Systems and methods for induction welding

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12551968-B2
Application number	US-202117207647-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2021
Priority date	Mar 20, 2020
Publication date	Feb 17, 2026
Grant date	Feb 17, 2026

Abstract

An induction welder for inductively welding two or more components has an induction coil for applying a magnetic field to a weld site of the two or more components to inductively weld the two or more components together. The induction coil includes a proximal end and a distal end. The distal end is positioned proximate the weld site of the two or more components to inductively weld the two or more components at the weld site. A press is disposed distally of the induction coil such that the press is disposed between the induction coil and the two or more components when the two or more components are being inductively welded together. The press is used to apply pressure to the two or more components and press the two or more components together at the weld site simultaneously with the application of the magnetic field at the weld site.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An induction welder for inductively welding two or more components together, the induction welder comprising:
an induction coil configured to apply a magnetic field to a weld site of the two or more components to inductively weld the two or more components together, the induction coil including a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end configured to be positioned proximate the weld site of the two or more components to inductively weld the two or more components at the weld site; a press disposed distally of the induction coil such that the press is disposed between the induction coil and the two or more components when the two or more components are being inductively welded together, the press configured to press the two or more components together at the weld site simultaneously with the application of the magnetic field at the weld site, wherein the press includes at least one roller, an entirety of the at least one roller being distal of the distal end of the induction coil between the coil and the two or more components.

2 . The induction welder of claim 1 , wherein the at least one roller is configured to roll over the two or more components.

3 . The induction welder of claim 2 , wherein the at least one roller includes a plurality of rollers.

4 . The induction welder of claim 3 , wherein each roller comprises at least one of a non-magnetic material or a non-electrically conductive material.

5 . The induction welder of claim 2 , further comprising a welder cooling system configured to cool the at least one roller.

6 . The induction welder of claim 5 , wherein the welder cooling system is fluidly coupled to the at least one roller and is configured to bring a refrigerant into contact with the at least one roller to cool the at least one roller.

7 . The induction welder of claim 6 , wherein the at least one roller defines a refrigerant conduit, the welder cooling system configured to flow the refrigerant through the refrigerant conduit.

8 . The induction welder of claim 7 , wherein the induction coil includes a coil refrigerant conduit fluidly coupled to the welder cooling system, the welder cooling system configured to flow the refrigerant through the coil refrigerant conduit to cool the induction coil.

9 . The induction welder of claim 1 , further comprising a component cooling system configured to cool the two or more components.

10 . The induction welder of claim 9 , wherein the component cooling system is configured to direct air over the two or more components to cool the two or more components.

11 . The induction welder of claim 10 , wherein the component cooling system includes a first air nozzle configured to direct the air over the two or more components.

12 . The induction welder of claim 11 , wherein the component cooling system includes a second air nozzle configured to direct the air over the two or more components, the first and second air nozzles disposed on opposite sides of the induction coil.

13 . The induction welder of claim 1 , wherein the induction coil has a rectangular cross-sectional shape.

14 . The induction welder of claim 13 , wherein the induction coil comprises rectangular tubing.

15 . The induction welder of claim 1 , further comprising a magnetic flux controller surrounding a portion of the induction coil, the magnetic flux controller extending proximally from generally adjacent the distal end along the induction coil.

16 . The induction welder of claim 1 , wherein the induction coil includes an induction coil head, the induction coil head including a base coil segment defining the distal end of the induction coil, first and second coil segments extending generally proximally from opposite ends of the base coil segment and third and fourth coil segments extending generally proximally from the ends of the first and second coil segments, respectively, the third and fourth coil segments generally extending toward one another.

17 . A method for inductively welding two or more components together, the method comprising:
applying a magnetic field from a coil to a weld site of the two or more components to inductively
weld the two or more components together;
pressing, simultaneously with applying the magnetic field, the two or more components together at the weld site using at least one roller that is entirely spaced apart distally of a distal end of the coil such that an entirety of the roller is located between the distal end of the coil and the two or more components.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the at least one roller of a press presses the two or more components together.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the at least one roller is cooled simultaneously with the pressing of the two or more components together.

20 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising an induction welder, the induction welder applying the magnetic field and pressing the two or more components together.

21 . The method of claim 20 , further comprising moving the induction welder along a seam of the two or more components.

22 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising adjusting at least one of a speed of the induction welder or a strength of the magnetic field applied by the induction welder as the induction welder moves along the seam.

23 . The method of claim 21 , wherein adjusting at least one of the speed of the induction welder or strength of the magnetic field is based on information from a temperature sensor.

Assignees

• Univ Wichita State

Inventors

• Seneviratne Waruna
• Tomblin John
• Saathoff Brandon

Classifications

• B23K20/023

  Thermo-compression bonding · CPC title

• H05B6/14

  Tools, e.g. nozzles, rollers, calenders · CPC title

• B23K37/003

  Cooling means for welding or cutting · CPC title

• B23K13/01 Primary

  by induction heating · CPC title

• B23K13/02 Primary

  Seam welding · CPC title