Device for applying seals to doors, more particularly vehicle doors, and method for applying seals to doors, more particularly vehicle doors
Patent Information
- Application Number
- EP2023713869
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-03-28
- Filing Date
- 2023-03-21
- Publication Date
- 2025-02-05
- Estimated Expiration
- Not applicable · inactive patent
AI Technical Summary
Existing devices for applying seals to vehicle doors are inflexible and cannot efficiently handle shorter seal lengths, as the fixed distance between the punching unit and the cutting knife makes it difficult to accurately position water drainage holes for seals with shorter lengths, such as those used on frameless doors.
A device with a marking device and an intermediate buffer is introduced, allowing for flexible adaptation of seal length and position of water drainage holes, where the marking device marks the seal start and end, and the intermediate buffer compensates for length, enabling precise placement of holes and cutting.
Enables efficient application of seals with shorter lengths by allowing for adjustable positioning of water drainage holes, accommodating various seal lengths and improving the device's flexibility in processing, particularly for frameless doors.
Smart Images
Figure 1.1
Abstract
Description
[0001] Device for applying seals to doors, in particular vehicle doors, and method for applying seals to doors, in particular vehicle doors
[0002] The present invention relates to a device for applying seals to doors, in particular vehicle doors, according to the preamble of claim 1, and to a method for applying seals to doors, in particular vehicle doors, according to the preamble of claim 4.
[0003] Devices for applying seals to vehicle doors are known. These devices are designed to automatically apply, in particular adhere, a seal in the form of a theoretically infinite sealing strip to a vehicle door at a predetermined location. Seals for doors, in particular vehicle doors, must also be provided with drainage holes at predetermined locations. According to the prior art, a device is known, in particular a stationary rolling system, in which a punching unit, i.e., a unit for making holes in the seal, is fixedly arranged between a roller buffer and a stationary cutting and application head. The roller buffer stores and dispenses the seal buffered as an endless strip, while the cutting and application head applies and cuts the seal to the door.
[0004] In this system, it is also planned to provide water drainage holes at the appropriate location on the seal.
[0005] Due to the system, a certain length of sealing tape is accommodated in the cutting and application head.
[0006] Due to its inflexibility, the system is either not suitable or only inadequately suitable for applying significantly shorter door seals, such as those for frameless doors. The geometrically defined path between the punching unit and the cutting blade located in the head, which cuts the continuous seal strip, thus determining the end of the seal or the beginning of a new seal, is too large for these seals. In other words, the water drainage holes for the seal currently being applied cannot be created by the upstream punching unit, as the sealing strip to be applied is already located in the cutting and application head.This is where the present invention comes in and sets itself the task of proposing an improved device for applying seals to doors, in particular vehicle doors, in particular to propose a device that can be used more flexibly, in particular with regard to the length of the seal and the position of the water drainage holes.
[0007] According to the invention, this object is achieved by a device having the characterizing features of claim 1. Due to the fact that the device is equipped with a marking device for marking the seal start and seal end of the sealing tape to be applied, wherein an intermediate buffer is provided between the punching unit and the cutting and application head, which buffer is designed to buffer sealing tape provided with water drainage holes in front of the cutting and application head, the device can be adapted more flexibly to the length of the seal to be applied, in particular even comparatively short seal lengths can be processed, which can be accommodated in the intermediate buffer.
[0008] In other words, to ensure the water drainage holes are positioned at the appropriate location for any seal length, a marking device, preferably the existing punching device, is provided. Additionally, an intermediate buffer, in particular a length compensation device, e.g., a lifting frame with a roller and travel measurement, is provided, which creates a reproducible distance between the seal start and the (water drainage) holes.
[0009] The seal start mark can then be detected by a sensor at the head, and the signal for the punching unit can be generated. The distance between the cutting blade and the punching unit should not exceed the shortest seal length, especially without intermediate buffer storage.
[0010] Further advantageous embodiments of the proposed invention emerge in particular from the features of the subclaims. The subject matter and features of the various claims can, in principle, be combined with one another in any desired way.
[0011] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the punching unit can be designed as a marking device. In this respect, the punching unit fulfills a dual function. However, it is also conceivable to provide a punching unit and a separate marking device. Further features and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0012] Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a device for applying seals to doors, in particular vehicle doors, according to the prior art;
[0013] Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of a device according to the invention for applying seals to doors, in particular vehicle doors;
[0014] Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of a sealing strip with a hole position and a sealing joint.
[0015] Features and details described in connection with a method naturally also apply in connection with the device according to the invention, and vice versa, so that with regard to the disclosure of the individual aspects of the invention, reference is always made to each other. Furthermore, a method according to the invention that may be described can be carried out with the device according to the invention.
[0016] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a" and "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of the recited features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed elements.
[0017] The following reference symbols are used in the figures:
[0018] D (endless) seal or sealing tape
[0019] W Water drainage hole A Sealing joint
[0020] S route
[0021] 1 roller buffer
[0022] 2 punching unit
[0023] 3 Cutting and application head
[0024] 4 intermediate buffers
[0025] 5 Marking device
[0026] 31 cutting blades
[0027] Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a device for applying seals to doors, particularly vehicle doors, according to the prior art. The device essentially comprises a roller buffer 1, a punching unit 2, and a cutting and application head 3 with a cutting blade 31.
[0028] Further details of the device for applying seals according to Fig. 1 will become apparent in particular from a cursory description of the process sequence.
[0029] The (endless) seal or sealing tape D (hereinafter referred to as sealing tape) is fed to the device via the roller buffer. The roll buffer 1 is designed to buffer a predetermined length of the sealing tape D, i.e. a predetermined length is stored in the roll buffer 1 and can be retrieved from there. For this purpose, the roll buffer has, for example, two rolls spaced apart from one another in the direction of gravity, around which the sealing tape is laid in a loop. The length to be buffered can be determined accordingly based on the vertical distance between the rolls and the number of rolls or loops. The sealing tape D is transferred from the roll buffer 1 to the punching unit 2. The punching unit 2 is designed to punch holes, in particular water drainage holes W, in the sealing tape D. From the punching unit 2, the sealing tape D is transferred accordingly to the cutting and application head 3.A distance S between the punching unit 2 and the cutting and application head 3 is indicated. The cutting and application head 3 is configured to apply the sealing strip D to the door at a predetermined location. The cutting and application head 3 is also configured to cut the sealing strip D with the aid of its cutting blade 31. Accordingly, the sealing strip D equipped with water drainage holes is applied to the door by means of the cutting and application head 3 and cut off at the appropriate location using the cutting blade 31. This results in a sealing strip that runs around the door contour and is joined at its ends at a sealing joint. The water drainage holes W are introduced into the sealing strip D at the appropriate location.
[0030] A disadvantage in this context, however, is that the distance S between the punching unit 2 and the cutting and application head 3 may be too long for short sealing tape lengths.
[0031] Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of a device according to the invention for applying seals to doors, in particular vehicle doors.
[0032] The device according to the invention essentially comprises a roller buffer 1, a punching unit 2, and a cutting and application head 3 with a cutting blade 31. According to the invention, it is also provided that the device is equipped with an intermediate buffer 4 and a marking device 5.
[0033] Further details of the device according to the invention for applying seals according to Fig. 2 will become apparent in particular from a brief description of the process sequence. It is understood that only a few selected process steps are presented here, as they are helpful for understanding the process according to the invention. The process may include further steps or intermediate steps known to those skilled in the art.
[0034] With regard to the basic properties of roller buffer 1 and punching unit 2, reference can essentially be made to the statements made above.
[0035] From the roller buffer 1, the sealing tape D is transferred to the punching unit 2. The punching unit 2 is configured to punch holes, particularly water drainage holes, into the sealing tape D. In addition, a marking device 5 is provided for marking the sealing tape start and end points to be applied. These markings, in turn, can be used to control the cutting head 31 of the cutting and application head 3.
[0036] However, as already indicated above, an intermediate buffer 4 is provided between the punching unit 2 and the cutting and application head 3. An arrangement between the punching unit 2 and the cutting and application head 3 means that the punched sealing tape D is first fed to the intermediate buffer 4 and then to the cutting and application head 3.
[0037] Intermediate buffer 4 is essentially a buffer that operates according to the roller principle. To distinguish it from the existing roller buffer 1, this intermediate buffer 4 is referred to as an intermediate buffer based on its position.
[0038] The intermediate buffer 4 allows the sealing tape D required for application to be accommodated in the intermediate buffer 4 with the correctly positioned drainage holes. It is intended that at least one length to be applied is always buffered in the intermediate buffer, preferably even more than one length to be applied. In other words, the intermediate buffer buffers the sealing tape, which is already provided with drainage holes in the correct positions and is required for application on the door.
[0039] The method according to the invention for applying seals to doors, in particular vehicle doors, with a device according to at least one of the preceding claims, is therefore characterized by the following method steps: a) Transfer of a sealing tape D to the roller buffer 1 and buffering of a length of sealing tape; b) Transfer of the buffered sealing tape D from the roller buffer 1 to the punching unit 2 and punching of water drainage holes W in the sealing tape D, as well as introducing markings for the start and end of the seal to be applied by the marking device 5; c) Transfer of at least one, preferably several lengths of sealing tape D with water drainage holes W, punched for a door application, to the intermediate buffer 4; d) Transfer of at least one, preferably several lengths of sealing tape D with water drainage holes W, punched for a door application, from the intermediate buffer 4 to the cutting and application head 3;e) Applying the supplied sealing tape D with water drainage holes W to a door, in particular a vehicle door; f) Cutting the sealing tape D with water drainage holes W at a marked location by the cutting head 31. Preferably, it is provided that the process steps d) to f) are repeated accordingly according to the lengths of sealing tape D with water drainage holes W pre-punched and buffered in the intermediate buffer.
[0040] Figure 3 schematically shows a sealing strip applied to a door. In particular, the position of a water drainage hole W and a sealing joint A are visible. The sealing joint A marks the point where the sealing strip D is rejoined after one circuit around the door.
Claims
Claims 1. Device for applying seals to doors, in particular vehicle doors, comprising - a roller buffer (1), a punching unit (2) and a cutting and application head (3), wherein - the roller buffer (1) is set up to buffer sealing tape (D) in front of the punching unit (2), wherein - the punching unit (2) is set up to introduce water drainage holes into the sealing tape (D), wherein - the cutting and application head (3) is designed for applying and cutting the sealing tape (D) provided with water drainage holes, characterized in that - the device with a marking device (5) for marking the area to be applied is equipped with sealing start and sealing end of the sealing tape, wherein - an intermediate buffer (4) between the punching unit (2) and the cutting and Application head (3) is provided which is designed to buffer sealing tape (D) provided with water drainage holes in front of the cutting and application head (3).
2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the punching unit (2) is designed as a marking device (5).
3. Method for applying seals to doors, in particular vehicle doors, with a device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by the following method steps: a) transferring a sealing strip (D) to the roller buffer (1) and buffering a length of sealing strip; b) transferring the buffered sealing strip (D) from the roller buffer (1) to the punching unit (2) and punching water drainage holes (W) into the sealing strip (D), and marking the beginning and end of the seal to be applied by the marking device (5); c) transferring at least one, preferably several, lengths of sealing tape (D) with drainage holes (W) punched for a door application to the intermediate buffer (4); d) transferring the at least one, preferably several, lengths of sealing tape (D) with drainage holes (W) punched for a door application from the intermediate buffer (4) to the cutting and application head (3); e) applying the supplied sealing tape (D) with drainage holes (W) to a door, in particular a vehicle door; f) cutting the sealing tape (D) with drainage holes (W) at the marked location by the cutting head (31). Method according to claim 3, characterized by the following method step: - Repeat process steps d) to f) for the length of sealing tape (D) with water drainage holes (W) punched for a door application by feeding from the intermediate buffer (4).