Tool for joining components

Abstract

A tool for joining components, in particular at least two metal sheets lying flat on top of each other, with a housing, in which a primary tappet composed of a punch and a hold-down device is mounted such that it can be driven in the axial direction, a die assigned to the punch and an element feed that can be moved in the axial direction relative to the housing, via which auxiliary joining parts, especially rivets, can be fed to the primary tappet. At least one position coupled at least indirectly to the primary tappet and at least one position decoupled from the primary tappet can be assumed by the element feed, and the element feed can be moved in the coupled position together with the primary tappet in the axial direction and remains stationary relative to the housing in the decoupled position upon a movement of the primary tappet.

Claims

1. A tool for joining components with a housing, in which a primary tappet composed of a punch and a hold-down device is mounted such that it can be driven in an axial direction (A), a die assigned to the punch and an element feed that can be moved in the axial direction relative to the housing, via which auxiliary joining parts can be fed to the primary tappet, wherein at least one position coupled at least indirectly to the primary tappet and at least one position decoupled from the primary tappet can be assumed by the element feed, and the element feed can be moved in the coupled position together with the primary tappet in the axial direction and remains stationary relative to the housing in the decoupled position upon a movement of the primary tappet, wherein the primary tappet is surrounded by a secondary tappet, to which the element feed is fixed.

2. The tool according to claim 1, wherein the coupling of the element feed with the primary tappet is achieved by way of a first coupling element.

3. The tool according to claim 2, wherein the first coupling element is a fluid cylinder.

4. The tool according to claim 3, wherein the fluid cylinder is a pneumatic cylinder.

5. The tool according to claim 1, wherein the secondary tappet can be moved together with the primary tappet in the axial direction (A).

6. The tool according to claim 1, wherein the secondary tappet can be fixed in the housing while the primary tappet moves in the axial direction.

7. The tool according to claim 6, wherein the secondary tappet can be fixed in the housing in at least two different axial positions.

8. The tool according to claim 6, wherein at least one radial recess or bore is provided for fixing purposes in the secondary tappet.

9. The tool according to claim 8, wherein a piston rod of a fluid cylinder can be engaged with the recess or bore.

10. The tool according to claim 1, wherein the hold-down device is arranged coaxially between the primary tappet and the secondary tappet, wherein said hold-down device can be coupled with and decoupled from the secondary tappet.

11. The tool according to claim 10, wherein the coupling of the hold-down device with the secondary tappet is achieved by way of a first coupling element.

12. The tool according to claim 11, wherein the first coupling element is a fluid cylinder.

13. The tool according to claim 12, wherein the fluid cylinder is a pneumatic cylinder.

14. The tool according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary joining parts are rivets.

15. The tool according to claim 1, wherein the joining components comprise at least two metal sheets lying flat on top of each other.

16. The tool according to claim 1, wherein the element feed is fixed to or detached from the hold-down device via a coupling element that engages and disengages the hold-down device.

17. A tool for joining components with a housing, in which a primary tappet composed of a punch and a hold-down device is mounted such that it can be driven in an axial direction (A), a die assigned to the punch and an element feed that can be moved in the axial direction relative to the housing, via which auxiliary joining parts can be fed to the primary tappet, wherein at least one position coupled at least indirectly to the primary tappet and at least one position decoupled from the primary tappet can be assumed by the element feed, and the element feed can be moved in the coupled position together with the primary tappet in the axial direction and remains stationary relative to the housing in the decoupled position upon a movement of the primary tappet and further comprising a secondary tappet that is fixed within the housing by a coupling element, the primary tappet being axially surrounded by the secondary tappet.

18. A tool for joining components with a housing, in which a primary tappet composed of a punch and a hold-down device is mounted such that it can be driven in an axial direction (A), a die assigned to the punch and an element feed that can be moved in the axial direction relative to the housing, via which auxiliary joining parts can be fed to the primary tappet, wherein at least one position coupled at least indirectly to the primary tappet and at least one position decoupled from the primary tappet can be assumed by the element feed, and the element feed can be moved in the coupled position together with the primary tappet in the axial direction and remains stationary relative to the housing in the decoupled position upon a movement of the primary tappet and, wherein the hold-down device is arranged coaxially between the primary tappet and a secondary tappet.

19. The tool according to claim 18, wherein the element feed is located at a free end of the secondary tappet, which is assigned to the punch, and can be fixed to or detached from the hold-down device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) In the following, an example of an embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail with the aid of a figure: They show:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective representation of a joining tool;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a side view of the joining tool according to FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3a shows a side view of the joining tool with a driven-in primary tappet;

(5) FIG. 3b shows a joining tool according to FIG. 3a with the element feed that has been displaced with the primary tappet;

(6) FIG. 4a shows the joining tool according to FIG. 3a;

(7) FIG. 4b shows the joining tool according to FIG. 4a with the element feed immovably arranged on the housing;

(8) FIG. 5a shows a perspective representation of the joining tool with the element feed coupled on the secondary tappet;

(9) FIG. 5b shows a partial longitudinal cut through the joining tool according to FIG. 5a;

(10) FIG. 6a shows a perspective representation of the joining tool with the immovably arranged element feed;

(11) FIG. 6b shows a partial cut through the joining tool according to FIG. 5a;

(12) FIG. 7 shows an enlarged representation of the cut according to FIG. 6b;

(13) FIG. 8a shows a longitudinal cut through the joining tool with the primary punch in its upper position;

(14) FIG. 8b shows a cut according to FIG. 8a with the primary tappet in a lower position;

(15) FIG. 9a shows a perspective representation of the joining tool;

(16) FIG. 9b shows a cut along the line IXa-IXa in a partial representation;

(17) FIG. 10a shows a representation corresponding to FIG. 8a;

(18) FIG. 10b shows a representation corresponding to FIG. 8b with a further extended punch;

(19) FIG. 11 shows an enlarged representation of FIG. 9a;

(20) FIG. 12a shows a further partial cut;

(21) FIG. 12b shows an enlarged section from FIG. 12a;

(22) FIG. 13a shows a further partial cut;

(23) FIG. 13b shows the enlargement of a detail according to FIG. 13a;

(24) FIG. 14a shows a further partial cut;

(25) FIG. 14b shows the enlargement of a detail according to FIG. 14a;

(26) FIG. 15a shows a further partial cut; and

(27) FIG. 15b shows the enlargement of a detail according to FIG. 15a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(28) The joining tool is composed of the C-shaped bent bracket 10 on whose upper limb the housing 1 is arranged which accommodates the primary tappet 2 consisting of a punch 9 and a hold-down device 7. The die 3 is arranged on the lower limb of the bracket 10, said die extending coaxially to the primary tappet 2. The metal sheets B.sub.1, B.sub.2 to be joined are arranged between the primary punch 2 and the die 3.

(29) For example, FIG. 4 depicts the structure of the upper tool part. The electric motor 11 serves to drive the tool. Via a toothed belt drive 12 and a roller screw drive 13, not shown in detail, with an anti-rotation device in the housing 1, the rotation initiated by the electric motor 11 is converted into an axial movement of the punch 9. The punch 9 is coaxially surrounded by the hold-down device 7, which in turn is arranged coaxially inside a secondary tappet 6. The secondary tappet 6 can either be immovably fixed in its position in the housing 1 or it can carry out the drive movement in the axial direction A of the punch 9 or hold-down device 7 and primary tappet 2.

(30) The element feeder 4.1 of the element feed 4 is located at the free end of the secondary tappet 6, which is assigned to the die 3, and can be fixed to or detached from the hold-down device 7 via the coupling element 8. The coupling element 8 is preferably a pneumatic cylinder, which can engage with its piston rod in a bore or recess provided in the hold-down device 7. If the piston rod is driven into the recess, the element feed 4 is coupled with the hold-down device 7. If the piston rod is driven into the pneumatic cylinder, the element feed 4 is decoupled from the hold-down device 7. A further coupling element 5 is arranged in a recess 1.1 provided in the housing 1, said coupling element also preferably being designed as a pneumatic cylinder. By way of its piston rod 5.1, this pneumatic cylinder 5 interacts with several recesses or bores 6.1, 6.2 provided in the upper part of the secondary tappet 6 guided in the housing 1. If the piston rod 5.1 is immersed in one of the bores 6.1, 6.2, the secondary tappet 6 is fixed within the housing 1 such that the upper position of the secondary tappet 6 and thus its distance from the die 3 is fixed. If the coupling element 5 is deactivated, i.e. the piston rod 5.1 of the pneumatic cylinder 5 is disengaged from the secondary tappet 6, the element feed 4 can be driven with the primary tappet 2 in the direction of the die 3. If the coupling element 8 is activated, the element feed 4 is coupled with the hold-down device 7, so that neither remains stationary in relation to the housing 1; rather, they are axially displaced with the primary tappet 2 and the rivet that was previously taken up in the direction of the die 3 in order to penetrate into the metal sheets B.sub.1, B.sub.2 and join them together by means of the auxiliary joining part. Rather than using a pneumatic cylinder for the coupling elements 5 and 8, the drive of a pin (piston rod) that is inserted into the recesses or bores can also be carried out by an electric drive.

(31) The movements of the secondary tappet 6 and the primary tappet 1 that can be executed in the axial direction A can be conducted collectively, as described in the following, or by the primary tappet 2 only:

(32) As is clear from FIG. 13b, for instance, the element feeder 4.1 of the element feed 4 is securely attached to the lower end of the secondary tappet 6. A pneumatic cylinder 8 is provided at the side of the element feeder 4.1, the piston rod 8.1 of which is guided in a bore provided radially in the element feeder 4.1. The piston rod 8.1 can interact with a radial recess 7.1 provided in the hold-down device 7. When the piston rod 8.1 engages in the recess 7.1 (cf. FIG. 12a), the element feed 4 is joined with the hold-down device 7. At the same time, the piston rod 5.1 of the pneumatic cylinder 5 must be removed from the bore 6.1 or 6.2 of the secondary tappet 6, i.e. the pneumatic cylinder 5 must be deactivated. If the tappet 2 is now driven, the element feed 4 moves with the hold-down device 7 in direction of the die 3, as shown in FIGS. 14a, 14b. If the pneumatic cylinder 8 is deactivated and the piston rod 8.1 driven out of the recess 7.1, the element feed 4 is no longer coupled with the hold-down device 7 via its element feeder 4.1. If the pneumatic cylinder 5 is then activated and its piston rod 5.1 inserted into one of the bores 6.1, 6.2, the secondary tappet 6 is fixed in the housing 1 and cannot follow the hold-down device 7 and thus the punch 9. The element feed 4 is therefore not moved in the direction of the die 3 and sufficient access space to the components (metal sheets B1, B2) is ensured. The position of the bores 6.1, 6.2 determines the fixed position of the element feed 4 in relation to the die 3 and therefore the size of the access space to the workpieces B1, B2 that are to be joined together.