Joining Element Attachment Device with Offset Holding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for attaching joining elements to components face issues with dirt contamination along the motion path, leading to misalignment, jamming, and potential damage due to the accumulation of dirt particles in the holding position, which affects the precision and reliability of the joining process.
Innovation Solution
A device with a positioning mechanism that offsets the joining element's longitudinal axis from the working axis in the holding position, allowing for a return movement that reduces the impact of dirt contamination, ensuring the joining element is correctly aligned and transported linearly along the working axis, even in contaminated conditions, using a combination of a die unit and a punch with a control unit for precise operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the joining element is held in a position where its longitudinal axis coincides with the working axis, then the alignment and transport precision is improved, but the tool becomes highly susceptible to dirt contamination causing misalignment and jamming
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning portion pre-orients the joining element at an angle before the punch picks it up. This preliminary angular orientation allows the element to be inserted into the punch at an angle, creating clearance from dirt-contaminated surfaces. The element is then rotated during transport to align with the working axis only when needed for the joining operation, preventing premature contact with contaminated areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an angular dimension to the holding position, deviating from the conventional axial alignment. By holding the joining element at an angle (e.g., 45 degrees) relative to the working axis, the element's motion path is shifted to a different spatial dimension that avoids dirt accumulation zones, thereby reducing contamination while maintaining precision through controlled rotation during transport.
2Reliability
If the joining element is held in a position offset from the working axis, then the impact of dirt contamination is reduced, but the alignment and transport complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning portion employs an asymmetric geometry tailored to the specific shape of the joining element. This asymmetric design naturally guides and orients the element at the required angle without requiring complex active control mechanisms. The asymmetric features of the positioning portion work in conjunction with the asymmetric shape of the joining element to achieve reliable angular positioning through simple geometric constraints rather than complex mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning mechanism utilizes the inherent asymmetric shape features of the joining element itself to achieve self-orientation. The element's own geometry (such as its head shape or body contours) interacts with the positioning portion to automatically establish the correct angular position. This self-orienting capability eliminates the need for additional actuators, sensors, or complex control systems, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining reliability.
3Reliability
If the joining element is held in a fixed position in the holding position, then the reliability of the holding is improved, but the adaptability to handle different joining element orientations is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning portion incorporates localized geometric features (such as angled surfaces, recesses, or protrusions) that are specifically tailored to match and hold the joining element in the desired angular orientation. These localized features provide reliable holding for the specific orientation required, while the overall design allows for adaptation to different element types by modifying only the local positioning features rather than the entire holding mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for attaching a joining element to a component portion for a tool comprising a die unit and a punch that is linearly movable on a working axis of the tool from a retracted position on the tool to the die unit and back again, wherein the working axis coincides with a punch longitudinal axis, and wherein the punch, in its forward movement to the die unit, transports in the direction of the component portion a joining element which has been temporarily placed on the device in a holding position. The device includes a positioning portion, in the region of the holding position, which is tailored to a joining element and configured such that the joining element is held with a predefined orientation in such a way in the holding position that a longitudinal axis of the joining element deviates spatially from the working axis of the tool.