Method of magnetic pulse welding an end fitting to a driveshaft tube of a vehicular driveshaft

• US 6,531,688 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2002
• Issued: 03/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dana Automotive Systems Group, LLC (Dana, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Torque-Traction Technologies Incorporated (Dana, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yablochnikov, Boris A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Leung, Philip H.
• Application Number:
  US10/136,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20020121511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 315 Days
• Field of Search: 219/603, 219/611, 219/607, 219/608, 219/617, 294/192, 294/32, 294/321, 294/322, 295/05, 295/18, 295/19, 72/56, 228/107
• US Class Current: 219/603
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 13/025 for tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 20/06 by means of high energy impulses, e.g. magnetic energy
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/06 Tubes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49803 Magnetically shaping
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49931 Joined to overlapping ends of plural rods

Abstract

A method for securing components of a vehicular driveshaft includes disposing a neck of an end fitting into the open end of a driveshaft tube. The end fitting is held with respect to the driveshaft tube so that an annular gap is formed between the neck and the driveshaft tube. An inductor is provided about the driveshaft tube adjacent the end receiving the neck. The inductor is energized to generate a magnetic field for collapsing the driveshaft tube about the neck at a high velocity so that the driveshaft tube and the end fitting are welded to each other.

Claims

1. A method of securing components of a vehicular driveshaft assembly comprising:

providing a driveshaft tube having an end;

providing an end fitting having a neck;

disposing the neck of the end fining relative to the end of the driveshaft tube so that an annular gap is provided between the neck of the end fitting and the end of the driveshaft tube;

providing an inductor; and

energizing the inductor to generate a magnetic field to force one of the end of the driveshaft tube and the neck of the end fining into the other of the end of the driveshaft tube and the neck of the end fitting at a velocity that is sufficient to magnetic pulse weld the driveshaft tube and end fining to each other.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the neck of the end fining is disposed concentrically relative to the end of the driveshaft tube.

3. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the end of the driveshaft tube is an open end, and wherein the neck of the end fining is disposed within the end of the driveshaft tube.

4. The method defined in claim 3 wherein the neck of the end fining is disposed concentrically within the end of the driveshaft tube.

5. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the inductor is disposed about the neck of the end fining and the end of the driveshaft tube.

6. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the neck of the end fining and the end of the driveshaft tube are formed from the same material.

7. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the neck of the end fitting and the end of the driveshaft tube are formed from different materials.