Device and method for mounting an injection-molded part on a component, as well as carrier strips for this purpose.

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for assembling at least one component (B) comprising a first component (B1) and a second component (B2), wherein the device has two feeding devices via which a first and a second carrier strip (10, 20) are fed, wherein the first carrier strip (10) contains a number of the first component components (B1) and the second carrier strip (20) contains a number of the second component components (B2), wherein the device has a delivery device by which at least one first component component (B1) and at least one second component component (B2) are movable relative to each other, and wherein the second carrier strip (20) has at least one receiving element (22) on which at least one second component component (B2) can be arranged. According to the invention, the at least one second component (B2) is an injection-molded part, and this at least one injection-molded part is injection-molded onto the associated receiving element (22) of the second carrier strip (20).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device for assembling at least one component, each comprising a first component and a second component, wherein the device has two feed devices, via which a first and a second carrier strip can be fed, wherein the first carrier strip contains a number of the first component components and the second carrier strip contains a number of the second component components, wherein the device has a feed device by means of which at least one first component component and at least one second component component can be moved relative to one another, as well as a method for assembling at least one component, each comprising at least one first component component and at least one second component component, in a device, wherein the device is provided with a coherent first carrier strip, which has a number of the first component components, and a second carrier strip,which has a number of second component parts, wherein the first component parts and the second component parts are moved towards each other by a feed device of the device in an assembly direction, and wherein the second carrier strip has at least one receiving element on which at least one second component part can be arranged, as well as a method for assembling at least one component containing at least one first component part and at least one second component part in the device described above.

[0002] DE 10 2005 036 947 A1 discloses a device and method of the type mentioned above. This document describes a method for producing mass-produced goods, which in particular consist of several prefabricated metal and / or plastic components. It is provided that the prefabricated individual components remain arranged on the carrier strip for further transport and spatial assembly until they are fed to the other component. The assembly device for implementing the method provides that one or more assembly stations are preceded by a modular production system with production modules arranged and / or coupled in any desired manner next to one another, one above the other, and / or one after the other.

[0003] EP 0 890 398 A1 describes a method for producing multi-part, in particular two-part, contact or switching elements by feeding a first component from a first row of adjoining first components to a second component in a synchronously moving second row of adjoining second components. The second row of second components is continuously fed to the first row of first components, in particular along a partially curved positioning path, until a first and a second component are positioned directly opposite one another. After the first components have been separated from the first row, the two components are systematically connected to one another by an assembly stroke or a continuous displacement movement perpendicular to the conveying direction of the first row.To carry out the method, a device is used which has guide arches between which the two strips are guided into the effective range of punching and lifting devices of an assembly unit, wherein the guide arches form two successive, circular arc-shaped sections which create an S-shaped positioning path.

[0004] A generic device and a generic method for assembling two component parts are also known, for example, from DE 10 2021 005 580 A1 of the applicant. This document describes a device and a method which are characterized in that a number of first component parts arranged one behind the other on a first carrier strip at a first spacing, and a number of second component parts arranged one behind the other on the second carrier strip at a second spacing, can be easily assembled in a simple manner, even if the first component parts and the second component parts are fed to the device in a non-equidistant sequence.In particular, the measures described in this document allow two or more components, each consisting of a first component and a second component, to be assembled in a single working stroke of the device.

[0005] DE 10 2019 008 679 A1 by the applicant describes an assembly device for assembling a first component to a second component, wherein the assembly device comprises a lower tool part and an upper tool part. A first feed device and a second feed device are provided, by means of which a number of first components and a corresponding number of second components can be successively introduced between the upper tool part and the lower tool part of the assembly device. The assembly device has a feed device, by means of which at least one first component and at least one second component can be moved relative to one another.For this purpose, it is provided that the feed device has a carriage arranged on the lower part of the tool and a drive device for this carriage, wherein the carriage can be moved from a first end position into a second end position in which the second component received by the carriage is mounted in or on the first component.

[0006] The assembly devices known from the four aforementioned publications allow for the simple assembly of first component parts arranged on a first carrier strip onto second component parts. However, they require that both component parts to be assembled into a component are each arranged on a carrier strip and are thus successively fed to the device and, in particular, to the feed device. The known devices use carrier strips that are punched out of a metal strip or sheet metal together with the respective component, thus integrating the components to be assembled.

[0007] For a variety of applications, however, it is necessary to mount loose second component parts to the first component parts arranged on the first carrier strip. This is the case, for example, when a plastic molded part, e.g. a cap, is to be mounted on each of the first component parts. The usual procedure is that the plastic molded parts are poured individually and loosely into a feed device and then positioned and aligned accordingly so that a feed movement of the second feed device can attach a plastic molded part to the first component part. This procedure is not only prone to malfunctions, since the plastic molded parts fed to the second feed device in a non-oriented manner must be aligned into their assembly position.Any misalignment of a single plastic injection-molded part results in a defective component or even an interruption of the production process. The known device therefore only allows for slow operation due to the circumstances described above.

[0008] It is therefore an object of the present invention to further develop a device of the type mentioned above and a related method in such a way that the assembly of at least one loose component to a component mounted on a carrier strip is possible in a simple manner. Furthermore, a carrier strip particularly suitable for the device according to the invention is to be created.

[0009] This object is achieved by a device according to the invention having the features of claim 1 and by a method according to the invention according to the features of claim 5 and a carrier strip having the features of claim 7.

[0010] The measures according to the invention advantageously enable the assembly of a first component, which is firmly connected to the first carrier strip in a manner known per se, and a second component, which represents a loose component, by arranging the second component on receiving elements of the second carrier strip and thus being successively feedable to the assembly device according to the invention.

[0011] According to the invention, at least one second component is formed as an injection-molded part, and this at least one second component is injection-molded onto the corresponding receiving element of the second carrier strip. Such a measure has the advantage that the second component components can be arranged on the second carrier strip in a particularly simple manner by forming them directly on the corresponding receiving elements of the second carrier strip using an injection-molding process.

[0012] An advantageous development of the invention provides that at least one first component is a stamped part, and that the at least one stamped part is preferably formed together with the first carrier strip in the device according to the invention. Such a measure has the advantage of enabling rapid formation of the first component in a simple manner.

[0013] Further advantageous developments of the invention are the subject of the subclaims.

[0014] Further details and advantages of the invention can be found in the exemplary embodiment described below with reference to the figures. They show: Fig. 1 an embodiment of a carrier strip for use in an assembly device for assembling two component parts, Fig. 2 the embodiment of the Fig. 1 with a second component such as an injection-molded part, Fig. 3 a schematic representation of an assembly process, and Fig. 4 an embodiment of an assembled component.

[0015] In the Fig. 1 to 3 illustrate a carrier strip, generally designated 20, intended for use in an assembly device not shown in the figures. The basic structure of such an assembly device is described, for example, in the applicant's earlier applications DE 10 2021 005 580 A1 and DE 10 2019 008 679 A1. The following description will show the person skilled in the art how to design the assembly devices described in the aforementioned publications so that the corresponding method steps can be carried out with them.

[0016] The assembly device preferably has an upper tool part and a lower tool part, which are arranged so as to be movable relative to one another in a suitable drive device which performs a periodic lifting movement, such as a press which is known per se and therefore not described in more detail. The lower tool part is preferably arranged on a work table of the drive device and the upper tool part on an up-and-down moving receiving plate thereof, so that during an upward stroke of a working stroke the upper tool part moves away from the lower tool part and during a subsequent downward stroke is moved back to the lower tool part. The person skilled in the art will appreciate from the following description that the structure of the assembly device described above is only exemplary and does not limit the generality of the following explanations.

[0017] The assembly device explained here has a feeding device (not shown) through which a first carrier strip 10 (see Fig. 4), which comprises a number of first component parts B1 (in Fig. 4, only one component is shown). Furthermore, the assembly device has a second feed device (also not shown) through which the second carrier strip 20 can be fed to it. Such an assembly device is known—as explained above—and therefore need not be described in further detail.

[0018] The design of this second carrier strip 20 is now essential. It has a base body 21 which has a number of receiving elements 22 arranged at a distance from one another. Such a carrier strip 20 can advantageously be produced in a simple manner from a corresponding metal band or metal strip, in particular by punching. This carrier strip 20 now serves to feed the component parts B2, which are to be fastened to the component parts B1 arranged on the first carrier strip 10, to the assembly device. It is now preferably and advantageously provided that, in the case of second component parts B2 which are designed as injection-molded parts, these are injection-molded directly onto the receiving elements 22 of the second carrier strip 20, as shown in Fig. 2. The second component parts B2 are thus also arranged on the second carrier strip 20. In this way, they can be fed to the assembly device in an oriented and thus immediately assembly-ready form. The assembly process is then carried out in this device, as is known.

[0019] It is preferred that the Fig.3 schematically illustrated assembly of the first component B1 and the second component B2 to the component B, the feed movement of the feed device running in a feed direction Z takes place in such a way that after the second component B2 has been mounted on the first component B1, the component B thus created is moved back against the feed direction Z, so that the second component B2 mounted on the first component B1 is pulled off the receiving element 22. Such a measure has the advantage that the second carrier strip 20 is not damaged and can therefore be reused.

[0020] After the assembly of the component parts B1 and B2 to form component B, the assembled component B is moved further by the first carrier strip 10 so that a further component pair B1, B2 can be joined together to form component B by the feed device.

[0021] The above description assumes that the first carrier strip 10 with the component parts B1 and the second carrier strip 20 with the component parts B2 are fed to the assembly device in a prefabricated state, i.e. that the first carrier strip 10 and the second carrier strip 20 were previously formed in the form in which they were fed to the assembly device: the first component parts B1 were arranged on the first carrier strip 10 or the first carrier strip 10 was formed together with the first component parts B1 in a manner known per se from a metal strip or a metal strip, e.g. by punching. The second carrier strip 20 was formed - as described above - by the second component parts B2 being injection-molded onto the individual receiving elements 22 outside the assembly device.

[0022] However, it will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that it is not absolutely necessary to form the first carrier strip 10 and / or the second carrier strip 20 outside the assembly device. In particular, it is possible to provide a corresponding processing unit, in particular a punching unit, in the assembly device, by means of which the first carrier strip 10 can be formed together with the component parts B1. Such a measure is particularly advantageous when the first carrier strip 10 is formed by punching, in which a component of a punching tool is provided on the upper tool part and on the lower tool part.

[0023] The described measures create carrier strips 10, 20 that are particularly suitable for use in the described assembly device. By providing that the component parts B2, which are to be mounted on the first component parts B1 arranged on the first carrier strip 10, are arranged on the second carrier strip 20, in particular by being molded onto it, it is advantageously possible to also mount loose component parts B2 on the first component parts B1 of the first carrier strip 10.

Claims

[1] Device for assembling at least one component (B) each having a first component (B1) and a second component (B2), wherein the device has two feed devices, via which a first and a second carrier strip (10, 20) are fed, wherein the first carrier strip (10) contains a number of the first component components (B1) and the second carrier strip (20) contains a number of the second component components (B2), wherein the device has a feed device by means of which at least one first component component (B1) and at least one second component component (B2) are movable relative to one another, and wherein the second carrier strip (20) has at least one receiving element (22) on which at least one second component component (B2) can be arranged, characterized bythat the at least one second component (B2) is an injection-molded part, and that this at least one injection-molded part is injection-molded onto the associated receiving element (22) of the second carrier strip (20). [2] Device according to claim 1, characterized by that the first component (B1) is a stamped part, and that preferably the first component (B1) together with the first carrier strip (10) carrying them are stamped out of a metal band or a metal strip. [3] Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the device has a punching unit arranged in front of the feed device in the feed direction of the first component (B1), by means of which the first carrier strip (10) can be punched out of a metal band or a metal strip together with at least one first component (B1). [4] Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the second carrier strip (20) has a number of receiving elements (22) which are preferably arranged equidistant from one another. [5] Method for assembling at least one component (B) containing at least one first component (B1) and at least one second component (B2) in a device, wherein a coherent first carrier strip (10) comprising a number of first component components (B1) and a second carrier strip (20) comprising a number of second component components (B2) are fed to the device, wherein the first component components (B1) and the second component components (B2) are moved towards one another in an assembly direction by a feed device of the device, characterized bythat before the assembly of the two component parts (B1, B2), at least one second component part (B2) is injection-moulded onto at least one receiving element (22) of the second carrier strip (20) by an injection-moulding process. [6] Method according to the preceding claim, characterized by that a device according to one of claims 1 to 4 is used. [7] Carrier strip for a device for assembling at least one component (B) each having a first component (B1) and a second component (B2), wherein the device has two feed devices, via which a first and a second carrier strip (10, 20) are fed, wherein one of the carrier strips (20) contains a number of component components (B2), and wherein this carrier strip (20) has at least one receiving element (22) on which at least one component component (B2) is arranged, characterized bythat this at least one component (B2) is an injection-molded part, and that this at least one injection-molded part is injection-molded onto the associated receiving element (22) of the carrier strip (20). [8] Carrier strip according to claim 7, characterized by that the aforementioned carrier strip (20) has a number of receiving elements (22) which are preferably arranged equidistant from one another.

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