JP2006136942A - Method for manufacturing link rod - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for efficiently manufacturing a link rod by improving the reliability of a friction stir welding joint. <P>SOLUTION: A blank 14 for a bracket having a ring portion and a mounting projecting strip 15 is formed by extrusion so as to have the length corresponding to a plurality of brackets. A fitting projection 17 having stepped portions 7a, 7a formed on its upper and lower sides is formed on the tip end side of the mounting projecting strip 15. An arm portion 2 is extruded so as to have an almost I-shape having a pair of a first surface 20 and a second surface 21 arranged parallel with each other and a third surface 22 for connecting these first and second surfaces by perpendicularly crossing them, and is cut off so as to have a regular size. Cut-out portions 23 are formed at both ends of the third surface 22. When the fitting projection 17 is fitted in the cut-out portion 23, the respective end portions of the first surface 20 and the second surface 21 at the end portion 2a of the arm portion 2 overlap with the stepped portions 7a, 7a and come into contact with vertical wall portions 17b. Because the surface in the neighborhood of the contact portion 6 becomes a tool moving surface flush with each other, and the inside of the contact portion 6 is supported by means of the fitting projection 17 so as not to deform, the friction stir welding can be carried out along the contact portion 6. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing various link rods used in automobile suspensions and the like.

A link rod having a pipe-like arm portion and a bracket for attaching a bush which is friction-stir-joined to an end portion thereof is known. In addition, a small diameter portion is provided on the mounting protrusion integrally formed on the bracket, this portion is fitted to the end of the arm portion, the end of the arm portion and the mounting protrusion are butted, and along this butting portion. Friction stir welding is also known. Further, a bracket material for forming a plurality of the brackets by cutting at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction is provided, and the end of the arm part is fitted in a stepped shape to the provisional assembly. Then, a plurality of the temporarily assembled arm portions are arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction of the bracket material, and the fitting portions forming the step shape are made straight between all the arm portions, and once along the step portion. It is also known to form a link rod by performing friction stir welding to a bracket and then cutting the bracket material in a transverse dimension.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-101286 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-190375 JP-A-11-99415

If the friction stir welding of the bracket and the arm portion is to be performed with high reliability, it is necessary to make the tool moving surface in the vicinity of the abutting portion of both members flush with no step. This is because, when the friction stir welding is performed along the stepped portion as in the known example, a highly reliable bond cannot be obtained. In addition, when friction stir welding is performed from the outside of the pipe member, if the friction stir welding is to be performed with high reliability, the pipe member must be kept flush so that the pipe member is not recessed by pressing the tool.
These points can be solved by the above-mentioned other known examples in which the mounting protrusion of the bracket is fitted to the arm part to form a flush-matched part, but in this case, one arm part On the other hand, one or two brackets must each be processed with a small diameter portion and further fitted to the arm portion, so that the production efficiency cannot be increased. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to realize a friction stir welding with high reliability in manufacturing a link rod, and to further improve production efficiency.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention of claim 1 relating to the manufacturing method of the link rod in the present application is directed to a link rod including an arm portion which is a longitudinal member and a bush mounting bracket coupled to an end portion in the longitudinal direction. In the manufacturing process,
The arm portion includes a pair of parallel first and second surfaces, and a third surface connecting the first and second surfaces,
A longitudinal end portion of the third surface is cut out, and a fitting projection formed on the bush mounting bracket is fitted into the cutout portion, and the first surface and the fitting projection are fitted by the fitting projection. While supporting the second surface,
Each of the first and second surfaces so that the surface on the bracket mounting bracket side and each end of the first surface and the second surface are abutted to form a flush tool moving surface. The arm portion and the bush mounting bracket are coupled to each other by abutting the end portion in the longitudinal direction with the bush mounting bracket and performing friction stir welding along the butted portion.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of sets including the butted arm portions and bush mounting brackets are arranged side by side so that the connecting portions are continuous in a straight line. The arm portions and the bush mounting brackets are continuously frictionally agitated and joined at once along the abutting portion, and then the adjacent connecting portions are cut and separated for each link rod. .

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, a spacer is interposed between the sets arranged side by side so that an extension line of the butted portion intersects, and the entire butted portion is interposed via the spacer. And the surface of the spacer is flush with the surfaces of the arm portions on both sides to make the entire tool moving surface a continuous plane, and the friction stir welding is performed along the abutting portion including the spacer, The spacer is cut and separated for each link rod.

Invention of Claim 4 in the manufacturing method of the link rod provided with the arm part which is a longitudinal member, and the bracket for bush attachment combined with the longitudinal direction end,
The arm having a pair of parallel first and second surfaces and a third surface connecting between the first and second surfaces, the longitudinal end of the third surface being cut away Forming a part;
A step of extruding a bracket material for forming the plurality of bush mounting brackets by cutting in the longitudinal direction; and
The fitting projection formed integrally with the bracket material is fitted into the notch portion of the third surface provided at the longitudinal end portion of the arm portion, and the bracket material side surface and A process of abutting a longitudinal end of the arm portion with the bracket material so that each end of the first surface and the second surface is abutted to form a flush tool movement surface;
In the state of being abutted as described above, the arm portions are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the bracket material, and the abutting portions of the arm portions are arranged in a straight line in the side by side direction. And a process of
A step of friction stir welding the arm portions and the bracket material along the continuous abutting portions continuously at a time;
Thereafter, the bracket material is cut at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction and separated for each link rod;
It is provided with.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the fourth aspect of the present invention, a spacer is interposed between the arm portions arranged side by side so that an extension line of the abutting portion intersects, and one end of the spacer is disposed on the bracket material side. The entire abutting portion is made continuous through the spacer, the surface of the spacer is flush with the surface in the vicinity of the joint portion, and the entire tool moving surface is made a continuous plane. The friction stir welding is performed along the abutting portion, and the spacer is included and cut at the time of subsequent cutting.

The invention according to claim 6 is a longitudinal member, and a cross section that is long and orthogonal to the direction is a pair of parallel first and second surfaces and a first connecting the first and second surfaces. An arm portion having three surfaces, and a bush mounting bracket having a bush mounting hole and integrally having a fitting protrusion that fits between the first and second surfaces at the longitudinal ends of the arm portion. In the manufacturing method of the link rod which integrates by friction stir welding the bush mounting bracket to the longitudinal direction end of the arm part,
This corresponds to a state in which a plurality of brackets are juxtaposed after extrusion molding so that the extrusion cross section has a front view shape as seen from the axial direction of the bush mounting hole and has integrally protruding fitting protrusions. Cut in the longitudinal direction at a predetermined length to form a bracket material,
Extrusion molding is performed so that the extrusion cross section corresponds to a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction in a state in which a plurality of the arm portions are arranged side by side and coincides with the cut length of the bracket material, and then in the longitudinal direction. Cut by the length of the arm part to form the arm material,
For this arm material, cut out both longitudinal ends of the third surface to form a relief portion when fitting the fitting protrusion,
The bracket material and the arm material are arranged so that the extrusion directions thereof are orthogonal to each other, and the fitting protrusion formed integrally with the bracket material is formed at the end of the arm material in the extrusion direction. Fitting between the first and second surfaces, butting the first and second surfaces and the bracket material, and making the butted portion flush and continuous,
Friction stir welding of the arm material and the bracket material at a time along the butted portion,
Then, the whole is cut by the product width in a direction perpendicular to the extrusion direction of the arm material.

  According to the invention of claim 1, in the arm portion having the first and second surfaces parallel to each other and the third surface connecting them, the notch portion is provided on the third surface at the end portion in the longitudinal direction. The fitting protrusion formed on the bracket is fitted into the notch, the first and second surfaces are supported by the fitting protrusion, and the longitudinal end of the arm is abutted against the bracket. Thus, since the first surface and the second surface in the vicinity of the abutting portion and the surface of the bracket are the same tool moving surface, when the friction stir welding is performed along the abutting portion, the rotary tool is flush with the surface. While moving on a tool moving surface, the deformation | transformation of the tool moving surface accompanying pressing of a rotary tool can be prevented by support of a fitting protrusion. For this reason, highly reliable friction stir welding at the time of link rod manufacture is realizable.

  According to the invention of claim 2, a plurality of sets in which the bracket and the end portion of the arm portion are butted are arranged side by side so that the coupling portions are continuous in a straight line, and along the continuous butting portions, Friction stir welding of each arm part and each of the brackets for mounting the bushes in succession at a time, and then the adjacent joints are cut and separated for each link rod. Since the cut portion is a very small portion of only the connection between the sets, it can be easily cut, and thus a plurality of link rods can be efficiently manufactured at one time.

  According to the invention of claim 3, by interposing a spacer between the adjacent set parts, the spacer makes the entire abutting part continuous in a straight line, and the entire tool moving surface is a continuous flat surface. Therefore, the friction stir welding can be continuously performed together with the spacer. Moreover, each link rod can be separated just by cutting the spacer after that, and the thickness on the arm part side is not partially cut, and a high-quality product with high dimensional accuracy is efficiently obtained. Can be manufactured.

  According to the invention of claim 4, by arranging a plurality of arm portions side by side and temporarily assembling a long bracket material, friction stir welding can be performed in a continuous process, and thereafter the bracket material is separated at a predetermined interval. Each link rod can be separated simply by cutting in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the production efficiency can be further increased.

  According to the invention of claim 5, by interposing a spacer between the adjacent arm portions, the spacer makes the entire abutting portion continuous in a straight line, and the entire tool moving surface is also a continuous flat surface. Therefore, the friction stir welding can be continuously performed together with the spacer. Moreover, each link rod can be separated just by cutting the spacer after that, and the thickness on the arm part side is not partially cut, and a high-quality product with high dimensional accuracy is efficiently obtained. Can be manufactured.

According to the invention of claim 6, the bracket material and the arm material extruded so as to correspond to a plurality of link rods are arranged so that the extrusion directions thereof are orthogonal to each other, and are integrally formed with the bracket material. The fitting protrusion is fitted between the first and second surfaces at the end in the extrusion direction of the arm material, and the first and second surfaces are brought into contact with the bracket material, The abutting portion is flush and continuous in a straight line, and a flat and continuous tool moving surface is formed along the abutting portion.
Therefore, when the arm material and the bracket material are friction stir welded at once along the abutting portion, and then the whole is cut by the product width in a direction perpendicular to the extrusion direction of the arm material, a link rod is obtained. Can be manufactured easily and efficiently. At this time, since it can be manufactured using only two kinds of members, ie, a bracket material and an arm material, in which a plurality of link rods are integrated, handling and positioning are facilitated. Moreover, it is easy to form a tool moving surface that is a flat surface that is continuous along the abutting portion, and friction stir welding is also facilitated.

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment will be described based on the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a link rod of an automobile suspension obtained by the present invention, in which A is a front view and B is a plan view.

  The link rod 1 includes an arm portion 2 having a substantially I-shaped cross section, and a bracket 4 that is coupled and integrated at both ends in the longitudinal direction and provided with a bush 3. In this example, the left and right bushes 3 are the same. However, it is possible to freely change dimensions and materials on the left and right. The bracket 4 forms a mounting bracket for a bush according to the present invention.

  The bracket 4 has a cylindrical shape, and includes a mounting protrusion 5 that integrally protrudes radially outward from a part of the outer periphery thereof. The end of the mounting protrusion 5 and the end of the arm portion 2 are abutting portions 6. They are butted together and integrated by friction stir welding. A fitting protrusion 7 formed on the protruding end side of the mounting protrusion 5 is press-fitted on the inner side of the end portion of the arm portion 2 in the vicinity of the abutting portion 6.

  Steps 7 a and 7 a are formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the fitting projection 7, and the vertical width of the fitting projection 7 is narrower than the mounting projection 5 by the depth t of the steps 7 a and 7 a. ing. The upper ends of the standing wall portions 7b, which are the end portions of the step portions 7a and 7a, coincide with the abutting portion 6.

  The bush 3 provided on the inner side of the bracket 4 includes an anti-vibration rubber 8 and an inner cylinder 9 connected to the bracket 4 via the vibration-proof rubber 8, and the bracket 4 and the inner cylinder 9 are disposed substantially concentrically. However, the structure of the bush 3 is also arbitrary. For example, it may be an inner / outer double cylinder type, and may be attached to the ring portion of the bracket 4 by press fitting.

  2-6 demonstrates the manufacturing method which concerns on 1st Embodiment for manufacturing this link rod 1. FIG. 2A and 2B are diagrams for explaining a method of joining the end of the arm portion 2 to the bracket material 14 before forming the bracket 4, wherein A is a temporarily assembled state, and B is a temporarily assembled state at the time of friction stir welding. Show. The bracket material 14 is obtained by extruding a light alloy such as an aluminum alloy or a resin in the E direction and cutting it to an appropriate length corresponding to a plurality of brackets.

  The extruded cross section is integrally provided with a ring-shaped portion and a mounting ridge 15 projecting radially outward from a part thereof so as to be the same shape as the front view shape of the bracket 4 (A in FIG. 1). The attachment ridge 15 corresponds to a ridge continuously extending in the extrusion direction E of the attachment ridge 5 in the bracket 4, and is formed into a ridge that continues long in the extrusion direction. The extrusion direction E also coincides with the direction of the center line of the bush mounting hole 14a formed in the bracket material 14.

  A fitting protrusion 17 is integrally formed on the mounting protrusion 15, and step portions 17 a and 17 a are formed on both upper and lower surfaces of the fitting protrusion 17, and these are brackets together with a standing wall portion 17 b which is an end portion thereof. The raw material 14 is formed continuously long in the direction of extrusion.

  The arm portion 2 is a member having a substantially I-shaped cross section obtained by extruding a material and cutting the material in the same manner as the bracket material 14. The arm portion 2 is also obtained by cutting the extruded material into an appropriate length in advance. The end portion 2a of the arm portion 2 is temporarily assembled by fitting the mounting protrusions 15, and then, as shown in FIG.

  The arm portion 2 is a member having a substantially I-shaped cross section having a first surface 20, a second surface 21, and a third surface 22, and is arranged with the longitudinal direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the bracket material 14. The end portions of the first surface 20 and the second surface 21 in the end portion 2a overlap the stepped portion 7a, and the tip end surface thereof is butted against the standing wall portion 17b. The height of the arm part 2 and the height direction width of the mounting protrusion 15 are respectively equal to H.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing details of the arm portion 2, wherein A is a front view, B is a cross section, and C is a front view after forming a notch portion. As is apparent from these figures, the arm portion 2 has a first surface 20 and a second surface 21 that form a pair with the top and bottom being parallel to each other, and an upright wall-like third surface 22 that is connected perpendicularly to the first surface 20 and the second surface 21. It is formed.

  After the arm portion 2 is extruded in the longitudinal direction and is cut in a fixed size, the end portion on the end portion 2a side of the third surface 22 is notched thereafter to form a notch portion 23, and the fitting protrusion 17 is provided here. Is designed to fit. The thicknesses of the first surface 20 and the second surface 21 are t, which is the same as the depth of the stepped portion 17a (see A in FIG. 1).

  FIG. 4 is a top view of the state in which the arm portions 2 are arranged side by side. A plurality of arm portions 2 are arranged side by side without any gap in the pushing direction E of the bracket material 14. When the length of the bracket material 14 is L and the width of the arm portion 2 is W1, the width W2 of the entire temporary assembly in which N arm portions 2 are arranged side by side is W1 × N, and this W2 is the bracket material 14 It is made to correspond to the length L.

  Similarly, the other end side in the longitudinal direction of the arm portion 2 is brought into contact with another bracket material 14. In the temporarily assembled state thus formed, the butted portions 6 of the respective arm portions 2 are in a continuous straight line shape and overlap on the coupling line 16 which is one virtual straight line. Therefore, the friction stir welding is continuously performed in one step along the abutting portion 6.

  FIG. 5 is a view showing the end portion in the longitudinal direction of the arm portion 2 in the side-by-side state from the butting side. As is clear from this figure, the first surface 20 and the second surface 21 are continuous in the left-right direction in the figure while maintaining a vertical spacing by the third surface 22. In addition, the notches 23 on the third surface 22 are also arranged at the same height and spaced in the left-right direction in the figure, so that they are continuous in the left-right direction in the figure between the first surface 20 and the second surface 21. The fitting protrusion 17 is fitted.

  In this figure, the fitting protrusion 17 is shown slightly apart from the first surface 20 and the second surface 21, but this is a representation for the sake of convenience and is actually a fitting protrusion. 17 is in contact with the first surface 20 and the second surface 21 (the same applies to FIGS. 8 and 11).

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state of friction stir welding. By pressing the probe 31 of the rotary tool 30 that rotates at a high speed from above the abutting portion 6, the material on both sides is made to enter the material from above the abutting portion 6. This is a known joining method that is integrated by friction stir welding. .

  At this time, the mounting protrusion 15 sandwiching the butting portion 6 and the tool moving surface 32 which is the surface of the end portion 2a are flush with each other, so that there is no step, enabling highly reliable friction stir welding by the rotary tool 30. To do. Moreover, since the abutting portion 6 is continuous in a straight line over all the arm portions 2 arranged side by side, the rotating tool 30 is moved along the connecting line 16 (see FIG. 4), so that the entire abutting portion 6 can be obtained by a single operation. The arm portion 2 can be combined and integrated with the mounting protrusion 15.

  In addition, since the fitting protrusion 17 is fitted in the notch 23 formed in the third surface 22 of the end 2a, the fitting protrusion 17 can be applied even if the rotary tool 30 is strongly pressed against the end 2a. By supporting the part 7 from the inside, the end part 2a is prevented from being deformed so as to be recessed downward. This also enables stable and highly reliable friction stir welding by the rotary tool 30.

  When the friction stir welding is performed in this manner, the bracket material 14 and all the arm portions 2 are coupled and integrated at the butt portion 6. Therefore, the link rod 1 can be separated by cutting the bracket material 14 along a cut line F (corresponding to an extension of the boundary line between the adjacent arm portions 2) indicated by a virtual line in FIGS.

  As a result, a plurality of arm stir pieces 2 can be joined to the bracket material 14 at a time by a relatively light work of forming the notch 23 and cutting the bracket material 14 after the friction stir welding. Since the link rod 1 can be manufactured almost simultaneously, the production efficiency is increased.

  7 and 8 show a second embodiment. In this example, the arm portion 2 is not substantially I-shaped in cross section, and a pair of third surfaces 22 are provided in parallel in the width direction of the arm portion 2 (left-right direction in the figure) at a predetermined interval, and the whole is formed into a substantially square pipe shape. Only the differences are different. This arm portion 2 is also formed by extruding an appropriate material such as an aluminum alloy in the longitudinal direction and cutting it in a fixed size. As shown in FIG. 7, a notch portion 23 is formed at each end portion of the pair of third surfaces 22.

  FIG. 8 is a view corresponding to FIG. 5 for showing the end face of the arm portion 2 in a side-by-side state. As is apparent from this figure, the first face 20 and the second face 21 are stretched on both sides in the width direction. The flange portions 24 and 25 to be connected are connected to adjacent ones. In this way, as in the previous embodiment, highly reliable friction stir welding and production of links with high production efficiency can be realized, and the support rigidity for the upper and lower first surfaces 20 and second surfaces 21 is increased. Further, deformation of the tool moving surface is further prevented during friction stir welding.

  9 to 11 show a third embodiment. This example differs from the previous embodiments in that the spacer 40 is used. This spacer 40 can be applied to both the first and second embodiments (in this example, those applied to the first embodiment are shown).

  FIG. 9 is a top view at the time of provisional assembly corresponding to FIG. 4, and a spacer 40 shown by hatching is interposed between adjacent arm portions 2. The spacer 40 has an abutting portion 46 by abutting an end portion with a portion forming the abutting portion 6 of the mounting ridge 15, and a surface of the spacer 40 is flush with the surfaces of the arm 2 on both sides and the mounting ridge 15. It has a moving surface. Each butting portion 6 is continuous with the butting portion 46 between the spacer 40 and the mounting protrusion 15, and these butting portions 16 and 46 form a continuous straight line as a whole.

  FIG. 10 shows the spacer 40. The spacer 40 is made of the same material as that of the arm portion 2 and has a substantially U shape for fitting the fitting protrusion 17. That is, a notch portion 41 corresponding to the notch portion 23 is provided, and an upper piece portion 42 and a lower piece portion 43 that overlap the step portions 7a and 7a are provided on the upper and lower sides thereof, and a connecting portion 44 that connects them is further provided. The thickness of the upper piece portion 42 and the lower piece portion 43 is t, and the height of the connecting portion 44 is H.

  FIG. 11 is a view corresponding to FIG. 5, and each arm portion 2 is connected to the first surface 20 and the second surface 21 that are adjacent to each other via a spacer 40 indicated by hatching. It is continuous in the left-right direction. Between the first surface 20 and the second surface 21, a fitting protrusion 17 that is continuous in the left-right direction in the drawing is fitted, and each third surface 22 is fitted to a notch 23. It is supposed to be.

  Thus, in the temporarily assembled state in which the spacer 40 is interposed, friction stir welding can be performed in the same manner as before, and then, as shown in the lower part of FIG. If 14 is cut in the transverse direction, the spacer 40 can be cut off and the link rod 1 can be separated.

In this way, only the spacer 40 is cut, and the end portions in the width direction of the first surface 20 and the second surface 21 are not partially cut away. Can be manufactured well.
If the width d of the spacer 40 is matched with the width of the cutting tool, the spacer 40 can be completely excised simultaneously with a single cut. In this figure, the cut line F is shown as having such a width.

Further, in the third embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the bracket 4 that has been cut in a predetermined size can be used in place of the bracket material 14.
FIG. 12 is a view corresponding to FIG. 9 according to the fourth embodiment showing this. In this figure, a set 50 is formed by fitting and abutting the bracket 4 and the end of the arm portion 2, and a plurality of the sets 50 are arranged side by side, and a spacer 51 is interposed between adjacent sets 50. After that, the entire structure including the spacer 51 is subjected to friction stir welding.

  In this case, the spacer 51 is disposed so as to intersect each extension line of the abutting portion 6 in the adjacent set 50, and the surface is flush with the tool moving surface 32 in the vicinity of the abutting portion 6. If this is done, the tool 51 including the spacer 51 can be moved so as to cross it, and the whole can be friction stir welded at once, and if only the spacer 51 part is cut after that, as shown in the lower part of the figure, Since the link rod 1 can be separated, the cut length can be further shortened to improve the production efficiency.

  13 to 16 show a fifth embodiment. FIG. 13 schematically illustrates the entire manufacturing method of the link rod 1. In the figure, A is an extrusion protrusion formed on the left and right bracket materials 14 with respect to both end faces 12a and 12b of the arm material 12 by extruding the left and right arm materials 12 and the bracket materials 14. The process of abutting the end face of the strip 15 is shown. The bracket material 14 is the same as that in the above embodiments. Reference numeral 14a denotes an integrally formed bush mounting hole.

  B shows a step of friction stir welding, in the temporary assembly 60 in which the mounting protrusions 15 are abutted against each other while the fitting projections 17 of the left and right bracket materials 14 are fitted to both end surfaces of the arm material 12. Then, the arm material 12 and the mounting protrusion 15 are joined together by friction stir welding by moving the rotary tool 30 along the butting line 66 to integrate the whole.

  Then, by cutting with the product width along the cut line F, the link rod 1 shown in C is obtained. C shows a perspective view of the link rod 1 which is separated and completed. 4a is a bush mounting hole. The link rod 1 is the same as that shown in FIG. Therefore, the reference numerals in the first embodiment are commonly used for the link rod 1 as a product shown in C.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the step A of FIG. 13 in detail. The arm material 12 is formed by extruding a light alloy such as an aluminum alloy or resin in the E direction so as to have a shape corresponding to a plurality of arm portions 2 shown in FIG. 13 (5 in this example) arranged side by side. This is formed and cut into a fixed length by the length L2 of the arm portion 2. The extrusion width W3 corresponds to the product width W1 × 5, that is, W2 in FIG.

  In the arm material 12, the first surface 12c and the second surface 12d are parallel to each other with a third surface 12e formed of a rib-shaped portion orthogonal to the first surface 12c and the third surface 12e extending along the entire length in the extrusion direction. And five are formed at equal intervals in the extrusion width direction. These three surfaces are integrally formed, and a hollow portion 12f penetrating in the extrusion direction is formed between the adjacent third surfaces 12e. However, both end sides in the extrusion width direction are groove portions 12g opened to the side.

  At both ends in the longitudinal direction (extrusion direction) of the third surface 12e, as shown in the enlarged cross-sectional portion in the drawing, a notch 12i is formed by machining after the standard cut of the arm material 12 or the like. The fitting protrusions 17 can be fitted to both ends of the arm material 12 in the extrusion direction.

  The bracket material 14 is the same as that of the example described so far, but in this case, after being extruded, it is cut to a length corresponding to the product width W1 × 5. This length is equal to L in FIG. 4 and is the same as the extrusion width W3 of the arm material 12. It is the same as in the first embodiment that when the fitting protrusion 17 is fitted, the upright wall portion 17b of the mounting protrusion 15 is abutted against the end surfaces on both ends of the arm material 12. The arm material 12 and the bracket material 14 are abutted so that the extrusion directions E thereof are orthogonal to each other.

  FIG. 15 is an enlarged view showing the process B of FIG. Since the temporary assembly 60 forms a straight line in which the friction stir welding line 66 continues, the friction stir welding can be smoothly performed on the temporary assembly 60 in one continuous process. This friction stir welding is performed in the same manner as in FIG.

  Thereafter, using an appropriate cutter such as a band saw, the entire length is cut in the extrusion direction of the arm material 12 along the cut line F passing through the midpoint between the adjacent third surfaces 12e, 12e, and the adjacent link rods 1 ( (See FIG. 13). At this time, the cut length is the length L1 × 2 + of the bracket 4 + the length L2 of the arm portion 2.

  FIG. 16 is a view showing the end portion of the arm material 12 from the extrusion direction. The fitting protrusion 17 is fitted between the first surface 12c and the second surface 12d. The hollow portion 12f forms a horizontally long rectangle in the illustrated state. F is a cut line, and an intermediate portion of the adjacent third surface 12e is cut along the cut line F after the friction stir welding.

  In this way, the bracket material 14 and the arm material 12 that are integrated with a plurality of link rods can be easily and efficiently manufactured by extrusion molding, and can be manufactured using only these three types of members. Handling and positioning are facilitated, and spacers are unnecessary. In addition, the abutting portion 6 can easily make the entire surface along the friction stir welding line 66 into a flat and continuous tool moving surface, and friction stir welding is also facilitated. In addition, in friction stir welding, the same effects as in the previous embodiments can be obtained.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and applications are possible within the principle of the invention. For example, the application of the link rod can be applied to various parts for automobiles such as suspensions and engine mounts. Further, the arm portion may be a simple square pipe. Further, in the case where the back side in the state illustrated in each embodiment is friction stir welded, the back side is also once in the same manner as the front side by turning over the entire arm portion 2 in a state of abutting against the bracket material 14 or the bracket 4. Friction stir welding can be performed in this continuous process.

The figure which shows the link rod for suspension obtained by this invention The figure which shows the temporary assembly state which concerns on 1st Embodiment The figure which shows the arm part which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The top view of the state which has arrange | positioned the arm part which concerns on 1st Embodiment side by side The figure which shows the edge part of the temporarily assembled state of the arm part which concerns on 1st Embodiment The figure which shows the state of the friction stir welding which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The perspective view of the arm part which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 5 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 4 equivalent view according to the third embodiment The figure which shows the spacer which concerns on 3rd Embodiment FIG. 4 equivalent view according to the third embodiment FIG. 9 equivalent diagram according to the fourth embodiment The figure which shows schematically the whole process which concerns on 8th Embodiment. The figure which shows the temporary assembly method which concerns on 8th Embodiment The figure which shows the state of the friction stir welding which concerns on 8th Embodiment The figure which shows the end surface structure of the raw material for arms which concerns on 8th Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1: Link rod, 2: Arm part, 3: Bush, 4: Bracket, 5: Mounting protrusion, 6: Butting part, 7: Fitting protrusion, 14: Bracket material, 15: Mounting protrusion, 20: 1st surface, 21: 2nd surface, 22: 3rd surface, 23: Notch part, 30: Rotary tool, 31: Probe, 32: Tool moving surface, 40: Spacer, 50: Set

Claims (6)

In the manufacturing method of the link rod comprising the arm portion which is a longitudinal member and the bush mounting bracket coupled to the longitudinal end portion thereof,
The arm portion includes a pair of parallel first and second surfaces, and a third surface connecting the first and second surfaces,
A longitudinal end portion of the third surface is cut out, and a fitting projection formed on the bush mounting bracket is fitted into the cutout portion, and the first surface and the fitting projection are fitted by the fitting projection. While supporting the second surface,
Each of the first and second surfaces so that the surface on the bracket mounting bracket side and each end of the first surface and the second surface are abutted to form a flush tool moving surface. A method of manufacturing a link rod, characterized in that a longitudinal end portion is butted against the bush mounting bracket, and the arm portion and the bush mounting bracket are coupled by friction stir welding along the butted portion. A plurality of sets of the abutted arm portions and bush mounting brackets are arranged side by side so that the connecting portions are continuous in a straight line, and the arm portions and the bushes are arranged along the continuous abutting portions. The method of manufacturing a link rod according to claim 1, wherein the mounting brackets are continuously frictionally agitated and joined at a time, and then the adjacent joints are cut and separated for each link rod. Between each set arranged side by side, a spacer is interposed so that the extension line of the abutting portion intersects, and the entire abutting portion is continued through the spacer, and the surface of the spacer is also provided on both arms. The entire tool moving surface is made a continuous flat surface with the surface of the part, and the friction stir welding is performed along the abutting part including the spacer, and then the spacer is cut and separated for each link rod. The manufacturing method of the link rod of Claim 2 characterized by the above-mentioned. In the manufacturing method of the link rod comprising the arm portion which is a longitudinal member and the bush mounting bracket coupled to the longitudinal end portion thereof,
The arm having a pair of parallel first and second surfaces and a third surface connecting between the first and second surfaces, the longitudinal end of the third surface being cut away Forming a part;
A step of extruding a bracket material for forming the plurality of bush mounting brackets by cutting in the longitudinal direction; and
The fitting projection formed integrally with the bracket material is fitted into the notch portion of the third surface provided at the longitudinal end portion of the arm portion, and the bracket material side surface and A process of abutting a longitudinal end of the arm portion with the bracket material so that each end of the first surface and the second surface is abutted to form a flush tool movement surface;
In the state of being abutted as described above, the arm portions are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the bracket material, and the abutting portions of the arm portions are arranged in a straight line in the side by side direction. And a process of
A step of friction stir welding the arm portions and the bracket material along the continuous abutting portions continuously at a time;
Thereafter, the bracket material is cut at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction and separated for each link rod;
The manufacturing method of the link rod characterized by comprising. A spacer is interposed between the arm portions arranged side by side so that the extension line of the butting portion intersects, and one end of the spacer is butted against the bracket material side to thereby make the butting via the spacer. The entire part is continuous, the surface of the spacer is also flush with the surface in the vicinity of the joint, the entire tool moving surface is a continuous plane, and the friction stir welding is performed along the abutting part including the spacer. The method for producing a link rod according to claim 4, wherein the spacer is cut at the time of subsequent cutting. An arm portion that is a longitudinal member and has a pair of parallel first and second surfaces that are long and perpendicular to the direction, and a third surface that connects the first and second surfaces. And a bush mounting bracket that has a bush mounting hole and integrally has a fitting projection that fits between the first and second surfaces at the longitudinal end of the arm portion. In the manufacturing method of the link rod which integrates by friction stir welding to the longitudinal direction end of the arm part,
This corresponds to a state in which a plurality of brackets are juxtaposed after extrusion molding so that the extrusion cross section has a front-view shape as viewed from the axial direction of the bush mounting hole and has integrally protruding fitting protrusions. Cut in the longitudinal direction at a predetermined length to form a bracket material,
Extrusion molding is performed so that the extrusion cross section corresponds to a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction in a state in which a plurality of the arm portions are arranged side by side and coincides with the cut length of the bracket material, and then in the longitudinal direction. Cut by the length of the arm part to form the arm material,
For this arm material, cut out both longitudinal ends of the third surface to form a relief portion when fitting the fitting protrusion,
The bracket material and the arm material are arranged so that the extrusion directions thereof are orthogonal to each other, and the fitting protrusion formed integrally with the bracket material is formed at the end of the arm material in the extrusion direction. Fitting between the first and second surfaces, butting the first and second surfaces and the bracket material, and making the butted portion flush and continuous,
Friction stir welding of the arm material and the bracket material at a time along the butted portion,
Then, the manufacturing method of the rod for a link characterized by cutting the whole with a product width in the direction orthogonal to the extrusion direction of the said raw material for arms.

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