JPS6018259B2 - Method and device for joining thin metal plates - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Summary of the Disclosure This specification and drawings describe a method in which a plurality of sheet metal sheets are assembled by first pulling the sheet metal materials to be joined and then extruding them laterally. By forming enlarged features that provide permanent mechanical engagement, the coupling device
Disclosed.

The device utilizes a novel die structure that includes a portion that can be rotated laterally and outwardly by extruding the metal sheets to be joined in the above-described lateral direction, and
It can be used both to obtain a conventional "slit" type coupling structure and to obtain a novel leakproof coupling structure.

The above-described novel leak-tight joint structure and method for forming such a leak-tight joint between multiple metal sheets also include:
Disclosed. BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for joining sheet metal, and the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for joining sheet metal, and the invention relates to a method and apparatus for joining sheet metal, and the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for joining sheet metal, and the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for joining sheet metal, and the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for joining sheet metal, and the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for joining sheet metal. A method and a coupling device are provided.

Although there is a long-standing technique for joining multiple thin metal plates by punching them or subjecting them to other operations to cause deformation and locally engage each other, such joining is generally , which necessarily requires shearing of the metal material, which makes it unsuitable for applications requiring leakage protection (in the absence of some kind of sealant) and destroys the corrosion resistance of coatings or coatings.

In contrast, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 42-1468 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 41-558,
To join two metal book plates, the cap-like protrusions formed on each metal plate are pressed against each other, and the free ends of both protrusions are enlarged laterally to engage each other, thereby preventing leakage. It is known to obtain protective binding structures.

However, in the conventional method of bonding thin metal plates without shearing them to obtain the above-mentioned leak-proof joint structure, first, a cap-shaped or dome-shaped protrusion is formed on each thin metal plate, and as a next step, both metal plates are bonded together without shearing. The process involves aligning the protrusions of the thin plates and expanding the free ends of both protrusions laterally, which involves two processes for forming the protrusions on two metal book boards and both protrusions. Another step is required to laterally enlarge the free end of the part, and separate dies and punches are required for forming the protrusion and for laterally enlarging the free end of the protrusion.

Therefore, the equipment cost and operation cost of the substructure were high. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a bonding method and a bonding device for forming a permanent bond of sheet metal that results in a leak-proof bond structure, the bonding method and device being capable of forming a permanent bond structure in a single step. get it.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel method and device for joining thin metal plates. An additional object is that such a coupling device be relatively simple in construction (only a single punch is required to actuate), can utilize standard punches, and has minimal power requirements. The object of the present invention is to provide a new coupling device which is lightweight and suitable for use as part of a small press or in a C-frame holder used in a large press. Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for bonding thin metal sheets. A die device used in
ced) type bonding structure and a leak-proof bonding structure as described above, a sheet metal bonding device with an improved die arrangement that is easily adaptable to many different bonding configurations, including It is on offer.

A method for joining thin metal plates according to the present invention is to combine a thin metal plate assembly formed by bonding at least two thin metal plates in an overlapping relationship by connecting a bottom wall and a side circumferential wall that is rotatable in an outward direction. Place it on a die with a partitioned gate,
A punch is applied to this metal thin plate assembly while the punch is continuously moved into the opening □ of the die in a direction toward the bottom wall of the opening, and the punch is moved at the beginning of the movement process of the punch. While the die is closed, the thin metal plate material is pulled by a punch to form a cap-like protrusion that corresponds to the shape of the punch on the metal plate assembly, and at the end of the moving process of the punch, the above-mentioned By pressing the end of the cap-like protrusion onto the bottom wall surface of the die opening described above, the thin metal sheet material is extruded horizontally, and the side peripheral wall of the die opening described above is pressed against the extruded thin metal sheet material. The cap-like protrusion is caused to expand and rotate while being expanded and rotated to form a laterally enlarged portion that mechanically engages the thin metal plates with each other in the cap-like protrusion.

The metal sheet joining device according to the present invention, which is suitable for carrying out the above-described method, includes: A. A punch having a given cross-sectional shape, which can be reciprocated along the marl line direction of the punch; a punch, and B a die which is fixedly arranged in alignment with the punch box, and which receives the punch when the punch is moved toward the die, and has the same die as the punch; a die, the die having a cutout located at the center of the punch, the die having a shape that at least partially matches the cross-sectional shape of the punch; A first die part and a second die part, which are arranged on one side of a plane containing the axis and on the pond side, and have flat surfaces that are in close contact with each other on the plane, the first die part and the second die part being arranged on one side of the plane containing the axis line and on the pond side, and having flat surfaces that are in close contact with each other on the plane, the first die part and the second die part, a first die part and a second die part forming a part and a pond half part, respectively; A support means rotatably supported around a dynamic fulcrum axis and a second rotation fulcrum axis,
By arranging both of the above-mentioned rotational fulcrum shafts on both sides of the above-mentioned punch axis in a direction perpendicular to the above-mentioned axis, a lateral and outward force is applied to the above-mentioned first and second die parts. a support means for rotatably supporting both die parts so that the flat surfaces of the two die parts are separated from each other when The present invention is characterized by comprising a fixed fan that is provided so that the thin metal plate can be pressed by the punch.

In other words, in this invention, the required bond can be obtained by moving the punch into the die opening only once.In other words, at the beginning of the punch movement process, each of the stacked metal sheets matches the shape of the punch. Cap-shaped protrusions are formed by pulling the thin metal sheets with the punch so that they are bonded to each other, and at the end of the punch movement process when the thin metal sheets and the anvil are in close contact with each other, the die The side peripheral wall or the first and second die portions of
By expanding laterally from this, the metal thin plates are expanded and rotated laterally and outwardly to allow such extrusion of the thin metal sheet, and the free end of the protrusion is expanded laterally during the same extrusion, causing the thin metal sheets to overlap each other. It is meant to bring about a permanent union.

Therefore, according to the invention, a leak-proof sheet metal bonding structure as described above can also be formed in a single step, greatly reducing the cost for forming the bonding structure.

Equipment costs are also greatly reduced since a single set of punches and dies provides a permanent bond structure. Not only is the power cost low because the required joint structure can be obtained by operating a single punch only once, but the device of the present invention comprising such a punch and a die having the above-mentioned structure can be used in a C-shaped frame. It is suitable for use in a holder. Apart from the dice, standard punches can be used. The present invention also provides a joining device for thin metal plates, comprising: A. a punch having a given cross-sectional shape and capable of reciprocating along the bag line direction of the punch; and B. a position aligned with the punch. a die fixedly disposed in a fixed manner, the die having a closing opening that receives the punch when the punch is moved toward the die and is concentrically disposed with the punch; a die formed to have a shape that at least partially matches the cross-sectional shape of the punch;
, the die is provided with: (a) a first die portion which is disposed on one side and the other side of a plane containing the axis of the punch and is provided with flat surfaces that are in close contact with each other on the plane; and a second die part, which form a half part of the Sekiguchi and a half part of the pond, respectively; b. Supporting means for supporting the die portions so as to be rotatable about a first rotating fulcrum axis and a second rotating fulcrum axis that are substantially parallel to each other,
Align the entrusted rotation fulcrum axes in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the punch, and separate them from each other by a distance greater than the dimension of the opening in the direction connecting the two rotation fulcrum shafts. c) a fixed anvil disposed within the opening so that the thin metal plate can be pressed against it by the punch; and d) the above-mentioned first a spring means for rotationally biasing the die portion and the second die portion toward each other;
A device for joining thin metal plates is provided.

As will be explained later in detail with reference to the drawings, the support means installed in the above-mentioned mound c are used during the process in which the punch is moved into the entrance of the die and tension is generated in the metal board material. During the initial movement process of the punch in the opening, the first and second die parts do not expand or close the opening of the die, since the interval between the two pivot points is larger than the dimension of the opening of the die. This will reliably prevent rotation in the opposite direction.

The spring means specified in paragraph e above may also automatically cause the first and second die portions to move together when the punch is withdrawn from the die and the bonded sheet metal is removed. The die is then rotated to a state where both surfaces engage with each other, and the die is ready to start joining a new metal sheet. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIGS. 1-6, a die apparatus 10 and a punch apparatus 12 are provided for joining two sheets of metal, respectively designated by reference numerals a and b. A sheet metal joining device is illustrated.

Although only two metal sheets are shown, it should be understood that more than two metal sheets can be joined in accordance with the principles of the invention depending on the material and thickness of the metal sheets.

It is believed that the most common materials to be joined by this invention are materials such as sheets of aluminum, galvanized iron, brass, steel, etc., painted or unpainted. The present invention is particularly suitable for joining dissimilar materials that cannot be welded. The punch device 12 has a conventional structure and includes a punch body 14 on which a circular punch 16 is mounted and has a hinged portion 18 for threadingly supporting the stripper holder 20. There is.

A stripper 22 is disposed within the retained odor 20 and is energized by a coil spring 24 to the stripping position shown in FIG.
It is provided. It is desirable that the punch 16 has a flat tip with a slightly rounded edge as shown in FIG. The die assembly 10 includes a cylindrical die body 26 which can be attached to the lower leg of a conventional C-frame clamping arrangement used in standard presses or as described in US Pat. It is conventionally supported within a support structure 28, which may be any lower die support of a compact press, such as a press of the type disclosed in US Pat. No. 3,730,044.

The die body 26 is provided with an integral protrusion 30 at its upper end as viewed in the drawing, and from the opposite surface of the protrusion 30,
Extending are four shoulders, each designated by the reference numeral 32. The die body 26 is bored in its center,
At the upper end, a hole portion 3 is provided with a hardened pin 36 (by pressing or the like) which acts as an albil or lower die member.
4 is provided.
'On each side of the die body 26, the die portion 3
8 is rotatably supported by four fulcrum pins inserted through the through hole 42.

Each die portion 38 has a generally T-shape in side view and is provided with two shoulders 44 engageable with two shoulders 32 on the die body 26 from which the die portion 38
The vertical force acting on the die body 26 is directly transmitted to the die body 26 and is not absorbed by the pin 401. Each die portion 38 is notched at portion 45 to facilitate limited rotational movement. The die portion 38 is supported for rotation between the position shown in FIG. 1 and the position shown in FIG. 2, and includes an integral leg extending downwardly relative to the die portion 38. A coil spring 46 acting between 48 normally maintains it in the closed position shown in FIG. The coil spring 46 is passed through a suitable hole 50 passing through the projection 30. Dice part 3
When 8 is in the closed position shown in FIG. It is in.

In this embodiment, each die portion 38 has a semicircular groove 56 that completes a circle centered on the surface 54 and corresponds to the shape of the sealing punch 16 when the die portion 38 is in the closed position. A groove 56 is provided to form an opening shaped like this. The die portion 38 is formed by the punch 16 acting on the material to be joined.
The downward force applied to both die parts 38
Do not rotate the parts away from each other. This is because the rotation axis given by the fulcrum pin 401 is
This is because it is disposed outward from the periphery of the opening formed by the groove 56. Therefore, any downward force exerted by punch 16 on die portion 38 will act to close the die rather than open it. In this embodiment, the periphery of the opening formed by the groove 56 is marked with reference numeral 58 (first and seventh
It should be chamfered as shown in Figure). In operation, the illustrated apparatus is initially in the position shown in FIG. In order to join two or more metal sheets, the metal sheets are first placed one on top of the other, face to face, and then the metal sheet assembly is placed in the apparatus shown in FIG. is inserted with its underside resting on surface 52 of die portion 38.

A press (or some other device) is then operated to move the punch 16 downwards in the direction of the metal sheets a, b and the die device 10 as seen in the drawing. When the engagement between the punch 16 and the sheet metal occurs, the sheet metal is pulled downwardly toward the upper surface of the anvil 36, indicated by reference numeral 60, and a protrusion is formed on both sheets. Since a chamfer or roundness 58 is provided on the periphery of the closed opening formed by the concave groove 56 and a gap (clearance) is provided between the opening and the punch 16, breaking or shearing of the metal thin plate does not occur. do not have. When the punch 16 approaches the anvil 36 to a distance less than the sum of the initial thicknesses of the metal sheets a and b, a sideways extrusion or extrusion of the metal occurs and the bonding relationship on the metal sheets a and b is changed. Both certain protrusions are now formed with lateral enlargements, as indicated by reference numeral 62 in FIG. 7, and a mechanical interengagement between the metal sheets a and b is formed. Figure 7 is not drawn with actual dimensions.
It is drawn vaguely to show the cross-sectional shape of the metal forming the joint. The lateral extrusion of the deposited sheet material forces the die portion 38 outwardly, causing the die portion 38 to pivot outwardly as clearly shown in FIGS. Now that a strong, permanent and leak-tight bonding structure has been formed, the punch 16 can then be retracted to the position shown in FIG. 1 and the material to be bonded removed. In the device of the present invention, only the punch 16 is actuated and the anvil 36
should be held stationary. Upon removal of the material to be bonded, coil spring 46 returns die portion 38 to the closed position shown in FIG. In the above-described device, shearing or breaking of the metal sheet is avoided by providing the roundness 58 and providing an appropriate gap between the punch 16 and the opening formed by the groove 56.

It is desirable that the above-mentioned void has a uniform inside throughout the circumferential direction. Although the applicant has not conducted any tests to optimize the relationship between the dimensions of each part, the following is a formula for determining dimensions that has been found to give very satisfactory results. P=2(M, 10M2)(10/
-20%) D=P+0.8(M, 10M2) T:0.2・{1.2(M, 10M)} Where, P=Punch diameter D=Die diameter M. = Upper metal thickness M2 = Lower metal thickness T = Total metal thickness at the bond center.

We have found these relationships to be a satisfactory starting point. Once the punch diameter has been selected and the equipment has been assembled and tested, the standard "shutheight"
) by adjusting the lower anvil height (i.e. by adjusting the distance between the bottom face of the punch and the anvil when the press is at the end of its downward stroke) using the adjustment odor, the material to be joined is satisfied. You can get the desired results. Although the device according to the first embodiment uses a circular punch, punches of other shapes may also be used depending on the application and required strength.

For example, FIG. 8 illustrates four different punch shapes that can be used. In FIG. 8, the die portion 38
a is for applications that require more connections than a single circular connection for either rotation prevention or strength,
Three circular through holes (circular gates) 64 are provided. The die portion 38b has a diamond-shaped hole or aperture 66 that provides a bond of strength comparable to that of the first embodiment, but creates a bond with better anti-rotation properties. . Die portion 38c has a triangular shaped aperture 68 which will provide a result similar to that provided by the diamond shaped closure 66 described above. The die portion 38d is
It has an oval shaped entrance 70 that provides a relatively large bond with high strength and high anti-rotation properties. Irrespective of the shape of the punch or die part entrance, the inner wall of the upper part of the thin metal plate that is pulled is generally cylindrical. FIG. 9 shows a general-purpose die body 26a which is substantially identical to die body 26 in the first embodiment, but which compresses hardened anvil pins 78, 80 and 82. a plurality of parallel vertical holes 72, 7 for receiving each
4 and 76 are provided.

In applications where only a single circular connection is sufficient, pins 78 and 82 may be removed from die body 26a to reduce energy consumption. On the other hand, if greater strength or anti-rotation properties are desired, one or two ampillar pins may be added and inserted into the corresponding holes to increase the binding ability. The die section attached to die body 26a has a top surface shape similar to die section 38a shown in FIG. 8, with openings 64 designed to cooperate with anvil pins 78, 80 and 82. Dew. 10th
The figure shows the lower portion of a punch that can be used with the universal die body shown in FIG.

A punch body 84, which is otherwise conventionally constructed, cooperates with the anvils or ampillar bottles 78, 80, and 82 of FIG. 9 in the same manner as the punch 16 cooperated with the anvil 36 in the first embodiment. A plurality of hardened steel punch pins 86 adapted to cooperate.
, 88 and 90 are provided. A suitable through hole 92 is provided in the punch body 84 to allow removal of the punches or punch pins 86, 88, 90 if it is desired to change the layers or reduce the number of punches or punch pins 86, 88, 90 for a special application. It can be provided as follows.
The punch and anvil can have cross-sectional shapes other than circular if desired. Figures 11 and 12 show the 13th
, the customary "incision kiku lanced" as shown in Figure 14.
A die apparatus and punch capable of forming a ' type bond are illustrated.

The dice device 10a of this embodiment includes a die body 26b and is substantially the same as the dice device of the first embodiment (the same reference numerals are used to indicate equal parts). However, the difference is that the die portion 38e is not provided with a punch receiving gate, and a cutting blade 94 is provided instead. Additionally, the anvil includes an integrally formed continuous flat horizontal surface 96 extending the length of the cutting blade 94. One punch 16a of this embodiment is approximately plow-shaped, and has a chamfered corner 98 that is substantially the same as the distance between the two cutting blades 94.
have. 13 and 14 show thin metal plates c and d that have been joined using the apparatus shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. As the punch 16a moves downward toward the die device 10a, the protrusions 100 and 102 are cut out of the metal sheets c and d, respectively. These protrusions 10
0,102 is held integrally with the base metal sheet at both ends as shown in FIG. separated as Continued advancement of punch 16a toward the anvil causes lateral extrusion of protrusions 100, 102 to create an enlarged cross-section as shown in FIG. The necessary mechanical joints are provided to impart some bonding. As can be understood, an incision in a sheet of metal is... For some reason, the present joint is not leak-proof. As the metal of the projections 100, 102 is extruded laterally, both die portions 38e are rotated away from each other to accommodate the extrusion, thereby forming a joint. It has been found that by using the present die apparatus, the formation of the present die joints can be carried out very satisfactorily without moving the anvil and without using complicated sliding dies. The embodiments described above provide apparatus, methods and combinations that fully and effectively achieve the objectives of the present invention. However, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, various modifications may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles of the present invention and the inventive features specified in the claims.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial front view of a device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, with the punch in a retracted position. FIG. 2 is a partial front view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 with the punch in the advanced position; FIG. 3 is a plan view taken approximately along line 3--3 in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view taken approximately along line 4--4 in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view taken approximately along line 5--5 in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the die body in the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1-5. FIG. 7 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a leak-tight connection according to the present invention, once formed, along with a portion of the device.
FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the main parts of a die for forming a plurality of types of bonds of different shapes according to the present invention. FIG. 9 is a partially exploded perspective view showing a versatile die device according to the present invention. FIG. 10 is a partial front view of a general purpose punching device suitable for use with the die device shown in FIG. 9; FIG. 11 is a partial front view of another embodiment of a device according to the invention that can be used to form a conventional "cut and tear" type joint. 12th
The figure is a partial side view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 11. 1st
FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a "slit" type joint formed by the apparatus shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. FIG. FIG. 14 is a partial sectional view taken approximately along the line 14-1 in FIG. 13. a, b... Metal thin plate, c, d
・・・・・・Metal thin plate, 10, 10a...Dice device,
12... Punch device, 14... Punch body, 16,1
6a...Punch, 26, 26a, 26b...Dice body, 30...Protrusion, 32...Shoulder, 3
4...Hole part, 36...Anvil (pin), 3
8, 38a, 38b, 38c, 38d, 38e...
...Dice part, 40...Fulcrum pin, 42.
...Through hole, 44...Shoulder, 46...
Coil spring, 52...Top surface, 54...
Engagement surface, 56... Concave groove, 58... Chamfered portion (rounded), 6
0... Anvil top surface, 64... (circular) Sekiguchi, 66... Closed, 68... Open □, 7
0...Opening, 72,74,76...Hole, 78,80,82...Anvil (pin), 84...Punch body, 86,88,90...Punch (pin) ,9
2...Through hole, 94...Cutting blade, 96...Continuous flat horizontal surface, 100, 102...Protrusion. F-correct --, 1, ``1 [ ・. 3. 1.3.3. "IL"-4. "·""-White. Members - myself, 1. 7. r1 1-three-yo-"Yu"-13-"・"-14・"1.white."1" 1.1 mouth. ”1, -11- FE Co. 1 self,

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A metal thin plate assembly formed by combining at least two metal thin plates in an overlapping relationship, which is partitioned by a bottom wall and a side circumferential wall that can be expanded and rotated outwardly. A punch is placed on the die having an opening, and a punch is applied to the thin metal plate assembly while the punch is continuously moved into the opening of the die in a direction toward the bottom wall of the opening. At the beginning of the moving process of the punch, the punch causes tension in the thin metal sheet material in the die opening to form a cap-like protrusion corresponding to the shape of the punch on the thin metal sheet combination; At the end of the movement process of the punch, the end of the cap-shaped protrusion is pressed by the punch onto the bottom wall surface of the die opening, thereby extruding the metal sheet material horizontally and pushing the side peripheral wall of the die opening. The thin metal sheets to be extruded are pushed and rotated to expand and rotate to form a horizontal enlarged portion in the cap-like protrusion that mechanically engages the thin metal sheets with each other. Features. How to join thin metal sheets. 2 A device for joining thin metal plates, which includes: A a punch having a given cross-sectional shape and capable of reciprocating along the axial direction of the punch, and B a fixed arrangement aligned with the punch. a die having an aperture disposed concentrically with the punch for receiving the punch when the punch is moved toward the die; a die formed to have a shape that at least partially matches the shape of the surface, and the die is arranged on one side and the other side of a plane containing the axis of the punch, and a first die portion and a second die portion provided with flat surfaces that are in close contact with each other on the plane, the first die portion forming one half and the other half of the opening, respectively; and a second die portion, b. The first die portion and the second die portion described above are respectively rotatable around a first rotation fulcrum axis and a second rotation fulcrum axis that are substantially parallel to each other. A support means that supports the
By arranging both of the above-mentioned rotational fulcrum shafts on both sides of the above-mentioned punch axis in a direction perpendicular to the above-mentioned axis, a lateral and outward force is applied to the above-mentioned first and second die parts. a support means rotatably supporting both die parts such that the flat surfaces of both die parts are pulled apart when the two die parts are pressed; c. a fixed anvil disposed within the opening; and a fixed anvil provided so that the metal sheet can be pressed by the punch. 3. A joining device for thin metal plates, comprising: A a punch having a given cross-sectional shape and capable of reciprocating along the axial direction of the punch, and B fixedly arranged in alignment with the punch. a die having an opening disposed concentrically with the punch for receiving the punch when the punch is moved toward the die, the opening having a cross section of the punch; a die formed to have a shape that at least partially matches the shape of the punch; A first die portion and a second die portion are provided with flat surfaces that are in close contact with each other on a plane, the first die portion forming one half and the other half of the opening, respectively; The second die portion, and b. The first die portion and the second die portion described above are respectively rotatable around a first rotation fulcrum axis and a second rotation fulcrum axis that are substantially parallel to each other. A supporting means for supporting,
The above-mentioned two rotational fulcrum axes are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the punch and separated from each other by a distance greater than the dimension of the opening in the direction connecting the two rotational fulcrum axes, c) a fixed anvil disposed within the opening, the fixed anvil being provided so that the metal sheet can be pressed against it by the punch; and d the first die as described above. spring means for rotationally biasing the portion and the second die portion toward each other;
A joining device for thin metal plates, characterized by comprising: