Visual distance control device for a gluing nozzle.

Abstract

The invention relates to a control device (1) for equipping a nozzle (2) dispensing glue through a glue outlet (3), the device (1) comprising a body (5) designed to be fixed to the nozzle (2), the body (5) comprising at least one indicator element (9) extending to a contact end (10), the indicator element (9) being movable and designed to position itself in a deployed position when no pressure is exerted on its contact end (10), the indicator element (9) being designed to move when the contact end (10) is pressed against a surface to be glued (4), the position of the contact end (10) being representative of a distance to be controlled (D) between the glue outlet (3) and the surface to be glued (4), the indicator element (9) allowing visual verification that the distance to be controlled (D) is within a predetermined range. (Figure 1)

Description

Title of the invention: Visual distance control device for a gluing nozzle.

[0001] The technical field concerns control devices for visually controlling a gluing distance, gluing assemblies comprising such a device mounted on a gluing nozzle and finally gluing methods using such an assembly.

[0002] For automobile manufacturers, the quality of the finish of their vehicles and their aesthetic aspects are essential to stand out from other brands. Therefore, manufacturers are making many efforts to constantly improve assembly processes. Indeed, the production of motor vehicles uses several assembly techniques and more particularly assembly techniques by gluing. Thus, many parts of motor vehicles, in particular glazing, are assembled by gluing. Most of the adhesives currently used in the automobile industry, in order to be able to crosslink and form strong assemblies, must be arranged in beads of adhesive between the elements to be assembled by a gluing nozzle delivering the adhesive by traveling a trajectory above the element to be glued. The width of the adhesive bead and / or its thickness are important dimensions to obtain sufficient bonding.The dimensions of the glue bead are generally controlled by the distance between the application nozzle and the element to be glued throughout the nozzle's trajectory. For these reasons, it is essential to use quality control methods to control the dimensions of the glue beads. These quality control methods are generally carried out using conventional control means such as rulers or shims. However, in an industrial context, it is difficult to control the distance between the nozzle and the part to be glued over the entire trajectory of the nozzle above the part to be glued for various reasons, such as the difficulty of aligning the ruler with the reference point or the need for the operator to release the robot control to take a distance measurement. These difficulties make existing quality control methods insufficient and / or tedious.

[0003] Also, there is a need to improve existing control methods in order to allow the deposit of a bead of glue, by an operator manipulating a nozzle, with a controlled thickness over the entire trajectory of the nozzle above the part to be glued.

[0004] The present invention aims to overcome the problems set out above. In this technical context, one aim of the present invention is to provide a device allowing visual control of the distance between a gluing nozzle and a part to be glued.

[0005] For this purpose, the present invention relates to a control device designed to equip a gluing nozzle dispensing glue via a glue outlet, the device comprising a body designed to be fixed to the gluing nozzle, the body comprising at least one distance indicator element extending to a contact end, the indicator element being mounted to move relative to the body and designed to position itself in a deployed position in the absence of pressure exerted on its contact end, the indicator element being designed to move in the event of the contact end pressing on a surface to be glued, the position of the contact end being representative of a distance to be controlled between the glue outlet and the surface to be glued, the indicator element making it possible to visually check that the distance to be controlled is within a predetermined interval.

[0006] The invention also relates to a gluing assembly comprising a gluing nozzle and a device according to the invention, the body of which is fixed to the gluing nozzle so that the position of the contact end is representative of the distance to be controlled between the glue outlet and a surface to be glued resting on the contact end.

[0007] The invention finally relates to a gluing method using a gluing assembly according to the invention, the method comprising a step consisting of visually checking, during the delivery or prior to the delivery of glue by the gluing nozzle, that the contact end of the device is in contact with a surface to be glued and that the contact end is in a position other than the limit retracted position.

[0008] Thus, the implementation of a device according to the invention makes it possible to produce a bead of glue with a gluing assembly according to the invention. The operator handling the gluing assembly visually checks, continuously during the movement of the latter, the distance to be checked using the indicator element: If the contact end is at a distance from the surface to be glued, the operator sees that the distance to be checked is too great. Conversely, if the contact end is in contact with the surface to be glued, the operator is able to see, thanks to the indicator element, that the distance to be checked is within the predetermined interval. Thus, during the movement of the nozzle, the operator is able to adjust the distance to be checked in order to maintain it within the predetermined interval to obtain a compliant bead of glue.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the device, the predetermined interval is defined, on the one hand, by the deployed position and, on the other hand, by a limit retracted position.

[0010] Advantageously, in the limit retracted position, the surface to be glued is brought against the body.

[0011] According to one possibility, the indicator element comprises at least one visual marker making it possible to see that the indicator element is in an optimal position corresponding to an optimal distance to be controlled.

[0012] Advantageously, in the optimal position the visual marker is aligned with a particular edge of the body.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the indicator element is slidably mounted in the body, the contact end projecting from the body when the indicator element is in the deployed position.

[0014] According to one possibility, the indicator element has the shape of a pin pushed into the deployed position by a spring.

[0015] The invention will be better understood on reading the detailed description which follows, given solely by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

[0016] [Fig-1] [Fig.l] represents a longitudinal sectional view of a device of control according to the invention in which the distance indicator element is in the deployed position;

[0017] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] represents a longitudinal sectional view of the control device of [Fig.l] in an optimal retracted position.

[0018] In these figures, the same references are used to designate the same elements.

[0019] A control device 1 according to the invention, illustrated in the figures, is designed to equip a gluing nozzle 2 distributing glue via a glue outlet 3 onto a surface to be glued 4.

[0020] The device 1 comprises a body 5 designed to be fixed to the gluing nozzle 2. For this purpose, the body 5 has a cylindrical or frustoconical shape having a recess 6 into which the nozzle 2 can be inserted. The body 5 extends between a first end 7 into which the nozzle 2 can be inserted and a second end 8 designed to be arranged opposite the surface to be glued 4 or in contact with the surface to be glued 4. In the example illustrated in the figures, the second end 8 forms a flat surface.

[0021] The body 5 comprises at least one distance indicator element 9 extending to a contact end 10. The indicator element 9 is mounted to move relative to the body 5 and is designed to position itself in a deployed position, illustrated in [Fig.l], in the absence of pressure exerted on its contact end 10. In the example illustrated in the figures, the indicator element 9 has the shape of a cylindrical pin 11 extending along a longitudinal axis A and pushed into the deployed position by a spring 12. The pin 11 is slidably mounted, along its longitudinal axis A, in a cylindrical housing 13 of the body 5, the contact end 10 projecting from the body 5 when the indicator element 9 is in the deployed position. In the deployed position, a rim 14 of the pin 11 abuts in the housing 13 to hold the pin 11 in the housing 13. Thus, in the deployed position the part of the indicator element 9 projecting from the body 5 is visible to an operator using the device 1.

[0022] The indicator element 9 is designed to move in the event of the contact end 10 pressing on the surface to be glued 4, the position of the contact end 10 being representative of a distance to be controlled D measured between the glue outlet 3 and the surface to be glued 4, as illustrated in [Fig.2].

[0023] The indicator element 9 makes it possible to visually check that the distance to be checked D is within a predetermined interval. Thus, in the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the predetermined interval is defined, on the one hand, by the deployed position ([Fig.l]) and, on the other hand, by a limit retracted position, not illustrated in the figures. In the deployed position, the distance to be checked D corresponds to a distance Dmax illustrated in [Fig.l]. In the limit retracted position, the surface to be glued 4 is brought into abutment on the body 5, in this case its second end 8. The distance to be checked D then corresponds to a minimum distance Dmin illustrated in [Fig.2]. The predetermined interval is therefore defined by the values ​​Dmin and Dmax.

[0024] Advantageously, the indicator element 9 comprises at least one visual marker 15, illustrated in [Fig. 1], making it possible to see that the indicator element 9 is in an optimal position, illustrated in [Fig. 2]. Advantageously, the visual marker 15 is aligned with a particular edge of the body 5 corresponding in this case to the second end 8 of the body 5. The visual marker 15 is formed in this case by a circular groove 16, illustrated in [Fig. 2], extending around the pin 11 along a plane perpendicular to its longitudinal axis A. The groove 16 is arranged on the indicator element 9 so that, when the indicator element 9 is in the optimal position, the distance to be checked D then corresponds to an optimal distance Dop.

[0025] A gluing assembly 17 according to the invention is therefore formed of the gluing nozzle 2 and the device 1 whose body 5 is fixed to the gluing nozzle 2, so that the position of the contact end 10 is representative of the distance to be controlled D between the glue outlet 3 and the surface to be glued 4 resting on the contact end 10.

[0026] Thus, when implementing a gluing method according to the invention, the gluing assembly 17 is brought into contact with the surface to be glued 4. The method comprises a step consisting of visually checking, during the delivery or prior to the delivery of glue by the gluing nozzle 2, that the contact end 10 of the device 1 is in contact with the surface to be glued 4 and that the contact end 10 is in a position other than the limit retracted position. Thus, in the absence of contact between the contact end 10 and the surface to be glued 4, the operator is informed that the distance between the surface to be glued 4 and the gluing assembly 17 is too great because it is greater than the distance Dmax. Conversely, when the body 5 is in contact with the surface to be glued 4, the operator is visually informed that the distance between the surface to be glued 4 and the gluing assembly 17 is too short because it corresponds to the distance Dmin. In order to optimize the distance between the surface to be glued 4 and the gluing assembly 17, the operator strives to keep the visual marker 15 aligned with the second end 8, the distance to be checked D then being equal to the distance Dop.

[0027] Advantageously, in the device 1 the glue delivered by the nozzle 2 flows through a channel in the body 5 separate from the housing 13 so as not to cover the pin 11 with glue. However, it is possible for the glue to flow through the housing 13.

[0028] Thus, the implementation of the device 1 makes it possible to produce a bead of glue with a gluing assembly 17 according to the invention. The operator visually checks, continuously during the movement of the latter, the distance to be checked D: If the contact end 10 is at a distance from the surface to be glued 4, the operator sees that the distance to be checked D is greater than the distance Dmax. Conversely, if the contact end 10 is in contact with the surface to be glued 4, the operator sees that the distance to be checked D is within the predetermined interval. Thus, during the movement of the nozzle 2, the operator is able to adjust the distance to be checked D in order to maintain it within the predetermined interval to obtain a compliant bead of glue.

[0029] The invention is not limited to the embodiment of the control device described above, only by way of example, but other embodiments can be designed by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and scope of the present invention.

Claims

Claims

1. Control device (1) designed to equip a gluing nozzle (2) dispensing glue through a glue outlet (3), the device (1) comprising a body (5) designed to be fixed to the gluing nozzle (2), the body (5) comprising at least one distance indicator element (9) extending to a contact end (10), the indicator element (9) being mounted movably relative to the body (5) and designed to position itself in a deployed position in the absence of pressure exerted on its contact end (10), the indicator element (9) being designed to move in the event of the contact end (10) pressing on a surface to be glued (4), the position of the contact end (10) being representative of a distance to be controlled (D) between the glue outlet (3) and the surface to be glued (4), the indicator element (9) making it possible to visually control that the distance to be controlled (D) is included in a predetermined interval.

2. Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the predetermined interval is defined, on the one hand, by the deployed position and, on the other hand, by a limit retracted position.

3. Device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that in the limit retracted position, the surface to be glued (4) is brought into abutment on the body (5).

4. Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the indicator element (9) comprises at least one visual marker (15) making it possible to see that the indicator element (9) is in an optimal position corresponding to an optimal distance to be controlled (D).

5. Device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that in the optimal position the visual marker (15) is aligned with a particular edge of the body (5).

6. Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the indicator element (9) is slidably mounted in the body (5), the contact end (10) projecting from the body (5) when the indicator element (9) is in the deployed position.

7. Device (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the indicator element (9) has the shape of a pin (11) pushed into the deployed position by a spring (12).

8. Gluing assembly (17) comprising a gluing nozzle (2) and a device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, the body (5) of which is fixed on the gluing nozzle (2) so that the position of the contact end (10) is representative of the distance to be controlled (D) between the glue outlet (3) and a surface to be glued (4) resting on the contact end (10).

9. A gluing method using a gluing assembly (17) according to claim 8, the method comprising a step of visually verifying, during delivery or prior to delivery of glue by the gluing nozzle (2), that the contact end (10) of the device (1) is in contact with a surface to be glued (4) and that the contact end (10) is in a position other than the limit retracted position.

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