Protective cover with bellows and slats attached

Abstract

The present invention relates to a variable length protective cover with a bellows element 12, in which a certain number of folds are formed as intermediate folds 18, two adjacent layers 30, 32 of the bellows element are connected to each other, between which the intermediate folds of the L-shaped slats 14 are fixed in the intermediate folds formed as pockets, and the legs 16 have recesses 36 that serve for fixing on the bellows element. In order to reduce the self-weight and block size of the protective cover and achieve a simple assembly of the legs on the bellows, the two layers 39, 32 of the intermediate folds have connection areas where the two layers are integrally joined to each other, the legs of the slats or other supporting elements have recesses where the legs can be inserted into the pockets 35, the connection areas 34 can be inserted into the recesses, the connection areas are provided in the recesses, and at least part of the edges of the recesses are provided with hooked or sawtooth structures 48.

Description

Technical Field

[0003]

[0001]

[0001] According to the preamble of claim 1, the present invention relates to a variable-length protective cover having at least one bellows element. In the variable-length protective cover, a specific number of folds are formed as intermediate folds, and the remaining folds are designed as freely expandable folds. To form the intermediate folds, two adjacent layers (plate-like members) of the folded bellows element are connected to each other, and between these layers, the legs of the L-shaped slats or other support elements are fixed within the intermediate folds formed as pockets, and the legs have recesses useful for fixing on the folded bellows element.

Background Art

[0002]

[0002] For example, for the protective function of the bellows in a machine tool, preferably providing slats made of steel means that the mechanical resistance is significantly improved even in the most stringent deployment situations. These steel slats must be connected to the individual folds of the bellows body so that the maximum extension and closing degree of the bellows are not impaired as much as possible. In addition, damage to the bellows body must not occur during operation due to the connection points themselves. Also, no perforation of the bellows body must occur at the connection points so that maximum protection against penetration of the coolant lubricant used in the operating area of the machine exists. For the bellows to function properly, it is also essential to press the attached steel slats against each other with sufficient pre-tension so that machining chips, etc. cannot enter the back side of the steel slats.

[0003]

[0003] The type of variable-length protective cover described first is known from German Patent Application Publication No. 102016103985. This specification describes an embodiment in which a slat leg having an L-shaped recess is suspended at an intermediate bend of a bellows element, positioned at the intermediate bend and suspended by a retaining element that connects the folded layers. Positioning the retaining element at the intermediate layer is difficult and is generally only possible by additional fitting elements such as rivets, but these fitting elements penetrate the bellows layer, thus impairing the protective function of the bellows layer before liquid can penetrate. The retaining element also increases the degree of blockage.

[0004]

[0004] Another protective cover is known from German Patent Application Publication No. 102013210407. In this specification, all bends are riveted to the legs of the slats near the bending points. This significantly limits the extension length compared to the minimum block length.

[0005]

[0005] Finally, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2007-144534 describes a protective cover in which the slats are connected via spring fasteners and held in place relative to each other. In addition, a bellows is provided, which is fixed on both sides to the intermediate bend by rivets and separate retaining plates. This solution ensures very good orientation of the slats, but the block length and the weight of the protective cover increase significantly, impairing the dynamic behavior of the slats.

[0006]

[0006] International Publication No. 2019 / 215191 shows a protective cover in which overlapping slats are located on the folded side of the intermediate fold but are not inserted into the pocket from the open side. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007]

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a protective cover that enables a strong bond between the slat and the bellows body, with low inherent weight and easy manufacturability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008]

[0008] According to the present invention, this objective is achieved by a protective cover of the type mentioned in the introduction, wherein the two layers of the intermediate fold are integral to each other Joining So Ta The connecting region is located, and the legs of the slat or other support element have recesses with lateral openings large enough to allow the legs to be inserted into pockets, the connecting region is inserted into the recesses, and the edges of the recesses are at least partially Attached It is a hook-shaped or serrated structure that interacts with the edge of the connection area by fitting and / or press-fitting in position.

[0009]

[0009] The solution according to the present invention has the advantage that the slats can be attached to the bellows via the legs of the slats without requiring any additional components. The tight connection between the slat layers in the connection area is preferably achieved by welding the two layers before the slats are inserted. In the case of suitable plastic materials, the connection area is tightly welded by ultrasonic welding or high-frequency welding. Joining It is preferable to connect the two layers of the intermediate bend to each other by doing so, and as a result, the connection area is designed as a weld point. These layers cannot be separated by any means other than fracture. Alternatively, the layers can also be connected to each other within the connection area by adhesive. Joining It can be made to happen.

[0010]

[0010] With this type of slat fixing, there is no need to drill holes in the bellows itself, and as a result, the protective function of the bellows remains particularly well maintained against fluids leaking from, for example, the working chamber.

[0011]

[0011] The hook-shaped or serrated structure is preferably irremovably connected to the material of the connection area when inserted by the spine, so that the legs are already connected to the bellows element by anchoring before the protective cover is assembled.

[0012]

[0012] The protective cover according to the present invention is particularly preferable because the step of manufacturing the connection area can be carried out automatically by, for example, one of the welding methods described above, although the arrangement of the metal retaining elements within the intermediate bend is uncertain due to the instability of the bellows structure.

[0013]

[0013] The connection area can be designed to be flat so as not to increase the block size of the compressed protective cover without causing any functional defects.

[0014]

[0014] Typically, at least two, and possibly more, connection regions are provided for each intermediate bend. Installed The legs that will be inserted have corresponding recesses in a corresponding number.

[0015]

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the legs of the slats are defined to be inserted through the open side of the pocket.

[0016]

[0016] This open pocket allows for the insertion of legs that substantially extend across the entire width of the pocket, resulting in particularly good retention with the connecting area within the pocket.

[0017]

[0017] In order to enable particularly good holding of the leg portion on the connection area, a first hook-shaped or serrated structure is provided on the first edge of the recess, and the first edge is parallel to the first edge Lined up At the second edge of the recessed portion Facing each other The second edge is arranged in parallel and is designed to be smooth or has a further hook-like or serrated structure.

[0018]

[0018] Defined leg portion final To facilitate the secure placement within the pocket, in each case, one end of the recess abuts against the corresponding connecting region of the two layers between the edges of the recess, and the slat finalIt is defined to be provided as a stopper for defining a position.

[0019]

[0019] Instead of arranging a hook-shaped or serrated structure at the edge of a channel-shaped section of a recess having parallel edges, it can be defined to arrange a first hook-shaped or serrated structure at a first edge of the recess, the first edge being designed to be smooth or arranged with respect to a further edge of the recess having a further hook-shaped or serrated structure, and the distance between the two edges in the insertion direction of the leg is reduced.

[0020]

[0020] In this modification, it must be ensured that an accurate insertion depth is achieved. The deeper the leg is inserted, the deeper the hook or spike engages with the material in the connection area.

[0021]

[0021] A particularly preferred development of the present invention defines that the recess is L-shaped, the recess having an insertion <( Department extending vertically from the edge of the leg , a hook-shaped or serrated structure is provided and a locking portion extending parallel to the leg vinegar .

[0022]

[0022] The recess forms a locking of the same type as a bayonet fastener integrally with the connection area, the leg being insertable into the pocket with little force applied, and then being pushed into the position of the pocket [[ID=]

[23] ]<000008>by parallel movement.

[0023]

[0023] Preferably, it is defined that at least one edge of the locking portion is formed with a hook-shaped or serrated structure, so that at this point the leg can be fixed to the bellows element.

[0024]

[0024] A particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention is that a hook or spike of a hook-shaped or serrated structure is elastically SuppleIt is defined to be designed so as to achieve this. With such a design, the hook or spike can bend when the leg part is inserted, and as a result, the stress received by the insertion of the material in the connection area is also reduced. In the drawing-out direction, due to the action of the barb part and / or the reliable locking increasing the drawing-out force, the drawing-out becomes more difficult or impossible.

[0025]

[0025] A hook of a hook-shaped or spike-shaped structure is elastic force elastic be An embodiment of the present invention designed as a barb part or a spring tongue part may be correspondingly preferable. As a result of the elastic design, the hook first contacts the connection area when the leg part is inserted, but becomes rigid in the opposite direction when receiving force, and the tip engages with the material in the connection area, thus effectively preventing the drawing-out. In this case, the holding force acting positively and / or negatively can be increased.

[0026]

[0026] The hooks of the recesses can be arranged parallel to each other in a herringbone pattern.

[0027]

[0027] The locking by fitting can be implemented, for example, such that at least one movable hook element having a hook-shaped or serrated structure can be snap-fastened at the locking position or moved to the locking position after insertion. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

[0030] Elements that will be operated manually can be formed on or attached to the legs, but movable elements can be separate from the legs. As a component of the body formed ,leg It is also possible to insert the part into the pocket after insertion. Regardless of such specific designs, manually operable elements have the advantage that they can also be designed to be disassembled by means other than destruction after the element has been detached. Even in the case of a fully elastic element according to the above embodiment, the lock can be released, for example by suitable tool engagement, and as a result the corresponding slat can be removed from the pocket of the intermediate bend, for example if the slat is defective and needs to be replaced.

[0031]

[0031] Typically, the legs are made of steel plates, but they may also be made of suitable plastics, for example.

[0032]

[0032] In addition to many other materials that can be used for bellows elements, thermoplastic plastics such as polypropylene are clearly particularly suitable as bellows materials in welding and other applications. At this point, it is necessary to give an example of a bellows consisting of only one or more such thermoplastic materials, which may be composed of multiple layers and / or may have reinforcing materials in the form of a fabric-incorporated structure, for example.

[0033]

[0033] A more particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention is , Rose element but, A single slat that extends across the entire length and width of the protective cover and connects the slats to each other. Includes bellows To stipulate that.

[0034]

[0034] This modified version specifically consists of a small number of parts, and the entire area of ​​the bellows protects the slats, which are positioned on the outside and on the inside facing the work space, such as a machine tool, thereby making it less susceptible to mechanical influences such as cutting debris scattered during machining of a workpiece.

[0035]

[0035] However, in this case, the bellows element is elongation It could also refer to individual bellows elements that do not extend across the entire surface of the protective cover, such as bellows elements provided as limiting sections.

[0036]

[0036] Further features, details, and advantages of the present invention are derived from the exemplary embodiments described below, together with the claims and references to the drawings. The drawings are as follows: [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0037] [Figure 1] This is a diagram of a first embodiment of a protective cover for the workspace of a tool machine. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows a detailed view of the bellows of the protective cover without slats. [Figure 3a] This diagram shows the assembly sequence of the slats on the bellows. [Figure 3b] This diagram shows an alternative assembly sequence for the slats on the bellows. [Figure 3c] This diagram shows yet another assembly sequence of the slats on the bellows. [Figure 4] This figure shows an illustrative overview of further possible embodiments of the recess. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0038]

[0037] Figure 1 shows a variable-length protective cover 10 used in a machine tool to shield a workspace in which, for example, a metal workpiece is machined. In this case, the protective cover 10 can be adapted to various sizes and a bellows element 12 is formed from a bellows that extends over substantially the entire variable area of ​​the protective cover 10.

[0039]

[0038] For reinforcement, L-shaped steel slats 14 are provided on the side facing the workroom. These are fixed to the intermediate bend 18 of the bellows 12 by legs 16, which will be discussed in more detail below. The slats 14 overlap each other in a scale-like manner with the slat joint 19, providing high load capacity and variable length protection of the bellows 12 against processing debris that can be extremely hot and have considerable impact velocities. Due to this scale-like overlap, when the protective cover is compressed, the attached processing debris peels off through the edges of adjacent slats and cannot reach the delicate bellows.

[0040]

[0039] Flange elements 20 and 22 are provided at the two longitudinal ends of the protective cover, and these flange elements allow the protective cover 10 to move relative to each other as a part of a machine tool (not shown). attachment This is possible. Since the protective cover 10 can be individually adapted to the corresponding intended use, the overall form shown should be understood as an example. For example, an L-shaped design in which the two connected bellows are positioned at a right angle is also possible.

[0041]

[0040] Figure 2 shows an enlarged detail view of the bellows 10 without slats. It is clear that pocket-shaped intermediate folds 18 are formed between the regular draw-out folds 26. The intermediate folds 18 are formed by two layers 30, 32 of the bellows, which are connected via kinks 28 and fixed to each other via a certain number of connection areas 34. This does not mean that the layers 30 and 32 are fixed to each other across their entire surfaces, but rather that only certain areas must be connected to each other in order to achieve the formation of the pockets of the intermediate folds 18, leaving a gap-like free space 34 between these areas with openings between the two layers 30 and 32, into which the legs 16 of the slats can be inserted.

[0042]

[0041] The connecting regions 34 of the exemplary embodiment presented with the polypropylene bellows 12 are joined to each other in a tight fit by ultrasonic welding, so that the material strength of the connecting regions corresponds to the strength of the bellows material. Ultrasonic welding can be used for all suitable plastic materials as the material for the bending portion. Fabrics covered with weldable plastics can also be used.

[0043]

[0042] Figures 3a to 3c illustrate the assembly of the slat 14, which has legs 16 within a pocket-shaped intermediate bend 18. For better illustration, the front position 30 of the bellows 12 is omitted from the illustration, and only the connection area at the rear position 32 of the bellows 12 is shown. First, Figure 3a shows the legs 16 of the slat 14, which have an L-shaped recess 36. The L-shaped recess 36 is an insertion leading to the edge of the leg. Department It is divided into 38 and a locking portion 40 that is inclined at a right angle and extends parallel to the longitudinal extension of the leg portion 16. The edge portion 42 facing the slot portion 19 forms a first stopper and extends to the end portion 44 of the locking portion 40 which is designed as a stopper. The locking portion is adjacent to an edge portion 46 having a hook-shaped structure 48. The leg portion has a recess 50 in the area of ​​the hook-shaped structure 48, thereby providing a certain elasticity to the structure 48. A kind of flexibility This will be achieved.

[0044]

[0043] The leg portion 16 is attached to the bellows 12. Installed When inserted, the connecting area 34 of the relevant intermediate bend 18 is initially positioned so that it aligns with the insertion part (see Figure 3a). The leg portion 16 is connected to the pocket-shaped intermediate bend 18 until the connecting area 34 approaches the edge 42 of the recess 36. The leg portion 16 can then be displaced parallel to its longitudinal extension, at which point the connecting area 34 reaches the locking portion 40 of the recess 36 (see Figure 3b).

[0045]

[0044] As can be seen from Figure 3b, the distance between the tip 52 of the hook-shaped structure 48 and the opposing edge 42 is selected to be somewhat shorter than the height of the connecting portion 34. During insertion, the hook-shaped structure 48 deviates somewhat from its given elasticity, and the material within the connecting region 34 may also deviate somewhat. Due to this hook-shaped geometric form, the insertion force is considerably weaker than the force in the opposite direction, and as a result, the leg is permanently fixed to the connecting portion. Depending on the design, disassembly can be optionally made possible after mechanical intervention.

[0046]

[0045] The end portion 42 of the locking part defines the range of the insertion path, and the leg portion 16 within the intermediate bent portion 18 shown in Figure 3c final To define the position.

[0047]

[0046] Figure 4 shows a non-exhaustive selection of possible recesses suitable for locking on a correspondingly designed connection area. The recesses 36a to 36d shown are not intended to be combined on a single leg and are merely illustrative examples in Figure 4. However, in principle, different recesses can also be combined on a single leg.

[0048]

[0047] In Figure 4, the recess 36a corresponds to the embodiment described above.

[0049]

[0048] Due to the recess 36b, hook-shaped structures 48b are provided on both the edges 42b and 46b of the recess. No recess is provided on the back side of the hook-shaped structure.

[0050]

[0049] The central slat 14c shown in Figure 4 illustrates a different concept of locking, where the recesses 36c and 36d of the slat 14c have only locking portions 40c, 40d that extend perpendicularly from the edges of the legs. Therefore, when the legs 16c are inserted into the intermediate bend 18, locking is already performed directly. The hook-shaped structures 48c, 48d are positioned on the rims 42c, 42d of the locking portions, respectively, with opposing edges 46c, 46d positioned parallel to them and designed to be smooth. The difference between these two modifications is that, in the case of the recess 36c, the recess 50c is provided on the back side of the smooth edge 46c. Therefore, the increase in elasticity is brought about by the elastic opposing edge 46c. This solution can also be applied to other exemplary embodiments.

[0051]

[0050] Figure 4 further illustrates a further embodiment of the slat 14e, the leg portion 16e of which is inserted in each case. Department It has an L-shaped recess 36e with 38e and a locking portion 40e. This illustration also corresponds to Figure 3c, but the connection area within the recess is not shown. Due to the different orientation of the locking portion 40e, insertion can also be performed in the opposite direction to that shown in Figures 3a and 3c.

[0052]

[0051] The hook-shaped or serrated structure 48e is Supple It has a spring tongue portion 54, which is clearly different. These are arranged parallel to each other like a herringbone pattern, but do not necessarily have to be. The spring tongue portion 54 is essentially Supple Furthermore, the recess on the back side of the hook-shaped or serrated structure 48e can be completely eliminated. Supple When the leg is inserted onto the connection area, the spring tongue bends only slightly and provides very little resistance. However, when force is applied in the opposite direction by the spikes, which are also called a shape-guided locking mechanism, the spring tongue engages in the connection area by fitting and / or press-fitting, and a very large lifting force is required to remove the leg again after assembly on the bellows element.

[0053]

[0052] The present invention is not limited to any one of the embodiments described above, and may be modified in many ways. For example, a hook or spike can be designed as an elastic element, either as a substitute for the recess itself or in addition to the recess itself. In this case, the hook or spike can also be designed as a snap hook that secures locking by snapping into place on the back side of the connection area 34. A locking element independent of the leg can also be used, which is inserted only after the leg has been inserted into the pocket to lock the leg.

[0054]

[0053] To improve elasticity, the recesses can have a larger surface area than shown in the figure. For this reason, the hook-shaped or sawtooth-shaped structures can be placed on the web, connected to the rest of the legs like a spring element.

[0055]

[0054] Other bellows elements with appropriately designed connection areas can also be connected to recesses in the legs, and can also be connected to lockouts, for example, that connect only individual adjacent slats to each other. Retaining elements or purely reinforcing elements can also be assigned to the legs.

[0056]

[0055] All of the features and advantages derived from the claims and specification, including structural details, spatial arrangements, and process steps, may be essential to the present invention, either individually or in a wide variety of combinations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 10. Variable-length protective cover 12 bellows elements 14 slats 16 Slat legs 18. Intermediate fold 19. Slat joint section 20, 22 Flange elements 26. Folding part of the drawer 28. Kink at the intermediate bend 30, 32 Bellows Layers 34 Connection Areas 35 Free Space / Pocket 36 L-shaped recess 38 Insertion part 40 Locking part 42 Edge of the recess 44 Recessed end / stopper 46 Edge of the recess 48. Hook-shaped or serrated structure 50 recesses 52 Tip of the hook-shaped structure 54 Trigger tongue / spinous part

Claims

1. A variable-length protective cover comprising at least one bellows element (12), A specific number of bends are formed as intermediate bends (18), and two adjacent layers (30, 32) of the bellows element (12) are connected to each other. The legs (16) of the L-shaped slat (14) are fixed within the intermediate bend (18) formed as a pocket between the two layers (30, 32). In a variable-length protective cover, the leg portion (16) has a recess (36) for fixing onto the bellows element (12), The two layers (30, 32) of the intermediate bend (18) have a connection region (34) in which the two layers (30, 32) are integrally joined together. The leg portion (16) of the L-shaped slat (14) has a recess (36) with a lateral opening large enough to allow the leg portion (16) of the L-shaped slat (14) to be inserted into the pocket (35), The connection region (34) enters the recess (36), A variable-length protective cover, characterized in that at least a portion of the edges (42, 46) of the recess (36) is provided with a hook-shaped or sawtooth-shaped structure (48) that interacts with the edge of the connection region (34) by fitting and / or press-fitting at the mounting position.

2. The variable-length protective cover according to claim 1, characterized in that the connection region (34) is formed by welding.

3. The variable-length protective cover according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the leg portion (16) of the slat (14) is inserted through the open side of the pocket (35).

4. A first hook-shaped or serrated structure (48) is positioned on the first edge (46) of the recess. A variable-length protective cover according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the first edge is positioned opposite to a further edge (42) of the recess (36) which is arranged parallel to the first edge, and the further edge is designed to be smooth or has a further hook-shaped or serrated structure.

5. The variable-length protective cover according to claim 4, characterized in that the end portion (44) of the recess is provided between the edges (42, 46) of the recess (36) as a stopper that abuts against the respective connecting regions (34) of the two layers (30, 32) to define the final position of the slat (14).

6. A first hook-shaped or serrated structure (48, 48a-e) is positioned on the first edge of the recess (36, 36a-e), The first edge is designed to be smooth or is positioned opposite a further edge of the recess having a further hook-shaped or serrated structure. A variable-length protective cover according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the distance between the two edges is reduced in the insertion direction of the leg portion (16).

7. A variable-length protective cover according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the recess (36) is L-shaped, and the recess has an insertion portion (38) extending perpendicularly from the edge of the leg portion (16) of the L-shaped slat (14), and a locking portion (40) extending parallel to the leg portion (16) and provided with the hook-shaped or sawtooth-shaped structure (48).

8. The variable-length protective cover according to claim 7, characterized in that the hook-shaped or sawtooth-shaped structure (48) is formed on at least one edge (42) of the locking portion (40).

9. A variable-length protective cover according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the hook-shaped or serrated hook (54) or spike is designed to be elastically flexible so that the hook (54) or spike can bend when the leg portion (16) of the L-shaped slat (14) is inserted into the pocket (35).

10. The variable-length protective cover according to claim 9, characterized in that the hook-shaped or serrated hook is designed as an elastic spine portion (54).

11. A variable-length protective cover according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that a recess (50) is provided in the leg portion (16) of the L-shaped slat (14) in a region at least a portion of the rear of the hook-shaped or sawtooth-shaped structure (48), and as a result, the edges (42, 46) of the recess (36), including the hook-shaped or sawtooth-shaped structure (48), have elastic flexibility.

12. A variable-length protective cover according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the hook-shaped or serrated structure has at least one movable element that can be snapped into a locking position after insertion or moved to a locking position.

13. The variable-length protective cover according to claim 12, characterized in that the movable element is formed as a separate member from the leg portion and can be inserted into the pocket after the leg portion has been inserted.

14. The variable-length protective cover according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the bellows element (12) extends over the entire length and width of the protective cover (10) and includes a single bellows that connects the slats (14) to each other.

15. A variable-length protective cover according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that at least one bellows element is provided as an extension limiting portion.

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