Metal fusion bonding – Process – Using dynamic frictional energy
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-30
2004-02-03
Stoner, Kiley (Department: 1725)
Metal fusion bonding
Process
Using dynamic frictional energy
C228S002100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06685081
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to improvement in frictional agitation joining method and apparatus therefor which are suitable for joining light alloys such as aluminum, aluminum alloy or the like, and in particular to a frictional agitation joining method capable of joining two sheets of members to be joined in a form of substantially an edge joint, and a method therefor.
As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, a frictional agitation joining method is conducted such that a circular rod-shaped agitation rod
102
having a projecting portion
101
at its distal end is caused to advance in between members W to be joined such as an aluminum alloy in a pressurizing manner while being rotated to generate frictional heat and the heat is conducted to the members W to be joined while the agitation rod is being fed along a joining line
103
so that the members W are joined.
In the joining, the members W to be joined is softened at a temperature of about 70% of their melting points and the softened portions are plastically fluidized according to rotating and feeding of the agitation rod
102
so that joining of the members W is completed as they are in a solid phase state. Incidentally, as the agitation rod
102
, a rod made from a tool steel, a stainless steel can be used, and the length of the projecting portion
101
, namely a length to be invaded between the members W to be joined, is about the thickness of butting portions of the members W to be joined.
Shoulder faces
104
corresponding to shoulder portions of the projecting portions
101
prevents portions of the members W to be joined from being pressed outside when the projecting portion
101
advances in between the members W to be joined, and they serve to apply frictional heat from the surfaces of the members W to be joined. The members W to be joined which serve as a butting joint are placed on a backing metal
105
, or a holding mechanism for supporting the members
4
from their back sides is provided at a position corresponding to that of the backing metal, so that an axial pressurizing force of the agitation rod
102
can be sustained by the backing metal or the holding mechanism.
In such a frictional agitation joining method, there are advantages that (1) there is hardly joined strain, (2) a joined attitude is not limited to specific ones, (3) a high speed joining can be achieved due to a high energy efficiency, (4) there are not any defects such as a bubbles, cracks or the like in a joined joint portion, (5) parameters for joining to be controlled are only the number of rotations and the pressurizing force of the agitation rod, (6) even a material such as DURALUMIN or the like which is considered to be difficult to melt-weld can be joined, and so on.
Incidentally, such a frictional agitation joining technique has been described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2000-33484 publication, JP-A 2000-167676 and the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the above related frictional agitation joining technique, however, the backing metal
105
of the members W to be joined for sustaining the axial pressurizing force of the agitation rod
102
and a controlling/holding mechanism for rotating and feeding the agitation rod
102
in conformal with the joining line
103
are required, so that the conventional frictional agitation joining technique can not be employed for joining a member for a joint structure curved in a 3-dimensional manner, more specifically, a member of sandwiched structure such as a suspension member of an automobile.
Also, since a butting joint form is employed for a joint structure in many cases, it is necessary to control a clearance “a” and unevenness “b” of a joint, as shown in
FIG. 3
, and the degree of freedom for design is made small. Furthermore, when members W, W to be joined to each other, whose plate thicknesses are different from each other are joined to each other, a difference thickness adjusting margin “c” achieved by the backing metal
106
is required, as shown in
FIG. 4
, which results in increase in cost.
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a frictional agitation joining method which allows joining mainly by not a butting joint form but a so-called edge joint form to be applied to a 3-dimensionally curved joint structure and a method therefor.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured such that two plate-shaped members to be joined are superimposed one on another such that end faces thereof constitutes generally an edge joint form, and joining is performed by applying frictional agitation energy to the end faces of both the members and inside faces of the members which are positioned near the end faces and are superimposed one on another.
An aluminum member, an aluminum alloy member or another light alloy material similar thereto is representative of the member to be joined. The shape of the member to be joined includes any approximate edge joint form whose joining portion may be curved in a 2-dimensional or 3-dimentional manner is constituted.
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Translation of JP-2000158154.*
Translation of JP-2000317654.
Nissan Motor Co,. Ltd.
Stoner Kiley
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