Patent Application
20240261844
The methods and devices of the present application relate to the field of assembling bodywork elements of motor vehicles by folding their edges.
The methods and devices relate in particular to the crimping of opening panel window bottoms or of sunroofs of motor vehicles.
Crimping is a cold assembly technique, based on folding metal sheets, used in particular in the automobile industry for shaping bodywork elements such as opening panels, fenders, wheel arches or hoods. It constitutes a major step in the vehicle manufacturing process, since it generally completes the assembly of exterior bodywork elements that are directly exposed to the view of the customer and/or user.
The crimping of motor vehicle opening panels is generally carried out either by robots using a wheel or by mechanical crimping units.
Wheel crimping is carried out using a programmable robot equipped with a crimping wheel moving along the edge of the bodywork element to be assembled. The main disadvantage of this type of crimping is its low rate due, in particular, to the need to perform several passes to complete the assembly. However, current manufacturing needs require reduced production cycle times.
Another disadvantage of these robots is their bulk, which limits the space in the assembly area. Indeed, in order to reduce production cycle times, it is conventional to increase the number of robots used. However, the quantity of robots is limited by their dimensions, and by their accessibility with regard to the perimeter to be crimped. Indeed, certain areas of the bodywork elements to be assembled are not accessible or are difficult to access by robotic arms. This type of problem can be encountered, for example, at the bottom of the opening panel window.
To solve this problem, it is common to use open table crimping. However, the use of this type of crimper implies the presence, on the latter, of a die and blades specific to the crimping of a very particular type of opening panel. Therefore, the main disadvantage of this method is its lack of flexibility, since only one type of bodywork element can be crimped. This is incompatible with current manufacturing needs, which require increased versatility.
Likewise, in order to improve versatility, crimping tools are generally carried on moving platforms. However, open table crimping generates significant masses and bulk that are incompatible with the movements of the mobile platforms.
These same problems are found with current crimping units whose mass and size are significant, which does not allow them to be installed on rotating plates. In addition, these units have a high cost.
Published patent document FR 3 089 831 A1 discloses a crimping unit for crimping the bottom of the opening panel window of a motor vehicle. However, this unit is heavy and bulky. In addition, the forces applied by this type of machine, i.e. motor or electric cylinder operating a connecting rod-crank system, during the crimping phase, are taken up by the crimping die and by its support member; moreover, said connecting rod-crank system has limits due to the absence of guidance, which requires significant sizing.
One aim is in particular to correct all or part of the drawbacks of the prior art by proposing a solution making it possible to reduce the dimensioning of the crimping unit.
To this end, the described methods and devices relate to a device for crimping edges of metal sheets by folding one of said edges onto another one of said edges, comprising:
remarkable in that the crimping device further comprises:
According to one embodiment, the mounting of the blade holder so as to be translatable on the intermediate support member is parallel to the sliding rod of the actuator.
According to one embodiment, the mounting of the blade holder so as to be translatable on the intermediate support member comprises at least two slide rails, each with a dovetail section.
According to one embodiment, the crimping device further comprises at least one spring cylinder attached to the intermediate support member and exerting an elastic force on the blade holder in the direction of translation. Advantageously, the at least one spring cylinder is a gas spring.
According to one embodiment, each of the spring cylinders comprises a cylinder rigidly attached to the intermediate support member and a sliding rod in contact with the blade holder.
According to one embodiment, the crimping device is configured so that the crimping blade moves relative to the intermediate support member, toward the spherical distal end of the sliding rod of the actuator, during a movement of the blade holder in order to crimp the metal sheet edges.
The describerd methods and devices also relate to a unit for crimping metal sheet edges by folding one of said edges onto another one of said edges, comprising:
According to one embodiment, the die has a rear face opposite the receiving face and that receives the bearing part, the spherical distal end of the sliding rod of the actuator coming against said bearing part during crimping of the edges of metal sheets.
Another object is a method for crimping the edges of metal sheets by folding one of said edges onto another of said edges, said method being remarkable in that it is implemented by a crimping unit and in that it comprises:
According to one embodiment of the method, the pivoting action of the intermediate support member causes the crimping blade to enter a window well of a motor vehicle opening panel and the sliding action of the blade holder relative to the intermediate support member forms a window bottom of said opening panel.
The right part of
The left part of
With reference to the left part of
According to one embodiment, the crimping operation is carried out after an operation of pre-crimping the metal sheet edge intended to be folded against the other metal sheet edge. During the operation of pre-crimping the metal sheet edge, said metal sheet edge is partially folded toward the other metal sheet edge.
The cross sectional view A-A′ of
According to one embodiment, the crimping unit 10 is attached to a frame 40 intended to receive bodywork elements 15 made of metal sheets whose edges are to be crimped.
The crimping unit 10 for crimping the metal sheet edges by folding one of said edges onto another of said edges comprises the die 12 and a crimping device 20. The crimping operation is carried out by the crimping device 20 against the die 12.
The face receiving the metal sheet edges is intended to cooperate with a working face 27 of the crimping blade 26 during the crimping operation. During this operation, the metal sheet edge is pressed against the other metal sheet edge between the receiving face 14 for receiving the metal sheet edges of the die 12 and the working face 27 of the crimping blade 26.
The crimping unit 10 can be used to crimp a relatively linear area, such as for example a sunroof or the bottom of a motor vehicle opening panel window.
With reference to
According to one embodiment, the support member 22 is intended to attach the crimping device 20, for example, to a frame 40 arranged in particular to receive bodywork elements 15 whose edges are to be crimped. The attachment can be carried out by means of screws, which makes it possible to dismantle the crimping device 20 from the frame 40.
An intermediate support member 28 is pivotably mounted on the support member 22, which is achieved by means of the pivoting cylinder 34, the distal part 35 of the rod of the cylinder 34 is articulated on an axle 6 of the intermediate support member 28, stops 28.1 and 28.2 belonging to said intermediate support member 28 respectively ensure the repeatability of the high and low positions of said intermediate support member 28.
The blade holder 24 is mounted so as to be movable in translation on the intermediate support member 28, said mounting comprising at least two slide rails 29 each with a dovetail section.
With reference to
According to one embodiment, the mounting of the blade holder 24 so as to be translatable on the intermediate support member 28 is parallel to the sliding rod 31 of the actuator 30.
According to one embodiment, the crimping device 20 further comprises at least one spring cylinder 38 attached to the intermediate support member 28 and exerting an elastic force on the blade holder 24 in the direction of translation; said spring cylinder 38 may be of several types and is preferentially a gas cylinder.
To this end, each of the spring cylinders 38 comprises a cylinder 37 rigidly attached to the intermediate support member 28 and a sliding rod 39 in contact with the blade holder 24.
According to one embodiment, the crimping device 20 is configured so that the crimping blade 26 moves relative to the intermediate support member 28, toward the spherical distal end 32 of the sliding rod 31 of the actuator 30, during a movement of the blade holder 24 in order to crimp the edges of metal sheets.
In order to allow the loading of the metal sheet edges on the die 14, the intermediate support member 28 is in the low position, i.e. the rod of the pivoting cylinder 34 is retracted and the stop 28.2 is in direct contact with the support member 22, the rod 31 of the actuator 30 is retracted.
At the same time, at least one of the pre-stressed spring cylinders 38 exerts an elastic force on the blade holder 24; said spring cylinders 38 ensure contact of the stops 36 belonging to the blade holder 24 with the intermediate support member 28.
In this configuration, the spring cylinders 38 exert a sufficient force to overcome the gravity of the assembly formed by the blade holder 24 and the intermediate support member 28 which, naturally, would be placed in a low position relative to the intermediate support member 28.
According to one embodiment, the first movement of the crimping device 20 is a tilting of the intermediate support member 28 about an axis of rotation 8 common with the support member 22, said tilting is actuated by the projection of the rod of the cylinder 34, the stop 28.1 is then in the high position in contact with the support member 22.
This allows the crimping blade 26 to be above the metal sheet edge to be crimped and its working face 27 to be facing the metal sheet edge to be crimped; the crimping blade 26 is considered to be in a deployed position before crimping.
In the context of crimping the bottom of an opening panel window, the pivoting of the intermediate support member 28 about its axis of rotation 8 makes it possible to bring the crimping blade 26 into (or out of) the window well of the opening panel in the pivoting direction.
The spherical distal end 32 comprises a crimping force absorbing face 33, said crimping force absorbing face 33 faces the rear face 17 belonging to the bearing part 16 of the die 12 without these two faces 33, 17 being in contact.
The height of the position of the bearing part 16 is adjustable by means, for example, of a sliding attachment system mounted on the rear face 13. Advantageously, the spherical contact between the crimping force absorbing face 33 and the rear face 17, combined with the possibility of adjusting the height of the position of the bearing part 16, makes it possible to ensure good bearing between the spherical distal end 32 and said bearing part 16, which helps to limit the forces in the surrounding parts and overcome a possible problem of parallelism between the bearing part 16 and the distal end 32 in the case where their respective faces 17, 33 would have been flat.
The spherical contact between the crimping force absorbing face 33 and the rear face 17 is shown in cross sectional view B-B′ of
With reference to
Since the crimping force absorbing face 33 of the spherical distal end 32 is in contact with the rear face 17 of the bearing part 16, the rod 31 of the actuator 30 can no longer advance, but it continues to leave the cylinder 25 of the actuator 30. Thus, it is the blade holder 24 which slides on the intermediate support member 28, reducing the space between the crimping blade 26 and the die 12. The blade holder 24 leaves its deployed position. The metal sheet edges are then folded between the working face 27 of the crimping blade 26 and the receiving face 14 of the die 12 for receiving the metal sheet edges. The crimping of metal sheet edges is carried out by a relative movement between the rod of the actuator 30 and its cylinder 25.
During the crimping operation, it can be noted that the direction of the force exerted by the actuator 30 on its sliding rod 31 is reversed compared to the situations previously described.
By analyzing the chain of forces, we notice that they are closed in a “C” loop, without passing through the support members of the crimping unit 10 or through the frame 40 supporting the die 12 and the bodywork elements 15 whose edges are to be crimped. Advantageously, the absorption of crimping force at the rear face 17 of the C-shaped bearing part 16 makes it possible to limit the deformations of the crimping unit 10.
The method of crimping the metal sheet edges by folding one of said edges onto another of said edges therefore comprises a pivoting action of the intermediate support member 28 and a sliding action of the blade holder 24 relative to the intermediate support member 28 in order to press the metal sheet edges against one another.
Advantageously, the construction of the crimping device 20, with simple pivoting and translation movements, makes it possible to reduce the mass and size of the unit 10 for crimping metal sheet edges compared to the existing units. In fact, the folding force is ensured by pure translation, which can easily be achieved by a cylinder. It is therefore no longer necessary to use a motor driving a complicated connecting rod and crank system. This simplification of the mechanical parts also makes it possible to reduce the cost of the crimping unit.
Advantageously, working with an action/reaction system makes it possible to limit the forces in the surrounding parts and ensures the rigidity of the crimping unit despite its small size.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| FR2110249 | Sep 2021 | FR | national |
This application is the US National Stage under 35 USC § 371 of International Application No. PCT/FR2022/051656, filed Sep. 2, 2022, which claims the priority of French application 2110249 filed on Sep. 29, 2021, the content (text, drawings and claims) of both said applications being incorporated by reference herein.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/FR2022/051656 | 9/2/2022 | WO |
