Apparatus and method for providing preferably flat adhesive elements
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NAGL & VETTER GMBH
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-04
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-13
AI Technical Summary
Existing systems face challenges in providing adhesive elements in a precise and efficient manner for automated handling, as they often rely on adhesive elements being arranged on a carrier web that is wound into rolls, making it difficult to ensure accurate and high-speed placement on workpieces.
A device featuring a sheet-shaped adhesive element conveyor system with a revolving driven conveyor belt and an optical detection system to accurately position adhesive elements on a receiving section, allowing for reliable detection and handling by a handling device, while also accommodating various types of carrier web elements such as rolls or sheets.
Enables precise and high-speed placement of adhesive elements on workpieces, reducing errors and increasing the rate at which adhesive elements can be applied, ensuring reliable and efficient operation in manufacturing processes.
Smart Images
Figure EP2024068936_09012025_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] Device and method for providing preferably sheet-like adhesive elements
[0002] The present invention relates to a device for providing preferably sheet-like adhesive elements which have an adhesive surface coated with adhesive and an upper side opposite thereto, as well as to a method for providing such adhesive elements.
[0003] In many sectors, such as the automotive and electronics industries, it is often necessary to attach so-called adhesive elements—i.e., elements that have a first surface coated with adhesive, the so-called adhesive surface—to a predetermined position on a workpiece, for example, to protect the workpiece at this position. Furthermore, these adhesive elements have an upper side facing away from the adhesive surface, which can either be designed as an adhesive surface or be configured in any other desired manner.
[0004] For this purpose, the adhesive elements must be provided in such a way that a handling system or handling device can pick up the adhesive elements and automatically apply them to the desired position on a workpiece. In turn, it is also necessary that the adhesive elements can be provided reliably and that the handling devices can safely pick them up at the point at which they are provided. In this case, it is state of the art for the adhesive elements to be arranged with their adhesive surface on a carrier web and for the carrier web to be wound up into a roll of adhesive elements. The roll of adhesive elements is then successively unwound in the provision device and the adhesive elements are provided in a receiving section so that they can be picked up there by a handling device.
[0005] It has proven problematic to provide the adhesive elements in a precisely positioned manner so that they can be safely picked up by the handling device. Furthermore, it is also necessary that the required number of adhesive elements is provided in the receiving section per unit of time, which are then placed on the workpieces by the handling device. It is therefore necessary for a device for providing adhesive elements to be designed to provide the adhesive elements at a sufficiently high rate. Therefore, based on the prior art, the object of the present invention is to provide a device for providing adhesive elements which is designed to provide a sufficiently large number of adhesive elements per unit of time and to cooperate with a handling device in such a way that the handling device can reliably pick up the provided adhesive elements.
[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, this object is achieved by a device for providing preferably sheet-like adhesive elements, which have an adhesive-coated adhesive surface and an opposite upper side, comprising a frame and a circulating, driven conveyor belt, which is mounted on the frame in such a way that its circulating track has a receiving section in which the conveyor belt is guided such that it runs horizontally and whose outward-facing surface, with respect to the circulating track, faces upwards, wherein the receiving section extends away from a deflection element. The outward-facing surface of the conveyor belt is designed such that the adhesive elements adhere to it with their adhesive surface only to such an extent that they can be released therefrom by means of a handling device that engages the upper side.
[0007] The device according to the invention further comprises a receiving device which has at least one receiving means for a carrier web element, wherein the carrier web element has a carrier web on which a plurality of adhesive elements are arranged such that the adhesive surface adheres to the carrier web. The receiving means has a drive and the receiving means is configured to convey and guide the carrier web such that a section of the carrier web opposite the deflection element is guided in a carrier web plane which runs in or parallel to the plane of the receiving section, and is deflected immediately adjacent to the deflection element such that the adhesive elements are detached from the carrier web and transferred to a part of the conveyor belt located in the receiving section.
[0008] Furthermore, according to the invention, an optical detection device is provided which is arranged in such a way relative to the receiving section, preferably above it, in order to detect adhesive elements arranged on the part of the conveyor belt located in the receiving section, wherein the optical detection device is configured to output an image signal, wherein an evaluation unit is provided which is connected to the optical detection device and which is configured to determine position information from the image signal, wherein the position information represents the positions of adhesive elements in the receiving section at a predetermined time, and the evaluation unit is configured to output the position information.
[0009] The device according to the invention is thus equipped with a frame and with a belt conveyor having a conveyor belt that is held and driven on the frame of the device in such a way that the circulating track along which the conveyor belt moves has a receiving section in which the conveyor belt is guided essentially horizontally and in which its upper side, facing away from the interior of the circulating track, faces upwards. The adhesive elements can be arranged on this upper side in the receiving section in a manner described below. The receiving section extends horizontally in a plane defined by the conveyor belt away from a deflection element around which the conveyor belt is deflected from another section of the circulating track into the receiving section.
[0010] At this point, it should be noted that the term "conveyor belt" in the context of the present invention is to be understood broadly, encompassing not only belts made of textile or plastic material that are flexible along their entire length, but also ring-shaped arrangements of individual inflexible elements that are in turn connected to one another in an articulated manner, resulting in an overall flexible arrangement. The term "belt conveyor" in the context of the present invention is therefore also to be understood broadly, encompassing modular belt conveyors and sliding belt conveyors.
[0011] The outward-facing surface, which forms the upper side in the receiving section on which the adhesive elements are placed, is designed such that the adhesive elements or the adhesive on the adhesive surface adhere to it only to such a small extent that they can be easily removed from the conveyor belt using a handling device. For this purpose, the upper side of the conveyor belt can in particular be suitably coated, for example with silicone, whereby it is further preferred if the silicone surface is suitably ground. PTFE as a coating is also a possibility. The upper side of the conveyor belt is therefore designed such that only low adhesion results with regard to surfaces provided with adhesive.
[0012] Furthermore, the device according to the invention comprises a receiving device provided with at least one receptacle, which in turn is designed to receive carrier web elements. The carrier web elements comprise a carrier web on which the adhesive elements to be provided are arranged with their adhesive surface resting against the carrier web. As explained in more detail below, the carrier web elements can be, in particular, adhesive element rolls in which the carrier web is wound up into a roll, cassettes in which a roll of adhesive elements is accommodated, or adhesive element sheets in which the carrier web is a flat sheet on which a certain number of adhesive elements are located. However, different designs of the carrier web elements are also conceivable.
[0013] What the carrier web elements that can be accommodated in the device according to the present invention in their at least one receptacle have in common, however, is that the adhesive elements are arranged in at least one row on the carrier web that extends along the direction of extension of the carrier web.
[0014] Furthermore, according to the invention, the receptacle of the receiving device is provided with a drive, wherein the receptacle is further configured to guide and move the carrier web of the carrier web element with the adhesive elements such that a section of the carrier web that lies opposite the deflection element over which the conveyor belt is guided extends parallel to the plane of the receiving section or runs parallel and offset therefrom. Directly opposite the deflection element, the carrier web is then deflected, preferably downwards away from the plane in which the receiving section extends, so that the adhesive elements are firstly released from the carrier web and secondly then continue to move at least almost parallel to the plane of the receiving section so that they are transferred to a part of the conveyor belt located in the receiving section.The holder is designed in such a way that by moving the carrier web appropriately, the adhesive elements are released from the carrier web and transferred to the conveyor belt.
[0015] In order to carry out this process reliably, it is preferred if the vertical offset between the plane in which the carrier web moves adjacent to the deflection element before it is deflected and the plane in which the receiving section extends can be adjusted. In this way, different adhesion conditions, i.e. a different strength of adhesion between the adhesive element and the carrier web, can be taken into account. The adjustable height of this vertical offset is an independently inventive idea that is independent of the further features of the present invention. Finally, the device according to the present invention has an optical detection device, which is preferably arranged above the receiving section and is designed to detect the adhesive elements located on the part of the conveyor belt located in the receiving section.The optical detection device, which can be designed in particular as a camera and can preferably detect a one-dimensional area, i.e., a line, or a two-dimensional area, i.e., a surface, outputs an image signal. An evaluation unit is also provided, which is configured to determine, from the image signal, for a predetermined point in time, the positions of the adhesive elements that they occupy on the conveyor belt in the region of the receiving section. The evaluation unit provides and can output position information containing the aforementioned positions of the adhesive elements.
[0016] This position information can be used to control a handling device to pick up the adhesive elements from the conveyor belt and place them at a desired position. According to the invention, it is thus possible to control the handling device based on the actual position of the adhesive elements on the conveyor belt or in the receiving section, which allows the adhesive elements to be reliably picked up by the handling device. Errors that could arise from the actual position of the adhesive elements deviating from an assumed position are thus avoided.
[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the at least one receptacle is designed to receive a carrier web element, on whose carrier web the adhesive elements are arranged next to one another in several rows along the carrier web, so that adhesive elements that have been transferred from the carrier web element to the conveyor belt are arranged on the conveyor belt in several rows extending in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt. Such an arrangement of the adhesive elements on the carrier web makes it possible to provide a larger number of adhesive elements per unit of time in the receiving section for further distribution by one or more handling devices. This can further accelerate a manufacturing process.
[0018] In a further preferred embodiment, the receptacle of the device is configured such that it can accommodate carrier web elements formed as an adhesive element roll, wherein the carrier web is rolled up into the adhesive element roll, and wherein the receptacle has a peel-off edge opposite the deflection element, so that a section unwound from the adhesive element roll can be guided over the peel-off edge to the take-up roll. In particular, the receptacle is configured to drive the take-up roll. In this embodiment, the device can be supplied with simply designed carrier web elements that can accommodate a large number of adhesive elements.
[0019] In an alternative preferred embodiment, the receptacle is designed such that it can accommodate carrier web elements configured as a cassette, which have a housing in which a roll of adhesive elements is accommodated, wherein the carrier web is rolled up to form the roll of adhesive elements, and wherein a take-up roll is accommodated in the housing, onto which roll a section of the carrier web that has been unwound from the roll of adhesive elements can be wound. It is further preferred if the cassette has a peel-off edge that lies opposite the deflection element when the cassette is accommodated in the receptacle, and if a section unwound from the roll of adhesive elements can be guided over the peel-off edge to the take-up roll. If the carrier web element is designed as a cassette, the device according to the invention can be easily supplied with new adhesive elements.
[0020] In another alternative preferred embodiment, the carrier web element is designed as an adhesive element sheet, with the carrier web being designed as a carrier web sheet. Furthermore, in a further preferred manner, the receptacle can be configured to accommodate a plurality of adhesive element sheets as a stack. This represents a possibility for supplying the device with new adhesive elements with minimal effort during operation.
[0021] Furthermore, it is preferred if the deflection element is designed as a knife edge for the conveyor belt, over which the conveyor belt is guided. A knife edge in the sense of the present invention, as is known in the field of conveyor technology, is understood to be an element over which the conveyor belt of the belt conveyor is guided with a very small radius, which allows the gap between the carrier web and the conveyor belt in the region of the deflection element, here the knife edge, to be very narrow, thus reliably preventing adhesive elements from getting into the area between the conveyor belt and the carrier web, but rather reliably transferring them from the carrier web to the conveyor belt.
[0022] In this context, it is further preferred if the knife edge is designed as a fixed deflection guide with a curved guide section that extends transversely to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt and over which the conveyor belt is guided. This results in a simple and low-maintenance design of the knife edge.
[0023] In an alternative embodiment, however, it is also conceivable for the knife edge to have a deflection pulley extending transversely to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt and resting against the plane of the receiving section from below, over which the conveyor belt is guided. Such a design reduces wear on the conveyor belt due to movement over the knife edge.
[0024] Furthermore, it is preferred if the receiving device has a first receptacle and a second receptacle. The first receptacle has a drive and is configured to convey the carrier web of a carrier web element received in the first receptacle such that a section of the carrier web opposite the deflection element is guided in a carrier web plane that runs in or parallel to the plane of the receiving section, and is deflected immediately adjacent to the deflection element such that the adhesive elements are released from the carrier web and transferred to a part of the conveyor belt located in the receiving section.In addition, the second receptacle also has a drive and is configured to convey the carrier web of a carrier web element received in the second receptacle such that a section of the carrier web is guided opposite the deflection element in a carrier web plane that runs in or parallel to the plane of the receiving section, and is deflected immediately adjacent to the deflection element such that the adhesive elements are released from the carrier web and transferred to a part of the conveyor belt located in the receiving section.
[0025] In this preferred embodiment, it is possible for adhesive elements to be transferred from two carrier track elements to the conveyor belt simultaneously. This substantially increases the rate at which adhesive elements are applied to workpieces in a production process. Furthermore, this embodiment allows adhesive elements to be transferred from one carrier track element to the receiving section at a time while a second carrier track element is being exchanged. This enables continuous operation of the device, which does not need to be interrupted for the exchange of carrier track elements.
[0026] In this embodiment, it is further preferred if the first and second receptacles are configured such that adhesive elements transferred from a carrier web element received in the first receptacle to the conveyor belt are arranged next to the adhesive elements on the conveyor belt that have been transferred from a carrier web element received in the second receptacle to the conveyor belt. The adhesive elements can therefore be arranged in parallel rows on the conveyor belt. It is further preferred if the adhesive elements are also arranged in parallel rows that extend perpendicular to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt. However, this is not absolutely necessary.
[0027] In a further preferred embodiment, the optical detection device can be configured as a camera arranged vertically above the receiving section, preferably such that an optical axis of the camera runs perpendicular to a plane in which the receiving section extends. With such an arrangement, the positions of the adhesive elements on the conveyor belt in the region of the receiving section can be reliably determined.
[0028] In a further preferred embodiment, the device may comprise a driven handling device for handling adhesive elements, wherein the handling device is configured to remove adhesive elements from the conveyor belt in the region of the receiving section and to deposit them away from the receiving section. A control unit is provided which is connected to the handling device to control the handling device, wherein the control unit is connected to the evaluation unit. In such an embodiment, the position information provided by the evaluation unit is used directly by the handling device.
[0029] Furthermore, the above object is achieved by a system comprising a device according to one of the previously described embodiments together with either an adhesive element roll, a cassette with an adhesive element roll, or a carrier web element configured as an adhesive element sheet. This results in the advantages already explained above.
[0030] According to a further aspect of the present invention, the above object is achieved by a method for providing adhesive elements which have an adhesive-coated adhesive surface and an opposite upper side, preferably with a device according to one of the previously described embodiments, wherein the adhesive elements are provided by a carrier web element which has a carrier web on which a plurality of the adhesive elements are arranged such that the adhesive surface adheres to the carrier web, the method comprising the following steps:
[0031] Transferring the adhesive elements from a section of the carrier web to a part of a conveyor belt located in a receiving section, wherein the adhesive elements are arranged on the conveyor belt in at least one, preferably several, rows extending in the direction of movement;
[0032] Optical detection of the adhesive elements on the conveyor belt and generation of an image signal;
[0033] Evaluating the image signal and outputting position information that represents the positions of adhesive elements in the recording section at a given time.
[0034] In the method according to the invention, adhesive elements are first transferred from a carrier web element, which can be designed in particular as an adhesive element roll, as a cassette with an adhesive element roll accommodated therein, or as an adhesive element sheet, onto the conveyor belt of a belt conveyor. The position of the adhesive elements located on the conveyor belt is then recorded at a predetermined time in a receiving section of the conveyor belt path. This position information is then output so that a handling device can be controlled in a suitable manner. As already described, this is done on the basis of the actual positions of the adhesive elements, so that errors or deviations in the position of the adhesive elements from predetermined positions do not have a negative impact.
[0035] In a first variant of the method according to the invention, adhesive elements are transferred from the carrier track element to the conveyor belt while the conveyor belt is running. The conveyor belt is then stopped for a certain period of time, the position of the adhesive elements is detected using the optical detection device, and while the conveyor belt remains stationary, a handling device is activated, which then removes the adhesive elements from the receiving section and applies them to workpieces. However, it is also conceivable for the conveyor belt to continue moving before the handling device is activated, with this movement of the conveyor belt being taken into account in the control of the handling device by the positions of the adhesive elements being corrected in accordance with the movement of the conveyor belt. Here, too, the adhesive elements are picked up by the handling device while the conveyor belt is stationary.
[0036] It is also possible that the position of the adhesive elements is detected when the conveyor belt is stationary, but the conveyor belt is then continuously moved while the handling device is controlled accordingly based on the position information and the known speed of the conveyor belt.
[0037] Finally, it is also possible for the optical detection device or camera to operate as a line scan camera, so that the positions of the adhesive elements on the conveyor belt, which are continuously transferred there from the carrier track elements, are continuously determined. These positions are transmitted at successive times to the control unit of the handling device. This unit can then control the handling device, taking the speed of the conveyor belt into account.
[0038] Furthermore, it is also possible for two-dimensional images of the recording section to be continuously recorded at successive times while the conveyor belt is being moved, and for position information to be continuously generated from these two-dimensional images in the manner described, which position information is then used to control a handling device.
[0039] It is therefore preferred that the position information is fed to a control unit of a handling device which, based on the position information, removes adhesive elements from the conveyor belt in the region of the receiving section and deposits them away from the receiving section.
[0040] The present invention will be explained below with reference to a drawing which shows only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein
[0041] Fig. i shows an overall perspective view of the embodiment according to the present invention,
[0042] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment without the
[0043] Handling equipment shows
[0044] Fig. 3 a side view of the embodiment without the
[0045] Handling devices, Fig. 4 shows part of the embodiment in a perspective view,
[0046] Fig. 5 shows the part of Figure 4 of the embodiment in a side view,
[0047] Fig. 6 shows a section of Fig. 5,
[0048] Fig. 7 shows a first alternative embodiment of the separating device and
[0049] Fig. 8 shows a second alternative embodiment of the separating device.
[0050] As can be seen in particular from Figure 1, the exemplary embodiment of a device 1 according to the invention for providing sheet-like adhesive elements comprises a separating device 3 and, in the present exemplary embodiment, two handling devices 5, wherein the handling device 5 in the present case is designed as a so-called SCARA robot. However, other forms of handling devices 5 are also conceivable. Furthermore, it can be seen in Figure 1 that the device for providing the adhesive elements is arranged on an assembly line 7, on which a plurality of workpieces 9 are conveyed past the device 1, on which adhesive elements are arranged.
[0051] The singulating device 3 is shown in detail in Figures 2 and 3, and it can be seen that the device 3 has a frame 11 on which a conveyor belt 13 is mounted. The circulating, driven conveyor belt 13 is mounted on the frame 11 in such a way that its circulating track has a receiving section 15 in which the conveyor belt 13 is guided such that it runs horizontally and whose surface facing outwards with respect to the circulating track faces upwards. Furthermore, the conveyor belt 13 is mounted on the frame 11 in such a way that the receiving section 15 extends horizontally from a deflection element 17 to a drive element 19, by which the conveyor belt 13 is driven clockwise as viewed in Figure 3. The drive element 19 can, for example, be a roller driven by a motor. However, it is also conceivable for the drive element 19 to engage with the conveyor belt 13 at a different position.
[0052] In the embodiment shown in the figures, the deflection element 17 is designed as a so-called knife edge, ie the conveyor belt 13 is guided here, as can also be seen in figures 4, 5 and 6, from below by a first roller 21 by 45 0 deflected upwards and then runs over a deflection roller 23, which has a very small diameter, whereby the conveyor belt 13 guides this deflection roller 23 over about 135 0 so that it then merges into the receiving section 15. The advantage of the arrangement with a knife edge will be explained below. The present invention is not limited to the use of a rotating deflection roller 23. Alternatively, it is also conceivable for the conveyor belt 13 coming from below from the first roller 21 to slide over a fixed deflection guide with a curved guide section, which also ensures that the conveyor belt 13 is deflected by approximately 135 0is deflected with a very small radius.
[0053] In the exemplary embodiment shown here, the surface of the conveyor belt 13 which faces outwards with respect to the circumferential path of the conveyor belt 13 is designed such that the adhesive surface of the adhesive elements adhere thereto only to such an extent that they can be removed therefrom by means of a handling device 5 which engages with the upper side of the adhesive elements. For this purpose, the outward-facing surface of the conveyor belt 13 in the exemplary embodiment is coated in a suitable manner, i.e. in particular a layer of silicone can be applied to the outward-facing surface, which can also be ground. However, it is also conceivable for a layer to be applied to PTFE. The present invention is not restricted to these coatings, however, and the outward-facing surface can also be designed in a different way in order to ensure that the adhesive surface of the adhesive elements adheres thereto only to a small extent.
[0054] At this point it is noted that the conveyor belt 13 can be segmented in the transverse direction, i.e. transverse to the direction of movement, so that it is formed by several separate parts.
[0055] As can also be seen from Figures 1 and 2, the separating device 3 has a receiving device 25, which, in the exemplary embodiment described here, is provided with a first receptacle 27 and a second receptacle 29, which are mirror-symmetrical to a vertical center plane of the separating device 3 and otherwise essentially identical. Therefore, the first receptacle 27 will be described in detail below, although this description also applies analogously to the second receptacle 29.
[0056] In the present exemplary embodiment, the first and second receptacles 27, 29 are designed such that they can each receive a carrier web element in the form of an adhesive element roll 31 on a shaft, wherein the adhesive element roll 31 is formed by a rolled-up carrier web 33 on which a plurality of adhesive elements 35 are arranged in four rows extending along the direction of extension of the carrier web 33 in this exemplary embodiment. Thus, four adhesive elements 35 are arranged next to one another on the carrier web 33. At this point, it should be noted that only a portion of the adhesive elements 35 arranged on the carrier web 33 are shown in Figures 1 and 2. The adhesive elements 35 rest against the carrier web 33 with an adhesive surface, so that they adhere to the carrier web 33.
[0057] In addition, the adhesive elements 35 have an upper side facing away from the adhesive surface, which is flat in the embodiment shown here, but can take any other shape. In particular, the present invention is not limited to the use of flat or sheet-like adhesive elements; rather, the adhesive elements can also have a different three-dimensional shape.
[0058] Furthermore, the first receptacle 27 is designed to receive a take-up roller 37, which is mounted on a drive shaft 39 in a rotationally fixed manner, so that the take-up roller 37 can be driven in a clockwise direction by the drive shaft 39 as seen in Figures 4 and 5.
[0059] Furthermore, the first receptacle 27 is provided with a guide plate 41 which defines a carrier track plane and which extends parallel thereto but slightly offset vertically z to the plane in which the receiving section 15 runs. This vertical offset z can be seen in detail in Figure 6, wherein in this exemplary embodiment of the present invention it is possible to adjust the offset z. For this purpose, the present exemplary embodiment provides that the receiving device 25 can be displaced vertically along a guide rod 43 relative to the frame 11 so that the offset z can be adjusted. However, other possibilities are also conceivable according to which the guide plate 41 and thus the carrier track plane can be adjusted in its vertical position relative to the conveyor belt 13 or the receiving section 15.
[0060] The concept of being able to adjust the vertical offset z between a guide which defines a carrier web plane, for example in the form of a guide plate 41, over which the carrier web 33 with the adhesive elements 35 is guided in the region of the receptacle 27, and the receptacle section 15, is an independently inventive idea which is independent of the further features of the device i or the separating device 3 described here.
[0061] As can be further seen from Figures 5 and 6, the guide plate 41 has a peeling edge 45 directly opposite the knife edge or the deflection element 17, which extends parallel to the deflection element 17 or the knife edge. The peeling edge 45 can be static or have a rotatable roller with a very small diameter that extends along the peeling edge 45 and bears against the carrier web 33, which reduces the load on the carrier web 33.
[0062] Finally, in the embodiment described here, a further roller 47 is provided in the first receptacle 27, which is located between the peel-off edge 45 and the take-up roller 37 and over which the carrier web 33 can be guided. Furthermore, a guide element 49 is provided on the first receptacle 27, over which the carrier web 33 is guided from the adhesive element roll onto the guide plate 41.
[0063] The additional roll 47 can be used to determine the "fill level" of the adhesive element roll 31 if both the angle of rotation of the adhesive element roll 31 and that of the additional roll 47 are recorded when the carrier web 33 is unwound from the adhesive element roll 31. The angle of rotation of the additional roll 47 directly indicates the length of the conveyed section of the carrier web 33. The angle of rotation of the adhesive element roll 31 required for this length, however, depends on the diameter of the carrier web 33 provided with adhesive elements 35 on the adhesive element roll 31. Thus, the two recorded angles can be used to determine how large the diameter of the adhesive element roll 31 and thus its "fill level" still is.
[0064] When the take-up roller 37 is driven clockwise, the carrier web 33 with the adhesive elements 35 is unwound and guided from the adhesive element roller 31 in such a way that the carrier web 33 first runs over the curved guide element 49 onto the guide plate 41 and thus into the carrier web plane. It then runs around the peel-off edge 45, whereby running around the peel-off edge 45, which has a very small radius and is located directly opposite the deflection element 17 or the knife edge, causes the adhesive elements 35 to detach from the carrier web 33 in the area of the peel-off edge 45 and to be transferred to the conveyor belt 13 in the area of the take-up section 15, as can be clearly seen in Figures 4, 5 and 6. Because the deflection element 17 orBecause the knife edge and the peeling edge 45 each have a small radius of curvature, the gap formed between the peeling edge 45 and the deflection element 17 is very small, so that the adhesive elements 35 are transferred reliably. To further ensure the latter, the vertical offset z between the carrier track plane defined by the guide plate 41 in this embodiment and the plane in which the receiving section 15 runs is additionally adjusted in a suitable manner to account for the case in which the adhesive elements 35 run down from the guide plate 41 at a slight incline relative to the plane of the guide plate 41. The greater distance that the adhesive elements 35 have from one another on the conveyor belt 13 according to the figures results from the fact that the conveyor belt 13 runs at a higher speed than the carrier track 33 on the guide plate 41.
[0065] Since the first and second receptacles 27, 29 in the exemplary embodiment of the receptacle device 25 described here are mirror-symmetrical to one another, both the first and second receptacles 27, 29 have a drive, and both receptacles are configured to convey the carrier web 33 of a carrier web element in the form of an adhesive element roll 31 received in the respective receptacle such that a section of the carrier webs 33 opposite the deflection element 17 is guided by the guide plate 41 in a carrier web plane that runs in or parallel to the plane of the receptacle section 15. Immediately adjacent to the deflection element 17 in the form of the knife edge, the carrier webs 33 are deflected such that the adhesive elements 35 are released from the carrier webs 33 and transferred to a part of the conveyor belt 13 located in the receptacle section 15.In this case, the adhesive elements 35 transferred from an adhesive element roll 31 in the first receptacle 27 onto the conveyor belt 13 are arranged next to the adhesive elements 35 on the conveyor belt 13 which have been transferred from an adhesive element roll 31 received in the second receptacle 29 onto the conveyor belt 13.
[0066] As can also be seen from Figures 1 and 2, an optical detection device is attached to the frame 11 above the receiving section 15 of the conveyor belt 13, which device is designed in the form of a camera 51 in the exemplary embodiment described here. The camera 51 can be designed in different ways. In a first alternative, the camera 51 is designed such that it can capture a two-dimensional area, i.e. at least part of the receiving section 15. However, it is also possible for the camera 51 to be designed as a line scan camera or to be operated in a corresponding operating mode so that it only captures a line or row in the receiving section 15 running transversely to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt 13. The function of the camera 51 orThe optical detection device thus goes beyond that of a simple optical sensor, which merely detects whether or not an element is present within a point-like area. In this exemplary embodiment, the camera 51 is arranged vertically above the recording section 15 in such a way that an optical axis of the camera 51 runs perpendicular to a plane in which the recording section 15 extends.
[0067] As can be further seen from Figure 1, the exemplary embodiment of a device 1 according to the invention also has an evaluation unit 53 connected to the camera 51, so that an image signal can be transmitted from the camera 51 to the evaluation unit 53. It is not necessary for the connection between the camera 51 and the evaluation unit 53 to be wired; wireless transmission of the image signal is also possible. The evaluation unit 53 is programmatically configured in such a way that position information is determined from the image signal, which represents the positions of adhesive elements 35 in the recording section at a predetermined time.This can be done in such a way that, when the conveyor belt 13 is stationary, an image of at least part of the receiving section 15 is taken with the camera 51 and evaluated with suitable image recognition software so that the positions of the individual adhesive elements 35 are determined therefrom.
[0068] However, it is also possible for the camera 51 to be a line scan camera or to be operated as such and, with the conveyor belt 13 continuously running, to detect a line extending transversely to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt 13 in the region of the receiving section 15, wherein then, together with the speed of the conveyor belt 13, the position of adhesive elements 35 on the receiving section 15 at a predetermined time can also be output in the form of position information.
[0069] As can also be seen from Figure 1, the evaluation unit 53 is connected by signaling, i.e. either wired or wirelessly, to a control unit 55 for the one or more handling devices 5, wherein the position information determined by the evaluation unit 53 is transmitted to the control unit 55. Thus, the handling devices 5 can be controlled based on the actual position of the adhesive elements 35 in the receiving section 15, so that the handling devices 5 can remove individual adhesive elements 35 from the receiving section 15 and place them on the workpieces 9, as schematically shown in Figure 1.
[0070] It is conceivable to proceed in such a way that adhesive elements 35 are first transferred from the carrier web elements in the form of adhesive element rolls 31, which are accommodated in the receptacles 27, 29, to the conveyor belt 13 in the region of the receiving section 15 in the manner described. The conveyor belt 13 is moved sufficiently far and then stopped. Subsequently, an image of at least part of the receiving section 15 is recorded with the camera 51 and evaluated by the evaluation unit 53, so that the position information is transmitted to the control unit 55. With the conveyor belt 13 still stationary, the handling devices 5 can then remove the required number of adhesive elements 35 from the receiving section 15 and place them on the workpieces 9.
[0071] However, it is also possible that after the image has been captured, the conveyor belt 13 is initially moved further and then stopped again, whereby the calculation of the positions at which the adhesive elements 35 are now located is determined based on the determined position information and the extent of movement of the conveyor belt 13. This corrected position information is then used by the control unit 55 to control the handling devices 5.
[0072] Furthermore, it is possible, particularly when the camera 51 is designed as a line scan camera or operated accordingly, for the conveyor belt 13 to be moved continuously, wherein position information is also continuously determined at successive points in time and transmitted to the control unit 55, so that the handling devices 5 can remove adhesive elements 35 from the receiving section 15 and place them on the workpieces 9 when the conveyor belt 13 is continuously moving.
[0073] However, it is also possible to proceed in such a way that two-dimensional images of the recording section 15 are continuously recorded with the camera 51 at successive times while the conveyor belt 13 is moved, and from these two-dimensional images, position information is continuously generated in the manner described by means of the evaluation unit 53, which is then sent to the control unit 55 in order to control the handling devices 5. When the previously described embodiment of a device i according to the invention is operated, the adhesive elements 35 are provided by carrier web elements in the form of two adhesive element rolls 31, on which a plurality of the adhesive elements 35 are arranged on the carrier web 33 such that the adhesive surface adheres to the carrier web 33.The adhesive elements 35 are transferred from a section of the carrier web 33 to a part of a conveyor belt 13 located in a receiving section 15, wherein the adhesive elements 35 are arranged on the conveyor belt 13 in several rows extending in the direction of movement. The adhesive elements 35 are then optically detected on the conveyor belt 13, and an image signal is generated. The image signal is evaluated in the evaluation unit 53, and position information is output that represents the positions of the adhesive elements 35 in the receiving section 15 at a predetermined time.
[0074] This position information is fed to the control unit 55 of the handling devices 5, which, based on the position information, remove adhesive elements 35 from the conveyor belt 13 in the region of the receiving section 15 and place them on workpieces 9 away from the receiving section 15.
[0075] In the previously described embodiment, the carrier web element, which comprises the carrier web 33 with the adhesive elements 35 applied thereto, is designed as an adhesive element roll 31. However, the present invention is not limited to the use of adhesive element rolls 31 as the carrier web element. Rather, other alternatives are also conceivable and encompassed within the scope of the present invention.
[0076] In this case, as shown in Figure 7, it is also possible for the carrier web element to be designed as a cassette having a housing 59 in which an adhesive element roll 31" and a take-up roll 37' are accommodated, the carrier web 33 being rolled up onto the adhesive element roll 31'. In this case, the first receptacle 27 and the second receptacle 29 are then designed to accommodate such a cassette 57 and to drive the take-up roll 37' present therein in rotation in order to unwind the carrier web 33 from the adhesive element roll 31" of the cassette 57, the carrier web 33 being guided over a peel-off edge 45' provided in the cassette 57, which peel-off edge is opposite the deflection element 17 when the cassette 57 is inserted into the receptacle.
[0077] In a further embodiment, the carrier web element can be designed as an adhesive element sheet 61, wherein the carrier web is designed as a carrier web sheet 63 on which the adhesive elements 35 are preferably arranged in several rows. In this case, the receptacles 27, 29, as shown in Figure 8, are provided with a stacking container 65 in which a plurality of adhesive element sheets 61 are received. These adhesive element sheets 61 are then drawn in one after the other by means of a feeder 67 and guided around a peel-off edge 45" such that the adhesive elements 35 are released from the carrier web sheet 63 and transferred to the receiving section 15 of the conveyor belt 13.
[0078] As can be seen from the above, in the device 1 according to the present invention, the actual position of the adhesive elements 35 in the receiving section 15 is used as the basis for controlling the handling devices 5, so that they operate with the actual position and not a calculated or fixed position, which significantly reduces the susceptibility to errors when placing the adhesive elements 35 on the workpieces 9. Furthermore, since the adhesive elements 35 are already provided in several rows on the carrier tracks 33, a large number of adhesive elements 35 are transferred to the receiving section 15 per unit of time, which enables a high speed in placing the adhesive elements 35 on the workpieces 9.
[0079]
[0080] I Device for providing flat adhesive elements
[0081] 3 Separation device
[0082] 5 Handling device
[0083] 7 assembly line
[0084] 9 Workpiece
[0085] II Frame
[0086] 13 Conveyor belt
[0087] 15 Recording section
[0088] 17 Deflection element
[0089] 19 Drive element
[0090] 21 first role
[0091] 23 pulley
[0092] 25 Recording device
[0093] 27 first recording
[0094] 29 second shot
[0095] 31, 31' adhesive element roll
[0096] 33 carrier track
[0097] 35 adhesive element
[0098] 37? 37' take-up roll
[0099] 39 Drive shaft
[0100] 41 Guide plate
[0101] 43 Guide rod
[0102] 45, 45', 45" peel-off edge
[0103] 47 additional roles
[0104] 49 Guide element 51 Camera
[0105] 53 Evaluation unit
[0106] 55 Control unit
[0107] 57 Cassette 59 Housing
[0108] 61 adhesive element sheets
[0109] 63 supporting track arches
[0110] 65 stacking containers
[0111] 67 Indentation
Claims
Patent claims 1. A device for providing preferably sheet-like adhesive elements (35) which have an adhesive surface coated with adhesive and an upper side opposite thereto, comprising a frame (11), with a circulating, driven conveyor belt (13) which is mounted on the frame (11) in such a way that its circulating track has a receiving section (15) in which the conveyor belt (13) is guided such that it runs horizontally and its surface facing outwards with respect to the circulating track faces upwards, wherein the receiving section (15) extends away from a deflection element (17), wherein the outward-facing surface of the conveyor belt (13) is designed such that adhesive elements (35) adhere thereto with their adhesive surface only to such an extent that they can be released therefrom by means of a handling device (5) which engages with the upper side, with a receiving device (25) which has at least one receptacle (27,29) for a carrier web element, wherein the carrier web element has a carrier web (33) on which a plurality of adhesive elements (35) are arranged such that the adhesive surface adheres to the carrier web (33), wherein the receptacle (27, 29) has a drive and the receptacle (27, 29) is configured to convey the carrier web (33) such that a section of the carrier web (33) opposite the deflection element (17) is guided in a carrier web plane which runs in or parallel to the plane of the receiving section (15), and is deflected immediately adjacent to the deflection element (17) such that the adhesive elements (35) are released from the carrier web (33) and transferred to a part of the conveyor belt (13) located in the receiving section (15), characterized in that an optical detection device (51) is provided which is arranged relative to the receiving section (15), preferably above it, in order to, to detect adhesive elements (35) arranged in the part of the conveyor belt (13) located in the receiving section (15), (51) that the optical detection device is configured to output an image signal, that an evaluation unit (53) is provided which is connected to the optical detection device (51) and which is configured to determine position information from the image signal, wherein the position information represents the positions of adhesive elements (35) in the receiving section (15) at a predetermined time, and that the evaluation unit (53) is configured to output the position information.
2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one receptacle (27, 29) is designed to receive a carrier web element, on the carrier web (33) of which the adhesive elements (35) are arranged next to one another in several rows along the carrier web (33), so that adhesive elements (35) which have been transferred from the carrier web element to the conveyor belt (13) are arranged on the conveyor belt (13) in several rows extending in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt (13).
3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the carrier web element is designed as an adhesive element roll (31) and the carrier web (33) is rolled up to the adhesive element roll (31), wherein the at least one receptacle (27, 29) is configured to receive the adhesive element roll (31) and a take-up roll (37), and wherein the receptacle (27, 29) has a peel-off edge (45) which is opposite the deflection element (17) so that a section unwound from the adhesive element roll (31) can be guided over the peel-off edge (45) to the take-up roll (37).
4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the receptacle (27, 29) is configured to drive the take-up roller (37).
5. Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the carrier web element is designed as a cassette (57) having a housing (59) in which an adhesive element roll (31") is received, wherein the carrier web (33) is rolled up to the adhesive element roll (3i'), wherein a take-up roll (3 / ) is received in the housing (59), onto which a section of the carrier web (33) which has been unwound from the adhesive element roll (31") can be wound.
6. Device according to claim 5, wherein the cassette (57) has a peel-off edge (45") which is opposite the deflection element (17) when the cassette (57) is received in the receptacle (27, 29), wherein a section unwound from the adhesive element roll (31") is guided over the peel-off edge (45') to the take-up roll (3 / ).
7. Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the carrier web element is designed as an adhesive element sheet (61) and wherein the carrier web is designed as a carrier web sheet (63), wherein the receptacle (27, 29) is preferably designed to receive a plurality of adhesive element sheets (61) as a stack.
8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the deflection element is designed as a knife edge for the conveyor belt (13), over which the conveyor belt (13) is guided.
9. Device according to claim 8, wherein the knife edge is designed as a fixed deflection guide with a curved guide section which extends transversely to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt (13) and over which the conveyor belt (13) is guided.
10. Device according to claim 8, wherein the knife edge has a deflection roller (23) extending transversely to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt and lying from below on the plane of the receiving section (15), over which the conveyor belt (13) is guided.
11. Device according to one or more of claims 1 to 10, wherein the receiving device (25) has a first receptacle (27) and a second receptacle (29), wherein the first receptacle (27) has a drive and the first receptacle (27) is configured to convey the carrier web (33) of a carrier web element received in the first receptacle (27) such that a section of the carrier web (33) opposite the deflection element (17) is guided in a carrier web plane that runs in or parallel to the plane of the receiving section (15), and is deflected immediately adjacent to the deflection element (17) such that the adhesive elements (35) detach from the carrier web (33) and are transferred to a part of the conveyor belt (13) located in the receiving section (15), and wherein the second receptacle has a drive and the second receptacle is configured to convey the carrier web of a carrier web element received in the second receptacle such that a section of the carrier web opposite the deflection element is guided in a carrier web plane that runs in or parallel to the plane of the receiving section (15),and is deflected immediately adjacent to the deflection element (17) in such a way that the adhesive elements (35) are released from the carrier web (33) and transferred to a part of the conveyor belt (13) located in the receiving section (15).
12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the first and second receptacles are configured such that adhesive elements (35) transferred from a carrier web element received in the first receptacle (27) onto the conveyor belt (13) are arranged next to the adhesive elements (35) on the conveyor belt (13) which have been transferred from a carrier web element received in the second receptacle (29) onto the conveyor belt (13).
13. Device according to one or more of claims 1 to 12, wherein the optical detection device is designed as a camera (51) which outputs one-dimensional or two-dimensional image information.
14. Device according to claim 13, wherein the camera (51) is arranged vertically above the receiving section (15), preferably such that an optical axis of the camera (51) is perpendicular to a plane in which the receiving section (15) extends. 15- Device according to one or more of claims 1 to 14, wherein the device comprises a driven handling device (5) for handling adhesive elements (35), wherein the handling device (5) is configured to remove adhesive elements (35) from the conveyor belt (13) in the region of the receiving section (15) and to deposit them away from the receiving section (15), wherein a control unit (55) is provided which is connected to the handling device (5) in order to control the handling device (5), wherein the control unit (55) is connected to the evaluation unit (53).
16. System comprising a device according to one or more of claims 1 to 4 or claims 8 to 15, if dependent on one of claims 1 to 4, and an adhesive element roll (31), wherein the carrier web (33) is rolled up to the adhesive element roll (31), wherein the adhesive element roll (31) and a take-up roll (37) are received in the receptacle (27, 29) and wherein the receptacle (27, 29) has a peel-off edge (45) which is opposite the deflection element (17) so that a section unwound from the adhesive element roll (31) is guided via the peel-off edge (45) to the take-up roll (37).
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the pickup (27, 29) is configured to drive the pickup roller (37).
18. A system comprising a device according to one or more of claims 1, 2, 5 or 6 or claims 8 to 15 when dependent on one of claims 1, 2, 5 or 6, and a cassette which is received in the receptacle and which has a housing in which an adhesive element roll is received, wherein the carrier web is wound up to form the adhesive element roll, wherein a take-up roll is received in the housing, onto which a portion of the carrier web which has been unwound from the adhesive element roll can be wound. 19- System according to claim 18, wherein the cassette has a peel-off edge which is opposite the deflection element, wherein a portion unwound from the adhesive element roll is guided over the peel-off edge to the take-up roll.
20. A system comprising a device according to one or more of claims 1, 2, or 7, or claims 8 to 15, if dependent on one of claims 1, 2, or 7, and an adhesive element sheet comprising a carrier element sheet, wherein the carrier web is formed as the carrier web sheet. wherein an adhesive element sheet, preferably a plurality of adhesive element sheets as a stack, are received in the receptacle.
21. A method for providing adhesive elements (35) having an adhesive-coated adhesive surface and an opposite upper side, preferably with a device (1) according to one or more of claims 1 to 15, wherein the adhesive elements (35) are provided by a carrier web element having a carrier web (33) on which a plurality of the adhesive elements (35) are arranged such that the adhesive surface adheres to the carrier web (33), comprising: Transferring the adhesive elements (35) from a section of the carrier web (33) to a part of a conveyor belt (13) C35) located in a receiving section (15), wherein the adhesive elements are arranged in at least one, preferably several, rows extending in the direction of movement on the conveyor belt (13); Optically detecting the adhesive elements (35) on the conveyor belt (13) and generating an image signal; Evaluating the image signal and outputting position information which represents the positions of adhesive elements (35) in the receiving section (15) at a predetermined time.
22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the position information is supplied to a control unit (55) of a handling device (5) which, based on the position information, removes adhesive elements (35) from the conveyor belt (13) in the region of the receiving section (15) and deposits them away from the receiving section (15).