Elastomer-Prestressed Guide Assembly for Reliable Fastener Setting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing setting devices for fastening elements to workpieces are complex and expensive, leading to malfunctions, defective workpieces, and production downtimes, highlighting the need for a more cost-effective and structurally simpler solution that ensures reliable operation.
Innovation Solution
A setting device utilizing an elastic prestressing element made of an elastomer to generate the required prestressing force, which is partially annular and surrounds the guide elements, providing radial support and minimizing the risk of tilting, along with electrically insulated guide elements and insulating elements to ensure precise guidance and detection of malfunctions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional setting devices are used with complex structures, then reliable fastening is achieved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single integrated guide device that simultaneously provides guidance, support, and malfunction detection. The guide device integrates guide elements, support elements, and detection elements into one unified structure, eliminating the need for separate components while maintaining reliable fastening operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide device serves multiple functions: it guides the fastening element, supports it during insertion, detects malfunctions through electrical contacts, and provides radial support through elastic elements. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity while ensuring reliable operation.
2Manufacturing precision
If complex setting devices are used, then precise guidance is achieved, but cost and malfunction risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical guidance systems with a simplified guide device that uses elastic support elements and electrical detection elements. The radial support is provided by elastic elements rather than complex mechanical constraints, and malfunction detection is achieved through electrical contacts rather than mechanical sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide elements are made electrically conductive, changing their physical property from purely mechanical to electromechanical. This allows for integrated malfunction detection without adding separate mechanical sensing components, maintaining guidance precision while reducing complexity.
3Device complexity
If simple setting devices are used, then cost is reduced, but reliability and guidance precision deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The guide device includes detection elements with electrical contacts that provide feedback on the fastening element's position and status. This feedback mechanism enables malfunction detection and ensures reliable operation while maintaining a simple overall device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic support elements are pre-loaded to provide radial support before the fastening element is inserted. This preliminary action ensures proper guidance and positioning from the start, preventing malfunctions before they occur while keeping the device structure simple.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a cost-effective and structurally simpler setting device that ensures reliable guidance and detection of malfunctions, reducing the risk of defective workpieces and production downtimes while maintaining precise positioning and secure fastening of elements.
Implementation Method 1
the pretensioning device comprises at least one elastic pretensioning element that generates the pretensioning force and is made at least partially of an elastomer
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a setting device for fastening an element to a workpiece, comprising a guide device that can be brought into mechanical contact with the element and which has an axial cavity for guiding the element, and an axially movable punch for moving the element in a setting direction through the cavity of the guide device, wherein the guide device has at least a first and a second guide element, wherein the guide elements define the axial cavity and are pre-tensioned by means of a pre-tensioning device by a pre-tensioning force acting radially inwards on at least one, in particular all, of the guide elements, and wherein the pre-tensioning device comprises at least one elastic pre-tensioning element generating the pre-tensioning force, which is at least partially made of an elastomer.