EP2675599A1

EP2675599A1 - Handling module for handling motor vehicle wheels

Info

Publication number: EP2675599A1
Application number: EP12700313.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Reiner Starz
Original assignee: Eisenmann SE
Current assignee: Eisenmann SE
Priority date: 2011-02-16
Filing date: 2012-01-12
Publication date: 2013-12-25
Also published as: US10252426B2; BR112013020677A8; RU2599008C2; DE102011011423A1; BR112013020677A2; RU2013137201A; MY175142A; WO2012110176A1; CN103370176B; CN103370176A; DE102011011423B4; US20130320687A1

Abstract

A handling module for handling vehicle wheels in an installation for the surface treatment thereof has at least two gripping units (32a, 32b) which are supported by a frame structure (16) and each of which comprises a plurality of press-on elements (60a, 60b) which are pressable onto one or more counter surfaces (62) of an individual vehicle wheel (12). At least one of the gripping units (32a, 32b) comprises a translation device (66a, 66b) by means of which the press-on elements (60a, 60b) are movable in relation o the frame structure (16) with a movement component which is parallel to the axis of rotation (R) of a gripped vehicle wheel (12).

Description

Handling module for handling motor vehicle wheels

The invention relates to a handling module for handling vehicle wheels in a system for surface treatment with at least two gripping units carried by a frame structure, each of which comprises a plurality of pressing elements which can be pressed against one or more mating surfaces of a single vehicle wheel.

Alloy wheels of motor vehicles, which are commonly referred to as alloy wheels, are coated in surface treatment plants with a powder or other coating material. Subsequently, the coating is baked in an oven. For this, the

Vehicle wheels are passed from a coating station to an oven. Also vehicle wheels made of other materials, especially steel wheels, are treated in successive steps. Generally speaking, regardless of their material, vehicle wheels must be transferred from one workstation to another workstation.

For this purpose, known from the market handling modules of the type mentioned are used, which are attached for this purpose to a multi-axis robotic arm, so that the transfer can be done with as many degrees of freedom of movement.

In known handling devices, all of the vehicle wheels received therefrom are held stationary relative to the handling device; a subsequent change in the position of the vehicle wheels with respect to, for example, the frame structure is not possible. However, each vehicle has structural tolerances, the can lead to the height of two simultaneously gripped by the handling module vehicle wheels is different. This can result in the handover from one workspace to another not being as accurate as is desirable. If vehicle wheels are stored, for example, on horizontal support structures, the support areas of the vehicle wheels, with which they are stored on these support structures should ideally lie in a common horizontal plane.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a handling device of the type mentioned, which carries this idea into account.

This object is achieved in a handling device of the type mentioned in that at least one of

Gripping units comprises a translation device, by means of which the pressing elements relative to the frame structure with a movement component are movable, which is parallel to the axis of rotation of a gripped vehicle wheel.

By virtue of this measure, the relative position of at least one vehicle wheel along its axis of rotation and relative to another vehicle wheel can therefore be changed according to the invention, on the one hand, when it is already received by the handling module. On the other hand, the pressing elements can be brought into a position before receiving a vehicle wheel, the structural irregularities of both the vehicle wheels and the handling module compensates itself, so that all vehicle wheels are largely touched the same contact points of the pressing elements. In addition, two or more vehicle wheels of different types can be used with the handling module at the same time, as well as structural differences that are not based on tolerances can be compensated. It is particularly advantageous if the pressing elements by means of the translation device relative to the frame structure are coaxial with the axis of rotation of the gripped vehicle wheel movable. A parallel displacement of the moving vehicle wheel is thus excluded. A parallel displacement of the moving vehicle wheel is particularly undesirable when the vehicle wheels are stored in different work stations at defined distances from each other.

It is advantageous if a plurality, preferably all, of the gripping units each comprise a translating device. In this way, the axial position of all of a gripping unit recorded vehicle wheels can be changed and adapted to each other.

Preferably, the pressing elements of a first gripping unit are movable independently of the pressing elements of a second gripping unit. Thus, the respective axial position of a plurality of vehicle wheels received by the handling device can be adjusted individually.

It is advantageous if the gripping units are set up in such a way that vehicle grippers gripped by the gripping devices are aligned axially parallel to one another with respect to their axis of rotation. In this way, in a plane to ordered vehicle wheels can be quickly and efficiently absorbed by the handling device.

In practice, it has proven to be advantageous if the pressing elements of a gripping unit are each supported by a rod element and designed as anpressteller, which can be pressed with its outer edge against an outer surface of a vehicle wheel. Due to the rod element with the Pressteller is a kind of piston unit formed, so that the position of the Anpresstellers can be adjusted hydraulically, electric motor or pneumatically.

For a safe handling of a vehicle wheel, a gripping unit comprises at least three rod elements with Anpressteller. Preferably, there are four such units.

If at least one position of the pressing elements relative to the frame structure by means of at least one sensor device can be detected, the robot-assisted movement of the handling device and the gripping and dispensing a vehicle wheel can be adapted to the respective existing or expected vehicle wheels.

It is particularly advantageous if the sensor device is set up in such a way that each position of the pressing elements can be detected. Thus, not only one or a few important positions of the pressing elements can be detected, but rather all positions that can take the pressing elements.

An embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings. In these show:

Figure 1 is a top view of a handling module for

Handling of vehicle wheels;

Figure 2 is a side view of the handling module of FIG

1 from the direction of the arrow II there;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the handling module of FIG

1 from the direction of the arrow III there;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the handling module of FIG 1 from the direction of view of the arrow V there, wherein in each case four Anpressteller a gripping unit are shown at different altitudes;

FIG. 5 schematically shows a multi-axis robotic arm, which is a

Handling module carries.

In FIG. 1, 10 denotes a handling module overall, with the aid of which only vehicle wheels 12 shown in FIG. 5 are handled in a system in which the surface of the vehicle wheels 12 is treated. There vehicle wheels 12, in particular aluminum alloy wheels, with the help of the handling module 10, for example, passed from a coating station to a furnace.

For this purpose, the handling module 10 is attached to a multi-axis handling robot 14, as it is known per se and is also illustrated schematically only in Figure 5, in which the handling module 10 is provided for clarity's sake only with a few reference numerals.

A coordinate system shown in each case in FIGS. 1 to 4 is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the handling module 10, so that it moves with it in the space. In this case, the z-direction points to the top, the x-direction to the left and the y-direction to the front. The opposite direction defines it below, right and behind.

The handling module 10 comprises a frame structure 16 with a centrally arranged bearing block 18. This carries on its upper side a mounting flange 20, via which the handling module 10 can be coupled to the robot 14. On the side remote from the mounting flange 20 bottom of the bearing block 18 is connected to a central base portion 22 of a star-shaped support plate 24 which extends parallel to the mounting flange 20 in an xy plane. From the base portion 22 protrude two main webs 26a, 26b in the direction of forward and backward.

The main web 26 a is flanked on both sides by a respective narrow web 28 a and a narrow web 30 a, which extend radially from the base portion 22 of the support plate 24. Accordingly, the main web 26b is flanked to the right and to the left side by a respective narrow web 28b and a narrow web 30b.

The main web 26a carries with the narrow webs 28a and 30a a first, here front gripping unit 32a and the main web 26b carries with the narrow webs 28b and 30b, a second, here rear gripping unit 32b.

The handling module 10 is mirror-symmetrical to an xz plane S shown only in FIG. 1, which runs through the longitudinal axis of the bearing block 18. In the following, only the front gripping unit 32a will be discussed. The statements made above apply mutatis mutandis to the rear gripping unit 32b; their components bear the same reference numerals with the lowercase letter b instead of the lowercase letter a. Front and rear and right and left directional indications of the front gripping unit 32a are reversed with respect to the rear gripping unit 32b, respectively.

The narrow webs 28a, 30a carry triangular frames 34a on their upper sides, as a result of which the frame structure 16 is stiffened overall, in order to counteract their distortion when the handling module 10 is in use. At their free ends, the narrow webs 28a, 30a pass into a respective side web 36a and 38a, which extend parallel to one another in the y-direction, that is, to the front, in an xy-plane. These side bars 36a, 38a carry on their upper side in each case a side wall 40a, 42a, which are each arranged in a yz plane.

The side cheeks 40a, 42a support two rail assemblies, a front rail assembly 44a and a rear rail assembly 46a, each having three rail bars, not specifically referenced herein and extending perpendicular to the side walls 40a, 42a. In this case, two lower rail bars of a rail arrangement 44a, 46a extend in a common xy plane, while the third rail bar is arranged in an overlying xy plane. The two respective lower rail bars of the rail arrangements 44a, 46a also extend in one and the same xy plane.

Carriages 48a and 50a pass on rail assemblies 44a, 46a, each carriage 48a, 50a having a front bearing portion coupled to the front rail assembly 44a and a rear bearing portion to the rear rail assembly 46a. The carriages 48a, 50a each carry an electric motor 52a, by means of which they can be moved by motor along the rail arrangements 44a, 46a.

The two slides 48a and 50a are coupled to one another via a toothed rod 54a such that a movement of both slides 48a, 50a always takes place and this movement always takes place symmetrically to a yz plane M which runs through the longitudinal axis of the bearing block 18 , This yz plane is also shown only in FIG. At their opposite ends, the carriages 48a, 50a each carry a bearing block 56a. Each bearing jaw 56a, in turn, supports a downwardly projecting rod 58a, which at its lower end coaxially carries an urging member 60a so as to extend in an xy plane. The press-on plates 60a can press against the counter-surface-engaging outer wheel surface 62 (see FIG. 5) of a vehicle wheel 12 as a pressing element. Depending on the intended use of the handling module 10 and depending on where it engages the wheel outer surface 62 of the vehicle wheel 12, the press plates 60a may have different configurations. So they can be made of plastic and relatively thick when attacked at the Radschulter. On the other hand, they will tend to be flat when in contact with the wheel seat. When a freshly coated vehicle wheel 12 is to be gripped, the presser 60a will have a sharp outer edge so that there is only a small contact area between it and the vehicle wheel 12.

In the present embodiment, each gripping unit 32a, 32b four bearing jaws 56a with rod 58a and An ^¬ pressteller 60a. In principle, it is sufficient if only three of these arrangements per gripping unit 32a, 32b are present.

Each rod 58a with the Anpressteller 60a is slidably mounted by the associated bearing block 56a up and down in a not specifically provided with a reference Füh ^¬ guide channel. In addition, each bearing jaw 56a carries its own electric motor 64a, which is coupled to the respective rod 58a, so that it can be moved by motor up or down. In this way, the bearing jaws 56a with the rods 58a with Anpressteller 60a and the electric motors 64a, a translation means 66a, by means of which the grasped by the gripping unit 32a vehicle wheel 12 with respect to the frame structure 16 is movable with a movement component which is parallel to the axis of rotation R of the gripped vehicle wheel 12 is (see Figure 5). As a result, the axial position of the vehicle wheel 12 can be adjusted relative to the frame structure 16. Concretely, a vehicle wheel 12 gripped by the handling module 10 can be moved coaxially with its axis of rotation R.

The axis of rotation R of a gripped by the gripping vehicle 12 extends parallel to the z-direction.

In the present exemplary embodiment, a gripping device 66a, 66b is associated with both gripping devices 32a, 32b. If necessary, it may be sufficient if only one translation device 66a or 66b is present.

The frame structure 16 also carries two sensor devices 68a and 68b, which are each associated with a gripping unit 32a or 32b. With their help, the position of the Anpressteller 60a, 60b of a respective gripping unit 32a, 32b relative to the frame structure 16 and thus relative to each other are detected. For this purpose, sensor techniques can be used, as known from the prior art. By way of example, magnetostrictive sensors may be mentioned here.

The fact that the sensor devices 68a, 68b are attached to the frame structure 16 away from the actuators 60a, 60b and thus also from the vehicle wheels 12 gripped by them, reduces the risk of contamination of the sensor devices 68a, 68b. Overall, in the handling module 10, all dirt-sensitive components, in particular the mounting of the movable components, are provided in the area of the frame structure 16 remote from the actuators 60a, 60b.

With the handling module 10 two vehicle wheels 12 are gripped at the same time. For this purpose, the carriages 48a, 50a and 48b, 50b are respectively moved away from each other on the rail arrangements 44a, 46a and 44b, 46b by means of the associated electric motors 52a, 52b, so that the actuators 60a, 60b likewise move away from each other until there are four interacting pressure actuators 60a and 60b can receive a vehicle wheel 12 between them. By the sensor devices 68a, 68b while the position of the Anpressteller 60a, 60b is monitored so that they can be brought into a position in which they can be performed while maintaining a minimum safety distance via a vehicle wheel 12.

By way of the sensor devices 68a, 68b, the travel paths of the presser plates 60a, 60b or of the slides 48a, 48b and 50a, 50b can be optimized such that no superfluous movement of the components involved takes place.

In particular, the speed of the gripping movement of the presser plates 60a, 60b can be adjusted to whether an uncoated or a coated vehicle wheel 12 is to be gripped. In an uncoated vehicle wheel 12, the movement of the Anpressteller 60a, 60b to be executed for this purpose can be carried out significantly faster than in the case of a coated vehicle wheel 12, in which the movement is correspondingly slow, so as not to affect the coating.

In the case that an empty handling module 10 has two driving - 11 -

generating wheels 12 record or two not yet treated vehicle wheels 12 are assumed, the robot-assisted movement of the handling module 10 can be done very quickly. If e.g. Vehicle wheels 12 are gripped by the handling module 10, which are provided with a fresh powder coating, the movement of the handling module 10 by the robot 14, however, takes place relatively slowly, so that no influence on the fresh coating is taken.

The handling module 10 cooperates with a central controller, not specifically shown, from which it receives data about the type of vehicle wheels 12 to be gripped next. As a result, the Anpressteller 60a, 60b are already moved in advance in the appropriate position, whereby the access time to the vehicle wheels 12 is optimized accordingly.

Then, the handling module 10 is guided by the robot 14 via two correspondingly positioned vehicle wheels 12 until the Anpressteller 60a, 60b respectively surrounding the outer surface 62 of the respective vehicle wheel 12 in the circumferential direction.

Then, the pairs of the carriages 48a, 50a and 48b, 50b are moved toward each other again, wherein a centering of the vehicle wheels 12 with respect to the center plane M takes place automatically due to the racks 54a, 54b.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the gripping units 32a, 32b are thus set up in such a way that vehicle wheels 12 gripped by the gripping devices 32a, 32b are aligned parallel to one another with respect to their axis of rotation R.

By the translation means 66a and 66b, one of a gripping unit 32a or 32b gripped vehicle 12 are moved individually and independently of the other vehicle 12 in the direction of its axis of rotation R. In this way, tolerances can be compensated in two recorded by the handling module 10 vehicle wheels 12, which cause the vehicle wheels 12 specify different storage levels in which they must be passed to another workstation.

In a modification not specifically shown here, a plurality of handling modules 10 may be attached to a kind of supporting rake, which in turn is coupled to the robot 14. In this way, the robot 14 two, three, four or even more handling modules 10 lead simultaneously, which four, six, eight or a corresponding number of vehicle wheels 12 can be handled simultaneously. In this case, all vehicle wheels 12 can likewise be moved individually into a position along their respective axis of rotation R.

Overall, the handling module described above is constructed in a modular fashion. The bearing jaws 56a, 56b and all associated components are identical and can thus be replaced at all points as a whole. This can reduce maintenance and service costs.

Claims

claims

A handling module for handling vehicle wheels in an apparatus for surface treatment with at least two gripping units (32a, 32b) carried by a frame structure (16), each comprising a plurality of pressing elements (60a, 60b) connected to one or more mating surfaces (62) of one individual vehicle wheel (12) are pressed, characterized in that at least one of the gripping units (32a, 32b) a

Translation device (66a, 66b) by means of which the pressing elements (60a, 60b) relative to the frame structure (16) are movable with a movement component which is parallel to the axis of rotation (R) of a gripped vehicle wheel (12).

Handling module according to claim 1, characterized in that the pressing elements (60a, 60b) by means of the translation means (66a, 66b) relative to the frame structure (16) coaxially with the axis of rotation (R) of the gripped vehicle wheel (12) are movable.

Handling module according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a plurality, preferably all, of the gripping units (32a, 32b) each comprise a translation device (66a, 66b).

Handling module according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the pressing elements (60a, 60b) of a first gripping unit (32a, 32b) regardless of the pressing elements (60b, 60a) of a second gripping unit (32b, 32a) are movable.

Handling module according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the gripping units (32a, 32b) are arranged such that by the Greifeinrichtun- gene (32a, 32b) gripped vehicle wheels (12) aligned with respect to their axis of rotation (R) axially parallel to each other are.

Handling module according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the pressing elements (60a, 60b) of a gripping unit (32a, 32b) each supported by a rod member (58) and are designed as Anpressteller, with its outer edge to an outer surface (62 ) of a vehicle wheel (12) are pressed.

Handling device according to claim 6, characterized in that a gripping unit (32a, 32b) comprises at least three rod elements (58a, 58b) with Anpressteller (60a, 60b).

Handling device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that at least one position of the pressing elements (60a, 60b) relative to the frame structure (16) by means of at least one sensor device (68a, 68b) can be detected.

Handling device according to claim 8, characterized in that the sensor device (68a, 68b) arranged such that each position of the pressing elements (60a, 60b) can be detected.