Panel edge modification device or unit for a contour edge banding device

Abstract

An edge tape modifying device for trailing an edge tape applicator ( 1 ) which applies an edge tape to the edge of a contoured panel ( 3 ) of a predetermined thickness by means of a pressure roller ( 4 ) which is pressed against the edge of said panel ( 3 ) and is displaced there along by means to move said pressure roller ( 4 ) and wherein simultaneously an edge tape ( 8 ), is advanced to engage against the edge of said panel by being pressed there against by said pressure roller ( 4 ) as said edge applicator advances about at least part of the perimeter of said panel, characterised in that said modifying device includes a swing arm ( 21 ) pivotally dependent from tape applicator to be able to articulate relative thereto, said swing arm ( 21 ) biased about said pivot for contact with the edge of the panel when in use, said modifying device including a modifying means ( 26 ) supported by said swing arm ( 21 ) away from said edge tape applicator, said modifying means ( 26 ) biased towards yet guided for movement relative to the edge of said panel in order to perform a modifying operation on the applied edge tape.

1 . An edge banding apparatus for the application of an edge tape to at least part of an edge of a substantially planar panel said edge defining a perimeter of said panel of an arbitrary profile, said apparatus comprising: 
 a means to mount said panel on a fixed structure    an edge follower including at least one edge contact roller to follow at least part of the perimeter of said panel    an edge follower support structure to allow displacement of said edge follower relative to said fixed structure and when in use, relative to a said panel    an edge sensor capable of determining the slope, of said profile of said panel at where said edge follower is engaged to said panel, relative to a fixed frame of reference    force application means to apply a vectored force to said edge follower to bias said at least one contact roller toward the edge of said panel, said force application means capable of vectoring the force applied to said edge follower relative to said fixed frame of reference and in response to the shape determined from said edge sensor, in a manner to vector the resultant force to said edge follower in a direction 
 a) to bias said at least one contact roller towards said edge and  
 b) substantially not along said edge (save for optionally a very small component in or against the direction of travel of said edge follower along said profile)  
   means to generate relative movement between said edge follower and said planar object to thereby induce movement of said edge follower along at least part of the profile,    wherein said edge follower includes a tape feeding means which allows for the feeding of tape onto the edge of said panel at where said contact roller is biased towards said panel to, in use, press said tape onto the edge of said panel, and    wherein a trailing tape modifying unit is dependent from the edge follower by an arm pivotable about an axis parallel to the normal of the major surfaces of said panel, said modifying unit biased towards the panel when in use, in order to remain in contact with said panel, said modifying unit including at least one tape modifying means and at least one guiding means for guiding movement of said modifying unit relative to said panel.    
     
     
         2 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said modifying unit is a trimming unit including a said modifying means to apply a trimming action to any panel major surface protruding tape adjacent at least one and preferably both major surfaces of said panel.  
     
     
         3 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  or  2  wherein said modifying means is a device being one or more selected from at least one of (a) a rotary cutter (b) a rotary sander (c) a rotary grinder.  
     
     
         4 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said device is a rotary device having an axis of rotation parallel to the normal of the major surfaces of said panel.  
     
     
         5 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said device is a rotary device having an axis of rotation acute or perpendicular to the normal of the major surfaces said panel.  
     
     
         6 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said guiding means is engagable against the tape applied edge of said panel to ensure the modifying means remains disposed at an appropriate distance in a plane parallel to the planes of the major surfaces of said panel from said panel.  
     
     
         7 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in  claim 4  wherein said guiding means is engagable against the tape applied edge of said panel to ensure the modifying means remains disposed at an appropriate distance from said panel in a plane parallel to the planes of the major surfaces of said panel and wherein said guiding means includes an arcuate following surface with its centroid at the rotational axis of said rotary device, to ensure the guiding means maintains consistent positioning of the rotary device relative to the panel, over a broad range of rotational positions of said modifying unit relative to said fixed frame of reference.  
     
     
         8 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in claim any one of  claims 1  to  7  wherein said modifying unit includes a panel major surface tracer shoe engageable and biased towards a major surface of said panel to ensure the modifying means is maintained at a desirable spacing (in a direction normal to the surface of said panel) to said panel, so that any modifying of said tape by said modifying means is to a level not cutting into said panel.  
     
     
         9 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in claim in  claim 1  wherein said modifying means is a trimming means comprising two rotary cutters, each positioned to provide cutting of excess tape protruding beyond the level of each major surface of said panel.  
     
     
         10 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in  claim 9  wherein each cutter is independently movable relative to said panel in a direction parallel to the normal of the major surfaces of said panel, each with its own designated tracer shoe to position a respective cutter at an appropriate level relative to a respective major surface.  
     
     
         11 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in  claim 9  or  10  wherein said cutters are mounted relative to each other in a calliper like arrangement from a support structure of said modifying unit and biased towards each other in a direction parallel to the normal of the major surfaces of said panel.  
     
     
         12 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in claim any one of  claims 1  to  11  wherein said arm by which said modifying unit is pivotally mounted from said edge follower is an articulatable arm which includes a first arm portion pivotable about an axis (“first arm pivot axis”) at said edge follower and parallel to the normal of the major surfaces of said panel and a second arm pivotable relative to the first arm about an axis (“second arm pivot axis”) parallel to but displaced from the first arm pivot axis, said modifying means disposed from said second arm away from said second arm pivot axis.  
     
     
         13 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed any one of  claims 1  to  11  wherein said arm by which said modifying unit is pivotally mounted from said edge follower is an articulatable arm which includes a first arm portion pivotable about an axis (“first arm pivot axis”) at said edge follower and parallel to the normal of the said major surfaces of said panel and a second arm pivotable relative to the first arm about an axis (“second arm pivot axis”) parallel to but displaced from the first arm pivot axis, said modifying means disposed from said first arm away from said first arm pivot axis.  
     
     
         14 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in any one of claims  12  or  13  wherein a biasing means, biases said second arm pivot axis, in use, towards the edge of said panel.  
     
     
         15 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in any one of  claims 12  to  14  wherein said the distal end of said second arm, in use, towards the edge of said panel.  
     
     
         16 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in  claim 12  wherein said first arm includes an edge follower away from said first arm pivot (and preferably at said second arm pivot axis) to engage against said tape applied edge under the bias applied thereto.  
     
     
         17 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in claim any one of claims I to  16  wherein said means to generate movement is provided by at least one driven roller of said edge follower having an axis of rotation substantially parallel to the normal of the major surfaces of said panel, wherein said driven roller is in use pressed against the edge of said panel, and upon its rotation generates relative movement between said edge follower and said panel.  
     
     
         18 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in  claim 17  wherein said driven roller is the or at least one of said at least one edge contact roller.  
     
     
         19 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in  claim 18  wherein one said at least one pressure roller is a said driven roller.  
     
     
         20 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in  claim 18  wherein said at least one driven roller is provided in addition to said pressure roller.  
     
     
         21 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in any one of  claims 1  to  20  wherein said edge sensor is able to sense the angle of the edge at where said edge contact roller is pressed to said panel, relative to said frame of reference, by being responsive to the angle determined from the rotational position of said arm biased towards the edge of said panel, about its axis of pivot at said edge follower.  
     
     
         22 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in any one of  claims 1  to  21  wherein said means to mount said panel to said fixed structure mounts said panel in a non rotatable manner relative thereto.  
     
     
         23 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in any one of claims I to  22  wherein said edge follower support structure is a gantry arrangement supported by and movable relative to said fixed structure, said gantry arrangement comprising 
 a bridging portion located to said fixed structure and translationally movable relative there to along a first path of travel    a traveller located to said bridging structure and translationally movable relative there to along a second path of travel being transverse to said first path, wherein said edge follower is mounted from said traveller to be displaced by said gantry arrangement in a Cartesian coordinate frame of reference, relative to said fixed structure.    
     
     
         24 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in any one of  claims 1  to  22  wherein said edge follower support structure is a swing arm arrangement supported by and movable relative to said fixed structure, said swing arm arrangement comprising 
 an arm pivotably located to said fixed structure about an axis of rotation    a traveler provided to said arm translationally movable along at least part of said arm wherein said edge follower is mounted from said traveler to be displaced by said swing arm arrangement in a polar coordinate frame of reference, relative to said fixed structure.    
     
     
         25 . An edge banding apparatus to apply an edge tape to a contoured edge of a panel, said apparatus comprising; 
 a fixed structure to which a said panel can be mounted    an edge follower movably mounted from said fixed structure and adapted to move along at least part of said edge of said panel,    a sensing means to determine the direction of travel, relative to a chosen frame of reference, of said edge follower as it is moved along said edge profile    an active biasing means acting between said fixed structure and said edge follower responsive to feedback from said sensing means to act on said edge follower to control the direction of bias of said edge follower towards said panel    wherein said edge follower carries a driven rotatable means which engages with the edge of said panel to thereby generate the movement of said edge follower along at least part of said profile,    a means to advance edging tape between a pressure roller of said edge follower and the edge of said panel to be affixed to said panel at its edge, and    wherein a trailing tape modifying unit is dependent from the edge follower by an arm pivotable about an axis parallel to the normal of the major surfaces of said panel, said modifying unit biased towards the panel when in use in order to remain in contact with and to follow the edge of said panel, said modifying unit including at least one guiding means for guiding movement of said modifying unit relative to said panel.    
     
     
         26 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in claims  25  wherein said biasing means acts to bias said edge follower with a directional component normal to the direction of movement and normal to the normal of the major surfaces of said panel.  
     
     
         27 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in claims  25  or  26  wherein there is also a small component of direction of force of said biasing means on said edge follower in the direction of movement or opposite to the direction of movement of said edge follower along said edge profile.  
     
     
         28 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in any one of  claims 25  to  27  wherein a rotational force of said driven rotatable means provides a rolling action of said driven rotatable means to impart a displacement of said edge follower along said edge profile.  
     
     
         29 . An edge banding apparatus as claimed in any one of  claims 25  to  29  wherein said driven rotatable means is also said pressure roller.  
     
     
         30 . An edging apparatus as claimed in any one of  claims 25  to  29  wherein said sensing means senses the angle of said arm relative to said reference frame to thereby provide feedback to said biasing means of the angular orientation at or approximate to the point where the driven rotatable means is in contact with said edge profile, to thereby appropriately allow for control the direction of bias of said biasing means to said edge follower.  
     
     
         31 . A method of edge banding an edge of a planar panel comprising 
 mounting a panel on a support structure    placing a pressure roller adjacent an edge of said panel and whilst providing a feed of edge banding material to engage with said panel and which is fed onto said panel between the pressure roller and said panel, providing a rotation to an at least one rotating edge contact roller (whether it is also acting as the pressure roller or not) which is in contact with the edge of said panel advancing said pressure roller and/or said edge contact roller along said edge and which simultaneously deposits the edge tape to the edge of said panel,    controlling a vectored force application means applying a vectored force to the edge contact roller, which is controlled in response to the angle of the panel at said edge contact roller to thereby press said edge contact roller against the edge of said panel, and    wherein modifying of the edge applied tape occurs by a trailing tape modifying unit dependent from the pressure roller by an arm pivotable about an axis parallel to the normal of the major surfaces of said panel, said modifying unit biased towards the panel when in use in order to remain in contact with and to follow the edge of said panel, said modifying unit including at least one modifying means and at least one guiding means engaged to and for guiding movement of said modifying unit relative to said panel.    
     
     
         32 . An edge tape modifying device for trailing an edge tape applicator which applies an edge tape to the edge of a contoured panel of a predetermined thickness by means of a pressure roller which is pressed against the edge of said panel and is displaced there along by means to move said pressure roller and wherein simultaneously an edge tape, is advanced to engage against the edge of said panel by being pressed there against by said pressure roller as said edge applicator advances about at least part of the perimeter of said panel, characterised in that said modifying device includes a swing arm pivotally dependent from edge tape applicator to be able to articulate relative thereto, said swing arm biased about said pivot for contact with the edge of the panel when in use, said modifying device including a modifying means supported by said swing arm away from said edge tape applicator, said modifying means biased towards yet guided for movement relative to the edge of said panel in order to perform a modifying operation on the edge applied edge tape.  
     
     
         33 . A modifying device as claimed in  claim 32  wherein said modifying means is also guided by a panel surface follower engagable and biased towards a major surface of said panel to ensure the modifying means is maintained at a desirable distance (in a direction normal to the surface of said panel) to the panel so that the modifying operation is at the appropriate distance relative to said surface of said panel.  
     
     
         34 . A modifying device as claimed in  claim 32  or  33  wherein said arm by which said modifying means is mounted is an articulatable arm which includes a first arm portion pivotable about an axis (“first arm pivot axis”) at said tape applicator follower and parallel to the normal of the major surfaces of said panel and a second arm pivotable relative to the first arm about an axis (“second arm pivot axis”) parallel to but displaced away from the first arm pivot axis, said modifying means disposed from said second arm away from said second arm pivot axis.  
     
     
         35 . A modifying device as claimed in  claim 32  or  33  wherein said arm by which said modifying means is mounted is an articulatable arm which includes a first arm portion pivotable about an axis (“first arm pivot axis”) at said tape applicator follower and parallel to the normal of the major surfaces of said panel and a second arm pivotable relative to the first arm about an axis (“second arm pivot axis”) parallel to but away displaced from the first arm pivot axis, said modifying means disposed from said second arm at said second arm pivot axis.  
     
     
         36 . A modifying device as claimed in  claim 32  or  33  wherein said arm by which said modifying means is mounted is an articulatable arm which includes a first arm portion pivotable about an axis (“first arm pivot axis”) at said tape applicator follower and parallel to the normal of the major surfaces of said panel and a second arm pivotable relative to the first arm about an axis (“second arm pivot axis”) parallel to but displaced away from the first arm pivot axis, said modifying means disposed from said first arm away from said first arm pivot axis.  
     
     
         37 . A modifying device as claimed in any one of  claims 33  to  36  wherein said second arm is biased in use, from said first arm in a direction to be towards said panel by a torque force applied to said second arm from said first arm about said second arm pivot axis.  
     
     
         38 . A modifying device as claimed in claim any one of  claims 33  to  37  wherein said first arm includes an edge follower at or proximate said second arm pivot axis to engage against said tape applied edge and biased there against.  
     
     
         39 . A modifying device as claimed in  claim 38  wherein said edge follower is a roller rotational about an axis coaxial with said second arm pivot axis.  
     
     
         40 . A modifying device as claimed in  claim 38  wherein said edge follower is a roller pivotable on a third pivot axis parallel to said second and first pivot axis and provided on said second arm away from said second pivot axis.  
     
     
         41 . A modifying device as claimed in any one of  claims 32  to  40  wherein said modifying means is a trimming device to perform a trimming operation to any panel major surface protruding tape adjacent at least one and preferably both major surfaces of said panel.  
     
     
         42 . A modifying device as claimed in any one of  claims 32  to  41  wherein said modifying means is a device being at least one selected from one or more of (a) a rotary cutter (b) a rotary sander (c) a rotary grinder.  
     
     
         43 . A modifying device as claimed in any one of  claims 32  to  42  wherein said modifying means is a rotary device having an axis of rotation parallel to the normal of the major surfaces of said panel.  
     
     
         44 . A modifying device as claimed in any one of  claims 32  to  42  wherein said modifying means is a rotary device having an axis of rotation acute to the normal of the major surfaces said panel.  
     
     
         45 . A modifying device as claimed in any one of  claims 32  to  44  wherein said modifying means includes a follower element for said guided movement engagable against the tape applied edge of said panel to ensure the modifying means remains disposed at an appropriate distance in a plane parallel to the major surfaces, from said panel.  
     
     
         46 . A modifying device as claimed in  claim 42  wherein said modifying means includes a follower element for said guided movement engagable against the tape applied edge of said panel to ensure it means remains disposed at an appropriate distance from said panel in a plane parallel to the major surfaces and wherein said follower element provides an arcuate following surface with its centroid at the rotational axis of said rotary device, to ensure the following means maintains consistent positioning of the rotary device relative to the panel, over a broad range of rotational positions of said modifying means relative to said applicator.  
     
     
         47 . A modifying device as claimed in claim any one of  claims 32  to  46  wherein said modifying device includes a panel major surface tracer shoe engageable and biased towards a major surface of said panel to ensure the modifying means is maintained at a desirable distance (in a direction normal to the surface of said panel) to said panel so that any modifying of said tape by said modifying means is to a level not cutting into said panel.  
     
     
         48 . A modifying device as claimed in claim in  claim 32  wherein said modifying means is a trimming means comprising two rotary cutters, each capable of being positioned to cut of excess tape protruding beyond the level of each major surface.  
     
     
         49 . A modifying device as claimed in  claim 48  wherein each cutter is independently movable relative to said panel each with its own designated tracer shoe to engage a respective major surface of said panel to position a respective cutter at an appropriate distance relative to a respective major surface to trim any protruding tape, yet not cut the panel itself  
     
     
         50 . A modifying device as claimed in  claim 48  or  49  wherein said cutters are mounted relative to each other in a calliper like arrangement from a support structure of said modifying device and biased towards each other in a direction parallel to the normal of the major surfaces of said panel yet held in a separated relationship by said tracer shoes.  
     
     
         51 . A modifying device as claimed in claim any one of  claims 48  to  49  wherein each cutter is independently movable relative to said panel in a direction parallel to the normal of the major surfaces of said panel, each with its own designated panel follower to position a respective cutting means at an appropriate level relative to a respective major surface.  
     
     
         52 . An edge taping device which applies an edge tape to the edge of a contoured panel of a predetermined thickness by means of a pressure roller which is applied against the edge of said panel and is displaced there along by means to move said pressure roller and wherein an edge tape is advanced to engage against the edge of said panel and be pressed there against by said pressure roller as said edge applicator advances about at least part of the perimeter of said panel and 
 a trimming attachment trailing the pressure roller supported by a swing arm able to articulate relative to the pressure roller, said pivot including a bias towards the panel when in use in order to remain in contact with said panel, said trimming attachment including at least one cutting means guided for movement relative to said panel in order to apply a trimming action to any panel major surface protruding tape adjacent at least one and preferably both major surfaces of said panel.