AU2002301555B2 - A frame member - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 DIVISIONAL APPLICATION NAME OF APPLICANT: Hitachi, Ltd.

ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys 1 Little Collins Street Melbourne, Vic 3000.

INVENTION TITLE: "A FRAME MEMBER" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: P:OPERRCUO5W2S8l34 rcsponwdow-I 105105

-IA-

A Frame Member Field of the Invention: The present invention relates to a method for friction stir welding. For example, the present invention may be suitable for friction stir welding aluminum alloy extruded frame members used in -railway vehicles or building structures and the like.

Background of Invention: A friction stir welding method is a method in which by rotating a round rod (called "a rotary tool") which is inserted into a welding portion and moving the rotary tool along a welding line of an extruded frame member, and the welding portion is heated, softened and plastically fluidized and is solid-stately welded.

The rotary tool is comprised of a small diameter portion which is inserted into the welding portion and a large diameter portion which is positioned at an outside of the small diameter portion of the rotary tool. The small diameter portion and the large diameter portion of the rotary tool have the same axis. A boundary between the small diameter portion and the large diameter portion of the rotary tool is inserted a little into the welding portion.

The above stated technique is disclosed, for example in Japanese application patent laid-open publication No. Hei 9- 309164 (EP 0797043 A2) In Fig. 9 of this document (Japanese application patent laid-open publication No. Hei 9-309164 (EP 0797043 A2)) a welding of two faces of hollow extruded frame members is carried out from one of the two faces of the hollow extruded frame members. Namely, a plate of one side face is abutted P:%OPER\RJCUx2OOSNOcbeUS8334 reponw IL.doc. IaI M -2- 00 u and from another face side of the another extruded frame member a friction stir welding is carried out. An outer face side of said plate is welded flatly.

In 5 As shown in Fig. 9 of the above stated document (Japanese application patent laid-open publication No. Hei 9-309164 (EP 0797043 a case where a hollow frame C-i member is carried out from a face of one side according to the friction stir welding. In this case, it is necessary to fix strongly a joint member 60. For this reason, the joint member 60 is fixed temporally to hollow frame members 31 and 32. Since a plate thickness of the joint member 60 is thin, the joint member 60 strains in a thickness direction according to a welding heat. For this reason, accuracy of the structure body may be difficult to attain.

P:\OPER\RJC205\Ocltobcr2581534 rcspons I.doc-18/10105 -3- 0 oo Summary of the Invention: SIn accordance with the present invention, there is provided 5 a frame member for use in friction stir welding, Sthe frame member having a first face plate, a second face plate and a third plate for connecting said first face plate and said second face plate, said second face plate being arranged substantially parallel to said first face plate and an end portion of said second face plate extending past an end portion of said first face plate, said third plate acting as a truss arranged at an inclined angle between said end portion of said first face plate and said second face plate, wherein a groove is provided to a side face of said end portion of said first face plate, said groove extends along said side face in a direction substantially parallel to a generally planar surface of said first face plate, a connection member is coupled to said first face plate and said connection member is a separate member from said first face plate, an end portion of said connection member is arranged at said end portion of said first face plate, and said end portion of said connection member is inserted into said end portion of said first face plate and further into said groove of said first face plate.

PAOPERRCU205\2581534 rmapsm.doc-I 1/O10 -4- Brief Description of the Drawings: Preferred embodiments of the present invention are hereafter described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing before a welding of a welding portion of one embodiment of a friction stir welding method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an essential portion of Fig. 1 of the friction stir welding method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing after a welding of the welding portion of the friction stir welding method of one preferred embodiment according to the present invention; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a hollow frame member of a welding portion of the friction stir welding method of one preferred embodiment according to the present invention; Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a car body of a railway vehicle of the friction stir welding method of one preferred embodiment according to the present invention; Fig. 6A is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a welding portion of a friction stir welding method of one preferred embodiment of another embodiment according to the present invention; Fig. 6B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a welding portion of a friction stir welding method of one preferred embodiment of another embodiment according to the present invention; and PAOPERMCU2OO258134 resposc.doc-l 1ID/O Fig. 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a welding portion of the friction stir welding method of one preferred embodiment of another embodiment according to the present invention.

Description of Preferred Embodiments of the Invention: One embodiment of a friction stir welding method according to the present invention will be explained referring to from Fig. 1 to Fig. 5. Fig. 1 is an enlarged view showing portion of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a side structure body of Fig. A car body 200 is comprised of a side structure body 201 for constituting a side face, a roof structure body 202 for constituting a roof, a stand frame 203 for constituting a floor, and a side structure body 204 for constituting an P ERRJC\2388620sp dlv.- 18/10/02 -6end portion in a longitudinal direction. Each of the side structure body 201, the roof structure body 202, and the stand frame 203 is constituted respectively by welding plural extruded frame members. A longitudinal direction of the extruded frame member is formed toward a longitudinal direction of the car body. The extruded frame member is a hollow frame member made of an aluminum alloy.

A constitution and a welding method of the hollow extruded frame members 10 and 20 for constituting the side structure body 201 will be explained. Other portions and other structure bodies are similar to the above.

The hollow frame members 10 and 20 are comprised of two sheet face plates 11, 12 and 21, 22 and a truss structure shape arrangement of plural ribs 13 and 23. The two sheet face plates 11 and 12 are substantially in parallel. The two sheet face plates 21 and 22 are substantially in parallel. A pitch of the truss structure according to the ribs 13 and 23 is the same. The truss structure is constituted by the ribs 13 and 23 and a center line of a plate thickness of the respective face plates 11 and 12 and the respective face plates 21 and 22. An apex is formed at a side of the face plates 11 and 12 and the face plates 21 and 22.

At a vicinity of the apex of the truss structure in an inner side of the railway car, rails 19 and 29 for installing machines and apparatuses are provided integrally.

The rails 19 and 29 are comprised of L shape two members.

The rails 19 and 29 become seats for installing the machines and apparatuses such as interior mounting plates and chairs P:\OPERRJC\238862spc div.do-.181O/02 -7and the like.

End portions of the face plates 12 and 22 which are positioned on outer face side of the car body project to a side of the adjacent hollow frame members 20 and 10 from end portions of the face plates 11 and 21. These projected face plates are indicated by 12b and 22b. The end portions of the face plates 12b and 22b are abutted friction stir welding is carried out. This friction stir welding is carried out to lessen a gap of the abutted portion. A plate thickness of each of the face plate 12b and 22b is thicker than another portion of the face plates 12 and 22.

The hollow frame members 10 and 20 are mounted on a bed 240 with the face plates 12 and 22 overlying and engaging the bed. The above described friction stir welding of the face plates 12 and 22 is carried out by inserting a rotary tool 250 through a gap between the abutting face plates 11 and 21 of the frame members 20 and 10 so that friction stir welding is carried out from the inner side of the car.

To the end portion (the abutted portion) of the face plates 12b and 22b, raised portions 16 and 26 which project in the inner side of the car (namely, the face plates 11 and 21 side) are provided. A width and a height of each of the raised portions 16 and 26 are substantially the same.

In the mentioned gap between the end portion of the face plate 11 in the car inner side and the end portion of the face plate 21 a connection member 30 is welded. The end portion of the connection member 30 is mounted (overlapped) on the seats 17 and 27 which are provided on the apex of the POPERWC\238620pe ~dv.mo- S/lI0/02 -8described truss structure. The seats 17 and 27 are recessed from an outer face (an upper face) of the face plates 11 and 21.

The seat 17 is formed at the end portion of the hollow frame member 10 on a normal line which passes through an intersecting line between the rib 13A and the rib 13B. A face reaching from the seat 17 to the outer face (the upper face) of the face plate 11 is formed on the above stated normal line. To an end portion of the face plate 11 at the seat 17 side, raised portion llb which projects to the outer face (the upper face) side is arranged.

An end portion of the connection member 30 has a raised portion 32 and is arranged to abut the raised portion llb.

A width and a height of the raised portions llb and 32 are the same to those of the raised portions 16 and 26. The width of the seat 17 is the same to the width of the raised portion 32.

At a vertical face of the raised portion llb, there is a groove 14 which is opened directing for an end portion (an end portion of the face plate 12b of another hollow frame member 20) of the hollow frame member 10. The groove 14 is continued in a longitudinal direction of the hollow frame member 10. The groove 14 has a trapezoidal form. A height of the trapezoidal form having an open side of the groove 14 is formed large.

To the groove 14, a trapezoidal form projection portion 34 is inserted into the end portion of the connection member As to the sizes of the two trapezoidal forms, the size of the groove 14 is larger than the size of the projection portion 34. A vertical face of end portion of the face AOPER\CW238620spe div dc--18/1002 -9plate 11 is coincided with a normal line which passes through the intersecting point of the truss structure. For this reason, the vertical face coincides with the axial center of the rotary tool 250. A depth of the groove 14 is less than a half of the diameter of the small diameter portion 251 of the rotary tool 250.

When the projection portion 34 is inserted into the groove 14, a lower face of the connection member 30 overlies an upper face of the seat 17, further a face of an upper side of the projection portion 34 is designed to contact to a face of an upper side of the groove 14.

The height of the projection portion 34 is thinner than a thickness of the end portion of the connection member The groove 14 and the projection portion 34 are positioned in a range of the plate thickness including the raised portions llb and 32. The upper ends of the groove 14 and the projection portion 34 are arranged in an upper portion (the apex sides of the raised portions llb and 32) from the upper face of the face plate 11 and an extension line of the upper face of the plate portion excepting the raised portion 32 of the connection member Since the raised portions llb and 32 are provided, the plate thickness of the face plate 11 and the plate thickness of the connection member 30 are thin, it is possible to provide the groove 14 having a desired height and the groove 14.

The seat 27 is arranged at an intersecting point between the rib 23A and the rib 23B as a center. At a center of the width of the seat 27 the above stated intersecting point is arranged. Namely, the apex of the truss structure of the end portion is arranged at the central portion of the width of the seat 27. The face reaching from the seat 27 to the face plate 22 is inclined as the groove 14 for the arc welding to the connection member A raised portion 35 is arranged to the end portion of the connection member 30 which mounts on the seat 27. A height of the raised portion 35 is similar to that of the raised portions 16, 26, Ilb and 32. A width of the raised portion 35 is similar to a sum-up width of the raised portions 16 and 26.: The connection member 30 is arranged to aim to form the surfaces of the plateplates 11 and 21 being continuously just as. The central portion except for the both end portions of the connection member 30 is a plate 31 and a plate thickness of the plate 31 is substantially same to theplate thickness of the face plates 11 and 21. At the upper face of the raised portion 35 a V-shape groove 36 is provided. The groove 36 is arranged at a center of the width of the raised portion A width of the raised portion 35 is larger than a diameter of the large diameter portion 252 of the rotary tool 250. The groove 36 becomes a subject matter for position detecting to lead the rotary tool 250. The groove 36 is detected by a laser sensor and the axial center of the rotary tool 250 is coincided with the groove 36. An extension line of the groove 36, namely on the axial center of the rotary tool 250, there is an intersecting point of the two ribs 23A and 23B.

The width of the connection member 30 is smaller than an interval of the face plates 11 and 21 of the two hollow frame members 10 and 20. The connection member 30 is an extruded frame member having the same material of the hollow frame members and 20. A length of the connection member 30 is, for example, 1 m degree. The plural connection members 30 are arranged in the length directions of the hollow frame members 10 and A space of the connection members 30 together with is arranged small as soon as possible, and just as the one connection member 30 is arranged to continue. Since the connection member 30 has no rib, the connection member 30 can bend easily in the plate thickness and the transportation thereof and the like are difficult.

A distance P from the end portion of the face plate 11 to the end portion of the face plate 21 (a distance from the apex of the truss structure of the end portion of the hollow frame member 10 and the apex of the truss structure of the end portion of the hollow frame member 20) is the same pitch P of the truss structure of the other positions.

When the sides of the face plates 11 and 12, 21 and 22 become to be the apex, each of the truss structure of the hollow frame members 10 and 20 is an isosceles triangle. However, the truss structure of the end portion of the hollow frame members and 20 is not an isosceles triangle.

For the above stated reason, the rib 13A is connected to a midway of the face plate 12. For the above stated reason, the rib 23A is connected to a midway of the face plate 22.

Between a connection portion between the rib 13A and the face 12 plate 12 and a connection portion between the rib 23A and the face plate 22, a space for inserting the friction stir welding apparatus is formed.

The manufacturing method of this structure body will be explained. The hollow frame members 10 and 20 are mounted on and fixed to the bed 240. Next, the face plates 12b and 22b are abutted. Next, these hollow frame members 10 and 20 are fixed on the bed 240. Next, the portions of the end faces 12d and 22d are fixed temporally according to the arc welding. This temporary welding is carried out intermittently.

An upper face of the bed 240 on which the abutted portion of the face plates 12b and 22b are mounted is flat. Three portions which are the vicinity of the abutted portion of the face plates 12b and 22b, an intersecting point vicinity of the ribs 13A and 23A, the face plates 12b and 22b, and an intersecting point vicinity of the ribs 13B and 23B and the face plates 12 and 22 are mounted on the bed 240 having the same height.

With this condition, the rotary tool 250 of the friction stir welding apparatus is inserted from the upper portion to the abutted portion of the raised portions 16 and 26 and is moved along to a welding line and then the friction stir welding is carried out. The axial center of the rotary tool 250 is in a perpendicular direction (the direction along to the normal line of the welding portion). However, against an advancing direction of the rotary tool 250 the axial center is inclined as already known.

The rotary tool 250 comprises the large diameter portion 252 and the small diameter portion 251 at a tip end of the large diameter portion 252. The tip end (the lower end) of the small diameter portion 251 of the rotary tool 250 is positioned at a lower face from an upper face of the face plates 12b and 22b.

The lower end of the large diameter portion 252 of the rotary tool 250 is positioned between the apex of the raised portions 16 and 26 and between the face plates 12b and 22b of the inner side of the car (the face side of the plates 11 and 21). A diameter of the large diameter portion 252 of the rotary tool 250 is smaller than a width which is comprised of the two raised portions 16 and 26. The small diameter portion 251 of the rotary tool 250 forms a screw member..

During the friction stir welding, the apexes of the raised portions 16 and 26 are pressed under a low portion by a roller which moves the rotary tool 250 together with.

The raised portions 16 and 26 are detected by the laser sensor. According to this, a height position of the raised portions 16 and 26 is requested and an insertion amount of the rotary tool 250 is determined. Further, a gap of the abutted portion of the two raised portions 16 and 26 is requested and to this position the axial center of the rotary tool 250 is coincided with.

According to this friction stir welding, the gap of the abutted portion of the face plate 12b and 22b is buried and welded.

The original material of the metal for burying the gap is the raised portions 16 and 26. The outer face side (the outer side of the car) of the face plates 12b and 22b is welded flatly.

To the outer face side of the face plates 12b and 22b, there is no recessed portion of the welding line.

The upper face of the raised portions 16 and 26 becomes a convex form according to the large diameter portion 252 of the rotary tool 250. At the both ends of the recessed portion, the raised portions 16 and 26 are left.

Next, the connection member 30 is mounted on the seats 17 and 27 of the face plates 11 and 21. A vertical face of the connection member 30 (except for the projection portion 34) is abutted to a vertical face (except for the groove 14) of an end portion of the face plate 11. It is desirable to form small the interval of the vertical faces of the both hollow frame members 10 and 20 as soon as possible. It is desirable to form small an interval between the end portion of the connection member 30 in the longitudinal direction of the hollow frame member 10 and 20 and the end portion of the adjacent connection member The insertion of the projection portion 34 to the groove 14 can be arranged by inserting from the one end side of the longitudinal direction of the hollow frame members 10 and Or, the distance from the vertical face of the face plate 11 to a slope face 27b is provided larger thewidth of theconnection member 30 and after the connection member 30 is mounted on the seats 17 and 27, the connection member 30 is moved to a side of the projection portion 34, into the groove 14 the projection portion 34 is inserted. Or, from the diagonal upper portion, the projection portion 34 is inserted into the groove 34.

For example, the connection member 30 is mounted on the seat 17 and the slope face 27b, the connection member 30 is moved to the side of the face plate 11. The positions, the shapes and the sizes of the groove 14 and the projection 34 are provided to enable insert them from the diagonal upper portion.

Next, the end portion of the connection member 30 is fixed temporally to the face plates 11 and 21 according to the arc welding. This temporary welding is carried out intermittently.

Since the face plate 11 side of the connection member 30 is inserted into the groove 14, the connection member 30 does not move in the upper and lower direction, etc.. For this reason, is unnecessary to carry out the temporarywelding to this portion.

When the temporary welding is carried out, the number of the welding can be lessened. The temporary welding is carried out to weld the raised portion 32 and the raised portion llb. For this reason, the thermal strain of the connection member 30 and the hollow frame member 10 can be lessened.

Next, using the friction stir welding apparatus which is used to the friction stir welding of the abutted portion of the face plates 12b and 22b, the welding of the abutted portion for one end of the connection member 30 and the end portion of the face plate 11 is carried out. This is same of the welding of the abutted portion of the raised portions 16 and 26. It is inserted so as to reach the seat 17 to the lower end of the small diameter portion 251 of the rotary tool 250.

The space formed between the groove 14 and the projection portion 34 is buried by the raised portions lb and 32 as the original material. For this reason, even the groove 14 exists, the welding is carried out as the welding of the ordinary abutted portion.

Next, the welding of the seat 27 and other end of the connection member 30 is carried out. With a condition where the rotary tool 250 is inserted into a portion to which the connection member 30 and the seat 27 are overlapped from the upper portion, the rotary tool 250 is moved along the welding line and the friction stir welding is carried out. A width of the raised portion 35 is larger than the diameter of the large diameter portion 252 of the rotary tool 250. At a center of the raised portion 35 the groove 36 is provided. The rotation axial center of the rotary tool 250 is coincided with the groove 36. A tip end of the small diameter portion 251 of the rotary tool 250 is inserted deeply to the seats 17 and 27.

With this construction, the overlapping welding is carried out. The lower end of the large diameter portion 252 of the rotary tool 250 is positioned between the upper face of the connection member 30 being the non-raised portion and the apex of the raised portion The upper face of the raised portion 35 become a convex form according to the large diameter portion 252 of the rotary tool 250. At the both ends of the recessed portion the raised portion 35 is left.

The above stated sensor of the friction stir welding apparatus detects the groove 36 and along to the groove 36 the rotary tool 250 is moved.

17 Fig. 3 shows schematically the state of the welding portion after the welding. A hatching portion shows the welding portion.

The axial center of the rotary tool 250 is positioned at the apex point of the truss structure of the two ribs 13A and 13B or on the perpendicular line of a vicinity thereof passes.

The axial center of the rotary tool 250 is positioned at the apex point of the truss structure of the two ribs 23A and 23B or on the perpendicular line of a vicinity thereof passes.

Against the eccentric matter, it corresponds to an increase of the plate thickness of the ribs 13A and 13B, a shape of the arc which connects the rib and the face plate, a thickness of the connection member 30, and the thickness of the seats 17 and 27, etc.. Against the eccentric matter, it corresponds to an increase of the plate thickness of the ribs 23A and 23B, a shape of the arc which connects the rib and the face plate, a thickness of the connection member 30, and the thickness of the seats 17 and 27, etc..

According to the above, one of the joint (the joint of the raised portions lb and 32) can be the butt joint, according to the improvement of the joint efficiency and the reduction of the stress concentration in the bent portion, the strength can be improved.

Further, since the fixing of the one end of the connection member 30 according to the arc welding can be unnecessary or can be lessened, the thermal strain of the structure body can be lessened and the outer appearance can be improved and the installation of the interior mounting members can be carried out easily.

The welding of the both faces of the hollow frame members and 20 is carried out from one side face. For this reason, it is unnecessary to reverse the structure body to which one face is welded. Accordingly, the structure can be manufactured at a low cost and with a high accuracy.

Further, the outer face of the welding portion of the face plates 12b and 22b can be welded flatly. The raised portions 16, 26 and 35 are arranged in the inner side of the structure body and the inner side of the car body and they are not existed at a portion (the outer face side, the car outer side) in which a flat face is required. Further, at the car outer side there is no recessed portion which causes by deleting according to the rotary tool 250. For this reason, the cut-off etc. of the raised portions 16, 26 and 35 is unnecessary and the car body can be manufactured with a low cost.

Further, the bed 240 can be placed by the backing member such as a roller and the like.

Further, the abutted portion is welded at first, next the overlapped portion is welded. For this reason, in comparison with the case wherein overlapped portion is welded at first and next the abutted portion is welded, it is considered that the good friction stir welding can be carried out.

It is considered that the strength of the welding portion (the welding portion between the seat 27 and the connection member 30) of the overlapping portion and the strength of the bending portion of the face plate 21 are inferior than the strength of the abutted portion (the welding portion between the face plate 11 and the connection member 30). In this case the end portion of the connection member 30 and the end portion of the face plate 21 are welded according to the arc welding.

This arc welding can be carried to the portions where the more strength is necessary, for example the position where is near to the window corner portion.

Further, the body welded by the above stated manner can be used as an outer face (face to be seen visible) of the structure body such as the building structure body and the like.

The portion for mounting the connection member 30 can be set at the structure and the portion in which it can bear to the load during the friction stir welding. For example, the structure and portion can be set as shown in Fig. 9 of the above stated document (Japanese application patent laid-open publication No. Hei 9-309164 (EP 0797043 A2)).

The welding between the hollow frame member 10 and the connection member 30 is welded to the abutted portion, however this portion can be carried out according to the overlapping welding. The seat 17 can be formed similarly to the seat 27.

To the end portions of the connection member 30 the raised portion 35 and the groove 36 are provided. To the end portion of the connection member 30 at the hollow frame member 10 side, the projection portion 34 is provided. The end portion except for the projection portion 34 is carried out according to the overlapping welding. The position of the welding is a position of the intersecting portion of the truss structure (the position of the groove 36).

An embodiment of Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B will be explained.

This is suited for a manufacture of a large structure body by welding more than three hollow frame members. For example, the side structure body 201 is comprised. The relationship between the right side hollow frame members 10 and 20 and the connection member 30 is similar to that of the embodiment of Fig. 1. To another end (the right end) of the central hollow frame member 20, a hollow frame member 10B and a connection member 30B are welded. A left end of the hollow frame member 10B and the connection member 30 OB are the same to the left end of the hollow frame member 20 and the connection member A structure of the another end (the right end) of the hollow frame member 20 is the same to a structure of the right end of the hollow frame member 10. A structure of the left end of the hollow frame member 10B which is welded to the end of the hollow frame member 20 is the same to the structure of the left end of the hollow frame member 20. A structure and a direction of the connection member 30B are same to those of the connection member The left end of the hollow frame member 20 and the hollow frame member 10 are shown in an upper portion of Fig. 6A. The right end of the hollow frame member 20 and the hollow frame member 10B are shown in a lower portion of Fig. 6B.

Namely, three hollow frame members are welded, to one end (the left end) of the face plate 21 of the central hollow 21 frame member 20 a slope face 27b is provided, to another end (the right end) of the face plate 21 the raised portion lb and the groove 14 are provided. According to this structure, the direction of the raised portion 32 of the connection members 30 and 30B of the both sides of the central hollow frame 20 and the direction of the projection portion 34 are the same direction, the mistake of the arrangement of the connection member 30 can be lessened.

As to the welding procedure, the three hollow frame members are mounted onthe bed 240 and restrained. Hereinafter is similar to the case of Fig. 1.

An embodiment of Fig. 7 will be explained.. To a space in which the face plates 12b and 22b, the ribs 13A and 23A, and the connection member 30 constitute, a supporting stand 40 is arranged. The supporting stand 40 is mounted on the face plates 12b and 22b. The end portion of the connection member 30 is mounted on projection chips 1lf and 21f of the end portions of the face plates 11 and 21. The lower portion of the abutted portion including the projection chips Ilf and 21f is mounted in the supporting stand 40. To the both ends of the connection member 30, the raised portion 32 is provided. The both ends are abutted and welded. To one end portion the projection portion 34b is provided.

The abutted portion of the face plates 11 and 21 and the connection member 30 is carried out according to the friction stir welding. When the abutted portion between the face plate 21 and the connection member 30 is welded, the face plate 21 and the connection member 30 are combined with the high accuracy.

After the friction stir welding, the supporting stand 40 is pulled out in the longitudinal direction.

A technical range according to the present invention is not limited by the wordings defined in each claim of what is claimed is or the wordings stated on the means for solving the problems and further it refers also to the range in which the man belonged in this technical field can be placed easily.

Accordingto the present invention, since the arc welding of the connection member can be lessened, the structure body having the high accuracy can be provided.

Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia.

Claims (2)

1. A frame member for use in friction stir welding, the frame member having a first face plate, a second 5 face plate and a third plate for connecting said first face Splate and said second face plate, said second face plate O being arranged substantially parallel to said first face plate and an end portion of said second face plate extending past an end portion of said first face plate, said third plate acting as a truss arranged at an inclined angle between said end portion of said first face plate and said second face plate, wherein a groove is provided to a side face of said end portion of said first face plate, said groove extends along said side face in a direction substantially parallel to a generally planar surface of said first face plate, a connection member is coupled to said first face plate and said connection member is a separate member from said first face plate, an end portion of said connection member is arranged at said end portion of said first face plate, and said end portion of said connection member is inserted into said end portion of said first face plate and further into said groove of said first face plate. PAOPE JCU00OO5\o ctbc2Ss134 respoas II.doc.I8IIOIOS c- -24- 00

2. A frame member according to claim 1, wherein said end portion of said first face plate includes a raised portion, said raised portion projects from an outer 5 side of said first face plate in a thickness direction of Ssaid first face plate, and 0 said groove is arranged on an apex defined by said N first face plate and said third plate. DATED this 14th Day of October, 2005 Hitachi, Ltd. by its Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON CAVE