SWITCH ARRANGEMENT FOR THE SELECTION OF JOINING ELEMENTS

Abstract

The invention relates to a switch arrangement (10, 40) for the selection of joining elements (30), which comprises a switch (14, 42) that comprises at least three supply points (12a, . . . f, 44a, . . . f) in which joining elements (30) can be supplied to the switch (14, 42) in a position-oriented manner. Furthermore, an output point (22, 66) is provided where joining elements (30) can be output in a position-oriented manner, said switch (14, 42) comprising a conveying element (18, 52) which has at least three receiving compartments (20a, . . . f, 56a, . . . f) each being adapted to receive a supplied joining element (30) each at the supply point (12a, . . f, 44a . . . f). A conveying element (18, 52) can convey the joining elements from a receiving position to an output position from the supply point (12a, . . . f, 44a, . . . f) to an output point (22, 66), which is fixed relative to the supply points (12a, . . . f, 44a, . . . f), and output.

Claims

1. Switch arrangement for the selection of joining elements, which comprises a switch that has at least three supply points in which joining elements can be supplied to the switch in a position-oriented manner, with an output point being furthermore provided, at which joining elements can be output in a position-oriented manner, wherein the switch comprises a conveying element having at least three receiving compartments, in each of which a supplied joining element can be received at the supply point, and a conveying element can convey the joining elements from a receiving position to an output position from the supply point to an output point, which is fixed relative to the supply points, and output them there.

2. Switch arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the conveying element is designed as a rotor element which can be rotated at least between certain areas.

3. Switch arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the switch comprises a conveyor drive which is connected to the conveying element.

4. Switch arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the switch arrangement comprises a control unit which is used to synchronize the switch with a feeding device and with the conveyor drive to ensure that only one joining element at a time is output in a defined manner.

5. Switch arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said receiving compartments take the form of openings which extend radially in the conveying element, with the result that the joining elements are conveyed at least partially resting on a rolling surface located under the disc in the region of the openings.

6. Switch arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said receiving compartments have a T-shaped basic shape.

7. Switch arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said receiving compartments are assigned to a supply point and are adapted in shape to the joining element conveyed there.

8. Switch arrangement according to claim 3, wherein said conveyor drive is designed as an electromechanical drive or pneumatic actuating drive, in particular in the form of a swivel cylinder.

9. Switch arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said switch has a stop for the rotor element or the conveyor drive in the receiving position and/or in the output position.

10. Switch arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the conveying element is designed as a rotor element, in particular taking the form of a disc or of a plate comprising a circular sector.

11. Switch arrangement according to claim 9, wherein said stop is formed in that a bolt is guided in, and interacts with, a slot made in the conveying element.

12. Switch arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the conveying element takes the form of a circular sector, and that at least one stop element is provided that acts directly against the rotor element in both directions of rotation.

13. Switch arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a manifold is provided downstream of the output point and through which output joining elements are guided.

14. Switch arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said switch has a compressed air connection which is used to forward an output joining element for further processing.

15. Switch arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said compressed air connection is located in the manifold.

Description

[0029] Additional advantages, features and possible applications of this invention may be gathered from the following description in which reference is made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings. In the drawings,

[0030] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a switch arrangement according to the invention,

[0031] FIG. 2a is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an inventive switch arrangement, in a receiving position thereof,

[0032] FIG. 2b is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an inventive switch arrangement, in an output position thereof,

[0033] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of an inventive switch arrangement,

[0034] FIG. 4 is a perspective partial view of the inventive switch arrangement of FIG. 3, in which the cover of the switch has been removed to expose the rotor element of the switch, and

[0035] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the inventive switch arrangement of FIG. 3.

[0036] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an inventive switch arrangement 10, comprising a switch 14 having six supply points 12a-12f. At the end of the embodiment shown, the switch arrangement 10 further comprises three supply lines 16a,b,c, which are formed in the form of T tubes and open into the supply point 12a, 12b, 12c. The three supply lines 16a,b,c can be used to supply fourteen different joining elements to the switch. The switch further comprises a rotor element 18 connected to a rotary drive (not shown) and of approximately circular sector shape, said rotor element 18 being connected to the rotary drive at approximately the circle center so as to enable the rotor element 18 to swivel about this axis. In its circumferential area, the rotor element has 18 receiving compartments 20a to 20f, which are each assigned to a supply position 12a-12f. The compartments 20a to 20f are T-shaped to accommodate joining elements with a shaft and a head in a position-oriented manner. By rotating the rotor element 18, a joining element 12a,b,c, received at the respective supply position can be transported to an output point 22.

[0037] The output point 22 is coupled to an output line 24 which is used to forward an output joining element for further processing.

[0038] Furthermore, the switch 14 includes a receiving position stop pin 26 which limits rotation of the rotor element 18 in the direction of the supply point 12, so that the receiving compartments 20a to 20f are precisely aligned vertically with the supply points 12a-12f. This will ensure that the joining elements are received in the receiving compartments without any friction. Because rotation of the rotor element is limited by the receiving position stop pin 26, there is no need for precise control, and higher frequencies can thus be achieved since the rotor can be reliably moved to the receiving position.

[0039] In the output position, an output position stop pin 28 is provided which is selected such that by the time the rotor element reaches the output position stop pin 28, all receiving compartments 20a to 20f have passed the output point 22.

[0040] In the present embodiment, once a joining element passes the output point 22, it will fall into an output line 24 under the force of gravity.

[0041] FIGS. 2a to 2b illustrate in more detail how a joining element is conveyed from its receiving position to its output position. FIG. 2a, for example, is a view of a processing state in which a joining element 30 is supplied to the switch 14 via supply line 12a. In this state, the rotor element 18 is in its receiving position where it abuts on the receiving position stop bolt 26 in its receiving position. The element supplied via supply line 12a can thus be transferred directly into the assigned receiving compartment 20a. This is a simple way of selectively supplying a joining element 30 to the switch 14 and quickly transferring it to the output line 24.

[0042] FIG. 2b is a view of the state following rotation of the rotor element 18, with the rotor element 18 now in its output position where it abuts on the output position stop bolt. In this position, the rotor element 18 and its receiving compartment 20a have just passed the output point, and/or the receiving compartment 20a is precisely at the output position where it transfers the joining element 30 to the output line 24. In the present case, this is done in a similar manner as with an inventive switch of the type illustrated in more detail in FIGS. 3 to 5. Once the output of a joining element 30 has been detected here, the rotor element 18 is rotated back to the receiving position, where it is again available for receiving another joining element 30.

[0043] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of an inventive switch arrangement 40 comprising a switch 42 having six supply points 44a to 44f each connected to an associated supply line 46a to 46f. A manifold 48 is connected to the output point 66, said manifold 48 being used to transfer each output joining element to another supply line. A sensor 50 is integrated in the manifold 48, which sensor is adapted to detect a joining element as it passes it. The sensor 50 is adapted to transmit the detection signal to a control unit that then causes the rotor element to be returned to its receiving position.

[0044] FIG. 4 is a view of the switch 42 in which the cover of the switch 42 has been removed to expose the rotor element 52. The rotor element 52 takes the form of a disc and has six receiving compartments 56a to 56f, which are in the form of T-shaped openings. FIG. 4 is a view of the rotor element 52 in its receiving position, in which position the rotor element 52 is moved against a stop pin 58. The stop pin 58 is guided in a slot 60 provided in the rotor element 52 and, in its receiving position, runs towards one end of slot 60. On the other side, the output position is also delimited by the other end of slot 60 which runs against the stop pin 58. A control unit can be used to cause a joining element to be supplied into one of the receiving compartments 56a-56f. The joining element 62 received therein can then be conveyed to the output point by rotation of the rotor element 52, at which output point 66 the joining element 62 is then output.

[0045] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a switch 42 through the output point. The rotor element 52 is driven by a swivel drive 64 and conveys a joining element 62 to the output position. From the receiving point to the output point, the joining element 62 is conveyed on a rolling surface 68. The rolling surface 68, which is clearly depicted in FIG. 5, has an aperture at the output position, which causes the element 62 to fall downwards under the effect of gravity and run along it. In doing so, it passes sensor 50 which detects that the joining element has been output finally. The rotor element 52 can thus be rotated back to its receiving position, and another joining element can supplied to a receiving compartment.