Patent Application
20160023259
The invention concerns a device for bending profiled parts such as pipes, and in particular a device allowing the bending of pipes in order to produce exhaust lines and manifolds in the automotive field.
The exhaust lines and manifolds of automobiles have the peculiarity of often having between two bent pieces a straight piece of insufficient length to ensure the clamping of the pipe during the bending process. Therefore, the bending machines used to produce these pieces need to be outfitted with a plurality of pairs of clamping jaws making possible a clamping of the usual straight pieces but also the clamping of bent pieces with various angles and orientations.
At present, the classical bending machines used for this purpose include primarily the one described in particular in the patents FR2530980, U.S. Pat. No. 7,254,972, U.S. Pat. No. 7,360,385, and EP1459816:
A first drawback of these bending machines resides in the fact that they require a number of bending formers equal to the number of cavities required, as well as a corresponding wiper die and guide bar for each of these bending formers.
Moreover, in order to change the bending formers, it is necessary to move either the frame or the bending head, which are heavy and bulky parts whose movement, on the one hand, requires motorized equipment, and on the other hand they are relatively slow, given the inertia of these parts in particular, and this slowness results in relatively long cycle times which have an negative impact on the productivity of these bending machines.
What is more, the axis of the bending formers of these bending machines is subjected to torsional forces which are all the larger as the bending former used is further from the anchoring point of this axis, and in practice such forces require making this axis more rigid with the help of reinforcement elements known as “braces”.
However, due to their positioning, these braces prove to be an obstacle in the manipulation of the pipes and result in longer cycle times.
Some of these drawbacks have been solved by the bending machines which are described in particular in the patent applications WO 99/38626 and WO 00/16922 which basically comprise:
of the pivoting lever or barrel type disposed to simultaneously move the two clamping jaws of each pair of clamping jaws between a passive storage position and an active bending position
and means of driving the rotation of the bending former and the rotary arm.
According to this principle, the bending machine comprises, for the same radius of bending, a single bending former, and thus a single bar and a single wiper die, which are associated with a plurality of pairs of clamping jaws having different clamping cavities.
What is more, the parts to be moved during the bending operations have a relatively low weight and volume and their movement requires motorized equipment of relatively modest power.
On the other hand, the operations of grabbing and transfer of each pair of clamping jaws prove to result in relatively long cycle times which have a negative impact on the productivity of these bending machines.
Furthermore, these transfers require transfer means which are relatively large and costly which, given their positioning above the bending machine, proves to be an obstacle making it harder to manipulate the pipes.
The present invention intends to mitigate these drawbacks and its main purpose is to provide a bending machine having a single bending former for each radius of bending, and whose cycle times are reduced in optimal manner.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide a bending machine with no obstacles liable to prevent the manipulating of the pipes.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide a bending machine able to integrate a cutting station (cutting blade, punch, etc.) at less cost.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide a bending machine designed such that the upstream section of the bending former is totally free and clear.
Toward this end, the invention involves a device for the bending of profiled sections (T) such as pipes, extending along a longitudinal axis (X), comprising in combination:
In the first place, like the one described in the patent applications WO 99/38626 and WO 00/16922, the bending machine according to the invention comprises, for the same bending radius, a single bending former, and thus a single bar and a single wiper die, which are associated with a plurality of pairs of counter clamping jaws and clamping jaws having different clamping cavities.
However, according to the invention, the operation of the counter clamping jaws and the clamping jaws making up the stacks differs totally from that described in these patent applications, and results in a totally different kinetics of displacement of the latter. In fact, according to the invention, a changing of cavity simply requires moving the stack of counter jaws along an axis parallel to the bending axis, and adjusting the relative displacement means of the assembly formed by bending former(s), stack of counter clamping jaws and stack of clamping jaws in order to produce a mating between the new counter jaw positioned in the indentation of the bending former and its complementary clamping jaw.
In practice, the time to change the cavity is thus equal to the time needed for the displacement of the stack of counter clamping jaws, which proves to be very short, due to the slight distance traveled and the low weight and volume of the unit being moved.
As for the other bending steps, these require a time equal to that taken by the bending machines described in the patent applications WO 99/38626 and WO 00/16922, so that the overall cycle time according to the invention is reduced in optimized manner.
Furthermore, according to the invention, the distance between the bending former and the anchoring point of the latter is fixed and reduced in optimal manner, so that the achievement of a satisfactory rigidity does not require any reinforcement liable to obstruct the manipulating of the pipes.
Furthermore, since the bending device according to the invention is by its design clear of any other obstacle, the various manipulations of the pipes can be performed in complete freedom.
According to one advantageous embodiment of the invention, the means of relative displacement of the assembly formed by bending former(s), stack of counter clamping jaws and stack of clamping jaws consist in means of displacement of the stack of clamping jaws.
Moreover, these means of displacement of the stack of clamping jaws advantageously comprise according to the invention:
Moreover, according to the invention, the means of transverse displacement and the means of vertical displacement of the stack of clamping jaws are advantageously actuated by means of correlated-control motors, so as to reduce the displacement time of said clamping jaws, and thus reduce the cycle times.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the clamping jaw positioned in the area of the base of the stack of clamping jaws consists of a blank holder designed to be mated with a blank consisting of the counter clamping jaw positioned in the area of the top of the stack of counter clamping jaws, said blank holder being pierced by a transverse seat emerging into the cavity of this blank, accommodating a cutting element associated with elastic means designed to:
Thus, the bending device according to the invention can be equipped, at low cost, with a cutting station comprising, for example, a punch or a cutting blade whose operating kinetics is identical to that of bending operations.
According to one advantageous embodiment involving this cutting station the elastic means extend between the blank holder and the means of displacement of the stack of clamping jaws, and the means of transverse displacement of the stack of clamping jaws are designed to compress the elastic means in the mated position of the blank holder and the blank. The actuation of the cutting element is thus obtained automatically by ordering the continuation, for a short distance, of the movement of the transverse displacement means of the stack of clamping jaws once mating of the blank holder and the blank has occurred.
Moreover, according to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, each bending former is integrated with one of the ends of a mast centered on the bending axis (Z), along which there extend guiding means for the stack of counter clamping jaws, and on which is integrated a transverse arm along which there extend guiding means for the stack of clamping jaws, said mast being integrated on a plate mounted on means of driving said plate in rotation about the bending axis (Z).
This embodiment totally frees up the space situated upstream from the bending former, so that no length of straight pipe is required upstream from this bending former to produce the next bending; thus, this arrangement helps to augment the potential performance of the bending device according to the invention.
Other characteristics, purposes and advantages of the invention shall emerge from the following detailed description made in reference to the enclosed drawings which show as a nonlimiting example one preferred embodiment. In these drawings:
a to 10d are diagrams illustrating the stages of a bending cycle with changing of cavity with the aid of a bending device according to the invention, and
The bending device according to the invention shown as an example in
It should be noted that, in order to simplify the following detailed description, this bending machine is described in its customary position of use in which, in particular, the bending axis (Z) is a vertical axis and the displacement axis (X) is a horizontal axis. Consequently, the terms vertical, horizontal, etc. refer to such a position.
This bending machine comprises, in the first place, a frame 1 having a horizontal upper face 1a, resting on the floor by a first rear base 2 and being prolonged by a front base 3 in the form of a cylindrical pedestal 4 extending as a prolongation of the frame 1.
This bending machine comprises a mandrel carriage 5 mounted so as to slide along rails such as 6 parallel to the longitudinal axis (X), arranged in the rear zone of said frame, said carriage being actuated by a motorized assembly of electric motor, pinions, belt, screw and nut, of which only one pinion 7 is shown in
This carriage 5 carries a mandrel head 8 in which is secured the end of a mandrel bar 9, at the other end of which is mounted a mandrel 10.
Furthermore, for purposes of regulating the transverse position of the mandrel 10, a customary function for the bending radius of profiled sections, the mandrel head 8 is fixed to a support element 11 extending through a transverse space 12 produced in a vertical plate 13 which is integrated with the carriage 5, said support element 11 forming a nut carried by a transverse screw extending behind the vertical plate 13.
The bending machine likewise contains, in usual fashion, a ruler 15 carried by means of displacement of said ruler along a longitudinal axis parallel to the axis (X) and along a transverse horizontal axis (y) orthogonal to said axis (X). Moreover, this ruler 15 can also be equipped with a rocker element (not shown) for clamping the profiled section lodged in the latter, in order to allow said section to be pushed during the bending steps for the latter.
For this purpose, the ruler is integrated laterally on a longitudinal carriage 16 outfitted with a nut 17 cooperating with a screw 18 of longitudinal axis (x) driven in rotation by a motorized assembly of electric motor, pinions, belt, screw and nut, of which only one pinion 20 is shown in
Moreover this longitudinal carriage is mounted to slide along rails such as 22 which are integrated on a second transverse carriage 21 designed to move on the frame 1 along a transverse axis (y) and driven, for this purpose, by a motorized assembly of electric motor 23, pinions 24, 26, belt 25, screw and nut.
The bending machine likewise comprises a bending unit 27 forming the bending head of the bending machine with the aforementioned ruler 15 and a wiper die element of classical type, not shown in the figures.
This bending unit 27 comprises a circular plate 28 integrated with a rotational toothed crown 29 having a vertical axis of rotation (z), driven in rotation by means of a pinion 30 mounted on the vertically arranged drive shaft of an electric motor 31.
This bending unit furthermore comprises a hollow vertical mast 32 integrated with the plate 28 and on which is integrated a transverse arm 33 consisting of a vertical plate.
The hollow mast 32 is closed, in the area of its upper end, by a circular interface plate 34 on which there extends a shaft 35 defining the bending axis (Z), for positioning of a bending former 36 through which an axial borehole 37 passes, designed to lodge said shaft.
This bending former 36, especially as shown in
This bending former 36 furthermore has a T-shaped vertical slot emerging in the area of the front face 39b of the indentation 39 orthogonal to the transverse axis (y).
Moreover, a vertical through slit 41 is also produced in the bending former 36, so as to emerge in the area of the aforesaid front face 39b of the indentation 39.
The hollow mast 32 also has an indentation 32a, the same as the interface plate 34, in order to ensure the vertical guiding of a stack of five clamping jaws 42-45, known as counter clamping jaws, each one having:
Moreover, a vertical slot 46 is produced in the rear face 42b of these counter clamping jaws 42-45 abutting against the face 39b of the indentation 39, corresponding to the T-shaped slot 40 of said indentation.
Furthermore, the counter clamping jaw 45 situated at the top of the stack constitutes a blank having a planar front face in which a rectilinear cavity 45c is disposed, also being pierced on either side of said cavity by indexing holes such as 47, for example, being four in number.
This blank 45 furthermore comprises a vertical through slit 48 emerging into the cavity 45c, designed to extend as a continuation of the slot 41 produced in the bending former 36.
For the movement of the stack of counter clamping jaws 42-45 in order to position one of these counter clamping jaws in the indentation 39 of the bending former 36, this stack rests against an end stop 49 connected to the bending former by a T-shaped ruler 50 so as to be inserted into the respective slots 40, 46 of said bending former and said counter clamping jaws, said ruler acting as a guide rail and being:
This movement is furthermore produced by a rack and pinion system having:
The bending unit also has a stack of clamping jaws 55-58 having a front face in this there is produced a cavity 55c-58c for clamping a complementary profiled section of a cavity 42c-45c of one of the counter clamping jaws 42-45.
Opposite this front face, each clamping jaw 55-58 has furthermore a planar rear face such as 55a, in which there is produced a vertical slot 59.
The three upper jaws 55-57 of the stack are arranged side by side and integrated, in the area of their rear face 55a, with an interface block 60.
The fourth clamping jaw 58 located at the base of the stack constitutes a blank holder designed to cooperate with the blank 45 in order to clamp a profiled section and allow a cutting operation.
This blank holder 58 has a planar front face in which is produced a straight cavity 58c complementary to the cavity 45c of the blank 45, furthermore having on either side of said cavity indexing pins such as 61 adapted to fit into the indexing holes 47.
This blank holder 58 furthermore comprises a vertical through slit 62 emerging into the cavity 58c, produced in the same vertical transverse plane as the slit 48 made in the blank 45.
This blank holder 58 is furthermore connected by helical springs such as 65 to an interface block 63 with which a cutting blade 65 is integrated, designed to:
These clamping jaws 55-58 are associated with means of displacement designed to position them in:
For this purpose, these means of displacement comprise a first vertical carriage having a vertical plate 70 integrated on a frame 71 mounted so as to slide along vertical rails 72 carried by a second transverse carriage, formed by beams 73 on which said rails are assembled, said transverse carriage being mounted so as to slide along transverse rails 74 integrated on the front face of the frame 1.
Moreover, the movement of the vertical carriage 70, 71 is produced by a rack and pinion system having:
As for the transverse carriage 72,73, this is equipped with a nut 77 cooperating with a transverse screw 78 driven in rotation by a motorized assembly of electric motor 79, pinions 80, 81, belt, screw 78, and nut 77.
Moreover, the controls of the motors 76, 79 are advantageously correlated.
Furthermore, the plate 70 is extended by a lateral vertical wing 70a for purposes of fixation, on the vertical carriage 70, 71, of interface blocks 60, 63, having slots 60b, 63b for this purpose, in order to install keys.
It should be noted that the clamping jaws 55-58 and the interface blocks 60 are likewise equipped with opposite slots 59, 60a for purposes of integrating said clamping jaws with said interface blocks.
It should also be noted that the design of the clamping jaws 55-58 and the counter clamping jaws 42-45 and their means of mounting gives the latter a modular nature, allowing an assembly and disassembly of different models of these elements.
The functioning of the bending machine according to the invention for purposes of changing a counter clamping jaw and a clamping jaw during the bending of a pipe (T) is described below with reference to
The first step involves bringing the stack of clamping blocks 55-58 into a position retracted by means of motors 76, 79 with correlated controls (
In parallel with this (
It should be noted, however, that an identical result can be obtained either by equipping the bending machine with means of displacement of the pipe (T) in the two directions along a transverse axis (y), or by equipping this bending machine with means of displacement of the bending unit 27 in the two [directions] along a transverse axis (y).
The next stage, shown in
Once the counter jaw has been selected, being the counter jaw 43 in the example, and positioned in the indentation 39 of the bending former 36, the next stage consists in simultaneously, as shown in
The above described operations can also be implemented in order to obtain a position, shown in
It should be noted that these cutting operations are enabled thanks to the specific design of the bending machine according to the invention which in particular allows a driving, without the need for specific actuating or control means, the mating of the blank 45 and the blank holder 58 and the slicing operation.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1300124 | Jan 2013 | FR | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/FR2014/000012 | 1/20/2014 | WO | 00 |
