Using Dynamic Frictional Energy (i.e., Friction Welding) Patents (Class 228/112.1)
  • Patent number: 11898596
    Abstract: An insert including: a head portion including a docking face configured to receive a welding electrode and a bearing surface configured to come to bear on the first part in order to keep the first part assembled to the second part, a body portion intended to be inserted into the first part, including a welding surface configured to be welded to the second part, the body portion having a cross section smaller than that of the head portion, and thermal decoupling means extending around the body portion to prevent heat released by the body portion from being transmitted to the first part during the welding operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Inventor: Maxime Grojean
  • Patent number: 11813692
    Abstract: A friction stir welding apparatus is used at a butted portion where a second workpiece is butted against a first workpiece such that the second workpiece is upright on the first workpiece. The friction stir welding apparatus includes: a rotary tool that is plunged into one inner corner of a pair of inner corners that are positioned, at the butted portion, on both sides of the second workpiece, respectively; an inner corner presser that presses the other inner corner of the pair of inner corners; and a mover that moves the rotary tool and the inner corner presser along a direction in which the butted portion extends. The inner corner presser includes a pressing roller that presses the other inner corner while rolling in a state where the inner corner presser is being moved by the mover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideki Okada, Yusuke Yoshida, Kenichi Kamimuki
  • Patent number: 11806801
    Abstract: Provided is a joining method that can prevent a plastic flowing material from flowing out from a butt section and that can reduce the thickness and weight of metal members. The joining method is for joining a first metal member and a second metal member by using a rotary tool comprising a stirring pin, and is characterized in that: the stirring pin comprises a flat surface perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotary tool and comprises a protruding section protruding from the flat face; and in a friction stirring step, the flat surface is brought into contact with the first metal member and the second metal member, and a front end face of the protruding section is inserted deeper than an upper overlapping section to join an upper front butt section and the upper overlapping section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Nobushiro Seo, Hisashi Hori
  • Patent number: 11786987
    Abstract: A friction stir welding tool and method, by which influence on durability of the tool is suppressed even when resistance force generated when the tool moves for joining acts on facing end portions of workpieces which are located close to an attachment side of the tool. The tool includes: a stirring shaft; a first shoulder portion provided to be unrotatable relative to the shaft and configured to rotate together with the shaft when it rotates; a second shoulder portion provided to be unrotatable relative to the shaft and configured to rotate together with the shaft when it rotates; and a third shoulder portion attached around the shaft located between the first and second shoulder portions, and includes an inclination preventing portion to prevent inclination of the shaft by contacting the workpieces to receive reaction force from the workpieces when the shaft is made to move along joining lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Syuhei Yoshikawa, Ryoichi Hatano
  • Patent number: 11697173
    Abstract: A tool for friction bit joining a workpiece material includes a bit with a tapered pin and a non-cutting tip. The bit has a top surface opposite the pin with at least one feature recessed in, or extending from, the top surface and configured to transmit torque to the bit to rotate the bit around a rotational axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignees: Brigham Young University, Mazak Corporation
    Inventors: Michael P. Miles, Rodney Dale Fleck, Russell J. Steel, Kevin Alexander Shirley, Shane Forrest Wood
  • Patent number: 11590605
    Abstract: Provided is a joining method that can prevent a plastic flowing material from flowing out from a butt section and that can reduce the thickness and weight of metal members. The joining method is for joining a first metal member and a second metal member by using a rotary tool comprising a stirring pin, and is characterized in that: the stirring pin comprises a flat surface perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotary tool and comprises a protruding section protruding from the flat face; and in a friction stirring step, the flat surface is brought into contact with the first metal member and the second metal member, and a front end face of the protruding section is inserted deeper than an upper overlapping section to join an upper front butt section and the upper overlapping section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Nobushiro Seo, Hisashi Hori
  • Patent number: 11559850
    Abstract: A jacket main body is formed of a first aluminum alloy. A seal body is formed of a second aluminum alloy. The first aluminum alloy is higher in hardness than the second aluminum alloy in material type. A method includes: a preparing step of forming on an peripheral wall part a step part having a step bottom surface and a step side surface obliquely rising; a mounting step of mounting the seal body on the jacket main body to form a first butt portion and putting the step bottom surface and a back surface of the seal body on each other to form a second butt portion; a main joining step of performing friction stir welding while only the stirring pin of the rotary tool rotating contacts with only the seal body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hisashi Hori, Nobushiro Seo
  • Patent number: 11524325
    Abstract: A method of forming a component by applying a forming load to a blank of material against a mandrel, wherein the mandrel defines the shape of the component to be formed and applying a forming load as a combination of a localised force and localised friction heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: GKN Aerospace Services Limited
    Inventor: Daniel Graham
  • Patent number: 11465349
    Abstract: A tool head assembly for a solid state additive manufacturing apparatus includes a tool head having a material passage configured to receive a material therein. The tool head is configured to deposit the material from the material passage onto a substrate of the solid state additive manufacturing apparatus to form at least one layer of the material on the substrate. The tool head includes a shoulder configured to contact the material such that rotation of the tool head frictionally stirs the material. The tool head assembly includes a barrier configured to extend along a side surface of the at least one layer as the at least one layer is deposited onto the substrate such that the barrier is configured to constrain the material from extruding past an edge of the shoulder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: The Boeing Co.
    Inventor: Ravi Verma
  • Patent number: 11458564
    Abstract: A method of friction stir processing (FSP) includes contacting a first workpiece with a FSP tool, where the first workpiece is a low-melting temperature metal or alloy and the FSP tool is a single-body FSP tool having a diamond working surface. The method also includes rotating the FSP tool in contact with the first workpiece at an interface and generating thermal energy at the interface to heat the first workpiece. The method further includes conducting thermal energy away from the interface with the FSP tool, and friction stirring the first workpiece at a temperature of the FSP tool below 800° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Mazak Corporation
    Inventors: Rodney Dale Fleck, Russell J. Steel
  • Patent number: 11441688
    Abstract: A component of hydraulics, via which a pressure medium connection or flow can be controlled, includes a first portion which is additively manufactured at least in part and on which there is formed at least one control geometry for controlling the pressure medium connection or flow, and a second portion joined thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Daniel Endrich
  • Patent number: 11413700
    Abstract: The present invention is characterized by including a heat medium pipe insertion process to insert a heat medium pipe into a concave groove; a lid plate insertion process to insert a lid plate into a lid groove; and a joining process to perform friction stirring while a primary joining rotary tool provided with a base side pin and a tip side pin is moved along a butted portion of a side wall of the lid groove and a side face of the lid plate, wherein in the joining process, friction stirring is performed while the tip side pin of the primary rotary tool which is rotating is inserted into the butted portion and an outer circumferential face of the base side pin is in contact with the base member and the lid plate, and plastically fluidized material fluidized by frictional heat is flowed into a void portion formed adjacent to the heat medium pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hisashi Hori, Nobushiro Seo, Kosuke Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 11419237
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a liquid-cooling jacket (1) where heat transfer fluid flows in a hollow part (14) defined by a jacket body (2) and a sealing body (3) includes: an overlapping process in which the sealing body (3) is placed on an end surface (11a) of a peripheral wall part (11) in such a way that the end surface (11a) and a back surface of the sealing body (3) are overlapped each other to form a first overlapped part (H1); and a primary joining process in which primary joining is performed by friction stirring in such a way that a rotary tool (F1) is moved once around a recessed part (13) along the first overlapped part (H1). In the primary joining process, the first overlapped part (H1) is joined in a state where the tip side pin is in contact with only the sealing body (3) or with the jacket body (2) and the sealing body (3) while the base side pin is in contact with the sealing body (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hisashi Hori, Nobushiro Seo, Kosuke Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 11389892
    Abstract: The present invention includes: a preparation process configured to provide a first metal member including an end portion with a vertical face, and a second metal member including an end portion with an inclined face, a higher melting point and a smaller plate thickness than the first metal member; a butting process configured to butt the end portions of the first metal member and the second metal member against each other and form a butted portion with a V-shaped gap; and a joining process configured to join the first metal member and the second metal member together by inserting the rotating rotary tool from only a front face of the first metal member and relatively moving the rotary tool along the butted portion while only the stirring pin is in contact with at least the first metal member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Hisashi Hori
  • Patent number: 11376688
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a friction stir welding tool which can inhibit chipping even if an adhesion matter having high hardness adheres to a tip thereof during friction stir welding of an iron-base alloy and an aluminum alloy. In the tool for friction stir welding made of high-speed tool steel that includes a minor diameter portion and a major diameter portion formed adjacently to the minor diameter portion, hardness of the tool decreases from the minor diameter portion toward the major diameter portion. The hardness of the minor diameter portion may be 65 HRC or more by Rockwell hardness C-scale, and the hardness of the major diameter portion may be 60 HRC or less by Rockwell hardness C-scale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignees: NACHI-FUJIKOSHI CORP., HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Funahira, Takuya Miyamoto, Ryo Kawahara, Akiyoshi Miyawaki, Mitsuru Sayama, Keisuke Tsuta, Yasumasa Hyodo
  • Patent number: 11364570
    Abstract: A micro-region semi-solid additive manufacturing method is provided, where rod-shaped materials are used as consumables, and front ends of the consumables are heated by means of high-energy beam, an electric arc, a resistance heat, or the like, to enable the front ends to be in a semi-solid state in which the solid-liquid two phases coexist; at the same time, the rotational torsion and the axial thrust are applied to the consumables to perform shearing, agitation and extrusion on the semi-solid front ends, that is, the mold-free semi-solid rheoforming is performed. The consumable is transmitted to the bottom layer metal continuously in this manner to form metallurgical bonding, the stacking process is repeated according to a planned route obtained after discretization slicing treatment, and then an object or a stack layer in a special shape can be formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Beijing University Of Technology
    Inventors: Wuxiong Yang, Jianglin Zou, Jiejie Xu, Shikai Wu
  • Patent number: 11353100
    Abstract: A differential gear including a rotatably mounted differential housing and a final driven gear mounted rotationally fixed to the differential housing. The differential housing, on the outer circumferential surface thereof, includes two mating surfaces and that the final driven gear, on the inner circumferential surface thereof, includes two radially opposite mating surfaces. The mating surfaces formed on the outer circumferential surface of the differential housing and the mating surfaces formed on the inner circumferential surface of the final driven gear are each designed as separate mating surfaces which, when viewed in axial direction (a), are arranged geometrically separated from each other by a spacing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Kurt Hornung, Markus Schäfer, Andrej Merz
  • Patent number: 11311961
    Abstract: A friction stir welding tool includes a probe having a front end surface and an outer circumferential surface. The probe has, formed therein, outer circumferential recesses extending to the front end surface along a rotation axis. The friction stir welding tool rotates the probe about the rotation axis and embeds the probe inside a workpiece during rotation of the probe to thereby weld the workpiece. The width of the outer circumferential recesses is increased toward a front end of the probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuru Sayama, Akiyoshi Miyawaki, Keisuke Tsuta
  • Patent number: 11311963
    Abstract: The method comprises a primary joining process in which primary joining is performed by friction stirring by moving a rotary tool (F) once around a recessed part (13) along a first overlap part (H1) in a state where only a stirring pin (F2) of the rotary tool provided with the stirring pin is inserted in the first overlap part (H1) from a front surface (3b) of a sealing body (3) and is in contact with a jacket body (2) and the sealing body (3). In the primary joining process, the rotary tool (F), which is provided with a flat surface (F4) orthogonal to a rotational axis of the stirring pin (F2) and a projection (F5) projecting from the flat surface (F4) at a tip part of the stirring pin (F2), is employed, and the first overlap part (H1) is joined by bringing the flat surface (F4) into contact with only the sealing body (3) and inserting a tip end of the projection (F5) more deeply than the first overlap part (H1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hisashi Hori, Nobushiro Seo
  • Patent number: 11305376
    Abstract: A friction stir welding tool includes a probe having a front end surface and an outer circumferential surface. The outer circumferential surface has, formed therein, outer circumferential recesses extending to the front end surface. The friction stir welding tool is configured to rotate the probe about a rotation axis, and embed the probe inside a workpiece during rotation of the probe to thereby weld the workpiece. A front end recess is formed in the front end surface, and the front end recess extends to the outer circumferential surface in a manner that the front end recess does not communicate with the outer circumferential recesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keisuke Tsuta, Mitsuru Sayama, Akiyoshi Miyawaki
  • Patent number: 11305374
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for easily producing an engine block for a combustion engine. The method includes: a) providing an engine block with an open water jacket opening; b) placing an insert in the water jacket opening; and c) fixing the insert in the water jacket opening by friction welding. The shape of the insert is adapted to the shape of the water jacket opening such that the insert, when being placed, at least partially closes the water jacket opening and bridges the distance between the outer wall and the cylinder wall, thereby supporting the cylinder wall against the outer wall of the engine block. An engine block produced accordingly shows the advantages of a closed deck engine block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Nemak, S.A.B. de C.V.
    Inventors: Michal Luszczak, Piotr Kwiatkowski, Adam Pietras, Damian Miara, Jolanta Matusiak, Jacek Pietrzak, Robert Bryk
  • Patent number: 11305375
    Abstract: The friction stir welding head presented herein includes a head housing and an axle. The head housing extends from a top end to an open bottom end and defines a bore extending between the top end and the open bottom end. The axle that is coaxial with and rotatable within the bore. The axle is also laterally secured within the head housing and axially movable with respect to the head housing. Still further, the axle includes an engagement end that extends beyond the open bottom end of the head housing. The engagement end supports a friction stir welding tool that is configured to rotate with the axle to effectuate friction stir welding operations. The friction stir welding head may also include a load cell configured to generate load signals in response to axial movement of the axle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: ESAB AB
    Inventor: Åke Landmark
  • Patent number: 11292078
    Abstract: A system is provided, comprising a two-sided adapter, made of a Ni-based alloy, that is connected at each of the two sides with a different type of metal, e.g. steel, and wherein the connection of the different types of metal, e.g. steel with the adapter is characterized in that it is achieved at least in part by use of friction welding. A method for linking different types of metal, e.g. steel by using a two-sided adapter as an intermediate, wherein at least one of the adapter-metal (e.g. steel) connections is made by means of friction welding, is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Laborelec CVBA
    Inventor: Staf Huysmans
  • Patent number: 11273517
    Abstract: A void having a side peripheral surface and a bottom part is machined in a rotationally symmetrical shape spanning the end surface of a first steel member and the end surface of a second steel member; in a state in which a pressing force is applied to a contact area between the tip part of a joining metal and the bottom part of the void, the joining metal is rotated around a rotation axis and friction is created; the material structure around a rotational friction surface is joined using friction heat caused by the friction and molten metal is generated; a gap between a side peripheral surface of the joining metal and the side peripheral surface of the void is filled with the liquefied molten metal; and the first steel member and the second steel member are joined via the joining metal through integration with the structure near the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: ADOS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji Uetani
  • Patent number: 11260469
    Abstract: The presently disclosed technology includes a friction stir welding apparatus comprising a frame, a moving platform and a parallel mechanism composed of three branch mechanisms, wherein a first branch mechanism comprises a first sliding pair, a first revolute pair, a telescopic rod and a first spherical pair connected in sequence. A second branch mechanism and a third branch mechanism both comprise a third sliding pair, a second revolute pair, a third linkage and a second spherical pair connected in sequence. The friction stir welding apparatus has high stiffness, low inertia, high dynamic performance and high accuracy, which can achieve precision welding with high requirements on processing quality and accuracy for jointing annular seams of large-scale rocket fuel storage tank barrels in the aviation field, for example. The presently disclosed technology also includes a corresponding friction stir welding system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Jun Wu, Guang Yu, Binbin Zhang, Hengchun Cui, Liping Wang, Ying Gao
  • Patent number: 11253949
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to a device for welding together two joining partners by means of friction stir welding, which prevents the joining partners being contaminated by welding residue. The method comprises the following features: a welding head that can be integrated into any machine, said welding head being in the form of a spindle drive driven by a drive unit, comprising a mounting flange for securing the device assisting the welding process, and a clamping system for receiving a frustoconical-shaped tool having a welding and smoothing shoe for guiding a welding pin (11), a device (17) integrated into the welding and smoothing shoe for grinding the waste produced during the welding process, the waste produced during welding is then removed by means of one inlet channels for fluid arranged in the upper and/or lower area of the frustoconical-shaped tool for the fluid (20, 18) and a suction channel (19).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: GRENZEBACH MASCHINENBAU GMBH
    Inventors: Markus Weigl, Alexander Feineis
  • Patent number: 11253950
    Abstract: A method of sealing a hole in a wall of a hollow structure comprises providing a sealed chamber that is external to the structure and that is in fluid communication with an internal space of the structure via the hole. The structure may be a pipe-in-pipe structure and the internal space may be an annulus between outer and inner pipes. Fluid flows through the hole into or out of the chamber as the pressure and/or composition of fluid in the internal space is adjusted. Then, a plug is spun and friction-welded into the hole. The plug is inserted into the hole from within the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Acergy France SAS
    Inventor: Gregory Alexandre Toguyeni
  • Patent number: 11241756
    Abstract: An edge of each of a first metal member and a second metal member is formed to have a U-shaped cross section with a first horizontal plate projecting from a base edge of a vertical plate, and with a second horizontal plate projecting from a top edge of the vertical plate. The second metal member includes a projecting part. The joining method includes: an abutting step of forming an abutted part by abutting a front surface of the first horizontal plate the first metal member against a second side surface of the second metal member; and a joining step of performing friction stir welding of the first metal member and the second metal member by inserting a stirring pin from the projecting part and moving a joining rotating tool along an inner corner at the top edge of the vertical plate of the second metal member while making only the stirring pin in contact with the first metal member and the second metal member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hisashi Hori, Nobushiro Seo
  • Patent number: 11241755
    Abstract: An object is to provide a friction stir welding method and apparatus that provide sufficient strength and good welding workability by advantageously eliminating plastic flow deficiency generated as a result of insufficient heating of workpieces. In friction stir welding for steel sheets (3,3) as workpieces, a pair of facing rotary tools (1,15) are inserted into a non-welded part from both one surface side and the other surface side of the steel sheets (3,3), the rotary tools move in a welding direction while rotating, and in addition, a preheating process for heating steel sheets (3,3) is performed by heating means (5) provided in front of the rotary tools (1,15). The configuration of the pair of facing rotary tools (1,15) and the surface temperature, area, position, and so forth of a heated region in the preheating process are strictly controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Muneo Matsushita, Rinsei Ikeda, Koichi Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 11185946
    Abstract: Provided is a method for manufacturing a liquid cooling jacket including a jacket body and a sealing body joined to the jacket body. The method includes steps of: preparing; placing; first primary joining with a rotary tool; and second primary joining with the rotary tool. A rotary tool includes a base end pin and a distal end pin. The distal end pin includes a flat surface and a protrusion extending from the flat surface. In the first primary joining and the second primary joining, friction stirring is performed in a state where a front surface of the sealing body is brought in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the base end pin, the sealing body is brought in contact with the flat surface of the distal end pin, and the jacket body is brought in contact with the protrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hisashi Hori, Nobushiro Seo, Kosuke Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 11185945
    Abstract: Provided is a method for manufacturing a liquid cooling jacket including a jacket body and a sealing body joined to the jacket body. The method includes steps of: preparing; placing; first primary joining with a rotary tool; and second primary joining with the rotary tool. The rotary tool includes a base end pin and a distal end pin. The distal end pin includes a flat surface and a protrusion protruding from the flat surface. In the first primary joining and the second primary joining, friction stirring is performed in a state where the jacket body and the sealing body are brought in contact with the flat surface of the distal end pin and the base end pin and only the jacket body is brought in contact with a distal end surface of the protrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hisashi Hori, Nobushiro Seo, Kosuke Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 11179799
    Abstract: A clamp member, for a double-acting friction stir spot welding device, is provided for the double-acting friction stir spot welding device to perform friction stir spot welding of a workpiece by using a rotary tool, and presses a surface of the workpiece while the workpiece is supported. The rotary tool has a pin member and a shoulder member. The clamp member includes an end face that comes into surface contact with the surface of the workpiece to press the surface and a protruding portion protruding from the end face in an axial direction and extending around an axis. The protruding portion is configured to press the workpiece, the clamp member surrounding an outer periphery of the shoulder member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaaki Hirano, Takashi Ninomiya, Etsuko Yamada
  • Patent number: 11141812
    Abstract: A friction stir welding method in which a first member to be welded and a second member to be welded and having a first step portion are welded by friction stir welding using a welding tool includes the steps of arranging the first member to be welded on a step supporting surface of the first step portion with a gap between the first member to be welded and a side surface of the first step portion, pushing the welding tool into the first member to be welded from a surface of the first member to be welded while rotating the welding tool and inserting the welding tool until reaching the step supporting surface of the second member to be welded and stirring the first member to be welded and the second member to be welded by rotating the welding tool to form a welding part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPRATION
    Inventors: Takuya Ikeda, Muneaki Mukuda, Keisuke Murase, Seiiyu Ishimoto
  • Patent number: 11135674
    Abstract: A method of performing friction stir spot welding of a plurality of steel plates, includes the steps of: friction stirring a spot welding portion of the plurality of steel plates by pressing a tool against the spot welding portion while rotating the tool, to plasticize the spot welding portion by friction heat; cooling the spot welding portion to cause martensitic transformation to occur in the spot welding portion, after the step of friction stirring the spot welding portion; and tempering the spot welding portion by the friction heat by re-pressing the tool against the spot welding portion while rotating the tool, after the step of cooling the spot welding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryoji Ohashi, Yoshitaka Muramatsu, Masahiro Miyake, Takuya Fukuda
  • Patent number: 11130192
    Abstract: A friction stir welding (FSW) tool includes a head, a tool holder and a body between the head and the tool holder and attached to the head and the tool holder. The body may include a plurality of cooling fins. An interior of the body may include a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a torque sensor, and a communication node in electronic communication with the pressure sensor, the temperature sensor, and the torque sensor. The communication node may be in Bluetooth communication with a computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Mazak Corporation
    Inventors: Rodney Dale Fleck, Russell J. Steel
  • Patent number: 11117213
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing system for depositing an extrudate onto a substrate comprises a deposition head. The deposition head comprises a stirring tool, rotatable about an axis of rotation AR and comprising a tool distal end and a tool proximal end, axially opposing the tool distal end along the axis of rotation AR. The stirring tool defines a bore, extending from the tool proximal end to the tool distal end. The bore is configured to receive feedstock, biased toward the tool distal end. The deposition head also comprises a die, which is positioned adjacent to the stirring tool, defines a die axis AD1, and comprises a die distal end and a die proximal end, axially opposing the die distal end along the die axis AD1. The die axis AD1 is parallel with the axis of rotation AR of the stirring tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Rogie I. Rodriguez, Bruno Zamorano Senderos
  • Patent number: 11084569
    Abstract: A method of forming a monolithic aircraft structure having multiple aerodynamic surfaces includes forming a body component to have a body skin defining a body skin outer surface, and a body side wall integrally formed with the body skin and defining a body mating surface, the body skin outer surface providing a first aerodynamic surface. A cover component is formed to have a cover mating surface and a cover outer surface opposite the cover mating surface, the cover outer surface defining a second aerodynamic surface. The body component is positioned relative to the cover component so that the body mating surface engages the cover mating surface. At least portions of the cover mating surface are friction stir welded to the body mating surface to form friction stir welded joints between the body component and the cover component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Michael P. Shemkunas, Lisa G. Schleuter, Bruce A. Dahl, Alain A. Adjorlolo
  • Patent number: 11077518
    Abstract: A double-head double-sided high-efficiency friction stir welding device includes a base (1), a pair of columns (2) arranged on the base (1), an upper beam (3), at least one worktable connected with a horizontal surface of the base (1), vision sensors (7) mounted on the upper head (5) and the lower head (6) and used for identifying the weld, and a CNC controller (8) used for controlling operations of the gantry, the upper head (5), the lower head (6), the worktable and the vision sensors (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Beijing FSW Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Qiang Meng, Hao Wang, Yuansong Zeng
  • Patent number: 11072036
    Abstract: A method for solid-state, one-shot, butt-welding of multiple coaxial metal pipe subassemblies that have a prescribed annular clearance to allow them to be welded separately yet simultaneously is described. The nested pipes or tubes making up of these subassemblies can thus be joined end to end to form pipelines or wells for oil, gas and geothermal and the like with specific desired advantages over conventional single-wall pipelines or wells casings. The advantages include an ability to monitor the condition of all or selected portions of the pressure envelope constituted by the pipeline or well casing and thereby identify damage with ample advance warning before failure and leakage or major spills occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Spinduction Weld, Inc.
    Inventor: David Grant Lingnau
  • Patent number: 11065713
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods to join at least first and second metallic components in which a pre-treatment is applied to one or more region(s) of at least one of the components to be welded together before welding takes place. The pre-treatment involves contacting at least a region of the first metallic component with a rotating and translating tool such that the rotating and translating contact locally heats, softens, and mixes successive portions of at least the region of the first metallic component. The first and second metallic components are placed together such that a joint is provided between at least the pre-treated region of the first metallic component and the second metallic component. At least the pre-treated region of the first metallic component is welded to the second metallic component along at least a portion of the joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: David R. Lapp, Jerome Thomas Coffey, Samuel Edward Severson, Krithika Kalyanasundaram
  • Patent number: 11052480
    Abstract: The invention relates to a rotatable, plungeable and free path travelable non-consumable tool (5) for production of a channel (2) and a weld joint (1). The tool (5) comprises a shoulder and a probe, the shoulder having a surface facing the material(s) of components (3) to be processed. The shoulder and the probe are arranged to have a simultaneous and synchronized action in the materials of at least two components (3) to be processed. The shoulder facing the at least two components (3) to be processed has a system of scrolls shaped to have an inward action and an outward action on the at least two components (3) to be processed. The probe has a cylindrical or conical surface having a top zone, provided with a profile having a push-up action on the components (3) to be processed in a direction towards the shoulder. The top zone ends at or in the vicinity of a bottom zone provided with a profile having a push-down action on the components (3) to be processed in a direction towards the tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: AALTO UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION SR
    Inventors: Heikki Karvinen, Pedro Vilaca
  • Patent number: 11045898
    Abstract: A friction stir spot welding method according to one aspect of the present invention includes: performing a plunging process of moving a shoulder (28) toward a second workpiece (102) from a first workpiece (101) side while rotating a rotary tool to plunge the shoulder into the first and second workpieces; and performing a backfilling process of pushing stirred materials that have flowed into an inside of the shoulder in the plunging process out of the shoulder and backfilling a plunging hole with the stirred materials, the plunging hole being formed by the plunging of the shoulder. In the plunging process, the shoulder is plunged to a position that is shifted from a boundary between the first workpiece and the second workpiece to the second workpiece side by 1 mm or more, such that a component of a protective layer (104) is concentrated in a central portion of a stirred portion (105) when the backfilling process is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shunsuke Haruna, Shintaro Fukada
  • Patent number: 11020817
    Abstract: A friction stir channelling tool comprises a probe (2) for inserting into a workpiece or workpieces. The probe (2) extends from, and is rotatably mounted in, a bore (14) of a shoulder (3), the probe surface being formed so as to cause plasticised workpiece material to be moved towards the shoulder and into the bore of the shoulder upon rotation of the probe while the shoulder is in contact with the workpiece. The shoulder (3) has at least one vent (4) extending from outside the shoulder to the bore (14) whereby the plasticised material can exit the bore through the vent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: The Welding Institute
    Inventor: Joao Gandra
  • Patent number: 10974343
    Abstract: A friction stir spot joining apparatus for spot-joining a pair of plate members by friction stirring with a tool's pin portion includes an advancing and retracting driving device configured to advance and retract the tool to and from plate members, a rotationally driving device configured to rotate the tool, and control device configured to control advancing and retracting driving device and rotationally driving device. The control device executes joining control of pushing pin portion into plate members while the tool is rotated and causing pin portion to pressurize plate members, and executes heat dissipation control of reducing at least one of a rotation speed and a tool's pressurization force more than in the joining control while tool is rotated and pin portion is kept pushed into plate members after joining control and separating tool from plate members after the pin portion's surface temperature becomes less than an oxidation onset temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryoji Ohashi, Yoshitaka Muramatsu, Masahiro Miyake, Takuya Fukuda
  • Patent number: 10946974
    Abstract: An aircraft nacelle and method of fabricating a monolithic lipskin of the nacelle. The nacelle may include a fan cowl, a bulkhead, and the monolithic lipskin. The lipskin may be formed by spin-forming or explosive forming an annularly-shaped plate onto a mandrel, and machining or chemically-milling integrated stiffeners or other protrusions and attachment tabs into an inner mold line (IML) of the lipskin. The machining or chemical milling may occur before or after the spin-forming or explosive forming. The stiffeners may have a spiral or circumferential configuration. An attachment tab extending from the IML may attach to the bulkhead, such that an outer mold like (OML) of the lip-skin is not disrupted by mechanical fasteners attaching the lipskin to the bulkhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Spirit AeroSystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Dennis Lebeda, Roger Kornfeld, Amitabh Vyas, Scott E. Graves, Mark Wadsworth, Aaron Heitmann, Rahbar Nasserrafi, Darrell A Wade
  • Patent number: 10906128
    Abstract: A method for forming an impact weld used in an additive manufacturing process is provided. The method includes providing a metallic material for impact welding to a substrate. The metallic material is propelled toward the substrate with a sufficient velocity to form an impact weld for welding the metallic material to the substrate. Further, the method includes traversing the substrate in a direction relative to a direction from which the metallic material is propelled and repeating the propelling so that a layer of additive material is deposited on the substrate as desired. In addition, a method for forming an impact welding used in an additive manufacturing process via discharge actuated arrangement is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventor: Gerald J. Bruck
  • Patent number: 10906127
    Abstract: A friction stir welding method is provided that can prevent defective welding due to a shortage of metal. The friction stir welding method welds metal members (1, 2) using a primary joining rotary tool (F) having a stirring pin (F2), and includes steps of: butting in which the metal members (1, 2) are butted with each other at an angle to form a butted portion (J1); buildup welding in which buildup welding is applied along an inner corner of the metal members (1, 2) formed in the butting step to cover the inner corner by a weld metal (M); and inner corner joining in which only the stirring pin (F2) in rotation is inserted in the inner corner to plastically fluidize the weld metal (M) and the metal members (1, 2) for friction stir welding of the butted portion (J1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Nobushiro Seo, Hisashi Hori
  • Patent number: 10888892
    Abstract: A method of protecting a hole in a component during a coating process is disclosed. The method includes: placing a plug in the hole, the plug including a water insoluble core and a water soluble layer surrounding at least a portion of an outer surface of the metal core. A coating is applied over the plug and at least a portion of the component. The component is immersed in water to dissolve the water soluble layer, allowing removal of the water insoluble core. Removal of the coating from over the hole and the water insoluble core from within the hole may follow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Yan Cui, Srikanth Chandrudu Kottilingam, Jonathan Matthew Lomas, Brian Lee Tollison
  • Patent number: 10864597
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic bonding tool capable of bonding a lead wire, without any trouble, even to a surface of a thin-film base having a plate thickness of 2 mm or less such as a glass substrate. In the present invention, a surface portion of a chip portion (1c) of an ultrasonic bonding tool (1) used in an ultrasonic bonding apparatus has a plurality of planar portions (10) formed so as to be separated from one another, and a plurality of concavities (11) formed between the plurality of planar portions. Each of the plurality of planar portions (10) has a flatness of 2 ?m or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Akio Yoshida, Masahisa Kogura
  • Patent number: 10863591
    Abstract: An induction heating system includes an induction heating head assembly configured to move relative to a workpiece. The induction heating system may also include a temperature sensor assembly configured to detect a temperature of the workpiece and/or a travel sensor assembly configured to detect a position, movement, or direction of movement of the induction heating head assembly relative to the workpiece, and to transmit feedback signals to a controller configured to adjust the power provided to the induction heating head assembly by a power source based at least in part on the feedback signals. In certain embodiments, the induction heating system may also include a connection box configured to receive the feedback signals, to perform certain conversions of the feedback signals, and to provide the feedback signals to the power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Tiffany Anne Carter, Scott Stephen Liebert