Welding device

Abstract

To provide a welding device capable of preventing a plurality of metal members from being welded to a resin member.SOLUTION: The welding device 60 includes a plate thickness measuring portion 90 that measures the plate thickness of the first mesh member 50, a welding portion 110 that welds the first mesh member 50 to the cap 31, and a control portion 140 that controls the operations of the plate thickness measuring portion 90 and the welding portion 110. The control unit 140 is configured to permit the operation of the welding unit 110 when the measurement result of the plate thickness measurement unit 90 is less than the threshold value, and to prohibit the operation of the welding unit 110 when the measurement result is equal to or greater than the threshold value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a welding device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an ion exchanger connected to a cooling circuit of a fuel cell. This ion exchanger includes a case that opens upward and a cartridge that is detachably attached to the case.

[0003] The cartridge includes a cylindrical cap that opens downward and an ion exchange resin filled in the cap. The cap has an exhaust hole on its outer circumferential surface that discharges air from the cartridge to the outside. The exhaust hole is closed by a porous member that has many pores that are smaller than the exhaust hole. The pores of the porous member are large enough to allow the coolant to pass through while preventing the ion exchange resin from passing through.

[0004] When the cartridge is removed from the case to replace it, coolant may be trapped inside the case. When the cartridge is installed back into the case, the coolant seeps into the cartridge. At this time, the air inside the cartridge is exhausted to the outside through the exhaust hole. This prevents the coolant from leaking out of the case opening when the cartridge is replaced. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-93212 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] To properly exhaust air from the exhaust hole, it is preferable to suppress an increase in air pressure loss. Therefore, it is conceivable to form the porous members from a thin metal mesh and weld them to the cap. However, when the porous members are thin, they are difficult to separate when they are overlapped. Furthermore, it is difficult to visually confirm that the porous members are overlapped. As a result, there is a risk that multiple porous members may be accidentally welded to the cap.

[0007] This problem is not limited to when a thin porous member is welded to a cap that constitutes a cartridge of an ion exchanger, but also occurs when a thin metal member having through holes is welded to a resin member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A welding device for solving the above problem is a welding device that welds a thin metal plate member having a through hole penetrating in the plate thickness direction to a resin member, and is equipped with a plate thickness measurement unit that measures the plate thickness of the metal member, a welding unit that welds the metal member to the resin member, and a control unit that controls the operation of the plate thickness measurement unit and the welding unit, and the control unit is configured to allow the welding unit to operate when the measurement result of the plate thickness measurement unit is less than a threshold value, but to prohibit the operation of the welding unit when the measurement result is equal to or greater than the threshold value.

[0009] According to the above configuration, the welding part operates when the measurement result of the plate thickness measuring part is less than the threshold value, but does not operate when the measurement result is equal to or greater than the threshold value. Therefore, if the threshold value is set to the sum of the plate thicknesses of two metal members, the welding part will not operate when the plate thickness measuring part measures multiple metal members. Therefore, when an operator welds a metal member measured by the plate thickness measuring part to a resin member, welding of multiple metal members to the resin member can be prevented. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an ion exchanger according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the cartridge of the ion exchanger of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a welding device according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the welded portion of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the process executed by the control unit of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the process executed by the control unit of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the welding device will be described with reference to FIGS. The welding device 60 is a device that welds the first mesh member 50 to the outer peripheral surface of the cap 31 that constitutes the cartridge 30 of the ion exchanger 10. The cap 31 is an example of a "resin member." The first mesh member 50 is an example of a "metal member."

[0012] (Overall configuration of ion exchanger 10) 1, the ion exchanger 10 is connected to a cooling circuit (not shown) through which coolant flows for cooling a vehicle fuel cell. The ion exchanger 10 removes ions contained in the coolant.

[0013] The ion exchanger 10 includes a case 20 and a cartridge 30. The cartridge 30 is configured to be detachable from the case 20. (Configuration of Case 20) The case 20 has a storage section 21, an inlet pipe 22, and an outlet pipe .

[0014] The accommodation portion 21 has a cylindrical shape that opens upward. An internal thread (not shown) is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the upper end portion of the accommodation portion 21. The inlet pipe 22 and the outlet pipe 23 are connected to the lower part of the storage section 21. The inlet pipe 22 and the outlet pipe 23 are oriented in opposite directions. The cooling water flowing through the cooling circuit flows into the cartridge 30 housed in the storage section 21 through the inlet pipe 22. The outlet pipe 23 allows the cooling water in the cartridge 30 to flow out into the cooling circuit.

[0015] (Configuration of cartridge 30) The cartridge 30 includes a cap 31, a flow path member 40, a lid member 45, and an ion exchange resin R. The cap 31 is cylindrical and opens downward. The cap 31 is housed in the housing 21. The flow path member 40 forms a flow path inside the cap 31 through which cooling water flows. The lid member 45 covers the open end of the cap 31. The ion exchange resin R is filled inside the cap 31. The cap 31, the flow path member 40, and the lid member 45 are made of a thermoplastic resin material such as polyamide (PA). The cap 31 is an example of a "housing."

[0016] The cap 31 has a top wall 32 and a peripheral wall 33. The top wall 32 is circular in plan view. The peripheral wall 33 protrudes downward from the outer periphery of the top wall 32. A male thread 34 that meshes with the female thread of the accommodating portion 21 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 33. By screwing the cap 31 onto the accommodating portion 21, the cartridge 30 is detachably attached to the case 20.

[0017] A plurality of pins 35 extending in the vertical direction are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 33. Each pin 35 is cylindrical. The tip of each pin 35 protrudes downward beyond the lower end of the peripheral wall 33.

[0018] An exhaust hole 36 penetrating the peripheral wall 33 is formed in a portion of the peripheral wall 33 below the male thread 34. The exhaust hole 36 has a circular cross section. The exhaust hole 36 faces the inner peripheral surface of the storage section 21. The exhaust hole 36 has the function of discharging air inside the cartridge 30 to the outside when the cartridge 30 is inserted into the case 20 in which the coolant is stored during replacement of the cartridge 30. Discharging air from the exhaust hole 36 prevents the coolant from overflowing from the case 20 during replacement of the cartridge 30.

[0019] A joint surface 33a that surrounds the exhaust hole 36 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the peripheral wall 33. The joint surface 33a is recessed relative to the other portions of the peripheral wall 33. A first mesh member 50 that covers the exhaust hole 36 is joined to the joining surface 33a. The first mesh member 50 is joined to the joining surface 33a by, for example, vibration welding or ultrasonic welding. The first mesh member 50 has a circular shape. The first mesh member 50 is formed from a thin metal plate such as stainless steel. The mesh of the first mesh member 50 is set to a size that allows the passage of cooling water while preventing the passage of the ion exchange resin R. The mesh of the first mesh member 50 is an example of a "through hole" that penetrates the first mesh member 50 in the plate thickness direction.

[0020] A seal groove 37 is formed around the entire outer circumferential surface of the peripheral wall 33 above the male thread 34. An annular first seal member 55 is attached to the seal groove 37. The first seal member 55 provides a seal between the outer circumferential surface of the cap 31 and the inner circumferential surface of the housing portion 21. The first seal member 55 is made of an elastic material.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the flow path member 40 has a pipe portion 41, an annular portion 42, and a plurality of first ribs 43. The pipe part 41 has a cylindrical shape and extends vertically in the center of the interior of the cap 31. The upper end of the pipe part 41 has a gap between it and the top wall 32. The lower end of the pipe part 41 passes through the lid member 45.

[0022] The annular portion 42 is annular and surrounds the upper end of the pipe portion 41. The annular portion 42 is fitted inside the upper end of the cap 31. The first ribs 43 connect the outer peripheral surface of the pipe portion 41 and the inner peripheral surface of the annular portion 42 at multiple locations spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the pipe portion 41 .

[0023] An annular second seal member 56 is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the annular portion 42. The second seal member 56 provides a seal between the outer circumferential surface of the annular portion 42 and the inner circumferential surface of the cap 31. The second seal member 56 is made of an elastic material.

[0024] The second mesh member 51 is integrated with the flow path member 40 by insert molding. The second mesh member 51 is disk-shaped. The second mesh member 51 covers the lower surfaces of the annular portion 42 and the plurality of first ribs 43. The second mesh member 51 is formed of a thin metal plate such as stainless steel. The mesh size of the second mesh member 51 is set to allow the passage of cooling water while preventing the passage of the ion exchange resin R.

[0025] An annular third seal member 57 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the lower end of the pipe portion 41. The third seal member 57 seals between the outer peripheral surface of the pipe portion 41 and the inner peripheral surface of the inner annular portion 46, which will be described later. The third seal member 57 is made of an elastic material.

[0026] The cover member 45 has an inner annular portion 46, an outer annular portion 47, and a plurality of second ribs 48. The inner annular portion 46 is annular and surrounds the lower end of the pipe portion 41 .

[0027] The outer annular portion 47 is annular and surrounds the inner annular portion 46. The outer annular portion 47 is fitted inside the lower end portion of the cap 31. The outer annular portion 47 is provided with a plurality of insertion holes 49 spaced apart in the circumferential direction, which penetrate the outer annular portion 47 in the up-down direction.

[0028] 1, the pin portion 35 of the cap 31 is inserted into the insertion hole 49. The tip of the pin portion 35 is formed into a dome shape by heat caulking. This fixes the lid member 45 to the cap 31.

[0029] The second ribs 48 connect the outer peripheral surface of the inner annular portion 46 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer annular portion 47 at multiple locations spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the inner annular portion 46 . An annular fourth seal member 58 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the outer annular portion 47. The fourth seal member 58 provides a seal between the outer peripheral surface of the outer annular portion 47 and the inner peripheral surface of the cap 31. The fourth seal member 58 is made of an elastic material.

[0030] A third mesh member 52 is integrated with the cover member 45 by insert molding. The third mesh member 52 is disk-shaped. The third mesh member 52 covers the lower surface of the cover member 45. The third mesh member 52 is formed of a thin metal plate such as stainless steel. The mesh size of the third mesh member 52 is set to allow the passage of cooling water while preventing the passage of the ion exchange resin R.

[0031] The ion exchange resin R is filled in the space inside the cap 31 around the pipe portion 41 and between the annular portion 42 and the lid member 45. Most of the cooling water that flows into the inside of the case 20 from the inlet pipe 22 passes through the third mesh member 52 integrated with the lid member 45, and reaches the region inside the cap 31 that is filled with the ion exchange resin R. As the cooling water passes through the ion exchange resin R, ions are removed from the cooling water by ion exchange with the ion exchange resin R. After passing through the ion exchange resin R, the cooling water passes through the second mesh member 51 integrated with the flow path member 40, and then flows into the inside of the pipe portion 41 through the opening at the upper end of the pipe portion 41. Thereafter, the cooling water flows into the inside of the outlet pipe 23 from the lower end of the pipe portion 41, and then flows out of the outlet pipe 23 into the cooling circuit.

[0032] (Overall configuration of welding device 60) As shown in FIG. 3 , the welding device 60 includes a base 70, a tray 80, a thickness measuring unit 90, a first detection unit 100, a welding unit 110, a second detection unit 120, an alarm unit 130, and a control unit 140. The tray 80 is a container that accommodates a plurality of first mesh members 50. The thickness measuring unit 90 measures the thickness T of the first mesh member 50. The first detection unit 100 detects the presence or absence of the first mesh member 50 in the measurement area of ​​the thickness measuring unit 90. The welding unit 110 welds the first mesh member 50 to the cap 31. The second detection unit 120 detects the presence or absence of the first mesh member 50 in the welding area of ​​the welding unit 110. The alarm unit 130 notifies the state of the welding device 60. The control unit 140 controls the operations of the thickness measuring unit 90, the first detection unit 100, the welding unit 110, the second detection unit 120, and the notification unit .

[0033] The welding device 60 is a device that is operated by an operator to weld the first mesh member 50 to the cap 31. (Configuration of plate thickness measuring unit 90) The plate thickness measuring unit 90 includes a support base 91 and a measuring element 92 .

[0034] The support base 91 is fixed to the upper surface of the base 70. The support base 91 has a flat support surface 91a that supports the first mesh member 50 from below. The measuring probe 92 is disposed above the support base 91. The measuring probe 92 is configured to be movable up and down relative to the support base 91. The measuring probe 92 measures the plate thickness T of the first mesh member 50 by sandwiching the first mesh member 50 between the measuring probe 92 and the support base 91. The plate thickness measuring unit 90 outputs the measurement result to the control unit 140.

[0035] (Configuration of the first detection unit 100) The first detection unit 100 is disposed above the support surface 91a. The first detection unit 100 detects the presence or absence of the first mesh member 50 on the support surface 91a, which is the measurement area of ​​the plate thickness measurement unit 90. The first detection unit 100 includes, for example, a photoelectric sensor. The first detection unit 100 outputs the detection result to the control unit 140.

[0036] (Configuration of welded part 110) The welding unit 110 includes an anvil 111 and a horn 115. The anvil 111 supports the cap 31 from the inside. The horn 115 welds the first mesh member 50 to the cap 31 supported by the anvil 111.

[0037] 4, the anvil 111 has a plate-shaped first portion 112 and a columnar second portion 113. The first portion 112 extends upward from the upper surface of the base 70. The second portion 113 extends horizontally to one side from the upper end of the first portion 112. The second portion 113 has a size that can be accommodated inside the cap 31.

[0038] An upwardly protruding receiving portion 114 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the second portion 113. The receiving portion 114 supports the portion of the inner surface of the peripheral wall 33 of the cap 31 around the exhaust hole 36 from below.

[0039] Horn 115 is disposed above anvil 111 and facing receiving portion 114. Horn 115 is configured to be movable forward and backward relative to receiving portion 114 in the vertical direction. An ultrasonic vibration device (not shown) applies ultrasonic vibration to horn 115. While ultrasonically vibrating, horn 115 presses first mesh member 50, which is placed on joining surface 33a of cap 31, toward receiving portion 114. As a result, a ring-shaped protrusion (not shown) formed on joining surface 33a so as to surround exhaust hole 36 melts due to frictional heat, and first mesh member 50 is welded to joining surface 33a.

[0040] (Configuration of second detection unit 120) As shown in FIG. 3, the second detection unit 120 is disposed above the anvil 111. The second detection unit 120 detects the presence or absence of the first mesh member 50 on the joining surface 33a, which is the welding area of ​​the welding portion 110. The second detection unit 120 includes, for example, a camera and an image processing unit. The image processing unit detects the presence or absence of the first mesh member 50 by image processing the image data captured by the camera. The second detection unit 120 outputs the detection result to the control unit 140.

[0041] (Configuration of notification unit 130) The notification unit 130 is a device that notifies the state of the welding device 60 by, for example, lighting an indicator light, sounding from a speaker, or displaying on a display.

[0042] (Configuration of control unit 140) The control unit 140 controls the operations of the thickness measurement unit 90, the first detection unit 100, the welding unit 110, the second detection unit 120, and the notification unit 130. The control unit 140 operates the thickness measurement unit 90 when an operator inputs an operation instruction for the thickness measurement unit 90 into an input device (not shown) connected to the control unit 140. The control unit 140 operates the welding unit 110 when an operator inputs an operation instruction for the welding unit 110 into the input device. The control unit 140 operates the thickness measurement unit 90 and the welding unit 110 simultaneously when an operator inputs an operation instruction for simultaneously operating the thickness measurement unit 90 and the welding unit 110 into the input device. Note that the control unit 140 can also operate the thickness measurement unit 90 and the welding unit 110 individually.

[0043] The control unit 140 may be configured as a circuit including one or more processors that execute various processes according to a computer program (software). The control unit 140 may also be configured as a circuit including one or more dedicated hardware circuits, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), that execute at least some of the various processes, or a combination thereof. The processor includes a CPU and memory such as RAM and ROM. The memory stores program code or instructions configured to cause the CPU to execute processes. The memory, i.e., computer-readable medium, includes any medium accessible by a general-purpose or dedicated computer.

[0044] (Work procedure for workers) The welding operation of the first mesh member 50 performed by an operator using the welding device 60 will now be described.

[0045] First, the worker causes the anvil 111 to support the cap 31. At this time, the worker positions the receiving portion 114 and the exhaust hole 36. Next, the worker removes the first mesh member 50 from the tray 80 and places it in the measurement area of ​​the plate thickness measuring unit 90.

[0046] Next, the operator inputs an operation instruction for the thickness measuring unit 90 into the input device, whereby the thickness T of the first mesh member 50 is measured. Next, the worker removes the first mesh member 50 after the thickness measurement from the measurement area of ​​the thickness measurement unit 90, and then places it on the joining surface 33a of the cap 31 supported by the anvil 111.

[0047] Next, an operation instruction for welding unit 110 is input to the input device, whereby first mesh member 50 is welded to joining surface 33a. The worker may simultaneously perform welding of the first mesh member 50 and thickness measurement of the next first mesh member 50 to be welded. In this case, in the welding operation described above, the worker places the first mesh member 50 after thickness measurement on the joining surface 33a of the cap 31, and then removes the next first mesh member 50 from the tray 80 and places it in the measurement area of ​​the thickness measurement unit 90. The worker then inputs an operation command to the input device to simultaneously operate the thickness measurement unit 90 and the welding unit 110. This allows welding of the first mesh member 50 and thickness measurement of the next first mesh member 50 to be welded to be performed simultaneously.

[0048] However, because the first mesh members 50 are thin plates, multiple first mesh members 50 tend to overlap inside the tray 80. This can lead to an operator unintentionally removing multiple first mesh members 50 from the tray 80. If multiple first mesh members 50 are welded to the joining surface 33a, there is a risk of increased pressure loss in the air being discharged from inside the cartridge 30 to the outside through the exhaust hole 36. As a result, air inside the cartridge 30 is not sufficiently discharged, which can lead to overflow of coolant from the case 20 when replacing the cartridge 30. For this reason, in the welding device 60, a process executed by the control unit 140, which will be described later, prevents multiple first mesh members 50 from being welded to the joining surface 33a.

[0049] (Processing executed by control unit 140) 5 and 6, the procedure of the process executed by the control unit 140 when the worker welds the first mesh member 50 will be described. The process shown in FIG. 5 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle. The process shown in FIG. 6 is executed when the worker inputs an operation instruction for the welding unit 110 to the input device, that is, when the input device outputs an operation command signal instructing the welding unit 110 to operate. The following description is based on the premise that the worker operates the input device with the cap 31 supported by the anvil 111. Note that the process shown in FIG. 6 is preferably executed after the process shown in FIG. 5 is completed, but it may also be executed before the completion of the process, including before the start of the process of FIG. 5.

[0050] 5, the control unit 140 first executes the process of step S101. In step S101, the control unit 140 determines whether or not the first mesh member 50 is present in the measurement area of ​​the plate thickness measurement unit 90 based on the detection result of the first detection unit 100. If the control unit 140 determines that the first mesh member 50 is present in the measurement area of ​​the plate thickness measurement unit 90 (step S101: YES), the control unit 140 proceeds to step S102. If the control unit 140 determines that the first mesh member 50 is not present in the measurement area of ​​the plate thickness measurement unit 90 (step S101: NO), the control unit 140 ends the series of processes.

[0051] In step S102, the control unit 140 determines whether or not thickness measurement has been performed by the thickness measurement unit 90. When an operation command signal commanding the operation of the thickness measurement unit 90 is input from the input device, the control unit 140 causes the thickness measurement unit 90 to perform thickness measurement. When the control unit 140 determines that thickness measurement has been performed (step S102: YES), the control unit 140 proceeds to step S103. When the control unit 140 determines that thickness measurement has not been performed (step S102: NO), the control unit 140 ends the series of processes.

[0052] In step S103, the control unit 140 determines whether the thickness T of the first mesh member 50, which is the measurement result of the thickness measurement unit 90, is less than a predetermined threshold value Tth. The threshold value Tth is set to, for example, twice the minimum value within the manufacturing tolerance of the thickness of the first mesh member 50. Therefore, the process of step S103 is determined to be positive only when the thickness measurement unit 90 measures the thickness of only one first mesh member 50. If the control unit 140 determines that the thickness T is less than the threshold value Tth (step S103: YES), the control unit 140 proceeds to step S104. If the control unit 140 determines that the thickness T is not less than the threshold value Tth, that is, that the thickness T is equal to or greater than the threshold value Tth (step S103: NO), the control unit 140 proceeds to step S110.

[0053] In step S104, the control unit 140 determines whether or not the first mesh member 50 is not present in the measurement area of ​​the plate thickness measurement unit 90, based on the detection result of the first detection unit 100. If the control unit 140 determines that the first mesh member 50 is not present in the measurement area of ​​the plate thickness measurement unit 90 (step S104: YES), the control unit 140 proceeds to step S105. If the control unit 140 determines that the first mesh member 50 is present in the measurement area of ​​the plate thickness measurement unit 90 (step S104: NO), the control unit 140 repeatedly executes the processing of step S104.

[0054] In step S110, the control unit 140 operates the notification unit 130. At this time, the notification unit 130 notifies the operator that the thickness measurement unit 90 has measured the thicknesses T of the multiple first mesh members 50. Thereafter, the control unit 140 ends the series of processes.

[0055] In step S105, the control unit 140 turns on the flag, and stores the fact that the flag has been turned on. After that, the control unit 140 ends the series of processes. The control unit 140 turns on a flag when an execution condition is met, whereby the processes of step S101, step S103, and step S104 are determined to be affirmative in this order. This flag is an example of information indicating that an operator has measured the thickness T of one first mesh member 50 using the thickness measurement unit 90 and then removed the first mesh member 50 from the thickness measurement unit 90. The execution condition can also be said to be a condition that is satisfied in the order of: the first detection unit 100 has detected the first mesh member 50; the thickness T of the first mesh member 50 measured by the thickness measurement unit 90 is less than the threshold value Tth; and the first detection unit 100 has not detected the first mesh member 50.

[0056] 6, the control unit 140 executes the process of step S201. In step S201, the control unit 140 determines whether the exhaust hole 36 of the cap 31 is exposed based on the detection result of the second detection unit 120. If the control unit 140 determines that the exhaust hole 36 is exposed (step S201: YES), the control unit 140 proceeds to step S202. If the control unit 140 determines that the exhaust hole 36 is not exposed (step S201: NO), the control unit 140 proceeds to step S210. Examples of cases in which it is determined that the exhaust hole 36 is not exposed in step S201 include when the cap 31, to which the first mesh member 50 has already been welded, is supported by the anvil 111, or when the exhaust hole 36 is covered by a foreign object.

[0057] In step S202, the control unit 140 determines whether the flag is on. If the control unit 140 determines that the flag is on (step S202: YES), the control unit 140 proceeds to step S203. If the control unit 140 determines that the flag is not on (step S202: NO), the control unit 140 proceeds to step S211. An example of a case in which it is determined that the flag is not on in step S202 is when the thickness measurement unit 90 measures the thicknesses T of multiple first mesh members 50. Another example is when an operator inputs an operation instruction for the welding unit 110 into the input device before removing the first mesh members 50 from the measurement area of ​​the thickness measurement unit 90 after thickness measurement. Yet another example is when an operator places the first mesh member 50 removed from the tray 80 directly on the joining surface 33a of the cap 31 without performing thickness measurement using the thickness measurement unit 90.

[0058] In step S203, control unit 140 permits operation of welding unit 110. This causes welding unit 110 to operate, that is, first mesh member 50 is welded to bonding surface 33a by welding unit 110. Thereafter, control unit 140 causes the process to proceed to step S204.

[0059] Here, when the operator inputs an operation instruction to the input device to simultaneously operate the plate thickness measurement unit 90 and the welding unit 110, the control unit 140 simultaneously operates the welding unit 110 and the plate thickness measurement unit 90. However, this only applies if the processing of step S101 for the first mesh member 50 to be welded next is determined to be positive.

[0060] In step S204, control unit 140 turns off the flag stored in control unit 140. Thereafter, control unit 140 advances the process to step S205. In step S205, the control unit 140 determines whether the welding position of the first mesh member 50 relative to the exhaust hole 36 is correct. More specifically, the control unit 140 determines whether the welding position of the first mesh member 50 relative to the exhaust hole 36 is correct by comparing a registered image registered in advance in the control unit 140 with an image of the cap 31 captured by the second detection unit 120. The registered image is an image of the cap 31 with the first mesh member 50 welded in the correct position. An example of a case in which the welding position of the first mesh member 50 relative to the exhaust hole 36 is incorrect in step S205 is when a portion of the exhaust hole 36 is not covered by the first mesh member 50. If the control unit 140 determines that the welding position of the first mesh member 50 relative to the exhaust hole 36 is correct (step S205: YES), the control unit 140 concludes that the welding of the first mesh member 50 to the cap 31 has been properly performed, and ends the series of processes. If the control unit 140 determines that the welding position of the first mesh member 50 relative to the exhaust hole 36 is incorrect (step S205: NO), the control unit 140 proceeds to step S212.

[0061] In step S210, which is executed if the process of step S201 is determined to be negative, the control unit 140 activates the notification unit 130. At this time, the notification unit 130 notifies the operator that the exhaust hole 36 is not exposed. Thereafter, the control unit 140 proceeds to step S213.

[0062] In step S211, which is executed when the process of step S202 is determined to be negative, the control unit 140 operates the notification unit 130. At this time, the notification unit 130 notifies the operator that the plate thickness measurement by the plate thickness measurement unit 90 has not been properly completed. Thereafter, the control unit 140 advances the process to step S213.

[0063] In step S212, which is executed if the process of step S205 returns a negative determination, the control unit 140 activates the notification unit 130. At this time, the notification unit 130 notifies the operator that the welding position of the first mesh member 50 relative to the exhaust hole 36 is incorrect. Thereafter, the control unit 140 ends the series of processes.

[0064] In step S213, the control unit 140 prohibits the operation of the welding unit 110. At this time, even though the input device outputs an operation command signal for the welding unit 110, the welding unit 110 does not operate. After that, the control unit 140 ends the series of processes.

[0065] Here, when the flag is off, that is, when the process of step S105 is not being executed, the control unit 140 executes the processes of steps S211 and S213. In other words, when an operation command signal for the welding unit 110 is input in a state in which the execution condition is not satisfied, the control unit 140 activates the notification unit 130 and prohibits the operation of the welding unit 110.

[0066] <Operation of this embodiment> The control unit 140 is configured to permit the operation of the welding unit 110 when the execution conditions are met, but to prohibit the operation of the welding unit 110 when the execution conditions are not met.

[0067] The execution conditions are satisfied in this order: the first detection unit 100 has detected the first mesh member 50; the thickness T of the first mesh member 50 measured by the thickness measurement unit 90 is less than the threshold value Tth; and the first detection unit 100 has not detected the first mesh member 50. Therefore, the welding unit 110 does not operate in a state where the first mesh member 50 for which thickness measurement has been completed has not been removed from the measurement area of ​​the thickness measurement unit 90, or in a state where the thickness measurement unit 90 has measured the thicknesses T of multiple first mesh members 50. Note that the "state where the first mesh member 50 for which thickness measurement has been completed has not been removed from the measurement area of ​​the thickness measurement unit 90" also includes a state where thickness measurement of the first mesh member 50 has not been performed.

[0068] <Effects of this embodiment> (1) The control unit 140 is configured to permit the operation of the welding unit 110 when the execution conditions are met, but to prohibit the operation of the welding unit 110 when the execution conditions are not met.

[0069] According to the above configuration, regardless of whether or not the worker has performed a plate thickness measurement using the plate thickness measuring unit 90, it is possible to prevent the plurality of first mesh members 50 from being welded to the cap 31. (2) The control unit 140 is configured to cause the notification unit 130 to notify the fact that the thickness measuring unit 90 has measured the thickness T of multiple first mesh members 50 when the thickness T of the first mesh member 50 measured by the thickness measuring unit 90 is equal to or greater than a threshold value Tth.

[0070] According to the above configuration, the worker can know from the notification by the notification unit 130 that the thickness measurement unit 90 has measured the plurality of first mesh members 50. (3) When an operation command signal commanding the operation of the welding unit 110 is input when the execution conditions are not satisfied, the control unit 140 is configured to cause the notification unit 130 to notify that the plate thickness measurement by the plate thickness measurement unit 90 has not been completed properly.

[0071] According to the above configuration, the worker can know that the thickness measurement of the first mesh member 50 by the thickness measuring unit 90 has not been completed properly. (4) The welding device 60 is a device that welds the first mesh member 50 to the cap 31 of the cartridge 30 of the ion exchanger 10 .

[0072] According to the above configuration, the welding device 60 can be embodied as a device for assembling the first mesh member 50 to the cap 31 of the cartridge 30 of the ion exchanger 10. <Example of change> This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0073] The welding device 60 is not limited to a device that welds the first mesh member 50 to the cap 31 of the cartridge 30 of the ion exchanger 10. The welding device 60 can also be embodied as a device that has through-holes that penetrate in the plate thickness direction and that welds, for example, a thin plate-like metal member that functions as a filter to a resin member.

[0074] The control unit 140 may not execute at least one of steps S110, S210, S211, and S212, which are processes for operating the notification unit 130.

[0075] The welding device 60 does not necessarily have to include the notification unit 130. The control unit 140 may not execute the processes of steps S101 and S104. The execution condition in this case is that the thickness T of the first mesh member 50 measured by the thickness measurement unit 90 is less than the threshold value Tth. In this case, the control unit 140 may be configured to execute the process of step S203 when the thickness T of the first mesh member 50 measured by the thickness measurement unit 90 is less than the threshold value Tth, and to execute the process of step S213 when the thickness T is equal to or greater than the threshold value Tth. Even with this configuration, the welding unit 110 does not operate when the thickness measurement unit 90 measures multiple first mesh members 50. Therefore, when an operator welds the first mesh members 50 measured by the thickness measurement unit 90 to the cap 31, welding of multiple first mesh members 50 to the cap 31 can be prevented.

[0076] The threshold value Tth may be smaller than twice the minimum value within the manufacturing tolerance of the thickness of the first mesh member 50, as long as it is larger than the maximum value within the manufacturing tolerance of the thickness of the first mesh member 50.

[0077] The first detection unit 100 and the second detection unit 120 may be any type of detection device that can detect the presence or absence of an object. At least one of the first detection unit 100 and the second detection unit 120 may be omitted.

[0078] <Additional Notes> The above embodiment includes the configurations described in the following supplementary notes. [Appendix 1] A welding device that welds a thin metal member having a through hole penetrating in the plate thickness direction to a resin member, the welding device comprising: a plate thickness measurement unit that measures the plate thickness of the metal member; a welding unit that welds the metal member to the resin member; and a control unit that controls the operation of the plate thickness measurement unit and the welding unit, wherein the control unit is configured to allow the welding unit to operate when the measurement result of the plate thickness measurement unit is less than a threshold value, and to prohibit the operation of the welding unit when the measurement result is equal to or greater than the threshold value.

[0079] [Appendix 2] The welding device described in [Appendix 1] is provided with an alarm unit that notifies the state of the plate thickness measurement unit, and the control unit is configured to cause the alarm unit to notify that the plate thickness measurement unit has measured the plate thicknesses of multiple metal members when the measurement result is equal to or greater than the threshold value.

[0080] [Appendix 3] The welding device described in [Appendix 1] or [Appendix 2] is provided with a detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the metal member in the measurement area of ​​the plate thickness measurement unit, and the control unit is configured to allow the operation of the welding unit when the execution conditions that sequentially satisfy the following are met: the detection unit has detected the metal member, the measurement result is less than the threshold value, and the detection unit has not detected the metal member, but to prohibit the operation of the welding unit when the execution conditions are not met.

[0081] [Appendix 4] The welding device described in [Appendix 3] is provided with an alarm unit that notifies the state of the plate thickness measurement unit, and the control unit is configured to cause the alarm unit to notify that plate thickness measurement by the plate thickness measurement unit has not been properly completed when an operation command signal that commands operation of the welding unit is input when the execution condition is not satisfied.

[0082] [Appendix 5] A welding device described in any one of [Appendix 1] to [Appendix 4], wherein the resin member is a cartridge housing that is detachably attached to a case of an ion exchanger and contains ion exchange resin inside, and the metal member is welded to the housing so as to cover an exhaust hole formed in the housing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] R...Ion exchange resin 10...Ion exchanger 20…case 30...Cartridge 31...Cap 33a...joint surface 36...Exhaust hole 50...First mesh member 60... Welding device 70...Foundation 80...tray 90...Plate thickness measurement section 91...Support stand 91a...support surface 92...Probe 100...First detection unit 110...Welded part 111...Anvil 112…Part 1 113…Second part 114...Receiving part 115...Horn 120...Second detection unit 130…Information Department 140...Control unit

Claims

1. A welding device that welds a thin plate-shaped metal member having a through hole penetrating in a plate thickness direction to a resin member, a plate thickness measuring unit for measuring the plate thickness of the metal member; a welding portion that welds the metal member to the resin member; A control unit that controls the operation of the plate thickness measuring unit and the welding unit, The control unit is configured to allow the operation of the welding portion when the measurement result of the plate thickness measurement unit is less than a threshold value, and to prohibit the operation of the welding portion when the measurement result is equal to or greater than the threshold value. Welding equipment.

2. An alarm unit that notifies the state of the plate thickness measuring unit, The control unit is configured to notify the notification unit that the plate thickness measurement unit has measured the plate thicknesses of the plurality of metal members when the measurement result is equal to or greater than the threshold value. The welding device of claim 1 .

3. A detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the metal member in the measurement area of ​​the plate thickness measurement unit is provided, the control unit is configured to permit operation of the welding unit when execution conditions are met that sequentially satisfy the following: the detection unit has detected the metal member, the measurement result is less than the threshold value, and the detection unit has not detected the metal member; and to prohibit operation of the welding unit when the execution conditions are not met. The welding device of claim 1 .

4. An alarm unit that notifies the state of the plate thickness measuring unit, The control unit is configured to notify the notification unit that the plate thickness measurement by the plate thickness measurement unit has not been properly completed when an operation command signal instructing the operation of the welding unit is input in a state where the execution condition is not satisfied. The welding device according to claim 3 .

5. the resin member is a housing of a cartridge that is detachably attached to a case of an ion exchanger and that contains an ion exchange resin therein; The metal member is welded to the housing so as to cover an exhaust hole formed in the housing. The welding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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