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US 8,146,240 B2Granted
Riveting system and process for forming a riveted joint
AssigneeNewfrey LLC
InventorsDieter Mauer, Hermann Roeser, Reinhold Opper, Andreas Wojcik, Christian Schoenig
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A riveting system is operable to join two or more workplaces with a rivet. In another aspect of the present invention, a self-piercing rivet is employed. Still another aspect of the present invention employs an electronic control unit and one or more sensors to determine a riveting characteristic and/or an actuator characteristic.
Claims48
A riveting system comprising:
- (a) a C-frame including a first end and an opposite second end;
- (b) a drive unit mounted adjacent the first end of the C-frame, the drive unit comprising:
- (i) an electric motor;
- (ii) a spindle and a nut coupled to the spindle;
- (iii) a punch assembly coupled to the spindle;
- (iv) a transmission assembly causing rotation of the electric motor to rotate the spindle, the nut causing rotation of the spindle to linearly advance the punch assembly in a fluid-free manner;
- (c) a die mounted adjacent the second end of the C-frame;
- (d) a self-piercing rivet set between the punch assembly and the die without directly contacting the die;
- (e) a programmable control unit controlling the electric motor;
- and
- (f) a display screen, the control unit sending an error message to be displayed on the display screen if an undesirable condition is present.
8 more elements
A riveting system comprising:
- (a) a self-piercing rivet;
- (b) an electrical control unit;
- (c) an electric motor connected to the electrical control unit;
- (d) a transmission operably driven by energization of the electric motor;
- (e) a riveting punch operably advanced by the transmission, the transmission operably converting rotary motion of the electric motor to linear motion for moving the punch;
- (f) a C-frame, the punch being located adjacent a first end of the C-frame;
- (g) a die located adjacent an opposite second end of the C-frame, the self-piercing rivet being set between the punch and die;
- and
- (h) a display screen, the electrical control unit operably outputting an error message to the display screen, and the electrical control unit operably determining and outputting force data to the display screen.
6 more elements
A riveting system comprising:
- (a) a frame;
- (b) an electrical control unit;
- (c) an electric motor connected to the electrical control unit;
- (d) a transmission operably driven by energization of the electric motor, the transmission operably converting rotational movement of the electric motor to substantially linear movement;
- (e) a riveting punch operably advanced in a linear direction by the transmission;
- (f) a self-piercing rivet operably driven by the punch;
- and
- (g) a die operably diverging an end of the rivet without the rivet piercing completely through the exterior surface of a die-side workpiece adjacent the die;
- (h) the electrical control unit operably controlling energization of the electric motor and operably determining if an undesired riveting condition is present;
- and
- (i) the electric motor, transmission and die being mounted to the frame in a manner where the punch and die are aligned during rivet advancing and setting by the punch.
8 more elements
A riveting system comprising:
- (a) a robotically moveable frame;
- (b) an electric motor moveable with the frame;
- (c) an assembly serving to convert rotary motion of the motor to linear motion in a non-hydraulic manner, the assembly being moveable with the frame;
- (d) a rivet-advancing member coupled to the assembly and being movable in a linear direction, the member being moveable with the frame;
- (e) a linearly movable workpiece-clamp coupled to the assembly, the clamp being moveable with the frame;
- (f) the motor having a rotational axis offset from an elongated centerline of the rivet-advancing member and the rotational axis of the motor being substantially parallel to the centerline of the member, a first rotating member aligned with the axis of the motor and a second rotating member aligned with the centerline of the rivet-advancing member, the rotating members being coupled together such that rotation of one causes rotation of the other, and the rotating members being located adjacent an end of the motor and assembly opposite the clamp;
- (g) a rivet-setting die mounted to and moveable with the frame;
- (h) a sensor sensing a characteristic associated with riveting;
- (i) an electronic control unit connected to the electric motor and making a determination based at least in part on a signal from the sensor;
- and
- (j) a display screen, the electronic control unit causing the display screen to display data based on the determination.
8 more elements
A riveting system comprising:
- (a) an electric motor;
- (b) means for controlling the electric motor including software means for determining a real time characteristic associated with rivet setting;
- (c) a die;
- (d) a rivet-advancing member linearly moving toward and away from the die;
- (e) means for converting rotary motion of the electric motor to linear motion of the member;
- (f) a nosepiece including movable rivet-holding fingers and a slotted rivet-directing channel, a spring biasing a finger toward an advancing axis of the rivet-advancing member;
- (g) first means for sensing the characteristic and sending a signal to the means for controlling;
- (h) at least second means for sensing another real time characteristic associated with rivet setting and sending a signal to the means for controlling;
- and
- (i) a display screen displaying data associated with rivet setting as determined by the software means.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.