US-12623275-B2 - Supply device for joining elements, setting tool with the supply device and associated supply and setting method

US12623275B2US 12623275 B2US12623275 B2US 12623275B2US-12623275-B2

Abstract

A supply device for joining elements. The supply device includes a receiving portion for at least one joining element, in which a joining element is receivable and positionable in front of a first opening, a circumferentially closed hose of a flexible material which on a first end is connected with the receiving portion and on an opposite, second end with a discharge portion, as well as a flexible thrust element which is movable back and forth using a drive means through the hose between a retracted position in which a front end of the thrust element is located in the receiving portion and an extended position in which the front end is located in the discharge portion, so that the joining element which is positioned in front of the first opening is pushable with the thrust element out of the receiving portion through the hose into the discharge portion.

Inventors

Fabian Ahlemeyer
Bernd Haesler
Kilian Doedtmann
Benjamin ROESCHERT
Oliver Schienstock

Assignees

Böllhoff Verbindungstechnik GmbH

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20250819
Priority Date: 20240820

Claims (17)

1 . A supply device for joining elements comprising: a. a receiving portion for at least one joining element, in which a joining element is receivable and positionable in front of a first opening, b. a circumferentially closed hose of a flexible material which on a first end is connected with the receiving portion and on an opposite, second end with a discharge portion, and c. a flexible thrust element which is movable back and forth by means of a drive means through the hose between a retracted position in which a front end of the thrust element is located in the receiving portion and an extended position in which the front end of the thrust element is located in the discharge portion, so that the joining element which is positioned in front of the first opening is pushable with the thrust element out of the receiving portion through the hose into the discharge portion.
2 . The supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving portion furthermore comprises a singulation means in order to separate a joining element from a plurality of joining elements and to position the joining element in front of the first opening, preferably a mechanical singulation means.
3 . The supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the thrust element comprises one of the following: a spring rod spring rod wound on block, an elastomer rod, an element string, a steel rope, a Bowden cable or a spring sheet that is rigid in compression.
4 . The supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the hose is a profile hose and the thrust element comprises a retaining device for the joining element adjacent to the front end of the thrust element.
5 . The supply device according to claim 4 , wherein the retaining device comprises a form piece which a. has an outer contour that is configured so as to match a contour of the joining element and/or an inner contour of the profile hose, or b. tapers at an end which faces the thrust element.
6 . The supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the thrust element comprises a transmission means adjacent to the front end which can be engaged with a head of the joining element so that a rotation of the thrust element can be transferred onto the joining element.
7 . The supply device according to claim 1 , wherein when in the retracted state, the thrust element is at least partly wound on a drum or arranged in a housing.
8 . The supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the thrust element has a cross-sectional area between 30% and 80% of the cross-sectional area of the hose.
9 . The supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the drive means comprises an electric, pneumatic or hydraulic actuator.
10 . The supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the drive means furthermore comprises two wheels, between which the thrust element is guided and of which at least one is driven.
11 . The supply device according to claim 10 , wherein a. at least one of the two wheels has a knurling, an elastomer coating or an elastomer ring, or b. one wheel is arranged in a preloaded manner in the direction of the other wheel.
12 . The supply device according to claim 10 , furthermore comprising at least one of the following sensors: a path sensor, a force sensor, a torque sensor or a speed sensor.
13 . The supply device according to claim 1 , wherein a length of the hose is at least 50 cm.
14 . A setting tool for setting joining elements, wherein the setting tool comprises a supply device according to claim 1 .
15 . The setting tool according to claim 14 , wherein the discharge portion is arranged adjacent to a setting head of the setting tool and the receiving portion is arranged remote from the setting head so that the joining element is dischargeable through the discharge portion to the setting tool.
16 . A supply method using the supply device according to claim 1 , comprising: a. supplying a joining element to the receiving portion of the supply device, b. positioning the joining element in front of the first opening in the receiving portion so that the joining element is arranged in front of the flexible thrust element, c. moving the thrust element from a retracted state into an extended state, so that the joining element which is positioned in front of the thrust element is moved in the direction of the discharge portion through the hose, and d. discharging the joining element when it reaches the discharge portion and moving back the flexible thrust element from the extended into the retracted position.
17 . A setting method by using the supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the thrust element comprises a transmission means adjacent to the front end which can be engaged with a head of the joining element so that a rotation of the thrust element can be transferred onto the joining element, the method comprising the steps: a. supplying a joining element to the receiving portion of the supply device, b. positioning the joining element in front of the first opening in the receiving portion so that the joining element is arranged in front of the flexible thrust element, c. moving the thrust element from a retracted state into an extended state so that the joining element which is positioned in front of the thrust element is moved in the direction of the discharge portion through the hose, and d. applying a torque on the joining element by means of the transmission means at the front end of the thrust element by means of a second drive means when reaching the discharge portion and thus setting the joining element into at least one component with the thrust element.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This patent application claims the benefit and priority of European Patent Application No. 24208633.8, filed with the European Patent Office on 24 Oct. 2024. This patent application also claims the benefit and priority of European Patent Application No. 24195296.9, filed with the European Patent Office on 20 Aug. 2024. The disclosures of both applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties as part of the present application. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention is related to a supply device for joining elements, a setting tool with the supply device as well as a supply method by using the supply device. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Devices and methods for setting joining elements such as rivets, are generally known to the skilled person. Usually, with such a device, a setting tool is mounted on a C-frame as supporting structure. The C-frame can be fastened to a robot arm, so that numerous automatic processes can be carried out by the robot at the necessary locations. In the runup to the setting step, the joining elements must be transported from a joining element source to a position under the punch in the setting head of the setting tool. Typically, this takes place by means of a flexible profile hose. Thus, the joining elements can be supplied to the setting tool by means of compressed air and/or gravity. Here, the supply of the joining elements takes place individually or in groups and requires one or more handling mechanisms along the supply, so that only the one or the necessary joining elements are supplied as needed. In this regard, it is for example known from WO 2006/084847 A1 to provide connecting elements in rows in the same alignment and to transport same through a conveying channel to a loading device arranged on the manufacturing device directly adjacent to a processing position of the joining element under the punch. Conveyance of the connecting elements proceeds in individual steps of conveyance, at different time intervals. During every step of conveyance, a column from a plurality of connecting elements that rest one against the other with their parallel limiting surfaces aligned in the same direction is conveyed from the feeding device to the loading device on the manufacturing device by passing air into the conveying channel. The conveyance from the loading device to the processing position under the punch takes place via a rigid loading slide which is movable back and forth in a loading channel by means of a pneumatically driven piston. A similar solution is known from WO 2010/139514 A1. Here, a singulation slide for a device for feeding a connecting element is described. The singulation slide includes a through hole extending in an axial direction for receiving the connecting element. The through hole is formed of at least two leg segment. The singulation slide is furthermore configured as one piece and comprises a basic segment. A transition from the basic segment to each of the leg segments is configured to provide an elasticity of the corresponding leg segment in radial direction. Furthermore, a device for supplying a connecting element into a processing position and a method are described. In this context, the skilled person also knows solutions where the correct positioning of the joining element in the processing position takes place by means of a flexible plunger, which is arranged in its own channel. For example, DE 44 00 350 A1 describes a bolt welding device having a bolt retainer with a bolt feeding and positioning device which can be connected to a welding force source, and having an adjusting device by means of which the bolt retainer is movable towards a workpiece and away from it. The control device is made of a primary part which in use is securely mounted to a rack and a secondary part which is linearly movable with respect to the primary part, the secondary part carrying, by means of an electrically isolating connecting part, the bolt feeding and positioning device to which the bolt retainer is fastened. In the adjustment path of the bolt feeding and positioning device and the bolt retainer, a plunger interacting with the bolt feeding and positioning device is arranged in a manner fixed to a rack. Such a plunger can be flexible and enter through an angular lateral passage. In order to create a device for feeding elongated fastening means to a fastening device, with the fastening means being fed individually through a first channel and pushed into a collet chuck by a plunger that is guided in a further, second channel, with which device a proper and undisrupted supply to the retaining means is guaranteed even during the supply of short fastening means, DE 37 39 944 C1 suggests that the first channel extends linearly through the device up to the retaining means that is arranged coaxially to same, that the second channel opens in an acute angle into the first channel, and that the plunger is configured