Background of the Invention In the manufacturing industry components are fre- quently arranged on a web, from which components are later on picked up one by one for application to objects.

Usually, the components are by means of an adhesive coating attached to a protective film which is provided in the form of a roll. When being used, a part of the protective film is unwound, after which, for example, a robot by means of a picking head picks up a component from the unwound part of the protective film and applies the component to an object while using the adhesive coat- ing applied to the object. It may here be a matter of, for example, seals which are to be applied to casings of mobile telephones.

The use of components arranged on a web allows a high degree of automation and, thus, a cost-effective production.

However, this method is connected with a number of difficulties which cause the method not to be as advanta- geous as desirable.

In order to provide a high degree of accuracy of mounting in connection with the application of each com- ponent to the respective objects, it is necessary that the component should be picked up from the web with a high degree of accuracy.

Therefore, the components must be placed on the web with the necessary dimensional accuracy, which, in prac- tice, has been found difficult to accomplish.

In order to ensure an accurate picking-up of the components, it is further required that the web should be correctly positioned. In particular, the web has to be positioned so that the components supported thereby are moved to the picking-up position at issue with the neces- sary dimensional accuracy. If the position deviates from that desired, there is a risk of a component being incor- rectly positioned in the picking head and, thus, being applied incorrectly to the object. For obvious reasons, this results in rejection and subsequent reworking.

Although the components are correctly placed on the web and the web is correctly positioned, it is neverthe- less difficult to pick up the components with the requi- site accuracy, which depends on the difficulty in picking up, by means of the picking head, each separate component from the web with the necessary accuracy. When the compo- nent is to be detached from the web, there is also always a risk of said component sliding somewhat in the picking head.

As mentioned above, the components may consist of seals which are normally made of a relatively thick and elastic material. When winding a protective film which supports such components, a deformation of the same often occurs. The components can also be moved"out of posi- tion"on the protective film. For obvious reasons, this means that picking-up with the required accuracy cannot be ensured, which, of course, has a negative effect on the accuracy of mounting when applying the component to the object.

Thus, there is a need for a method that in a better way ensures the necessary accuracy of mounting when pick- ing up a component from a web and applying the component to an object.

Summary of the Invention A first object of the present invention is to pro- vide an improved device of the type stated by way of in- troduction. The device should in this context especially allow picking-up of components with a high degree of ac- curacy in order to ensure the necessary accuracy of mounting when applying to the object the components picked up from the web.

A second object of the present invention is to pro- vide a corresponding method which ensures the requisite accuracy of mounting.

In order to achieve the first object, according to the invention a device is provided, having the features stated in claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the device will be evident from claims 2-15.

In order to achieve the second object, according to the invention a method is provided, having the features stated in claim 16. A preferred embodiment of the method will be evident from claim 17.

More specifically, a device is provided which com- prises a movably arranged picking head which is movable to a first position for picking up a component from a web and a second position for applying said component to an object, the device being characterised in that the pick- ing head comprises a punching tool which in said first position is adapted to engage with a material for punch- ing out said component, the material being arranged on said web, and a gripping means for retaining the compo- nent which is punched out in the first position.

As a result, a device is provided, which allows picking up of components from a web with a high degree of accuracy and which, thus, ensures the requisite accuracy of mounting in connection with the subsequent application of the components to the respective objects. When picking up a component from the web, the component is punched out from a material being arranged on a web and is retained in the picking head of the device by a gripping means.

The problems that are usually present regarding the loca- tion of the components on the web and the positioning of the web relative to the picking head are thus eliminated.

Consequently, by means of the device according to the in- vention, it is made possible to pick up a component from the web with an extremely high degree of accuracy, which, of course, allows high accuracy of mounting when applying the component to the object. Since the components are punched out from a material which is arranged on a web, nor is there a risk of the component being deformed or in some other manner be moved"out of position"on the web if this is provided in the form of a roll.

According to a preferred embodiment of the device, the punching tool operates, in connection with said en- gagement, for partial penetration of said material, the device further comprising a rotatable punching means which is movable along the punching tool with the web and the material arranged thereon and located between the punching tool and the punching means for penetrating the remaining part of the material. In this way, it is made possible, with a very high degree of accuracy, to punch out the material from the web without engagement taking place in said web. When the picking head is moved to the first position, the punching tool engages with the mate- rial for partial penetration. Thus, in this position there is no risk of engagement with the web. Subse- quently, the rotatable punching means is moved along the punching tool. When so doing, it becomes relatively easy to control the gap which is formed between the punching tool and the punching means. By ensuring that this gap constitutes essentially the thickness of the web, it is thus made possible to guarantee that the punching tool does not engage with the web.

The punching tool preferably exhibits at least one cutting edge facing the web and intended for said engage- ment with the material in said first position.

In addition, the device preferably comprises an abutment surface for controlling the engagement of the punching tool with said material. As a result, it is made possible for example to ensure that the engagement of the punching tool operates for partial penetration of the ma- terial.

The gripping means may comprise a suction means, a magnet means or a needle means for retaining a component.

The gripping means is preferably movable relative to the punching tool for applying a component which is re- tained in the same to an object. This means that an easy application of the component to the object is allowed without any risk of the punching tool interfering with the application.

Furthermore, the picking head of the device is ad- vantageously movable along an axis which extends perpen- dicular to the plane of the web. The punching tool will thus act for plane punching in the material when the picking head is moved to the first position.

According to yet another preferred embodiment of the device, this comprises a dispensing tongue over which said web runs and against which the punching tool works in said first position. In this context, the web is pref- erably deflected at a front edge of the dispensing tongue in respect of the moving direction of the web and exhib- its, which is advantageous as regards this object, a sharp edge portion being arranged at its front end trans- versely to the moving direction of the web.

According to yet another preferred embodiment of the device, the dispensing tongue supports a roll means which is extended transversely to the moving direction of the web and is adapted to protrude, to a certain extent, from the plane of the dispensing tongue and to co-operate with an abutment surface of the punching tool for controlling the engagement of the punching tool with the material.

Preferably, the dispensing tongue is movable in the longitudinal direction of the web between a first and a

second end position and is adapted to move relative to the web in a direction from the first position to the second position and, together with the web, in a direc- tion from the second position to the first position. A component which is punched out by the punching tool and retained by the gripping means is preferably detachable from the web when the picking head is arranged in said first position by moving the dispensing tongue in a di- rection opposite to the moving direction of the web from the first end position to the second end position. The component which has been punched out will thus be de- tached from the web when the dispensing tongue is moved relative to the web to the second end position. When the dispensing tongue subsequently is moved to the first end position, the displacement thus taking place together with the web, a feeding of the web occurs, which allows the punching-out and picking-up of a new component.

Preferably, the punching tool works in connection with the engagement for partial penetration of said mate- rial and the roll means is arranged in such a manner that, when the dispensing tongue is moved from the first end position to the second end position, it works as a rotatable punching means for co-operation with said punching tool for penetrating the remaining part of the material. Owing to this, it is made possible to ensure punching-out of a component without engagement with the web on which the material is arranged.

The picking head is preferably displaceable in a linear manner from said first position to said second po- sition when the dispensing tongue is moved to said second end position. In this way, application of a component to an object is allowed in a particularly easy manner.

Moreover, a method is provided for applying a compo- nent to an object, comprising the steps of moving a pick- ing head to a web with a view to picking up a component from the same and, subsequently, moving the picking head to the object with a view to applying the component to

the same, the method being characterised in that the step of picking up the component comprises the steps of punch- ing out said component from a material arranged on the web, by means of a punching tool included in the picking head, and retaining the punched-out component in the picking head with the aid of a gripping means.

Preferably, the step of punching out said component comprises moving the punching tool perpendicular to a dispensing tongue, over which the web runs, in order to partially penetrate the material arranged on the web and, subsequently, moving the dispensing tongue in a direction opposite to the moving direction of the web in such a manner that a roll means which is supported by the dis- pensing tongue co-operates with the punching tool in or- der to penetrate the remaining part of the material.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will in the following be described by way of example with ref- erence to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figs la-e schematically show the sequence according to the invention for picking up a component from a web and for applying the component to an object.

Fig. 2 is a part-sectional side view of a preferred embodiment of a device according to the invention, a picking head being shown in an initial position and a dispensing tongue being shown in a first end position.

Fig. 3 is a broken-away perspective view of a part of the picking head shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a part-sectional side view of the device in Fig. 2, the picking head being moved to a picking-up position and the dispensing tongue being arranged in said first end position.

Fig. 5 is a part-sectional side view of the device in Fig. 2, the picking head being moved to said picking- up position and the dispensing tongue being moved to a second end position.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged part-sectional view of part of the device in Fig. 2, showing the displacement of the dispensing tongue from the first end position towards the second end position.

Fig. 7 is a part-sectional side view of the device in Fig. 2, the picking head being moved to an application position and the dispensing tongue being moved to said second end position.

Description of Embodiments Reference is made to Figs la-e, in which a sequence is illustrated that schematically shows the method ac- cording to the invention for picking up a component 1 from a web 2 and for applying said component 1 to an ob- ject 3.

In order to carry out the method, a device according to the invention is used, comprising a picking head 4 and a dispensing tongue 5.

The picking head 4 has a punching tool 6 with asso- ciated cutting edges 7 and a gripping means 8.

A liner 9 runs over the dispensing tongue 5 and is deflected at its front end from the plane of the dispens- ing tongue 5.

The picking head 4 is movably arranged for displace- ment from an initial position shown in Fig. la to a pick- ing-up position shown in Fig. 1b and an application posi- tion shown in Fig. le.

The liner 9 is formed by a web 2 on which a material 10 is arranged. The web 2 can consist of a protective foil on which a material 10 is arranged which, on its side facing the protective foil, supports a coating of an adhesive material.

With a view to picking up a component 1, the picking head 4 is thus moved to the picking-up position shown in Fig. lb. The cutting edges 7 of the punching tool 6 will by this engage with the material 10 arranged on the web 2 for punching out a component 1.

Subsequently, the dispensing tongue 5 is moved in a direction opposite to the moving direction of the liner 9, as shown in Fig. lc. Said displacement takes place relative to the liner 9 which is kept extended for continuous angling at the front end of the dispensing tongue 5.

The gripping means 8 which works for retaining the punched-out component 1 in the picking head 4 ensures that the component 1 is dispensed, i. e. detached, from the web 2 when this is deflected from the plane of the dispensing tongue 5.

Fig. Id shows how a component 1 that is punched out from the material 10 is retained in the picking head 4 while the dispensing tongue 5 is moved to an end position next to the picking head 4.

In order to apply the component 1 to the object 3, the picking head 4 is moved to said application position which is shown in Fig. le.

Finally, the picking head 4 is moved back to the initial position and the dispensing tongue 5 is moved to- gether with the liner 9 to the end position shown in Fig. la, whereby new material is arranged below the pick- ing head 4. The device is thus ready for a new cycle.

Reference is now made to Fig. 2 which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the device according to the in- vention. The device comprises, as previously described, a dispensing tongue 5 for continuous feeding of a liner 9, and a picking head 4.

The liner 9 comprises as previously a material 10 which is arranged on a web 2 which can be formed by a protective film on which a material 10 provided with an adhesive coating is arranged.

The picking head 4 comprises a punching tool 6 and a gripping means 8 and is shown in more detail in Fig. 3, to which reference is also made. The picking head 4 is supported by a stand (not shown) and is movably arranged for linear displacement from an initial position shown in

Fig. 1 to a picking-up position and to an application position.

The punching tool 6 comprises a tubular element 11 which can be given an optional shape. In the shown em- bodiment, the element 11 has a square cross-section. The punching tool 6 further exhibits two cutting edges 7 lo- cated at a distance from one another which are arranged on the underside 12 of the element 11. Naturally, the punching tool 6 can also exhibit a cutting edge which is extended in an endless web, as well as there may be more than two cutting edges arranged on the underside 12 of the element 11. Finally, the punching tool 6 also com- prises abutment surfaces 13 which are arranged outside the cutting edges 7 on two opposite sides of the under- side 12 of the element 11.

The gripping means 8 is movably arranged inside the element 11 of the punching tool 6. However, it will be understood that the gripping means 8 also can be arranged outside the punching tool 6, if desirable. In particular, the gripping means 8 is displaceable in a linear manner relative to the punching tool 6 in its longitudinal di- rection and can be made to protrude from the underside 12 of the element 11. In the gripping means 8, one or more through ducts 14 are formed leading to the underside 15 of the gripping means 8.

The dispensing tongue 5 is movably arranged for dis- placement between a first end position and a second end position shown in Fig. 2 and has at its front end in the moving direction of the liner 9 a sharp edge portion 17 which extends transversely to the moving direction of the liner 9. In addition, the dispensing tongue 5 supports a roll means 16 which is arranged transversely to the mov- ing direction of the liner 9 and which is arranged in such a manner that, to a certain degree, it protrudes from the plane of the dispensing tongue 5. The liner 9 thus runs over the dispensing tongue 5 and, then, also over the roll means 16 and, further, over the edge por-

tion 17. In particular, the liner 9 is deflected from the plane of the dispensing tongue 5 at said edge portion 17.

Besides, the dispensing tongue 5 comprises means (not shown) for feeding the web over the dispensing means 5.

These means are arranged in such a manner that the dis- pensing tongue 5 is moved relative to the liner 9 when the dispensing tongue 5 is moved in a direction away from the first end position to the second end position and to- gether with the liner 9 when the dispensing tongue 5 is moved in the opposite direction for step-by-step feeding of the liner 9. The means for feeding the liner 9 ensure that the liner 9 is kept extended during the displacement of the dispensing tongue 5 for continuous deflection of the liner 9 at the front end of the dispensing tongue 5.

The device according to the invention is intended for automated and piece-by-piece picking-up of components 1 from a web 2 and for piece-by-piece application of said components 1 to objects 3. Each component 1 can, for ex- ample, be a seal which is to be applied to an object 2 in the form of a casing of a mobile telephone. However, it will be understood that the picking head can also be de- signed in such a manner that picking up more than one component is allowed for application to one or more ob- jects.

With a view to picking up a component 1, the picking head 4 is moved from the initial position shown in Fig. 2 to a first position shown in Fig. 4 which constitutes a picking-up position. The dispensing tongue 5 is arranged in its first end position. In particular, the picking head 4 is moved perpendicular to the plane of the dis- pensing tongue 5 and the cutting edges 7 on the underside 12 of the element 11 of the punching tool 6, the under- side facing the liner 9, will thereby engage with the ma- terial 10 arranged on the web 2 of the liner 9.

When the picking head 4 is moved to said picking-up position, the roll means 16 which, as previously men- tioned, to a certain degree protrudes from the plane of

the dispensing tongue 5, serves as a stop for the abut- ment surfaces 13 of the punching tool 6. Owing to this, the engagement of the cutting edges 7 with said material 10 is controlled. In particular, this engagement is con- trolled in such a manner that the cutting edges 7 only serve for partial penetration of the material 10, i. e. the cutting edges 7 do not completely penetrate the mate- rial 10. It will hereby be understood that stops and abutment surfaces also can be arranged in another way in order to provide the requisite control of the engagement of the cutting edges with the material.

Subsequently, an air unit (not shown) is actuated, which is adapted via the air duct 14 to apply a vacuum to the underside 15 of the gripping means 8 in order to re- tain the punched-out component 1.

Finally, the dispensing tongue 5 is moved in a di- rection away from the first end position to the second end position which is schematically shown in Fig. 5. The rotatable roll means 16 will during said displacement of the dispensing tongue 5 be moved past the cutting edges 7 while maintaining contact with the abutment surfaces 13 of the punching tool 6. As previously mentioned, the roll means 16 protrudes, to a certain degree, from the plane of the dispensing tongue 5. In this connection, the roll means 16 forms a rotatable punching means which will co- operate with the cutting edges 7 for penetrating the re- maining part of the material 10, which is shown in more detail in Fig. 6, to which reference is now also made.

The abutment surfaces 13 and the roll means 16 are mutu- ally arranged in such a manner that the engagement of the cutting edges 7 acts to penetrate the material 10 but not to cuttingly engage the web 2. In particular, the abut- ment surfaces 13 and the roll means 16 are arranged in such a manner that a gap X is formed between the upper periphery of the roll means 16 and the cutting edges 7, the gap X essentially corresponding to the thickness of the web 2.

When the dispensing tongue 5 is moved in said direc- tion and the roll means 6 thus ensures that the cutting edges 7 completely penetrate the material 10, a punching- out of a component 1 from the material 10 is performed.

Said component 1 is retained in the picking head 4 by the gripping means 8 and the vacuum applied to its underside 15. The displacement of the dispensing tongue 5 in said direction takes place relative to the liner 9. Moreover, the liner 9 is kept extended and is deflected at the sharp edge portion 17. As a result, the punched-out com- ponent 1 is dispensed, i. e. detached, from the web 2 while the component 1 is retained in the picking head 4.

It will be understood that, in certain cases, it is pos- sible to avoid the sharp edge portion 17 of the dispens- ing tongue 5 and, in this connection, to arrange the roll means 16 at the front end of the dispensing tongue 5 in order to let the liner 9 be deflected over said roll means 16. However, it is preferred to arrange, in the manner described above, a sharp edge portion 17 at said front end since a more reliable breaking up of the adhe- sive that fixes the component 1 to the web 2 is thus ob- tained.

The device according to the invention allows a com- ponent 1 to be picked up from a web 2 with a very high degree of accuracy, as a result of the component 1 being punched out from a material 10 and then being retained in the punched-out position. Consequently, there is no need of positioning the web 2 and the component 1 relative to the picking head 4 and nor is there a risk of the compo- nent 1 moving"out of position"on the web 2. There is no such risk even if the component 1 is made of a relatively thick and elastic material 10, such as foam plastic or rubber and, thus, nor if the liner 9 is provided in a wound-up state on a roll.

The punching-out of the component 1 takes place in two steps. In a first step, i. e. when the picking head 4 is moved to said picking-up position, an initial partial

penetration of the material 10 occurs by plane punching.

Subsequently, the dispensing tongue 5 is moved to the second end position, the roll means 16 co-operating with the cutting edges 7 for penetration of the remaining part of the material 10 by principally rotation punching.

It will be understood that it is considerably easier to control the engagement of the cutting edges 7 with the material 10 with high tolerance in the second step. In connection with plane punching, as in the first step, the engagement of the cutting edges 7 with the material 10 takes place, to a large extent, in an uncontrolled manner as a result of the simultaneous abutment of the cutting edges 7 against the material 10. Initially, the material 10 can be compressed, after which a cutting engagement may occur relatively instantaneously. This instantaneous engagement can cause uncontrollable resilience in the de- vice, the resilience possibly having as a result that the cutting edges 7 also engage with the web 2, which is dis- advantageous for reasons which will be described in the following. Due to this fact, the engagement of the cut- ting edges 7 with the material 10 during the first step is arranged for only partial penetrating of the material 10. In the second step rotation punching immediately oc- curs, whereby it is made possible to ensure that the en- gagement of the cutting edges 7 with the material 10 works for a complete penetration of the material 10 but not for cutting engagement with the web 2, which is per- formed by means of the gap X between the roll means 16 and the cutting edges 7, the gap being controlled by the abutment surfaces 13 and essentially corresponding to the thickness of the web 2. This is important since cutting engagements with the web 2 would involve a risk of de- laminating the web 2 when dispensing the component 1 from the web 2. Delamination means that a part of the web 2 is torn away and left on the underside of the component 1 which, of course,-if the component 1 on its underside supports an adhesive coating-makes a later application

of the component 1 to an object 3 impossible. It will be understood that it is acceptable if the cutting edges 7 work for pressing the web 2 together since there is no risk of delamination in connection with dispensing.

The engagement of the cutting edges 7 with the mate- rial 10 during said first step should correspond to no more than 75 % of the total thickness of the material, but it should be understood that this relationship is only a standard value that has to be adapted to each type of component and material. As regards certain materials, it may further be possible already in the first step to carry out a complete punching out of the component from the material without a subsequent risk of delamination in connection with dispensing, whereby it is made possible to do without the second step.

When the dispensing tongue 5 is thus moved to the second end position, the picking head 4 is moved to a second position constituting an application position, which is shown in Fig. 7. Advantageously, this movement takes place by a linear displacement to a position below the picking-up position.

In said application position, the object 3 is ar- ranged to which the component 1 is to be applied. The gripping means 8 is displaced inside the punching tool 6 in such a manner that the underside 15 of the gripping means 8 protrudes past the underside 12 of the element 11 of the punching tool 6. The component 1 can thus be eas- ily applied to an associated surface of the object 3.

Conveniently, the application occurs by means of a coat- ing of an adhesive material, the coating being arranged on the side of the component 1 facing the object 3. Sub- sequently, the component 1 is detached from the gripping means 8 by clearance of the vacuum at the underside 15 of the gripping means 8 and the picking head 4 is moved back to the initial position.

Finally, the dispensing tongue 5 is again moved back to the first end position. This movement takes place as

previously mentioned together with the liner 9, whereby feeding of the same is effected.

Thus, the device is ready for a repeated cycle for picking up a new component 1 from the web 2 and applying said component 1 to a new object 3.

It will be understood that the present invention has only been described with reference to a non-limiting pre- ferred embodiment.

In the preferred embodiment, the plane of the dis- pensing tongue coincides with the horizontal plane. How- ever, it is possible to angle the plane and let the punching tool follow this with a perpendicular direction of stroke. Besides, it is also possible, for example, to let the punching tool operate from below towards the dis- pensing tongue.

The roll means should be made of tempered steel since this will be exposed to wear, on the one hand, by the liner which is fed over the roll means and, on the other, by the friction between the same and the cutting edge and the abutment surfaces of the punching tool. In addition, the demands for dimensional accuracy should be great.

Also the punching tool should be made of tempered steel in order to withstand wear and tear and meet the requirements for great dimensional accuracy.

The gripping function of the gripping means can be achieved by vacuum, but other possible solutions are, for example, magnetism or needles. The choice of solution is controlled by the type of material that is to be punched out.

Roll means, punching tools and gripping means might be exchangeable in order to allow a simple adjustment for handling differently designed components.

Consequently, several modifications and variations are possible, and the invention is thus exclusively de- fined by the appended claims.