Patent Publication Number: US-2005142926-A1

Title: Fastening device for attaching components &amp; devices

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This application claims priority to DE 20318749.0 filed Dec. 4, 2003.  
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
      The invention relates to a fastening device for attaching components to devices, which comprises at least two members that are joined together in a releasable interlocking manner in angle steps about at least one axis.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Fastening devices of this kind for use in manufacturing, testing and measuring are known in a variety of embodiments.  
      DE 296 03 081 U1 teaches a device of this kind, which is provided with at least one two-armed articulated arm, the joints of the articulated arms being formed by interlocking connections by means of intermeshing members with teeth adapted to one another on the mutually opposing surfaces of the joints and with releasable screw or bolt connections. In this case, the intermeshing members are designed as a kind of serration. A disadvantage seen here is the fact that the production of these intermeshing members together with the articulated arms proves to be difficult, and the design of the articulated arms remains restricted. A further disadvantage is seen in the number of different components.  
      The problem of the invention thus consists in eliminating the above-mentioned disadvantages and providing further advantages over the state of the art, where simple and versatile use is possible.  
      This problem is solved in accordance with the invention in that the members are joined by means of an insertion member, and the positive interlocking of the connection is achieved by means of external and corresponding internal toothing.  
      Advantageous further embodiments of the invention are contained in the dependent claims.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The fastening device of the invention has an insertion member which is used to join all the members of the device together. This insertion member joins the individual members to one another in an interlocking and releasable manner. It is preferably provided with external toothing, which may be a multi-toothed profile or a notched profile or the like. At the connection points, the members to be joined each possess continuous recesses, which are provided with internal toothing that corresponds to the profile of the external toothing of the insertion member.  
      The toothing profile of the insertion member and the connection members of the device preferably has an angular pitch of 15°. This is for manufacturing reasons; with appropriate manufacturing processes, it goes without saying that smaller or larger angular pitches can also be implemented. The insertion member is preferably bar stock which can be cut to size in a very simple, advantageous manner for the corresponding connections. It is also conceivable that the insertion member could be manufactured as a sintered product. The insertion member and the connection members of the device consist of a metal, preferably an aluminium alloy.  
      One advantage is that it is simple to insert internal toothing into the connection members of the device, because they are via holes. The advantage of this is that the design of the connection members is thus not limited.  
      The multi-toothed profile or notched profile of the connections ensures an interlocking connection. The connection members are fastened to the insertion members by means of different locking members. The locking members are preferably standard elements, such as grub screws, for example. It is also possible to attach known fastening members from the end face of the insertion member, said fastening members fixing the insertion member and the connection member to one another. It is also conceivable for the insertion member and the corresponding connection member to be secured by a pin means.  
      An advantage of a different embodiment of the invention is that it is possible, with a vernier scale, to obtain smaller angle steps. In one embodiment, for example, this vernier scale has an internal via hole with internal toothing corresponding to the insertion member, while at the same time possessing external toothing which has a different angular pitch from the internal toothing. This external toothing of the vernier scale is then fitted together with corresponding internal toothing of a connection member, further settings being rendered possible by the different angular pitches.  
      An advantageous aspect is that joining the device of the invention together is simple. For this purpose, it is necessary for each of the connection members to be provided with an insertion member and to be fitted together at the appropriate angle to one another. After that, they are secured by means of suitable locking members. In a further embodiment, the insertion members have a guide journal with an external diameter that is slightly smaller than the internal diameter of the associated internal toothing. This journal arrangement makes it easy for them already to be inserted into one another when releasing the connections between the connection members, or before fitting the connection members together so that they interlock; it is advantageous here for them simply to be aligned towards one another and then pushed together in an interlocking manner once they are aligned.  
      It is also possible, in addition to the guide journal or instead of the guide journal, to provide the internal toothing of the respective connection member with a hollowed out portion which provides this guidance. In this case, the hollowed out portion has a diameter that is slightly greater than the external diameter of the external toothing of the insertion member. The terms “external diameter” and “internal diameter” used for external toothing and internal toothing correspond to the term “outside diameter of a gearwheel” for internal or external gears.  
      In addition, an advantage of the device of the invention is that it is possible to fit more than two connection members together by means of one connection. An insertion member can be designed with such a length that it protrudes from both sides of a via hole of a connection member, so that additional connection members can be attached to the protruding ends with the desired angular spacing.  
      This creates a fastening device for construction elements for attaching to devices, which can be adapted in an advantageous manner before they are pushed together, then fitted so as to interlock, and secured. One advantage is that this is possible with a small number of connection members. It goes without saying that it is also conceivable for the profiling of the insertion members and the associated via holes of the connection members to be produced with different profiles from those described. The profiling of the insertion members and the via holes of the connection members are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the insertion member, or of the via hole in a connection member.  
      Other known quick-action components can also be used for fastening the connection members to the insertion members.  
      The invention is not limited to the examples shown. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      Further details of the invention are described in the drawings by means of schematic representations of working embodiments.  
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of an exemplified fastening device;  
       FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a further embodiment of a fastening device;  
       FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of a base element of a fastening device; and  
       FIG. 4  shows a schematic view of a vernier disk. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of an exemplified fastening device  1 , which is attached by fixing bolts  5  to a device  15  by means of an adapter plate  3  and a foot plate  4 .  
      A link support  8 , which can rotate about a vertical longitudinal axis and can be fixed in place by means of a locking member  7 , is disposed on the foot plate  4  by means of a rotatable swing plate  6 . The adapter plate  3 , the foot plate  4 , the rotatable swing plate  6  and the link support  8  together form a base element  2 , which is also shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 .  
       FIG. 1  shows that, attached to the link support  8  of the base element  2 , there is a mounting head  12  which can be swung about a lateral axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the link support  8  and can be fixed in place by means of locking screws  11 . In its upper portion, the mounting head  12  has a continuous recess, into which an insertion member  14  is inserted which is extended on one side. The insertion member  14  and the corresponding continuous opening of the mounting head  12  have profiling which creates a positive interlocking fit between the mounting head  12  and the insertion member  14 . Attached to the protruding end of the insertion member  14  is a connection member  13 . In this embodiment, this connection member is straight and elongate in shape and has, at each end, a profiled continuous opening, the profile of which is formed so as to correspond to that of the insertion member  14 .  
      A further connection member  13 ′, is attached to the upper end of the connection member  13  by means of the insertion member  14  already described. At the upper end of this connection member  13 , there is likewise an inserted insertion member  14 , onto which is pushed an assembly member  16  with fastening holes  17 .  
      The connections between the mounting head and the connection member  13  and between the latter and the connection member  13 ′, and also between the latter and the assembly member  17  each form an axis  21 , about which the members forming the respective connection can be swivelled after being detached from the respective profiled insertion member  14  and fitted together again.  
      The insertion member  14  and the corresponding receiving apertures in the individual connection members  13 ,  13 ′, and also in the assembly member  16  and in the mounting head  12 , and indeed also in any other connection members, not shown, are in each case releasably connected about the axis  21  in angle steps so as to interlock. In a preferred embodiment, the insertion member  14  has a multi-toothed profile of external toothing, which is designed to run parallel to the longitudinal axis of the insertion member  14 . This multi-toothed profile may also be a standardised notched profile. The respective receiving apertures of the connection members  13 ,  13 ′, of the mounting head  12  and the assembly member  16  have internal toothing corresponding to this profile.  
      The pitch of this multi-toothed or notched profile is preferably 15° and is dependent on the manufacturing process used for that profile. It is conceivable that smaller angular pitches can be produced by other manufacturing processes, such as sintering.  
      In  FIG. 1 , the connection members  13  and  13 ′ are depicted with a certain spacing between them and towards the mounting head  12 . In this case, this is only to make the respective insertion member clear. In practice, these parts are all joined together closely. In a preferred embodiment, the connection members  13 ,  13 ′, the assembly member  16  and the mounting head  12  with the respective insertion member  14  are locked in place by means of a first locking member  18 , such as a locking screw or grub screw. Other locking possibilities are also conceivable, such as a second locking member  19 , which can be disposed on the end face of the insertion member  14  in the form of a fastening member.  
      In addition, it is possible to design the second locking member in the form of a locking bore with pin means or screw fitting on the end face of the insertion member between the latter and the corresponding member of the respective connection.  
      In order to obtain a finer angular pitch between the members, a vernier scale  22  is disposed between the insertion member  14  and a connection member in a further embodiment. This arrangement is shown in  FIG. 4  in a schematic view from above. The vernier scale  22  can be designed in different forms. Its principle consists in the fact that, for example, different angular pitches are provided between its internal toothing and its external toothing. For this purpose, it is necessary that the connection member with the internal toothing be adapted to the angular pitch of the external toothing of the vernier scale  22 . Further variations of the different angular pitch are of course conceivable.  
      In one embodiment, which is not shown, the insertion member  14  has a guide journal, the external diameter of which is the same as the outside gearwheel diameter of the internal toothing of the associated connection member. The length of this guide journal runs in the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal axis of the insertion member  14  and can be of different lengths, depending on the system. The task of the guide journal is to guide the connection members, which are joined via the insertion member  14 , when they are pulled apart or joined together, so that, as an advantage, it is possible to swing the connection members towards one another without their having to be held in front of one another for guidance for the adaptation process. It is also conceivable that the connection member with the internal toothing should have a hollowed out portion in the direction of the axis of the internal toothing, the internal diameter of the hollowed out portion corresponding to the outside gearwheel diameter of the external toothing of the insertion member  14 . It is advantageous for the external diameter of the guide journal and the internal diameter of this hollowed out guidance portion to be selected with such dimensions that the corresponding part can be inserted and swivelled easily.  
       FIG. 2  shows a further embodiment of a fastening device, the mounting head  12  being equipped with an insertion member  14  which protrudes on both sides of the mounting head  12  and thus provides possibilities for sliding on an assembly member  16  and a further assembly member  20 . Similarly, instead of an assembly member  16 ,  20 , a further connection member  13  with corresponding extensions and further connection members can be attached. The assembly members  16 ,  20  serve to attach different components such as measuring means, detent members or fastening devices or the like.  
      The base element  2  can also be inserted in such a way that—as shown in  FIG. 3 —a connection member  13  can be attached by means of a simple locking screw  10  and further locking screws  11 . Instead of the locking screw  10 , it is likewise conceivable to use an insertion member  14  with the appropriate corresponding retainers. The link support  8  of the base element  2  can be swivelled about its longitudinal axis with a simple known revolving joint disposed in the rotatable swing plate  6  and secured by means of the locking member  7 . Here too, it is likewise possible to use an insertion member  14  with a corresponding receiving means in the foot plate  4 .  
      The insertion members  14  can advantageously be produced as bar stock, for example, which can advantageously be cut to the appropriate dimensions in a very simple manner.  
      In this way, an advantageous versatile fastening device for attaching different components to devices can be made, which is extremely simple to fit together and lock in place. Furthermore, this device in accordance with the invention is particularly economical in terms of manufacturing and processing the individual parts, in which the connection members  13 ,  13 ′ can be designed not only in the straight embodiment shown, but also in a cranked or twisted or other conceivable embodiment.