US 2005/0147476 A1Published application

Cutting tool for the in-process control of the residual wall thickness for the airbag weakening and method for this

OwnerAndreas Wienersinventor

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Abstract

The device with a cutting tool for producing a material predetermined breaking point for the release of airbags integrated in instrument panels, in side trims of doors of a vehicle and in the steering wheel hub as passenger protection consists in that, for the in-process control of the residual wall thickness of indented materials for the formation of weakening lines or of predetermined breaking and separating lines, at least one distance sensor (85) with a principle of measurement is provided on the cutting head (10) of the cutting tool (100) next to the cutting blade (35) thereof or next to the cutting tool connected with the guiding and movement device thereof for measuring the distance to the cutting counterplate (81).

Claims10

Dependent claims

Cutting tool (100) for materials (70), in particular made

of P[oly]U[rethane] elastomers,
of P[oly]V[inyl]C[hloride],
of T[hermo]P[lastic]E[lastomers],
of T[hermo]P[lastic]E[lastomers] on Polyether-E[ster-base],
of T[hermo]P[lastic]O[lefins] and/or
of T[hermo]P[lastic Poly]U[rethanes]
as structural skin, as slush skin, as injection moulded skin and/or as casting skin, which cutting tool (100) is controlled in its motion, in particular program and/or robot controlled, comprising at least one cutting head (10)
with at least one cutting blade (35),
with at least one blade holder (30) for the cutting blade and
with at least one driving device (20) setting the blade holder (30) with the cutting blade (35) into an oscillating or pulsating cutting movement or
with at least one robot controlled device setting the blade holder (30) with the cutting blade (35) into a drawing forward movement producing the cut, in particular for airbag trims with weakening structures,
wherein,
for the in-process control of the residual wall thickness (A2) of the indented materials (70) for the formation of weakening lines or of predetermined breaking and separating lines, i.e. for the airbag weakening, at least one distance sensor (85) with a principle of measurement is provided on the cutting head (10) of the cutting tool (100) next to the cutting blade (35) thereof or next to the cutting tool (100) connected with the guiding and movement device thereof for measuring the distance to a cutting counterplate (81), the principle of measurement being chosen such that the sensor signal cannot be influenced in any way by a mould skin situated in the cutting seat, whereby the sensor signal serves as a measurable variable of a control circuit for which
the distance (A) between the distance sensor (85) and the cutting counterplate (81) or
the distance (A2) between the tip of the tool, i.e. the cutting blade (35) and the cutting counterplate (81) is the regulating variable and
the robot controlled device with its control circuit or at least one additional interconnected adjusting axle acts as an actuator.

13 more elements

Method for the in-process control of the residual wall thickness (A2) for the airbag weakening by means of a cutting tool (100) controlled in its motion, in particular program and/or robot controlled, for materials (70), in particular made

of P[oly]U[rethane] elastomers,
of P[oly]V[inyl]C[hloride],
of T[hermo]P[lastic]E[lastomers], even on polyester or polyether-ester base,
of T[hermo]P[lastic]O[lefins] and/or
of T[hermo]P[lastic Poly]U[rethanes]
as structural skin, as slush skin, as injection moulded skin and/or as casting skin, whereby the cutting tool (100) comprises at least one cutting head (10)
with at least one cutting blade (35) and
with at least, one blade holder (30) for the cutting blade (35), whereby the blade holder (30) with the cutting blade (35)
is set into an oscillating or pulsating cutting movement by means of at least one driving device (20) or
by means of at least one robot controlled device into a drawing forward movement producing the cut,
wherein
the cutting blade (35) for producing weakening structures along a predetermined breaking line in the material (70) of the airbag trim is moved with at least a predetermined forward speed along the predetermined breaking line and the material (70) is indented,
the distance (A) of the distance sensor (85) to a cutting counterplate (81) receiving the material to be indented (70) is measured by means of at least one distance sensor (85) placed besides the cutting tool (100) or besides the cutting blade (35) and guided together with the cutting tool (100) or together with the cutting blade (35) and
the residual wall thickness (A2) is calculated from the distance (A) measured between the distance sensor (85) and the cutting counterplate (81) minus the predetermined value kept constant during the cutting procedure for the distance (A1) of the distance sensor (85) to the base, i.e. to the bottom surface (86) of the indent in the material (70), whereby the cutting blade (85) depth is automatically readjusted in case of deviations.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

Cutting tool (100) for materials (70), in particular made

of P[oly]U[rethane] elastomers,
of P[oly]V[inyl]C[hloride],
of T[hermo]P[lastic]E[lastomers],
of T[hermo]P[lastic]E[lastomers] on Polyether-E[ster-base],
of T[hermo]P[lastic]O[lefins] and/or
of T[hermo]P[lastic Poly]U[rethanes]
as structural skin, as slush skin, as injection moulded skin and/or as casting skin, which cutting tool (100) is controlled in its motion, in particular program and/or robot controlled, comprising at least one cutting head (10)
with at least one cutting blade (35),
with at least one blade holder (30) for the cutting blade and
with at least one driving device (20) setting the blade holder (30) with the cutting blade (35) into an oscillating or pulsating cutting movement or
with at least one robot controlled device setting the blade holder (30) with the cutting blade (35) into a drawing forward movement producing the cut, in particular for airbag trims with weakening structures,
wherein,
for the in-process control of the residual wall thickness (A2) of the indented materials (70) for the formation of weakening lines or of predetermined breaking and separating lines, i.e. for the airbag weakening, at least one distance sensor (85) with a principle of measurement is provided on the cutting head (10) of the cutting tool (100) next to the cutting blade (35) thereof or next to the cutting tool (100) connected with the guiding and movement device thereof for measuring the distance to a cutting counterplate (81), the principle of measurement being chosen such that the sensor signal cannot be influenced in any way by a mould skin situated in the cutting seat, whereby the sensor signal serves as a measurable variable of a control circuit for which
the distance (A) between the distance sensor (85) and the cutting counterplate (81) or
the distance (A2) between the tip of the tool, i.e. the cutting blade (35) and the cutting counterplate (81) is the regulating variable and
the robot controlled device with its control circuit or at least one additional interconnected adjusting axle acts as an actuator.

13 more elements