Friction stir weld tool and method
AssigneeHonda Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorsEric J. Boettcher, Alan P. Seid
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A friction stir welding tool and method for forming a friction stir weld joint includes a rotatable body having a rotatable shoulder for maintaining surface contact and maintaining plunge depth and a rotatable pin extending from the rotatable shoulder. The rotatable pin is integrally formed with the rotatable shoulder. The tool further includes a stationary body annularly disposed around the rotatable body. The stationary body has a stationary shoulder annularly disposed around the rotatable shoulder for further maintaining surface contact and managing plunge depth.
Claims14
A friction stir weld tool for forming a friction stir weld joint, the tool comprising:
- a rotatable body having a rotatable shoulder for maintaining surface contact and managing plunge depth, a rotatable pin extending from the rotatable shoulder and integrally formed with the rotatable shoulder, and a rotatable annular fillet arranged between the rotatable shoulder and the rotatable pin;
- and
- a stationary body annularly disposed around the rotatable body, the stationary body having a stationary shoulder;
- wherein the rotatable body is separated from the stationary body by a gap such that surfaces of the rotatable body and the stationary bode do not contact each other;
- wherein a surface of the stationary shoulder that is perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the rotatable body, and an edge of a surface of the rotatable shoulder that is closest to the gap, are both contained in a plane that is perpendicular to the axis of rotation;
- and
- wherein the rotatable annular fillet is a concave wall that extends directly from the rotatable pin directly to the rotatable shoulder, the concave wall continually extending away from a tip of the rotatable pin in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation as it extends radially outward away from the axis of rotation.
A friction stir weld tool for forming a friction stir weld joint, comprising:
- a rotatable body including a rotatable shoulder, a rotatable pin extending from a center of the rotatable shoulder, and a rotatable annular fillet arranged annularly between the rotatable shoulder and the rotatable pin;
- and
- a stationary body annularly arranged about the rotatable body, the stationary body having a stationary shoulder;
- wherein the rotatable body is separated from the stationary body by a gap such that surfaces of the rotatable body and the stationary body do not contact each other;
- wherein a surface of the stationary shoulder that is perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the rotatable body, and an edge of a surface of the rotatable shoulder that is closest to the gap, are both contained in a plane that is perpendicular to the axis of rotation;
- and
- wherein the rotatable annular fillet is a concave wall that extends directly from the rotatable pin directly to the rotatable shoulder, the concave wall continually extending away from a tip of the rotatable pin in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation as it extends radially outward away from the axis of rotation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.