Self-Leveling Argon Container for Uniform Laser Weld Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current self-leveling containers for laser welding fail to maintain high purity argon gas coverage during the process, as the container's top often becomes uneven with the planar weld booth floor, leading to potential contamination and non-uniform welds due to the twisted shape of the components being welded.
Innovation Solution
A self-leveling container with a polygonal base and pleated sidewalls, equipped with linear actuators and accelerometers, which automatically adjusts to maintain the open surface parallel to the floor, ensuring gas impermeability and precise argon gas protection, and includes ball and socket joints for additional degrees of movement and stability during complex articulations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the container is filled with argon gas to protect the welding area, then contamination is prevented, but the container top becomes uneven with the floor due to component twist, leading to non-uniform welds
Solution Approach 1:
The container incorporates linear actuators that enable dynamic adjustment of the container top position and angle. This dynamic capability allows the container to adapt to the twisted component geometry while maintaining an even top surface parallel to the floor, ensuring both uniform argon gas coverage and consistent weld quality throughout the welding process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the positional parameters of the container top using linear actuators. By adjusting the height and angle parameters of the container top, the system maintains a constant distance between the container top and the twisted component, ensuring uniform argon gas protection and consistent weld geometry despite component distortion.
2Manufacturing precision
If the container top is kept parallel to the floor for uniform welds, then welding precision is improved, but the container becomes complex with actuators and sensors
Solution Approach 1:
Accelerometers are integrated into the container structure to provide real-time feedback on the container's position and angle relative to gravity. This feedback is processed by a controller that automatically adjusts the linear actuators to maintain the container top parallel to the floor, enabling precise weld geometry through closed-loop control rather than complex mechanical structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical leveling mechanisms with an automated control system using accelerometers, a controller, and linear actuators. This substitution of mechanical complexity with automated control achieves the same leveling function more efficiently, maintaining container top parallelism through electronic control rather than mechanical design.
3Stability of the object's composition
If linear actuators are used to level the container, then gas coverage uniformity is improved, but the system requires additional control components like accelerometers and controllers
Solution Approach 1:
The container system performs self-leveling using accelerometers mounted on the container structure itself. The accelerometers automatically detect the container's orientation relative to gravity, and the controller autonomously adjusts the linear actuators to maintain proper leveling, enabling the system to self-correct without external intervention and ensuring uniform gas coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses accelerometers to detect gravitational potential differences and automatically adjusts the container position to achieve equipotential alignment with the floor. By maintaining the container top parallel to the gravitational field, the system ensures uniform argon gas distribution and consistent weld geometry through automatic potential equalization.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present application relates to a self-leveling container (10) containing argon gas for laser welding of a work piece, The self-levelling container (10) includes a base surface (12), a plurality of pleated sidewalls (14, 15, 16, 17), each comprising an associated distal sidewall end (20, 21, 22, 23) and an associated proximate sidewall end (26, 27, 28, 29), where the proximate sidewall end (26... 29) is sealed to the base surface (12). A frame (30) includes a plurality of frame segments (32, 33, 34, 35), each secured to an associated one of the distal sidewall ends (20... 23). A plurality of actuators (38, 39, 40, 41), each located with one intersection of the plurality of frame segments (32... 35), linearly move its associated one intersection of the plurality frame segments (32... 35) so a plane formed by the frame segments (32... 35) remains parallel to a planar surface.