Application device for the application of narrow strip-type adhesive elements

Abstract

The invention relates to an application device (10) for applying strip-type adhesive elements, the application device (10) comprising: i) a dispenser receptacle (12), wherein the dispenser receptacle (12) is designed such that a dispenser element (14) filled with a strip-type adhesive element (34) can be placed in the dispenser receptacle (12) such that the strip-type adhesive element (34) can be supplied from the dispenser element (14); ii) a discharge unit (16) for discharging a strip-type separating material (36) placed on the strip-type adhesive element (34), or a discharge receptacle from which, by placing a discharge element in the discharge receptacle, a discharge unit (16) can be produced; and, iii) an application unit (20) with an application element (22), wherein the application device (10) is an end effector for an automated application system, wherein the application element (22) has an application recess (24) in the region provided for applying the strip-type adhesive element (34), wherein the application recess (24) has a width in the range of 1 to 5 mm orthogonally to the intended strip direction of a strip-type adhesive element (34) placed in the application device (10).

Description

[0001] Norderstedt, August 30, 2025

[0002] Our reference: 2024025 / PCT

[0003] Official file number: New registration

[0004] Applicant: tesa SE Hugo-Kirchberg-Straße 1 22848 Norderstedt

[0005] Application device for the application of narrow, web-shaped adhesive elements

[0006] Description

[0007] The invention relates to an application device for the application of web-shaped adhesive elements, a ready-to-use application device based thereon, and the use of corresponding ready-to-use application devices for the application of narrow-width web-shaped adhesive elements.

[0008] Joining separate components is a key process in manufacturing technology. Alongside other methods, such as welding and soldering, bonding—that is, joining using an adhesive—is particularly important today. An alternative to using formless adhesives, such as those applied from a tube, are adhesive tapes, whose adhesive effect is based on the adhesive compounds used. The use of adhesive tapes offers many advantages, making this technology ideal for use in numerous industries, such as electronics and automotive.

[0009] For joining two separate elements to a single adhesive surface, so-called double-sided adhesive tapes, which are sticky on both sides, especially pressure-sensitive, have proven particularly effective. Such double-sided adhesive tapes have proven especially advantageous in the automotive and electronics industries compared to liquid adhesives, as they offer significant application benefits. However, ongoing technological advancements in the automotive and electronics industries are leading to a decreasing surface area available for bonding. The starting point for the application of web-based adhesive elements, for example, for bonding displays in vehicles or mobile devices, has changed dramatically in recent years. A current trend is the increasing size of the displays being installed, which are also being used in ever-greater numbers in vehicles.This allows for improved information display for end users and increased vehicle functionality for drivers and passengers. In addition to the increased display size, this is accompanied by an ever-decreasing distance between the active display area and the outer edge of the glass. This development is particularly pronounced in the field of consumer electronics, for example in mobile phones, where the aim is already to achieve only the smallest possible black border around the display.

[0010] Despite the enormous advantages associated with the processing of web-based adhesive elements, their use is sometimes perceived as a disadvantage in light of the increased demands of the automotive and electrical industries. From an economic perspective, the efficient use of web-based adhesive elements for joining separate components requires that this application be as automated as possible, allowing for the integration of automated application devices into production lines. Given the aforementioned fact that the area available for bonding is constantly decreasing, this means that many commercially available web-based adhesive elements, which could be applied using existing application devices, are far too large and must be cut to size after application.A disadvantage of this approach is that it results in large quantities of the web-like adhesive material being wasted, for example, more than 90% of the material, especially when the cutting is done by punching out the display opening from a previously completely covered area. Such a high amount of waste is no longer acceptable to many customers today, both for reasons of sustainability and cost.

[0011] In light of the requirements for bonding demanding substrates where only a small bonding surface is available, liquid adhesives are predominantly used today, despite the inherent advantages of web-based adhesive elements. However, in addition to their application-related disadvantages, particularly long curing times and more difficult handling, their use is often insufficient in terms of the bonding result achieved. This is because, especially with very narrow edges, the liquid adhesive can seep into the visible area when the substrates to be bonded are compressed, leading to optical defects that would necessitate costly rework.

[0012] In light of the foregoing, it would be desirable in principle to be able to rely more reliably on web-shaped adhesive elements for the challenging adhesive bonding applications described above, without resulting in significant waste. However, it has been found that the automated application devices known from the prior art are not suitable, or at least not satisfactorily suitable, for applying very narrow, web-shaped adhesive elements, even if such elements were available. It has been observed that the precision of the bonding, and in particular the reliable and dimensionally stable application with a looped application thread, cannot be guaranteed with the application devices known from the prior art.

[0013] The primary object of the present invention was to eliminate or at least reduce the disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, the object of the present invention was to provide an advantageous application device with which narrow-width, especially narrow-width, adhesive elements can be reliably and precisely applied even to difficult substrates, especially in the context of bonding displays in the automotive and electronics industries.

[0014] An important requirement was that the application device to be specified should be usable as an automatable application device in a production line and thus provide a solution outside of the complex manual application process.

[0015] It was an object of the present invention that the application device to be specified should not only be able to apply correspondingly narrow, web-shaped adhesive elements reliably and in a process-safe manner, but that it should also be possible in particular to apply the corresponding narrow, web-shaped adhesive elements in complex application patterns, whereby it was particularly important that the smallest possible curve radii should be made possible.

[0016] Against this background, an object of the present invention was that the application device described should, in principle, enable the use of web-shaped adhesive elements as an alternative to shapeless adhesives for bonding substrates with very narrow bonding surfaces. In this respect, an objective of the present invention was that the process-related advantages of using web-shaped adhesive elements should be achievable through the use of the application device described, without adversely affecting the economic efficiency or sustainability of the manufacturing processes due to excessive amounts of waste.

[0017] A further desirable feature of the present invention was that the application devices to be specified should be as gentle as possible on the web-shaped adhesive element to be applied, so that the risk of material failure during application would be minimized. At the same time, it was a desirable requirement that the application device to be specified should also be as gentle as possible on delicate substrates with fine adhesive areas that are susceptible to mechanical damage.

[0018] The inventors of the present invention have now found that the problems described above can be solved by providing an application device that is designed as an end effector for an automated application system, if this device has a specific application unit between the dispensing area for providing the web-shaped adhesive element and the removal unit for peeling off the web-shaped release material arranged on the web-shaped adhesive element, the application element of which has an application recess in the area provided for the application of the web-shaped adhesive element, through which the web-shaped adhesive element is guided during application, if this recess has a specific width as defined in the claims.

[0019] This advantageously results in an advantageous application device with which even web-shaped adhesive elements with very narrow web widths can be applied reliably and with process security, whereby in particular complex application patterns with small radii of curvature can also be realized.

[0020] In particularly preferred embodiments, the application unit can be spring-mounted, which further increases process reliability and, in particular, advantageously minimizes mechanical stresses on the web-shaped adhesive element to be applied, as well as on the underlying substrate.

[0021] In particularly preferred embodiments of the invention, the application device is combined with a web-shaped adhesive element specifically adapted to the application device, the web width of which is specifically adapted to the width of the application recess. In a particularly advantageous further development, the depth of the application recess can also be adapted to the thickness of the web-shaped adhesive element to be applied, in order to combine particularly good and reliable guidance of the web-shaped adhesive element in the application recess with an optimally adjusted contact pressure.

[0022] The aforementioned problems are thus solved by the subject matter of the invention as defined in the claims. Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims and the following descriptions.

[0023] Such embodiments, which are hereinafter referred to as preferred, are combined in particularly preferred embodiments with features of other embodiments referred to as preferred. Combinations of two or more of the embodiments referred to below as particularly preferred are therefore especially preferred. Also preferred are embodiments in which a feature of one embodiment, referred to as preferred to any extent, is combined with one or more further features of other embodiments, which are referred to as preferred to any extent. Features of preferred ready-to-use application devices and uses result from the features of preferred application devices.

[0024] Particularly preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the exemplary embodiments. Particularly preferred embodiments of the invention have two or more, preferably three or more, and most preferably four or more, of the preferred features of the invention disclosed below, which are also implemented in the exemplary embodiments.

[0025] The invention relates in particular to an application device for the application of web-shaped adhesive elements, comprising: i) a dispenser receptacle, wherein the dispenser receptacle is configured so that a dispenser element filled with a web-shaped adhesive element can be arranged in the dispenser receptacle such that the web-shaped adhesive element can be provided from the dispenser element, ii) a discharge unit for discharging a web-shaped separating material separated from the web-shaped adhesive element, or a discharge receptacle from which a discharge unit can be produced by arranging a discharge element in the discharge receptacle, and iii) an application unit with an application element, wherein the application device is an end effector for an automated application system, wherein the application element has an application recess in the area provided for the application of the web-shaped adhesive element.wherein the application recess has a width of 1 to 5 mm orthogonal to the intended path direction of a web-shaped adhesive element arranged in the application device, wherein the application device is configured so that a web-shaped adhesive element provided from a dispenser element arranged in the dispenser receptacle can be guided through the application recess and a web-shaped release material separated in the application device from an adhesive layer of the web-shaped adhesive element can be guided to the discharge unit.

[0026] The application device according to the invention is used for applying web-shaped adhesive elements, in particular narrow adhesive tapes. Those skilled in the art understand that, for the purposes of understanding the invention, it is advantageous to define and describe the application device with reference to the web-shaped adhesive element to be applied by the application device. At the same time, however, those skilled in the art also understand that the web-shaped adhesive element itself, as well as the dispenser element on which the web-shaped adhesive element is provided, are not (or, in the case of the dispenser element, not necessarily) part of the application device according to the invention.

[0027] By filling the application device according to the invention with a corresponding web-shaped adhesive element, a further embodiment of the application device according to the invention is obtained, which is referred to within the scope of the present invention as a "ready-to-use application device". Here, the width of the web-shaped adhesive element is specifically matched to the width of the application recess, and preferably the depth of the application recess is also matched to the thickness of the web-shaped adhesive element, as further disclosed below.

[0028] The invention therefore also relates to such a ready-to-use application device for the application of web-shaped adhesive elements based on an application device according to the invention, comprising:

[0029] I) a dispenser receptacle with a dispenser element arranged in the dispenser receptacle, comprising a web-shaped adhesive element and a web-shaped release material arranged on an adhesive layer of the web-shaped adhesive element,

[0030] II) a laxative unit, and

[0031] III) an application unit with an application element, wherein the ready-to-use application device is an end effector for an automated application system, wherein the ready-to-use application unit has an application recess in the area provided for the application of the web-shaped adhesive element, wherein the ready-to-use application recess has a width in the range of 1 to 5 mm orthogonal to the intended web direction of a web-shaped adhesive element arranged in the application device, wherein the application recess has a width in the range of 1.02*BK to 1.25*BK orthogonal to the web direction of the web-shaped adhesive element arranged in the ready-to-use application device, where BK is the web width of the web-shaped adhesive element orthogonal to its web direction,wherein the web-shaped adhesive element is guided through the application recess and the web-shaped separating material separated from the web-shaped adhesive element in the ready-to-use application device is guided to the discharge unit.

[0032] A key aspect of the invention is that it is not a hand applicator or a comparable manual device, but rather that the application device according to the invention is intended for use as an end effector in an automated application system. As an end effector, it is therefore a peripheral device that can be arranged on an automated motion device and enables integration into (semi-)automated production lines. A preferred application device according to the invention is one in which the application device is arranged on an automated motion device, preferably on a robot arm.

[0033] In accordance with the skilled person's understanding, the components of the application device according to the invention are connected to one another. This can be achieved, for example, by arranging them on a suitable base body, such as a plate-shaped base body, or by connecting the corresponding components of the application device to such a base body. A preferred application device according to the invention comprises a base body, preferably a plate-shaped base body, wherein the dispenser, the dispensing unit, the application unit, and optionally the other components of the application device are arranged on and / or connected to the base body.

[0034] The foregoing definition, in order to provide the shortest possible definition of the subject matter of the invention, is limited to defining the essential functional components. However, those skilled in the art understand that, in addition to the components of the application device defined above, elements may also be present that serve to guide the web-shaped adhesive element or the web-shaped release material separated from it within the application device and, as such, form a guide arrangement, thereby enabling particularly stable and robust guidance of the web-shaped materials.In this context, an application device according to the invention is preferred, wherein the application device further comprises: iv) a guide arrangement for guiding the web-shaped adhesive element and / or the web-shaped release material separated from an adhesive layer of the web-shaped adhesive element, preferably for guiding the web-shaped adhesive element and the web-shaped release material. An application device according to the invention is also preferred in this respect, wherein the guide arrangement comprises one or more guide elements, preferably guide rollers.

[0035] As a particularly preferred embodiment of a guide arrangement, the inventors propose that a so-called web tensioning element can be provided, which can, for example, be designed as a vibrating unit, serving the purpose of maintaining the separation material discharged in the application device at a desired basic tension. A preferred application device according to the invention therefore includes a web tensioning element in the guide arrangement, which is configured to maintain tension on a web-shaped separation material guided to the discharge unit, and which is preferably designed as a vibrating unit.

[0036] The application device according to the invention initially comprises a dispenser receptacle. A dispenser element, comprising the web-shaped adhesive element to be applied later by the application device, can be inserted into this receptacle. The dispenser elements can, in particular, be adhesive tape rolls or spools. Furthermore, configurations as cassette units are also conceivable, in which a corresponding source of the web-shaped adhesive element is arranged in a corresponding cassette. The dispenser receptacle can advantageously be designed very simply, for example, by providing a rotatable suspension of an adhesive tape roll via a mandrel or a comparable element. However, particularly when using cassette units, it is preferred to facilitate the reversible and non-destructive arrangement of the cassette units in the application device by means of an additional form-fit and / or force-fit connection.A preferred application device according to the invention is one in which the dispenser element is a roll or spool of adhesive tape, preferably a roll. A preferred additional or alternative application device according to the invention is one in which the dispenser receptacle comprises a spool receptacle in which a roll or spool of adhesive tape can be rotatably arranged.

[0037] Alternatively, a preferred application device according to the invention is one in which the dispenser element is a cassette unit, preferably a refillable cassette unit. A further preferred or alternative application device according to the invention is one in which the dispenser receptacle comprises a cassette receptacle in which a cassette unit, preferably a refillable cassette unit, can be arranged reversibly and non-destructively interchangeable.

[0038] In principle, it is possible for the web-shaped adhesive element to be guided through the application device in various ways during subsequent use, for example, by a drive provided in the application device, by a pull exerted on the web-shaped release material via the discharge unit, and / or by the adhesive effect of the web-shaped adhesive element on the substrate, which, as the application device continues along the adhesive path, causes the web-shaped adhesive element to be automatically pulled from the dispenser. However, the inventors consider it advantageous if the dispenser is equipped with its own drive, which conveys or causes the dispensing of the web-shaped adhesive element from the dispenser. A preferred application device according to the invention includes an electric drive unit for conveying or causing the provision of the web-shaped adhesive element.

[0039] In subsequent applications, the adhesive element to be applied will regularly be supplied by a dispenser element comprising a very long, web-like adhesive strip. In most applications, the entire adhesive strip contained in the dispenser element will not be applied in one continuous piece. To enable a particularly efficient process and reduce the need for additional tools, the inventors propose that the application device be additionally equipped with a cutting device, which could, for example, be designed as a cutting unit.A preferred application device according to the invention comprises: v) a cutting device, wherein the cutting device is configured to cut the web-shaped adhesive element guided in the application device in relation to the web path in the application device in front of the application unit, wherein the cutting device is preferably a cutting device.

[0040] It can be seen as an advantage of the application devices according to the invention that they not only enable the application of particularly narrow, web-shaped adhesive elements, but also that these application devices and their use are very flexible with regard to the adhesive chemistry employed, so that many features known from the prior art can be implemented with regard to the other design of the web-shaped adhesive elements. Of far greater importance with regard to the intended practical application, which is aimed particularly at bonding displays, is the use of double-sided adhesive elements, and in particular the use of adhesive elements that have a carrier layer and are not designed as transfer tapes. A ready-to-use application device according to the invention is therefore preferred, wherein the web-shaped adhesive element is a double-sided adhesive element.Preferably, or alternatively, a ready-to-use application device according to the invention is used, wherein the web-shaped adhesive element has at least one, preferably two, adhesive layers, and / or wherein the web-shaped adhesive element comprises a carrier layer.

[0041] For the vast majority of applications, the inventors believe that the relevant configurations in later use will be those in which the web-shaped adhesive elements are pressure-sensitive adhesive elements. A preferred application device according to the invention is one in which the web-shaped adhesive element is a pressure-sensitive adhesive element.

[0042] In accordance with professional understanding, a pressure-sensitive adhesive is an adhesive that possesses tacky properties, meaning it forms a permanent bond to a substrate even under relatively light pressure. Corresponding pressure-sensitive adhesive elements are typically removable from the substrate after use, leaving virtually no residue, and are generally permanently tacky even at room temperature. This means they exhibit a certain viscosity and tackiness, allowing them to wet the surface of a substrate even with minimal pressure. The tackiness of a pressure-sensitive adhesive tape results from the use of a pressure-sensitive adhesive as the adhesive compound.Without being bound to this theory, it is often assumed that an adhesive compound can be considered an extremely highly viscous liquid with an elastic component, which consequently exhibits characteristic viscoelastic properties that lead to the permanent inherent tackiness and pressure-sensitive adhesion described above. It is assumed that, in such adhesive compounds, mechanical deformation results in both viscous flow processes and the generation of elastic restoring forces. The viscous flow component serves to achieve adhesion, while the elastic restoring forces component is particularly necessary for achieving cohesion. The relationships between rheology and pressure sensitivity are known in the prior art and are described, for example, in "Satas, Handbook of Pressure Sensitive Adhesives Technology", Third Edition, (1999), pages 153 to 203.To characterize the degree of elastic and viscous components, the storage modulus (G') and the loss modulus (G") are usually used, which can be determined by means of dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), for example using a rheometer, as disclosed, for example, in WO 2015 / 189323 A1. Within the scope of the present invention, an adhesive compound is preferably considered to be tacky and thus a pressure-sensitive adhesive if, at a temperature of 23 °C in the deformation frequency range of 10 °C to 10 °C, the following properties are observed: 1 rad / sec G' and G" each at least partially in the range of 10 3 up to 10 7 Pa lie.

[0043] The application device includes, in addition to the dispenser holder, means for removing a web-shaped release material separated from the adhesive element within the application device. The use of such web-shaped release materials is common in adhesive technology, particularly in the form of so-called release liners. These release liners ensure that, especially with double-sided adhesive tapes, the web-shaped adhesive elements can be unwound cleanly, while simultaneously preventing contamination of the adhesive layers. To enable truly efficient automated application, it is regularly necessary that the release materials be automatically removed from the adhesive elements applied to the substrate. With a view to efficient process control, there is also a particular need for the reliable disposal of the removed release materials.This is therefore a ready-to-use application device according to the invention, wherein the web-shaped release material is arranged on an adhesive layer of the web-shaped adhesive element. A preferred application device according to the invention is one in which the web-shaped release material is a release liner. A further or alternative preferred application device according to the invention is one in which the web-shaped release material is coated on the side facing the web-shaped adhesive element with a release layer, preferably with a silicone release layer, wherein the silicone release layer is preferably produced by crosslinking a crosslinkable silicone system comprising one or more polysiloxanes.

[0044] A preferred application device, with respect to the position of the liner separation, is one according to the invention, wherein the application device is configured such that the web-shaped separating material is separated from the adhesive layer of the web-shaped adhesive element in the area provided for the application of the web-shaped adhesive element or behind the area of ​​the application unit provided for the application of the web-shaped adhesive element. The application device according to the invention comprises a removal unit suitable for this purpose as a means of removing the web-shaped separating material. This unit can, for example, be a suction device through which the removed separating liner is continuously drawn in and removed.Alternatively, a discharge receptacle can be provided in which – analogous to the preceding descriptions of the dispenser receptacle – a corresponding discharge unit can first be manufactured by arranging a discharge element in the discharge receptacle. Thus, the discharge receptacle can, for example, be another mandrel on which a receiving roller functioning as a discharge element can be rotatably mounted in order to wind the separating liner from it in subsequent use. A preferred application device according to the invention comprises a winding roller for winding the web-shaped separating material separated from the adhesive layer of the web-shaped adhesive element, and / or wherein the discharge element is a winding roller that can be arranged in the discharge receptacle.

[0045] The inventors consider it particularly advantageous to design the discharge unit in such a way that it exerts a tensile force on the separating liner to be discharged, for example, in the form of suction, by means of separate drive rollers, or by winding it onto a winding roller. This advantageously prevents excessive sagging of the discharged liner and, moreover, allows for particularly controlled guidance of the entire web-like material in the application device, especially when the drive unit of the liner winding is matched to the dispensing speed from the dispensing element and / or the feed speed of the application device in the application system. A preferred application device according to the invention comprises an electric drive unit for conveying or discharging the web-like separating material.

[0046] A key aspect of the present invention is the use of a specific application unit and its advantageous design. The application unit comprises the application element, which is intended for the final application of the web-shaped adhesive element to the substrate. The inventors propose that a particularly advantageous embodiment of the application device, designed as an end effector, can be obtained if the application unit is spring-mounted relative to the other components of the application device. This makes it possible to compensate for minor material irregularities in the substrate to be bonded and / or mechanical disturbances in the application process to a certain extent, without exerting a strong force on the substrate or the web-shaped adhesive element to be applied.This advantageously increases not only the durability of the substrate, particularly in the case of fragile substrates, but also significantly improves overall process reliability. A preferred application device according to the invention is therefore one in which the application unit is spring-mounted and connected to other components of the application device. An additionally or alternatively preferred application device according to the invention is one in which the application unit is spring-mounted via two or more spring elements.

[0047] In the course of developing advantageous application units for the application devices, the inventors discovered that a particularly advantageous design could be achieved by precisely controlling the guidance of the web-shaped material in front of and behind the application element. This design enables reliable application even with very narrow widths of the web-shaped adhesive element. The inventors found that this could be efficiently achieved through the use of bearing-mounted guide elements, especially when these are designed as deflection rollers.A preferred application device according to the invention comprises a first guide element for guiding the web-shaped adhesive element in the direction of travel upstream of the application element, and / or a second guide element for guiding the web-shaped release material separated from the adhesive layer of the web-shaped adhesive element downstream of the application element. A further preferred application device according to the invention comprises the first guide element and / or the second guide element, preferably the first and second guide elements, being deflection rollers, preferably bearing-mounted deflection rollers.

[0048] A key aspect of the present invention, which enables reliable guidance and application of particularly narrow, web-shaped adhesive elements, is that the application element has an application recess, preferably an elongated recess relative to the web direction of the adhesive element to be applied, in the area where the web-shaped adhesive element is to be applied to the substrate in later use. This application recess is thus a cavity in the application element, which is bounded on both sides by a corresponding rim. A preferred application device according to the invention has a U-shaped or rectangular, preferably rectangular, cross-section in the cross-sectional plane running orthogonally to the intended web direction of a web-shaped adhesive element arranged in the application device.

[0049] In a first embodiment, a so-called sliding shoe can be used as the application element. Such sliding shoes for applying web-shaped adhesive elements are generally known in the art and typically have a rounded underside over which the web-shaped adhesive element is guided and which slides over the substrate. In this case, the application device according to the invention is therefore a sliding shoe, wherein the application element is a sliding shoe and the application recess extends along the underside of the sliding shoe.

[0050] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the application element is an application roller, wherein the application recess is designed as a circumferential groove on the outer surface of the roller. A preferred application device according to the invention is, accordingly, an application element in which the application element is an application roller, wherein the application recess is a circumferential groove on the outer surface of the application roller.

[0051] When using an application roller, the inventors have succeeded in identifying particularly preferred designs for its dimensions. It has been shown that particularly advantageous results can be achieved with comparatively small and narrow rollers when using appropriate application recesses for the application of narrow adhesive tapes. Specifically, an application device according to the invention is preferred in which the application roller has a diameter of 14 mm or less, preferably 12 mm or less, particularly preferably 10 mm or less, and most preferably 8 mm or less, and / or in which the application roller has a diameter in the range of 2 to 12 mm, preferably in the range of 3 to 10 mm, and particularly preferably in the range of 4 to 8 mm.

[0052] Furthermore, it has proven particularly advantageous to design the application roller as a supported application roller, with a configuration in which the application roller is connected to the holder via two pins being identified as particularly preferred. A preferred application device according to the invention is one in which the application roller is a supported application roller, preferably via a ball bearing, a sliding bearing, or a hydrostatic bearing, and / or in which the application roller is supported on a one- or multi-part axle, preferably on a multi-part axle, and is particularly preferably connected to the holder of the application roller via two pins.

[0053] The application recess to be provided in the application device according to the invention has a width as defined above, wherein the width is referred to the intended path direction of the adhesive element or of the adhesive element actually guided in the ready-to-use application device, both of which can be easily and unambiguously identified by the person skilled in the art from the general design of the application device.The inventors have succeeded in identifying preferred areas for the corresponding dimensioning, whereby, in the inventors' opinion, a specific suitability of the application device for web-shaped adhesive elements with certain widths can be achieved, wherein the application device is particularly suitable for the use of such web-shaped adhesive elements for which the width of the application recess lies in the area specified above for the operating width of the application device.A preferred application device according to the invention is one in which the application recess has a width of 4 mm or less, preferably 3.5 mm or less, particularly preferably 3.0 mm or less, and most preferably 2.5 mm or less, orthogonally to the intended path direction of a web-shaped adhesive element arranged in the application device, and / or in which the application recess has a width of 1.0 mm or more, preferably 1.5 mm or more, and particularly preferably 2.0 mm or more, orthogonally to the intended path direction of a web-shaped adhesive element arranged in the application device.

[0054] Preferably, when a web-shaped adhesive element is present in the device, a ready-to-use application device according to the invention is used, wherein the application recess has a width in the range of 1.04*BK to 1.22*BK, preferably in the range of 1.06*BK to 1.19*BK, and particularly preferably in the range of 1.08*BK to 1.15*BK, orthogonal to the web direction of the web-shaped adhesive element arranged in the application device.

[0055] The application device according to the invention is particularly intended for the application of narrow, web-shaped adhesive elements. Those skilled in the art understand that it is also preferred to use correspondingly narrow adhesive elements, and the inventors consider it advantageous if the minimum web width is not chosen to be too low, since excessively narrow web widths can lead to disadvantages in the stability of the web-shaped adhesive element and make the application process more difficult, especially at high application speeds.A preferred application device according to the invention is one in which the web-shaped adhesive element has a web width BK of 4 mm or less, preferably 3.5 mm or less, particularly preferably 3.0 mm or less, and most preferably 2.5 mm or less, perpendicular to its web direction, and / or in which the web-shaped adhesive element has a web width BK of 1.0 mm or more, preferably 1.5 mm or more, and particularly preferably 2.0 mm or more, perpendicular to its web direction. As a further advantageous aspect of the present invention, the inventors have identified the ability to specifically tailor the depth of the application recess to the average thickness of the web-shaped adhesive element, so that in preferred ready-to-use application devices not only the width of the application recess but also its depth is specifically adapted to the web-shaped adhesive element to be applied.Based on typical thicknesses of web-shaped adhesive elements, the inventors have also succeeded in specifying preferred absolute depths for the application recesses. Specifically, an application device according to the invention is preferred in which the application recess in the area provided for the application of the web-shaped adhesive element has a depth in the range of 0.15*DK to 0.7*DK, preferably in the range of 0.2*DK to 0.6*DK, and particularly preferably in the range of 0.25*DK to 0.5*DK, where DK is the mean thickness of the web-shaped adhesive element perpendicular to its web direction.Preferably, in absolute terms, an application device according to the invention is additionally or alternatively used, wherein the application recess in the area provided for the application of the web-shaped adhesive element has a depth of 1.8 mm or less, preferably 1.5 mm or less, particularly preferably 1.2 mm or less, and most preferably 0.9 mm or less, and / or wherein the application recess in the area provided for the application of the web-shaped adhesive element has a depth of 0.2 mm or more, preferably 0.3 mm or more, and particularly preferably 0.4 mm or more.

[0056] Preferably, or alternatively, a ready-to-use application device according to the invention is used, wherein the web-shaped adhesive element has a mean thickness DK of 3.0 mm or less, preferably 2.5 mm or less, particularly preferably 2.0 mm or less, and most preferably 1.5 mm or less, orthogonally to its web direction, and / or wherein the web-shaped adhesive element has a mean thickness DK of 0.2 mm or more, preferably 0.4 mm or more, and particularly preferably 0.6 mm or more, orthogonally to its web direction.

[0057] The invention also relates to the use of a ready-to-use application device according to the invention for the application of web-shaped adhesive elements with a web width of 4 mm or less to a substrate, wherein the web-shaped adhesive element is arranged in the application recess when in contact with the substrate.

[0058] A preferred use according to the invention is wherein the application is carried out at an application speed in the range of 30 to 250 mm / s, preferably in the range of 50 to 200 mm / s.

[0059] A use according to the invention is preferred, either additionally or alternatively, wherein the substrate is a vehicle component.

[0060] A use according to the invention is preferred additionally or alternatively, wherein the application takes place within the context of bonding a display.

[0061] The invention and preferred embodiments of the invention are explained and described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying figures. These figures show:

[0062] Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a ready-to-use application device according to the invention in a preferred embodiment;

[0063] Fig. 2 shows the application unit of the application device according to the invention of Fig. 1 in a schematic representation; and

[0064] Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of the application element of an application device according to the invention in two different preferred embodiments.

[0065] Fig. 1 shows an application device 10 according to the invention for applying web-shaped adhesive elements 34 in a preferred embodiment, wherein the web-shaped adhesive element 34 is not yet clamped in the application device 10. The application device 10 shown is designed as an end effector and is configured to be mounted on a robot arm or a comparable automated motion device. In the example shown, all elements comprised of the ready-to-use application device 10 are connected to a plate-shaped base body. The application device 10 shown has a dispenser receptacle 12 designed as a roll receptacle with an electric drive unit for providing a web-shaped adhesive element 34. In the example shown, a dispenser element 14 designed as an adhesive tape roll, comprising the web-shaped adhesive element 34, is rotatably arranged in the dispenser receptacle 12 for this purpose.

[0066] The web-shaped adhesive element 34 encompassed by the dispenser element 14 is a double-sided adhesive tape with two adhesive layers. A release liner is arranged on one of the adhesive layers as a web-shaped release material 36. The application device 10 shown is optimized for web-shaped adhesive elements 34 with a mean thickness DK of 1.0 mm and a web width BK of 3 mm.

[0067] Furthermore, the application device 10 comprises a guide arrangement 26 with several guide elements for guiding the web-shaped adhesive element 34 arranged in the application device 10 from the dispenser receptacle 12 via a separating device 28 (whose cutting unit is not shown in Fig. 1) to an application unit 20 of the application device 10. The separating device 28 can separate the web-shaped adhesive element 34 into smaller adhesive elements.

[0068] The application unit 20 of the application device 10, which is spring-mounted to the plate-shaped base body, is shown in a detailed view in Fig. 2. A web-shaped adhesive element 34 guided into the application unit 10 can be guided by a first guide element 30, designed as a deflecting roller, over an application element 22 and from there applied to a substrate (not shown), wherein the separating liner is guided during application via a second guide element 32, also designed as a deflecting roller, over the guide arrangement 26 towards a discharge unit 16.

[0069] The application element 22, shown in Fig. 1 according to the preferred embodiment of Fig. 3a), is designed as a supported application roller with a diameter of 6 mm and has an application recess 24 in the area provided for the application of the web-shaped adhesive element. The application recess 24 is designed as a circumferential groove on the outer surface and has a width of 3.4 mm and a depth of 0.4 mm perpendicular to the intended web direction of the web-shaped adhesive element 34.

[0070] Alternatively, a preferred embodiment of the application element 22 is a sliding shoe in which the application recess 24 extends on an underside of the sliding shoe, as shown in Fig. 3b).

[0071] As explained above, in the application device 10, a web-shaped adhesive element 34 arranged in the application device 10 guides the web-shaped release material 26, separated from the adhesive layer, through the guide arrangement 26 to a discharge unit 16, where a web tensioning element designed as a vibrating unit keeps the release material taut. In the discharge unit 16 of the application device 10, the release material is wound onto a discharge element 18 designed as a winding roller.

[0072] List of reference signs

[0073] 10 Application device

[0074] 12 donor registration

[0075] 14 Dispenser element 16 Discharge unit

[0076] 18 Discharge element

[0077] 20 application units

[0078] 22 Application element

[0079] 24 Application in-depth 26 Guide arrangement

[0080] 28 Separating device

[0081] 30 first guide element

[0082] 32 second guide element

[0083] 34. Strip-shaped adhesive element 36. Strip-shaped release material

Claims

Claims 1. Application device (10) for the application of web-shaped Adhesive elements (34), comprising: i) a dispenser receptacle (12), wherein the dispenser receptacle (12) is configured to allow a dispenser element (14) filled with a web-shaped adhesive element (34) to be arranged in the dispenser receptacle (12) such that the web-shaped adhesive element (34) can be dispensed from the dispenser element (14), ii) a discharge unit (16) for discharging a web-shaped separating material (36) separated from the web-shaped adhesive element (34), or a discharge receptacle from which a discharge unit (16) can be produced by arranging a discharge element (18) in the discharge receptacle, and iii) an application unit (20) with an application element (22), wherein the application device (10) is an end effector for an automated application system, wherein the application element (22) has an application recess (24) in the area provided for the application of the web-shaped adhesive element (34).wherein the application recess (24) has a width in the range of 1 to 5 mm orthogonal to the intended path direction of a web-shaped adhesive element (34) arranged in the application device (10), wherein the application device (10) is configured so that a web-shaped adhesive element (34) provided from a dispenser element (14) arranged in the dispenser receptacle (12) can be guided through the application recess (24) and a web-shaped release material (36) separated in the application device (10) from an adhesive layer of the web-shaped adhesive element (34) can be guided to the discharge unit (16).

2. Application device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the application device (10) is arranged on an automated motion device.

3. Application device (10) according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the application device (10) further comprises: iv) a guide arrangement (26) for guiding the web-shaped adhesive element (34) and / or the web-shaped release material (36) separated from an adhesive layer of the web-shaped adhesive element (34).

4. Application device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the application device (10) further comprises: v) a cutting device (28), wherein the cutting device (28) is configured to cut the web-shaped adhesive element (34) guided in the application device (10) in relation to the web path in the application device (10) in front of the application unit (20).

5. Application device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the dispenser receptacle (12) comprises a cassette receptacle in which a cassette unit can be arranged reversibly and non-destructively interchangeable.

6. Application device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the application device (10) is configured to separate the web-shaped release material (36) from the adhesive layer of the web-shaped adhesive element (34) in the area provided for the application of the web-shaped adhesive element (34) or behind the area of ​​the application unit (20) provided for the application of the web-shaped adhesive element (34).

7. Application device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the application unit (20) is spring-mounted and connected to further components of the application device (10).

8. Application device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the application unit (20) comprises a first guide element (30) for guiding the web-shaped adhesive element (34) in the direction of travel of the web-shaped adhesive element (34) in front of the application element (22), and / or wherein the application unit (10) comprises a second guide element (32) for guiding the web-shaped release material (36) separated from the adhesive layer of the web-shaped adhesive element (34) in the direction of travel of the web-shaped adhesive element (34) behind the application element (22).

9. Application device (10) according to claim 8, wherein the first guide element (30) and / or the second guide element (32) are supported deflection rollers.

10. Application device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the application element (22) is an application roller, wherein the application recess (24) is a circumferential groove on the outer surface of the application roller.

11. Application device (10) according to claim 10, wherein the application roller has a diameter in the range of 2 to 12 mm.

12. Application device (10) according to one of claims 10 or 11, wherein the application roller is a mounted application roller, and / or wherein the application roller is mounted on a one- or multi-part axle.

13. Application device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the application element (22) is a sliding shoe, wherein the application recess (24) extends on an underside of the sliding shoe.

14. Ready-to-use application device (10) for the application of web-shaped adhesive elements (34), comprising: I) a dispenser receptacle (12) with a dispenser element (14) arranged in the dispenser receptacle (12), comprising a web-shaped adhesive element (34) and a web-shaped release material (36) arranged on an adhesive layer of the web-shaped adhesive element (34), II) a drainage unit (16), and III) an application unit (20) with an application element (22), wherein the ready-to-use application device (10) is an end effector for an automated application system, wherein the ready-to-use application unit (20) has an application recess (24) in the area provided for the application of the web-shaped adhesive element (34), wherein the application recess (24) has a width in the range of 1 to 5 mm orthogonal to the intended web direction of a web-shaped adhesive element (34) arranged in the ready-to-use application device (10), wherein the application recess (24) has a width in the range of 1.02*BK to 1.25*BK orthogonal to the web direction of the web-shaped adhesive element (34) arranged in the ready-to-use application device (10), wherein B Kthe web width of the web-shaped adhesive element (34) is orthogonal to its web direction, wherein the web-shaped adhesive element (34) is arranged guided through the application recess (24) and the web-shaped release material (36) separated from the web-shaped adhesive element (34) in the ready-to-use application device (10) is guided to the discharge unit (16).

15. Ready-to-use application device (10) according to claim 14, wherein the web-shaped adhesive element (34) has a web width BK of 4 mm or less orthogonal to its web direction.

16. Ready-to-use application device (10) according to one of claims 14 or 15, wherein the application recess (24) in the area provided for the application of the web-shaped adhesive element (34) has a depth in the range of 0.15*DK to 0.7*DK, wherein DK is the mean thickness of the web-shaped adhesive element (34) orthogonal to its web direction.

17. Use of a ready-to-use application device (10) according to one of claims 14 to 16 for the application of web-shaped adhesive elements (34) with a web width of 4 mm or less to a substrate, wherein the web-shaped adhesive element (34) is arranged in the application recess (24) when in contact with the substrate.

Images