Patent Grant
7748595
(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for hot bonding metal plates. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for hot bonding metal plates having advantages that removing an oxidation film of the metal plates and bonding the metal plates are simultaneously accomplished and a bonding force between the metal plates is enhanced by applying a strong bonding pressure to the metal plates.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Generally, a welding method is well known as the method for bonding two metal plates. However, if the metal plates are thick or materials of the metal plates are different from each other, it is difficult to bond the metal plates with the welding method. Especially, in a hot rolling process, thick moving metal plates need to be rapidly bonded so as to continuously roll the metal plates. Thus, a welding method is rarely used in the hot rolling process.
Therefore, a bonding method is used for bonding the metal plates in the hot rolling process. However, an impurity, such as an oxidation film, coated on bonding surfaces of the metal plates needs to be removed according to the bonding method. Therefore, an additional, preceding process for removing the oxidation film is required.
Recently, a method for removing the oxidation film and simultaneously bonding the metal plates has been investigated.
For example, a method for overlapping two metal plates that are not cut and then bonding the two metal plates by applying a pressure with upper and lower cutting blades having a triangular-prism-shaped protrusion portion in an inclined direction to the normal of the surface of the metal plates is disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2001-0062404. In this case, the metal plates are clamped by the triangular-prism-shaped protrusion portion and the bonding surfaces are compressed by the triangular-prism-shaped protrusion portion so as to enhance the bonding force between the metal plates. In addition, since the bonding surfaces of the metal plates are formed along the inclined direction to the normal of the metal plates' surface, the metal plates are bonded well in a successive rolling process.
However, if the metal plates are clamped by the triangular-prism-shaped protrusion portion, the pressure applied to the bonding surfaces may be low and flaws may occur at the metal plates.
In addition, a method for respectively forming protrusions and depressions as the slanted shape at the two metal plates and tightly fitting the protrusions and depressions of one metal plate to the protrusions and depressions of the other metal plate so as to enhance the bonding force is disclosed in Korean Patent No. 0293284.
However, an additional process for forming the protrusions and depressions may be needed and a sufficient pressure for bonding the metal plates may not be obtained since the protrusions and depressions are formed as the slanted shape.
A method for fixing the two metal plates by clamps, cutting the metal plates with reference to one clamping surface, and then applying a bonding load to a bonding surface is disclosed in Korean Patent No. 0382011.
As described above, most methods for bonding hot metal plates are such that a cutting surface is formed at a front portion of the metal plates and simultaneously a pressure is applied to the cutting surface of the metal plates by a clamp.
To bond the front portion of the metal plates, the cutting surface is formed by a cutting mold and the bonding pressure is applied to the cutting surface by a simple clamping operation according to the method described above.
According to the method described above, the pressure may not be applied horizontally to the front portion of the metal plates since the length of the metal plates are longer than the width of the metal plates. Therefore, the metal plates are overlapped instead of confronting the front end of the metal plates and the cutting load is applied to the overlapped metal plates so as to bond the metal plates. For example, in a state that the two metal plates are fixed by the clamp, the pressure is applied to the metal plates in the normal direction of the metal plates' surface so as to cut the metal plates and apply the bonding pressure along the surface of the metal plates. In this case, since the metal plates are cut and simultaneously bonded, an impurity, such as an oxidation film, may not be inserted into the bonding surface of the metal plates. However, since the metal plates are bonded just by the cutting and clamping force, the bonding pressure that is applied to the bonding surface in the normal direction of the bonding surface may be weakened. To solve this problem, many researches related to improving the shape of a cutting blade have been made.
In contrast, a method for overlapping front surfaces of the metal plates and then forming a bonding surface at the overlapped surfaces is disclosed in Korean Patent No. 0261204. According to this method, after an oxidation film of a bonding surface is mechanically removed by a reducing flame, the metal plates are bonded by pressing bonding portions of the metal plates.
However, a preceding process for removing the oxidation film so as to bond the overlapped surfaces of the metal plates is required and a trimming process may be performed since metal is pushed out in the width direction and a width of the metal plates are widened.
In cases that the metal plates are bonded with a strong forging pressure instead of cutting the metal plates, the bonding pressure may be strong. However, many problems may occur such as that a preceding process for removing the oxidation film coated on the bonding surfaces of the metal plates may be performed and the additional trimming process may be performed since the metal is pushed out in the width direction and the width of the metal plates are widened. To solve these problems, the metal plates are formed such that a width of the overlapped portions of the metal plates is narrower than that of the other portions of the metal plates. Therefore, in this case, an additional trimming process is not needed
However, in this case, an additional process for narrowing the overlapped potions of the metal plates may be performed.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.
The present invention has a first advantage that movement of the two metal plates is restricted and a strong bonding pressure is maintained since a vertical pressure is applied to an overlapped portion of the metal plates by a clamp that can apply a strong clamping force.
The present invention has a second advantage that metal, together with an oxidation film, is not pushed in the width direction of the metal plates but is pushed out to a home formed at a shaving mold when the metal plates are bonded.
The present invention has a third advantage that a bonding force is enhanced by shaving the oxidation film and bonding the overlapped metal plates through a plastic flow by a strong pressure in a sealed bonding mold.
The present invention has a fourth advantage that when the metal plates are inserted into the bonding mold, the oxidation film is shaved by a shaving blade mounted in the bonding mold and the shaved oxidation film is gathered to the home of the shaving mold so that a bonding process and a process for shaving the oxidation film are simultaneously performed.
According to the present invention, trumpet-shaped entrances are formed at both sides of the bonding mold, a height of the trumpet-shaped entrances increases in an outward direction, and the metal plates are inserted to an exact position where the metal plates are bonded so that a front portion of a following metal plate and a front portion of a preceding metal plate are easily inserted into the bonding mold. In addition, the metal plates are moved and simultaneously bonded according to the present invention. In addition, according to the present invention, a plurality of wheels are mounted on a lower end of the bonding mold so that the bonding mold is moved together with the metal plates and simultaneously the metal plates are bonded.
To solve the above problems, according to the present invention, the overlapped metal plates are compressed vertically, an excess material and the oxidation film are pushed out to the home of the shaving mold instead of being pushed out in the width direction of the metal plates, and simultaneously the metal plates are bonded through the plastic flow.
According to the present invention, the overlapped portions of the metal plates are shaved by a shaving blade of the shaving mold mounted at the front portions of the metal plates so that the oxidation film is shaved when the metal plates are inserted into the bonding mold, and the shaved oxidation film is gathered to the home formed at a front portion of the shaving mold. Therefore, the oxidation film is shaved automatically and the metal plates are bonded.
According to the present invention, the oxidation film and the front portions of the metal plates are pushed out to the home of the shaving mold through the plastic flow as the metal plates are bonded so that the oxidation film is removed automatically and the metal plates are bonded in pure metal states. Therefore, a preceding process for removing the oxidation film and an additional process for trimming the excess metal are not needed and bonding the metal plates strongly and removing the oxidation film are simultaneously accomplished according to the present invention.
In addition, according to the present invention, in a successive hot rolling process where the metal plate is moving, wheels are mounted on a lower end of a bonding apparatus so that a front portion of a following metal plate is automatically inserted into the bonding mold through the trumpet-shaped entrance and the bonding apparatus is moved by an inertial force of the moving following metal plate. In addition, according to the present invention, a stopped preceding metal plate is automatically inserted into the moving bonding mold through the trumpet-shaped entrance of the bonding mold so that the two metal plates are automatically overlapped in a bonding position and are bonded in moving states.
An exemplary apparatus for hot bonding metal plates by applying a pressure to overlapped metal plates according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a supporting frame; an upper bonding mold being mounted on an upper portion of the supporting frame and having a clamping cylinder for clamping the metal plates; a lower bonding mold being mounted on a lower portion of the supporting frame and having a clamping cylinder for clamping the metal plates; shaving molds having a shaving blade for shaving an oxidation film of the metal plates and an excess metal; a lower clamp being installed corresponding to the upper bonding mold, a shaving mold inserted therein so that the shaving mold can move horizontally; and an upper clamp being installed corresponding to the lower bonding mold, a shaving mold inserted therein so that the shaving mold can move horizontally.
The clamping cylinders of the upper and lower bonding molds may be respectively connected to the upper and lower clamps with cylinder rods.
The upper bonding mold and the upper clamp may be formed as male forms and the lower bonding mold and the lower clamp may be formed as female forms that enclose the upper bonding mold and the upper clamp respectively so that the upper bonding mold and the lower clamp and the lower bonding mold and the upper clamp are closely engaged with each other.
Pluralities of rods may be respectively formed at one side of the shaving molds, pluralities of spring insert holes into which the pluralities of rods are inserted may be bored horizontally at a lower portion of the upper clamp and an upper portion of the lower clamp, and a supporting portion for supporting exhausting springs may be formed in the spring insert holes.
The shaving molds may have a curved surface at an opposite side to the one side where the rods are formed.
A remnant keeping home may be formed at the one side of each shaving mold where the metal plates are contacted.
Trumpet-shaped entrances into which the metal plates are inserted may be formed at left and right sides of the upper and lower bonding molds and the upper and lower clamps, wherein a height of the trumpet-shaped entrances increases in an outward direction.
Sliding rods are respectively mounted on upper and lower ends of the upper and lower clamps, and stoppers are respectively mounted on upper and lower ends of the sliding rods so as to control a position of the upper and lower clamps according to a thickness of the metal plates.
The sliding rods may be elastically supported by protruding springs.
An upper portion of the upper bonding mold may be elongated to the upper clamp, and the sliding rods connected to the upper end of the upper clamp may penetrate the elongated portion of the upper bonding mold.
Wheels may be mounted on a lower end of the supporting frame.
Meanwhile, according to an exemplary method for hot bonding metal plates by supplying a pressure to overlapped metal plates, the metal plates may be inserted into a bonding mold for bonding the overlapped metal plates and simultaneously an oxidation film of an overlapped surface of the metal plates may be shaved by a shaving blade for shaving the overlapped metal plates.
In addition, the metal plates may be bonded by applying a pressure to the metal plates and simultaneously an excess metal after the bonding is pushed out to an excess metal keeping home for keeping the excess metal.
An exemplary apparatus for hot bonding metal plates according to an embodiment of the present invention will hereinafter be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As shown in
A bonding force in a case of using a conventional cutting blade may be stronger than the bonding force in the case of using the upper and lower bonding molds 7 and 8. However, many problems may occur such that an oxidation film coated on the overlapped surfaces 5 and the front portions 4 of the metal plates 1 needs to be removed and an additional process for trimming excess metal 6 pushed out in the width direction of the metal plates 1 during the bonding process is needed.
To gain a strong bonding force, as shown
As shown in
In addition, sliding rods 18 are respectively mounted on upper and lower portions of the upper and lower clamps 9 and 10, and stoppers 17 are respectively mounted on upper and lower portions of the sliding rods 18 so as to control a position of the upper and lower clamps 9 and 10 according to a thickness of the metal plates 1. In addition, the sliding rods 18 are elastically supported by protruding springs 16 so that, when the metal plates 1 are bonded and then the bonding molds 7 and 8 are separated, the upper and lower clamps 9 and 10 are respectively bounced upwardly and downwardly by a restoring force of the protruding springs 16 so as to exhaust the excess metal 6 and the oxidation film remnant.
As shown in
As shown in
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As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As described above, if the metal plates 1 are too thick to weld, the metal plates 1 are pressed by a strong bonding pressure and bonded through the plastic flow according to the present invention. Thus, the metal plates 1 are strongly bonded. In addition, since the oxidation film coated on the overlapped surfaces 5 of the metal plates 1 is removed and simultaneously the metal plates 1 are bonded, an additional process for removing the oxidation film is not required. Thus, productivity is enhanced. Also, since the moving metal plates 1 are inserted into the bonding molds 7 and 8 through the trumpet-shaped entrances 19 of the bonding molds 7 and 8 and laid to the exact bonding position, a process for bonding the metal plates 1 is simple and can be performed quickly. In addition, the wheels are mounted on the lower end of the bonding molds so that it is possible to bond moving metal plates. Therefore, the bonding process can be successively performed.
While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be a practical exemplary embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2005-0019045 | Mar 2005 | KR | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/KR2006/000818 | 3/8/2006 | WO | 00 | 9/4/2007 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2006/096010 | 9/14/2006 | WO | A |
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|---|---|---|---|
| 3325623 | Briggs, III | Jun 1967 | A |
| 5720425 | Tazoe et al. | Feb 1998 | A |
| 20010017312 | Horii et al. | Aug 2001 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 61-012005 | Jan 1986 | JP |
| 05-245507 | Sep 1993 | JP |
| 07-047408 | Feb 1995 | JP |
| 10-058006 | Mar 1998 | JP |
| 2000-051906 | Feb 2000 | JP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20080190992 A1 | Aug 2008 | US |
