	US 7,513,409 B2
	Friction stir welding method and structure body
Kinya Aota, Kudamatsu (Japan); Tsuyoshi Takenaka, Yamaguchi-Ken (Japan); and Yasuo Ishimaru, Kudamatsu (Japan)
Assigned to Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)
Filed on Apr. 14, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/403,812.
Application 10/600608 is a division of application No. 08/820231, filed on Mar. 18, 1997, granted, now 6,581,819.
Application 11/403812 is a continuation of application No. 10/600608, filed on Jun. 23, 2003, granted, now 7,056,594.
Claims priority of application No. 8-62491 (JP), filed on Mar. 19, 1996.
Prior Publication US 2006/0191981 A1, Aug. 31, 2006
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B23K 20/12 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 228—112.1

5 Claims

1. A friction stir welding method, comprising the steps of:

preparing a first extruded frame member having a first face plate, a second face plate arranged in parallel with said first face plate, and plural ribs for connecting said first face plate and said second face plate;

preparing a second extruded frame member having a first face plate, a second face plate arranged in parallel with said first face plate, plural ribs for connecting said first face plate and said second face plate, a third plate for connecting said first face plate and said second face plate, a first recessed portion formed integrally at an end portion of said first face plate, and a second recessed portion formed integrally at an end portion of said second face plate,

arranging said first face plate of said first extruded frame member and said first face plate of said second extruded frame member substantially aligned;

arranging said second face plate of said first extruded frame member and said second face plate of said second extruded frame member substantially aligned;

mounting an end portion of said first face plate of said first extruded frame member on said first recessed portion of said second extruded frame member;

mounting an end portion of said second face plate of said first extruded frame member on said second recessed portion of said second extruded frame member;

carrying out a first friction stir welding at an abutted portion between said end portion of said first face plate of said first extruded frame member and said first face plate of said second extruded frame member using a first friction stir welding use rotary tool;

carrying out said first friction stir welding at a portion of the first face plate above said third plate of said second extruded frame member using said first friction stir welding use rotary tool; and

forming a welding depth of said first friction stir welding to substantially having a depth of a plate thickness of said first face plate of said first extruded frame member and also to substantially have a depth of a plate thickness of said first face plate of said second extruded frame member.