Joining apparatus and method for loading a joining element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11453080-B2
Application number	US-201715637498-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2017
Priority date	Jul 6, 2016
Publication date	Sep 27, 2022
Grant date	Sep 27, 2022

Abstract

Joining apparatus for joining joining elements onto workpieces, comprising a joining element holding device, which is configured to radially hold a joining element, and comprising a loading pin arrangement, which is configured to slide a joining element axially into a holding position in the joining element holding device, and/or to axially support the joining element during a joining process, wherein the loading pin arrangement has a loading pin, which is slidable by means of a loading pin actuator arrangement in the direction of the joining element holding device. The loading pin arrangement is here designed to variably establish a loading pin stroke of the loading pin between at least two stages, so that in a first stage the loading pin is displaceable less far in the direction of the joining element holding device than in a second stage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A joining apparatus for joining a joining element onto workpieces, the joining apparatus comprising:
a joining element holding device, which is configured to radially hold the joining element; and
a loading pin arrangement including a loading pin actuator arrangement and a loading pin with a front end, wherein the loading pin-is slidable by means of the loading pin actuator arrangement in the direction of the joining element holding device, and wherein the loading pin arrangement is operable to establish one of a first loading pin stroke and a second loading pin stroke, and the first loading pin stroke is in the direction of the joining element holding device from a feed position to a first joining position, while the second loading pin stroke is from the feed position to a second joining position, and wherein the first loading pin stroke is less long than the second loading pin stroke and the front end of the loading pin is displaceable less far in the direction of the joining element holding device than in the second loading pin stroke; and
wherein the loading pin arrangement further includes a housing and the joining element holding device is axially fixed relative to the housing; and
wherein the loading pin actuator arrangement includes:
a loading pin cylinder located in and axially displaceable within the housing of the loading pin arrangement, the loading pin cylinder includes a first cylinder chamber and a second cylinder chamber, and a partition divides the loading pin cylinder into the first cylinder chamber and the second cylinder chamber;
a first piston coupled with a rear end of the loading pin and is displaceable in the first cylinder chamber of the loading pin cylinder which defines a first piston stroke; and
a second piston is located in the second cylinder chamber of the loading pin cylinder.

2. The joining apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second piston is fixed in relation to the housing.

3. The joining apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first piston and the second piston have the same diameter.

4. The joining apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the loading pin arrangement is configured such that, in the feed position (SP) of the loading pin, in which the loading pin frees a feed channel for the joining element which is to be fed into the joining element holding device, the first piston and the second piston are disposed adjacent to the partition.

5. The joining apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the loading pin arrangement includes a stroke fine adjustment device.

6. The joining apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the stroke fine adjustment device includes a nut as a screw adjustable stroke-limiting stop between the housing and the loading pin cylinder.

7. A joining tool for joining a fastener onto a workpiece, the joining tool comprising:
a housing defining a bore with a longitudinal axis and including a first end and a second end opposed to the first end;
a receiver fixedly connected to the housing at the first end and including:
a joining element holding device including a plurality of holding tongues arranged around a joining axis; and
an inlet opening through which the fastener is fed radially inward then axially downward via a feed channel to the joining element holding device;

a loading pin extends inside the housing along the joining axis coaxially to the joining element holding device and is movable along the joining axis from a feed position to a first joining position or a second joining position; and
a loading pin actuator including:
a loading pin cylinder mounted in and axial displaceable within the bore of the housing and including a first axial end, proximate to the joining element holding device, and a second axial end, distal from the joining element holding device;
a partition transverse to the joining axis divides the loading pin cylinder into a first chamber, proximate to the joining element holding device, and a second chamber distal from the joining element holding device;
a first piston is disposed within the first chamber of the loading pin cylinder and is connected to and axially movable with the loading pin which extends into the loading pin cylinder through the first axial end; and
a second piston is disposed within the second chamber and is connected to the second end of the housing via a piston rod which extends through the second axial end of the loading pin cylinder.

8. The joining tool according to claim 7 wherein the first cylinder chamber defines a first piston stroke and the second cylinder chamber defines a second piston stroke, which is smaller than the first piston stroke.

9. The joining tool according to claim 8 wherein the loading pin cylinder moves axially within the housing a cylinder stroke distance between a first cylinder position, when the loading pin is in the first joining position, and a second cylinder position, when the loading pin is in the second joining position, and the cylinder stroke distance is adjustable.

10. The joining tool according to claim 9 wherein the cylinder stroke distance is adjustable by an adjustment screw.

11. The joining tool according to claim 9 wherein the cylinder stroke distance is no longer than the second piston stroke.

12. The joining tool according to claim 7 wherein a front end of the loading pin selectably moves from the feed position to:
the first joining position a first loading pin stroke distance; or
the second joining position a second loading pin stroke distance; and

the second loading pin stroke distance is longer than the first loading pin stroke distance.

13. The joining tool according to claim 7 , wherein in the feed position:
the first axial end of the loading pin cylinder is spaced an axial distance from the first end of the housing;
the second axial end of the loading pin cylinder bears against the second end of the housing;
the first piston and second piston are proximate to respective and opposite axial sides of the partition; and
the loading pin is withdrawn from the joining element holding device so far that it is removed from the feed channel, and the fastener can be freely conveyed from the inlet opening to the joining element holding device.

14. The joining tool according to claim 7 , wherein in the first joining position:
the first axial end of the loading pin cylinder is spaced a first axial distance from the first end of the housing;
the second axial end of the loading pin cylinder is adjacent to the second end of the housing;
the first piston is proximate to the first axial end of the loading pin cylinder;
the second piston is proximate to the partition; and
the loading pin moved from the feed position into the joining element holding device a first loading pin stroke distance.

15. The joining tool according to claim 14 , wherein in the first joining position a compressed air is fed between the partition and the first piston.

16. The joining tool according to claim 14 , wherein in the first joining position a front end of the loading pin presses the fastener axially out of first fastener position within the holding device into a second fastener position.

17. The joining tool according to claim 14 , wherein the first cylinder chamber defines a first piston stroke, and the first loading pin stroke distance is equal to the first piston stroke.

18. The joining tool according to claim 7 , wherein in the second joining position:
the first axial end of the loading pin cylinder is adjacent to the first end of the housing;
the se

Assignees

• Newfrey Llc

Inventors

• Schneider Michael
• Ivo Hubert
• Fischermanns Bettina

Classifications

• B23K9/20 Primary

  Stud welding · CPC title

• B23K37/04

  for holding or positioning work · CPC title

• B23K9/206

  with automatic stud supply · CPC title

• B23K9/201 Primary

  of the extremity of a small piece on a large basis · CPC title

• B23K1/005

  Soldering by means of radiant energy · CPC title