DEVICE FOR JOINTING A PLURALITY OF ELEMENTS ON A SHAFT

Abstract

A method for jointing elements, each having a cutout, on a shaft by a device for producing a control shaft, comprises disposing the elements vertically above one another, aligned, and fixed. The method also comprises pushing the shaft in vertically from above though the cutouts of the elements by a traversable guide carriage of the device and displacing by a pneumatic piston of the device the traversable guide carriage and the shaft attached thereto until a maximum first press-in force is reached. The method further comprises displacing by at least two spindles of an electric spindle drive of the device the traversable guide carriage and the shaft when the maximum first press-in force is exceeded.

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. A method for jointing elements, each comprising a cutout, on a shaft by a device, for producing a control shaft, comprising: traversing at least two spindles of an electrical spindle drive of the device into a predefined end position; disposing the elements vertically above one another, aligned, and fixed; pushing the shaft in vertically from above through the cutouts of the elements by a traversable guide carriage of the device; and displacing by a pneumatic piston of the device a guide carriage of the device and the shaft attached thereto until a maximum first press-in force is reached.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising displacing, in a press-fit jointing operation, the traversable guide carriage and the shaft by at least one spindle of an electric spindle drive of the device when the maximum first press-in force is exceeded; and wherein traversing the at least two spindles of the electrical spindle drive of the device into the predefined end position comprises traversing the at least two spindles of the electrical spindle drive of the device into the predefined end position in a thermal jointing operation.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein displacing by the pneumatic piston of the device the traversable guide carriage and the shaft attached thereto comprises displacing by the pneumatic piston of the device the traversable guide carriage and the shaft attached thereto in one of a thermal jointing operation and a press-fit jointing operation; and wherein displacing by the at least two spindles of the electric spindle drive of the device the traversable guide carriage and the shaft comprises displacing by the at least two spindles of the electric spindle drive of the device the traversable guide carriage and the shaft in the press-fit jointing operation.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising: in the thermal jointing operation, switching off the device if at least one of the maximum first press-in force is exceeded and any spindle head of respective spindle heads of the at least two spindles is raised from an underside of the traversable guide carriage; and in the press-fit jointing operation, maintaining a rotation of the at least two spindles if the maximum first press-in force is exceeded so that the at least two spindles continue to until the spindle heads lie against respective stop contours of the traversable guide carriage in regions of the spindle heads, wherein the at least two spindles, with their spindle heads, continue to press the traversable guide carriage via the stop contours up to at least one of a predefined maximum second press-in force and a predefined displacement path.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein, in the thermal jointing operation, the method further comprises traversing the at least two spindles of the electrical spindle drive of the device into a predefined end position.

17. A device for jointing a plurality of elements, each having a cutout for a shaft, in a predetermined angular position on the shaft, comprising: a traversable guide carriage configured to push the shaft through the cutouts of the elements, wherein the elements are aligned relative to one another along the shaft; a pneumatic piston coupled to the traversable guide carriage and configured to displace the traversable guide carriage and the shaft until a maximum first press-in force is reached; and an electrical spindle drive comprising at least two spindles coupled to the traversable guide carriage and configured to displace the traversable guide carriage and the shaft in response to the maximum first press-in force being exceeded.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein: the pneumatic piston is in contact with an upper side of the traversable guide carriage and is configured to apply the maximum first press-in force on the traversable guide carriage; each of the at least two spindles penetrates the traversable guide carriage and comprises a spindle head at an underside of the traversable guide carriage; and the electrical spindle drive serves as an end stop for the traversable guide carriage.

19. The device according to claim 18, further comprising at least two guide rods for guiding the traversable guide carriage, the guide rods running parallel to the at least two spindles and parallel to the pneumatic piston.

20. The device according to claim 19, further comprising at least one cross member, wherein the guide rods are fixedly connected to the traversable guide carriage and guided vertically in a displaceable manner in the at least one cross member.

21. The device according to claim 18, wherein the traversable guide carriage includes a stop contour in a region of the spindle heads, the stop contour being disposed spaced apart from the underside of the traversable guide carriage and on which the at least two spindles rest with their respective spindle heads if a second press-in force exceeds the maximum first press-in force.

22. The device according to claim 21, wherein the stop contour is one of a hook contour and a pot.

23. The device according to claim 17, wherein: the pneumatic piston is in contact with an upper side of the traversable guide carriage and is configured to apply a maximum first press-in force; each of the at least two spindles penetrates the traversable guide carriage and comprises a spindle head at an underside of the traversable guide carriage; and the traversable guide carriage includes stop contours in regions of the spindle heads of the at least two spindles, the stop contours being disposed spaced apart from the underside of the traversable guide carriage and on which the at least two spindles rest with their respective spindle heads if a second press-in force exceeds the maximum first press-in force.

24. The device according to claim 23, further comprising at least two guide rods for guiding the traversable guide carriage, the guide rods running parallel to the at least two spindles and parallel to the pneumatic piston.

25. The device according to claim 24, further comprising at least one cross member, wherein the guide rods are fixedly connected to the traversable guide carriage and guided vertically in a displaceable manner in the at least one cross member.

26. The device according to claim 23, further comprising a detection device configured to switch off the device if at least one of a maximum first press-in force is exceeded and if the traversable guide carriage does not reach an end position.

27. The device according to claim 17, further comprising a detection device configured to switch off the device if at least one of a maximum first press-in force is exceeded and if the traversable guide carriage does not reach an end position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In the figures, in each case diagrammatically,

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a device according to the invention for jointing a plurality of functional elements, each comprising a cutout for a shaft, on the shaft in an initial position,

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a representation as in FIG. 1, but in a position in which the shaft is pushed at least partially into the functional elements and in which the guide carriage is displaced solely by means of a pneumatic piston,

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a representation as in FIG. 2, but with a jamming of the shaft on the functional elements,

[0024] FIG. 4 shows the device according to the invention in a state in which the shaft is displaced via the guide carriage solely by means of the spindle drive.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Corresponding to FIGS. 1 to 4, device 1 according to the invention for jointing a plurality of functional elements 4 each comprising a cutout 2 for a shaft 3, for example cams, balancing masses, gearwheels and/or bearings, in a predetermined angular position on shaft 3, comprises a traversable guide carriage 5 for shaft 3, by means of which shaft 3 can be pushed from above through cutouts 2 of functional elements 4 disposed vertically one above the other. According to the invention, an electrical spindle drive 6 and a pneumatic piston 7 are provided for displacing guide carriage 5 and therefore also for displacing shaft 3. Guide carriage 5 can thus be displaced optionally by means of pneumatic piston 7 or spindle drive 6.

[0026] In addition, at least two guide rods 8 are provided for guiding guide carriage 5, which run parallel to spindles 9 of spindle drive 6 and parallel to pneumatic piston 7. Guide rods 8 are fixedly connected to guide carriage 5 and are guided vertically in a displaceable manner in at least one, here two cross members 10 of device 1, said cross members being arranged one above the other, as a result of which particularly precise guidance of guide carriage 5 and therefore also particularly precise guidance of shaft 3 is enabled.

[0027] If guide carriage 5 of device 1 according to the invention is examined more closely, it can be seen that pneumatic piston 7 is in contact with an upper side 14 of guide carriage 5, wherein pneumatic piston 7 is also designed to apply a maximum first press-in force or insertion force. Electrical spindle drive 6 comprises an electric motor 11, by means of which the two spindles 9 of spindle drive 6 are driven. The two spindles 9 of spindle drive 6 penetrate guide carriage 5 and each comprise a spindle head 12 at an underside 13 of guide carriage 5. Guide carriage 5 itself comprises, in the region of the two spindle heads 12, in each case a stop contour 15, which is arranged spaced apart from underside 13 of guide carriage 5 and on which the two spindles 9 rest with their respective spindle heads 12 if a second press-in force exceeding the first press-in force is required. Stop contours 15 or the stops are constituted as hook contours or pots.

[0028] Generally, spindle heads 12 of spindles 9 can also serve as end stops, wherein in this case pneumatic piston 7 is in contact with an upper side 14 of guide carriage 5 and is designed to apply a maximum first press-in force onto guide carriage 5. Electrical spindle drive 6 comprises at least two spindles 9, which penetrate guide carriage 5 and each comprise a spindle head 12 at an underside 13 of guide carriage 5. Electrical spindle drive 6 can be traversed into a jointing end position and can serve as an end stop for guide carriage 5. In this case, stop contour 15 is of course not required. In this mode of operation, spindles 9 travel precisely to the subsequent end position and therefore ahead of pneumatic piston 7 and serve merely as an end stop. Guide carriage 5 does not therefore rest on spindle heads 12. Guide carriage 5 is driven forward solely by means of pneumatic piston 7 and is switched off as soon as it reaches the end stop defined by spindle heads 12 which have traveled ahead. At this time, the maximum press-in force at pneumatic piston 7 is exceeded. This is therefore a failsafe end stop which can be adjusted dynamically, e.g. if two camshafts (hood modules) lying beside one another are jointed one after the other and have different shaft end positions. The tolerance of the end position can thus also be tracked dynamically when there is a change (thermal expansions etc.) in the system.

[0029] In addition, a detection device 16 can be provided, which is constituted such that it switches off device 1 if the maximum first press-in force of pneumatic piston 7 is exceeded and/or if spindle heads 12 in spindle 9 disengage or are raised from underside 13 of guide carriage 5. This can be detected comparatively simply, for example by the opening of an electrical contact, whilst the maximum first press-in force can be monitored for example by means of a suitable sensor. Such a detection device 16 is particularly advantageous if only a thermal jointing of functional elements 4 on shaft 3 is to take place with device 1 according to the invention, for which only a comparatively small press-in force is usually required. If the maximum first press-in force required for this is exceeded, for example triggered by jamming of shaft 3 on one of function elements 4, as is represented in FIG. 3, this leads not only to the maximum first press-in force being exceeded, but also, due to the continuing rotation of the two spindles 9, to a raising of their spindle heads 12 from underside 13 of the guide carriage. The two effects can be monitored cumulatively or alternatively. Since such jamming of shaft 3 on functional elements 4 could lead to damage, detection device 16 in this case switches off device 1. Up to such jamming, a displacement of guide carriage 5 and therefore also a displacement of shaft 3 takes place solely by means of pneumatic piston 7, which is part of a pneumatic piston-cylinder unit, whilst spindles 9 of spindle drive 6 merely rotate uniformly at the same time without applying any force. In this case, therefore, spindle heads 12 of spindles 9 always lie against underside 13 of guide carriage 5, as is represented for example according to FIG. 2. The covered displacement path of spindles 9 and of pneumatic piston 7 must be identical.

[0030] In the situation represented according to FIG. 3, in which for example jamming of shaft 3 on one of functional elements 4 may be involved, detection device 16 can thus switch off device 1 in order to prevent damage. It is however also conceivable here that in this case it does not involve jamming, but that one of lower functional elements 4 is to be jointed, in addition to or as an alternative to thermal jointing, by means of a press-fit with shaft 3, for which greater forces are of course required. In this case, detection device 16 would not switch off device 1, so that spindles 9 continue to rotate until their spindle heads 12 lie against stop contours 15 (see FIG. 4) and, via said stop contours, can bring about a further introduction of force and a further displacement of shaft 3. Such a spindle drive 6 enables the application of much greater press-in forces than pneumatic piston 7. The jamming of shaft 3 or the reaching of functional element 4 to be jointed with a press-fit is denoted in FIG. 3 by a bold cross.

[0031] To guide shaft 3, use can of course also be made of a centring rod 17 with, for example, a centring tip 10, which is introduced into the usually tubular shaft 3.

[0032] With device 1 according to the invention, it is thus possible for the first time to create a hybrid device which, by means of two different drive systems, on the one hand that in pneumatic piston 7 and on the other hand in spindle drive 6, can bring about a displacement of guide carriage 5 with different press-in forces. The field of application of such a device 1 is therefore much broader than in the case of devices known hitherto from the prior art.