JP2005059057A - Laser beam welding apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a laser beam welding apparatus, which is provided with a positioning device of a simple structure without causing increase in the weight of a car body. <P>SOLUTION: A laser beam welding apparatus 41 is provided with a laser beam irradiation device 49 emitting a laser beam to a flange 11 to be welded and with a roller device 51, which is fixed to the laser beam irradiation device 49 and presses the front end tip of a rising flange part 15. The roller device 51 is composed of rollers having a plurality of disc parts disposed apart from each other in a thickness direction of the discs. The front end part of the rising flange part 15 is held between these disc parts, and, in this state, a laser beam is emitted from the laser beam irradiation device 49 to the flange 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a laser welding apparatus, and more particularly to a laser welding apparatus in which the laser irradiation position is stable even if the dimensional accuracy of the welded body and the traveling position of the laser welding apparatus vary.

  Conventionally, when laser welding is performed on a vehicle body panel constituting an automobile, the flanges provided on the periphery of the vehicle body panel are pressed together using pins, rollers, etc., and the gap between the flanges is eliminated. Laser light is irradiated toward the flange of the vehicle body panel (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Specifically, a clearance correction jig such as a pin and a roller and a laser irradiation device are attached to the hand portion of the handling robot, and the clearance correction jig and the like are moved and operated by operating the handling robot.
JP-A-11-123574

  However, in the laser welding of the vehicle body panel, it is necessary to stabilize not only the gap between the flanges but also the position of the welded portion that irradiates the laser beam. Use a tracking device that performs positioning in consideration of the trajectory accuracy of the robot that holds the welding device, etc., or set the width of the flange serving as the welding surface to a larger value in consideration of variations in the dimensional accuracy of the body panel There was a need.

  The positioning device such as the tracking device has a complicated mechanism and is expensive, and when the width of the welding surface of the vehicle body panel is increased, the vehicle body weight increases, which may increase the vehicle cost.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a laser welding apparatus having a simple mechanism without increasing the size of the welding surface of the welded body.

  In order to achieve the above object, a laser welding apparatus according to the present invention includes a laser irradiation apparatus that irradiates a laser beam toward a peripheral portion of an object to be welded, and a peripheral edge of the welded object that is fixed to the laser irradiation apparatus. And a flange holding means for holding down the tip of the rising flange portion that bends and rises from the portion, and the flange holding means is arranged with a plurality of disk portions spaced apart from each other in the plate thickness direction. It is composed of a roller, the tip of the standing flange portion of the welded body is inserted between these disk portions, and the standing flange portion is pressed. In this state, the laser beam is directed from the laser irradiation device toward the peripheral portion of the welded body. It is comprised so that it may irradiate.

  According to the laser welding apparatus according to the present invention, since the laser beam is irradiated from the laser irradiation device toward the peripheral portion of the welded body while the standing flange portion is pressed, the peripheral portion that is the welded portion of the welded body. Laser welding can be performed on the peripheral edge while keeping them in contact with each other without any gap, and the welding quality can be improved.

  Usually, when laser welding is performed on the flange of the welded body, there is a fear that the bonding strength may be reduced if a gap is generated between the flanges. However, according to the present invention, the welding is performed in a reliable and inexpensive manner. The peripheral parts of the body can be brought into contact with each other.

  In addition, laser welding is performed while pressing the tip of the standing flange portion with the flange holding means, so that the irradiation position of the laser beam can be surely positioned at a site at a substantially constant distance from the standing flange portion. The joint strength between the parts can be reliably maintained, and welding loss can be prevented.

  Furthermore, since the irradiation position of the laser beam is constant, the length of the peripheral portion of the welded body can be set shorter than before, and the material cost can be efficiently reduced.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  1 to 4 are a perspective view and a cross-sectional view showing an object to be welded to which laser welding is performed using a laser welding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the entire vehicle body 1, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

  A trunk room 3 is provided at the rear end of the vehicle body 1, and the upper side of the opening edge 5 of the trunk room 3 is closed by a trunk lid panel (not shown). As shown in FIG. 2, the opening edge 5 of the trunk room 3 is formed of an upper panel 7 disposed on the upper side and a lower panel 9 disposed on the lower side of the upper panel 7. The flange 11 provided at the rear end of the upper panel 7 is formed by a flange main body portion 13 extending rearward of the vehicle and a standing flange portion 15 bent upward from the rear end edge of the flange main body portion 13. . At the rear end of the lower panel 9, a flange 17 is formed that extends along the flange main body 13 of the upper panel and is joined to the lower side of the flange main body 13.

  In addition, the flange 11 is a peripheral part of a to-be-welded body, and the standing flange part 15 is formed rising from this peripheral part.

  3 is a perspective view showing a rear portion of the back door type vehicle body 19, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, two hinge mounting portions 23, 23 are provided at the upper end portion of the back door opening edge portion 21 with a space in the vehicle width direction. An outer back door panel is supported to be freely opened and closed. Of the back door opening edge 21, the left side of the vehicle shows a state where the backlight 25 is attached, and the right side 27 shows a state where the backlight is removed.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the right side portion 27 from which the backlight is removed includes an inner panel 29 disposed on the vehicle interior side, and an outer panel disposed from the rear side of the inner panel 29 to the vehicle width direction outer side. 31. The flange 33 provided at the opening edge 21 of the outer panel 31 includes a flange main body 35 extending inward in the vehicle width direction, and a standing flange 37 that bends toward the rear of the vehicle from the front end of the flange main body 35. It is composed integrally with. The flange 39 of the inner panel 29 extends along the inner side in the vehicle width direction and is joined to the front side of the flange main body portion 35 of the outer panel 31.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the entire laser welding apparatus 41 according to the present embodiment as viewed from the front, and shows a form in which laser welding is performed on the flange 11 of the trunk room opening edge 5 of FIG.

  The laser welding apparatus 41 includes a substantially L-shaped support jig 47 attached to the hand portion 45 of the handling robot 43, a laser irradiation apparatus 49 supported slidably on the support jig 47, and the laser. The roller device 51 is a flange holding means integrally attached to the irradiation device 49.

  The support jig 47 is slidably supported by the hand portion 45 of the handling robot 43 via the first slide mechanism 53, and is movable so as to approach and leave the opening edge 5. It is configured. Further, a laser irradiation device 49 is supported on the side portion of the support jig 47 through a second slide mechanism 55 so as to be slidable up and down. Each of these slide mechanisms 53 and 55 is provided with an LM guide device. The laser irradiation device 49 is connected to a feed line 48 for feeding laser light from a laser oscillator (not shown).

  Further, an air cylinder (not shown) is disposed in the vicinity of the first slide mechanism 53, and the support jig 47 is moved in the vehicle front-rear direction with respect to the hand portion 45 by operating the air cylinder. Can be made. Further, an air cylinder 57 that slides the laser irradiation device 49 in the vertical direction along the second slide mechanism 41 with respect to the support jig 47 is also arranged near the second slide mechanism 55 in the support jig 47. Has been established.

  The roller device 51 includes a roller 63 that is rotatably supported by a support base 59 that supports the laser irradiation device 49.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the roller 63 is substantially H in a side view from two disk parts 65 and 65 arranged with a gap D therebetween and a support shaft 67 that connects these disk parts 65 and 65 to each other. It is formed in a letter shape. Further, the inner side of the outer peripheral edge of the disk portions 65, 65 is formed with a taper 69 that is inclined so that the distance between the left and right disk portions 65, 65 increases toward the outer side in the radial direction.

  An operation procedure by the laser welding apparatus 41 having the above configuration will be briefly described.

  First, as shown in FIG. 7, by operating the handling robot 43, the laser irradiation device 49 fixed to the hand portion 45 of the handling robot 43 via the support jig 47 is attached to the flange 11 of the opening edge 5. Move to near.

  Next, by operating the first slide mechanism 53, the laser irradiation device 49 is moved horizontally toward the flange 11 of the opening edge portion 5 to reach the upper side of the standing flange portion 37.

  After that, the second slide mechanism 55 is operated to move the laser irradiation device 49 and the roller device 51 downward, and the standing flange portion 37 is sandwiched between the rollers of the roller device 51.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the roller device 51 is formed in a substantially H-shaped cross section in which the two disk portions 65, 65 are arranged with a predetermined gap D (see FIG. 6) therebetween. The tip of the standing flange portion 37 of the flange 11 is inserted into the gap D.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 9, when the air cylinder 57 is further operated to move the position of the roller device 51 further downward, the roller device 51 presses the tip of the standing flange portion 37 downward, and the upper panel The flange body 13 on the 7 side is pressed against the flange 17 on the lower panel 9 side. As a result, the flange main body portion 13 and the flange 17 are in close contact with each other, and there is no gap. In this state, the relative distance between the roller device 51 as the flange holding means and the laser irradiation device 49 is kept constant.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, the laser irradiation device 49 is operated to move the laser irradiation device 49 while irradiating the laser light 71 toward the flange main body 13 of the opening edge 5. At this time, the laser irradiation device 49 is moved while the disk portion 65 of the roller device 51 is rotated in order to move the laser irradiation device 49 while holding the standing flange portion 37 with the roller device 51. Thus, laser welding is performed along the standing flange portion 15 while maintaining the irradiation position of the laser beam 71 at a constant distance W from the standing flange portion 15.

  The effects of the laser welding apparatus 41 having the above configuration will be described below.

  In the roller device 51 according to the present embodiment, as described with reference to FIG. 6, a predetermined gap D is formed between the two disk portions 65, 65, and the roller device 51 is configured. Tapers 69, 69 are formed on the outer peripheral edges of the disk parts 65, 65 to be formed. For this reason, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 8, even when the position of the standing flange portion 15 of the opening edge portion 5 varies in the vehicle front-rear direction, the disk portions 65, 65 are the guides for preventing the wheel from coming off. The tip of the standing flange portion 15 is reliably inserted into the gap D between the disk portions 65 and 65.

  Accordingly, since the flange 11 of the upper panel 7 is pressed against the flange 17 of the lower panel 9 and laser welding can be performed in a state where there is no gap between the flanges 11 and 17, a good quality weld can be obtained. it can.

  Further, since laser welding is performed while the flanges 11 and 17 are sandwiched between the rollers of the roller device 51, the irradiation position of the laser light can be held at a fixed position from the standing flange portion 15, and so-called welding loss is eliminated. Therefore, the length of the flanges 11 and 17 can be shortened, and the whole weight of the vehicle body 1 can be reduced.

  Further, since the taper 69 is formed on the peripheral portions of the disk portions 65 and 65 of the roller device 51, the taper 69 serves as a guide when the disk portion 65 is inserted into the standing flange portion 15. 65 can be smoothly inserted into the tip of the flange portion 15.

  Further, since the irradiation with the laser beam 71 is performed while the roller device 51 holds the tip of the standing flange portion 15, the irradiation position of the laser beam 71 can be reliably maintained at a fixed position from the standing flange portion 15. Thus, the length of the flange main-body parts 13 and 17 can be set short by reducing the variation amount of an irradiation position.

  Further, the laser irradiation device 49 and the roller device 51 are supported so as to be movable in two axial directions with respect to the flanges 11 and 17 via the first slide mechanism 53 and the second slide mechanism 55. , 17 can change the laser irradiation device 49 and the roller device 51 at appropriate positions.

  Since the roller device 51 moves in a direction substantially orthogonal to the flanges 11 and 17 serving as the welded surfaces via the second slide mechanism 55, the roller device 51 is positioned and flanged by the laser irradiation device 49. Both surface clearance correction can be performed.

It is a perspective view which shows the whole vehicle body panel which is a to-be-welded body by embodiment of this invention. It is an expanded sectional view by the AA line of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows another whole vehicle body panel which is a to-be-welded body by embodiment of this invention. It is an expanded sectional view by the BB line of FIG. It is a side view which shows the laser welding apparatus by embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view showing the roller device of FIG. 5. It is a side view which shows the state which is moving the laser welding apparatus toward a to-be-welded body. It is an enlarged side view of the roller device vicinity of FIG. It is a side view which shows the state which is pressing down the standing flange part of a to-be-welded body with a roller apparatus. It is a side view which shows the state which is performing laser welding with the laser welding apparatus by embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

5 ... Trunk room opening edge (to-be-welded)
15, 37 ... Standing flange portion 21 ... Back door opening edge (object to be welded)
51. Roller device (flange holding means)
65 ... disk part 71 ... laser beam

Claims (4)

  Laser irradiation device for irradiating laser beam toward the welded surface at the peripheral portion of the welded body, and a flange that is fixed to the laser irradiation device and that presses the tip of the standing flange portion provided at the peripheral portion of the welded body Holding means, and the flange holding means is composed of a roller in which a plurality of disk parts are arranged spaced apart from each other, and the end of the standing flange part of the body to be welded is inserted between these disk parts. The laser welding apparatus is configured to press the part and irradiate laser light from the laser irradiation apparatus toward the welded surface of the peripheral edge in this state.   2. The laser welding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the laser irradiation device and the flange holding means are configured to be movable in a direction substantially orthogonal to a surface to be welded at a peripheral edge of the body to be welded.   The laser welding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a taper is provided on an outer peripheral edge of the disk portion of the flange holding means. The laser welding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the periphery of the welded body is a trunk opening edge of a vehicle body panel or an opening edge of a back door.

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