Resistance welding fastener electrode
AssigneeDoben Limited
InventorDaniel Martin Cabanaw
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A welding assembly is provided for welding a fastener to an object such as a vehicle body panel. The assembly includes a weld gun having first and second electrodes movable relative to one another between an open position and a closed position. The first electrode includes a housing assembly. A pin is received in the housing assembly and is movable when in said closed position between a desired nut position, and upside down nut position, and a no nut position. An optical sensor has a terminal end space from the pin for direction light thereon. The terminal end of the sensor received reflected light from the pin. A sensor control system processes the reflected light into a signal corresponding to one of the desired nut, upside down nut, and no nut positions.
Claims16
A welding assembly for welding a fastener to an object, the assembly comprising:
- a weld gun having first and second electrodes movable relative to one another between an open position and a closed position, said first electrode including a housing assembly;
- a pin received in said housing assembly and movable in said closed position between a desired fastener position, an upside down fastener position, and a no fastener position;
- an optical sensor having a terminal end spaced from said pin directing light thereon, said terminal end receiving reflected light from said pin;
- and
- a sensor control system processing said reflected light into a signal corresponding to one of said desired fastener, upside down fastener, and no fastener positions.
An electrode for a resistance welding assembly comprising:
- a housing assembly having an end adapted to be received in a weld gun;
- a weld head supported on said housing assembly opposite said end with an aperture extending through said weld head;
- a pin received in said housing assembly with a portion extending through said aperture adapted to receive a fastener, with said pin movable between a desired fastener position, an upside down fastener position, and a no fastener position;
- and
- an optical sensor arranged in said housing having a terminal end spaced from said pin directing light thereon, said terminal end receiving reflected light from said pin corresponding to one of said desired fastener, upside down fastener, and no fastener positions.
A method of resistance welding a fastener comprising the steps of:
- a) loading a fastener onto a pin;
- b) closing opposing weld gun electrodes about the object;
- c) displacing the pin;
- and
- d) measuring a weld gun component associated with movement of the pin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.