FR2795006A1 - DEVICE FOR BENDING ELONGATED METAL ELEMENTS SUCH AS TUBES - Google Patents

Abstract

Device for bending elongated metal elements, in particular tubular elements, comprising at least one bending module (2) which is mounted on a frame (1) and which comprises a support profile (7) on which is fixed at least one member (8) for maintaining an element to be bent in a position centered on an axis (14) parallel to the support profile, and at least one bending member (9) comprising a bracket (15) fixed in an adjustable manner in position along of the support profile and at least one bending cylinder (22) which is equipped with a bending head (23) intended to intervene at the level of the retaining axis (14) and which is connected to the bracket (15) by a positional system (19) allowing said bending cylinder (22) to be pivoted about the retaining axis (14) in a plane perpendicular to said axis.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for bending elements

  elongated metal and in particular steel, copper, or aluminum tubes intended for example to form pipes intended for the automobile for the transport of brake fluid, fuel, fluid

  refrigeration, or power steering fluid.

  The bending of a tube consists in plastically and locally deforming the tube so as to form an elbow. Most of the known bending devices implement either a method of bending by

  stamping, a rotary bending process.

  In stamping bending, a movable roller secured to the rod of a linear cylinder is applied in a transverse direction against a free end of a tube held in a vice to partially wind

this around a fixed roller.

  In rotary bending, the free end of a tube held in a vice is disposed in a bending head comprising two rollers with parallel axes, between which the tube extends, and which are mounted on a support integral with the rod of a rotolinear cylinder (it is recalled that in a rotolinear cylinder, the rod slides along its longitudinal axis and / or pivots around it). The rotation of the rod causes the tube to bend, one of the rollers partially winding the tube around the other roller. In general, industrialists implementing

  such bending processes use two types of machines.

  In the first type, the machine comprises a frame on which is fixed at least one vice holding the tube to be bent and, for each bend to be produced, a bending cylinder in a precise position corresponding to the position of the bend to be produced on the tube. Such machines, dedicated to producing a particular tube, are relatively inexpensive and are therefore profitable for mass production. Such a machine is however relatively long to manufacture. In addition, when the geometry of the tube to be produced must be modified so that the tube satisfies new constraints (for example, in the case of a brake fluid transport pipe in a vehicle, these constraints may be linked to the passage from a conventional braking system to an anti-lock braking system, from a driving station on the left to a driving station on the right, from a drum brake system to a disc brake system, the modification of an elbow causing a significant noise or wear ...) requires returning the machine to the workshop for the modifications to be made

  the positioning of the bending cylinders.

  This operation requires dismantling the machine and

  is relatively long and expensive.

  In the second type, the machine comprises one or more bending heads whose axes are digitized and means for moving this bending head relative to the tube. This machine is very flexible and therefore well suited to the production of small and medium series parts. However, the need to position the bending head for each bend makes such a machine slow and imprecise. Furthermore, these machines are expensive and all the more so as the precision of the parts to be produced is high. An object of the invention is to propose a bending device which is economical, capable of being reconfigured in a simple manner to cope with changes in geometry or dimensions of the products to

  achieve and possess significant flexibility.

  In order to achieve this goal, provision is made, according to the invention, for a bending device comprising at least one bending module which is mounted on a frame and which comprises a support profile on which is fixed at least one holding member. an element to be bent in a position centered on an axis parallel to the support profile, and at least one bending member comprising a bracket fixedly adjustable in position along the support profile and at least one bending cylinder which is equipped with '' a bending head intended to intervene at the level of the retaining axis and which is connected to the bracket by a positional system making it possible to pivot said bending cylinder around the retaining axis in a plane

perpendicular to said axis.

  Thus, the adjustment of the position of the bending member relative to the holding member makes it possible to modify the position of the elbow to be produced on the elongated element, and the pivoting of the bending cylinder around the holding axis. makes it possible to modify the orientation of the elbow relative to the part of the elongated element which is received in the holding member. These different settings therefore make it possible to obtain in a simple manner different

bending configurations.

  According to a particular characteristic, the bending module comprises two bending members extending

  each on one side of the holding member.

  According to a particular embodiment, the positional system comprises a slide in an arc of a circle which has one end connected to the bending cylinder and which is mounted in an adjustable manner in position on the stem. The displacement of the slide in the stem then causes the bending cylinder to pivot around

the retaining pin.

  Advantageously, the bending cylinder is a rotolinear cylinder. The orientation of the bending head around its pivot axis is combined with the pivoting of the bending cylinder around the retaining axis to obtain a large number of elbow geometries combining orientations

and different angles.

  Preferably then, the positional system allows a pivoting range of the bending cylinder of approximately 180. A maximum of elbow geometries can thus

to be obtained.

  According to an additional characteristic, the device comprises at least one module for transferring elements to be bent comprising a support profile on which is mounted to pivot a shaft parallel to the retaining axis and at least one manipulator arm having one end integral with said shaft to extend transversely to it and one end

  opposite equipped with a gripping means.

  The transfer module allows in a simple way to supply elements to bend the bending module or to evacuate from it the bent elements. This embodiment using a manipulator arm has the advantage of a limited space giving the device

bending a compact structure.

  Preferably then, the manipulator arm is telescopic and the support profiles of the bending and transfer modules are mounted on the frame to be

  adjustable in position relative to each other.

  This arrangement is particularly advantageous in bending devices comprising several bending modules and several transfer modules, because it allows optimum use of the space available according to the size of the parts to be

  and the number of bending modules used.

  Advantageously, at least the support profile of the bending module is mounted on the frame to extend vertically. The size of the bending device is thus limited and the bending device does not require

  than a reduced floor area.

  Finally, according to another particular characteristic, the bending module comprises two holding members each associated with a bending member, one of the holding members and the associated bending member being mounted on a carriage adjustable in position along the support profile. This will be particularly interesting in the case where the elements to be bent are of hybrid structure, being constituted by end-to-end elements

alternately flexible and rigid.

  Other features and benefits of

  the invention will emerge on reading the description which

  follows a particular non-limiting embodiment of

the invention.

  Reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, among which: - Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of a bending device according to the invention, comprising a bending module here framed by two transfer modules, - Figure 2 is an elevation view of a bending member in a longitudinal direction of the support profile, with a detail of the bending head on a larger scale, - Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 in a transverse direction of the support profile , - Figure 4 is a schematic elevational view of a bending device according to the invention according to a particular configuration, - Figure 5 is a schematic elevational view of a bending device according to a variant configuration. With reference to the figures, the bending device according to the invention comprises a frame 1 on which are alternately mounted bending modules generally designated in 2 and transfer modules generally designated in 3, here three bending modules 2

and four transfer modules 3.

  The frame 1 comprises a base 4 supporting two parallel beams 5. Each spar 5 is formed of a metal profile such as aluminum having a substantially rectangular cross section and having longitudinal grooves 6 having a substantially T-shaped cross section. Each bending module 2 comprises a support profile 7 on which are mounted a holding member (here unique) bearing the general reference 8 and two bending members bearing the general reference 9 each extending

  on one side of the holding member 8.

  The support profile 7 is formed of a metal profile such as aluminum having a substantially rectangular cross section and comprising longitudinal grooves 10 having a substantially T-shaped cross section. The holding member 8 comprises an upright 11 having a lower end secured to a base 12 for fixing to the support profile 7 and an opposite end equipped with a clamp 13 of known type arranged to hold by clamping an element to be bent, for example a metal tube, along an axis 14 parallel to the profile

support 7.

  Each bending member 9 further comprises a bracket 15 having a lower end 16 forming a base for fixing to the support profile 7 and an upper end 17 in which is formed, in a plane perpendicular to the support profile 7, a housing 18 in an arc of circle slidingly receiving a slide 19 also in an arc. The housing 18 and the slide 19 extend in a plane perpendicular to the holding axis 14 and are centered on the latter. The slide 19 here extends over an angle of approximately 90. The housing 18 is here closed by a cover 20 held on the end 17 by screws 21 which, when they are screwed, tighten the slide 19 in the desired angular position between the cover 20 and the bottom of the housing 18 thus immobilizing the slide 19 in the desired angular position

compared to the amount 15.

  Each bending member 9 also comprises a rotolinear cylinder 22 whose body is fixed, here by screws, on one end of the slide 19 so as to extend transversely relative to the retaining axis 14. The rod of the cylinder 22 has a free end equipped with a bending head 23. The bending head 23 comprises in a known manner a roller 24 centered on the pivot axis 25 of the cylinder rod 22 and an eccentric roller 26 and axis parallel to that of the roller 24. The rollers 24, 26 are provided with a peripheral groove having a cross section corresponding to that of the tube to be bent. The rod of the jack 22 slides between an extended position, in which the housing of circular cross section defined by the grooves of the rollers 24, 26 is

  centered on the retaining pin 14, and a retracted position.

  The jack 22 and the clamp 13 are supplied with compressed air by means of conduits running respectively along the slide 19 and the bracket 15 and along the upright 11 to be connected to a control and air supply device. compressed

not shown here.

  The holding member 8 and the bending members 9 are fixed to the support profile 7 so that they can be adjustable in position relative to each other along this support profile. The bending members 9 are for example fixed by means of bolts 27 passing through the base 16 and having a lower end received in one of the grooves 10 of the support profile 7. It is understood that, when the bolts 27 are loose, the members bending element 9 can be moved along the support profile 7. The holding member 8 can be fixed to the support profile 7 in the same way or permanently. Each transfer module 3 comprises a support profile 28 identical to and parallel to the support profile 7, and a shaft 29 mounted on the support profile 28 by means of bearings 30 to pivot around its longitudinal direction which extends parallel to the retaining axis 14. Each transfer module 3 also includes a manipulator arm 31 preferably extending perpendicular to the retaining axis 14 and having one end forming a clamp 32 of the shaft 29 allowing an adjustable positioning of the manipulator arm 31 along the shaft 29, and an opposite end equipped with a gripping means of known type such as a clamp 33, connected by conduits running along the manipulator arm 31 to a known device for controlling and supplying compressed air not

shown here.

  The shafts 29 of the transfer modules 3 are connected to each other by means of a control rod 34 (visible in FIG. 5) articulated with a crankpin 35 fixed on one end of each shaft 29 so as to transform a reciprocating translational movement applied (by means not shown) to the control rod 34 in an alternating rotary movement of the shafts 29 and in a pendulum movement of the arms

manipulators 31.

  Advantageously, the support sections 7 and 28 are fixed to the side members 5 in a similar manner to the holding members 9 on the support section 7, so that they can be positioned relative to each other along the side members 5. The manipulator arm 31 of each module of

  transfer 3 is then preferably telescopic.

  In FIG. 4, the frame 1 is associated with an upstream assembly 36 for supplying bending tubes of known type (for example comprising an elevator) and a downstream assembly 35 for discharging bent tubes also of known type. In this device, the side members 5 extend horizontally. The bending modules 2 produce six bends on each tube from the ends thereof towards their middle part, each bending module 2 performing two bends. The holding member 8 being disposed between the two bending members 9, the tube is held in place on its central part which thus remains rectilinear and makes it possible to maintain a fixed positioning reference system from one bending module to another simplifying so the positioning of the jacks 22 whose head 23 acts on

  a straight portion centered on the retaining axis 14.

  The manipulator arm 31 of the transfer module 3 adjacent to the supply assembly 36 is movable between a first position in which it grasps a tube to be bent in the supply assembly 36 and a second position in which it positions this tube in the holding member 8 of the adjacent bending module 2. The manipulator arm 31 of the transfer module 3 adjacent to the evacuation assembly is movable between a position in which it grasps the bent tube in the bending module 2 performing the last two bends and a second position in which it deposits the bent element in the evacuation assembly 37. Each of the other transfer modules 3 located between these two transfer modules has its manipulator arm 31 which is movable between a position in which it grasps a tube to be bent in a module bending tube 2 and a position in which it positions the tube in a bending module 2 downstream to ensure the transport of the tube to be bent from an upstream bending module to a downstream bending module. Note that the clamps 13 and 33 must hold the tube firmly to prevent it from pivoting. It is indeed important that the angular orientation of the tube around its longitudinal direction parallel to the retaining axis 14 is always known from one bending module 2 to the other because it is this which has conditioned the positioning of the

bending cylinders.

  Furthermore, it is understood that the decomposition by modules of the bending operation allows great flexibility of use of the device. Thus, it is possible to produce two series of tubes having different geometries on the same machine, for example using a single bending module for producing one of the tubes and two bending modules for the other tube. Bending modules not used for a tube are not used, and are

  inactivated (retracted position of the rotary cylinder 22).

  In Figure 5, we can see a bending device in which the side members 5 extend in a vertical plane so that the support sections 14 and 28 are vertical. The bending device preferably rests directly on the ground S. A clear distinction is made between the positioning of the holding members 9 (shown in diagrammatic form in this figure) relative to the holding member 8 of each bending module 2 allowing the realization elbows from the ends of the tubes towards their middle part (the upstream and downstream of the device are located respectively on the

  right side and on the left side of the figure).

  The positioning of the jacks 22 in each bending module is obtained on the one hand by adjusting the position of the bending members 9 relative to the holding member 8 and on the other hand by adjusting the angular position of each jack 22 around the retaining pin 14. This last adjustment is made by moving the slide 19 relative to the bracket 15 and possibly by mounting the jack 22 on the other end of the slide 19. The bending head 23 is angularly adjustable around the axis of the cylinder 22, so as to determine the bending angle to be produced, in accordance with the conventional bending technique

using this type of cylinder.

  Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described and it is possible to make variant embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention such as

defined by the claims.

  In particular, pairs of linear bending cylinders, placed face to face or side by side, may be substituted for rotolinear bending cylinders. In this case, the rotary bending by winding is replaced

  by a linear bending by stamping.

  In addition, each bending module can comprise two holding members each associated with a bending member. This arrangement is particularly useful when the element to be bent comprises two metal tubes connected to each other by a flexible intermediate pipe, in an end-to-end arrangement, each holding member ensuring the positioning of one of the metal tubes. When the length of the flexible pipe is liable to vary from one element to be bent to another, provision may be made to mount one of the holding members and the associated bending member on a carriage adjustable in position along the profile. support. It is also possible to automatically control the movements of the carriage by means of a sensor for measuring the length of the flexible pipe or by any other means. The transfer module can in this case be arranged so as to include two manipulator arms for

  grasp the element to be bent by the metal tubes.

Claims (9)

  1. Device for bending elongated metal elements, in particular tubular elements, characterized in that it comprises at least one bending module (2) mounted on a frame (1), and in that the bending module comprises a support profile (7) on which is fixed at least one member (8) for holding an element to be bent in a position centered on an axis (14) parallel to the support profile, and at least one bending member (9) comprising a bracket (15) fixed in an adjustable position along the support profile and at least one bending cylinder (22) which is equipped with a bending head (23) intended to intervene at the level of the retaining axis ( 14) and which is connected to the bracket (15) by a positional system (19) making it possible to pivot said bending cylinder (22) around the holding axis (14) in a plane perpendicular to said axis.   2. bending device according to claim 1, characterized in that the bending module (2) comprises two bending members (9) each extending on one side of the holding member (8).   3. bending device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the positional system comprises a slide (19) in an arc, which has one end connected to the bending cylinder (22) and which is mounted so adjustable in position on the gallows (15).   4. Bending device according to one of   Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the actuator   bending (22) is a rotolinear cylinder.   5. Bending device according to one of   claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the system   positional (19) allows a range of pivoting of the cylinder bending (22) of about 180.   6. Bending device according to one of   previous claims, characterized in that   comprises at least one module (3) for transferring bending elements comprising a support profile (28) on which is mounted to pivot a shaft (29) parallel to the retaining axis (14) and at least one manipulator arm ( 31) having one end (32) integral with said shaft (29) to extend transversely relative to the latter and a   opposite end equipped with a gripping means (33).   7. bending device according to claim 6, characterized in that the manipulator arm (31) is telescopic and in that the support profiles (7, 28) of the bending and transfer modules (2, 3) are mounted on the frame (1) to be adjustable in position one by compared to each other.   8. Bending device according to one of   previous claims, characterized in that at least   the support profile (7) of the bending module (2) is mounted   on the frame (1) to extend vertically.   9. Bending device according to one of   previous claims, characterized in that the module   bending device (2) comprises two holding members (8) each associated with a bending member (9), one of the holding members (8) and the associated bending member (9) being mounted on an adjustable carriage in position along the support profile (7).