesion promoter in this case is a water-based adhesion promoter. This means that the cleaning cloth 4 is moistened, in particular soaked, with the adhesion promoter, and the application surface 2 is both cleaned and wetted with the adhesion promoter by means of the cleaning cloth 4. After the adhesion promoter applied to the application surface 2 has dried, the plastic can be applied to the adhesion promoter. The plastic can be applied to the adhesion promoter in viscous or solid form. The adhesion promoter creates a bond between the plastic and the application surface 2.

[0019] An adhesive and / or a sealant can be applied to the application surface 2 as the plastic, in order to seal the vehicle window, in particular, against a vehicle body shell or against a vehicle body shell component and / or to bond it to the vehicle body shell or the vehicle body shell component. The adhesion promoter in this case represents a primer, which is applied to the application surface 2 to enable particularly strong attachment of the plastic to the vehicle window.

[0020] The application surface 2 can in particular comprise glass ceramic and / or glass, so that the adhesion promoter is applied to the glass ceramic and / or glass by means of the cleaning cloth 4.

[0021] The described method for applying the plastic and the system for applying the plastic enable automated cleaning and the application of the adhesion promoter to the application surface 2 in a single process step. This allows process costs to be kept particularly low.

Claims

[1] Method for applying a plastic for sealing and / or bonding to an application surface (2) of a vehicle window (3), in which a cleaning cloth (4) for cleaning the application surface (2) is moved over the application surface (2) by means of a cleaning device (1) and the plastic is then applied to the cleaned application surface (2) by means of an application device, characterized by that when cleaning the application surface (2) using the cleaning cloth (4), an adhesion promoter for the plastic is applied to the application surface (2). [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by that an adhesive and / or a sealant is applied to the application surface (2) as the plastic. [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized bythat a cleaning belt is used as the cleaning cloth (4), which is moved with a continuous feed (6) in the direction of movement (7) of the cleaning belt along the application surface (2). [4] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that a water-based adhesion promoter is applied to the application surface (2). [5] System for applying a plastic for sealing and / or bonding to an application surface (2) of a vehicle window (3), comprising a cleaning device (1) by means of which a cleaning cloth (4) for cleaning the application surface (2) can be moved over it, and comprising an application device by means of which the plastic can be applied to the cleaned application surface (2) following the cleaning of the application surface (2), characterized bythat the cleaning cloth (4) is designed, in addition to cleaning the application surface (2), to apply an adhesion promoter for the plastic to the application surface (2).

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