Inertia or friction welding of conical components into elliptically-shaped holes in a pipe or tube
AssigneeAutoliv ASP, Inc.
InventorsWilliam D. Staheli, Gregory J. Lang, Kenneth J. Clark, Robert E. Lewis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of joining tubular structures using friction welding is disclosed. The invention provides a method of joining a first tubular structure having a conical contact surface to a second tubular member with an elliptical contact orifice by placing the conical surface within the contact orifice, rotating one of the structures, and pressing them together to form a weld. The invention further discloses airbag inflators constructed using the method of the invention.
Claims56
A method of joining a first tubular structure to a second tubular structure comprising the steps of:
- providing a first tubular structure having a first axis of symmetry and a conical contact face;
- providing a second tubular structure having an elliptical contact orifice;
- placing the conical contact face of the first tubular structure within an elliptical contact orifice;
- rotating one of the tubular structures about the first axis of symmetry;
- and
- pressing the first tubular structure against the second tubular structure to generate friction and heat sufficient to form a weld.
A method of fusing a conical member into a side of a tubular member comprising the steps of:
- providing a tubular member having an axis of symmetry and an elliptical orifice, the elliptical orifice having a major diameter and a minor diameter;
- providing a conical member to be joined to the tubular member, the conical member having a central axis of symmetry and a conical contact region with a diameter ranging in size from an upper diameter at least as large as the major diameter of the elliptical hole to a lower diameter at least as large as the minor diameter of the elliptical aperture;
- rotating the conical member at a predetermined rate;
- and
- directing the rotating conical member against the elliptical orifice of the tubular member with a predetermined pressure to form a weld.
A method of fusing an outlet port into the sidewall of an airbag inflator comprising the steps of:
- providing an airbag inflator comprising substantially tubular sidewalls and an axis of symmetry;
- creating an elliptical orifice in the tubular sidewalls of the inflator;
- providing an outlet port having an axis of symmetry and a conical contact face defined by an included angle and having a large diameter and a small diameter;
- rotating the outlet port at a predetermined rate;
- and
- directing the rotating outlet port against the elliptical orifice of the airbag inflator with a predetermined pressure to form a weld.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.