Stud joining apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9375803-B2
Application number	US-201313799838-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2013
Priority date	Aug 1, 2012
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

A welding apparatus for joining a weldable fastening element onto a workpiece by a welding process, wherein the welding apparatus comprises: an electric welding power source; a fastening element holding device for holding the fastening element during welding; a first drive device for moving the fastening element holding device along a first axis; a cleaning electrode holding device for holding a cleaning electrode along a second axis; and wherein the cleaning electrode is connectable to the electric welding power source. The fastening element holding device and the cleaning electrode holding device are mounted on a common tool carrier and the tool carrier is movable on a joining head by a tool carrier drive from a joining position to a cleaning position, and in the joining position the first axis defines a joining axis, and in the cleaning position the second axis is aligned with the joining axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A welding apparatus for joining a weldable fastening element onto a workpiece along a welding axis by a welding process; the welding apparatus comprising:
an electric welding power source;
a fastening element holding device operable for holding the fastening element during the welding process;
a first drive device operable for moving the fastening element holding device along a first axis;
a cleaning electrode holding device for holding a cleaning electrode along a second axis different from the first axis;
wherein the fastening element holding device and the cleaning electrode holding device are mounted on a common tool carrier;
wherein the tool carrier and a tool carrier drive motor are mounted on a joining head, and the tool carrier drive motor is operable to move the tool carrier on and relative to the joining head from a joining position to a cleaning position, and in the joining position the first axis is aligned with the welding axis, and in the cleaning position the second axis is aligned with the welding axis; and
wherein the cleaning electrode held by the cleaning electrode holding device is connectable to the electric welding power source.

2. A welding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the tool carrier drive motor is a rotary drive.

3. A welding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the tool carrier drive motor is a linear drive.

4. A welding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the tool carrier is movable by the tool carrier drive motor into a transfer position in which a fastening element can be transferred from the joining head into the fastening element holding device.

5. A welding apparatus according to claim 1 , and further comprising a second drive device operable for moving the cleaning electrode holding device along the second axis.

6. A welding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein between the first axis and the second axis is define an angle which measures between 15° and 90°.

7. A welding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein between the first axis and the second axis is define an angle which measures between 180° and 0°.

Assignees

• Newfrey Llc

Inventors

• Eissara Bah
• Schmitt Klaus-Gisbert

Classifications

• B23K9/235 Primary

  Preliminary treatment · CPC title

• B23K9/201

  of the extremity of a small piece on a large basis · CPC title

• B23K9/20

  Stud welding · CPC title

• B08B7/0071

  by heating (B08B7/0035 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B23K11/02 Primary

  Pressure butt welding · CPC title