Joined structure, and method for producing said joined structure

Abstract

A joined structure (8) in which two metal members are joined to each other comprises a first member (10) corresponding to one of the two metal members, and a second member (20) corresponding to the other of the two metal members. The first member has a welding surface (10a) facing one side in a first direction (D1). The second member is a plate material disposed on one side in the first direction with respect to the first member and has an inclined part (22) including a distal-end part (221) joined to the welding surface by welding. The inclined part is inclined with respect to the welding surface so as to be separated from the welding surface in the first direction with increasing separation from the distal-end part in a second direction (D2) following the welding surface.

Description

Joint and method for manufacturing the same CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-4649, filed on January 16, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a joined body in which two metal members are joined together, and a method for manufacturing the joined body.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a welding method for joining two metal plates together by laser beam welding. In the welding method of Patent Document 1, a portion of one metal plate and a portion of the other metal plate are stacked together, and the two metal plates are joined by irradiating the stacked portions with a laser beam.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-95743

[0005] When joining a plate-shaped second member to a welding surface of a first member using the welding method of Patent Document 1, the welding must be performed while pressing the portion of the second member to be welded against the welding surface so that the portion is aligned with the welding surface of the first member. Therefore, a region of the second member where a jig for pressing the portion to be welded against the welding surface is required around the area irradiated with the laser beam. This has been one of the factors that hinders miniaturization of the first member and the second member. The inventors have found the above as a result of detailed studies.

[0006] In view of the above, an object of the present disclosure is to reduce the size of a joined body in which two metal members are joined together by welding.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a joined body according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a joined body in which two metal members are joined together, comprising: a first member which corresponds to one of the two metal members and has a welding surface facing one side in a first direction; and a second member which corresponds to the other of the two metal members and is a plate material arranged on one side in the first direction relative to the first member, and has an inclined portion including a tip portion joined to the welding surface by welding, wherein the inclined portion is inclined with respect to the welding surface so as to move away from the tip portion in the second direction along the welding surface in the first direction.

[0008] In this way, when welding the second member to the first member, it is not necessary to press a portion of the second member against the welding surface of the first member. Therefore, compared to the welding method of Patent Document 1, in which a portion of the second member is pressed against the welding surface of the first member, it is possible to reduce the area of ​​the second member where a jig for pressing the second member against the first member is placed. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the joined body including the first member and the second member.

[0009] Furthermore, a manufacturing method according to another aspect of the present disclosure is a method for manufacturing a joined body in which two metal members are joined together, and includes: pressing a tip end of an inclined portion included in a plate-shaped second member corresponding to the other of the two metal members against a welding surface formed on a first member corresponding to one of the two metal members and facing one side in a first direction, and holding the inclined portion in an inclined position relative to the welding surface so that the further it moves away from the tip end in a second direction along the welding surface, the more it moves away from the welding surface in the first direction; and, while holding the inclined portion in the inclined position, joining the tip end to the welding surface by welding with an energy beam.

[0010] In this way, it is possible to reduce the size of the joined body including the first member and the second member, similar to the advantageous effect achieved by the joined body according to the one aspect described above.

[0011] In addition, in each section of the application documents, each element may be assigned a reference number in parentheses. In this case, the reference number merely indicates an example of the correspondence between the element and the specific configuration described in the embodiment described below. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited in any way by the description of the reference number.

[0012] 7 is a cross-sectional view, taken along the line II in FIG. 1 , of a first embodiment showing a schematic configuration of a joined body made up of a first member and a second member welded together, and also showing a state in which the first member and the second member are welded together. It is a flowchart showing a manufacturing process of the joined body of FIG. 1 in the first embodiment. It is a cross-sectional view, taken along the line VIII in FIG. 7 , of a comparative example for comparison with the first embodiment. It is a cross-sectional view, taken along the line IV in FIG. 1 , of a second embodiment showing a state in which the first member and the second member are welded together. It is a cross-sectional view, taken along the line VIII in FIG. 7 , of a third embodiment showing a schematic configuration of a joined body made up of a first member and a second member welded together, and also showing a state in which the first member and the second member are welded together. It is a cross-sectional view, taken along the line VIII in FIG. 7 ... 9 is a view taken along an arrow IX in Fig. 7. FIG. 10 is a view showing the first member and the second member in the same orientation as Fig. 8 in the fifth embodiment, and corresponds to Fig. 8. FIG. 11 is a view showing the second member in the same orientation as Fig. 9 in the fifth embodiment, and corresponds to Fig. 9.

[0013] Hereinafter, each embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, the same or equivalent parts are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings.

[0014] 1, a joined body 8 of this embodiment includes two metal members, a first member 10 and a second member 20, which are joined together by welding. For example, the joined body 8 constitutes a part of an electric device, the first member 10 constitutes a part of an electric circuit in the electric device, and the second member 20 constitutes a terminal for electrically connecting the electric circuit to the outside of the electric device.

[0015] In the description of this embodiment, the first direction D1, the second direction D2, and the third direction D3 shown in Figures 1 and 2 may be used to represent the orientations of the joint body 8. These first direction D1, second direction D2, and third direction D3 intersect with each other, or more precisely, are perpendicular to each other. In this embodiment, the first direction D1 coincides with the vertical direction when an electrical device including the joint body 8 is used, so one side of the first direction D1 is the upper side in the vertical direction, and the other side opposite to the one side of the first direction D1 is the lower side in the vertical direction.

[0016] 1, the first member 10 is a flat plate-shaped material with its thickness in a first direction D1 and extending in a second direction D2 and a third direction D3. The first member 10 is made of a highly conductive material, such as a copper alloy or an aluminum alloy, for electrical conduction.

[0017] 1 and 2, the first member 10 has a welding surface 10a that faces one side of the first direction D1. This welding surface 10a is formed in a planar shape with the first direction D1 as its normal direction, and therefore extends along the second direction D2 and the third direction D3.

[0018] Specifically, the first member 10 of this embodiment constitutes a part of an insulating substrate 12 having a laminated structure. In addition to the first member 10, the insulating substrate 12 has an insulating layer 121 and a back surface conductor layer 122 laminated on the first member 10.

[0019] The insulating layer 121 of the insulating substrate 12 is made of an insulator such as resin or ceramics. The insulating layer 121 is stacked on the other side of the first member 10 in the first direction D1 and joined to the first member 10.

[0020] The back surface conductor layer 122 is made of the same metal material as the first member 10, and therefore has high conductivity similar to the first member 10. The back surface conductor layer 122 is stacked on the other side of the insulating layer 121 in the first direction D1 and joined to the insulating layer 121.

[0021] With this configuration, the insulating substrate 12 is formed in a flat plate shape with the thickness direction of the first direction D1 and extends in the second direction D2 and the third direction D3.

[0022] The insulating substrate 12 is housed in a case 30 of the electrical device. The case 30 of the electrical device is made of, for example, resin, and has a case bottom 301 and case sidewalls 302.

[0023] The case bottom 301 is provided on the other side of the case 30 in the first direction D1, and extends in the second direction D2 and the third direction D3 to form the bottom of the internal space 30a of the case 30. The case side wall 302 extends from the peripheral portion of the case bottom 301 to one side in the first direction D1 and is formed to surround the internal space 30a of the case 30.

[0024] The insulating substrate 12 is disposed in the internal space 30 a of the case 30 on one side of the case bottom 301 in the first direction D1 , and is installed on the case bottom 301 .

[0025] The second member 20 is a plate material arranged on one side of the first member 10 in the first direction D1, and is formed so as to be bent at multiple locations. The thickness of the plate material constituting the second member 20 is, for example, approximately 1 mm. The second member 20 is joined to the first member 10 by welding. For example, like the first member 10, the second member 20 is also made of a highly conductive material, such as a copper alloy or an aluminum alloy.

[0026] The second member 20 has an inclined portion 22 and a connecting portion 24. The inclined portion 22 has an inclined leading end 221, which is a leading end provided on one side in the second direction D2, and an inclined base end 222, which is a base end provided on the other side in the second direction D2. The second member 20 is joined to the welding surface 10a of the first member 10 at the inclined leading end 221 by welding. More specifically, the welding is a fillet welding. That is, the inclined leading end 221 of the second member 20 is joined to the welding surface 10a of the first member 10 by fillet welding.

[0027] 1, the portions of the inclined tip 221 and the welding surface 10a that are included in the welded region WD where the first member 10 and the second member 20 are joined by welding are shown by dashed lines, but the shape indicated by the dashed lines is the shape before welding. This is because the dashed line portion included in the welded region WD actually re-solidifies after being melted by welding and no longer retains its shape before welding.

[0028] The inclined portion 22 extends along the third direction D3 but is inclined with respect to the second direction D2. Specifically, the inclined portion 22 is inclined with respect to the welding surface 10a such that the further away from the inclined tip portion 221 toward the other side in the second direction D2, the further away from the welding surface 10a it is from the welding surface 10a toward one side in the first direction D1.

[0029] Specifically, the inclined portion 22 is inclined so greatly with respect to the welding surface 10a that it cannot be said to be aligned with the welding surface 10a. That is, the inclined portion 22 is inclined with respect to the welding surface 10a more than if it were aligned with the welding surface 10a. Therefore, the inclined tip portion 221 is joined to the welding surface 10a as described above, but the inclined base end portion 222 is spaced from the welding surface 10a to one side in the first direction D1. For example, the inclination angle α of the inclined portion 22 with respect to the welding surface 10a is set to about 3 to 45 degrees.

[0030] The connecting portion 24 of the second member 20 is connected to the inclined base end portion 222 of the inclined portion 22. In other words, the connecting portion 24 is connected to the inclined portion 22 on the side opposite to the inclined tip end portion 221 of the inclined portion 22. The connecting portion 24 has a vertical extension portion 241 and a juxtaposed portion 242.

[0031] The vertical extension portion 241 extends from the inclined base end portion 222 to one side in the first direction D1. The parallel-connected portion 242 is connected to an end portion of the vertical extension portion 241 that is provided on the opposite side from the inclined base end portion 222, and extends from the end portion of the vertical extension portion 241 to the other side in the second direction D2. Therefore, the parallel-connected portion 242 is connected to the inclined base end portion 222 via the vertical extension portion 241. The parallel-connected portion 242 is formed so as to extend along the second direction D2, in other words, in a direction along the welding surface 10a of the first member 10.

[0032] Furthermore, the inclined portion 22 and the vertically extending portion 241 of the second member 20 are housed in the internal space 30a of the case 30. In contrast, the juxtaposed portion 242 of the second member 20 penetrates the other side wall portion 302a of the case side wall portion 302 that is provided on the other side in the second direction D2 with respect to the inclined portion 22, and protrudes from the internal space 30a of the case 30 to the outside of the case 30. In other words, the juxtaposed portion 242 is arranged to straddle the internal space 30a of the case 30 and the outside of the case 30.

[0033] Therefore, the juxtaposed portion 242 has a supported portion 242a located in a through hole formed in the other side wall portion 302a. The supported portion 242a is restrained by the other side wall portion 302a so as not to be displaceable in the first direction D1 relative to the case 30.

[0034] Next, a method for manufacturing the joined body 8 of this embodiment, that is, a method for joining the first member 10 and the second member 20 by welding, will be described with reference to FIG.

[0035] First, in step S01 of Fig. 3, a pre-welding assembly is prepared, which includes the insulating substrate 12, the second member 20, and the case 30, and which is assembled together. For example, in this pre-welding assembly, the insulating substrate 12, the second member 20, and the case 30 are assembled in the same manner as after welding the first member 10 and the second member 20, except that the first member 10 and the second member 20 of the insulating substrate 12 are not welded together. Therefore, in the pre-welding assembly, the arrangement of the insulating substrate 12 and the second member 20 relative to the case 30 is the same as after welding. After step S01 of Fig. 3, the process proceeds to step S02.

[0036] In step S02, a pre-welding assembly including insulating substrate 12, second member 20, and case 30 is mounted on a welding table (not shown). For example, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, the pre-welding assembly is fixed on the welding table so that first direction D1 is vertical and one side of first direction D1 is above the vertical direction. After step S02 in Fig. 3, the process proceeds to step S03.

[0037] 1, in step S03, a light shielding plate 61 included in the welding jig 60 is placed on one side of the inclined tip portion 221 of the second member 20 in the second direction D2 with a certain distance in the second direction D2. This light shielding plate 61 serves to prevent light emitted during welding from scattering to the outside. The light shielding plate 61 is placed so that a lower end 611 of the light shielding plate 61 on the other side in the first direction D1 abuts against the welding surface 10a of the first member 10 and so that the light shielding plate 61 extends in the first direction D1 and the third direction D3.

[0038] In step S03, the pressing body 62 included in the welding jig 60 is brought into contact with a portion of the juxtaposed portion 242 of the second member 20 that is closer to one side in the second direction D2 from one side in the first direction D1. Then, the second member 20 is pressed by the pressing body 62 toward the other side in the first direction D1 as indicated by the arrow Ap.

[0039] As a result, the inclined tip 221 of the second member 20 is pressed against the welding surface 10a of the first member 10. At the same time, the inclined portion 22 is held in an inclined position relative to the welding surface 10a such that the further away from the inclined tip 221 it is in the second direction D2, the further away from the welding surface 10a it is in the first direction D1. In other words, the inclined portion 22 is held in an inclined position as shown in Fig. 1. After step S03 in Fig. 3, the process proceeds to step S04.

[0040] In step S04, while the inclined portion 22 is maintained in the inclined posture in step S03, the inclined tip portion 221 of the second member 20 is welded to the welding surface 10a of the first member 10 by the energy beam BM. For example, the energy beam BM used in step S04 is a visible laser beam. Specifically, the visible laser beam is a laser beam having a wavelength of approximately 350 nm to 700 nm.

[0041] 2 , since the inclined tip 221 of the second member 20 extends in the third direction D3, in step S04, the laser welding proceeds while the irradiation position of the energy beam BM on the inclined tip 221 and the welding surface 10a is moved in the third direction D3. Specifically, the laser welding in step S04 includes a fillet weld spanning the inclined tip 221 and the welding surface 10a. In the laser welding in step S04, the energy beam BM is wobbled and scanned so that the energy beam BM is irradiated across both the welding surface 10a and the inclined tip 221. FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a locus Tk of the irradiation position of the energy beam BM during the wobbling scan.

[0042] When the laser welding in step S04 is completed, the light shielding plate 61 and the pressing body 62 of the welding jig 60 are separated from the first and second members 10 and 20, and the completed welded product is removed from the welding table. In this manner, the joined body 8 of this embodiment is manufactured.

[0043] For clarity, the light-shielding plate 61 and the pressing body 62 shown in Figure 1 are jigs used in the manufacturing process of welding the first member 10 and the second member 20 together, and are therefore not included in the electrical equipment as a product having the joining body 8.

[0044] 1 and 2 , the second member 20 is a plate material disposed on one side in the first direction D1 of the first member 10. The second member 20 has an inclined portion 22 including an inclined tip 221 joined by welding to the welding surface 10a of the first member 10. The inclined portion 22 is inclined with respect to the welding surface 10a such that the greater the distance from the inclined tip 221 in the second direction D2, the greater the distance from the welding surface 10a in the first direction D1.

[0045] Consider, for example, a comparative joined body 90 shown in Fig. 4. In this comparative joined body 90, the second member 20 does not have the inclined portion 22 of the present embodiment, but instead has a flat plate portion 92 that conforms to the welding surface 10a. In this comparative joined body 90, the first member 10 and the second member 20 are welded in a state in which the flat plate portion 92, which is a part of the second member 20, is pressed against the welding surface 10a of the first member 10. In this case, in order to force the flat plate portion 92 to conform to the welding surface 10a, it is necessary to forcefully press the flat plate portion 92 against the welding surface 10a around the weld region WD using a jig.

[0046] In contrast, in the present embodiment, the inclined tip portion 221 of the second member 20 is welded by linear contact with the welding surface 10a. Therefore, when welding the second member 20 to the first member 10, it is not necessary to press a portion of the second member 20 against the welding surface 10a of the first member 10. Therefore, compared to the comparative example shown in FIG. 4 , where a portion of the second member 20 is pressed against the welding surface 10a of the first member 10, it is possible to reduce the area of ​​the second member 20 where a jig for pressing the second member 20 against the first member 10 is placed. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the joined body 8 including the first member 10 and the second member 20.

[0047] Furthermore, since the pressing force used by the welding jig 60 to press the second member 20 against the welding surface 10a during welding can be made smaller than in the comparative example, it is easier to hold the workpiece, i.e., the first and second members 10, 20, during welding.

[0048] Furthermore, since the pressing force of the welding jig 60 can be reduced, in this embodiment, the pressing body 62 of the welding jig 60 can be made smaller than the jig corresponding to the pressing body 62 in the comparative example. This allows more room for layout of the shielding mechanism including the light blocking plate 61 and the like that is placed adjacent to the pressing body 62 during welding, and it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in designing the shielding mechanism.

[0049] 1 and 4 , the area As occupied by the inclined portion 22 on the welding surface 10 a in this embodiment can be easily reduced in the second direction D2 compared to the area Ac occupied by the flat portion 92 on the welding surface 10 a in the comparative example. This leads to the miniaturization of the insulating substrate 12 and the second member 20. Therefore, in this embodiment, the miniaturization of the joined body 8 can be achieved.

[0050] Furthermore, although the welding surface 10a in this embodiment is formed in a flat shape, even if the welding surface 10a is curved when viewed in the third direction D3, according to this embodiment, it is possible to hold a workpiece during welding and to weld the second member 20 to the welding surface 10a. This is because, unlike the comparative example, in this embodiment, it is not necessary to press a part of the second member 20 against the welding surface 10a of the first member 10 with a surface.

[0051] (1) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the first member 10 and the second member 20 are each made of a copper alloy or an aluminum alloy. Therefore, since the copper alloy and the aluminum alloy have high electrical conductivity, the first member 10 and the second member 20 can be used as part of an electrical circuit.

[0052] (2) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1 , the inclined portion 22 of the second member 20 has the inclined base end portion 222 on the side opposite to the inclined tip end portion 221. The second member 20 has the juxtaposed portion 242 formed along the second direction D2 and connected to the inclined base end portion 222.

[0053] This makes it possible to press the inclined tip portion 221 against the welding surface 10a by using the pressing body 62 of the welding jig 60 to press the parallel portion 242, which is a separate part of the second member 20 from the inclined portion 22. Therefore, it is not necessary to ensure a pressing margin in the inclined portion 22 for the pressing body 62 to abut against, which increases the degree of freedom in designing the inclination angle α and size of the inclined portion 22, for example.

[0054] (3) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the first member 10 constitutes part of the insulating substrate 12, and the insulating substrate 12 has, in addition to the first member 10, an insulating layer 121 stacked and joined to the other side of the first direction D1 relative to the first member 10.

[0055] Here, in this embodiment, there is no need to form the weld area WD so that it penetrates the flat plate portion 92 and reaches the first member 10, as in the comparative example of Figure 4, so the amount of heat that the energy beam BM imparts to the first and second members 10, 20 during welding can be made smaller than in the comparative example.

[0056] This makes it possible to reduce the effect of heat during welding on the insulating layer 121 and the joint surface between the insulating layer 121 and the first member 10. For example, it is possible to reduce thermal stress that occurs between the insulating layer 121 and the first member 10 during welding. Furthermore, if the insulating layer 121 is made of resin, it is possible to prevent the insulating layer 121 from melting due to heat during welding.

[0057] 1 and 2, the second member 20 is provided with an inclined portion 22, and the inclined tip portion 221 of the inclined portion 22 is welded to the welding surface 10a. Therefore, compared to, for example, a T-joint in which the second member 20 does not have the inclined portion 22 and the vertical extension portion 241 is welded in a position where it is thrust into the welding surface 10a, it is easy to ensure a sufficient joining area by welding.

[0058] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the inclined portion 22 is welded to the welding surface 10a of the first member 10 in an inclined position relative to the welding surface 10a. In contrast, in the comparative example of FIG. 4 , the flat portion 92 is welded in an orientation along the welding surface 10a, so the angle that the flat portion 92 forms with the welding surface 10a, which corresponds to the inclination angle α in FIG. 1 , is approximately 0°. Therefore, in this embodiment, stress concentration that occurs at the welded portion WD when, for example, an external force is applied to the second member 20, is suppressed compared to the comparative example of FIG. 4 . In other words, the stress intensity factor of the joined body 8 can be reduced in this embodiment compared to the comparative example of FIG. 4 .

[0059] (4) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, in the laser welding in step S04 of Fig. 3, as shown in Fig. 2, the energy beam BM is wobbled and scanned so that the energy beam BM is irradiated across both the welding surface 10a and the inclined tip 221. This allows the welded portion WD, which is evenly melted and solidified, to be formed across both the welding surface 10a and the inclined tip 221, making it possible to perform stable welding.

[0060] (5) According to this embodiment, the first member 10 and the second member 20 are each made of a copper alloy or an aluminum alloy. The energy beam BM used in step S04 in FIG. 3 is a visible laser beam.

[0061] Therefore, in the welding in step S04, the absorption rate of the first and second members 10, 20 at the irradiated portion of the energy beam BM is higher than when, for example, a near-infrared laser beam is used, and it is possible to stably melt the welding surface 10a and the inclined tip portion 221. This is particularly effective in this embodiment because, as shown in FIG. 1 , there is a step due to the plate thickness of the inclined portion 22 between the welding surface 10a and the surface on one side of the inclined portion 22 in the first direction D1.

[0062] Furthermore, as described above, the energy beam BM is a visible laser beam, so that it is possible to suppress spatter that occurs during welding.

[0063] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described. Furthermore, parts that are the same as or equivalent to the first embodiment will be omitted or simplified. This also applies to the following embodiments.

[0064] In this embodiment, the energy beam BM used in step S04 in Fig. 3 is composed of multiple beams BMa and BMb having different focal diameters Da and Db, as shown in Fig. 5. The multiple beams BMa and BMb are coaxial laser beams, specifically, a first beam BMa and a second beam BMb. The first beam focal diameter Da of the first beam BMa is smaller than the second beam focal diameter Db of the second beam BMb.

[0065] (1) As described above, according to this embodiment, the energy beam BM used in step S04 is composed of multiple beams BMa and BMb having different focal diameters Da and Db. Therefore, compared to when the energy beam BM has a single focal diameter, during welding, the region irradiated with the energy beam BM across both the welding surface 10 a and the inclined tip 221 can be melted evenly. As a result, stable welding can be performed.

[0066] Except for the points described above, this embodiment is similar to the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained from the configuration common to the first embodiment.

[0067] Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0068] 6 , in this embodiment, the second member 20 is an insert part and the case 30 is insert-molded. As a result, the second member 20 is fixed to the case 30. Since the case 30 is made of resin, it corresponds to a low-melting-point member having a lower melting point than the first member 10 and the second member 20.

[0069] Furthermore, the shape of the connecting portion 24 of the second member 20 of this embodiment is different from that of the first embodiment. Specifically, the connecting portion 24 of this embodiment has a vertically extending portion 241 and a juxtaposed portion 242, but the arrangement order of these portions is different from that of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the juxtaposed portion 242 of the second member 20 is provided between the inclined portion 22 and the vertically extending portion 241, and extends from the inclined base end portion 222 to the other side in the second direction D2 along the second direction D2.

[0070] The vertically extending portion 241 of this embodiment is connected to an end of the parallel-arranged portion 242 that is provided on the opposite side from the inclined base end portion 222, and extends to one side in the first direction D1 from the end of the parallel-arranged portion 242. Furthermore, the connecting portion 24 of this embodiment includes an external lead-out portion 243, which is connected to an end of the vertically extending portion 241 on one side in the first direction D1, and extends from the end of the vertically extending portion 241 to the other side in the second direction D2.

[0071] Furthermore, the inclined portion 22, the juxtaposed portion 242, and the vertically extending portion 241 of the second member 20 are housed in the internal space 30a of the case 30. In contrast, the external lead-out portion 243 of the second member 20 penetrates the other side wall portion 302a of the case 30 and protrudes from the internal space 30a of the case 30 to the outside of the case 30. In other words, the external lead-out portion 243 is disposed so as to straddle the internal space 30a of the case 30 and the outside of the case 30.

[0072] Therefore, the external lead-out portion 243 has a supported portion 243a located in a through-hole formed in the other side wall portion 302a. The second member 20 is fixed to the case 30 by the supported portion 243a of the external lead-out portion 243. Since the supported portion 243a is located near the welding position WD, the second member 20 in this embodiment is in contact with the case 30 around the welding position WD. Note that the "around the welding position WD" corresponds to, for example, a range of the second member 20 where the temperature rises to or exceeds the temperature at which the case 30 melts if the energy beam BM continues to be irradiated onto the inclined tip portion 221 for a longer period than during welding in step S04 of FIG.

[0073] The external lead-out portion 243 is electrically connected to a conductive member 31 such as a bus bar by screwing at an end of the external lead-out portion 243 located outside the case 30 .

[0074] In addition, in this embodiment, an insulating substrate 12 is not provided, and instead, the first member 10 is stacked on one side in the first direction D1 of a flat substrate 13 that extends in the second direction D2 and the third direction D3. This substrate 13 and the first member 10 are housed in an internal space 30a of the case 30. Furthermore, within the case 30, the substrate 13 is disposed on one side in the first direction D1 of a case bottom 301, and is installed on the case bottom 301.

[0075] (1) As described above, according to this embodiment, the second member 20 is in contact with the case 30, which is a low-melting-point member, around the welded portion WD. Therefore, this embodiment can effectively utilize the advantage that the amount of heat imparted by the energy beam BM to the first and second members 10 and 20 during welding can be made smaller than in the comparative example of FIG.

[0076] Except for the points described above, this embodiment is similar to the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained from the configuration common to the first embodiment.

[0077] Although this embodiment is a modification based on the first embodiment, it is also possible to combine this embodiment with the second embodiment described above.

[0078] Fourth Embodiment Next, a fourth embodiment will be described, focusing on differences from the first embodiment.

[0079] 7 to 9, in this embodiment, the connecting portion 24 of the second member 20 has a flexible portion 244 in which a plurality of holes 244a are formed. Note that Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the VII-VII cross section in Fig. 8.

[0080] The hole 244a of the flexible portion 244 penetrates the second member 20 in the thickness direction. Although the number of holes 244a in the flexible portion 244 may be one, three are provided in this embodiment and are aligned in the third direction D3. The flexible portion 244 is disposed in a portion of the second member 20 where the bent longitudinally extending portion 241 and the juxtaposed portion 242 are connected. By forming multiple holes 244a in the flexible portion 244 in this manner, the flexible portion 244 is made more easily bent locally within the second member 20.

[0081] (1) Therefore, for example, when an external force acts on the connecting portion 24 of the second member 20 outside the case 30, the flexible portion 244 bends, thereby making it possible to mitigate the effect of the external force on the welding portion WD.

[0082] Except for the points described above, this embodiment is similar to the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained from the configuration common to the first embodiment.

[0083] Although this embodiment is a modification based on the first embodiment, it is also possible to combine this embodiment with the second or third embodiment described above.

[0084] Fifth Embodiment Next, a fifth embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the fourth embodiment.

[0085] 10 and 11 , in this embodiment, the flexible portion 244 of the second member 20 does not have a hole 244a (see FIG. 8 ), but instead has a notch 244b. Although a single notch 244b may be provided, in this embodiment a pair of notches 244b is provided, one at each end of the flexible portion 244 in the third direction D3. The notches 244b are formed so as to cut into the third direction D3. By providing a plurality of notches 244b in the flexible portion 244 in this manner, the flexible portion 244 is made more easily bent locally within the second member 20.

[0086] Therefore, in this embodiment, as in the fourth embodiment, if an external force acts on the connecting portion 24 of the second member 20, for example, outside the case 30, the flexible portion 244 bends, thereby making it possible to mitigate the effect of the external force on the welding portion WD.

[0087] Except for the points described above, this embodiment is similar to the fourth embodiment. In this embodiment, the same effects as those of the fourth embodiment can be obtained from the configuration common to the fourth embodiment.

[0088] Other Embodiments (1) In each of the above-described embodiments, one or both of the first member 10 and the second member 20 may be plated. Examples of such plating include nickel plating and chrome plating.

[0089] If one or both of the first and second members 10, 20 are plated in this manner, electrical connection processes such as soldering and wire bonding can be easily performed on the plated members of the first and second members 10, 20.

[0090] (2) In the above-described embodiments, the first member 10 and the second member 20 are each made of a copper alloy or an aluminum alloy, but this is merely an example. For example, the first member 10 and the second member 20 may each be made of a metal such as copper or aluminum, or an alloy other than a copper alloy or an aluminum alloy.

[0091] (3) In each of the above-described embodiments, the energy beam BM used in step S04 in Fig. 3 is a visible laser beam, but this is just one example. For example, the energy beam BM may be a beam other than a visible laser beam, such as an electron beam.

[0092] (4) In the third embodiment described above, as shown in Fig. 6, the second member 20 is in contact with the case 30 around the welded portion WD, but this is just one example. For example, it is also possible that the first member 10 is in contact with the case 30 around the welded portion WD, or that the first member 10 and the second member 20 are in contact with the case 30 around the welded portion WD.

[0093] (5) The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be implemented in various modified forms. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are not unrelated to each other and can be combined as appropriate, except in cases where the combination is clearly impossible.

[0094] Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, it goes without saying that the elements constituting the embodiments are not necessarily essential unless they are particularly explicitly stated as essential or are clearly considered essential in principle. Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, when the numbers, values, amounts, ranges, etc. of the components of the embodiments are mentioned, they are not limited to the specific numbers unless they are particularly explicitly stated as essential or are clearly limited to a specific number in principle. Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, when the materials, shapes, positional relationships, etc. of the components are mentioned, they are not limited to the materials, shapes, positional relationships, etc. unless they are particularly explicitly stated or are clearly limited to a specific material, shape, positional relationship, etc. in principle.

[0095] (Aspects of the Present Disclosure) The above-described present disclosure can be understood from the following aspects, for example. [First Aspect] A joined body (8) in which two metal members are joined together, comprising: a first member (10) corresponding to one of the two metal members and having a welding surface (10a) facing one side in a first direction (D1); and a second member (20) corresponding to the other of the two metal members and being a plate material arranged on the one side in the first direction relative to the first member, having an inclined portion (22) including a tip end (221) joined to the welding surface by welding, wherein the inclined portion is inclined with respect to the welding surface so as to move away from the tip end in a second direction (D2) along the welding surface. [Second Aspect] The joined body according to the first aspect, in which the inclined portion is inclined with respect to the welding surface more than its orientation along the welding surface. [Third Aspect] The joined body according to the first or second aspect, wherein the first member and the second member are each made of copper, a copper alloy, aluminum, or an aluminum alloy. [Fourth Aspect] The joined body according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the inclined portion has a base end (222) on the side opposite to the tip end side, and the second member has a juxtaposed portion (242) formed along the second direction and connected to the base end. [Fifth Aspect] The joined body according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein at least one of the first member and the second member is plated. [Sixth Aspect] The joined body according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein at least one of the first member and the second member is in contact with a low-melting-point member (30) having a melting point lower than that of the first member and the second member around a weld portion (WD) where the first member and the second member are joined by welding. [Seventh Aspect] The joined body according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the first member constitutes a part of an insulating substrate (12), and the insulating substrate has, in addition to the first member, an insulating layer (121) laminated and joined to the other side of the first member opposite to the one side in the first direction.[Eighth Aspect] The joined body according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the second member has a connecting portion (24) connected to the inclined portion on a side of the inclined portion opposite to the tip portion side, and the connecting portion has a flexible portion (244) having a notch (244b) or a hole (244a) formed therein to facilitate local bending. [Ninth Aspect] The joined body according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the tip portion is joined to the welding surface by fillet welding. [Tenth Aspect] A method for manufacturing a joined body (8) in which two metal members are joined together, the method comprising: pressing a tip end (221) of an inclined portion (22) included in a plate-shaped second member (20) corresponding to the other of the two metal members against a welding surface (10a) formed on a first member (10) corresponding to one of the two metal members and facing one side in a first direction (D1), and holding the inclined portion in an inclined position with respect to the welding surface such that the inclined portion moves away from the tip end in a second direction (D2) along the welding surface, the more the tip end moves away from the welding surface in the first direction (S03); and joining the tip end to the welding surface by welding with an energy beam (BM) while holding the inclined portion in the inclined position (S04). [Eleventh Aspect] The method for manufacturing a joined body according to the tenth aspect, wherein joining the tip portion to the welding surface involves wobbling scanning the energy beam so that the energy beam is irradiated across both the welding surface and the tip portion. [Twelfth Aspect] The method for manufacturing a joined body according to the tenth or eleventh aspect, wherein the first member and the second member are each made of copper, a copper alloy, aluminum, or an aluminum alloy, and the energy beam is a visible laser beam. [Thirteenth Aspect] The method for manufacturing a joined body according to any one of the tenth to twelfth aspects, wherein the energy beam is made up of a plurality of beams (BMa, BMb) having mutually different focused diameters (Da, Db).

Claims

1. A joint (8) in which two metal members are joined together, A first member (10) which corresponds to one of the two metal members and has a welded surface (10a) facing one side in the first direction (D1), The second member (20) is a plate material that corresponds to the other of the two metal members and is positioned on one side of the first direction relative to the first member, and has an inclined portion (22) that includes a tip portion (221) joined to the welding surface by welding, The inclined portion is inclined with respect to the welding surface such that it moves away from the welding surface in the first direction as it moves away from the tip portion in the second direction (D2) along the welding surface, The inclined portion has a base end (222) on the side opposite to the tip end, The second member has a longitudinally extended portion (241) extending from the base end toward one side in the first direction along the first direction, and a parallel portion (242), The parallel section is formed to follow the second direction, connected to the end of the longitudinal extension section that is on the side opposite to the base end, and extends from that end toward the side away from the tip in the second direction, forming a joint.

2. The joint according to claim 1, wherein the inclined portion is inclined with respect to the welding surface to a greater extent than the orientation along the welding surface.

3. The joint according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first member and the second member are each made of copper, a copper alloy, aluminum, or an aluminum alloy.

4. The joint according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the first member and the second member is plated.

5. The joint according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the first member and the second member is in contact with a low-melting-point member (30) that has a lower melting point than the first member and the second member, around the welded portion (WD) where the first member and the second member are joined by welding.

6. The first member constitutes a part of the insulating substrate (12), The bonded body according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the insulating substrate has, in addition to the first member, an insulating layer (121) laminated and bonded to the first member on the other side opposite to the one side in the first direction.

7. The joint according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tip portion is joined to the welding surface by fillet welding.

8. A method for manufacturing a joint (8) in which two metal members are joined together, The process involves pressing the tip (221) of an inclined portion (22) included in a plate-shaped second member (20) corresponding to the other of the two metal members against a welding surface (10a) formed on a first member (10) corresponding to one of the two metal members and facing one side in a first direction (D1), and holding the inclined portion in a position inclined with respect to the welding surface such that the tip moves away from the welding surface in the second direction (D2) along the welding surface, and the inclined portion moves away from the welding surface in the first direction as it moves away from the welding surface. The process includes (S04) joining the tip portion to the welding surface by welding with an energy beam (BM) while maintaining the inclined portion in the aforementioned inclined position, The inclined portion has a base end (222) on the side opposite to the tip end, The second member has a longitudinally extended portion (241) extending from the base end toward one side in the first direction along the first direction, and a parallel portion (242), The parallel section is formed to follow the second direction, is connected to the end of the longitudinal extension section that is on the opposite side from the base end, and extends from that end toward the side away from the tip in the second direction. A method for manufacturing a joined body, wherein, in holding the parts together, a pressing body (62) is brought into contact with the portion of the parallel parts closer to the longitudinally extended portion from one side in the first direction, and the pressing body presses the parallel parts toward the other side in the first direction, thereby pressing the tip portion against the welded surface.

9. The method for manufacturing a joined body according to claim 8, wherein when joining the tip portion to the welding surface, the energy beam is wobbling and scanning so that the energy beam is irradiated across both the welding surface and the tip portion.

10. The first member and the second member are each made of copper, a copper alloy, aluminum, or an aluminum alloy. The method for manufacturing a bonded body according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the energy beam is a visible light laser beam.

11. The method for manufacturing a bonded body according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the energy beam is composed of a plurality of beams (BMa, BMb) having mutually different focusing diameters (Da, Db).