WO2002036282A1

WO2002036282A1 - Adapter, method for punching polygonal holes and method for fixing blind rivet nuts or blind rivet studs, using an adapter of this type

Info

Publication number: WO2002036282A1
Application number: PCT/EP2000/010749
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael Hayder Honsel; Thomas Kamrad
Original assignee: M.H. Honsel Beteiligungs Gmbh
Priority date: 2000-10-31
Filing date: 2000-10-31
Publication date: 2002-05-10
Also published as: AU2001213906A1

Abstract

The invention relates to an adapter (1) for punching polygonal holes using a tool ram (2). Said ram can be displaced and has a punching section (27) that is radially spring-loaded. The adapter comprises a locking device (4) for preventing the radial spring-loaded displacement of the punching section (27) at least during the punching process and an adapter connector (21) for detachably coupling the mandrel (36) of a riveting device (34) to the tool ram (2) at the same time as the locking device (4) is actuated. The invention also relates to a tool unit, to a method for punching polygonal holes and to a method for fixing blind rivet nuts and/or blind rivet studs.

Description

ATTACHMENT DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PUNCHING POLYGON HOLES, AND METHOD FOR ATTACHING BLIND RIVET NUTS OR BLIND RIVET SCREWS USING SUCH A HEADER

The present invention relates to an attachment for punching polygon holes and a tool unit that can be used for this purpose. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for punching polygon holes and a method for attaching blind rivet nuts and / or screws.

In many cases it is necessary to carry out a blind riveting process because there is only access from one side (e.g. with hollow profiles). In particular when using blind rivet nuts or screws, it is necessary to prevent unintentional loosening of the connection, in particular rotation about the longitudinal axis. For this purpose, the blind rivet nuts or screws are provided with a polygon section which is inserted into a correspondingly shaped opening. To date, hexagonal shapes have mainly been used in the prior art, although any other cross-sectional shape preventing rotation could also be used. These polygon holes are usually produced by drilling a round hole and then reworking this hole using a punch to obtain the polygon shape.

Essentially two different hexagonal punching tools are known in the art. One embodiment is a hand-operated stamping tool. This punching tool is provided with three slots that are offset by 120 ° to each other, each halving one of the key surfaces. The punching tool is designed as a tubular body and has a cone at its front end. As a result, this tool tappet can be inserted into the center of the round hole, and radial slit compression can take place. As soon as this front piece of the tool plunger is inserted through the hole, it can spring back outwards due to an annular groove, so that a kind of locking takes place on the hole. The hexagonal cutting edges of the punching tool then rest on the back of the workpiece. So that when the tool plunger is withdrawn, the slotted part does not compress Area takes place, a mandrel is provided in the plunger, which is pushed into the slotted area after snapping into the hole. This is done manually on the hand-operated device. The plunger can then be withdrawn without any compression. The cutting edges then create the desired polygon shape of the hole.

In a second embodiment, a pneumatically or hydraulically operated device is used for this process. This is a custom-made product that is tailored to this application.

The subsequent blind riveting of the rivet nuts or rivet screws is then carried out using a commercially available setting tool. These setting tools can be driven in different ways (hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, etc.). They usually all have a mandrel, which is provided with an external or internal thread end section to accommodate the rivet nuts or rivet screws.

A distinction is made between two types of devices in the case of power-operated rivet nuts, which generally function pneumatically or pneumatically-hydraulically. The most widespread type are the so-called spin-pull devices. With these devices, the mandrel is first set in clockwise rotation to thread the rivet nut. Then the stroke for riveting the rivet nut is triggered by a trigger. The mandrel then turns in the opposite direction to unscrew from the rivet nut. This is usually done fully automatically after the rivet nut is set.

The second possibility to place a rivet nut is via so-called spin-spin devices, in which the rivet nut is also threaded and tightened by turning the mandrel further. Of course, this requires a very high torque for the mandrel. After tightening the rivet nut by rotating the mandrel, it switches in the opposite direction in order to thread the mandrel out of the rivet nut. Both device types are suitable for setting rivet nuts and screws. The present invention should be adaptable for both types of devices.

The invention is based on the object of bringing about an improvement in the area of punching polygon holes, in particular for a subsequent blind rivet.

This task is solved on the one hand by providing an attachment for punching polygon holes. This attachment device has a displaceably held tool plunger, which comprises a punching area designed to be radially spring-loaded. Furthermore, the attachment has a locking device for preventing the radial compression of the punching area at least during the punching process and an adapter connection for releasably coupling a mandrel of a rivet setting tool to the tool plunger while simultaneously actuating the locking device.

For the first time, a punching device for polygon holes is designed as an attachment for a rivet setting device. This offers the possibility that the drive for the attachment is carried out by the existing rivet setting tool. Neither the attachment, for example, has to have a hand-operated lever mechanism nor its own drive unit, since one is provided by the rivet setting device. The adapter connection is then designed in accordance with the desired coupling to the available rivet setting tool. A special feature is that the coupling device actuates the locking device at the same time. The attachment is, for example, inserted by hand into a pre-drilled hole and then the rivet setting tool is coupled to the adapter connection. The locking and the subsequent punching of the polygon hole can be carried out in one work sequence. After uncoupling the rivet setting tool from the adapter connection, one and the same rivet setting tool can be used for the subsequent rivet setting process in the previously made polygon hole. The attachment can be made very compact due to the lack of its own drive, so that it can also be in or on one Tool belt can be accommodated. This offers enormous advantages for the user compared to devices to be carried separately for punching the polygon holes.

The adapter connection can preferably have a coaxially arranged connection thread as a coupling component for the pulling mandrel of a rivet setting device. This embodiment is particularly suitable for rivet setting tools for setting blind rivet nuts or screws. Depending on the application, the mandrel is provided with an internal or external thread, so that the adapter connection has a corresponding mating thread. In addition, screwing into the connection thread of the adapter connection fits very well with the normal movement sequence of conventional rivet setting devices, so that no other movement sequence has to be provided on the rivet setting device in this regard.

Furthermore, the tool plunger can be designed as a hollow plunger with an axial bore, in which a mandrel which can be pushed in is arranged as part of the locking device, the mandrel extending to the adapter connection and being axially displaceable into the punching region of the tool plunger by the coupling process of the pulling mandrel of a rivet setting device is designed. This is a very simple variant of the locking device, in which the preferably slotted punching area is threaded radially by filling the central bore with an additional tool component, the mandrel. The dimensional accuracy of the polygon hole to be punched can also be very well maintained by these measures.

The mandrel can preferably extend at least into the region of the connection thread in the tool plunger. The dome can already be pushed forward by attaching a mandrel. The final advancement then takes place, for example, by screwing the mandrel to the connecting thread in the tool tappet, so that the mandrel is pushed into a predetermined position and securely locks the punching area. This could be done at the associated front end appropriate centering aids of the dome and the mandrel of the rivet setting tool are available.

So that the mandrel always returns to its starting position, the locking device can comprise a pretensioning device which presses the mandrel into an unlocking position. Suitable are e.g. Common helical compression springs with a suitable spring characteristic. The mandrel then returns to its starting position after each punching process.

Furthermore, the adapter connection can be designed as an adapter slide that is detachably connected to the tool plunger. This offers the possibility of both exchanging the tool plunger with the punching area and maintaining the adapter slide and also arranging different adapter slides on one and the same tool plunger. When using a connection thread, the adapter slides can be equipped with different thread sizes, so that they can be easily adapted to the rivet setting tool available. This modular design gives enough space for a wide variety of possible combinations.

A tubular housing can be provided, in which the tool plunger is displaceably guided with the adapter connection, at least part of the punching region of the tool plunger projecting axially. The housing protects the entire interior structure and can be designed so that it is very easy for the user to grasp. Furthermore, markings or markings as well as projections on the housing could be provided which specify the position of the polygon on the punching area of the tool plunger, so that the user has an alignment aid.

In the vast majority of cases, sheet metal pieces that are inaccessible from one side are provided with polygon holes by this stamping process, so that it is advantageous that the attachment can be adjusted to different sheet thicknesses. For this purpose, an axially adjustable mouthpiece can be arranged on the housing, which provides a stop surface for the workpiece and through which at least part of the punching area of the tool plunger extends axially.

In addition, a housing cap can be releasably attached to the end of the housing assigned to the adapter connection, said housing cap having an access opening for the pulling mandrel of a rivet setting device. With this configuration, both the tool plunger and any adapter slide that may be present can be removed from the housing. The cap can also extend over a longer section of the housing and form an essential part of it.

So that the tool plunger is in the correct position for the insertion into a predrilled hole, a pretensioning device can be provided in the housing for pretensioning the tool plunger in an extended position. The pretensioning force of the pretensioning device must then be set so that it can be easily inserted into the predrilled hole; however, the force of the rivet setting tool can be easily overcome.

So that the tool plunger does not accidentally twist within the housing, a non-rotatable linear guide can be provided for it.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a tool unit which comprises a blind rivet nut setting device with an external thread pulling mandrel and an attachment device according to one of claims 1 to 11 with an adapter connection with a suitable internal thread. This tool unit represents a useful extension of conventional blind rivet nut setting tools.

The invention also relates to a tool unit which comprises a blind rivet screwdriver with an internal thread pulling mandrel and an attachment according to one of claims 1 to 11 with an adapter connection with a suitable external thread. Accordingly, both blind rivet nuts and blind rivet screws are to be riveted into the polygon holes previously produced by the punching process.

Furthermore, a method for punching polygon holes is included, which has the following steps:

Providing a through opening;

Resilient insertion of a working area of a punching attachment into the through opening;

Coupling the punch attachment to a conventional rivet setting tool;

Locking the punch attachment to prevent deflection of the working area of the punch attachment;

Applying a tensile force through the rivet setting tool as a drive unit.

A method in which an attachment device is coupled to a conventional rivet setting tool has hitherto not existed in the prior art. So far, separate punching has always been carried out by means of a device with self-propelled or manual drive.

The invention also relates to a method for attaching blind rivet nuts and / or screws, comprising the following steps:

Providing a through opening;

Coupling the punch attachment with a conventional blind rivet nut and / or blind rivet screw setting device; Locking the punch attachment to prevent deflection of the working area of the punch attachment;

Applying a tensile force through the rivet setting tool as a drive unit for punching a polygon opening;

Uncoupling the punch attachment from the setting tool;

Threading or threading a blind rivet nut and / or a blind rivet screw onto or into the setting tool;

Performing a riveting process with the setting tool using the polygon opening.

The implementation of this method, without the operator having to put the rivet setting tool down, is completely new in technology and leads to an increased degree of rationalization. If several holes are to be provided with blind rivet nuts or blind rivet screws in succession, the attachment can already have been inserted into the next predrilled hole during the actual riveting process.

In the following we will explain the invention in more detail using an exemplary embodiment. Show it:

1 is an attachment according to the invention for punching polygon holes in full section, which is inserted into a preformed opening,

2 is a front view of the attachment from FIG. 1,

3 shows the tool ram from FIG. 1 in a side view, Fig. 4 shows the tool ram from Fig. 3 in a front view

5a to 5c the sequence of a punching process with the attachment shown in FIG. 1 in interaction with a blind rivet nut setting device, both being shown in full section.

The attachment device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a tool plunger 2, an adapter slide 3 connected to it and a locking mandrel 4 coaxially extending through it. These components are slidably arranged in a tubular housing 5, which has an external thread 6 at its rear end, onto which a stable housing cap 7 with a central access opening 8 is screwed. At the front end of the housing 5 there is an internal thread 9, into which a mouthpiece 10 is screwed, which in turn is secured in its position by means of a lock nut 11. The mouthpiece 10 is used for support on a workpiece W. By means of the lock nut 11 and the internal thread 9, adjustments can be made with regard to the workpiece thickness. The tool plunger 2 extends coaxially through a bore 12 in the interior of the mouthpiece 10 to the outside.

The adapter slide 3 has a cylindrical basic shape and is provided at one end with an external thread 13, onto which a cap 14 is screwed. The cylindrical inner surface of the cap 14 serves as a sliding surface within the housing bore 15. Furthermore, the cap serves to connect the tool plunger 2 to the adapter slide 3. For this purpose, the cap 14 grips behind an enlarged head 16 of the tool plunger 2.

In a central section of the adapter slide 3, which is essentially cylindrical and serves as a sliding guide in the housing bore 15, is provided with a longitudinal groove 17, which in turn is aligned with a longitudinal groove 18 in the housing 5. A key 19 inserted into these longitudinal grooves 17 and 18 serves as Slide wedge and anti-rotation device for the entire body. The front end section 20 of the adapter slide 3 has a reduced diameter and is provided on its free end section with an internal thread 21 that extends coaxially to the adapter slide 3. Between the bottom 22 of the housing cap 7 and an end section 23 of the adapter slide 3, a compression spring 24 is supported, which presses the adapter slide 3 together with the tool plunger 2 to the left (see FIG. 1) into an initial position.

The mandrel 4 extends over the entire length of the adapter slide 3 and also beyond the internal thread 21 through the access opening 8 in the housing cap 7 to the outside. The mandrel 4 is supported within the adapter slide 3 by means of a stop collar 25. In this position, it is pretensioned by means of a compression spring 26, which is supported on the head 16 of the tool plunger 2. In this position biased by the compression spring 26, the mandrel 4 is pushed all the way to the right (see FIG. 1). But this also means that it does not extend completely through the tool mandrel 2. It can be seen from the lines shown in broken lines that the mandrel 4 ends approximately at the level of the lock nut 11.

3 and 4, the tool ram 2 will now be explained in more detail. The punching area 27 of the tool plunger 2 is located on the left-hand side. This includes a punching head 28 which tapers conically to the left for better insertion. Furthermore, the punching head comprises punching cutters 29, which in the present case specify a hexagon shape (the later polygon shape of the hole). This is followed by an annular groove 30, which must at least be adapted to the material thickness of the workpiece W. The basic diameter of the annular groove 30 is smaller than the predrilled hole. The adjoining region 31, like the cutting edges 29, can also have a hexagonal shape. This is in turn followed by a conically widening region 32. The entire punching area 27 is slit lengthways. For this purpose, three slots 33, each offset by 120 °, are provided, which extend into the conical region 32. The punching head 28 in particular is thereby divided into three parts, that can compress radially to each other. As a result, the punching head 28 can also be pushed into an opening or a smaller hole (see FIG. 1) with a smaller diameter. As soon as the workpiece W is located within the annular groove 30, the parts of the punching head 28 spring outward again, so that a kind of locking takes place on the back of the workpiece W.

A punching process for producing a hexagonal opening is now explained in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 5a and 5c.

The rivet setting tool 34 used is a conventional type of spin-pull device that is commercially available. For this reason, the individual components of the rivet setting tool 34 shown in full section are not discussed in detail below, since these are fully known in the prior art. Only a few noteworthy components are referred to for illustration.

The rivet setting tool 34 is started via an actuation switch 35. The sequence of movements is then as follows. The mandrel 36 with its externally threaded section 37 rotates about its axis in order to be screwed into a component (e.g. blind rivet nut etc.). As soon as the blind rivet nut has been screwed onto the mandrel 37 as far as the mouthpiece 38, the pulling movement to the right is initiated by pressing the actuation switch 35 again. When the pulling movement is finished, the pulling mandrel 36 rotates in the opposite direction, so that the external thread 37 can be unscrewed again from the associated component (e.g. blind rivet nut, etc.).

The attachment 1 is gripped on the outer circumference of its housing 5 and inserted into the pre-drilled hole of a workpiece W with the punching region 27 projecting out of the housing on the left. The workpiece W is usually a component that is only accessible from one side, for example a hollow profile. During this process, the mandrel 4 is pressed to the right by the compression spring 26 and does not lock the punching region 27. As a result, the punching head 28 can be radially inserted. and thus inserted into the pre-drilled hole. As soon as the punching head 28 is passed through, it springs back radially and the workpiece W is located within the annular groove 30. The mouthpiece 10 then lies on the other side of the workpiece W, while the cutting edges 29 rest against the back.

The operator then places the rivet setting tool 34 with the front end of the mandrel 36. Here, the front end of the mandrel 36 touches the end face of the locking dome 4 projecting outwards. Centering aids could also be provided here. By pressing the rivet setting tool 34, the mandrel 4 is pushed in against the correspondingly light spring force of the compression spring 26. As a result, the mandrel 4 moves to the left and slowly slides into the interior of the punching area 27. As soon as the mandrel 36 comes into contact with the adapter slide 3, the mandrel 36 can be rotated by actuating the actuating button 35. As a result, the external thread 37 screws into the connection thread 21 of the adapter slide 3. The mandrel 4 is shifted further to the left until it also extends into the punching head 28 and, as can be seen in FIG. 5b, also beyond it to the left. This prevents the punch head 28 from compressing radially again.

The rivet setting tool 34 then executes a pulling movement. Here, the mouthpiece 38 of the rivet setting tool 34 is supported on the housing cap 7 and the mandrel 36 pulls the adapter slide 3 together with the tool plunger 2 backwards. As a result, the punching head 28 is pulled through the correspondingly predrilled opening and punched a polygonal profile, in the present case a hexagon, into the workpiece W in the manner of a broaching needle. As soon as the position shown in FIG reverse direction, so that the external thread 37 unscrews again from the internal connection thread 21.

As a result, the attachment 1 and the rivet setting device 34 are automatically decoupled again. At the same time, the attachment 1 is no longer in contact with the factory Piece W engages and the mandrel 4 is pushed back into its starting position by the spring 26. The adapter slide 3 together with the tool plunger 2 are also pushed back into their starting position by the compression spring 24. A blind rivet nut can then be threaded onto the rivet setting tool 34. Such blind rivet nuts have a hexagonal section that can be inserted precisely into the previously made polygon hole. This serves as an anti-twist device. The blind rivet nut is then set in the usual and best known manner. Accordingly, one and the same rivet setting device 34 can be used for punching the polygon opening and for setting the blind rivet nut.

Of course, other types of rivet setting tools 34 can also be coupled to a correspondingly designed attachment device 1, in particular rivet setting tools for blind rivet screws are also to be used.

In addition, a marking can also be provided on the front attachment 1 so that the operator can recognize the position of the polygon and thus the orientation of the front attachment 1. For this purpose, the device can have a key surface on the circumference of the outer housing 5 or 7, which corresponds to the key surface of the tool plunger 2. The user thus has the option of always positioning the key surface identically in the case of several holes.

Claims

Expectations

1. Attachment device for punching polygon holes, with a displaceably held tool plunger (2) which has a punching area (27) designed to be radially spring-loaded, a locking device (4) for preventing the punching area (27) from compressing radially at least during the punching process, and an adapter connection (21) for releasably coupling a pulling mandrel (36) of a rivet setting tool (34) to the tool plunger (2) while simultaneously actuating the locking device (4).

2. attachment according to claim 1, characterized in that the adapter connection (21) as a coupling component for the mandrel (36) of a rivet setting tool (34) has a coaxially arranged connection thread.

3. attachment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the tool plunger (2) is designed as a hollow plunger with an axial bore in which a displaceably held mandrel (4) is arranged as part of the locking device, and the mandrel (4) up extends to the adapter connection (21) and is designed to be axially displaceable into the punching area (27) of the tool plunger (2) by the coupling process of the pulling mandrel (36) of a rivet setting tool (34).

4. Attachment device according to claim 3, characterized in that the mandrel (4) extends at least into the region of the connection thread (21) in the tool plunger (2).

5. Attachment device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the locking device (4) comprises a biasing device which presses the mandrel (4) into an unlocked position.

6. Attachment device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the adapter connection is designed as a detachably connected to the tool plunger (2) adapter slide (3).

7. Attachment device according to claim 1 to 6, characterized in that a tubular housing (5) is provided, in which the tool plunger (2) with the adapter connection (21) is slidably guided, at least part of the punching area (27) of the tool plunger (2) protrudes axially.

8. attachment according to claim 7, characterized in that an axially adjustable mouthpiece (10) is arranged on the housing (5), which provides a stop surface for the workpiece (W) and through which at least part of the punching area (27) of the Tool plunger (2) extends axially.

9. attachment according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that on the adapter connection (21) associated end of the housing (5) a housing cap (7) is releasably attached, which has an access opening (8) for the mandrel (36) of a rivet setting tool (34).

10. Attachment device according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that in the housing (5) a biasing device (24) for biasing the tool plunger (2) is provided in an extended position.

11. Attachment device according to one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that an anti-rotation linear guide (17, 18, 19) is provided for the tool plunger (2).

12. Tool unit, comprising a blind rivet nut setting device (34) with an external thread pulling mandrel (36) and an attachment device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 11 with an adapter connection with a suitable internal thread (21).

13. Tool unit, comprising a blind rivet setting tool with an internal thread pulling mandrel and an attachment (1) according to one of claims 1 to 11 with an adapter connection with a suitable external thread.

14. Method for punching polygon holes with the following steps:

Providing a through opening;

Resilient insertion of a working area (27) of a punching attachment (1) into the through opening;

Coupling the punch attachment (1) to a conventional rivet setting device (34);

Locking the punch attachment (1) to prevent the working area of the punch attachment (1) from compressing;

Applying a tensile force through the rivet setting tool (34) as the drive unit.

15. Procedure for attaching blind rivet nuts and / or bolts with the following steps:

Providing a through opening;

resilient insertion of a working area of a punching attachment (1) into the through opening;

Coupling the punch attachment to a conventional blind rivet nut and / or blind rivet screw setting device (34);

Locking the punch attachment (1) to prevent the working area of the punch attachment (1) from compressing; Applying a tensile force through the rivet setting tool as a drive unit for punching a polygon opening;

Decoupling the punch attachment (1) from the rivet setting device (34);

Threading or threading a blind rivet nut and / or a blind rivet screw onto or into the rivet setting device (34);

Performing a riveting operation with the rivet setting tool (34) using the polygon opening.