U.S. patent application number 12/103547 was filed with the patent office on 2008-11-13 for method and apparatus for forming bend controlling displacements in sheet material.
This patent application is currently assigned to Industrial Origami, Inc.. Invention is credited to Max W. Durney.
Application Number | 20080276682 12/103547 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39864390 |
Filed Date | 2008-11-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080276682 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Durney; Max W. |
November 13, 2008 |
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING BEND CONTROLLING DISPLACEMENTS IN
SHEET MATERIAL
Abstract
An apparatus for forming bend controlling displacements in sheet
materials includes one or more punch blades, a punch blade block
having one or more recesses dimensioned and configured to receive
the punch blades, a die block having one or more recesses
corresponding in number to the number of punch blades, and a die
block unit having a receptacle configured to receive the die block,
one of the punch blade block and the die block unit being
configured to reciprocate with respect to the other. The punch
blades and the die block may include hardened steel and the punch
blade block and the die block may include non-hardened steel. A
method of using the sheet material with bend controlling
displacements and method for forming the same is also
disclosed.
Inventors: |
Durney; Max W.; (San
Francisco, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MORGAN, LEWIS & BOCKIUS, LLP
ONE MARKET SPEAR STREET TOWER
SAN FRANCISCO
CA
94105
US
|
Assignee: |
Industrial Origami, Inc.
San Francisco
CA
|
Family ID: |
39864390 |
Appl. No.: |
12/103547 |
Filed: |
April 15, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60911910 |
Apr 15, 2007 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
72/326 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B21D 28/26 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
72/326 |
International
Class: |
B21D 31/02 20060101
B21D031/02 |
Claims
1. A tooling assembly for forming bend-controlling displacements in
a sheet of material suitable for bending along a bend line, the
tooling assembly comprising: one or more punch blades; a punch
blade block having one or more recesses dimensioned and configured
to receive the punch blades; a die block having one or more
recesses corresponding in number to the number of punch blades; and
a die block unit having a receptacle configured to receive the die
block, one of the punch blade block and the die block unit being
configured to reciprocate with respect to the other; wherein the
punch blades and the die block include hardened steel and the punch
blade block and the die block include non-hardened steel.
2. The tooling assembly of claim 1 wherein, at least one of the
punch blade block and the die block are removable.
3. The tooling assembly of claim 1 wherein, the punch blades and
the die block recesses are configured to form displacements with a
portion of the periphery of the displacement extending along and
adjacent to the bend line.
4. The tooling assembly of claim 1 wherein, the punch blade block
is configured to position the portion of the periphery adjacent the
bend line with an edge and the sheet of material with a
corresponding opposed face configured and positioned to produce
edge-to-face engagement of the sheet of material during
bending.
5. The tooling assembly of claim 1 wherein, a plurality of punch
blades are arranged along a plurality of bend lines and configured
to form a plurality of bend lines simultaneously.
6. The tooling assembly of claim 1 wherein, at least one of the
punch blades are electrical-discharged-machined hardened steel.
7. The tooling assembly of claim 1 wherein, at least one of the
punch blades are ground, sectioned and cut to length.
8. The tooling assembly of claim 1 wherein, at least one of the
punch blades includes a plurality of shear surfaces and is
removably received in its respective recess of the punch blade
block, wherein the punch blade may be reoriented in its respective
recess to utilize a second one of said shear surfaces after a first
one of said shear surfaces wears.
9. The tooling assembly of claim 1 wherein, the punch blade may be
reoriented in its respective recess to utilize a second, third
and/or fourth one of said shear surfaces after a first one of said
shear surfaces wears.
10. The tooling assembly of claim 1 wherein, at least one of the
punch blades includes a detent for releasable securement within a
respective recess of the punch blade block.
11. The tooling assembly of claim 10 wherein, the tooling assembly
further includes a fastener and an expandable washer dimensioned
and configured to engage the detent for securing a respective punch
blade within a respective recess of the punch blade block.
12. The tooling assembly of claim 11 wherein, the detent includes a
shoulder against which the expandable washer abuts against for
removal of the punch blade from the respective recess.
13. The tooling assembly of claim 12 wherein, the tooling assembly
further includes an extractor for removing the expandable washer
and, in turn, the punch blade from the punch blade block.
14. The tooling assembly of claim 13 wherein, the expandable washer
includes internal threads for threaded engagement with the
extractor.
15. The tooling assembly of claim 1 wherein, the die block unit
includes a receptacle configured to removably receive the die
block.
16. The tooling assembly of claim 15 wherein, the receptacle has a
channel.
17. The tooling assembly of claim 15 wherein, the receptacle has a
shape that substantially corresponds to the shape of the die
block.
18. The tooling assembly of claim 17 wherein, the receptacle is
configured to receive two die blocks.
19. The tooling assembly of claim 17 wherein, the two die blocks
are oriented at an angle to one another.
20. The tooling assembly of claim 15 wherein, the die block
includes a shear bar and a discrete joggle bar.
21. The tooling assembly of claim 20 wherein, the shear bar and the
joggle bar include mating surfaces.
22. The tooling assembly of claim 21 wherein, the mating surfaces
are inclined.
23. The tooling assembly of claim 15 wherein, the die block
includes one or more shims.
24. The tooling assembly of claim 15 wherein, the die block
includes electrical-discharged-machined hardened steel.
25. The tooling assembly of claim 15 wherein, the die block
includes a plurality of first shear surfaces and a plurality of
second shear surfaces, wherein the die block may be removed from
the die block unit after the first shear surfaces wear, turned
upside down, and inserted into the die block to utilize the second
shear surfaces.
26. A punch press machine including the tooling assembly of claim
1.
27. A method of forming for forming bend controlling displacements
in a sheet material, the method comprising the steps: providing the
tooling assembly of claim 1; inserting a sheet material between the
punch blades and the die block; and forming displacements on the
sheet material.
28. A sheet material formed by the method of claim 27.
29. A three-dimensional article formed from the sheet material of
claim 28.
30. The three-dimensional article of claim 1, wherein the article
is selected from the group consisting of: electronic components,
automotive components, transport components, construction
components, appliance parts, truck components, RF shields, HVAC
components, and/or aerospace components.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 60/911,910 filed Apr. 15, 2007, entitled METHOD AND
APPARATUS FOR FORMING BEND CONTROLLING DISPLACEMENTS IN SHEET
MATERIAL, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein for
all purposes by this reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates, in general, to apparatus for forming
bend controlling displacements in sheet material, and methods for
their use.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] Various techniques or manufacturing processes for forming
slits, grooves, displacements and other means in a wide variety of
sheet materials that precisely control bending of the sheet
materials are known. Such means include laser cutting, water jet
cutting, stamping, punching, molding, casting, stereo lithography,
roll forming, machining, chemical-milling, photo-etching and the
like. Such means may be applied to numerous structures which are
formed from sheet materials. These structures tend to call for
complex and precise bending patterns, and the design of these
structures requires less emphasis on torsional strength resistance
requirements. An example of one type of structure which can be
formed from sheet metal and involves precision and complex bending
is an electronic component chassis of the type used for computers.
Other types of structures may include electrical enclosures,
automotive components, transport components, construction
components, HVAC components, appliances, airplane components,
tracks, audio receivers, television sets, DVD players, and the
like.
[0006] For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,152,449 discloses the slitting
and/or grooving of sheet materials and mounting electrical
components to the flat sheets using "pick-and-place" techniques in
which the components are mounted to the flat sheets prior to
folding of the sheets. The sheets may then be folded into
enclosures or housings in which all of the components are spatially
related in the desired positions inside the housing. The
"pick-and-place" techniques greatly reduce cost, as does the
ability to fold a flat sheet into a precisely dimensioned enclosure
using relatively low-force bending techniques. While such
electronic chassis can be formed using laser cutting or water jet
cutting processes, such processes are typically relatively
expensive. Of course, other techniques can be employed either in
place of, or in addition to, the foregoing. Such other processes
include displacement-forming techniques such as punching, stamping,
roll-forming and the like. The displacement-forming processes are
well suited for use with sheet materials and are typically, but not
necessarily, relatively less expensive than the cutting
processes.
[0007] A machine press may be utilized to produce displacements in
the sheet materials. For example, turret presses and other
soft-tooling means are generally conducive to relatively low-volume
production including prototyping and other lower volume
applications. Relatively high production is often configured with
stamping presses and other means, that is, tooling that is
specifically designed for and dedicated to the production of a
specific part or parts. In either case, the machine press includes
tooling that includes one or more male punches with one or more
corresponding female dies. The punch and die sets of such tooling
are often formed of hardened steel or other hardened metals that
are relatively expensive to fabricate. Furthermore, repeated use of
the machine press leads to normal wear and tear which may dull the
punches and dies relatively quickly. In turn, the precision of the
machine press decreases which leads to punched parts of lesser
quality. Dull punches and dies may also wear out in terms of
alignment and further lead to "dull" parts, that is, parts in which
the finished geometry and dimensions are less precise than the
desired or designed geometry and dimensions. The punches and dies
may be sharpened, however, such sharpening is generally expensive
and time consuming, which may leads to down time of the machine
press further contributing to increased expense and decreased
throughput.
[0008] The manufacture of complex structures in sheets of material
for bending requires similarly complex systems and processes, which
in turns tends to result in higher tooling costs. In the case of
preparing sheets with myriad structures and features, the
manufacturing complexity can increase significantly. Conventional
techniques call for manufacturing relatively simple features with
one tool and using another tools for other features.
[0009] Further, hard tools which are generally used for faster and
higher-volume manufacture tend to be more costly to fabricate and
are far less flexible in comparison to soft tools. As such,
conventional hard-tooling techniques tend to require a compromise
in cost and flexibility, while soft-tooling techniques tend to
require a comprise in manufacturing time and lower-volume
manufacturing.
[0010] In light of the foregoing, it would be beneficial to have
methods and apparatuses which overcome the above and other
disadvantages of known machine presses. Moreover, there is an
ongoing need for further reduction in manufacturing and tooling
costs.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] One aspect of the present invention is directed to a tooling
assembly for forming bend-controlling displacements in a sheet of
material suitable for bending along a bend line. The tooling
assembly may include one or more punch blades, a punch blade block
having one or more recesses dimensioned and configured to receive
the punch blades, a die block having one or more recesses
corresponding in number to the number of punch blades, and a die
block unit having a receptacle configured to receive the die block,
one of the punch blade block and the die block unit being
configured to reciprocate with respect to the other. The punch
blades and the die block may include hardened steel and the punch
blade block and the die block may include non-hardened steel. At
least one of the punch blade block and the die block may be
removable. The punch blades and the die block recesses may be
configured to form displacements with a portion of the periphery of
the displacement extending along and adjacent to the bend line.
[0012] The punch blade block may be configured to position the
portion of the periphery adjacent the bend line with an edge and
the sheet of material with a corresponding opposed face configured
and positioned to produce edge-to-face engagement of the sheet of
material during bending. A plurality of punch blades may be
arranged along a plurality of bend lines and configured to form a
plurality of bend lines simultaneously. At least one of the punch
blades may be electrical-discharged-machined hardened steel. At
least one of the punch blades may be ground, sectioned and cut to
length.
[0013] At least one of the punch blades may include a plurality of
shear surfaces and may be removably received in its respective
recess of the punch blade block, wherein the punch blade may be
reoriented in its respective recess to utilize a second one of said
shear surfaces after a first one of said shear surfaces wears. The
punch blade may be reoriented in its respective recess to utilize a
second, third and/or fourth one of said shear surfaces after a
first one of said shear surfaces wears. At least one of the punch
blades may include a detent for releasable securement within a
respective recess of the punch blade block.
[0014] The tooling assembly may include a threaded fastener and an
expandable washer dimensioned and configured to engage the detent
for securing a respective punch blade within a respective recess of
the punch blade block. The detent may include a shoulder against
which the expandable washer abuts against for removal of the punch
blade from the respective recess. The tooling assembly may include
an extractor for removing the expandable washer and, in turn, the
punch blade from the punch blade block. The expandable washer may
include internal threads for threaded engagement with the
extractor.
[0015] The die block unit may include a receptacle configured to
removably receive the die block. The receptacle may have a channel.
The receptacle may have a shape that substantially corresponds to
the shape of the die block. The receptacle may be configured to
receive two die blocks. The two die blocks may be oriented at an
angle to one another. The die block may include a shear bar and a
discrete joggle bar. The shear bar and the joggle bar may include
mating surfaces. The mating surfaces may be inclined. The die block
may include one or more shims. The die block may include
electrical-discharged-machined hardened steel. The die block may
include a plurality of first shear surfaces and a plurality of
second shear surfaces, wherein the die block may be removed from
the die block unit after the first shear surfaces wear, turned
upside down, and inserted into the die block to utilize the second
shear surfaces.
[0016] Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a
punch press machine that includes any of the above-described
tooling assemblies and/or utilizes any of the above-described
methods. Yet another aspect of the present invention is directed to
methods of forming for forming bend controlling displacements in a
sheet material, the method including the steps: providing any of
the above-described the tooling assemblies; inserting a sheet
material between the punch blades and the die block; and forming
displacements on the sheet material, as well as sheet materials
formed by the above-described methods, and/or three-dimensional
articles formed from the above-described sheet materials.
Three-dimensional articles may include electronic components,
automotive components, appliance parts, truck components, RF
shields, HVAC components, and/or aerospace components.
[0017] The method and apparatus of the present invention have other
features and advantages which will be apparent from or are set
forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are
incorporated in and form a part of this specification, and the
following Detailed Description of the Invention, which together
serve to explain certain principles of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary apparatus for
forming a sheet material with bend controlling displacements.
[0019] FIG. 2 is a plane view of an exemplary sheet material formed
with bend controlling displacements by the apparatus of FIG. 1.
[0020] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of an exemplary upper punch and
die set of the apparatus of FIG. 1.
[0021] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary punch and
die set that may be used with the apparatus of FIG. 1.
[0022] FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the punch set of FIG. 4.
[0023] FIG. 6 is an exploded isometric view of the punch set of
FIG. 4.
[0024] FIG. 7 is an enlarged isometric view of an exemplary
replaceable punch lance of the punch set of FIG. 4.
[0025] FIG. 8A through 8F are a series of cross-sectional views
illustrating the exemplary installation and removal of the punch
lance of FIG. 7 in the punch set of FIG. 4.
[0026] FIG. 9 is a partial elevational and partial cross-sectional
view showing an exemplary extraction tool for removing the punch
lance of FIG. 7 from the punch set of FIG. 4.
[0027] FIG. 10 is an isometric view of the die set of FIG. 4.
[0028] FIG. 11 is an exploded isometric view of the die set of FIG.
4.
[0029] FIG. 12 is another exploded isometric view of the die set of
FIG. 4.
[0030] FIG. 13 is a further exploded isometric view of the die set
of FIG. 4.
[0031] FIGS. 14A and 14B are respective plan and end views of the
die set of FIG. 4.
[0032] FIGS. 15A and 15B are respective plan and end views of
another exemplary die set similar to that shown in FIG. 4.
[0033] FIG. 16 is an isometric view of another exemplary die set in
accordance with the present invention similar to the die set of
FIG. 4.
[0034] FIG. 17 is an exploded isometric view of the die set of
[0035] FIG. 16.
[0036] FIG. 18 is an isometric view of another exemplary die
set.
[0037] FIG. 19 is an isometric view of another exemplary die
set.
[0038] FIG. 20 is an isometric view of another exemplary sheet of
material showing the progression of the sheet material from a blank
sheet, to a stamped and shaped sheet, and to a final sheet.
[0039] FIG. 21A is an isometric view of an exemplary die set for
forming the sheet of material of FIG. 20, the figure schematically
illustrating the sheet of material between the die set. FIG. 21B
and FIG. 21C are enlarged views of the die set's upper and lower
assemblies, respectively.
[0040] FIG. 22 is an isometric view of another exemplary die set
assembly similar to that of FIG. 21C having modular die block
subassemblies corresponding to bend lines and intersections
thereof.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0041] Reference will now be made in detail to various exemplary
embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are
illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. While
the invention will be described in conjunction with several
exemplary embodiments, it will be understood that present
description is not intended to limit the invention to those
exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended
to cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also various
alternatives, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments,
which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention
as defined by the appended claims.
[0042] Turning now to the drawings, wherein like components are
designated by like reference numerals throughout the various
figures, attention is directed to FIGS. 1A and 1B, which illustrate
an exemplary machine press, generally, designated by the numeral
30, that may be used to form bend-controlling displacements 32 in a
substantially two-dimensional (2D) sheet material work piece 33 to
facilitate bending into three-dimensional (3D) shapes. As used
herein, the terms "punch press" and "machine press" are largely
synonymous in that they are used to refer to a machine or system
which includes tooling that having one or more male punches with
one or more corresponding female dies configured to punch, stamp or
press shapes into the sheet material work piece. The exemplary
system is particularly well suited to be used to form sheet
materials having engineered fold lines which facilitate low-force
and/or precision bending along predetermined fold lines.
[0043] In this regard, the apparatus of the present invention is
particularly forming for bend-controlling displacements in 2D sheet
materials to form engineered fold lines of various fold geometries
and configurations including, but not limited to, those disclosed
by U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,259, U.S. Pat. No. 6,877,349, U.S. Pat. No.
7,152,449, U.S. Pat. No. 7,152,450, U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 10/821,818 (now U.S. Patent Application Publication No.
2005/0005670 A1), and U.S. Pat. No. 7,032,426, U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/931,615 (now U.S. Patent Application
Publication No. 2005/0097937 A1), U.S. patent application Ser. No.
10/985,373 (now U.S. Patent Application Publication No.
2005/0061049 A1), U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/357,934 (now
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0261139 A1), U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 10/952,357 (now U.S. Patent Application
Publication No. 2005/0064138 A1), U.S. patent application Ser. No.
11/384,216 (now U.S. Patent Application Publication No.
2006/0207212 A1), U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/080,288 (now
U.S. Pat. No. 7,350,390 B2), U.S. patent application Ser. No.
11/374,828 (now U.S. Patent Application Publication No.
2006/0213245 A1), U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/180,398 (now
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0021413 A1, U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 11/290,968 (now U.S. Patent Application
publication No. 2006/0075798 A1, and U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 11/411,440, the entire contents of which patents and patent
applications are incorporated herein for all purposes by this
reference.
[0044] As described in the above-mentioned applications, some
applications for the precision bending of sheet materials is in
connection with the production of 3D articles including, but not
limited to, electronic component chassis, automotive components,
transport components, construction components, appliances parts,
truck components, RF shields, HVAC components, aerospace
components, and the like. Such chassis often are highly complex so
as to enable the positioning of a multiplicity of components in
three-dimensional arrays inside the eventual housing for the
electronic equipment. Since laser cutting and water jet cutting are
both may be somewhat more expensive, it may be particularly
desirable to be able to form chassis for electronic equipment, and
numerous other lower cost housings and the like, using-relatively
lower cost, high-production displacement forming techniques such as
punching, stamping, roll forming and the like. Depending on the
particular context of the manufacturing application, the
displacement forming techniques may be used as either an
alternative to, or as an adjunct to, the cutting and/or other
forming techniques. The present application, therefore, illustrates
how these displacement forming processes can be applied to sheet
materials.
[0045] With continued reference to FIG. 1, the punch press system
30 includes tooling in the form of an upper punch assembly 35 and a
corresponding lower die assembly 37 which are preferably keyed to
one another in slides such that they reciprocate toward and away
from one another in an otherwise conventional manner. The
illustrated embodiment is "form down" in that the displacements are
formed downwardly. One will appreciated that the assembly could be
reversed with the die assembly mounted above the punch assembly
(i.e., "form up"), or with a combination form-up and form-down
configurations. Similarly, the punch and die assemblies may be
movably mounted relative to one another in some other suitable
fashion. For example, the punch and die assemblies may be arranged
to move horizontally with respect to one another. The illustrated
vertically oriented configuration has certain advantages. For
example, the vertically oriented configuration allows your work
piece to merely be placed upon the lower assembly and held in place
by the force of gravity. This is particularly useful for
clobbering. For example, when the punching process also shears the
peripheral shape of the sheet material, it is generally not
necessary to specifically locate the work piece with respect to the
upper and lower assemblies. In this case, a coil stand and feeder
may be provided to feed coil stock to the punch press system,
either in addition to or instead of hand placement and mechanical
placement as well.
[0046] As shown in work piece of FIG. 2, the punch press system may
be used to form a number of displacements in the work piece. In
this particular example, the punch press system has formed the work
piece into an intermediate article that includes a plurality of
bend-controlling displacements 32 as well as a number of other
displacement features such as a protruding component mount 39,
latching tabs 40 and a latching anchor 42. One will appreciate that
the punch press system may also be configured to provide fewer or
additional displacement features and/or cut or form the work piece
to a particular length and/or shape.
[0047] With continued reference to FIG. 2, exemplary
bend-controlling displacements may be formed along predetermined or
desired bending lines 44 in a manner similar to the slits, tongues,
and displacements discussed in the above-mentioned patents and
patent applications. In the illustrated embodiment, the
displacements include a flat zone 46 and an inclined transition
zone 47 of the type described in the above-mentioned '828
application. The flat zone is substantially parallel to the overall
plane of the sheet material, while the transition zone extends at
an angle and interconnects the flat zone with the remainder of the
sheet, in a manner that may be seen in FIG. 18A of the '828
application.
[0048] The bend-controlling displacements are generally formed by
displacement in the direction of the thickness of the sheet
material so that a portion of the periphery of the displacement
closest to bend line provides an edge and a corresponding opposed
face configured and positioned to produce edge-to-face engagement
during subsequent bending of the 2D sheet material to form a 3D
product usually as a result of shearing the material parallel and
proximate to the fold line as is described in the above-mentioned
'828 application. The illustrated bend-controlling displacement
includes a flat zone having an elongated portion with substantially
semicircular ends. One will appreciate, however, that the actual
geometry of the flat zone may vary. For example, curves having
multiple radii may be used to form the elongated portion and ends,
and oval, elliptical, parabolic and/or other suitable curved shapes
may also be used.
[0049] In general, the configuration of bend-controlling
displacements required for a particular sheet of material may vary
depending upon the geometry and configuration of the sheet of
material. In some situations, there may be certain advantages in
"standardizing" the size of elongated displacements in order to
reduce tooling costs and otherwise simplify the design process and
tool service. For example, the elongated-displacements may be
standardized in one, two, three or more "standard" sizes for sheet
materials of a particular thickness, particular type of material
and/or other parameters.
[0050] Turning now to FIG. 3, upper punch assembly 35 includes a
plurality of hardened punch blades 49 positioned to form the
bend-controlling displacements in the sheet material. The upper
punch assembly may also include other punches to form other
features in the sheet material, such as mount punch 51 and latch
punch 53. The illustrated punch assembly can thusly be used to
simultaneously form bend-controlling displacements along a
plurality of bend lines and other features including the mount
and/or the latches. Of course, the punch assembly could also be
configured to form the various features separately, or to add or
omit certain of the features. One will appreciate that the
corresponding lower die assembly 37 includes a number of
complimentary-shaped features to assist in forming the various
displacement features of the sheet material.
[0051] In order to facilitate service, maintenance, and
adjustability, the upper punch assembly includes a punch unit 54
and the lower die assembly includes a die unit 56 which are
removably mounted to an otherwise conventional punch press machine
58. The respective units may be fastened to the mounts and/or upper
and lower portions of the punch press machine by any suitable means
including, but not limited to, threaded fasteners (e.g., block
fastener 60), dowels and/or other suitable means. Preferably, but
not necessarily, neither the punch unit and/or the die unit is
formed of hardened metal, and may thus be milled and otherwise
fabricated much less expensively than if using hardened metals.
[0052] Turning now to FIG. 4, the configuration of a punch blade or
lance insert 49 and its corresponding lance cavity located in die
block 61 is shown. The lance insert and the die block are
preferably, but not necessarily, modular components which may be
readily and quickly replaced, and which may be rotated face to
face, or end to end to present fresh cutting edges to the shear
position. In some aspects and in some instances, the lance insert
and die block may be considered disposable. As will be discussed in
greater detail below, the modular configuration of the lance insert
and the die block allow for economical and efficient hard-tooling
designs. In particular, the modular configuration allows for less
componentry to be formed of hardened metals and lessen the amount
of machining necessary to develop a hard tooling design for forming
a work piece into a particular sheet material product. Preferably,
but not necessarily, the lance inserts and/or the lance cavities
are formed of pre-hardened stock which may be ground, hard milled
and/or electrical discharge machined (EDM) into their final shapes.
One will appreciate that other suitable means may be utilized to
form pre-hardened stock into its final desired shape.
[0053] Turning now to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, an exemplary lance insert
subassembly 63 includes a plurality of lance inserts 49 mounted in
an exemplary punch blade block 65, which in turn is mounted on the
upper punch unit 35. The lance inserts are preferably, but not
necessarily, removable from the punch blade block, which is
preferably, but not necessarily, removable from the upper punch
unit. The configuration and dimensions of the lance inserts
generally conform to the desired shape of flat zone 46 of the
bend-controlling displacements 32. As the lance inserts are subject
to greater wear and tear as compared to other components of the
system, their removable configuration facilitates their
repositioning or replacement while the punch unit is on the punch
press machine and thus decreases down time of the machine, and thus
also supports regular scheduled maintenance.
[0054] The punch blade subassembly preferably, but not necessarily,
has a substantially modular design with each subassembly
corresponding in size and shape to one or more elongated
displacements arranged along a bend line. In the illustrated
embodiment, the subassembly is configured to form for
bend-controlling displacements, however, one will appreciate that
one, two, three or more lance inserts may be used to form a
corresponding number of elongated displacements along a bend line.
One will appreciate that the number and dimension of lance inserts
may vary depending upon the particular design criteria of the
product being formed.
[0055] In the illustrated embodiment, each lance insert is received
in an exemplary corresponding punch-blade recess 67 of the punch
blade block and preferably, but not necessarily, secured therein by
a suitable fastener. As shown in FIG. 7, the lance inserts may be
provided with detents 68 which engage with a corresponding
expandable washer 70 to securely hold the lance insert in place. In
the illustrated embodiment, the expandable washer is threaded,
however, one will appreciate that other suitable means may be
utilized.
[0056] Sandwiched between punch blade block 65 and the punch unit
54 is an exemplary hardened punch blade base 72 against which the
inner ends of the lance inserts 49 abut against. As can be seen in
the figures, the punch blade base may be formed of a hardened flat
metal plate which can be readily and relatively inexpensively
punched or otherwise fabricated. Significantly, such configuration
allows the punch blade block 65 to be formed of non-hardened metal
which further contributes to a significant cost savings as the
non-hardened punch blade block may be fabricated much less
expensively, and in less time, than would a conventional hardened
punch blade block.
[0057] Turning now to FIG. 8A to FIG. 8C, the inner ends of the
lance inserts abut against the punch blade base as the fastener is
secured and the thusly precisely positioned such that the lance
insert protrude from the punch blade block 65 to form a
bend-controlling displacement having the desired displacement
depth. Preferably the detent 68 has a concave profile 74 which
allows the expandable washer to push lance inserts 49 against punch
blade base 72 and securely fasten the lance insert within recess 67
of punch blade block 65, as shown in FIG. 8C. Also, lance inserts
49 are dimensioned such that the blades extend a minimal amount
outwardly from punch blade block 65. Such configuration provides
the lance inserts with more lateral stability and thus minimizes
the bending moment of the lance inserts and thereby serves to
promote longer wear and tear and reduce the likelihood of fracture.
One will appreciate that in the event a stripper plate is utilized,
the lance inserts may extend outwardly from the punch blade block a
corresponding amount to accommodate for the thickness of the
stripper plate such that the lance inserts extend through the
stripper plate and outwardly therefrom.
[0058] Preferably, the lance inserts and expandable washers are
configured to facilitate removal of the lance insert from the punch
blade block. In the illustrated embodiment, expandable washer 70
has internal threads 75 and detent 68 has a shoulder 77 to
facilitate removal of lance inserts 49 from the punch blade block
65 as can be seen in FIG. 8D through FIG. 8F. In particular, an
extractor in the form of a removal bolt 79 may be used to
threadably engage expandable washer 70 to pull the lance insert
from the punch blade block. As shown in FIG. 8E, the expandable
washer will engage shoulder 77 and allow the extractor for apply
downward force against lance insert 49 and thus remove the lance
insert. The extractor may further include a lever 81 or other
suitable means to apply downward force, as is illustrated by arrow
F in FIG. 9.
[0059] In the illustrated embodiment, lance inserts have flat ends,
that is, the bottom surfaces of the ends are substantially parallel
to the remainder of the sheet material and/or parallel to the press
bed. Such a flat configuration is advantageous in that it will
lessen wear on the lance inserts and lengthen the life span of the
lance inserts. For example, lance inserts having flat bottoms would
reduce the rapid wear that may occur with sloped bottom punches.
Furthermore, sloped bottom tools generally wear more rapidly, are
more expensive to make and difficult to reshape. Preferably, the
lance inserts are both horizontally and vertically symmetrical such
that as one edge of the punch block wears, the punch block may be
rotated 180.degree. about its vertical axis to utilize both of its
lower edges, and then flipped upside down to utilize both of its
upper edges (i.e., edges 82, 82', 82'' and 82''' as shown in FIG.
7). As such, the life of the lance inserts may be doubled or
quadrupled as each lance is provided with four shear edges, only
one of which is utilized at a time.
[0060] Turning now to FIG. 10 through FIG. 13, a die block
subassembly 84 includes die block 61 removably seated in the die
unit 56. In this regard, the die unit includes a channel 86 for
removably receiving the die block. As noted above, the die unit may
be formed of non-hardened metals, and thus the channel may be
formed and the die block otherwise fabricated or milled relatively
inexpensively.
[0061] On the other hand, the die block 61 is formed of hardened
steel and/or other hardened metals. Since the die block is
relatively small, the die block may be readily machined relatively
quickly using standard machining techniques for hardened metals.
For example, the die block may be machined using electrical
discharge machining (EDM) or other suitable means. In any event,
only the relatively small die block(s) are hardened, and the die
unit which receives the die block(s) may be unhardened.
Accordingly, EDM and other relatively expensive hard
milling/manufacturing process are only required to make smaller
parts and simpler shapes, and thus may contribute to a significant
savings of time and money.
[0062] With reference to FIG. 12, the configuration and dimensions
of die block 61 generally conform to the desired elevational
profile of the bend-controlling displacements. In the illustrated
embodiment, the die block includes four die block recesses 88 which
are arranged and dimensioned to cooperate with the four lance
inserts 49 to form four respective displacements 32 in sheet
material 33. As noted above, the lance inserts substantially
correspond in shape to the desired flat zone 46 of the displacement
32, namely the depressed inner surface of the desired flat zone.
The die block recesses 88, on the other hand, substantially
conforms in shape with the desired shape of the flat zone 46 and
the transition zone 47, namely the protruding outer surface
thereof. It should be noted that in this case, "inner surface" and
"outer surface" merely refer to the geometry of the displacements,
namely "inner surface" is used to denote the depressed region made
in the sheet material by the lance inserts, while "outer surface"
is used to denote the projecting region of the displacement
projecting from the remainder of the sheet material.
[0063] The die block 44 includes a shear edge 89 which is
dimensioned and positioned such that it cooperates with an adjacent
edge of a respective lance insert 49 in order to cause the
displacement to shear substantially parallel to and/or along the
respective bend line. In particular, the tight tolerance between
the shear edge of die block 44 and a corresponding lance insert 49
will cause flat zone 46 of displacement 32 to shear parallel to
and/or along bend line 44, while the increased tolerance between
the opposing edge 91 of the die block recess and the opposing edge
82' of the lance insert 49 allows for non-shearing displacement of
transition zone 47 (see, e.g., FIG. 4).
[0064] With continued reference to FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, the die
block 44 may have a split body having a shear bar 93 and a joggle
bar 95, both of which are formed of hardened steel and/or other
suitable materials. The shear edges 89 and recesses 88 of the die
block are machined into the shear bar. Conventional means may be
utilized for machining the shear bar, however, the relatively small
size and the open configuration of shear bar 93 is particularly
well suited for EDM and, in particular, wire-cut EDM or wire
electrical discharge machining (WEDM) to form the recesses. One
will appreciate, however, that hard milling and other suitable
means may be utilized to machine the shear bar. The relatively
small size and simple geometric shape of the joggle bar 95 is also
conducive to machining by conventional means but, as one will
appreciate, the small size and basic geometry of the joggle bar
allows for relatively less expensive manufacture. Both the shear
and joggle bars may be WEDM or hard milled end cut from hardened
and ground bar stock, and in the case of the shear bar, the
inclined surfaces may also be notched using WEDM or hard milling
processes. One will appreciate that other suitable means may be
used to shape the shear and joggle bars.
[0065] The die block subassembly 84 may include one or more shims
96 thus allowing for the use of die blocks of various sizes. In
particular, side shims allow for die blocks of various widths
within channel 86, while bottom shims allow for die blocks of
various depths within channel 86. One will further appreciate that
channel 86 allows for die blocks of various lengths.
[0066] In the illustrated embodiment, the die block 44 preferably,
but not necessarily, has a split body. In this regard, shear bar 93
and joggle bar 95 may have cooperating split surfaces 98, 100,
which are inclined or angled and together serve to wedge together
and secure the die block within channel 86. Such an inclined
surface, however, is not essential. For example, in the embodiment
of FIG. 15A and FIG. 15B, the split surfaces 98, 100 are
substantially vertical, that is, substantially perpendicular to the
bottom of channel 86. Such vertical configuration leads to easier
and less expensive fabrication. In this case, additional threaded
fasteners or other suitable fastening means may be used to secure
the shear bar 93a to the die unit 56.
[0067] In other embodiments, the die unit channel may be replaced
with a receptacle 102 which substantially conforms in shape with,
and receives the die block 44a, as shown in
[0068] FIG. 16 and FIG. 17. In this embodiment, the die unit 56a is
machined to receive a specifically dimensioned and shaped die block
44a. As noted above, the die unit is not formed of hardened metal
and thus the receptacle may be relatively easily machined to the
die unit 56a. FIG. 18 shows yet another embodiment where a
receptacle 102b is formed to receive two closely fitting die blocks
61b, which configuration may be used to form displacements along
two bend lines intersecting at a corner 103. In this case, the
shear bar 93b and the joggle bar 95b may be machined to include
cooperating mating surfaces 105, 107, which together facilitate
proper positioning of the die block 44b within the receptacle
102b.
[0069] FIG. 19 illustrates still a further embodiment in which die
block 61c is linearly segmented. In this embodiment, the die block
is not longitudinally split and instead has monolithically formed
segments 109 having portions on either side of a lance cavity. As
shown, the segments may end between lance cavities 88', 88', or may
terminate through a lance cavity 88''. As noted above, threaded
fasteners or other suitable fastening means may be used to secure
the die block components to the die unit. In the illustrated
embodiment, threaded fasteners 110 cooperate with fastener recesses
to removably secure the die block segments. As shown, the fastener
recess may be positioned intermediate ends (e.g., recess 112), at
the ends (e.g., recess 112'), or may extend along the segment
(e.g., recess 112''). In the illustrated embodiment, fastener
recess 112'' extends the length of a segment, however, one will
appreciate that such a recess may extend along a partial length or
an entire length of a segment. As illustrated, washers may be, but
need not be, used to secure the die block components to the die
unit.
[0070] In operation and use, the geometry and configuration of the
bend-controlling displacements allows for the work piece to be
readily removed from the lower die assembly. One will, however,
appreciate that a die ejector may be used as desired, or that other
well known means such as stripping may also be used in which the
sheet material is extracted from the lower die portion of the punch
assembly. In both cases, such ejection can be form up, form down,
or a combination thereof.
[0071] Turning now to FIG. 21A, machine press system 30d is similar
to press system 30 described above but is configured for increased
efficiency in terms of simplified machine tool design and in terms
of reducing the number of manufacturing processes generally
required to fabricate a sheet material product such as sheet
material 33d. A blank sheet material 33d' may undergo a single
"hit" within the machine press system to form and shape the blank
into sheet product 33d'', as shown in FIG. 20.
[0072] In many aspects punch assembly 35d and die assembly 37d are
similar to the above-described upper punch assembly 35 and lower
die assembly 37, as well as the above-mentioned lance punch
subassembly 63, and die block subassembly 84. In the exemplary
embodiment of FIG. 21A, the upper punch assembly 35d and lower die
assembly 37d are keyed to one another by slide posts 114 and slide
collars 116 such that the punch and die assemblies may reciprocate
relative to one another. Although FIG. 21A schematically
illustrates the punch and die assemblies in butterflying relation
to one another, one will appreciate that the slide collars
slidingly receive slide posts such that the upper punch assembly
35d reciprocates up and down relative to die assembly 37d. One will
further appreciate that machine press system 30d may be configured
such that die assembly moves up and down relative to the punch
assembly, that the punch assembly may be situated below the die
assembly, that the two assemblies may be arranged to reciprocate
horizontally relative to one another, or that the two assemblies
may be arranged to reciprocate at an angle relative to one
another.
[0073] Punch assembly 35d includes a punch block 65d. As discussed
below, the punch block is similar to the above-mentioned punch
block 65 but includes a number of punch blade recesses arranged
along a number of bend lines, which recesses receive a
corresponding number of punch blades 49d. In the exemplary
embodiment, the punch block is sectioned and formed of multiple
members or punch modules 117. Similarly, die assembly 37d includes
a die block 61d, which is similar to die block segment 109
discussed above but includes a number of lance cavities 88d
arranged along a number of bend lines. In the exemplary embodiment,
the die block is also sectioned and formed of multiple members or
die block modules 119. One will appreciate, however, that the punch
block and/or the die block may be formed of one, two, or more
modules. Advantageously, the punch block and/or the die block are
formed of metal plate material having substantially constant
thickness. As such, complex machining operations such as milling
and grinding are reduced and/or eliminated thereby significantly
reducing the cost of the punch and die blocks.
[0074] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 21A through 21D,
the punch assembly 54d is also configured to mate with die assembly
56d to effect shearing of a peripheral shape into a sheet material
blank 33d' and form sheet product 33d''. In particular, the punch
assembly is provided with corner shear blocks 121 having shear
edges complementary in shape to the peripheral shape of die block
61d in order to shear corner portions 123 from sheet material 33d,
as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21A. One will appreciate that various
embodiments may be configured to remove various shapes, corners and
otherwise, from the sheet material as desired.
[0075] One will appreciate that the corner shear blocks 121 and the
die block 61d each have cooperating shear edges and thus are
preferably formed of hardened steel and/or other suitable
materials. In various embodiments, die block 61d and corner shear
blocks 121 are manufactured from the same plate of material. As
shown in FIG. 21A, the die block and corner shear blocks are
complementarily shaped with respect to each other. The corner shear
blocks may be fabricated by removing the shear block material from
the die block material by EDM, WEDM, and/or other suitable means.
Such a configuration reduces material waste and manufacturing
processing. Accordingly, such configuration allows both the die
block and corner shear blocks to be cut utilizing EDM or other
suitable processes from a single hardened plate, thus greatly
simplifying fabrication and greatly reducing the amount of waste
material.
[0076] Once the lance cavities 88d are formed in die block 61d,
preferably with EDM, WEDM, and/or other suitable processes, the die
block may be mounted on the platen of lower die assembly 37d.
Similarly, corner shear blocks 121 may be mounted on the platen of
upper punch assembly 35d. Shims 124 may be utilized to
appropriately space the shear corner blocks from the platen of the
upper die assembly in order to effect sufficient overlapping of the
corner shear blocks 121 and die block 61d to effect shearing corner
portions 123 from sheet material 33d.
[0077] Punch assembly 35d is configured to receive punch blades 49
within the punch block 65d in a similar manner as lance inserts 49
are mounted within punch blade block 65 described above. One will
appreciate that other suitable means may be utilized to secure the
punch blades within the punch block.
[0078] As shown, in FIG. 21C, the punch block may be composed of
one, two, three or more punch modules 117 which include portions of
one or more bend lines and/or entire bend lines. One will
appreciate that the punch modules may be configured in various
manners. The punch modules may be secured to punch assembly 35d by
threaded fasteners (not shown) and/or other conventional means.
[0079] As is the case of the punch blade blocks discussed above,
punch block 65d need not be formed of hardened metal. Nonetheless,
in various embodiments, the punch modules may be formed of
pre-hardened stock.
[0080] Turning to FIG. 21A, the operation and use of press system
30d will now be described. Punch assembly 35d is configured to
cooperate with corresponding die assembly 37d. In various
embodiments, the press system hits the sheet of material to produce
a sheet product in a single hit (shown, e.g., in FIG. 21A).
"One-step" and "single hit" refer to the action of the press system
and generally refer to one or substantially one actuation cycle.
Thus, the sheet product is formed by stamping or punching
engagement of punch assembly 35d with die assembly 37d. Thereafter,
the punch assembly is moved back to an initial position and the
press opened so that the sheet product may be removed, manually
and/or in an automated process. The process may be performed in
substantially a single hit, for example, actuation of the punch
assembly in a single direction may be divided into sub-steps. In
contrast to other systems, however, the punch assembly is not
actuated in multiple, large steps. Material is placed in the press,
the press system is actuated to perform one process, and the sheet
product is removed. Thereafter, limited manufacturing (e.g.
finishing) is necessary after the punch cycle. The sheet does not
have to be punched again to form additional primary features such
as bend lines and the like.
[0081] Sheet product 33d'' may include a plurality of bend lines,
intersecting and/or non-intersecting, as well as other features
such as fastening devices and aesthetics. The punch and/or die
assemblies may be configured to produce one or more features of the
sheet product, and/or support tooling to produce said features.
[0082] In various embodiments, the punch block and/or the die block
may be configured to produce bend-controlling displacements
defining standardized bend lines and/or other standardized
features. For example, intersections of multiple bend lines may be
standardized, and/or portions of bend lines may be standardized.
Also, the punch block and/or die block may also be configured to
produce other standardized features in the sheet product. Modules
may be utilized to form such standardized features, the
configuration of which modules may be determined by location,
feature type, or other factors depending on the application. In
some embodiments, one set of modules may correspond to regions of
the sheet product with intersecting bend lines, and another set of
modules may correspond to bend lines and features connecting these
intersection regions. The configuration and use of the modules may
accordingly be mixed-and-matched as desired for a particular
application. Such modularity provides several benefits such tool
cost savings and greater flexibility. Although in various
embodiments the punch and die assembly may be hard tooled and
capable of forming features in a sheet material in a one-step
process, the modules allow for the tool to be easily changed for
different design processes such as different sized lance and lance
cavities, etc.
[0083] With reference to FIG. 22, the press system may be provided
with a platen 126 configured to receive various modules. For
example, the platen may be provided with modular recesses 128
and/or modular channels 130 to receive standardized intersection
modules 131 and bend line modules 133 in a manner similar to that
described above and shown in FIG. 18 and other figures.
[0084] In various embodiments, an ejector 135 may be provided to
facilitate removal of the material subsequent to punching of the
punch assembly (see, e.g., FIG. 22). Because of the lower force of
engagement of the sheet with the punch assembly and die assembly of
the present invention, the ejector may not require high force
application. The ejector may be a spring ejector, stripper plate,
or other like assembly. In various embodiments, the ejector is
formed within a recess in the die cavity.
[0085] In various embodiments, the punch and die assemblies may be
configured to form other features such as spring clips 137, conical
indentations 138, and/or other conventional stamped and punched
features (see, e.g., FIG. 22). Also, the punch and die assemblies
may be modified to reduce the tonnage required for forming such
features and sheared edges. For example, the punch and die
assemblies may be provided with tapered or "crowned" surfaces 140
(see, e.g., FIG. 21C).
[0086] For convenience in explanation and accurate definition in
the appended claims, the terms "up" or "upper", "down" or "lower",
"inside" and "outside" are used to describe features of the
exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of such
features as displayed in the figures.
[0087] In many respects the modifications of the various figures
resemble those of preceding modifications and the same reference
numerals followed by subscripts "a", "b", "c", "d" and "e"
designate corresponding parts.
[0088] The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments
of the present invention have been presented for purposes of
illustration and description. They are not intended to be
exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms
disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are
possible in light of the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments
were chosen and described in order to explain certain principles of
the invention and their practical application, to thereby enable
others skilled in the art to make and utilize various exemplary
embodiments of the present invention, as well as various
alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended that the
scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and
their equivalents.
* * * * *