Patent ID: 12214412

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG.1shows a completely moved-together or closed apparatus1for clinching a component B or for setting a joining, functional or connection element on the component B. The apparatus1is, for example, in the form of a set of joining, clinching or stamping tongs. The apparatus1having a joining axis S is in the specific exemplary embodiment in the form of a clinching tool or tool for clinching or clinch-joining.

The apparatus1comprises a retention portion2, with which the apparatus1can be positioned on a receiving member3, which is indicated with broken lines, such as a robot arm or a wall in the environment. The retention portion2acts as a retention frame or machine frame. Furthermore, the apparatus1has a base member4which is supported via a bearing location5on the retention portion2. The bearing location5is constructed in such a manner that the base member4has at least one open, spatial degree of freedom. In this instance, for example, the bearing location5is a rotary bearing with a rotation axis D transverse to the joining axis S. The base member4is preferably in the form of a C-shaped frame or C-shaped bracket and acts as a counter-force frame relative to the retention portion2.

A bottom die unit6and a stamp unit7which is opposite the bottom die unit6and which has a stamp8are received on the base member4. In order to reversibly move the stamp8, there is provided a drive unit9which reversibly drives a linearly movable actuation element10which is coupled to the stamp8along the joining axis S of the apparatus1in order to act on a component B which is provided between the stamp unit7and the bottom die unit6(seeFIGS.4to10).

The actuation element10which is formed in the exemplary embodiment by a working piston11which can be moved in a driven manner along the joining axis S linearly with the drive unit9is driven with the drive unit9, for example, a pressing drive. The actuation element10or the working piston11is connected at the front to the stamp8.

The joining axis S is a movement axis or coincides with the longitudinal center axis of the actuation element10or the working piston11and the stamp8and goes through the bottom die unit6(cf.FIG.1).

The base member4is movable via the bearing location5relative to the retention portion2or can be pivoted about the rotation axis D back and forth. There is further provided a mechanical coupling which is in the form of a control device12between the actuation element10and the retention portion2. The control device12predetermines that, in accordance with the position of the actuation element10along the joining axis S as a result of the driven movement of the actuation element10, the position of the base member4is predetermined relative to the retention portion2.

There is further provided an additional element as a pressure-reduction device13in order to provide a mechanical pressure reduction of elements of the control device12, particularly with respect to dynamic and static loads or gravitational force influences.

The control device12comprises a guide path14and a guide member15which is movable or displaceable along the guide path14. The guide path14is, for example, a slotted path of a slotted guide member and is constructed at precisely one or two opposing sheet metal portions of the retention portion2in a region which extends up to the drive unit9with the actuation element10. The guide path14has, by way of example, a straight path portion which is orientated obliquely to the joining axis S and which merges via a curved path portion into a shorter additional straight path portion. The shorter path portion is orientated here in the direction of the joining axis S.

The guide member15is, for example, a bolt which is connected to the actuation element10or the working piston11. A longitudinal axis of the bolt is orientated transversely to the longitudinal axis of the working piston11.

FIGS.2and3depict the relationship of the movement or position of the working piston11or the actuation element10and the orientation of the base member4and therefore of the apparatus portions which are received thereon, such as the bottom die unit6, stamp unit7and drive unit9, relative to the retention portion2.

In an apparatus1which is partially open inFIG.2, the actuation element10or the working piston11or the stamp8is extended a comparatively long way in the joining or linear movement direction R1or toward the bottom die unit6. For example, a free front side8aof the stamp8is slightly spaced apart from an opposite support side6aof the bottom die unit6. The spacing is preferably precisely so great for the partial opening that, according to a generally variable respective height of the component B, it can still just be introduced between the front side8aand the support side6awithout collisions. In a comparatively short cycle time, the set of joining tongs can then be closed, wherein directly after the closure the actual processing operation of the component begins.

Before and after the actual processing operation on the component B, the open position, which is shown according toFIG.3, of the apparatus1is taken up with an actuation element10, which is partially or completely retracted in a movement direction R2, or the working piston11or the stamp8. This may be the case, for example, with a robot arm3which is moved toward the component B with the apparatus1. The open position is carried out in a controlled manner or automatically in accordance with the position of the actuation element10. The component B has enough space between the stamp unit7and the bottom die unit6to be introduced or placed, that is to say, to be moved back and forth laterally, whichFIG.8shows, for example, for the movement of the component B in the direction P1(cf.FIG.10) between the stamp unit7and bottom die unit6.FIG.7shows that the completely processed component B is transported onward or transferred in the direction P2, away out of the region between the stamp unit7and bottom die unit6which are spaced apart from each other by a sufficient distance in this case.

FIG.10shows that, for a timed processing of a plurality of components B′, B″, B′″ one after the other, the processing of individual components is carried out by transport in the direction P1of the component B1which is not yet processed toward the apparatus, the component B″ is currently being processed and the component B′″ has already been processed and is transported away in the direction P2(cf. alsoFIG.7).

According to the processing position with the apparatus1closed fromFIGS.5and9, the joining axis S is preferably perpendicular to a face which is intended to be processed on the component B.

According toFIG.8, the stamp unit7and bottom die unit6are moved apart, the apparatus1or the set of joining tongs is opened and the joining axis S is oblique relative to the face, which is intended to be processed on the component B, of the component B which has approached.

FIGS.4to7show steps which take place one after the other on the component B during the processing thereof with the apparatus1. InFIGS.8to10, the respective position of the apparatus1in the associated processing step of the component B is illustrated as a perspective view.

According toFIG.4, the component B which is intended to be processed is placed on the support side6aof the bottom die unit6with a partially opened set of clinching tongs or partially opened apparatus1. The stamp8is still spaced apart from the component B.

According toFIG.5, the stamp8which is in the form of a double stamp is introduced with a movement of the stamp8into the component and deforms it in a double clinch point C on the component B. In this case, the actuation element10or the working piston11moves in a driven manner in the direction R1(cf.FIGS.5,9). After the deformation, the stamp8moves in a driven manner back in the direction R2, away from the component B.

In this case, the base member4pivots, in a state coupled via the control device12, in the direction R3away from the component B with further movement of the actuation element10in the direction R2(cf.FIG.3). The bottom die unit6moves away from the component B in the direction M, which is carried out by pivoting the base member4and the elements, which are present thereon, of the apparatus1in the clockwise direction in the direction R3(cf.FIG.3) about the bearing location5. The component B is free from the stamp and bottom die unit and is moved further in the transfer direction P2relative to the bottom die unit6, which can be carried out by, for example, a transfer device (not shown).

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

1Apparatus2Retention portion3Receiving member4Base member5Bearing location6Bottom die unit6aSupport side7Stamp unit8Stamp8aFront side9Drive unit10Actuation element11Working piston12Control device13Pressure-reduction device14Guide path15Guide member