Cable conveying device and method for transporting one or more cables along a conveyor line

Abstract

Line conveying device (1) for transporting one or more lines (L) along a conveying path (F) from a receiving area (11) to at least one removal area (12) of the line conveying device (1), with at least one conveyor belt (2) and a drive (3) for driving the conveyor belt (2), wherein the conveyor belt (2) is mounted at least along the conveying path (F) of the line conveying device (1) by at least one bearing means (5) in such a way that a conveying surface (21) of the conveyor belt (2) encloses a line (L) to be transported, in particular completely, characterized in that the bearing means (5) along and / or in the region of the conveying path (F) is a hose or a pipe (52).

Description

The invention relates to a line conveying device for transporting one or more lines along a conveying path from a receiving region to a removal region of the line conveying device. The invention further relates to a method for transporting one or more lines with the line conveying device.In the prior art, lines, for example for a cable harness of a motor vehicle, are cut individually in cutting machines and subsequently combined and removed in a bundle of approximately 100 lines. The cut lines are then stored in a rack until they are transported to a (manufacturing) line for further processing and / or use. There, the lines are individually removed and laid, for example, on a cable forming board.A disadvantage of this is that a plurality of intermediate steps are necessary until a cut line reaches a subsequent processing station from a cutting machine. This is associated with considerable logistic complexity.Prior art document in the present technical field is disclosed in documents DE 29 44 448 A1, DE 22 35 231 C, DE 10 2018 221 067 A1, DE 943 817 B, DE 23 07 120 A, DE 26 31 723 A1 and DE 22 33 220 A.It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a line conveying device for lines which reduces the logistic outlay for the lines between successive processing stations of a production line, in which the transport can be automated and which can be integrated into an automated production line.This object is achieved by the combination of features according to claim 1.The basic idea of the invention is that the lines, not as before, fall into a line collecting trough after a processing station, but rather directly onto a driven belt conveyor belt, which envelopes the lines, in particular completely, and leads them via a hose or pipe system to a downstream processing station. The corresponding line remains in this case wrapped within the belt conveyor belt until it is at the desired installation. Only at the subsequent processing station does the jacket open again, so that a removal or transfer of the line to a subsequent system is possible. The, in particular complete, wrapping is advantageous since damage to sensitive contact parts can thus be prevented and the belt conveyor belt remains freely movable in space.According to the invention, therefore, a line conveying device for transporting one or more lines along a conveying path from a receiving region to at least one removal region of the line conveying device is proposed, having at least one conveyor belt, in particular a belt conveyor belt, and a drive for driving the conveyor belt. In this case, the conveyor belt is mounted by at least one storage means at least along the conveying path of the line conveying device in such a way that a conveying surface of the conveyor belt envelopes, in particular completely, a line to be transported.It is furthermore favorable that a flexible conveying direction can be realized on account of the, in particular complete, enclosing of the lines without damaging the lines or contact parts of the lines. In addition, the line conveying device is generally designed for transporting limp components. Furthermore, in particular on the conveyor belt, preferably on an underside of the conveyor belt, a guide device for the conveyor belt can be arranged. In this way, the conveyor belt is held or guided in or in its predetermined trajectory, whereby, for example, a twisting or catching of the conveyor belt is avoided. In addition, a plurality of removal regions arranged one behind the other along the conveying path are also conceivable.In an advantageous embodiment variant, it is provided that the conveyor belt is mounted in the receiving region and / or the removal region by one of the at least one bearing means in such a way that the conveying surface of the conveyor belt is bent, in particular in the form of a channel, in the direction of a receiving side of the conveyor belt, preferably bent at most in a semi-circular and / or semi-tubular manner. As a result, receiving or removing in the receiving region or the removal region is improved.In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the one bearing means in the receiving region and / or removal region is at least one pair of conveying rollers arranged at a predetermined position in the conveying direction of the line conveying device, in particular a plurality of pairs of conveying rollers arranged spaced apart in the conveying direction at a predetermined interval along the receiving region. It is advantageous in this respect that the arrangement and orientation of the conveying surface of the conveyor belt can be exactly adapted to a respective application by means of the conveying rollers.Preferably, the line conveying device is configured such that the conveyor belt is mounted in a transition region between the receiving region and the conveying section and / or between the conveying section and the removal region of one of the at least one storage means such that a transition of the conveying surface from the bent state to the enveloping state and / or from the enveloping state to the bent state is formed. Alternatively, an arrangement of the at least one storage means such that the conveyor belt or the conveying surface has an inclination and / or is bent in an opposite direction such that the line to be transported falls off the conveyor belt is also conceivable in the removal region.Furthermore, an embodiment is favorable in which the one bearing means in the transition region is at least two, three or four conveying rollers arranged at a predetermined position in the conveying direction of the line conveying device, in particular a plurality of units of at least four conveying rollers arranged spaced apart in the conveying direction at a predetermined interval along the receiving region, in particular in such a way that the conveying surface is bent at least semi-circularly and / or semi-tubular, in particular in the form of a trough, in the direction of the receiving side of the conveying belt.According to the invention, it is provided that the storage means is a hose or a tube along and / or in the region of the conveying section. It is advantageous in this respect that a conveyor belt correspondingly guided through the hose or the tube envelopes, in particular completely, the line to be transported in and / or because of the hose or tube. In this way, the line to be transported is protected from damage.The line conveying device according to the invention is designed in one embodiment variant in that the drive is arranged in a drive section of the line conveying device. The drive has a force-locking force transmission, in particular by means of a plurality of preferably smooth drive rollers, and / or a force-locking force transmission, in particular by means of toothed drive rollers, onto the conveyor belt.Accordingly, the conveyor belt or the line conveyor device is divided into two regions. On the one hand, it enters the area in which the line is sheathed and transported, and, on the other hand, it enters the area over which the conveyor belt is driven.It is further advantageous if the conveyor belt can be driven continuously or discontinuously by means of the drive. The line conveying device is preferably designed in such a way that the conveyor belt can be driven continuously and can therefore also convey continuously and does not have to be stopped.In a preferred embodiment of the present line conveying device, it is further provided that the receiving region and / or the removal region has a coupling element as an interface for a preceding and / or subsequent processing station of an, in particular automated, production line and / or for at least one further line conveying device adjoining the line conveying device. In this case, a preceding processing station is, for example, a cutting device and a following processing station is, for example, an assembly and / or laying device. By means of a further line conveying device adjoining the line conveying device, switches and / or branches, for example, can be realized in the conveying section. For this purpose, the interface has, in particular, a corresponding distributing device for distributing the corresponding lines to the corresponding at least one further line conveying device adjoining the line conveying device.In a further advantageous exemplary embodiment, the coupling element is a handling device arranged in the receiving region and / or the removal region for receiving and / or removing one or more lines, in particular a robot, and / or a funnel with an orientation means for the lines and / or a collecting trough with a further orientation means for the lines.According to the invention, a method for transporting one or more lines with a line conveying device according to the preceding disclosure along a conveying path from a receiving region to a removal region of the line conveying device is furthermore proposed. In the method, a continuous or discontinuous driving of a conveyor belt of the line conveying device takes place by means of a drive for driving the conveyor belt. In addition, the line to be transported is accommodated in the accommodation area by means of the conveyor belt of the line conveying device. Furthermore, the line is transported from the receiving region to the removal region by means of the conveyor belt of the line conveying device. In this case, the conveyor belt is mounted by at least one storage means at least along the conveying path of the line conveying device in such a way that a conveying surface of the conveyor belt envelopes, in particular completely, a line to be transported.If a plurality of lines are to be conveyed simultaneously, a metering device is to be provided in particular, which is designed such that the corresponding lines are accommodated one after the other in the receiving region, such that the lines are not arranged next to one another and / or at the same height on the conveyor belt.The features disclosed above can be combined as desired, provided that this is technically possible and they do not conflict with one another.Other advantageous developments of the invention are characterized in the dependent claims or are illustrated in more detail below together with the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention on the basis of the figures. The following are shown: FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a line conveying device; FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the line conveying device in a conveying section; FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the line conveying device in a receiving region and / or removal region, and FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of the line conveying device in a transition region between a conveying section and a receiving region and / or removal region.The figures are schematic by way of example. Like reference numerals in the figures indicate like functional and / or structural features.FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a line conveying device 1 for transporting one or more lines L along a conveying path F from a receiving region 11 to a removal region 12 of the line conveying device 1. The line conveying device 1 comprises a conveyor belt 2 and a drive 3 for driving the conveyor belt 2, wherein the drive 3 is arranged in a drive section A of the line conveying device 1. Furthermore, the drive 3 has a force-locking force transmission by means of a plurality of preferably smooth drive rollers and / or a force-locking force transmission by means of toothed drive rollers onto the conveyor belt 2. Furthermore, the conveyor belt can be driven continuously or discontinuously by means of the drive 3.FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the line conveying device 1 in the conveying section F. The conveyor belt 2 is mounted along the conveying section F of the line conveying device 1 by a storage means 5 in such a way that a conveying surface 21 of the conveyor belt 2 completely surrounds a line L to be transported. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the storage means 5 along and / or in the region of the conveying section F is a hose or a tube 52.FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the line conveying device 1 in a receiving region 11 and / or removal region 12. The conveyor belt 2 in the receiving region 11 and / or the removal region 12 is mounted by one of the at least one bearing means 5 in such a way that the conveying surface 21 of the conveyor belt 2 is bent in a channel-like manner in the direction of a receiving side of the conveyor belt 2. The one bearing means 5 in the receiving region 11 and / or removal region 12 is at least one pair of conveying rollers 51 arranged at a predetermined position in the conveying direction of the line conveying device 1.In addition, the receiving region 11 and / or the removal region 12 shown in FIG. 3 has a coupling element 6 as an interface for a preceding and / or subsequent processing station of an automated production line. The coupling element 6 is a handling device for receiving and / or removing one or more lines L.FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of the line conveying device 1 in a transition region 13 between the conveying section F and a receiving region 11 and / or removal region 12. the conveyor belt 2 is mounted in the transition region 13 between the receiving region 11 and the conveying section F and / or between the conveying section F and the removal region 12 by one of the at least one storage means 5 in such a way that a transition of the conveying surface 21 from the bent state to the enveloping state and / or from the enveloping state to the bent state is formed. The one bearing means 5 in the transition region 13 are four conveying rollers 51 arranged at a predetermined position in the conveying direction of the line conveying device 1. in the transition region 13 a plurality of units of at least four conveying rollers 51 arranged at a distance in the conveying direction at a predetermined interval along the receiving region 11 are arranged in such a way that the conveying surface 21 is bent at least semi-circularly and / or in a trough-shaped manner in the direction of the receiving side of the conveying belt 2.The embodiment of the invention is not restricted to the preferred exemplary embodiments given above. Rather, a number of variants are conceivable which make use of the solution shown even in fundamentally different embodiments.

Claims

Line conveying device (1) for transporting one or more lines (L) along a conveying path (F) from a receiving region (11) to at least one removal region (12) of the line conveying device (1), having at least one conveyor belt (2) and a drive (3) for driving the conveyor belt (2), wherein the conveyor belt (2) is mounted by at least one storage means (5) at least along the conveying path (F) of the line conveying device (1) in such a way that a conveying surface (21) of the conveyor belt (2) envelopes a line (L) to be transported, in particular completely, characterized in that the storage means (5) along and / or in the region of the conveying path (F) is a hose or a tube (52).Line conveying device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor belt (2) is mounted in the receiving region (11) and / or the removal region (12) by one of the at least one storage means (5) in such a way that the conveying surface (21) of the conveyor belt (2) is bent, in particular in the form of a trough, in the direction of a receiving side of the conveyor belt (2).Line conveying device (1) according to claim 2, wherein the one storage means (5) in the receiving region (11) and / or removal region (12) is at least one pair of conveying rollers (51) arranged at a predetermined position in the conveying direction of the line conveying device (1), in particular a plurality of pairs of conveying rollers (51) arranged spaced apart in the conveying direction at a predetermined interval along the receiving region (11).Line conveying device (1) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the conveyor belt (2) is mounted in a transition region (13) between the receiving region (11) and the conveying section (F) and / or between the conveying section (F) and the removal region (12) of one of the at least one storage means (5) in such a way that a transition of the conveying surface (21) from the bent state to the enveloping state and / or from the enveloping state to the bent state is formed.Line conveying device (1) according to claim 4, wherein the one bearing means (5) in the transition region (13) are at least four conveying rollers (51) arranged at a predetermined position in the conveying direction of the line conveying device (1), in particular a plurality of units of at least four conveying rollers (51) arranged spaced apart in the conveying direction at a predetermined interval along the receiving region (11), in particular in such a way that the conveying surface (21) is bent at least semi-circularly, in particular in the shape of a trough, in the direction of the receiving side of the conveyor belt (2).Line conveying device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the drive (3) is arranged in a drive section (A) of the line conveying device (1), wherein the drive (3) has a force-locking force transmission, in particular by means of a plurality of preferably smooth drive rollers, and / or a force-locking force transmission, in particular by means of toothed drive rollers, onto the conveyor belt (2).Line conveying device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveyor belt can be driven continuously or discontinuously by means of the drive (3).Line conveying device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the receiving region (11) and / or the removal region (12) has a coupling element (6) as an interface for a preceding and / or following processing station of an, in particular automated, production line and / or for at least one further line conveying device (1') adjoining the line conveying device (1).Line conveying device (1) according to claim 8, wherein the coupling element (6) is a handling device arranged in the receiving region (11) and / or the removal region (12) for receiving and / or removing one or more lines (L) and / or a funnel with an orientation means for the lines (L) and / or a collecting trough with a further orientation means for the lines (L).Method for transporting one or more lines (L) with a line conveying device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, along a conveying path (F) from a receiving region (11) to a removal region (12) of the line conveying device (1), which comprises the steps: a. continuously or discontinuously driving a conveyor belt (2) of the line conveying device (1) by means of a drive (3) for driving the conveyor belt (2); b. receiving the line (L) to be transported in the receiving region (11) by means of the conveyor belt (2) of the line conveying device (1), c. transporting the line (L) from the receiving region (11) to the removal region (12) by means of the conveyor belt (2) of the line conveying device (1); wherein the conveyor belt (2) is supported at least along the conveying path (F) of the line conveying device (1) by at least one storage means (5) in such a way that a conveying surface (21) of the conveyor belt (2) envelopes a line (L) to be transported, in particular completely, wherein the storage means (5) is a hose or a pipe (52) along and / or in the region of the conveying path (F).

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