METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING A METALLIC CONTAINER
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of forming a metallic container includes the steps of providing body and lid portions, placing the body and lid portions together, keeping portions of the body and lid portions in contact with one another, and reciprocally rotating the lid portion with respect to the body portion, thereby generating frictional heat and forming a friction weld therebetween. An apparatus for attaching the lid and body portions of a metallic container includes a base to support the body, a support assembly to support a flange of the body, and a sonitrode for contacting a flange of the lid, wherein the flanges of the lid and body are held together between the support assembly and the sonitrode. A motor reciprocally rotates the sonitrode relative to the support assembly, thereby moving the flanges relative one another to generate frictional heat and create a friction weld therebetween.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. (canceled)
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2. An apparatus for attaching a lid portion to a body portion of a metallic container comprising:
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a base adapted to support the body portion of the metallic container when placed thereon; a support assembly, movable relative to the base, and including a support surface adapted to support an outer surface of a flange of the body of the metallic container; a reciprocally rotatable sonitrode, including a friction surface and being moveable linearly, along a longitudinal axis, relative to the support assembly between a retracted position, and an engaged position, such that when the lid portion is placed onto the body portion of the metallic container, and the support assembly engages the outer surface of the flange of the body portion of the metallic container, and the sonitrode is moved to the engaged position, portions of the lid and the body of the metallic container are held in contact with one another between the support surface of the support assembly and the friction surface of the sonitrode; a motor adapted to reciprocally rotate the sonitrode relative to the support assembly, thereby moving the lid portion of the metallic container relative to the body portion of the metallic container such that frictional heat generated from the reciprocal relative motion creates a friction weld between the lid portion and the body portion of the metallic container. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17-28. -28. (canceled)
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29. An apparatus for attaching a lid portion of a metallic container to a body portion of the container, the container body portion including a flange having an inner surface and an outer surface, the apparatus comprising:
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a base, and a support assembly movable relative to the base, the support assembly including a support surface for engaging the flange outer surface of the metallic container body portion, a sonitrode having a friction surface, the sonitrode being movable relative to the base between a retracted position where the friction surface is spaced from the metallic container, and an engaged position where the friction surface frictionally engages the lid portion of the metallic container in order to prevent sliding movement of the lid relative to the sonitrode, and a motor coupled to the sonitrode and adapted to reciprocally rotate at a frequency the sonitrode around a longitudinal axis of the metallic container, and movable relative to the support assembly to situate the sonitrode in the engaged position to move the lid portion relative to the body portion such that frictional heat generated from the reciprocal rotation is capable of welding together the lid portion and the flange of the metallic container body. - View Dependent Claims (30, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification