JOINING METHOD

• US 20200130097A1
• Filed: 10/24/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: G-Tek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: G-Tek, Inc.
• Inventors: KITAMURA, Yoshikazu, NISHIMURA, Hiroshi, SUZUKI, Yasushi
• Granted Patent: US 11,090,756 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B21J 15/025 Setting self-piercing rivets
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 11/0066 Riveting
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 11/115 by means of two electrodes placed opposite one another on both sides of the welded parts
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 11/20 of different metals
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/006 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/20 Ferrous alloys and aluminium or alloys thereof

Abstract

An aluminum plate (103) is overlaid on a steel plate (102). A distal end (113) of a button component (101) is pushed in from the obverse surface side of the aluminum plate (103), and the distal end (113) is abutted against the steel plate (102) by applying a first pressure to the button component (101) made of steel without heating. The distal end (113) of the button component (101) and the steel plate (102) are welded by resistance spot welding while applying a second pressure lower than the first pressure to the button component (101).

Claims

1. A joining method comprising:

overlaying, on a first component made of a steel material, a second component made of a material different from the steel material;

pushing a tapered distal end of a button component in the second component from an obverse surface side of the second component and abutting the distal end against the first component by applying a first pressure to the button component without heating, the button component including a head portion and a shaft portion, the shaft portion including one end connected to the head portion, and the other end that forms the distal end, and the button component being made of steel including a cross section being parallel to an axial direction and in a substantially T shape; and

welding the distal end of the button component and the first component by resistance spot welding while applying a second pressure lower than the first pressure to the button component in a state in which the distal end abuts against the first component.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pushing includes abutting a bearing surface of the head portion against the obverse surface of the second component.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the welding includes, after abutting, starting spot welding and further pushing the shaft portion in the second component.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the head portion of the button component includes such a shape that a peripheral portion is close to a distal end side of the shaft portion.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pushing includes abutting one electrode used in the resistance spot welding against the head portion of the button component and pressing the electrode towards the first component.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second component is substantially made of aluminum.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the melting includes storing a material formed by melting the second component in a groove region formed on a bearing surface of the head portion of the button component.