BUTTON KEY

A die button assembly includes a die button body and a key body that retains the die button body in a die member. The key body includes a fastener that is coupled to the key body by an expanded C-ring that is received in grooves on the key body and the fastener. The key body contracts a shoulder on the die button body to hold the die button when the fastener is secured in a die member.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to metal forming dies, and particularly to the retention and orientation of die buttons associated methods.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Die buttons are hardened steel components used in metal stamping dies when punching holes in sheet metal parts. They are normally round in shape and can be held in place by various means including, but not limited to, press fit, headed, fastener, ball lock, keys, retainers, etc.

When punching a round hole in a metal part, the need to provide a means to orient the button is not needed, unless there is contour to the face of the button, then the button needs to be locked in its radial orientation. The same applies to a button that has a shape other than round to the hole being punched. When there is a shape to the hole being punched, a means to radially orient the button is needed. This is usually accomplished by providing a dowel slot on the outside of the button or a flat on the exterior of the button. Sometimes this flat is the full length of the button and other times it is only part way through the length of the button.

Stamping dies and the use of die buttons usually retain the button orientation with a key. A key maintains radial position to the button. Keys are usually square or rectangular in shape and are fitted into a machined pocket in the tool. The key is held in place by a fastener, usually a socket head cap screw. To remove the key, there is also a tapped hole in the key the same size as the socket head cap screw that holds the key in place. This is used to jack the key out of the slot and allow the removal of the button from the tool. While this has been the accepted practice for many years, the key is usually square or rectangular in cross section, but its length is such that the fastener hole and the tapped hole require the key to be long in length, thereby using valuable space in the tool.

Current button keys have a large footprint due to the need for key to be “long” due to the use of standard fasteners as well as use of a “jack screw” for removal. Current keys also typically have smaller fastener/threads due to available space. Machining the current keys is also more challenging due to the length of the key requiring the orientation to be parallel with the flat on the button. This makes the pocket more challenging to machine due to the 2 “points” between the button pocket and the key slot. There are also multiple steps required to remove the key.

While such prior button keys have proven generally successful, further improvements and enhancements to the same, as well as metal forming dies generally, would be clearly advantageous, and are disclosed herein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is a die button assembly for attachment to a first die member in a metal forming die. The die button assembly has a die button body having a top surface, a bottom surface, and at least one outer wall extending between the top surface and the bottom surface. The die button body has an opening in the top surface and a shoulder formed on the at least one outer wall. A key body has a top surface, a bottom surface, and at least one outer wall extending between the top surface and the bottom surface. The key body has a fastener opening extending from the top surface to the bottom surface. The fastener opening has a first width in the top surface, and a second larger width in the bottom surface. A groove extends circumferentially in the fastener opening, the groove being in a portion of the fastener opening having the first width. The fastener has a head section and a threaded shank. The fastener has a first groove extending circumferentially about an exterior surface of the head section and a second groove extending circumferentially about the exterior surface of the head section. The second groove has a smaller depth than the first groove. The first groove is positioned adjacent to the second groove and the first groove is closer to the threaded shank. A retainer ring is closely received and retained in the second groove on said fastener and the groove on the fastener opening in the key body when the fastener is coupled to the fastener opening in the key body. A portion of the bottom surface of the key body contacts the shoulder on the die button body.

Another object of the present invention is a die button assembly. The die button assembly has a die button body having a top surface, a bottom surface, and at least one outer wall extending between the top surface and the bottom surface. The die button body has an opening in the top surface. A shoulder is formed on the at least one outer wall. The key body has a top surface, a bottom surface, and at least one outer wall extending between the top surface and the bottom surface. The key body has a fastener opening extending from the top surface to the bottom surface, the fastener opening has a first width in the top surface, and a second larger width in the bottom surface that tapers to the first width. A groove extends circumferentially in the fastener opening, the groove being in a portion of the fastener opening having the first width. The fastener has a head section and a threaded shank. The fastener has a first groove extending circumferentially about an exterior surface of the head section and a second groove extending circumferentially about the exterior surface of the head section. The second groove has a smaller depth than the first groove. The first groove is positioned adjacent to the second groove and the first groove is closer to the threaded shank. A retainer ring is closely received and retained in the second groove on the fastener and the groove on the fastener opening in the key body when the fastener is coupled to the fastener opening in the key body. A portion of the bottom surface of the key body contacts the shoulder on the die button body.

Yet another aspect of the present invention is a die button assembly for attachment to a first die member in a metal forming die. The die button assembly has a die button body having a top surface, a bottom surface, and at least one outer wall extending between the top surface and the bottom surface. The die button assembly has an opening in the top surface. A shoulder is formed on the at least one outer wall. A key body has a top surface, a bottom surface, and at least one outer wall extending between the top surface and the bottom surface. The key body has a fastener opening extending from the top surface to the bottom surface. A first groove extends circumferentially in the fastener opening, the first groove having the first width. The second groove extends circumferentially in the fastener opening, the second groove has a second width that is smaller than the first width. The second groove is positioned adjacent to the first groove and the second groove is closer to the bottom surface of the key body. The fastener has a head section and a threaded shank, and a groove extends circumferentially about an exterior surface of the head section. A retainer ring is closely received and retained in the groove on the fastener and the second groove on the fastener opening in the key body when the fastener is coupled to the fastener opening in the key body. A portion of the bottom surface of the key body contacts the shoulder on the die button body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The reference numeral 2 (FIG. 2) generally designates a die button assembly. The die button assembly 2 includes a die button body 4, a key body 20, and a fastener 40. The fastener 40 is retained in the key body 20 by a retainer ring 50. The die button assembly 2 can be secured into a die member 60 by use of a tool 80 as illustrated in FIG. 7. The tool 80 is illustrated as having a hexagonal tip that is received in the hexagonal opening 46 in the fastener 40. Other non-hexagonal shapes may be used for the tip of the tool 80 and the opening 46.

The die button body 4 has a top surface 6, a bottom surface 8, and an outer wall 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the outer wall 10 includes curved surfaces. However, the outer wall 10 could include multiple sections, flat sections, and/or be generally cylindrical. The die button body 4 includes an opening 12 in the top surface 6. The die button body 4 has a shoulder 15 on the outer wall 10. The shoulder 15 can be formed adjacent to a flat section 14 in the outer wall 10.

The key body 20 has a top surface 22, a bottom surface 24, and an outer wall 26. The outer wall 26 can be a single wall or can include multiple sections. A fastener opening 28 extends through the key body 20 from the top surface 22 to the bottom surface 24. The fastener opening 28 includes a first width closer to the top surface 22 and a wider, second width by the bottom surface 24, as illustrated in FIG. 6. The second width can taper to the first width. The key body 20 has a groove 30 in the fastener opening 28. The groove 30 is located in the portion of the fastener opening 28 that has the first width.

The fastener 40 has a head section 42 and a threaded shank portion 44. The head section 42 has a first groove 74 and a second groove 76 in the exterior surface of the head section 42. The first groove 74 and the second groove 76 extend circumferentially about the exterior surface of the head section 42 given that the head section 42 is illustrated as being generally cylindrical. However, the head section 42 can have a non-cylindrical exterior surface, and the grooves 74, 76 could have non-circular shapes. The first groove 74 is positioned closer to the threaded shank portion 44. The first groove 74 and second groove 76 are positioned adjacent to each other. In the illustrated embodiment, the second groove 76 has a smaller depth than the first groove 74.

A retainer ring 50 is used to couple the fastener 40 in the fastener opening 28 of the key body 20. As illustrated in FIG. 9, the assembly of the fastener 40 to the key body 20 involves placing the retainer ring 50 in the second groove 76 and pulling the head section 42 of the fastener 40 through the bottom surface 24 of key body 20. The wider second width and taper in the fastener opening 28 permits the advancement of the head section 42 within the fastener opening 28. As the head section 42 moves toward the top surface 22, the retainer ring 50 will eventually reach the groove 30 in the fastener opening 28. The retainer ring 50 then moves from the second groove 76 to the first groove 74 (second image on right side of FIG. 9). Once the fastener 40 receives pressure from the top of the fastener 40 (as illustrated in the far right image in FIG. 9), the retainer ring 50 will move back to the second groove 76. In the illustrated embodiment, the retainer ring 50 is a split ring (such as a metal C-ring) that can expand and contract. Other types of retainers can be used.

Once the fastener 40 is coupled to the key body 20 by the retainer ring 50, the key body 20 can be used to secure the die button body 4 in a die member 60. A die button body aperture 62 is formed in die member 60. The die button body aperture 62 has a shoulder 68 that contacts the bottom surface 8 of the die button body 4 when the die button body 4 is installed in the die member 60. The die button body aperture 62 can include a more narrow section 70 below the shoulder 68. A key body aperture 64 is also formed in the die member 60. The key body aperture 62 includes a threaded section 66 that receives a portion of the threaded shank 44 of the fastener. A shoulder 65 in the key body aperture 64 contacts the bottom surface 24 of the key body 20 when the key body 20 is installed in the die member 60. A portion of the bottom surface 24 of the key body 20 contacts the shoulder 15 of the die button body 4 to retain the die button body 4 in the die member 60 once the fastener has secured the key body 20 in the key body aperture 64. The key body aperture 64 is illustrated as being adjacent to the die button body aperture 62 in die member 60.

A different embodiment is shown in FIGS. 11-13. In that embodiment, the fastener opening 128 in the key body 120 has two grooves (130, 131), and the head section 142 of the fastener 140 has a single groove 146. The retainer ring 150 is used to couple the fastener 140 to the key body 120 as illustrated in FIG. 13. The retainer ring 150 is inserted at the bottom surface 124 of the key body 120. As the fastener 140 is inserted through the bottom surface 124 of the key body 120, the retainer ring 150 is pushed down into the second groove 130 in the fastener opening 128. The retainer ring 150 then moves down to the deeper first groove 131 (closer to the top surface 122 of the key body 120) and engages the groove 146 on the head section 142 of the fastener 140 (second image on right side of FIG. 13). Once pressure is applied on the top surface of the fastener 140, the retainer ring 150 then moves to the second groove 130 (i.e., the groove with the smaller width) that is positioned closer to the bottom surface 124 of the key body 120. This combined key body 120 and fastener 140 can then be used to secure the die button body 4 to a die member 60 similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2-4 and 7.

The die button body 4 and the key body (20, 120) can be made of any length or width of material. Typically these parts are made from a single piece of metal. The shapes of the surfaces of the die button body 4 and key body (20, 120) can be changed to include tapered surfaces, non-cylindrical sections, cylindrical sections, flat surfaces, and different diameters/widths/lengths.

It will be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art that construction of the present disclosure and other components is not limited to any specific material. Other exemplary embodiments of the disclosure disclosed herein may be formed from a wide variety of materials, unless described otherwise herein.

For purposes of this disclosure, the term “connected” or “operably connected” (in all of its forms, connect, connecting, connected, etc.) generally means that one component functions with respect to another component, even if there are other components located between the first and second component, and the term “operable” defines a functional relationship between components.