CLAMPING ELEMENT FOR A CLAMPING DEVICE FOR WELDING WORKPIECES, AND CLAMPING DEVICE

Abstract

A clamping element (100) is provided for a clamping device (200) for welding workpieces (10). The clamping element (100) includes a housing (110) and a pressure piece (120) that is arranged in a movable manner relative to the housing (110). The pressure piece (120) is supported at least indirectly on the housing (110) by a spring (130). The spring (130) is arranged in a radial direction between the housing (110) and a sleeve (150). A gas nozzle (300), of a welding device, is introducable into the housing (110), in particular into the sleeve (150). A clamping device (200) is also provided for welding workpieces (10). The clamping device (200) has at least one clamping element (100).

Claims

1. A clamping element for a clamping device for welding workpieces, the clamping element comprising: a housing; a pressure piece arranged so as to be movable relative to the housing; a spring, wherein the pressure piece is supported at least indirectly on the housing by means of the spring; and a sleeve, wherein the spring is arranged in a radial direction between the housing and the sleeve, and a gas nozzle of a welding device can be introduced into the housing and into the sleeve.

2. The clamping element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressure piece is annular.

3. The clamping element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gas nozzle can be at least partially introduced into the pressure piece.

4. The clamping element as claimed in claim 1, wherein a welding wire can be guided through the pressure piece.

5. The clamping element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spring biases the pressure piece, in particular in the direction of a longitudinal axis.

6. The clamping element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressure piece is displaceable relative to the housing along a longitudinal axis.

7. The clamping element as claimed in claim 6, wherein the pressure piece is tiltable with respect to the longitudinal axis.

8. The clamping element s claimed in claim 6 wherein the pressure piece is tiltable with respect to the housing.

9. The clamping element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressure piece has at least one hole for the outflow of gas.

10. The clamping element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sleeve is connected to the pressure piece.

11. The clamping element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressure piece is screwed to the sleeve.

12. The clamping element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spring is protected from welding spatter by means of the sleeve.

13. A clamping device for welding workpieces, the clamping device comprising at least one clamping element and the at least one clamping element comprises: a housing; a pressure piece arranged so as to be movable relative to the housing; a spring, wherein the pressure piece is supported at least indirectly on the housing by means of the spring; a sleeve, wherein the spring is arranged in a radial direction between the housing and the sleeve, and a gas nozzle of a welding device can be introduced into the housing and into the sleeve.

14. A clamping device for welding workpieces, wherein the clamping element has a housing and a pressure piece which is arranged so as to be movable relative to the housing, wherein a gas nozzle of a welding device can be introduced into the housing.

15. The clamping device as claimed in claim 14, further comprises a clamping element receptacle for receiving a plurality of clamping elements, wherein each clamping element is arranged in a region of a welding point to be produced, and precisely one gas nozzle can be introduced temporally in succession into individual ones of the clamping elements.

16. The clamping device as claimed in claim 13, further comprising: at least one additional clamping element to provide a plurality of clamping elements, the at least one additional clamping element comprising an additional housing; an additional pressure piece arranged so as to be movable relative to the additional housing; an additional spring, wherein the additional pressure piece is supported at least indirectly on the additional housing by means of the additional spring and an additional sleeve, wherein the additional spring is arranged in a radial direction between the additional housing and the additional sleeve, and a gas nozzle of the welding device can be introduced into the additional housing and into the additional sleeve; and a clamping element receptacle for receiving the plurality of clamping elements, wherein each of the plurality of clamping elements is arranged in a region of a welding point to be produced, and precisely one gas nozzle can be introduced temporally in succession into individual ones of the plurality of clamping elements.

17. The clamping device as claimed in claim 16, wherein: the pressure piece is annular; the gas nozzle is at least partially introduced into the pressure piece; and a welding wire is guided through the pressure piece.

18. The clamping device as claimed in claim 16, wherein: the spring biases the pressure piece in a direction of a longitudinal axis; and the pressure piece is displaceable relative to the housing along the longitudinal axis.

19. The clamping device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the pressure piece is tiltable with respect to the longitudinal axis.

20. The clamping device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the pressure piece has at least one hole for an outflow of gas.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In the drawings:

[0023] FIG. 1 is a sectional view through a clamping element according to the invention, wherein the clamping element is mounted in a clamping device and clamps a workpiece;

[0024] FIG. 2 is a detail illustration of the workpiece according to the detail II in FIG. 1;

[0025] FIG. 3 is an exploded illustration of the clamping element from FIG. 1;

[0026] FIG. 4 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 1, wherein a gas nozzle is introduced into the clamping element;

[0027] FIG. 5 is a sectional view through the clamping element according to the invention, wherein a pressure piece of the clamping element is positioned at an inclination with respect to a housing of the clamping element;

[0028] FIG. 6 is an exploded illustration of a clamping device according to the invention; and

[0029] FIG. 7 is a perspective illustration of the clamping device from FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a section through a clamping element 100 according to the invention, wherein the clamping element 100 is mounted in a clamping device 200, which is illustrated only in part, and clamps a workpiece 10.

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a detail illustration of the section through the workpiece 10. The workpiece 10 comprises a hollow profile 12 and a substantially planar metal sheet 14 which is to be connected to the hollow profile 12 by means of at least one MAG welding point, preferably a plurality of MAG welding points. The wall thickness of the hollow profile 12 is greater than the metal sheet thickness of the metal sheet 14. The metal sheet thickness of the metal sheet 14 is preferably less than 1 mm, most preferably less than 0.6 mm. By means of the clamping element 100, the metal sheet 14 is clamped with a force onto the hollow profile 12, with the result that a gap between the hollow profile 12 and the metal sheet 14 is avoided.

[0032] In the present case, the clamping element 100 has a substantially rotationally symmetrical structure. A longitudinal axis A defines an axis of rotation and extends, in a basic position of the clamping element 100, parallel to a force direction of a force which can be produced by the clamping element 100 and which can be introduced onto an annular surface of the metal sheet 14. The longitudinal axis A defines the directional indications of a cylinder coordinate system that are used below. In particular, a longitudinal direction, a radial direction and a circumferential direction are defined by the longitudinal axis A.

[0033] The clamping element 100 has a housing 110 and a pressure piece 120 which is guided so as to be movable to a limited degree relative to the housing 110. The pressure piece 120 is biased by means of a spring 130, in the present case a compression spring. In the present case, the clamping element 100 additionally has a counterpart 140 for fastening the housing 110 to the clamping device 200, and a sleeve 150.

[0034] The housing 110 has a substantially circular cylindrical basic body 112. A center axis of the basic body 112 corresponds to the longitudinal axis A. At one end of the basic body 112, the latter has a collar 114 whose outside diameter is greater than the outside diameter of the remainder of the basic body 112. The collar 114 has two parallel surfaces 116 formed thereon in such a way that, during the mounting of the clamping element 100 on the clamping device 200, the collar 114 can be turned or fixed by means of a tool, in particular a wrench. Projecting radially inward from the substantially cylindrical inner surface of the basic body 112 is an annular supporting means 118 for supporting the spring 130, said supporting means in the present case being formed in one piece with the basic body 112 of the housing 110, in particular in the form of a collar. In an end region facing away from the collar 114, the housing 110 has an external thread 119.

[0035] The pressure piece 120 has a substantially rotationally symmetrical configuration. The pressure piece 120 has a conical opening 122 on the inside. An outer wall of the pressure piece 120 is doubly stepped in the longitudinal direction, that is to say that the outer wall is composed of three circular cylindrical portions of different diameter. A central circular cylindrical portion as viewed in the longitudinal direction has the largest outside diameter of the three circular cylindrical portions, wherein the central circular cylindrical portion forms a supporting collar 124 for the spring 130 and the sleeve 150. The wall of the pressure piece 120 has, on the periphery, a plurality of holes 126 which guide the opening 122 in the radial direction through the outer wall of the pressure piece 120. The holes 126 serve for degassing the clamping element 100 during a welding operation. An end of the pressure piece 120 that faces the sleeve 150 has an external thread 128.

[0036] The pressure piece 120 is produced from a material to which welding spatter does not adhere, in the present case from a tungsten copper.

[0037] The sleeve 150 has a substantially hollow-cylindrical geometry with an L-shaped wall cross section. The sleeve 150 has a radially outwardly pointing collar 152. The sleeve 150 has an internal thread 154. The pressure piece 120 is screwed to the sleeve 150. For this purpose, the internal thread 154 interacts with the external thread 128.

[0038] The counterpart 140 has a substantially hollow-cylindrical geometry with an L-shaped wall cross section. The counterpart 140 has a radially inwardly pointing collar 142. The counterpart 140 has an internal thread 144. The counterpart 140 is screwed by means of the internal thread 144 to the external thread 119 of the housing 110. In a mounted state in the clamping device 200, the housing 110 inserted into a mounting bore of the clamping device 200 is secured by means of the counterpart 140. Here, the counterpart 140 acts as a screw nut, in particular as a clamping nut.

[0039] The housing 110 and the counterpart 140 together form an installation space within which the spring 130, the sleeve 150 and in part also the pressure piece 120 are arranged, and from which the pressure piece 120 projects at least in certain portions.

[0040] The spring 130 is arranged and biased in the longitudinal direction A between the supporting means 118 of the housing 110 and the supporting collar 124 of the pressure piece 120. In the radial direction, the spring 130 is arranged between the housing 110 and the sleeve 150. Here, the sleeve 150 is arranged in the housing 110 in such a way that the collar 152 of the sleeve 150 can be supported on the supporting means 118 of the housing 110 on that side of the supporting means 118 facing away from the spring 130. In the present case, a disk 135 for more uniform force distribution is arranged between the spring 130 and the supporting means 118. However, this disk 135 is not absolutely necessary.

[0041] By virtue of the above-described structure, a gas nozzle 300 of an MAG welding device can be introduced into the clamping element 100. A welding wire 310 emerging from the gas nozzle 300 can be guided onto the surface of the workpiece 10. Gases which occur during welding can escape from the pressure piece 120 through the holes 126. The sleeve 150 covers the spring 130 against welding spatter.

[0042] By virtue of the above-described structure of the clamping element 100, the pressure piece 120 can be inserted into the housing 110 under further biasing of the spring 130. Here, the guidance of the pressure piece 120 and of the sleeve 150 connected to the pressure piece 120 in the housing 110 has so much play that an inclined position of the pressure piece 120 relative to the housing 110 can occur. In FIG. 5, this inclined position is indicated by an angle W. The inclined position through the angle W allows the pressure piece 120 to bear flat on the workpiece 10 even when, on account of tolerances, the workpiece 10 is not arranged exactly perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A.

[0043] FIGS. 6 and 7 show, by way of example and in simplified fashion, a clamping device 200 in which a plurality of the clamping elements 100 according to the invention are installed. The clamping device 200 has a plate-shaped clamping element receptacle 210 and a base plate 220 which are spaced apart from one another by means of a plurality of spacer sleeves 230. The clamping element receptacle 210 is screwed to the base plate 220 by means of a plurality of screws 240. The workpiece 10 to be welded, that is to say the hollow profile 12 and the metal sheet 14, is arranged between the clamping element receptacle 210 and the base plate 220. The metal sheet 14 is clamped onto the hollow profile 12 by means of the clamping elements 100. In the present case, the metal sheet 14 and the hollow profile 12 are components of a backrest of a vehicle seat.

[0044] The clamping device 200 has a plurality of the clamping elements 100 according to the invention. The workpiece 10 to be welded is preferably welded with precisely one gas nozzle 300, wherein the precisely one gas nozzle 300 is introduced in succession into the individual clamping elements 100 of the clamping device 200 and a welding point is produced. Thus, only one gas nozzle 300 is required. The workpiece 10 to be welded is clamped by the clamping device 200 independently of the gas nozzle 300. The workpiece 10 to be welded is clamped by a plurality of clamping elements 100 independently of the gas nozzle 300.

[0045] The features disclosed in the above description, the claims and the drawings may be of importance both individually and in combination for realizing the invention in its various configurations.

[0046] Although the invention has been described in detail in the drawings and the account given above, the accounts should be understood as being illustrative and by way of example and nonlimiting. In particular, the selection of the proportions illustrated for the individual elements in the drawings should not be interpreted as being necessary or limiting. Furthermore, the invention is, in particular, not limited to the exemplary embodiments explained. Further variants of the invention and the implementation thereof can be gathered by a person skilled in the art from the above disclosure, the figures and the claims.

[0047] Terms such as comprise, have, include, contain and the like used in the claims do not rule out other elements or steps. The use of the indefinite article does not rule out a plurality. An individual device can perform the functions of a plurality of devices or units mentioned in the claims.

[0048] While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.