WO2019071252A1

WO2019071252A1 - Semi-automatic u-based fasteners insertion tool

Info

Publication number: WO2019071252A1
Application number: PCT/US2018/054824
Authority: WO
Inventors: Brad L. BERTELS
Original assignee: Magna Exteriors Inc.
Priority date: 2017-10-06
Filing date: 2018-10-08
Publication date: 2019-04-11

Abstract

A fastener tool (10) for connecting fasteners (13) to a workpiece (33). The fastener tool includes a housing (12) having a shaped aperture (16) on the external surface of the housing that is configured to mate with a protrusion (35) on the workpiece. Located on either side of the shaped aperture are two contact sensors (20) that ensure that the housing of the tool is placed to the correct depth. Connected to the housing is a magazine (30) that holds a plurality of fasteners. The magazine connects to the housing using magnets (36, 36'). A fastener loading magnet (38) within the housing poles a single fastener into an actuation passage (26) where a piston (28) slides within the actuation passage in moves the fastener to the shaped aperture in order to make contact with the workpiece.

Description

SEMI-AUTOMATIC U-BASED FASTENERS INSERTION TOOL

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/569,224, filed October 6, 2017. The disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a semi-automatic fastener insertion tool

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the automotive field body panel parts are often attached to the vehicle body using various fasteners typically made from metal. One of the problems encountered is that automotive retention fasteners need to be installed with positional repeatability at high volumes. It is an object of the invention to allow the operator to use a hand tool to install fasteners at high volumes, while providing the operator the ability to install the fastener or fasteners with built-in positional error proofing. Typically the fastener or fasteners are connected to a body panel after the part is formed and prior to vehicle assembly. Many body parts are made of plastic and some are even made of metal, however typically they have various flanges for connecting fasteners that are then used for connecting the panel to a desired location on the vehicle body. The connection of the fasteners to the panel are generally carried out in steps following the formation of the body panel. Often times the fasteners or fasteners are connected by hand at desired locations on the part. Afterwards each part is inspected to ensure that the fasteners were placed onto the part in a proper manner. The reliance on using persons to properly connect the fasteners to the desired locations on the part can lead to errors because the fasteners are sometimes not connected properly, in the wrong orientation, location or not connected at all. It is therefore desirable to provide tools that allow for the attachment of a fastener to the mounting flange on a part that can be done quickly, properly and attached to the right location. It is further desirable to also include an inspection marking device associated with the tool so that completed parts can be quickly visually inspected to ensure that all of the proper fasteners have been installed onto a particular part. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a fastener tool for connecting fasteners to a workpiece. The fastener tool includes a housing having a shaped aperture on the external surface of the housing that is configured to mate with a protrusion or flange on the workpiece. The shaped aperture is connected to an actuation passage that extends at least partially through the housing. The housing also includes a magazine loading passage and a standby passage formed in the housing connected to the actuation passage and positioned between the magazine loading passage and the actuation passage. An actuator cylinder is connectable to the housing and actuates a piston that slides within the actuation passage between a load position and a deployed position.

A magazine is connectable to the magazine loading passage of the housing. The magazine has an aperture that opens to a fastener channel where the aperture and the fastener channel are configured to receive and hold a plurality of fasteners each having magnetism. One or more magnets are connected to the magazine at an end of the magazine near the aperture. The one or more magnets attract the plurality of fasteners toward the aperture and the one or more magnets are configured to hold one of the plurality of fasteners in the aperture of the magazine using magnetism.

A fastener loading magnet is connected to the housing of the fastener insertion tool at a location that allows the magnetic field of the fastener loading magnet to span the actuation passage at a location adjacent the standby passage, such that the piston is positioned between the fastener loading magnet and the standby passage when the piston is in the deployed position and the actuation passage is open between the fastener loading magnet and the standby passage when the piston is in the load position.

The housing of the fastener tool further includes one or more magazine holding magnets on the exterior surface of the housing for attracting the one or more magnets on the magazine. This allows for the magazine to be removably held to the housing.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side perspective view of the fastener tool and the magazine exploded away from the housing.

Fig. 2 is a side perspective view of the fastener tool and the magazine exploded away from the housing.

Fig. 3 is a bottom side perspective view of the fastener tool with the pneumatic cylinder removed and the magazine exploded away from the housing.

Fig. 4 is a side perspective view of the fastener tool with the pneumatic cylinder removed from the housing.

Fig. 5 is a side perspective view of a second embodiment of the fastener tool with the magazine connected to the housing and the pneumatic cylinder removed from the housing.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of the fastener tool with the pneumatic cylinder removed from the housing.

Fig. 7 is a side plan view of the standby passage of the fastener tool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

Referring now to Figs. 1 -6, a fastener tool 10 for connecting a fastener 13 to a flange 35 of a work piece 33 (shown in Fig. 6). The fastener tool 10 has a housing 12 with a threaded actuator port 14 for connection with a pneumatic cylinder 15 (shown in Fig. 1 ). While a pneumatic actuator is shown, it is within the scope of this invention for a different type of actuator to be used such as a hand operated plunger, hydraulic actuator, electronic actuator or other suitable actuator. Also while threads are shown as part of the threaded actuator port 14, it is within the scope of this invention for some other type of connection to be used such as snaps or flanges in combination with fasteners.

Referring to Fig. 3, the housing 12 has a shaped aperture 16 at an end 18 of the housing 12 opposite the threaded actuator port 14. The shaped aperture 16 can have any type of shape that will mate with a surface, such as the flange 35 of the work piece 33. This allows for the fastener tool 10 to only be used to the fastener 13 at desired locations on the work piece 33. This has the effect of reducing the number of errors that can occur, such as placing the fastener 13 on the wrong flange or orientation on the work piece 33. Located on either side of the shaped aperture 16 are contact sensors 20 that contact the work piece 33 surface when the flange 35 on the work piece 33 has been inserted into the shaped aperture 16 to a required depth. If the contact sensors 20 do not make contact with the surface of the work piece 33 then the fastener 13 cannot be deployed. This is accomplished by having the contact sensors 20 connected to a trigger 21 that controls the actuation of the actuator cylinder 15. The trigger 21 can be configured to have a light that illuminates when the contact sensors 20 make contact with the work piece 33 or the trigger 21 simply will not work unless the contact sensors 20 are depressed against the surface of the work piece 33.

Adjacent the shaped aperture 16 and the contact sensors 20 is an inspection stamp aperture 22. The inspection stamp aperture 22 holds a stamp 23 that is actuated by a stamp actuator cylinder 37. When the trigger 21 is pulled the fastener 13 will be deployed through the shaped aperture 16 and simultaneously a stamp 23 will extend through the inspection stamp aperture 22 that will place a mark on the surface of the workpiece indicating that the workpiece passed inspection because of the built in error proofing features of the fastener tool 10. In other words the built in error features include the shaped aperture 16 which must be mated or aligned with the desired location on the work piece 33, in addition to the contact sensors 20 making contact with the surface of the work piece 33, ensure that the fastener 13 was connected to the work piece 33 at the proper depth and orientation. This makes the fastener tool 10 self-inspecting which eliminates the need for an additional manual inspection of the work piece 33.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 6 different passages of the housing 12 can be seen. As shown in Fig. 3, the housing 12 includes a magazine loading passage 24 and a standby passage 25 formed in the housing 12, connected to an actuation passage 26 and positioned between the magazine loading passage and the actuation passage 26. The actuator cylinder 15 is connectable to the housing 12 and actuates a piston 28 that slides within the actuation passage 26 between a load position 27 and a deployed position 29. The load position 27 is a position located above the magazine loading passage 24, while the deployed position 29 is located in an area of the actuation passage 26 near the shaped aperture 16. A magazine 30 is connectable to the magazine loading passage 24 of the housing 12. The magazine 30 has an aperture 32 that opens to a fastener channel 34 where the aperture 32 and the fastener channel 34 are configured to receive and hold a plurality of fasteners each having magnetism as a result of being made of metal or coated with some type of magnetic material. One or more magnets 36, 36' are connected to the magazine 30 at an end of the magazine 30 near the aperture 32. The one or more magnets 36,36' attract the plurality of fasteners toward the aperture 32 and the one or more magnets 36,36' are configured to hold one of the plurality of fasteners in the aperture 32 of the magazine 30 using the magnetic field of the one or more magnets 36, 36'.

A fastener loading magnet 38 is connected to the housing 12 of the fastener insertion tool 10 at a location that allows the magnetic field of the fastener loading magnet 38 to span the actuation passage 26, at a location adjacent or near the standby passage 25. When the magazine 30 is connected to the housing 12, the magnetic field of the fastener loading magnet 38 is strong enough to pull a fastener 13 closest to the aperture 32 into the standby passage 25 or the actuation passage 26, depending on the position of the piston 28, which will now be described. When the piston 28 is in the deployed position 29, the piston 28 is positioned between the fastener loading magnet 38 and the standby passage 25. When the piston 28 is moved from the deployed position 29 to a load position 27 the actuation passage 26 is open between the actuation passage 26 and the fastener loading magnet 38. The fastener 13 can then be pulled out of the standby passage 25 into the actuation passage 26 because the magnetic field of the fastener loading magnet 38 is greater than the magnetic field of the one or more magnets 36, 36' on the magazine 30. The piston 28 also a mating surface that is a V-shaped end 31 that is shaped to match the profile of the fastener in order to contact and hold the fastener 13 in the proper orientation as the piston 28 moved from the load position 27 to the deployed position 29.

The housing 12 of the fastener tool 10 further includes one or more magazine holding magnets 40, 40' on the exterior surface of the housing 12 for attracting the one or more magnets 36, 36' on the magazine 30. This allows for the magazine 30 to be removably held to the housing 12. However, the magazine 30 needs to be connected to the housing 12 in a certain orientation to ensure proper alignment of the fasteners. Proper alignment can be accomplished in a couple of ways. The polarities of the magazine holding magnets 40, 40' and the magnets 36, 36' can be arranged in an alternating fashion. Then if the magazine is inserted in the wrong orientation the magazine holding magnets 40, 40' and the one or more magnets 36, 36' will repel each other, and the magazine cannot be connected to the housing 12.

Another way of properly aligning the magazine 30 and the housing 12 is accomplished is by using mechanical alignment features. Figs. 1 -6 show a finger 42 that extends from the magazine 30. The finger 42 is configured to slide onto a ledge 44 formed on the housing 12, which ensures proper alignment of the magazine 30 and the magazine loading passage with the standby passage. There is only one ledge 44 formed on the housing 12, so it is not possible to connect the magazine 30 unless the finger 42 and ledge 44 are in alignment.

The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is: 1 . A fastener tool comprising:

a housing having a shaped aperture on the external surface of the housing, the shaped aperture connects to an actuation passage that extends partially through the housing;

a magazine loading passage formed in the housing;

a standby passage formed in the housing connected to the actuation passage and positioned between the magazine loading passage and the actuation passage;

a piston that slides in the actuation passage between a load position and a deployed position;

a magazine connectable to the magazine loading passage of the housing, the magazine having an aperture that opens to a fastener channel where the aperture and the fastener channel are configured to receive and hold a plurality of fasteners each having magnetism;

a fastener loading magnet connected to the housing at a location that allows the magnetic field of the fastener loading magnet to span the actuation passage at a location near the standby passage and pull one of the plurality of fasteners from the magazine into the standby passage when the piston is positioned between the fastener loading magnet and the standby passage when the piston is in the deployed position and the actuation passage is open between the fastener loading magnet and the standby passage when the piston is in the load position, thereby allowing one of the plurality of fasteners to move from the standby passage into the actuation passage.

2. The fastener tool of claim 1 wherein the piston includes a mating surface that is shaped to mate with a profile of one of the plurality of fasteners.

3. The fastener tool of claim 1 further comprising a trigger connected to the housing, the trigger controls the movement of the piston between the load position and the deployed position.

4. The fastener tool of claim 4 further comprising one or more contact sensors located near the shaped aperture of the housing, the one or more contact sensors are configured to contact a surface of a work piece when a portion of the work piece has been inserted into the shaped aperture to a required depth and the one or more contact sensors are connected to the trigger and prevent the trigger from moving the piston unless the one or more sensors make contact with the surface of the work piece.

5. The fastener tool of claim 1 further comprising a finger extending from the magazine, the finger is configured to slide onto a ledge formed on the housing, which ensures proper alignment of the magazine with the housing.

6. The fastener tool of claim 1 further comprising an inspection stamp aperture formed on the housing near the shaped aperture, the inspection stamp aperture holds a stamp that moves in the housing by a stamp actuator cylinder, wherein when one of the plurality of fasteners is deployed through the shaped aperture, simultaneously the stamp will extend through the stamp aperture and place a mark on the surface of a work piece.

7. The fastener tool of claim 1 further comprising one or more magnets connected to the magazine adjacent the aperture for attracting the plurality of fasteners and holding one of the plurality of fasteners in the aperture of the magazine.

8. The fastener tool of claim 7 one or more magazine holding magnets on the exterior surface of the housing for attracting the one or more magnets on the magazine, thereby removably holding the magazine to the housing.

9. The fastener tool of claim 8 wherein the fastener loading magnet has a greater magnetic field than the one or more magazine holding magnets or the one or more magnets on the magazine.

10. The fastener tool of claim 1 further comprising an actuator cylinder connected to the housing and connectable with the piston for moving the piston.

1 1 . A fastener tool comprising:

a magazine loading passage formed in the housing;

a standby passage formed in the housing connected to the actuation passage and positioned between the magazine loading passage and the actuation passage; an actuator cylinder connected to the housing and connected to a piston that slides in the actuation passage between a load position and a deployed position;

one or more magnets connected to the magazine adjacent the aperture for attracting the plurality of fasteners and holding one of the plurality of fasteners in the aperture of the magazine;

a fastener loading magnet connected to the housing at a location that allows the magnetic field of the fastener loading magnet to span the actuation passage at a location near the standby passage and pull one of the plurality of fasteners from the magazine into the standby passage when the piston is positioned between the fastener loading magnet and the standby passage when the piston is in the deployed position and the actuation passage is open between the fastener loading magnet and the standby passage when the piston is in the load position, thereby allowing one of the plurality of fasteners to move from the standby passage into the actuation passage; and

one or more magazine holding magnets on the exterior surface of the housing for attracting the one or more magnets on the magazine, thereby removably holding the magazine to the housing.

12. The fastener tool of claim 1 1 where in the fastener loading magnet has a greater magnetic field than the one or more magazine holding magnets or the one or more magnets on the magazine.

13. The fastener tool of claim 1 1 wherein the piston includes a mating surface that is shaped to mate with a profile of one of the plurality of fasteners.

14. The fastener tool of claim 1 1 further comprising a trigger connected to the housing, the trigger controls the movement of the piston between the load position and the deployed position, wherein the trigger is a switch that activates the actuator cylinder.

15. The fastener tool of claim 14 further comprising one or more contact sensors located near the shaped aperture of the housing, the one or more contact sensors are configured to contact a surface of a work piece when a portion of the work piece has been inserted into the shaped aperture to a required depth and the one or more contact sensors are connected to the trigger and prevent the trigger from moving the piston unless the one or more sensors make contact with the surface of the work piece.

16. The fastener tool of claim 1 1 further comprising a finger extending from the magazine, the finger is configured to slide onto a ledge formed on the housing, which ensures proper alignment of the magazine with the housing.

17. The fastener tool of claim 1 1 further comprising an inspection stamp aperture formed on the housing near the shaped aperture, the inspection stamp aperture holds a stamp that moves in the housing by a stamp actuator cylinder, wherein when one of the plurality of fasteners is deployed through the shaped aperture, simultaneously the stamp will extend through the stamp aperture and place a mark on the surface of a work piece.

18. A fastener tool comprising:

a magazine loading passage formed in the housing;

a trigger connected to the housing, the trigger controls the movement of the piston between the load position and the deployed position;

one or more contact sensors located near the shaped aperture of the housing, the one or more contact sensors are configured to contact a surface of a work piece when a portion of the work piece has been inserted into the shaped aperture to a required depth and the one or more contact sensors are connected to the trigger and prevent the trigger from moving the piston unless the one or more sensors make contact with the surface of the work piece;

19. The fastener tool of claim 18 wherein the piston includes a mating surface that is shaped to mate with a profile of one of the plurality of fasteners.

20. The fastener tool of claim 18 further comprising a finger extending from the magazine, the finger is configured to slide onto a ledge formed on the housing, which ensures proper alignment of the magazine with the housing.

21 . The fastener tool of claim 18 further comprising an inspection stamp aperture formed on the housing near the shaped aperture, the inspection stamp aperture holds a stamp that moves in the housing by a stamp actuator cylinder, wherein when one of the plurality of fasteners is deployed through the shaped aperture, simultaneously the stamp will extend through the stamp aperture and place a mark on the surface of a work piece.

22. The fastener tool of claim 18 further comprising one or more magnets connected to the magazine adjacent the aperture for attracting the plurality of fasteners and holding one of the plurality of fasteners in the aperture of the magazine.

23. The fastener tool of claim 22 one or more magazine holding magnets on the exterior surface of the housing for attracting the one or more magnets on the magazine, thereby removably holding the magazine to the housing.

24. The fastener tool of claim 23 where in the fastener loading magnet has a greater magnetic field than the one or more magazine holding magnets or the one or more magnets on the magazine.

25. The fastener tool of claim 18 further comprising an actuator cylinder connected to the housing and connectable with the piston for moving the piston.