Joining apparatus and manufacturing method for joint

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10933459-B2
Application number	US-201916357444-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2019
Priority date	Mar 26, 2018
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

A joining apparatus includes: a die having a recess; and a punch disposed opposite to the recess. The punch includes an inner punch portion and an outer punch portion disposed around the inner punch portion, the inner punch portion and outer punch portion are configured to be movable relative to each other, and a depression is formable at a front end of the punch. The joining apparatus is configured such that, in a state in which the depression is formed at the front end of the punch, the punch is moved relatively so as to press and deform the multiple plate members toward the recess by the punch, and the inner punch portion is moved relatively so as to extrude a metal in the depression by the inner punch portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A joining apparatus joining multiple plate members made of a metal by mechanical clinching, the joining apparatus comprising:
a die having a recess; and
a punch disposed opposite to the recess, wherein
the punch includes an inner punch portion and an outer punch portion disposed around the inner punch portion,
the inner punch portion and the outer punch portion are configured to move relative to each other and are configured to enter into the recess, and
in a state in which a depression is formed at a front end of the punch, the die and the punch are moved relative to each other so as to press and deform the multiple plate members toward the recess by the punch, and the inner punch portion and the outer punch portion are moved relative to each other so as to extrude the metal in the depression by the inner punch portion.

2. The joining apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the multiple plate members are two plate members that includes; a first plate member and a second plate member; and
the first plate member disposed on a punch side has a lower strength than a strength of the second plate member disposed on a die side.

3. The joining apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the depression is defined by the inner punch portion and the outer punch portion when a front end of the outer punch portion is closer to the multiple plate members than is a front end of the inner punch portion.

4. The joining apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the inner punch portion has a columnar shape, and the outer punch portion has a cylindrical shape.

5. The joining apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a bottom surface of the die partially defining the recess has an annular groove around a peripheral edge of the bottom surface.

6. A manufacturing method for a joint, manufacturing the joint formed by joining multiple plate members made of a metal by mechanical clinching, the method comprising:
forming a depression at a front end of a punch including an inner punch portion and an outer punch portion disposed around the inner punch portion by moving the inner punch portion and the outer punch portion relative to each other, the inner punch portion and the outer punch portion being configured to enter into a recess of a die;
moving the die and the punch disposed opposite to the die relative to each other, in a state in which the depression is formed, so as to press and deform the multiple plate members toward the recess by the punch; and
moving the inner punch portion and the outer punch portion relative to each other so as to extrude the metal in the depression by the inner punch portion.

7. The manufacturing method for the joint according to claim 6 , wherein:
the multiple plate members are two plate members that includes a first plate member and a second plate member; and
the first plate member disposed on a punch side has a lower strength than a strength of the second plate member disposed on a die side.

8. The manufacturing method for the joint according to claim 6 , wherein the depression is formed by relatively moving the outer punch portion toward the multiple plate members such that the outer punch portion is closer to the multiple plate members than is the inner punch portion.

9. The manufacturing method for the joint according to claim 6 , wherein the inner punch portion is in a columnar shape, and the outer punch portion is in a cylindrical shape.

10. The manufacturing method for the joint according to claim 6 , wherein a bottom surface of the die partially defining the recess has an annular groove around a peripheral edge of the bottom surface.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Takahashi Kohei
• Kawakita Atsushi
• Makino Junichiro

Classifications

• B21D39/031 Primary

  Joining superposed plates by locally deforming without slitting or piercing · CPC title

• B21D39/00

  Application of procedures in order to connect objects or parts, e.g. coating with sheet metal otherwise than by plating ({joining mitred profiles B21D53/745; } riveting B21J; uniting components by forging or pressing to form integral members B21K25/00; welding B23K; press-fitting, force-fitting, or shrinking in general B23P11/00, B21D19/00; by adhesives F16B11/00 {; Connections as such F16L, F16B}); Tube expanders · CPC title

• B23P19/02

  for connecting objects by press fit or for detaching same (B23P19/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B21D39/03

  of sheet metal otherwise than by folding · CPC title