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US 11,999,007 B2Granted
Laser-welded faucet
AssigneeKohler Co.
InventorsArun Bhardwaj, Lokesh Mohanpuri, Jayarama M. Murthy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for manufacturing a faucet including a base and a spout includes providing a first faucet portion defining a first edge extending a distance between the base and the spout, providing a second faucet portion defining a second edge extending the distance, welding, by a laser welding apparatus, the first edge of the first faucet portion to the second edge of the second faucet portion to form a welded joint extending along the distance, and grinding the welded joint to form a faucet body.
Claims20
A faucet body of a faucet, comprising:
- a first sheet of stamped material that defines a first faucet body portion, the first faucet body portion including a first base portion and a first upper portion each extending in a first direction, and a first spout portion extending in a second direction at an angle to the first direction;
- a second sheet of stamped material that defines a second body portion, the second faucet body portion including a second base portion and a second upper portion each extending in the first direction, and a second spout portion extending in the second direction at the angle to the first direction;
- a first welded joint disposed between the first body portion and the second body portion and extending in a direction parallel to a direction in which water flows through the faucet;
- and
- a second welded joint disposed between the first body portion and the second body portion opposite the first welded joint and extending continuously along a distance of an edge of the first body portion,
- wherein the edge of the first body portion extends between the first base portion and the first upper portion of the first body portion, and
- wherein the first upper portion is disposed above the first spout portion and the second upper portion is disposed above the second spout portion.
4 more elements
A method, comprising:
- causing a first stamped faucet portion to be manufactured from a first sheet of material, the first faucet portion defining a first edge extending a distance between a base and a spout;
- causing a second stamped faucet portion to be manufactured from a second sheet of material, the second faucet portion defining a second edge extending the distance;
- causing the first edge of the first faucet portion to be held against the second edge of the second faucet portion by a holding apparatus;
- causing the first edge of the first faucet portion to be welded to the second edge of the second faucet portion by a laser welding apparatus to form a welded joint extending along the distance, the laser welding apparatus including a laser configured to emit an optical beam along an optical path and a rotatable optical element configured to alter the path of the optical beam towards the first faucet portion and the second faucet portion to form the welded joint;
- causing the welded joint to be ground to form a faucet body;
- and
- causing the faucet body to be made available to a user.
4 more elements
A thin-walled faucet body for a faucet, comprising:
- a first sheet of stamped material that defines a first faucet body portion having a thickness between about one millimeter and two millimeters, the first faucet body portion including a first base portion and a first upper portion each extending in a first direction, and a first spout portion extending in a second direction at an angle to the first direction;
- a second sheet of stamped material that defines a second body portion having a thickness between about one millimeter and two millimeters, the second faucet body portion including a second base portion and a second upper portion each extending in the first direction, and a second spout portion extending in the second direction at the angle to the first direction;
- a first welded joint disposed between the first body portion and the second body portion and extending in a direction parallel to a direction in which water flows through the faucet;
- and
- a second welded joint disposed between the first body portion and the second body portion opposite the first welded joint and extending continuously along a distance of an edge of the first body portion,
- wherein the edge of the first body portion extends between the first base portion and the first upper portion of the first body portion, and
- wherein the first upper portion is disposed above the first spout portion and the second upper portion is disposed above the second spout portion.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.