EP2229069B1 - Method for producing closure elements for metal touch-and-close fasteners and closure element produced according to the method - Google Patents

Abstract

To produce closure elements for metal touch-and-close fasteners in a metal carrier (3), notches (13) corresponding to the outlines of hook elements (1) are made, while leaving a connecting line for each notch. Bending operations are carried out to raise the regions delimited by the notches (13) out of the plane of the carrier (3) as hooking elements (1) around the connecting lines serving as bending lines. The carrier (3) is guided through the region (5) of the tooth engagement between rotational bodies (7, 9) having peripheral teeth. The tooth shapes of the rotational bodies (7, 9) and the type of the tooth engagement are selected such that the tooth engagement cuts the notches (13) and stamps the metal carrier the bending operations.

Description

The invention relates to a method for the production of closure elements for metallic adhesive closures, wherein in a metallic support the contour of interlocking elements to be formed cuts made while leaving a respective connecting line and bending operations are performed to the limited by the incisions areas as Verhakungselemente to as bending lines up the connecting lines from the plane of the carrier. Moreover, the invention relates to a closure element produced by such a method.

A method of the above kind is already in DE 10 2006 015 145 A1 disclosed. The production of a kind of metallic adhesive closures opens up the possibility to exploit the advantages of the proven adhesive closure systems based on plastics, as they have found for a variety of applications most widespread use in those applications where plastic adhesive closures are not applicable, for example, due to lack of temperature stability , too low mechanical strength and the like. In temperature-resistant metal alloys, such as stainless steel, Verhakungselementen existing such metallic Use adhesive closures in areas where high thermal and mechanical loads occur. In this case, such mounting systems allow quick and easy installation of third-party components without the need for additional support devices and their operation would be required by special tools.

However, a major disadvantage of metal adhesive fastening systems is that the manufacture of the closure elements is complicated, time-consuming and therefore expensive compared to plastic-based adhesive closures. These difficulties are due to the fact that for the production of a sufficient number of hooking elements, a high number of cuts, for example by punching must be made, after which form bending operations must be performed on each limited by the incisions portion of the carrier concerned, the Verhakungselemente high and bring them into the appropriate hooking for the Verhakungseingriff.

The invention is in view of this the object to provide a method available by means of which a simple, efficient and thus cost-effective production of closure elements for metallic adhesive closures is possible.

According to the invention this object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 1 in its entirety.

According to the characterizing part of claim 1, the essential feature of the invention is not only that the complete formation of each interlocking element is carried out by a combined processing step, which comprises both the cutting process and the embossing process causing a bending of the shape, but that the respective combined cutting and stamping process performed in the pass is performed by the carrier through the engagement portion of intermeshing teeth of bodies of revolution. As a result, an extremely large number of hooking elements, starting from a still unprocessed carrier, can be formed in a continuous pass at a very high operating speed to the final finished state. Thus, metallic adhesive closures can be produced in a particularly efficient manner and with a very high operating speed.

Preferably, the arrangement is such that at least one of the rotary body is rotated by a drive in rotation and the carrier is pulled in the form of a band through the feed force generated by the drive through the engagement portion of the toothing. As a result, particularly high operating speeds can be realized.

In a particularly advantageous manner can be formed by means of rotating bodies in the form of roll disks having a plurality of adjacent rows of teeth at its periphery, a plurality of adjacent rows of hooking elements on the respective carrier.

Preferably in this case incisions are formed in a rectangular shape, the long sides extend in the direction of the teeth and whose at least one short side is formed by the left connection line.

A particularly advantageous pattern of the hooking elements can be formed such that adjacent rows of hooking elements they are designed so that the interlocking elements are offset in mutually adjacent rows to each other in the longitudinal direction so that the Verhakungselemente in each but one row after another are aligned.

In this case, it is possible to proceed in such a way that the interlocking elements in each row are raised by bending in the same direction around the bending line or that the interlocking elements are raised in mutually adjacent rows with mutually opposite bending directions around the bending line. Depending on the requirements, which are given in the particular application, can thereby realize adhesive closures that provide a desired holding force against lifting of the carrier from each other and a defined security against movement against displacement of the carrier.

In this regard, it may be advantageous to raise the interlocking elements in each row with alternating bending directions around the bendline.

The invention also provides a closure element produced by the process according to the invention, which has the features of claim 9.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Schrägansicht eines Abschnittes eines Ausführungsbeispieles des erfindungsgemäßen Verschlusselementes;

Fig. 2

eine Seitenansicht des in Fig. 1 gezeigten Abschnittes;

Fig. 3

eine Draufsicht des in Fig. 1 und 2 gezeigten Abschnittes;

Fig. 4

eine stark schematisch vereinfacht gezeichnete perspektivische Schrägansicht, in der zur Verdeutlichung des Ablaufes des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens lediglich derjenige Teil einer Enrichtung gezeigt ist, in dem mittels Verzahnungseingriffes kombinierte Schneid- und Prägevorgänge stattfinden;

Fig. 5

eine der Fig. 1 ähnliche Schrägansicht eines zweiten Ausführungsbeispieles des Verschlusselementes;

Fig. 6

eine Seitenansicht des in Fig. 5 gezeigten Abschnittes;

Fig. 7

eine Draufsicht des Abschnittes von Fig. 5 und

Fig. 8

eine der Fig. 4 ähnliche Teildarstellung zur Verdeutlichung des Verfahrensablaufes zur Herstellung von Verschlusselementen mit Verhakungselementen in C-förmiger Hakenform.

The invention with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings will be explained in detail. Show it:

Fig. 1

a perspective oblique view of a portion of an embodiment of the closure element according to the invention;

Fig. 2

a side view of the in Fig. 1 shown section;

Fig. 3

a top view of the in Fig. 1 and 2 shown section;

Fig. 4

a highly schematically simplified drawn oblique perspective view, in which only the part of an establishment is shown to illustrate the sequence of the method according to the invention in which take place by means of gear engagement combined cutting and embossing operations;

Fig. 5

one of the Fig. 1 similar oblique view of a second embodiment of the closure element;

Fig. 6

a side view of the in Fig. 5 shown section;

Fig. 7

a top view of the section of Fig. 5 and

Fig. 8

one of the Fig. 4 similar partial representation to illustrate the process flow for the production of closure elements with hooking elements in C-shaped hook shape.

The Fig. 4 illustrates the sequence of the inventive method for producing closure elements with hooking elements 1, which have a hook shape, as in the examples of Fig. 1 to 3 is shown, where not all interlocking elements 1 are numbered. How out Fig. 4 can be removed, a still undeformed, band-shaped metallic carrier 3, for example, a stainless steel alloy and with a material thickness, depending on the purpose of the produced closure element can be 0.1 to several mm, through the region 5 of the meshing engagement between two rotatable, a circumferential Gear teeth having rollers 7 and 9 passed, wherein before and behind the engagement region 5 guide rollers 11 are arranged. In the example of Fig. 4 At least one of the roll disks 7, 9 is rotatable by means of a drive, so that the carrier tape 3 is pulled through the region 5 by the feed force acting in the engagement region 5, ie in FIG Fig. 4 is moved to the left. As can also be seen from this figure, tooth forms and backlash are chosen and matched to one another such that a combined cutting and bending process takes place in region 5 on the initially unprocessed carrier strip 3, in which the teeth of the roller plate 9 perform a kind of punching operation of the in Fig. 4 perform below the side of the band 3, wherein incisions 13, of which only a few are quantified in the figures, are formed in the form of elongated in the feed direction rectangles, wherein the rectangular shape respectively is closed at connecting lines 15 which extend to the feed direction in the transverse direction and form bending lines around which the respective inner district of the incisions 13 is raised. This is done by the front area of the teeth of the roller plate 9, which are not only cutting (punching) effect, but the respective areas in the tooth spaces 17 (only some in Fig. 4 numbered) of the roller disc 7, wherein the inner walls of the tooth gaps 17 are formed so that the pressing of the material areas in the tooth gaps 17 is an embossing process to form the in Fig. 1 to 4 shown tooth shape of the hooking elements 1 leads.

How best Fig. 1 and 2 can be seen, the Verhakungselemente 1 to the bending lines, ie the connecting lines 15, adjacent each one to the plane of the carrier tape 3 obliquely extending foot portion 19 and an adjoining, curved in the direction of the carrier tape 3 hook end portion 21. These Hakenendteile 21 are only in Fig. 2 and partly in Fig. 3 quantified.

While in Fig. 4 a narrow carrier tape 3 is pulled through a region 5, in which only one row of teeth is provided to form only a number of hooking elements 1, illustrate the Fig. 1 to 3 Examples in which six juxtaposed rows of hooking elements 1 are formed simultaneously by means of a plurality of adjacent rows of teeth. How most obvious Fig. 1 and 3 it can be seen, the hooking elements 1 are the same shape in all adjacent rows, wherein the bending direction in which the hooking elements 1 are bent around the connecting lines 15, within each row is the same. However, in the transversely aligned hooking elements 1 adjacent rows each of the bending direction is reversed, so that the interlocking elements 1, which are aligned with each other in the transverse direction, are the same orientation for every next but one row.

This in Fig. 5 to 8 In contrast, the example shown differs essentially in two respects. On the one hand, each of the rectangular incisions 13 is delimited on both short sides by a connecting line 15, of which only a few are numbered in the figures, and the interlocking elements 1 have a C-shaped configuration. This will, like Fig. 8 clarifies, thereby causing the teeth of the roller disc 9 have a centrally located, extending in the transverse direction, projecting cutting edge 23 which engages during tooth engagement in a Gesenkvertiefung 25 in the tooth gaps 17 of the roller plate 7 so that the carrier tape 3 is severed by the cutting edge 13 becomes. As a result, each part of the inner area of each incision 13 can be raised by one and the other connecting line 15, ie, two interlocking elements 1 result at each incision 13. These are corresponding to the shape of the tooth gaps 17 of the roller disc 8 in C-shape , ie they have, starting from the foot part 19 to the hook end part 21, a continuous curvature. The clarity of the drawing because in the Fig. 5 to 8 not all incisions 13, connecting lines 15, tooth gaps 17, foot parts 19 and Hakenendteile 21 figured.

FIGS. 5 and 7 As can be seen, the hooking elements 1 in the rows are each alternately bent in one or the other bending direction about the connecting lines 15, so that in successive Verhakungselementen 1 each of the open sides of the C-shape facing each other. Also, the interlocking elements 1 in the adjacent rows as in the example of Fig. 1 to 4 replaced each other so that the Verhakungselemente 1 are aligned in each other next row in the transverse direction to each other in alignment. It is understood that ever According to purpose different patterns of hooking elements 1 can be formed, both as regards the hook shape as well as the orientation and dimensioning in terms of hook width, hook length, repetition frequency in the hook rows and the like.

Claims (12)

1. A method for producing closure elements for metal touch-and-close fasteners, notches corresponding to the outline of hooking elements (1) to be formed being made in a metal carrier (3) while leaving a respective connecting line (15), and bending processes being carried out in order to raise the regions bordered by the notches (13) as hooking elements (1) around the connecting lines (15) serving as bending lines out of the plane of the carrier (3), characterised in that the carrier (3) is routed through the region (5) of tooth engagement between rotation bodies (7, 9) having peripheral teeth, the tooth shapes of the rotation bodies (7, 9) and the type of tooth engagement being chosen such that the tooth engagement takes effect both in cutting to form the notches (13) and also in embossing for the bending processes.
2. The method according to Claim 1, characterised in that at least one of the rotation bodies (7, 9) is set in rotation by a drive, and the carrier (3) in the form of a strip is pulled through the engagement region (5) of the teeth by the feed force produced by means of the drive.
3. The method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that several adjacent rows of hooking elements (1) are formed by means of rotation bodies in the form of roller discs (7, 9) which have several adjacent rows of teeth on their periphery.
4. The method according to any of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that notches (13) in a rectangular shape are formed the long sides of which run in the direction of the teeth and the at least one short side of which is formed by the connecting line (15) which has been left.
5. The method according to Claim 3 or 4, characterised in that the adjacent rows of hooking elements (1) are formed such that the hooking elements (1) in rows adjacent to one another are offset to one another in the longitudinal direction such that the hooking elements (1) are aligned to one another in every other row.
6. The method according to Claim 4 or 5, characterised in that the hooking elements (1) in each row are raised by bending which takes place in the same direction around the bending line (15).
7. The method according to Claim 6, characterised in that the hooking elements (1) in rows adjacent to one another are raised with bending directions which are respectively opposite one another around the bending line (15).
8. The method according to Claim 4 or 5, characterised in that the hooking elements in each row are raised with alternating bending directions around the bending line (15).
9. A closure element produced according to the method according to any of Claims 1 to 8 for metal touch-and-close fasteners, with a metal carrier (3) which has rows of notches (13) which run next to one another in a longitudinal direction, and on which connecting lines (15) are left, the connecting lines (15) of the adjacent rows each being aligned with one another in the direction which runs transversely to the longitudinal direction and the regions bordered by the notches (13) as hooking elements (1) being raised around the connecting lines (15) serving as bending lines, out of the plane of the carrier (3), characterised in that on the connecting lines (15) which are aligned with one another in the transverse direction, the hooking elements (1) are raised and bent with a bending direction opposite one another such that they have a hook shape in which the base region (19) which borders the carrier (3) is at an incline to the plane of the carrier (3).
10. The closure element according to Claim 9, characterised in that the hooking elements (1) are bent in a C-shaped hook form and that for the hooking elements (1) which follow one another in the rows, said hooking elements are respectively facing one another with the open side of the C-shape.
11. The closure element according to Claim 9, characterised in that the hooking elements (1) are bent in a hook shape in which a hook end part (21) which is arched in the direction to the carrier (3) is connected to a base part (19) which runs obliquely to the plane of the carrier (3).
12. The closure element according to any of Claims 9 to 11, characterised in that the hooking elements (1) in rows adjacent to one another are offset to one another in the longitudinal direction such that there are hooking elements (1) of the same kind which are aligned with one another in the transverse direction in every other row.

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