DEVICE FOR APPLYING A VISCOUS MATERIAL

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method having the features of claim 1. DE 10 2009 060475 A1 and US 2014 / 326760 A1 describe devices for applying viscous material to connecting elements.

[0002] CN 105032717 A describes a sealant coating nozzle in the field of manufacturing technology for displays. US 2015 / 112263 A1 describes fluid supply devices for supplying a liquid medium to a medical device.

[0003] From the construction of aircraft structural parts, it is known to separately coat the rivet heads of components with a viscous material or sealant. For this purpose, a bell or bell nozzle is placed over the rivet head, and the sealant is applied into the bell. This often leads to undesirable behavior when cutting a thread of the sealant. Furthermore, excess material accumulates on the outer edge of the bell nozzle, which is detrimental.

[0004] It is the object of the invention to provide a method for applying a viscous material which enables a low-contamination and reproducible application.

[0005] This object is achieved according to the invention for a method with the features of claim 1. The provision of the dosing element allows for more precise feeding of the viscous material. The separation of the material from the element after application can also be favorably influenced. A bell is generally understood to be an open cavity that can be slipped over the protruding element in the direction of attachment, with an opening or the attachment edge facing forward. The shape of the bell is largely arbitrary within the meaning of the invention, for example, hemispherical, cylindrical, or similar.

[0006] For the purposes of the invention, a dosing element is understood to be any means by which at least a portion of the material flow used for application can be influenced in addition to the conveying means. The immediate proximity of the dosing element to the bell or an exit area of ​​the material flow can enable the material not only to be conveyed in the application direction, but also partially retracted if necessary.

[0007] The advantages of the invention can be utilized particularly effectively when the component is a structural component of an aircraft. The component preferably comprises one or more materials from the group consisting of aluminum alloy, composite fiber material, and / or titanium. The protruding element can preferably be a rivet head, the head of a screw bolt, or another fastening element.

[0008] The viscous material may in particular be a sealing material, in particular an aircraft sealing compound or a silicone-like sealing material.

[0009] The viscous material can be applied by moving the component and / or by moving the device in the application direction. To facilitate flexible and at least partially automated production, the device is designed as an end effector for a manipulator, such as a gantry machine and / or an industrial robot.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the metering element is arranged at a branch of the supply line, in particular shortly before the supply line enters the bell. This allows for a simple structural implementation, with the proximity of the metering element to the bell allowing for rapid and direct influence on the material flow in the region of the bell.

[0011] In alternative embodiments of the invention, the metering element can also be provided directly in the bell. For example, in such an embodiment, a hollow cylinder can be provided as the metering element, which is arranged concentrically around the supply line and can be advanced within the bell.

[0012] It is generally advantageous for the dosing element to comprise a movable dosing piston, so that a simple and effective way of advancing or retracting the viscous material is achieved by moving the dosing piston. The dosing piston is driven by an actuator. Particularly preferably, the driven movement occurs in two directions, allowing material advancement on the one hand and retraction on the other.

[0013] In a further detailed design, it can be provided that the dosing piston, in at least one position, is essentially flush with a wall of the supply line and / or the bell. This allows the material in front of the dosing piston to be transported unhindered, preventing any unmoved material from accumulating in front of the dosing piston.

[0014] After the bell is lifted from the element, the material is retracted through the dosing element. This allows for improved separation of the material thread and reduces unwanted material accumulation in the edge area of ​​the bell.

[0015] In preferred further training, the procedure also includes the step: Retraction of the material by means of the dosing element during step c in order to facilitate separation of a material thread.

[0016] Further advantages and features emerge from the embodiment described below and from the dependent claims.

[0017] An embodiment of the invention is described below and explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 a spatial view of a device, Fig. 2 a sectional view of the device from Fig. 1 from the side, Fig. 3 a schematic sectional view of the device from Fig. 1 in four consecutive steps a to d of an order process.

[0018] Fig. 1 shows a device for applying a viscous material in the form of a sealant to rivet heads of structural components of aircraft.

[0019] The device is constructed entirely on an end effector of a robot arm. A front end is formed by a bell 1, which can be fed with the viscous material 3 via a feed line 2. A conveying means (not shown) is provided on the end effector upstream of the feed line 2 and can convey the viscous material from a reservoir into the feed line.

[0020] In this case, the bell 1 and the supply line 2 form a nozzle body 4 as a structural unit, with the nozzle body 4 being connectable as an interchangeable module at an interface 5 to a spring-loaded mount 6 for length compensation. On the opposite side of the mount 6 is a flange 7 for connection to the additional end effector.

[0021] The bell is movable with a mounting edge 8 over a protruding element 9 in the form of a rivet head of a component 9a in order to enable the application of the material 3.

[0022] Shortly before the supply line 2 joins the bell 1, a branch 10 of the supply line 2 is provided. A dosing piston 11 of a dosing element 12 is sealed within the branch 10. The dosing piston 11 can be advanced and retracted by means of a pneumatic actuator 13 of the dosing element 12.

[0023] A front end of the dosing piston 11 is concave and beveled, so that when the dosing piston is in one position, it forms a smooth inner wall with the rest of the feed line 2. This promotes a complete exchange of the material 3 located in front of the dosing piston 11 during the material conveyance.

[0024] The function of the invention is explained using the schematically illustrated processes in Fig 3 explained in more detail: Initially, the dosing piston 11 is in a retracted position and the bell 1 is partially filled with viscous material 3. The bell 1 is slipped over the rivet head 9 by means of the robot arm in a placement direction until the placement edge 8 rests on the component 9a ( Fig. 3 ).

[0025] Subsequently, the dosing piston 11 is pushed forwards in the direction of the bell 1 by means of the actuator 12, whereby the bell 1 is completely filled with material 3 and the rivet head 9 is completely covered with material 3 ( Fig. 3b ).

[0026] Subsequently, the bell 1 is moved away from the rivet head 9 by a defined distance in the opposite direction to the placement direction, whereby further material 3 is initially conveyed by the conveying means ( Fig. 3c ).

[0027] Finally, the dosing piston 11 is moved back to the retracted position, while a lateral and / or circular movement of the bell 1 occurs to cause the material or a material thread to be separated. This retraction of the dosing piston 11 also draws material from the bell into the area of ​​the feed line, which is schematically indicated by a resulting cavity 14 in the bell 1. This promotes a clean separation of the material thread and reduces contamination of an outer wall of the bell with excess material 3.

[0028] Finally, the device is moved over the next rivet head and the process described above is repeated.

Claims

1. Method for applying a viscous material to a projecting rivet head (9) of a component (9a) by means of an apparatus for applying a viscous material (3), wherein the apparatus is designed as an end effector for a manipulator, wherein the apparatus comprises a bell (1) with a circumferential placement edge (8), and a feed line (2), wherein the material (3) is able to be conveyed by way of a conveying means through the feed line (2) into the bell (1), wherein the bell (1) and the feed line (2) form a nozzle body (4) as a structural unit, wherein the nozzle body (4) is connectable as an exchangeable module at an interface (5) to a resiliently deflectable receptacle (6) for length compensation, wherein the bell (1) with the placement edge (8) is able to be brought in a placing direction over a rivet head of a component (9a) in order to envelop the rivet head (9) with the material (3), wherein a metering member (12) is provided in the region of the bell (1) or of the feed line (2), wherein, in the course of an application operation, a flow of the material is able to be influenced by means of the metering member (12), wherein the metering member (12) comprises a movable metering piston (11), wherein the method comprises the following steps a. placing the bell (1) onto the component (9a), wherein the bell (1) is put in a placing direction over the rivet head (9) by means of a robot arm until the placement edge (8) rests on the component (9a); b. filling the bell (1) with the viscous material (3), with the result that the rivet head (9) is enveloped, wherein the metering piston (11) is pushed forwards towards the bell (1) by means of an actuator (13), as a result of which the bell (1) is filled completely with material (3) and the rivet head (9) is enveloped completely with material (3); c. lifting the bell (1) off from the rivet head (9), wherein the metering piston (11) is subsequently moved back into a pulled-back position, while the bell (1) moves laterally, in order to bring about separation of the material or material thread, wherein this pulling back of the metering piston (22) also pulls material back out of the bell into the region of the feed line.

2. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the metering member (12) is arranged on a branch (10) of the feed line (2), in particular just before a point at which the feed line (2) enters the bell (1).

3. Method according to Claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the metering piston (11) is movable in a drivable manner by an actuator (13) in two directions.

4. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the metering piston (11), in at least one position, terminates substantially flush with a wall of the feed line (2) and / or the bell (1).