JP4396823B2 - Resin welding equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a resin welding apparatus capable of applying high load to a resin material and capable of stabilizing the focus position of a laser beam to obtain a joined product in a well joined state. <P>SOLUTION: The resin welding apparatus is constituted so that a transmissive resin material having transmissivity with respect to a laser beam being a heating source and a non-transmissive resin material having no transmissivity with respect to a laser beam are superposed one upon another and the joined parts of the transmissive resin material and the non-transmissive resin material are heated and melted to be integrally bonded, and equipped with a pressing tool for pressing the transmissive resin material and the non-transmissive resin material from the outside in a superposed state not only to form a hollow part but also to closely bond the joined parts and a laser head constituted so as to be movable in the hollow part so as to irradiate the joined parts with the laser beam from the inside of the hollow part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&amp;NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a resin welding apparatus, and more particularly, to a resin welding apparatus that heats and melts a joining surface of superposed resin materials with a laser beam as a heating source and integrally joins them.

  In recent years, from the viewpoints of weight reduction and cost reduction, it has been frequently performed to resin parts of various fields such as automobile parts to form resin molded products. Further, from the viewpoint of increasing the productivity of resin molded products, it is often the case that a resin molded product is divided into a plurality of parts and molded, and these divided molded products are joined together.

  As a method for joining resin materials, a laser welding method has been conventionally used. For example, in Patent Document 1, a transparent resin material that is transparent to laser light and a non-transparent resin material that is not transparent to the laser light are overlapped, and then the transparent resin material is used. A laser welding method is disclosed in which laser light is irradiated from the side to heat and melt the joint surface between the transmissive resin material and the non-permeable resin material, thereby integrally joining the two.

  In this laser welding method, the laser light transmitted through the transmissive resin material reaches the bonding surface of the non-transmissive resin material and is absorbed, and the laser light absorbed by this bonding surface is accumulated as energy. As a result, the bonding surface of the non-permeable resin material is heated and melted, and the bonding surface of the transparent resin material is heated and melted by heat transfer from the bonding surface of the non-permeable resin material. In this state, if the bonding surface of the permeable resin material and the bonding surface of the non-permeable resin material are pressure-bonded to each other, they can be bonded together.

JP-A-60-214931 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-118783 JP-A-8-39277

  In the resin welding apparatus that realizes the laser welding method, the joint is pressurized by a jig during welding. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, in order to irradiate the joint with laser light, the jig is a laser. It is often made of a material such as glass or transparent resin (polycarbonate, acrylic, etc.) that is transparent to light. However, such a jig made of glass or the like does not have sufficient rigidity to apply a high load that corrects a gap generated in the joint due to warping or sinking of the resin material. Further, since the laser beam that passes through the jig is refracted, it is difficult to stabilize the focal point of the laser beam at the position of the joint. Due to these factors, there is a problem that the bonded state of the bonded product becomes defective.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and can apply a high load to the resin material and stabilize the focal position of the laser beam, and thus obtain a bonded product in a good bonded state. An object of the present invention is to provide a possible resin welding apparatus.

Means for solving the problems / effects of the invention

In order to solve the above problems, in the resin welding apparatus of the present invention,
By superposing a transparent resin material that is transparent to laser light as a heating source and a non-transmissive resin material that is not transparent to the laser light, and then irradiating the laser light, A resin welding device that heats and melts a joint between the permeable resin material and the non-permeable resin material and integrally joins the two,
The permeable resin material and the non-permeable resin material are formed by dividing a cylindrical body in the circumferential direction, and form a hollow portion and a plurality of joint portions in a state in which they are overlapped,
A pressing jig for pressing the permeable resin material and the non-permeable resin material from the outside in order to bring the plurality of joints into close contact;
In order to simultaneously irradiate each of the plurality of joints with the laser beam from the inside of the hollow portion, a laser head configured to be movable in the axial direction within the hollow portion is provided.

  According to the present invention, a laser beam is irradiated from the inside of the hollow portion to the permeable resin material and the non-permeable resin material that form the hollow portion in a stacked state while being pressed from the outside by a pressing jig. To do. With this configuration, it is possible to satisfactorily correct the gap generated in the joint due to warpage or sink marks of the resin material, and it is possible to directly irradiate the joint with laser light. It becomes easy to stabilize the focal position of the. This makes it possible to obtain a bonded product in a good bonded state. Furthermore, since the laser beam is irradiated from the inside of the hollow portion, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of resin burrs on the outer surface of the joined product.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a resin welding apparatus 1 according to the present invention. In order to weld the permeable resin material A and the non-permeable resin material B that form the hollow portion HL in a superposed state, that is, a state to be joined, the resin welding apparatus 1 has two resin materials A and B. A pressing jig 3 that presses the outer portion from the outside to closely contact the joint portion CP, and a laser head 5 that is configured to be movable in the hollow portion HL and that irradiates the joint portion CP with the laser beam LB from the hollow portion HL; . In addition, the outer side of the permeable resin material A and the non-permeable resin material B means the outer side with respect to the hollow portion HL as the inner side.

  The process of welding the permeable resin material A and the non-permeable resin material B using the resin welding apparatus 1 is as follows. The two resin materials A and B are pressed by the pressing jig 3 from the outside so as to bring the bonding portion CP into close contact, and in this state, the laser light LB as a heating source from the laser head 5 disposed in the hollow portion HL. Is irradiated. The irradiated laser beam LB passes through the transmissive resin material A, reaches the joint CP on the non-transmissive resin material B side, and is absorbed. As a result of the laser light LB absorbed in the joint CP on the non-permeable resin material B side being accumulated as energy, the joint CP on the non-permeable resin material B side is heated and melted, and the non-permeable resin By the heat transfer from the joint portion CP on the material B side, the joint portion CP on the transparent resin material A side is heated and melted. Thereby, both can be joined integrally.

  In the resin welding apparatus 1, since the laser beam LB is irradiated to the joint portion CP from the inside of the hollow portion HL formed by the permeable resin material A and the non-permeable resin material B, these resin materials A, B The material of the pressing jig 3 that presses the outside is not limited. That is, since the pressing jig 3 does not transmit the laser beam LB, it is not necessary to use a material such as glass or transparent resin (polycarbonate, acrylic, etc.), and a material having higher rigidity (for example, a material that is more rigid than a glass material). High material). As a result, even when a gap occurs in the joint CP due to warpage or sink marks of the resin materials A and B, a high load can be applied to the pressing jig 3, and the gap is corrected and welded. Can be performed. In addition, since it is possible to irradiate the joint CP with the laser beam LB without passing through a jig or the like, there is also an advantage that the focal position of the laser beam LB can be easily stabilized. Furthermore, since the laser beam LB is irradiated from the hollow portion HL to the joint portion CP, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of resin burrs on the outer surface of the joined product (resin materials A and B after joining). Become.

  The kind of the transmissive resin material A is not particularly limited as long as it has thermoplasticity and can transmit the laser beam LB as a heating source at a predetermined transmittance or more. For example, polyamide (PA) such as nylon 6 (PA6) and nylon 6,6 (PA66), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer, polycarbonate (PC), ABS resin, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene, acrylic (PMME), and the like. In addition, you may use what added reinforcement fibers, such as glass fiber and carbon fiber, as needed.

  The type of the non-permeable resin material B is not particularly limited as long as it has thermoplasticity and can absorb the laser beam LB as a heating source without transmitting it. For example, what mixed predetermined | prescribed coloring materials (coloring agent which has laser absorptivity), such as carbon black, dye, and a pigment, can be mentioned to the said transparent resin. Specific examples of such a colorant include carbon-based materials such as carbon black and inorganic colorants such as composite oxide pigments. Note that a colorant that transmits laser may be added to the transparent resin material. Examples of such a colorant include organic dyes such as anthraquinone, perylene, perinone, heterocyclic, disazo, and monoazo. Moreover, you may use what added reinforcement fibers, such as glass fiber and carbon fiber, as needed. It should be noted that the laser transmission and non-transmission in this specification are only relative.

  The permeable resin material A and the non-permeable resin material B form the hollow portion HL in an overlapped state, that is, a state to be joined. Moreover, it has the insertion part which can insert the laser head 5 mentioned later into the hollow part HL. For example, the permeable resin material A and the non-permeable resin material B can be made to have a hollow shape in which at least one end is opened in an overlapped state. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the resin welding apparatus 1 of FIG. 1 (the pressing jig 3 is indicated by a broken line). In addition, the permeable resin material A and the non-permeable resin material B shown in the figure have a hollow shape (cylindrical shape) in which both ends are opened in an overlapped state.

  As the form of the joint portion CP where the permeable resin material A and the non-permeable resin material B are joined, for example, as shown in FIG. It can be set as a joining form. By setting it as such a joining form, a contact area is securable. In this case, since the laser beam LB is irradiated from the inside of the hollow portion HL, the bonding portion CP has a transparent resin material A on the inside and a non-permeable resin material B on the outside. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, for example, a protrusion is provided on one end face, and the other end face is fitted to the protrusion, or a flat shape to bite the protrusion, and the two are joined together. It can also be. Since the resin materials A and B are pressed in the direction in which the joining ends are abutted (direction P in the drawing), such a joining form has an advantage that it is easy to correct a gap generated in the joining portion CP. In this case, in order to irradiate the projecting portion with the laser beam LB, the projecting portion is provided on the end surface on the non-transparent resin material B side.

  The permeable resin material A and the non-permeable resin material B are pressed from the outside by the pressing jig 3 so that the joint portion CP is brought into close contact therewith. Specifically, the pressing jig 3 holds the first pressing member 31 that holds and presses the outer surface of the permeable resin material A, and the second pressing member 32 that holds and presses the outer surface of the non-permeable resin material B. And have. Then, by applying a load in the direction in which the joining ends of the resin materials A and B are abutted against the respective pressing members 31 and 32 (direction P in the drawing), the resin materials A and B are pressed, and the joint portion CP is obtained. Correct gaps that occur in The pressing jig 3 has a shape that exposes the above-described insertion portions of the resin materials A and B in order to insert a laser head 5 to be described later into the hollow portion HL. Since the irradiation with the laser beam LB is performed from the inside of the hollow body HL, it is not necessary to use a glass material or the like for the pressing jig 3, and it is possible to apply a high load enough to correct the gap generated in the joint CP. Possible high rigidity materials can be used. Specifically, the pressing jig 3 can be made of a material having higher rigidity than the glass material, such as a metal. Alternatively, it is possible to use a pressing jig 3 in which a glass material or the like is made thicker than before. In the conventional resin welding apparatus (see FIG. 4), when the jig 30 is thickened to apply a high load, the refraction of the laser light LB that passes through the jig 30 causes the focal position of the laser light LB to reach the joint CP. It becomes very difficult to stabilize. However, in the resin welding apparatus 1 of the present invention, the laser beam LB is irradiated from the inside of the hollow body HL to the joint portion CP, and therefore the thickness of the pressing jig 3 is not limited at all.

The kind of the laser beam LB as a heating source irradiated from the laser head 5 is transmissive according to the absorption spectrum, thickness (laser beam transmission distance), etc. of the transmissive resin material A that transmits the laser beam. A material having a wavelength such that the transmittance in the resin material A is a predetermined value or more is appropriately selected. For example, a YAG: Nd ³⁺ laser (laser light wavelength: 1060 nm) or a semiconductor (diode) laser (laser light wavelength: 500 to 1000 nm) can be used. Irradiation conditions such as laser output, focal position, welding width and processing speed (moving speed) can be set as appropriate according to the type of transmissive resin material A and non-permeable resin material B.

  For example, the laser head 5 may be configured to irradiate the laser beam LB generated by the laser generator through the optical fiber, collect the light with a lens, and irradiate the joint CP. Alternatively, a fiber laser that amplifies the excitation light in the optical fiber can be used. Such a configuration using a fiber that can be easily routed is suitable for configuring the laser head 5 to be movable in the hollow portion HL.

  The output of the laser beam LB can be set to several to several hundreds W, for example. Although the welding width can be changed by drawing, it can usually be set to 1 to 5 mm. The focal position of the laser is preferably adjusted to the junction CP. Further, the focus may be adjusted to a position deeper on the non-permeable resin material B side than the joint portion CP. The welding width can also be controlled by adjusting the focal position.

  In order to configure the laser head 5 to be movable in the hollow portion HL, the laser head 5 can be realized, for example, by disposing it in a known endoscope inserted in the hollow portion HL. Since the endoscope can freely move the insertion portion within the hollow portion HL, the laser beam LB can be irradiated over all the joint portions CP. Moreover, since it has an observation window, it is also possible to confirm the position of the joint portion CP by an image in the hollow portion HL obtained from the observation window, and to adjust the irradiation position of the laser beam LB based on the position. It is also possible to move the laser head 5 in accordance with a program input in advance. Further, since foreign matter such as gas is generated during welding, in order to protect the laser head 5 from such foreign matter, a protective glass covering the laser head 5, a suction means for sucking the foreign matter, or the like can be provided. .

  The laser head 5 can be configured to irradiate a plurality of laser beams LB as shown in FIGS. When the two resin materials A and B form the hollow portion HL, there are a plurality of joint portions CP (for example, at both ends of the hollow portion HL as shown in the figure), so that each of them is irradiated with the laser beam LB. Can be configured. For example, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the laser head 5 is moved in the axial direction of two cylindrical resin materials A and B, and the laser beam LB is irradiated in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. Yes.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was shown, this is an illustration to the last, and this invention can be implemented also in the aspect which added the various improvement thru | or deformation | transformation based on the knowledge of the party within the range which does not deviate from the meaning. Needless to say.

Schematic configuration diagram of a resin welding apparatus 1 according to the present invention The schematic block diagram which represented the resin welding apparatus 1 which concerns on this invention in three dimensions Schematic configuration diagram of a resin welding apparatus 1 according to the present invention Schematic configuration diagram of a conventional resin welding apparatus 10

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Resin welding apparatus 3 Pressing jig 5 Laser head 7 Endoscope A Transparent resin material B Non-permeable resin material CP Joint part LB Laser beam

Claims (3)

By superposing a transparent resin material that is transparent to laser light as a heating source and a non-transmissive resin material that is not transparent to the laser light, and then irradiating the laser light, A resin welding device that heats and melts a joint between the permeable resin material and the non-permeable resin material and integrally joins the two,
The permeable resin material and the non-permeable resin material are formed by dividing a cylindrical body in the circumferential direction, and form a hollow portion and a plurality of joint portions in a state in which they are overlapped,
A pressing jig for pressing the permeable resin material and the non-permeable resin material from the outside in order to bring the plurality of joints into close contact;
A resin welding apparatus comprising: a laser head configured to be movable in the axial direction in the hollow portion in order to simultaneously irradiate each of the plurality of joint portions with the laser light from the hollow portion.   The resin welding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing jig is made of a material having higher rigidity than a glass material.   The resin welding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the laser head is disposed in an endoscope inserted into the hollow portion.

Images