Method for filling a rivet cartridge with rivet elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11167339-B2
Application number	US-201716301155-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2017
Priority date	May 13, 2016
Publication date	Nov 9, 2021
Grant date	Nov 9, 2021

Abstract

A method is provided for filling a rivet cartridge with rivet elements by means of a rivet loading station having a rivet delivery unit for delivering the rivet elements and having a rivet cartridge receiving means for receiving a rivet cartridge. The rivet elements are supplied from the rivet delivery unit to a rivet cartridge which is received in the rivet cartridge receiving means and are received therein in an aligned manner. The rivet loading station detects pre-determined characteristics of the rivet elements that are relevant to the drilling process and/or the riveting process prior to supplying them to the rivet cartridge.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for filling rivet cartridges with rivet elements by a rivet loading station, the rivet loading station having a rivet delivery unit and rivet cartridge receiving elements, the method comprising:
delivering the rivet elements from the rivet delivery unit to the rivet cartridges in an aligned manner, wherein the rivet cartridges are received by the rivet cartridge receiving elements,
detecting predetermined characteristics of the rivet elements that are relevant to a drilling process and/or a riveting process prior to supplying the rivet elements to the rivet cartridges, and
supplying each rivet element to one of the rivet cartridges depending on the detected predetermined characteristics of the rivet element.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rivet loading station comprises a control unit which controls the rivet loading station, wherein the control unit detects the predetermined characteristics of the rivet elements that are relevant to the drilling process and/or the riveting process prior to supplying them to the rivet cartridge and wherein the control unit measures the characteristics with a sensor arrangement comprising a testing unit which is assigned to the sensor arrangement.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the testing unit comprises a lighting unit for lighting a rivet element during the detecting of the predetermined characteristics that are relevant to the drilling process and/or the riveting process and lights a rivet element during the detecting process.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the testing unit is realized as a system that is telecentric on both sides.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the measuring tolerance of the testing unit is less than ±5 micrometers.

6. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the control unit comprises pattern recognition for recognizing and/or measuring features on a shank of the rivet element and detects a pattern on the shank of the rivet element with the sensor arrangement.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the control unit detects and tests closing grooves and/or closing threads.

8. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein rivet elements are supplied to the rivet delivery unit from a secondary packaging and wherein data regarding the rivet elements connected to the secondary packaging is detected by the control unit.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the data includes specification of the rivet elements.

10. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein subcategories are formed for a type of rivet elements and/or subcategories are formed on the basis of data regarding the rivet elements and wherein the subcategories have assigned thereto a rivet cartridge and wherein the rivet elements, in dependence on their test in the testing unit, are supplied corresponding to their categorization into a subcategory to the rivet cartridge assigned to the subcategory.

11. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the predetermined characteristics that are relevant to the drilling process and/or the riveting process are geometric characteristics of the rivet elements.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined characteristics that are relevant to the drilling process and/or the riveting process are a rivet head diameter D K and/or a rivet head length L K and/or an angle W of a rivet countersunk head and/or a transition radius R.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a testing unit for testing rivet elements dips into the rivet elements and/or the rivet elements are pushed onto the testing unit.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the method is realized in such a manner that all rivet elements supplied to a rivet cartridge have been tested for the predetermined characteristics that are relevant to the drilling process and/or the riveting process.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein data regarding the rivet elements supplied in a rivet cartridge or to be supplied to the rivet cartridge is linked.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein rivet elements of the same type are supplied to at least two of the rivet cartridges.

17. A method for filling rivet cartridges with rivet elements by a rivet loading station, the rivet loading station having a rivet delivery unit and rivet cartridge receiving elements, the method comprising:
delivering the rivet elements from the rivet delivery unit to the rivet cartridges in an aligned manner, wherein the rivet cartridges are received by the rivet cartridge receiving elements;
detecting predetermined characteristics of the rivet elements that are relevant to a drilling process and/or a riveting process prior to supplying the rivet elements to the rivet cartridges; and
supplying each rivet element to one of the rivet cartridges depending on the detected predetermined characteristics of the rivet element;
wherein the rivet loading station comprises a control unit which controls the rivet loading station, wherein the control unit detects the predetermined characteristics of the rivet elements that are relevant to the drilling process and/or the riveting process prior to supplying them to the rivet cartridge and wherein the control unit measures the characteristics with a sensor arrangement comprising a testing unit which is assigned to the sensor arrangement; and
wherein rivet elements are supplied to the rivet delivery unit from a secondary packaging and wherein data regarding the rivet elements connected to the secondary packaging is detected by the control unit.

18. A method for filling rivet cartridges with rivet elements by a rivet loading station, the rivet loading station having a rivet delivery unit and rivet cartridge receiving elements, the method comprising:
delivering the rivet elements from the rivet delivery unit to the rivet cartridges in an aligned manner, wherein the rivet cartridges are received by the rivet cartridge receiving elements; and
detecting predetermined characteristics of the rivet elements that are relevant to a drilling process and/or a riveting process prior to supplying the rivet elements to the rivet cartridges;
wherein the rivet loading station comprises a control unit which controls the rivet loading station, wherein the control unit detects the detected predetermined characteristics of the rivet elements that are relevant to the drilling process and/or the riveting process prior to supplying them to the rivet cartridge and wherein the control unit measures the characteristics with a sensor arrangement comprising a testing unit which is assigned to the sensor arrangement; and
wherein subcategories are formed for a type of rivet elements and/or subcategories are formed on the basis of data regarding the rivet elements and wherein the subcategories have assigned thereto a rivet cartridge and wherein the rivet elements, in dependence on their test in the testing unit, are supplied corresponding to their categorization into a subcategory to the rivet cartridge assigned to the subcategory.

Assignees

• Broetje Automation Gmbh

Inventors

• Eusterwiemann Christoph

Classifications

• B65G47/14

  arranging or orientating the articles by mechanical or pneumatic means during feeding (during transit by conveyor B65G47/24, B65G47/26) · CPC title

• B23P19/00

  Machines for simply fitting together or separating metal parts or objects, or metal and non-metal parts, whether or not involving some deformation {(connecting metal parts or objects by metal-working procedures B21J, B23K)}; Tools or devices therefor so far as not provided for in other classes (hand tools in general B25) · CPC title

• B21J15/32 Primary

  Devices for inserting or holding rivets in position with or without feeding arrangements · CPC title

• B07C2501/0009

  Sorting of fasteners, e.g. screws, nuts, bolts · CPC title

• B21J15/28

  Control devices specially adapted to riveting machines not restricted to one of the preceding subgroups · CPC title