Case and method of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11512494-B2
Application number	US-202016782304-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2020
Priority date	Feb 8, 2019
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

A case includes a first member and a second member configured in such a way that a closed space is formed between the first and second members in a state where the first and second members abut against each other. The first member includes a shaft portion extending toward the second member. The second member includes a shaft support portion including a circumferential wall portion that surrounds one end portion of the shaft portion. The shaft portion includes an enlarged-diameter portion that is the one end portion melted in such a way as to be enlarged in diameter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A case comprising a first member and a second member being configured in such a way that a closed space is formed between the first and second members in a state where the first and second members abut against each other, wherein
the first member includes a shaft portion extending toward the second member,
the second member includes a shaft support portion including a circumferential wall portion that surrounds one end portion of the shaft portion,
the shaft portion includes an enlarged-diameter portion that is the one end portion melted in such a way as to be enlarged in outer diameter,
the enlarged-diameter portion includes an outer circumferential surface welded to an inner circumferential surface of the circumferential wall portion which surrounds the outer circumferential surface of the enlarged-diameter portion, such that a top surface of the one end portion is separated from an upper bottom portion of the shaft support portion in an up-down direction, and such that directly below a location of the welded circumferential surfaces, there is a location with at least some space between the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion and the inner circumferential surface of the circumferential wall portion, and
prior to the one end portion of the shaft portion being melted in such a way as to be enlarged in outer diameter, the inner diameter of the inner circumferential surface of the circumferential wall portion of the shaft support portion Is larger than the outer diameter of the one end portion of the shaft portion in the direction in which the shaft portion extends.

2. The case according to claim 1 , wherein outer peripheral portions of the first member and the second member are welded to each other over an entire circumference.

3. A method of manufacturing a case including: a first member made of a material that absorbs energy of laser light and is thereby melted; and a second member made of a material that transmits laser light, wherein the first and second members are configured in such a way as to form a closed space between the first and second members in a state of abutting against each other, the first member includes a shaft portion extending toward the second member, and the second member includes a shaft support portion in which one end portion of the shaft portion is housed,
the method comprising:
a step of, in a state where the one end portion of the shaft portion is housed in the shaft support portion of the second member and an inner diameter of an inner circumferential surface of a circumferential wall portion of the shaft support portion is larger than an outer diameter of the one end portion of the shaft portion in the direction in which the shaft portion extends, radiating laser light from a side of the second member toward a top surface of the one end portion of the shaft portion, and thereby melting the one end portion of the shaft portion and enlarging the one end portion of the shaft portion in outer diameter so that an outer circumferential surface of the enlarged-diameter portion is welded to the inner circumferential surface of the circumferential wall portion of the shaft support portion which surrounds the outer circumferential surface of the enlarged-diameter portion, and such that the top surface of the one end portion is separated from the shaft support portion in an up-down direction, and such that directly below the location of the welded circumferential surfaces, there is a location with at least some space between the outer circumferential surface of the shaft and the inner circumferential surface of the circumferential wall portion.

Assignees

• Aisin Corp

Inventors

• Inuzuka Kazuya
• Maeda Takeshi
• Kidena Yasuo

Classifications

• B29L2031/3481

  Housings or casings incorporating or embedding electric or electronic elements · CPC title

• B23K26/57

  the laser beam entering a face of the workpiece from which it is transmitted through the workpiece material to work on a different workpiece face, e.g. for effecting removal, fusion splicing, modifying or reforming · CPC title

• B29C65/606

  the rivets being integral with one of the parts to be joined, i.e. staking · CPC title

• E05B17/0004 Primary

  Lock assembling or manufacturing (making locksmith's goods of sheet metal B21D53/38; assembling in general B23P21/00) · CPC title

• B29C66/126

  Tenon and mortise joints (tenons and mortises for positioning purposes B29C65/7814) · CPC title