Method and device for producing frame structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12496649-B2
Application number	US-202218699369-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2022
Priority date	Oct 15, 2021
Publication date	Dec 16, 2025
Grant date	Dec 16, 2025

Abstract

Provided are a method and a device for producing a frame structure, in which influences of both a thermal distortion due to welding and a decrease in the accuracy of the frame member itself are eliminated and high geometrical accuracy is obtained. The method for producing a frame structure includes supporting both ends of a long frame member, temporarily fixing a connecting member to somewhere along a longitudinal direction of the frame member, and final-welding the connecting member to the frame member while keeping the frame member in an elastically deformed state by imposing a bending load on an intermediate portion along the longitudinal direction of the frame member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method for producing a frame structure, the method comprising:
supporting both ends of a long frame member, temporarily fixing a connecting member to somewhere along a longitudinal direction of the frame member, and final-welding the connecting member to the frame member while keeping the frame member in an elastically deformed state by imposing a bending load on an intermediate portion along the longitudinal direction of the frame member, wherein the connecting member is temporarily fixed so as to form a gap between the connecting member and the frame member.

2 . The method for producing a frame structure according to claim 1 , wherein a heat input for the final-welding is determined in accordance with a size of the gap.

3 . The method for producing a frame structure according to claim 2 , wherein an amount of the elastic deformation of the frame member is set so that a thermal distortion which is to arise between the frame member and the connecting member by the heat input for the final-welding is countervailed.

4 . The method for producing a frame structure according to claim 3 , wherein the amount of the elastic deformation of the frame member is set so that a deviation from a design shape of the frame member is countervailed.

5 . The method for producing a frame structure according to claim 4 , wherein the final-welding is conducted between a position where the connecting member has been temporarily fixed and a part where the frame member is deformed with the bending load.

6 . The method for producing a frame structure according to claim 3 , wherein the final-welding is conducted between a position where the connecting member has been temporarily fixed and a part where the frame member is deformed with the bending load.

7 . The method for producing a frame structure according to claim 2 , wherein the final-welding is conducted between a position where the connecting member has been temporarily fixed and a part where the frame member is deformed with the bending load.

8 . The method for producing a frame structure according to claim 1 , wherein the frame member is a hollow member.

9 . The method for producing a frame structure according to claim 8 , wherein the frame member has a quadrilateral cross-section perpendicular to an axial direction and the bending load is imposed in a direction of one diagonal of the quadrilateral.

10 . The method for producing a frame structure according to claim 1 , wherein the bending load is imposed on the frame member at a temperature which is in a warm-forming temperature range and to which the frame member is heated by the final-welding.

11 . The method for producing a frame structure according to claim 10 , wherein the frame member and the connecting member are each made of a heat treatment type aluminum alloy and the warm-forming temperature is 170° C. or higher.

12 . The method for producing a frame structure according to claim 1 , wherein the frame member is a bent member which has been curved beforehand.

13 . The method for producing a frame structure according to claim 1 , wherein the frame member is a bent member having a plurality of curved portions.

14 . The method for producing a frame structure according to claim 1 , wherein the final-welding is conducted between a position where the connecting member has been temporarily fixed and a part where the frame member is deformed with the bending load.

15 . The method for producing a frame structure according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting member is further provided to at least one end of the frame member.

16 . A device for producing a frame structure by the method of claim 1 , the device comprising
both-ends-supporting parts for supporting both ends of a long frame member, a stand for disposing thereon a connecting member somewhere along a longitudinal direction of the frame member so that the connecting member faces the frame member and for temporarily fixing the connecting member to the frame member, a frame-bending part which imposes a bending load on an intermediate portion along the longitudinal-direction of the frame member to elastically deform the frame member, and a welding part which final-welds the temporarily fixed connecting member to the frame member so as to form a gap between the connecting member and the frame member.

17 . The device for producing a frame structure according to claim 16 , the device comprising
a gap detection part which detects the gap between the connecting member and the frame member, a heat-input determination unit which determines a heat input for the final- welding in accordance with a size of the detected gap, a thermal-distortion prediction unit which predicts a thermal distortion occurring, due to the heat input, between the frame member and the connecting member, and a displacement setting unit which sets an amount of elastic displacement of the frame member so that the frame member undergoes a displacement in a direction and an amount which countervail the thermal distortion.

18 . The device for producing a frame structure according to claim 17 , the device comprising a shape-deviation detection unit that determines a deviation from a design shape of the frame member along a direction of imposing the bending load and in which the displacement setting unit sets the amount of elastic displacement of the frame member so that the frame member undergoes a displacement in a direction and an amount which countervail both the thermal distortion and the deviation.

Assignees

• Kobe Steel Ltd
• Kobe Steel Ltd

Inventors

• NAKAHARA Takumi
• Yamakawa Taiki
• Fujita Yuki
• Imai Chieko
• Imamura Yoshihaya

Classifications

• B23K31/00

  Processes relevant to this subclass, specially adapted for particular articles or purposes, but not covered by any single one of main groups B23K1/00 - B23K28/00 · CPC title

• B23K37/04

  for holding or positioning work · CPC title

• B23K9/02 Primary

  Seam welding; Backing means; Inserts · CPC title