The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 16, 2007
Filed:
Jan. 12, 2004
Henry Peter Offer, Los Gatos, CA (US);
Henry Peter Offer, Los Gatos, CA (US);
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method arranged to use a combination of at least electrical resistance heating and mechanical friction heating to case a base material and/or a consumable material to reach a combination of temperature and pressure sufficient to cause welding. The method and apparatus configured for the simultaneous or substantially simultaneous application of both electrical resistance heating and friction heating to achieve welding is referred to as an electrofriction process, method or apparatus. This combination of resistance and friction heating allows the heating to be more localized within a relatively small weld zone, thereby improving the efficiency of the overall process and allowing the size, weight and strength and/or the cost of the application equipment and/or associated fixtures and power supplies to be reduced while enhancing its capability for operation in confined spaces and providing satisfactory welding performance.