Welding method and welding structure

Abstract

To provide a welding method which can easily integrate, for example, aluminum welded members without needing complicated preparation work, and to provide a welding structure.SOLUTION: In a welding method, aluminum welded members, in which coating treatment is performed on surfaces and cut surfaces are exposed by cutting the welded members in a predetermined size, are butted through an aluminum connection material and laser welding is performed to the butted parts to connect the welded members. The method can easily integrate the aluminum welded members without needing complicated preparation work.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a welding direction and a welding structure for integrating workpieces, for example made of anodized aluminum, by welding, and in particular to a welding direction and a welding structure devised to enable easy integration without requiring complicated preparatory work. [Background technology]

[0002] A welding method and a welded structure for aluminum plate materials are disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a coating is partially peeled off from an aluminum plate material, and another member is attached to the part by laser welding. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-190338 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The above conventional configuration has the following problems. That is, it is necessary to partially remove the coating from the aluminum plate material, which poses the problem that the preparation work for welding is complicated.

[0005] The present invention has been made based on these points, and its object is to provide a welding method and a welded structure that can easily integrate, for example, aluminum welded materials together without requiring complicated preparatory work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the welding method according to claim 1 of the present invention is characterized in that two aluminum workpieces, each having a coated surface and cut to a specified size so that the cut surfaces are exposed, are butted together via an aluminum connecting material that has no coating on the surface, and then connected by laser welding. A welding method according to claim 2 is the welding method according to claim 1, characterized in that after carrying out the laser welding, the periphery of the connecting material is covered with a cover. The welding method according to claim 3 is the welding method according to claim 1, characterized in that a metal plate is pressed against the workpiece during or after the laser welding to remove residual heat. A welding method according to claim 4 is the welding method according to claim 1, characterized in that the laser welding is semiconductor laser welding or fiber laser welding. The welding method according to claim 5 is the welding method according to claim 1, characterized in that a part of the cut surface of the welded material is exposed at the butt surface of the cut surface of the welded material and the connecting material. The welding method according to claim 6 is the welding method according to claim 1, characterized in that the cut surfaces of the welded materials are completely shielded at the butt surfaces of the cut surfaces of the welded materials and the connecting material. A welding method according to claim 7 is the welding method according to claim 1, characterized in that the material to be welded is an extrusion molded product or a sheet metal. The welding method according to claim 8 is the welding method according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting material is an extrusion molded product or a machined product. A welding method according to claim 9 is the welding method according to claim 1, characterized in that the coating treatment is an alumite surface treatment. Furthermore, the welded structure according to claim 10 is characterized in comprising a pair of aluminum weldable materials whose surfaces have been coated and cut to a predetermined size to expose the cut surfaces, and an aluminum connecting material that is placed in contact with the cut surfaces of the pair of weldable materials and integrated by laser welding. The welded structure according to claim 11 is the welded structure according to claim 10, characterized in that the surface of the connecting material is covered with a cover. A welded structure according to claim 12 is the welded structure according to claim 10, characterized in that the material to be welded is an extrusion molded product or a sheet metal. In addition, the welded structure according to claim 13 is characterized in that the connecting material is an extrusion molded product or a machined product. Effect of the Invention

[0007] As described above, according to the welding method of claim 1 of the present application, aluminum workpieces that have been coated on the surface and cut to a specified size so that the cut surfaces are exposed are butted together via an aluminum connecting material that has not been coated on the surface, and then connected by laser welding. This makes it possible to easily integrate the aluminum workpieces together without the need for complicated preparatory work. According to the welding method of claim 2, in the welding method of claim 1, after the laser welding is performed, the periphery of the connecting material is covered with a cover, so that the welded portion is covered and the appearance can be improved. According to the welding method of claim 3, in the welding method of claim 1, a metal plate is pressed against the workpiece during or after the laser welding to remove residual heat, thereby making it possible to prevent a rise in temperature of the surroundings including the laser welding device. According to the welding method of claim 4, since the laser welding is semiconductor laser welding or fiber laser welding in the welding method of claim 1, the above-mentioned effects can be ensured. In addition, according to the welding method of claim 5, in the welding method of claim 1, a portion of the cut surface of the welded material is exposed at the butt surface of the cut surface of the welded material and the connecting material, thereby ensuring the above-mentioned effect. According to the welding method of claim 6, in the welding method of claim 1, the cut surfaces of the welded materials are completely shielded at the butt surfaces of the cut surfaces of the welded materials and the connecting materials, and the intended object can be achieved even in such a state. According to a welding method of claim 7, in the welding method of claim 1, the workpieces are extrusion molded products or sheet metal, and the intended object can be achieved even in such a state. According to a welding method of claim 8, in the welding method of claim 1, the connecting material is an extrusion molded product or a machined product, and the desired object can be achieved even in such a state. According to a welding method of claim 9, in the welding method of claim 1, the coating treatment is an alumite surface treatment, and the desired object can be achieved even in such a state. In addition, according to the welded structure of claim 10, the structure comprises a pair of aluminum welded materials whose surfaces are coated and cut to a predetermined size to expose the cut surfaces, and an aluminum connecting material that is placed in contact with the cut surfaces of the pair of welded materials and integrated by laser welding, so that an aesthetically excellent welded joint can be provided. According to the welded structure of claim 11, since the surface of the connecting material in the welded structure of claim 10 is covered with a cover, the above effect can be further enhanced. According to a welded structure according to claim 12, since the welded material in the welded structure according to claim 10 is an extrusion molded product or a sheet metal, the above-mentioned effect can be further enhanced. Furthermore, according to the welded structure of claim 13, the connecting material is an extrusion molded product or a machined product, so that the above-mentioned effect can be further enhanced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1(a) is a plan view of a waterproof box, FIG. 1(b) is a front view of the waterproof box, FIG. 1(c) is a right side view of the waterproof box, and FIG. 1(d) is a rear view of the waterproof box, showing a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIa-IIa in FIG. 1(b), and FIG. 2(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIb-IIb in FIG. 1(b), showing a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 3(a) is a front view of a waterproof box with the front opening and closing door removed, FIG. 3(b) is a view taken along the arrow IIIb in FIG. 3(a), and FIG. 3(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IIIc-IIIc in FIG. 3(a). [Figure 4] 4(a) shows the end face shapes of the upper wall, lower wall, left side wall, and right side wall which are extruded materials, FIG. 4(b) shows the end face shape of a connecting material which is an extruded material, and FIG. 4(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IVc-IVc of FIG. 3(b). [Diagram 5] 5A, 5B, and 5C are diagrams showing a second embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 5A is a plan view of a waterproof box, FIG. 5B is a front view of the waterproof box, and FIG. 5C is a right side view of the waterproof box. [Figure 6] 6A and 6B are diagrams showing a second embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIa-VIa in FIG. 5B, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIb-VIb in FIG. 5B. [Figure 7] 7(a) is a top view of a waterproof box with the front opening and closing door removed, FIG. 7(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIIb-VIIb in FIG. 7(a), and FIG. 7(c) is an enlarged view of portion VIIc in FIG. 7(b). [Figure 8] 8(a) shows a top view of an opening / closing door, FIG. 8(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIIIb-VIIIb of FIG. 8(a), and FIG. 8(c) is an enlarged view of part VIIIc of FIG. 8(b). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 4. A waterproof box 1 manufactured by a welding method according to this embodiment has a structure as shown in Figures 1 to 3. The waterproof box 1 is composed of a waterproof box body 3 and an opening / closing door 5 on the front side. An example of the waterproof box 1 is a control box that constitutes a control panel.

[0010] The waterproof box body 3 is composed of an upper wall 7, a lower wall 9, a left side wall 11, a right side wall 13, a rear wall 15, etc. The upper wall 7, the lower wall 9, the left side wall 11, and the right side wall 13 are composed of aluminum extrusions, and their surfaces are anodized. The end faces of the upper wall 7, the lower wall 9, the left side wall 11, and the right side wall 13 are shaped as shown in Fig. 4(a), and three T-slots 17, 17, 17 are formed therein. The rear wall 15 is an aluminum plate made of sheet metal.

[0011] The welding method according to the present embodiment is carried out when connecting the top wall 7, bottom wall 9, left side wall 11, and right side wall 13. The connection between the top wall 7 and the right side wall 13 will be described as an example.

[0012] Fig. 3(a) is a front view showing a state in which the front opening and closing door 5 has been removed from Fig. 1(b), and a connecting member 21 has been inserted between the top wall 7 and the right side wall 13. Fig. 3(b) is a view seen from the arrow IIIb in Fig. 3(a), and shows that the top wall 7 and the right side wall 13 are integrated by laser welding via the connecting member 21. After they are integrated by laser welding, a cover 31 is attached so as to cover the connecting member 21, as shown in Fig. 1.

[0013] The connecting material 21 is an aluminum extrusion having an end face shape as shown in FIG. 3(c) and FIG. 4(b), and its surface is not anodized, being a so-called "raw material."

[0014] The connecting structure between the top wall 7 and the left side wall 11, the connecting structure between the left side wall 11 and the bottom wall 9, and the connecting structure between the right side wall 13 and the bottom wall 9 are also configured in the same manner.

[0015] Next, the above-mentioned connecting operation by laser welding will be described in order. First, the top wall 7, bottom wall 9, left side wall 11, and right side wall 13 are cut to a predetermined length. At this time, the cut surfaces of the top wall 7, bottom wall 9, left side wall 11, and right side wall 13 have exposed aluminum surfaces. Next, taking the top wall 7 and the right side wall 13 as an example, the top wall 7 and the right side wall 13 are butted together via a connecting member 21. At this time, as shown in Figures 3(b) and 4, a step 23 is provided between the top wall 7 and the connecting member 21 and between the right side wall 13 and the connecting member 21, and at the step 23, the aluminum surfaces of the cut surfaces of the top wall 7 and the right side wall 13 are exposed.

[0016] Next, laser welding is performed between the top wall 7 and the connecting material 21, and between the right side wall 13 and the connecting material 21. In the case of this embodiment, semiconductor laser welding is adopted.

[0017] Next, the residual heat is removed by pressing a copper plate 41 against the top wall 7 and the right side wall 13 in Fig. 4. Heat removal may be performed while semiconductor laser welding is being performed. The upper wall 7 and the left side wall 11, the left side wall 11 and the bottom wall 9, and the right side wall 13 and the bottom wall 9 are also laser-welded using a similar process.

[0018] Next, as shown in FIG. 1, a cover 31 is attached so as to cover the connecting members 21, 21, 21, 21 at the four locations.

[0019] As described above, according to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. First, the top wall 7, bottom wall 9, left side wall 11, and right side wall 13 can be easily integrated by laser welding without the need for complicated preparatory work, making it possible to facilitate the manufacture of the waterproof box 1. Furthermore, steps 23 are provided between the upper wall 7, the lower wall 9, the left side wall 11, and the right side wall 13 and the connecting material 21, and the aluminum surfaces of the cut surfaces are exposed, so that laser welding can be performed efficiently. Furthermore, the presence of the step 23 makes it easier to hold the top wall 7, bottom wall 9, left side wall 11, right side wall 13 and connecting member 21 with a jig not shown. Furthermore, since the copper plate 41 is pressed against the material during or after laser welding to remove residual heat, it is possible to suppress an increase in temperature of the laser welding device and the surrounding area. In addition, after laser welding, the connecting material 21 is covered with the cover 31, which provides an excellent aesthetic appearance.

[0020] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 8. In the first embodiment, the top wall, bottom wall, left side wall, right side wall, and bottom wall constituting the waterproof box were extrusion molded products, but in this second embodiment, they are made of sheet metal. A detailed description will be given below.

[0021] The waterproof box 101 is composed of a waterproof box body 103 and an opening / closing door 105 on the front side.

[0022] The waterproof box body 103 is composed of an upper wall 107, a lower wall 109, a left side wall 111, a right side wall 113, a rear wall 115, etc. The upper wall 107, the lower wall 109, the left side wall 111, the right side wall 113, and the rear wall 115 are aluminum sheet metal products, and their surfaces are anodized.

[0023] The welding method according to the present embodiment is carried out when connecting the top wall 107, the bottom wall 109, the left side wall 111, and the right side wall 113. The connection between the top wall 107 and the right side wall 113 will be described as an example.

[0024] Fig. 7(a) is a front view showing a state in which the front opening and closing door 105 is removed from Fig. 5(a), and a connecting member 121 is interposed between the top wall 107 and the right side wall 113. Fig. 7(c) is an enlarged view of part VIIc in Fig. 7(b), and the top wall 107 and the right side wall 113 are integrated together by laser welding via the connecting member 121.

[0025] The connecting material 121 is an aluminum extrusion molded product having an end face shape as shown in FIG. 7(c), and its surface is not anodized, being a so-called "raw material."

[0026] The connecting structure between the top wall 107 and the left side wall 111, the connecting structure between the left side wall 111 and the bottom wall 109, and the connecting structure between the right side wall 113 and the bottom wall 109 are also configured in the same manner.

[0027] Next, the above-mentioned connecting operation by laser welding will be described in order. First, the top wall 107, the bottom wall 109, the left side wall 111, and the right side wall 113 are prepared by cutting them to a predetermined length. At this time, the cut surfaces of the top wall 107, the bottom wall 109, the left side wall 111, and the right side wall 113 have exposed aluminum surfaces. Next, taking the top wall 107 and the right side wall 113 as an example, the top wall 107 and the right side wall 113 are butted together via a connecting member 121 .

[0028] Next, laser welding is performed between the top wall 107 and the connecting member 121, and between the right side wall 1113 and the connecting member 121. In the case of this embodiment, semiconductor laser welding is adopted. By performing the above-mentioned laser welding on the connecting member 121, welding is simultaneously performed between the top wall 107 and the connecting member 121, and between the right side wall 113 and the connecting member 121. During or after laser welding, a steel plate (not shown) is pressed against the right side wall 113 to remove heat.

[0029] Next, similar laser welding is performed between the top wall 107 and the left side wall 111, between the left side wall 111 and the bottom wall 109, and between the right side wall 113 and the bottom wall 109.

[0030] The opening and closing door 105 is composed of an upper wall 131, a lower wall 133, a left side wall 135, a right side wall 137, a top wall 139, etc. The upper wall 131, the lower wall 133, the left side wall 135, the right side wall 137, and the top wall 139 are aluminum sheet metal products, and their surfaces are anodized. The upper wall 131, the lower wall 133, the left side wall 135, and the right side wall 137 are also connected to each other by a similar welding method via a connecting member 121, as shown in FIG.

[0031] The same is true of the neck-shaped drainage portion 151 on the opening side of the waterproof box body 103. As shown in Fig. 7, the drainage portion 151 is composed of an upper wall 153, a lower wall 155, a left side wall 157, a right side wall 159, and four connecting members (not shown) that interconnect the upper wall 153, the lower wall 155, the left side wall 157, and the right side wall 159. The four connecting members (not shown) that interconnect the upper wall 153, the lower wall 155, the left side wall 157, and the right side wall 159 are also welded by the same welding method.

[0032] Therefore, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be achieved.

[0033] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the first and second embodiments. First, in the first and second embodiments, the laser welding has been described by taking semiconductor laser welding as an example, but the laser welding is not limited to this, and fiber laser welding, etc. may also be used. Further, in the first and second embodiments, a waterproof box has been taken as an example for explanation, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the first and second embodiments, the materials to be welded are extrusion molded products and sheet metal materials, but the materials are not limited to these and may be machined products. In the first and second embodiments, the connecting members are extrusion molded products, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be sheet metal or machined products. Additionally, the configurations shown in the drawings are merely examples. [Industrial Applicability]

[0034] The present invention relates to a welding direction and welding structure for integrating, for example, aluminum workpieces by welding, and in particular to a method for integrating workpieces without requiring complicated preparatory work, and is suitable for producing waterproof boxes such as control boxes. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1 waterproof box 3. Waterproof box body 5 Opening and closing doors 7 Top wall 9 Bottom wall 11 Side wall 13 Side wall 21 Connecting material 31 Cover 41 Copper plate (metal plate)

Claims

1. This welding method is characterized by the fact that two aluminum workpieces, each of which has been coated on its surface and cut to a specified size so that the cut surfaces are exposed, are butted together via an aluminum connecting member which has not been coated on its surface, and then connected by laser welding.

2. The welding method according to claim 1, A welding method characterized in that after performing the laser welding, the periphery of the connecting material is covered with a cover.

3. The welding method according to claim 1, A welding method characterized in that a metal plate is pressed against the workpiece during or after the laser welding to remove residual heat.

4. The welding method according to claim 1, The welding method is characterized in that the laser welding is semiconductor laser welding or fiber laser welding.

5. The welding method according to claim 1, A welding method characterized in that a portion of the cut surface of the welded material is exposed at the butt joint surface of the cut surface of the welded material and the connecting material.

6. The welding method according to claim 1, A welding method characterized in that the cut surfaces of the welded materials are completely shielded at the butt surfaces of the cut surfaces of the welded materials and the connecting material.

7. The welding method according to claim 1, A welding method characterized in that the workpiece is an extrusion molded product or sheet metal.

8. The welding method according to claim 1, A welding method characterized in that the connecting material is an extrusion molded product or a machined product.

9. The welding method according to claim 1, A welding method characterized in that the coating treatment is an alumite surface treatment.

10. A pair of aluminum workpieces that have been coated on the surface and cut to a predetermined size to expose the cut surfaces; An aluminum connecting member that is installed in contact with the cut surfaces of the pair of welded materials and integrated by laser welding; A welded structure comprising:

11. The welded structure according to claim 10, A welded structure characterized in that the surface of the connecting material is covered with a cover.

12. The welded structure according to claim 10, A welded structure characterized in that the workpiece is an extrusion molded product or sheet metal.

13. A welded structure, wherein the connecting material is an extrusion molded product or a machined product.

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