Welding structure and welding method using three positioning portions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9446489-B2
Application number	US-201113817313-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2011
Priority date	Aug 20, 2010
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

A welding structure includes a sheet-shaped first part to be welded; a sheet-shaped second part to be welded that is positioned with respect to the first part to be welded by engaging with the first part to be welded, to perform welding; and a first positioning portion, a second positioning portion, and a third positioning portion, at which the first and second parts to be welded engage with each other. The first to third positioning portions are each configured to restrict movement of one of the first and second parts to be welded in a positioning direction, with respect to the other, and enable movement of the one in a movable direction perpendicular to the positioning direction, with respect to the other. The movable direction of each of the first and second positioning portions is the same direction as the positioning direction of the third positioning portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A welding structure comprising:
a sheet-shaped first part to be welded;
a sheet-shaped second part to be welded that is positioned with respect to the first part to be welded by engaging with the first part to be welded, in order to weld the second part to be welded to the first part to be welded; and
a first positioning portion, a second positioning portion, and a third positioning portion, at which the first part to be welded engages with the second part to be welded,
wherein the first positioning portion, the second positioning portion, and the third positioning portion are each configured to restrict movement of one of the first part to be welded and the second part to be welded, in a positioning direction that is one direction, with respect to the other of the first part to be welded and the second part to be welded, and enable movement of the one of the first part to be welded and the second part to be welded, in a movable direction that is perpendicular to the positioning direction, with respect to the other of the first part to be welded and the second part to be welded; and the first positioning portion, the second positioning portion, and the third positioning portion are arranged such that the movable direction of each of the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion is the same direction as the positioning direction of the third positioning portion,
wherein the first positioning portion, the second positioning portion, and the third positioning portion are arranged such that a distance between the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion in the movable direction is greater than a distance between the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion in the positioning direction, and a distance between the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion is greater than whichever is smaller of a distance between the first positioning portion and the third positioning portion, and a distance between the second positioning portion and the third positioning portion,
wherein the first part to be welded includes a groove that extends in a length direction, and the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion are arranged such that the movable direction of each of the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion is parallel with the length direction of the first part to be welded,
wherein the first part to be welded includes first and second side section, a central raised section, and first and second vertical sections connecting the central raised section to the first and second side sections, respectively, the first and second vertical sections and the central raised section defining the groove, and
wherein the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion are provided on the first side section, and the third positioning portion is provided on the second side section.

2. The welding structure according to claim 1 , wherein the first positioning portion, the second positioning portion, and the third positioning portion are each formed by inserting a protruding portion formed on the second part to be welded into a hole formed in the first part to be welded.

3. The welding structure according to claim 1 , wherein the first positioning portion, the second positioning portion, and the third positioning portion are each formed by inserting a bridge portion formed on the second part to be welded into a hole formed in the first part to be welded; and the bridge portion is formed by forming two slits in the second part to be welded and raising a portion between the slits by plastic deformation.

4. The welding structure according to claim 1 , wherein the distance between the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion in the positioning direction is 0.

5. A welding method comprising:
positioning a sheet-shaped second part to be welded with respect to a sheet-shaped first part to be welded by engaging the first part to be welded with the second part to be welded at a first positioning portion, a second positioning portion, and a third positioning portion; and
welding the first part to be welded to the second part to be welded,
wherein the first positioning portion, the second positioning portion, and the third positioning portion are each configured to restrict movement of one of the first part to be welded and the second part to be welded in a positioning direction that is one direction, with respect to the other of the first part to be welded and the second part to be welded, and enable movement of the one of the first part to be welded and the second part to be welded, in a movable direction that is perpendicular to the positioning direction, with respect to the other of the first part to be welded and the second part to be welded; and the first positioning portion, the second positioning portion, and the third positioning portion are arranged such that the movable direction of each of the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion is the same direction as the positioning direction of the third positioning portion,
wherein the first positioning portion, the second positioning portion, and the third positioning portion are arranged such that a distance between the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion in the movable direction is greater than a distance between the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion in the positioning direction, and a distance between the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion is greater than whichever is smaller of a distance between the first positioning portion and the third positioning portion, and a distance between the second positioning portion and the third positioning portion,
wherein the first part to be welded includes a groove that extends in a length direction, and the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion are arranged such that the movable direction of each of the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion is parallel with the length direction of the first part to be welded,
wherein the first part to be welded includes first and second side section, a central raised section, and first and second vertical sections connecting the central raised section to the first and second side sections, respectively, the first and second vertical sections and the central raised section defining the groove, and
wherein the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion are provided on the first side section, and the third positioning portion is provided on the second side section.

6. The welding method according to claim 5 , wherein the first positioning portion, the second positioning portion, and the third positioning portion are each formed by inserting a protruding portion formed on the second part to be welded into a hole formed in the first part to be welded.

7. The welding method according to claim 5 , wherein the first positioning portion, the second positioning portion, and the third positioning portion are each formed by inserting a bridge portion formed on the second part to be welded into a hole formed in the first part to be welded; and the bridge portion is formed by forming two slits in the second part to be welded and raising a portion between the slits by plastic deformation.

8. The welding method according to claim 5 , wherein the distance between the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion in the positioning direction is 0.

9. A welding structure comprising:
a sheet-shaped first part to be welded;
a sheet-shaped second part to be welded that is positioned with respect to the first part by enga

Assignees

• Shima Kenta
• Kawakita Atsushi
• Sekiguchi Tomohiko
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shima Kenta
• Kawakita Atsushi
• Sekiguchi Tomohiko

Classifications

• B23Q3/00 Primary

  Devices holding, supporting, or positioning work or tools, of a kind normally removable from the machine (work-tables or other parts, e.g. faceplates, normally not incorporating means for securing work B23Q1/00; automatic position control B23Q15/00 {; food cutting boards A47J47/00; workpiece support for dies B21D37/02}; rotary tool heads for turning-machines B23B3/24, B23B3/26; non-driven tool holders B23B29/00; general features of turrets B23B29/24 {; drawbars in spindles B23B31/261; for electrical discharge machining B23H11/003; for welding B23K37/04; means for securing grinding wheels B24B45/00; mountings for abrasive wheels B24D5/16}; tools or bench devices for fastening, connecting, disengaging or holding B25B {; chucks for percussive tools B25D17/084; work benches for manual work B25H1/00; devices for securing circular saw blades B27B5/32; for assembling or manufacturing aircrafts B64F5/10; devices for holding circuit boards H05K13/0061; for holding semiconductors or wafers H10P72/00}) · CPC title

• F16B5/07

  by means of multiple interengaging protrusions on the surfaces, e.g. hooks, coils, · CPC title

• F16B17/008

  of sheets or plates mutually (joining sheets by riveting without the use of separate rivets F16B5/045) · CPC title

• B23K2101/18

  Sheet panels · CPC title

• B23K31/02 Primary

  relating to soldering or welding · CPC title