A rivet station
By designing a riveting workstation and utilizing a combination of automated positioning and a riveting gun, the problems of low efficiency and difficulty in quality control in existing riveting processes have been solved, achieving stable riveting and efficient production of bent parts.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- CHONGQING RONGYANG AUTO PARTS CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2023-07-19
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-21
AI Technical Summary
In existing riveting processes, the riveting efficiency of workpieces is low, and the riveting quality is difficult to control consistently. In particular, it is difficult to clamp bent parts, which can easily lead to deformation and inconsistent quality.
A riveting workstation was designed, comprising a chassis, a worktable, a riveting gun, and a positioning assembly. It utilizes components such as a fixture base plate, a support, a pressure block, and a pressure sensor to achieve automated positioning and riveting of the workpiece. The riveting gun slides and rotates along the length of the workpiece. Combined with motor drive and cylinder-assisted clamping, it ensures riveting quality and efficiency.
It enables rapid and reliable clamping and positioning of workpieces, and the riveting gun moves automatically to perform riveting. The high degree of automation avoids human error, ensures stable and controllable riveting quality, and improves production efficiency and consistency.
Smart Images
Figure CN117086256B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of riveting technology, and more specifically to a riveting workstation. Background Technology
[0002] Riveting is a special connection technique used in automobile manufacturing, especially in bodywork, such as sheet metal fabrication. It is a common process in this field where parts are connected using rivets.
[0003] Current riveting technology is very mature. In addition to traditional direct stamping riveting, methods such as deformation, forming, and extension have also been incorporated into riveting processing. In fact, more than half of the parts on a car need to use riveting technology. Common riveting methods include pull riveting, spin riveting, press riveting, and self-piercing riveting. Pull riveting is also frequently seen in automotive processing. Pull riveting is a cold riveting process, which refers to a riveting process without heating. It uses manual or compressed air power and special tools to rivet the rivet to the workpiece. The main materials and tools used for riveting are usually blind rivets and pneumatic rivet guns. During operation, the diameter of the rivet gun head is first selected based on the diameter of the rivet shank. Then, the rivet is inserted into the pre-made rivet hole, the rivet gun is put on and clamped, and the gun head is pressed against the head of the rivet. The rivet gun is started, and the pulling force generated by the compressed air causes the shoulder of the rivet shank to exert pressure on the rivet, causing the rivet to compress and deform, thus forming a rivet head of the corresponding shape. The rivet shank is then pulled out instantly due to the breakage at the necking point, and the riveting is completed. For this riveting process, it is difficult to properly clamp curved strip-shaped parts such as automotive grooves during riveting operations. This is because, if not clamped correctly, the parts, being sheet metal and bent into a hollow structure, are more prone to significant deformation due to the unique characteristics of the riveting process, unlike solid metal structural parts, leading to damage. Furthermore, existing riveting processes involve workers directly using hand-held riveting guns, which, while requiring simple tools and equipment, is inefficient and lacks standardized operation, resulting in inconsistent riveting quality. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a riveting workstation that addresses the above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art, thereby solving the problems of low riveting efficiency and difficulty in controlling the riveting quality in the prior art.
[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: The present invention provides a riveting workstation, including a chassis and a worktable installed inside the chassis. A riveting gun is provided above the worktable, and a fixture base plate is provided on the worktable. A positioning assembly for mounting a bent strip workpiece is installed on the fixture base plate. The positioning assembly includes several pairs of supports arranged on the left and right. All supports gradually rise from both ends to the middle, and the top of each support has a resting groove for embedding the workpiece. A pressure block is also provided above the space between two adjacent supports on each side. The pressure block is installed vertically and telescopically to press against the upper surface of the workpiece resting on the resting groove. The rivet gun is horizontally slidable along the length of the workpiece, and the rivet gun can rotate around the vertical axis to move to directly above the rivet position on the workpiece.
[0006] Furthermore, a disc is fixed to each of the two end faces of the fixture base plate along the length of the workpiece, and the disc is connected to the main shaft of the motor for transmission.
[0007] Furthermore, a groove is provided along the diameter of the disc, and the two end faces of the clamp base plate are slidably installed in the groove, and are detachably connected by fastening bolts that pass through the bottom of the groove.
[0008] Furthermore, the main shaft is an axially telescopic shaft, and handles are fixed to the upper surfaces of the two end faces of the fixture base plate, the handles being used to hold and pick up the fixture base plate.
[0009] Furthermore, a vertically installed lower support column is provided between a pair of supports in the center. The lower support column is axially extendable and retractable to reliably contact the lower surface of the workpiece placed in the support groove.
[0010] Furthermore, the lower support column includes a pressure sensor, which is used to detect the force between the workpiece and the lower support column after the workpiece is installed. After the workpiece is clamped, the force is equal to a set value. After the rivet gun pulls out the rivet rod, the force gradually decreases, and one of the values during the decreasing process is equal to the set rivet degree reference value.
[0011] Furthermore, the reference value for the degree of riveting is equal to a value between 0 and 2N.
[0012] Furthermore, the rivet gun is fixedly mounted on a mounting plate located above the workbench. The upper end of the mounting plate is provided with a protective cover to accommodate the stock of the rivet gun, and the lower end allows the head of the rivet gun to extend out, making the head vertical. The end of the mounting plate is inserted into one end of a cantilever via a pin. A curved pipe runs radially through the pin located inside the cantilever. The bottom end of the curved pipe is provided with a button head, which is parallel to the head of the rivet gun and is used to assist in clamping the base plate of the fixture. The other end of the cantilever is rotatably mounted on one end of a connecting rod. The connecting rod is located below the cantilever and in smooth contact with it. The cantilever can rotate around one end of the connecting rod in a horizontal plane. The other end of the connecting rod is mounted on a slide.
[0013] Furthermore, the slide includes a pair of sliding holes arranged vertically, through which a pair of parallel sliding rods are slidably installed, and the two ends of the sliding rods are sleeved on their respective corresponding columns by adjusting blocks; Furthermore, a base compartment is provided below the workbench, and several positioning components are provided in the base compartment. The slide can move down along the column so that the rivet gun can perform rivet operation on the workpiece clamped on the positioning components in the base compartment.
[0014] Furthermore, the pressure block is embedded and fixed on the bottom end face of a rectangular strip, and the side of the bottom end face exposed is used for pressing contact with the surface of the workpiece. The pressure block is made of rubber block, and the end of the rectangular strip is installed on the output shaft of the cylinder, so that when the output shaft of the cylinder retracts, the rectangular strip carries the pressure block to press the workpiece on the support.
[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: This riveting workstation can quickly and reliably clamp and position the workpiece, and the riveting gun automatically moves to each riveting station for rapid riveting, effectively preventing errors and having a high degree of automation. It can effectively prevent errors caused by manual riveting operations and ensure that the quality of riveting operations is stable and controllable. Attached Figure Description
[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0017] Figure 1 This is an overall three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a diagram of the internal structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the installation position relationship between the positioning components and the rivet gun; Figure 4 These are two practical application structural diagrams of positioning components; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of a rivet gun; Figure 6 This is another three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention.
[0018] The reference numerals in the attached drawings are explained as follows: 1. Chassis; 2. Workbench; 3. Positioning assembly; 4. Riveting gun; 5. Fixture base plate; 6. Workpiece; 7. Support block; 8. Disc; 9. Lower support column; 10. Rectangular strip; 11. Cylinder; 12. Handle; 13. Rivet; 14. Bend pipe; 15. Button head; 16. Mounting plate; 17. Cantilever; 18. Connecting rod; 19. Slide seat; 20. Slide rod; 21. Adjusting block; 22. Column; 23. Base compartment; 24. Detailed Implementation
[0019] To make the technical means, creative features, achieved objectives, and functions of this invention clearer and easier to understand, the technical solution of this invention will be described in detail below. Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments described below are merely some specific implementation structures or methods of this invention, and not all embodiments; therefore, the scope of protection of this invention is not limited thereto.
[0020] See Figures 1-3 As shown, this embodiment discloses a riveting workstation. Structurally, it mainly includes a chassis 1 and a worktable 2 installed inside the chassis 1. The chassis 1 can be made into a cuboid structure with a metal grille around the upper part for protection. A riveting gun 4 is located above the worktable 2. This riveting gun 4 is used to rivet rivets 14 on the workpiece 6. Specifically, in this embodiment, the worktable 2 has a clamping base plate 5, which is generally rectangular. On this clamping base plate 5, a positioning component 3 for mounting curved strip-shaped workpieces 6, such as clamping automotive parts like grooves, is mainly installed. This positioning component 3 includes several pairs of left-right arranged supports 7, which can be made into L-shaped block structures and detachably mounted on the upper surface of the clamping base plate 5. All supports 7 gradually rise from both ends to the middle to accommodate the curved shape of the workpiece 6, facilitating clamping and positioning, and preventing damage to the shape accuracy of the workpiece 6 during riveting operations. In a specific implementation, each support 7 has a mounting groove (not shown in the figure) at its top for embedding a workpiece 6. This mounting groove can typically be a rectangular notch. Simultaneously, a pressure block 8 is provided above each pair of adjacent supports 7 on each side. The pressure block 8 can also be a rectangular block structure, and it is best installed vertically and telescopically to press against the upper surface of the workpiece 6 resting in the mounting groove, accommodating workpieces of various sizes for clamping and positioning. The rivet gun 4 in this embodiment is horizontally slidable along the length of the workpiece 6. For example… Figure 3 As shown, the rivet gun 4 can move left and right, and in order to move flexibly to the predetermined position, the rivet gun 4 can also rotate around the vertical axis so that when it moves horizontally to the appropriate position, it can rotate again, so that the workpiece 6 is directly above the rivet position, and can move vertically to connect with the pre-embedded rivet 14 for pull-out riveting and fixing.
[0021] In this embodiment, as Figure 2 The fixture base plate 5 has a disc 9 fixed on each of the two end faces along the length of the workpiece 6. The disc 9 is connected to the main shaft of the motor, thereby adjusting the position of the workpiece 6 in three-dimensional space and its posture to better cooperate with the rivet gun 4 for riveting and fixing operations. During installation, a groove is provided along the diameter of the disc 9. The two end faces of the fixture base plate 5 are slidably fitted into the groove, allowing adjustment of its position within the groove and changing the position of the fixture base plate 5. This groove can be T-shaped, allowing for fastening with T-bolts or similar fastening methods. Thus, a detachable connection can be made using a fastening bolt penetrating the bottom of the groove, enabling flexible installation and use.
[0022] To ensure a more stable installation of the fixture base, the spindle is an axially telescopic shaft, which extends after installation and axially clamps and secures the fixture base plate 5. For ease of installation and use, handles 13 are fixed to the upper surface of both end faces of the fixture base plate 5. The handles 13 have a U-shaped structure and are used for gripping to pick up and remove the fixture base plate 5.
[0023] In addition, as an optimized design structure, such as Figure 3This riveting workstation features a vertically mounted lower support column 10 located between a pair of supports 7 at the center of the fixture base plate 5. The lower support column 10 is axially extendable and reliably contacts the lower surface of the workpiece 6 after it is placed in the mounting slot. Specifically, this lower support column 10 may include a pressure sensor, or it may contain a spring. One end of the spring contacts a top of the lower support column 10, and the other end contacts the pressure sensor. The top of the spring directly contacts the lower surface of the workpiece 6, allowing the pressure sensor to detect the corresponding pressure value and determine the clamping status of the workpiece 6, thus preventing over-clamping. In short, the pressure sensor detects the force between the workpiece 6 and the lower support column 10 after it is installed. This force, or pressure value, is the clamping force of the workpiece 6 after the pressure block 8 presses it down. This force can be detected by the pressure sensor to determine whether the clamping is appropriate and to prevent excessive bending of the workpiece 6. Another key function is that after the workpiece 6 is clamped, the aforementioned force is equal to a set value, for example, 30N. During the riveting process, when the rivet gun 4 pulls the rivet 14 shank, the workpiece 6 will inevitably be subjected to an upward pulling force. At this time, the workpiece 6 will tend to move away from the lower support column 10, causing the force to gradually decrease. One of the values during the decreasing process is equal to the set riveting degree reference value, for example, this reference value is equal to 10N. This indicates that the riveting force applied by the rivet gun 4 during the riveting process meets the requirements. It can be used as a reference for judging the working state of the rivet gun 4 and as a direct factual reference for the riveting process. In practice, the riveting degree reference value can be designed to be between 0-2N, that is, the workpiece 6 is almost in contact with the lower support column 10 without squeezing, but not completely separated from the workpiece 6. At this time, the riveting force is the greatest, the riveting fixation effect is good, and the workpiece 6 is not deformed beyond the tolerance.
[0024] As a production detail structure, such as Figure 5The rivet gun 4 is fixedly mounted on a mounting plate 17 located above the workbench 2. The upper end of the mounting plate 17 is provided with a protective cover to accommodate the stock of the rivet gun 4, protecting it. The lower end of the mounting plate 17 allows the head of the rivet gun 4 to extend, thus setting the head vertically for pulling the rivet 14. At the same time, the end of the mounting plate 17 is inserted into one end of a cantilever 18 via a pin (not shown in the figure). A bent pipe 15 passes radially through the pin located in the cantilever 18. The bottom end of the bent pipe 15 is provided with a button head 16, which is parallel to the head of the rivet gun and can assist in pressing the clamp base plate 5 to prevent the positioning assembly 3 from moving upward as a whole during riveting. More specifically, the other end of the cantilever 18 is rotatably mounted on one end of a connecting rod 19. The connecting rod 19 is located below the cantilever 18 and in smooth contact with it. The cantilever 18 can rotate around one end of the connecting rod 19 in a horizontal plane. The other end of the connecting rod 19 is mounted on a slide block 20, thereby enabling the rivet gun 4 to rotate flexibly. Further details can be found in the following sections. Figure 5 The slide block 20 includes a pair of sliding holes arranged vertically. The two sliding holes allow a pair of parallel slide rods 21 to slide through and be installed. The two ends of the slide rods 21 are connected to their respective columns 23 by adjusting blocks 22 so that they can move along the slide rods 21, expand the range of motion of the rivet gun 4, and increase the rivet working area.
[0025] Finally, as a recommended structural design, such as Figure 6 Below the workbench 2, there is a bottom compartment 24. Inside the bottom compartment 24, there are several positioning components 3 for clamping several workpieces 6. The slide 20 moves down along the column 23, so that the rivet gun 4 can move down. Thus, the workpieces 6 clamped on the positioning components 3 in the bottom compartment 24 can be riveted, realizing the operation of a double-layer working area and improving versatility.
[0026] For the installation of pressure block 8, this embodiment recommends the following design: Figure 4 The pressure block 8 is embedded and fixed to the bottom end face of a rectangular strip 11, with one side of the bottom end face exposed for pressing contact with the surface of the workpiece 6. This pressure block 8 is preferably made of rubber, which has good hardness and a certain degree of buffering and vibration damping. The end of the rectangular strip 11 is installed on the output shaft of the cylinder 12, so that when the output shaft of the cylinder 12 retracts, the rectangular strip 11, along with the pressure block 8, presses the workpiece 6 onto the support 7. This can not only press the workpiece 6 tightly, but also avoid accidental vibrations that could cause significant deformation of the workpiece 6.
[0027] It should be reiterated that, in this invention, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Therefore, those skilled in the art should understand that any modifications or equivalent substitutions made by those skilled in the art to this embodiment based on the technical principles disclosed in this invention, without departing from the technical spirit of this invention, should be included within the scope of protection of this invention.
Claims
1. A riveting workstation, comprising a chassis (1) and a workbench (2) installed inside the chassis (1), wherein a riveting gun (4) is provided above the workbench (2), characterized in that: The workbench (2) is provided with a fixture base plate (5), and a positioning component (3) for mounting a curved strip workpiece (6) is installed on the fixture base plate (5). The positioning component (3) includes several pairs of supports (7) arranged on the left and right. All supports (7) gradually rise from both ends to the middle, and each support (7) has a resting groove at the top for the workpiece (6) to be embedded in. A pressure block (8) is also provided above each pair of adjacent supports (7) on each side. The pressure block (8) is installed vertically and telescopically to press on the upper surface of the workpiece (6) resting on the resting groove. The rivet gun (4) is horizontally slidable along the length of the workpiece (6), and the rivet gun (4) can rotate around the vertical axis to move to the position directly above the rivet position on the workpiece (6); A vertically installed lower support column (10) is provided between a pair of supports (7) in the center. The lower support column (10) is axially extendable and retractable to reliably contact the lower surface of the workpiece (6) placed in the resting groove. The lower support column (10) includes a pressure sensor, which is used to detect the force between the workpiece (6) and the lower support column (10) after the workpiece (6) is installed. After the workpiece (6) is clamped, the force is equal to a set value. After the rivet gun (4) pulls out the rivet (14) rod, the force gradually decreases, and one of the values in the process of decreasing is equal to the set rivet degree reference value. The rivet gun (4) is fixedly mounted on a mounting plate (17) located above the workbench (2). The upper end of the mounting plate (17) is provided with a protective cover to accommodate the stock of the rivet gun (4), and the lower end is provided for the head of the rivet gun (4) to extend out so that the head is set vertically. The end of the mounting plate (17) is inserted into one end of a cantilever (18) by a pin. A bent pipe (15) runs radially through the pin located in the cantilever (18). The bottom end of the bent pipe (15) is provided with a button head (16). The button head (16) is set parallel to the head and is used to assist in pressing the clamp base plate (5). The other end of the cantilever (18) is rotatably mounted on one end of a connecting rod (19). The connecting rod (19) is located below the cantilever (18) and is in smooth contact with it. The cantilever (18) can rotate around one end of the connecting rod (19) in the horizontal plane. The other end of the connecting rod (19) is mounted on a slide (20).
2. The riveting workstation as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The fixture base plate (5) has a disc (9) fixed on each of the two end faces of the workpiece (6) along its length. The disc (9) is connected to the main shaft of the motor via a drive.
3. The riveting workstation as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The disc (9) has a groove along its diameter. The two end faces of the clamp base plate (5) are slidably installed in the groove and can be detachably connected by fastening bolts that pass through the bottom of the groove.
4. The riveting workstation as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The main shaft is an axially telescopic shaft, and a handle (13) is fixed to the upper surface of the two end faces of the clamp base plate (5). The handle (13) is used to hold the clamp base plate (5) for picking up and taking it.
5. The riveting workstation as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The reference value for the degree of riveting is equal to a value between 0 and 2N.
6. The riveting workstation as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The slide block (20) includes a pair of sliding holes arranged vertically, through which a pair of parallel sliding rods (21) are slidably installed. The two ends of the sliding rods (21) are sleeved on their respective corresponding columns (23) by adjusting blocks (22). Below the workbench (2) is a bottom compartment (24), and several positioning components (3) are provided in the bottom compartment (24). The slide (20) can move down along the column (23) to the rivet gun (4) to perform rivet operation on the workpiece (6) clamped on the positioning component (3) in the bottom compartment (24).
7. The riveting workstation as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The pressure block (8) is embedded and fixed on the bottom end face of a rectangular strip (11), and the side of the bottom end face exposed is used to press against the surface of the workpiece (6). The pressure block (8) is made of rubber. The end of the rectangular strip (11) is installed on the output shaft of the cylinder (12) so that when the output shaft of the cylinder (12) retracts, the rectangular strip (11) carries the pressure block (8) to press the workpiece (6) onto the support (7).