Setting device
The present invention relates to a setting device for fastening an element to a workpiece having a guide device that can be brought into mechanical contact with the element and that has an axial hollow space for guiding the element, and having an axially movable ram for moving the element in a setting direction through the hollow space of the guide device, wherein the guide device has at least one first and one second guide element, wherein the guide elements bound the axial hollow space and are preloaded by means of a preloading device by a preloading force acting radially inwardly on at least one guide element, in particular all of the guide elements, and wherein the preloading device comprises at least one elastic preloading element that generates the preloading force and that is at least partly produced from an elastomer.
The present invention relates to a setting device for fastening an element to a workpiece.
Setting devices are frequently used in the mass production of workpieces to fasten elements thereto that provide specific functions. Such elements can, for example, be nut elements or pin elements that serve as fastening points for further components. Such elements can, for example, be used when fastening elements are to be applied to sheet metal parts. A typical area of use of such setting devices is automotive manufacture. However, setting devices are also widely used in other sectors.
It is of great importance for the quality of the workpiece in this respect that the element is fixed to the workpiece reliably and in a controlled manner. In other words, the element must be supplied in a reproducible manner and must be pressed against or into the workpiece. The pressing force required to fix the element is applied by a ram. To enable an exact delivery and positioning of the element, the setting device is provided with a guide device that reliably guides the element in a positionally faithful manner during the delivery and the pressing. For this purpose, the guide device has an axial hollow space through which the element is guided in a setting direction—that is toward the workpiece—by means of the axially movable ram. The guide device has at least two guide elements that define the hollow space or bound it in a radial direction. The guide elements are preloaded by means of a preloading device that generates a preloading force that acts radially inwardly on at least one of the guide elements—that is on a longitudinal axis of the hollow space. This preload provides that the element can be guided through the hollow space without any lateral play, which minimizes the risk of a canting of the element. The at least two guide elements are at least sectionally movable relative to one another. They are preferably separately formed. It is, however, also possible in specific cases to configure the guide elements in one piece with one another, with an (elastic) bendability of the elements relative to one another being permitted. Two half-shells can, for example, be thought of in this connection that are connected to one another (e.g. in one piece) at one of their respective longitudinal sides and thus form a kind of clamp or ring with a slit. It is also possible to use a section of a component of the setting device receiving the guide device as a guide element and to provide at least one second guide element inwardly preloaded in the radial direction. On its movement through the hollow space, the preloaded guide element, for example, presses the fastening element to be set against a section of an inner surface of a housing component that receives the guide element.
Such setting devices are generally known. Malfunctions can, however, occur; for instance, when the element is not correctly supplied. Such malfunctions result in defective workpieces and/or in production downtimes that are associated with substantial costs. A reliable configuration of the setting devices is therefore of great importance. Such setting devices are, however, complex and expensive.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a less expensive and constructionally simpler setting device of the initially named kind that can be simultaneously operated reliably and delivers good results.
This object is satisfied by a setting device having the features of claim 1.
In accordance with the invention the preloading device comprises at least one elastic preloading element that generates the preloading force and that is at least partly produced from an elastomer. Such a preloading element can be manufactured inexpensively and reliably and reproducibly provides the required preloading force.
In accordance with an embodiment, the preloading element is an element that is closed in the peripheral direction, that is in particular of annular form, and that surrounds the guide elements at their radial outer side in the peripheral direction. It can generally have any desired peripheral and/or cross-sectional geometry, e.g. a rectangular, square, circular, or oval peripheral and/or cross-sectional geometry.
The preloading element can have a contact section that is arranged at, in particular fastened or molded to, the guide device and that projects beyond an outer contour of the guide elements in a radial direction in at least one section of the guide device. Alternatively or additionally, the contact section can be arranged at, in particular fastened or molded to, a component of the setting device at least partly receiving the guide device, in particular at or to a housing section, with the contact section projecting radially inwardly. A further embodiment that can likewise be combined with the above-described embodiments provides that the preloading element is a separate component having a contact section that is arranged in the radial direction between the guide device and a component of the setting device at least partly receiving the guide device, in particular at a housing section.
Such a contact section forms at least one support port for the radial support of the guide device. It can also be provided at a preloading element surrounding the guide elements in the peripheral direction or can itself be formed by it or—as mentioned—it can be an independent functional component.
The contact section is in particular arranged at a radial outer side of the one of the guide elements.
A plurality of contact sections can be provided that are arranged distributed, in particular symmetrically distributed, in the peripheral direction of the guide device and/or in the peripheral direction of a component at least partly receiving the guide device. This enables a uniform support of the guide device and is simple to implement from a technical manufacturing aspect. The contact sections can be formed separately from one another.
Guide elements that are adjacent in the peripheral direction are in particular separated from one another by an interval, for example by a slit.
The guide elements can be electrically insulated from one another. This is in particular of advantage when the guide elements (or parts thereof) themselves act as electrical contacts. A respective at least one insulation element can be arranged in the interval, in particular with the insulation element comprising or being completely produced from an electrically insulating and/or elastic material. The insulation element can substantially completely fill the interval. A part filling is, however, sufficient in a number of cases. The insulation element preferably comprises an elastomer or is completely formed from an elastomer. It can have a circular, oval, trapezoid, or wedge-shaped cross-section. The geometry of the insulation element can be substantially constant in the longitudinal direction of the insulation element. A geometry varying in the longitudinal direction is, however, also conceivable.
The geometry of the preloading element can also be adapted to the respectively present needs. It is, for example, substantially constant or varies in the peripheral direction of the preloading element.
The preloading element and/or the insulation element can comprise or be completely formed from a vulcanized elastomer plastic.
The preloading element and the insulation element are preferably formed in one piece. They can, however, also be produced separately. Both the preloading element and the insulation element can be multipart components.
In accordance with an embodiment, the preloading element and/or the insulation element are at least partly molded to the guide device, in particular to at least one of the guide elements.
The present invention will be explained in the following purely by way of example with reference to advantageous embodiments and to the enclosed drawings. There are shown:
In
The guide device 28 comprises a plurality of guide segments 30A, 30B. The segments 30A, 30B are separate components that are divided from one another by a slit 39, that each have a cross-section like a segment of a circle, and that are arranged such that they bound the hollow space 26 in the peripheral direction. They are preloaded by a preloading device not shown in detail in a direction toward a longitudinal axis 32H of the hollow space 26 that is arranged coaxially with a longitudinal axis 32S of the ram 24, that is radially inwardly. As soon as the element 22 enters into the hollow space 26, the segments 30A, 30B are urged outwardly against the preloading force generated by the preloading device.
To recognize this malfunction, a detection device is provided by means of which the presence of an element 22 in the hollow space 26 can be detected. An embodiment of such a detection device is shown in
The guide device 28 comprises four guide segments 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D (preferably composed of metal) that each form a peripheral section of the hollow space 26. They are separated from one another by insulating pins 40 that are arranged in slits 39 provided between adjacent guide segments 30A, 30B, 30C, 30C (see e.g.
As can be seen in
Four segments 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D are provided in the embodiment shown in
An axial support of the guide device 28 or of the segments 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D in a housing 18A of the plate 18 takes place via an electrically insulating support ring 45. A radial support can take place via the rings 42A, 42C since they project out of the grooves 44 in part and thus project over the segments 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D in the radial direction.
It can in particular be seen from
The concept of providing a preloading device by elements projecting outwardly in the radial direction and having elastic properties can generally also be implemented in isolation from the insulating pins 40. It is, for example—additionally or alternatively—possible to provide or mold elastic abutment sections that are supported in the housing 18A at the outer sides of the segments 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D. Conversely—additionally or alternatively—elastic contact sections that project radially inwardly can also be provided at the housing 18A and serve for the radial support of the guide device 28. The contact sections can be fastened to the guide device 28 and/or to the housing 18A or can molded thereto or can be separate components.
Instead of the contact points 60, other sensors and/or signal sources can also be provided that also do not necessarily have to be functionally coupled to one another pairwise. Sound sources and sound sensors can, for example, be provided that detect a reflection of sound waves at the element 22. The detector elements 60 can also be movement sensors or vibration sensors to detect changes of the oscillation/vibration pattern or of the eigen vibration of the guide device 28 or of the base plate 18 (the elements 60—or at least one element 60—can then also be attached to the housing 18A inwardly or outwardly) that is caused by the presence/location/position of an element 22 in the hollow space. The detector elements 60 can also be optical or magnetic sensors or pressure sensors or sensors of a different type (e.g. embedded measurement coils).
It becomes clear from
It is also possible to additionally or alternatively detect and evaluate a change of the spacing between the segments 30A, 30B and the housing 18A. For this purpose, for example, distance sensors 62 (e.g. capacitive sensors) are provided that are shown in
10 setting device
12 guide housing
14 guide plate
16 sensor
18 base plate
20 supply channel
22 fastening element
24 plunger or ram
26 hollow space
28 guide device
30A, 30B, 30C,
30C′, 300″, 30D,
30D′, 30D″ guide segment
32H, 32S longitudinal axis
34 peripheral surface
36 workpiece
38 rivet section
39 slit
40 insulating pin
42, 42A, 42B, 42C ring
44 groove
45 support ring
46A, 46B conductor
48A, 48B recess
50 plug
52 fixing element
54 supply rail
56 screw
58 insulating plate
59A, 59B contact point
60 detector element
61 connection element
62 distance sensor
64 pressure sensor
S setting direction
D compressed air
Claims
1. A setting device for fastening an element to a workpiece, having the setting device comprising:
- a guide device that can be brought into mechanical contact with the element and that has an axial hollow space for guiding the element, and
- an axially movable ram for moving the element in a setting direction through the hollow space of the guide device,
- wherein the guide device has at least one first and one second guide element, wherein the first and second guide elements bound the axial hollow space and are preloaded by means of a preloading device by a preloading force acting radially inwardly on at least one guide element, and wherein the preloading device comprises at least one elastic preloading element that generates the preloading force and that is at least partly produced from an elastomer.
2. The setting device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the preloading device preloads the first and second guide elements by a preloading force acting radially inwardly on all of the guide elements.
3. The setting device in accordance with claim 1,
- wherein the preloading element is an element that is closed in the peripheral direction and that surrounds the guide elements at their radial outer side in the peripheral direction.
4. The setting device in accordance with claim 3, wherein the preloading element is an element of annular form.
5. The setting device in accordance with claim 1,
- wherein the preloading device has a contact section that is arranged at the guide device and that projects in at least one section of the guide device in the radial direction beyond an outer contour of the guide elements with the contact section forming at least one support point for the radial support of the guide device.
6. The setting device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the preloading element has a contact section that is arranged at a component of the setting device at least partly receiving the guide device, with the contact section projecting radially inwardly and forming at least one support point for the radial support of the guide device.
7. The setting device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the preloading element is a separate component having a contact section that is arranged in the radial direction between the guide device and a component of the setting device at least partly receiving the guide device, with the contact section forming at least one support point for the radial support of the guide direction.
8. The setting device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the contact section is arranged at a radial outer side of one of the guide elements.
9. The setting device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a plurality of contact sections that are arranged distributed in the peripheral direction of the guide device and/or in the peripheral direction of a component of the setting device at least partly receiving the guide device.
10. The setting device in accordance with claim 1, wherein guide elements that are adjacent in the peripheral direction are separated from one another by an interval.
11. A The setting device in accordance with claim 10, wherein a respective at least one insulation element is arranged in the interval.
12. The setting device in accordance with claim 11, wherein the insulation element comprises or is completely produced from an electrically insulating and/or elastic material.
13. The setting device in accordance with claim 10,
- wherein the insulation element substantially completely fills the interval.
14. The setting device in accordance with claim 10, wherein the insulation element comprises an elastomer.
15. The setting device in accordance with claim 11, wherein the insulation element has a circular, oval, trapezoid, or wedge-shaped cross-section.
16. The setting device in accordance with claim 11, wherein a geometry of the insulation element is substantially constant in the longitudinal direction of the insulation element.
17. The setting device in accordance with claim 1, wherein a geometry of the preloading element is substantially constant in the peripheral direction of the preloading element.
18. The setting device in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of the preloading element and the insulation element comprises a vulcanized elastomer plastic.
19. The setting device in accordance with claim 11, wherein at least one of the preloading element and the insulation element comprises a vulcanized elastomer plastic, wherein the preloading element and the insulation element are formed in one piece.
20. The setting device in accordance with claim 10, wherein at least one of the preloading element and the insulation element is at least partly molded to the guide device.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 10, 2019
Publication Date: Dec 12, 2019
Inventor: Andreas Lebeau (Friedrichsdorf)
Application Number: 16/436,248