Offset Spot Welding Tip for Inaccessible Closed Sections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional spot welding tips struggle to access remote or inaccessible regions within closed section parts, particularly when the secondary part does not wrap around the closed section, making it difficult to position the electrodes effectively for welding.
Innovation Solution
A welding tip with a base portion and a tip portion that are axially offset and angled relative to each other, allowing the contact surface to be inclined and positioned at an angle, enabling access to previously unreachable areas by projecting the contact surface to the extreme edge of the welding tip, thus allowing for welding in confined and inaccessible locations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional spot welding tip with aligned base and tip axes is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the tip cannot access remote or inaccessible regions inside closed section parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensionality change by offsetting the tip axis from the base axis and inclining the contact surface at an angle, transforming the conventional aligned axial structure into a multi-dimensional configuration. This allows the contact surface to reach remote regions inside closed section parts that are inaccessible to conventional tips, while the base portion remains relatively simple in structure.
2Ease of operation
If the contact surface is positioned at the extreme edge of the welding tip, then access to smaller trims and confined locations is improved, but the structural stability and alignment precision become more difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetry by positioning the contact surface at an angle relative to the tip axis and offsetting it from the base axis centerline. This asymmetric configuration enables the contact surface to reach confined locations and smaller trims effectively, while the angled design inherently compensates for some alignment tolerances during operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the base axis and tip axis are spaced and parallel, then the contact surface can be inclined to reach inaccessible areas, but the manufacturing and assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The welding tip is segmented into distinct functional portions: a base portion with the base axis and a tip portion with the offset tip axis and inclined contact surface. This segmentation allows each portion to be manufactured and positioned independently, facilitating the creation of the offset and angled configuration while managing manufacturing complexity through modular construction.
Data Source
AI summary
A spot welding tip for use in a spot welding machine includes a base portion having a longitudinal base axis that passes through a center of the base portion. A tip portion extends from the base portion and provides a contact surface. The tip portion includes a longitudinal tip axis that passes through a center of the tip portion and a center of the contact surface. The spot welding tip includes a transverse axis that is perpendicular to both the base axis and the tip axis. The base axis and the tip axis are parallel to one another and offset from one another by a length. The contact surface is angled with respect to the transverse axis by an angle.