Patent Description:
Conventionally, there is known a part formed by joining a plurality of plate-like metal members by welding (hereinafter also simply referred to as a "part"), such as a fuel cell that is a part for a fuel cell device. For a part such as a fuel cell, not only the members to be joined, but also a circulation path for a reactant gas within the part is formed by welding. The circulation path is formed in a closed circuit form by welding around through-holes that are provided in the members so that airtightness is secured.

As a technique for forming a part, which has a closed circuit formed therein, by welding a plurality of metal members together as described above, there is known a welding jig device or a method for producing fuel cell-related parts, for example (see Patent Literatures <NUM> and <NUM>, for example). Patent Literatures <NUM> and <NUM> each disclose a welding jig device with openings that are provided corresponding to the portions to be welded, for specifying the portions to be welded.

<CIT> describes a battery laser welding clamp, a battery welding method of the battery laser welding clamp and a welding system. The welding system comprises the welding clamp. The welding clamp comprises a first clamping block and a second clamping block, wherein the first clamping block and the second clamping block are hinged, one side of the first clamping block is provided with a first welding operation hole, one side of the second clamping block is provided with a battery containing station, a first clamping groove, a second clamping groove and a second welding operation hole, the battery containing station communicates with the first clamping groove and the second clamping groove, the second welding operation hole is formed below the battery containing station and communicates with the battery containing station, the second welding operation hole is right opposite to the battery containing station, and the first welding operation hole is right opposite to the battery containing station.

<CIT> describes a laser welding device comprising: a first laser beam emitting head directed to a layered base material composed of two or more layers in a superimposed direction; a first skirting roller rotatably supported by means of a first supporting member on which the first laser beam emitting head is fixed and provided with a peripheral surface which protrudes more at a base material side than a base material opposing end of the first laser beam emitting head; a second laser beam emitting head directed to the layered base material from the opposite side of the first laser beam emitting head in the superimposed direction; a second skirting roller rotatably supported by means of a second supporting member <NUM> on which the second laser beam emitting head is fixed and provided with a peripheral surface which protrudes more at a base material side than a base material opposing end of the second laser beam emitting head; and a first pressing means for pressing the first supporting member with respect to a supporting base holder in the superimposed direction.

<CIT> describes that overlapping ends of at least three sheets are laser welded by positioning and holding the sheets with a holding mechanism, and applying at least two laser beams to the at least two interfaces between the sheets substantially simultaneously. The amount of heat applied by each laser beam, and the position of each laser beam, may be controlled and changed according to the material and/or thickness of the sheets to be welded. Also described is an arrangement for welding two overlapping sheets by heating the sheets with a first laser beam, without causing melting of the sheets, to deform and space the sheets a predetermined distance apart, and then welding the sheets using a second laser beam.

<CIT> a method for producing a primary material for a cutting tool, for example a primary material for a saw blade or a saw band, in which a band-shaped carrier of a metal carrier material and a wire of highspeed steel are continuously brought together along a lateral edge of the band-shaped carrier and transported into a welding device and the band-shaped carrier is welded to the wire along the lateral edge of the carrier to produce a bimetal band. The band-shaped carrier and the edge wire are welded to one another by at least a first welding device, which is arranged on one side of the band-shaped carrier, and at least a second welding device, which is arranged on the opposite side of the band-shaped carrier.

By the way, a welded part may have welded portions with a complex shape, such as welded portions forming an annular closed path or welded portions located in proximity to each other, for example.

A jig for welding annular portions to be welded together should have an opening corresponding to the portions to be welded, and thus inevitably includes two separate jigs on the inner side and outer side of the annular portions.

When the portions to be welded are located in proximity to each other, the dimensions of a jig attached between them should be small, resulting in a lower strength of the jig. Consequently, holding of the to-be-welded part around the portions to be welded with the jig has been insufficient. Further, when the portions to be welded are located in extreme proximity to each other, it may be impossible to dispose a jig between them. In such a case, holding of the to-be-welded part around the portions to be welded has become further insufficient.

When the portions to be welded have a complex shape as described above, in order to securely hold the to-be-welded part around the portions to be welded that are located in proximity to each other, and adequately specify the portions to be welded, a conventional welding jig device includes a jig for the entire members, which is configured to fix the entire members and has an opening corresponding to a portion of the portions to be welded, and another jig for some of the members, which is configured to be detachable from the jig for the entire members and corresponds to another portion of the portions to be welded, for example. However, in a welding operation performed with such a conventional welding jig device, welding of the portions to be welded with a complex shape involves both the operation of fixing the jig for the entire members and the operation of fixing the jig for some of the members. In addition, in a welding operation performed with the conventional welding jig device, to weld the aforementioned portions to be welded with a complex shape together, it has been sometimes necessary to replace or move the jig for some of the members corresponding to the portions to be welded. Further, in the conventional welding jig device and the conventional method for producing a part, when the jig for some of the members is attached or detached to perform a welding operation for forming a part, the resulting part sometimes has strain generated therein due to the welding. As described above, the conventional welding jig device and the method for producing a part using the conventional welding jig device involve a large number of steps regarding the operation of fixing the jigs for a welding operation.

The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a welding jig device and a method for producing a part that can facilitate a welding operation.

To achieve the aforementioned object, a welding jig device according to the present invention is a welding jig device as defined in independent claim <NUM>, and a preferred embodiment of the present invention is defined in dependent claim <NUM>. Namely, the present invention provides a welding jig device used for forming a part by welding a plurality of members together, and includes a jig on one side including a joint face on the one side and an opening on the one side, the joint face on the one side being adapted to contact one of faces exposed on outer surface sides of the plurality of members that are overlaid one on top of the other, the opening on the one side corresponding to a portion of desired welded portions of the part; a jig on another side including a joint face on the other side and an opening on the other side, the joint face on the other side being adapted to contact another face of the faces exposed on the outer surface sides of the plurality of members, the opening on the other side corresponding to another portion the desired welded portions of the part and not corresponding to the opening on the one side; a laser welding machine on the one side that is configured to emit a laser beam toward the opening on the one side; and a laser welding machine on the other side that is configured to emit a laser beam toward the opening on the other side; wherein the opening on the one side and the opening on the other side combine to form an opening corresponding to the entire desired welded portions; and the desired welded portions that are formed through the opening on the one side and the opening on the other side form annular closed paths.

In the welding jig device according to an aspect of the present invention, the laser welding machine on the one side is provided on an outer side of a lateral face on the one side, the lateral face on the one side being opposite to the joint face on the one side, and the laser welding machine on the other side is provided on an outer side of a lateral face on the other side, the lateral face on the other side being opposite to the joint face on the other side.

To achieve the aforementioned object, a method for producing a part according to the present invention is a method as defined in independent claim <NUM>. Namely, the present invention provides a method for producing a part by overlaying a plurality of members one on top of the other and welding the members together, including a step of overlaying the plurality of members one on top of the other and holding the members with a jig on one side and a jig on another side, the jig on the one side including a joint face on the one side and an opening on the one side, the joint face on the one side being adapted to contact one of faces exposed on outer surface sides of the plurality of members overlaid one on top of the other, the opening on the one side corresponding to a portion of desired welded portions of the part, the jig on the other side including a joint face on the other side and an opening on the other side, the joint face on the other side being adapted to contact another face of the faces exposed on the outer surface sides of the plurality of members, the opening on the other side corresponding to another portion of the desired welded portions of the part and not corresponding to the opening on the one side; and a step of welding the plurality of members together through the opening on the one side and the opening on the other side, in which the step of welding the plurality of members together through the opening on the one side and the opening on the other side includes emitting a laser beam from a laser welding machine on the one side toward the opening on the one side, and emitting a laser beam from a laser welding machine on the other side toward the opening on the other side, the laser welding machine on the one side being provided on an outer side of the lateral face on the one side, the laser welding machine on the other side being provided on an outer side of the lateral face on the other side; wherein the opening on the one side and the opening on the other side combine to form an opening corresponding to the entire desired welded portions; and the desired welded portions that are formed through the opening on the one side and the opening on the other side form annular closed paths.

The welding jig device and the method for producing a part according to the present invention can facilitate a welding operation.

The following embodiment will describe an example in which a welding jig device according to the present invention is used for a method for producing a fuel cell as an example of a part produced by overlaying a plurality of metal members one on top of the other and joining them.

First, an embodiment of a welding jig device of the present invention will be described.

<FIG> is a front view for illustrating the schematic configuration of a welding jig device <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present invention. <FIG> is a plan view for illustrating the schematic configuration of a jig <NUM> on one side and a jig <NUM> on another side of the welding jig device <NUM>. <FIG> is a partial plan view of the jig <NUM> on one side of the welding jig device <NUM>. <FIG> is a partial bottom view of the jig <NUM> on the other side of the welding jig device <NUM>. <FIG> is an A-A cross-sectional view of the jig <NUM> on one side and the jig <NUM> on the other side of the welding jig device <NUM>. <FIG> is a plan view for illustrating the schematic configuration of a part <NUM> produced with the welding jig device <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the welding jig device <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present invention is used for forming a part <NUM> by welding a plurality of members W together, and includes the jig <NUM> on one side that has a joint face <NUM> on one side to be in contact with one face W11 out of faces exposed on the outer surface sides of the plurality of members W that are overlaid one on top of the other, and also has an opening <NUM> on one side corresponding to a portion of desired welded portions <NUM> of the part <NUM>; the jig <NUM> on the other side that has a joint face <NUM> on the other side to be in contact with another face W21 of the faces exposed on the outer surface sides of the plurality of members W, and also has an opening <NUM> on the other side corresponding to another portion of the desired welded portions <NUM> of the part <NUM> and not corresponding to the opening <NUM> on one side; a laser welding machine 2A on one side that is provided on the outer side of a lateral face <NUM> on one side and emits a laser beam toward the opening <NUM> on one side; and a laser welding machine 2B on the other side that is provided on the outer side of a lateral face <NUM> on the other side and emits a laser beam toward the opening <NUM> on the other side. Hereinafter, the structure of the welding jig device <NUM> will be specifically described.

Hereinafter, a direction parallel with the direction of the axis x1, which lies along the faces of the jig <NUM> on one side and the jig <NUM> on the other side of the welding jig device <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> (hereinafter also referred to as an "axis direction"), is assumed as the "x-axis direction" for convenience sake. The x-axis direction is also referred to as the right-left direction. In addition, one of directions (i.e., y-axis direction) perpendicular to the axis x1 of the welding jig device <NUM> in <FIG> is assumed as the front-rear direction. Further, the other direction (i.e., z-axis direction) of the directions perpendicular to the axis x1 of the welding jig device <NUM> in <FIG> is assumed as the vertical direction. In the following description, the positional relationship or direction of each component expressed as the "right side," "left side," "front side," rear side," "upper side," or "lower side" only illustrates the positional relationship or direction on the drawings, and does not limit the positional relationship or direction in the actual welding jig device.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the welding jig device <NUM> is used for producing the part <NUM> by joining a plurality of metal members W by welding. As illustrated in <FIG>, the part <NUM> produced by joining the members W using the welding jig device <NUM> includes a part body <NUM>, which has been obtained by joining the members W illustrated in <FIG> and the like, and an opening <NUM> penetrating the part body <NUM> in its thickness direction. The part <NUM> also includes the welded portions <NUM> that are the portions of the plurality of members W joined by welding. The welded portions <NUM> form annular closed paths, for example.

The laser welding machine 2A on one side and the laser welding machine 2B on the other side irradiate members (i.e., workpieces) that are the targets to be joined, such as the members W, with laser beams, thereby joining the members. The laser welding machine 2A on one side and the laser welding machine 2B on the other side each include a YAG laser source that uses YAG (Yttrium Aluminum Garnet) as a medium. The laser welding machine 2A on one side and the laser welding machine 2B on the other side each emit a laser beam with an output of about <NUM> W and a wavelength of about <NUM> (i.e., infrared region), for example, toward the members W. The laser welding machine 2A on one side and the laser welding machine 2B on the other side each include a laser reflecting mirror, such as a galvanometer mirror (not illustrated), as a scanning optical component for scanning the surfaces of the members W with a laser beam. The scanning range of the galvanometer mirror of each of the laser welding machine 2A on one side and the laser welding machine 2B on the other side is a range of <NUM> × <NUM> square on the xy plane, for example. The laser welding machine 2A on one side and the laser welding machine 2B on the other side are each configured to be movable on the xy plane along the faces of the members W by means of a drive mechanism (not illustrated) so as to be capable of irradiating the entire members W with a laser beam.

It should be noted that the configuration of each of the laser welding machine 2A on one side and the laser welding machine 2B on the other side is not limited to that of the laser welding machine <NUM> described above, and can be used for methods for producing parts by welding using various welding machines. For example, the welding machine may be a carbon dioxide laser welding machine.

The welding jig device <NUM> includes the jig <NUM> on one side and the jig <NUM> on the other side as described above, and also includes a jig mount portion <NUM>. The jig <NUM> on one side and the jig <NUM> on the other side are formed of metal or resin with excellent durability and heat resistance against infrared laser beams. As illustrated in <FIG>, the jig <NUM> on one side and the jig <NUM> on the other side are joined such that the joint face <NUM> on one side and the joint face <NUM> on the other side face each other, and are disposed across the jig mount portion <NUM>. The jig <NUM> on one side and the jig <NUM> on the other side in the usage state hold the plurality of members W, which are overlaid one on top of the other, as the targets to be welded together, between the joint face <NUM> on one side and the joint face <NUM> on the other side. In <FIG>, the position of the virtual outline of the members W, which are held between the jig <NUM> on one side and the jig <NUM> on the other side, is indicated by the solid line. In addition, in <FIG>, the portions <NUM> to be welded of the members W are indicated by the dashed and double-dotted lines. The jig <NUM> on one side and the jig <NUM> on the other side in the usage state are provided with positioning pins <NUM> for engaging the jig <NUM> on one side with the jig <NUM> on the other side so as to prevent positional deviations thereof in the right-left direction and the front-rear direction.

Next, the specific structures of the jig <NUM> on one side and the jig <NUM> on the other side will be described with reference to <FIG>. <FIG> illustrates a state in which a region S of a portion of the jig <NUM> on one side indicated by the dashed and single-dotted line in <FIG> is seen from above. <FIG> illustrates a state in which the region S of the jig <NUM> on the other side is seen from below. <FIG> is a cross-sectional view of the region S seen from the front side in a state in which the jig <NUM> on one side and the jig <NUM> on the other side are joined.

As illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the jig <NUM> on one side has a shape that can cover portions other than the portions <NUM> to be welded of the plate-like members W, together with the jig <NUM> on the other side. The jig <NUM> on one side includes a jig body <NUM>, the joint face <NUM> on one side, the opening <NUM> on one side, an inclined plane <NUM> of the opening, a transmissive hole portion <NUM>, and a transmissive portion <NUM>.

The jig body <NUM> determines the approximate shape of the jig <NUM> on one side. The jig body <NUM> has an approximately plate-like shape corresponding to the shapes of the members W to be welded using the jig <NUM> on one side. The joint face <NUM> on one side is formed on the jig body <NUM> so as to be capable of contacting the face W11 exposed on an outer surface side of the members W. The joint face <NUM> on one side is formed on the jig body <NUM> so as to be capable of facing the jig <NUM> on the other side. The joint face <NUM> on one side has an irregular shape corresponding to the shapes of the members W, for example.

The opening <NUM> on one side is an elongated hole penetrating the jig body <NUM> in its thickness direction, that is, a region between the joint face <NUM> on one side (i.e., inner side) and its opposite lateral face <NUM> on one side (i.e., outer side). The opening <NUM> on one side is provided corresponding to a portion of the desired welded portions <NUM> of the part <NUM> that is to be produced by allowing the welding jig device <NUM> to hold the members W. The opening <NUM> on one side is open with its diameter increasing toward the lateral face <NUM> on one side. In the jig body <NUM>, the inclined plane <NUM> of the opening is provided around the opening <NUM> on one side. The inclined plane <NUM> of the opening is formed along a cross-section of the jig body <NUM> in its thickness direction as a plane with a predetermined inclination angle with respect to the z-axis. The slope of the inclined plane <NUM> of the opening is provided to allow a laser beam emitted from the laser welding machine 2A on one side to easily become incident on the members W via the opening <NUM> on one side.

The transmissive hole portion <NUM> and the transmissive portion <NUM> are provided in the jig body <NUM> at positions where the opening <NUM> on one side is not provided. That is, the transmissive hole portion <NUM> and the transmissive portion <NUM> are provided corresponding to the position of the opening <NUM> on the other side of the jig <NUM> on the other side described below among the desired welded portions <NUM> of a fuel cell that is to be produced by allowing the welding jig device <NUM> to hold the members W. The transmissive hole portion <NUM> is an elongated hole penetrating a region between the joint face <NUM> on one side (i.e., inner side) and its opposite lateral face <NUM> on one side (i.e., outer side) in the thickness direction of the jig body <NUM>. The transmissive portion <NUM> is a groove-like elongated hole with a predetermined depth from the joint face <NUM> on one side (i.e., inner side) to the lateral face <NUM> on one side along the thickness direction of the jig body <NUM>. The transmissive hole portion <NUM> and the transmissive portion <NUM> are provided in appropriate places of the jig body <NUM> where the opening <NUM> on one side is not provided such that the transmissive hole portions <NUM> and the transmissive portions <NUM> are alternately provided. That is, as long as the transmissive hole portion <NUM> and the transmissive portion <NUM> are provided in the jig body <NUM> at positions where the opening <NUM> on one side is not provided, the positions of the transmissive hole portion <NUM> and the transmissive portion <NUM> are not limited to particular positions, nor is the area ratio between the transmissive hole portion <NUM> and the transmissive portion <NUM> limited to a particular ratio, for example. It is also possible to provide only one of the transmissive hole portion <NUM> or the transmissive portion <NUM> in the jig <NUM> on one side.

Next, as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the jig <NUM> on the other side has a shape capable of covering portions other than the portions <NUM> to be welded of the plate-like members W, together with the jig <NUM> on one side. The jig <NUM> on the other side includes a jig body <NUM>, the joint face <NUM> on the other side, the opening <NUM> on the other side, an inclined plane <NUM> of the opening, a transmissive hole portion <NUM>, and a transmissive portion <NUM>.

The jig body <NUM> determines the approximate shape of the jig <NUM> on the other side. As with the jig body <NUM>, the jig body <NUM> has an approximately plate-like shape corresponding to the shapes of the members W to be welded using the jig <NUM> on the other side. The joint face <NUM> on the other side is formed on the jig body <NUM> so as to be capable of contacting the face W21 exposed on an outer surface side of the members W. The joint face <NUM> on the other side is formed on the jig body <NUM> so as to be capable of facing the jig <NUM> on one side. The jig <NUM> on the other side has an irregular shape corresponding to the shapes of the members W, for example.

The opening <NUM> on the other side is an elongated hole penetrating the jig body <NUM> in its thickness direction, that is, a region between the joint face <NUM> on the other side (i.e., inner side) and its opposite lateral face <NUM> on the other side (i.e., outer side). The opening <NUM> on the other side is provided corresponding to a portion (which is different from the opening <NUM> on one side of the jig <NUM> on one side) of the desired welded portions <NUM> of the part <NUM> that is to be produced by allowing the welding jig device <NUM> to hold the member W. That is, the opening <NUM> on the other side is provided corresponding to the positions where the transmissive hole portion <NUM> and the transmissive portion <NUM> of the jig <NUM> on one side are provided among the desired welded portions <NUM> of a fuel cell that is to be produced by allowing the welding jig device <NUM> to hold the members W. The opening <NUM> on the other side is open with its diameter increasing toward the lateral face <NUM> on the other side. In the jig body <NUM>, the inclined plane <NUM> of the opening is provided around the opening <NUM> on the other side. The inclined plane <NUM> of the opening is formed along a cross-section of the jig body <NUM> in its thickness direction as a plane with a predetermined inclination angle with respect to the z-axis. The slope of the inclined plane <NUM> of the opening is provided to allow a laser beam emitted from the laser welding machine 2B on the other side to easily become incident on the members W via the opening <NUM> on the other side.

In the welding jig device <NUM>, openings corresponding to the entire welded portions <NUM> of the part <NUM> are formed by the opening <NUM> on one side of the jig <NUM> on one side and the opening <NUM> on the other side of the jig <NUM> on the other side. Specifically, as illustrated in <FIG>, for example, to form each annular welded portion <NUM>, each of the opening <NUM> on one side and the opening <NUM> on the other side is formed such that it has half the perimeter of the annular welded portion <NUM> as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>. Performing welding through the opening <NUM> on one side and the opening <NUM> on the other side using the laser welding machines <NUM> allows the portions <NUM> to be welded, which have a complex shape such as an annular shape, to be appropriately welded to form the part <NUM>.

The transmissive hole portion <NUM> and the transmissive portion <NUM> are provided in the jig body <NUM> at positions where the opening <NUM> on the other side is not provided. That is, the transmissive hole portion <NUM> and the transmissive portion <NUM> are provided corresponding to the position of the opening <NUM> on one side of the jig <NUM> on one side among the desired welded portions <NUM> of the part <NUM> that is to be produced by allowing the welding jig device <NUM> to hold the members W. The transmissive hole portion <NUM> is an elongated hole penetrating a region between the joint face <NUM> on the other side (i.e., inner side) and its opposite lateral face <NUM> on the other side (i.e., outer side) in the thickness direction of the jig body <NUM>. The transmissive portion <NUM> is a groove-like elongated hole with a predetermined depth from the joint face <NUM> on the other side (i.e., inner side) to the lateral face <NUM> on the other side along the thickness direction of the jig body <NUM>. The transmissive hole portion <NUM> and the transmissive portion <NUM> are provided in appropriate places of the jig body <NUM> where the opening <NUM> on the other side is not provided such that the transmissive hole portions <NUM> and the transmissive portions <NUM> are alternately provided. That is, as long as the transmissive hole portion <NUM> and the transmissive portion <NUM> are provided in the jig body <NUM> at positions where the opening <NUM> on the other side is not provided, the positions of the transmissive hole portion <NUM> and the transmissive portion <NUM> are not limited to particular positions, nor is the area ratio between the transmissive hole portion <NUM> and the transmissive portion <NUM> limited to a particular ratio, for example. It is also possible to provide only one of the transmissive hole portion <NUM> or the transmissive portion <NUM> in the jig <NUM> on the other side.

Next, the configuration of the jig mount portion <NUM> of the welding jig device <NUM> will be described. The jig mount portion <NUM> includes support portions <NUM> on one side, support portions <NUM> on the other side, columns <NUM> on one side, columns <NUM> on the other side, and a support base <NUM>.

The support portions <NUM> on one side are provided on one side across the axis x1. The support portions <NUM> on one side are provided in pairs around one end (i.e., the left side in <FIG>) and another end (i.e., the right side in <FIG>) of the jig <NUM> on one side. The support portions <NUM> on the other side are provided on the other side of the support portions <NUM> on one side across the axis x1. The support portions <NUM> on the other side are provided in pairs around one end (i.e., the left side in <FIG>) and another end (i.e., the right side in <FIG>) of the jig <NUM> on the other side. The support portions <NUM> on one side and the support portions <NUM> on the other side are provided so as to face each other across the axis x1.

The support portions <NUM> on one side contact the lateral face <NUM> on one side of the jig <NUM> on one side, thus supporting the jig <NUM> on one side. Meanwhile, the support portions <NUM> on the other side contact the lateral face <NUM> on the other side of the jig <NUM> on the other side, thus supporting the jig <NUM> on the other side. The jig <NUM> on one side and the jig <NUM> on the other side each exert a fastening force acting in the direction of the axis x1 like a clamp, for example. With the fastening force, the support portions <NUM> on one side and the support portions <NUM> on the other side support the jig <NUM> on one side and the jig <NUM> on the other side in a state in which the jig <NUM> on one side and the jig <NUM> on the other side are joined.

The columns <NUM> on one side are provided at opposite ends of the welding jig device <NUM> in the right-left direction. Each column <NUM> on one side has one end disposed on the support base <NUM>, and has another end supporting the corresponding support portion <NUM> on one side. The jig <NUM> on one side is supported by the support portions <NUM> on one side, the columns <NUM> on one side, and the support base <NUM>. The columns <NUM> on the other side are provided at opposite ends of the welding jig device <NUM> in the right-left direction. Each column <NUM> on the other side has one end in contact with the installation plane, and has another end supporting the corresponding support portion <NUM> on the other side. The jig <NUM> on the other side is supported by the support portions <NUM> on the other side and the columns <NUM> on the other side.

Described next is an embodiment of a method for producing a part of the present invention that is executed with the welding jig device <NUM> with the aforementioned configuration.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram for illustrating a step of welding the members W together through both the opening <NUM> on one side and the opening <NUM> on the other side in a method for producing a part according to an embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in <FIG>, in the method for producing the part <NUM> by overlaying the plurality of members W one on top of the other and welding them together, the following steps are executed: a step of overlaying the plurality of members W one on top of the other and holding them with the jig <NUM> on one side and the jig <NUM> on the other side of the welding jig device <NUM> (hereinafter referred to as "step <NUM>"), and a step of welding the plurality of members W together with a laser beam B1 that has been emitted from the laser welding machine 2A on one side and passed through opening <NUM> on one side and a laser beam B2 that has been emitted from the laser welding machine 2B on the other side and passed through the opening <NUM> on the other side (hereinafter referred to as "step <NUM>"). Hereinafter, a method for producing a part using the welding jig device <NUM> will be specifically described.

In step <NUM>, the plurality of members W, which are the targets to be welded together, are held between the joint face <NUM> on one side of the jig <NUM> on one side and the joint face <NUM> on the other side of the jig <NUM> on the other side of the welding jig device <NUM>. In step <NUM>, the plate-like members W are fixed in place between the jig <NUM> on one side and the jig <NUM> on the other side with a fastening force exerted by both the right and left support portions <NUM> on one side and the right and left support portions <NUM> on the other side. The jig <NUM> on one side and the jig <NUM> on the other side are prevented from positional deviations in the right-left direction and the front-rear direction by the positioning pins <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> that engage the jig <NUM> on one side with the jig <NUM> on the other side. In addition, since the members W to be welded are fixed between the jig <NUM> on one side and the jig <NUM> on the other side in the welding jig device <NUM> by the jig <NUM> on one side and the jig <NUM> on the other side, strain of the members W due to heat during welding is suppressed. Therefore, according to the welding jig device <NUM>, the part <NUM> can be formed by joining through high-quality welding.

As illustrated in <FIG>, in step <NUM>, the laser beam B1 is emitted from the laser welding machine 2A on one side provided above the welding jig device <NUM> that is holding the members W between the jig <NUM> on one side and the jig <NUM> on the other side. At this time, in the welding jig device <NUM>, the lateral face <NUM> on one side, which is opposite to the joint face <NUM> on one side, of the jig <NUM> on one side faces the laser welding machine 2A on one side. Therefore, the laser beam B1 is transmitted through the opening <NUM> on one side of the jig <NUM> on one side in the scanning range LA1 of the aforementioned galvanometer mirror, and then irradiates a portion of the portions <NUM> to be welded of the members W that are held on the inner side of the joint face <NUM> on one side of the jig <NUM> on one side. The laser welding machine 2A on one side is configured to be movable on the xy plane along the faces of the members W within a predetermined movable region M1 by a drive mechanism (not illustrated). Therefore, the laser welding machine 2A on one side can irradiate the portions <NUM> to be welded, which correspond to the opening <NUM> on one side, provided across the entire members W with the laser beam B1.

In step <NUM>, the laser beam B2 is also emitted from the laser welding machine 2B on the other side provided below the welding jig device <NUM> that is holding the members W between the jig <NUM> on one side and the jig <NUM> on the other side. At this time, in the welding jig device <NUM>, the lateral face <NUM> on the other side, which is opposite to the joint face <NUM> on the other side, of the jig <NUM> on the other side faces the laser welding machine 2B on the other side. Therefore, the laser beam B2 is transmitted through the opening <NUM> on the other side of the jig <NUM> on the other side in the scanning range LA2 of the aforementioned galvanometer mirror, and then reaches the members W held on the inner side of the joint face <NUM> on the other side of the jig <NUM> on the other side. Specifically, the laser beam B2 irradiates another portion of the portions <NUM> to be welded of the members W that has not been welded by the laser beam B1 transmitted through the opening <NUM> on one side. The laser welding machine 2B on the other side is configured to be movable on the xy plane along the faces of the members W within a predetermined movable region M2 by a drive mechanism (not illustrated). Therefore, the laser welding machine 2B on the other side can irradiate the portions <NUM> to be welded, which correspond to the opening <NUM> on the other side, provided across the entire members W with the laser beam B2. Herein, the timing of emission of the laser beam B1 from the laser welding machine 2A on one side and the timing of emission of the laser beam B2 from the laser welding machine 2B on the other side may be either the same or different.

As described above, in the method for producing the part <NUM> using the welding jig device <NUM>, step <NUM> is executed that includes welding a portion of the desired portions <NUM> to be welded with the laser beam B1 from the laser welding machine 2A on one side through the opening <NUM> on one side provided in the jig <NUM> on one side, and welding the remaining portion of the portions <NUM> to be welded with the laser beam B2 from the laser welding machine 2B on the other side through the opening <NUM> on the other side provided in the jig <NUM> on the other side. With the welding jig device <NUM>, welding can be performed through both the opening <NUM> on one side and the opening <NUM> on the other side. Thus, the portions <NUM> to be welded with a complex shape can be welded together without the need for a jig replacement operation or the like.

Accordingly, for the part <NUM> to be produced with the welding jig device <NUM>, it is possible to easily form the desired welded portions <NUM> with high precision by performing welding through both the opening <NUM> on one side and the opening <NUM> on the other side even when the portions <NUM> to be welded are located in proximity to each other or the shapes of the portions <NUM> to be welded are complex such as an annular closed path, for example. Specifically, for the part <NUM> to be produced with the welding jig device <NUM>, it is possible to weld the portions <NUM> to be welded together through both the opening <NUM> on one side and the opening <NUM> on the other side while holding the portions <NUM> to be welded for the part <NUM> with the jig <NUM> on one side and the jig <NUM> on the other side such that the portions <NUM> to be welded are sufficiently tightly attached together. Thus, even the portions <NUM> to be welded with a complex shape can be welded together with high precision easily. In addition, for the part <NUM> to be produced with the welding jig device <NUM>, the portions <NUM> to be welded are welded together, part by part, from the opposite sides (i.e., the face W11 and the face W21 illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>) exposed on the outer surface sides of the members W. Thus, a high-quality part can be produced with the welding strain cancelled out.

In the welding jig device <NUM>, the jig <NUM> on one side and the jig <NUM> on the other side respectively have the transmissive hole portions <NUM> and <NUM> and the transmissive portions <NUM> and <NUM>. The transmissive hole portions <NUM> and <NUM> and the transmissive portions <NUM> and <NUM> are provided to allow the laser beams B1 and B2, which have been respectively emitted from the laser welding machine 2A on one side toward the opening <NUM> on one side and from the laser welding machine 2B on the other side toward the opening <NUM> on the other side, to be transmitted therethrough. Herein, since the welding jig device <NUM> has the transmissive hole portions <NUM> and <NUM> and the transmissive portions <NUM> and <NUM>, even if the members W partially melt, the melted portions will fall inside the transmissive hole portions <NUM> and <NUM> and the transmissive portions <NUM> and <NUM>. Therefore, according to the welding jig device <NUM>, the partially melted members W can be prevented from sticking to the part <NUM>, which would otherwise degrade the product quality.

<FIG> is a front view for illustrating the schematic configuration of a welding jig device <NUM> as a reference example. In addition, <FIG> is a plan view for illustrating the schematic configuration of the welding jig device <NUM>. Further, <FIG> is a B-B cross-sectional view for illustrating the schematic configuration of the welding jig device <NUM>.

The welding jig device <NUM> illustrated as a reference example in <FIG> is used for forming the part <NUM>, such as a fuel cell, by welding a plurality of members W together as with the welding jig device <NUM>. As illustrated in <FIG>, the welding jig device <NUM> differs from the aforementioned welding jig device in that although a jig <NUM> on one side having a joint face <NUM> on one side faces a laser welding machine <NUM>, a jig <NUM> on the other side has no opening and does not face the laser welding machine <NUM>. That is, the welding jig device <NUM> is configured such that a laser beam is emitted only from above the jig <NUM> on one side.

In addition, as illustrated in <FIG>, to weld annular portions together with the welding jig device <NUM>, the jig <NUM> on one side includes two members: a first jig body 111A and a second jig body 111B that has a second opening <NUM> corresponding to the annular portions to be welded, which do not correspond to the opening <NUM> on one side, among the desired welded portions <NUM> of the part <NUM>. The jig <NUM> on one side, which has a combination of the first jig body 111A and the second jig body 111B, forms the second opening <NUM> as well as inclined planes 114A and 114B of the opening corresponding to the annular portions to be welded. The second jig body 111B and the jig <NUM> on the other side are fixed together by a combination of pin holes <NUM> and <NUM> and positioning pins <NUM> and a combination of a bolt <NUM> and a bolt hole <NUM>.

In a welding operation performed with the welding jig device <NUM>, the use of the jig <NUM> on one side, which includes the separate first jig body 111A and second jig body 111B, results in a long time for the operation of fixing the first jig body 111A and the second jig body 111B to the jig <NUM> on the other side. In addition, since the first jig body 111A and the second jig body 111B of the welding jig device <NUM> are separate members, it has been necessary to adequately position the first jig body 111A and the second jig body 111B with respect to the jig <NUM> on the other side. As described above, the welding jig device <NUM> requires a number of steps regarding the operation of fixing the jigs.

Meanwhile, in the welding jig device <NUM> according to the present embodiment, the jig <NUM> on one side and the jig <NUM> on the other side respectively have the opening <NUM> on one side and the opening <NUM> on the other side corresponding to the portions <NUM> to be welded. Therefore, according to the welding jig device <NUM>, since the production of the part <NUM> only involves holding the plurality of members W between the jig <NUM> on one side and the jig <NUM> on the other side and welding the members W together through both the opening <NUM> on one side and the opening <NUM> on the other side, it is possible to reduce the number of steps regarding the operation of fixing the jigs and improve the precision of the welded portions along with the fixed positions of the jigs.

Claim 1:
A welding jig device (<NUM>) used for forming a part (<NUM>) comprising desired welded portions (<NUM>) that form annular closed paths by welding a plurality of members together, comprising:
a jig on one side (<NUM>) including a joint face on the one side (<NUM>) and an opening on the one side (<NUM>), the joint face on the one side (<NUM>) being adapted to contact one of faces exposed on outer surface sides of the plurality of members that are overlaid one on top of the other, the opening on the one side (<NUM>) corresponding to a portion of the desired welded portions (<NUM>) of the part (<NUM>);
a jig on another side (<NUM>) including a joint face on the other side (<NUM>) and an opening on the other side (<NUM>), the joint face on the other side (<NUM>) being adapted to contact another face of the faces exposed on the outer surface sides of the plurality of members, the opening on the other side (<NUM>) corresponding to another portion of the desired welded portions (<NUM>) of the part (<NUM>) and not corresponding to the opening on the one side (<NUM>);
a laser welding machine on the one side (2A) that is configured to emit a laser beam (B1) toward the opening on the one side (<NUM>); characterized in that it includes
a laser welding machine on the other side (2B) that is configured to emit a laser beam (B2) toward the opening on the other side (<NUM>);
and in that the opening on the one side (<NUM>) and the opening on the other side (<NUM>) combine to form an opening corresponding to the entire desired welded portions (<NUM>); and the desired welded portions (<NUM>) that are formed through the opening on the one side (<NUM>) and the opening on the other side (<NUM>) form the annular closed paths.