Energization heating device and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9392644-B2
Application number	US-201114129662-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2011
Priority date	Jul 19, 2011
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

An electrically heating device is provided with a pair of clamp units serving as electrodes for energization and applying tension to a workpiece to be heated clamped between the clamp units by moving the clamp units in the direction in which the clamp units separate from each other during energization heating. The clamp units each include a facing surface inclined with respect to the moving direction of the clamp units and form, by the facing surface, a preform including an inclined surface inclined with respect to the plane direction of the workpiece in a clamping portion clamped between the clamp units in the workpiece.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for electrically heating comprising a pair of clamping units serving as energizing electrodes, wherein the pair of clamping units move away from each other in a separating direction during the electrical heating so as to apply a tension to a workpiece to be heated and clamped by the pair of clamping units, each of the pair of clamping units comprises:
an electrode being movable in approaching and separating directions from the workpiece,
a fixed table being immovable in a vertical direction with respect to the workpiece, but movable in a longitudinal direction of the workpiece, said vertical direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the workpiece, and
a movable table, movable in both the vertical and longitudinal directions, said workpiece is mounted in a clamped position in the longitudinal direction on said tables, both of said tables face the electrode through the workpiece in the clamped position,

the electrode comprises a step portion protruding toward the movable table,
the movable table is disposed in the clamping unit in such a manner whereby the movable table is located closer to the corresponding counterpart clamping unit components than the fixed table is, and when the electrode moves in the approaching direction relative to the workpiece, the movable table is pressed by a protruding portion of the electrode through the workpiece and moves relatively to the fixed table, whereby a step is formed therebetween,
during clamping of the workpiece by the clamping units when the electrode moves in the approaching direction relative to the workpiece, the movable table is pressed by the protruding portion of the electrode through the workpiece while the workpiece is clamped by the protruding portion of the electrode and the movable table, to thereby form the step between the movable table and the fixed table, the fixed table adding a pressure to an end of the workpiece in a direction opposite to a moving direction of the electrode and the workpiece is bent, whereby a preform including an inclined surface inclined to a plane direction of the workpiece is formed, and the inclined surface is a surface receiving the tension applied by moving the pair of clamping units away from each other in the separating direction.

2. A method for electrically heating a workpiece to be heated, using a device for electrically heating comprising a pair of clamping units serving as energizing electrodes, wherein the pair of clamping units move away from each other in a separating direction during the electrical heating so as to apply a tension to the workpiece clamped by the pair of clamping units, the method comprising:
arranging an electrode, a fixed table, and a movable table in such a manner that the electrode faces the fixed table and the movable table through the workpiece so that clamping units longitudinally clamp the workpiece, the clamping units each comprising:
the electrode including a step portion;
the fixed table, being immovable in a vertical direction with respect to the workpiece, but movable in the longitudinal direction of the workpiece, said vertical direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the workpiece;
the movable table, movable in both the vertical and longitudinal directions, the movable table being disposed in the clamping unit in such a manner whereby the movable table is located closer to the corresponding counterpart clamping unit components than the fixed table is;
moving the electrode in an approaching direction relative to the workpiece, pressing the movable table by a protruding portion of the electrode through the workpiece while clamping the workpiece by the protruding portion of the electrode and the movable table to form a step between the movable table and the fixed table, adding by the fixed table a pressure to an end of the workpiece in a direction opposite to a moving of direction of the electrode, and bending the workpiece, to thereby form a preform including an inclined surface inclined to a plane direction of the workpiece; and
applying the tension to the workpiece by moving the pair of clamping units away from each other in the separating direction, wherein the inclined surface is a surface receiving the tension.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the movable table is movable following a vertical movement of the electrode.

Assignees

• Nojiri Isao
• Ishii Shinji
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nojiri Isao
• Ishii Shinji

Classifications

• H05B3/0009 Primary

  the material to be heated being in motion · CPC title

• C21D2261/00

  Machining or cutting being involved · CPC title

• C21D1/40

  Direct resistance heating · CPC title

• H05B3/03

  Electrodes · CPC title

• H05B3/0004

  Devices wherein the heating current flows through the material to be heated (Circuit arrangements for heating by passing the current directly across the material to be heated H05B3/0023; granular, powdered or fluid material H05B3/60) · CPC title