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:
Sep. 06, 2011
Filed:
Oct. 31, 2007
Yen-lung Chen, Troy, MI (US);
Mark T. Hall, Troy, MI (US);
Robert L. Totten, Lake Orion, MI (US);
Robert T. Szymanski, St. Clair Township, MI (US);
Xiaohong Q Gayden, West Bloomfield, MI (US);
Gregory A. Fischer, Washington, MI (US);
Yen-Lung Chen, Troy, MI (US);
Mark T. Hall, Troy, MI (US);
Robert L. Totten, Lake Orion, MI (US);
Robert T. Szymanski, St. Clair Township, MI (US);
Xiaohong Q Gayden, West Bloomfield, MI (US);
Gregory A. Fischer, Washington, MI (US);
GM Global Technology Operations LLC, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides an apparatus and improved method of friction stir spot welding that assures a predetermined bottom thickness and a reduction in variation in a series of resultant spot welds. The advantage of the present invention lies in that the plunge distance is controlled from the top plane of the anvil against which the bottom thickness is specified, and systematically adjusted to account for changing system parameters, such as, but not limited to, deflection and thermal expansion of the weld gun. The present invention also provides for improved and controlled weld quality through implementation of a dwell operation or dwell operations, whereby weld heat input is manipulated by causing the weld tool to dwell in a dwell region or at a desired depth or depths within the workpiece(s) for a predetermined time interval to achieve desired mechanical properties of the resultant weld joint.