Automatic seam welding apparatus
AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsKazuhiro Sato, Tomomi Kishi, Koji Umeda, Yasushi Uchida, Masahiko Takeuchi
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Abstract
An automatic seam welding apparatus for fuel tanks comprises a jig for holding two workpieces disposed one above the other to form a fuel tank, a pair of roller electrodes vertically arranged for nipping and welding the overlapping peripheral flange portion of the workpieces, and a robot assembly rotatably supporting the jig and controlling the horizontal and vertical positions and the inclination of the jig held workpieces relative to the electrodes for welding peripheral flange portions that are irregular with high quality welds. The jig is easily detachable from the robot to permit many different shaped tanks to be welded by the same apparatus.
Claims12
An apparatus for seam welding overlapping peripheral flange portions of two workpieces disposed one on top of the other to form a tank, the apparatus comprising:
- a base;
- a pair of roller electrodes rotatably mounted to the base, the electrodes having opposing peripheral surfaces for nipping and seam welding the overlapping peripheral flange portions of workpieces disposed therebetween;
- means for sensing the diameter of one of the roller electrodes;
- a jig for holding the two disposed workpieces;
- a robot assembly mounted to the base, the robot assembly including an articulate arm, the arm being manipulatable in the horizontal, vertical, and inclined planes, means for moving the outer end of the arm in horizontal, vertical and inclined planes relative to the opposing surfaces of the pair of electrodes for maintaining the flange of the tank in the desired welding orientation in accordance with the sensed diameter of said roller electrode and regardless of the inclination and variation of the flange portion of the tank in the horizontal and vertical planes;
- means for detachably and rotatably mounting the jig to the outer end in the bore of the arm;
- and
- control means including means for seam welding the peripheral flange portions of workpieces held by the jig during feeding of the flange portions between the opposite electrode surfaces.
An apparatus for seam welding overlapping peripheral flange portions of two workpieces disposed one on top of the other to form a tank, the apparatus comprising:
- a base;
- a pair of roller electrodes rotatably mounted to the base, the electrodes having opposing peripheral surfaces for nipping and seam welding the overlapping peripheral flange portions of workpieces disposed therebetween;
- a jig, including a shaft portion for holding the two disposed workpieces;
- a robot assembly mounted to the base, the robot assembly including an articulate arm, having an outer end with a bore for receiving the shaft portion of the jig, the arm being manipulatable for moving the outer end thereof in horizontal, vertical and inclined planes relative to the opposing surfaces of the electrodes for maintaining the flange of the tank in the desired welding orientation regardless of the inclination and variation of the flange portion of the tank in the horizontal and vertical planes;
- means including a clamp and resilient means urging the clamp in engagement with the shaft portion, for detachably and rotatably mounting the jig in the bore of the arm;
- and
- control means including means for seam welding the peripheral flange portions of workpieces held by the jig during feeding of the flange portions between the opposing electrode surfaces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.