Process and apparatus for mechanically joining metallic components

Abstract

A process for mechanically joining plies of thin metallic components lying on one another, and apparatus for its implementation, involves an impulse-wave conductor ( 9, 25, 31 - 35 ) having first and second substantially straight impulse-wave-conductor portions ( 19, 20, 32, 33 ) which are arranged at an angle to one another along which impulse waves are transmitted to a stamp ( 7 ) to be driven into a component to be joined by impulse force. The impulse waves are redirected between the first and second substantially straight impulse-wave-conductor portions by a structure of an intermediate angled portion ( 21, 31 ) located between, the first and second substantially straight impulse-wave-conductor portions.

I claim:  
     
         1 . Process for mechanically joining plies of thin metallic components lying on one another, including providing a joining tool, wherein a stamp of the joining tool is driven into a component to be joined by impulse force with the impulse force being transmitted to the stamp as impulse waves via an impulse-wave conductor ( 9 ,  25 ) of the joining tool; 
 wherein, the impulse-wave conductor is provided to have first and second substantially straight impulse-wave-conductor portions ( 19 ,  20 ) which are arranged at an angle to one another along which the impulse waves are transmitted to the stamp, wherein the impulse waves are transmitted between the first and second substantially straight impulse-wave-conductor portions ( 19 ,  20 ) by redirecting them with an intermediate angled portion ( 21 ) formed as one piece with, and between, the first and second substantially straight impulse-wave-conductor portions ( 19 ,  20 ).    
     
     
         2 . A tong shaped joining tool for mechanically joining two thin metallic components lying on one another, said joining tool including: a stamp for being driven into at least one of the components by impulse force acting on the stamp; an impulse-wave conductor ( 9 ) attached to the stamp for conducting impulse force to the stamp as a compression wave, wherein the impulse-wave conductor ( 9 ) includes as one piece a bent intermediate portion ( 21 ) between two substantially-straight legs ( 19 ,  20 ), with the intermediate portion ( 21 ) extending in a largest possible arc for conducting said compression wave between said two substantially-straight legs ( 19 ,  20 ), via the intermediate portion ( 21 ).  
     
     
         3 . A tong shaped joining tool for mechanically joining two thin metallic components lying on one another, said joining tool including: a stamp for being driven into at least one of the components by impulse force acting on the stamp; an impulse-wave conductor ( 25 ) attached to the stamp for conducting impulse force to the stamp as a compression wave, wherein the impulse-wave conductor ( 25 ) includes as one piece two straight legs ( 19 ,  20 ) and an angled portion, with an outer angled edge of the angled portion forming a beveled flat-area surface ( 22 ), with the flat area surface being of a such size and extending at such an angle that projections thereof, toward each free end of the straight legs ( 19 ,  20 ) of the impulse-wave conductor, correspond to perpendicular cross-sectional cuts of the straight legs.  
     
     
         4 . A joining tool as in    claim 3    wherein is further included a mass body ( 23 ) pressed against the flat-area surface ( 22 ) by a spring system ( 40 ), wherein a surface ( 24 ) of the mass body ( 23 ) lying against the flat-area surface ( 22 ) is larger than the flat-area surface ( 22 ) of the impulse-wave conductor ( 25 ) and extends beyond the flat-area surface ( 22 ) on all sides, and wherein a natural frequency of a spring-mass-system is half so great as an impulse wave frequency.  
     
     
         5 . A tong shaped joining tool for mechanically joining two thin metallic components lying on one another, said joining tool including: a stamp ( 7 ) for being driven into at least one of the components by impulse force acting on the stamp; an impulse-wave conductor attached to the stamp for conducting impulse force to the stamp as a compression wave, wherein the impulse-wave conductor comprises first and second separate impulse-wave conductor parts ( 32 ,  33 ) arranged at an angle to one another, with a separate angled rebound body ( 31 ) positioned between the first and second impulse-wave conductor parts ( 32 ,  33 ) and being pivotal about a pivot point ( 34 ) lying between the impulse-wave conductor parts ( 32 ,  33 ), with a first end ( 35 ) of the rebound body ( 31 ) lying against an impulse-input-side of the first impulse-wave conductor part ( 32 ) under a spring bias and with a second other leg end ( 36 ) of the rebound body ( 31 ) being spaced from the second impulse-wave conductor part ( 33 ) which has the stamp ( 7 ) coupled thereto.  
     
     
         6 . The tong shaped joining tool of    claim 5    wherein, a bias force of a spring ( 37 ) creating the spring bias is chosen such that the rebound body ( 31 ) is thereby caused to once again lie against the first impulse-wave conductor part ( 32 ) after it swings out in time for arrival of a next following impulse wave.  
     
     
         7 . The tong shaped joining tool of    claim 6    wherein, the rebound body ( 31 ), upon its return swing, is made to lie quickly against the first impulse-wave conductor part ( 32 ) by contact with an elastic impact damper ( 38 ).  
     
     
         8 . The process of    claim 1    wherein, the impulse-wave conductor provided is of a material which provides very little damping.  
     
     
         9 . The process of    claim 1    wherein, the substantially straight impulse-wave-conductor portion ( 20 ) of the impulse-wave conductor ( 9 ,  25 ) operating on the stamp ( 7 ) extends in a direction of a length axis of the stamp ( 7 ).  
     
     
         10 . The process of    claim 1    wherein, is further included at least one piezoelectric actuator ( 29 ,  30 ) for creating the impulse wave.  
     
     
         11 . The process of    claim 1    wherein, is further provided a die plate ( 8 ) toward which the stamp is driven, and wherein impulse waves are conducted to the die plate by an impulse-wave conductor ( 10 ,  26 ) which is substantially similar in form to the impulse-wave conductor ( 9 ,  25 ) conducting impulse waves to the stamp ( 7 ).  
     
     
         12 . The process of    claim 11    wherein, the impulse-wave conductors ( 9 ,  25 ) are formed by upper and lower tong arms.  
     
     
         13 . The process of    claim 11    wherein, the joining tool is tong shaped and wherein upper and lower tong arms of the tong shaped joining tool are hollow and wherein the impulse-wave conductors ( 25 ,  26 ) are positioned therein.  
     
     
         14 . The process of    claim 13    wherein, a material for mounting the impulse-wave conductor has a distinctively different sound resistance than does the impulse-wave conductors.  
     
     
         15 . The process of    claim 1    wherein, the joining tool provided is in the form of a tong structure that is structured in a general manner of shears.  
     
     
         16 . The process of    claim 15    wherein, a rebound mass ( 17 ) is pressed against the impulse-wave conductor ( 10 ,  26 ) at an outer end of the lower tong arm ( 2 ) by a spring system ( 18 ,  28 ) for eliminating impulse waves.  
     
     
         17 . The process of    claim 12    wherein, the impulse-wave conductors ( 9 ,  10 ,  25 ,  26 ) are covered by a sound damping material.  
     
     
         18 . The process of    claim 1    wherein, an impulse-wave-creating striking tool ( 14 ) is provided that is pressed against the impulse-wave conductor ( 9 ,  25 ) for creating the impulse waves.  
     
     
         19 . The process of    claim 1    wherein, the joining tool has a portion thereof touching a component to be joined outside of a joining area that is coated with a vibration-dampening coating.  
     
     
         20 . The process of    claim 10    wherein, the lower tong arm which supports the die plate ( 8 ) also has at least one piezoelectric actuator ( 30 ) associated therewith which operates on the female mold ( 8 ) in time with the actuator ( 29 ) operating on the stamp ( 7 ).  
     
     
         21 . The tong shaped joining tool of    claim 5    wherein, the rebound body ( 31 ) has two legs ( 35 ,  36 ) and has a body-sound-dampening intermediate layer ( 39 ) between its two legs ( 35 ,  36 ).  
     
     
         22 . Process for mechanically joining plies of thin metallic components lying on one another, wherein a stamp of a joining tool is driven into a component to be joined by impulses force with the impulse force being transmitted to the stamp as impulse waves via an impulse-wave conductor; 
 wherein, the impulse-wave conductor provided has first and second separate, substantially straight, impulse-wave-conductor parts ( 32 ,  33 ) which are arranged at an angle to one another along which the impulse waves are transmitted to the stamp, wherein impulse waves are transmitted between the first and second substantially straight impulse-wave-conductor parts by redirecting them with a reciprocating rebound body ( 31 ) for receiving a force from impulse waves in the first substantially straight impulse-wave-conductor part ( 32 ) and redirecting the force by impacting the second substantially straight impulse-wave-conductor part ( 33 ).