Method for hemming edges of metal sheet
The present invention relates to an improvement of hemming working method, which bends the edge of one metal sheet into U-shape section, and inserts the edge of the other metal sheet into the bent part to join the two metal sheets.
In various sheet metal products or parts thereof, it is sometimes necessary to form the sheet metal products by joining edge portions of two sheet metal plates, i.e., edge portions of an outer wall plate and an inner wall plate, to each other. For example, in a part such as an automobile door which constitutes a part of the appearance of a vehicle body, in order to enhance the commercial value of the automobile, not only the surface accuracy of an outer panel is ensured but also the edge portion thereof is processed to be beautiful and beautiful. For this reason, a method called hemming is adopted, in which an edge portion of an outer panel is bent inward to be bent into a U-shape in cross section, and then the edge portion of the inner panel is wrapped and pressed inside the bent portion to join the two.
The following description will discuss an application of the hemming method, taking a rear door of an automobile as an example. As shown in fig. 6 and 7 of the drawings, a rear door (1) of an automobile is formed by joining two metal thin plates, i.e., an inner wall plate (2) and an outer wall plate (3), to form a space therein. The edge joint (3 a') of the exposed side of the inner wall plate (2) and the outer wall plate (3) is formed by bending the edge part (3 a) of the outer wall plate (3) inward to a U-shaped cross section and then covering and clamping the edge part (2 a) of the inner wall plate (2) in the bent part.
Such a hemming working method is well known. For example, there have been several methods as disclosed in Japanese Utility model publication Showa No. 59-120020 (published 8/13 in 1984) and Japanese Utility model publication Showa No. 60-146523 (published 9/28 in 1985). These known hemming methods are generally performed in the following order.
The conventional hemming process will be described in detail below with reference to fig. 8 to 10 of the drawings.
First, in the pre-bending step, only the edge portion (3 a) of the outer wall plate (3) is bent at a substantially right angle over a predetermined width. In this pre-bending step, for example, as shown by a broken line in fig. 8, the outer wall (3) placed on the stationary die (4) having the vertical side wall (4 a) is pressed by the die pad (5) so that the width of the edge portion (3 a) protruding from the vertical side wall (4 a) is kept constant, and then, as shown by a solid line in fig. 8, the punch (6) is lowered along the vertical side wall (4 a) to bend the outer wall plate (3) at an approximately right angle.
In the subsequent hemming step, the edge portion (2 a) of the inner wall panel (2) is overlapped on the outer wall panel (3) and bent so that the edge portion (3 a) of the outer wall panel (3) bent at an approximately right angle by the above-described pre-bending step is overlapped on the edge portion (2 a) of the inner wall panel (2). To this end, as shown in fig. 9, the edge portion (3 a) of the outer wall panel (3) bent at a substantially right angle in the pre-bending step is placed on a fixing die (7) so that the edge portion thereof rises upward, the edge portion (2 a) of the inner wall panel (2) is superimposed on the outer wall panel (3), and then a pre-hemming punch (8) having an inclined punch surface (8 a) is lowered onto the vertical edge portion (3 a), and the edge portion (3 a) is further bent to an inclination (this step is referred to as a first hemming step).
Subsequently, as shown in fig. 10, the outer wall panel (3) and the inner wall panel (2) processed in the first step are placed on another fixing die (9) in a stacked state, a hemming punch (10) having a substantially planar punch surface (10 a) is lowered, and the edge portion (3 a) of the outer wall panel (3) bent into an inclined shape in the first hemming step is completely bent into a U-shape in cross section to cover the edge portion (2 a) of the inner wall panel (2) (this step is referred to as a second hemming step).
Accordingly, the hemming process generally includes the first hemming process and the second hemming process described above.
However, in the conventional processing method, since the bending point P of the edge portion (3 a) of the outer wall plate (3) is not fixed, there is a disadvantage that wrinkles are generated in the joint edge portion (3 a').
The wrinkling phenomenon is mainly caused by various reasons that it is difficult to press and immobilize the laminated body of the outer wall 3 and the inner wall panel 2 by a die pad in the first hemming process, and that horizontal components of a frictional force F and a resistance force N applied to the pressure receiving surface 3s by the inclined punch surface 8a are likely to fluctuate when the edge portion 3a is bent because the pressure receiving surface 3s of the edge portion 3a of the outer wall panel is likely to slide with respect to the inclined punch surface 8a of the lowered pre-hemming punch 8. The fluctuation of the horizontal component is caused by the influence of the amount of the lubricating oil on the pressure receiving surface (3 s), the burr generated on the edge (3 b) of the edge portion (3 a) when the wall plate is cut, the action of the punch surface (8 a) at the time of starting the contact, and the like.
When such wrinkles occur, the external dimensions of the product become irregular, and a minute gap is formed between the outer wall plate (3) and the inner wall plate (2), so that rainwater and the like enter in a certain place, which is also a cause of rusting. For example, if a rear door of an automobile, in which such wrinkles are generated at the edge portions, is attached to the vehicle body, the vehicle body and the edge portions of the rear door cannot form a constant interval, which makes the appearance of the automobile unsightly.
The object of the present invention is to provide an improved hemming method which can bend an edge portion (3 a) of an outer panel at a position to be bent in a subsequent hemming process.
The method for hemming the edge of a metal sheet according to the present invention is performed as follows.
In the pre-bending step, the edge portion of the outer panel fixedly set on a die having a vertical side wall is bent at a substantially right angle with respect to the plane of the outer wall by a pre-bending punch which is moved up and down along the vertical side wall of the die, and in the processing, a thin wall portion along the bending line is formed at the same time on the edge portion by a projecting portion provided on the inner side wall of the pre-bending punch, and then in the subsequent curling step, the edge portion of the outer panel bent at a substantially right angle is pressed by a curling punch to be bent in a U-shape in cross section, thereby covering and nipping the edge portion of the inner panel stacked on the outer panel.
When the hemming method of the present invention is used, the thin portion is simultaneously formed on the outer panel along the position to be bent in the subsequent hemming step when the edge portion of the outer panel is bent at an approximate right angle with respect to the plane of the outer panel in the pre-bending step. This thin portion is thinner than the other portions of the plate, and therefore becomes fragile. Therefore, when the edge portion is further bent by the lowered hemming punch in the subsequent hemming process, the bending stress is concentrated on the thin portion, and thus the edge portion of the outer panel is not wrinkled along the thin portion, and thus the outer panel is bent to be good.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an exterior wall panel after being subjected to a pre-bending step in accordance with the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing that in the hemming step after the pre-bending step, the edge of the outer panel is bent in a U-shape in cross section to cover the edge of the inner panel.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of the pre-bending step.
Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the first hemming process.
Fig. 5 is an explanatory view of the second hemming process.
Fig. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a rear door of an automobile manufactured by a hemming process.
Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line a-a of fig. 6.
Fig. 8 to 10 are explanatory views of steps of a conventional hemming method.
Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The method of the present invention is applied to a case where edges of two metal sheets, i.e., an outer wall sheet (21) and an inner wall sheet (22) which are to be stacked, are joined together by hemming.
In the present invention, when the edge portion (21 a) of the outer panel (21) is bent inward to a substantially right angle by a pre-bending punch of a press machine, a thin portion (23) as shown in fig. 1 is formed on the outer surface of the outer panel along a position where the outer panel is to be bent in a subsequent hemming process.
The thickness of the thin portion (23) is relatively changed according to the plate thickness of the outer wall plate (21). For example, the thickness t of the outer wall panel (21)1Between 0.7 and 0.8 mm, the thickness of the thin-walled portion (23) is preferably greater than the thickness t of the plate1About 0.2 mm thin. Further, the dimension (D) in the vertical direction (FIG. 1) is preferably set to be approximately equal to the thickness t of the outer wall plate1Thickness t of the inner wall plate (22)2The sum of (1). This length is elongated at the outer side portion when the outer wall plate (21) is bent in a U-shaped cross section. This is because the amount by which the shape of the outer side portion of the outer panel thus bent becomes smooth is t1+t2。
In the pre-bending step, the thin portion (23) is formed by a projection (27) formed at an upper portion of an inner side wall (26 a) of the punch (26) and projecting by about 0.2 mm as shown in fig. 3, and at this time, the punch (26) bends an edge portion (21 a) of the outer wall plate (21) fixed to the fixed die (25) by the die pad (24) while descending along a vertical side wall (25 a) of the fixed die (25).
In the embodiment shown in the drawings, a first punch insert (28) and a second punch insert are fixed to a punch holder (30) in a superposed manner, wherein the inner side wall (28 a) of the first punch insert (28) is located so as to face the side wall (25 a) of the fixed die (25) and be opposed to the side wall (25 a) with a space equal to the thickness of the outer wall plate (21), and the second punch insert (29) is located so as to have an inner side wall (29 a) protruding by about 0.2 mm from the inner side wall (28 a) of the first punch insert (28), so that the protruding portion (27) is formed. The projection (27) is disposed so as to be lower than the upper surface of the outer wall plate (21) placed on the die (25) by a distance equal to the vertical dimension (D) of the thin wall portion when the punch (26) is lowered to a predetermined lowest point.
In the above-mentioned preliminary bending step, the outer wall panel (21) having the edge portion (21 a) bent at an approximately right angle is placed at a predetermined position on the fixing die (31) in the subsequent hemming step, as shown in fig. 4, and then the edge portion (22 a) of the inner wall panel (22) is superposed on the outer wall panel (21) so as to be positioned inside the edge portion (21 a) of the outer wall panel bent at an approximately right angle in the above-mentioned step. Subsequently, a first hemming step is performed to lower a pre-hemming punch 32 having an inclined punch surface 32a, and first, the edge portion 21a is further bent to an angle of, for example, 45 degrees along the punch inclined surface 32 a.
Subsequently, as shown in fig. 5, a second hemming step is performed in which the stack of the outer wall panel (21) and the inner wall panel (22) is placed on another fixed die (33), a hemming punch having a nearly horizontal punch surface (34 a) is lowered, and the edge portion (21 a) is completely bent in a U-shape in cross section to cover the edge portion (22 a) of the inner wall panel (22).
By the first hemming step and the second hemming step, the edge portion (21 a) can be bent accurately along the thin portion. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the edge portion 22a of the inner wall plate 22 is pressed into the edge portion 21a of the outer wall plate 21 bent in a U-shape in cross section.
In the hemming method of the present invention, when the edge portion of the outer panel is bent at a substantially right angle in advance, a thin portion that is relatively weak is formed along a predetermined bending line thereof as compared with other portions, and therefore, when a bending force is applied to the edge portion of the outer panel by the hemming die, stress is concentrated on the thin portion. As a result, the upper edge portion is accurately bent along this thin-walled portion. Therefore, the defect that wrinkles occur at the joined edge portions due to improper variation in the position of the bending point P in the outer panel bending process of the prior art can be overcome.
The method of the present invention does not require a separate pressing step for forming the thin wall portion, and the thin wall portion is formed at the same time in the preliminary bending step for bending the peripheral portion of the outer panel at a substantially right angle, and the shape of the preliminary bending punch is changed slightly for this purpose, so that it is not necessary to change the method to a separate pressing apparatus.