Application device for producing and applying multi-component web-shaped adhesive elements

Abstract

The invention relates to an application device (10) for producing and applying multi-component web-shaped adhesive elements (12), comprising: i) a first roll receiving area (14) which is designed such that a first adhesive tape roll (18) filled with a first web-shaped adhesive element (16) can be rotatably arranged in the first roll receiving area (14), ii) a second roll receiving area (20) which is designed such that a second adhesive tape roll (24) filled with a second web-shaped adhesive element (22) can be rotatably arranged in the second roll receiving area (20), iii) a guide assembly (26) with an application element (28), wherein the guide assembly (26) is designed to guide the first web-shaped adhesive element (16) from a first adhesive tape roll (18) arranged in the first roll receiving area (14) to the application element (28) and the second web-shaped adhesive element (22) from a second adhesive tape roll (24) arranged in the second roll receiving area (20) to the application element and connect the adhesive elements together in a connection region (30) in order to produce a multi-component web-shaped adhesive element (12). The application device (10) is designed to deflect the produced multi-component web-shaped adhesive element (12) at least once downstream of the connection region (30).

Description

[0001] Application device for the production and application of multi-component web-shaped adhesive elements

[0002] Description

[0003] The invention relates to an application device for the production and application of multi-component web-shaped adhesive elements and a method for the production and application of multi-component web-shaped adhesive elements using a corresponding application device. A corresponding, ready-to-use application device is also disclosed.

[0004] Joining separate elements is one of the central processes in manufacturing technology. Along with other methods such as welding and soldering, bonding—that is, joining using an adhesive—is playing a particularly important role today. An alternative to the use of formless adhesives, such as those applied from a tube, is so-called adhesive tapes, whose adhesive effect is based on the adhesive masses used. The use of adhesive tapes is associated with many advantages that make this technology ideal for use in many industries, such as the electronics or automotive industries.

[0005] For many applications, pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes are particularly relevant. These tapes are made from a pressure-sensitive adhesive that provides the adhesive effect and is permanently tacky and adhesive under normal ambient conditions. These pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes can be applied to a substrate by pressure and remain adhered there, but can later be removed more or less residue-free.

[0006] In industrial manufacturing and processing processes, in addition to classic single- or double-sided adhesive tapes, special web-shaped adhesive elements are also used, which are specifically tailored to certain applications in terms of their handling and / or adhesive properties.

[0007] Many of these special web-shaped adhesive elements, which are specifically tailored to specific application scenarios, are not available as standard products from typical adhesive tape manufacturers, but rather are manufactured by specialized processing companies, so-called "converters." Production usually involves several individual single- or multi-sided adhesive tapes that are bonded together in the desired shape to achieve the desired adhesive profile.

[0008] An important area of ​​application for such adhesive tapes is in the painting of substrates, especially vehicles, where part of the vehicle must be reliably covered for the purpose of two-tone painting.

[0009] A variety of solutions are used for this application, including pre-applied films with adhesive tape, so-called "roll maskers," as well as various adhesive tapes, which in various designs have double-sided adhesive properties, allowing them to be attached to the vehicle and subsequently secure a masking film. The adhesive tapes are designed to create a clean paint edge and to secure the cover sheet or roll masker film, which is intended to cover the part of the vehicle body that does not need to be painted in the respective processing step.

[0010] High demands are placed on the solutions used in such painting processes. In particular, precise application must be possible, resulting in a sharp and precisely positioned paint edge, while at the same time, secure contact and attachment of the masking film is required to prevent unwanted penetration of paint onto the covered parts. The use of prefabricated composites consisting of an adhesive tape for attachment to the substrate with an attached film, so-called "roll maskers," is advantageous in principle, particularly with regard to the secure coverage of the areas not to be painted, and can be applied relatively easily thanks to the integrated solution. At the same time, the production of corresponding roll maskers is relatively complex, so the use of corresponding solutions is often comparatively cost-intensive.

[0011] An alternative solution is to first apply a suitable double-sided adhesive strip along the desired paint edge and then attach the film or a covering cap to it. From a process engineering perspective, it is not sufficient to use a standard double-sided adhesive tape, particularly in view of the need for clean application. What is desired is an adhesive strip that is fully adhesive on one side but only adhesive in a central area on the opposite side, so that a comparatively narrow adhesive strip extends across the reverse side, flanked on both sides by a non-stick carrier layer. Such adhesive tapes are not offered as standard products by most adhesive tape manufacturers and therefore often have to be manufactured specifically for individual cases.

[0012] Such a case-specific production can be achieved, for example, by adhering a narrow double-sided adhesive tape with the sticky side to the non-sticky backing of a single-sided adhesive tape, so that the non-sticky backing of the single-sided adhesive tape extends beyond the double-sided adhesive tape on both sides. The resulting multi-component adhesive tape can then be placed on the substrate. The liner on the double-sided adhesive tape can then be removed, and the protective film or hood can be attached to the exposed adhesive side. The production of such multi-component adhesive tapes from a single-sided and a multi-sided adhesive tape can, in principle, be carried out on-site using separate, usually stationary, laminating units.However, this approach requires a relatively high level of equipment and is associated with the usual disadvantages of operating additional equipment, particularly with regard to maintenance and operating costs. An alternative to the upstream, separate production of corresponding multi-component adhesive elements in the paint shop is the purchase of appropriate adhesive tapes from so-called "converters," i.e., companies specializing in the production of special adhesive tapes from commercial adhesive tapes. This is advantageous from a process engineering perspective but is associated with increased costs.

[0013] Against this background, there is a need in the field of technology to provide efficient methods and devices with which corresponding multi-component adhesive tapes can be obtained. DE 10 2016 200 810 A1 discloses a dispenser for dispensing a two-layer adhesive tape, which is designed to produce a multi-component, web-like adhesive element from two adhesive tapes immediately before application using a mechanism integrated into a handheld device. The underlying idea of ​​producing the multi-component, web-like adhesive element in an application device immediately before application has proven to be a promising approach.

[0014] However, the solution known from DE 10 2016 200 810 A1 was considered disadvantageous in that the complex guidance of the web-shaped adhesive elements, which is necessary for the production of the multi-component adhesive tape, means that the application of the produced adhesive tape via an application roller can only take place in the running plane of the adhesive tape and thus along the guide direction of the applicator. For many areas of application, particularly for structurally complex substrates such as vehicle bodies, this limitation complicates the application of the produced adhesive tape. In particular, in many places when bonding complex substrates, it is necessary for the workers entrusted with the application to manually guide the tape emerging from the applicator in order to mask complex structures of the substrate in the desired shape.This means that the process becomes more error-prone and requires more comprehensive training of the workers involved and more comprehensive quality control.

[0015] Furthermore, the inventors have identified a need for improvement in the prior art solution, as it is structurally limited to the production of exactly one type of multi-component adhesive tape. However, in the inventors' estimation, it would be desirable if the application device used were, in principle, capable of adapting to different requirements in order to produce various multi-component adhesive tapes according to the respective application requirements, preferably even during an ongoing taping process.This would make it possible to achieve very precise bonding, particularly in difficult areas of the substrate to be bonded, by adapting the relative alignment of the two bonded adhesive elements to the respective requirements and, in addition, it would be possible to advantageously use the applicator for different applications in which different multi-component adhesive tapes are required.

[0016] The primary object of the present invention was to eliminate or at least reduce the disadvantages of the prior art.

[0017] In particular, it was the object of the present invention to provide an advantageous application device with which multi-component web-shaped adhesive elements for specialized applications can be produced immediately before application in a time- and cost-efficient manner and can then be applied precisely and reliably to a substrate to be bonded using the application device.

[0018] It was an object of the present invention that the application device should enable precise application of the produced multi-component adhesive elements along edges and borders of substrates, preferably without requiring the workers employed to manually guide the produced adhesive tape. In this respect, it was desirable that the application of the produced adhesive tape should be possible along edges and borders, especially those that are relatively difficult to access from outside the substrate, for example, in vehicle bodies, without the workers employed having to assume an uncomfortable hand position to guide the application device.

[0019] It was a further object of the present invention that the application device to be specified should desirably be capable of changing the structural configuration of the produced multi-component adhesive tape during an application process and / or between two separate application processes in order to adapt its properties to the respective application requirements.

[0020] It was a further object of the present invention to provide a method for applying a corresponding multi-component web-shaped adhesive element with a corresponding application device.

[0021] It was a secondary object of the present invention to also provide a ready-to-use application device.

[0022] The inventors of the present invention have now found that the objects described above can be achieved if an application device is provided with two roll holders in which the two adhesive tapes to be combined can be presented, if a guide arrangement is provided with an application element which is designed to connect the adhesive tapes guided in the guide arrangement to one another in a connection area, if the application device is designed to deflect the produced multi-component web-shaped adhesive element after the connection of the two starting adhesive tapes, so that the adhesive tape runs obliquely to the starting direction in the application area and can therefore be applied more easily even to difficult areas of a substrate.The corresponding arrangement advantageously makes it possible to apply the produced adhesive tape to edges and border areas that are particularly difficult to access, thereby enabling a more relaxed hand position and overall allowing greater flexibility in the movement of the application device, particularly when using very large and sterically demanding adhesive tape rolls.

[0023] The above-mentioned objects are thus achieved by the subject matter of the invention as defined in the claims. Preferred embodiments of the invention emerge from the subclaims and the following statements.

[0024] Such embodiments, which are designated as preferred below, are combined in particularly preferred embodiments with features of other embodiments designated as preferred. Combinations of two or more of the embodiments designated as particularly preferred below are thus very particularly preferred. Likewise preferred are embodiments in which a feature of one embodiment designated as preferred to any extent is combined with one or more further features of other embodiments designated as preferred to any extent. Features of preferred methods and ready-to-use application devices result from the features of preferred application devices.

[0025] The invention particularly relates to an application device for the production and application of multi-component web-shaped adhesive elements, comprising: i) a first roll holder, wherein the first roll holder is designed so that a first adhesive tape roll filled with a first web-shaped adhesive element can be rotatably arranged in the first roll holder, ii) a second roll holder, wherein the second roll holder is designed so that a second adhesive tape roll filled with a second web-shaped adhesive element can be rotatably arranged in the second roll holder, iii) a guide arrangement with an application element, wherein the guide arrangement is designedto guide the first web-shaped adhesive element from a first adhesive tape roll arranged in the first roll holder and the second web-shaped adhesive element from a second adhesive tape roll arranged in the second roll holder to the application element and to connect them to one another in a connecting region to produce a multi-component web-shaped adhesive element, wherein the application device is designed to deflect the produced multi-component web-shaped adhesive element at least once after the connecting region in such a way that the web direction vector is deflected from the starting plane during the deflection, wherein the starting plane is spanned by the web direction vector before the deflection and the surface normal orthogonal to the web direction vector before the deflection.

[0026] An application device according to the invention is exemplary, wherein the application device comprises a base plate, wherein the first roller holder, the second roller holder, the guide arrangement, and the application element are arranged on the base plate and / or connected to the base plate. An application device according to the invention is exemplary, additionally or alternatively, wherein the base plate runs parallel to the starting plane of the first web-shaped adhesive element and / or the second web-shaped adhesive element.

[0027] The application device according to the invention serves to produce a multi-component, web-shaped adhesive element intended for application immediately before attachment to the substrate and to condition or promote its application. Those skilled in the art will understand that, for understanding the invention, it is expedient to define and describe the application device with reference to the web-shaped adhesive elements handled in the application device. At the same time, however, those skilled in the art will also understand that the web-shaped adhesive elements themselves, as well as the corresponding adhesive tape rolls on which the respective web-shaped adhesive element is provided, are not part of the application device according to the invention. The application-ready application device is obtained by inserting adhesive tape rolls into the roll holders provided for this purpose and threading the adhesive tapes into the guide arrangement.

[0028] Accordingly, in connection with the invention, a ready-to-use application device for the production and application of multi-component web-shaped adhesive elements is also disclosed, comprising:

[0029] I) a first roll holder comprising a first roll of adhesive tape rotatably arranged in the first roll holder and filled with a first web-shaped adhesive element,

[0030] II) a second roll holder comprising a second roll of adhesive tape rotatably arranged in the second roll holder and filled with a second web-shaped adhesive element,

[0031] III) a guide arrangement with an application element, wherein the guide arrangement guides the first web-shaped adhesive element from the first adhesive tape roll arranged in the first roll holder and the second web-shaped adhesive element from the second adhesive tape roll arranged in the second roll holder to the application element and connects them to one another in a connecting region to produce a multi-component web-shaped adhesive element, wherein the produced multi-component web-shaped adhesive element is deflected at least once in the application device after the connecting region in such a way that the web direction vector is deflected from the starting plane during the deflection, wherein the starting plane is spanned by the web direction vector before the deflection and the surface normal orthogonal to the web direction vector before the deflection.

[0032] It can be seen as an advantage of the application devices according to the invention that they can, at least theoretically, also be designed as an end effector on an automated movement device, for example, a robot arm. However, for essentially all embodiments of the invention, an application device according to the invention that is designed for manual use, for example, during painting work in a paint shop, is preferred. Accordingly, an application device according to the invention is preferred, wherein the application device is a hand-held applicator and / or wherein the application device comprises a handle.

[0033] The application device according to the invention comprises two roll holders, each designed to hold a roll of adhesive tape for the web-shaped adhesive elements to be connected in the application device. The roll holders are designed such that a roll of adhesive tape arranged therein is rotatable, allowing the adhesive tape provided thereon to be unwound from the roll.

[0034] In addition to the roll holders, the application device according to the invention also comprises a guide assembly that encloses the application element, via which the produced multi-component web-shaped adhesive element is ultimately applied to the substrate. The guide assembly is designed to guide the web-shaped adhesive elements provided on the adhesive tape rolls to the application element and to connect them to one another in front of the application element, thereby obtaining a multi-component web-shaped adhesive element.

[0035] The specific design of the guide arrangement can be left to the person skilled in the art, who will in particular be guided by the other structural conditions of the application device. The necessary guidance of the two initial adhesive elements and the multi-component adhesive element produced therefrom can be achieved via typical guide elements, in particular rotatably arranged guide rollers. Accordingly, an application device according to the invention is also relevant for most cases, wherein the guide arrangement comprises one or more guide elements, preferably guide rollers, for guiding the first web-shaped adhesive element and / or the second web-shaped adhesive element and / or the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element. For the design of the connection area, ieof the part of the application device or guide arrangement in which the two provided adhesive tapes are to be brought into contact with one another for producing the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element, the inventors propose that particularly efficient guidance can be achieved by guiding the two web-shaped adhesive elements to be joined over a common roller and thereby contacting one another. In principle, the two starting adhesive elements can be guided directly from the roller holder over the deflection roller. However, in the opinion of the inventors, for precise application and to increase the freedom in the structural placement of the roller holders in the application device, it is preferable to deflect at least one of the web-shaped adhesive elements by a second deflection roller before contacting it on the deflection roller.Those skilled in the art will understand that the term "deflection roller" represents a deflection within the initial plane, as opposed to the deflection out of the initial plane that occurs prior to application. In practice, this is achieved in particular by the rotational axes of the deflection rollers running substantially parallel to the rotational axes of the adhesive tape rolls. Thus, an application device according to the invention is preferred, wherein the guide arrangement comprises at least one first deflection roller, wherein the guide arrangement is configured to guide the first web-shaped adhesive element and the second web-shaped adhesive element over the first deflection roller and to connect them to one another at the first deflection roller to produce the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element.Additionally or alternatively, an application device according to the invention is preferred, wherein the guide arrangement comprises at least one second deflection roller, wherein the guide arrangement is designed to guide the second web-shaped adhesive element in front of the connecting region over the second deflection roller.

[0036] The fact that the relevant web-shaped adhesive elements are adhesive on at least one side advantageously results in the application device according to the invention not requiring any additional means to connect the adhesive tapes to one another beyond mere contact. This has the advantage that the application device according to the invention can be designed particularly simply. Even if it would be at least theoretically conceivable to introduce further layers in addition to the two adhesive tapes provided in the adhesive tape receptacles described above to produce the multi-component adhesive element, the inventors believe that this is not necessary in the vast majority of cases and, in view of the complexity of the structure of application devices according to the invention, is also not preferred over the direct connection of two adhesive tapes.Accordingly, an application device according to the invention is preferred, wherein the guide arrangement is designed to connect the first web-shaped adhesive element and the second web-shaped adhesive element to one another for producing a multi-component web-shaped adhesive element in such a way that the first web-shaped adhesive element and the second web-shaped adhesive element are directly connected to one another.

[0037] Particularly with regard to the intended application in the field of paintwork, in practice it will primarily be a question of web-shaped adhesive elements in which one of the web-shaped adhesive elements is narrower than the other, with particular relevance being given to configurations in which a narrow two-sided adhesive tape is bonded to the non-adhesive backing of a single-sided adhesive tape. Consequently, an application device according to the invention is preferred, wherein the guide arrangement is configured to interconnect the first web-shaped adhesive element and the second web-shaped adhesive element to produce a multi-component web-shaped adhesive element in such a way that the second web-shaped adhesive element in the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element is bonded with an adhesive layer to a carrier layer of the first web-shaped adhesive element.

[0038] For the most precise application on the substrate and reliable fixation of the cover film, it is particularly preferred if the application device or the guide arrangement is designed such that the narrower second band is placed as centrally as possible on the first web-shaped adhesive element. Accordingly, an application device according to the invention is preferred, wherein the guide arrangement is configured to connect the first web-shaped adhesive element and the second web-shaped adhesive element to one another to produce a multi-component web-shaped adhesive element in such a way that the first web-shaped adhesive element protrudes on at least one side, preferably on both sides, in the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element with respect to the direction orthogonal to the web direction vector and the surface normal, and / or wherein the guide arrangement is configured toto connect the first web-shaped adhesive element and the second web-shaped adhesive element to produce a multi-component web-shaped adhesive element in such a way that the second web-shaped adhesive element in the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element is arranged completely on the first web-shaped adhesive element, preferably centrally with respect to the direction orthogonal to the web direction vector and the surface normal.

[0039] A crucial aspect of the application device according to the invention is that the multi-component, web-like adhesive element produced in the application device is deflected as a whole at least once before application to the substrate, i.e., its web direction is changed, in order to improve its suitability for application. With a view to a structurally simple design and to avoid unnecessary material stress, it is preferred to deflect the multi-component adhesive element exactly once. Thus, an application device according to the invention is preferred, wherein the application device is configured to deflect the produced multi-component, web-like adhesive element exactly once, downstream of the connection region, in such a way that the web direction vector is deflected from the initial plane during the deflection.

[0040] As described above with reference to the deflection rollers, both the two adhesive tapes used as starting materials and the multi-component adhesive element produced therefrom are guided in a plane prior to deflection, which, for the purposes of the present invention, is referred to as the starting plane for clarity. This starting plane preferably runs essentially orthogonally to the axes of rotation of the deflection rollers or the adhesive tape rolls in the application device. More precisely, it is the plane described by the path vector, i.e., the vector of the respective adhesive tape pointing in the path direction, and the surface normal orthogonal to the path direction vector.

[0041] Deflections within this initial plane can occur, for example, when the adhesive tape is pulled along guide elements along the original pull-off direction. In other words, the deflection from this initial plane represents at least a partial deflection in a direction that is orthogonal to both the web direction vector and the surface normal of the adhesive tape. In figurative terms, this means that the deflection occurs transversely to the web direction, essentially in the width direction of the adhesive element.

[0042] The oblique path achieved by deflection is particularly suitable for applying the produced multi-component adhesive element to edges and corners, with even small deflections representing an improvement. However, in the inventors' estimation, it is particularly preferable to effect a noticeable deflection for advantageous handling of the application device according to the invention. It is especially preferable to effect a deflection of approximately 90° relative to the original running direction of the adhesive element of the application device, which will usually correspond essentially to the peel-off direction of the two initial adhesive tape rolls, since the inventors' experiments have shown this to be the best handling, particularly when masking vehicle bodies.Accordingly, an application device according to the invention is preferred, wherein the web direction vector is deflected from the starting plane during deflection by 15° or more, preferably by 30° or more, particularly preferably by 45° or more, very particularly preferably by 60° or more, extremely preferably by 75° or more, particularly preferably by substantially 90°. An application device according to the invention is preferred, wherein the web direction vector is deflected from the starting plane during deflection in such a way that the web direction vector, after deflection, encloses an angle with the starting plane in the range of 45 to 90°, preferably in the range of 60 to 90°, particularly preferably in the range of 75 to 90°, especially preferably in the range of 85 to 90°.

[0043] At least in principle, it is possible to achieve the desired deflection of the web direction vector from the starting plane via an arrangement of guide elements, for example guide rollers. In the inventors' opinion, however, the use of a guide edge is preferred with a view to achieving the most space-saving and robust design possible. A corresponding guide edge is a beveled edge which, for example, runs at an angle of 45° to the web direction of the adhesive tape deflected around the guide edge and makes it possible to guide an adhesive tape accordingly easily around it without causing unwanted twisting and the risk of undesired sticking. Thus, an application device according to the invention is preferred, wherein the guide arrangement comprises a guide device for deflecting the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element, wherein the guide device preferably comprises a guide edge.Particularly preferred is an application device according to the invention, wherein the application element comprises the deflection device, preferably the deflection edge, or wherein the application element is directly connected to the deflection device, preferably the deflection edge.

[0044] For many designs, particularly when using a deflection edge, it is preferable, with a view to ensuring the simplest possible application to the substrate, to align the manufactured multi-component adhesive element with the substrate by rotating it around the path vector. In other words, this means that it is advantageous to also deflect the surface normal of the multi-component, web-shaped adhesive element out of the initial plane. This advantageously makes it possible, through a structural design, to align the adhesive side of the multi-component, web-shaped adhesive element intended for bonding to the substrate in the desired application direction, thereby improving the application process.For this purpose, an application device according to the invention is preferred, wherein the guide arrangement is designed to rotate the surface normal by 90° or more, preferably 135° or more, particularly preferably by substantially 180° around the web direction vector when deflecting the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element.

[0045] The inventors propose that, in principle, different deflection angles would be desirable for different application scenarios of the application device according to the invention. Against this background, the inventors propose that the guide arrangement according to the invention can preferably be designed such that the extent of deflection of the web direction vector upon deflection from the initial plane can be adjusted reversibly and non-destructively, preferably in the range of a deflection of 1 to 90°, preferably 15 to 90°, particularly preferably 30 to 90°, and especially preferably 45 to 90°.

[0046] Even if it would be theoretically conceivable to use an application roller as an application element, the inventors believe that it is not suitable for the intended purposes, especially for the application of

[0047] Adhesive elements on vehicle bodies, it is more advantageous to form the application element with a guide rail, over which the manufactured multi-component adhesive tape is guided at the moment of application and via which the desired contact pressure can be exerted on the adhesive tape or the underlying substrate if required. In particular, if the surface normal of the manufactured multi-component adhesive element is deflected from the initial plane before application and a more complex change in alignment occurs accordingly before application, the inventors propose that the precision of the application can be advantageously increased if the application element, preferably in the form of an application rail, comprises an elongated guide recess, the dimensions of which are matched to the manufactured web-shaped adhesive element, so that the latter is secured in particular against lateral displacement.Thus, an application device according to the invention is preferred, wherein the application element comprises an elongated guide recess for guiding the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element before application, wherein the shape, in particular the width, of the elongated guide recess correlates with the shape of the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element.

[0048] In order to further enable even more precise application to a substrate, the inventors propose that a guide structure can be provided which is designed such that it forms a connection to the substrate during the application process, for example by engaging in a groove in the substrate, as is the case, for example, with window recesses in vehicle doors, and thus enables more stable guidance. Accordingly, an application device according to the invention is preferred, wherein the application device comprises a three-dimensional guide structure, preferably in the region of the application element or as part of the application element, wherein the three-dimensional guide structure preferably correlates at least partially with the shape of the substrate to be bonded and is intended to contact the substrate to be bonded during application.

[0049] The inventors consider it particularly advantageous to equip one or both of the roll holders with a displacement mechanism. Such a displacement mechanism is provided to shift the axial position of the adhesive tape roll arranged in the respective roll holder. This changes the path of the adhesive tape running in the guide arrangement, whereby, in particular, the relative positioning of the two adhesive tapes in the contact area can be changed reversibly and non-destructively. In this advantageous embodiment, it is possible to change the structure of the produced multi-component adhesive tape by actuating the displacement mechanism, which can be implemented as a manual displacement mechanism with a view to achieving the simplest and least complex design possible.Advantageously, the change in the relative layer arrangement of the two adhesive elements in the produced multi-component adhesive element can be controlled even during the application process, allowing the applied multi-component adhesive tape to be adjusted to the respective application requirements. Furthermore, the preferred application device according to the invention can be better used for different applications, each of which places different demands on the adhesive tapes to be applied.Accordingly, an application device according to the invention is preferred, wherein the first roll holder comprises a first displacement mechanism, wherein the first roll holder is designed to reversibly and non-destructively displace the position of a first adhesive tape roll arranged in the first roll holder along the axial direction using the displacement mechanism, and / or wherein the second roll holder comprises a second displacement mechanism, wherein the second roll holder is designed to reversibly and non-destructively displace the position of a second adhesive tape roll arranged in the second roll holder along the axial direction using the displacement mechanism.Particularly preferred is an application device according to the invention, wherein the application device is configured to change the position of the first web-shaped adhesive element and the second web-shaped adhesive element relative to one another in the connection region using the first and / or second displacement mechanism in order to influence the properties of the produced multi-component web-shaped adhesive element. Additionally or alternatively, particularly preferred is an application device according to the invention, wherein the first displacement mechanism and / or the second displacement mechanism is a manually operated or automatic displacement mechanism, for example with an electric motor, in particular a servo motor, preferably a manually operated displacement mechanism.

[0050] In a particularly practical embodiment, the second web-shaped adhesive element will be a double-sided adhesive element. To nevertheless enable problem-free handling of the double-sided adhesive element in the application device, the inventors propose that a web-shaped release material be arranged on one side, forming a non-sticky surface. This corresponding embodiment is also advantageous because it also covers the outward-facing adhesive surface of the produced multi-component adhesive element with a liner until it is actually used again. Even if this liner-covered intermediate stage on the substrate has certain process-related advantages, the removal of the liner after application of the produced multi-component adhesive element represents an additional work step, in which, in particular, considerable quantities of separated liner are generated as waste.In order to enable more efficient processing in this respect, the inventors propose that a liner separation and preferably a liner winding can be advantageously integrated into the application device, which, in the opinion of the inventors, should be provided behind the application element in the web direction, so that the application device is designed in such a way that the liner of the already applied multi-component adhesive element is pulled off from it and, if necessary, collected on a winding roll.In this case, an application device according to the invention is preferred, wherein the application device is set up such that a web-shaped release material arranged on the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element applied to a substrate using the application device is separated from the web-shaped adhesive element behind the application element with respect to the web path in the application device, preferably at a separating edge, in particular a knife edge, wherein the web-shaped release material is deflected at the separating edge relative to the web path of the web-shaped adhesive element particularly preferably by 90° or more, very particularly preferably by 110° or more. Additionally or alternatively, an application device according to the invention is preferred, wherein the application device additionally comprises: iv.a) a rotatable take-up roll, or iv.b) a third roll holder, wherein the third roll holder is configured to allow a take-up roll to be rotatably arranged in the third roll holder, wherein the application device is configured to allow a web-shaped release material separated from a multi-component web-shaped adhesive element applied to a substrate by means of the application device to be wound onto the take-up roll.

[0051] The starting adhesive elements for production will, in later use, usually be provided from adhesive tape rolls, each comprising a very long web-shaped adhesive element. In most applications, not all of the adhesive tape present on the adhesive tape roll will be applied in one piece in the form of the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element. In order to enable particularly efficient process control and reduce the need for additional tools, the inventors propose that the application device can additionally be provided with a separating device, which can be designed, for example, as a cutting device. For particularly advantageous integration of this separating device into the application device according to the invention, it is expedient to provide this separating device upstream of the application element with respect to the web direction.Accordingly, an application device according to the invention is preferred, wherein the application device additionally comprises: v) a separating device, wherein the separating device is designed to separate the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element in front of the application element with respect to the web path in the application device, wherein the separating device is preferably a cutting device.

[0052] The invention also relates to a method for producing and applying multi-component web-shaped adhesive elements using an application device according to the invention, comprising the method steps: a) providing a first adhesive tape roll filled with a wound web-shaped first adhesive element in the first roll receptacle of the application device, b) providing a second adhesive tape roll filled with a wound web-shaped second adhesive element in the second roll receptacle of the application device, c) guiding the first web-shaped adhesive element from the first adhesive tape roll arranged in the first roll receptacle and the second web-shaped adhesive element from the second adhesive tape roll arranged in the second roll receptacle to the application element, wherein the first web-shaped adhesive element and the second web-shaped adhesive element are connected in the connection region to produce a multi-component web-shaped adhesive element,and d) applying the produced multi-component web-shaped adhesive element to a substrate to be bonded, wherein the produced multi-component web-shaped adhesive element is deflected at least once in the application device after the connection region in such a way that the web direction vector is deflected from the initial plane during the deflection, wherein the initial plane is spanned by the web direction vector before the deflection and the surface normal orthogonal to the web direction vector before the deflection.

[0053] A method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the application device is moved manually during application.

[0054] Additionally or alternatively, a method according to the invention is also preferred, wherein the position of the first adhesive tape roll arranged in the first roll holder and / or the position of the second adhesive tape roll arranged in the second roll holder is changed reversibly and non-destructively before or during the method, preferably before the method, in order to influence the produced multi-component web-shaped adhesive element.

[0055] Additionally or alternatively, a method according to the invention is also preferred, wherein the first web-shaped adhesive element is a single-sided adhesive tape, preferably a single-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape. Additionally or alternatively, a method according to the invention is also preferred, wherein the second web-shaped adhesive element is a double-sided adhesive tape, preferably a double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape. Likewise additionally or alternatively, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the second web-shaped adhesive element is a double-sided adhesive tape, with a web-shaped release material arranged on one side of the double-sided adhesive tape.Additionally or alternatively, a method according to the invention is also preferred, additionally comprising, before method step d), the separation of a web-shaped release material arranged on the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element, wherein the separation takes place behind the application element with respect to the web path in the application device, preferably at a separating edge, in particular a knife edge, wherein the web-shaped release material is deflected at the separating edge relative to the web path of the web-shaped adhesive element, particularly preferably by 90° or more, very particularly preferably by 1 10° or more.

[0056] Additionally or alternatively, a method according to the invention is also preferred, wherein the second web-shaped adhesive element is narrower in the direction orthogonal to the web direction vector and the surface normal than the first web-shaped adhesive element, preferably by 20% or more, particularly preferably by 40% or more.

[0057] Additionally or alternatively, a method according to the invention is further preferred, wherein the first web-shaped adhesive element and the second web-shaped adhesive element are directly connected to one another in the connecting region.

[0058] In addition or alternatively, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the first web-shaped adhesive element and the second web-shaped adhesive element are connected to one another in such a way that the first web-shaped adhesive element in the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element protrudes on at least one side, preferably on both sides, with respect to the direction orthogonal to the web direction vector and the surface normal, and / or wherein the first web-shaped adhesive element and the second web-shaped adhesive element are connected to one another in such a way that the second web-shaped adhesive element in the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element is arranged completely on the first web-shaped adhesive element, preferably centrally with respect to the direction orthogonal to the web direction vector and the surface normal.

[0059] Additionally or alternatively, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the first web-shaped adhesive element and the second web-shaped adhesive element are connected to one another to produce a multi-component web-shaped adhesive element in such a way that the second web-shaped adhesive element in the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element adheres to a carrier layer of the first web-shaped adhesive element with an adhesive layer.

[0060] Additionally or alternatively, a method according to the invention is also preferred, additionally comprising the method step: e) separating the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element with the separating device, wherein the separating takes place in front of the application element with respect to the web path in the application device.

[0061] Additionally or alternatively, a method according to the invention is also preferred, wherein the separation of the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element guided in the application device takes place at a section of the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element at which the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element has not yet been separated from web-shaped release material.

[0062] Additionally or alternatively, a method according to the invention is preferred, wherein the produced multi-component web-shaped adhesive element is deflected exactly once in the application device such that the respective web direction vector is deflected from the starting plane during deflection.

[0063] Additionally or alternatively, a method according to the invention is also preferred, wherein in the application device, preferably only the produced multi-component web-shaped adhesive element is deflected after the connection area in such a way that the web direction vector is deflected from the initial plane of the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element during deflection,

[0064] Additionally or alternatively, a method according to the invention is further preferred, wherein the surface normal of the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element is rotated around the web direction vector during deflection by 90° or more, preferably 135° or more, particularly preferably by substantially 180°.

[0065] Additionally or alternatively, a method according to the invention is also preferred, wherein the produced multi-component web-shaped adhesive element is deflected in the application device immediately before application to the substrate to be bonded.

[0066] Additionally or alternatively, a method according to the invention is also preferred, wherein the substrate to be bonded is a vehicle component, preferably a vehicle body.

[0067] The invention and preferred embodiments of the invention are explained and described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying figures.

[0068] Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a preferred application device according to the invention;

[0069] Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of the application device according to the invention of Fig. 1 during implementation of the method according to the invention in a first perspective;

[0070] Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of the application device according to the invention of Fig. 1 during implementation of the method according to the invention in a second perspective; and

[0071] Fig. 4 a schematic visualization of the reference directions and planes during the deflection of adhesive tapes.

[0072] Figs. 1, 2, and 3 each show, from different perspectives, a preferred application device 10 according to the invention during implementation of the method according to the invention. Shown is an application-ready application device 10, in whose first roll holder 14 a first roll of adhesive tape 18 is rotatably suspended. The first web-shaped adhesive element 16, which is rolled onto the first roll of adhesive tape 18, is a single-sided adhesive tape, in particular a so-called "fineline tape," whose non-sticky carrier layer faces upward in the example shown in Fig. 1.In the second roll holder 20, a second adhesive tape roll 24 is arranged, which comprises a second web-shaped adhesive element 22, which is a double-sided adhesive tape, on the upwardly facing side of which a release liner is arranged, and which is applied in the application device 10 according to the invention with the adhesive side onto the non-adhesive carrier layer of the first web-shaped adhesive element 16 in order to obtain the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element 12.

[0073] The connection of the first web-shaped adhesive element 16 to the second web-shaped adhesive element 22 takes place in the connection area 30 on a first deflection roller of the guide arrangement 26, over which both web-shaped adhesive elements are guided, wherein the contact pressure desired for the connection is provided by the deflection on the roller.

[0074] In the example shown, the second roll holder 20 is equipped with a manual displacement mechanism, by which the second adhesive tape roll 24 suspended therein can be reversibly and non-destructively releasably moved along the axial direction. This advantageously allows the relative arrangement of the second web-shaped adhesive element 22 to the first web-shaped adhesive element 16 at the moment of contact in the connection area 30 to be changed, so that the design of the produced multi-component web-shaped adhesive element 12 can be advantageously changed.

[0075] In order to enable precise contact between the two adhesive elements, and in particular to support the change in position of the adhesive elements relative to one another, which is made possible by the displacement mechanism, the second web-shaped adhesive element is guided over a second deflection roller before contacting in the connecting region 30 on the first deflection roller, which in this respect has a particularly stabilizing effect. Fig. 3 shows how the manufactured multi-component web-shaped adhesive element 12 is guided over a further deflection roller and folded over at a deflection device 32 designed as a deflection edge. At the deflection edge, the web direction vector is deflected from the initial plane AE previously defined by the web direction vector B and the surface normal F, wherein the deflection in the example shown is essentially 90°.

[0076] The application device 10 according to the invention is particularly designed for bonding complex substrates 36, for example, the inside of a frame structure, for example, in a vehicle body. To make the application particularly easy and convenient for the workers involved, the surface normal N is also deflected from the initial plane at the deflection edge, so that the adhesive surface intended for application to the substrate faces upward, and the second web-shaped adhesive element 22 previously applied to the first web-shaped adhesive element 16 rests on the side facing away from the substrate 36.

[0077] To promote precise application, the manufactured multi-component, web-shaped adhesive element 12 is guided in the application element 28, designed as an application rail, in a recess complementary to its shape, which advantageously stabilizes it in the lateral direction. Furthermore, the application device 10 shown comprises, in addition to a handle, a guide structure 34 with a curved inner surface, which is designed to contact the substrate 36 during the application process and thus ensure the most controlled application conditions possible.

[0078] Finally, Fig. 4 schematically visualizes the reference directions and planes required to understand the invention when deflecting adhesive tapes. Figs. 4a) and 4b) show the front and side views of a very simple arrangement in which an adhesive tape is pulled off a roll of adhesive tape and guided around a guide roller. The web direction vector B and the surface normal F, which together span the starting plane AE, are shown in each case. In Fig. 4a), the viewing direction is thus parallel to the starting plane AE, while in Fig. 4b) it is orthogonal to the starting plane AE. Fig. 4c) finally visualizes how an adhesive tape is deflected at a deflecting edge so that the web direction vector B is deflected by 90° from the starting plane AE, with the surface normal F being rotated by 180° at the deflecting edge.

[0079] List of reference symbols

[0080] 10 Application device

[0081] 1 multi-component web-shaped adhesive element

[0082] 14 first roll recording

[0083] 16 first web-shaped adhesive element

[0084] 18 first roll of adhesive tape

[0085] 20 second roll holder

[0086] 22 second web-shaped adhesive element

[0087] 24 second roll of adhesive tape

[0088] 26 Guide arrangement

[0089] 28 Application element

[0090] 30 connection area

[0091] 32 deflection device

[0092] 34 Management structure

[0093] 36 Substrat

[0094] B Path direction vector

[0095] F surface normal

[0096] AE output level

Claims

Claims 1. Application device (10) for the production and application of multi-component web-shaped adhesive elements (1), comprising: i) a first roll holder (14), wherein the first roll holder (14) is designed so that a first adhesive tape roll (18) filled with a first web-shaped adhesive element (16) can be rotatably arranged in the first roll holder (14), ii) a second roll holder (20), wherein the second roll holder (20) is designed so that a second adhesive tape roll (24) filled with a second web-shaped adhesive element (22) can be rotatably arranged in the second roll holder (20), iii) a guide arrangement (26) with an application element (28), wherein the guide arrangement (26) is designedto guide the first web-shaped adhesive element (16) from a first adhesive tape roll (18) arranged in the first roll holder (14) and the second web-shaped adhesive element (22) from a second adhesive tape roll (24) arranged in the second roll holder (20) to the application element (28) and to connect them to one another in a connecting region (30) to produce a multi-component web-shaped adhesive element (12), wherein the application device (10) is designed to deflect the produced multi-component web-shaped adhesive element (12) at least once after the connecting region (30) in such a way that the web direction vector is deflected from the starting plane during the deflection, wherein the starting plane is spanned by the web direction vector before the deflection and the surface normal orthogonal to the web direction vector before the deflection.

2. Application device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the application device (10) is a hand applicator.

3. Application device (10) according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the first roll holder (14) comprises a first displacement mechanism, wherein the first roll holder (14) is configured to displace the position of a first adhesive tape roll (18) arranged in the first roll holder (14) reversibly and non-destructively along the axial direction with the displacement mechanism.

4. Application device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second roll holder (20) comprises a second displacement mechanism, wherein the second roll holder (20) is configured to displace the position of a second adhesive tape roll arranged in the second roll holder (20) reversibly and non-destructively along the axial direction with the displacement mechanism.

5. Application device (10) according to one of claims 3 or 4, wherein the application device (10) is configured to change the position of the first web-shaped adhesive element (16) and the second web-shaped adhesive element (22) in the connecting region (30) relative to one another with the first and / or second displacement mechanism in order to influence the nature of the produced multi-component web-shaped adhesive element (12).

6. Application device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the guide arrangement (26) is designed to connect the first web-shaped adhesive element (18) and the second web-shaped adhesive element (22) to one another to produce a multi-component web-shaped adhesive element (12) in such a way that the second web-shaped adhesive element (22) in the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element (12) is arranged completely on the first web-shaped adhesive element (16).

7. Application device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the web direction vector is deflected by 15° or more during the deflection.

8. Application device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the guide arrangement (26) comprises a deflection device (32) for deflecting the multi-component web-shaped adhesive element (12).

9. Application device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the application device (10) comprises a three-dimensional guide structure (34).

10. A method for producing and applying multi-component web-shaped adhesive elements (12) with an application device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 9, comprising the method steps: a) providing a first adhesive tape roll (18) filled with a wound web-shaped first adhesive element (16) in the first roll receptacle (14) of the application device (10), b) providing a second adhesive tape roll (24) filled with a wound web-shaped second adhesive element (22) in the second roll receptacle (20) of the application device (10), c) guiding the first web-shaped adhesive element (16) from the first adhesive tape roll (18) arranged in the first roll receptacle (14) and the second web-shaped adhesive element (22) from the second adhesive tape roll (24) arranged in the second roll receptacle (20) to the application element (28),wherein the first web-shaped adhesive element (16) and the second web-shaped adhesive element (22) are connected in the connecting region (30) to produce a multi-component web-shaped adhesive element (12), and d) applying the produced multi-component web-shaped adhesive element (12) to a substrate (36) to be bonded, wherein the produced multi-component web-shaped adhesive element (12) is deflected at least once in the application device (10) after the connecting region (30) in such a way that the web direction vector is deflected from the starting plane during the deflection, wherein the starting plane is spanned by the web direction vector before the deflection and the surface normal orthogonal to the web direction vector before the deflection.

Images