US 12,280,442 B2
Rotary tool, joining device, and joining method
Nobushiro Seo, Shizuoka (JP); Ryo Yoshida, Shizuoka (JP); Shingo Koizumi, Shizuoka (JP); and Keita Oikawa, Shizuoka (JP)
Assigned to NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD., Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 18/255,818
Filed by NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD., Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Nov. 1, 2021, PCT No. PCT/JP2021/040291
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 2, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/118591, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 9, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-201871 (JP), filed on Dec. 4, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0009757 A1, Jan. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. B23K 20/12 (2006.01)
CPC B23K 20/1255 (2013.01) [B23K 20/123 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A rotary tool used in a joining device that performs friction stir welding of a joint member, the rotary tool comprising:
a main body having a fixed unit attached and secured to the joining device, and a rotary shaft for transmitting a rotary force from the joining device;
a stirring member that has a stirring pin inserted into the joint member to perform friction stirring on the joint member, that is arranged so as to be rotatable by receiving the rotary force from the rotary shaft, and that is provided on the main body so as to be movable relative to an axial direction of the rotary shaft; and
an elastic member that biases the stirring member toward a distal-end side relative to the axial direction of the rotary shaft;
wherein the main body further includes a holder attached to the rotary shaft and a slide shaft that rotates synchronously with the holder, the holder has a bottomed cylindrical shape and includes a housing recess formed therein, the housing recess having a bottom portion at its base end side and opening toward an axial distal end of the rotary shaft,
the slide shaft is housed in the housing recess of the holder so as to be slidable in the axial direction of the rotary shaft,
the stirring member is provided at a distal end of the slide shaft,
the slide shaft is biased toward the distal-end side of the stirring member via the elastic member,
a columnar extension portion is formed at a base end portion of the slide shaft, the extension portion extending toward the base end side of the holder, and
the elastic member is housed inside the holder and mounted so as to surround the extension portion of the slide shaft, the elastic member being arranged between the base end portion of the slide shaft and the bottom portion of the housing recess of the holder.