# US 2018/0021953 A1 · Robot Tool for Setting Sealing Plugs > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0021953 A1 - Document ID: US20180021953A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/719,648 - Filed: 2017-09-29 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2015-04-29 - Assignees: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft - Applicants: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft - Inventors: Max KOSSMANN; Johannes BIX; Ingo SCHMIEDEL - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180021953A1 ## CPC - B25J 9/1687: {Assembly, peg and hole, palletising, straight line, weaving pattern movement} - B23P 19/001: {Article feeders for assembling machines (screws or nuts being carried by a disposable strip or disc B25B23/045)} - B25J 15/0019: {End effectors other than grippers} - B62D 25/24: Superstructure sub-units with access {or drainage} openings having movable or removable closures; {Sealing means therefor}(inlet covers for vehicle fuel tanks B60K15/05) - B62D 65/02: Joining sub-units or components to, or positioning sub-units or components with respect to, body shell or other sub-units or components - Y10S 901/41: Tool - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q) - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A robot tool is provided for setting sealing plugs in openings in a vehicle body component by way of a placing installation, in which a plug magazine having a plurality of plugs is accommodated, which can be set into the respective openings in direct succession by the placing installation without reloading. A method is provided for securely setting the plugs, wherein a peripheral elastic lip is provided at an outlet of the setting device, which lip retains the plugs in the plug magazine and can be elastically bent by an axial motion of the plugs in the axial direction of the robot tool. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A robot tool for placing sealing plugs into openings in an automotive body component, comprising: a sealing plug magazine having a plurality of lined-up sealing plugs; a placing installation on which the sealing plug magazine is disposed, wherein by way of the placing installation the sealing plugs are capable of being placed in a directly sequential manner and without reloading into respective openings of the automotive body component; and an encircling elastic lip provided on an outlet of the placing installation, wherein the encircling elastic lip holds the sealing plugs in the sealing plug magazine and, by way of an axial movement of the sealing plugs, is capable of being elastically bent in an axial direction of the robot tool. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The robot tool according to claim 1, wherein the elastic lip is disposed on the placing installation so as to be axially spaced from an external axial periphery of the placing installation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The robot tool according to claim 2, wherein each of the sealing plugs has a non-elastic cover, and a frontmost sealing plug in a region of the placing installation is held on the cover by the elastic lip. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The robot tool according to claim 1, wherein each of the sealing plugs has a non-elastic cover, and a frontmost sealing plug in a region of the placing installation is held on the cover by the elastic lip. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The robot tool according to claim 1, wherein the elastic lip bears on a respective cover of the frontmost sealing plug and, in a course of an ejection movement of the sealing plug, serves as a guide for the sealing plug and is capable of being bent back by the cover. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The robot tool according to claim 1, wherein the robot tool is adapted for human-robot interaction, and the placing installation is capable of being guided to the opening sequentially and in an automated manner. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The robot tool according to claim 1, further comprising: an electric spindle drive by way of which the sealing plugs are capable of being ejected in predefined steps from the sealing magazine disposed on the placing installation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The robot tool according to claim 1, wherein the robot tool is configured to receive interchangable placing installations such that dissimilar sealing plugs are placeable into respectively dissimilar openings. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A method for placing a sealing plug into an opening in an automotive body component using a robot tool according to claim 1, the method comprising the steps of: ejecting a sealing plug to be placed from the outlet of the placing installation by a predetermined measure via the spindle drive of the placing installation; inserting the partially ejected sealing plug via the placing installation in an automated manner into an opening to be closed such that part of the sealing plug engages in the opening from behind so as to be held therein; ejecting the sealing plug from the placing installation; retracting the placing installation, wherein the elastic lip is bent when the sealing plug is ejected and retains a successive sealing plug in the sealing plug magazine after the ejection of the sealing plug. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein in order for the sealing plug to placed, the placing installation is configured so as to freely oscillate, and the sealing plug, by way of an oscillating movement of the placing installation, is positioned in self-acting manner so as to be centric to the opening to be closed.