Joining head for fastening a fastening element to the surface of a component

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a joining head for fastening a fastening element by means of a die on the surface of a component with a gripper which can be moved linearly in a first direction of movement and a magazine which can be moved linearly in a second direction of movement for receiving a plurality of fastening elements, wherein the first direction of movement runs transversely to the second direction of movement.

[0002] Such a joining head is known, for example, from US 2011 / 132520 A1. This document describes fastening elements that are connected to a workpiece and serve to hold components and functional parts.

[0003] DE 10 2011 009 259 A1 discloses a similar joining head. The joining head can be connected to a robot, allowing a fastener to be automatically placed on and secured to a workpiece surface. A gripper is provided for this purpose, with which the fastener can be removed from the magazine via a pivoting movement and aligned in a joining direction. Using the gripper, the fastener is then placed on the surface of the workpiece and adhesively secured there.

[0004] The design of the gripper is complex due to the pivoting capability required to grip a fastener and the linear displacement required to support the fastener on the top of the workpiece. The invention is therefore based on the object of simplifying the design of the joining head.

[0005] To solve the problem, a generic joining head according to claim 1 is characterized in that the gripper is designed as at least one die, the fastening of the component can be carried out by means of clinching.

[0006] The required at least one anvil must then, of course, rest on the opposite side of the component. Preferably, two dies and two anvils are provided. Because the first displacement direction is perpendicular to the second displacement direction, the magazine can be pushed under the gripper, which can move toward the magazine in its joining direction, grasp a fastener, and move back in the opposite direction. The magazine can then be retracted, and the gripper can move toward the component again in its joining direction and place the fastener on the component's surface.

[0007] Preferably, the first displacement direction (joining direction of the die) runs at an angle of 90° to the second displacement direction.

[0008] If the magazine has several steps on its side facing the gripper and each step accommodates a fastener, several fasteners can be removed from the magazine at the same time if necessary.

[0009] Preferably between two and ten levels are provided.

[0010] If the joining head consists of an essentially C-shaped base body with two longitudinal legs arranged parallel to each other, the magazine can be arranged between the two longitudinal legs.

[0011] The magazine is preferably movable in the second displacement direction so that it can be guided past the gripper. This design makes it possible to fill the gripper with fresh fasteners in the position away from the joining head, next to the gripper.

[0012] If the component is part of a motor vehicle body, for example, the fastening element can be used to attach a decorative strip, for example.

[0013] The magazine can be moved by electric motor or pneumatically. The fasteners can preferably be held in place in the magazine and / or the die or gripper by magnetic force or vacuum, ensuring that they cannot fall out of the holders when the magazine is advanced or the joining head is moved.

[0014] The steps can have upward-facing receiving pins that engage complementary holes in the fasteners. This design ensures that the fasteners are securely positioned in the magazine and can thus be securely grasped by the gripper.

[0015] An embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail below with the aid of a drawing. It shows: Figure 1 - the side view of the joining head in a first position of the magazine; Figure 2 - the perspective view of the joining head in a second position of the magazine; Figure 3 - the view after Figure 1 in a third position of the magazine; Figure 4a - a detail of the joining head in side view; Figure 4b - the view of the detail after Figure 4a ;. Figure 4c - the section along the line AA to Figure 4a ; Figure 4d - a perspective view of the detail according to Figure 4a; Figure 4e - another perspective view of the detail according to Figure 4a ; Figure 5a - a detail of the joining head in side view before clinching; Figure 5b - the view of the detail after Figure 5a ;. Figure 5c - the section along the line AA to Figure 5a ; Figure 5d - a perspective view of the detail according to Figure 5a ; Figure 5e - another perspective view of the detail according to Figure 5a ; Figure 6a - the component with the fastening element; Figure 6b - the section along the line AA to Figure 6a ; Figure 6c - a perspective view of the detail according to Figure 6a ; Figure 6d. - another perspective view of the detail according to Figure 6a ; Figure 7a - a detail of the joining head in side view after clinching; Figure 7b - the view of the detail after Figure 7a Figure 7c - the section along the line AA to Figure 7a; Figure 7d - a perspective view of the detail according to Figure 7a ; Figure 7e - another perspective view of the detail according to Figure 7a .

[0016] The joining head is constructed in several parts and essentially consists of the C-shaped bracket 3, which has two longitudinal legs 3.1, 3.2 running parallel to one another and is open downwards - in the drawing. The magazine 2 is arranged between the two longitudinal legs 3.1, 3.2 and can be moved in the direction RM. The movement can be effected by an electric motor, for example by means of an incremental motor, or pneumatically. Also attached to the bracket 3 is the gripper 1, which is designed as a die and can be moved linearly in the vertical direction RG - in the drawing - by an electric motor. The joining head can be attached to a robot arm via a connecting plate 3.3. Opposite the die 1, a punch 4 is attached concentrically to the joining axis F to a horn 3.4 formed at the lower end of the longitudinal legs 3.1, 3.2. On the holder of the die / gripper 1, which is not described in more detail here, there are two stops 1.1, 1.2, which interact with counter-stops 3.5, 3.6 on the longitudinal legs 3.1, 3.2.

[0017] As the Figures 4 to 7 As shown, the gripper or die 1 is designed with two gripping elements or die elements 1.0, which can be seen as a further embodiment. When reference is made below to gripper / die 1 or punch 4, this can also include two die elements 1.0 and, accordingly, two punch elements 4.0 (cf. Figure 7 ) should be understood in relation to.

[0018] The upper side of the magazine 2 facing the gripper 1 is formed with a plurality of steps 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, ..., 2.n. Preferably, two to ten steps 2.n are provided. The steps 2.n are provided with upwardly projecting receiving pins 2.in. The fastening elements 10 have holes or bores 10.3 formed congruently with the circumference of the receiving pins 2.in, so that the fastening elements 10 can be positioned on two receiving pins 2.in via the holes 10.3. This ensures that they assume a defined position and the gripper 1 or the die 1 can securely grip the fastening elements 10. In order to securely hold the fastening elements 10 picked up by the gripper 1, they can be attracted by magnetic force or pneumatically. Attraction by magnetic force naturally requires that the fastening elements 10 are made of a magnetic material.

[0019] Figure 4shows the representation of a die 1 with the two die elements 1.0 arranged parallel to one another, which have grasped a fastening element 10 and removed it from the magazine 2. This embodiment is preferably used when the fastening element 10 is connected to the component 20 by means of clinching.

[0020] The following briefly explains the operation of the joining head during clinching: In order to remove one or more fastening elements 1 from the magazine 2, the magazine is moved in the direction RM until the gripper 1 is positioned exactly above the fastening element(s) 10 to be removed (joining direction F). The gripper 1 is then moved downwards in the direction RG towards the magazine 2 and one or more fastening elements 10 are magnetically or pneumatically released from the magazine 2 and attracted magnetically or pneumatically by the gripper 1 ( Figure 2). To ensure that the gripper 1 and the magazine 2 are precisely aligned with each other during the transfer of the fastening elements 10, a positioning hole 1.3 is provided on the underside of the gripper 1, into which a positioning pin (not shown) on the magazine 2 is inserted. The magazine 2 is then retracted in the opposite direction RM, and the path in joining direction F for the gripper 1 or the die 1 is free. Together with the fastening element 10, the die 1 is moved downwards in the direction RG and the fastening element 10 is placed on the upper side 20.1 of the workpiece 20 ( Figure 5). Upon further displacement of the die 1 in the direction RG, the stops 1.1, 1.2 come into contact with the counter-stops 3.5, 3.6. As the movement continues, the downward movement of the die 1 pulls the longitudinal legs 3.1, 3.2 upward, so that the punch 4 comes into contact with the underside 20.2 of the component 20 and the clinching takes place. The component 10 is then firmly connected to the component 20. Figure 6c and 7d show the impressions 20.3 created by the stamping elements 4.0 during clinching on the underside 20.2 of the component 20. Once all fastening elements 10 have been removed from the magazine 2, the magazine is inserted into the Figure 3The position shown is shifted toward RM so that the receptacles congruent with stages 2.n can be refilled and the respective stages 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, ... 2.n are freely accessible from above. Then the removal and clinching can begin again as described above.

[0021] In As a rule, only a single fastening element 10 is removed from the magazine 2 and connected to the component 20. By appropriately designing the gripper or die 1, several fastening parts 10 can be removed simultaneously and fastened to a component 20. It is also conceivable for each gripper / die element 1.0 to remove a separate component and then connect these to the component 20 simultaneously by means of clinching. List of reference symbols

[0022] 1Gripper / Die 1.0Gripper element / Die element 1.1Stop 1.2Stop 1.3Positioning hole 2Magazine 2.1Step 2.2Step 2.3.Step 2.nStep 2.inSteering pin 3Base body 3.1Longitudinal leg 3.2Longitudinal leg 3.3Fastening flange 3.4Horn 3.5Counter stop 3.6Counter stop 4Punch 4.0Punch element 10Fastening element 10.1Hole / bore 20Component 20.1Top side 20.2Bottom side 20.3Recess FJoining direction RG direction RM direction

Claims

1. A joining head for fastening a fastening element (10) by means of a die to the surface (20.1) of a component (20) with a gripper (1) that can be linearly displaced in a first displacement direction RG and a magazine (2) for containing a plurality of fastening elements (10) that can be linearly displaced in a second displacement direction RM, wherein the first displacement direction RG runs transversely to the second displacement direction RM, characterized in that the gripper (1) is designed as at least one die and the component (20) can be fastenend by clinching.

2. The joining head according to claim 1, characterized in that the first displacement direction RG extends at an angle of 90° to the second displacement direction RM.

3. The joining head according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the magazine (2) features multiple tiers (2.1, 2.2, 2.3, ... 2.n) on a side facing towards the gripper (1) and each tier (2.1, 2.2, 2.3, ... 2.n) receives one fastening element (10).

4. The joining head according to claim 3, characterized in that at least to and at most ten tiers (2.1, 2.2, 2.3, ... 2.n) are provided.

5. The joining head according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the joining head comprises an essentially C-shaped base body (3) with two longitudinal legs (3.1, 3.2) arranged parallel to each other and the magazine (2) is arranged between to the two longitudinal legs (3.1, 3.2).

6. The joining head according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the magazine (2) can be displaced in the second displacement direction RM to such an extent that it can be guided past the gripper (1).

7. The joining head according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the displacement of the magazine (2) is achieved by electric motor or pneumatically.

8. The joining head according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fastening elements (10) can be firmly held in the magazine (2) and / or the die / gripper (1) via a magnetic force or via a vacuum.

9. The joining head according to one of the claims 3 to 8, characterized in that the tiers (2.1, 2.2, 2.3, ... 2.n) have upwardly pointing receiving pins (2.in) which engage in correspondingly shaped holes (10.1) in the fastening elements (10).