US 11,806,801 B2
Joining method
Nobushiro Seo, Shizuoka (JP); and Hisashi Hori, Shizuoka (JP)
Assigned to NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD., Tokyo (JP)
Filed by NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD., Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Jan. 24, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/158,981.
Application 18/158,981 is a division of application No. 16/485,007, granted, now 11,590,605, previously published as PCT/JP2017/036929, filed on Oct. 12, 2017.
Claims priority of application No. 2017-095048 (JP), filed on May 11, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0158599 A1, May 25, 2023
Int. Cl. B23K 20/00 (2006.01); B23K 20/12 (2006.01)
CPC B23K 20/1255 (2013.01) 1 Claim
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A joining method of welding a first metal member and a second metal member using a rotary tool with a stirring pin, comprising:
a preparation step of forming a first step bottom surface and a first step side surface in a front surface of an end portion of the first metal member, and forming a second step bottom surface and a second step side surface in a back surface of an end portion of the second metal member;
a superposition butting step of forming a lap section by stacking the first step bottom surface and the second step bottom surface together, forming a front-side butt section by butting the first step side surface and an end surface of the second metal member together, and forming a back-side butt section by butting the second step side surface and an end surface of the first metal member together; and
a friction stirring step of welding the back-side butt section and the lap section by inserting the stirring pin, as rotating, from the back-side butt section, and by relatively moving the rotary tool along the back-side butt section with only the stirring pin put in contact with the first metal member and the second metal member, wherein
the stirring pin includes a flat surface normal to an axis of rotation of the rotary tool, and a protruding section projecting from the flat surface, and
in the friction stirring step, the back-side butt section and the lap section are welded with the flat surface inserted into the first metal member and the second metal member, and with a distal end surface of the protruding section inserted deep beyond the lap section and the lap section is located at a same depth as a depth at which an outer peripheral side surface of the protruding section is positioned.