Apparatus and method for connecting two components by means of at least one ball
AssigneeBayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsMartin Endres, Franz Korber
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for connecting a first component to a second component by a ball which is fastened to the first component and which is fastenable in an opening of the second component includes a tool which includes two gripping elements and a retainer. The ball can be encompassed and pulled into the opening in a fastening direction by the two gripping elements. The second component is holdable in a position relative to the tool along the fastening direction by the retainer. The two gripping elements are movable relative to the retainer along the fastening direction to pull the ball into the opening until the first and second components are in contact with one another. The tool is movable in three dimensions by a robot.
Claims15
An apparatus for connecting a first component to a second component by a ball which is fastened to the first component and which is fastenable in an opening of the second component, comprising:
- a tool which includes two gripping elements and a retaining means;
- wherein the ball can be encompassed and pulled into the opening in a fastening direction by the two gripping elements;
- wherein the second component is holdable in a position relative to the tool along the fastening direction by the retaining means;
- wherein the two gripping elements are movable relative to the retaining means along the fastening direction to pull the ball into the opening until the first and second components are in contact with one another;
- and
- a robot means, wherein the tool is movable in three dimensions by the robot means.
A method for connecting a first component to a second component by a ball which is fastened to the first component, wherein the second component has an opening, comprising the steps of:
- receiving the second component by a first gripping device and orienting the second component relative to the first component by the first gripping device;
- applying a tool to the second component by a robot means;
- holding the second component in a position relative to the tool along a fastening direction by a retaining means of the tool;
- encompassing the ball of the first component by two gripping elements of the tool;
- and
- pulling the ball by the two gripping elements in the fastening direction and into the opening of the second component until the first and second components are in contact with one another by moving the two gripping elements relative to the retaining means along the fastening direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.