Patent Abstract:
A device for foaming around a transparent pane for a motor vehicle roof, including a top tool having a top shaping structure mounted on a top carrier, and a bottom tool having a bottom shaping structure mounted on a bottom carrier. The shaping structures act as a boundary for the area to be peripherally foamed, and the top tool and the bottom tool are made adjustable relative to one another for inserting or removing the pane and the interchangeable bottom shaping structure. The top shaping structure is also interchangeable to enable matching of the peripheral foaming device to different size and shape panes to be peripherally foamed.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    This invention relates to a device for foaming around a transparent pane of a motor vehicle roof.  
           [0003]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0004]    One such generic device is shown in published German Patent Application DE 198 08 113, the top shaping means being located permanently, i.e., not interchangeably, in the device, while the bottom shaping means is made interchangeable in order to enable production of different versions of the motor vehicle roof panes in which the mounting parts are positioned differently, with the same top shaping means. The problem with this known device is that while models of motor vehicle roof panes which differ only slightly, i.e. in the area of the lower shaping means, can be produced with the device, for a completely new model series the entire device must be prepared anew; which is very time consuming and requires a high investment. This is especially a problem when the numbers of items of an individual model series are relatively low.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The primary object of the invention is to provide a device for foaming around a transparent pane for a motor vehicle roof which enables economic production of motor vehicle roof panes.  
           [0006]    This object is achieved in accordance with the invention by a device described hereinbelow. In the inventive approach, there is an advantage because the bottom and top shaping means, which are generally highly product specific, are made interchangeable by means of a modular construction in order that the peripheral foaming device can be adapted to a completely new model series at low cost by merely replacing the corresponding components. This reduces the preparation time for the device, and the tool investment costs for the new model series. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 shows a view of the bottom tool of the device for foaming around a transparent pane for a motor vehicle roof;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 shows a view of the corresponding top tool from underneath;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 shows a side view of the device from FIGS.  1  of  2  in the closed position; and  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 shows a view similar to FIG. 3, the device however being shown in the opened position. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]    According to FIGS.  1  to  4 , the bottom tool  30  of the peripheral foaming device  34  comprises a heated base plate  1 , on which a bottom shaping ring  3 , made for example of steel or aluminum, is mounted. The type of mounting is chosen such that the bottom shaping ring  3  can be easily replaced, that is, handles  5  mounted laterally on the lower shaping ring  3  facilitate replacement of the latter by hand. On the two wide sides of the shaping ring  3  there is one ring enlargement  6  for the gate and one ring enlargement  7  for the lateral waste. The bottom base plate 1 which is made essentially rectangular is provided with tool guides  11  in its edge areas.  
         [0012]    The middle area of the base plate  1 , which is surrounded by the shaping ring  3 , is breached by an opening, in this area there is a raisable ejector bottom  10  which is provided in the edge area with support elements  9  on which the transparent pane  17  to be peripherally foamed is placed. In the middle area of the ejector bottom  10 , there are two suction means  8  for positioning and fixing the pane  17 .  
         [0013]    The pane  17  is a transparent pane for an openable motor vehicle roof, for example, a sliding roof, a sliding and lifting roof, or a spoiler roof, and is preferably a glass pane or plastic pane.  
         [0014]    As shown in FIG. 2, the top tool  32  comprises a heated upper plate  2  which is essentially rectangular, and in its edge areas is provided with tool guides  11 . The top base plate  2  bears a top shaping ring  4  which, analogously to the bottom shaping ring  3 , is attached to the top base plate  2  such that it can be easily replaced. To facilitate this replacement handles  5  are provided on the top shaping ring  4 . The top shaping ring  4  is likewise for example made of steel or aluminum and on its wide sides has one ring enlargement  6  for the gate and one ring enlargement  7  for the lateral waste.  
         [0015]    The top tool  32  and the bottom tool  30  can be adjusted in the vertical direction relative to one another by means of a drive which is not shown and together form the device  34  for foaming around the pane  17 .  
         [0016]    As shown in FIG. 4, in the opened state of the device, the glass pane  17  is placed on the support elements  9  of the ejector bottom  10  and is centered with respect to the bottom shaping ring  3  by a centering means, which on either narrow side of the bottom shaping ring  3  has a linear motor  13  with path interrogation, and a centering element  26  which can be moved laterally against the pane  17 . The linear motor  13  is mounted on the bottom base plate  1  by means of an adjustable mounting  12 . Furthermore, the centering means has a stop  14  for the centering element  26 . The linear motor  13  is used for adjusting the centering element  26 . The centering means is made conventionally, the adjustment path of the centering elements  26  however is selected to be sufficiently large such that panes  17  of different dimensions can be processed in the device  34 . After the centering process, the pane is fixed by suction means  8  with respect to the bottom tool  30 .  
         [0017]    Instead of being provided with a linear motor, the centering means can also be made more economically. In particular, the entire centering means can be made interchangeable in order to enable optimum matching to a wide range of different pane dimensions.  
         [0018]    As shown in FIGS. 3 &amp; 4, the top tool  32  is provided with a media connection  21 , for example, for hydraulics, air and electricity, which is guided through the top base plate  2  and leads to a media interface  20  which is formed on the boundary between the top base plate  2  and the top shaping ring  4 , in order to enable media supply of the top shaping ring  4 . The media interface  20  is made such that when the top shaping ring  4  is replaced, media supply to it can be easily established, for example by means of plug connections. Within the top shaping ring  4  there is a media channel  28  which is connected to the media interface  20  and leads to a connection  19  to which parts-specific elements can be connected, for example a slider for insert parts which can be for example holding angles  18  which are used for attachment of the pane  17  to the cover mechanism in the vehicle. These indicated parts-specific elements are not shown in FIGS. 3 &amp; 4. A fixing element  22  on the top shaping ring  4  can be made as a catch projection in order to fix an insert part (in this example a holding angle  18 ) on the top shaping ring  4  before the foaming process (see FIG. 4).  
         [0019]    After the pane  17 , as shown in FIG. 4, has been fixed with reference to the bottom tool  30 , and the top tool  32  has been provided with the insert parts  18 , the top tool  32  is lowered, the top shaping ring  4  and the bottom shaping ring  3  in the edge area of the pane  17  forming a shaping area  23  between themselves. The bottom tool  30  is provided with a vacuum connection  15  which is routed through the lower base plate  1  and is provided with an interface  36  to a vacuum panel  16  which is made in the bottom shaping ring  3 . The interface  36  can be made analogously to the media interface  21  of the top tool  32  on the boundary between the lower base plate  1  and the bottom shaping ring  3 . If additional media should be necessary for the bottom shaping ring  3 , the interface  36  can be modified accordingly. Preferably, the interface  36  is made such that when the bottom shaping ring  3  is replaced, media supply to it can be easily established, for example, by means of a plug connection.  
         [0020]    In the peripheral foaming process, the foaming material is introduced into the shaping area  23  by means of a foam feed means which is not shown. Introducing the foaming material into the shaping area  3  is used to provide the peripheral edge area of the pane  17  with a peripheral foaming area and to attach insert parts, such as holding angles  18 , to the pane.  
         [0021]    After completion of the peripheral foaming process, the peripheral foaming device  34  is opened again by raising the top tool  32  so that the peripherally foamed pane  17  can be removed from the bottom tool  30  by raising the ejector bottom  10 .  
         [0022]    In the embodiment shown, the bottom shaping ring  3 , the top shaping ring  4 , the support elements  9  and the stop  14  are made interchangeable in order to enable refitting of the peripheral foaming device  34  for different model series with respect to the pane  17  or the insert parts  18 . In this way, it can be ensured that especially the shaping area  23 , the insert part fixing  22 , the connection  19  for the parts-specific element and the support elements  9  can be matched specifically to a certain model series without the need to prepare a completely new peripheral foaming device  34 .  
         [0023]    The top and the bottom base plate  1  and  2 , the handles  5 , the suction elements  8 , the ejector bottom  10 , the tool guide  11 , the centering means with the attachment  12 , the linear motor  13  and the centering element  26 , the vacuum connection  15 , the vacuum panel  16 , the media interface  20  and the media connection  21  can equally be made as standard components for all model series.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1