Method for checking a rivet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11338355-B2
Application number	US-201515308918-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2015
Priority date	May 6, 2014
Publication date	May 24, 2022
Grant date	May 24, 2022

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a method for checking a rivet, the rivet being transported from a rivet filling station along a transporting path in the direction of a riveting machine during operation of the riveting machine. The method is characterized in that the rivet is measured on the transporting path for determining a rivet geometry of the rivet. The disclosure similarly relates to a corresponding measuring arrangement for checking a rivet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for checking a rivet, the rivet being transported from a rivet filling station along a transporting path in the direction of a riveting machine during the operation of the riveting machine,
wherein the rivet is transported from the rivet filling station in the direction of the riveting machine by a tube arrangement and wherein the tube arrangement comprises a tube and a checking section, wherein the tube and the transporting path continuously pass through the checking section, wherein in the checking section the rivet is measured, wherein a measuring chamber is arranged around the checking section to provide an airtight seal.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rivet is stopped in its transport in the checking section for a measuring time.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rivet is measured by an optical measuring method.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein a head diameter, a shank diameter, a transition radius, a shank length and/or a head length of the rivet is measured.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the specific rivet geometry of the rivet is compared with geometry parameters of a bore for compliance with tolerance criteria.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein, if the tolerance criteria are complied with, the rivet is transported to the riveting machine and the rivet is inserted by the riveting machine into the bore on the component and is subjected to a forming process.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein, if the tolerance criteria are exceeded, the rivet is transported into a reject position.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tube arrangement in the checking section has webs for guiding the rivet along the transporting path and slits arranged between the webs for measuring the rivet.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rivet is measured by a checking arrangement assigned to the checking section, a lighting arrangement of the checking arrangement lighting up the rivet and a camera arrangement of the checking arrangement recording the rivet.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the slits are arranged substantially oppositely with respect to the transporting path.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the lighting arrangement is arranged with respect to the rivet substantially opposite the camera arrangement.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the measuring chamber is of an at least partially transparent design and the camera arrangement and/or the lighting arrangement is/are arranged outside the measuring chamber.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the camera arrangement and/or the lighting arrangement is/are arranged at least partially within the measuring chamber.

14. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the camera arrangement records the rivet three-dimensionally.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the camera arrangement records the rivet from at least two viewing directions.

16. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the camera arrangement records an inclined position of the rivet.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein a rivet geometry measured on the basis of the recorded inclined position is/are corrected.

18. A measuring arrangement for checking a rivet for determining a rivet geometry while the rivet is transported from a rivet filling station in the direction of a rivet machine by a tube arrangement, wherein the measuring arrangement has the tube arrangement for transporting the rivet along a transporting path, which tube arrangement has a checking section, wherein the tube arrangement and the transporting path continuously pass through the checking section, and also a measuring chamber, wherein the measuring chamber is arranged around the checking section to provide an airtight seal, and has a checking arrangement assigned to the checking section for measuring the rivet.

Assignees

• Broetje Automation Gmbh

Inventors

• Ficken Wilfried
• Wolf Bernd-Michael

Classifications

• G01B11/08

  for measuring diameters · CPC title

• B21J15/32

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

• G01B11/00

  Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques · CPC title

• G01B11/02 Primary

  for measuring length, width or thickness (G01B11/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06T7/0006

  using a design-rule based approach · CPC title