Slide arrangement

Abstract

The invention relates to a slide tool (100) comprising a slide bed (2) and a slide (3) which is movably mounted thereon on a dovetail guide by means of sliding plates (G1, G2), wherein the dovetail connection has a non-symmetric design.

Description

[0001] Slide arrangement

[0002] Description:

[0003] The invention relates to an improved slide assembly, in particular a pinion slide and a wedge-driven slide. The invention particularly relates to a pinion slide for fastening in a multi-part tool, in particular in a slide unit with an upper part and a hold-down device, wherein the pinion slide comprises at least one sleeve.

[0004] Sheet metal parts for the automotive industry are becoming increasingly complex, and tool design is often pushed to the limits of what is feasible. The produced parts should be fully machined at the end of the forming and punching process, if possible. Therefore, several functions of the active parts in the tool must be coordinated and coordinated at different angles. Modern sliders with drivers installed at the top or bottom perform an increasing proportion of these functions.

[0005] The invention can also be applied to a wedge drive with a slide element receptacle, a movable slide element and a driver element, wherein sliding surfaces are provided between the slide element and the driver element and a guide device with sliding surfaces on the slide element and sliding surfaces on the slide element receptacle is provided between the slide element and the slide element receptacle.

[0006] A wedge drive, also known as a slide, is essentially used to redirect press forces into punching or forming tools, particularly to enable them to machine inclined or rear-mounted sections of body parts. Typically, the slide element holder is connected to a part of the press tool in which the wedge drive is to perform the punching or forming work. A wedge drive is referred to as an upper section slide if its slide element holder is attached to the upper part of the press tool connected to the moving press ram. A lower section slide is referred to as a lower section slide if its slide element holder is connected to the lower press tool attached to the rigid press table.Regardless of which part the slide element holder of the wedge drive is connected to, it usually has a linear guide in which the movable slide element can move back and forth, but as such is firmly connected to the slide element holder. The driver element is usually a rigid element firmly connected to the part of the press tool to which the slide element holder is not attached. The driver element usually has wedge bevels and, with these, serves as a drive element in relation to the movable slide element. However, there are limitations to the use of wedge slides, especially when space constraints prevent a driver from being installed in the tool.

[0007] Until now, this has been partially achieved with pine pushers. Pine pushers are known in a wide variety of applications and designs.

[0008] A quill is used to hold and move a machining tool, such as a punching tool, in a longitudinal, i.e., axial direction. This movement is achieved by a quill driver. To prevent unwanted deflection of the quill, it usually runs in a quill holder. The quill driver and quill holder are usually permanently installed in the tool or are part of it.

[0009] Pin slides are known, for example, from WO 2007 / 006161 A1. This discloses a device wherein the movable mold half contains slides and ejectors, as well as pin slides arranged at an angle to one another and a support plate for supporting the pin slides, which are supported on a support surface that is received perpendicularly by a support plate and arranged relative to the pin slides.

[0010] Gate valves and pinion gate valves are operated by two-way hydraulic cylinders.

[0011] DE 101 53 721 C5 discloses a tool for cylinder crankcases, which is constructed from at least two tool parts. For demolding cavities and bores, the tool has several slides. For creating the cylinder bores, the tool comprises cylindrical sleeves. The sleeves can be part of a slide, i.e. in the form of sleeve slides. The sleeves run through the tool from a wall on the cylinder head side to a wall on the crankshaft side. DE 10 2006 016 078 A1 discloses another sleeve slide. DE 231 408 A1 discloses an additional device for universal tool milling machines for planing molds, punches, and electrodes for spark erosion. The additional device consists of a cast housing in which the work carriage with a pivoting device for holding the tool moves up and down in a prismatic guide.Alternatively, it has a long cylindrical bore in which a quill in the form of a piston rod performs the reciprocating movements, and the rotating tool holder is located at the lower end of the quill. To prevent the quill from rotating axially, a groove is machined along its entire length (coaxially), and it is guided by a wedge fixed in the housing. This device features an actuating cylinder on the upper cover, which secures the piston rod in the quill. A bearing protrudes at the bottom to accommodate the shaft.

[0012] In the state of the art, the focus is on further developing a slide element by creating a guide for the movable slide element that enables even better running accuracy, optimally converts the acting press force into the punching or forming movement, compensates for the lateral thrusts and should ensure an even force distribution.

[0013] For example, solutions are known in the prior art in which the movable slide element has a type of dovetail connection, with the slide element receptacle being designed as a corresponding counterpart, so that the slide element, with its dovetail-shaped side, can engage in the corresponding slide element receptacle and can be guided and held therein in a self-centering manner. Great importance is attached to the symmetrical arrangement. The surfaces on the slide element and the slide element receptacle, each provided by the dovetail shape, support each other symmetrically, whereby, due to the angled surfaces in the dovetail shape, forces directed in different directions can be absorbed.

[0014] In particular, the prior art specifically teaches a certain symmetrical arrangement, as this provides smooth running, symmetrical force distribution, and other properties and advantages. For this purpose, sliding plates are proposed on two sides of the slide element or the slide element mount, which are arranged symmetrically to achieve the aforementioned objectives. This is the solution, for example, in EP 2 197 660 B1, which has proven to be disadvantageous, particularly with regard to installation safety.

[0015] This symmetrical dovetail design is provided with sliding surfaces for supporting sliding plates and is designed to engage with a correspondingly dovetail-shaped receptacle on the slide bed, so that the sliding plates are arranged symmetrically and in an L-shape. With a symmetrical dovetail on the slide and a correspondingly symmetrically shaped receptacle on the slide bed and slide body, the sliding plates positioned between them are also arranged symmetrically.

[0016] "Symmetrical" in the context of the present invention is defined analogously. The relevant geometries and surfaces involved in the interaction of the slide with its contour on the corresponding mount on the slide bed are considered.

[0017] However, due to asymmetrical installation situations, the high accuracy requirements of complex tools, and the unavoidable tolerances in manufacturing, there is a high demand for correct and precise installation. The tools are often used as intended in a non-symmetrical installation situation, so that reversed or incorrect installation can have fatal consequences. However, with the state-of-the-art solutions, installation rotated by 180° relative to the intended position is possible, which can result in significant damage to the tool and the parts being machined during operation (sometimes immediately).

[0018] This problem can occur particularly with a symmetrical dovetail guide, as a 180° offset installation of a guide and plain bearing that are essentially symmetrically arranged can lead to the aforementioned problems. For example, if a punch attached to the slide is off-center, rotating it 180° could potentially cause the tool to crash.

[0019] It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages and to provide a slide which, on the one hand, enables good running properties and a desired force distribution, but on the other hand improves installation safety and prevents faulty installation.

[0020] This problem is solved by the combination of features according to patent claim 1.

[0021] A fundamental concept of the invention is to achieve an asymmetrical, rather than symmetrical, dovetail joint arrangement, in particular with regard to the operative connection between the slide and the slide bed, unlike the prior art. Specifically in this definition, with respect to the tool center (in the case of a wedge drive tool) or the slide center (in the case of a pinion slide), an asymmetrical dovetail joint arrangement is to be realized, resulting in an overall asymmetrical arrangement of the dovetail joint and any associated plain bearing plates.

[0022] For this purpose, the following measures are proposed with regard to the dovetail connection between the slide and the corresponding slide bed:

[0023] - A plane of symmetry through the dovetail-shaped holding section is offset from the axis of symmetry formed by the tool center or the shape of the dovetail on the slide or its outer contour is per se asymmetrical (e.g. one side is widened or shaped differently compared to the opposite side and compared to a symmetrical dovetail shape).

[0024] - one of the two support surfaces designed for the sliding plates on the dovetail of the slider is lower or higher, relative to a position in the vertical direction, than the diametrically opposite other support surface. As a result, the sliding plates are also arranged offset in other relative positions in the vertical direction.

[0025] - the two previously mentioned support surfaces on the dovetail for supporting the sliding plates can also be designed at a different angle of attack.

[0026] In this context, it should be noted that the features mentioned above which lead to an asymmetrical arrangement or shape only concern those features which contribute to the connection of the dovetail and in particular the outer contour, which represents the dimensions relevant for the symmetry for the support of the sliding plates and the dimensions.

[0027] A solution is particularly preferred in which the deviation of the two planes (tool plane and symmetry plane of the dovetail joint) are close to each other but offset from each other in order to realize the advantages of good guidance properties and optimal force distribution on the one hand and a clear mounting position of the slide on the slide bed on the other.

[0028] According to the invention, a slide tool is proposed for this purpose, comprising a slide bed and a slide which is mounted on a dovetail guide and is movable thereon by means of sliding plates, comprising a slide body and a slide holder formed thereon, wherein a first plane of symmetry of the slide body and / or slide bed is present, which runs through the center of the slide and / or slide tool, wherein the slide has a dovetail-shaped holding section formed to form a second plane of symmetry S2, and the first plane of symmetry S1 does not coincide with the second plane of symmetry S2, so that sliding plates provided on sliding surfaces of the dovetail-shaped holding section are arranged asymmetrically to the first plane of symmetry.

[0029] Thus, according to one concept of the invention, the arrangement of the sliding plates and thus the position of the dovetail-shaped holding section is not placed in the center of the tool and thus not in the plane of symmetry of the slide tool or the slide bed, but offset laterally or transversely to it. This allows the sliding plates to remain identical, but the dovetail-shaped holding section is formed off-center on the slide. This eliminates the possibility of an unwanted assembly rotated by 180°.

[0030] In a further embodiment of the invention, the slider is mounted on a driver on the side of the slider opposite the dovetail guide. The invention can therefore be implemented with a classic wedge drive consisting of a slider bed, slider, and driver.

[0031] It is further advantageous if the slide (particularly when implemented as a pinion slide) is mounted in at least one guide bushing for axial movement along a central slide axis X. Advantageously, two guide bushings arranged axially in series one behind the other are provided.

[0032] In a further embodiment of the invention, the sliding plates are L-shaped, with their L-shaped legs each projecting into a recess in the slide bed. Particularly advantageously, the sliding plates are arranged on the slide at an angle to the two planes of symmetry. In this way, the sliding surfaces also run at an angle to the planes of symmetry.

[0033] Furthermore, it is advantageously provided on the slide bed with a groove for a holding means protruding from the dovetail-shaped holding section and engaging in the groove or guide groove. According to one concept of the invention, the guide groove is positioned centrally relative to the lateral tool edges and symmetrically to the tool center, while the holding means on the dovetail is offset relative to the plane of symmetry of the dovetail projection, in particular, transversely to the plane of symmetry.

[0034] For this reason, the slider can only be mounted on the slider bed in its intended position. If the slider were rotated 180°, a collision would occur during assembly due to the geometric conditions between the position of the retaining device and the guide groove. This also prevents incorrect assembly. Furthermore, it is preferable if the center, and in particular the central slider axis X, runs within the second plane of symmetry S2.

[0035] For the purposes of the present invention, a plane of symmetry refers to those planes in which the relevant parts of the slide tool are symmetrical in their position relative to this plane. For example, if one considers the guide groove of the slide bed, this is symmetrical in shape and position relative to the first plane of symmetry of the slide bed, even if the slide bed does not exhibit perfect symmetry in all its details. Instead of the plane of symmetry, one can also alternatively use the center of the part accordingly in an inventive concept.

[0036] In this case, according to the invention, the center of the dovetail-shaped holding section and the tool center or the slide center diverge.

[0037] Thus, it is particularly preferred if the second plane of symmetry S2 is offset from the first plane of symmetry S1 by a distance y transverse to the slide axis X or slide center, whereby this is only a comparatively small deviation (e.g. 1 - 5% of the tool width).

[0038] In a further embodiment of the invention, a releasable blocking means is provided at a tool-side end of the guide groove, which prevents the complete disassembly of the slider along the dovetail guide as long as the blocking means is in its blocking position.

[0039] Other preferred features are:

[0040] - the slider has a round, rectangular or polygonal cross-section; - the at least one guide bush has a round, rectangular or polygonal cross-section;

[0041] Other advantageous developments of the invention are characterized in the subclaims or are presented in more detail below together with the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the figures.

[0042] They show:

[0043] Fig. 1 is an exemplary perspective view of a slider tool (pinion slider);

[0044] Fig. 2 is a side view of the embodiment according to Figure 1;

[0045] Fig. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention (wedge drive tool);

[0046] Fig. 4 is a side view of the embodiment according to Figure 3;

[0047] Fig. 5 is a first sectional view through the embodiment according to Figure 1;

[0048] Fig. 6 is a front view of the embodiment according to Figure 1 and

[0049] Fig. 7 is a further sectional view through the embodiment according to Figure 1,

[0050] Fig. 8 a detail from Fig. 7 and

[0051] Fig. 9 shows an alternative embodiment of an asymmetrical dovetail joint. The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 9, wherein like reference numerals indicate like structural and / or functional features.

[0052] Figure 1 shows an exemplary representation of a slider tool 100 designed as a pinion slider. The slider tool 100 has a slider bed 2 and a slider 3 movably mounted on a dovetail guide by means of sliding plates 50, 51.

[0053] The slide 3 has a slide body 30 (at the front end of which a machining tool can be attached) and a slide holder 31 formed thereon for supporting the slide 3 on the slide bed 2.

[0054] The slide body 30 has a central axis X and a first plane of symmetry S1, which coincides with the plane of symmetry of the slide bed 2 and thus characterizes a common plane of symmetry and thus the center of the slide tool.

[0055] The slide holder 31 in turn forms a dovetail-shaped holding section 32 that is symmetrical to a second plane of symmetry S2. However, the first plane of symmetry S1 and the second plane of symmetry S2 do not coincide, but are offset by the distance y (as can be clearly seen in Figures 6 to 8), so that the sliding plates 50, 51 provided on the sliding surfaces of the dovetail-shaped holding section 32 are arranged asymmetrically to the first plane of symmetry S1 as intended. If mounted incorrectly, the slide can no longer be brought together with the driver (in the case of a wedge slide) or guided in the guide bushings 40 (in the case of a pinion slide 100), since these must be offset from one another by the aforementioned distance y.In the embodiment according to Figure 3 and Figure 4, in which a wedge drive tool 100 is shown, the slider 3 is mounted on a driver 60 on a side of the slider 2 opposite the dovetail guide.

[0056] In the case of the pinion slide 100, it can be seen that the slide 3 is mounted in two guide bushings 40 along a central, central slide axis X so that it can move axially, and the guide bushings enclose the slide in a ring-like manner.

[0057] In both embodiments, the sliding plates 50, 51 are L-shaped and protrude with their one (short) leg 50a, 51a forming the L-shape into a recess (recess) on the slide bed 2.

[0058] In Figures 5 and 7, it is clearly visible that a central guide groove 22 is provided in the slide bed 2 for a holding means 33 protruding from the dovetail-shaped holding section 32 and engaging in the guide groove 22. The holding means 33 can be a screw with a screw head.

[0059] In Figures 6 and 7 it can again be clearly seen that the center and in particular the central slider axis X runs within the first symmetry plane S1 and the second symmetry plane S2 is offset from the first symmetry plane S1 by a distance y transverse to the slider axis X or slider center.

[0060] Figure 5 further shows that a releasable locking means 24 is provided at the tool-side end of the guide groove 22, which prevents the complete disassembly of the slide 3 (from its mounting position to a removal position) along the dovetail guide as long as the locking means 24 is in its locking position (shown in Figure 5). In this embodiment, the slide 3 and the guide bushings 40 of the pinion slide have a circular cross-section, so that the circle center also determines the center of the slide 3 and the position of the plane of symmetry S2.

[0061] Figure 8 shows a detail from Figure 7 to illustrate how the symmetry plane S2 of the dovetail guide and the position of the sliding plates 50, 51 is offset by the distance y from the symmetry plane S1 of the slide bed and the slide body.

[0062] Fig. 9 shows an alternative embodiment of an asymmetrical dovetail joint in which the angles A and B are different, whereby the support surfaces 60, 61 for the sliding plates 50, 51 have different angles of attack.

[0063] Figure 8 shows another possible embodiment with the height direction H, in which the support surfaces 60, 61 for the sliding plates 50, 51 may have the same angle of attack, but are offset relative to each other in the height direction H. This also allows an asymmetrical solution to be obtained.

[0064] According to the invention, the solutions shown are advantageous in that the two sliding plates 50, 51, despite the asymmetrical geometry of the dovetail, are nevertheless designed as identical parts and no different components are required.

[0065] The invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described above. Rather, a number of variants are conceivable that utilize the presented solution even in fundamentally different embodiments.

Claims

Claims Slider tool (100) comprising a slider bed (2) and a slider (3) movably mounted on a dovetail guide by means of sliding plates (50, 51), comprising a slider body (30) and a slider holder (31) formed thereon, wherein a first plane of symmetry (S1) of the slider body (3) and / or slider bed (2) is present, which runs through the center of the slider (3) and / or slider tool (3), wherein the slider holder (31) has a dovetail-shaped holding section (32) formed symmetrically to a second plane of symmetry (S2), and the first plane of symmetry (S1) does not coincide with the second plane of symmetry (S2), so that sliding plates (50, 51) are provided on sliding surfaces of the dovetail-shaped holding section (32), which are arranged asymmetrically to the first plane of symmetry (S1).A slider tool (100) comprising a slider bed (2) and a slider (3) movably mounted on a dovetail guide by means of sliding plates (50, 51), comprising a slider body (30) and a slider holder (31) formed thereon, which has an asymmetrically shaped, dovetail-like holding section (32) which engages in a correspondingly shaped receiving section on the slider bed. A slider tool (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the slider (3) is mounted on a driver on a side of the slider (2) opposite the dovetail guide. (60). Slide tool (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the slide (3) is mounted in at least one guide bushing (40) along a central, mid-slide axis (X). Slide tool (100) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the sliding plates (50, 51) are L-shaped and each of their legs (50a, 51a) forming the L-shape protrude into a recess (21) on the slide bed (2). Slide tool (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a guide groove (22) is provided on the slide bed (2) for a holding means (33) protruding from the dovetail-shaped holding section (32) and engaging in the guide groove (22). Slider tool (100) according to one of claims 1 and 4 to 6, characterized in that the center and in particular the central slider axis (X) runs within the first plane of symmetry (S1).Slider tool (100) according to claim 1 and one of the preceding claims 3 to 7, characterized in that the second plane of symmetry (S2) is offset from the first plane of symmetry (S1) by a distance y transverse to the slider axis (X) or slider center. Slider tool (100) according to one of the preceding claims 6 to 8, characterized in that a releasable blocking means (24) is provided at a tool-side end of the guide groove (22), which blocking means prevents complete disassembly of the slider (3) along the dovetail guide as long as the blocking means (24) is in its blocking position. Slider tool (100) according to one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that the slider (3) has a round, rectangular, or polygonal cross-section. Slider tool (100) according to one of claims 4 to 10, characterized in that the at least one guide bushing (40) has a round, rectangular, or polygonal cross-section.Slider tool (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an assembly of the slider (3) rotated by 180° relative to its intended assembly is prevented due to the asymmetrical design. Slider tool (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sliding plates (50, 51) are arranged on the slider (3) at a different angle relative to the slider axis X.

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