Vibration welding device, vibration welding method, vibration welding mold, and vibration welding molded article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9751477-B2
Application number	US-201514842456-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 1, 2015
Priority date	Sep 16, 2014
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

A vibration welding device 40 includes: a vibration welding mold that is configured including an upper mold and a lower mold divided in an up-down direction, that is fitted with a first component and a second component forming an elongated shape having a bent portion, and that is disposed with length directions of the first component and the second component along a left-right direction; plural first mold divisions that configure one of the upper mold or the lower mold, and that are divided in the left-right direction; a pressing device that is coupled to each of the plural first mold divisions, and that applies pressure to the first mold divisions; and a vibration device that is coupled to each of the plural first mold divisions, and that vibrates the first mold divisions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vibration welding device, comprising:
a vibration welding mold that is configured including an upper mold and a lower mold divided in an up-down direction, the upper mold being fitted with a first component and the lower mold being fitted with a second component, the first and second components each forming an elongated shape having a bent portion, and the vibration welding mold being disposed with length directions of the first component and the second component along a left-right direction;
a plurality of first mold divisions that configure one of the upper mold and the lower mold, and that are divided in the left-right direction;
a pressing device that is coupled to each of the plurality of first mold divisions, and that applies pressure to the first mold divisions in a state in which the upper mold is closed against the lower mold; and
a vibration device that is distinct from the upper and lower molds, that is coupled to each of the plurality of first mold divisions, and that vibrates the first mold divisions in the state in which the upper mold is closed against the lower mold.

2. The vibration welding device of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of first mold divisions are each configured movably in the up-down direction and in a front-rear direction; and
a position adjusting device is coupled to each of the plurality of first mold divisions, and positions of the first mold divisions are adjustable by the position adjusting device.

3. The vibration welding device of claim 2 , wherein:
another out of the upper mold or the lower mold is configured by a plurality of second mold divisions divided in the left-right direction, and the plurality of second mold divisions are each configured movably in the up-down direction and in the front-rear direction; and
the position adjusting device is coupled to each of the plurality of second mold divisions, and positions of the second mold divisions are adjustable by the position adjusting device.

4. A vibration welding method employing the vibration welding device of claim 1 , the method comprising:
a pressuring process that applies pressure to each of the plurality of first mold divisions: and
a welding process that vibrates each of the plurality of first mold divisions and welds the first component and the second component together.

5. A vibration welding mold, comprising:
an upper mold that is fitted with a first component forming an elongated shape having a bent portion, and that is disposed with a length direction of the first component along a left-right direction;
a lower mold that is disposed below the upper mold, that is fitted with a second component forming an elongated shape having a bent portion, and that is disposed with a length direction of the second component along the left-right direction; and
a plurality of first mold divisions that configure one of the upper mold and the lower mold, that are divided in the left-right direction, and that are each actuated independently from one another by a pressing device and a vibration device in a state in which the upper mold is closed against the lower mold, the vibration device being distinct from the upper and lower molds.

6. A vibration welding molded article that is molded by the vibration welding method of claim 4 , wherein:
at least one of the first component and the second component is configured from a fiber reinforced resin material.

7. The vibration welding molded article of claim 6 , wherein:
the first component configures a front side bumper reinforcement that configures a front section of bumper reinforcement disposed at a front section of a vehicle; and
the second component configures a rear side bumper reinforcement that configures a rear section of the bumper reinforcement.

8. The vibration welding device of claim 1 , wherein:
left and right end portions of the upper mold extend to or extend beyond left and right ends of the first and second components in the left-right direction.

9. The vibration welding mold of claim 5 , wherein:
left and right end portions of the upper mold extend to or extend beyond left and right ends of the first and second components in the left-right direction.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Iwano Yoshihiro

Classifications

• B29C66/301

  Three-dimensional joints, i.e. the joined area being substantially non-flat (B29C66/5223, B29C66/5224, B29C66/5225 take precedence) · CPC title

• B29C65/0618

  Linear · CPC title

• B60R2019/1853

  of reinforced plastic material · CPC title

• B60R19/023 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• B29C66/71

  characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined (welding bar compositions B29C65/125) · CPC title