Patent Application
20230398675
The invention relates to a hydraulically activatable working device configured to perform an operation comprising a hydraulic cylinder at least one first and one second partial piston provided for in the hydraulic cylinder, wherein the partial pistons can be moved against in a traversing direction in the hydraulic cylinder under pressure from hydraulic fluid for performing the operation, wherein each partial piston having an impact surface at a lower end thereof against which the hydraulic fluid can act, wherein the partial pistons are exposed to a same respective hydraulic pressure on the impact surfaces over the entire operation, wherein further a piston rod is provided for, coupled to the hydraulic cylinder, wherein the piston rod is having an impact surface at a lower end thereof against which the partial pistons can act, wherein the piston rod further is provided separately from the partial pistons, and can be acted upon by only one of the partial pistons or can be acted upon by several or all of the partial pistons at the same time, wherein further a restoring spring is provided for in the hydraulic cylinder, whereby the partial pistons are moveable in the hydraulic cylinder in the traversing direction under pressure from hydraulic fluid against the force of the restoring spring, wherein further a working part is provided for, which is coupled to the piston rod and moveable therewith and wherein the partial pistons are designed to act on a same working part.
Such a hydraulically activatable working device, which as also preferred within the framework of the invention is designed as a hand tool, is already known from WO 2014/108361 A1 or US 2015/0364889 A1.
In the known hand tool, a second partial piston arranged inside of a first partial piston with respect to its impact surface acts on the piston rod inside of the hydraulic cylinder. Meanwhile, the first partial piston penetrates the hydraulic cylinder, and acts on the piston rod outside of the hydraulic cylinder, allocated to an end area of the piston rod. Certain limitations are associated with this. One disadvantage involves disassembly, for example for maintenance purposes. The first partial piston provided is also to be relatively large. In addition, a first return spring supported in the hydraulic cylinder only acts on the first partial piston, with the second partial piston being exposed to a second return spring that acts between the first partial piston and the piston rod. After pressing has been completed, when hydraulic fluid again runs out of the hydraulic cylinder, the first partial piston is always retracted, in any event as a priority, which in practice causes the partial piston, in any event the first partial piston, to retract almost completely, in terms of inserting a new workpiece, even if it only has the dimensions of the workpiece pressed beforehand.
Known from US 2 968 202 A is a hydraulically activatable hand tool that likewise has a first and a second partial piston. However, the second partial piston is only exposed to a hydraulic pressure if the first partial piston has driven against a stop, i.e., a first portion of the operation has already concluded. The partial pistons also act upon various piston rods.
The invention along with the hydraulically activatable hand tools known in prior art each make it possible to execute a multistage pressing operation.
Proceeding from the described prior art, the object of the invention is to indicate a hydraulically activatable working device that allows an effective and advantageous multistage pressing given simple configuration.
This object is initially and essentially achieved by the subject matter of claim 1, with the emphasis being placed on designing all partial impact surfaces without a mutual overlap relative to a projection in the traversing direction.
The piston rod can have a comparatively simple configuration. Only an overall impact surface is required, which has all partial impact surfaces, without having to consider a mutual overlapping of partial impact surfaces in relation to the mentioned projection.
Even in the description to the figures and the drawing, additional features of the invention are often described or illustrated in their preferred allocation to the concept already explained above; however, they can also be important as allocated to only one or several individual features, which are described or graphically depicted.
An advantageous further development provides that all partial impact surfaces be located inside of the hydraulic cylinder over the entire operation. This also makes it easier to guide the piston rod through a cylinder cover. Only the piston rod as such must be guided through the cylinder cover. The piston rod is coupled with a hydraulic cylinder such that piston rod in view of its impact surface and an essential part of its length does extend within the hydraulic cylinder, with a further, preferably one part provided for part, which does also have the working part, outside of the hydraulic cylinder. There is a preferably sealed through going of the cylinder sealing by the hydraulic piston through the piston rod.
The piston rod can be impacted by all partial pistons simultaneously, in particular at the beginning of an operation. However, it can also be acted upon during the operation by a partial piston or possibly a pair of partial pistons, or by an allocated plurality of pistons, as has yet to be explained in more detail further below.
The partial pistons are each acted upon with hydraulic pressure by the hydraulic fluid. For this purpose, a first partial piston has a first impact surface, and each additional partial piston has an additional impact surface.
The impact surfaces are to be understood as the respective hydraulically effective surface in a projection on a plane transverse to the traversing direction. An impact surface can be understood as a recess in a surface that intersects this impact surface of an impact surface of an additional partial piston.
A second, possibly further, and preferably each additional impact surface can be arranged inside of the first impact surface.
In the mentioned projection, the first, second and the additional impact surfaces can coincide with transfer surfaces formed opposite each other on the respective partial piston for transferring force to the partial transfer surfaces. This also allows the transfer surfaces to be arranged inside of each other. In particular with regard to the configuration with a stop flange yet to be described further below, a surface that comprises the impact surface can overlap an enveloping surface of an additional partial piston. As a rule, this part is then a hydraulically ineffective part of the impact surface if the overlapped surface area is hydraulically effective. An outer edge of an impact surface is to be understood in relation to the hydraulically effective edge of the surface that comprises the impact surface.
With respect to the partial pistons, one or several return springs can be provided. Only one return spring is preferably provided. The partial pistons overall, meaning all partial pistons, can then be reset by the same return spring. This in particular also advantageously makes it possible to easily interrupt a retraction of the piston rod, and initiate an ensuing pressing operation proceeding from such a not fully retracted position.
It is further preferred that the return spring act directly only between the hydraulic cylinder and the piston rod. In this regard, several or all partial pistons are preferably only acted upon indirectly by means of the piston rod.
The piston rod can have an impact flange for the return springs. One of the partial pistons, preferably the first partial piston, can further have a sleeve part. The Sleeve part can extend on the partial piston in the direction toward the cylinder cover, while facing the piston rod. The impact flange of the piston rod can be arranged inside of the sleeve part. In this embodiment, at least one part of the return spring is simultaneously accommodated inside of the sleeve part.
The first partial piston is preferably designed with a first gasket, with which it is sealed against an inner surface of the hydraulic cylinder. In this regard, the first partial piston is understood as the partial piston that is in direct contact with the inner surface of the hydraulic cylinder, possibly as the only one of the partial pistons. The first partial piston can further be designed with a second gasket, with which it is sealed relative to an outer surface of an additional partial piston. In this regard, it can also have several second gaskets for several additional partial pistons.
Because the first partial piston has the mentioned gaskets for the one or the several partial pistons, the second or the additional partial pistons can even be designed without their own gasket. If the partial pistons are only provided in a concentric arrangement relative to each other, only the centrally innermost partial piston is preferably designed without its own gasket.
Each partial piston has a geometric central axis that extends in the traversing direction. The geometric central axis is preferably the axis that intersects a surface midpoint of the partial piston relative to the surface given by its outer edge in the sense of the impact surface, but in this conjunction without considering an impact surface of an additional partial piston that might be located inside of the impact surface.
In a first embodiment, the partial pistons can now be arranged in such a way that the geometric central axes converge. It is here preferred that several partial pistons be designed so as to telescope into each other. This can initially be the first partial piston and the second partial piston. However, more than two partial pistons can also be involved, which are arranged so as to telescope into each other in this way inside of the first partial piston.
An alternative embodiment, but one that can be provided supplementarily to the embodiment described above, provides that partial pistons be realized with geometric central axes running spaced apart relative to each other. Partial pistons arranged next to each other in the mentioned projection can here be involved. Each of the several additional partial pistons can here only be arranged in a through opening of the first partial piston allocated to only one of these respective additional partial pistons.
With regard to these partial pistons arranged eccentrically relative to a central axis of the hydraulic cylinder, it can further be provided that two identical partial pistons be arranged opposite each other relative to the mentioned central axis, which travel the same distance even during an operation, possibly beyond the first partial piston. This makes it possible to nevertheless achieve an essentially balanced load on the piston rod. As an alternative to the identical partial pistons lying opposite each other relative to the central axes, an arrangement at identical peripheral distances relative to the central axes can also be provided given more than two insofar identical partial pistons.
The first and one second and beyond that possibly additional partial pistons can be located only inside of the hydraulic cylinder during an entire operation. The first partial piston can be designed as a ring piston, and the second piston as a piston that extends inside of the first partial piston, for example with a circular layout. In like manner, the second partial piston can also be designed as a ring piston, and an additional partial piston with a circular layout with respect to its impact surface. In particular in the traversing direction, the partial pistons can be given a comparatively small or short design. Only the piston rod need be provided so as to be extendible from the hydraulic cylinder. The piston rod can be designed with just one overall impact surface, which can be composed of the several partial impact surfaces. Upon completion of a pressing operation, a retraction of the piston rod can be halted at practically any point desired to press a next workpiece. The next pressing operation can be performed immediately from this position of the piston rod.
The piston rod can have a traversing area between an initial position and a final position. In the traversing area of the piston rod, a change can arise from all partial pistons acting on the piston rod, in particular at the beginning of an operation, to a portion of the partial pistons, or ultimately just one partial piston, doing so in particular at the end of the traversing area.
The piston rod has an overall impact surface that is located inside of the hydraulic cylinder over the entire traversing area. This overall impact surface or the partial impact surfaces that comprise the overall impact surface is/are acted upon alternately or simultaneously by the partial pistons.
The piston rod that can be separated from both the first and a second and possibly additional partial pistons can have an integral design. This piston rod can also be designed with only one all-around impact flange for a return spring. It can loosely lie on the transfer surfaces of the partial pistons.
The overall impact surface of the piston rod is preferably uniformly flat throughout, with an essentially rectangular extension to the traversing direction of the piston rod during an operation. Nevertheless, a distinction can be made between two or more partial impact surfaces, wherein a first partial impact surface is only acted upon by the first partial piston, a second partial impact surface only by the second partial piston, etc. during an operation.
Only one return spring is advantageously provided in all. This one return spring can simultaneously bring about a retraction of the piston rod as well as the first and the second, etc., partial piston.
A return spring, the return springs, advantageously act(s) directly upon the piston rod, possibly on the impact flange of the piston rod, and by contrast only indirectly upon the partial pistons. The partial pistons are indirectly acted upon via the overall impact surface of the piston rod.
The piston rod with the return spring can also be arranged in a replacement head of the working device, and be removable out of the hydraulic cylinder or from the hydraulic cylinder together with the replacement head, wherein the first, the second, etc., partial piston can remain in the hydraulic cylinder. As a consequence, the “wet side”, meaning the partial pistons whose impact surfaces can be acted upon with hydraulic fluid, do not have to be removed when changing out the tool head. The work can advantageously be done on the “dry side”. Accordingly, the replacement head can have the cylinder cover and a partial cylinder wall extending from the cylinder cover in the direction toward a cylinder floor.
It is further preferred that the impact flange of the piston rod, if provided, be arranged inside of a sleeve section of a partial piston, preferably of the first partial piston. The first partial piston can be driven against a stop by means of the neck section, wherein after a stop has been made, just the additional partial piston(s), at least a second partial piston, is/are now moved by increasing the pressure in the hydraulic fluid. The second, etc., partial piston then continues to advance further in the traversing direction relative to the impact surface of the first piston rod, i.e., in the direction of the piston rod. The second, etc., piston rod here continues to abut the allocated partial impact surface of the piston rod, but with the latter otherwise being lifted from the allocated transfer surface of the first partial piston. In the event of several identical partial pistons, the latter simultaneously abut the respectively allocated partial impact surface of the piston rod, which then is also otherwise lifted from the allocated transfer surface (at least) of the first partial piston.
The preferably single return spring preferably envelops the piston rod in an annular space between the mentioned sleeve part and an outer surface of the piston rod. This annular space is preferably downwardly limited by the impact flange of the piston rod. It is preferable, and at least effective, that the annular space be limited by the cylinder cover of the hydraulic cylinder toward the top, or in an extending direction. As already mentioned, this cylinder cover can in a practical embodiment also be comprised of a corresponding area of the replacement head, for example. Accordingly, the return spring preferably acts between a part of a working head further preferably designed as a removable part, advantageously a replacement head, and an upper side of the impact flange of the piston rod.
The second, etc., partial piston is further preferably sealed and guided inside of the first partial piston. The second, etc., partial piston here preferably has a stop flange, with which it abuts an inwardly facing, preferably continuous, projection of the first partial piston in the widest possible extended position relative to the first partial piston. The seal is formed preferably outside of the stop flange in a traversing direction offset in the direction toward the cylinder cover. As a rule, the stop flange does not form a hydraulically effective area of the surface that forms the respective impact surface.
However, a gasket inside of the stop flange, i.e., in a radial area of the stop flange, can on the other hand necessitate including the surface portion of the stop flange in the hydraulically effective impact surface. The second, etc., partial piston can thus not be removed toward the outside relative to the first partial piston. In order to take the second partial piston out of the hydraulic cylinder, the first partial piston must rather first be removed from the hydraulic cylinder, after which the second partial piston must be pulled downwardly, so to speak, out of the first partial piston.
The first partial piston is preferably designed with a first gasket, which seals it relative to an inner surface of the hydraulic cylinder, and simultaneously also with a second, possibly additional second gasket(s), which seals it relative to an outer surface of the second and possibly additional partial piston.
The second partial piston can thus in itself preferably be designed without a gasket. It does not have to have a recess for receiving a sealing ring or the like.
The partial piston, possibly both or all partial pistons, are preferably telescoped into each other according to a first possible embodiment in this regard. A partial piston that is arranged inside of the first partial piston and telescopically receives an additional partial piston preferably has a gasket with which it interacts with this additional partial piston.
Accordingly, the second, etc., partial piston is preferably only allocated to one inner area relative to the first or a second partial piston in this embodiment. The impact surface of the first partial piston for exposure to pressure by the hydraulic fluid is designed so as to annularly envelop the impact surface of the second partial piston. The impact surface of the first partial piston is correspondingly preferably designed like a circular ring. The impact surface of the second or possibly inner partial piston is preferably designed as a circular area.
A movement characteristic of the partial pistons is primarily not dependent on the behavior of their surfaces. The surface ratio provided can basically be such that the first partial piston acts on the piston rod with a greater force than the second or any additional partial piston when an operation begins. A sequential force applied by the partial pistons on the piston rod is preferably also connected with a gradual decline in the force exerted on the piston shaft. However, both partial pistons, or several partial pistons, simultaneously act upon the piston rod at the beginning of an operation until the first partial piston has driven against the stop.
At the beginning of an operation, the impact surfaces of the partial pistons are adjacent to or near a floor of the hydraulic cylinder. If hydraulic fluid is now pumped into the hydraulic cylinder on the floor side at a progressively rising hydraulic pressure, the partial pistons initially preferably act together on the overall impact surface of the piston rod, independently of their surface configuration with respect to the transfer surfaces. During an increase in pressure, however, it can be provided that the first partial piston arrive at the mentioned stop after a specific exit path, so that only the or the additional partial pistons still act upon the piston rod given a further increase in the hydraulic pressure. Even with respect to the additional partial pistons, a respective stop can then be provided, so that the next partial piston also withdraws from acting on the piston rod given several additional partial pistons. The impact surface of the piston rod is here simultaneously increasingly removed from the or the partial pistons that arrived at the stop, accompanied by a further compression of the return spring. The size of the impact surface of the second or the additional partial pistons makes it possible in particular to determine the force that comes to act upon the piston rod, and hence upon a tool exposed to the action of the piston rod, when the or the additional partial pistons alone transfer the force.
Connected with this is that tools that can be moved toward each other, or a tool and a stop in a tool head, can be moved toward each other over a first traversing path with an increasing force when the piston rod is acted upon by both or all partial pistons. The mentioned areas are then only exposed to the force of the second or the additional partial piston over an additional traversing path. This second, possibly third, etc., force can preferably be smaller than the respective first, second, etc., force.
The more than two partial pistons can be telescoped into each other in the same way as the first and the second partial piston, each with coincident central axes.
However, a first and a second and possibly additional partial pistons can also be arranged offset to each other with respect to their central axes. This in particular when a second and additional partial piston are guided in one or several openings eccentrically formed in the first partial piston. Advantageously provided here are a respective two or more identical partial pistons, i.e., partial pistons with the same length, in the traversing direction of the partial pistons, and preferably also with the same impact surface, so that a symmetrical application of force can thereby be achieved for the piston rod. Peripherally offset additional partial pistons with impact surfaces that deviate, but among themselves again coincide and preferably coincide, can then be provided, so that multiple stages exceeding two stages can also be achieved in this way.
A working device of the kind described here can be used to favorably process parts of varying size in the same working device, without there being too high an acting force given a smaller-sized part, for which a relevant force application often only takes place after the first partial piston has already driven onto a stop.
Such a working device can especially favorably be used for crimping purposes, for example for crimping wire end ferrules and/or cable shoes.
In the case of several identical partial pistons which, as described, are arranged one opposite the other or peripherally offset in relation to the central axis, the first partial piston preferably has several hole-like perforations, in which the rodlike, identical second and possibly third, etc., partial pistons sit. These rod-like partial pistons can then also be provided with varying lengths, wherein respectively allocated, identical partial pistons have a same length, so that the desired multistage system can hereby be achieved. Two rod-like partial pistons of identical length lying one opposite the other are preferably formed in relation to a midpoint or a central longitudinal axis of the hydraulic cylinder. The mentioned embodiments can also be combined with each other. In this case, for example, an embodiment with a first and second partial piston with a concentric arrangement, which is described here as a preferred embodiment, can be combined with rodlike, additional partial pistons in corresponding perforations of the first partial piston.
As known from the WO 2014/108361 A1 mentioned at the outset ox US 2015/0364889 A1, the working device described here can also be used for the preferably multistage pressing or crimping of cable shoes.
The working device can also be designed as a manual working device, for example as known from US 3 154 981 A1.
The working device can also be designed as a working head separate from a hull unit, which is hooked up to the hull unit by means of a hydraulic hose. In this regard, for example, reference is made to the disclosure in WO 2019/016194 A2 (US 2020/0180049 A1), e.g., there specifically the illustration on
The invention will be explained in more detail below based on exemplary embodiments. Shown on:
Shown and described is a hydraulically activatable working device 1 designed as a hand tool. With reference to
Given a preferably rodlike arrangement as depicted on
An activating switch 8 can further be provided.
As evident with further reference to
Further provided is a piston rod 11, which can be acted upon by the partial pistons 9, 10.
The piston rod 11 acts upon a tool 13 movably guided in a working head 12. In the exemplary embodiment, the tool 13 is preferably detachably connected with the piston rod 11.
In the exemplary embodiment, a movably guided first tool 13 and a second tool 14 are preferably fizedly arranged in the working head 12.
The exemplary embodiment involves a crimping device, preferably for crimping wire end ferrules. A crimping opening 15 is here left between the tools 13 and 14, which is diminished as the piston rod 11 increasingly travels, see
The two partial pistons, the first partial piston 9 and the second partial piston 10 each have a first impact surface 16 for acting upon the first partial piston 9 with hydraulic fluid, and a second impact surface 17 for acting upon the second partial piston 10 with hydraulic fluid. During the course of an operation, these impact surfaces 16 and 17 can be acted upon by the hydraulic means (not shown in detail) that are pumped into the hydraulic cylinder 6 for performing an operation.
The two partial pistons, the first partial piston 9 and the second partial piston 10 act upon the same tool 13 by way of the piston rod 11.
During the performance of an operation of the kind depicted on
The piston rod 11 has an overall impact surface 18, by way of which both partial pistons 9, 10 can act upon the piston rod 11.
As evident from a comparison of the state on
As shown in the exemplary embodiment, the overall impact surface 18 of the piston rod 11 is preferably formed as a uniformly flat surface, which also extends essentially perpendicular to a traversing direction V of the piston rod 11 during an operation. Nonetheless, only a partial area of the impact surface 18 is always acted upon by the transfer surface 19 or 20 of the first or second partial piston 9, 10.
The first partial piston 9 is further preferably designed with a stop part. In the exemplary embodiment and as further preferred, the stop part is designed as a sleeve part 23. The sleeve part 28 can be integrally designed with the first partial piston 9. However, it can also be designed separately from the first partial piston 9, or integrally with the working head 12.
During the movement of the first partial piston 9, see the position on
As preferred in this exemplary embodiment, but also further preferred in all exemplary embodiments, only a single return spring 22 is provided. The return spring 22 acts between the working head 12 and the piston rod 11. The return spring 22 preferably acts upon an impact flange 23 of the piston rod 11. Even opposite a side upon which the return spring 22 acts, the impact flange 23 preferably forms a part of the impact surface 18 for the first or second partial pistons 9, 10. As further preferred, both in this exemplary embodiment and further in all exemplary embodiments, the return spring 22 is arranged in an annular space between the sleeve part 28 and an outer surface of the piston rod 11.
The return spring 22 is further supported at the top against a cylinder cover 45.
The working head 12 is preferably formed so as to include a part of the hydraulic cylinder, here the cylinder cover 45 and a partial cylinder wall 47 that extends from the cylinder cover 45 in the direction toward a cylinder floor 46. The inside of the partial cylinder wall 47 can comprise part of the threaded connection 26.
The first partial piston 9 further preferably has a first gasket 24, with which it is sealed against an inner surface of the hydraulic cylinder 6. The first partial piston 9 further preferably has a second gasket 25, with which it forms a seal relative to the second partial piston 10.
The working head 12 is further preferably designed so that it can be detached from the hydraulic cylinder 6. In this exemplary embodiment and preferably in all exemplary embodiments, a threaded connection 26 is provided between the working head 12 and the hydraulic cylinder 6. A locking screw 27 can be used to fix the working head 12 in a screwed on position of the kind corresponding to
The impact flange 23 of the piston rod 11 further preferably moves inside of the sleeve part 23. An outer surface thereof here preferably borders an inner surface of the sleeve part 28.
The second partial piston 10 has a stop flange 30, with which it comes to a stop against an allocated stop 34 of the first partial piston when in the extended position, see
In the embodiment on
The second partial piston 10 is here designed as a sleeve part, which preferably guides the third partial piston 29 on its inner surface, and is guided in the first partial piston 9 on its outer surface. The first 9 and the second partial piston 10 correspondingly have an annular impact surface, while the third partial piston 29 has a circular impact surface.
All three partial pistons 9, 10, 29 telescope into each other. The third partial piston 29 is designed as a cylindrical partial piston with a stop flange 30 corresponding to the stop flange 30 of the second partial piston 10 in the first embodiment. As also the case in the first embodiment, the stop flange 32 together with the central area of the third partial piston 29 further forms a shared circular surface on the bottom side, which if hydraulically effective is an impact surface 31.
In a comparable manner, the second partial. piston 10 of this embodiment has a flange 30, which on the bottom side correspondingly adjoins the circular impact surface 33.
In the extended position at the end of an operation as shown on
Otherwise, the description of the first embodiment also applies, unless any specifics were addressed here.
The additional embodiment according to
Even if the second and third partial pistons 36 or 37 are each shown with the same diameter in terms of their paired configuration, but also each viewed separately, they can also have varying diameters.
As shown, the second partial pistons 36 and the third partial pistons 37 in this embodiment each preferably have a flange 42, 43 on the bottom side, with which they can also come to abut against a corresponding surface of the partial piston in an extended position. In this embodiment as well, the flanges 42, 43 are hydraulically not included in the impact surfaces.
The transfer surfaces of the second and third partial pistons 36, 37 are uniformly assigned here with the reference 20″.
An outer edge 44 of the impact surface of the first partial piston 9 in this exemplary embodiment is provided so as to coincide with an inner surface of the hydraulic cylinder. With respect to the geometric central azis A, the impact surfaces of the second and third partial pistons 36, 37 are not to be included, wherein no difference would arise here either owing to the symmetrical arrangement.
All disclosed features (whether taken separately ox in combination with each other) are essential to the invention. The disclosure of the application hereby also incorporates the content the disclosure of accompanying/attached priority documents (copy of the prior application) in its entirety, also for the purpose of including features of these documents in claims of the present application. Even without the features of a referenced claim, the subclaims characterize standalone inventive further developments of prior art with their features, in particular so as to submit partial applications based upon these claims. The invention indicated in each claim can additionally have one or several of the features indicated in the above description, in particular those provided with reference numbers and/or indicated on the reference list. The invention also relates to design forms in which individual features specified in the above description are not realized, in particular if they are recognizably superfluous with regard to the respective intended use, or can be replaced by other technically equivalent means.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2020 126 637.5 | Oct 2020 | DE | national |
| 10 2020 131 036.6 | Nov 2020 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2021/078016 | 10/11/2021 | WO |
