EP2234741B1 - Procédé de fixation d'un organe de fixation - Google Patents

Procédé de fixation d'un organe de fixation Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2234741B1
EP2234741B1 EP09702967A EP09702967A EP2234741B1 EP 2234741 B1 EP2234741 B1 EP 2234741B1 EP 09702967 A EP09702967 A EP 09702967A EP 09702967 A EP09702967 A EP 09702967A EP 2234741 B1 EP2234741 B1 EP 2234741B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
fastening member
array
magnetic field
component
retainer fitting
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Not-in-force
Application number
EP09702967A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP2234741A1 (fr
Inventor
Richard David Hughes
Stephen Joseph Ainsworth
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Northelfer Uk Ltd
AVX Electronics Technology Ltd
Original Assignee
Northelfer Uk Ltd
TT Electronics Technology Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Northelfer Uk Ltd, TT Electronics Technology Ltd filed Critical Northelfer Uk Ltd
Publication of EP2234741A1 publication Critical patent/EP2234741A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP2234741B1 publication Critical patent/EP2234741B1/fr
Not-in-force legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21J—FORGING; HAMMERING; PRESSING METAL; RIVETING; FORGE FURNACES
    • B21J15/00—Riveting
    • B21J15/10—Riveting machines
    • B21J15/28—Control devices specially adapted to riveting machines not restricted to one of the preceding subgroups
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21J—FORGING; HAMMERING; PRESSING METAL; RIVETING; FORGE FURNACES
    • B21J15/00—Riveting
    • B21J15/10—Riveting machines
    • B21J15/30—Particular elements, e.g. supports; Suspension equipment specially adapted for portable riveters
    • B21J15/32—Devices for inserting or holding rivets in position with or without feeding arrangements
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21J—FORGING; HAMMERING; PRESSING METAL; RIVETING; FORGE FURNACES
    • B21J15/00—Riveting
    • B21J15/38—Accessories for use in connection with riveting, e.g. pliers for upsetting; Hand tools for riveting
    • B21J15/44—Rivet hole positioners
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
    • B25B—TOOLS OR BENCH DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, FOR FASTENING, CONNECTING, DISENGAGING OR HOLDING
    • B25B27/00—Hand tools, specially adapted for fitting together or separating parts or objects whether or not involving some deformation, not otherwise provided for
    • B25B27/0007—Tools for fixing internally screw-threaded tubular fasteners

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method of securing a fastener having a fastening member and a retaining member. More particularly, but not exclusively, it relates to a method of securing a fastener in a manufacturing process such as assembly of an aeroplane or an automotive vehicle, for example wing panels of an aeroplane, see e.g. US-A-5 661 892 .
  • aspects of the present invention provide a simple and highly effective method of securing a fastener onto wing panels of an aeroplane.
  • said magnetisable component comprises an end for holding said fastening member when said fastening member is loaded.
  • said magnetisable component is a ferrous metal.
  • said providing said magnetic field includes using a magnetic component to load said fastening member through said aperture of said object.
  • said magnetic component comprises an end for holding said fastening member when said fastening member is loaded.
  • said array and said retainer fitting means are moved simultaneously.
  • the magnetic field sensing means may comprise an annular array of magnetic field sensors.
  • FIG. 1 An overview of the set up of an apparatus 10 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figure 1 .
  • a single through hole 12 is shown in the wing panel 14 with a plate 16 attached to the wing panel 14.
  • the plate 16 has a corresponding through hole 17.
  • the through holes 12,17 are aligned such that a rivet 18 of a fastener 18, 24 can be loaded into the holes 12,17.
  • the rivet 18 provides means for retaining the wing panel 14 and the plate 16 together, and it is a fastening member of the fastener 18, 24. It will be appreciated by the person skilled in the art that other forms of fastening member, such as bolt, screw and so on, may also be used.
  • the rivet 18 has a countersink head, cooperating as illustrated with a countersink of the hole 12 of the wing panel 14.
  • the rivet 18 has a threaded end 18a such that it is suitable for engaging with a corresponding internally threaded nut.
  • the surface (not shown) of the head 22 of the rivet 18 also has preformed slot(s) for receiving a cooperating tool to allow the tool to hold or rotate the rivet.
  • Rivets can be introduced by means of a loading magazine (not shown) and a loading operation at the same robot head.
  • a fastener retention tool 20 engages with the preformed slots at the head 22 of the rivet 18 to hold the rivet 18 in the holes 12,17 while a nut 24 is applied to the rivet 18.
  • the nut 24 provides means for fastening/securing the rivet 18, and it is a retaining member of the fastener 18,24.
  • the nut 24 is internally threaded so as to engage with the corresponding rivet 18.
  • threading engagement of the nut 24 and the rivet 24 is but an example for purposes of providing a specific embodiment, and is not intended to limit the scope of application of the invention.
  • the fastener retention tool 20 is made of magnetisable material such as tungsten carbide.
  • magnetisable material such as tungsten carbide.
  • any other forms of magnetisable material may be used, for example, a ferrous material such as steel or iron.
  • a magnet 26 for magnetising the fastener retention tool 20 so as to produce a strong magnetic field at the head 22 of the rivet 18.
  • the fastener retention tool 20 may be a magnet itself.
  • a sensor head 28 comprising an array of sensors is located at the opposite side of the wing panel 14 where the rivet 18 protrudes through the holes 12, 17.
  • sensor head includes a plurality of sensors 281a arranged in a ring array arrangement.
  • the skilled person in the art would appreciate that a larger number (for example 4, 16 or 32 and so on) of sensors would enhance the accuracy of the sensor.
  • the sensors 281 in this embodiment are essentially magnetic field sensors, such as Hall effect sensors or eddy-current sensors.
  • the outputs (not shown in Figure 1 ) of the array of magnetic field sensors are connected to a microcontroller to process the received signals.
  • Figure 4 shows schematically the components of the microcontroller 50.
  • the microcontroller 50 includes an Input/Output (I/O) interface 52, a working memory 54, a signal processor 56 and a mass storage unit 58.
  • the signal processor 56 is operable to execute machine code instructions stored in a working memory 54 and/or retrievable from a mass storage unit 58.
  • the outputs of the magnetic field sensors 281 are connected to the signal processor 56 via the I/O interface 52 of the microcontroller 50. By this connection, incoming signals can be input to the signal processor 56.
  • the I/O interface 52 also includes an analogue-to-digital converter (ADC) (not shown) which converts the analogue output signals from the magnetic field sensors into digital input signals.
  • ADC analogue-to-digital converter
  • the microcontroller 50 processes the incoming signals and determines the position of the strongest magnetic field strength. If the sensor head 28 is shifted from its position, the detected magnetic field strengths will vary at the individual sensors 281 and the detected signals can be appropriately analysed to determine the displacement between the axis of the sensor head 28 and the axis of the rivet 18. By moving the sensor head to minimise the displacement, the axis of the sensor head 28 may be aligned with the axis of the rivet 18. It will be appreciated that if the axis of the aperture 32 of the sensor head 28 is positioned coaxially with the axis of the rivet 18 then the detected magnetic field strength will be greatest and of equal value for all the sensors 281 in the sensor head 28.
  • a retainer-fitting tool 30 is provided to load and fasten the internally threaded nut 24 onto the rivet 18, thereby securing the plate 16 onto the wing panel 14. It will be appreciated by the person skilled in the art that any other means of fitting the nut 24 may be employed. Furthermore, the nut 24 may be loaded to the retainer-fitting tool by means of a loading magazine (not shown). The operation of the retainer-fitting tool is also controlled by the microcontroller 50. As shown in Figures 1 and 2 , the retainer-fitting tool 30 may be attached to the sensor head 28 such that the longitudinal axis of the retainer-fitting tool 30 is aligned with the axis of the sensor head 28. In this arrangement longitudinal axis of the retainer-fitting tool 28 aligns with the axis of the rivet 18 when the axis of the sensor head 28 is aligned with the axis of the rivet 18.
  • the nut 24 is of hexagonal profile, and the retainer-fitting tool 30 defines a corresponding hexagonal socket.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates the fastening operation of the retainer-fitting tool 30 loading and fastening a nut 24 onto the rivet 18.
  • the movement of the sensor head 28 and the retainer-fitting means can be performed by means of a movable fixture (not shown), for example a robot arm.
  • This robot arm can be connected to the microcontroller 50 and the movement of the robot arm is controlled according to the calculated displacements between the axis of the aperture 32 of the sensor head 28 and the axis of the rivet 18.
  • the fitting operation of the nut 24 onto the rivet 18 involves threading engagement, therefore it will be understood that the precision of the positioning of the retainer-fitting tool can be defined with a particular tolerance, given the extent to which threaded rivets and threaded nuts can be engaged together successfully though they may not be introduced exactly coaxially.
  • the operation may include an opposite-sense half turn (to take an example) to enhance the engagement of the cooperating threads.
  • the sensor head need not be a ring array arrangement. It is further considered that the axis of the retainer-fitting tool may not be coaxial with the axis of the sensor head. As illustrated in Figure 5 , the sensors 721 may be arranged in a cross hair configuration around a centre point 72.
  • the retainer-fitting tool 74 as illustrated in Figure 5 , is attached to the side of the sensor head 70 as a single assembly system 68. By appropriate programming and calibration, the position of the longitudinal axis of the retainer-fitting tool 74 relative to the centre point 72 can be compensated accordingly. In this case, the sensor head 70 would first determine the location of the rivet 18 by aligning the centre point 72 with the axis of the rivet 18.
  • the system 68 then moves by a predetermined distance (determined in a calibration process) such that the longitudinal axis of the retainer-fitting tool 74 is substantially aligned with the axis of the rivet 18.
  • Figures 6 to 8 illustrate this process.
  • the apparatus set up of the present invention may be implemented using two robot arms, one on each side of the wing panel 14, both controlled by the same microcontroller 50. Essentially, one of the robot arms provides the function of loading and holding the rivet 18 (that is the fastener retention tool 20), and the other robot arm provides the function of loading and fastening the nut 24 onto the rivet 18 (that is the retainer-fitting tool 30).

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Connection Of Plates (AREA)
  • Automatic Assembly (AREA)

Claims (13)

  1. Procédé de fixation d'un moyen de fixation (18, 24), comportant un élément de fixation (18) et un élément de retenue (24), le procédé comprenant les étapes ci-dessous :
    établissement d'un champ magnétique au voisinage d'une première extrémité (22) dudit élément de fixation (18) ;
    détection dudit champ magnétique par l'intermédiaire d'un réseau de capteurs du champ magnétique (28, 281), positionné au voisinage d'une deuxième extrémité opposée (18a) dudit moyen de fixation (18), le réseau de capteurs du champ magnétique (28, 281) étant accouplé à un moyen d'ajustement de retenue (30), ledit moyen d'ajustement de retenue (30) servant à fixer ledit élément de retenue (24) sur ledit élément de fixation (18) près ou au niveau de ladite deuxième extrémité (18a) ;
    détermination de réponses détectées par ledit réseau de capteurs du champ magnétique (28, 281), de sorte à déterminer le déplacement entre l'élément de fixation (18) et l'élément d'ajustement de retenue (30) ;
    déplacement du réseau (28, 281) et/ou du moyen d'ajustement de retenue (30) vers une position dans laquelle le déplacement entre un axe dudit réseau et un axe dudit moyen de fixation est minimal ;
    fixation dudit élément de retenue (24) sur l'élément de fixation (18), caractérisé en ce que :
    l'étape d'établissement dudit champ magnétique englobe l'utilisation d'un composant magnétique (26, 20) et/ou d'un composant magnétisable (26, 20) pour insérer ledit élément de fixation (18) à travers ladite ouverture (12, 17) dudit objet (14, 16).
  2. Procédé selon la revendication 1, englobant en outre l'étape d'insertion dudit élément de fixation (18) à travers une ouverture d'un objet.
  3. Procédé selon la revendication 2, dans lequel ledit composant magnétique comprend une extrémité (20) pour retenir ledit élément de fixation lors de l'insertion dudit élément de fixation.
  4. Procédé selon la revendication 1, dans lequel ledit composant magnétisable comprend une extrémité (20) pour retenir ledit élément de fixation lors de l'insertion dudit élément de fixation.
  5. Procédé selon la revendication 4, englobant en outre l'étape d'accouplement d'un composant magnétique à une extrémité opposée dudit composant magnétisable, de sorte à magnétiser ledit composant magnétisable, pour établir ainsi le champ magnétique au voisinage de ladite extrémité dudit élément de fixation.
  6. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel ledit composant magnétisable est un métal ferreux.
  7. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel ledit réseau (28, 281) et ledit moyen d'ajustement de retenue (30) sont déplacés de manière simultanée.
  8. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel ledit réseau (28, 281) est un agencement de réseau annulaire.
  9. Appareil (19) de fixation d'un moyen de fixation (18, 24), comportant un élément de fixation (18) et un élément de retenue (24), l'appareil comprenant :
    un moyen (20, 26) pour établir un champ magnétique au voisinage d'une première extrémité (22) dudit élément de fixation (18) ;
    un réseau de capteurs du champ magnétique (28, 281), positionné au voisinage d'une extrémité opposée (18a) dudit élément de fixation (18), le réseau de capteurs du champ magnétique servant à détecter ledit champ magnétique établi ;
    un moyen d'ajustement de retenue (30), accouplé audit réseau, ledit moyen d'ajustement de retenue (30) servant à fixer ledit élément de retenue (24) sur ledit élément de fixation (18) prés ou au niveau de sa deuxième extrémité (18a) ;
    un moyen de traitement, accouplé aux sorties dudit réseau de capteurs du champ magnétique (28, 281), ledit moyen de traitement servant à déterminer des réponses détectées par ledit réseau de capteurs du champ magnétique, de sorte à déterminer le déplacement entre l'élément de fixation (18) et l'élément d'ajustement de retenue (30) ;
    ledit réseau (28, 281) et/ou ledit moyen d'ajustement de retenue (30) pouvant être déplacés vers une position dans laquelle le déplacement entre un axe dudit réseau et un axe dudit moyen de fixation est minimal ; caractérisé en ce que
    ledit moyen servant à établir ledit champ magnétique englobe un composant magnétique (26, 20) et/ou un composant magnétisable (26, 20) comportant une extrémité pour retenir ledit élément de fixation (18) lors de la fixation de l'élément de fixation.
  10. Appareil selon la revendication 9, dans lequel ledit moyen destiné à établir ledit champ magnétique (20 ,26) englobe en outre un composant magnétique accouplé à une extrémité opposée dudit composant magnétisable, de sorte à magnétiser ledit composant magnétisable et établir ainsi le champ magnétique au voisinage de ladite extrémité dudit élément de fixation.
  11. Appareil selon l'une quelconque des revendications 9 à 10, dans lequel ledit composant magnétisable est un métal ferreux.
  12. Appareil selon l'une quelconque des revendications 9 à 11, comprenant en outre un moyen pour déplacer ledit réseau et ledit moyen d'ajustement de retenue de manière simultanée.
  13. Appareil selon l'une quelconque des revendications 9 à 12, dans lequel ledit réseau (28, 281) est un agencement de réseau annulaire.
EP09702967A 2008-01-18 2009-01-19 Procédé de fixation d'un organe de fixation Not-in-force EP2234741B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0800965A GB2456560B (en) 2008-01-18 2008-01-18 Method of securing a fastener
PCT/GB2009/000133 WO2009090407A1 (fr) 2008-01-18 2009-01-19 Procédé de fixation d'un organe de fixation

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2234741A1 EP2234741A1 (fr) 2010-10-06
EP2234741B1 true EP2234741B1 (fr) 2013-02-27

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EP09702967A Not-in-force EP2234741B1 (fr) 2008-01-18 2009-01-19 Procédé de fixation d'un organe de fixation

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EP (1) EP2234741B1 (fr)
GB (1) GB2456560B (fr)
WO (1) WO2009090407A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN106862467A (zh) * 2017-02-28 2017-06-20 芜湖大捷离合器有限公司 一种离合器盘总成摩擦片铆接装配模具
GB2569122A (en) 2017-12-05 2019-06-12 Atlas Copco Ias Uk Ltd Fastener handling devices for fastener setting machines, and related methods
GB2569127A (en) 2017-12-05 2019-06-12 Atlas Copco Ias Uk Ltd Nose arrangements for fastener setting machines, and related methods
GB2569126A (en) 2017-12-05 2019-06-12 Atlas Copco Ias Uk Ltd Fastener magazines, and related supply systems and methods

Family Cites Families (7)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
SE455236B (sv) * 1986-10-17 1988-06-27 Derman Ab K G Anordning for att lokalisera dolda dosor
US5477597A (en) * 1993-04-14 1995-12-26 Gemcor Engineering Corp. Apparatus for positioning tooling
DE19711334A1 (de) * 1997-03-18 1998-09-24 Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag Vorrichtung und Verfahren zur Reparatur von nichtmagnetischen Karosserieteilen eines Kraftfahrzeuges
US6357101B1 (en) * 2000-03-09 2002-03-19 The Boeing Company Method for installing fasteners in a workpiece
US7498796B2 (en) * 2002-05-09 2009-03-03 The Boeing Company Magnetic indexer for high accuracy hole drilling
GB0219316D0 (en) * 2002-08-19 2002-09-25 Electronic Ltd Ab Locating non-visible objects
US7148776B2 (en) * 2003-04-28 2006-12-12 The Boeing Company Electromagnetic clamp and method for clamping a structure

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2009090407A1 (fr) 2009-07-23
GB2456560A (en) 2009-07-22
EP2234741A1 (fr) 2010-10-06
GB0800965D0 (en) 2008-02-27
GB2456560B (en) 2010-09-08

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