Tool for fastening blind rivets
09889495 ยท 2018-02-13
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
B21J15/045
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B21J15/30
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B21J15/022
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Y10T29/53774
GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
International classification
F16B19/10
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
B21J15/30
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B21J15/04
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Abstract
A blind rivet fastening tool in which the jaws are open at the original position, and at a return step in which the tool is returned to the original position after a blind rivet is fastened the fastened blind rivet is pushed out. The tool comprises a hollow nose housing for housing a mandrel; a nose piece provided at a front end of the nose housing and having an opening; a floating piece provided at a front end of the inside of the nose piece; the floating piece having a though hole in which the mandrel is inserted; a jaw guide provided at the back side of floating piece and having an inside surface which has a smaller diameter toward the front end thereof; jaws provided inside the jaw guide for holding the mandrel; a pulling head and a jaw pusher for respectively pulling back and pushing forward the jaws.
Claims
1. A tool for fastening mounted components together with blind rivets, the blind rivets including a rivet body and a mandrel, the tool comprising: a hollow nose housing for receiving a mandrel of a blind rivet; a nose piece which is placed at a tip of the nose housing and which has an aperture; a floating piece which has a through-hole for inserting a mandrel and which is placed so as to be moveable forward and back within the nose piece, and which is contiguous with an inside of a tip of the nose piece; a floating piece spring between the floating piece and the hollow nose housing and contacting the floating piece and hollow nose housing for pushing the floating piece forward; a jaw guide with an inner circumferential surface which is formed so that an inner diameter of the jaw guide decreases towards a front and which is placed so as to be moveable forward and back within the nose piece and the nose housing, and which is contiguous with a back of the floating piece; jaws which have an outer circumferential surface which slidably contacts the inner circumferential surface of the jaw guide, and which is placed within the jaw guide so that the jaws grip the mandrel inserted into the nose piece from the aperture; a pulling head which is integrally connected to the jaw guide, and which pulls the jaw guide back relative to the aperture; and a jaw guide pusher which is placed in the nose housing and is contiguous with a back of the jaws, and which pushes the jaws forward; and wherein mounted components are fastened with blind rivets by narrowing an inner diameter of the jaws by moving the jaw guide backwards relative to the aperture, gripping the mandrel in the jaws, enlarging a diameter of a portion of the sleeve of the rivet body by again moving the jaw guide and jaw backwards while the mandrel is in a gripped state, and squeezing in the rivet head of the rivet body and breaking the mandrel.
2. The tool of claim 1, wherein the floating piece is symmetrical around a center axis and has a cylindrical first cylindrical portion; a flange which extends outward in a radial direction from a back end of the first cylindrical portion; and a cylindrical second cylindrical portion which extends from the flange to a side opposite the first cylindrical portion; and the through-hole extends from a tip of the first cylindrical portion to a back end of the second cylindrical portion.
3. The tool of claim 2, wherein during a starting position for the tool for fastening blind rivets, the flange abuts the inside of the tip of the nose piece; and the back end of the second cylindrical portion abuts a front end of the jaws, and pushing the jaws backwards, keeps the jaws in an open state.
4. The tool of claim 3, wherein during a fastening step, when the rivet head of the rivet body is pulled into the aperture of the nose piece, the first cylindrical portion of the floating piece is pushed into a interior of the nose piece from a position within the aperture; and during a return step after the fastening operation is completed, the jaw guide pushes the flange of the floating piece forward, and the first cylindrical portion of the floating piece ejects the rivet head of the rivet body which is in the aperture to a front; and the first cylindrical portion enters the aperture, and the tool returns to the starting position.
Description
BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWINGS
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(15) Next, embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings. Before explaining the fastening tool in the embodiments of the present invention, the blind rivet which is fastened will be explained.
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(17) First, rivet body 10 will be explained. Rivet head 10 includes a cylindrical sleeve 11 and a rivet head which is formed on one end of sleeve 11, and which has a diameter larger than sleeve 11. The outer diameter of the tip of rivet head 12 decreases in a tapered-fashion and becomes an oblique surface 19; it ends in rivet head side end 14. When the blind rivet is fastened, oblique surface 19 is squeezed in from its outer circumference by nose piece 51 of the fastening tool for fastening blind rivets, and the outer diameter and the inner diameter decrease.
(18) A through-hole 13 extends between the rivet head side end 14 of rivet body 10 and the sleeve side end. Although the inner diameter of through-hole 13 is large enough for shaft 21 of mandrel 20 to be inserted, it is smaller than the outer diameter of head 23 of mandrel 20, and head 23 is stopped when it abuts the sleeve side end.
(19) The outer diameter of sleeve 11 is smaller than the inner diameter of the mounting holes of the mounted component, and is small enough to pass through the mounting holes.
(20) Next, mandrel 20 will be explained. Mandrel 20 is provided with a long, thin shaft 21 and a head 23 on one end of a shaft 21. The outer diameter of head 23 is larger than the inner diameter of through-hole 13 of rivet body 10. The outer diameter of head 23 is smaller than the inner diameter of the mounting holes of mounted components 41 and 42 and can pass through the mounting holes. Shaft 21 has a cylindrical shape and has an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of through-hole 13 of rivet body 10; it can be inserted in through-hole 13. Shaft 21 is longer than the length of through-hole 13 of rivet body 10, and when the shaft 21 of mandrel 20 is inserted in the through-hole 13 of rivet body 10, the tip of shaft 21 projects from the rivet head side end 14 of rivet body 10.
(21) The shaft 21 of mandrel 20 includes, from the side of head 23, a columnar portion 24, a locking portion 28, a breaking portion 25, a gripping portion 26 and a tip 27. Contiguous with the head 23 is a columnar portion 24.
(22) A locking portion 28 is contiguous with columnar portion 24. Spaced circumferential grooves are formed on the circumference of locking portion 28, and between the circumferential grooves are locking ridges. When the blind rivet is fastened, part of rivet head 12 is squeezed in from the outer circumference by the nose piece 51 of the fastening tool for fastening blind rivets so the inner diameter becomes smaller, and the locking ridges engage in the inner circumference of through-hole 13, the diameter of which has become smaller, and a strong crimping force is produced, so that mounted components 41 and 42 are fastened strongly.
(23) Contiguous with locking portion 28 is a breaking portion 25 which has an outer diameter which is smaller than that of locking portion 28. When the blind rivet is in an assembled state, breaking portion 25 is contained in through-hole 13 of rivet body 10. Breaking portion 25 is the portion which breaks when the shaft 21 of mandrel 20 is pulled by the fastening tool, and a certain pull strength is exceeded.
(24) A gripping portion 26 is contiguous to breaking portion 25 and has a diameter larger than that of breaking portion 25. Multiple locking grooves are formed at gripping portion 26 so that when it is gripped by jaws 54, it does not slip. The end of the tip portion 27 of shaft 27 narrows so as to be easily inserted in the fastening tool for fastening blind rivets.
(25) There are many cases in which a blind rivet is used in combination with a washer 30 so that the rivet corresponds to the mounting holes of the mounted components. Washer 30 is not an essential part of the present invention and may be omitted. Washer 30 will now be explained. Washer 30 is a disc-shaped component, and at a central portion in the axial direction, a center hole 31 opens which has a circular cross-section. The inner diameter of center hole 31 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of head 23 of mandrel 20 and is slightly larger than the outer diameter of sleeve 11, and is smaller than the outer diameter of the rivet head; and in the blind rivet in which the mandrel 20 and rivet body 10 are assembled, washer 30 can be inserted on the outer circumference of sleeve 11 from the side of head 23 of mandrel 20.
(26) Next, the fastening tool according to an embodiment of the present invention will be explained.
(27) In the embodiment of the present invention, although an example is shown which is driven by compressed air, if jaws 54 which grip mandrel 20 can be pulled to the back of nose 50 in a strong manner, hydraulics, an electric motor, or other drive means can be used. There are various positions and configurations for the sealed housing 46, air pressure generating device 49 and the receptacle 48. The present invention pertains to a portion of the nose 50, and the entire structure of the fastening tool is not limited to what is shown in
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(29) In this Specification, the direction of the tip of nose piece 51 (towards the left in
(30) A floating piece 60 is placed on the inside of the forward portion of nose piece 51.
(31) In
(32) A floating piece spring 57 comprised of a coil spring is placed between the outer circumference of flange 63 of floating piece 60 and the front end of nose housing 52, which pushes floating piece 60 forward. In this way, one surface of flange 63 of floating piece 60 abuts the inner surface of the end portion of nose piece 51.
(33) In the starting position for fastening tool 45, one surface of flange 63 abuts the inner surface of the end portion of nose piece 51, and the first cylindrical portion 61 is positioned in aperture 59 of nose piece 51, and the second cylindrical portion 62 extends in the axial direction inside nose piece 51 and abuts the end surface of jaws 54. Floating piece 60 can slide in the axial direction inside nose piece 51.
(34) A tubular jaw guide 53 is contained on the inside of nose piece 51 which abuts one surface of flange 63 of floating piece 60 and can slide in the axial direction relative to nose piece 51.
(35) Jaws 54 are contained in jaw guide 53 so as to slide in the axial direction relative to jaw guide 53. Jaws 54 are placed so that their tip abuts the back end portion of the second cylindrical portion 62 and are formed with a narrow, pointed configuration towards floating piece 60. Jaws 54 are divided into 2-4 parts in the circumferential direction within jaw guide 53, and are assembled within jaw guide 53 to form a tubular structure. Each jaw forms a space for receiving the mandrel 20 of the blind rivet inside the assembled tubular structure.
(36) Jaw guide 53 matches jaws 54 and is formed so as to have tapered cavities which have an inner diameter which decreases towards the front (towards the left in
(37) In the starting position, because the tip of jaws 54 is pushed towards the back by means of the back end portion of the second cylindrical portion 62 of floating piece 60, jaws 54 are in the open state.
(38) A tubular pulling head 55 is connected integrally at the back of jaw guide 53 by means of a screw connection. Although pulling head 55 (and jaw guide 53) can slide in the axial direction within sealed housing 46, it cannot rotate around the axis. A tubular drive shaft is connected at the back end of pulling head 55.
(39) A hollow tubular jaw pusher 56 is placed inside the jaw guide 53 and the pulling head 55 at the back of jaws 54, which pushes jaws 54 forward. A jaw pusher spring 58 comprised of a coil spring is placed between the back end of jaw pusher 56 and the inside of the forward portion of pulling head 55 in order for jaw pusher 56 to push jaws 54 forward. Jaw pusher 56 is normally biased to push forward, and jaws 54 are pushed to the forward side. In this way, jaws 54 are normally pressed towards floating piece 60 in nose piece 51; and the outer surface of jaws 54, which has a narrow-tipped configuration, is made to abut the tapered inner surface of the interior of jaw guide 53. The tip of jaw pusher 56 has an oblique surface and abuts the oblique surface of the back end of jaws 54. The oblique surface of the back end portion of the second cylindrical portion 62 and the oblique surface of jaw pusher 56 work together to push jaws 54 to the outside and widen them; and the diameter inside the space inside the tubular structure formed by the multiple jaws is increased.
(40) When jaw guides 53 are on the forward side in the axial direction relative to jaws 54, the diameter of the space inside the tubular structure formed by the multiple jaws 54 increases, and the mandrel 20 of the blind rivet is easily received. Conversely, when jaw guides 53 are on the back side in the axial direction relative to jaws 54, the diameter of the space inside the tubular structure formed by the multiple jaws 54 decreases, and the mandrel 20 of the blind rivet which is received and held in the space is normally held by the elasticity of the jaw pusher spring 58.
(41) The fastening operation for the mounted components 41 and 42 by blind rivets using the fastening tool in the embodiments of the present invention in
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(43) In the starting position shown in
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(45) Nose piece 51 is constructed so that only mandrel 20 is received in through-hole 64 of floating piece 60, the rivet head 12 of rivet body 10 being stopped and held by nose piece 51.
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(49) If the surface around aperture 59 of the tip of nose piece 51 abuts the surface of washer 20, rivet head 12 cannot be pulled further into nose piece 51. The blind rivet clamps mounted components 41 and 42 between the enlarged diameter portion 18, which has an enlarged diameter, and washer 30. By doing so, the blind rivet fastens mounted components 41 and 42. The first cylindrical portion 61 of floating piece 60 is then pushed from aperture 59 into nose piece 51 by rivet head 12.
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(54) Jaws 54 are then pushed back by the end surface of the second cylindrical portion 62 of floating piece 60, and are open. In this way, the device returns to the starting position and the fastening operation is completed. Because jaws 54 are open in the starting position, it is possible to carry out the next blind rivet fastening operation in the starting position.
(55) The floating piece 60 according to the embodiments of the present invention carries out an opening and closing action of jaws 54, and an action which ejects the deformed rivet head 12 from aperture 59 of nose piece 51.
(56) Namely, in the starting position, the second cylindrical portion 62 wins out over the force which pushes jaws 54 forward by means of jaw pusher spring 58, pushing jaws 54 back, and jaws 54 open in jaw guide 53. Following this, jaws 54 close and grip mandrel 20 by means of jaw guide 53 being pulled towards the back.
(57) After the blind rivet has been fastened and the device returns to the starting position, the second cylindrical portion 62 pushes jaws 54 towards the back, and jaws 54 open. Also, the first cylindrical portion 61 of floating piece 60 is pushed by jaw guide 53, and pushes out rivet head 12 of rivet body 10 of the fastened blind rivet from aperture 59 of nose piece 51.
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(59) Mandrel 20 remains on the fastened part from the breaking portion 25 to the head 23. The diameter of the sleeve side end portion of rivet body 10 is enlarged by means of the head 23 of mandrel 20, and because the inner circumference of rivet head 12 of rivet body 10 which has been squeezed in by nose piece 51 engages with the locking portion 28 of mandrel 20, a secure fastening is possible.
(60) According to the embodiments of the present invention, a tool for fastening rivets has a floating piece 61 inside the front end of a nose piece 51. In the starting position, part of floating piece 60 is positioned in aperture 59, and by means of another part of floating piece 60 pushing jaws 54 to the back, jaws 54 open, and it is possible to receive mandrel 20 in jaws 54.
(61) Also, in the return step to the starting position after completion of fastening, another part of floating piece 60 again opens jaws 54, and part of floating piece 60 ejects rivet head 12 of rivet body 10 from aperture 59 of nose piece 51; and part of floating piece 60 enters into aperture 59, and the tool returns to the starting position.
(62) In this way, the floating piece carries out the action of opening and closing the jaws, and the action of ejecting the fastened rivet head from the nose piece, with one component.
(63) Because the jaws are open in the starting position, it is possible to set the rivet in the starting position.