METHOD FOR CONNECTING TWO COMPONENTS AND COMPONENT COMPOSITE

Abstract

A method for connecting two components with the aid of a laser weld seam. The two components are situated one above the other in a joining area. The first component is pressed in the direction of the second component with the aid of a clamping device. A laser beam impacts the first component on the side facing away from the second component and at least indirectly fusing material of the two components.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A method for connecting two components using a laser weld seam, the method comprising the following steps: situating the two components one above the other in a joining area; applying a force to a first component of the two components in a direction of a second component of the two components, using a clamping device; and impacting a laser beam on the first component on a side facing away from the second component to at least indirectly fusing material of the two components; wherein the first component has a thickness in a joining area between 5 m and 500 m, and wherein the clamping device applies the force to the first component in a punctiform or linear manner at at least one point against the second component, the two components and the laser beam being moved relative to one another to form the laser weld seam, and the laser beam is moved away in the course of a welding process from a point at which the clamping device applies force to the first component against the second component.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the thickness of the first component in the joining area is less than 100 m, and wherein a horizontal extension or a width of in the joining area is between 0.5 mm and 20 mm.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein a focus diameter of the laser beam in an area of the first component is between 50 m and 1000 m.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the focus diameter is between 200 m and 600 m.

19. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the laser beam has a wavelength in visible light, the wavelength being less than 1000 nm, at least at the beginning of the welding process, and the welding is carried out by heat conduction welding.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the first component includes copper, or aluminum, or silver, or gold, and the wavelength of the laser beam is in a green or blue wavelength range.

21. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein after formation of a part of the laser weld seam by heat conduction welding, the laser beam carries out a deep welding process.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein laser power of the laser beam varies over time over the course of the welding process, the laser power being increased over time.

23. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein prior to movement of the laser beam relative to the two components, the laser beam acts in a stationary manner for a certain period on the two components at a beginning of the welding process.

24. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein a relative speed between the laser beam and the two components is varied during the welding process.

25. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein a focus diameter of the laser beam is varied during the welding process.

26. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the laser weld seam is generated by pulsed spot welds, which partially overlap.

27. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the laser weld seam is formed from multiple sections, which overlap at least in one point.

28. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the laser weld seam is formed from multiple partial weld seams, which are preferably situated along a line, a spacing being formed between two adjacent partial weld seams.

29. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein prior to formation of the laser weld seam, spot welds are generated beforehand in an area of the laser weld seam to be formed.

30. A component composite, the component composite manufactured by connecting two components using a laser weld seam by situating the two components one above the other in a joining area, applying a force to a first component of the two components in a direction of a second component of the two components, using a clamping device, and impacting a laser beam on the first component on a side facing away from the second component to at least indirectly fusing material of the two components, wherein the first component has a thickness in a joining area between 5 m and 500 m, and wherein the clamping device applies the force to the first component in a punctiform or linear manner at at least one point against the second component, the two components and the laser beam being moved relative to one another to form the laser weld seam, and the laser beam is moved away in the course of a welding process from a point at which the clamping device applies force to the first component against the second component, wherein the first component is a conductor support in the form of a flex foil or a battery layer and the second component is a substrate or a battery foil.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG. 1 through FIG. 3 each show a perspective representation of differently designed clamping devices for clamping a first foil-like component against the upper side of a second component, in accordance with example embodiments of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal section during the formation of a laser weld seam, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 5 shows a detail of FIG. 4 in an enlarged representation.

[0023] FIG. 6 shows a cross section through the area of the laser weld seam according to FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0024] FIG. 7 shows a longitudinal section through a laser weld seam generated from multiple individual spot welds, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 8 through FIG. 12 each show differently formed laser weld seams in a top view, in accordance with example embodiments of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 each show a top view of the formation of a laser weld seam formed from multiple partial weld seams, in accordance with example embodiments of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 15 shows a top view of a modified clamping device, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 16 shows a side view of the clamping device according to FIG. 15.

[0029] FIG. 17 shows a circular weld seam generated with the aid of the clamping device according to FIGS. 15 and 16 in a top view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[0030] Identical elements or elements with identical functions are provided with the same reference numerals in the figures.

[0031] A component composite 100 made up of two components 1, 2 is shown in each of FIGS. 1 through 3, which is formed by forming a laser weld seam 5, which is only completely shown in FIG. 3, by connecting the two components 1, 2. First component 1 is, for example, a foil 6 which is made up of an electrically conductive material, i.e., for example, copper, aluminum, gold, silver, or contains similar. Furthermore, first component 1 or foil 6 has a relatively low rigidity. Thickness d between 5 m and 500 m, preferably a thickness d of less than 100 m of the foil 6 contributes to this at least in joining area 8, i.e. in the area of laser weld seam 5, in which the two components 1, 2 are connected with the aid of laser weld seam 5. furthermore, foil 6 has a width b between 0.5 mm and 20 mm in a horizontally extending plane in an extension direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of laser weld seam 5.

[0032] Second component 2 is, by way of example and non-restrictively, a substrate 9 such as a circuit board, a ceramic substrate having conductor structures, or the like. Furthermore, second component 2 typically includes a metal coating (not shown in the figures) on the upper side facing toward first component 1. The formation of laser weld seam 5 causes a fusion of both first component 1 and second component 2 on the side facing toward first component 1 while forming a melt 12. After the solidification of melt 12, it forms laser weld seam 5.

[0033] A starting point 14 of laser beam 16 shown in FIG. 3 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, at which laser beam 16 is positioned at the beginning of the welding process to the two components 1, 2. It is apparent in FIG. 3 that laser weld seam 5 is formed, for example, as an elongated laser weld seam 5, which extends starting from starting point 14 in the direction of arrow 18. For this purpose, it is provided that the composite made up of the two components 1, 2 is moved relative to laser beam 16. This may be carried out either by a relative movement of the two components 1, 2 to a stationary aligned laser beam 16, or preferably by a movement of laser beam 16 along the surface of the two components 1, 2 by way of a corresponding laser optical unit or the like.

[0034] To ensure that the spacing between the two components 1, 2 is sufficiently small in the area of starting point 14 at the beginning of the laser beam welding process that during the formation of melt 12, material of second component 2 is also fused or provided in liquid form, a clamping device 10, 10a, 10b shown in sections in FIGS. 1 through 3 is used. In the specific embodiment according to FIG. 1, clamping device 10 includes three finger-like elements 20 through 22 on the side facing toward first component 1, which have the same spacing to the surface of component 1, so that with the aid of clamping device 10, first component 1 or foil 6 is pressed or has force applied to it, in the area of elements 20 through 22, against the surface of (preferably flat) component 2. In addition, it is to be noted that for the exact positioning of clamping device 10, 10a, 10b, it is movably situated in a way which is not shown in the three spatial axes relative to components 1 and 2.

[0035] In the arrangement of elements 20 through 22 of clamping device 10 at starting point 14 of laser beam 16, the spacing or the horizontal distance of the contact points of elements 20 through 22 on first component 1 or foil 6 is relatively small in relation to starting point 14, so that it is ensured that in the area of starting point 14, first component 1 rests on second component 2 or such a small gap is formed that upon fusion of the material of first component 1, melt 12 or laser beam 16 becomes operationally connected to the surface of second component 2 to also melt-on or fuse it in certain areas.

[0036] In FIG. 2, clamping device 10a only has a single element 23, which is designed in principle corresponding to elements 20 through 22 of clamping device 10.

[0037] Clamping device 10b shown in FIG. 3, in contrast, includes a plate-shaped element 24, which forms a linear contact area 26 on first component 1 or foil 6 on the side facing toward first component 1.

[0038] In the laser welding process, the movement of laser beam 16 relative to components 1, 2, starting from starting point 14, takes place in a direction facing away from elements 20 through 24, which is to be illustrated in each of FIGS. 1 through 3 by arrow 18.

[0039] Laser weld seam 5 is shown in greater detail during the welding process in FIGS. 4 through 6. In particular, it is apparent in FIG. 4 that a longitudinal axis 28 of laser beam 16 extends perpendicularly to the surface of the two components 1, 2. Furthermore, a focus diameter D of laser beam 16 is apparent on the basis of FIG. 5, which, in the area of the surface of first component 1 or foil 6, is between 50 m and 1000 m, preferably between 200 m and 600 m.

[0040] In addition, as is shown in FIG. 5, in an area 30, in which the two components 1, 2 are not yet welded to one another, upper component 1 or foil 6 is thermally expanded by laser beam 16 due to the heat input, which has the result that the material of first component 1 or foil 6 moves in the direction of the surface of second component 2, which is to be illustrated by arrows 31 and 32. This effect may be explained in particular in that the temperature at the upper side of first component 1 or foil 6, i.e., on the side facing away from second component 2, is higher than on the side facing toward second component 2. In addition, it is shown in FIG. 6 that the material of second component 2 has been melted and solidified in areas to form laser weld seam 5.

[0041] FIG. 7 shows that it is also possible to use a pulsed laser beam 16 instead of a continuous laser beam 16 to form laser weld seam 5. Two spot welds 34, 36 are generated, which are situated adjacent to one another in the horizontal direction, preferably in such a way that an overlapping area 38 is created, which connects the two spot welds 34, 36 to one another. An elongated continuous laser weld seam 5 may thus be generated by a corresponding number of spot weld connections or spot welds 34, 36.

[0042] In addition, it is to be noted that in contrast to the classical pulse welding just described, a pulsed laser beam 16 (within its typical pulse duration between 1 ms and 50 ms) may generate a weld seam by relative movement to components 1, 2.

[0043] Different arrangements or shapes of weld seams are shown in FIGS. 8 through 12. In FIG. 8, two laser weld seams 5a, 5b, which are situated locally separated from one another, are used to connect the two components 1, 2. Furthermore, the two laser weld seams 5a and 5b are distinguished by starting points 14a, 14b. While laser weld seam 5a is made up of three approximately linear subsections 40 through 42, laser weld seam 5b is designed in waveform.

[0044] Two laser weld seams 5c, 5d each having a starting point 14c, 14d are also generated in FIG. 9. While laser weld seam 5c is designed to be circular, laser weld seam 5d is designed in the shape of a horizontal figure eight, starting point 14d being in the intersection point of the two circular subelements.

[0045] A laser weld seam 5e including a starting point 14e, which is designed in the shape of an E, is shown in FIG. 10. Laser weld seam 5e includes three sections 44 through 46, which are each generated from a shared starting point 14e.

[0046] Laser weld seam 5f shown in FIG. 11 is also made up of three sections 48 through 50 each including a starting point 14f, 14g, 14h, which are situated separately from one another. While section 48 is designed to be linear and is generated, for example, as first section 48 from starting point 14f, second section 49 is formed starting from starting point 14g. Lastly, third section 50 is generated from starting point 14h.

[0047] A total of four laser weld seams 5h through 5k are shown in FIG. 12, which extend in parallel to one another and each have the same length or extension in their main extension direction. A relatively small spacing to one another is formed in each case between the two laser weld seams 5h and 5i and also 5j and 5k. While the two laser weld seams 5h and 5i are each generated from starting points 55 and 56 arranged diametrically opposite, the two starting points 57 and 58 of the two weld seams 5j and 5k are located directly adjacent to one another on a shared side.

[0048] An exemplary embodiment is shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 in which according to FIG. 14, three laser weld seams 5l, 5m, and 5n are used to form laser weld seam 5, which are situated flush along an imaginary line to one another, an area without welding being formed in each case between laser weld seams 5l and 5m and also 5m and 5n. The three laser weld seams 5l through 5n are generated from a starting point 65 through 67, a clamping device 10c being able to be used according to FIG. 13, which includes, for example, three finger-like elements 63 corresponding to clamping device 10a of FIG. 2.

[0049] A laser weld seam 5o designed to be round in a top view is shown in FIG. 17, which is generated with the aid of a clamping device 10d which is apparent in FIGS. 15 and 16. Clamping device 10d includes an annular external body 71, from which three elements 73 protrude radially inward, which are designed to be brought into contact with first component 1 (not shown). Close to the starting point of elements 73 on first component 1 or foil 6, a tack of first component 1 on second component 2 in the area of spot welds 75 through 77 takes place corresponding to the illustration of FIG. 17.

[0050] The example methods described above for forming component composite 100 between the two components 1 and 2 and component composite 100 may be altered and modified in a variety of ways without departing from the scope of the present invention.