Method of welding panels together

• US 6,359,260 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2000
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: FCA US LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Corporation (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Best, Dale, Styrnik, Jerzy, Peel, James F, Roy, Michael, Weatherall, Larry
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Clifford C.
• Application Number:
  US09/650,582
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 219/137.R, 219/127, 228/165
• US Class Current: 219/137.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/006 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/18 Sheet panels
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0035 of thin articles
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/007 Spot arc welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/025 for rectilinear seams
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/028 for curved planar seams
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/173 and of a consumable electrode

Abstract

A method of welding in which an edge portion of a first panel is placed over an edge portion of a second panel, with an outer edge of the edge portion of the first panel adjacent to a shoulder of the second panel to provide a joint between the outer edge and the shoulder. Spot welds are applied to the panels along the joint by a bronze metal inert gas (MIG) welding gun. Pressure applied by a pressure applicator alongside the MIG welding gun presses the edge portions of the panels together during the spot welding. Linear MIG weld segments are then applied along the joint between the spot welds by the MIG welding gun to form a continuous line of MIG welding. The continuous line of MIG welding is polished to remove irregularities so that it blends evenly and smoothly with the panels.

Claims

1. A method of welding comprising:

providing a first panel having an edge portion formed with an outer edge,

providing a second panel having an edge portion offset from a contiguous inner portion of said second panel to form a shoulder,

placing said panels together with the edge portion of said first panel overlying the edge portion of said second panel and with the outer edge of the edge portion of said first panel adjacent to the shoulder of said second panel to provide a joint between said outer edge of said first panel and said shoulder,

applying spot welds by metal inert gas (MIG) welding to said panels at spaced points along the joint between said outer edge of said first panel and said shoulder,

simultaneously with the application of each of said spot welds applying pressure to press said edge portions of said panels together, and

thereafter applying linear MIG weld segments along the joint between the spot welds to form a continuous line of MIG welding.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the spot welds are made by a movable welding gun, and said pressure is applied by a pressure applicator positioned alongside the welding gun.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said spot welds are made of bronze and said linear weld segments are made of bronze.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, further including polishing the continuous line of MIG welding along the joint to remove irregularities in the continuous line of MIG welding so that said continuous line of MIG welding blends evenly and smoothly with the panels at said joint.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the spot welds and linear MIG weld segments are made by a movable bronze MIG welding gun, and further including polishing the continuous line of MIG welding along the joint to remove irregularities in the continuous line of MIG welding so that said continuous line of MIG welding blends evenly with the panels at said joint.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said spot welds are made of bronze and said continuous linear MIG weld segments are made of bronze and said spot welds and said linear MIG weld segments are made by a movable MIG welding gun, and the pressure to press the edge portions of said panels together simultaneously with the application of each of said spot welds is applied by a pressure applicator positioned alongside said MIG welding gun.

7. A method as defined in claim 6, further including polishing the continuous line of MIG welding along the joint to remove irregularities in the line of MIG welding so that said line of MIG welding blends evenly and smoothly with the panels at said joint.