Patent Application
20170321735
This document relates generally to the workpiece assembly field and, more particularly, to a pin locator particularly adapted for locating a plastic workpiece with respect to a sheet metal workpiece such as commonly done in the automobile manufacturing industry.
In order to properly assemble a plastic workpiece with a sheet metal workpiece a locating action is generally required. A wide variety of features may be utilized for this purpose but not all of them grant the best fit and finish. Pin locators are one of the most common solutions but, unfortunately, they may be sheared off when interacting with a sheet metal workpiece. Further, if the pin is made too wide or too tall it may cause manufacturability issues including, for example, overheating of a workpiece mold, undesired stiffness of the molded workpiece and/or sink marks in the workpiece.
This document relates to a new and improved pin locator and to a new and improved workpiece assembly both incorporating an anti-shear pin. That anti-shear pin locator may be molded in the core/cavity direction so that no extra slides or actions are required in the mold thereby reducing the cost of the mold. Further, the pin locator advantageously avoids visible and undesired marks in the workpiece such as sink marks. In addition, the pin locator does not adversely impact the stiffness of the workpiece.
In accordance with the purposes and benefits described herein, a pin locator is provided. That pin locator comprises a body including a base and a pin projecting from the base. The base further includes an undercut in a first face around the pin.
The pin locator may further include a sink saver, in the form of a cavity, in a second face of the base. The sink saver cavity extends through the base and into the pin. Thus, the sink saver may have a depth D1 and the undercut may have a depth D2 where D1>D2.
The pin locator may have a section line wherein the base extends concentrically around the undercut which extends concentrically around the pin which extends concentrically around the sink saver cavity. Further, the pin may include a plurality of flanges. In one possible embodiment the pin includes four flanges oriented radially around the pin at 90 degree intervals. All four of those flanges may be tapered at a distal end thereof to aid in inserting the pin in a locator aperture of another workpiece or part.
In accordance with an additional aspect, a pin locator is provided which comprises a body including a base and a pin projecting from the base. Further, a sink saver cavity extends through the base into the pin.
In such an embodiment the pin may further include a plurality of flanges. In one possible embodiment, the pin includes four flanges oriented radially around the pin at 90 degree intervals. All four of those flanges may be tapered at a distal end thereof.
In accordance with yet another aspect, a workpiece assembly is provided. That workpiece assembly comprises a first workpiece including an integral pin projecting from the first workpiece and an undercut in a first face of the first workpiece around the pin. Further, the workpiece assembly includes a second workpiece having a locator aperture wherein the pin is received and held in the locator aperture.
The pin may include a plurality of flanges. In one possible embodiment, the pin includes four flanges. Those four flanges may be oriented radially around the pin at 90 degree intervals. Further, the four flanges may all be tapered at a distal end thereof. In any embodiments, the first workpiece may be molded from a plastic material. The second workpiece may be sheet metal.
In the following description, there are shown and described several preferred embodiments of the pin locator and the workpiece assembly. As it should be realized, the pin locator and the workpiece assembly are both capable of other, different embodiments and their several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the pin locator and workpiece assembly as set forth and described in the following claims.
Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
The accompanying drawing figures incorporated herein and forming a part of the specification, illustrate several aspects of the pin locator and workpiece assembly and together with the description serve to explain certain principles thereof. In the drawing figures:
Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the locator pin and the workpiece assembly, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures.
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In order to attach the first workpiece 34 with the second workpiece 52, one must align the pins 36 on the first workpiece with the locator apertures 54 in the second workpiece 52. The two workpieces 34, 52 are then pressed together. As this is done, the tapered ends of the pins 36 ensure the proper location between the workpieces 34, 52. When the first workpiece 34 and second workpiece 52 are properly seated together, the pins 36 project fully through the locator apertures 54 as illustrated in
In a summary, the pin locator 10 and the workpiece assembly 32 described herein provide a number of benefits and advantages. The undercut 16 of the pin locator 10 and the undercut 38 of the workpiece assembly 32 function to improve the assembly between sheet metal and plastic workpieces (such as illustrated at 52, 34). Further, the undercut 16, 38 maximizes airflow ensuring an easier assembly.
The tapered flanges 28, 50 of the respective pin locator 10 and workpiece assembly 32 help to simplify the location of workpieces 34, 52 for good assembly. The sink saver cavity 20, 42 addresses manufacturing and overheating issues by providing a constant thickness to the pin locator 10 and pin 36 of the workpiece assembly 32.
The foregoing has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, the illustrated embodiments include four flanges 28, 50 that are radially arrayed around the respective pins 14, 36 at 90 degree intervals so as to function as four-way locators. It should be appreciated that the pins 14, 36 may include a different number of flanges or a different angular orientation of the flanges that are present. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled.
