System for the Automatic Application of Self-Adhesive Protective Film to Vehicle Bodies

Abstract

An automatic application system for self-adhesive protective film to vehicle bodies is disclosed. Two separate application stations are provided, of which one application station contains two pairs and the other contains one pair of stationary industrial robots arranged opposite each other for the joint handling and application of one piece of film in each case. As a result, it is possible to stick all the body parts simultaneously within the cycle time. In each case, one robot of a pair of robots contains in its application tool the holder for a supply roll and a cutting device, whereas the opposite application robot of this pair of robots carries a suction strip. For the accurate-contour perforation of a stretched-out piece of film, the latter is moved along a stationary perforating tool. Arranged close to the robot is a magazine for a plurality of supply rolls, from which the application robot automatically picks up a supply roll as required. The supply rolls are relatively small and can contain the film needed for about 100 to 200 application procedures. Each supply roll can be provided with a disposable core made of hard paperboard or plastic.

1 - 12 . (canceled)  
     
     
         13 : A system for the automatic application of self-adhesive protective film to specific parts of vehicle bodies, comprising: 
 a plurality of workstations arranged one after another in the system;    a horizontal conveying device conveying the vehicle parts to be treated through the workstations, with which the vehicle bodies can be brought to a standstill in each of the workstations in order to carry out certain amounts of work, in each case in a defined working position;    at least one pair of industrial robots defining application robots arranged in mirror-image fashion in relation to each other on each side of the horizontal conveying device in at least one of the workstations for joint handling and application of one piece of film in each case during the processing of the piece of film, the at least one workstation and the associated application robots defining an application station;    supply roll holders for drawing off pieces of protective film from a supply roll by an application robot, and also having a cutter for cutting off the piece of film drawn off from the supply roll;    a perforator for accurate-contour drawing of specific perforation lines in a piece of film held stretched out;    the system defining two separate application stations, a first application station contains two pairs and a second contains one pair of the application robots arranged opposite one another;    a base element of each application robot being arranged in a fixed location to be immovable with respect to a conveying direction of the horizontal conveying device, in the respective application station, beside a position of an associated body part which the application robot processes when the body is at a standstill;    the supply rolls in use being arranged laterally beside the horizontal conveying device with a roll axis oriented parallel to the conveying direction, the supply rolls in use, in relation to the conveying direction of the horizontal conveying device, being arranged at different points, specifically at the point of the respectively associated application robots;    the perforator including a perforation tool held stationary, along which the piece of film held stretched out jointly by two opposite application robots can be moved in accordance with the contour of the desired perforation lines.    
     
     
         14 : The application system as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the supply roll in use, including an associated cutter, is in each case arranged within an application tool of one of the two application robots of an associated pair of robots, and in that the opposite application robot of this pair of robots the application tool includes a suction strip.  
     
     
         15 : The application system as claimed in  claim 14  wherein that within the workspace which can be reached by a working arm of each application robot provided with one of the supply rolls, a magazine for a plurality of supply rolls, in which the supply rolls are mounted in such a way that they can be transferred automatically into the application tool.  
     
     
         16 : The application system as claimed in  claim 14  wherein in each case the supply roll contains film needed for about 100 to 200 application procedures.  
     
     
         17 : The application system as claimed in  claim 14  wherein each supply roll is provided with a core made of hard paperboard or plastic.  
     
     
         18 : The application system as claimed in  claim 14  wherein the supply roll in use can be fixed against film being drawn off.  
     
     
         19 : The application system as claimed in  claim 13  wherein a width of the supply rolls corresponds to a length measured in the body longitudinal direction of the respectively associated body part to be filmed.  
     
     
         20 : The application system as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the perforator includes a perforating wheel mounted to be pivotable about a pivot axis at right angles to a plane of the stretched-out piece of film and includes a pivoting drive integrated into a programmable control system of one pair of the application robots as a further movement axis, the pivoting drive always aligning a plane of the perforating wheel tangentially with respect to the contour of the desired perforation lines at a current perforation point.  
     
     
         21 : The application system as claimed in  claim 20  wherein the perforator is arranged with the pivot axis oriented vertically and with a row of perforation teeth pointing downwards, under which the piece of film held and handled jointly by the pair of opposite application robots can be moved along in a horizontal attitude, following the contour of the desired perforation lines.  
     
     
         22 : The application system as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the second application station is provided with only one pair of the opposite application robots for application of a piece of film corresponding to the roof area of the body.  
     
     
         23 : The application system as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the first application station is provided with the two pairs of opposite application robots for the application in each case of a piece of film corresponding to the hood area and the rear panel area.  
     
     
         24 : The application system as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising an applicator for application of a narrow self-adhesive edge securing tape, the applicator being integrated into an application tool of the application robot having a suction strip, the tape being positionable over edges of the film located at a front in the direction of travel of the body in the roof regions and hood region.