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US 2006/0230609 A1Published application
System and method for programmable pogo self-piercing riveting
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsPei-Chung Wang, Peter Sun, Robin Stevenson, Charles Wampler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for self-piercing riveting including an alignment mechanism comprising laser diodes and sensors for facilitating alignment of a rivet gun and a back-up located on opposite sides of sheet metal parts to be joined, and an oscillation piercing technique for reducing force loads on structures, particularly robotic structures, carrying the rivet gun and the back-up.
Claims26
A system for performing self-piercing riveting, the system comprising:
- a rivet gun for driving a self-piercing rivet at a first point;
- a first emitter coupled with the rivet gun and operable to emit a first emission;
- a back-up including a die for shaping a projecting end of the driven self-piercing rivet at a second point which is substantially directly opposite the first point;
- a second emitter coupled with the back-up and operable to emit a second emission;
- and
- a sensor for receiving the first and second emissions and, based thereon, determining the relative positions of the rivet gun and the back-up and therefore whether the second point is substantially directly opposite the first point.
3 more elements
A programmable pogo system for performing self-piercing riveting, the system comprising:
- a first movable support structure, the movement of which is substantially automatically controlled;
- a rivet gun coupled with the first movable support structure and operable to drive a self-piercing rivet at a first point;
- a first laser-emitting diode coupled with the rivet gun and operable to emit a first laser emission;
- a second movable support structure, the movement of which is substantially automatically controlled;
- a back-up including a die coupled with the second movable support structure and operable to shape a projecting end of the driven self-piercing rivet at a second point which is substantially directly opposite the first point;
- a second laser-emitting diode coupled with the back-up and operable to emit a second laser emission;
- a plurality of sensors for receiving the first and second laser emissions and for generating sensor signals corresponding thereto;
- and
- a controller for receiving sensor signals generated by the sensors and, based thereon, determining the relative positions of the rivet gun and the back-up and therefore whether the second point is substantially directly opposite the first point, and for controlling the movement of the first and second movable support structures in order to position the second point directly opposite the first point.
6 more elements
A method of performing self-piercing riveting, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) aligning a rivet gun including a punch for driving a self-piercing rivet at a first point on aligned first and second sheet metal parts;
- (b) aligning a back-up including a die for shaping a projecting end of the driven self-piercing rivet at a second point on the aligned first and second sheet metal parts which is substantially directly opposite the first point;
- and
- (c) oscillating the punch against the rivet in order to drive the self-piercing rivet in such a manner as to successively hammer the self-piercing rivet through the aligned first and second sheet metal parts.
1 more element
A method of performing self-piercing riveting in a programmable pogo system, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) sensing a first emission from a first diode coupled with a rivet gun, wherein the rivet gun includes a punch for driving a self-piercing rivet at a first point on aligned first and second sheet metal parts;
- (b) sensing a second emission from a second diode coupled with a back-up, wherein the back-up includes a die for shaping a projecting end of the driven self-piercing rivet at a second point on the aligned first and second sheet metal parts which is substantially directly opposite the first point;
- (c) determining, based on the sensed first and second emissions, the relative positions of the rivet gun and the back-up and therefore whether the second point is substantially directly opposite the first point;
- (d) adjusting, as necessary, the positioning of at least one of the rivet gun and back-up so that the second point is substantially directly opposite the first point;
- and
- (e) oscillating the punch against the self-piercing rivet in order to drive the self-piercing rivet in such a manner as to successively hammer the self-piercing rivet through the aligned first and second sheet metal parts.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.