DE20011344U1 - Blind riveting tool - Google Patents

Description

DR.-ING. ULRICH KNOBLATTCHT ·· ··

DR.-ING. ANDREAS KNOBLAUCH _{&bgr;&ogr;322 FRAN} kfurt/main 26 June 2000

PATENT ATTORNEYS Schlosserstrasse 23

TELEPHONE: (0 69) 9562O30 TELEPHONE: (0 69) 56 3&Ogr;&Ogr;2

VAT ID: DE 112012149

G 73 GM

GESIPA BLINDNIETTECHNIK GMBH D-60528 FRANKFURT A.M.

BLINDNI DEVICE

The invention relates to a blind riveting tool for setting blind rivets with rivet mandrels, which has a tool head which is connected to a handle and in which an opening for receiving the rivet mandrel and a suction device for generating a negative pressure are arranged, which holds a rivet mandrel inserted into the opening in place even against gravity.

Such a blind riveting device is known from EP 0 302 128 Bl. The device described therein has a pressure switch that can be operated in two stages. If the pressure switch is pressed into the first operating position, a blind rivet fed into a mouthpiece is sucked in. If the pressure switch is pressed further into a second operating position, the setting process is triggered. If a pressure switch is assigned a dual function in this way, a high rate of malfunctions or unintentional triggering of the setting process can be expected. This is based on

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On the one hand, it poses a certain risk of injury to people, and on the other hand, it causes unnecessary consumption of compressed air.

The invention is based on the object of simplifying the handling of the blind riveting tool.

This task is solved in a blind riveting tool of the type mentioned above in that the suction device can be activated by a sensor which detects that the blind riveting tool is gripped.

The suction device is thus automatically activated as soon as the device is picked up and thus possibly used and the suction function is potentially required. The user therefore has direct access to the suction device without having to consciously influence it. He can therefore concentrate fully on the actuation of the setting process. This makes handling the device much easier, which reduces the number of accidentally triggered setting processes and thus increases safety and reduces compressed air consumption.

It is advantageous that the sensor is located in the area of the handle. This type of arrangement ensures that the sensor is regularly activated during normal use of the blind riveting tool and the suction device is therefore in operation when required.

The advantage is that the sensor can be activated by pressure. This means that the pressure exerted by the hand when picking up the blind riveting tool can be used directly to activate the sensor. This allows for

high reliability in the activation of the sensor and thus the intake device.

It is also advantageous that the handle is shaped in at least one area in such a way that a position of the hand that is favorable for using the blind riveting tool is predetermined and the sensor is arranged in an area where the fingers or the ball of the hand at least partially rest when the hand is in this position. With such an arrangement of the sensor, it can be assumed that it is subjected to a certain amount of pressure. This ensures that the sensor is regularly activated when the tool is gripped.

Another advantage is that the sensor is located on the front of the handle. This means that when riveting downwards, the sensor is located on the downward-facing side of the handle, where the holding force of the hand acts, which counteracts the gravity of the blind riveting device. This ensures particularly high reliability when activating the sensor and thus a safe suction function, especially in situations where the blind rivet slips out of the opening in the device head particularly easily.

In another advantageous design, the suction device can be switched on and off via an actuator.

0 As an additional measure, the user can therefore switch the suction device on or off, depending on whether the blind rivets need to be sucked in before the intended setting operations or not. The user can therefore do without the suction device if he foresees that he will not have any downward-pointing

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setting operations. In this way, compressed air consumption can be reduced.

Another advantage is that the actuator is designed as a slide valve. The simple and solid design of the slide valve reduces the risk of malfunctions or unintentional activation.

Another advantage is that the slide valve is arranged in such a way that it can be adjusted using a blind rivet. This makes it easy to adjust the slide valve. In addition, there are no costs for auxiliary tools, as the blind rivet required for adjustment is needed during the setting process anyway and is therefore available.

Furthermore, it is advantageous that the suction device has a suction arrangement that can be supplied with compressed air via a pressure path from a compressed air connection. This means that the holding function can be carried out using the compressed air that is available for carrying out the setting process itself. In this way, a separate connection or a special holding device can be dispensed with, which simplifies the structure of the blind riveting device and reduces costs.

Furthermore, it is advantageous that the suction arrangement has a nozzle which is limited by a pressure pipe and a nozzle pipe. In this way, a very simple and robust nozzle is provided which ensures a high level of operational reliability. In addition, the pressure pipe and the nozzle pipe are components which fulfil additional functions during the actual setting process, e.g. the transport of a torn-off

rivet mandrel into the rear part of the tool head, thereby reducing costs.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, a passage channel is arranged in the device head, through which a torn rivet mandrel can be conveyed into a collecting container after a setting process, which can be blocked by a safety device when the collecting container is removed, whereby the safety device closes a cross-sectional area of the passage channel just enough so that the rivet mandrel cannot pass through the safety device during normal operation. This prevents a torn rivet mandrel from accidentally being pushed out of the rear

end of the device head. By blocking the passage channel as little as possible, counter pressure is prevented from building up on the side of the rivet mandrel in front of the safety device, which would shoot the rivet mandrel out of the opening in the device head. This can greatly reduce the risk of injury to people and the risk of damage.

It is advantageous that the safety device has a disk that can be pivoted in a plane perpendicular to the passage channel. This design of the safety device means that it requires very little space. The device head is therefore only extended insignificantly, if at all, by accommodating the safety device. The blind riveting device can therefore retain a handy format despite the safety device.

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It is advantageous that the collecting container has a bayonet lock, which is used to activate the safety device. This direct activation by removing the collecting container ensures a high level of reliability when using the safety device.

The invention is described in more detail below using a preferred embodiment in conjunction with the drawing.

only fig.

a longitudinal section through a blind riveting tool according to the invention.

The only figure shows a blind riveting tool 1 which has a tool head 2 in its upper part, to which a handle 3 is connected. The tool head 2 has an opening 4 at the front end. The tool head 2 also has a passage channel 15 which extends from the opening 4 at the front end of the tool head 2 to its rear end. A collecting container 16 (only indicated) is connected to the rear end of the tool head 2 via a bayonet lock 20.

The passage channel 15 is partially closed by a pressure pipe

13. This, together with a nozzle pipe, forms

14 a nozzle 12 at the rear end of the pressure pipe 13.

0 The handle 3 has a sensor 6 on its front side 7. The sensor 6 rests on the inside of the handle 3 on a valve stem 21 of a sensor valve 22. The sensor valve 22 is arranged in a pressure path 10. The pressure path 10 connects a compressed air connection 11 via an actuator 8 with the

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Suction arrangement 9. The sensor 6 is designed here as a lever which actuates the sensor valve 22, for example, against the force of a spring (not shown in detail) or a restoring force generated by the compressed air.

Furthermore, a safety device 17 is arranged at the rear end of the passage channel 15. This has a disk 19 which can be partially pivoted into the cross-sectional area 18 of the passage channel 15.

To use the blind riveting tool 1, a user will pick it up. He grasps the blind riveting tool 1 by the handle 3 and presses with his fingers against the sensor 6 on the front 7 of the handle 3. This activates the sensor 6, which is designed as a lever, which in turn causes the valve stem 21 to move inwards. This movement of the valve stem 21 opens the sensor valve 22.

By opening the sensor valve 22, the pressure path 10 from the compressed air connection 11 to the suction arrangement 9 is released. This is now pressurized with compressed air, which flows between the pressure pipe 13, the nozzle pipe 14 and the nozzle 12. The nozzle effect creates a suction effect in the passage channel.

The user can now insert the mandrel of a blind rivet into the opening 4. The suction effect holds the blind rivet in this place, even if the device head 2 is tilted downwards.

The pressure path 10 can also be interrupted via the actuator 8. If the user does not need the suction device, he can use the actuator 8

-β switch off the suction function. To do this, the actuator 8 is simply moved using a blind rivet.

As soon as the user wants to use the suction device again, he can move the actuator 8 back. This releases the pressure path 10. If the user now applies pressure to the sensor 6, the suction function is available again.

The sensor can also be designed in other ways and react to heat or movement, for example.

In case the collecting container 16 is removed from the device head 2, the safety device 17 is activated, which cooperates with the bayonet lock 20 of the collecting container 16.

When the collecting container 16 is attached, the bayonet catch 20 moves the disk 19 of the safety device 17 from an initial position and thereby tensions a spring. As soon as the collecting container 16 is removed, this spring relaxes again and the disk 19 returns to its initial position. In this initial position, the disk 19 blocks the cross-sectional area 18 of the passage channel 15 just far enough that a torn rivet mandrel of a blind rivet cannot get past this disk. In contrast, the compressed air can pass through the safety device 17 to such an extent that no excess pressure can build up in front of the safety device 17. The torn rivet mandrel cannot therefore be shot out at either the rear or the front end of the device head 2.

Claims (13)

1. Blind riveting tool for setting blind rivets with rivet mandrels, which has a tool head which is connected to a handle and in which an opening for receiving the rivet mandrel and a suction device for generating a negative pressure are arranged, which holds a rivet mandrel inserted into the opening in place even against gravity, characterized in that the suction device can be activated by a sensor ( 6 ) which detects that the blind riveting tool ( 1 ) is gripped. 2. Blind riveting tool according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor ( 6 ) is arranged in the region of the handle ( 3 ). 3. Blind riveting tool according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sensor ( 6 ) can be activated by pressure. 4. Blind riveting tool according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the handle ( 3 ) is shaped in at least one area such that a position of the hand which is favorable for using the blind riveting tool ( 1 ) is predetermined and the sensor ( 6 ) is arranged in an area against which the fingers or the ball of the hand at least partially rest in this position of the hand. 5. Blind riveting tool according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the sensor ( 6 ) is arranged on the front side ( 7 ) of the handle ( 3 ). 6. Blind riveting tool according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the suction device can be switched on and off via an actuator ( 8 ). 7. Blind riveting tool according to claim 6, characterized in that the actuator ( 8 ) is designed as a slide valve ( 8 ). 8. Blind riveting tool according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the slide valve ( 8 ) is arranged so that it can be adjusted by a blind rivet. 9. Blind riveting tool according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the suction device has a suction arrangement ( 9 ) which can be supplied with compressed air via a pressure path ( 10 ) from a compressed air connection ( 11 ). 10. Blind riveting tool according to claim 9, characterized in that the suction arrangement ( 9 ) has a nozzle ( 12 ) which is delimited by a pressure pipe ( 13 ) and a nozzle pipe ( 14 ). 11. Blind riveting tool according to claim 1, characterized in that a passage channel ( 15 ) is arranged in the tool head ( 2 ), via which a torn-off rivet mandrel can be conveyed after a setting process into a collecting container ( 16 ) which can be blocked by a safety device ( 17 ) when the collecting container ( 16 ) is removed, wherein the safety device ( 17 ) closes a cross-sectional area ( 18 ) of the passage channel ( 15 ) just far enough that the rivet mandrel cannot pass through the safety device ( 17 ) during normal operation. 12. Blind riveting tool according to claim 11, characterized in that the safety device ( 17 ) has a disc ( 19 ) which can be pivoted in a plane perpendicular to the passage channel ( 15 ). 13. Blind riveting tool according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the collecting container ( 16 ) has a bayonet closure ( 20 ) via which the safety device ( 17 ) is actuated.