# US 2018/0021958 A1 · Robot Tool for Setting Sealing Plugs Having an Angled Motor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0021958 A1 - Document ID: US20180021958A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/719,673 - Filed: 2017-09-29 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2015-04-29 - Assignees: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft - Applicants: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft - Inventors: Ingo SCHMIEDEL; Max KOSSMANN - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180021958A1 ## CPC - B25J 15/0019: {End effectors other than grippers} - B23P 19/001: {Article feeders for assembling machines (screws or nuts being carried by a disposable strip or disc B25B23/045)} - B25J 9/12: electric - B25J 19/0025: {Means for supplying energy to the end effector} - 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 - B23P 2700/50: Other automobile vehicle parts, i.e. manufactured in assembly lines - 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) - 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) ## Abstract A robot tool for placing sealing plugs in openings in a vehicle body component includes a placing installation, in which a plug magazine having a plurality of plugs is accommodated, which plugs 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 the plugs can be pushed out of the plug magazine accommodated in the placing installation in predefined steps by a drive unit, wherein the plug magazine extends axially in a first direction and the drive unit is arranged on the plug magazine at an angle of 90-150° to the first direction. ## 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 via the placing installation the plurality of the sealing plugs are capable of being placed in a directly sequential manner and without reloading into respective openings of the automotive body component; a drive unit configured to eject the sealing plugs in predefined steps from the sealing plug magazine disposed on the placing installation, wherein the sealing plug magazine extends in an axial direction, and the drive unit is disposed relative to the sealing plug magazine at an angle of 90° to 170° in relation to the axial direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The robot tool according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit comprises a motor and a flexible brush cable configured as an indexing element, and the brush cable is connected to a slide that is capable of being repositioned in the axial direction and by way of which the sealing plugs are capable of being moved out of the sealing plug magazine. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The robot tool according to claim 2, wherein the brush cable has a deflection at an angle of 60° to 120°. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The robot tool according to claim 2, wherein the drive unit further comprises a drive that engages the brush cable and during operation moves the brush cable such that the brush cable repositions the slide. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The robot tool according to claim 3, wherein the drive unit further comprises a drive that engages the brush cable and during operation moves the brush cable such that the brush cable repositions the slide. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The robot tool according to claim 1, further comprising: an encircling elastic lip provided on an outlet of the placing installation that holds the sealing plugs in the sealing plug magazine, wherein via an axial movement of the sealing plugs, the elastic lip is capable of being elastically bent in the axial direction of the robot tool. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The robot tool according to claim 6, wherein each of the sealing plugs has a non-elastic cover, and a forward most sealing plug in the region of the placing installation is held on the cover by the elastic lip. ### Claim 8 (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 openings sequentially and in an automated manner. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The robot tool according to claim 1, wherein the robot tool is configured to receive interchangeable placing installations, wherein dissimilar sealing plugs are placeable via different placing installations into respectively dissimilar openings. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A method for placing a sealing plug into an opening in an automotive body component via a robot tool according to claim 1, the method comprising the steps of: ejecting the sealing plug to be placed from an outlet of the placing installation by a predetermined amount via the drive unit; inserting the partially ejected sealing plug via the placing installation in an automated manner into the opening to be closed such that a portion 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 sealing plug, via the drive unit, is ejected in predefined steps from the sealing plug magazine disposed in a placing installation, and the sealing plug magazine extends axially in a first direction and the drive unit is disposed on the sealing plug magazine at an angle of 90° to 150° in relation to the first direction. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein in order for the sealing plug to be placed, the placing installation is configured to freely oscillate, wherein the sealing plug, via an oscillating movement of the placing installation, is positioned in a self-acting manner with respect to the opening to be closed.