Shooting device

Abstract

The invention relates to a shooting device (1), in particular a punching device or riveting device, comprising a tool main body (2) having a feed apparatus (3), which is designed to feed shooting elements, in particular punching elements or riveting elements and is connected to a tool head (4), said tool head (4) having a tool cage (6) which is connected to the tool main body (2) by means of an intermediate plate (5), wherein the intermediate plate (5) and the tool cage (6) partially delimit a receiving space for at least one sensor element (11), wherein the tool cage (6) is connected to the tool main body (2) by means of at least two fastening means, wherein fastening openings (7, 8) designed to receive the fastening means are arranged asymmetrically on the intermediate plate (5) and / or on the tool main body (2).

Description

[0001] firing device

[0002] The invention relates to a firing device, in particular a punching device or riveting device, comprising a round tool body with a feed device which is designed to feed firing elements, in particular punching elements or riveting elements, and is connected to a tool head, which tool head has a tool cage which is connected to the tool base body by means of an intermediate plate, wherein the intermediate plate and the tool cage delimit a receiving space for at least one sensor element in sections.

[0003] Firing devices of the type mentioned above, for example punching devices or riveting devices, are generally known from the prior art. Fastening means, such as screws, are usually provided for mounting the tool cage to the intermediate plate. For reasons of symmetry, such fastening means are usually arranged similarly, in particular point-symmetrically, with respect to a center point or central axis of the firing device. This means that the intermediate plate and the tool cage can be mounted in different orientations to one another. For example, when rotated by 180°, similar fastening openings align with one another, and the hole pattern of the intermediate plate and tool cage remains aligned even when rotated. This means that incorrect installation is also possible.

[0004] In other words, the intermediate plate and the tool cage of the tool head can be connected in an incorrectly oriented manner because the hole pattern of the mounting holes is symmetrical. This can lead to a receiving space for a sensor element, which is partially defined by the tool cage and the intermediate plate, not being properly created. Due to incorrect orientation, the individual sub-spaces of the receiving space are not aligned with each other, or they do not mesh or align with each other due to incorrect installation.

[0005] If the intermediate plate is connected to the tool cage in the wrong orientation to form the tool head, this results in insufficient space for the sensor element, and the sensor element can therefore be crushed between the intermediate plate and the tool cage. Due to the initial incorrect installation of the tool head, this results in the intermediate plate having to be separated from the tool cage and reassembled in the correct orientation. Furthermore, damage to the sensor element can occur due to the crushing of the sensor element.

[0006] The invention is based on the object of providing an improved firing device in which, in particular, incorrect installation of the intermediate plate on the tool cage is excluded.

[0007] The object is achieved by a firing device according to claim 1. The dependent claims relate to possible embodiments.

[0008] As described, the invention relates to a firing device, in particular a punching device or a riveting device. The firing device comprises a tool base body with a feed device designed to feed firing elements, in particular punching elements or riveting elements. The feed device is connected to the tool head or formed in sections therein, for example as a channel or tube, so that the corresponding firing elements can be fed into the tool head. The tool head has a tool cage that can be connected to the tool base body of the firing device by means of an intermediate plate. In other words, the intermediate plate lies in the vertical direction, for example in the feed direction of the firing elements, between the tool cage and the tool base body.

[0009] The intermediate plate and the tool cage of the tool head each partially delimit a partial space of the receiving space for at least one sensor element. In other words, a sensor element can be arranged in the tool head, part of which is received in the first partial space of the receiving space in the intermediate plate, and the remaining part in a second partial space of the receiving space formed in the tool cage. In other words, the sensor element is received in the receiving space which, when the intermediate plate and the tool cage are correctly installed, is formed by corresponding partial spaces in the intermediate plate and the tool cage. The invention is based on the finding that the tool head is connected to the tool base body by at least two fastening means, wherein fastening openings designed to receive the fastening means are arranged asymmetrically on the intermediate plate and / or the tool base body.The asymmetrical design of the mounting holes determines the orientation of the tool cage and the intermediate plate in which they can be attached to each other. In other words, the mounting holes do not have a symmetrical hole pattern, meaning that the at least two typically possible orientations of the intermediate plate and the tool cage are not possible. Instead, there is exactly one possible orientation in which the intermediate plate can be mounted to the tool cage: namely, when the mounting holes are aligned.

[0010] This ensures that installing the tool cage with the intermediate plate can only lead to the fasteners engaging the mounting holes if the correct orientation is present. If an incorrect orientation is attempted, the fasteners cannot be brought into engagement with the mounting holes, and in particular, screws cannot be screwed into the corresponding threaded holes. This at least prevents damage to the sensor element accommodated in one of the sub-chambers of the receiving space, as the fasteners cannot be tightened.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the firing device, it can be provided that the hole pattern of the fastening openings on the tool cage and / or on the intermediate plate is asymmetrical. The hole pattern of the fastening openings can in particular be viewed in a transverse plane that runs transversely to the longitudinal axis of the fastening means. The asymmetry can in particular be understood as a point symmetry with respect to a central axis, for example the feed direction or the firing direction in which the firing elements are applied to the component, i.e. in particular punched or riveted. The hole pattern of the fastening openings therefore only coincides when the tool cage and intermediate plate are correctly oriented to one another. If the orientation is opposite or reversed, the fastening openings do not coincide, so that insertion of the fastening means into at least one type of fastening opening is prevented.

[0012] According to a further development of the firing device, the tool cage and / or the intermediate plate can have two first fastening openings and two second fastening openings, wherein either the two first fastening openings or the two second fastening openings are opposite one another with respect to a central axis. In other words, exactly two fastening openings, namely the corresponding first fastening openings or the corresponding second fastening openings, are opposite one another with respect to a central axis, wherein the other fastening openings do not lie on a connecting line through the central axis, but rather one of the fastening openings is positioned differently from this connecting line. This ensures that all similar fastening openings only coincide with one another if the correct orientation is selected.If a different orientation is selected, at least one fastening opening, for example in the intermediate plate, is not aligned with its counterpart, for example in the tool cage, so that it is not possible to insert a fastening means through the corresponding fastening openings.

[0013] The fastening openings can, for example, be through-holes or threaded holes, or at least partially comprise them. Stepped holes are also understood as through-holes. In a further development of the firing device, it can be provided that exactly two first fastening openings, in particular as through-holes, and exactly two second fastening openings, in particular as threaded holes, are formed, or at least partially comprise them. In other words, a fastening means, in particular a screw, can be guided through the tool head through the fastening openings provided as through-holes, which engage with a thread in the tool base body.The second fastening openings designed as threaded holes can be provided in particular in the tool cage and can be engaged with fastening means that can be guided through through holes in the intermediate plate and can be screwed into the fastening openings designed as threaded holes in the tool cage. In other words, a fastening means can be inserted through one of the through holes in the intermediate plate and screwed into a threaded hole that is aligned with the previously described through hole in the intermediate plate. Alternatively, the fastening openings in the intermediate plate can also have threaded sections into which fastening means inserted into the fastening openings in the tool cage can be screwed. The joined tool head can then be connected to the tool base body via the through holes in the intermediate plate and tool cage.However, this is only possible if the intermediate plate and tool cage are correctly aligned to each other, otherwise the asymmetrically arranged mounting holes will not align, thus preventing assembly. Preferably, the mounting holes intended for connecting the intermediate plate to the tool cage are selected asymmetrically. This prevents the tool cage from joining to the intermediate plate if the orientation is incorrect, thus preventing damage to the sensor element.

[0014] As described, an asymmetrical design of the fastening openings should be selected. In principle, the asymmetrical design can be achieved as desired. According to one embodiment of the firing device, it can be provided that a size and / or a position of at least one first fastening opening or second fastening opening deviates from the respectively corresponding opening. As already described, two first fastening openings and two second fastening openings are preferably provided on the intermediate plate and tool cage. In the variant described, for example, the size of one of the first fastening openings deviates from the respectively other first fastening opening or one of the second fastening openings deviates from the other second fastening opening.

[0015] The same can apply to the position of the fastening openings, so that at least one of the fastening openings is selected asymmetrically with respect to the other, similar fastening opening. The deviation in position can be selected by a defined distance, for example by half the diameter of the fastening opening. It can also be provided that the position of a first fastening opening is swapped with the position of a second fastening opening, so that assembly can only be carried out in one unambiguous orientation. As previously described, it is also possible to arrange one of the fastening openings outside a connecting line through the center point of the other, similar fastening opening and through the center point of the tool cage or the intermediate plate.

[0016] The described firing device can be further developed such that the second fastening openings are arranged closer to a central axis of the tool head than the first fastening openings, with one second fastening opening being arranged closer to the central axis than the other second fastening opening. As described, the first fastening openings can be provided for fastening means intended for fastening the tool head to the tool base body. The first fastening openings can therefore be provided as through-bores in both the tool cage and the intermediate plate, whereby these can be designed as stepped bores in the tool cage.

[0017] The second fastening openings are therefore used to mount the intermediate plate to the tool cage. For example, the second fastening openings in the intermediate plate can be designed as through holes or stepped holes, and the second fastening openings in the tool cage can be threaded holes or include such holes, although a reverse design is also possible. When considering the tool cage and the intermediate plate, one of the two second fastening openings is therefore arranged closer to the central axis than the other second fastening opening. This means that the design orthe arrangement of the second fastening openings is asymmetrical and thus assembly of the tool head is only possible if the second fastening opening arranged closer to the central axis is in alignment with the corresponding second fastening opening, which, due to the symmetrical design, only occurs in a single orientation.

[0018] In the firing device, it can further be provided that the second fastening opening arranged on the side opposite the receptacle for the sensor element is arranged closer to the central axis of the tool head than the other second fastening opening. In other words, the fastening opening opposite the receptacle for the sensor element is moved closer to the central axis of the tool head. This makes it unnecessary to change the second fastening opening arranged on the side on which the receptacle for the sensor element is formed. Instead, the opposite second fastening opening is changed in its position, for example, moved closer to the central axis, so that any impairment of the receptacle for the sensor element can be ruled out.

[0019] As described, a sensor element is accommodated in the receptacle of the firing device. The sensor element can generally be designed to detect at least one firing element fed into the tool head. For example, the sensor element can thus ensure that a firing element is inserted into the tool head and that only the required number of firing elements is fed into the tool head.

[0020] In addition to the described firing device, the invention relates to a tool head for a described firing device, which tool head has a tool cage which is connectable or connected to the tool base body by means of an intermediate plate, wherein the intermediate plate and the tool cage partially delimit a receiving space for at least one sensor element, wherein the tool head is connectable or connected to the tool base body by means of at least two fastening means, wherein fastening openings designed to receive the fastening means are arranged asymmetrically on the intermediate plate and / or the tool base body.

[0021] The invention further relates to a method for producing a tool head for a previously described firing device, which tool head has a tool cage that can be connected to the tool base body by means of an intermediate plate, wherein the intermediate plate and the tool cage partially delimit a receiving space for at least one sensor element, wherein the tool head can be connected to the tool base body by means of at least two fastening means, wherein fastening openings designed to receive the fastening means are formed asymmetrically on the intermediate plate and / or the tool base body. All advantages, details, embodiments and / or features described with reference to the firing device are fully transferable to the tool head and the method for producing a tool head for such a firing device.

[0022] The invention is explained using exemplary embodiments with reference to the figures. The figures are schematic representations and show:

[0023] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a firing device according to an embodiment in a side sectional view;

[0024] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of an intermediate plate according to an embodiment in a sectional view in plan view; and

[0025] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a tool cage according to an embodiment in a sectional view in plan view.

[0026] Fig. 1 shows a firing device 1, for example, a punching device or riveting device. The firing device 1 comprises, for example, a tool base body 2, which comprises a feed device 3 through which firing elements (not shown in detail), for example, punching elements or riveting elements, can be guided into a tool head 4, from which the firing elements can be applied to a component (not shown), for example, they can be punched or riveted onto it.

[0027] The tool head 4 comprises an intermediate plate 5 and a tool cage 6, which are connected to one another and, for mounting the tool head 4 on the tool base body 2, are also connected to the tool base body 2, in particular by means of fastening means not shown in detail, in particular screws.

[0028] The fastening means are inserted into fastening openings 7, 8. First fastening openings 7 and second fastening openings 8, which are different from one another, are provided purely by way of example. By way of example only and variable accordingly, the first fastening openings 7 are provided for mounting the tool head 4 on the tool base body 2 and can be designed as through-holes in the intermediate plate 5 and the tool cage 6. In other words, fastening means, in particular screws, can be guided through the through-holes of the first fastening openings 7 and screwed into threaded holes (not shown) provided in the tool base body 2 in order to fasten the mounted tool head 4 to the tool base body 2, for example, "from below" in the illustration selected in Fig. 1.

[0029] The second fastening openings 8 are provided for mounting the intermediate plate 5 to the tool cage 6. For example, the second fastening openings 8 in the intermediate plate 5 can be designed as through holes or stepped holes, and the second fastening openings 8, 8' in the tool cage 6 can be designed as threaded holes, or vice versa. In other words, the tool head 4 can be mounted by means of the second fastening openings 8, 8', namely by arranging the tool cage 6 on the intermediate plate 5, so that the assembled tool head 4 can subsequently be mounted on the tool base body 2, namely by inserting fastening means into the first fastening openings 7. This is, as described below with reference to Figs. 2, 3, only possible if the intermediate plate 5 is correctly oriented relative to the tool cage 6 and is otherwise prevented.

[0030] Fig. 2, 3 shows that the intermediate plate 5 defines a first subspace 9 and the tool cage 6 defines a second subspace 10 of a receiving space for receiving a sensor element 11, which is shown in Fig. 3 partially accommodated in the second subspace 10. The sensor element 11 can, for example, sense whether a shot element, for example a punching element or a riveting element, is accommodated in the tool head 4.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 1, the tool head 4 can only be mounted if the hole patterns of the fastening openings 7, 8 in the intermediate plate 5 and the tool cage 6 are aligned with one another. In the embodiment shown, this is selected so that this only applies to a single orientation, namely the orientation in which the first partial chamber 9 adjoins the second partial chamber 10 in the vertical direction, so that the sensor element 11 can be accommodated in a defined manner. In the reverse arrangement, for example when the intermediate plate 5 or the tool cage 6 is rotated by 180° about the vertical axis or the central axis of the feed device 3 shown as an example, the fastening openings 7, 8 are not aligned or the hole pattern of the fastening openings 7, 8 is not aligned, so that the fastening means cannot be passed through the fastening openings 7, 8.

[0032] For this purpose, a connecting line 12, 13 is shown in Fig. 2, 3 for each of the fastening openings 7, 8, which connects the centers of the fastening openings 7, 8 with the central axis or the center point of the tool head 4 in the corresponding plane. The first fastening openings 7 are clearly symmetrical, since their centers are arranged point-symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the tool head 4, i.e. the tool cage 6 or the intermediate plate 5. One of the second fastening openings 8' is arranged deviating from the symmetrical positioning, namely, as shown by an arrow, offset in the direction of the central axis or the central plane of the intermediate plate 5 and the tool cage 6.

[0033] This determines that there is only one mountable orientation in which the fasteners can be passed through the fastening openings 7, 8 and tightened. Attempts to mount the intermediate plate 5 on the tool cage 6 in the reverse orientation fail because, although the first fastening openings 7 can be aligned even with the reverse orientation, the second fastening openings 8, 8' do not align, and thus the intermediate plate 5 and tool cage 6 cannot be clamped against one another. The sensor element 11, which is inserted between the intermediate plate 5 and the tool cage 6, cannot therefore be accidentally crushed.

[0034] The tool head 4, in particular the intermediate plate 5 and the tool cage 6, can therefore be manufactured in that one of the second fastening openings 8 is arranged offset in the direction of the central axis or, in general, the intermediate plate 5 and the tool cage 6 are designed asymmetrically with respect to the arrangement of the fastening openings 7, 8.

[0035] All advantages, details, and features shown in the individual exemplary embodiments can be combined with one another as desired, are interchangeable, and are transferable to one another. The firing device 1, in particular its tool head 4, can be manufactured by implementing the manufacturing method described herein. The description is therefore also transferable to this.

[0036] List of reference symbols

[0037] 1 firing device

[0038] 2 Tool body 3 Feeding device

[0039] 4 tool head

[0040] 5 Intermediate plate

[0041] 6 tool cage

[0042] 7, 8 Mounting opening 9 first sub-chamber

[0043] 10 second subspace

[0044] 11 Sensor element

[0045] 12, 13 connecting line

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Firing device (1), in particular a punching device or riveting device, comprising a tool base body (2) with a feed device (3) which is designed to feed firing elements, in particular punching elements or riveting elements, and is connected to a tool head (4), which tool head (4) has a tool cage (6) which is connected to the tool base body (2) by means of an intermediate plate (5), wherein the intermediate plate (5) and the tool cage (6) partially delimit a receiving space for at least one sensor element (11), characterized in that the tool head (4) is connected to the tool base body (2) by means of at least two fastening means, wherein fastening openings (7, 8) designed to receive the fastening means are arranged asymmetrically on the intermediate plate (5) and / or the tool base body (2).

2. Shooting device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that a hole pattern of the fastening openings (7, 8) on the tool cage (6) and / or on the intermediate plate (5) is asymmetrical.

3. Firing device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the tool cage (6) and / or the intermediate plate (5) has two first fastening openings (7) and two second fastening openings (8), wherein either the two first fastening openings (7) or the two second fastening openings (8) are opposite one another with respect to a central axis.

4. Firing device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that exactly two first fastening openings (7), in particular as through holes, and exactly two second fastening openings (8), in particular as threaded holes, are formed.

5. Shooting device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that a size and / or a position of at least one first fastening opening (7) or second fastening opening (8) deviates from the respectively corresponding fastening opening (7, 8).

6. Shooting device (1) according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the second fastening openings (8) are arranged closer to a central axis of the tool head (4) than the first fastening openings (7), wherein a second fastening opening (8') is arranged closer to the central axis than the other second fastening opening (8).

7. Firing device (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the second fastening opening (8') arranged on the side opposite the receptacle for the sensor element (11) is arranged closer to the central axis of the tool head (4) than the other second fastening opening (8).

8. Firing device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensor element (11) is designed to detect at least one firing element fed into the tool head (4).

9. Tool head (4) for a firing device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, which tool head (4) has a tool cage (6) which is or can be connected to the tool base body (2) by means of an intermediate plate (5), wherein the intermediate plate (5) and the tool cage (6) partially delimit a receiving space for at least one sensor element (11), characterized in that the tool head (4) is or can be connected to the tool base body (2) by means of at least two fastening means, wherein fastening openings (7, 8) designed to receive the fastening means are arranged asymmetrically on the intermediate plate (5) and / or the tool base body (2).

10. Method for producing a tool head (4) for a firing device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, which tool head (4) has a tool cage (6) which can be connected to the tool base body (2) by means of an intermediate plate (5), wherein the intermediate plate (5) and the tool cage (6) partially delimit a receiving space for at least one sensor element (11), characterized in that the tool head (4) can be connected to the tool base body (2) by means of at least two fastening means, wherein designed to receive the fastening means Fastening openings (7, 8) are formed asymmetrically on the intermediate plate (5) and / or the tool base body (2).

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