Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
w 20044 18
1
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to apparatus and methods for fitting a flexible strip.
For example,
the strip may be a sealing strip which is required to be fitted around a door
or other
closable opening on a motor vehicle body.
According to the invention, there is provided apparatus for use in mounting an
elongate
flexible channel-shaped strip onto a mounting flange or the like, comprising a
portable
body, a strip drive arrangement carried by the body and arranged to feed the
strip
longitudinally, initial end first, a guide arrangement on the body for
engaging the initial
end of the strip and constraining it against the inherent resilience of the
strip to follow a
curved path which is fixed in relation to the body, so as to present the open
mouth of the
channel of the strip to and into embracing relationship with the flange as the
body is
moved along and in predetermined relation with the flange, and releasing means
for
releasing the guide arrangement from the initial end of the strip when the
part of the strip
immediately following the initial end thereof has embraced the flange, the
guide
arrangement comprising a guide member pivotally mounted on the body and
movable
between first and second positions such that a guiding part thereof extending
transversely
to the curved path while in the said first position is resiliently contacted
by the initial end
of the strip and thereafter moves immediately adjacent to the path with the
strip and
guides the initial end along the said curved path until the guide member
reaches the said
second position, the guide member being in the form of a guide finger.
,.
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According to the invention, there is also provided apparatus for use in
mounting an
elongate flexible channel-shaped strip onto a mounting flange or the like,
comprising a
portable body, a strip drive arrangement carried by the body and arranged to
feed the strip
longitudinally, initial end first, a guide arrangement on the body for
engaging the initial
end of the strip and constraining it against the inherent resilience of the
strip to follow a
curved path which is external to and is fixed in relation to the body, so as
to present the
open mouth of the channel of the strip to and into embracing relationship with
the flange
as the body is moved along and in predetermined relation with the flange, the
guide
arrangement comprising a guide member movable between a first position in
which it
receives and mechanically engages with the said initial end of the strip, and
a second
position, the guide member, while mo~,~ing between the first and second
position, moving
along the said curved path and guiding the said initial end of the strip
therealong,
releasing means for releasing the guide arrangement from the initial end of
the strip when
the part of the strip immediately following the initial end thereof has
embraced the flange,
and a rotatable roller mounted adjacent to the said path for guiding the strip
along the
curved path.
According to the invention, there is farther provided apparatus for use in
mounting an
elongate flexible channel-shaped strip onto a mounting flange or the like,
comprising a
portable body, a strip drive arrangement carried by the body and arranged to
feed the strip
longitudinally, initial end first, a guide arrangement on the body for
engaging the initial
end of the strip and constraining it against the inherent resilience of the
strip to follow a
i 20044 18
3
curved path which is fixed in relation to the body, so as to present the open
mouth of the
channel of the strip to and into embracing relationship with the flange as the
body is
moved along and in predetermined relation with the flange, the guide
arrangement
comprising a guide member movable between a first position in which it
receives and
mechanically engages with the said initial end of the strip, and a second
position, the
guide member, while moving between the first and second position, moving along
the
said curved path and guiding the said initial end of the strip therealong, and
releasing
means for releasing the guide arrangement from the initial end of the strip
when the part
of the strip immediately following the initial end thereof has embraced the
flange, the
releasing means comprising a second drive arrangement operative to move the
guide
member beyond the said second position and thereby to release it from the said
initial end
of the strip.
According to the invention, there is still further provided apparatus for use
in mounting
an elongate flexible channel-shaped strip onto a mounting flange or the like,
comprising
a portable body, a strip drive arrangement carried by the body and arranged to
feed the
strip longitudinally, initial end first, a guide arrangement on the body and
for engaging
the initial end of the strip and constraining it against the inherent
resilience of the strip to
follow a curved path whicl-. is fixed in relation to the body, so as to
present the open
mouth of the channel of the strip to and into embracing relationship with the
flange as the
body is moved along and in predetermined relation with the flange, and
releasing means
for releasing the guide arrangement from the initial end of the strip when the
part of the
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3a
strip immediately following the initial end thereof has embraced the flange,
the releasing
means leaving the initial end of the strip proud of the flange and including a
pusher device
mounted on the body for engaging the proud initial end when the final end of
the strip has
been placed on the flange adjacent the initial end, and pressing and applying
a force to the
initial end in the direction of extension of the flange and away from the
final end of the
strip on the flange, whereby to permit the initial end of the strip to be
pressed onto the
flange adjacent to the f nal end, the pusher device comprising a channel for
loosely
embracing the strip and a baffle situated within this channel for abutting the
proud initial
end of the strip.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Apparatus embodying t:he invention for fitting a sealing strip onto a motor
vehicle door
opening, will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which:-
Figure 1 is a side view of the door opening showing the apparatus in
diagrammatic form;
Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the sealing strip with its end
sectioned;
Figure 3 is a cross-sec;ion of the sealing strip fitted onto a flange
surrounding the
opening;
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3b
Figure 4 is a perspective enlarged view of a robot hand forming part of the
apparatus;
Figure S is a side view of the robot hand in the
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4
operational state, immediately before the strip is placed
on to the flange;
Figure 6 corresponds to Figure 5 but shows a later
operational state;
Figure 7 corresponds to Figure 6 but shows a still later
operational state;
Figure 8 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow
VIII of Figure 4;
Figure 9 is a partially dismantled view of the robot hand;
Figure 10 corresponds to Figure 4 but shows a modified
form of the robot hand;
Figure 11 is a side view of the robot hand of Figure 10
as it receives a sealing strip;
Figures 12 to 14 correspond to Figures 5 to 7 but show
the robot hand of Figure 10;
Figure 15 corresponds to Figure 10 but shows a further
modified version of the robot hand;
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1
Figure 16 is a perspective view of part of a sealing
strip applied to a door opening;
Figures 17 and 18 show the robot hand of Figure 15
applying the end of the sealing strip of Figure 16 onto
the flange;
Figure 19 corresponds to Figure 10 but shows another
modified form of the robot hand;
Figure 20 is a side view of part of the robot hand of
Figure 19;
Figure 21 is a perspective view of part of the robot hand
of Figure 19 at a position near to the completion of the
fitting of the sealing strip;
Figure 22 is a diagrammatic view of a guide pusher of the
robot hand of Figure 21 at a stage in the fitting of the
sealing strip immediately following that shown in Figure
21; and
Figures 23 to 25 show stages immediately following that
shown in Figure 22.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
~Q04~~~
6
Figure 1 shows a door opening 5 of a motor vehicle body.
The door opening is defined by a flange 6 which is formed
where the inner and outer skins of the body are welded
together. In order to provide a seal for the door
opening 5, the manufacture of the car body involves the
fitting of a door seal (see Figure 2) onto the flange 6.
As shown in Figure 2, the door seal comprises a
channel-shaped gripping section 8 which, in use,
embracingly grips the flange 6, and supports a soft
tubular sealing section 10, so that the seal runs around
the door opening, with the sealing section on the outside
of the opening. As shown in Figure 3, when the door,
part of which is shown diagramatically at 11, closes onto
the opening, it partially compresses the tubular sealing
section 10 so as to form a weather-proof seal. The
apparatus and method now to be described are concerned
with the automatic fitting of the door seal 7 onto the
flange 6 .
The apparatus comprises two parts: a robot hand 12 as
shown in Figure 1, and a robot arm (not shown), the robot
arm supporting the hand 12 by being attached to a fixture
15. The fixture 15 is best shown in Figure 4.
In a manner to be described, a free end of a length of
the seal 7 (whose length is sized to fit the periphery of
;~00~4 ~.8
the door opening) is fed into the hand as shown at A in
Figure 1 and the hand automatically grips it and presents
the open mouth of the channel of the gripping section 8
towards the flange 6 as shown at B. The robot arm is
programmed to move the hand 12 (under control of robot
drive means not shown) towards the flange so that the
gripping section grippingly embraces the flange 6 as
shown at C. Thereafter, the robot arm moves the robot
hand 12 around the periphery of the door opening and at
an appropriate distance from the flange 6. During this
movement, the hand automatically and continuously feeds
the length of door seal onto the flange 6 until the hand
has travelled around the complete periphery of the door
opening. At the completion of this travel, the distal
end of the door seal will be placed in position on the
flange immediately adjacent to the initial end. As the
robot arm drives the robot hand 12 around the periphery,
it automatically adjusts the angular position of the hand
to take account of the corners and bends in the periphery
and so that the angle of approach of the seal 7 is
appropriate at all positions.
As shown more clearly in Figure 3, the gripping section 8
is made of plastics or rubber material 16 which is
extruded over a channel-shaped metal carrier 18. The
extruded material 16 is extruded to form gripping and
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8
sealing lips 20 on the inside facing walls of the
channel, and these make gripping and sealing contact with
the side surfaces of the flange 6. The metal carrier may
take any suitable form. For example, it may comprise a
series of U-shaped metal elements arranged adjacent to
each other to define a channel and either connected
together by flexible connecting links or completely
disconnected from each other. Instead, however, it may
comprise wire looped to and fro and extending along the
length of the channel. However, other forms of carrier
can be used instead. The gripping section may
incorporate a substantially inextensible tape or thread
22.
As shown in Figure 4, the robot hand 12 comprises a seal
drive section 24 containing three pairs of rollers (to be
described below) which grip the sides of the seal and are
driven so as to feed the seal longitudinally through the
hand. These rollers are driven by a main motor 26 via a
reduction gearbox 28. The drive shaft from the latter
passes through a lid 30 to a belt driving section 32
which distributes the drive from the gearbox output shaft
via a drive belt, to the three pairs of rollers in the
seal drive section 24. The drive shafts from the belt
driving section 32 to the pairs of drive rollers in the
seal drive section 24 are supported in bearings in a
:~(~~~9-~.~3
9
bearing section 34.
A tachogenerator 36 monitors the speed of the motor 26.
In a manner to be explained, the seal enters the seal
drive section 24 at A and emerges at the opposite end of
the section. At the exit point, guide finger 40 is
positioned. Guide finger 40 is pivotally mounted on an
arm 42 extending from the body of the seal drive section
24. The Tocus of the guide finger 40 is shown by the
dotted line D. As shown in Figure 4, the guide finger 40
carries a spigot 43 which is sized to be a reletively
tight fit in the end of the channel section of the seal
7. Initially, the guide finger 40 is positioned so that
it is adjacent to the point where the seal emerges. As
the seal emerges, its channel-section 8 becomes locked on
the spigot 43. As the seal continues to be driven, it
swivels the guide finger 40 with it as shown in Figure
5. Because its gripping section is locked to the spigot,
the seal follows the substantially circular path D and
comes into contact with a rotatable guide roller 44.
The robot arm now moves the robot hand 12 closer towards
the flange 6 and the guide roller 44 presses the gripping
section 8 onto the flange as shown in Figure 6. The
guide finger is thereafter accelerated out of locking
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to
engagement with the seal end, this being carried out by
means of a motor 46, a gearbox 48 and a belt 50, as shown
in Figure 7.
The robot arm then commences to drive hand 12 around the
periphery of the door opening. During this process, the
seal driving section 24 drives the seal through the hand
at an appropriate rate, and the gripping section is thus
laid firmly onto the flange by being guided and pressed
on to the flange by the roller 44. When the robot hand
12 has been driven completely around the door opening,
the distal end of the seal will pass through the seal
drive section 24 and will be laid onto the flange 6
adjacent to the initial end.
The motor 46 (Figure 4) is then energised so as to return
the guide finger 40 to its initial position ready to
receive a length of seal for the next door opening.
Figure 8 shows a view of the underside of the robot hand
12, looking in the direction of the arrow VIII in Figure
4, and with a base 51 removed. This Figure shows the
three pairs of rollers 52, 54 and 56 between which the
seal 7 is gripped and driven longitudinally through the
unit 12 as the rollers rotate. The base 51 is formed
with raised guide portions 58 so as to guide the seal 7
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11
successively from one pair of rollers to the next on
initial pick-up.
Figure 9 shows a view of the robot hand 12 with the motor
26, the gearbox 28 and the lid 30 removed. As is clearly
shown here, a main drive roller 60 is driven by the
output shaft of the gearbox 28 and frictionally drives a
continuous drive belt 62. Drive belt 62 passes
successively around the drive rollers 64, 66, 68, 70 and
72. In addition, it passes around a spring-loaded belt
tensioner 74. It will be apparent that, by means of
suitable drive shafts passing through the bearing unit 34
(Figure 4), drive rollers 64 and 66 rotate the pair of
seal drive rollers 52 in the seal drive section 24, drive
rollers 68 and 72 respectively drive the seal drive
rollers of the pair 54, and roller 70 drives one of the
pair of seal drive rollers 56, the other one thereof
being freely rotatable.
Advantageously, the speed of the seal drive rollers 50,
52 and 54 is such, in relation to the angular movement of
the robot arm, that the seal 7 is slightly compressed,
lengthwise, as it is laid on the flange 6. This helps to
offset the stretching effect which might otherwise occur
and which would have the undesirable effect of laying the
door seal partially under tension. If it were laid under
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tension, it would gradually resile over a period of time
and this would have the effect that the two ends of the
seal would part, leaving an unsightly gap and with
defective weather sealing. This is avoided by laying the
seal slightly compressed. The nominal length of the seal
is predetermined taking this compression into account, so
that the ends of the seal are fitted in contact each
other.
There may be less than three pairs of drive rollers.
The length of seal is supported in any suitable way, for
example on the robot hand or the robot arm, during the
fitting process.
The belt 50, and other moving parts of the robot hand
would in practice be enclosed within protective coverings.
The robot hand 12 shown in Figure 10 is identical, except
for a difference to be described below, to the robot hand
shown in Figure 4 and will not be described in full
detail. The sole difference consists in the fact that
the robot hand 12 of Figure 10 has a right-angled guide
finger 40A which replaces the guide finger 40 and the
spigot 43 in the robot hand of Figure 4 and is pivotted
(like the guide finger 40) on the arm 42.
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The purpose of the right-angled finger 40A is to guide
the initial end of the seal 7 in a curved path as it
emerges from the robot hand. As shown in Figure 11, the
emerging initial end 7A of the seal 7 contacts the finger
40A. As the seal continues to emerge; it is forced to
follow a curved path defined by the locus of the guide
finger 40A as it rotates about its pivot point on the arm
42. The seal is held in contact with the guide finge 40A
by its own resilience. This process continues until the
guide finger 40A reaches the position shown in Figure 12,
the seal following a substantially circular path and in
contact with the roller 44.
The robot arm now moves the robot hand 12 closer towards
the flange 6 and the guide roller 94 presses the gripping
section 8 on to the flange as shown in Figure 13. The
guide finge 40A is thereafter accelerated away from the
end of the seal, this being carried out by means of the
motor 46, the gear box 48 and the belt 50, as shown in
Figure 14.
The robot arm then drives the hand 12 around the
periphery of the door opening, all in the manner
described in the connection with Figures 1 to 9.
The motor 46 (Figure 10) is then energised so as to
a~o4~a~8
14
return the guide finger 40A to its initial position ready
to receive a length of seal for the next door opening.
Figure 15 shows a modified form of the robot hand of
Figure 10. The robot hand of Figure 15 is identical with
that of Figure 10 except for the addition of a plunger 90
which is attached to a piston slidable within a
pneumatically or hydraulically controlled cylinder
assembly 92. The plunger 90 can be caused to extend away
from the cylinder 92 or to retract towards it by means of
pneumatic or hydraulic supply lines 94 and 96. The
cylinder assembly 92 is fixed to the side of the drive
section 24 by means not shown.
In operation, the plunger 90 is initially completely
retracted into the cylinder 92. The seal 7 then emerges
f rom the robot hand 12 and is guided round the roller 44
by the guide finger 40A, all as described above in
Figures 11 to 14. During this process, the plunger 90
plays no part and, because it is fully retracted, is
clear of the seal and the guide finger 40A. The robot
hand then places the seal on the flange and travels
around the flange in the manner already described,
placing the seal on the flange.
Eventually, the hand will have travelled completely
~(~0~1418
around the door opening and will have laid the final end
7B of the seal on the flange as shown in Figure 16. As
shown in Figure 16 (which omits the robot hand), the
final end 7B is of course laid adjacent to the initial
end 7A. However, the initial end 7A and the immediately
adjacent part of the seal are clear of the flange -
because of the manner in which the robot hand applies the
seal to the flange (see Figures 13 and 14).
The robot hand 12 then approaches the initial end 7A
again, and at the same time the guide finger 40A is
partially rotated by its drive motor 46 to the position
shown in Figure 17 so that the guide finger passes
between the end 7A of the seal and the flange 6, with the
roller 44 engaging the outside surface of the gripping
section 8.
Thereafter, the robot hand moves slightly away from the
flange 6 as shown in Figure 18, to pull the seal away
f rom the flange, and plunger 90 is caused to eztend f rom
the cylinder 92 so that it engages the initial end 7A of
the seal and presses it on to the flange immediately
adjacent to the final end 7B. Plunger 46 is then
retracted, the seal retaining itself on the flange by the
gripping action of the gripping section. The robot hand
is then moved a short distance in a direction
~~~44~.8
16
perpendicular to the flange 6, in the direction of the
arrow X (Figure 18) to bring the guide finger 40A
completely clear of the seal. During this process, the
robot hand can also move slightly in a direction parallel
to the flange (in the direction of arrow Y) to bring the
roller 44 clear of the gripping section. The guide
finger 40A is then rotated by the motor 46 into the
position shown in Figure 14. Finally, the robot hand is
moved back into the position in which the roller 44
engages the gripping section 8 and then moves to and fro
parallel to the flange so as to press the initial end 7A
of the seal into complete engagement with the flange so
that the two ends of the seal abut each other.
In order for this fitting process to be most effective,
the sealing strip should advantageously be slightly
compressible lengthwise and should have a length which is
slightly greater than the peripheral length of the flange.
The robot hand shown in Figure 19 is similar to that
shown in Figure 10 except for the addition of a guide
pusher 100. The guide pusher 100 is of channel-shape in
cross-section (see Figure 20 which shows a side view of
part, only, of the robot hand), the width across the
inside of the channel being slightly greater than the
total width of the gripping section 8 and the sealing
17
section 10 of the strip 7. Midway along the channel of
the guide pusher 100 a baffle 102 is mounted. This
baffle has a slit 104 in it which is sized to be a
clearance fit over the flange 6, for a purpose to be
described.
In operation, the robot hand of Figure 19 operates
exactly in the manner of that of Figure 10 in fitting the
majority of the sealing strip onto the flange. The guide
pusher is inoperative during this process. The guide
pusher comes into effect for fitting the final end 7B of
the seal onto the flange.
Figure 21 shows in diagrammatic form the situation when
the robot hand 12 has travelled completely around the
door opening and has laid the final end 7B of the seal 7
onto the flange 6. When this has occurred, the robot
lifts the hand 12 (parts, only, of which are shown in the
Figure) clear of the seal. The Figure shows tha~ the
final end 7B is of course laid immediately adjacent to
the initial end 7A. However, the initial end 7A and the
immediately adjacent part of the seal are clear of the
flange - because of the manner in which the robot hand
applies the seal to the flange (see Figures 11 to 14).
The robot hand now moves sideways relative to the flange,
20044.8
is
by a distance corresponding to the distance R in Figure
20, so that the guide pusher 100 is now positioned
immediately over the initial end 7A of the seal.
The next stage in the proceedings is shown in Figure 22,
in which the robot hand is omitted, except for the guide
pusher 100, for ease of explanation. As shown, the robot
hand has now lowered the guide pusher 100 onto the
initial end 7A of the seal, so that the latter end is now
embraced by the guide pusher and close to but slightly to
one side of the baffle 102. The initial and final ends
7A,7B of the strip slightly overlap as shown at S. The
robot hand now moves the guide pusher 100 in the
direction of the arrow Z as shown in Figure 23. The
baffle 102 now abuts the end 7A and pushes it to the
right (as viewed in the Figure) . This has the effect of
"buckling" the sealing strip adjacent to the initial end
7A, as shown at 7C. The initial end 7A no longer
slightly overlaps the final end 7B.
As shown in Figure 24, the robot hand now moves the guide
pusher downwardly so as to press the initial end 7A
firmly onto the flange. The initial and final ends 7A
and 7B are separated by the baffle 102 whose slot 104
embraces the flange itself.
2~0~~18
19
The robot hand is now raised relative to the flange and
lifts the guide pusher 100 clear of the sealing strip
(the latter being held on the flange 6 by the gripping
action of the gripping section 8). The robot hand then
moves sideways again relative to the flange, but in the
opposite direction to the previous direction, so that the
roller 44 is once more positioned over the sealing strip
on the flange. The robot hand is then lowered to bring
the roller 44 into contact with the strip on the flange
and the roller is moved to and fro over the sealing strip
by the robot hand and in the region of the location of
the meeting ends 7A and 7B and presses the initial end 7A
of the seal, and the immediately adjacent part of the
seal, into complete engagement with the flange so that
the two ends of the seal abut each other. The parts of
the robot hand 12 ezcept for the roller 44 are omitted
from Figure 25.
Again, the sealing strip should advantageously be
slightly compressible lengthwise and should have a length
which is slightly greater than the peripheral length of
the flange.
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