EP2017091B1 - Stamping unit having a pivotable pressing element - Google Patents

Abstract

The unit (1) has a drive shaft (7) that is axially movable in housing (2) and is swivellable around its longitudinal axis. The shaft is connected with drive units (14, 20) by pre-stressing at one end, and has a pressure unit (21) at the other end. A marking unit (24) is arranged at the housing, on which a component (Z) to be marked is attached, where the shaft is pressed with a certain contact pressure against the component and the marking unit. The shaft is pivotable at the marking unit in a continuous manner and the marking unit embosses marking in the component.

Description

The invention relates to a stamping unit for the attachment of markings on metal components, with a housing and optionally a console carrying the housing.

Among other things, embossing technology is used in industry to mark components with numbers, letters, symbols and stamps. This is often necessary in order to trace the origin of the production or batch. In particular, in automotive technology, it is important to determine the manufacturer of the corresponding component, for example, in recall actions or damage findings on motor vehicles.

Furthermore, it is common practice in metal component manufacturing to apply or apply daily stamps and / or component stamps in or on the sheet metal part or other components to be produced during ongoing production. Sign tools, markings, letters and numbers in or on the component are stamped using a stamp tool. This embossing machines are used, for example, apply an embossing force of about 3 to 4 t at about 3 mm large markings to impress the label. For this purpose usually embossing pliers are used, which build very large, ie about 0.5 m high and higher, and require a correspondingly strong power drive. Some embossing pliers have a scrollwork, with which the markings to be stamped can be progressively incrementally continued. This embossing process is also referred to as roll embossing.

These embossing pliers have the disadvantage that a large amount of space on the component to be manufactured and marked is necessary because an embossing pliers requires a lot of space to attack the component can. For smaller sized components or complicated designs, this results in space problems.

From the US-A-3,033,106 an embossing device is known in which the embossing means are arranged on a frame. The embossing means consist of a plate and a pressure member. This is riveted via a resilient strip on the frame. A pivoting lever mechanism, consisting of lever with roller, intermediate member and pins, is bolted to one end of an intermediate member with an edge side of the disc. The disc rotates about the axis and thereby presses the pressure member against an inserted between the pressure member and the plate document made of paper, to provide this with a seal. The disc is connected via a clutch to a gearbox of an engine that runs permanently. Through a cam surface into which a finger of a C-shaped spring slides, the dome plate is engaged with the motor when a document is to be sealed.

The roll embossing can also be carried out in the form that the embossing wheel of the embossing unit has distributed at its periphery markings. The embossing wheel moves with very high force over the embossing point of the component. Nevertheless, the embossing unit must still be moved away to the component and the component, so that here too, a large space requirement is necessary.

Furthermore, from the DE-A-10 2005 061 608 a known in manufacturing machines for sheet metal processing device for marking workpieces known. The device has a covered with a cover plate and closed with a support plate body with at least one cavity in which at least one embossed marks on its circumference embossing disc with central bore on a central bolt is arranged rotatably about this, wherein the set position of the embossing disc so fixable is that the embossed mark associated with this position protrudes through a window of the cover plate.

It is an object of the invention to provide a stamping unit for attaching labels to metal components of the type mentioned, which is compact and requires a relatively low driving force for the marking of metal components.

According to the invention the object is achieved in that in the housing an axially displaceable and pivotable about its longitudinal axis drive shaft is arranged, which is connected at one end by means of a disc spring package under bias to a drive unit and directly at its other end has a short pressure member on the housing a device exhibiting identification is arranged, on which the component to be marked can be placed, during the embossing process, the pressure part of the drive shaft with a certain contact pressure by continuous rolling against the component to be marked and the marking means having and pressed on this, the marking in the Imprinting component, is continuously pivotable along.

The term "housing" is to be understood as meaning both closed and open constructions which have the task of holding or guiding the drive shaft.

The axial displaceability of the drive shaft allows movement of the attached to one end of the drive shaft pressure member toward and away from a component to be identified. Furthermore, the pivotability of the drive shaft about its longitudinal axis allows a continuous, i. continuous rolling of the pressure on the component having the marking means on which a component to be marked is placed. "Markings" are to be understood as signatures, such as numbers, letters, symbols and stamps, which are placed on or in a component to be manufactured or already manufactured.

The drive shaft is connected at its one end under bias to a drive unit, so that the contact pressure of the pressure wave is fixed to the identification means having component.

Since the drive shaft can be made relatively short, the housing has a compact size. In addition, builds by the arrangement of the drive unit at one end of the drive shaft and the arrangement of the pressure member at the other end of the drive shaft, the embossing unit so small that these in a clamping device, preferably a positioning device according to the DE 20 2006 016 392 and / or a console according to the DE 20 2006 000 908 can be integrated without space problems occur. For embossing itself are no other components, such as brackets and feeders necessary.

For an embossing operation, the component to be embossed is placed over the identifier-containing device, i. it can simply be placed on the component on the housing of the embossing unit. During the embossing process, the pressing part of the drive shaft is pressed with a certain contact pressure against the component to be marked and the identification means having component and pivoted on this continuously along. The identification means imprints the marking from below into the component. Thereafter, the provided with the embossed component can also be easily removed again. Under "embossing" in the context of the invention, a stamping should be understood.

The invention results in a small compact embossing unit with a low height, which allows a low-power and accurate adjustment an embossing process for components to be marked. The embossing unit can be arbitrarily placed in a manufacturing apparatus, e.g. a welding device, without moving the embossing unit, i. Feeding and driving away to the embossment, is required. The embossing unit is thus always connected in a stationary manner to the production apparatus. In addition, the embossing unit can be used because of its compactness even in tight spaces and complicated designs.

Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention can be taken from the subclaims.

Accordingly, the identifier is having device designed as a punch holder. In addition, the identification means comprises single-part or multi-part stamps which have numbers, letters and / or symbols which are preferably raised and thus permit embossing. The punch holder may have fixed, interchangeable or self-continuously adjustable or adjustable punches depending on the desired label.

Since the component to be embossed is placed on the punch holder with the punches and the pressure member then pivoted under pressure on the component on the stamp area, the desired marking is impressed from below into the component. It is provided that the pressure member is arranged transversely to the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft and formed as a shaft, roller or roller. Because the pressure member is disposed directly at one end of the drive shaft and the punch holder in the immediate vicinity of the drive shaft on the housing, the pressure member is very short, so that the contact pressure is completely transferred to the component to be embossed. By defining the shape, width and length of the pressure member can be adjusted depending on the identification form and size of the embossing area.

According to the invention, the drive shaft is biased by means of a disc spring package known per se. In this case, the bias of the drive shaft, for example via a plate spring assembly associated adjusting nut.

In the embossing unit according to the invention, the drive unit for the drive shaft consists of a drive motor and a transmission. The drive motor may be a pneumatic motor or electric motor and the transmission may be a worm, gear or rack and pinion. If If the pressure part is in the zero position before the embossing process, for example, the worm gear driven by the pneumatic motor moves the drive shaft in the axial direction, ie transversely to the punch plane, and then pivots the pressure part over the embossing area and completes the marking of the component. This embossing process takes place in a very short time, eg within 1 or 2 seconds or even fractions of a second.

With a relatively small pneumatic vane motor or electric motor with associated worm gear with the appropriate translation and the matched plate spring package, the required pressure force can be kept relatively small with a few Newton meters drive torque. This relatively low drive energy or pressure force is also sufficient because the continuous, i. continuous rolling of the pressing member, each part of the overall marking, e.g. Number by digit, letter by letter, one after the other.

According to a further embodiment of the embossing unit according to the invention control means are provided for switching on and off of the drive unit and for pivoting the drive shaft towards and away from the identification means having component. In this case, the control means preferably comprise at least one switching cam formed on the drive shaft and an associated proximity switch which detects the position of the drive shaft.

Furthermore, it is provided that the housing is mounted on a console, a foot part or a joint, for example on a positioning device according to the DE 20 2006 016 392 and / or a console according to the EN 20 2006 000 908 ,

Fig. 1

eine Perspektivansicht der erfindungsgemäßen Präge- einheit,

Fig. 2

eine Draufsicht auf die Prägeeinheit gemäß Fig. 1,

Fig. 3

eine Seitenansicht auf die Prägeeinheit gemäß Fig. 1,

Fig. 4

eine Längsschnittansicht der Prägeeinheit entlang der Linie A-A gemäß Fig. 3 und

Fig. 5

eine Explosivdarstellung der Prägeeinheit gemäß den Fig. 1 bis 4.

The idea underlying the invention will be described in more detail in the following description with reference to an embodiment which is illustrated in the drawing. Show it:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of the embossing unit according to the invention,

Fig. 2

a plan view of the embossing unit according to Fig. 1 .

Fig. 3

a side view of the embossing unit according to Fig. 1 .

Fig. 4

a longitudinal sectional view of the embossing unit along the line AA according to Fig. 3 and

Fig. 5

an exploded view of the embossing unit according to the Fig. 1 to 4 ,

The embossing unit 1 according to the Fig. 1 to 5 has a housing 2, which is connected by way of example with a pivotable holder 3 by means not shown pins. The holder 3 in turn is connected to a foot 4, optionally a bracket, a hinge or a positioning device, which, if necessary, via a Shimsplatte 5, for height positioning the embossing unit is attached to a base plate 6. The embossing unit 1 can thus be placed on a base, not shown, for example, a mounting plate or welding device.

In the Fig. 5 shown view of the embossing unit 1 contains dashed lines, which are intended to illustrate the installation direction of the respective parts of the embossing unit 1. Furthermore, in the Fig. 1 to 4 in each case a component Z to be provided with a marking, that is to be embossed, is shown diagrammatically in dashed-dot-dashed lines.

In the housing 2, an axially movable and pivotable about its longitudinal axis drive shaft 7 is used, on which at least two spaced ball bearings 8 and two spaced spacer rings 9 are arranged, which are introduced into a housing bore 10. The lower protruding from the housing 2 section 11 of the drive shaft 7 is formed in cross section as a hexagon. This hexagonal section 11 leads with the interposition of a disc spring assembly 12 with an associated adjusting nut 13 in a transmission 14, e.g. a worm gear. At the lower end of the drive shaft 7, a switching cam 15 is fixed, which serves as a control means together with a proximity switch 16 which is fixed to a sensor holder 17.

The sensor holder 17 is attached to a holding part 18. This holding part 18 receives in an opening 19 a drive motor 20, for example a pneumatic disk motor, which is mechanically connected to the gear 14. The coupling of the drive shaft 7 with the motor-gear unit 14, 20 is effected in that the holding part 18 is screwed to the housing 2, for example.

The drive shaft 7 has at its upper end designed as a roller, shaft or roller short pressure member 21 which projects at right angles from a ball bearing 22 from the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft 7. On the upper side of the housing 2, a pressure plate 23 is fixed, on which a component 24 having a marking means embodied as a punch holder is positioned. The identification means 17 comprises unillustrated single or multi-part stamps having numbers, letters and / or symbols which are formed sublime.

The switching cam 15 can be brought into engagement with the proximity switch 16 serving as an initiator, which in turn initiates the switching on of a drive for triggering the embossing process and causes the drive to be switched off when the embossing process has been completed.

In zero position of the drive shaft 7, the pressing force of the drive shaft 7 for the pressure member 21 is generated by the plate spring assembly 12. When the press-on part 21 bears against the component Z to be marked, which is placed between the press-on part 21 and the component 24, a pressure is built up by the drive unit 15, 20 and the drive shaft 7 becomes linear, ie axially against that on the marking means Component 24 placed component Z moves and pivots with the pressure member 21 on the embossing point on the component Z, so that the stamp of the identification means having component 24 form a signature in the component Z by their sublime training. Then the drive shaft 7 moves with the pressure member 21 back to the zero position and provided with the marking component Z can be removed. Because the Embossing unit 1 is advantageously open at the top, the component Z can be easily removed after embossing without an additional positioning unit is necessary.

List of reference numbers

1

embossing unit

2

casing

3

holder

4

foot

5

Shimsplatte

6

footplate

7

drive shaft

8th

ball-bearing

9

spacer

10

housing bore

11

Hexagonal section

12

Belleville spring assembly

13

adjusting nut

14

transmission

15

switching cams

16

proximity switch

17

sensor holder

18

holding part

19

opening

20

drive motor

21

presser

22

ball-bearing

23

printing plate

24

tracers

Z

component

Claims (9)

1. An embossing unit (1) for marking designations on metal components (Z), with a casing (2) and possibly a console (3, 4) carrying the casing (2), characterised in that the casing (2) contains a drive shaft (7) movable axially and sweeping about its longitudinal axis, wherein said drive shaft is prestressed and connected to a drive unit (14, 20) at one of its ends via a pack of diaphragm springs 12) and presents immediately at its other end a short pressure part (21), wherein a element (24) containing a tracer is provided on the casing (2), on which the component (Z) to designate can be mounted, whereas during the embossing process the pressure part (21) of the drive shaft (7) can be pressed, with a set pressing pressure and by continuous motion, against the component (z) to be designated and against the element (24) presenting the tracer, wherein said pressure part can sweep continuously along both said items while embossing the marking into the component (Z).
2. An embossing unit according to claim 1, characterised in that the element (24) presenting the tracer is formed as a punch-holder and the tracer includes one or several punches showing figures, letters and/or symbols.
3. An embossing unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the pressure part (21) is mounted perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft (7) and provided as a shaft, a roll or cylinder.
4. An embossing unit according to any of the claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the prestressing of the drive shaft (7) is adjustable preferably via a set screw (13).
5. An embossing unit according to any of the claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the drive unit for the drive shaft (7) consists of a drive motor (20) and a transmission (14).
6. An embossing unit according to claim 5, characterised in that the drive motor (20) is a pneumatic motor or electric motor and the transmission (14) is a worm, toothed or rack gear.
7. An embossing unit according to any of the claims 1 to 6, characterised in that controls units are provided for switching the drive unit (14, 20) on and off and for sweeping the drive shaft (7) back-and-forth relative to the element (24) exhibiting the tracer.
8. An embossing unit according to claim 7, characterised in that the control units preferably consist of switching cams (15) formed on the drive shaft (7) and a matching proximity switch (16).
9. An embossing unit according to any of the claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the casing (2) fastened to a console, a foot section or a joint.

Images