Welding gun and welding method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12128495-B2
Application number	US-202015930207-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2020
Priority date	Jul 11, 2019
Publication date	Oct 29, 2024
Grant date	Oct 29, 2024

Abstract

A welding gun includes first and second movable arms, and first and second welding electrodes. The first and second movable arms are movable upward and downward. The first and second welding electrode are disposed respectively on the first and second movable arms. The welding gun is capable of performing a first mode in which the first and second welding electrodes are brought into contact with one side of a workpiece to weld the workpiece, and a second mode in which the workpiece is sandwiched by the first and second welding electrodes to weld the workpiece. The first and second welding electrodes are pivotally supported by the first and second movable arms, respectively. Each of the first and second welding electrodes has a rotatable roller shape. The first movable arm includes a first slide mechanism configured to allow the first welding electrodes to slide to below the second welding electrode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A welding gun comprising:
a first arm;
a second arm movable with respect to the first arm along a first axis and a second axis orthogonal to the first axis;
a first welding electrode disposed on the first arm, the first welding electrode including a first roller rotatable around a first rotational axis with respect to the first arm, the first roller including a first cylindrical surface with the first rotational axis as a central axis and a first side surface orthogonal to the first rotational axis; and
a second welding electrode disposed on the second arm, the second welding electrode including a second roller rotatable around a second rotational axis with respect to the second arm, the second roller including a second cylindrical surface with the second rotational axis as a central axis and a second side surface orthogonal to the second rotational axis, wherein
the first arm supports the first welding electrode such that the first rotational axis is substantially parallel to a plane including the first and second axes, and the first side surface faces toward a first direction along the first axis,
the second arm supports the second welding electrode such that the second rotational axis is substantially parallel to the plane including the first and second axes, and the second side surface faces toward a second direction opposite to the first direction along the first axis,
the welding gun being configured to select
a first mode in which the first cylindrical surface of the first welding electrode and the second cylindrical surface of the second are brought into contact with one side of a workpiece to weld the workpiece,
a second mode in which the workpiece is sandwiched, to perform welding of the workpiece, between the first cylindrical surface of the first welding electrode and the second cylindrical surface of the second welding electrode, and
a third mode in which the workpiece is sandwiched, to perform welding of the workpiece, between the first side surface of the first welding electrode rotatable around the first rotational axis and the second side surface of the second welding electrode rotatable around the second rotational axis.

2. The welding gun according to claim 1 , wherein in the third mode, the first and second arms support the first and second welding electrodes such that the first side surface and the second side surface are non-parallel and facing each other.

3. The welding gun according to claim 2 , wherein in the third mode, the first and second arms support the first and second welding electrodes such that a distance between the first side surface and the second side surface is decreases toward a third direction along the second axis.

4. The welding gun according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second arms support the first and second welding electrodes such that the first and second rotational axes are on the plane including the first and second axes.

5. The welding gun according to claim 4 , wherein
in the first and second modes, the first and second arms support the first and second welding electrodes such that the first and second rotational axes are substantially parallel to the first axis, and
in the third mode, the first and second arms support the first and second welding electrodes such that i) the first and second rotational axes are intersect and ii) a distance between the first side surface and the second side surface is decreases toward a third direction along the second axis.

6. The welding gun according to claim 1 , wherein the workpiece is welded at a location where the first cylindrical surface of the first welding electrode and the second cylindrical surface of the second roller are brought into contact with the one side of the workpiece in the first mode,
wherein the workpiece is welded at a location where the workpiece is sandwiched between the first cylindrical surface of the first welding electrode and the second cylindrical surface of the second welding electrode in the second mode, and
wherein the workpiece is welded at a location where the workpiece is sandwiched between the first side surface of the first welding electrode and the second side surface of the second welding electrode in the third mode.

7. A welding method using a welding gun, the welding gun comprising
a first arm,
a second arm movable with respect to the first arm along a first axis and a second axis orthogonal to the first axis,
a first welding electrode disposed on the first arm, the first welding electrode including a first roller rotatable around a first rotational axis with respect to the first arm, the first roller including a first cylindrical surface with the first rotational axis as a central axis and a first side surface orthogonal to the first rotational axis,
a second welding electrode disposed on the second arm, the second welding electrode including a second roller rotatable around a second rotational axis with respect to the second arm, the second roller including a second cylindrical surface with the second rotational axis as a central axis and a second side surface orthogonal to the second rotational axis, wherein
the first arm supports the first welding electrode such that the first rotational axis is substantially parallel to a plane including the first and second axes, and the first side surface faces toward a first direction along the first axis,
the second arm supports the second welding electrode such that the second rotational axis is substantially parallel to the plane including the first and second axes, and the second side surface faces toward a second direction opposite to the first direction along the first axis, and
a slide mechanism disposed on at least one of the first arm or the second arm, the welding method comprising:
enabling the first welding electrode to slide to below the second welding electrode by the slide mechanism, so as to enable a selection of
a first mode in which the first cylindrical surface of the first welding electrode and the second cylindrical surface of the second welding electrode are brought into contact with one side of a workpiece to weld the workpiece,
a second mode in which the workpiece is sandwiched, to perform welding of the workpiece, between the first cylindrical surface of the first welding electrode and the second cylindrical surface of the second welding electrode, and
a third mode in which the workpiece is sandwiched, to perform welding of the workpiece, between the first side surface of the first welding electrode rotatable around the first rotational axis and the second side surface of the second welding electrode rotatable around the second rotational axis.

8. The welding method according to claim 7 , wherein in the third mode, the first and second arms support the first and second welding electrodes such that the first side surface and the second side surface are non-parallel and facing each other.

9. The welding method according to claim 8 , wherein in the third mode, the first and second arms support the first and second welding electrodes such that a distance between the first side surface and the second side surface is decreases toward a third direction along the second axis.

10. The welding method according to claim 7 , wherein the first and second arms support the first and second welding electrodes such that the first and second rotational axes are on the plane including the first and second axes.

11. The welding method according to claim 10 , wherein in the first and second modes, the first and second arms support the first and second welding electrodes such that the first and second rotational axes are substantially parallel to the first axis, and

Assignees

• Subaru Corp

Inventors

• Sakamoto Noboru

Classifications

• B23K11/3036 Primary

  Roller electrodes · CPC title

• B23K11/11

  Spot welding · CPC title

• B23K11/115

  by means of two electrodes placed opposite one another on both sides of the welded parts · CPC title

• B23K2101/006

  Vehicles · CPC title

• B23K11/3009

  Pressure electrodes · CPC title